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FBI Pushing For Arrests And Charges After Deadly Capitol Riot; 68 People Arrested Wednesday In Capitol Hill Riot; Rep. Karen Bass (D- CA 37th District) Is Interviewed About What Was Happened Yesterday In United States Capitol; Congress Certifies Biden Win After Mob Siege Of U.S. Capitol; Mob Fueled By Conspiracy Groups, Extremists, And Fringe Movements. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired January 07, 2021 - 12:30   ET

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

[12:30:00]

MIKE ROGERS, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: These things are cyclical. And so, if we try to huddle around the Trump supporters you saw yesterday, we will lose every election. If we go back to our roots, we will win elections in the future.

JOHN KING, CNN HOST: That is one of the defining questions as you mentioned, if the weeks ahead, the months ahead, in the next couple years into the next election. I hope you're right, we need a competitive two-party system in this country or three-party system would come on in if there are other answers, but it should be based on facts, not the President's fantasies.

Mike Rogers, grateful for your time and insights today.

And up next for us, the stunning security breach at the Capitol. All lawmakers want to know how so many rioters were able to get inside and some see a double standard in the police response.

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[12:35:26]

KING: The breach at the Capitol is raising giant security questions today. And there's also a new pressure on law enforcement to bring more of the rioters to justice. The FBI yesterday posting this notice encouraging people to send in photos or videos of people involved in the Capitol insurrection.

My next guest tweeted out, found one, you see it right there with a photo of President Trump. Democratic Congresswoman Karen Bass joins me now live. Congresswoman, it is good to see you and I hope you are safe and well after the harrowing experience of yesterday. You tweet the photo of the President there. You also tweeted, and I can ask our control room to put them up on the screen, a string I believe it would numbered up to 10 at the end of people involved in this. You're saying, OK, FBI, you want help? Arrest this man. Arrest this man. And you go on and on, arrest all the people in these pictures as it went on.

What have you been told about how this happened? You're supposed to be in one of the most secure buildings in the world. I was here in town in 1998 when gunman killed two Capitol Police office bursting into that building, that after 911 there were additional security preparations. There was -- it was not a surprise that this rally was coming your way yesterday, and yet they marched right into the building and a lot of your fellow African Americans are saying, funny. The National Guard was out -- they're not funny, that's the wrong word, I apologize -- but the National Guard was out there when Black Lives Matters protesters came. Where were they yesterday? What happened?

All right, the Congresswoman's connection, obviously, is having some trouble with that connection. We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.

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[12:41:41]

KING: Giant security questions again. So what happened yesterday at the United States Capitol? How were so many of President Trump supporters able to storm the building, get into the chamber, get into offices of lawmakers, cause damage destruction? One senator says his laptop was taken, get an internet connection issue before the break.

But right now Democratic Congresswoman Karen Bass is back with us from Capitol Hill. Congresswoman, thank you for your patience through that. I just trying to get the best that you have been able to get for the explanation of what happened. It was no secret that that rally was going to be steps from the Capitol. It was no secret. And the President publicly urged his supporters to march on the Capitol. How did it happen? How did so many people get into what is supposed to be one of the most secure buildings in the United States?

REP. KAREN BASS (D-CA): Well, first of all, thank you for raising the issue. I think that that there has to be an absolute thorough investigation. The only information I have is anecdotal from talking to members of the Capitol Police and others that were around at the time, and basically, they just described as being overwhelmed. The question is, why were they overwhelmed? Everyone knew this was going to happen. Why weren't they tracking social media?

Why, frankly, why weren't the protesters, rioters, terrorists, why weren't they infiltrated? Why wasn't there undercover police officers that were there? This is the kind of thing that happens with other types of street protests. So I think there needs to be a thorough investigation.

KING: And some of your colleagues and some activists around the country -- remember what happened back in June, and I think we may have some photos of this one, there were Black Lives Matters protesters here in Washington, and the Capitol was very well protected by, you know, police and other law enforcement in riot gear. Any explanation as to why that didn't happen? BASS: Well, you know, I mean, I think it's just an example of the double standard. You know, obviously, Black Lives Matters protesters were perceived as very threatening, and for some reason, these weren't. John, you know, you can't even come into the Capitol with a purse without it being screened. How can you break into the Capitol and walk around with flagpoles? And you see the Capitol Police right there, they were completely overwhelmed why did that happen, why didn't they erect the barriers around the Capitol that are present now, the fences?

I think a lot of these needs to be investigated. But it is so demoralizing now for people, in particular, African Americans and other people of color who know, if even imagine if tens of thousands of young, old African Americans attacked the Capitol like that, what would have happened? You know, I mean, it brings back memories of the boy, Rittenhouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin, who shot three people, walked with his gun in front of the police officers, they gave him something to drink and sent him home. Two of them were killed.

So, we are just sick and tired of seeing the same type of double standard. And that's why I think there --

KING: Well I hope --

BASS: -- would be a complete investigation.

KING: -- I hope there's public accountability and transparency and discussion about what happened, because it's not just the members -- or yes, the Vice President of United States, the Vice President-elect of United States, 535 members of Congress in that building, plus the staff who don't get enough credit, all the people who work so hard for our public servants, Democrats and Republicans alike.

Let me turn your attention to another question. There are 13 days left to the Trump presidency. Soon to be Senate Majority Leader, currently the Minority Leader Chuck Schumer today said the President must go, he doesn't want to wait 13 days.

[12:45:09]

He wants the cabinet to assemble, declare the President unfit by the -- using the 25th Amendment and remove him and he says if not, the Congress should impeach the President again. One of your colleagues, Ilhan Omar and a number of other house Democrats have said let's do that. Other House Democrats have written a letter to the Vice President saying, bring the Cabinet and Mr. Vice President get rid of the President of United States. With 13 days left, do you think Democrats should lead an effort either through pressuring the Cabinet or filing new articles of impeachment to force this President out, or do you just hold your breath and wait 13 days?

BASS: Well, I frankly don't think that the only thing you do is just hold your breath and wait. But let me just say that I would love to see the President lead be kicked out of the White House today with the 25th Amendment, and that's exactly what should happen. However, I don't believe that's going to happen at all, because I think the President has become a cult leader and I think members of his Cabinet are participants right along with him. So why would we expect them to have an act to be courageous now, when they have stood by been complicit and even promoted his behavior for the last four years?

I thought former Attorney General Barr had a lot of nerve talking about how the President has disrespected his office. What has Barr done over the last couple of years when he's been the Attorney General in terms of impeachment, we know what would happen with impeachment. Do you expect the people who voted against certifying the election yesterday in the Senate to vote to impeach him today? I don't think that that would stand, would make any sense, but I do think and I am deeply concerned about how our country manages over the next 13 days.

KING: Congresswoman, grateful for your time. This should be a time we're talking about the incoming administration's agenda and how it will fare in Congress. We will get back to those conversations in the days ahead. Congresswoman Karen Bass, grateful for your time. Thank you very much. I'm grateful that you and your colleagues are safe.

President-elect Biden today will introduce his Justice Department team, including Appeals Court Judge Merrick Garland for attorney general. The two democratic senate wins in Georgia cleared the way for that Garland pick. He was Biden's favorite but filling his slot on a critical federal appeals court would have been more difficult, had Republicans kept control of the Senate. It is a challenging moment for the President-elect as more Democrats are calling for the current President to be removed from office.

Joining me now, CNN's Jeff Zeleny from Wilmington. Jeff, again, we should be talking about the Cabinet. We should be talking about the policy challenges for the new President, the incoming President, but instead, we have the chaos of yesterday, and we now have Joe Biden's friend Chuck Schumer soon to be the Senate Majority Leader saying the President must go. First, he's asking Mike Pence to bring the Cabinet together. And if not, he says, impeach him again.

You just heard the conversation with Congresswoman Bass. She's not in this camp, but a number of House Democrats say, if necessary, impeach him again. What does the President-elect think about that?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, I'm told by a variety of people close to Joe Biden, that he is not in favor immediately of adding his voice to calls for the 25th Amendment to be invoked. That's not saying that he believes that Donald Trump is fit for office. Of course, we have heard the President-elect talk about this for months on the campaign trail. And since he won election two months ago today, but that does not mean that he is planning at this point to add his voice, I'm told, to these growing calls in the Congress. I'm also in touch with a variety of the former living presidents, and so far, none of those former presidents are also adding their voices to calls for the immediate removal of President Trump from office.

John, the simple answer is this. They do not believe it would be helpful for what the ultimate goal is of rebuilding this country after the events of yesterday unfolded on Capitol Hill. Joe Biden was watching those very carefully. He grew up in his professional life on Capitol Hill, and those very corridors on that Senate floor deeply, deeply personal to him. He's angry about it. He's horrified about it. But he does not believe that invoking the 25th Amendment at this point, I'm told, is something that is good for the country, but they are focused on going ahead.

And as you said that, justice announcement this afternoon here in Wilmington is fascinating. Judge Garland has a giant challenge on his hands to, a, introduce himself as the person who is ready to lead the Justice Department in the post Trump era and the events of the last 24 hours to make this even much more difficult the task facing him, John.

KING: Much more difficult. The challenge is they grow by the day. This supposed to be a time of anticipation in Washington. It's much more time of anxiety.

Jeff Zeleny, grateful for the reporting and insights from the transition there in Wilmington.

And coming up for us, fringe groups, conspiracy theorists, the faces behind that Trump inspired insurrection on the Capitol.

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[12:54:21]

KING: The world watched in horror yesterday. We all did as people climb scaffolding, smashed windows, stormed a key symbol of the world's most powerful democracy. So who are they and what drives them in addition to their support for President Trump?

Drew Griffin joins me now from Atlanta with some very important reporting. Drew, in a moment like this, it is important to name names.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and the Metropolitan Police in D.C. just put out images of instigators they want to talk to for questioning which is surprising, John, because if you go to CNN.com we can tell you and show you who these people are from proud boys to QAnon supporters, white nationalists out of Alaska and a pro-gun rights activists out of Arkansas, just some of them.

[12:55:06]

Some of the most prominent you've seen the images. This is QAnon's supporter. He's known as the QAnon Shaman, Jake Angeli. He is from Arizona. We've seen him on Facebook pictured with Rudy Giuliani in Arizona. He was one of the people who was inside the Senate, actually standing on the Senate Dyess (ph).

Richard Barnett made famous himself by posting pictures of himself in the Speaker's office. He actually came outside and told The New York Times reporter, he took an envelope from Speaker Pelosi's office. He is one of the people that we have outed. But beyond this, John, and I know you just had that big discussion about the lack of effort by the Capitol Police to keep this from happening, we saw so much of this preplanned on the internet. It's hard to believe Homeland Security was not aware that this was about to take place. John?

KING: It is hard to believe, it is hard to believe and go to CNN.com to see more of Drew and his team's reporting. It's important to know. Maybe that gentleman can use that envelope to write on in prison.

Thanks for joining us. Brianna Keilar picks up our coverage after a quick break.

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