Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Rep. Luis Gutierrez Talks Government Shutdown, Marches Protest Trump on 1-Year Anniversary in Office; House GOP Leaders Speak Amid Government Shutdown; DACA; Sen. John Kennedy Talks Government Shutdown, DACA; Trump Recognizes Protesters in His Own Way; White House Blames Democrats for Shutdown; Marches Protest Trump on 1-Year Anniversary in Office. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired January 20, 2018 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:00] REP. LUIS GUTIERREZ, (D), ILLINOIS: That is impossible. That bring us to stalemate and nothing.
(CROSSTALK)
GUTIERREZ: It does not allow us to solve the problem.
So I wanted to come here and say, look, thank you for the invitation, because I believe it is important that we settle that this is no longer about a wall. That this is about stopping illegal immigration. And what they want is that they want, and they have come to me to say we want more tools to go into people's homes and rips the -- American citizen children from the arms of - the DREAMers. What have they done wrong? They've gone through one or two or three background checks.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: I hear you, Congressman.
GUTIERREZ: -- reach an agreement.
BALDWIN: I appreciate your coming down here and telling me how you feel.
GUTIERREZ: Thank you.
BALDWIN: And we will have an Republican coming on next hour and we will get an entirely different set of opinions.
But, good luck.
GUTIERREZ: Thank you.
BALDWIN: Good luck. We can all agree, we want it open.
GUTIERREZ: Thank you.
BALDWIN: Thank you very much.
From Washington here and zigzagging across the country, listening to what men and women want from the marches and the protests.
And we will start with Kyung Lah, live for us, speaking to people who are out and about today.
Kyung, what are the people telling you?
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you can see just simply from the sides, it is a different crowd, because it is much more directed. This is first of all, Brooke, this is just one small corner of the women's march here. This entire area outside of city hall is completely packed and something that you can see better from the drone. And this entire area. And it is impossible to know exactly how many women are here, but it is packed down here.
And something that we have seen -- and I am going to introduce you to Brie -- here are signs like this. It is a directed rage that there is much more purpose this year than we saw last year, which was more emotive.
And, Brie, we were talking about this, and tell me about all of the women that you are talking about in the vote of 2018.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, we are trying to take all of this energy that we see here many this amazing march and take it to the polls to have our voices heard.
LAH: And is the movement now from where it was activism, are you seeing it more, and are you thinking that it is going to be happening in November 2018 as far as the female vote making a difference?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The difference from last year's march to this year's march and the energy is more direct and we have a clear purpose, and yes, we are going to do it in November.
LAH: Thank you, Brie.
Just one opinion that we are hearing here in the crowd.
Something that we should note, Brooke, is that this year, there are a record number of women running for offices, like the governorship. And 79 women who have declared that they will be running for governor, and that this is an absolute record -- Brooke?
REP. CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS, (R), WASHINGTON: And the most vulnerable, children and pregnant women, nine million across the country from moving forward. It is really disappointing, and it is sad. They chose the path of dysfunction, and they are failing the most vulnerable with issues that they have no opposition to, and they don't agree with anything that was put in the continuing resolution. And now unfortunately, states across the country are facing uncertainly, and children in the country and Washington State are running out of funding for the children's insurance program. And today, the military and active-duty Reservists are facing uncertainty while they are on the front lines keeping us safe and secure.
Americans should have trust and confidence on behalf of the people that represent them and not play games. It is the fundamental constitutional responsibility to fund the government. The Democrats have put the false deadlines and politics in front of doing what is right for the people. Unfortunately, we are now engaged in a Schumer Shutdown.
So I encourage you the go to Schumershutdown.com for more information. And a number of the members will be speaking on the issue.
And when we begin with Representative Andy Barr, from the great state of Kentucky.
REP. ANDY BARR, (R), KENTUCKY: Thank you to the conference chair, Kathy McMorris Rogers, for your leadership.
And you are absolutely right. It is a disappointing day for the country.
VIOLA DAVIS, ACTRESS: Because really at the end of the day, we only move forward when it does not cost us anything.
But I am here today saying that no one and nothing can be great unless it costs you something.
(CHEERING)
DAVIS: One of every five women will be sexually assault and raped before she reaches the age of 18. One of six boys. If you are a woman of color and you are raped before the age of 18, then you are 66 percent more likely to be sexually assaulted again. And 70 percent of girls who are sex trafficked are girls of color. They are coming out of the foster care system. They are coming out of poverty. And it is a billion-dollar industry. When they go into the sex trafficking business -- and they call it a business, trust me -- more than likely, they are gang raped.
[15:05:32] I am speaking today not just for the "Me Toos", because I was a "Me Too", but when I raise my hand, I am aware of all the women who are still in silence. The women who are faceless. The women who don't have the money and don't have the Constitution and who don't have the confidence and who don't have the images in our media that gives them a sense of self-worth enough to break their silence that is rooted in the shame of assault and rooted in the stigma of assault.
Written on the Statue of Liberty is, "Come, come, you tireless, poor yearning to breathe free, to breathe free." Every single day, your job as an American citizen is not just to fight for your rights, but it is to fight for the right of every individual that is taking a breath, whose heart is pumping and breathing on this earth.
(CHEERING)
BALDWIN: So many women. And of course, recognizable faces like Viola Davis, and everyday women and men across the country speaking up and using their voices at the marches in Los Angeles, and all of the way to the other coast both here in Washington, New York and beyond.
Let go and actually listen into some of what the folks are marching for today.
Rene Marsh is in the thick of it will there in the nation's capital. And, Rene, what is the sentiment there?
RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION & GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Well, I can the tell you, Brooke, you know, if we lift up and just scan around so they can see, we are right in front of the White House, and you have got a whole set of drums banging out some beats here and you have lots of people. And I mean, I would guesstimate that we are well into what they permitted the march for, which they were permitted for 10,000 people.
Spoke to people who had been here last year, and they are back again this year. And, you know, they say that the message is a lot broader this year than last year.
I want to speak to you quickly live, were you here last year at the women's march?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I was.
MARSH: And you are here again this year, and what is your message this year as far as what is different?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The energy is the same, and actually a little bit higher. A smaller crowd physically, but the energy is still there, and we are going to take our country forward.
MARSH: And, Brooke, that is what I have been talking to people who are aware of the president's tweet. He tweeted out earlier today, "Beautiful day for women's march, to march for milestones like lowest unemployment for women in 20 years."
And when I shared that tweet with women out here, a lot of them laughed and they said, look at the signs, that is not why we are out here. They are out here for a variety of issues, and everything from immigration to equal pay for women. So, and I don't know, there is a situation there at the White House, but not as big as last year, but significant number of women out here marching at this women's march in Washington, D.C.
Back to you.
BALDWIN: Now we have our eyes on you and aerial shots of you and Cambridge, Mass. And so many people coming out one year later.
It is one year tomorrow for the women's march. But the reason that we are all sitting here in Washington one year ago today, is that the president became president on the inauguration ceremony happening at the U.S. capital. And at this moment, as I speak, the government is shutdown.
So with that, we go to the White House to Jeff Zeleny, who has been standing by.
We had the briefing and heart from Marc Short and Mick Mulvaney, and where do we go? What is next? How do they fix it?
[15:09:57] JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, good afternoon.
That is a good question, and I will get to that in a second, but let me pick up where my friend and colleague Rene Marsh was, and I can see the protesters in the vantage point and if I can see them, that means that he can see them. He is in the residence of the White House and if he was looking out the north window, he could see the protest. And one thing different from last year to this year, last year more people, no question, as I am walking around, but it is Pennsylvania Avenue was closed off last year because of the inaugural parade that had happened one day earlier, so it was impossible to see the crowds from the White House. But today, entirely different scenario. And you can hear the drums and the chanting here at the White House. It is a warm winter day here, so, all of the protesters are getting a look at the White House. And if the president is happening to be looking, as we know that he is here in Washington at the White House, he can see the protesters gathered. And they were here to mark the one-year anniversary.
But the chief of the Legislative Affairs Office, who is in charge of negotiating, spoke to reporters a short time ago and he said that essentially the impasse is on the Democrats, and squarely blaming the Democrats. And he had this to say about what it will take to get out of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARC SHORT, DIRECTOR, WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: We will not negotiate the status of 690,000 unlawful immigrants while hundreds of millions of taxpaying Americans, including hundreds of thousands of our troops in uniform and border agents protecting our country, are held hostage by Senate Democrats. We continue to remain anxious to reach a deal on DACA and we look forward to resuming the negotiations as soon as the Senate Democrats reopen the government.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: So I will translate that into plain spoken English, Brooke. Marc Short saying that they will not negotiate on DACA until the Democrats fund the government. The Democrats are saying we want the DREAMers and DACA to be any part of discussion here. That is where the impasse remains. And, Brooke, there is not much progress from yesterday. Marc Short said that -- yesterday we talked to him throughout the day, and he did not believe that a shutdown would happen. Today, he said he would not make any such predictions, acknowledging he was wrong yesterday -- Brooke?
BALDWIN: Jeff, thank you so much.
And incredible pictures there where you can see, and maybe the president can see or certainly hear out of the White House with all of the marchers on this on one-year inauguration anniversary.
And now to Capitol Hill. And I am joined by Senator John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana.
Senator, I don't know how much sleep you had, sir, but I need to read back this quote that you said yesterday that has been gaining quite a bit of traction. So the quote, "Our country was founded by geniuses, but it is being run by idiots."
Senator Kennedy, just to clarify, who specifically are the idiots in your scenario?
SEN. JOHN NEELY KENNEDY, (R), LOUISIANA: I think that most Americans right now feel like we are all responsible. What I watched unfold last night in my judgment was bone-deep down-to-the marrow stupid. If you are going to shut down government service for 320 million Americans and opioid centers and all of the qualified health centers and tell all of the civilian employees at our military bases, without whom our bases cannot work, and scare the living daylights out of our senior citizens -- and I know that Medicare is not affected but you should see the phone calls that I am receiving -- then you should have is a good reason, and there should be a good reason, and there is not. A minority member of the Senate shutdown the government because they want amnesty, I think, for the DACA immigrants, but it is not an emergency. The immigrants are not in danger of being deported. And the president said he's not -- and he controls the deportation policy. And he said that he will not even think of deporting anybody until March, and if we asked him for more time, he would give it to us.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: You are correct, and you are right that the deadline is March for the DREAMers.
KENNEDY: Right.
BALDWIN: Help the American people understand what happened, because, Senator, you have the leader of the Democrats yesterday, Senator Schumer, going over to the White House who has a conversation with the president. And we heard that he reluctantly put the border wall, and maybe not to put every bit of it, but putting the wall on the table for negotiation in e exchange for DACA protection, and Trump literally has the Democrats saying that they will build the wall. In a sense, that is like fantasy planet becoming real life. So why even the hesitation, and why don't you all have a deal?
[15:15:125] KENNEDY: Well, because that is between Chuck and the president. Just because the president agrees for a wall in exchange for amnesty, and I don't believe he has agreed to that, by the way.
BALDWIN: He has not.
KENNEDY: And this is not going to resolve the issue in the United States Senate and not resolve it for me. Because the wall is only one part of this equation. I want to be able to talk about E-Verify. And I want to be able to talk about amnesty, which I am fine to the talk about. And I will suggest a solution to this in a moment. But I also want to be able to talk about a designing an immigration system that looks like somebody put it together on purpose. I mean, it is something like merit-based color-blind system like Canada or Australia has. I want to talk about the diversity lottery, and I want to talk about the advantages and the disadvantages of the chain migration. And so if we want to discuss it, we will.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Senator, Senator, I understand. I'm sure you have a whole barrel of ideas and the policies that you would love to have be pushed through, but again, can we just hammer home the significance of the fact that, the fact that you have Democrats talking about building a wall.
And I had Luis Gutierrez sitting next to me, a member of the Hispanic Congressional Caucus, saying that he will build the wall himself, because he wants to protect the DREAMers so badly. And isn't that what the party wants, and a beginning point for a deal?
KENNEDY: No. No.
BALDWIN: Why not?
KENNEDY: I am sure that some people would vote for the wall in exchange for amnesty, but the wall -- first of all we have a 1,900- mile border with the friends in Mexico, and one-third of it is the walled. What the president wants to have another third, but that is not going to be fixing the immigration policy. If we are going to the do it, we need to fix it.
But getting back to the original point, Brooke, I don't see how any reasonable person, even someone who believes passionately in amnesty, as many of my colleagues do, I don't see how any reasonable person can conclude that it is an emergency, and that we ought to shut down services for 320 million Americans for it.
Here's what I would do if I were king for a day.
BALDWIN: Sure.
KENNEDY: And I am not, I don't aspire to be.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Well, we will crown you for a minute.
KENNEDY: I'm sorry?
BALDWIN: We will crown you for a m minute.
KENNEDY: OK.
BALDWIN: Go ahead, Senator. What is your solution?
KENNEDY: OK. How about week after next, we set aside the full week to debate nothing but amnesty -- sorry, immigration of which a part of it would be amnesty, and we will take all comers, and do it seven days and start early and go late. We have to have an instrument to start with, and amendments and start voting up and down. And there are thousands of arcane Senate rules that date back to the big bang that keep from doing that. But frankly, by consent, we can wave the rules, and just put it on the table. Let's vote on amnesty, and vote on the Canadian system of the immigration, and vote on sanctuary cities and put it on out there. But let's open the government in the meantime. And I would agree to that in a nanosecond. But what I won't agree to is continuing to keep government shutdown. We are to vote today to open it back up. Give us a deadline of February 8th, and I believe that we will vote today. And I think that a lot of my Democratic friends will vote for it unless they want to double down on stupid, then we will stay closed.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Did you say double down on the stupid?
KENNEDY: Yes. If -- to me --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: So stupid is protecting the 700,000 DREAMers is what the Democrats want?
KENNEDY: No, stupid is shutting down the United States government for 320 million Americans. Stupid is shutting down the community health care centers. Stupid is scaring the living daylights of every elderly person who has Medicare. And I know that their Medicare is not going to the stop, but many of them don't know that. They are scared to death. This is not worth it. I am not minimizing the importance of the amnesty issue or any other issue up here, but you don't just go shut down government because you want something. You don't do it. Even if it is important, you don't do it.
BALDWIN: All right. Senator John Kennedy, thank you for taking a minute with us.
KENNEDY: You bet.
BALDWIN: We wanted to make sure that we heard from a Republican such as yourself from Louisiana.
Thank you, sir, so very much. And we let you get back to work, because the Americans are relying on you.
KENNEDY: Thank you.
[14:19:54] BALDWIN: Americans are relying on you.
And here we are in Washington and keeping a close eye -- you are seeing the pictures popping up on the screen, and you have crowds in front of the White House. Remember that President Trump is home. He did not go down to Mar-a-Lago as planned for the big party today, and staying put because the government is shutdown. But I wonder if he can hear the voices outside.
We will hear the voices outside, on this one-year anniversary of the president's inauguration, as live coverage from CNN continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[15:24:53] NATALIE PORTMAN, ACTRESS: One year ago, on this stage I was very pregnant, and we talked about the beginning of a revolution. Today, my new daughter is walking. And because of you, the revolution is rolling.
I was so excited at 13 when the film was released, and my work and my art would have a human response. I excitedly opened my first fan mail to read a rape fantasy that a man had written me. A countdown on the local radio show to my 18th birthday so I euphemistically would be legal to sleep with.
A world in which I could wear whatever I want, say whatever I want and express my desire however I want without fearing for my physical safety or reputation, that would be the world in which female desire and sexuality could have its greatest expression and fulfillment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Natalie Portman speaking at the women's march in Los Angeles, one of dozens of cities, hundreds of thousands of people back on the streets today on the one-year anniversary of President Trump's inauguration. That was San Francisco.
And now we go to San Francisco, and Dan Simon is standing by there.
Dan, how's the crowd?
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Brooke. First of all, it is a beautiful sunny day here in San Francisco, and that means that you will have a lot of people flooding downtown San Francisco. We are here in city hall. Things are underway about 30 minutes ago, and this being San Francisco, one of the most liberal towns in America, you do, of course, have a strong anti-Donald Trump undercurrent here. And I would say a majority of the signs have Donald Trump messages.
But I do have to say that the organizers here are trying to keep the focus off Trump and trying to get more women elected.
I wanted to introduce you to one of the organizers here, Sophia Andary, who helped to lead the march here in San Francisco.
And what is the main message that you want to convey to people out here.
SOPHIA ANDARY, WOMEN'S MARCH CO-ORGANIZER: Thank you so much for having me. And last year was more about mobilizing and we talked about hearing our voice, and getting out on the streets and doing that, and this year we want more action, so we are doing it based around here our vote. Talking about registering to vote and the importance of it, and actually getting out and voting, voting for women and progressive allies and then for women to run for office. I think it is very important for anything to change we need to be represented in all government, all right. Whether it is local, whether it is for the Senate or the House, we need to be at those tables for things to start changing.
SIMON: Understood.
Thank you for talking to us.
ANDARY: Thank you so much.
SIMON: And it is looking like a very large turnout. And you will be marching through downtown all of the way to the embarcadero which is a very famous landmark in San Francisco. We appreciate your time.
Brooke, back to you.
BALDWIN: Dan, enjoy the beautiful weather in San Francisco.
Listen, people, as I mentioned, hundreds of thousands of men and women and children out protesting and speaking up throughout the country, and the president has recognized it in his own way. I will read the tweet and bring in the panel here. The president tweeted early this morning, "Beautiful weather all over our great country. A perfect day for all women to march. Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success, the wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months. Lowest female unemployment in 18 years."
Mark Preston, you first.
What do you make of how the president put that?
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: It could have been worse. He was trying to do a play on words and really trying to point out the accomplishments that he has had and specifically the tax cut which is the accomplishment for President Trump this past year. But taking a poke at those who it appears are several thousands across the country.
BALDWIN: Mary Katharine Hamm, what do you think?
MARY KATHARINE HAMM, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It's trolling but it is good-natured trolling, and he does have a strong suit. He does have a product to sell on the economy and it is good one, and even for many women, even though many of them oppose him. So as Trump responses go, give me more of that. That is A-OK.
BALDWIN: OK.
Let's get to the substance of this impasse. We heard from the White House briefing last hour, essentially, they are saying that they are anxious to get the government back up rocking and rolling again, and they are frustrated. They are pointing the finger at Democrats, and specifically those Senate Democrats who did not quite give them that 60 they need for this to pass.
[15:30:00] And, Juana Summers, I don't know if you heard Luis Gutierrez here from the Hispanic National Caucus, because of this notion of the wall discussed between Chuck Schumer and the president, which was huge news, he said, I will go to build it myself to get protection for the DREAMers. What he was saying -- and I want you to the respond, too -- that the White House would not take that, and they don't want to deal with this illegal immigration issue.
JUANA SUMMERS, CNN POLITICS SENIOR WRITER: What's interesting, and I want to point out, having something done with the so-called DREAMers is popular politically. It is fascinating to watch it breakdown because most people want to do something for these young people.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Most people.
SUMMERS: Yes.
BALDWIN: Republican and Democrat.
SUMMERS: Yes. Most people don't want a shutdown. And most people want to expand the Children Health Care Program. And it is incredibly popular. And yet, we saw two sides who could not get it together and, yet, most people would say they agree on these thing, and that is bewildering.
BALDWIN: Beyond the bewilderment, but the fact that Chuck Schumer put on the table, and he would infuriate members of the base for saying that we will help you the build this wall, and why not a deal? The president himself said that when there was a shutdown in 2013 about President Obama, he is the guy who should get into the room and make the deal, and where is the deal, Mr. President?
PARIS DENNARD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, it is an unfortunate time for the American people, because at the end of the day, the American people are losing. The president is a great negotiator and dealmaker, and when you have a party who is willing to make a deal with him, and what we have seen is that the 47 Democrats are unwilling to make a deal to not include the DACA piece right now.
BALDWIN: But wasn't the fact that that the leader of the Democratic Party in the Senate, the fact that he came down the White House yesterday to negotiate, and isn't that the epitome of the willingness to deal?
DENNARD: It is a willingness of Chuck Schumer. And the president and Chuck Schumer is willing to, but that is not how it works. He has to go back to the people who make up the caucus and this is what we need to do, and they are not willing to do it. If that is the case, they would have voted, and the government would be open.
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: But, Paris, that also means, if I may jump in, that President Trump has to go back to Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, and House Speaker Ryan that this is the deal, and when Chuck Schumer went down there and we have been told through our sources that the congressional Republicans were frightened, you know, to use the word, because they didn't know if he would cut a deal, so it does cut both ways on this.
MARY KATHARINE HAMM, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: And if that is indeed a good-faith proposal and you mentioned it earlier, isn't this is a beginning point. Great, sure. You vote for the thing that you agree w and give it three weeks and figure the deal.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMM: It seems that we are in a decent place if both sides have good faith intentions --
(CROSSTALK)
NADEAM ELSHAMI, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Let me set the record straight here. The C.R. that was passed by the House and Senate to the Senate rejected the Democrats were not at the table negotiating that. That is one. Number two, if President Trump was talking to Chuck Schumer, Chuck Schumer went back to the Senate and talking to Mitch McConnell and Mitch McConnell got a call from Speaker Ryan and said, hold on, don't talk on anymore and no more negotiations and move forward with the bill that you know is not going to pass, and we are done. So this is a party that has problems negotiating with the Democrats and themselves and President Trump and within their own conferences as well.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMM: It is the Democrats who walked away for the table.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMM: And ultimately, last night, it is the Democrats who walked away from the table --
(CROSSTALK)
HAMM: -- because there was a deal to be made and there was a negotiation ongoing, but they shut it down.
ELSHAMI: And three times, three times the president walked away from the agreement. First one was with Durbin and Senator Graham. The second time was with when Pelosi and Schumer went down there and the third time, it was with Chuck Schumer. And then the fourth time just to cap it all off is when Speaker Ryan called Leader McConnell and said no more.
BALDWIN: Which is why you had Leader Schumer today saying that n negotiating with the president is like negotiating with Jell-O, and how do you respond to that some.
HAMM: That is not making sense.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: He doesn't move? Jiggles a little bit?
(CROSSTALK)
HAMM: Well, the idiom does not make sense, nail the Jell-O to the wall.
DENNARD: And you are at a place where you can have a deal and get something done on DACA and put a fork or a pause on it, and say, listen, keep the government open, and real Americans, and the lives are being impacted and not just the billion workers who are working at HUD or the White House, but talking about the military, and talking about --
(CROSSTALK)
DENNARD: -- the CHIP program, and so, let's keep it going, and talk about 2013, and President Obama actually said, I am not going to negotiate on the debt ceiling and health care when we need to keep the government open. So even he --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: You are looking at President Obama has a guiding grace, Paris Dennard?
DENNARD: Well, I am saying if the Democrats are willing to look back at that and if the president back then was unwilling to tackle on all of the extra things to keep the government going, why can't we do it today.
ELSHAMI: President Obama did not create the debt limit problem.
DENNARD: But he created the DACA problem.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Jinx.
ELSHAMI: President Trump got rid of President Obama's executive order.
HAMM: Because he did not do it legislatively --
(CROSSTALK)
HAMM: -- and so he opted not to, and he did it in an extrajudicial way.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMM: -- and he didn't work, and put these people in a bad position, and it is a sad thing.
(CROSSTALK)
[15:35:13] ELSHAMI: The last thing they want to do is to vote on the immigration bill.
And you are hearing in the messages right now, and all of the sudden, talking about the Democrats shut down the government because of illegals. What happened to the DREAMers? All of a sudden -- (CROSSTALK)
HAMM: Well, we just heard a Republican Senator just say that.
ELSHAMI: Look it on Twitter, every single message from President Trump on down, and the Democrats shutdown the government because of the illegals and what happened to the DREAMers.
(CROSSTALK)
PRESTON: And so, the Democrats and the Republicans both shutdown the government, OK. The blame doesn't just fall in one party. And I mean, we could talk for hours here how the government was set up as Senator Kennedy said by geniuses, OK, and now, run by idiots, right. Well, the geniuses are the ones who set up the 60-vote threshold in the United States Senate. So the bottom line is that Chuck Schumer, Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, and every Democrat and Republican needs to come together.
And to your point, Paris, I agree with you, it is ridiculous that the government is shutdown right now, and it is absolutely ridiculous, and ridiculous point that there is no deal on DACA.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: OK, have to hit pause. Hold on.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMM: The priority for the American people is 56 percent to keep it open, even though DACA isn't --
BALDWIN: And we will keep talking about shutdown and nailing Jell-O to the wall, although Mary Katharine is correct, it's impossible.
(LAUGHTER)
I digress.
Much more from this first day of the government shutdown in Washington, D.C. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:41:11] BALDWIN: We are going to be coming out with live pictures there in front of the White House. One glimpse of what the country looks like today with regard to some people, and some, and several hundred thousand choosing to speak up and one year later being one- year inauguration of the president here in Washington, D.C. We know that the president is here at the White House and did don't the Mar-a- Lago, because the White House is shutdown.
A lot speaking out about it, about him, and are where the nation is in 2018.
Let's go first to New York, my colleague, Alex Marquardt. And Rene Marsh standing by in Washington.
And first to you, Alex.
What do people share with you of why they want to come out?
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, all sorts of different reasons, Brooke. We have been walking around for three hours now, and the people are still coming, and people marching by the tens of thousands and we don't have the crowd estimates, but we know at least 85,000 people had registered for march. So you can imagine their interests and the reasons they have come out here have run the gamut. It is of course, a women's march, and at the core, the fight for equality for women. But talking to five different people, you will get five reasons why they are out here. And with the shutdown in Washington, the debate over immigrants, and a lot of people out here are fighting for the DREAMers and fighting for DACA and fighting for people from other countries, and gay and lesbian activist are, and a sea of pink hats and funny signs and colorful signs and many of them we can't put on daytime TV.
But, Brooke, as much as this is a march for the different issues and for these different group, and a march for equality, it is very much a march against Donald Trump. You go up to anybody here, and they will tell you that they are out here because of everything that Donald Trump has done, and they say that taking the country backwards and a destructive force in the country, and no mistake that this is taking place on the first anniversary of his inauguration.
BALDWIN: That is right. And he is home, and perhaps he can hear some of the voices just outside of the residence of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Alex, thank you.
Let's go to the White House, to Rene Marsh, who is still in the thick of that crowd.
Rene, what are the marchers there sharing with you?
RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION & GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, I can the tell you that what is just so stunning about this picture, and I want to show you what it looks like at this hour is that all of the president needs to do is to just walk by one of the windows of the White House, and he this is the scene that he will see outside. I am talking about young people, old people, women, men, of all different races, and holding signs. And it is just like Alex was saying, it is the same situation here in Washington. It runs the gamut when we talk about what brought people out here. And I saw a man who was holding a sign about Scott Pruitt at the EPA and a sign about women's rights, and women's rights to choose, and another sign about voting rights, and another sign, you know, about DACA. And it is really running the gamut. And when I talk to the people out here, the difference between last year's march, and this year's march, and last year, everyone told me the same thing, they wanted to be with other people who felt the same way they felt because they did not vote for Donald Trump. So they wanted that feeling of unity. This year, it is about a wide range of issues.
They were out here earlier with drums, and the crowd is kind of moving its way forward, but again, still a significant number of people here. We know that this particular march they were permitted to have some 10,000 people out here. And it is quite possible that they have met that mark out here, Brooke. But a wide, wide array of folks here.
Let's talk to you, sir. Were you here last year?
[15:45:16] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I sure was, yes.
MARSH: And this year how do you feel one year later, and how are things different for you and your cause and what brought you out here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This feels like a protest today, and last year, it felt more like a funeral. It was mourning and a quiet solidarity, but this is feeling like anger and resistance.
MARSH: So you heard it there, Brooke. Definitely a different feel at this year's march. Not as many people here in Washington, D.C., but still, we are talking about in the thousands.
Back to you.
BALDWIN: We got a number from are the Los Angeles mayor, 500,000 people there in L.A.
Thank you so much, Rene.
We will get a quick break in. You are watching the continuous live coverage here of the one-year anniversary of the president's inauguration, and a year away from the now famous women's march in front of the country.
Quick break. You are watching CNN. Back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROB REINER, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER & ACTOR: We were all here a year ago for many different reasons. But one of the unifying reasons was we were scared. We were scared of who was going to enter the White House. A year has gone by. And he has corroborated every one of our fears. And we cannot whitewash this anymore. We have a racist in the White House.
(CHEERING)
REINER: We have a sexist in the White House.
(CHEERING)
REINER: We have a pathological liar in the White House.
(CHEERING)
REINER: And he is tearing away at the fabric of our democracy. And when we all came together last time, we had the power. And it's
the women, the women have given us the power. And the women continue to give us the power.
(CHEERING)
[15:50:37] BALDWIN: Incredibly fiery words there from Rob Reiner. You know his movies. Director, producer, actor, there, speaking out in Los Angeles as part of so many recognizable faces who have come up on that stage and certainly not held back, including Rob Reiner.
We have my panel with me for the last couple minutes on my watch.
And, Paris Dennard, just turning to you, responding. We have chatted about this before. The language he used about the man you admire, I want you to respond.
DENNARD: Rob Reiner?
BALDWIN: Rob Reiner.
DENNARD: I will say this, the one thing Rob Reiner and the rest of the marchers out there are not protesting or not speaking out against with regards to the first year of the Trump administration is the economy. Nothing to protest against the strong economy we have. You can't protest against the jobs and unemployment and statistics for women. Can't protest against the number of women in the cabinet, in senior staffs around the White House and administration. So these are positive things --
(CROSSTAKL)
BALDWIN: I understand you're jumping on the positive, and you're correct to do so, but there's so much more in a president than how great those economy numbers are, how great the Dow is doing on any given day. I mean, yes, he called him a racist. Obviously, I know you don't agree with that. Look at the plethora of examples that demonstrate perhaps this president's character and how do you stand up for that?
DENNARD: I stand up for it by looking at the president's actions. I stand up for it by looking at what the president is doing, what his cabinet is doing, what HUD is doing, what the administration is doing, addressing the issues of importance to my community. I have not seen or heard one thing this president has said in the course of the year and going back to the campaign that has been racist to African- Americans --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Both sides, Charlottesville --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: -- S-hole countries, allegedly. DENNARD: To some, allegedly. You look back at Charlottesville, he
denounced hatred, violence, and bigotry on both sides. He also called out the KKK and all those other disgusting groups over five times. That goes back -- he did that before the campaign, in 2015, I believe. The president, in my opinion, has been steadfast in his denouncing of these hate groups and in his support of trying to find ways to bring the black unemployment down and support our community.
BALDWIN: Good numbers on unemployment, 3 percent approval from black Americans, in the latest CNN polling. Not great numbers on approval ratings from black Americans.
Nadeam, final thought from you.
ELSHAMI: Words matter, tweets matter. If you're the president of the United States, you need to understand that. And let's take a look at why we're here today. We're here today because one week ago, the president said something in a meeting --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Allegedly.
ELSHAMI: Allegedly.
BALDWIN: He denies it.
ELSHAMI: Allegedly. And we're dealing with this DACA issue, with the DREAMer issue, and it's taken over everything and all our discussions because of the president's alleged words. But his tweets continue.
DENNARD: We're here, because 8 percent African-Americans voted, and millions of Americans voted to have him as president of United States. That's why we're here.
ELSHAMI: A majority of Republicans under the age of 45 want a new president, not President Trump in 20.
HAMM: That wish casting doesn't really get you anywhere, does it? He's the president.
BALDWIN: He is the president.
We found out a little nugget in terms of who is affected by the government shutdown. I know this may be minor, but there are serious football fans out there. If you're a member of the U.S. -- if you're essentially a deployed troop, and a lot of men and women around the world, they really lean on TV, and specifically the Armed Services Network to stay connected.
We have learned, Mary Katharine, because of the shutdown, they actually will not be able to watch the NFL playoffs this weekend. Kind of a bummer.
HAMM: That's going to cause some problems. Especially in bases overseas. There are obviously costs this. I think the bigger issue is I'm not
sure what the consequences are for something like this anymore because honestly, six days from now, they'll probably get a deal and a week from now, we'll be like, a lot of things happened since then. I'm not sure the blame question and it downsides for real Americans make as much of a flash as they did, even as recently as 2013.
BALDWIN: I have one minute left -- Juana?
SUMMERS: Something really interesting, I wanted to bring it back to the women's march. You have groups like Emily's List run for something, saying women are coming out in record numbers.
BALDWIN: And 25,000 women, they're saying, exercising interest.
[15:55:00] SUMMERS: That's so huge. When we look ahead to 2018, will these women win? What will Congress look like? What will these down-ballot seats look like. You have people signing up. People who are active who have never been before. What effect will it have, and will our politics look different because of this.
BALDWIN: One year, ladies and gentlemen, since we were standing and speaking and covering and shivering a bit on the National Mall for President Trump's inauguration in Washington, D.C. Here we are a year later, some progress, some frustrations, and a government shutdown.
I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you for being with me here.
Live coverage continues with my friend, Brianna Keilar, after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:00:06] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
BRIANNE KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, there. I'm Brianna Keilar.
And it's year one of the Trump presidency and day one of a government shutdown.
