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New Security Bulletin Says Domestic Extremists Most Likely Threat to Inauguration; U.S. Attorney: 275 Cases Opened in Capitol Siege Probe; Pentagon Authorizes 25K National Guard Members for Inauguration; Sources: Pelosi Expected to Send Impeachment Article to Senate Next Week; Biden Lays Out Plan to Jumpstart Vaccine Rollout; Source Says, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Expected to Send Impeachment Article to Senate Next Week. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired January 15, 2021 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:02]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: According to an internal bulletin obtained by CNN, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies are most concerned right now by the threat from domestic extremists specifically those who reject the legitimacy of the incoming Biden administration.

Also breaking, the U.S. attorney here in Washington, D.C. says his office has now opened at least 275 cases in the probe into last week's insurrection at the capitol.

For all the late breaking developments on the investigation into the Capitol attack, let's begin this hour with CNN's senior national security correspondent Alex Marquardt.

Alex, there are now hundreds of open cases. Update our viewers.

ALEXANDER MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: And new cases, Wolf.

That number of arrests and charges soaring by the day. Hundreds of people charged in connection with the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th. Now, U.S. investigators are expected to have open over 300 cases by the end of today. Now, that's according to the acting U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C. who also says there are more and more examples of law enforcement officers both former and current who took part in the rioting on January 6th.

Now, these investigations are ramping up as Washington looks increasingly like a war zone ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration. Wolf, we should warn viewers some of what you're about to see in this piece they may find disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT (voice-over): The American capitol now a fortress, unprecedented scenes as Washington and the country brace for more violence around Joe Biden's inauguration. MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM WALKER, DC NATIONAL GUARD COMMANDING GENERAL: People

should be aware that we have a new national security environment we're operating in.

MARQUARDT: A new bulletin from the country's main security agencies warning domestic extremists who believe the election was stolen from Donald Trump are the main threats. Today, D.C.'s mayor, police, Secret Service and others trying to reassure a nervous country the inauguration will go well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's all hands-on deck for our entire agency.

MARQUARDT: New 12-foot fencing with concrete bases around the Capitol complex, the national mall officially closed until after the inauguration. Threats are being monitored across the country. At least a dozen states have activated the National Guard to secure their capitols.

MATT MILLER, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, USSS WASHINGTON FIELD OFFICE: We have so many assets inside the quarter Capitol area that there's the potential for people to go elsewhere whether it's back to their state capitols or to other parts of the city.

MARQUARDT: Few specific threats the FBI says, but lots of worrying chatter.

CHRISTOPHER WRAY, FBI DIRECTOR: We are seeing an extensive amount of concerning online chatter.

MARQUARDT: Now, nine days after the storming of the Capitol building, we're learning how much worse things could have been. A terrifying new revelation. "The Washington Post" reporting that Vice President Mike Pence was even closer to the rioters than previously known.

"The Post" reporting that as this heroic officer led rioters away from the Senate chamber, Pence and his family were less than 100 feet away, in another room reportedly staying out of the view of the mob by mere seconds. D.C. police officers are now describing their terrifying ordeals to CNN.

OFFICER MICHAEL FANONE, DC METROPOLITAN POLICE: I was beaten from like every direction and then tased a number of times on the back of my neck. And then some guy started getting ahold of my gun, and they were screaming out, you know, kill him with his own gun.

MARQUARDT: Officer Daniel Hodges was brutally crushed in a doorway as rioters charged in.

OFFICER DANIEL HODGES, DC METROPOLITAN POLICE: There was a guy ripping my mask off, and he was able to rip away my baton and beat me with it. He was practically foaming at the mouth.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT (voice-over): Just horrifying stories from those police officers. We are also learning just now there may be even more National Guard on

the streets of Washington, D.C. for the inauguration of Joe Biden. The Pentagon authorizing up to 25,000 to be on the streets of Washington. That's 4,000 more troops than had previously been authorized by the Pentagon. They're coming from every state, every territory and the District of Columbia.

Wolf, it does bear repeating for comparison's sake this is more than four times the total U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria combined -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, originally, they said 5,000 then 10,000, 20,000, now 25,000 U.S. troops, National Guard troops on the ground here in Washington. And between now and next Wednesday, that number could still go up.

Alex, thank you very, very much.

Let's get an update on Capitol Hill from our congressional correspondent Phil Mattingly joining us right now.

The Speaker Nancy Pelosi expected to send the one article of impeachment against President Trump to the Senate next week. So, walk us through how quickly will things move after that?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, right now, the speaker is being mum on the specific day she'll send that article of impeachment over.

[18:05:01]

But make no mistake about it, House Democrats are preparing for a trial, both the managers and judiciary committee team that are going to make up the part of the legal apparatus. They are getting ready for that trial.

Now, one of the things you're going to pay attention to why the timeline matters so much is because it's going to take place when there's a new president in office. Joe Biden will be inaugurated before any trial will begin.

And, keep in mind, Wolf, if you remember back to early 2020 -- it seems like ten years ago now -- once a trial starts in the United States Senate at noon every single day except for Sunday, that is the only business the Senate can attend to.

So, what Joe Biden's team has been asking for is to bifurcate the process, allow for nominations, for legislation to be considered in the morning and then start the trial in the afternoon. That's still something under discussion. Republican and Democratic leaders are working on that right now, and that will largely dictate when Speaker Pelosi sends that article of impeachment over.

Another thing to keep an eye on, how long will the trial be. Wolf, in recent history the shortest impeachment trial was just shy of 25 days. That 25 days of the Biden team certainly don't want to spend using all that time in the Senate. So, will it be shorter? That may be up to House Democrats and those managers trying to figure out right now the case they want to present, whether or not they want to bring witnesses including Brad Raffensperger, the secretary of state from the state of Georgia, obviously, was on that phone call with President Trump, was mentioned in the article of impeachment.

All of these considerations at play right now with huge implications for the new administration of soon to be President Joe Biden.

BLITZER: Huge implications. Phil Mattingly up on Capitol Hill, thank you.

I want to go to our chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta right now for an update on President Trump.

Jim, the nation is on edge right now five days to go, but the president already looking ahead to a big send-off during his final moments in office.

What are you learning?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. President Trump remains in hiding this evening while Vice President Mike Pence continues to perform duties as some sort of de facto commander in chief tonight. He's called incoming Vice President Kamala Harris to congratulate her.

And as for the president, that's right, Wolf, CNN has learned Trump is expected to skip the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20th and instead hold his own grand departure ceremony that could include a military band, 21-gun salute and all promising to be a strange sight as he departs the scene.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (voice-over): Even as he carries the shameful stamp of being impeached twice, president Trump is planning to leave the White House with one last "dear leader" moment. On the morning before Joe Biden's inauguration, the White House is expected to stage a grand departure ceremony for Trump that may include a color guard, military band, 21- gun salute and red carpet.

Unlike his own inauguration when he was greeted by Barack and Michelle Obama, Trump won't do the same for the Bidens. After last week's bloody siege at the Capitol, Trump allies say it's probably better that way.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Maybe that's best now given the situation we're in, and it seems to me the president is ready to move on.

MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And may God continue to bless the United States of America.

ACOSTA: Vice President Mike Pence is expected to attend Biden's inauguration, another sign he's all but become the nation's acting commander in chief. On Thursday, he called his successor Kamala Harris to congratulate her after thanking National Guard members for protecting the capitol.

PENCE: Thank you all for stepping forward to serve your country.

ACOSTA: Pence was at the capitol and fled the rioters as some were trying to hunt him down.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants an investigation into whether some members of Congress aided the insurrectionists.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): If, in fact, it is found that members of Congress were accomplices to this insurrection, if they aided and abetted the crime, there may have to be actions taken beyond the Congress in terms of prosecution for that.

ACOSTA: That could include lawmakers like Republican Mo Brooks of Alabama.

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

ACOSTA: Questions have also been raised about White House involvement as well as top aides and members of the Trump family were on hand for the rally that sparked the violence.

DONALD TRUMP, JR., TRUMP ORGANIZATION: Mark Meadows, an actual fighter, one of the few.

ACOSTA: Before his own speech at that rally --

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore.

ACOSTA: -- CNN has learned the president was back in touch with his former strategist Steve Bannon discussing Trump's election conspiracy theories. Sources say Bannon who's facing federal fraud charges is seeking a pardon from Trump.

Back in November, Bannon called for administration officials to be executed.

STEVE BANNON, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF STRATEGIST: I'd put the heads on pikes, right? I'd put them at the two corners of the White House, as a warning to federal bureaucrats.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (on camera): Now, after Trump arrives in Palm Beach, Florida, on Biden's inauguration day, one thing the president will not be able to do is tweet.

[18:10:00]

A Twitter spokesperson says Trump will remain permanently suspended on that social media platform after he leaves office. And one of the things we want to call your attention, too, Wolf, we

got a little more information on this. We showed you this the last hour, one of the president's visitors today, Mike Lindell, the founder of MyPillow was seen over here at the White House, outside the West Wing, and Wolf, he was carrying these notes that we can show you some images of. The photographer at "The Washington Post" captured some images. We can show this to you.

Some of the wording in these notes carried by Mike Lindell are very strange, it's very strange, talking about marshal law and so on. It appears to be, Wolf, more fringe ideas that are coming into this West Wing being exposed to the president. The president even after everything that's happened the last several weeks and particularly on January 6th, the president continues to surround himself with people with these fringe ideas, false ideas and lies about the election and so on.

Mike Lindell, I reached out to him for a comment and did not offer a comment other than he wanted us to call him back. But a White House official did tell me, Wolf, that it is believed that the president and Lindell met, which is just an extraordinary commentary on who the president is surrounding himself with in these final days in office.

BLITZER: Certainly is. Truly, truly hard to believe. Extraordinary. Thank you very much for that.

Let's turn to our experts for some analysis. We're joined by CNN special correspondent Jamie Gangel, our chief political analyst Gloria Borger, and former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe.

Andrew, what, now 25,000 U.S. National Guard troops are expected to protect the nation's Capitol during next week's inauguration next Wednesday. We're watching as Washington D.C. effectively becomes a fortress.

What do these preparations reveal about the current threat level?

ANDREW MCCABE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, Wolf, let me give you a little bit of perspective from another inauguration. So, I was in charge of the FBI's security and intelligence and counter terrorism efforts for the -- for president Obama's first inauguration. It was a huge event. We had significant concerns about domestic terrorist activity, things of that nature.

And what you are seeing today is an order of magnitude beyond anything that's ever been done before. We maybe had a few hundred, maybe 1,000 National Guard troops helping us out with that inauguration. They've cleared 25,000 for this event.

So, you can understand that there's probably an effort to overcompensate for the deficiencies of the force they deployed a week ago during the riot. And no one is going to take a chance with this event that anything possible could happen. So, I think you're looking at an incredibly safe area but one that, unfortunately, bears all the hallmarks of a restricted military zone. It's essentially what this insurrection has turned the capitol into. BLITZER: These are live pictures. Let's not forget during the Obama

inauguration hundreds of thousands of people were on the Washington Mall. Now the Washington Mall has been completely shut down for security concerns. No one is going to be allowed out there.

You know, Gloria, as Washington is fortified due to these tensions stoked by the president himself, he's largely out of sight, remaining out of sight. He's hunkered down inside the White House.

If he's not running the country, what is he doing other than meeting with this guy from MyPillow?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: I was just going to say that, the MyPillow guy got in, and maybe the president is planning the 21-gun salute. I've been told by someone who considers himself a friend of Donald Trump's that he's even stopped trying to get through to him because the president doesn't want to speak with anyone who doesn't think that the election was stolen.

You saw that our White House team reported yesterday that when even the talk of resigning was mentioned he blew up. So he certainly doesn't want to talk about that. People are getting ready for their next jobs if they can find them. They're moving out, and the president is there alone cordoning himself off, probably drawing a list of his enemies, and trying to figure out how to finance the next part of his life.

BLITZER: You know, Jamie, you have some chilling -- very chilling new details about members of Congress who are now fearing for their lives in the wake of last week's violence. Tell us what you're learning.

JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: So, Wolf, what we've been told by members and these are both Republicans and Democrats that as time has gone on since January 6th, they are more traumatized, and they really do -- they're telling the leadership on both sides that they fear for their lives. They fear for their lives of their families.

[18:15:02]

We know these magnetometers have been setup on the House floor. One Republican said to me this is not just about Democrats being scared of Republican members. It's Republicans who are scared of Republican members.

Just think about that for a moment. Members of Congress are worried that another member of Congress might do something to hurt them. And we've also been told that several members have reached out to private security agencies to hire their own private security. One member said to me that his biggest sort of sadness about all of this is he thinks he's going to feel this way after inauguration day. He said this is the new reality, Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, under normal circumstances, an inauguration is supposed to be a historic, fun, exciting time even for the losing side. The country gets together, a peaceful transfer of power, and clearly that's not happening this time.

Andrew, the U.S. attorney here in Washington says his office has now opened at least 275 cases. How many cases could be opened in this investigation when all is said and done? What do you think?

MCCABE: Oh, it's limitless, Wolf. They will open a case for every person they think they need to identify. The opening of the investigation gives the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office the authority to take the investigative steps that they need to take to identify, locate and arrest people. That number of open cases will always be greater than the number of people charged until we reach the very end of this.

But, Wolf, I've been talking to people at the FBI, and it's hard to describe the massive scope of this endeavor. They've got agents working 24/7 in all 56 field offices, command posts running all night long. And this is not going to stop for quite some time. The work that needs to be done once somebody has actually been charged and arrested multiplies from there in terms of what needs to be corroborated and preparing evidence for a potential trial.

So they have a lot of work on their hands for literally could be years that this is playing out.

BLITZER: Yes, this is an enormous security operation. Not just 25,000 national guard troops and maybe even more but at least 10,000, maybe 15,000 police, Secret Service, other law enforcement on the ground as well.

You know, Gloria, in years past preparations for the inauguration would include a jumbotron being setup, so a supportive crowd, thousands of people on the Washington mall could catch a glimpse of the new president being sworn in. Now, barbed wire fencing is being assembled instead. The contrast to those of us who have covered inaugurations is so jarring.

BORGER: Well, it doesn't seem celebratory and, of course, because of COVID, it would have been small anyway. But now in looking at the pictures you're showing there, you can see what a fortress Washington, D.C. has become.

And there is no way to escape it. And on every street corner everywhere you go, and the pictures are so disheartening because this should be a celebration of democracy. You know, doesn't matter whether you were for Joe Biden or weren't for Joe Biden. We always celebrate the peaceful transfer of power in this country. It is what democracy is.

And this time we seem to be afraid of it. We seem to be saying we have to be really careful here because something we took for granted, we can no longer take for granted. And to me, that's really sad.

BLITZER: So sad indeed. All right, everybody, thank you very, very much. We're still following more breaking news here in THE SITUATION ROOM. With more on the Pentagon now authorizing 25,000 National Guard troops, heavily armed to help secure the inauguration from extremist threats.

Plus, there's breaking pandemic news. President-elect Biden just announcing his plan to speed up coronavirus vaccinations and keep his promise of 100 million shots in the first 100 days.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:22:42]

BLITZER: We're following breaking news. The Pentagon now boosting the number of National Guard troops fortifying the nation's Capitol to 25,000, just five days before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

Let's discuss this and more with the attorney general of Washington, D.C., Karl Racine.

Attorney General, thank you so much for joining us. Thanks for everything you're doing.

As you know this city, Washington, D.C. is clearly on high alert right now.

Will this be enough to avoid anything like we saw last week?

KARL RACINE, WASHINGTON, DC ATTORNEY GENERAL: I think it will be enough to avoid the events that we saw last week, an unprecedented insurrection, thousands of trained and clearly well-planned individuals wreaking havoc and violence on the Capitol.

I do want to take a second to say that the metropolitan police department here, Wolf, and you love D.C., they performed exceedingly well. They not only protected D.C. residents, they went into the fire of the Capitol and cleared the Capitol out.

And you saw several officers were being pummeled, and they fought not only for their own lives but also for our democracy.

There is good in this, and we see it in our local police force, and we're going to get through this together.

BLITZER: I applaud the Metropolitan Police force. They really did an amazing job going in there, and these police officers risking their own lives to try and protect and help so many others.

As you know, Attorney General, CNN has learned that the House actually banned tours the day of the riot -- the day of the riot after some members expressed deep concern over these large groups of pro-Trump supporters being shown around the building, presumably doing reconnaissance.

How are you sorting through the various allegations and this is hard to believe that members of Congress may have wittingly or unwittingly aided these insurgents?

RACINE: I think former Deputy Director McCabe said it best that a lot of investigation has to occur both from the federal prosecutors, the FBI, our office, the office of the attorney general is investigating the matter, and clearly Congress has to have significant oversight hearings, something like 911.

[18:25:02]

After all, our democracy was at risk, probably at its most fragile time since 1812. Those events should not have happened, and we need a full accounting as to all lapses and all intentional conduct that could have compromised our democracy.

BLITZER: I agree. There's got to be a commission of inquiry along the 9/11 Commission to come -- to learn from what happened and make sure it never, ever happens again. You got a lot of work going on.

Karl Racine, thank you so much for everything you're doing, the D.C. attorney general.

RACINE: Thank you.

BLITZER: Thanks so much for joining us. Good luck.

RACINE: Thank you.

BLITZER: Just ahead, as the coronavirus pandemic worsens amid a painfully slow vaccine rollout, President-elect Biden is vowing to jumpstart the effort. We're going to have details on his new plan.

And Biden is also slamming Republicans for not wearing masks and promising he will set a better example.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Breaking news, President-elect Biden is offering new details about his strategy to jumpstart the sluggish rollout of the coronavirus vaccine here in the United States.

CNN's MJ Lee is following the Biden transition force. MJ, so what can you tell us about this new just announced Biden plan?

MJ LEE, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, yesterday, we saw President-elect Joe Biden introduce his COVID relief package to the tune of $1.9 trillion. And today, we really saw him talk about how he plans on vaccinating the majority of the country against COVID-19 and how he is going to meet his ambitious goal of 100 million vaccine shots in his first 100 days in office.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT: Things will get worse before they get better.

LEE (voice-over): Tonight, President-elect Joe Biden addressing the spiraling COVID pandemic for the second day in a row, this time, taking on one of his most daunting challenges as future president, quickly vaccinating the country. BIDEN: Look, our plan is as clear as it is bold. Get more people vaccinated for free. Create more places for them to get vaccinated. Mobilize more medical teams to get the shots in people's arms.

LEE: Biden promising to streamline the vaccination process with the federal government much more involved, by establishing national vaccination centers, leaning on FEMA and the National Guard and launching a nationwide public education campaign, the president-elect also vowing to significantly speed up both the pace of vaccine production and getting shots into Americans' arms.

BIDEN: We're going to use the full strength of the federal government to ramp up supply of the vaccines. As I said before, we'll use the Defense Production Act to work with private industry to accelerate the making of materials needed to supply and administer the vaccine.

LEE: Biden also calling out some Republican members of Congress for refusing to wear masks last week during the lockdown after rioters stormed the halls of Congress.

BIDEN: It was shocking to see members of the Congress while the Capitol's under siege by a deadly mob of thugs refusing to wear masks while they're in secure locations.

What the hell is the matter with you? It's time to grow up.

LEE: Biden on Friday also naming Dr. David Kessler, the former head of the FDA, to help lead his federal vaccine efforts. The new administration also getting rid of the name of the program launched under President Trump to quickly develop COVID vaccines, Operation Warp Speed. All of this, an attempt to take a starkly different approach from the outgoing Trump administration.

BIDEN: The vaccine rollout in the United States has been a dismal failure thus far.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEE (on camera): And just to give you a sense of the somber mood of the Biden COVID team, I spoke with Jeff Zients yesterday. He is the COVID coordinator for Biden. He said what they are inheriting from the Trump administration is worse than what they could have ever imagined. He also said there is currently no infrastructure in place for vaccine distribution. He didn't say it needed to be improved upon, he didn't say it was bad. He said there was nothing in place and they would have to build everything from scratch starting on day one. Wolf?

BLITZER: Well, there was no national plan, and it's hard to believe that this is such a total, total failure. Thanks very much, MJ, for that report.

I want to bring in CNN's Abby Phillip for a preview of a brand-new CNN special report airing this Sunday night at 10:00 P.M. It's called Kamala Harris, Making History. Thanks for joining us.

As you know, the outgoing vice president, Mike Pence, he finally, finally, with only five days left in the Trump administration, finally called the vice president-elect, Kamala Harris, to congratulate her, promised to work together during these final few days. The fact that this is news shows just how unprecedented all of this transition really is, doesn't it?

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It's really like nothing we have seen before in a very, very long time. And, yes, with just five days remaining before he is no longer in office, the vice president, Mike Pence, is doing something that most vice presidents would have done shortly after the election was called by news organizations. Not even the point at which it was certified. So, it really goes to show that so much of this is happening so late.

And what usually happens in this interim period, which is hand-off both in public but also in private, passing along of information, none of that really ever happened. And so, both the president-elect and the vice president-elect are going into these jobs without having had the benefit of having had a sit down and talking to at length with their predecessors.

[18:35:10]

BLITZER: Yes, President Trump has refused to call President-elect Biden to congratulate him, to invite him over to the White House, even talk to him. I don't remember a time when that has happened.

Let me share with our viewers, you know, a little preview of your special report that really shows the vice president-elect's perseverance. I want our viewers to watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIP (voice-over): After the financial crash in 2008, states sued these banks for foreclosure abuses. California was among the hardest hit with banks filing for closures on over 1 million homes. That's when Harris pulled up her chair to the table.

BRIAN NELSON, FORMER CALIFORNIA SPECIAL ASSISTANT A.G.: We're in the negotiations. She's talking to the banks. We're flying around the country, partnering with other A.G.s.

SEN. CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO (D-NV): There's leverage right in that force of all the states coming together to take on some of the banks and Wall Street.

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: I determined that what the banks were offering California was crumbs on the table, so I pulled California out of the negotiations.

PHILLIP: Standing in the trenches with Harris, Delaware's attorney general, Beau Biden.

HARRIS: His state hadn't been as hard hit as many around the foreclosures but Beau, in a matter of principle, said it's not right and I'm going to stand with you guys. It was incredible how much heat we took, and Beau stood there. Beau stood there. PHILLIP: The standoff paid off.

HARRIS: As a result of 13 months of intense discussions, sometimes battle. We have delivered to California $18 billion in relief for California's homeowners.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: So, excellent little clip there, Abby. What does this say about how she'll approach being the next vice president of the United States?

PHILLIP: Well, this was one of the more bold decisions that she made that really put her kind of in a category of her own basically standing up to the banks and walking away from a deal that she didn't think was good enough for her constituents back in California. But it's also a story that shows that at this pivotal time for her, she was attorney general at the time, she was willing to kind of put herself out there, stand up to really powerful banks and do so basically all alone but also then building a coalition around her.

In that coalition, Wolf, was Beau Biden, President-elect Joe Biden's son. And it is that relationship that is at the core and foundation of this incoming administration. That is when she met Joe Biden, when she developed a personal relationship with him. And people that I spoke to for this documentary say that that undergirds what they are going to be doing when they are running the country together effectively. They're going to have a friendship, a personal trust with each other.

And then beyond that, you know, Kamala Harris is someone who has always walked into the room as a black woman, a South Asian woman and been kind of not really necessarily respected by people that she's been dealing with and she's commanded that respect even though many people are not used to dealing with people who look like her. And I think that's something that when you talk to people around her, she has always been willing to do in a lot of these roles where she's been the first to be what she is and where she's had to break a lot of barriers to get there.

BLITZER: Looking forward to seeing the documentary. Abby, thank you very, very for doing it. Once again, the CNN special report, Kamala Harris, Making History, airs 10:00 P.M. Eastern this Sunday night right after our special edition of The Situation Room.

And there's more breaking news just ahead. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expected to send the article of impeachment against President Trump to the Senate next week. We're going to talk about it with one of the key House impeachment managers, Congressman Joe Neguse. There you see him. He's standing by live. We'll discuss.

Plus, there's breaking pandemic news, a very important warning from the CDC today about the coronavirus variant that's now spreading across the United States, information you need to know.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:00]

BLITZER: We're following multiple breaking stories, including Washington, D.C., right now on high alert with just five days to go until President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.

We're also learning more about when the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, is expected to send the impeachment article to the U.S. Senate.

Joining us now Congressman Joe Neguse, the impeachment manager for the upcoming Senate trial of President Trump. Thanks so much, Congressman, for joining us.

A source tells CNN the House speaker plans to actually deliver that one article of impeachment to the Senate next week. Do you know if that will happen before Biden's inauguration on January 20th or after his inauguration?

REP. JOE NEGUSE (D-CO): Good to be with you, Wolf. I do not. Ultimately, that will be a decision that the speaker will make, and I certainly trust her judgment in that regard. Of course, many of us hoped that the Senate would return to Washington so that we could take up this very urgent matter.

But make no mistake, we'll certainly be prepared to try this case and to secure a conviction in the United States Senate once the trial commences.

[18:45:04]

And myself, my fellow managers, Lead Manager Raskin are working very hard to preparing the case, and we will be ready.

BLITZER: Last night, one of your fellow impeachment managers, Congressman Eric Swalwell, told me that when it comes to witnesses and evidence and I'm quoting him now, everything is on the table.

But he also said America and members of Congress witnessed this attack themselves.

So what does that mean? Does that mean you're not inclined to call witnesses?

NEGUSE: No, Wolf, I think what that means is we're not going to, of course, discuss a trial strategy with respect to witnesses and evidence, the scope of evidence, the length of the trial. All those matters will be determined by the impeachment management team, and again, Lead Manager Raskin playing a leading role of course in consultation with our very capable and talented team of lawyers who will be assisting.

So, what I will say is this and I certainly think my colleague Mr. Swalwell is correct in assessing that ultimately millions of Americans witnessed what happened on January 6th.

Every United States senator witnessed and experienced it. We witnessed it. I was on the floor of the House helping lead the certification of the Electoral College when the insurrection began and breached our Capitol, the first breach of its kind since literally the war of 1812.

So millions of Americans understand the scale and the need for the Congress to hold this president accountable and to march on this very solemn path that we have taken.

BLITZER: I know there are some real concerns that an impeachment trial potentially could overshadow President-elect Biden's first 100 days in office. The shortest previous impeachment trial in the Senate was 21 days.

Do you expect this trial to be even shorter?

Because once the Senate convenes at noon each day, that's the only thing all 100 members, they have to be on the floor of the Senate. That's the only thing they can do.

NEGUSE: Well, Wolf, I would say this. I will simply say that decisions as to the length of the trial as the other matters that we've discussed here this afternoon will be made based on the law and not on politics. This is matter of the highest constitutional order. It's important to remember how we got here that literally one week ago the president incited and summoned an armed insurrection that breached the Capitol and attempted to stop a peaceful transfer of power.

So, this is matter that we take very seriously. And the decisions as to how this trial will proceed will be made cognizant of the very weighty matters that the Congress and ultimately the United States Senate now will have to consider in terms of the trial itself.

BLITZER: This is history unfolding. He's the only president ever to have been impeached twice.

Congressman Joe Neguse, good luck to you, good luck to your fellow impeachment managers. We'll, of course, have special coverage once that trial begins.

Thanks so much for joining us. Stay safe out there.

NEGUSE: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Just ahead, we'll have the latest on the coronavirus pandemic as now more than 2 million people across the world, including more than 391,000 Americans over the past year alone have died from COVID.

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[18:52:55]

BLITZER: Breaking pandemic news unfolding tonight, the U.S. death toll has now topped 391,000 people, with more than 23.4 million confirmed cases. I want to bring back our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Once again, he's the author of a brand-new bestselling book already, entitled "Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age".

Sanjay, I want to get your thoughts on this new warning on the CDC. It says there is a new more contagious coronavirus variant that could become the dominant strain here in the United States, within a matter of weeks. The agency says, the U.S. needs to double down on mitigation, vaccination.

Are we equipped to fight this new strain?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the same sort of strategies to fight the existing strains I would need to be done. For the, strand except we need to be more diligent about it. When, first of all, the idea that it becomes a dominant strain, it's not that surprising. Whatever is the most contentious transmissible strain, will slowly crowd out the other strains. Just by virtue of how contagious it is.

Caitlin Rivers who is a senior scholar Johns Hopkins said, basically, the strength could double its proportion of cases every week. If it's 1 percent this, week 2 percent the next week, 4 percent, you get the idea. It can really grow quite quickly, Wolf.

But, the idea, the same things work, with masks, the physical distancing. Would you may have thought of as a safe interaction, I was foreign if away, we were not together that long. Interactions become less and less safe because the virus can spread that much more easily. It means we got a double down on the same things, Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, so scary, the president-elect, Joe Biden, just announced, Sanjay, his plan to speed up coronavirus vaccinations, do you anticipate this administration will succeed vaccinating hundred million Americans in the first 100 days of this presidency?

GUPTA: Wolf, I think so. If you look at the numbers, now we're just tracking those over the last couple of days. We have done about 2 million vaccines over 2 days. It's roughly averaging about 1 million per day, as things stand now.

[18:55:04]

I listen to president-elect's speech last night, and his comments again today. He's talking about all things of public health officials have been talking about for some time. Community centers, where people are -- actually administer these vaccines, one of the great limiting steps was enough health care workers, they are calling on commission corps -- Vice President-elect Biden talked about actually getting retired health care workers to perhaps help in this effort as well, $160 billion roughly, Wolf, towards this effort of increasing vaccinations.

BLITZER: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, as usual. Thank you so much for joining, us thanks for everything that you do really appreciate it.

We're going to have more news just ahead.

GUPTA: Thanks, Wolf.

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BLITZER: Finally, tonight, we share more stories of people who died from the coronavirus.

Juanita Chambless Lutes & George Lutes of Utah were 91 and 83 respectively. Married for 42 years, they met and work together at NASA's jet propulsion laboratory. Over her long career there, Juanita rose to become a top-level executive assistant. Her former boss says she earned the respect and love every when she worked with.

George had a passion for photography and was an expert in fiber optic communication. One of his inventions received an innovation of the 21st century award from NASA. They died just 5 days apart.

May they rest in peace and may their memories be a blessing.

Thanks very much for watching, I will be back tomorrow for a special four-hour edition of THE SITUATION ROOM starting at 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.