Return to Transcripts main page

New Day

Trump Asks to Invalidate Votes; FDA Considers Vaccine; Federal Probe into Hunter Biden; FaceBook CEO Vows to Fight Lawsuits; Ohio State to Play in Title Game; Sen. Johnson Sucks up to Trump. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired December 10, 2020 - 06:30   ET

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

[06:30:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Mitt Romney, who says it all a little bit more succinctly, it's just simply madness, this effort to subvert the vote of the people is dangerous and destructive of the cause of democracy.

So, in that group, John Cornyn is the one who is the newish voice that we've heard from, Errol, and a sign, maybe, of what we'll hear from in the coming days.

ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: There need to be a lot more voices of that kind. And they can take a page out of the book of what some of the local elected officials who are secretaries of state and county level elections officials have done, which is simply to stand up. Even if they are Republicans, even if they have voted for Donald Trump, even if they like the things the Trump administration stands for and wanted a second term for him. Many of them have stood up, and a lot of judges as well, and have said, we simply cannot do this. That if you want to make the country ungovernable, this is the way you do it. And those 17 attorneys general, all of them Republican, who have decided to go to the White House and sort of play out this farce for whatever political reasons they -- they've selected, should recognize that they're doing great damage, not only to themselves and their own reputations, but to the ability to govern this country.

We have an election system that is done by basically 3,000 county- level mini elections that are governed by state law. It's a little complicated, but it actually helped prevent fraud and it actually helps prevent the kind of overturning of results that the president is trying to do right now. We have to preserve that system. And the only way to do it is for people to play their role and to not -- and not give in to the temptation to sort of send this nonsense to the Supreme Court, which, by the way, is probably going to kick this out in a matter of minutes, not even hours.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: I mean maybe they're doing it for political reasons. Maybe they're doing it for legal reasons because, as John pointed out, Anna, the Texas attorney general is indicted on securities fraud, bribery. He's been accused of abuse of office. And so maybe this is all phishing for a pardon. We just don't know yet. But let's talk about what President-elect Biden is doing. He's going

to Georgia for those high-stakes Senate races. So how will the Democrats, Warnock and Ossoff, deploy him?

ANNA PALMER, SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, "POLITICO": Yes, I mean, this is going to be -- they've been wanting him to come out there. They need to have a response -- Mike Pence is also expected to be out there -- because basically you have the Republicans saying that Joe Biden's going to be the radical left, that if these Democrats win the Georgia runoffs, that all of a sudden, you know, America's going to turn into a very different place.

And so I think you have Joe Biden, who's a moderate, you know, a Democratic and a moderating voice when he comes and speaks to, you know, crowds and kind of -- kind of humanize what his case for America is and how he's trying to bring it together as a way to try to be the anecdote as to what Republicans are saying about what a Biden Washington, a Biden America looks like.

BERMAN: Anna Palmer, Errol Louis, thanks so much for being with us this morning.

Also this morning, Hunter Biden revealing he is under criminal investigation. He revealed that because of CNN reporting. Details of what CNN uncovered, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:37:02]

CAMEROTA: Breaking overnight, the deadliest day of the pandemic in the United States, 3,124 American deaths reported overnight. This morning, an FDA panel will meet to consider approval of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. If that happens, Pfizer is expected to shift into high gear and begin inoculations as early as next week.

CNN's Pete Muntean is live at a Pfizer facility in Michigan to explain what happens next.

What have you learned, Pete?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the spot, Alisyn. Pfizer says trucks carrying the vaccine could begin leaving here within 24 hours of FDA Emergency Use Authorization. It is a key place in the distribution network. Pfizer's largest manufacturing facility, 1,300 acres, a sprawling complex.

We're learning from Operation Warp Speed that vaccines leaving here will be bound for 600 individual locations. FedEx and UPS largely handling the distribution after that.

Operation Warp Speed also telling us that 2.9 million doses will be in that initial shipment, but we're learning from states that that will not be near enough to cover those considered to need the vaccine right off the bat. Those in long-term health care facilities, those who are front line health care workers. Now states will have to prioritize within that top priority group. Not an easy job.

States are also calling on extra resources to help with this distribution effort. Here in Michigan, the governor has asked the National Guard to assist with the transportation and logistics here. It is a big task, John, one that will begin here very soon.

BERMAN: I've got to say, it will be fascinating to watch. We are lucky to have you there.

Pete Muntean, thanks so much.

Developing this morning, President-elect Joe Biden's son, Hunter, revealing that the Justice Department is investigating his business dealings with China.

CNN's Evan Perez and our colleague Pamela Brown, they broke this story. Hunter Biden released this information only because, frankly, of questions from Evan and Pamela.

Evan joins us now from Washington with the details on this.

Evan.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, John.

This is an investigation that's looking into Hunter Biden's business dealings overseas, principally in China. And what we're told is that investigators from the IRS Criminal Investigation Service, as well as the FBI, and prosecutors in the U.S. attorney's office in Delaware have been at this since at least 2018. They've been looking at whether or not Hunter Biden and associates violated tax and money laundering laws, and specifically whether Hunter Biden reported gifts and other income properly over a number of years.

Now, we've got a -- we got a comment or a statement that was issued by the Biden transition on behalf of Hunter Biden. And it says in part that he was notified for the first time, his lawyers were, on Tuesday that this was an investigation looking into his tax affairs. I'll read you part of what he says.

[06:40:00]

He says, I take this matter very seriously, but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisers. The president-elect, Joe Biden, issued a statement also that says he was deeply proud of his son and that he seemed to be suggesting that this was an investigation about an attack on his son and his family.

I can tell you that this is an investigation that's being done, John, by career agents and attorneys in the U.S. attorney's office in Delaware. We expect that this is an investigation that will be ongoing once the new administration takes office next month.

BERMAN: OK, the question is, if this was begun at some level in 2018, how was it kept quiet, particularly over the last several months, Evan?

PEREZ: Yes, I mean, look, they -- it's kind of surprising that this -- that the details of this did not come out before. Part of it is because, for months, the Justice Department required that the agents and the investigators keep their activity quiet. They were not allowed to do overt acts such as issuing subpoenas, notifying people, asking for interviews, in part to avoid interfering with the election. That prohibition, that's a Justice Department guideline, and that prohibition ended the day after the election. And so that's the reason why Hunter Biden says that he received a notification from the U.S. attorney in Delaware on Tuesday. And that's how he knows now that there is an investigation.

We know that there's activity that has now picked up as a result of the fact that we're out of the way of the election. Joe Biden is going to be president. And as I said, you know, he's going to be picking a new attorney general in the coming days. We expect that this is going to be one of the first thorny issues that the attorney general -- the incoming attorney general and the incoming president are going to have to deal with.

BERMAN: Evan Perez, terrific reporting.

PEREZ: Thanks.

BERMAN: Thank you so much for being with us this morning.

PEREZ: Sure.

BERMAN: So, six months after the killing of George Floyd, major changes to police funding in Minneapolis. We have details just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:46:07]

BERMAN: Breaking overnight, the Minneapolis city council unanimously approved a budget that cuts nearly $8 million from the police budget and shifts it to violence, prevention and other city services. That's about a 4 percent reduction. The vote comes months after the killing of George Floyd and a failed attempt by the city council to dismantle the police department altogether. Staffing cuts were removed from the new plan, likely avoiding a veto from the mayor.

CAMEROTA: The Federal Trade Commission and dozens of states are taking on FaceBook and anti-trust lawsuits accusing the company of buying up competitors to illegally squash competition. The social media giant's CEO vows fight back.

CNN's Brian Fong is live in Washington with more.

What's the latest, Brian?

BRIAN FONG, CNN TECHNOLOGY REPORTER: Well, this is shaping up to be an historic court fight, Alisyn. Forty-eight attorneys general and the FTC are calling for FaceBook to be broken up because of what they say is an illegal and anti-competitive campaign of behavior by FaceBook. In twin lawsuits filed yesterday in federal court, the governments allege that FaceBook harmed competition by buying up competitors that it perceived to be a threat to its dominance before they had a chance to become true rivals.

Now, the cases focus on WhatsApp and Instagram, two social media platforms that have become key to face book's success in the last ten years. And let me just read you a little bit of what the FTC had to say after it filed its suit. It said, face book's actions to entrench and maintain its monopoly denying consumers the benefits of competition. Our aim is to roll back face book's anti-competitive conduct and restore competition so that innovation and free competition can thrive.

Now, what is FaceBook saying about all this? FaceBook is taking a defiant tone here with Mark Zuckerberg writing a memo internally to employees, warning them not to talk to the press about this and saying that we compete hard and we compete fairly. The company publicly saying that the most important facts in this case is that the commission, in this case the FTC, cleared these acquisitions years ago. The government now wants a do-over, sending a chilling warning to American business that no sale is ever final.

Of course, experts are telling CNN that just because the FTC approved these deals in the past doesn't mean that these regulators can't go back and change their minds now in light of new evidence suggesting that illegal behavior may have occurred.

John.

BERMAN: Brian Fong, thank you so much for your reporting on this. I am sure we will hear more.

So, fourth-ranked Ohio State will play for the Big Ten championship after all. Michigan couldn't stop it.

Andy Scholes with more in the "Bleacher Report."

Hey, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, John.

You know, the Big Ten, before the season had said you had to play six games in order to play for the conference championship. And with Michigan canceling on the Buckeyes this weekend because of COVID cases within their program, it left Ohio State with only five games on their schedule. But the Big Ten, yesterday, announcing they are going to change that rule to allow Ohio State to play in the title game because they say even though -- even if the Buckeyes would have lost to Michigan, they still would have ended up in the conference championship game. SO the undefeated Buckeyes will now play Northwestern a week from Saturday for the Big Ten title.

All right, Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski meanwhile says the NCAA should consider whether it's best to be playing college basketball right now. After Duke's loss on Tuesday, Coach K. said he thinks the season was poorly planned and they're just trying to plow through games right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI, DUKE HEAD COACH: People saying that the next six weeks are going to be the worst. To me, it's already pretty bad.

People say that by the end of the month 20 million, you know, vaccine shots will be given, especially to our health care, to the, you know, the people who need it.

[06:50:06]

And by the end of January or February -- in February, another 100 million. Should we not reassess that? Just see what would be best.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes, Coach K. added he worries about the mental health of his players considering, John, that, you know, considering their schedule. Many of them not going to go to -- be able to see their families during the holidays.

And, you know, John, other college coaches have said, you know, the NCAA tournament back in March was canceled when the COVID cases weren't nearly what they are now, yet they're trying to travel around the country and play basketball.

BERMAN: This is really interesting hearing Coach K. speak from the heart like that.

All right, Andy, I appreciate it.

So, a senior U.S. senator now leaving the door open to overturning the election. We'll tell you who he is and why he's doing it, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:55:14]

BERMAN: A senior senator about to hold hearings loaded with conspiracy theories and he is even entertaining trying to overturn the results of the election. We're talking about Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, who's gone heavy on the bad cheese.

John Avlon here with a "Reality Check."

JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: This is madness. Trying to get electors not to do what the people voted to do is madness. That's what Senator Mitt Romney said yesterday.

So how did so many of his fellow Republican senators become willing foot soldiers in a demagogue's attempt to overturn our election? Look no farther than Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, who just announced a new hearing to debunk conspiracy theories while leaving the door open to an attempt to block Joe Biden's electorates. And this came just one day after Johnson hopped on the COVID

conspiracy bandwagon by putting a vaccine doubter before his committee, along with folks pushing bogus treatments and arguing the government should focus its efforts not on masks or social distancing, but on public toilets.

But then again, Johnson's credibility has already been flushed because the independent businessman who ran for the Senate as a non-politician who could balance budgets has been MIA these past four years. His calls for fiscal discipline disappeared as Trump ballooned the deficit and debt. His defense of inspectors' generals during the Obama years evaporated when Trump started firing them. He funneled Russian disinformation into a pre-election Senate report and still found no wrongdoing by the president-elect. And the Senate Homeland Security Committee he chairs got an "f" from The Luger Center for failing to meet historical standards and bipartisan bias. Because partisan bias is now what Ron Johnson does best.

When Trump floats a conspiracy theory, Johnson is there to chase it down the Senate hallway and get a pat on the head.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, the job he's doing is incredible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AVLON: So let's dig a little deeper into Johnson's latest attempt to suck up to the lame duck. After AG Bill Barr said that DOJ found no evidence of widespread voter fraud, Johnson said he wanted to see proof. So he's announced a hearing next week, two days after the Electoral College meets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-WI): The American people deserve to know what happened. Forty-two thousand people that voted twice, dead people voted, out of state people voted. What about this truckload of ballots from Great Plains, New York, headed toward Philadelphia? You know, how do you explain that type of thing?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AVLON: How, indeed. Now, he seems to be referring there in that last bit to an allegation made by a part-time ghost hunter with a long criminal record who works as a contractor for the Postal Service. Also his account has been discredited.

This is absurd but serious stuff. Johnson is keeping open the possibility of derailing the Electoral College vote for weeks, guaranteeing more of the uncertainty he says he's so concerned about.

And here's what Joe Biden did as president of the Senate when a congressional Democrat tried a similar stunt against Trump in 2017.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On the grounds that the electoral votes were not --

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT-ELECT FOR THE UNITED STATES: There's no debate. There's no debate. The objection cannot be entertained. It is over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AVLON: Don't bet that Republicans will show him the same respect.

But what makes it all worse is that Johnson may know better. Reportedly telling a former Wisconsin GOP official that he knows Biden won the election, but admitting it, publicly, would be political suicide.

Now, the Johnson team dismissed the story, but they can't dismiss the senator's own words from 2015 when he said the peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy. At least it used to be.

And that's your "Reality Check."

BERMAN: Maybe he thought it was a Hallmark movie. He may not understand what Hallmark means.

AVLON: That's important context. That's entirely possible.

BERMAN: No, I mean the hypocrisy there is stunning, John. That was a really, really important report.

NEW DAY continues right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After the U.S. recorded its highest daily death toll from COVID-19. Pfizer could be given the go ahead for emergency use of its vaccine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over 3,000 people died and it's going to get worse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ICUs in many places are filling and fast.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: If the United States Food and Drug Administration says that a vaccine is safe and effective, I will take that vaccine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Between now and the end of the year, we are going to only be able to immunize a fraction of the front-line workers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's disgusting that Trump is making these frivolous lawsuits at a time when what we need to be doing is focusing on helping the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.

[07:00:00]

BERMAN: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY. It' s Thursday, December 10th, 7:00 here in New York, and we do have breaking news.

The deadliest.