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Inside Politics

Poll: Only 32 Percent Approve Of GOP Leaders In Congress; Biden Raises Refugee Cap To 62,5000 After Criticism From Dems; Merrick Garland Faces Lawmakers In First Hearing As Attorney General; White House Tells Governors It Will Redistribute Unordered Vaccine Doses; India Surpasses 20 Million COVID-19 Cases. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired May 04, 2021 - 12:30   ET

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

[12:30:00]

AMY WALTER, HOST, POLITICS WITH AMY WALTER (WNYC): They're definitely behind schedule where a lot of members would already have a pretty good idea of what the new district lines are going to be like. But it's also clear in this era, John, that everybody's drawing their own maps, they're publicly discussed, members know which seats are going to be more problematic. Charlie Crist is a great example of that.

Democrats do not control any part of the blind-drawing process in Florida. Charlie Crist is very vulnerable, so is Stephanie Murphy, another Democrat, Central Florida, she's making moves, it looks like to run statewide, probably for the Senate. So to me, that's the real wild card here. And the good news for Democrats may be this, which is the whole bunch of folks are retiring because they see the writing on the lawns as. this is going to be a show lacking kind of your Biden's unpopular. You know, we're going to go down big time, I'd rather get out on my own terms.

But this is a lot of members saying, I know, I see the writing on the wall, it's really the writing on the map. And I'm going to go and at least try to get to a higher office. If I don't succeed, oh, well, I probably wouldn't have an easy race for my house seat either.

JOHN KING, CNN HOST: Right. Normally, normally, for those of us who've done this for a long time, the President's approval rating, heading into a midterm election is very critical. I say normally, because we don't know. We live in this volatile age, where the rules are changing all the times and sometimes from election to election. But you wrote a very smart piece about this the other day, say number one, presidents don't get honeymoons every year. And you talked about Joe Biden in the mid 50s right now and how you think if he, you know, he needs to stay there or build for Democrats to have a chance.

You also write this, "Even if Biden held on to a 51 percent to 54 percent job approval rating for the 2022 midterms, that's still not as robust as Democrats would need to feel confident about holding on to their narrow majorities in the House and Senate. In the last four midterm elections, those who disapproved of the sitting president voted by overwhelming margins". It's that last part, it's not a presidential election. So it's the who, which party has the most passion. And more often than not in the midterm, it's the party out of power that has that passion.

Again, the Republicans have a lot of dysfunction. We don't know if that will carry over. But if you're the Democrats, that's what you have to worry about.

WALTER: Right. Senator Sanders line that you included in there about, well voters are going to reward us when they see all the things that we've done for them. That's very reasonable, but especially midterm elections, it's usually hate, not love that drives people to the polls. Anger is an incredibly powerful motivator. And so that's long been the challenge for incumbents when it's their party in the White House. They say, look, we've done all these things.

Remember Republicans in 2018, we got you these tax cuts, we -- the economy's great. Look at how much the economy has been booming since President Trump's been in office. And yet what voters were really motivated about? Frustration with who the President was more than what the policies were.

KING: Right. And we saw that certainly in the 2010 and 2018 ...

WALTER: Right.

KING: ... the Trump and Obama, first the midterms. So I will show you some poll numbers actually, if they matter. This is from Pew Research. What's your view of the leaders in Congress? 50 percent of the people approve of the Democratic leadership in Congress, 47 percent disapprove, so a polarized country, a pretty even split. But if you're the Republican leaders saying, oh, my goodness, fewer than a third, 32 percent approve, 64 percent disapprove. That's a bad number for Republicans you would think except does it matter in a midterm election, especially at the House District where it's a district by district thing. Is it just an annoyance or is that a problem?

WALTER: I don't think it's a problem unless it shows itself in these primaries. And John, this is probably a bigger problem, let's say in the Senate, where the decision by former President Trump to get engaged or involved in these primaries, you know, endorsing candidates, one of those candidates who may get an endorsement, seek out an endorsement from Donald Trump to win a Republican primary has to carry that badge, which was a badge of honor in the primary becomes more of a scarlet letter in a general election in a light blue state or a purple state. The good news for Republicans though is they aren't having to run in many really blue states. Now that they're vulnerable states are Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, all states that went very narrowly for either Biden or Trump.

KING: Right. It is -- both the House and the Senate maps are going to be fascinating. We don't know a lot about the House one yet early in the process. But Amy Walter, grateful for the insights and this is a conversation we will have many, many times as we get through the next weeks and months. Thank you.

WALTER: You're welcome.

KING: Up next for us. a quick reversal from the Biden administration on the refugee cap that after mounting liberal criticism.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:39:04]

KING: Close look now at a giant about face from President Biden. The White House now promises to allow 62,500 refugees into the United States this fiscal year. That change after a fierce backlash from progressives to word Biden had decided to keep in place the historically low Trump administration limit of just 15,000 refugees. Little context here you can see it. 62,500 would be significantly up from the Trump presidency, but still below the final years of the Obama administration.

Back with us as our Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash and joining our conversation, our Immigration and Politics Reporter Priscilla Alvarez. Priscilla, let's start with this whiplash about face from the administration, which initially said we can't handle this right now. We're going to stick with the Trump level, we'll get back to you. Progressives were outraged. And they went back to the 62,500 number. Is it just because of the political pressure or do they believe that they've solved some of their other issues and they can handle it now?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: John, the administration had made that connection early on that there was a connection with the border and the influx of migrants there and the refugee cap but they're two separate issues and that is what refugee advocates have been saying.

[12:40:12]

And now the administration is really going back to square one in February, as you mentioned, the administration proposed 62,500. And then it went weeks without a signature from the President, which led to refugee flights being canceled, and a delay that really concerned advocates until last month, when the administration said they were indeed going to keep the 15,000 and strip restrictions, and then suddenly yesterday learning that they are going to keep the 62,500.

So the administration is saying, look, we know we're not going to make it to 62,500, and that's true. Actually, as of March 31st, a little more than 2,000 refugees have been admitted to the United States since the start of the fiscal year. So they're not going to make it to 62,000. But advocates say bottom line, they expect more refugees to at least be allowed into the United States.

KING: So Priscilla smartly goes through the numbers and the policy -- to the politics, just messy, messy.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It's so messy.

KING: It looks like a cave, back to where you want it to be ...

BASH: Yes.

KING: ... but it's a little bit of a ...

BASH: It is. I mean, there's no other way to say it. And, you know, look, we cover so many messy issues. And we have over the years, sometimes it's a comms issue, meaning it's a messaging issue, how they've relayed the information. And sometimes it has nothing to do with that. It's just a policy confusion issue. And this is the ladder. This is about the policy.

This is about the fact that it was very clear that the Biden administration wanted to get out very aggressively on the idea that what President Trump had done lowering the refugee cap to such a small number was wrong. And it was time to increase and allow people who are looking for safe haven. And that's what this is from across the globe, even and especially in including Muslim nations, which was a big controversy under President Trump to allow that to happen.

But my understanding is what happened when President Biden's saw the chaos -- they won't call it a crisis, but the chaos at the southern border -- he said, well, well, well, let's slow our roll on the refugees not thinking through that that would cause a big ripple effect and a backlash, understandably, among progressives who said, this is a promise that you made, and that's the bare minimum that the U.S. should be allowing in.

KING: So Priscilla, you make an important point, there are two very different issues within the immigration portfolio. But to Dana's point that the President saw was happening on the southern border that said, let's just does not take another risk right now, essentially, let's talk (ph) it. You know, let's not chin up more potential controversy. We talked about this the other day, but I want to put the numbers up on the screen now on that particular issue, which was largely about children, migrant children coming across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Children in Customs and Border Patrol custody right now, 605, that is way down. That was 5,700 close to 5,800 back on March 28. But children in HHS custody still above 22,000. That is much preferable, much more preferable than in the CBP custody. But that's still a big number to have the administration essentially keeping watch on until they what, reunite them.

ALVAREZ: John, that is a key number because that really is the next challenge is now the administration has to reunite them with family or guardians in the United States. Now, the Department of Homeland Security says that the majority do have a parent or relative in the United States, but they have to go through the process of vetting and getting those children to the family, relocating them to those parents or guardians. And that process can take somewhere around 29 days on average. So as they build capacity, they're also trying to get kids out of those shelters to family. And that really is going to be the next big challenge as these numbers of HHS custody grow.

KING: And so, you have these specific issues, then you have a separate issue that the Vice President has been given charge of a portfolio largely about what we call the Northern Triangle countries trying to slow the flow of migration. She would say that has nothing to do what's happening at the border, she might say that has nothing to do with a refugee camp. Listen to her this morning saying I'm on top of this, we'll make progress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a priority for our nation, and a role that I take very seriously. We want to help people find hope at home. And so we are focused on addressing both the acute factors and the root causes of migration.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: If you had time with her recently, does she worry that even though her charge might be the Northern Triangle, the root causes of migration, this issue can be quicksand in American politics, and now it's a piece of her portfolio.

BASH: Well, I asked her kind of half joking, you know, whether or not she said, gee, thanks, Mr. President. This is exactly what I wanted. You know, she said that he asked her to do it because he had that same portfolio in the Obama administration, but they understand, she and the people around her that this is all part of the same issue.

[12:45:07]

It is about immigration which has vexed presidents, Democrat and Republican. And she does say over and over again, it is a long-term problem. It is complex, it's not going to change overnight. That is true.

But what could change very quickly is the fact that, you know, Priscilla and you were talking about children at the border. Those are the only people allowed under the Biden administration rules to at least get asylum in the U.S. because for the most part, they're operating under what's known as Title 42. Because of the pandemic, most people who are asking for asylum aren't even allowed into the border. That is not going to sustain itself very long. That is going to change at some point, that along with just the typical migration patterns that we see when it comes to the spring and the summer, it is going to change.

So it is all related things are maybe calmer now. But there is not an expectation that is going to stay the way it is because there is such a small sliver of the population, just children even allowed in those centers and to be placed under asylum rules.

KING: Dana Bash, Priscilla Alvarez, appreciate the reporting and insights. Stand us right, this one runs in cycles. We will be back at it, I am sure.

Up next for us, the debut ad from California celebrity candidate for governor.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:51:06]

KING: Topping our political radar today, Caitlyn Jenner debuting her first campaign ad in her quest to replace Gavin Newsom as Governor of California. Former Goldman Olympian calls it her most important race yet. In the three-minute video, Jenner makes the case that she's here to save California.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: California needs a disrupter, a compassionate disrupter. It's time to reopen our schools, reopen our businesses, reopen the golden gates.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Merrick Garland facing Congress for the first time as Attorney General today, pitching the Justice Department's budget request a $35.2 billion for the next fiscal year. The Attorney General highlighting the need for more resources, he says are necessary to ensure civil rights and address hate crimes. And he says terrorism both domestic and international, is what keeps him up at night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MERRICK GARLAND, ATTORNEY GENERAL: My oath is to protect the Constitution and Americans from all enemies, both foreign and domestic. We have a growing fear of domestic violent extremism and domestic terrorism. Both of those keep me up at night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: And this just in to CNN, a new strategy from the Biden White House on how to divvy up the nation's vaccine supply to states as we go forward. Let's bring in our Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins in the briefing room. Kaitlan?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John, this is a notable shift from a policy that the White House has had. And they did tell governors during their weekly call today that their plan now is to redistribute vaccines, if a certain governor does not order their full allocation that week. Basically, what they've done so far with the federal government is each week, they tell governors how much -- how many doses they should expect their state to be able to order, for example. But if the state does not order that full dose or that full allocation, as some of them have not been doing in recent weeks now that you're starting to see that supply, outstrip that demand here in the United States something that, of course, is not an issue we had.

Just a few months ago, the White House now says if a certain state doesn't order that full allocation, they are then going to take those doses they do not order and potentially redistribute them to another state that does still have high demand. This is kind of their way of working through that. And I am told that the allocations will still be based on the state's population. And if one week a state say, for example, Alabama does not order their full allocation, they'll still get that full allocation the next week, it's not actually going to change their numbers. But, John, this is notable because remember, it was just about a month ago that the Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was saying her state needed more doses because of course, they were experiencing that COVID-19 surge with the White House including President Biden during a call rejected that appeal by her to ask for those more doses. Now, they seem to be trying to shift this given they are seeing certain states not order their full allocations of their vaccine doses each week, John.

KING: Use it or lose it week by week. Kaitlan Collins, appreciate the breaking news from the briefing room. Thanks so much to you.

And when we come back, more in the global COVID-19 perspective, including the crisis in India. The country now reporting more than 20 million COVID cases.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:57:13]

KING: U.S. travel restrictions banning travel to the United States from India begin today as that country continues to face just a catastrophe, catastrophic surge of new COVID cases and deaths. India now surpassing 20 million cases, as the virus continues to spread rapidly and overtax the medical system.

Our Senior International Correspondent Sam Kiley joins us now live from New Delhi. Sam, any progress today?

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The short answer certainly from New Delhi, John, would be if so, it's pretty invisible. Just in the last few hours, just by way of an example, the Rainbow Hospital, relatively small hospital here, put out a Twitter appeal for oxygen for its pediatric unit where it's also got some young babies in the incubators, all in danger of dying. They said at that stage, they had one hours oxygen left. That was hard on the heels of another hospital making an almost identical appeal for the same reasons, just a few hours before.

So, it is very clear that even with the amount of international aid coming into the country, that they are very much still on the ascendant curve of this pandemic, both in terms of infections, both in terms of deaths. But in a sense, they're not managing to improve their curve yet in terms of their response, John.

KING: You mentioned international aid, Sam, how quickly -- you see the promises from around the world, but what is the reality on the ground? Is it reaching things like oxygen, things like PPE, things like more vaccines? There's promises but is their delivery?

KILEY: There has been delivery in substantial amounts. The United States is giving $100 million worth of aid and the aircraft bringing that in, arrive almost daily. The Brits (ph) were very early with their donations, and a lot of this is oxygen manufacturing, concentrating or actual oxygen equipment. And that is what is most desperately needed right across the country, John. What is much more opaque is whether or not it's getting to anybody. The central government here put out a statement saying that it was delivering 4 million items of donations coming from the international community. But what those items are remains somewhat mysterious. There has been they say an effort to build to take some of the oxygen production plants that they've been sent and install them in some Delhi hospitals. We haven't seen the evidence of that, but no evidence to the contrary, I have to say.

But there has been a lot of criticism, particularly from opponents of the central government that is run by Narendra Modi, that the government has been very slow to roll it out and certainly in to neighboring states, or states very close to New Delhi. The leadership there is saying they've had no communication whatsoever about what the central government is likely to do with their international donation. Central government saying they're going to prioritize the poorer states, put more rural areas. But, frankly, the real need at the moment certainly visibly is here in New Delhi, John?

KING: Sam Kiley, grateful you and your team are on the ground at this critical moment. Appreciate the live reporting.

And thank you for joining us in Inside Politics. I'll see you back here this time tomorrow. Ana Cabrera picks up right now.

[13:00:00]