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President Biden and Donald Trump Preparing for Their First Presidential Debate of 2024; Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer Interviewed on Her Support for President Biden in 2024 Presidential Race; Police: Protesters Block Synagogue's Entrance in LA; Interview with Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL). Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired June 24, 2024 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That spacecraft is serving a very important role. It is, in a sense, an emergency exit for anybody who is on the spacecraft, on the ISS. In this case, the emergency exit itself is not going anywhere. Its' simply docked there. Now, they say it's out an abundance of caution the two astronauts who went up on it. So the spacecraft handled wonderfully. They feel very good about this. But there are very serious questions to wonder about this as they try to figure out they work around these spacewalks. They have going on up there. They can stay up there for quite some time. It's not like the clock is running out really fast.

But you know there have to be serious questions here about is there any inherent danger and bringing it back do they have the autonomous ability to bring the spacecraft back, this one back without these people on board, and then somehow change the entire schedule to get those two back later on. This is more serious than it appears, although, to be fair, NASA and Boeing are trying to say right now, they're working through it. They hope it's not serious at all.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Tom Foreman, thank you so much.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Three days to go until the earliest presidential debate in general election history. It is right here on CNN, and every minute between now and then counts.

A pro-Palestinian protests turned violent outside of Los Angeles synagogue.

And prime minister, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the intense phase of fighting in Gaza is both about to end.

Kate is out today. I'm John Berman with Sara Sidner, and this is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SIDNER: It's crunch time. Preps underway. Just three crucial days to go until the first presidential debate right here on CNN. President Biden is putting abortion in the spotlight as the administration marks two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade and directly blames Donald Trump for that.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The pain that I was feeling was excruciating. I was turned away from two emergency rooms. That was a direct result of Donald Trump overturning Roe v. Wade. He's now a convicted felon. Trump thinks he should not be held accountable for his own criminal actions. But he will let women and doctors be punished.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: The Biden campaign launching that new ad while the president remains sequestered at Camp David. He's been working with a team of aids and exports to prepare for Thursday's debate with Donald Trump.

Trump, meanwhile, has been having informal policy discussions with close lawmakers and allies but spent part of the weekend in Philadelphia where he mocked Biden for his debate preparations.

CNN's Alayna Treene joining us now. Alayna, we are seeing these new ads from the Biden camp on abortion. That is definitely a hot button issue at the debate. What are you hearing from Donald Trump on this issue?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, look, Donald Trump does not really want to be talking about abortion, especially as we head into the debate. However, of course this is what they are preparing on. This is one of the lines, I'm told, from my conversations with Donald Trump's advisers, one of the themes that he's been sharpening his rhetoric on and workshopping with vice presidential contenders, senators, policy experts behind the scenes because they think that this is one of the most vulnerable issues Republicans face, and mainly Donald Trump faces as they look forward to November.

Now, we did hear Donald Trump talk about this over the weekend. He was attending a Christian conservative conference called the Faith and Freedom Coalition, Road to Majority Conference, and he did address it. What we heard Donald Trump do on Saturday was kind of toe the line on abortion that we've seen him do in the past, which is to take credit for stacking the Supreme Court with conservative justices that led to the overturning of Roe versus Wade, but also trying to play it a little more politically safe on the issue.

Now, I do just want to turn your attention to more of what we're seeing Donald Trump's team do in the lead up to Thursday. Behind the scenes, they have been -- I'm told Donald Trump has participated in more than a dozen what his team has dubbing policy discussions to prepare him. He is not going to be doing mock debate, something that at the Biden campaign, I believe, is planning on doing. But they are workshopping answers, focusing on things that they think he, again, could be more vulnerable on.

And it's not just abortion. It's also his handling of the January 6th attack on the Capitol as well as discussions over American democracy more broadly. Now, another thing they're also trying to do is manage expectations.

And we kind of heard Donald Trump get at that during his rally in Philadelphia on Saturday. Take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: How should I handle him? Should I be tough and nasty?

(APPLAUSE)

[08:05:01]

Or should I be should I be -- she said, no. Should I be tough and nasty and just say you're the worst president in history? Or should I be nice and calm, and let him speak?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: Now, Sara, I can tell you that that line is actually something that is reflective of what's happening behind the scenes with Donald Trump and his team. They have been discussing his rhetoric as well, not just policy in these debates sessions, trying to determine whether or not Donald Trump should be aggressive, which I'm told his advisors are telling him not to be. They want him to focus on the issues. And so we're seeing that play out publicly in some of these speeches. And I think it will continue to be a theme this week as they look forward to Thursday. Sara?

SIDNER: We should note, when he is saying should I let him talk -- the mics will be muted if you are not the person then the question is being asked to. So it will be interesting to see how he handles that.

All right, Alayna Treene, thank you so much for your reporting. John?

BERMAN: With us now, the governor of Michigan, Democratic Gretchen Whitmer. Governor, thank you so much for being with us this morning. It is the second anniversary of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe versus Wade. In your mind, how responsible is Donald Trump for that decision?

GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): Absolutely responsible. He appointed three justices to the Supreme Court who went into Congress and lied. They said that Roe was the settled law of the land. They betrayed that oath that they took when they went into office. And we would we would not be in this moment but for Donald Trump. He's the one that put these justices on the court. Regardless of the 18 different positions he has taken over the years, he is absolutely front and center on the road to an all-out national abortion ban. And that's why we've got to get Joe Biden elected this fall.

BERMAN: He says he's not on the road to an all-out abortion ban, federal, because he said he wants to leave it up to the states, right? He said he would not support a federal ban. I'm not arguing with him being responsible for the overturning of Roe versus Wade, but just on that specific position, he wants it left up to the states, he says. I want to ask you, you did an interview with "The New York Times" where you said in 2028, you hope that Americans can choose a Gen X-er to be president in 2028. Why should they have to wait till then?

WHITMER: Well, because look at the candidates right now, John. I think that we've got a wonderful president who has delivered, and I am wholeheartedly a part of the Biden campaign and supporting him. I can tell you people are back to work. Manufacturing has growing. We have seen so much great investment from fixing the damn roads to making sure every household has access to internet. So this president has delivered. I am supporting him and working my tail off to make sure that he gets a second term and can continue this work.

But I think as we look to the future, a new generation of leaders is an exciting prospect. There's a deep bench on the Democratic side of the aisle, and I think that there are a lot of great people who could do it. And so that was one comment I made in an hour-long interview, but that's really what it's all about.

BERMAN: Well, look, I read the whole thing, at least everything that was published, and it was, it was fascinating to read that. But you talked about the future. I mean, why shouldn't the future be now? Aren't hurricanes concerned about the future now?

WHITMER: Absolutely. And we've got a very stark choice in front of us. We've got two men who are both in there, right about 80-years-old. One is the guy wakes up every morning, says what can I do to make people's lives better? The other is a guy who just wants to settle bets and is running on grievance. I think it's a very stark choices as we think about everything from the right to make our own decisions about our bodies to American manufacturing to an economy that is growing and more people who are in work getting paid well. There's still more good work to do, and that's why I'm thrilled to be supporting President Biden. But I think that that's the choice that we have today is the choice between two baby boomers. One is an incredibly good person with integrity who works his tail off for us, and another wants to simply settle scores. We can't afford that.

BERMAN: So we're going to have a segment coming up today with Harry Enten. Our Harry Enten is going to talk about these double-haters, people who don't like either candidate, whatever age they are. And 16 percent, I was peeking at Harry's data, are kind of double-haters right now. Why do you think that they look at these candidates and don't see someone they can connect with?

WHITMER: I think both candidates are very well known, right? And so I know that there's never a candidate who perfectly represents all the things I care about, I can tell you that.

But I want to extend an invitation to people who voted for Nikki Haley who understand the real present danger that Donald Trump could be in a second four-year term where he's not tethered to the prospect of needing to get reelected. Come on over. I know that Joe Biden might not be everything you want in a candidate. His agenda may not reflect your personal values on every front. But there's no such thing as a perfect candidate. This is an existential moment about fundamental freedoms, about our economy, about where we are headed as a nation, about climate change and commonsense gun safety.

[08:10:04]

And we can find common ground around some of those issues. And right now were hoping to earn the votes of these former Nikki Haley voters and uncommitted voters alike.

BERMAN: So Michigan is so important in the general election here. And in a way it's a microcosm of what the whole election will be and some of the challenges facing President Biden where you have a lot of younger voters, university, all the great universities there, a lot of younger voters. A large African American vote. You've got the Jewish vote, Arab American vote. These are all groups in some cases that President Biden is underperforming where he has in the past and the Democratic coalition. So he takes that debate stage in three days right here on CNN. What does he need to say to those voters in Michigan who might be wavering?

WHITMER: I think we need to remind people why he was elected in the first place, to bring some sanity back into Washington D.C., to make sure that we've got quality people in cabinet positions who are staking out a future for our country, whether its Gina Raimondo in Commerce or Pete Buttigieg in transportation or Tom Vilsack and agriculture. He has surrounded himself by incredibly competent, smart people who are leading our country forward.

I think that the chaos of the Trump years will come back into focus for people. It seems like a long time ago, but four years ago a lot has happened, and I think that this opportunity is one to remind people, we've got a president who is really seeing the resurgence of American manufacturing, onshoring supply chains, giving people opportunity in this economy to make a good living. At the end of the day, I think that's the most important thing that people will be reminded of in this, in this matchup. And as we think about abortion rights, where we've made so much great progress in a state like Michigan, all of that is at risk with the prospect of a second Trump term. And that's why -- that's why I think this is such a high-stakes moment.

BERMAN: Governor Gretchen Whitmer, as I said, I enjoyed reading that interview with "The New York Times." I look forward to reading the book that you have coming out as well. And again, thank you for joining us this morning. Appreciate it. "True Gretch" right there. We put the book up. Thank you so much, Governor.

WHITMER: Thank you.

BERMAN: All right, and of course, you can join CNN as President Biden and former President Trump meet for this unprecedented, historic debate, the earliest general election debate there has ever been. Jake Tapper and Dana Bash moderate. It is live this Thursday beginning at 9:00 p.m. eastern time.

So violent clashes outside of Los Angeles synagogue, what police are saying this morning.

Happening soon, back-to-back hearings in Donald Trump's classified documents case. Will the former president get a new gag order?

And new comments from basketball star Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese after a big matchup.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:17:27]

SIDNER: Pushing and shoving turned into violent altercations Sunday outside a Los Angeles synagogue, just south of Beverly Hills. The LAPD says it responded to two separate scenes and you're seeing one of them there in the predominantly Jewish neighborhood as fights broke out between pro-Palestinian protesters and counter protesters.

CNN's Camila Bernal following the latest this morning from Los Angeles.

Camila, good morning.

Can you describe what started this or how this all ended as well.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Sara.

So unfortunately again, just violent clashes here in Los Angeles and the unfortunate part here is that this time, it was outside of a synagogue. You know, people, as you mentioned were pushing, they were shoving.

It was violent both verbally and physically and this is in Pico- Robertson, which is a very historically Jewish neighborhood here in Los Angeles, and in some of that video, you can see police officers trying to push these protesters away from the temple.

These were fights that broke out in the street and then went off into side streets as well. Police officers going and trying to contain people, trying to keep them apart from each other. And you see those protesters there. There is one part of it where we even saw in the video just two people that appear to be wrestling and people all around them kicking them.

This was extremely violent. There were people that were being punched and shoved to the ground. You saw in many of these videos, people who had blood on their faces, their mouths.

There was in one of the videos where you saw a pro-Palestinian protester being thrown an egg. There were people that were chased and punch to the ground. They were bystanders who were trying to keep people apart, trying to pull them apart and keep them apart and not succeeding.

So again, just really violent and horrific images out of Los Angeles. We know that at least one person was detained for having a spiked (AUDIO GAP). It is unclear if any others were arrested and it is unclear exactly what the injuries were.

We do not know what escalated things, but as you see there, things absolutely escalated and the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass saying that she now wants additional police patrols in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood, but also in houses of worship around Los Angeles.

There have been a lot of reaction from leaders who say this is horrific and of course are hoping that this does not happen again -- Sara.

[08:20:02]

SIDNER: All right, Camila Bernal, I know you'll be watching all of that. Thank you so much for your reporting.

Coming up, it has been two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade, ending the constitutional right to an abortion. The High Court now set to rule on another abortion issue when it comes to what doctors must do in a medical emergency.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Just three days to go until the historic presidential debate right here on CNN.

Now, one of the things we have reported that Donald Trump has been doing to prepare is bouncing policy ideas off of folks being considered as his running mate. One of those politicians is Republican Congressman Byron Donalds from the state of Florida.

Congressman, thank you so much for being with us.

I asked this question to Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, I will ask you the exact same question. How responsible is Donald Trump for overturning Roe versus Wade?

[08:25:10]

REP. BYRON DONALDS (R-FL): Well, look, obviously President Trump installed three Supreme Court justices. Those three justices were a part of changing Roe v. Wade and actually eliminating it.

I will also say that what the Supreme Court did in 1973 was actually something that it did not have the authority to do.

Medical procedures like abortion or actually regulated at the state level, not the federal level. So what we are dealing with right now with abortion is that the states are going to weigh in. They're going to decide how abortions are going to be restricted and how they're going to be managed throughout the various states.

California is going to have their law, Florida is going to have their law. Tennessee, Texas, New York, and then as things evolve in our country, we will figure out the place where abortion is going to land in the United States.

BERMAN: And some states are banning abortion altogether. It sounds like you agree with Gretchen Whitmer that Donald Trump is responsible for overturning Roe versus Wade. She brought up the Supreme Court justices that Donald Trump even said after 50 years with failure, with nobody even coming close, I was able to kill Roe versus Wade. You agree with that?

DONALDS: Well, those are his words, so I am trying to figure out what the purpose of the question is.

BERMAN: I just want to know if you think Donald Trump is responsible for fundamentally changing access to abortion in this country?

DONALDS: No. What he is responsible for is for people being able to weigh in on abortion. Abortion is a very personal topic. It is the most divisive topic in our politics, we all know this.

And for 50 years the Supreme Court took away the ability for the American people to weigh in on one of the most personal topics that does deal with politics in the United States.

I think the one thing that's clear from the Dobbs decision is that abortion is not a federal issue. This is an issue that belongs in the states. Like I said, states are the ones that regulate medical procedures, not the federal government.

And so this is going to be a situation where every state is going to make their decision and citizens in those states have an ability to discuss abortion, figure out abortion regulation with their legislatures and with their governors.

BERMAN: So as I said, we've reported that Donald Trump is talking to some of the potential running mates and you're one of them about policy issues. I'm curious if you have discussed the Chilean model of Social Security with the former president.

DONALDS: No, we have not discussed that.

BERMAN: Have you talked about entitlement reform at all with him?

DONALDS: No, we have not discussed entitlement reform.

President Trump has been clear, he wants to make sure that Social Security and Medicare are protected for all of the Americans who had been promised something by the federal government.

BERMAN: In the past, you have supported the Chilean model for Social Security. Is this something you do hope he considers?

DONALDS: Well, I also say I am also 45-years-old, so I have grown up in America, not even thinking Social Security would be there for me and if you ask a lot of people in my age group, they are skeptical about Social Security being around.

BERMAN: Right. The Chilean model has to privatize parts of it.

DONALDS: I think for younger Americans, 30 -- well, hold on, John, let me finish my statement.

BERMAN: Do you want him -- do you want him to continue -- DONALDS: John, let me finish my statement.

BERMAN: Do you want him to consider privatizing parts of Social Security?

Okay.

DONALDS: I think that if you talk to younger Americans, they will tell you they are highly skeptical of whether Social Security and Medicare will be around for them.

If you listened to the Congressional Budget Office, they are saying right now that both of those programs will be insolvent in nine years. Congress is going to have to make some modest adjustments over the next several years that actually still protects seniors, protects the benefits that they have been promised, and that they will continue to get those benefits.

But for a younger American like myself, for my sons who were -- my oldest son is 20 years old, for him, there are going to have to be some changes to those programs, very modest changes, so that way those programs can still be afforded going forward.

You have to understand that right now, the number two spending item in the federal government is interest on the debt. It is number two in our government. It is more than were paying for the Department of Defense.

So we have some serious questions as a nation that we are going to have to confront and playing politics is not going to answer those questions.

BERMAN: There was a report just out today, "The New York Times" which cited a new analysis which show that over Donald Trump's term in office, the 10-year projection on debt grew by eight $8.4 trillion; under President Biden is 4.3, sorry trillion dollars, the federal debt grew by $8.4 trillion, the 10-year projection, Biden $4.3 trillion. That's the projection. You take out covid. It is still two-to-one Trump over Biden.

So you just talked about the debt situation there is. What has President Trump said to you about how he intends to cut the debt?

DONALDS: Well, first of all, let's go back to what you just said. You said if you remove COVID, that the 10-year debt window between Donald Trump and Joe Biden is still two to one. I will tell you right now that math does simply not add up.

Most of the debt incurred by Donald Trump does come from COVID-19 because the entire country's economy was shut down. And at that point, yes, Congress and the White House had a responsibility to step into that gap to make sure that Americans didn't just have their lives completely destroyed by COVID-19. It was a very tough period for our country.

That being said, the Trump agenda when it comes to economics and when it comes to federal spending, is one where we will have larger growth projections than we have today under Joe Biden because his growth is anemic. Number two, we will be cutting inflation. Joe Biden doesn't even want to talk about inflation except to say that right now, the year-over-year growth is three percent.

[08:30:35]