Skip to main content

tv   PBS News Hour  PBS  February 14, 2024 3:00pm-4:01pm PST

3:00 pm
>> good evening. >> tonight, the house intelligence chairman issues an urgent warning about a national security threat and calls on the white house to declassify the information. >> the political fallout from the impeachment of the homeland security secretary. >> in this consequential
3:01 pm
election year, we visit a mock presidential convention to hear about the nation's deep divisions. >> people are opening their eyes and asking, is this healthy for our country? ♪ >> major funding has been provided by -- >> cunard is a proud supporter of public television. the world awaits. a world of flavor, diverse destinations, and immersive experiences. a world of leisure. and british style. all with cunard's world-class service. >> consumer cellular,, and help
3:02 pm
you? this is a pocket dial. i thought i would let you know that with consumer cellular, you get nationwide coverage with no contract. have a nice day. ♪ >> the walton family foundation, working for solutions to protect water during climate change so people and nature can thrive together. supported by the macarthur foundation, committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. and with the ongoing support of these institutions. this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by
3:03 pm
contributions to your pbs station by viewers like you. thank you. >> welcome to the newshour. one person is dead tonight and up to 15 are heard after the super bowl parade in kansas city ended in a burst of gunfire. >> it is unfair have a they have gunshot wounds. two suspects were arrested. players were parading on double-decker buses. shooting broke out near the scene and people in the crowd, including the mayor, started running. >> all of a sudden people started crashing forward. everybody started running. we did not know what was happening but when people run, you run. we tried to push through so people would not run on top of us. there was a woman crying saying somebody had been shot. >> the chiefs said there players were already on buses heading back to the stadium when the
3:04 pm
shooting started. police had no initial details about the motive. ukraine's military announced an attack that sunk a russian warship. this happened a few miles off the coast of crimea. russia annexed the peninsula back in 2014. the ukrainians released nightvision video showing a explosion that blew a hole in the amphibious landing shift. the vessel could then be seen turned on its side. it is the second time in a couple of weeks that ukraine claims to have sunk a russian ship. israelis urge that prosecutors should go after hamas leaders for genocide and other crimes on the october 7 attack. the hostage relatives demanded accountability and justice for those still held in gaza. >> the world must wake up.
3:05 pm
the world needs to know that my sister is somewhere. without medication and exposed to sexual violence for 131 days. >> the chief prosecutor says he is already investigating alleged crimes on both sides of the war. the highest court in new york heard harvey weinstein's appeal of his landmark rape conviction. this came at the dawn of the #metoo movement. his lawyers say he was denied a fair tile because the judge had intense pressure to make an example of him. he is serving a 23 year prison sentence. thousands of uber and lyft drivers staged a strike today. they had the picket lines demanding better pay, benefits, and working conditions. they also rallied outside major airports to voice their frustration. >> uber has proved time and time
3:06 pm
again that they are putting profits over people. in shareholder meetings, they discussed profits. there is no question about safety or compensation. drivers have been losing money for years. >> the strike was times to cut into valentine's day traffic. uber said it would not expect the walk out to have much impact. stocks recovered from tuesday selloff. the dow jones gained 151 points. the nasdaq rose 203 points. the s&p added 47. still to come, a former generally to the human rights abuses claims victory in the indonesian presidential election. a make concerns about age, experts weigh in on how older -- getting older affects our memory. judy woodruff speaks with young voters. ♪ >> this is the pbs newshour from our studios in washington and in
3:07 pm
the west from the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university. >> it was a rare, alarming public statement. one of the handful of members of congress with the most accessed to america's secret warned of a serious national security threat. congressional leaders have described it as serious but not urgent. the warning rattled washington and beyond as u.s. officials at the same time worked to find a pause to the war in gaza. we are following all these developments. what do we know about this national security threat? >> officials confirmed to me that russia recently showcased a new capability in space. that is what this threat is all about. russia regularly launches into space. you see one right there. the official described that russia recently launched anti-satellite technology, a
3:08 pm
satellite that can attack other satellites. it is possibly nuclear powered. it has electronic warfare capability to target american satellites that are essential for u.s. military and civilian communications. that public statement that he just referred to was from mike turner, the chairman of the house intelligence committee. he is a voice for stronger national security, especially for ukraine, which right now is facing serious threats from russian electronic warfare. and of course this comes as members of the house, especially in the republican caucus, are resisting some support for ukraine against russia. after the statement was released, jake sullivan, the national security advisor, acknowledged that he was supposed a brief turner and others about this matter. the intelligence community has this intelligence for a few weeks. they say while it is very
3:09 pm
important, it is not in any way eminent. we hear the speaker of the house and that that today. >> last month i sent a letter to the white house requesting a leader -- meeting with the president to discuss a serious national security issue that is classified rate i want to assure the american people there is no need public alarm. we will work to address this as we do all sensitive matters that are classified. beyond that i am not at liberty to disclose classified information. >> clearly there is a concern that the u.s. had for a long time about this antisatellite capability. it is higher with this new capability. >> let's shift our focus to the israel-hamas war. what is the latest? >> benjamin netanyahu today repeated his hard-line that he has had multiple times, that there needs to be military
3:10 pm
pressure on hamas in southern gaza to make any progress on hostages. he called their demands when it comes to the hostages delusional. where we is israel continues to have a hard-line. u.s. officials privately say that netanyahu is allowing progress to be made on the hostage deal and that's negotiations are ongoing, especially after meeting yesterday in cairo with israeli-u.s. spy chief's and other diplomats. this is where we are on the hostage deal. a couple of weeks ago, israel agreed to a plan negotiated by the u.s. and others for a six-week pause with three phases of hostage releases. hamas had a counterproposal last week requiring an israeli withdrawal from cities first and then from all of gaza. israel interpreted that as hamas remaining in power.
3:11 pm
publicly, benjamin netanyahu takes a hard-line. that helsinki pressure on hamas which the u.s. believes helps in these negotiations. it also helps relieve pressure on netanyahu within his own government. his coalition from the right wing does not want him to stop this war or make a deal that would release hostages if it means the end of the war before hamas is destroyed. u.s. officials believe that he will allow progress to be made on the hostages as he threatens an assault on rafa in southern gaza where 1.3 million gazans have fled. the question tonight is will netanyahu allow more progress to be made or will there be an assault on rafa? >> bring us up to speed on the israeli effort to take out hamas leadership. >> the target in rafa right now is what israel calls the final four battalions of their
3:12 pm
military capability. these are prime units where israel has been fighting ferociously underground. that is where israel believes the leadership of hamas is hiding. israel released this video saying it shows the leader of hamas, who walked out right there, that is an israeli animation. walking out with his family, children, and wife underneath a tunnel on october 10. in what israel says is he was surrounded by millions of dollars as well as civilians. above ground, israel continues the assault today. it ordered the evacuation of a hospital. doctors without borders today criticized that evacuation orders saying the people inside have nowhere to go. use their they become -- either they become targets or enter a
3:13 pm
apocalyptic landscape. >> thank you so much for that report. we appreciate it. ♪ >> homeland security secretary mayorkas became the first cabinet member to report to work after being impeached. house republicans got the votes they needed in a 215-14 vote. what comes next and why will republicans have more difficulty passing their agenda? let's start with impeachment. another rare moment in u.s. history. what happens now? >> a lot to talk about. a reminder of what was passed by the most narrow margin possible in the house last night. there are two impeachment articles. they accuse secretary mae argus of willful -- mayorkas of
3:14 pm
willful breach of public trust. they are accusing him of a litany of grievances about the border crisis. there has not been any evidence that he went out of his way to make sure that laws were broken. we know some border control associations say things have gotten better. not everybody agrees with that. the other public trust breach was republican sadie lied to congress. he says that is a semantic argument over whether the border is something that is secure or not. let's talk about what is next. this will move to the senate and a couple of weeks. here is the timeline. every 26, the managers appointed by republicans will carry the impeachment articles over to the senate. the next day, senators will be sworn in as jurors for this potential trial. the democrats believed that
3:15 pm
there could be other options here to either hold a short trial or move to dismiss this altogether. this is an area of constitutional law that we do not encounter a lot. senate republicans say they do not think this is a serious impeachment effort. the majority of them, including senator james lankford, says they are not taking this seriously. they do not think this reaches the bar for impeachment. i think right now we are looking at a very short trial or potentially an attempt at no trial at all. >> this comes after republicans, thanks to a special election in new york last night, have been even tighter margin they are working with in congress. >> they will lose one vote. that means house republicans will not be able to spare more than three votes. depending on attendance, even fewer than that once he is sworn in.
3:16 pm
we expect him to be sworn in february 28. as we see all of this impeachment activity going on in the senate. he said he won not just because he has been of the district for a while but because of border issues. >> this race was centered on immigration and the economy, much like the issues all across our country. we won this race. you won this race. >> democrats are very happy won the race. i do not think they believe that this tells them everything about november but i think both sides today, expectations have shifted in the house. republicans and democrats telling me that democrats are more likely pick up the house this fall. >> that brings up the two big issues before congress, the ukraine aid bill and border security funding. what is your reporting on whether we will see action on either one of those? >> a lot to talk about.
3:17 pm
all of this has surrounded house republicans and that narrow margin. they are insisting that they get what they want. house republicans initially offered a conservative bill on the border. the senate rejected that. house speaker johnson and others demanded that order and ukraine -- border and ukraine be put together. i asked him today, you have said you will not take up the border package with ukraine or the ukraine package without it. what is it you are doing on either of those issues? here was his response. >> the house is working this week. we just met an hour ago with the members. there are a lot of ideas on the table on how to address these issues. we will do that in earnest. >> he ended the news conference right after that.
3:18 pm
i did not hear a specific answer. >> u.s. officials and the administration argue that ukraine aid is critical. what are we hearing on that? >> they are trying to signal to ukraine, hang in there. here is what we heard from defense minister today. >> this will help to find -- define this for decades. standing aside while ukraine fights for its existence is not an option. ukraine will not surrender and neither will we. >> those are very strong words. however, there is not yet an option in congress that will clearly get through to fund ukraine. there is majority support in both chambers. it is a needle that needs to be thread. congress has a time issue. we will be watching closely. >> a lot of important issues stuck in congress right now. we are glad you're covering them all. thanks so much. to discuss the divides in the
3:19 pm
house over how to handle aid to ukraine and the border, i am joined now by a republican congresswoman from texas. thank you for joining us. i want to begin with where we left off. the ukraine aid effort moving forward. you've talked about the need for a. they will certainly reach a point where they will no longer be able to do than themselves. are you worried that the longer this takes, the more at risk you are putting ukraine and the more you are empowering vladimir putin? >> if we were interested in helping ukraine, we would've done it at the beginning of the war instead of waiting for so long. our main concern right now is that we are crafting a good, solid bill. a bill that will prioritize the most important thing to americans right now, the border. it is not just making ukraine
3:20 pm
safe. we have to have america safe. we look at the disaster that has happened in the last three years at our border. we have to prioritize that. we are hearing that from americans all across the country. >> specifically on ukraine, how worried are you that the longer this takes, the more ukraine is at risk? >> we would like to be able to move faster. there are questions that a number of republicans have asked including with the strategy and timeline and commitment looks like. what does winning the fight? i think those are decision still being made and we are still negotiating. we would like to go faster. before those questions are answered, you want to make sure you have a thoughtful bill and you are not just rushing on it. >> you mentioned wanting to see the border provisions in another bill. i should note that the senate did pass a bipartisan bill that had border provisions in it before senate republicans backed away.
3:21 pm
you are from texas. you know the challenges of the border, part of this global migration trend we are seeing. when it comes to solving the border crisis, why vote to impeach the homeland security secretary rather than back a bipartisan bill that actually had some very conservative immigration reforms in it? >> i want to be clear, the senate did not pass that bill. >> correct. it was just foreign aid. >> we never saw a senate bill. we saw some text of what was being decided. the house did send over a very strong bill that had the provisions and codified what the trump administration had put in place, specifically the remain in mexico policy. it was ending catch and release. it was fortifying relationships with local and state law enforcement. >> the senate did not take that
3:22 pm
ball -- bill up. >> correct. you asked with a house is doing to be able to look at the border. i think what has to happen is that bill needs to be taken up. hr2 needs to be taken up. if the senate was serious about border security, they would recognize that this is not just a thoughtful bill but a bill that is based on solutions that have worked in the past. part of the senate bill that we did not think was good was the allowance of up to 8500 people, illegal immigrants, coming into our country every day. >> if i may, the automatic trigger to shut down the border was when it reached the threshold of 5000 mayday. -- a day. >> that is not accurate. it was 5000 on average for a week long period. did you do the math, that is nearly 2 million people coming over a year. >> some numbers we have been
3:23 pm
seeing, the border would've been shut down. >> had they been looking at hr2, when those policies were in place, there was less than a thousand people coming over our border every day. if they were to just take the policies that the biden administration from day one took off the table, we could already have a secure border and would not see the ridiculous number of people coming over our border every day. you asked the question about mayorkas and why it was necessary to impeach him. the american people want to make sure we are holding these folks accountable. when you have seen 10 million or over 11 million people come into our country illegally in the last three years, when you look at the deaths as a result of fentanyl coming over, five dead texans every day as a result of those coming of our border, we
3:24 pm
have to get serious about border security. >> if i may, i am sorry, i am not sure about the 11 million number or the source for that area we have not the net lighting up with border patrol numbers. as you have noted before -- >> we had a briefing today and that was the number quoted. >> sentinel comes largely -- fentanyl comes in largely at legal border crossings. >> we are catching the drugs that are coming over throughout ports of entry. but the fact is we have absolutely no idea how much of that drug is coming through illegally that we do not catch. i think it is a huge leap of assumption that we are saying it is only being brought in by americans at ports of entry. >> these are u.s. government and border patrol numbers. >> it is only catching what is coming through those ports of entry. >> which is the vast majority that is coming into the country right now. >> you don't know.
3:25 pm
we are assuming that they are not being caught. the answers we really have no idea how much is coming in that we are not even seeing. >> can i ask you, immigration has become a leading campaign concern and an issue for donald trump. we know he did not want republicans to back any kind of deal and not to give president biden a victory. it is fair to say donald trump is calling the shots in congress? >> not that i am aware of. i never got a phone call from the president say not to support the bill. we want our border to be secure. the bill coming out of the senate would normalize these record numbers and further incentivize people coming over by giving them more permits. it would not have secured our border or prevented illegal immigration. >> thank you for joining us.
3:26 pm
>> i appreciate it. ♪ >> a former indonesian general declared himself a winner of the presidential election today. the final vote count is still pending. he had a huge lead. >> we must not be arrogant. we need to be humble. this is a victory for all indonesian people. >> he now serves as the defense minister under the outgoing president. he was accused of a human rights
3:27 pm
abuses including overseeing the abduction of activists. that led to a u.s. travel ban. it is a mostly muslim nation spread out over 3500 miles in 17,000 islands area it is a pivotal point between china and the u.s. in the indo pacific region. we turn to the director of the asia-pacific think tank. he is a former army general links to human rights abuses. tell us more about these men and what their election suggests about the future than the nation -- of indonesia. >> it is a remarkable event for someone with a sketchy track
3:28 pm
record. there is a new democratic politics. he has tried multiple times to get the presidency. that eventually led to this unofficial alliance. he has really written on the back of his incredible popularity. he has a strong man, tough guy image. but that was not enough. the growth he has achieved has made them very popular. his approval rating is something like 80% at the end of his second term that is something of most u.s. presidents would kill for.
3:29 pm
>> the victory is raising countries commitment to -- questions about the countries commitment to democratic values. it was a democracy that was hard won. what does the selection suggest about democracy and human rights moving forward? >> i think there were real concerns that while his economic policy was quite popular, part of the checks and balances were eroded. when you hand the levers of a system that has been weakened to a character like him, that makes a lot of human rights activists incredibly nervous. i think the important thing to understand is most indonesians who voted for him wanted him to lead their democracy, not dismantle it. while there are concerns about democratic erosion andpbackslide to indonesia.
3:30 pm
we have seen similar problems elsewhere in the world. there still are a lot of similarities. democracies are not just about elections, they are about what you do afterward. i believe this will continue even if he is confirmed as the president. that is not the end of the story. there is more to come. he does seem to suggest that he is a changed character. ultimately it was democracy that allowed him to get the top job. >> this is a region where the u.s. and china have been on a collision course over taiwan and a host of other issues. one are the stakes for u.s. interests in the indo pacific? >> indonesia is a really important nonaligned country. it will never have an alliance with the u.s. even though it has close military cooperation.
3:31 pm
it will also not be an ally of china. it is a very influential country in terms of the security in the region, technology, the future of electric vehicles area. the decisions they make will have a big impact on this competition. precisely because indonesia will not ally with either side. they want to fiercely defend their independence. and play the u.s. and china off of each other. i think that will be harder and harder. there will be pressure on countries such as indonesia to make difficult choices. >> the director of the asia-pacific program. thank you for your time.
3:32 pm
♪ >> as america braces for a rematch between biden and trump, the ages of both men are probably voters. we look at the questions many have around aging, memory, and the presidency. >> ages much more than just a number. it is a potential liability. we will focus on some of the questions people have. this amounts to an ongoing conversation about age. >> i lived in southern california. i am 71 years old. neither candidate has it together in my view. they both have serious shortcomings when it comes to their clarity.
3:33 pm
>> i am 77 years old. when chuck grassley was running for reelection at 90 for another six-year term, which is voters gave him, nobody said a word. >> i lived in north carolina. i'm 70 years old. i would not have the stamina to be president. i think it is worth thinking about. at the same time, this is what we have. >> i live in virginia. i am 77 years old. i think president biden is very
3:34 pm
competent and very knowledgeable. if she has gaffes, i don't event affects his ability. >> nobody said anything about warren buffett or jane fonda or dr. fauci or mick jagger or harrison ford. think involve the people who in their 80's or 90's contributed to society. using martin scorsese needs to take a test before he does his next movie? >> volodymyr zelenskyy is a stellar example. macros, these guys are younger, more energetic than either of the two candidates that we have. >> i have seen some people list
3:35 pm
that medical cognitive test requirement. i think to myself, do we do this just for the president? >> we worry about implicit bias where we may not know that we have certain biases against certain kinds of people. or stereotypes. or prejudice that we may harbor. in the case of ageism, it is like an explicit bias and everyone is cool with it. >> i watched with interest the ruth bader ginsburg and diane feinstein if they had only retired when they were supposed to. you have to know when it is time. if i was in their shoes, i would
3:36 pm
step aside and let younger people take over. >> following verbal stumbles, polls have shown voters are concerned about the mental fitness of both a presidential contenders. in a recent poll, 76% of voters have major concerns about president biden. 48% of voters have the same major concerns about former president trump. to help us understand more about what happens to our brains when we age and for some perspective, i enjoyed by a couple of experts in memory and cognition. a professor emeritus of psychology at duke university. and a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the university of california-davis. it is also the author of a new book about the power of memory. thank you so much for joining us.
3:37 pm
i want to start with you. president biden is 81 years old. donald trump is a 77. help us sort through what happens with cognition and brain function as we age? >> it is fascinating. the work has been evolving. the basic story is that memory goes down with age. i don't think that is a surprise. if you look at different individuals, it really varies. some people are fine. other people do have a decline. you really have to ask what is going on with an individual person. >> last week, the special counsel concluded no charges would be brought against president biden for his handling of classic -- classified documents. he said the president could not
3:38 pm
remember even within several years when his son died. president trump gave a stinging rebuke. when he took a question about gaza, he mixed up the foreign leader of a country. >> initially the president of mexico did not want to open up the gate to allow humanitarian aid to get in. i talked to him and convince them to open the gate. i have been pushing really hard to get humanitarian assistance into gaza. >> he clearly meant to say the president of egypt, not of mexico. two slips of memory like that signal any real deficits or an ability to make hard decisions? >> i think that is the critical question. these types of slips are not uncommon with older people.
3:39 pm
especially when they're having to recall a number of facts in a brief. of time -- period of time. that is not necessarily at all relate to their ability in judgment. another element of that judgment is something we call executive function. that is the ability to make judgments, to really see the big picture. i think the bottom line for me is you have to test these individuals in terms of how well they are doing their job. not how well they may perform in a particular situation if they slipped on a particular topic and gives them thing. i think you have to look at the big picture. >> if you watch president biden now versus eight years ago, there is no doubt that his
3:40 pm
speech is a little less crisp. what can we know and what don't we know by watching him? >> i want to be clear that i am a scientist. i cannot diagnose anyone. what i can say is these verbal slips that you brought up, they are not of slips per se. you just get a little bit slower to come up with words sometimes. and slower to catch the errors when they happen. i would not call those memories slips. i think sometimes people judge the appearance of something like that. they think there is a memory problem. it is not really a memory problem. i know the president had a stutter when he was growing up. that the man's more executive function just to articulate. i totally concur that you really have to ask these questions in a
3:41 pm
real way as opposed to superficial observations. >> trump has mixed up people. when he was talking about the january 6 insurrection. >> they destroyed all of the information. everything. because of lots of things. we offered her 10,000 people. soldiers and national guardsmen. they turned it down. >> when you watch these men, is it possible at all to gauge their fitness for office? >> i think it is difficult. you might look at the tone of what they are saying. people will make judgments based on that. based on their cognitive
3:42 pm
function, it is quite difficult. a couple of tests will be insufficient. you need tests over time. to really determine if there is significant deterioration. you need a battery of tests. what is most helpful is an honest opinion from the people surrounding them who might give the type of information that would say, we believe this person is acally functioning well. in a political environment, that would be very difficult to obtain. >> generally speaking, what are typical signs of cognitive decline and when does it happen to impact people? >> one of the interesting things i have seen as i many patients who are on the younger side who can be very articulate and yet they have disabling memory disorders. looks can be deceiving.
3:43 pm
there is forgetting and then there is forgetting. there is day-to-day stuff that we all forget. you have something you know it is there but you cannot find it. they may be a few days later it pops up in your head. we call that a retrieval failure. they are benign but they happen a lot as you get older. if you miss stated egypt and mexico or if you have trouble remembering the years something happened, that is more in the benign category. but if you forget that you met the president of mexico or you forget significant events from important parts in your life, that is a real memory disorder.
3:44 pm
those are things i would expect people to remember. >> there have been a lot of words thrown around in the selection cycle loaded with partisanship. do you think any of these have validity? >> they all have validity in some context but i'm not sure they have validity year. i think that will be one of the major challenges we see over the next year. people are going to throw terms around that neuroscientists and physicians have used traditionally for quite different reasons they are being asked to make statements about situations that are complex. on the spot. they are not given a chance to really correct areas -- errors that they may make. >> is there a word of advice you
3:45 pm
give to the public or press about making assumptions in this moment about memory or age were verbal lapses? >> when people hear something like an elderly man with a poor memory, it activates a lot of stereotypes that people have. there is actually a lot of abilities that remain stable or even get better with age. knowledge like the kind of knowledge she would hope a president would have, remains stable or could improve. you see compassion and emotion regulation improving with age. a lot of what people judge is based on surface characteristics. rather than the more substantive issues. >> thank you so much for your time. >> you are welcome. ♪
3:46 pm
>> the winner of the republican primary will be officially decided at the party convention this july. this past weekend, and a small town, nearly 2000 college students held a convention of their own. judy woodruff visited the conference to speak with young people on their views of politics in america during this unusual primary season. it is part of the ongoing series america at a crossroads. >> despite looking like a wild party, this raucous parade in virginia kicked off one of the most accurate political prediction projects in the country. it is a simulated convention that students have put on every
3:47 pm
four years for over a century. as the students that their creativity and passion on display with floats for each of the 50 states and u.s. territories, some of the biggest names in the republican party descended on their small town. donald trump, jr. >> i want to thank the support we are seeing out here. >> the governor of georgia. >> if there has ever been a time in our nation's capital where we need new ideas and fresh perspectives, it would be today. >> the governor of virginia. >> since 1948, you have been 100% accurate in nominating the eventual nominee. >> this was a culmination of years of preparation. students from across the political spectrum staging a nomination for the party who does not hold the white house.
3:48 pm
this year it was the republicans turn. >> it is a bipartisan organization. >> on a campus that students say is roughly split between democrats and republicans, 98% participated in this to try to accurately predict the outcome of this summer's republican national convention. down to the delegate. he is the president of the college democrats. >> it has been really interesting looking at each state and all the polling and demographic information. >> just like the actual republican primary right now, this year's event felt like a foregone losing. -- conclusion. former president trump seems to have gotten the nomination long before most states cast their votes. >> it is my honor to welcome our next speaker, donald trump, jr.
3:49 pm
>> there is a reason they are trying to put my father in jail. >> among the students we sat down with, we found views across the spectrum. what do you make of all of the issues swirling around former president trump? >> what is the alternative? nothing the more chaos from the biden administration. he is going to say some off-color things, which is not great. but what is better? a loudmouth president who gets things done or a quiet lyrically correct president who does nothing for the american people? >> a self identified democrat disagreed. >> i think biden has done a pretty good job. there are some grievances. but i think he is doing a good
3:50 pm
job with what he has been given. >> the students heard different perspectives from other republican speakers like the governor of virginia. >> we must come together around a nominee with universal support in order to usher in a new era of unrivaled america. >> and the governor of georgia. >> this election should be about results, not personalities. it should be about the future of our country, not a race to the bottom. >> he is a junior on the political steering committee. he applauded the focus on the future. >> somewhere along the line, republican has basically said we are going to try to align ourselves with donald trump. i don't think that is a smart strategy but i'm constantly reminded by people how republicans can win and also
3:51 pm
appealed to the middle of the country that is not necessarily liberal or conservative but wants to see strong, competent leadership. >> a senior wrote this year's republican platform. >> the republican party platform is a dedication to the american people. >> that process was complicated by the fact that the party has not actually produced a platform since 2016. like many students who participated in the research, she had to take a hard look at the parties current policy positions coming into this year. as well as her own. >> i would say i am more of a moderate republican. the platform language is no different than anything i have ever written. the rhetoric is so negative. a lot of it is tearing down biden and the democrats and getting at the other side and not very focused on what we are going to do.
3:52 pm
i stepped away from this process a little bit less republican than i was. everything you do, you learn some about yourself. >> was it a significant issue or a collection of issues? >> i disagree on a portion, gun rights. >> across the country, a large majority of young americans align themselves with democratic ideas. president biden will need those voters to turn out this fall to hold onto the white house. but even among college democrats , there was something to learn from seeing and studying the other side of close. >> i believe all trump supporters are racist. they are just very discontent. everything being said, out of they listen. >> do you have confidence that we can get to a place where the people can have disagreements?
3:53 pm
? but not hate each other >> for the most part, people are not happy with the current political environment. maybe being around all of these different views this weekend is inspiring me a little bit. i am confident that we can push it forward. we have so many different people and diverse ideas. i think that makes us stronger. >> student republicans also said they look forward to a time when the country is not so divided. >> i think the average american does not want to hear about politics every day. i try to align myself with that. ♪ >> i think there is a spotlight on the polarization now. people are wondering, is this healthy for the people of our country to spend their lives
3:54 pm
worrying about disagreements once to one another rather than focusing on the things that bring people together? >> he says he is able to maintain relationships across political divides. >> i do relate more to people who have similar values to me. but i am able to be friends and have friends. >> i have known a lot of people who have gone to this university. it is a great school. i hope i get your endorsement. [applause] >> despite the doubts and questions, donald trump got the prediction he wanted. >> we have nominated donald john trump. [applause] >> it was a 50 state sweep. billy ray cyrus brought the convention to a close. donald trump won all but 76 of
3:55 pm
the delegates at stake. nikki haley picked up 64 from seven states and the district of columbia. ron desantis took nine. vivek ramaswamy took three in iowa. we will be coming to watch in july to seal close these numbers are to the actual gop convention number. ♪ >> before we go, and update in our early reporting on today's shooting. kansas city police say the number of people with gunshot wounds has risen to 22. eight of them have life-threatening injuries. three suspects have been detained. >> that is it for tonight. >> thank you for joining us and
3:56 pm
have a good evening. >> major funding has been provided by the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. and friends including these individuals. the ford foundation, working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide. funding for america at a crossroads was provided by -- and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. ♪
3:57 pm
>>
3:58 pm
3:59 pm
4:00 pm
hello, everyone. welcome to "amanpour & co." here is what's coming up. >> today we witnessed one of the most historic and consequential bills to have ever passed the senate. >> the u.s. inches closer to sending stalled military aid to ukraine and israel. as the jordanian king joins president boyidenrying to reign in