Page 2 - Biden Think News Today

Wanting to back down from with one white house official saying we want this fight. we relish this fight. >> cnn white house correspondent arlette saenz, thank you very much. lets bring in cnn political director david chalian, senior political analyst nia-malika henderson, and chief political affairs analyst, casey hunt. the president clearly sees going to florida and going after senator rick scott and what he said about social security and medicare as giving him a political advantage, at least i...

Veto it. >> reporter: all arguments that could be central to a 2024 re-election bid. the president taking that pitch to a state thats rich with senior voters, a group he lost in florida by ten points in 2020. and looming large over this trip are the two florida men who could serve as the presidents chief republican rivals, governor ron desantis and former president donald trump. biden referencing both men briefly in his remarks, but still quiet about when a 2024 announcement will come. >> it sou...

Im not -- >> he did the right thing. >> he did absolutely the right thing. its just that ever since he did that, donald trump has worked to make him anathema to the republican base that hes going to seek right now in a potential republican nomination contest, and his attachment to trump is part of his credentials, so he is in this very tough situation, and now, being asked to testify related to january 6th is only going to remind republican base voters about this divide with the former president...

And i am told that pences team got word of this earlier this week, that this is going to happen, and now he has been subpoenaed by the special counsel, and this is the special counsel, jack smith, whos investigating two things. to be clear, hes also investigating the classified documents that former president trump took with him to mar-a-lago, but hes also investigating trump and his role in january 6th and what that looked like. so, that is why it makes sense that pence is involved in this and ...

Window of the next weeks or month or couple months or so that he would do that, but you know, again, until he does it, we are waiting for him to actually say it, because every time he gives a sound byte like that, that says, its my intention and current thinking, it will just start the hand-wringing inside democratic circles again if he is really all systems go on this. >> the idea that he hasnt made up his mind yet, i think thats what he said in that interview, its a little strange. really? you...

Could be a part of the negotiating tactics on the part of the president in dealing with the new house speaker. >> no doubt about it. i think nia was spot on. there is a short-term political benefit here because of the coming weeks and months of this debt ceiling battle, and so this is an attempt to put kevin mccarthy in a bit of a box and say, okay, you know, you say you want spending cuts. you wont specify what they are. i keep saying, show me your budget, and now im going to pressure you here ...

Cnn white house correspondent arlette saenz has more on the state of the union road show and why florida was a strategic backdrop for his message. >> reporter: president biden armed for battle with republicans. >> look, i know that a lot of republicans, their dream is to cut social security and medicare. well, let me say this. if thats your dream, im your nightmare. >> reporter: the presidents main target since his state of the union address, floridas own senator rick scott. biden waved a pamphl...

Anybody ask me what i meant, ive been very clear. nobody believes that i have a goal of reduce -- i dont know any republicans that want to cut medicare or social security benefits. hes been a complete failure, and now he lies about what i want to get done. >> reporter: still, its a fight the white house is eager to wage, a clash on full display tuesday night. as the president gears up for a face-off with the gop over the debt ceiling. >> and i said, that means you all are for keeping social secu...

Been subpoenaed to provide testimony and documents in a criminal case that is targeting his former boss, donald trump, and the fact that they may be political rivals in just a couple months. so that -- this is just unprecedented. >> yeah. and it begins with an unprecedented event which was january 6th, which is a sitting president trying to overthrow a free and fair election. all of this will hang over donald trump. all of this will hang over mike pence. and in some ways this is the argument i t...

Kinds of conversations hes asked to testify to, even -- he was a senior white house staff, and necessarily, by holding that role, there will be protections that come along with it. now, not every conversation that one has with the president or with staff is going to be protected. thats -- that will play out in the courts. so, well see what got requested. >> this is a dramatic moment indeed. david chalian, whats your reaction? >> well, one thing that i think is really important to separate out ju...