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America On High Alert For More Attacks After Capitol Insurrection; Trump Administration To Announce Major Changes On Vaccine Distribution; Could Congress Remove Those Who Incited Insurrection? Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired January 12, 2021 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00]

REP. CONOR LAMB (D-PA) (via Cisco Webex): Allow him to do that, you know. And if he did that at this moment, I think the Senate would end their recess and be back in session to hold a trial immediately. And so, I think what we are doing in the House is essentially setting it up and making it possible to remove him as quickly as possible if we learn that one additional fact that would convince the Senate to act.

And I know people talk about their schedule. Can they do Biden's nominations and confirm people in his government. You know, we just need to act -- the Senate to act like the essential workers that they are. A lot of people in America have worked seven, 10, 20 days in a row --

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

LAMB: -- this year -- long shifts doing difficult work and they can do it, too.

CAMEROTA: Congressman Conor Lamb, we really appreciate you coming on this morning. Thank you very much for all of the information.

LAMB: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: America is on high alert, as you just heard, for more attacks after the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The FBI putting all 50 states on alert for more violence because of the tips they've gotten and what they're hearing.

So we talk to Minnesota's attorney general about the growing threat there, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:35:02]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, an alarming new bulletin from the FBI warns of protests planned at all 50 state capitols and in Washington, D.C. in the days leading up to the President-elect Biden's inauguration.

Joining me now is Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. Mr. Attorney General, thank you so much for being with us.

Can you tell us about the nature of the warnings to Minnesota?

KEITH ELLISON (D), MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL (via Cisco Webex): Well, the warnings are that the state capitol will be a site of more of these sort of insurrectionists who have really sort of disgraced our country in the last several days.

BERMAN: Keith Ellison appears to be frozen right now. Let's see if we can get Keith Ellison back up.

While we're waiting for him I just want to tell you a little bit about what has happened in Minnesota already. There's already been concern about security in the Capitol area.

I want to play for you the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, who was talking about threats on his own family and what they had to do. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. TIM WALZ (D), MINNESOTA: The result of that in that language of taking the governor and his family prisoner and there may be causalities, resulted for the first time in the state patrol entering the living quarters and removing my 14-year-old son to a safe location as he's crying, looking for his dog, wondering what's going on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: His son had to be evacuated from the State Capitol because of the threats that they were feeling the other day, and it's not over yet.

We're going to get the Attorney General Keith Ellison back and talk much more about this in just a second.

CAMEROTA: Meantime, John, let's get to some breaking news.

The Health and Human Services Department is set to announce major changes to its coronavirus vaccine guidelines.

Joining us now is CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta with the news details. So what are these new guidelines, Sanjay?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

Yes, so there's a few things. First of all, we've seen this disparity, obviously, between the number of doses of the vaccine that have been distributed and the number that have been administered, and there's several things that are driving that.

But one idea is that -- you now, the idea of holding back these second doses -- waiting for people to pass those three or four-week mark based on whether or not they're getting the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine -- and holding those second doses. What the administration -- current administration is now saying is they're no longer going to do that. That is something that we had heard from the incoming administration

-- their plans to not hold back second doses. It sounds like that's going to take effect right away.

So again, remember, you need -- you need two shots. Was there going to be enough second shots? What this seems to reflect is an increased confidence that there will be enough manufacturing capacity to match those second shots.

Also, who gets it? You know, we have maps showing basically around the country -- from the Kaiser Family Foundation -- where people are sort of in this trajectory of getting shots. Are you in the first group or some states that they transition to the second group? Regardless, what they're not saying is that nationally, they're going to say people over the age of 65 can go ahead and start getting these shots.

And in many places, there has been excess doses, which is kind of surprising, right? You'd think there is obviously, a huge demand for these shots, but because of a little bit of a disorganized rollout there have been situations where you have doses available. And people over the age of 65, people who have preexisting conditions -- those people can now start to get those shots. They sort of widened the priority group if you will.

So these are sort of the big changes. They want to include more pharmacies getting involved in administering shots. They want to make it easier for people to get this done.

But the challenges are a couple-fold. One is you have to have enough people to administer the shots. You've got to have medical personnel observe people who have just received the shots. You've got to monitor for at least 15 to 30 minutes, as you know, because of the concern of allergic reactions.

And you -- and you need to have enough square footage. If you're getting a bunch of people into a pharmacy, can you still physically distance? Do you have space for them to be observed after they get the shot? All those things are being worked out.

But this is obviously an effort to try and increase the overall distribution here and getting shots into arms.

BERMAN: Sanjay, we have a lot of older Americans who watch our show, and I think the news that you just announced that the federal guidelines are now for -- you know, it's open game for people over 65 -- to make the shots available --

GUPTA: Yes.

BERMAN: -- to people over 65 years old.

Now, I know it's states and localities that make the actual decisions, but the idea that the federal government is now saying this should happen, what should a senior citizen -- what should someone over 65 do today? GUPTA: Yes. I mean, this is -- this is still -- that part of it is still challenging, I've got to tell you. And the thing about a pandemic is we all deal with this in our own personal lives so a lot people may be dealing with this themselves or their parents.

[07:40:00]

Calling your doctor's office. Going on your state's or your community's department of public health Web site. I know that sounds onerous but that may be a good place to start, at least.

What we're announcing right now is happening right now, meaning that the states are going to take a little bit of time to maybe catch up. So if you call and you say well, my community didn't know about this today or my state didn't know about this today, that is possible. This is all sort of unfolding in real time.

Ultimately, it should come from people's doctor's offices or their local pharmacies. Ultimately, hopefully, they can make an appointment and go in and not have to wait. My parents had to wait for nine hours in the middle of the night to get their shots. Hopefully, those types of situations will not continue to occur.

But it's -- look, this has been an uneven process. We worried about this from the start. We worried that some states would feel very different than other states.

And as you point out, that's still the situation because what we're telling you now is the federal administration's guidelines in terms of how these -- they want these shots to go out. But as you correctly point out, some states may still handle it and some communities may still handle this differently than others.

BERMAN: Yes. To be clear, when I was saying seniors will want to know this morning what they should do, I was hoping you would tell my parents exactly what they should do and you have. So I appreciate that Sanjay because I know there are going to be a lot of questions on this, this morning. And this may very well make a lot more vaccine available immediately to that group of people.

We'll have you back in just a little bit.

GUPTA: OK.

BERMAN: A lot of breaking news this morning, including new information about concerns not just in the nation's capital but in states around the country. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:45:16]

CAMEROTA: I believe we have Attorney General Keith Ellison back now from --

ELLISON: Here we are. CAMEROTA: -- Minnesota. Hi, welcome back.

BERMAN: I'll tell you what, I'm going to do this interview.

CAMEROTA: OK, I'm going to hand it off to you, John. I know you were looking forward to it.

BERMAN: Mr. Attorney General, thanks so much for being with us.

Look, I was asking you the specific threats that you've been told about for the state of Minnesota.

ELLISON: Well, you know, you have some conservative insurrectionists -- individual persons reportedly saying to the governor through a bullhorn outside his home we're going to come for you. We're going to -- you better meet with us or we're going to come for you. We're going to do things we don't want to do, which all sounds in the way of a threat.

They had to evacuate the mansion. The -- you know, the governor's family was under threat. And so, yes, these things are very concerning.

And as a matter of fact, we haven't forgotten what they did to Gretchen Whitmer only a few weeks ago threatening to kidnap her. There are people under prosecution right now in Michigan. We're in Minnesota but we're not too far away.

And then, of course, the intervening event of January sixth.

So these are all very concerning events and the people who are not at the Capitol in Washington are taking out their anger and making their threats right here locally.

BERMAN: What can you tell the people of Minnesota is being done to make sure that they will be safe? The people who might be in the Capitol over the next eight days.

ELLISON: Absolutely. Well, we are coordinating. We are in touch with this. We are coordinating with our federal partners and internally.

We are preparing and making sure that these insurrectionists -- that these lawless individuals are not able to hold sway. We are stepping up, coordinating, and preparing, and I think we'll be ready.

BERMAN: You served in the House of Representatives. You've got a vast array of experience that applies here.

What impact do you think impeachment will have on what you might see in Minnesota over the next week? And what do you -- what is your message to your former Republican colleagues in the House, some of whom are saying you know, impeachment goes against the kind of unity we need right now?

ELLISON: Well, I think forcibly, violently breaking into the Capitol and causing the deaths of five people definitely goes against unity. I think what we need now is accountability. And people who would engage in such lawless behavior need to know that there will be a response and that we're not going to cower in a corner. We're going to step up and hold them accountable, and that is exactly what I hope that the House of Representatives does.

So even if they're not able to complete the full process of impeachment and removal, I think that beginning the process is an essential signal to let everyone know that the people of the United States and their representatives will not tolerate this.

BERMAN: Keith Ellison, attorney general of Minnesota, we appreciate you bearing with us and getting through the technical difficulties. Thanks so much for being with us. Please stay safe.

ELLISON: Thank you, sir. Have a good day.

BERMAN: All right.

What should happen to the lawmakers -- not just President Trump, but the Republicans who were calling for the electoral votes to be tossed out prior to the insurrection?

A CNN reality check, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:52:53]

CAMEROTA: Some Republicans today are trying to claim that removing President Trump from office before his term ends would be divisive, but many of those same Republicans helped him cite a deadly insurrection.

John Avlon has our reality check.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST (on camera): Calls for unity without accountability are an invitation to further escalation. But how do you handle members of Congress who incited the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol?

Meet the 14th Amendment, specifically section three. It passed in the wake of the Civil War and established citizenship and equal protection for former slaves. But it also addressed how to deal with former confederates and sympathizers who wanted to rejoin Congress as if they'd never taken up arms against the United States.

Quote, "No person shall be a senator or representative in Congress, hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who having previously taken an oath to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellions against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof."

We are not, thank God, engaged in civil war. But the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines insurrection as an act or instance of revolting against civil authority or an established government. And that's a pretty good description of what happened last week when a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol building trying to stop the counting of electoral votes, leaving five people dead, including U.S. Capitol Officer Brian Sicknick.

It was all the result of a big lie being pumped up by President Trump and being backed up by 147 Republican members of Congress -- most prominently, Sens. Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz. They were playing a cynical game with our democracy trying to profit politically from our divisions.

Now, the 14th Amendment wouldn't apply to all 147. But some members of Congress, like Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks, went even further in inciting the riot.

REP. MO BROOKS (R-AL): Today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass.

AVLON: Now, House and Senate leadership need to decide on how to deal with them. There is censure, which is a rare official rebuke from congressional colleagues, but the 14th Amendment offers a clear constitutional path towards expulsion.

[07:55:00]

Yes, this is serious stuff -- but if inciting an insurrection isn't a serious charge, nothing is. And that's why a violation of the 14th Amendment may also factor in President Trump's upcoming impeachment vote. And while he'll be leaving the White House in disgrace on January 20th, he is still playing with fire.

Witness today's trip to the Alamo in Texas where Trump will check on the progress of the border wall. But his chosen site has all the subtlety of a sledgehammer because, of course, the Alamo, located in San Antonio, is the site of America's most famous last stand where Texas separatists fought Mexican forces for 13 days. Spoiler alert -- pretty much every American died.

And, Trump's dog whistle comes as the FBI warns some of his supporters may be planning more armed protests on Inauguration Day. It's a reminder that our divisions will not disappear overnight. But without real accountability rooted in our laws we will encourage history to repeat rather than learning the right lessons so we can go forward into the future with a common sense of civic values and facts.

Most notably, as Abraham Lincoln once said, "There can be no successful appeal from the ballot to the bullet."

And that's your reality check.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Our thanks to John for that.

This morning, we have new information on plans to vaccinate people where it is needed most. CNN has reporters covering the latest from coast-to-coast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Nick Watt in Los Angeles where this week we will see a major symbolic shift in the fight against this pandemic. Dodger Stadium, which has been a testing site for the past eight months or so, will transition. It will become a mass vaccination site.

The governor in California had set himself a target -- a million vaccines in arms in 10 days. We'll find out soon if he makes it.

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Adrienne Broaddus in Chicago.

And on Monday, a group of students returned to the classroom for the first time in 10 months. Chicago's Mayor Lori Lightfoot said about 77,000 families have chosen an in-person option.

Meanwhile, the district said it is working with the Chicago Teachers Union to address concerns from parents, students, and other staff who are worried about returning to the classroom with the number of COVID cases on the rise.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Rosa Flores in Miami.

The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine continues to be rocky in some states. CNN affiliate WJXT reporting long lines of seniors bundled up before dawn to get the shot in Jacksonville. These are people 65 and over and frontline healthcare workers who showed up not with an appointment but based on birth month.

Now, to Texas where hundreds received the vaccine at the Alamodome in San Antonio. According to affiliate KABB/WOAI, the process was mostly smooth except for a few people who said that they registered and were turned away.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: We're going to have much information on the new plans from the federal government that all people 65 years and older should start receiving the vaccine immediately. That's coming up in just a little bit.

NEW DAY continues right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: According to an FBI bulletin, armed protests are being planned in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals.

MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER (D), WASHINGTON, D.C.: Our goals are to protect the District of Columbia from a repeat of the violent insurrection.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: House Democrats took the first step today toward impeaching President Trump a second time. REP. PETER MEIJER (R-MI): It is obvious that the president is no longer qualified to hold that office.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Kevin McCarthy has been telling colleagues that the president now feels like he bears some responsibility for all this. We should all of that with a massive grain of salt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This administration will always, in the ranks of history, be bookended to explosions of white supremacist violence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

BERMAN: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY.

And this morning, disturbing new details about plots to attack U.S. lawmakers and the inauguration of Joe Biden. In other words, it's not over.

House Democrats were briefed overnight on several specific threats to the Capitol and to lawmakers. Also, that law enforcement is planning for a number of worst-case scenarios -- possible worst-case scenarios, including snipers, active shooters, suicide aircraft -- even armed drones.

A two-week state of emergency is now in effect in Washington, D.C. The FBI is warning of armed protests being planned not just there, but also in all 50 state capitals beginning this weekend. Fifteen thousand National Guard troops are being called up to secure the inauguration.

So all this is happening but not a single public briefing from the U.S. Capitol Police, the FBI, the Justice Department, Homeland Security -- nobody.

CAMEROTA: This morning, investigators are looking into the actions of a dozen Capitol police officers at the insurrection. Two have been suspended. They were supposed to be protecting lawmakers but at least two officers -- well, at least one officer took a selfie with a rioter and another wore a MAGA hat and directed.