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President Trump's Inaugural Parade. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired January 20, 2017 - 15:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:30:00] [15:35:00] (SCENES OF INAUGURAL PARADE)

DAVID GREGORY, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: All right. So, we just saw the first family and second family in the middle there Major General Becker of the U.S. Army reviewing the troops, listening to some of the bands and now they are going to get into the famed vehicle, "the beast."

ALLISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: It is called the beast because it is so heavy, it is adorned with all the security apparatus that it needs to transport the President and there goes the 45th President and the first lady getting into the beast where they will take this ride for the inaugural parade all the way down to the White House.

BILL WEIR, CNN ANCHOR: It's about a mile and a half. One of the questions David Gregory is how long, when and if the President will exit with the first lady and walk during this route? It's been done different ways, President Carter did the entire way about a mile and a half. We don't expect that today.

GREGORY: This is a great thing to guess when and if the first couple will get out. I suspect he will. There's intermittent rain along the parade route. It's great pageantry for this westward parade that leads toward the White House where the President and first lady and family will be in an enclosed structure to be able to review all of bands and military units that go by. Interesting thing too as we were alluding to before it has marked social progress, 1865, first time African Americans were included, women in 1917 and we read in some history as well, former President Garrison came down on a white horse. I don't know if we'll see that. First in a car?

WEIR: Harding.

CAMEROTA: Harding? Interesting.

WEIR: 1921.

GREGORY: Who can forget that.

CAMEROTA: I want to bring in our new reporter Kate Bennett. Thanks for being here.

KATE BENNETT, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Thank you. Great to be here.

CAMEROTA: You have reported on the first family at length, so let's talk about what a day this is for the first family.

BENNETT: Yes.

CAMEROTA: There was a lot of family member. Lots of Trumps. I know you are a fan of fashion. They are a very fashionable family. Let's talk about Melania, and what a stunning figure she cuts.

BENNETT: She comes out with this blue outfit and everyone immediately thought of Jackie, and I think Ivanka is very close behind, so Melania's dress, this blue outfit was made by Ralph Lauren who also made Hillary Clinton's suit. So, a very bipartisan fashion today.

CAMEROTA: They both looked very elegant.

BENNETT: They really did. The first thing when Eric Trump came out, everyone saw them mouth the words, this is unbelievable, so for the family at large, it's a very special day, it's overwhelming. This is a long journey to this point today. Donald Trump Junior has five children, Ivanka Trump has three children, we saw Barron, he did go last night, but he didn't go to church this morning. But Barron was there on Capitol Hill this afternoon.

CAMEROTA: Look at the optics of the Secret Service now protecting the 45th President. This is breath-taking watching all of these men, their tasks with keeping the President alive as the President now makes his way to his new home the White House.

WEIR: Amazing for the President, for the Vice President but equally amazing for the tens of thousands of people lined up and down the avenue behind us the first time to see the President of the United States. The man with their fate and their family's fates in his hands.

GREGORY: And to see him up close and there's a physical change that comes over anyone who assumes high office. I remember covering George Bush and at the holidays there's more distance. Look at the distance surrounded by secret service and this is very much of the people kind of moment to be on the parade route and in a modern era for all of the challenges, this still harkens back, with rough rider units, wearing a lock of Abraham Lincoln's beard here around his neck, so this is great for anyone and here President Trump, who I think was influenced some by Andrew Jackson and that populism and that sense of return of the power to the people that something President Jackson was very much about, this is a chance to reach out to people who traveled from around the country. Washington is not a bubble.

[15:40:00] CAMEROTA: Kate, you know from covering Donald Trump, he thrives on the energy and the applause of the people. So, I assume that you're betting that he will get out and walk much of the way, part of the way?

BENNETT: I think he's going to walk a good deal. He's got to get out. It's him, right? It's completely against his personality, everything we know about him.

GREGORY: It's a big magic moment for the crowd too. BENNETT: I think he's also going to do it by his hotel, no dummy in

the marketing department. And that's what everyone is anticipating.

GREGORY: Robin Meade is at that hotel. Robin a lot of people are anticipating that's where the President will choose to get out and walk around.

ROBIN MEADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I wanted to show you something, Allisyn, right behind me is the hotel. It is actually across the street from me. Can you see the employees came out and practicing unfurling a banner that says "Thank You, Mr. President." A few minutes ago, this was all blocked off I thought for security purposes but now it's all filled in and I'm told those are guests of the hotel. How wise because if he does get out and walk it's only going to be Trump supporters.

Now behind me it's a different story. If you look over here, shoulder to shoulder, among them protesters. I don't see -- careful on the signs here, some are a little vile, there are chants, but we have a couple from Pennsylvania, 79 and 80 in age, and we have bikers for Trump here, along with a family on this side who said they bought tickets before they knew who was going to win to show their kids a lesson in democracy.

Then there is the human angle, a moment of levity I saw a guy walked by with a sign, it wasn't a for or against Trump, it was a "Are you single?" And he wrote his number across it. There's a cross section of American here and if you are single come on down, that guy is looking.

CAMEROTA: So, it's a great opportunity for some people. Poised to make history as they begin the mile and a half trek down Pennsylvania avenue.

WEIR: You see part of the entourage there. That pointed phalanx of officers on their motorcycles. You are going to see different, all kinds of combinations of salutes today from the different branches of the military. Lots of different first responders, school bands, there is just an amazing procession. The President and the Vice President are going to move down and then they are going to pick up a tradition started with President Grant who of course was a general and started the reviewing of it all from the White House and they'll continue that today we expect.

GREGORY: And think about what's transpired so far today. The humility, the awesome nature, the President, Vice President now go to visit the former President and first lady, now he's the President and going back. The white house itself has been transformed by the wonderful staff. The people's house which of course with all the trappings of power of the white house, it is still the people's house. Abraham Lincoln used to let people come and visit him. He had a hard time getting his lunch because there was always people in the way and bothering him but now they're going to go back there and face that awesome task of what comes next.

CAMEROTA: That is such an interesting point because in the short time they have been having this lunch, the staff has transformed the White House to now have the personal effects, some of them, of the Trumps and to make it homey and welcoming for the Trumps.

GREGORY: Also, to remember there will be ongoing dialogue about the White House press corps, some talk of moving into the Eisenhower executive building, I like to remind people that it is not the President's house, it is the people's house. And that's important for all to remember.

[15:45:00] Again, as they are making this trek, what is going through their mind, how their life is going to change, the security changes, the public spotlight that is on them constantly how that changes all because of the awesome responsibility that is now this President's.

WEIR: At noon, today the problems of the world, that deal with America's politics are now on his plate in front of him. The job began already.

CAMEROTA: And Melania is not going to be living at the White House at first.

BENNETT: That's right. She will be staying in New York and Barron will stay in school, and her plan is very much to come to Washington and move into the White House with her family. And in the meantime, will Ivanka play a bigger role et cetera? That's a question.

CAMEROTA: I believe we have a picture.

GREGORY: Right now, we're looking at a live picture of the parade route. We have a picture that we want you to see of the outgoing President Obama on Executive 1. Do we have that?

CAMEROTA: Let's check it out.

GREGORY: Right now, we're seeing -- right now we're seeing the parade route. We have President Obama, outside the window, taking them away to the Andrews Air Force Base. But now this is the new President Donald Trump and he is just starting the route of the inaugural parade, the 58th inauguration. This is high point of the tens of thousands who have been waiting here.

WEIR: That's right and mixed in, right behind us, I was trying to turn my neck, to see some of the protester signs. You do have protesters who are mixed in and we are getting a first look here at -- nobody. I was going to say the President, but I'd be guessing, I can't see.

But there are protesters here who are mixed with people who want to see the parade. I'm sure they will make noise as they come by and they're all kind of mixed in. And of course, the Trump Hotel, the old post office here in Washington is also what may be 500 yards behind us as well.

CAMEROTA: The crowd behind us is about ten people deep and people already have their cell phones poised ready to get this monumental historic moment. Brooke Baldwin is our roving reporter. She's on a flatbed truck behind us, traveling behind President Trump, Brooke, what are you seeing?

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: We finally turned out on the Constitution, been waiting, waiting, and patient. Let me just show you the beast is not this black car behind me. Let me get out of the way so we can get a better advantage, but you can see secret service on either side and we got a quick glimpse so on the driver's side, we saw Melania, and then we saw President Trump and now we have this incredible vantage point seeing some people. The parade is young, some people on either side of the barriers, but the Secret Service presence, the law enforcement, it is tremendous. Allisyn.

CAMEROTA: Brooke, what a moment and what a vantage point you have, so you can see there and see the first couple and you're saying that the crowds down there are not as dense yet as they are up here, but you're seeing enthusiasm build?

BALDWIN: Yes, if you're still with me, we're seeing some people -- let me just be real. It's cold. We have been going through like some bouts of rain, so I think those who are probably a little more brave, where the crowds are thicker are farther down but just the U.S. military on either side, it's almost -- you look at them and it doesn't matter Democrat, Republican, it is goosebumps, this smooth transfer of power. This parade has been going on since 1801 so the President and the first lady coming along. Donald J. Trump along Constitution avenue. It's pretty incredible.

GREGORY: We're going to start hearing the voice of god, the announcer, announcing that the first and second families have reviewed the military units and that Presidential escort is coming down about a mile and a half. It's so exciting for the people here who have come and now you can see all the media that's trailing them.

[15:50:00] CAMEROTA: And now, Brooke, we can see her in the red coat. Well played, Brooke. There she is waving in the flatbed truck. Along with that battalion of black cars.

WEIR: She doesn't know how good she has it. This is nothing in terms of former inaugurations, right?

GREGORY: Yes, former President Obama when they got out and Mrs. Obama in 2009. That was a very, very cold morning to be sure, but this is really also a chance to reach the people. Again, people who come from around the country. The President talked so much about returning government to the people so in the middle of a highly orchestrated choreographed day about pomp and circumstance, about continuity of government and the transfer of power.

He stood up saying they were all part of the problem, it is part of the problem and now back in touch with the people. We have run into people throughout the day who have been so enthusiastic about that message who like the idea of this disrupter is coming in and now this President is going to disrupt it and this is just sheer excitement I think for the first couple to be able to reach out and not quite touch people but get pretty close as they enjoy a day that's really in celebration of them and the presidency. CAMEROTA: We have talking about when and where Mr. Trump will get out

to glad hand with the people. We know that he likes that very much. We anticipate that he will do that. Jimmy Carter started that tradition. We should say that Secret Service knows where he will get out. He won't just jump out spontaneously.

GREGORY: They really will decide. One of the things he's going to have to learn is that he doesn't really belong to himself anymore. He belongs to the American people. His safety is paramount to the security of our democracy, so he's not going do anything if they don't let him. But this is a progress that he's got a lot of leverage negotiating.

CAMEROTA: And, Kate, what do you think? How is Melania just absorbing all of this? This isn't what she signed up for originally when they got married.

BENNETT: Can you imagine sort of living your life and getting married? I don't think she ever had any idea she would one day be first lady of the United States. And we haven't seen Melania publicly since new-year's eve at Mar-a-Lago before she arrived in Washington last night. She has laid low in this transition period.

WEIR: She took some lumps at the convention with the speech and plagiarism and how it was handled by those in the campaign. By all estimates she exceeded expectations with her delivery. But how the campaigned handled the writing of the speech, she disappeared after that for a while.

BENNETT: She certainly did. I think her first priority is Barron, her son. We saw her parents as well, she's very close with her parents. She's a home body for all intents and purposes. This is her moment to shine. I think people want to welcome her to Washington. They want to make sure she feels this is home when she moves here. This is overwhelming.

CAMEROTA: She didn't sign up to marry a politician. He wasn't a politician when they got married. She will stay in New York. That's unprecedented. Every single aspect of her life will change completely.

WEIR: The President tells a story though, that when he was talking about running and he was saying maybe I'll get in there and see what happens, he says that Melania, his wife said, if you run, you're going to win. So, make sure that you want to be President if you run. She was right.

GREGORY: You know, often in campaigns we talk about how voters take the measure of politicians and they imagine, try to imagine that candidate in the oval office. I think for a lot of supporters of Donald Trump, that was tough. Even supporters thought well he doesn't have the qualifications, doesn't have the temperament. And yet they wanted enough change he was ultimately the change agent. I think what is significant about this beautiful part of our transfer of power is that Americans and citizens all over the world who are watching us are really getting a look at now President Trump. They are no longer having to imagine him in this role. They are

trying it out. This is him in the role. It's going to provide a lot of excitement for some, a lot of opposition for others. But they're seeing him in that role for the first time. How he wears the presidency, saw a little bit at the luncheon. I thought the inaugural was a lot like his Republican acceptance speech at the convention. But again, these are the trappings of office we start to see him in and let wash over us.

CAMEROTA: Here you see people not just along the streets, but you see people in buildings, at windows looking out and watching the 45th President go by. Someone with a great vantage point is Brook Baldwin. She is on the move with the President. She's in the -- on the back of a flatbed truck. Brooke, where are you now?

[15:55:00] BALDWIN: I did get past you. I see CNN, waiving at you all there. So, we've been making our way down constitution. If you want -- I don't know what the shot is, but I am in a truck, two trucks ahead of the beast. And we saw the secret service. One thing that is so incredibly notable beyond all these, you know, quarters of Donald Trump, the U.S. military represented either side of the street and as you watch each and every one of them saluting 45th President. As the President continues to pass by, every single one of them saluting. John Berman is somewhere near me. Where Is John Berman? I see you somewhere.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I don't see you along the route yet, Brooke Baldwin. You're waiving at some other handsome person you think is me but isn't. I'm out here in front of some bands -- I'm seeing a bunch of bands waiting to get into the parade. I've seen a number pass by already. We also saw Tom Barrack chairman of this entire inauguration drive by in one of the lead SUVs waiving to the crowd. I'm not sure they know who he is, but he knows who they are and he is certainly appreciative of them all being here to be sure. So, while we keep waiting to see Brooke Baldwin, that's when I know it is getting very, very real. Peering over the corner here to see if they come around. I'll keep my eyes open.

GREGORY: Look for the red coat on the truck.

BALDWIN: Berman. Interesting. I'm looking for you. I'm passing third.

BERMAN: I'm on fourth. You're a block away. You'll see me soon.

BALDWIN: It's amazing, though, how much the crowd changed now that we're down here. At least 20 people deep along the curb.

CAMEROTA: All right. We'll be back with you guys in one second. Yes, David.

GREGORY: If you look at the parade route, one of the things that's so interesting in Washington is who has a great view of Pennsylvania avenue? Who has a great view of the west front of the capital? And along the parade route? The Canadian embassy has an unbelievable view of both the parade route and the west front and, of course, they just recently passed by the federal court house which is where district court judges sit, too, for the D.C. circuit. Who was there? That was Merrick Garland who was of course President Obama's pick for the Supreme Court and that's now a moot point as President Trump will name a supreme court justice. But you have obviously, government office buildings. You have law firms and others. And they gather in the windows to look.

WEIR: Nobody has a better seat than we do. We have Brooke Baldwin on the back of a truck and Berman mixing with the crowd just as the President is coming his way. How is it looking from there, Brooke?

BALDWIN: The crowd is getting louder and louder. We're still making our way around the curve on constitution. You have the President and the beast about, just two cars behind me. As we noticed earlier as they had pulled out from the capital, if you get a glance close enough, Melania and her blue, she is seated in the back left of the car. John Berman, I'm told you're near me.

BERMAN: Brooke Baldwin, I see you waving right now. If you look to your left I'm way down. I'm a block away. I'm still a block away here waving over a railing up here. I see you. I also see all the security here just lining the streets, getting ready to see Donald Trump, the President of the United States as he drives by. These crowds have been here for several, several hours.

Most of these people here had to wait about two hours to get through security. As you can see right now, the crowds about 10, 12 deep at least. There was a band playing here until just a short time ago. And this is the moment. This is the moment that they have been waiting for. No doubt. Now, some of the security lining the streets here -- some of the security here told the people this is not likely where the President will get out of the car and walk.

This is not usually where it happens. Not this early in the parade, but still, you know, I think people here are hopeful at a minimum a wave would be nice. There you are, Brooke Baldwin. You're still not to me yet. There you are. I just got a kiss blown from Brooke Baldwin. Right back at you. You have a better seat than I do.

BALDWIN: This is called the dance. We're doing the dance. There's four of us on these flatbed trucks full of media and now we're giving the other folks a chance to get a little closer to the beast. Berman, my man, how are you doing?

[16:00:00] BERMAN: Brooke Baldwin, here we go. How are you?