On this “Face the Nation” broadcast, moderated by Margaret Brennan:
- Home Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana
- Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
- Rep. Maxwell Frost, Democrat of Florida
- Anthony Salvanto, CBS Information director of elections and surveys
Click on right here to browse full transcripts of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
MARGARET BRENNAN: I am Margaret Brennan in Washington.
And this week on Face the Nation, we are going to get a brand new ballot on the place the presidential race stands within the last weeks earlier than the election, plus new considerations over catastrophe funding after two main hurricanes hit the Southeast in latest weeks.
Vice President Kamala Harris returned to North Carolina for a second time in two weeks, packing provides for hurricane victims and campaigning within the all-important battleground state nonetheless cleansing up from Hurricane Helene.
And on the heels of Hurricane Milton slicing via Florida final week, communities throughout six states now face an enormous price ticket to rebuild.
We’ll get the newest from Homeland Safety chief Alejandro Mayorkas.
In the meantime, as former President Trump tries to make the storms a legal responsibility for his opponent…
(Start VT)
DONALD TRUMP (Former President of the US (R) and Present U.S. Presidential Candidate): Biden and Harris have finished a horrible job on North Carolina and a few of the different ones.
(Finish VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: … we are going to examine in with Home Speaker Mike Johnson on catastrophe aid, the marketing campaign and extra.
Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost can even be a part of us.
And because the marketing campaign enters the homestretch, we are going to take the temperature of voters in a brand new CBS ballot and get their ideas on the way forward for the nation in a spotlight group interview.
It is all simply forward on Face the Nation.
Good morning, and welcome to Face the Nation.
With simply 23 days till Election Day, giant parts of the Southeast are in restoration mode. And presidential candidates are campaigning from coast to coast to get out the vote.
Our new CBS Information polls exhibits the race for the White Home stays a toss- up, with Vice President Harris up simply three factors over former President Donald Trump nationwide 51 p.c to 48 p.c. That is one level tighter from final month. Amongst voters within the seven battleground states that may determine this election, it is only a one-point distinction 50-49.
In the meantime, restore and cleanup efforts are underneath means in each Florida and North Carolina, the place greater than 260 deaths have been blamed on two main hurricanes. President Biden is in Florida this morning surveying the injury. Vice President Harris will maintain a rally later in North Carolina.
And we start this morning with Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Welcome again to Face the Nation.
ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS (U.S. Secretary of Homeland Safety): Good morning, Margaret. And thanks for having me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mr. Secretary, you oversee FEMA. There’s nonetheless seven weeks left in hurricane season. FEMA’s director says they’ve already used almost half of the $20 billion in catastrophe aid Congress allotted to them.
However the speaker of the Home says FEMA has loads of sources, they’ve been gradual to reply and that FEMA hasn’t really distributed the cash. Are you able to clear that up?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Margaret, FEMA has the cash to deal with the speedy wants of people impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, however we want Congress to behave swiftly to fund FEMA, and particularly its Catastrophe Reduction Fund, as a result of hurricane season shouldn’t be over.
And, additionally, seasons are much less and fewer vital now, given the consequences of local weather change and the growing gravity and frequency of utmost climate occasions. And I ought to say, FEMA has not been gradual in any respect. It already has distributed greater than $470 million in aid to people impacted by Hurricane Helene.
I take nice pleasure and this nation ought to take nice pleasure within the extraordinary work of our FEMA personnel and all first responders.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, that is obligated versus distributed. That is the place you two are type of disagreeing with one another, however – it appears.
However, earlier than Hurricane Milton hit, you stated October 2: “We do not need the funds,” FEMA does not have the funds, “to make it via the season and what’s imminent.”
So, if one other hurricane hits earlier than the election, are there funds to cope with that type of emergency state of affairs?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: We’ll handle the speedy impacts.
However, keep in mind, speedy impacts communicate of speedy wants, meals, potable water, and the like. However, additionally, we’ve to make sure that people can recuperate from these excessive disasters, similar to rebuilding their houses, repairing injury and the like.
And so we want Congress to behave swiftly to fund what needs to be a nonpartisan, apolitical phenomenon, and that’s offering aid to all people with respect to the impacts of those excessive climate occasions.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, speedy versus rebuilding. So, you may wait till after the election? Have you learnt how a lot you may want?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: We do not. We do not know.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: However we’re nonetheless, for instance, assessing the injury from Hurricane Milton, which is of historic energy.
And it additionally led to roughly 27 totally different tornadoes. So we do not know the impacts. We do not know what’s coming tomorrow.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: … whether or not it is one other hurricane, a twister, a hearth, an earthquake. We’ve got to be prepared.
And it’s not good authorities to be depending on a day-to-day existence, versus applicable planning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We have seen some harmful misinformation being amplified on-line.
Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis hit again laborious at a few of these claims that, if you happen to bought assist from the federal authorities, by some means, they’d seize your belongings in his state. FEMA has been attempting to counteract a few of these lies as nicely.
Are you involved whenever you see this and the way widespread it’s that it is a preview of what is to return with the upcoming U.S. election as nicely, makes an attempt to govern individuals?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Extremely involved.
And the misinformation – I ought to say it is disinformation – false info intentionally unfold to affect individuals’s conduct and perceptions, this can be very pernicious. We’ve got people in want of help who’re entitled to help who aren’t searching for it due to the false info.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Who’s driving it?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Nicely, I’ll let you know what we want.
We’d like people, elected officers, individuals who have the platform to essentially debunk this false info. And we’re not seeing sufficient of that, and I discover that to be extremely irresponsible, and irresponsible to the people who find themselves survivors of those excessive climate occasions.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You might have a giant portfolio at Homeland Safety. And, in fact, the U.S. border is a part of that. Border crossings are actually at a low for the Biden presidency.
However our CBS polling exhibits 65 p.c of Trump voters imagine the Biden administration is attempting to deliberately enhance the variety of migrants on the border. And among the many individuals who do imagine that, three-quarters of them say it is as a result of the administration desires them to vote.
And the Speaker of the Home simply instructed us that he thinks noncitizens are going to vote, despite the fact that that is already unlawful underneath established legislation.
What mechanisms are you able to inform the general public about that exist to stop this from occurring?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: So, what a – what a strong instance of disinformation.
There isn’t a info underlying these assertions. They’re extraordinarily damaging. It causes individuals to lose confidence within the integrity of the election system. And we want individuals in positions of authority to truly talk correct info to the voting public. We – the numbers that we’re experiencing now on the border are literally decrease than they had been right now of 12 months in 2019.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: And so it isn’t simply during the last three years, however nicely earlier than them within the pre-COVID instances.
And the notion, the notion that we in legislation enforcement have sought the – to deliberately enable people to cross the border illegally for the aim of voting is preposterous, and everybody ought to condemn that rhetoric, everybody, no matter celebration affiliation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, on the difficulty of the actions you’ve got taken to carry these border crossings down, this was President Biden’s presidential energy.
He is basically disqualifying most of those that are coming into illegally from with the ability to get asylum. This was meant to be a brief coverage change. So that you took this with out having to go to Congress and alter the legislation, in brief.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: We took it after Congress didn’t take the enduring step…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: … of laws, which was bipartisan in nature.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However – however, simply in doing that, by doing this via presidential energy, aren’t you basically doing what Republicans stated was attainable all through, which was, with the stroke of a pen, President Biden may cease all of this?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: No.
And keep in mind the place we had been. We had been implementing Title 42, the general public well being authority, till Could of final 12 months. We then sought from Congress further funding, further Border Patrol brokers, further Homeland Safety Investigations personnel. They didn’t fund the Division of Homeland Safety to reinforce our border safety.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: We sought that funding once more, once more rejected.
A bipartisan group of senators really introduced a…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: … essentially the most dramatic change in laws in over 20 years. Congress was poised to move it, after which politics bought in the best way.
Some individuals would like the issue to persist…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: … ship an answer for the American individuals. The president acted.
And, keep in mind, we needed to construct the capability to implement so efficiently the president’s proclamation, and that’s certainly what we’ve been doing month after month.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So – however on this problem of who’s within the nation I do know, virtually talking, it is rather troublesome to deport, for instance, to the nation of Venezuela.
Donald Trump, on the marketing campaign path, talks lots a few jail gang from that nation, and he argues there’s already legal guidelines on the books that may enable for the Biden administration to dismantle felony networks. He says he’d do it.
Are there these legal guidelines? You realize, are you doing every part you possibly can to fight this transnational felony group?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Sure, we’re. And I feel you are talking of Tren de Aragua, TDA.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Margaret, I used to be a prosecutor for 12 years. We had felony gangs to battle again then. We’re certainly doing every part we are able to to dismantle felony gangs and transnational felony organizations.
And, fairly frankly, we have devoted an unprecedented degree of sources and personnel and focus to this effort. This isn’t a brand new phenomenon, however we’re bringing new instruments, new capabilities and new sources to the battle.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Are you able to rapidly clarify what the standing is with this arrest this previous week – or this prosecution we discovered of this previous week of this Afghan nationwide who was apparently planning an Election Day terrorist assault on behalf of ISIS?
He was on this nation. He had immigration standing. Was he radicalized earlier than he got here to the US?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: So, Margaret, it’s an ongoing prosecution, so I will not communicate of the info.
However the viewing public is getting an concept of the breadth and variety of the missions that we within the Division of Homeland Safety deal with.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But it surely will get to the difficulty of vetting versus whether or not he was radicalized right here.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Nicely, keep in mind, the person got here in via parole, an Afghan nationwide. And once we vet, and we accomplish that intensively, once we vet a person, it is a point-in-time screening and vetting course of.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: If we get hold of info subsequently that implies the person may very well be of hazard, we take applicable legislation enforcement motion. That’s precisely what we did on this case,
MARGARET BRENNAN: Understood.
Secretary Mayorkas, thanks on your time in the present day.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Thanks, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Face the Nation can be again in a minute. Stick with us.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: We spoke earlier with Home Speaker Mike Johnson.
And we started by asking him whether or not Congress will approve extra catastrophe funding for hurricane victims.
(Start VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: You might have visited a few of these catastrophe zones your self.
And Punchbowl Information quotes you as saying that Congress might finally should move an help bundle that would attain as excessive as $100 billion.
Final Sunday on this program, Thom Tillis, the senator from North Carolina, stated to us he’d like for Congress to supply some certainty by voting now on help after which come again after the election to do extra.
Lawmakers aren’t scheduled to return again for one more month. Why do you assume it may well wait?
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON (R-Louisiana): Nicely, it may well wait as a result of keep in mind, the day earlier than Hurricane Helene hit – made landfall in Florida, after which went up via the states and wound up in Senator Tillis’ state of North Carolina, Congress appropriated $20 billion further to FEMA in order that they might have the required sources to deal with speedy wants.
And so we put that into the coffers. I simply checked, Margaret. As of this morning, lower than 2 p.c of that funding has really been distributed, proper round 2 p.c of it. So we want FEMA to do its job. That – these funds, that cash is supplied in order that storm victims can have the speedy requirements met.
After which what occurs after each storm is that the states should assess and calculate the precise wants, after which they undergo Congress that request. As quickly as that’s finished, Congress will meet and, in bipartisan vogue, we are going to handle these wants. We’ll present the extra sources.
However it might be untimely to name everybody again now, as a result of this – these storms are so giant of their scope and magnitude, it’ll take slightly little bit of time to make these calculations.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, the FEMA director says there’s solely $11 billion left from that $20 billion that was allotted. So, that is a special accounting than this 2 p.c you say was distributed.
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: Sure.
So that they’ve obligated some funds, however they’ve solely distributed 2 p.c. The rescue and restoration effort continues to be occurring, after which we handle the remainder of it.
However FEMA was gradual to reply. They didn’t do the job that all of us count on and hope that they’ll do. And there is going to be quite a lot of evaluation about that as nicely within the days forward.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However hurricane season, as you recognize, lasts via the tip of November. You are from Louisiana. You have handled this earlier than.
NOAA, the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is forecasting this may very well be one of many busiest seasons on report. So – so, why not get forward of this? Is not it a little bit of of venture to attend?
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: No, it isn’t.
Margaret, as I simply stated, Congress cannot meet and simply ship cash on a guess or an estimate of what the damages are. The best way supplemental catastrophe funding is supplied is that, you recognize, the state sends in precise wants. It is assessed by Congress after which handed out that means.
However, once more, keep in mind, they’ve billions, tens of billions of {dollars} that had been already despatched to FEMA…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: … in the future earlier than Helene made landfall. So that they – they’ve loads of sources.
And, in reality, the administration Secretary Mayorkas stated himself, DHS – FEMA is a division – a division of Homeland Safety – he stated only a few days in the past on his telecast to the media that they’ve what they want proper now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And that $100 billion is an accurate evaluation that you just made?
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: Nicely, look, that is my guesstimate.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: However, you recognize, I – I used to be on the bottom within the worst-hit areas in Florida. I went the place Helene made landfall. Complete communities are wiped on the market. It is devastating. It goes all the best way inland. The agricultural areas are devastated by it as nicely.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: And then you definitely go as much as the Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia, it’s a broad scope.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You’re the speaker of the Home, which implies you’re one of many officers with some say in regards to the safety state of affairs main as much as January 6 and election certification.
Are you able to guarantee the nation we won’t see the violence that this nation skilled in 2021? What are you doing to cease it?
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: Sure, I do not assume we’ll see something like that.
I definitely pray and hope that is true. There’s quite a lot of nice work that is been finished on the federal, state and native degree to stop the chaos that ensued after 2020, the COVID election 12 months, when all of the states had been altering their legal guidelines and laws with out the legislatures approving that.
That introduced up constitutional questions. There have been all types of considerations about fraud and irregularity and all these issues. The – the nice factor is – and I feel all people needs to be inspired that, since that point, a lot of the state legislatures went to work to shore up their programs to make sure that these sorts of issues did not occur sooner or later.
And I feel that that is going to provide us a excessive diploma of certainty, and positively hope that this can be a free and honest and authorized election. Congress will comply with the Structure. I can assure you that. I’ve made a profession of that.
You realize, I’ve demonstrated it again and again and over all through my life and as speaker of the Home. And we are going to care for this. So, all people can – can have a way of certainty about that.
Now look, there – there are members on each side of the aisle who might object to slates of electors. That’s commonplace now. The truth is, Democrats have objected to slates of electors after each single Republican presidential victory this century.
So there’s nothing actually irregular about that. And when individuals say that they have to observe it carefully, they’re saying that they will do their job. So…
MARGARET BRENNAN: However again in…
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: We’ll have the peaceable transition of energy. Sure, I imagine President Trump’s going to win, and this can be taken care of.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However, again in 2020, you supported a authorized problem to the end result of the election.
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: Sure.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The Supreme Courtroom rejected that try to problem it. Since then, the Electoral Rely Reform Act has been handed.
Are you sure that, on the nation’s Capitol, the lawmakers who you’re employed with will not be difficult the end result?
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: Look, we’ll see what occurs. I can simply let you know that we will comply with the legislation, and we are going to make sure that our colleagues comply with the legislation the Electoral Rely Act and the Structure itself requires.
The explanation for the objection in, you recognize, the final election cycle, in 2020, was what I referenced earlier, is that we had all types of modifications to election legal guidelines within the states, and selecting electors, the mechanism by doing that underneath Article 2, Part 1, Clause 2, says that solely the state legislatures can select these programs.
So, when elections officers and secretaries of state and a few state courtroom judges and whomever, the governors, once they modified their guidelines due to COVID, they did it in an unconstitutional method. And that was an vital authorized query. The Supreme Courtroom by no means addressed it, as a result of, keep in mind, they simply rejected all that on standing.
However we’re not relitigating what occurred in 2020.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, and 62 authorized – no, I am not. However 60…
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: No, we’re speaking about 2024 and…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Precisely. And 62 authorized challenges, as you recognize, failed with the Trump challenges to the end result.
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: Sure, however not on that foundation. Margaret, Margaret, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Not on that foundation. That authorized query is, I feel, objectively confirmed to be true.
Clearly, everybody is aware of the legislatures weren’t assembly in 2020 due to COVID. So it is Article 2, Part 1, Clause 2. All people, Google it and skim. It says solely the legislatures could make these guidelines.
However, look, I am assured I can let you know, I feel, this 12 months…
MARGARET BRENNAN: However on the safety image…
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: … that is not a difficulty, proper?
MARGARET BRENNAN: On the safety image on the nation’s Capitol, what measures are you taking?
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: Sure.
Look, we’ve an all-hands-on-deck method on this. The Capitol Police and the architect of the Capitol and everybody have finished extraordinary measures. They’ve hardened the services across the constructing to stop something sooner or later from overseas terrorists or anybody else who may need to, you recognize, attempt to invade the Capitol, OK?
That is taken care of. However I feel the better problem and the larger story is that you have had actually nice work finished in a lot of the states to shore up their programs and to make it possible for we’ve a free and honest election.
Now, look, as President Trump says on a regular basis, and I agree, our aspect, what we are saying on the rallies, you’ve got heard, is, we have got to make it too huge to rig. I feel that is actually vital. I feel there may be going to be some dishonest on this election. I feel noncitizens are going to vote.
Look, living proof…
MARGARET BRENNAN: You realize that it’s towards the legislation…
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: … Glenn Youngkin, the governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia…
MARGARET BRENNAN: … for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. That is established legislation.
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: After all it’s. After all it’s, however – in fact it’s, however this is the issue.
There’s various states that aren’t requiring proof of citizenship when illegals or noncitizens register to vote. We all know that is occurring.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However, respectfully, Speaker, you…
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: We wish – all people ought to need the legislation to be adopted
MARGARET BRENNAN: Completely.
Respectfully, Speaker, you each, in the middle of this interview, stated that you just do imagine that states have taken measures that may assist the integrity of this election…
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: That is true.
MARGARET BRENNAN: … and then you definitely simply additionally appeared to undermine confidence within the integrity of the state elections.
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: No, no. Margaret, maintain on. Wait a minute. Wait. Wait only a minute. It isn’t me undermining it. It is the actions of the Biden/Harris administration and a few of these states.
Noncitizens usually are not allowed to vote underneath federal legislation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, in case your problem is with sure governors, should not you be speaking to them?
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON: We’ve got been. We’ve got been. And the Republican governors have finished heroic work. They’ve finished their very own audits of the – their voter rolls to strive to make sure and do their greatest responsibility to make it possible for this we – it is a free, honest and authorized election.
We’re calling on all of the governors to do the identical factor, Democrat governors as nicely. And Democrat-led states within the legislatures, they should do the identical factor. Loads of good work has been finished since 2020, however there are nonetheless questions on the market.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson, thanks on your time.
We’ll be proper again with much more Face the Nation. Stick with us.
(Finish VT)
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: We flip now to Florida Democratic Congressman Maxwell Frost. He joins us from Orlando.
Welcome to Face the Nation.
REPRESENTATIVE MAXWELL FROST (D-Florida): Thanks for having me on.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman, President Biden is in Florida in the present day to evaluate injury from Hurricane Milton. At the least 60 Democratic lawmakers, some from Florida, have referred to as for Congress to right away return to Washington to vote for help.
You have not joined that decision. Why?
REPRESENTATIVE MAXWELL FROST: I imagine I’ve joined that decision. However – however, if not, I do imagine that Congress must return to make it possible for we move cash for extra help.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However how instantly do you want that to occur? How in want is your neighborhood?
REPRESENTATIVE MAXWELL FROST: Our neighborhood’s very a lot in want throughout Florida.
However the factor we’ve to know is, sure, FEMA has the sources essential to cope with the present state of affairs, however like was talked about within the earlier section, NOAA is predicting and we have seen that this is likely one of the worst hurricane seasons we have seen. And we’re not finished with this hurricane season.
It does not finish actually till the tip of November. And so I feel it is necessary. Why go away as much as probability once we can make sure that FEMA has the sources it wants, and never simply FEMA. SBA additionally has a program, and totally different businesses have packages that assist us to answer these hurricanes.
Why would we go away it as much as probability and wait till one thing occurs, once we can make it possible for we do this work now, particularly when quite a lot of my colleagues on the opposite aspect of the aisle are working at politicizing these storms, once we can really do one thing about it?
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, you want this vote to occur earlier than Congress is ready to return November 12, or you possibly can wait till November 12?
REPRESENTATIVE MAXWELL FROST: I feel we must always do it as quickly as attainable. Why wait till November 12? We do not know what is going on to be occurring by way of pure disasters or storms.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure.
REPRESENTATIVE MAXWELL FROST: I feel it is vital {that a} company like FEMA have even…
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
REPRESENTATIVE MAXWELL FROST: … not simply what they want, however much more than what they want to make sure that they’ve…
MARGARET BRENNAN: I…
REPRESENTATIVE MAXWELL FROST: … the sources needed, in fact, to assist with the present operation…
MARGARET BRENNAN: I’ve bought to…
REPRESENTATIVE MAXWELL FROST: … which they’ve but in addition with future issues.
MARGARET BRENNAN: … take a break right here, Congressman, and proceed our dialog on the opposite aspect of the business.
Stick with us.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome again to Face the Nation.
We return to our dialog with Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost.
Congressman, you’re the youngest member of Congress, it appears like, and you’ve got been on faculty campuses attempting to shore up assist for Vice President Harris. In our CBS polling from earlier this summer time, earlier than Harris entered the race, we did see, amongst 40 p.c of younger individuals who responded, they stated politics over the previous couple of years makes them really feel like there’s nothing else they’ll do. One other 40 p.c stated they need to tune out and watch one thing else.
Younger individuals is probably not apathetic, however they definitely aren’t excited in regards to the political system as a approach to impact change. How do you alter that?
REPRESENTATIVE MAXWELL FROST: Nicely, I admire the query.
And it isn’t simply as much as me, proper? It is as much as all of our leaders, all of our organizers, individuals on the bottom to make it possible for younger individuals perceive that, in the event that they step away from their civic energy that they’ve, there’s individuals who haven’t got their greatest pursuits at coronary heart which might be more than pleased to step into that energy for them.
I imply, you talked about, you recognize, a quantity that comes earlier than Kamala Harris being the highest of our ticket. I’ve seen, as I’ve traveled this nation – – did a back-to-school tour only a few weeks in the past – quite a lot of enthusiasm and pleasure round this election, particularly with younger voters eager to vote for Kamala Harris.
And, you recognize, there’s this notion that younger persons are not being concerned within the political system. And we are able to do higher, however individuals ought to know that younger persons are voting on the highest numbers in our nation’s historical past. 2020 was the best youth voter turnout within the historical past of our nation. 2018 and 2022 – 2022 are the best youth voter turnout in a midterm within the historical past of our nation too.
So we’re actually – we’re trending in the best route. We simply have to proceed to succeed in out to younger individuals, not take these votes as a right.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper. And there is that query of enthusiasm really translating to votes. You have stated vibes do not imply votes, I noticed you say.
REPRESENTATIVE MAXWELL FROST: Mm-hmm. Sure.
MARGARET BRENNAN: On one other problem that we all know is of concern to the Harris marketing campaign, I need to ask you about remarks that Former President Barack Obama made earlier this week.
He was talking to marketing campaign volunteers in Pittsburgh, and he raised the priority about low enthusiasm and turnout particularly amongst black males. He stated – quote – “A part of it makes me assume that, nicely, you simply aren’t feeling the thought of getting a lady as president.”
Do you share the previous president’s concern that it is a dynamic impacting the race? How a lot of a difficulty is it for Vice President Harris?
REPRESENTATIVE MAXWELL FROST: I feel it is a matter with quite a lot of totally different voters throughout this nation.
And it is one thing that our nation – you recognize, we have come a good distance, as – by way of girls’s suffrage. We have come a good distance by way of ensuring of fairness on this nation.
However there’s nonetheless quite a lot of this bigotry on this nation by way of sexism, by way of racism. And we nonetheless should work at getting over that. These issues are nonetheless right here. They nonetheless exist in quite a lot of communities. And we nonetheless have quite a lot of work to do right here.
And so I feel President Obama was simply having some very severe, powerful discuss, proper, powerful love, with quite a lot of – particularly – he was talking on to younger black voters, younger black males particularly, and ensuring that they perceive, look, generally it’s important to take a step again and take a look at your personal bias.
What is the bias you’ve got? What are the true causes you are voting towards somebody or for somebody? Is it a reputable coverage factor, or does it should do extra with the vibe of one thing After which look extra into that as nicely. I feel it is actually vital.
This, like, politics of vibes, we see it lots right here in Florida with somebody like Ron DeSantis, who claims to be somebody who’s for the individuals and for democracy, but, each probability he will get, he acts like an authoritarian.
Then I’m going to voters who’ve members of the family who’ve escaped international locations with authoritarian leaders, and I ask them, why are you voting for somebody who’s emulating what your mother and father escaped, and so they cannot fairly clarify it. It has to do with the vibes, with the environment the politician has created.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
REPRESENTATIVE MAXWELL FROST: And I feel we nonetheless should deal with that as a rustic. And that is what the president was speaking about.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman, thanks for sharing your insights. We’ll have to depart it there for in the present day.
We’ll be proper again.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: For extra on the race for the White Home and our newest ballot, we’re joined now by CBS Information govt director of elections and surveys Anthony Salvanto.
Anthony, the polling present’s an already shut race has tightened additional. Why is that?
ANTHONY SALVANTO: Let me begin by reminding individuals simply how tight that is.
Whenever you take a look at our estimates throughout every one of many battleground states, one after one other is successfully even. So it is a race that both candidate can and will win.
However one motive I feel this week was highlighted is that you just see how in another way these candidates and their supporters outline what’s, not simply what should be going ahead.
Let me present you a few totally different examples. Begin with the controversy over hurricane aid. Trump supporters say that they imagine hurricane aid shouldn’t be going to individuals impacted by the hurricane. The truth is, they settle for the declare that FEMA cash was diverted to individuals within the nation illegally.
And Harris voters say pace of FEMA was nearly proper and that help goes to individuals impacted. However that is only one instance.
Take one other, the financial system. Harris voters say that the financial system is basically good. They are saying or usually tend to say that the inventory market is up this 12 months, that the U.S. has been including jobs, Trump voters a lot much less prone to say these issues.
And another instance, the border. Harris voters say that crossings of the border, the U.S. and Mexico border, are down. Trump voters say that crossings are up.
So what that does is, all of it underpins this concept it isn’t simply competing ideologies going ahead. It is totally different views of what’s proper now within the nation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: There is no agreed-upon set of info…
(LAUGHTER)
ANTHONY SALVANTO: Precisely.
MARGARET BRENNAN: … on issues which might be measurable, arguably.
So, in the event that they get their info in another way, who do these people belief to supply it to them?
ANTHONY SALVANTO: We began by asking individuals how a lot they use social media. And each camps, each Trump and Harris voters, do use it. They do not essentially belief every part they see on it.
However one factor they are saying is that they really feel social media makes it simpler for them to seek out folks that they agree with. And that is a reminder to everybody, once we take a look at the position of data, it isn’t simply that persons are perhaps getting proper or flawed issues or are steered in numerous route. It is that generally they very affirmatively exit and search for issues that reinforce current beliefs.
The opposite half is, take a look at sources of data. For Trump voters, Donald Trump is a trusted supply of data, as a lot as their household and associates and greater than quite a lot of what’s referred to as specialists. However they don’t seem to be as trusting throughout the board of all these issues, whereas Harris voters additionally belief Harris very a lot, however in addition they belief different sources, like those that I discussed, throughout the board.
One factor we noticed that each camps share is, they’re involved about overseas interference, that overseas international locations try to affect them, the voters, to attempt to steer this election.
And what tends to occur is, every camp thinks that Iran, China, Russia desires the opposite candidate to win this. The place all this comes out is, whenever you look forward, what occurs after the outcomes are counted, Donald Trump’s voters are extra doubtless than Harris’ to say that his camp ought to problem the election if he loses.
They usually’re extra suspicious that there can be widespread fraud on this election. That is one thing, discuss totally different views of what’s, that we have to control as soon as the race is over.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Fascinating.
Anthony Salvanto, thanks.
ANTHONY SALVANTO: Thanks.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We can be again in a second.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: We spoke late final week with a bunch of voters from all seven battleground states to debate the election, their outlook for America’s future and extra.
(Start VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: What number of of you voters are going to forged your ballots for Donald Trump?
(SOME VOTERS RAISE THEIR HAND)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mary, you raised your hand. You’re within the crucial state of Arizona. What’s driving your choice?
MARY (Trump Supporter): Nicely, my choice is, I reside proper on the border in Yuma, Arizona.
And I do know, within the final 3.5 years, we’ve had simply horrible, horrible issues in Yuma with quite a lot of unlawful immigration coming via. Our financial system is terrible. Yuma’s unemployment is 16 p.c.
So the financial system is a giant issue as nicely, only a mixture of issues. Our groceries have gone up. Simply – simply every part has simply actually gone downhill within the final 3.5 years for us in Yuma and Arizona fully.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Cole, you’re in Georgia, additionally a really key state. Why do you intend to vote for Donald Trump?
COLE (Trump Supporter): For me, I don’t look essentially on the candidate particularly, however simply the broader celebration and the route they’re hoping to take America.
For me, a few of the prime three points would positively be our financial system, immigration, after which I’d additionally say, as we’ve come out of the pandemic, simply seeing how the 2 totally different political events dealt with the pandemic.
I feel Kamala Harris and the Democrats are slightly bit too excessive on the difficulty of abortion. I don’t assist the thought of permitting abortion at 20 weeks of being pregnant, and positively not with no restrictions. And so I would like candidates who’re extra aligned with my pro-life place.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mike, you are in Nevada. You stated you’ll be voting for Donald Trump, however he makes it laborious. He makes it laborious for you to be ok with that vote.
Are you able to clarify what you imply?
MIKE (Trump Supporter): There’s elements of Donald Trump which I like and elements of Donald Trump which I cringe, for lack of a greater time period.
And within the debate, when he stated – they simply requested him, January 6, would you alter something, I feel he had a possibility there to step up as a pacesetter and take some possession. Folks went to jail. I feel – I feel that may have confirmed quite a lot of braveness for him to try this.
So, I like issues on the financial system, tightening up inflation, sure, sure, and sure. I feel these are the first points on this election. You realize, as you get into the periphery and simply how he conducts himself generally, it is – you recognize, it is laborious to place a Trump signal within the entrance yard primarily based on a few of his behaviors.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However you are still doing it. Why?
MIKE: Nicely, as a result of I am a fan of the financial system and a fan of success, proper? I feel there’s been – there was no driver within the driver’s seat in our financial system for the final 3.5 years.
And I feel we’ve suffered mightily for it. That drives lots for me. I haven’t got to love individuals personally. I haven’t got to agree with a few of the stuff they do, however I’ve to type of go for the better good.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Christopher, you’re in North Carolina. How are individuals doing there amidst the fallout from this storm? And what makes you an enthusiastic Republican proper now?
CHRISTOPHER (Trump Supporter): I’ve at all times been enthusiastic Republican since I voted for Ronald Reagan in 1980.
I’ve been lucky sufficient to be a part of Trump’s floor marketing campaign in 2016. And I met some very superb individuals. I actually, actually just like the maturation course of that he is gone via. He bought his toes moist in 2016. He discovered the laborious means. He bought tagged a couple of instances. He stepped in it lots.
It is easy to look within the rearview mirror and say coulda, shoulda, and woulda. However whenever you’re within the second, you make the most effective choice you possibly can on the time. I belief him to try this. I belief him to decide.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However do you, Christopher, ever really feel uncomfortable, like Mike stated he did, with issues that Donald Trump says?
CHRISTOPHER: At some instances, I’ve.
However this present day, with the – what we’re being confronted with the – on the worldwide stage and the not-so-nice characters that may search for a weak spot in the US of America to carry her to her knees, I might somewhat have in a – within the ocean stuffed with bloody water shark – nice white sharks, I might somewhat have an orca in there than Flipper defending me.
And I do know Donald Trump will get in there and he’ll battle for us. He might not say what we need to hear, however he’ll execute on our behalf. And it is apparent. The person almost – almost died.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
CHRISTOPHER: He took a bullet for us and he bought again up once more. And you can’t dismiss that. And his intuition was to say, battle.
So, that proper there tells me this man does not – he does not should be there.
MARGARET BRENNAN: What number of of you’re planning to vote for Vice President Harris in November?
(SOME VOTERS RAISE THEIR HAND)
MARGARET BRENNAN: I need to dive into precisely why that’s.
Lynda after which Kathy, why are you supporting Vice President Harris for president?
LYNDA (Harris Supporter): I first voted for Reagan in ’80 as nicely. And all of my voting years, I used to be instructed character counts.
And as I take a look at Donald Trump, I both should say character counts and never vote for him or say it does not rely anymore. I did vote for him in 2016. I voted for Joe Biden in 2020. And I’ll vote for Kamala Harris this 12 months.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That is fascinating that you just voted for Trump, then Biden. Now you are going to vote for Harris. These are very totally different individuals.
What’s driving your choice now?
LYNDA: I’ve listened to Kamala Harris and the issues she has to say. I actually imagine she cares about individuals. I feel her life exhibits she cares about individuals. And he or she actually desires to work to make our day-in-and-day-out lives higher now.
And I care about now, however I’ve grandchildren, and I care about what sort of a world we will give them to construct on as they develop into individuals to vote within the subsequent few years. And, once more, I’m going again to character counts. And Donald Trump is a confirmed liar. He has stated and finished too many issues that I feel needs to be disqualifying, from January 6 to these poor individuals in Springfield, Ohio.
They need to simply be terrified.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Kathy, you are in Pennsylvania. Why are you voting for Vice President Harris?
KATHY (Harris Supporter): I hear and see the fears that folks have simply considering one other 4 years with Donald Trump.
I haven’t got something that I can consider that I’d say I agree with him on. And I, like Lynda, would say, to me, character counts. So Donald Trump is a no for me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: What about you, Mauricio? You’re becoming a member of us from Wisconsin.
MAURICIO (Harris Supporter): January 6, to me, is past unacceptable. That is sacred territory that was stormed. He riled up that – it was not a protest. That was an revolt.
The plans had been to overthrow a reputable election. That may by no means be tolerated, in my viewpoint.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you imagine that Vice President Harris, if she is elected president, that she can be very totally different from Joe Biden? Or do you see her persevering with the problems and agenda that he has pursued for the previous 4 years?
MAURICIO: I am positive she’s in all probability slightly bit extra liberal. However she would settle for the outcomes if she misplaced. And that is huge to me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Lynda, again to the unique query I requested Mauricio as nicely.
As a Harris supporter, do you imagine that the vp would proceed Joe Biden’s insurance policies? Or do you assume she has a special imaginative and prescient for the nation?
LYNDA: I feel she is going to do a few of the issues President Biden has finished. And a few of the issues Biden has finished has helped our nation fairly a bit.
I wish to hear extra specifics of what she plans to do, however I’d somewhat see somebody need to give tax breaks to the center class than essentially the most rich individuals in our nation, which is what Trump desires to do.
COLE: I simply wished to comply with up on this concept of how a President – a future President Harris may or is probably not totally different than President Biden.
And I can be sincere with you. I don’t envy Kamala Harris, as a result of she has to defend President Biden, and she or he additionally has to type of thread the needle of following his insurance policies, perhaps making a few of her personal.
Nicely, hear, there have been some failures on this administration. And I feel whether or not you are on the left or the best, you possibly can hopefully see that. And, for me, a few of these – these issues off the highest of my head had been, we didn’t have a very good withdrawal from Afghanistan, costs are via the roof for shoppers. And we are able to debate how we bought at that.
However on the finish of the day, inflation is uncontrolled. And there have been a report variety of unlawful border crossings underneath the Biden administration. And so I perceive that she has to enchantment to the bottom and she or he does not need to alienate any Biden voters.
But it surely’s very stunning to me that there is not one factor that she may consider that she would have finished in another way than President Biden.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Present of fingers, who is anxious in regards to the problem of abortion and reproductive well being care going into this election?
(SOME VOTERS RAISE THEIR HAND)
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
Mary, you are not elevating your hand. You reside in a state the place abortion entry is at the moment permitted as much as 15 weeks. You are good with that, the place it’s? It isn’t a motivating issue for you, despite the fact that abortion can be on the poll in Arizona?
MARY: The best way I really feel is that I am extra involved about girls’s well being. And I feel that we have to consider prevention, prevention of unplanned pregnancies, not utilizing abortion as contraception.
That is the best way I really feel. I am a mom and a grandmother, and I feel that that is what it needs to be. I feel 17 weeks is an efficient period of time. Now, in fact, identical to everybody else had stated, rape, incest, issues with the being pregnant, issues like that, in fact, I can perceive having an abortion, and you discover out later in your being pregnant that one thing’s flawed with the child.
OK, that is a special story.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Would you, Mary, like to listen to candidate Donald Trump and candidate J.D. Vance echo your beliefs? They keep away from speaking in regards to the specifics.
You had been very particular at 17 weeks. Would you just like the candidates to be that particular?
MARY: On the federal degree, and the explanation why it was introduced again to the states, is that totally different states have totally different emotions.
California is rather more liberal than Arizona or Texas or Oklahoma or Georgia or different areas of the nation. And identical to Trump stated, take a look at Kansas. Kansas has develop into extra liberal than they was. And that is very true.
However I – the primary focus is girls’s well being. Girls and what’s taught in faculties, nothing anymore.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Kathy, you raised your hand that this is a matter that is vital to you.
KATHY: It’s. I’ve daughters and granddaughters. And I’d hope that the choices of one thing that severe could be allowed to be made by them and their well being care supplier, not by somebody sitting in a – on a bench or in a boardroom or wherever making that call for them to have the ability to or not to have the ability to management their very own physique.
And it isn’t practical to imagine, if you happen to like this liberal legislation higher, you – everybody can simply transfer the place they need to. These issues simply aren’t practical.
(Finish VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: You’ll be able to see the prolonged interview on our YouTube web page or our Website.
We can be proper again.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: That is it for us in the present day. Thanks all for watching.
Till subsequent week, for Face the Nation, I am Margaret Brennan.