Biden's Executive Action, Putin's Concerning Visit, Social Media Warning
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Overnight, Duncan's pumpkin spice coffee has sent folks into a cozy craze. I'm Lauren LaTulip reporting live from home in my hand-knit turtleneck that my Nana made me. Mmm, cinnamony. The home with Duncan is where you want to be.

It's Tuesday, June 18th. Right now on CNN This Morning, President Biden is preparing to take executive action to protect hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants from deportation. Vladimir Putin visiting North Korea to meet with Kim Jong-un. The U.S. deeply concerned about their motives. And the Surgeon General calling for warning labels on social media apps, just like cigarettes and alcohol. 6 a.m. here in Washington, and here's a live look at the White House.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Manu Raju, in for Casey Hunt. It's great to be here with you today. Now, today, President Biden using the power of his pen to dramatically alter the immigration landscape. He'll be announcing a sweeping executive action, shielding undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens from deportation and allowing them to work legally in the country while they seek citizenship. Now, the policy applies to people who have been living in the United States for 10 years and could affect hundreds of thousands of people. And

And this plan amounts to the federal government's biggest relief program since the Obama-era DACA program. Earlier this month, President Biden signaled the move was coming. I will not use the U.S. military to go into neighborhoods all across the country to pull millions of people out of their homes and away from their families to put detention camps while awaiting deportation, as my predecessor says he will do if he occupies his office again.

In the weeks ahead, and I mean the weeks ahead, I'll speak to how we can make our immigration system more fair and more just. Let's fix the problem and stop fighting about it. All right, we have a great panel to discuss this morning. CNN Politics Women White House reporters Stephen Collinson, former federal prosecutor Elliott Williams, Sher Michael Singleton, former deputy chief of staff at HUD in the Trump administration, and Megan Hayes, former special assistant to President Biden.

Good morning, everybody. Thanks for being here. Okay, so just so viewers have an understanding of what this policy is, since there's a lot to it, it essentially would shield spouses of U.S. citizens from deportation, allow them to work legally in the United States, would apply to people living in the U.S. for 10 plus years, and would utilize a legal authority known as, quote, parole in place.

All right, Sir Michael, you're the Republican strategist at the table. You see this. You see Biden doing this in the middle of an election year. How do Republicans respond? Of course, they're going to criticize. We know what Republicans are doing. How will it impact the campaign? I mean, look, the president clearly took some executive actions. I think a week ago he announced it because the White House recognizes that this is an issue that the president has not done very well at. Republicans, particularly Donald Trump, asked the Senate not to move forward with

with the immigration compromise for the very purpose that he believed in the polling revealed this to be true that this was to his advantage now you have president by taking a step where I think Trump was so what is it you try to have both ways you want to secure the border but yet you're gonna allow potentially hundreds of thousands of people to stay I think that is going to some mixed signals to the American people the administration's gonna have to figure this out mix in us but I think that most 74-cent of the population believe that we should be taking a multi-faceted approach here with

security and a way for citizenship. So I think he is doing what people actually want. And also, this election is going to be one on the margins. And this impacts families who are living in some of these battleground states. And I think that that's important to remember here moving into the election. And when you talk about security versus

how you're talking about people want security but the people maybe open to different ideas when it comes to people who are here undocumented immigrants when you look at how the program to deport undocumented immigrants that's what Trump has talked about rounding up undocumented immigrants pushing them out 62%

favor that according to a CBS News poll versus 38 opposed that idea on and on the idea of whether or not people should be allowed to stay in the United States undocumented immigrants should they be allowed to stay in the United States legally if certain requirements are met this was an interesting point from a Pew Research poll 85 percent of Biden supporters support that idea just 32 percent

of Trump's appointment. - Okay, if that question were asked differently of all of those people, do you believe that people who are A, more likely to be married, B, less likely to commit crimes, and C, more likely to be religious should be allowed in the United States? I think everybody would say overwhelmingly yes, but I think it's very easy to demonize and say people jumping over fences with suitcases of fentanyl and that's what's happening at the border. And without question,

we need strong and tough border security in America. There's a balance to be struck and so on. But I think when the question is framed merely, do you want more immigrants in the country? Of course, many people, particularly on the right, are going to say no. But that's only half of the story. And looking at, if you really unpack

this decision that was made by the Biden administration or is being made today by the Biden administration, number one only applies to couples and families that have been here for 10 years and have established families and so on. So I just think this is the problem with the immigration debate in the country today. It's very easy to sort of cast everything with a wide brush. It's far more nuanced.

As you were saying, I mean, it's kind of hard to fit all the everything that Elliot was saying on a bumper sticker, right? Like that's we are in a campaign. That's the issue. Those numbers you cited show why there should be support for comprehensive immigration reform. But at the same time, it shows why there's an incentive every time it comes up in Congress for someone to stand up and get a political advantage by trashing it.

You cannot look at this action that the president will take today without thinking about the politics. A lot of progressives were deeply angered by the timing of the asylum restrictions a few weeks ago. But the president had to do that, as you were saying, because he had to shore up his support with more moderate voters who were very worried about the border, including many Democrats, as this has spread to American cities.

But at the same time, the president is looking weakened in places like Arizona. The safety net, if his Midwest route back to the 270 electoral votes to the White House doesn't work, this is going to be something that's popular with Hispanic voters, another group with whom he's been struggling in his electoral coalition. So nothing makes sense in immigration because nothing can ever get fixed, but politically,

it makes sense from that point of view. Well, it's important that you said comprehensive immigration reform, only because 2006, 2008, 2013, 2007, each of those years Congress tried to bring it up and failed. And they've consistently failed to fix this issue. Now,

the big winners seem to be Republicans because in this vacuum and failure, and I'm going to keep using that word, failure on the part of the US Congress to address all of these questions, whether it's border security or the humanitarian questions about keeping families together, it's all on Congress, but it ends up being a big

political win for Republicans 'cause you got the images of the fentanyl at the border. - Sure, and the politics have shifted so much since those comprehensive immigration debate back in 2013. Remember the Senate passed a bipartisan bill that stopped in the Republican-led House and the Democrats have shifted to the Republican position on so many parts on immigration. But it's interesting that you mentioned Hispanic voters. 65% of Hispanic voters in 2020 supported Joe Biden according to exit polls, just 32% for Biden.

Public polling now shows a much tighter margin. That is a 52-47 Biden-Trump, Biden advantage over Trump in the recent Quinnipiac poll. Okay, so Megan, you are close with the Biden campaign. You wish to work for the White House.

How concerned are they about the Hispanic voters coming home? I think they're concerned about the Hispanic voters coming home. I think they're concerned about black voters coming home. They need to shore up their base and I think they know that and they are doing things to do that. I think that these different immigration tactics that the

the president is taking now. I think that's because Congress has failed to act, to Elliot's point, and he is trying to do all he can. He did it with some of the gun legislation. He's done a lot of EOs where Congress has failed, and I think that's a very strong thing for the president to be doing, and it's a strong thing to run on. All right, okay, we'll see how the politics play out. Just ahead, awkward? Donald Trump about to make a campaign stop in Milwaukee after referring to the city as horrible. Plus, Vladimir Putin making the West nervous as he heads to North Korea to meet with Kim Jong-un.

and high temperatures in winds feeding fast-moving wildfires in California and New Mexico.

I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta, host of the Chasing Life podcast. What are some of the social service agencies that have supported you and your family growing up? That's Dr. Robert Waldinger. He's a psychiatrist, a professor, and a Zen master. What kind of relationships actually help us maintain happiness? And what should we do in those moments where we have setbacks and things that don't work out? Listen to Chasing Life, streaming now, wherever you get your podcasts.

Donald Trump makes a campaign stop in the suburbs of Milwaukee today, just days after calling the city, quote, horrible. The reaction to that remark was swift. A local brewery announcing plans to roll out a not-so-horrible city IPA just right before the Republican convention next month. And the mayor of Milwaukee also pushing back. Well, Donald Trump was talking about things that he thinks are horrible. All of us lived through his presidency, so right back at you, buddy.

And even the Biden-Harris campaign seizing the opportunity. They're offering, quote, not a horrible city merch online. Now, for Trump, he's denying he ever made the comment, accusing Democrats of, quote, making up stories. I think it was very clear what I meant. I said we're very concerned with crime. I love Milwaukee. I have great friends in Milwaukee. I was referring to also the election.

All right, Sir Michael, what do you think? Is this a problem for Trump? I mean, I don't think it's a problem because people are sort of used to him saying crazy things, but I just think going forward, like, this just shouldn't be something Republicans want to talk about. There's every city in this country, major city, small city, that truly faces some very difficult problems

problems and challenges right now. And if you're running to be the commander in chief of the country, then the response to those problems should be here are the things that I'm laying out that I'm rolling out over the next couple of months that if you vote for me, I plan to do within the first 90 days, the first year. That should be the focus. We shouldn't be insulting cities because of their challenges, because every city in this country faces different challenges. I mean, the Republicans are saying that what Trump meant to say, what he was referring to was crime, as you heard from Trump saying there. But, you know, is crime a

liability for Biden? I mean, crime rates may be decreasing in certain cities, but still, people feel unsafe. That can't be good politics for the incumbent president. I mean, I think the FBI came out with a study or some polling that the crime rate has actually gone down significantly. But also, we live in a world where it's like,

what Trump meant to say always. And to Sher Michael's point, you don't insult a city that's hosting a major convention for you. Also, it's a battleground state. You're insulting people who live in a state that you need to vote for you to win to get back to the White House. It just, to me, is a very bizarre way to go about things and then to lie about it on the back end.

also an interesting tactic. - And it's not just as simple as, well, Milwaukee is all Democrats and therefore he was bashing a predominantly black Democratic city. No, there's swing voters in Milwaukee and the Milwaukee suburbs that he needs as a purely practical matter. Forget the wisdom and the politics of it.

But as a practical matter, he needs those people's votes and insulting their home probably isn't the way to get it. But again, we're back in, well, you know, that's not what he meant when he said shithole or when he said whatever else. And here we are again. So you get inside Donald Trump's brain, Stephen. And, you know, I want you to tell me he goes to race scene today.

what is he doing is he dressed as the night nor is he attack Democrats for making things up as well Racine is the swing is district to possibly the swing is still a really a few votes here and there can make a big difference I think it was what 20,000 in 2020 22,000 22,000 so anything can matter

I don't think he brings it up today, but I'm pretty sure when he stands up there at the convention, he's gonna say, "I love Milwaukee." And everyone will forget. Trump once said, "What you're seeing and what you're hearing is not what's happening." He said that to his supporters, and he's made a brand out of that. - If you're the Biden campaigner, how concerned are you about Wisconsin,

you know it's a close state is always a pivotal state it's a we wasn't 2020 was in 2016 just about the president standing in Wisconsin as he has into reelection was he gonna do differently to make sure doesn't flip to Trump I mean I think that he's concerned about it obviously they're spending a ton of money there they're doing a lot of organizing are getting boots on the ground to turn votes out the of course they're worried about it I think that the

that President Biden needs to continue to talk about the issues and talk about what he's doing for people and not get bogged down in what Trump's doing and like the drama and the tabloidness of his campaign and just continue to talk about the issues and he needs to pivot to the economy and show people what he's done for them on the economy. All right, okay. We'll see if he decides to do that. And ahead, Boeing CEO facing a Senate hearing amid multiple investigation. Plus, two leaders meeting in Pyongyang this morning.

For the first time in nearly 25 years, Vladimir Putin is making a state visit to North Korea. Putin and Kim Jong-un. Yeah, also meeting up, Voldemort, the Penguin, and Bowser from "Super Mario Bros."

Right now, Russian President Vladimir Putin on his way to North Korea for a two-day visit. And that is raising concerns in the U.S. and Europe about Ukraine. Satellite images show preparations are underway for a large parade in central Pyongyang. Here's what national security spokesman John Kirby is saying about this.

No surprise that he went to North Korea after his so-called election. A real nail-biter that that was. He was going to go on a little bit of a charm offensive here, and that's what he appears to be doing. What we are concerned about, Trevor, is the deepening relationship between these two countries. All right, CNN's Mike Valerio joins us live from Seoul. So, Mike, the timing of this trip. What does it say to you about why this is happening now, and what is the goal for this meeting?

Well, Manu, first of all, good evening from Seoul. It is so great to be here with you tonight. It tells me that both Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un really need each other desperately at this moment of time. And what this is all about, Manu, it's certainly just a tale of what each country wants and really what

each country is going to get. So in terms of the laundry list, it's pretty long. Let's go to North Korea first. At the very top of their list, they need help with their satellite and ballistic missile technology. That's certainly an area of expertise that Russia can help out with. North Korea has been trying to send out these spy satellites for a very long time and only has one, Manu, successful launch that happened in November. A couple weeks ago, it tried to send up another spy satellite. It

failed. There's all this spectacular video of it blowing up, captured by Japanese cameras. North Korea sends trash balloons out, sort of as part of its angered response. North Korea also wants the prestige of standing on the same stage with a leader from its point of view.

has this strength, again, from their point of view, across the world. They need food assistance, energy assistance as well. And then we go to what Russia wants, Manu. They first and foremost need weapons, ammo to help prosecute its war against Ukraine. They have had ammo shortages. South Korean intelligence officials, in addition to officials in D.C.,

have told us that there is evidence of North Korean munitions ending up on the battlefield thousands of miles away from the peninsula here in Ukraine. But, you know, there are North Korea experts who are wondering how far this quid pro quo is really going to go. Will Russia give up its missile and satellite secrets for North Korean munitions? Listen to what Peter Ward told us a little earlier.

I'm a little bit skeptical about both the ballistic missiles and nuclear technology claims. These are highly advanced technological capabilities that I don't think the Russian side would be willing to give up or give to the North Korean side. The Russians also have to be concerned about potential proliferation, the further resale of these crown jewels of their own military technological base.

Okay, so, Manu, we cannot forget the environment that this is all happening in. It's pretty tense, to be honest. So earlier today in the 8 a.m. local time hour, we had reports of 20 to 30 North Korean troops crossing over the military demarcation line in the middle of the DMZ. South Korea fired all

warning shots. And Manu, this is the second time in two weeks something like that has happened. We've also seen new satellite images showing North Korea building new structures or clearing land around the DMZ. Most likely, experts tell us, to harden their border and make it harder for people to defect, to escape to here in South Korea.

Bottom line, Manu, it's going to be fascinating to see the bromance continue between Putin and Kim Jong-un and to see what deliverables are given by the end of this meeting between one country to the other, Manu. All right, Mike Valerio, live for us from Seoul. Thank you for your reporting. Appreciate that.

And dry conditions, gusty winds driving wildfires in the west as oppressive and dangerous heat expands across the Midwest and Northeast. Meteorologist Allison Chinchar tracking both systems. So Allison, just how bad is it?

Right. So we take a look at where that particular fire in New Mexico is from. Again, zero percent containment has burned about 3000 acres so far. It's in the southern portion of the state of New Mexico where they have had those pretty significant drought conditions. The fire weather forecast for today does include much of New Mexico in that elevated risk. You're talking strong winds above average temperatures and then, yes, those very low humidities.

The bigger, more widespread concern for today is certainly going to be the heat. More than 80 percent of the U.S. population is going to be looking at temperatures at 90 degrees or even higher. In some of the more focused areas, you've even had record-breaking heat. Take a look at this. All of these, Ohio, Michigan, down through Pennsylvania, all looking at daily record temperatures that were broken yesterday. Looking at this, Toledo, Ohio, getting very close.

to that triple digit mark. More records are expected for today. A lot of them, you're talking more than 150 high temperature records could be set over the next several days. Now, the bulk of them are going to be into the northeast and the Midwest. But again, we've got a few in the southeast. You've got a few out west. So it's not the only area that's going to be dealing with this extreme heat. When you factor in the humidity, those feels like temperatures are incredible. It's going to feel like 104 today in Syracuse, triple digits in Cincinnati.

Not even July in already brutal, brutal temps. Alison Chinchar thanks you for that. And next, a cheap fake. At least that's what the White House calls this viral video of President Biden. Plus, the U.S. Surgeon General demanding warning labels on social media apps.

This morning, the White House denying claims that President Biden froze at a celebrity fundraising event in Los Angeles over the weekend. After this video went viral in right-wing media circles, it shows Biden standing before the crowd before Barack Obama grabs him by the hand and walks with him offstage. Now, the New York Post and others describing it as a, quote, freeze-up.

The White House, though, slamming that characterization and calling the clip a cheap fake or a video that is edited, cropped or missing larger context. I think you all have called this the cheap fakes video. And that's exactly what they are. They are cheap fakes video. They are done in bad faith. Let's not forget President Obama, President Biden have a relationship. They are friends. They're like family to each other. And I think that's what you saw.

All right. So just to get a sense on how the media and conservative circles sort of ran with this video, this is what a number of folks on the right said in the aftermath of this video. Notice he kept his hand on Joe Biden as on his back as if to steady and steer him off stage. He held it there, kept it there just for

Well, obviously President Biden, he's not capable of making any momentous decisions. We all know that. And none of us really know who's in charge. The president's rapid decline is obvious and on display. This thing looks bad and now they're talking about swapping Hillary in. Dementia is just the layer of garbage on what is already an incompetence trash cake. All right, so what actually happened? Now, Jimmy Kimmel, who was on stage at the time, said this about that moment.

There's a clip of Joe Biden going around today and they say he froze and had to be escorted off stage on Saturday night. I was standing right next to him when it happened. He didn't freeze, he was just listening to the people calling him in the front row. Now in an election in which age is an issue,

How does this play out? - Well, you know, it's interesting. It's Gerald Ford and tripping down stairs all over again, right? Where something gets in people's heads about a candidate and the country runs with it and believes it. Gerald Ford was a former athlete, but he tripped in public a couple times and then it became a narrative that

that he's clumsy. There's a narrative that Joe Biden is an old man, of course, and I'm not disputing that he's not 81 years old, but somehow this narrative has taken hold that he's infirm or a doddering individual or whatever else. And any indication that seems to fuel that, even selectively edited videos, get in people's heads and people sort of run behind it. So I think it's certainly a political liability, but let's be clear, if you only show a portion of a video in which someone appears to be

staring into space or whatever else, then yes, people who are inclined to believe that this individual does space out will continue to believe it. - And this is what Mark Cuban said about this. He said, "Both candidates are old, very old. "They both are gonna have senior moments. "Misremember, forget things, and have physical frailties." He goes on to say, "One is great at soundbites, "but also thinks in soundbites. "The other is awful at soundbites, "but thinks in complete sentences. "Voters will decide which we prefer."

interesting summation of things. In a way, that's the microcosm of the election that many voters are going to see when they tune into this debate, which millions of people are going to watch. And this is going to be the central question. Do you go with a president who is clearly aging? He's 81 years old, and there are substantial public doubts about whether he can serve a full second term. Or do you go with the volcanic temperament and the chaos of Trump? And it's going to be very interesting to

even to watch the debate with the sound down and look at those two presidential candidates, both former presidents, and see what temperamental choice the country makes. You've got to be careful. It's not just volcanic temperament. He's volcanic temperament in an old man and in Donald Trump. The idea that it's somehow this binary between one old man and one completely spry fit individual is

who's much younger, and this gets back to the point I was making, which is that we've gotten this notion of Biden versus Trump, that it's almost virility versus senility, and that's simply not the case. - Yeah, Trump shared this edited video on his social media posts. I mean, is this a good idea to be having this debate about

fit me and i was a medical ronnie jackson ronnie johnson and i would prefer not to focus on this is the president of the z_-one of course the most people know what they look at it with their own eyes sure i've got to be honest money i pray to god that if i get eighty one years old i can still do what i love and i think most of us at this table would probably agree with that i think this election is going to be about those kitchen table issues the economy immigration foreign policy those are the issues were i would preference for republicans to focus on because i do think

we actually have an advantage on the things that really impact people's lives, not age. Let's just pray we get to be 81. - Yeah, but look, age is obviously an issue for a lot of voters. I mean, is the Biden campaign doing enough to quell concerns about his age and fitness for office? - I mean, I would just say those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. And I think Donald Trump being

three years younger, is not all of a sudden youthful. And so I just think he also makes mistakes. They all make mistakes out there. And they're under the public scrutiny every minute of every day. A press pool travels with the president. Of course they're going to catch moments like this. Everyone has them.

But I do think that the president needs to go out there and continue to speak about issues. He needs to continue to do his retail politics, what he is best at. What you see in these videos is Joe Biden being Joe Biden and talking to people and being out there. That's what he loves to do. He would have stayed on that stage probably for an hour if the former

President Obama wouldn't have escorted, you know, like walked off with him. He would have been out there until every last person left. He wants to talk to people. That's what he is good at. In the meantime, there's been news about a former Trump advisor, actually current, I guess he's still an advisor to Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, who is set to report to jail on just a matter of days here for defying and being in contempt of Congress over a subpoena dating from a couple of years back. But

He's expected to go to jail in some matter of days. He will not be going to club fed. That is the nice term for the, I guess, I don't know, lax security. Maybe not lax security. Sorry. Talking to the lawyer here. So tell us about Steve Bannon in his prison time. So on account of the fact that he has another...

criminal proceeding pending, they wouldn't put him in the more sort of relaxed environment. The thing that I found more remarkable about Bannon here is that his lawyers tried to make the argument that in an election year, because people will rely on his opinions, he can't go to jail right now 'cause people need him. That is such a white collar crime notion. You get it all the time where these guys on the eve of going to jail say, "Oh, the public relies on me so much. "My shareholders,

I can't possibly go to jail. And it's just nonsense. Do your time. Now, he has the right to exhaust all appeals and so on, but this idea that Steve Bannon is too important to go to jail is just ridiculous. - Is Bannon being in jail? I mean, look, he does have a large following. Is Bannon being put in jail? Does it have an impact among the folks on the right? - I mean, it's gonna maybe anger some folks on the right, and it certainly does feed into the argument where some will say, well, look, this is weaponization of the judicial process. But again, Manu, in the grand scheme of things,

those voters in the middle of some of these battleground states are not thinking about this. They're looking at Joe Biden and they're looking at Donald Trump and they're asking themselves a very crucial question, who can make my future better? Not about Steve Bannon going to prison for what, four months, I believe? - Yeah, all right, okay. We'll see how that plays out. Up next, wildfire north of Los Angeles quickly spreading, threatening homes and power lines.

Pulse Virginia State Senator and former Navy SEAL John McGuire is here to talk with me about his closely watched House race and the power of a Trump endorsement. 45 minutes past the hour, here's your morning roundup. Boeing CEO will address whistleblower complaints at a Senate subcommittee hearing today. The first testimony since a door plug blew off a 737 MAX plane mid-flight in January.

And a pair of fires spreading in northern and southern California. The Arrow Fire east of San Francisco has burned more than 5,000 acres. And the Post Fire near Los Angeles has blown to more than 15,000 acres. Hunter Biden asked for a retrial on federal gun charges, then quickly withdrew the request without explanation. All of this happening one week after he was convicted by a jury of three felony offenses. Biden's lawyers have not responded to requests for comment.

And racketeering charges filed against New Jersey Democratic power broker George Norcross. He's accused of threatening people to take over their properties and orchestrating tax incentive legislation to benefit the organization that he controls. Norcross issuing this challenge to New Jersey's Attorney General. I want to go to trial in two weeks. I want Matt Placken to come down here and try this case himself.

because he's a coward. I mean, this is interesting because he is actually a big, powerful figure in New Jersey hit with these racketeering charges. It's a reminder, and you saw it in the New Jersey Senate race a little bit earlier this year, that New Jersey, my home state, Jersey strong, hashtag, but New Jersey is a state that proposes

enterprises this machine concept that it's not just running for office as an individual off the street. You've got to get buy-in from these power brokers like this. This is seismic in New Jersey politics in shifting and reshaping how the state elects people in the first place. This is a huge deal. And also the New Jersey senior senator, Bob

Menendez also facing prosecution as well. A lot of problems with New Jersey politics. Okay, we're going to talk a little bit more about all of this in a second, but we're going to turn now to this. Republican voters in Virginia's 5th Congressional District will cast their ballots in one of the cycle's most bitter primaries. Sitting Republican Congressman and leader of the Hard Right Freedom Caucus, Bob Good, will attempt to fend off a challenge from John McGuire, who

earned Trump's support following Good's initial endorsement of Ron DeSantis for president, though Good has since endorsed Trump. The former president, though, has slammed the congressman, calling that gesture, quote, too late. Trump joining McGuire for a tele-rally last night and making his disdain for Good very clear.

If he's reelected, Bob Goodwill stabbed Virginia in the back, sort of like he did with me. As you probably know, he was against me for numerous years. And then after I won the primers, he became a big fan. But that's not good enough because those are the people that they tend to leave you very quickly.

All right, joining me now is Good's challenger, Virginia state senator and candidate for Virginia's fifth congressional district in the House, John McGuire. Mr. McGuire, thank you so much for taking the time this morning and for joining me. Bob Good, he's a leader of the Freedom Caucus. He's easily one of the most conservative members in the House. So is his decision to back Ron DeSantis reason enough to kick him out of Congress?

Well, there are a lot of reasons. He's never passed a bill, never passed an amendment, and his legacy is going to be that he shrunk our party. We're down to a one vote majority in Congress, and I would say that the other side is getting more of their agenda today than they were a year ago. And he just has bad judgment. Obviously, he begged Trump for an endorsement in 2022, and less than a year later when the chips are down, and when the chips are down, you can find out who you can trust.

he endorsed a different candidate and he went all over the district saying that Trump wasn't pro-gun, wasn't pro-life, wasn't a conservative. Now, Bob Good and I had the same award for conservatism. I have it in the State House and he has it in Congress. The difference is I know how to build a team. I know how to lead. I know how to win. He has bad judgment.

If you remember, there was a Trump store incident in the district where he was kicked out. So he stood on the curb for four hours telling people not to go in the Trump store. So he cannot be trusted. And I think one thing was very telling is he went on CNN and I'm going to abbreviate, but the woman interviewing him said, you've been trashing Trump. He said, I have not been trashing Trump. She said, there's a video of you trashing Trump. He said, there's no video. And then she played the video.

So he says, well, I said that in private, not public. And she said, Congressman, did you just say that you say one thing in public and a different thing in private? And I think all Americans, whether you're Republican, Democrat, independent, we do not like politicians to say one thing in

in public and nothing in private. He can't be trusted. So we can do better than good. You said that he shrugged the party. You're clearly referring to his vote to oust Kevin McCarthy. One, was that the wrong decision? And why was that the wrong decision? And two, how helpful has McCarthy been to your campaign?

Yeah, so definitely it was the wrong decision. And my thing is this, is my opponent runs around calling anyone who doesn't agree with him a rhino. You know, I'm a Navy SEAL. I'm a veteran. For all veterans, if we don't work as a team, we don't come home to our family. If you tell me that you are on the Republican team and you partner with the Democrat team to take out the Republican team,

then you're not on the Republican team, you're on the Bob Good team. And that is shrinking our party and that's his legacy. As far as Kevin McCarthy, Ronald Reagan, Governor Glenn Youngkin, and President Donald Trump are always talking about a big tent, building a coalition.

about addition and multiplication to grow the party. My opponent brags about a phrase called "keep it small, control it all." He believes in subtraction and division. So I believe it was a continuity. He has so many examples of bad judgment, and that was bad judgment. He basically did that speaker fight right. But just to clarify, has McCarthy been helpful, has been helping your campaign?

McCarthy has been helpful, but I was well on my way in the race before he contacted me. And you know, he gave me a $10,000 check. The only way I found out about that was my opponent.

hit me on Facebook about it. I didn't ask for it. He just wired it before the last deadline. But he basically took out McCarthy right before the Virginia elections. Governor Glenn Youngkin lost the House of Delegates by 1,700 votes. And over Thanksgiving, I got text messages from friends around Virginia that said their family members that are independent saw that infighting and switched back to a Democrat vote. So again, shrinking our party and giving the Democrats more of their agenda, we can do better than good. I

I want to talk to you about your relationship with Trump. You attended the Stop the Steal rally on January 6th on the Ellipse. Given what happened that day, all the violence and everything else that happened that day, was it a mistake to have that rally and for you to appear there?

- Well, no, I think their trust has been destroyed all over the place. Now, whether you agree with me or not, I'm on privileges and elections in Virginia General Assembly. And you can imagine if we're in a football game and you plan your campaign a year out,

And then in the middle of the game, under the guise of the pandemic, you change all the rules. Drop boxes, mail-in votes. In Virginia, 45 days. We went from election day to election season. We did all this. And they said we have to do it because of the pandemic. But I would say if that is true, then when the pandemic is over, you would go back to the old ways. So people do not trust our elections. But you acknowledge the election was not stolen, right?

I would say it was, I would say changing the rules in the middle of the game is cheating. And I think that Trump was robbed and I think the American people under their constitutional right can assemble and peacefully protest. If you broke the law, then certainly you should be prosecuted by the law. But you know, nobody can, I think it's a very fair comparison to look at how they had the summer of love where they burned our cities across America for 80 days. In fact, there was one police precinct where they blocked

the exits so the police officers couldn't get out. And nobody seems to want to make that comparison. I saw 80 year old women in red, white and blue flags and walkers.

But just so you know, there was no—they've investigated whether there was substantial election fraud and the like, and that has simply not been borne out. But before we get too deeply into that, when you look back at that moment and what happened on January 6th and Donald Trump calling for people to come to the Ellipse, was he right to do that?

Well, you should say that entire quote. He said, peacefully. You've seen things come out. Like even Nancy Pelosi just had a thing come out on your show where she was caught saying that she should have listened when Trump asked for National Guard. There were so many things and trust has been destroyed.

and we have got to rebuild trust. And you know what? I can understand. You can, hold on one second. You remember during the pandemic, you got this guy Fauci saying you need a mask, you don't need a mask, you need two masks. And then you've got politicians that are going on trips, breaking the rules. Trust has been destroyed and we've got to rebuild it. - So Trump is also asking for total immunity from prosecution. Do you think the president should get total immunity from potential crimes he committed in office?

Well, what I would say is I'm not a lawyer, but I think all Americans, we go back to trust. You know, we don't have trust in our institutions. Our country is going to fall apart. And there is evidence everywhere of a two tier justice system rules for the not for me. You know, he was a president and he had some documents. And then you had a guy who was a senator or a vice president, doesn't have the same immunities and nobody cares. And you look at the thirty three thousand emails that Hillary Clinton deleted.

and be with hammers, if I'm as a Navy veteran, if somebody would have had one of those emails, they would have gone to jail. - But you think the president-- - It's rules for me, not for me. - But you think the president should be absolved. - It's a two-tier justice system, and people don't trust it, and we need to rebuild that. I do, I think so. - From all, anything he did in office. - And I think that the polls are showing-- - He should have complete immunity.

Well, again, I'm not a lawyer, so I'm not looking at all the specifics, but I think so. I think that they have gone after him since he's come down the escalator. And it's just because he's Trump. Any other person, they would not be doing some of these unprecedented investigations.

But you say, before we button up that conversation, you say two-tier justice system. Of course, the president's son was just convicted. Two Democrats are being prosecuted, new members of Congress and the like. But I do want to ask you about you rode with Trump in his motorcade during that New York hush money criminal case. What was the nature of your conversation with the former president?

- Well, we had a long conversation about the race and what the issues are. We talked about the border. You know, Americans are less safe at the local, state, and federal level. Look no further than Richmond, Virginia. Murder rates are up 77%. And this district in Campbell County, a 33-year-old illegal alien who's released from jail four times because it seems criminals are good, police are bad, and now victims are bad, just raped a 14-year-old girl. I believe in limited government, a government

accountable to the people, not the other way around. But as a protector, as a Navy SEAL, as a veteran, we're protectors. Our number one concern is to keep you safe. And that's why we need to support our law enforcement, support our military, secure that border and stop that fentanyl coming in. I've knocked on six doors where a mother cried with me because their teenager died from overdose. And that's once too many. And you crossed paths with Bob Good there in New York. There were some reports that he criticized you for not debating him there.

Yeah, I think I got him pretty good. The debate's already been made. And the thing is, he didn't want to debate me in November. He didn't want to debate me in December. He didn't want to debate me in January. He didn't want to debate me in February or March. But when all of a sudden I'm ahead in the polls, he wants to debate me. And I would say to you, how many times did Trump debate DeSantis? And the answer would be zero. And how many times in 50 years have you seen an incumbent?

want to debate a challenger. And so in that conversation, he was talking about debating Biden and my opponent said something to the effect of, yeah, I know what that's like. My opponent doesn't want to debate me. And so I turned to him and said, yeah, because you're trying to rig it. And somebody behind me laughed and said, he sounds like Trump. But this is what I'm talking about. If somebody puts out a flyer with a debate and a time and your face on it, but didn't coordinate with your campaign and it's on the day that you're going into session, that's a trap. Yeah.

And so I'm not going to fall for it. And so I think the debate is he backstabbed Trump and 80 percent Trump district. And I've been endorsed by Trump and I've been with him since he came down the escalator. But one last thing as we wrap up here, you're you're you would if you win, you would defeat the leader of the House Freedom Caucus. Will you join that same hard right group if you win?

That's a great question. I got to tell you, if the leader of our party is President Donald J. Trump, who's taken every arrow, every hit you could take, and they put a never, Marjorie Taylor Greene calls him a fake MAGA, never Trump or traitor. If they're going to put somebody like that in charge, I've got to question that. But would you, is that a yes? That sounds like a yes or no?

Well, I certainly I vote my my votes are in line with the Freedom Caucus. But my thing is the judgment of putting a never Trumper in charge makes me question the Freedom Caucus. OK. All right. Well, John McGuire, thank you so much for your time. We really appreciate you coming in and sharing your views.

Thanks for having me out. Please come vote by polls close at 7 p.m. Okay. All right. Great. All right. So, Stephen, your reaction here to his comments here about Trump? That interview was an MRI of the Republican majority and what it's going to be remembered for. Toxic infighting between members. The need to be loyal to Donald Trump personally.

whatever else happens, and the former president's extreme sensitivity to any sense of disloyalty from anyone. You might think that he's got more to do right now than worry about a Virginia primary race.

But there he was last night. - Two-tiered system of justice, Anthony Fauci, Hillary Clinton's emailed COVID illegal aliens. You didn't hear once the people of my district are talking about the things that they need. It was all just a laundry list of red meat talking points. - Yeah, and you can't criticize Donald Trump in this party.

I'm familiar with McGuire. He's a Navy SEAL. I've done a lot of work with Navy SEALs. I appreciate what he's done for this country. It is difficult right now. If you're a candidate in the party, you do have to be very careful. And you saw that in how he responded to your questions. All right. Thanks, guys. Thanks for a great discussion. And thank you for joining us. I'm Manoj Raju. In for Casey Hunt, CNN News Central starts right now.

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