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The Lead with Jake Tapper
President Donald Trump's First Full Day in Office; Marches Around the Globe; Demonstrators Hope to Send Message About Women's Rights. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired January 21, 2017 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:07] JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Hello, I'm Jake Tapper. Welcome to this special Saturday edition of the LEAD on President Trump's first full day in office. He attended a national hair prayer service and he visited the headquarters of the CIA in Langley, where he seemed to focus more on his feud with the Forth of state than on the sacrifices of our intelligence officers. We will have on that story in a moment.
But first, huge crowds here in the U.S. and around the world. And while the mission statement of the protests do not mention Donald Trump by name, organizers say they are against the campaign rhetoric, the dehumanized minorities and the larger issue of women's rights.
Still, many of the speakers in Washington at least today took direct aim at the nation's 45th president. Events started as a march and have now taken over D.C.'s national mall. Several other sister marches are happening throughout the globe, including in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and overseas in London, Berlin, even down in Sydney, Australia.
Demonstrators say they want to send a message that women's rights are human rights, and that they need to be protected. And if you're wondering about those knit pink winter hats with the pussy cat ears that many marchers are wearing, they are reclaiming of that first word, a direct reference to that infamous "Access Hollywood" tape and the crude reference to grabbing.
CNN has teams in several cities, covering today's events. We will start with CNN's Kyung Lah in Washington.
And Kyung, marchers have several messages it seems that they want to send to the new president.
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: But they are all unified by one thing, Jake. They do not hesitate in saying that they have been unified by Donald Trump. That they plan on being the opposition taking the energy that they felt here back to their home states, back to their home cities and trying to form a grassroots opposition. That's something we kept hearing again and again.
Because the one thing you heard is that every single one of them had different issues. They had a climate change as a pet issue. Women's rights. Anger towards Donald Trump's words against women. So there are various things that brought them here. But what unified them is that they wanted to go into Donald Trump's back yard. They wanted him to open his windows. They wanted to have him drive by and see their pink hats. So they have in that regard, they believe, accomplished that mission.
Now comes the hard work. Can they actually accomplish the next further steps about becoming a unified opposition? That's something that they just don't know at this point. And as far as the marchers themselves, what began as a big, big bloc of people. It's now spreading all over the city. Some people headed to Trump hotel. And part of the reason why that they are spread out all over the place, is because of the massive throng of people who just descended on D.C. They had to reroute this parade this march, Jake. So they are trying to at this point still fill parts of D.C. - Jake.
TAPPER: All right, Kyung Lah in Washington. Thank you.
Here's a look at Boston. That's another city being flooded in this massive sea of pink. Let's bring in CNN national correspondent Miguel Marquez who is in Boston.
Miguel, tell us about what you are seeing there.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are still in the streets of Boston. What's maybe more amazing than how many people came out for the march, is that they waited so long and so patiently in Boston common to actually make the march.
There are still thousands of people on the streets here. You can see many of the signs that they have out here. The organizers were expecting about 25,000. When they first started organizing this. A source at the Boston police department says that their photo analysis shows 120,000 to 125,000 people. It was a long, difficult trying day. There were lost kids at points. There were people who got ill at points. They were able to make announcements. Get everybody to where they had to be. But you just an unbelievable number.
Why are they out here? They had lots of speakers. The biggest, the one that everybody wanted to hear from the most was Senator Elizabeth Warren. Here's a little of what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D), MASSACHUSETTS: We will not build a stupid wall. And we will tear millions of families apart. Not on our watch.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: Now they say that they had hundreds of groups join in to this march, not just women's groups. They also say this is sort their first effort. The first point of a movement. A national sort of meeting basically. Organizing to keep the Donald Trump administration on its toes. And let them know that they will be there in two years and again in four years - Jake.
TAPPER: All right. Miguel Marquez in Boston, thank you so much.
Let's go now to New York City where they are marching to Trump tower. CNN's Jessica Schneider joins me live from the crowd.
And Jessica, is it true that Trump tower is blocked off right now?
[16:05:09] JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is, Jake. Protesters were hoping to get their voices heard right outside President Donald Trump's doorstep. Instead they are being kept two blocks away. That's where I'm standing now.
But take a look. That hasn't stopped the throngs of protesters from making their way up Fifth Avenue. We were in the midst of it just a short time ago. Incredible amounts of people. In fact, when this march first started, a few avenues east of here, we could not get out of the gridlock for two hours. People have been in those crowds marching since 11:00 this morning. So now going on five hours strong.
I have talked to the NYPD. They say that this has been peaceful and orderly. And so far, no arrests. So this has just been the NYPD doing really what they do best. Letting people get out here and make their voices heard, looking to send that message. Even though Donald Trump isn't here at Trump tower, still trying to get that message to the president down in Washington - Jake.
TAPPER: All right, Jessica Schneider in New York. Thank you.
Let's go now to Denver, Colorado where thousands are also taking this to the streets. CNN's Ana Cabrera joins me.
And Ana, given the time difference, marchers where you are, started gathering later in D.C. or New York or Boston. How is the crowd looking?
ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we are still going strong here at the rally in Colorado. You see the hundreds, perhaps thousands still gathered behind me. Listening to some of the speakers that they have lined up here to really rally this crowd.
I can tell you the folks here say there is power in numbers. And this, they hope is just the beginning of a movement. That movement physically and literally happening starting five hours ago here in Colorado where thousands of people weaved through the streets culminating here at this park across from the state capitol.
The organizers say that women are represented in every marginalized community or group. And so it's a women's march. But it also is a march for all people. For immigrants, for refugees, for women, for the disabled, for the sick, for the poor. These people who don't always have a strong voice in their community or in politics. And so that's the message they want to send to the president and his administration that we matter and that they are all united.
And so, Jake, that's what this group is hoping to take moving forward. Not just today in sending a message to the large administration, but also wanting to get involved, civically here in this community. And in the neighborhoods all around Colorado so that they can perhaps push their agenda moving forward - Jake.
TAPPER: All right, Anan Cabrera in Colorado. Thank you so much.
Joining me now, one of the many celebrities attending the march here in Washington, D.C. celebrity chef Padma Lakshmi. Thank you so much for joining me. Really appreciate this.
PADMA LAKSHMI, CELEBRITY CHEF: Thank you for having me.
TAPPER: So first of all, what is this march about? Because I looked at the mission statement. It didn't mention Donald Trump. It alluded to rhetoric from the campaign, but didn't mentioned his name. But it seems like a lot of people here are protesting, they are not challenging necessarily his election, but they are protesting his view, is that? Tell me what people are marching for.
LAKSHMI: Well, I can tell you what I'm marching for. And I think I'm a good indication of many people that were shoulder to shoulder to me down there.
We are marching because this is much bigger than Donald Trump. Although I think the election of Donald Trump has given voice to a lot of racism and misogyny and just given a boldness to a certain kind of hatred and violence and humiliation that we have not seen before.
I'm an immigrant. I came to this country when I was four. I'm a woman of color. I'm a brown person working in a white culture and living in a white culture. And so, I have two reasons to be wary of this administration, not just of him, but of his appointees. Of Congress, who has vowed to turn back a lot of the rights and benefits that I hold very dear like the right to choose.
TAPPER: The right to choose. So you are worried about abortion being made illegal by the Trump administration?
LAKSHMI: I'm worried about Planned Parenthood being defunded. So little of what Planned Parenthood does is abortion. And they don't receive any federal money for that. They get reimbursed by Medicaid for other health services that they provide to people who cannot afford them, both men and women like breast cancer screenings and pap smears.
I'm a co-founder of the endometriosis foundation of America. And so, as someone who cares deeply about women's reproductive health, this is very distressing to me. Many women use birth control for things other than contraception. If you suffer from endometriosis, if you have PCOS, one of the first things they do to treat that symptomatically is to give you birth control. And for many women, you know, that surgery for endometriosis is not covered by insurance unless you wind up in the hospital through the emergency room.
[16:10:18] TAPPER: So the Republican Congress is going to try to defund Planned Parenthood and I hear you. But in the primaries, you might remember this, President Trump actually said nice things about Planned Parenthood. He said he didn't like abortion, but he said Planned Parenthood does a lot of other great things and I think they do a good job. I mean, I think that's almost a direct quote. LAKSHMI: You know, it seems even when we have tape of Mr. Trump
saying something, when we have him on video, somehow he still able to back-track from that and say that's not really what he means. But you know, I'm a writer. I'm an author to me words matter. And they matter especially when they are coming from the person sitting in our highest office.
And so this demonstration down there is also about words. It's about words of hatred and making sure we speak out against those words. And as Americans, you know, I think we all value the right, the words of the constitution. I mean, you know, I was making posters last night with my 6-year-old daughter. And I thought of so many things to say, like try grabbing the constitution or, you know, many things like that. But I really had to be disciplined and not make any posters like that for me and my family.
TAPPER: What did your posters say?
LAKSHMI: Mine said equality, freedom, humanity. And my daughter's poster said girls' rights are human rights. And in parentheses, she said "my." And on the back it said girl power, I think, you know.
TAPPER: Let me ask you a question. Jen Psaki who was the White House communications director for President Obama wrote something that I want to read to you.
She wrote quote "my Facebook and Instagram feeds are already full of photos and anecdotes in anticipation of the march. A feminist quotes inviting others to join and photos of home-made pink cat hats and nasty women t-shirts. But I have a sinking feeling in my stomach about the march." She goes on to explain, "I worry it will give too many people license to congratulate themselves for their activism and move on with their daily lives."
So congratulations on a successful march today.
LAKSHMI: Thank you.
TAPPER: You obviously do a lot. You have cofounded the endometriosis society. But is that not a legitimate fear of Jen Psaki. We saw a lot of progressives, you know, talking about how horrible Donald Trump was. And then guess what, a lot of them didn't turn out to vote, in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
LAKSHMI: But a lot of them turned out this morning. I mean I have to tell you, I was there on the ground and the energy is beautiful and really positive and strong, intense. I actually think that if you are in any major city and you are on the street and you are elbow to elbow with other people, I was on the train coming down here from New York. I think it actually galvanizes you to do more. I can't tell you how many people who came up to me, because they loved "Top Chef" and they wanted to do a selfie. And they said thank you so much for being here to which I said no, thank you for being here.
TAPPER: I guess, what's the question is, maybe it's not a fair question, because you are an attendee. You didn't organize the march. But, there has to be more than just marching, right? There has to be organization. Democrats have lost 1,000 offices in the last eight years. I mean, there is a certain sloth and lethargy among progressive who is turn out for things like this and don't vote, don't organize, don't actually run for office. Am I being unfair, do you think?
LAKSHMI: You know, I think a lot more people voted for Trump than admitted it to their friends and family. I think that was one of the problems. I believe that something like this, I mean nobody thought the turnout was going to be this big and it is this big. I can tell you that the energy down there is infectious. I mean, just while waiting to come on your show, I was trying to make a mental list about what else I could do because of the energy that fed me on the ground. You know I'm a feminist. I have written a memoir earlier this year that talks about a lot of these issues, about race, about color, about being a woman, about being an immigrant in this country. And being there today, and listening to everybody made me feel like I haven't even done enough or begun to do anything. And it's not just about women. It is about the LGBT community. It is about you know, immigrants. Look, I am not Muslim. And I am not Mexican. But on behalf of Muslims and Mexicans, I'm deeply offended by the remarks that I have heard.
TAPPER: Yes. Let me ask you one final question, which is, there was a feminist group that is anti-abortion, that was originally supposed to be part of the march. And then they were uninvited because a lot of people who support abortion rights said we don't want them to be part of this. Is that not a missed opportunity for this progressive community to say if you disagree with us on this one issue, even though I know it's an important issue, if you disagree with us on this one issue, you're not wanted in this movement.
[16:15:15] LAKSHMI: You know, I think that's a very astute question. And I may not speak for others, or even those --
TAPPER: Just for yourself. I am asking for yourself.
LAKSHMI: I think it is a missed opportunity. I do. I think that we have to show that we are different from those we are protesting against. And I think that women's movement is inclusive and should be inclusive. I don't think you have to be a woman to be a feminist. I think you have to be a sane person to be a feminist. I think if you're not a feminist, then I would consider you really just insane.
TAPPER: Even saying that, doesn't that chase away people who might want to support you? They say like well to me feminism is supporting abortion and I'm catholic and I don't support it. And this person who --
LAKSHMI: It's not, though.
TAPPER: And now she's calling me insane?
LAKSHMI: Well I'm saying what I think is an opinion. I'm not calling you, you know, a jerk. I'm saying you know -- I think you're insane, I would say I think you're crazy, you know. I would. Because feminism is not about abortion. Feminism is about equal rights. And what you believe those rights to be, there's a secondary and deeper conversation to be had.
All feminism means is that everyone is the same. And that's why it includes immigrants, that's why it includes all these other groups which you know, you said it yourself, every one of those other groups has women in it. And we are half the population.
TAPPER: I think you're more, 51 percent.
LAKSHMI: Probably.
TAPPER: It was an honor having you here. Thank you so much. Good luck to you. Have a safe, you live in Los Angeles?
LAKSHMI: No, I live in New York.
TAPPER: Live in New York. Have a safe train ride back or whatever you do.
LAKSHMI: Thank you.
TAPPER: And I'm glad your daughter had a nice time. Thank you so much for being here.
LAKSHMI: Thank you.
TAPPER: From coast to coast and around the world, our live coverage of the women's marches continue. More from the marches coming up next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome to the revolution of love.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're not going to take this lying down!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Make some noise if you're going to continue to be out there on the front lines!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are not rolling back our rights. Not as long as we're here. Not as long as we're breathing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't give up your power.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[16:20:45] MICHAEL MOORE, FILMMAKER: Trump takes power. I don't think so.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Feet on the ground -- not backing down not backing down. WARREN: Are you ready to fight? Are you ready to march?
ASHLEY JUDD, ACTRESS: I am nasty like Susan, Elizabeth, Eleanor, Amelia, Rosa, Gloria, Condoleezza, Sonia, Malala, Michelle, Hillary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Welcome back to the LEAD.
We have been covering this massive march as for women's rights across the country today with many celebrities and politicians lending their voices.
Joining me is one of the speakers at the Washington, D.C. march, director and activist Michael Moore.
Michael, thanks so much for being here. How much are these marches about Donald Trump? And how much are these marches about larger issues of immigrant rights, LGBT rights, women's rights, et cetera.
MOORE: Well, they are not separated because Trump has joined them together. Definitely and obviously this is about Donald J. Trump and the fact that the majority of Americans did not vote for him. Not just the three million more that vote ford Hillary and but also there is another seven million that voted green and libertarians. So there is ten million that voted that didn't vote for him. They didn't want him as president. And the almost million, I don't know, so hard to tell how many were here.
TAPPER: We have no idea.
MOORE: We couldn't do the march because -- I mean I was up at the stage, it was like, it went all the way back to the Washington monument from near the capitol here. And I think symbolically just as I was leaving to come to you they were going to turn and march three steps because there was no room to march. There was so many people. And I'm sure you've heard the reports from around the country that has come in 100,000 in Seattle, 100,000 --.
TAPPER: Yes.
MOORE: So, if there were nearly a million here, one to two million and the 300 marches around this country, there has never been a day of demonstration like this in the history of the United States.
TAPPER: Just as policy, CNN doesn't support any crowd counts.
MOORE: We agree that --
TAPPER: It's a lot of people here.
MOORE: It's massive.
TAPPER: But here is my question. Is it possible, you are somebody that before the election was telling me, that you were terrified that Trump was going to win Michigan, was going to win Wisconsin, was going to win Pennsylvania.
MOORE: And Ohio.
TAPPER: And well, we all knew he was going to win Ohio, but those other three were surprises.
And you were right. Is there a risk in in this march, just to play devil's advocate here, is there a risk that you are like alienating these voters that Democrats need to win back, the Johnny lunch buckets in Michigan who think that Donald Trump is going to bring jobs back.
MOORE: Yes. That's an excellent question, actually. Not a devil's advocate question.
Number one, I don't know if the Democrats, the Democrats as we have known them, the old guard, I don't know if they can win them back right now. That's part of the problem. And I address it in my speech today at the rally is that the old guard of the DNC has to go. We need new blood. We need young people. We need fresh ideas, in my opinion. We need Keith Ellison as the DNC chair. But this can't continue. I mean -- Jake, twice in 16 years, twice. The Democrat who won got the popular vote didn't go into the White House.
TAPPER: Yes.
MOORE: That is not going to happen again in my lifetime. I have had it. And I think the people have had it. And so -- but to win back Michigan and Wisconsin and places like this, we need a different Democratic Party to begin with. And I got to tell you. I think Trump will try to do some things that will look good, that will sound good. But eventually won't actually better the lives of the working class people in the rust belt.
TAPPER: So my job is to kind of rain on parades, right. So let me just ask you some more questions, literally.
MOORE: It would be impossible for to you rain on my parade.
TAPPER: So successful march. But one of the issues when you talk to Democratic officials and Democratic operatives in places like Ohio is -- the Democrats have this thing on LGBT rights, women's rights, African-American rights. That's, that's, the Democrats win those votes. The problem is, that stronger together, this, I'm paraphrasing what one Ohio county chair, Democratic country chair says it, stronger together conveys all you care about is diversity. Meanwhile, there are people in, and I don't need to tell you this, there are people in Michigan who are like, I need a job. My job went away and the Democrats and the Republicans both were responsible. Both parties were responsible for shipping those jobs away. Donald Trump is talking to me. He is talking about these trade deals. He sounds like Michael Moore on the trade deals. And that's what I care about.
[16:25:28] MOORE: Right.
TAPPER: Not that they're against the diversity or against the women's rights. MOORE: No, no. They're not.
TAPPER: But this wasn't about jobs. This wasn't about dignity for the voters who you know the white working-class voters.
MOORE: Well, first of all, there were so many people there from Michigan today. I mean, there was a whole Michigan march that started at 8:00 a.m. that marched for two hours before the 10:00 a.m. thing, all Michiganders. The people of the state of Michigan as you accurately described the situation, need work, need jobs. That's also what Bernie Sanders said he would do. And who won the state of Michigan? And who won the state of Wisconsin? A man by the name of Bernie Sanders. Who won the state of Minnesota? Bernie Sanders. You know, I don't want to replay the election at this point.
TAPPER: It's tough not to?
MOORE: Well, But it's hard not to think. I think a lot of people think because I know Hillary supporters. I mean, I supported her in the general election. Believe that it was clear that people wanted change. And in these three states, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, if you put the difference between Hillary and Trump, the difference that she lost by, it doesn't fill the stadium in Ann Arbor. All three states --
TAPPER: Very narrow, 10,000 votes in Michigan?
MOORE: Ten thousand in Michigan, 77,000 total between Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
TAPPER: But I guess my point is -- again, I'm not against the march, I don't have an opinion on the march. But if you're looking to 2020 or even 2018, does this message help you guys get that power back in Congress?
MOORE: Jake, you are talking long game. There's a short game, too. We are not talking about 2018 necessarily right now. We are talking about Monday. Monday, fellow Michigander Betsy DeVos, must not in charge of the department of education. We know her in Michigan. We know what she has done to support the destruction of our public school system.
TAPPER: So it is about building a movement?
MOORE: It's a whole movement and it is building. And it will be there. It will be vocal. People are going to get involved. This is not just some picnic here to show up. Seriously, I have never seen, I have been to a lot, I was at the counter inaugural to Richard Nixon right out here. It was nothing like this. This was something. And again I couldn't tell from the stage, but 70, 80 percent of the crowd had to be women. I mean, it was -- it was an amazing thing. I had never seen anything like this in my lifetime and they are going to go back home and they are going to organize. And they are going to let their members of Congress know that we are not going to tolerate any of the things he is going to do. And we are going to send a message to the Democrats -- new blood, a new day here, this cannot be the old way. And think we have to do essentially what the tea party did to Republicans.
TAPPER: Primary them.
MOORE: We are definitely going to primary then. We are going to run progressives in the congressional districts if they don't stand up to Trump, if they don't start fighting for these things that you mentioned, these jobs, and when you face keep pushing these trade deals that have hurt my family and the people that I know and love and grew up with, they are not coming back into office. And you know, we are talking in Michigan, though, Jake, it was two votes per precinct.
TAPPER: I know. It was a narrow --
MOORE: Just two Trump voters --
TAPPER: Just to be fair, just so you don't feel horrible about Michigan, even if she would have won Michigan, he still would have one. Because he would have had Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
MOORE: Those three states, those 77,000 votes -- its like -- well, you see the anger and the frustration. But trust me, it's not just against Trump. It's against the party that's also let us down. And that has to change. And I know some of these officials are watching this right now and they are not liking me saying this. But that's just the truth I'm sorry, folks.
TAPPER: Tough smuggles. You heard Michael Moore. Thank you so much. Good to see you, sir. Always good to have you here.
President Trump just finished up his first visit to the CIA. Will he back off his battle with the intelligence community? Or did he just pick a new fight? That's ahead.
Plus our coverage of the women's marches continue. You are looking at live pictures. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:33:17] TAPPER: Welcome back to the LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper.
We do have some breaking news in our politics LEAD. Donald Trump, the president of the United States, just wrapped up a visit to CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia where he spoke to agency employees. And took the opportunity to hammer reporters and address questions about the size of the crowds at yesterday's inauguration.
Let's bring in CNN's chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto.
And Jim, one would think that after literally years of bashing intelligence officials and their work, sometimes not without cause by the way, that he might seek this opportunity to talk about them and their risking of lives. He was standing in front of the CIA memorial wall with anonymous star behind him. But instead he talked about reporters. JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He talked about pretty
much everything else. (INAUDIBLE) reporters, he talked about favorable news coverage from FOX. He talked about the crowd sizes yesterday. A whole host of things, really from the sort of Donald Trump greatest hits list of rally-like comments as opposed to this kind of visit, which seemed to have the intention of going to the intelligence community, after this rocky relationship, really reaching a peak after his election. These nasty tweets comparing the intelligence community to Nazi Germany. Many others. Criticizing and questioning their assessment of Russian interference in the election. It would have been easy to go there and say, you guys are hard- working, you take a lot of risks, I support you. He did say that, mixed in with a lot of other stuff.
And frankly, and I have been getting texts and emails about this from intelligence professionals to do it in front of that memorial wall. Hundred-seventeen stars there of many of them unknown intelligence agents who gave their lives in battle. To make it a rally kind of speech with lot of offhand attempts at humor, was disrespectful in their view. And I think understandably so.
And I have to say it was not coincidence that that was the spot chosen for the president to speak before. In front of those stars, under the words "those who gave their lives for their country." And I'll tell you, I'm sure you have this often happen when you're covering an event on the air. You will get texts or emails from people inside the communities you cover. My phone has been lighting up with folks who were just insulted by it.
[16:35:26] TAPPER: Yes. And in fact, I think we have some of the sound of President Trump talking about reporters. Let's roll that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As you know, I have a running war with the media. They are among the most dishonest human beings on earth. Right? They sort of made it sound like I had a feud with the intelligence community. And I just want to let you know, the reason you are number one stop is exactly the opposite.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: We didn't make it sound like he had a feud with the intelligence community. He made it sound -- he wrote a tweet comparing the intelligence community to Nazi Germany.
SCIUTTO: It's contrary to the facts, that statement. That we manufactured this, this disagreement.
TAPPER: OK. Jim Sciutto, thank you so much.
A lot of breaking news to talk about from the women's march to President Trump's visit to the CIA. We will discuss when we come back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [16:40:04] TAPPER: Welcome back to the LEAD.
After a busy day of inaugural festivities, today, President Trump is putting in his first full day of work at the White House as he tries to deliver on promises he made to the American people.
Senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta joins us.
And Jim, is there any sense that the president knows much about these protests happening throughout the world, really?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Jake, it is inescapable. We are standing on the north lawn of the White House right now. And you can hear this march that is taking place on the streets of the nation's capital right now. So undoubtedly, Jake, as he has been crossing the city today to go to the prayer service and over to the CIA, he has seen the size of these crowds out on the streets here in Washington.
And speaking of crowd sizes, Jake, that appears to be on the new president's mind based on what he said at the CIA earlier this afternoon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA (voice-over): It was down to business for President Trump as he visited the CIA to face the same intelligence community he openly accused of leaking damaging information about him during his transition.
TRUMP: There is nobody that feels stronger about the intelligence community and the CIA than Donald Trump. There's nobody.
ACOSTA: But instead of addressing his previous attacks on the people of the CIA, Trump stood in front of a wall honoring the agency's fallen officers and took swipes at the news media accusing the press of intentionally misstating crowd sizes at the inaugural.
TRUMP: We have had a massive field of people. You saw it. I get up this morning, I turn on one of the networks and they show an empty field. I said wait a minute. I made a speech. I looked out. The field was it looked like a million, million and a half people. They showed a field where there was practically nobody standing there. And they said Donald Trump did not draw well. I said it was almost raining. The rain should have scared them away, but God looked down and he said we are not going to let it rain on your speech.
ACOSTA: His assault on the press was met with some applause inside the CIA
TRUMP: They are among the most dishonest human beings on earth.
ACOSTA: Trump also told the crowd he knew the military and intelligence community had voted for him.
TRUMP: Probably almost everybody in this room voted for me. But I will not ask you to raise your hands if you vote.
ACOSTA: Earlier in the day, the president's motorcade crossed the city, passed protesters on their way to the women's march in Washington to attend a prayer service, an interfaith ceremony featuring more than two dozen religious leaders, including an imam from Washington's Muslim community who recited verses from the Koran praising diversity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And among the science of God is the creation of heaven and earth and the variation of your languages and your colors fairly in that are signs for those who know.
ACOSTA: It was a response to the new president who made a point of using the term "radical Islamic terrorism" in his inaugural speech.
TRUMP: We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth.
ACOSTA: In response to critics who slammed Mr. Trump's speech, including conservative columnist George Will who dubbed it the most dreadful inaugural address in history, the president thanked FOX News and other news outlets for what he called great reviews of the speech.
TRUMP: There is no games, right? No games, right. We are not playing games.
ACOSTA: Mr. Trump continued his pugnacious tone wide into the inaugural balls, taunting detractors who criticize his use of social media.
TRUMP: Should I keep the twitter going, or not? Keep it going? I think so. You know, the enemies keep saying, that's terrible. But you know, it's a way of bypassing dishonest media, right?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: And speaking of the president's use of social media, we should point out that representatives from the new Trump administration have sent instructions to the department of interior, to stop tweeting themselves, Jake. That appears to be in response to the national park service yesterday retweeting a "New York Times" reporter's tweet showing images side by side of Barack Obama's inaugural crowd in 2009 and the crowd that was on hand yesterday. The national park service deleted that retweet of that "New York Times" reporter and then posted this tweet that says we regret the mistaken to use or retweets from our account yesterday and look forward to continuing to share the beauty and history of our parks with you.
Jake, that's another sign right there, that they are very much concerned about these crowd size estimates and pictures and tweets that have been out there for the last 24 hours, Jake. And it really cuts to one of the core insecurities of this new president. We are out on the campaign trail. And time and again, one of his main gripes about the news media was about our reporting about his crowd sizes - Jake. TAPPER: I can't think of anything more important to the American
people.
Jim Acosta, thank you so much.
Lots to talk about today with our all-star panel. That's next.
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[16:48:48] TAPPER: Welcome back to the LEAD. We have so much to discuss.
Let's start with our panel. Rebecca, you are here for the march.
REBECCA SCHOENKOPF, EDITOR/OWNER, WONKETTE: I am.
TAPPER: All the way from --
SCHOENKOPF: Montana.
TAPPER: That's quite a haul.
SCHOENKOPF: We drove.
TAPPER: And why are you here? Are you here to protest Donald Trump? Are you here for women's rights?
SCHOENKOPF: All of the above. We had a huge loss, not electorally. But we had something snatched from us. And I'm here because I'm outraged. I'm here because I am sad. And I am here because I needed some joy and I needed to see other women and a few men, men who although love women or don't hate them. And that's why I'm here.
I'm glad to see a bunch of like actual liberals on a news show. It's so delightful. But I really want to say something to Jan that I have been wanting to say. As governor of Arizona, you not only signed the expanded Medicaid, but you also threatened to veto every bill the legislature sent you until they passed the expanded Medicaid, you probably saved a lot of lives. I'm almost a single issue Obama voter Obamacare voter. I'm so horrified that I'm not going to be able to buy insurance for my family. I don't know what we are going to do if they rip this away from us. I'm terrified.
TAPPER: That's a lovely little moment. I have to say, Governor Brewer --.
JAN BREWER (R), FORMER ARIZONA GOVERNOR: I feel relieved.
[16:50:02] TAPPER: I thought she was going to take you on, too. And by the way, when Padma Lakshmi was here, Governor Brewer, was giving her tips on like, you know.
But let me ask you a question, Governor Brewer, as a supporter of President Trump, how do you think the inauguration is going? Is there anything you wish he were doing differently? What do you think he's hit out of the park? BREWER: I thought it was a phenomenal day yesterday. There was so
much excitement and positive thoughts. It was a moment of euphoria out there on the mall. Unfortunately, we had some protesters that disrupted us when he was taking the pledge, when he was taking his oath of office which was very disappointing. Standing up there yelling and shouting and screaming. Those of us that were up close, we couldn't even hear him. They finally removed them. But other than that, I thought it was a phenomenal day. And I was thrilled and proud to be on the mall.
TAPPER: And Van, you have an interpretation of President Trump's appearance at the CIA today.
VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well yes. Well, he does have an ongoing concern about crowd size. But it's not, it's not just some wacky thing. He has a theory of himself as leading a movement. And that this movement has now inherited the government and is now going to make changes. But the movement for him is primary. And the way that you measure a movement is with crowd sizes. And that's just the way that it is.
Now, it's frightening to people who are used to a liberal sense of democracy that someone who is both the head of state wants to lead a mass movement. There is a very bad history of that in Europe over in the last century. But he does have a sense. And so --
TAPPER: Is it different from President Obama?
JONES: I think quite different. And frankly, some people actually had criticisms of President Obama for turning off the spigot of the mass movements and the hope and this and to that. And said, let's everybody go home, sit down, be quiet, we are going to pass some policies now. And so, people thought well we got some change, but what happened to the hope machine? The hope machine got turned off. So Trump doesn't want to turn off his machine.
TAPPER: He wants both.
Alice, what did you make of Mr. Trump, President Trump's appearance at the CIA?
ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think he -- the fact that it was his first major appearance after giving his inauguration address, I think it was significant for the main reason, is that there has been some criticism that he has given towards the intelligence community with regard to the Russian hacking and what so forth. And it was important for him to go there and say, I am 100 percent behind you. No one have your back more than the Trump administration and that was important to hear. And judging from their response, it was very well received. I think it was important.
But you also have to keep in mind, this is Donald Trump. It was his first opportunity to really address the media after there was some reports about the crowd size. And this was his opportunity to address those. But I think more than anything after this weekend, I think we had a tremendous event, we had. There's great enthusiasm within the crowd. People realize the power has been returned to the people.
But the biggest take-away is the grace and dignity of the Obamas and the peaceful transfer of power which is a hallmark of America. And I think that's the best take-away from the weekend.
TAPPER: Were you out on the mall today? Were you marching? Were you watching?
SYMONE SANDERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I was. No one got to actually march because the crowds were so large. I was not there at the mall. I saw Van doing his celebrity star thing. But it was great to see so many people, these real people that a lot of the Trump spokespeople always talk b. I saw real people out there on the mall today. Folks who came out not anti-Trump, really. This was really a march for women's rights. It encompassed intersectionality (ph). The speakers, on the days were diverse the people were diverse, and spirits were high. So I was glad to come out there and see it for myself.
TAPPER: I want to ask you, Mary Katherine, because a few months ago we, on the show, covered these gold star family members, Ryan Mannion and Amy looney. Ryan lost her brother in Iraq. Amy lost her husband in Afghanistan. And they are just amazing. And they went to the American legions. Salute to heroes in (INAUDIBLE) gala last night. And on the way in, they were escorted by some protesters.
MARY KATHERINE HAM, SENIOR WRITER, THE FEDERALIST: Right. I think we can all agree that the tone of protesting yesterday was different than today.
TAPPER: Two different groups that protest.
HAM: And this is a nonpartisan organization holding this ball. They work for a nonpartisan organization. And their goals are families. But when they went in they were surrounded by protesters and they were spit upon and they were cursed at, on the way in and the way out. And the thing to me is that these were not like masked men anarchists. This was like more mainstream protesters. They were shaken, but fine. But very disappointing.
And here's what I want to say about it. And I want to be really clear. I don't think this characterizes the march and the movement that we saw out here today. I want to be really careful about that because I think that that's something people have unfairly done to conservative movements in the past and to tea partiers, where you pick one thing and you go, look at these awful people out there. Their concern should be dismissed.
But this is part of the story, as is Madonna on the Dais saying that she thinks about blowing up the White House. Like those are not great thing, OK. If it were a conservative organization, movement, we would hear a lot about it.
If you don't think that the left has some prejudices of its own that can lead it very astray like you do, like it did last night in that instance? Then you are wrong. And if you think that that's not part of the reason many turned to Trump, you are also wrong.
[16:55:12] TAPPER: Rebecca, you were there.
SCHOENKOPF: At that point I was in the green room. When Madonna was on the Dais. But if you end the clip with I want to blow up the White House and leave out the part she said in the next phrase, which was but we shouldn't blow up the White House and we should get together in a positive way --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A caveat from her. I appreciate it.
SCHOENKOPF: Well, I mean, you can talk about somebody's emotional feelings without actually blowing up the White House. And to curtail it in that way is dishonest, I think.
JONES: I just want to say something. I was not aware of what you just said. What she said is disgusting and appalling and shouldn't be done by anybody. And certainly shouldn't be done by people who call themselves progressives and liberal and humanitarians. That should never happen in our country. And it should not have happened last night.
And I want to say one of the reasons that I got a chance to speak, which was amazing, I was one of an explore guys who got a chance to speak.
TAPPER: Honorary.
JONES: Exactly. My first opportunity.
SCHOENKOPF: Chicks love Van Jones.
JONES: But I did point out that if we are going to talk about having a movement based on love, and talking about love Trumps hate, then we can't look and sound more hateful than, you know, even though Donald Trump at his worst moments. Because there is a way forward if we start looking out for the underdogs and red states and blue states and respecting each other, we can find some common ground.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is we are on the same page.
TAPPER: All right. Everyone, thanks for joining us. Tune in to CNN tomorrow for "STATE OF THE UNION." My guest will be Democratic Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer and the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on intelligence, Republican congressman Devin Nunez. It all starts at 9:00 a.m. eastern tomorrow.
That's it for me on this special Saturday edition of the LEAD. Wolf Blitzer takes over in the "SITUATION ROOM." Stay with us.
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