All posts tagged "wolf blitzer"

'Absolutely hate it!' CNN data guru warns GOP reps about to be 'eaten alive' by voters

CNN data analyst Harry Enten claimed Friday that constituents hate President Donald Trump's Big Beautiful Bill so much that the issue is threatening to eat lawmakers alive this summer.

All across the country, voters have been voicing their displeasure with the bill that gives tax breaks to the rich and puts conditions on Medicaid and Social Security, among other provisions.

In addition, the bill is expected to add $3.4 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

"Yeah, they hate the Big Beautiful Bill. They absolutely hate it," Enten told Wolf Blitzer on Friday, showing major disapproval from multiple polling results.

Enten's point was illustrated by a town hall appearance by Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) that devolved into heckling and booing over the bill and President Trump's tariffs.

Enten listed four different polls to prove how much voters disapprove of the bill.

"The Big Beautiful Bill, the net favorable rating, minus 22 points; CNN, minus 22 points; CBS, minus 19 points; Fox and Wall Street Journal — the best of the bunch — minus 10 points," Enten said, adding, "All way, way under water!"

Enten also compared the unpopularity of the bill to the 2017 tax cuts.

"Minus nine points. Not too hot to trot, but clearly much better than the average of polling right now in the Big Beautiful Bill," Enten said, adding, "18 points underwater. This bill is twice as unpopular as those tax cuts were."

"That town hall ...in my mind, is just the beginning of what we're going to see: Constituents just eating those representatives alive on the Big Beautiful Bill," Enten said. "Simply put, it's one of the most unpopular, if not the most unpopular bill I've ever seen passed and signed into law when it comes to the budgetary process."

Watch the clip below via CNN.

'No doubt!' Wolf Blitzer stunned as Israeli official calls CNN starvation pics propaganda

CNN's Wolf Blitzer continuously challenged Israel's Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, for claiming the charges of Israeli-imposed starvation in Gaza were fabricated.

During a lengthy interview Tuesday, Blitzer confronted Leiter with a video of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denying reports of wide-spread starvation, and another of U.S. President Donald Trump admitting, "That's real starvation stuff, I see it. And, you can't fake that."

"Nobody could avoid seeing the pictures we're seeing coming out of Gaza, although many of them are in the service of Hamas propaganda and some of them are are doctored in A.I., but there is definitely a crisis in Gaza," Leiter said.

He continued, "I think what the president was referring to was the pictures of hunger. There is no large-scale starvation. There certainly isn't a policy of starvation; I think there's a lot of confusion on that issue."

Leiter then ripped CNN for broadcasting "pictures of children who are suffering from cerebral palsy or cystic fibrosis, not from hunger, and yet, we're condemned for it."

Leiter added that there's "a long history of pointing the finger at the Jewish state, and really has to stop."

Blitzer interjected, "Yeah, but but you heard the president of the United States, President Trump, say, 'There's no doubt that there is starvation unfolding right now in Gaza."

He then confronted Leiter with claims of "genocide" made by two Israeli human rights groups.

"As you know, ambassador, that's a very, very sensitive word for Israel and for Jews worldwide because of the horrors of the Holocaust. How do you respond to that?"

"We absolutely condemn these reports, which are fallacious," Leiter shot back. "Anybody is welcome to come and see the amount of aid that we're pouring into Gaza."

Watch the clip below via CNN.

'This may be the big one': CNN host stunned by 'quick moving' case against Trump

CNN's Wolf Blitzer was stunned Friday by analysis of Harvard University's lawsuit against the Trump administration's decree that international students are no longer permitted to attend the institution.

The Department of Homeland Security, under Kristi Noem, announced Thursday that it was barring Harvard from admitting international students as punishment for defying the president on DEI and alleged antisemitism on campus, among other things. Trump has already banned the university from receiving $2.2 billion in federal funding.

Justice correspondent Katelyn Polantz characterized the suit as being a huge test of the administration's powers over U.S. academic institutions.

"Well, Wolf, this may be the big one," Polantz began. "The administration of Donald Trump versus one of the most significant cultural institutions in the United States — academic institution — Harvard University. This is a case where Harvard says what the administration has already done, yesterday, by revoking its ability to have foreign students as part of its programs on campus — that it is an immediate and devastating effect to this university."

EXCLUSIVE: Trump accused of new grift that puts Qatari plane in shade

Polantz said Harvard has more than 7,000 students on its campus with visas, and that the Trump order will "throw into disarray" its academic programs, research laboratories, and clinics.

She classified the suit as "very fast moving," as international students prepare to return to campus for summer programs.

"The Department of Homeland Security does have a statement in response to the lawsuit so far," Polantz continued. "They say, 'This lawsuit seeks to kneecap the president's constitutional vested powers under Article II.' What that means? The president's the president; he should be able to do what he wants here on visas, immigration, even related to this university."

Polantz said Harvard's "argument in court is that it's a constitutional encroachment of their ability to decide what their curriculum is and what they do as a university."

The case was assigned to a judge Friday morning, according to Polantz — Judge Allison Burroughs, "an Obama appointee on the federal court in Massachusetts."

Blitzer remarked that the international students being affected, "can't believe this is happening here in the United States of America."

Watch the clip below via CNN or click here.

'Please, don't': Jewish hate expert not impressed as Pam Bondi attacks antisemitism

The founder of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism name-checked attorney general Pam Bondi on CNN Thursday for pledging to do everything the Trump administration can to stop anti-Jewish violence.

Bondi appeared on Fox News, where she lamented the deaths of two young people outside of a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C. Wednesday night by a man who shouted "Free Palestine" when he was arrested.

"No parents should have to be called and told their children were violently murdered leaving a religious event at the Jewish Museum. That should never happen in this world and not in our country. And this person will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Bondi said. "We will ensure everyone, America will be safe. We will do everything we can. This violence has to stop."

Brian Levin told Wolf Blitzer Thursday that his organization's research showed "record anti-Jewish hate crimes in major American cities in 2024 after a previous record the year before — four consecutive increases."

EXCLUSIVE: Trump accused of new grift that puts Qatari plane in shade

"And if I may, Wolf, just give me one second here. I'm talking to Attorney General Bondi now," Levin said. "You just cut the hate crime training grants and projects for American law enforcement yesterday! So, please, don't say that you're you're doing everything you can when you cut those grants, and you also cut the grants related to domestic extremism."

Levin blamed an increase of online anti-Jewish rhetoric for fomenting the violence.

"These social media companies are horrible!" Levin exclaimed. "And what has been allowed on both sides of the political spectrum has been an ecosystem that allows antisemitism to to reign unabated because it serves certain people's political ends. We have to come together in a bipartisan way with regard to religion hate crime, which even as we saw a flattening, of hate crime overall, religion hate crime has continued to go up."

On Wednesday night, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim with the Israeli embassy were shot and killed outside Washington, D.C.'s Capital Jewish Museum.

Police identified the suspect as Elias Rodriguez. He shouted "Free Palestine" when taken into custody, witnesses said.

Watch the clip below via CNN.

CNN's Wolf Blitzer slaps down GOP senator as he claims Europe will thank Trump

CNN's Wolf Blitzer slapped down an eyebrow-raising claim made by Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) Tuesday as he spoke about President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office.

Blitzer began, "One hundred days into President Trump's term, just 41% approve of the job he's doing in our new CNN poll, and just 37% approve of Republicans leading Congress. Are those serious warning signs for your party?"

"It's hard to find the the honey in the rock and the water in the stone in 100 days," Kennedy said, using Biblical references. "But having said that, I think President Trump's done some things right in his first 100 days. He's secured the border. He's been very aggressive in abolishing racial quotas. He's deregulating the economy, getting rid of rules and regulations. He's changed the national conversation about the federal budget.

"Under President Biden, the question was, 'Who needs to pay more in taxes?' Now, thanks to Trump and Musk, I think the question in Washington and elsewhere is, 'What the hell happened to the money?'"

Also read: 'Never so scared': Furious pastor berates cops after witnessing tasing of MTG constituent

Kennedy then moved on to Trump's handling of foreign policy.

"The final point I would make, you may find a little strange, but it has to do with Europe. President Trump, as we all know, exists loudly. And his his loud existence has awakened Europe, with respect to its economy and its national defense, national security. We're seeing dramatic changes there. And i think it's possible that a decade from now, the Europeans — they may not say it — but they'll look back and actually thank Trump for awakening them from their economic and national security slumber."

As Kennedy spoke, a furrow-browed Pamela Brown indicated with a hand gesture that Blitzer should handle that assertion.

"We'll see. We'll see how that unfolds, senator," Blitzer responded doubtfully.

Watch the clip below via CNN.

Democrats in danger of losing Gen Z voters over latest controversy: analyst

The Democratic National Committee's recent dustup with vice chair David Hogg could be off-putting to the younger generation of voters if they don't tread lightly, according to analysis by CNN.

Anchor Wolf Blitzer introduced a clip of DNC chair Ken Martin Thursday by saying the committee was issuing an ultimatum to Hogg to give up his purported "threat to primary Democrats he deems ineffective, or give up his leadership position."

On the clip, Martin said, "No DNC officer should ever attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election, whether on behalf of an incumbent or a challenger. I have great respect for David Hogg. I think he's an amazing young leader who's done so much already to help move our movement forward. And while...certainly you know, I understand what he's trying to do, as I've said to him, if you want to challenge incumbents, you're more than free to do that, but just not as an officer of the DNC."

ALSO READ: 'Promoted our tormenter': MAGA fans vent disgust at Trump official's latest move

Hogg is an outspoken gun control activist who survived the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, that killed 17 students and staff.

CNN Senior Political Analyst Mark Preston said on Thursday's Situation Room said that Hogg was trying to "infiltrate the Party from the inside and try to enact change that he wants to see. Now, I will say he is going to be very unlucky, I would suspect, in his efforts to do so. But this is going to cause the Democratic National Committee a lot of headache, a lot of heartache, over the next four-and-a half months."

Co-anchor Pamela Brown asked that since Hogg represents this new young generation of Democratic leaders, "is there any risk, concern about pushing him out and hurting the Party's outreach to those younger voters that we know Trump surprisingly did well with in 2024?"

Preston said Martin was obviously being very careful when talking about the situation.

"[Martin] was very effusive about him," Preston said. "The DNC wants to make sure that they put this out there as something that is not about David Hogg — that it is just simply about incumbency. And, as he said, if you want to take on an...incumbent Democrat, then do it from outside the party."

Watch the clip below via CNN or click here.

'Pick up the phone': CNN's Blitzer questions why Trump won't take action after 'error'

CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked Friday why President Donald Trump doesn't just "pick up the phone" to speed up the process of bringing home a man who was mistakenly deported from the U.S.

On Thursday, The Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration must “facilitate the return” of Maryland father Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was accidentally deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador last month.

However, the Supreme Court sent the case back to a lower court, so any possible date for Abrego Garcia's return remains up in the air.

The Trump administration later acknowledged that an "administrative error" led to the erroneous deportation, but continued to link Abrego Garcia to the violent Latin American MS-13 street gang. Abrego Garcia has denied the allegation.

ALSO READ: 'The Hard Reset': Here's how the U.S. is exporting terrorism around the world

"There's a relatively decent relationship between the Trump administration and the government in El Salvador," CNN's Wolf Blitzer said Friday. "What I don't understand is, why doesn't the president simply pick up the phone, tell the leader in El Salvador, 'We made a mistake; we need this Maryland man back in the United States'?"

Correspondent Priscilla Alvarez added, "It is more than a decent relationship, it is a very good one. The Salvadoran president is a Trump-friendly president, and the administration has also given money to El Salvador for this effort."

The Trump administration struck a deal with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to pay the Central American country $6 million to hold more than 250 alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, along with 23 suspected MS-13 members.

On MSNBC's Morning Joe Friday, contributor Pablo Torre claimed that neither the Trump administration nor El Salvador's president had much incentive to send Abrego Garcia back anytime soon.

"To be very blunt about it, this is clearly one country that is not really in favor of the rule of law cooperating with another country that is not really in favor of the rule of law," Torre said. "And it's hard to distinguish, is there a good guy in that dynamic?"

Watch the clip below via CNN or click here.

'I don't even like the Democratic Party': Even James Carville mad at post-Trump Dems

Democratic strategist James Carville sounded off on CNN about the current defeatist attitude consuming the Democratic Party following Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-NY) capitulation on the GOP-crafted funding bill.

"I'm mad at the Democratic Party," Carville told Wolf Blitzer. "You see, when you lose an election — a party exists for one reason, and one reason only. And that is, to win the election. We lost, but there's nothing permanent about this."

Carville said he believed that Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) do have a plan.

"And, look, if this is not evident here in the next three or four months, then there will be an uprising within the Democratic Party. But, let's give 'em a chance, let's see what their plan and their strategy is," Carville said.

Blitzer asked about a new CNN poll showing just 29% of voters have a favorable view of the Democratic Party.

"That's an all-time low. What does this say about your party right now?" Blitzer asked.

ALSO READ: 'Not much I can do': GOP senator gives up fight against Trump's tariffs

"Don't lose an election because Democrats will get mad at you," Carville quipped. He then declared, "I don't even like the Democratic Party. I do not like losing, and most Democrats feel the same way. If we start winning elections, that's going to come back."

"Trump's head of his council of economic advisers said growth in the first quarter was going to be 2.5%. Well, let's just, I don't know what it's going to be. Predictions about the future are especially hard, but I got a feeling these guys have no idea of what they're doing. And when these opportunities come forth, you have to seize these opportunities, and hopefully we do."

Carville pointed out, "The way to get the base back is to be clever and win, and show them that we got something going in our favor, and I think we can do that. But you you can't be emotional about this; you have to be strategic. We're in a really sticky wicket here. And I'm hopeful that Senator Schumer and Leader Jeffries, I think that is a good plan brewing in there. I really do. But the best plan is not going to be very good because we don't have the vote, we don't have the power."

Watch the clip below via CNN.

'Throw down!': Dem representative slams Chuck Schumer for showing 'weakness' to Trump

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), who voted against the continuing resolution to prevent a government shutdown, declared that Senate Democrats should put up a fight and not give in so easily to passing the bill.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (R-NY) was roundly criticized after announcing Thursday that he was bucking his party and voting yes on the CR. Schumer argued that voting for the measure would thwart Donald Trump and Elon Musk's ambitions of a government shutdown that would make it easier to get rid of federal workers.

Moskowitz told CNN's Wolf Blitzer Friday that he voted against the CR primarily because Republicans wouldn't include his amendment to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid from any future DOGE cuts.

"Now, listen, no one wants a government shutdown," Moskowitz said. "Democrats don't want a government shutdown. I think a majority of Republicans don't want a government shutdown. But, usually, we come up with a bipartisan agreement — that wasn't this. This is a partisan agreement. They didn't talk to us. They didn't get any of the things we would have liked to get into the bill."

ALSO READ: 'Came as a surprise to me': Senators 'troubled' by one aspect of government funding bill

Moskowitz went on to say that Senate Democrats like Minority Leader Schumer needed to push back on the bill.

"I'd like to see the Senate for a period of time, you know, throw down on cloture. If this was Mitch McConnell, Mitch McConnell would not be giving any votes on cloture. Mitch McConnell didn't even do that when it came to a Supreme Court seat — he made sure that Barack Obama couldn't refill that Supreme Court seat. And, here, I think we're giving in too easy on cloture."

Moskowitz said that doesn't mean Democrats "won't make a deal quickly." But, he added that Schumer's move was confounding.

"Schumer invoked cloture, and then immediately said that he would provide the votes. And, so, that was very confusing to House Democrats on our side. Why even say you're going to invoke cloture and then immediately back down? The Trump people know how to negotiate, okay? And, now, what they do is, they smell weakness...Now that doesn't mean some of Schumer's points are not incorrect — that, yes, Trump and Elon would use it as an opportunity to continue to wreak havoc. But, this is the only opportunity Democrats have until September on reconciliation."

The Senate is expected to vote on the funding bill Friday evening.

Watch the clip below via CNN or click the link here.

'Life of everything on earth' is at stake as EPA begins 'massive' deregulation: report

CNN's chief climate correspondent issued a dire warning about the future of the planet now that the Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency has announced plans to rip away regulations meant to stave off global warning.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin took to social media to announce "31 historic actions to Power the Great American Comeback in the greatest day of deregulation in American history!"

Wolf Blitzer said Thursday that the administration's moves "stand to impact everything from clean water to power plant pollution here in the United States," as he introduced correspondent Bill Weir.

"It's massive," declared Weir. "And just the size and scale of this movement — it's unlike anything in American history."

Weir said the announcement comes as a major energy conference is taking place in Houston, TX.

ALSO READ: 'Came as a surprise to me': Senators 'troubled' by one aspect of government funding bill

"President Trump promised oil executives that if they helped him re-win election, he would take away all regulations, and this seems to be fulfilling that promise," Weir said. "These 31 different actions — rolling back pollution limits on everything from power plant emissions, tailpipe standards, cars and trucks, mandatory greenhouse gas reporting standards, methane leaks from oil production -- that's a huge global warming problem -- limits on mercury and other toxic substances coming out, air quality standards, wastewater pollution rules, the good neighbor rule...environmental justice initiatives for marginalized communities that have to drink and breathe the brunt of the country's pollution -- that has been stripped away."

Weir said it will take years for the declarations to make their way through the courts, and there will be many legal battles at the state level. He claimed that "the whole world is moving toward a new economy" of wind and solar power with "very little natural gas" but "the Trump administration seems hell bent on staying in the 19th century."

Blitzer then asked Weir what concerns him the most about the impact of Trump's actions.

"The life of everything on earth is affected by what is happening as the earth overheats," Weir said. "Last year, insanely hot off the charts."

Weir said that "people who are the most vulnerable are going to feel it first, but eventually everybody, regardless of tax bracket, is going to feel the ravages of an overheated planet right now. But this administration is literally stripping all references to climate change from all federal websites, trying to deny just the acknowledgment of this."

Watch the clip below via CNN or click here.