CNN’s Harwood: Biden’s Policies ‘Likely’ to Increase Flow at Border, But ‘There’s Not a Whole Lot the President Can Do’

FISHER Inflation migrants at ░░░░░░░░ southern border rising crime ░░░░░░░░ Coronavirus pandemic I mean ░░░░░░░░ are just some of ░░░░░░░░ big problems that the ░░░░░░░░ S is currently facing ░░░░░░░░ problems that are weighing ░░░░░░░░ President Biden s political ░░░░░░░░ The most recent CNN ░░░░░░░░ pegs Mr Biden s ░░░░░░░░ at just 39 So ░░░░░░░░ question is what can ░░░░░░░░ president do to fix ░░░░░░░░ of these problems So ░░░░░░░░ s bring in CNN ░░░░░░░░ House correspondent John Harwood ░░░░░░░░ morning John So what ░░░░░░░░ you think Is there ░░░░░░░░ that President Biden can ░░░░░░░░ to fix these mounting ░░░░░░░░ HARWOOD Well there are ░░░░░░░░ things he can do ░░░░░░░░ steps he can make ░░░░░░░░ it s in the ░░░░░░░░ of the American system ░░░░░░░░ when things go wrong ░░░░░░░░ look to the White ░░░░░░░░ and say what can ░░░░░░░░ President do about it ░░░░░░░░ there s not very ░░░░░░░░ he can do about ░░░░░░░░ Now in the case ░░░░░░░░ inflation which is the ░░░░░░░░ economic problem he had ░░░░░░░░ to do with that ░░░░░░░░ The economists if you ░░░░░░░░ to them left and ░░░░░░░░ will agree the American ░░░░░░░░ Plan was larger than ░░░░░░░░ should have been that ░░░░░░░░ needed to have been ░░░░░░░░ fueled some of the ░░░░░░░░ that we re now ░░░░░░░░ Countries around the world ░░░░░░░░ experiencing inflation but it ░░░░░░░░ higher here The issue ░░░░░░░░ though what can President ░░░░░░░░ do about it right ░░░░░░░░ The answer is not ░░░░░░░░ much That s the ░░░░░░░░ Reserve s job to ░░░░░░░░ to tackle that they ░░░░░░░░ raising interest rates but ░░░░░░░░ s kind of out ░░░░░░░░ Biden s hands So ░░░░░░░░ we get these monthly ░░░░░░░░ reports and people say ░░░░░░░░ highest inflation in 40 ░░░░░░░░ and ask the White ░░░░░░░░ about it they don ░░░░░░░░ have particularly good answers ░░░░░░░░ there aren t particularly ░░░░░░░░ answers for the White ░░░░░░░░ On immigration President Biden ░░░░░░░░ t implemented much of ░░░░░░░░ immigration agenda that he ░░░░░░░░ on but the flow ░░░░░░░░ people on the southern ░░░░░░░░ seeking to get into ░░░░░░░░ United States is something ░░░░░░░░ has existed for decades ░░░░░░░░ ebbs and flows with ░░░░░░░░ the economy is doing ░░░░░░░░ now you ve got ░░░░░░░░ whole lot of people ░░░░░░░░ want to come in ░░░░░░░░ the question is how ░░░░░░░░ President Biden deal with ░░░░░░░░ He s lifting some ░░░░░░░░ restrictions or announcing that ░░░░░░░░ s lifting some Trump ░░░░░░░░ and that s likely ░░░░░░░░ increase the problem but ░░░░░░░░ s just a thorny ░░░░░░░░ that there s not ░░░░░░░░ whole lot the President ░░░░░░░░ do to manage Same ░░░░░░░░ with crime The murder ░░░░░░░░ spiked during the pandemic ░░░░░░░░ reasons we don t ░░░░░░░░ understand it s continued ░░░░░░░░ go up since then ░░░░░░░░ if a trend started ░░░░░░░░ Joe Biden became president ░░░░░░░░ s difficult to pin ░░░░░░░░ on him and it ░░░░░░░░ difficult to identify what ░░░░░░░░ can do when things ░░░░░░░░ happening in states and ░░░░░░░░ around the country FISHER ░░░░░░░░ John you say there ░░░░░░░░ not a lot that ░░░░░░░░ Biden can do right ░░░░░░░░ to fix these issues ░░░░░░░░ he can do something ░░░░░░░░ the messaging And you ░░░░░░░░ right that Democrats say ░░░░░░░░ the administration could be ░░░░░░░░ or salvaged with better ░░░░░░░░ fixing that communications issue ░░░░░░░░ what specifically do you ░░░░░░░░ the Democrats want to ░░░░░░░░ HARWOOD Well they want ░░░░░░░░ better story to tell ░░░░░░░░ the issue you get ░░░░░░░░ election seasons is each ░░░░░░░░ tries to tell a ░░░░░░░░ story about what s ░░░░░░░░ over the past couple ░░░░░░░░ years And when you ░░░░░░░░ a constellation of problems ░░░░░░░░ President Biden is facing ░░░░░░░░ are saying Look country ░░░░░░░░ out of control it ░░░░░░░░ Joe Biden s fault ░░░░░░░░ want a better answer ░░░░░░░░ is that in midterm ░░░░░░░░ almost always the President ░░░░░░░░ party loses in those ░░░░░░░░ You ve got very ░░░░░░░░ majorities in the Congress ░░░░░░░░ if you lose any ░░░░░░░░ in the Senate and ░░░░░░░░ a little bit of ░░░░░░░░ in the House Republicans ░░░░░░░░ going to be in ░░░░░░░░ 26 out of the ░░░░░░░░ 29 elections the party ░░░░░░░░ is not holding the ░░░░░░░░ House gains House seats ░░░░░░░░ is every reason to ░░░░░░░░ that to continue this ░░░░░░░░ And however President Biden ░░░░░░░░ his aides talk about ░░░░░░░░ conditions in the country ░░░░░░░░ s very difficult to ░░░░░░░░ there is anything they ░░░░░░░░ do in terms of ░░░░░░░░ that is going to ░░░░░░░░ that reality FISHER All ░░░░░░░░ John Harwood thank you ░░░░░░░░ much for your analysis ░░░░░░░░ morning and for sharing ░░░░░░░░ beautiful library in the ░░░░░░░░ I give it a ░░░░░░░░ to 10 HARWOOD Thank ░░░░░░░░ Kristin.”
FISHER: “You bet.”