NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Episode Date: June 5, 2024

President Biden announced an executive order to temporarily bar migrants from applying for asylum, Hunter Biden's trial on gun charges is underway, a nationwide cell service outage was reported by AT&T and Verizon, and more on tonight's broadcast.

Tonight, President Biden signing a sweeping executive action on security at the U.S. southern border, facing mounting criticism over immigration. The president making his most aggressive move yet to control the border. Mr. Biden saying he's doing, quote, what Republicans in Congress refuse to do, a power the new order gives him just weeks before his first debate with Donald Trump. Also tonight, opening statements in Hunter Biden's federal gun trial, the text messages the prosecution showed to the jury taken from his purported laptop, and what the defense is saying about his past drug use and purchase of a firearm, the nationwide disruptions impacting AT&T and Verizon customers, what's

causing it. The first major heat wave of 2024, triple-digit temperatures in the West. We're tracking it. Attorney General Merrick Garland, defiant on Capitol Hill, telling Republicans, I will not be intimidated, as they demand tapes of President Biden's interview with Special Counsel Robert Herr. Our NBC News exclusive, the new electric vehicles rolling off GM's assembly line, the CEO and why GM is still betting big on EVs despite a sales slowdown. And after he stole the show from his congressman dad, the six-year-old telling us about his viral moment of fame. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. President Biden tonight sidestepping Congress and taking his own action to sharply tighten controls at

the southern border. With his signature alone, the president using his executive authority to shut down asylum requests when the average daily number of illegal crossings between ports of entry exceeds 2,500. Tonight, that average number tops 4,000, putting the new directive into immediate effect. The president looking to turn the tables on Republicans on an issue that has left him politically vulnerable. In his remarks announcing the new order, President Biden saying doing nothing is not an option and that he would have preferred to address this issue through bipartisan legislation. But many Republicans in Congress tonight dismissing the president's actions as too little, too late. Our Julia Ainsley is at the border in Texas with more.

Facing fierce criticism of his handling of the border crisis, President Biden tonight unveiling new executive action. This action will help us gain control of our border. The executive order will bar many migrants who cross the border illegally from requesting asylum when illegal crossings are over 2,500 per day, like they have been for the past three years. The restrictions last until they dip below 11,500 per day. If they choose to come without permission and against the law, they'll be restricted from receiving asylum and staying in the United States. It's 3.30 p.m. in Hidalgo, Texas, and this bus is transporting migrants who just came

through the border wall. They'll be able to claim asylum, but those who cross after midnight will not. But there are exceptions to the restrictions, including unaccompanied children. Plus, migrants can still request asylum at ports of entry. Today's move comes after a record. Nearly 10 million migrants have crossed into the U.S. since President Biden took office. Our recent poll shows just 28 percent of Americans approve of President Biden's handling of the border. Today, the president blaming Republicans for blocking a bipartisan border security bill. I've come here today to do what the Republicans in Congress refuse to do, take the necessary steps to secure our border.

But Republicans say Biden sparked the crisis by reversing Trump border policies, blasting today's move as an election year stunt. He can close the border down entirely. He's not going to do that. He has no interest in doing that. They want it wide open. So this this weak measure here, don't be fooled. While some Democrats also slamming the president's action. It's not a time for us to turn to Trump era policies. It's not time to go and use the tools that Trump used. Today, we met a Venezuelan family who entered at a port of entry this morning

using the CBP one app created by the Biden administration to book appointments for asylum screenings. They said they slept on the streets in Mexico while waiting. How long were you waiting? Seven months and six days, he tells us, saying he came to the U.S. to work to feed his young family. And Julia, we're already expecting legal challenges to this executive order. Yes, Lester, the ACLU is threatening to sue, saying this order prevents migrants from exercising their right to claim asylum. Meanwhile, Border Patrol agents I've talked to said they're worried about a log jam when migrants who cannot claim asylum

cannot be deported fast enough. Lester? Julia Ainsley starting us off. Thank you. Opening statements today in the trial of President Biden's son Hunter on federal gun charges. The prosecution telling jurors he lied about his drug use on a government background check to buy a gun and they introduced evidence from his laptop. Ryan Nobles has late details. Tonight the prosecution kicking off their case against the son of the president with one simple message to the jury. No one is above the law. In opening arguments prosecutor Derek Hines saying Hunter Biden was a user of crack and a drug addict.

He chose to lie on a government form about his drug use when he purchased a 38 caliber handgun. No one is allowed to lie on a federal form like that. Even Hunter Biden, he said. Hines pointing to the defendant's own words in his own voice. Mainly, however, we just planted ourselves on the couch and smoked a ton of crack. Hines playing these audio clips from Hunter Biden's memoir for the jury. By now, I possessed a new superpower, the ability to find crack in any town at any time, no matter how unfamiliar the terrain. First Lady Jill Biden, his wife Melissa and sister Ashley were in court, sitting together while the excerpts played, visibly shaken and

embracing each other. Hunter Biden is charged with three counts related to allegedly purchasing and possessing a gun while using narcotics and faces prison time if convicted. But defense attorney Abby Lowell telling the jury today, you will see that he is not guilty. He said that Hunter Biden did not knowingly lie on the form, arguing that during that narrow window of time, Biden was not acting like, quote, someone who was smoking crack every 20 minutes. Late today, the first prosecution witness, an FBI agent, testifying about Hunter Biden's laptop, telling jurors investigators found text messages detailing his interactions with drug dealers around the time he made the gun purchase. Tomorrow, Hunter Biden's ex-wife will be on the stand and eventually Hallie Biden,

the widow of his late brother, Beau, with whom Hunter had a romantic relationship. Lester. All right. Thank you. And a problem with AT&T cellular network left thousands of customers unable to make calls today. Brian Chung is following this. Brian, what happened? Lester, the issue appears to have started earlier this afternoon with AT&T and Verizon customers reporting problems calling between carriers with more than 5,000 service issues reported nationwide. AT&T says it is working with Verizon to resolve the issue, adding 911 services are operating normally. Verizon says its network is also operating normally, and some are experiencing issues when calling or texting with customers served by another carrier. This comes four months

after another major AT&T disruption, when tens of thousands of customers also reported losing service, and that lasted about half a day. All right, Brian, thank you. We'll turn now to an early season heat wave, the first major one of 2024, bringing dangerous triple digit temperatures to parts of the West. Thirty two million people under heat alert stretching from California to Texas. High temperatures are expected to tie or break records through at least Friday. At a combative House hearing, Attorney General Merrick Garland fought back against Republican attacks, including the false accusation the Justice Department was behind the Manhattan prosecution of former President Trump.

Here's Hallie Jackson. A message both blunt and sharp tonight from the Attorney General. I will not be intimidated, and the Justice Department will not be intimidated. A full-throated defense from the typically soft-spoken AG targeting Republican attacks on the Justice Department. And slamming suggestions the DOJ had a hand in former President Trump's state felony conviction last week, as Mr. Trump falsely claims. That conspiracy theory is an attack on the judicial process itself. But many Republicans insist the Biden DOJ is playing politics. Many Americans believe there's now a double standard in our justice system. They believe that because there is.

The House GOP looking to hold Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena for the audio of the interview between President Biden and Special Counsel Robert Herr, who ultimately declined to prosecute the president over his handling of classified documents, suggesting a jury would be unlikely to convict a well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory. The interview transcript has already been released, but Republicans want more. We haven't heard the tapes. We don't know if they match up. If you have audio or video, that is better than a transcript. Substantively, the transcript may be accurate, but you know what? The audio would tell us so much more. But the White House asserted executive privilege over the recordings at the request of Garland, who today says he'd be concerned about a possible chilling effect if they were released. It could influence witnesses' answers if they

thought the audio of their law enforcement interviews would be broadcast to Congress and the public. And with the House speaker rolling out a new three part plan today to go after the Justice Department, the GOP fight is clearly not over yet. Lester. Hallie Jackson, thank you. We'll turn out of the war in Gaza and the newly published comments from President Biden suggesting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be prolonging the war for his political survival. Let's get more on this from Gabe Gutierrez. Tonight, President Biden is walking a fine line with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, offering some of his harshest criticism yet. In a new interview with Time magazine,

the president was asked whether he thought Netanyahu is prolonging the war for his own political self-preservation. He said, I'm not going to comment on that. There is every reason for people to draw that conclusion. That response is drawing backlash from Israel. It is outside the diplomatic norms of every right-thinking country to comment on the leaders, whether they should be a prime minister or not be a prime minister. Today, I asked the president to clarify, and he walked the comments back. Is Prime Minister Netanyahu playing politics with the war? I don't think so. He's trying to work out a serious problem.

Asked by Time whether Israeli forces have committed war crimes in Gaza, President Biden answered that it's uncertain and has been investigated by the Israelis themselves. The president also saying he did not think Israel was starving civilians intentionally, but I think they've engaged in activity that is inappropriate. Still, even after this warning to Israel last month, They're going to Rafah. I'm not supplying the weapons. the U.S. is still backing its ally. Now, with ceasefire negotiations stalled, today the White House National Security

Advisor met with families of the hostages, including Omar Nutra's mother. Once again, we're in this cycle where everyone is waiting on an answer, right? We're really, really hoping that the deal goes through. The president also says his biggest disagreement with the prime minister is about what should happen after the war and whether there's a two-state solution. Lester? Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. In 60 seconds, the future of the road. Our exclusive with the CEO of General Motors, what Mary Barra says about

when more people will switch to EVs and the price that will get them there. Late today, an FDA advisory panel weighed in on the potential use of MDMA, better known as ecstasy, as a treatment for PTSD. Some studies have found that it helped when combined with talk therapy, but the panel overwhelmingly concluded the data shows it is not effective in patients with PTSD. Now to our NBC News exclusive, the CEO of America's biggest car company, GM, still betting big on electric vehicles despite a slowdown in EV sales and criticism from former President Trump. She spoke with Tom Costello. Rolling off the assembly line, two new electric vehicles on which General Motors is betting big. An EV version of its best-selling Silverado and the Equinox SUV.

We're executing, we're launching. Despite a slowdown in EV sales across all brands, CEO Mary Barra says GM is all in on all electric. We're committed to this technology, getting it right, and offering the consumer something that's going to make their life better. All right. I'm driving. Yeah, you're driving.

Barra had me drive the new Equinox EV, which she insists will be a game changer. An SUV with 17-inch displays, able to go 300 miles on a single charge. And with a $7,500 tax rebate priced to attract middle America. This is the sweet spot for the market. People want a vehicle that's in this $30,000, $35,000 range. Absolutely. That is where the bulk of new car purchases happen. The new Silverado EV pickup has even more range, 440 miles. In all, GM offers 11 EV models. But while EVs make up 7.3% of all new vehicle sales in the U.S., sales growth has slowed. Prices are also dropping. The average now $55,000 and more popular in blue

states than red. Is that a political divide, a cultural divide that will hurt sales, especially of the Silverado EV? Well, when we look at it right next to the Silverado EV in that showroom at that dealer is going to be a Silverado that's gas powered. So the consumer is going to get to choose what they want. But consumers are both price and range sensitive. Do you still envision to stop selling gas-powered vehicles by the mid-2030s, as you'd suggested at one point? Well, again, we'll be guided by the customer. But in the end, I think, and we're seeing this around the globe, it will be led by what customers want. Because, again, a car is a very expensive purchase for people.

So they need to get what they want and, you know, what they're willing to pay for and what it represents. The Equinox EV has tough competition from Tesla, Hyundai, Kia and Nissan. And former President Trump's criticism of EVs is raising concerns among proponents he could dismantle the tax incentives if elected. Will you be just as committed to EVs if there's a Trump administration? We will be just committed because we think in the long term they're better. Boris says GM customers will soon have access to Tesla and other charging stations, which should address concerns about charger availability. Lester. All right, Tom, thank you. Up next with election season upon us, how the rise of AI deep fakes is impacting one of the biggest elections on the planet. Is it a sign of what's to come?

Back now with the election surprise on the world's biggest democracy, India's powerful Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming he's won a third term, but his party losing seats to a surging opposition. And as Janice Mackey-Frayer reports, the role AI played in the race could be a warning sign for our elections here at home. In a consequential year for global elections, nothing matches the scale of India. Nearly a billion voters and over 700 political parties. While election-related deepfakes generated by artificial intelligence spread like wildfire across Indian social media. Like this video of a politician who died in 2018 and was digitally resurrected to endorse his son. It's the AI handiwork of Santil Nagyam. His company is at the forefront of a thriving but

loosely regulated industry here, using AI tools to create deepfakes, mostly for films. But at a studio in Chennai, he recorded my voice, took photos and videos, and in a matter of hours produced a deepfake of me. I'm Janice Mackey-Frayer, and I'm not running for office. But I'm doing this political ad to make a point, to show how easy it is for... My voice and my image are tattooed on a computer. And with AI tools, I can say... I can say anything to anybody in any language. Literally have been cloned.

It's like we have a seed and we can plant it anywhere. That AI-driven content is appearing in elections around the world could be a sign of what's ahead for voters in the U.S. There are some guardrails in place, with President Biden's executive order last year and the FCC making robocalls made with AI-generated voices illegal. But there's still no sweeping federal legislation on AI. There's a risk that people, normal people, will lose sight of what it means to trust reality. Here, as a test for tech platforms, digital rights groups Access Now and Global Witness sent four dozen fake election ads to YouTube and say every video was accepted. In a statement, Google said none of these ads ever ran, adding their enforcement process has multiple layers to ensure ads comply with policies.

If you don't try to combat the collection and misuse of data by tech platforms, it will feed this problematic, often toxic sort of AI growth ecosystem we're seeing. There is also the risk of AI-generated content becoming a normalized part of the election process, as deep fakes are set to transform the landscape for real. Janice McEfrayer, NBC News, Chennai, India. And for more on the AI revolution, watch Raising the AI Generation at 9 p.m. Eastern on NBC News Now. And coming up here tonight, perhaps no one could cut through the tense atmosphere in Congress quite like one lawmaker's six-year-old. That's next.

Finally, the little scene stealer on Capitol Hill telling us tonight what inspired his funny moment of fame, bringing a little levity to a deeply divided Congress. Here's Liz Kreutz. He's the six-year-old everyone's talking about. As Tennessee Congressman John Rose spoke on the House floor Monday, denouncing former President Trump's recent guilty verdict, his young son Guy stealing the show, making one silly face after another and another, even signing out his little brother Sam's name. The viral moment propelling this recent kindergarten grad into newfound internet fame. I like that kid. I like that kid. Ten minutes before that, his dad was like, I think Mountain Dew is fine for kids. Today. Hello? Hello?

Anyone on? Guy telling us he was simply bored. What made you say, I'm just going to start making these funny faces? I was trying to make my brother laugh. Did you expect that you would make the entire country laugh? Uh, a little. The congressman unaware of his son's antics behind him. I had no idea.

I told him, smile at your brother. And so I was just hoping that he would be behaving and smiling at his brother. Even as our cameras rolled, Guy yet again upstaging his dad. So, Guy, do you know what your dad does? Yeah. What does he do? He, he. Okay, I'm going to be honest.

I don't really know. It's that blissful innocence that's captured the country's hearts. What's your message to America? Nothing really. Eat more candy every day. A reminder that even in these historic halls, we shouldn't take ourselves too seriously. Liz Kreutz, NBC News. Absolutely priceless.

That's nightly news for this Tuesday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.