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New Day

Homeland Security Issues First Terror Bulletin for Domestic Extremists; GOP Embraces Trump and QAnon Conspiracy Theorists After Deadly Riot. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired January 28, 2021 - 06:00   ET

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

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is very, very serious. January 6 was just the beginning.

[06:00:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An ominous warning from the Department of Homeland Security. Anti-government, violent extremist groups could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I still think that our local police departments and state agencies are ill-equipped to deal with this type of threat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will be months before everyone who wants a vaccine will be able to get one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need multiples of times on what we're receiving.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We're much more concerned about the South African strain. We're already trying to stay one or two steps ahead of the game.

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

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY. It is Thursday, January 28, 6 a.m. here in New York. And we begin with the Department of Homeland Security's first-ever terror bulletin about domestic extremists.

DHS officials warning that more domestic terror attacks from Americans could come in the coming weeks. They are reportedly emboldened by this siege at the U.S. Capitol.

Federal officials say false narratives are fueling this threat. That's a clear reference to the lie that President Trump and his supporters said over and over, trying to deny that Trump lost the election.

The FBI is still searching for this unidentified person who placed two bombs outside of the headquarters of the RNC and the DNC on January 6, the day of the siege. One agent tells CNN that person, quote, "could potentially be building more bombs right now."

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: So this threat of violence comes as the Republican Party rewards a lawmaker who repeatedly indicated support for executing Democrats.

Marjorie Taylor Greene also endorsed the idea that the Parkland massacre was a false flag operation. In other words, a fake.

She's here on video harassing one of the survivors of that massacre, David Hogg.

So how does Republican leadership treat a person with these views? It gives her a plum committee assignment. The Education Committee, no less.

Republican Adam Kinzinger, outraged by Greene, says she is not, in fact, a Republican. What is his reaction to her committee assignment? He joins us shortly, as will Parkland survivor David Hogg.

First, though, the threat to all of our safety, the physical threat posed in part by the lies.

CNN's Whitney Wild in Washington. The first ever bulletin from homeland security about domestic terrorists. Whitney, this is history.

WHITNEY WILD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's extremely frightening, as well. It has been three weeks since this heightened political tension morphed into a riot on Capitol Hill and John, what this bulletin tells us: in that amount of time, the threat has only continued.

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WILD (voice-over): Three weeks after the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the Department of Homeland Security sending a warning, saying there could be more politically-motivated violence on the way.

A threat bulletin cautioning some domestic extremists may be emboldened by the January 6 storming of the Capitol building to target elected officials and government facilities.

ANDREW MCCABE, FORMER FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR: What they're acknowledging here is there is a groundswell of support for these domestic violent movements that used to be really just fringe operators; you know, far- right extremist groups, white supremacy groups.

WILD: Homeland Security did not cite a specific threat, but says there's a heightened threat environment across the United States for the weeks following President Joe Biden's inauguration.

DHS warning there could be future attacks from extremists who oppose the presidential transition, hold anti-government views, or "other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives."

CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: We need to think about not only protecting the Capitol, but you know, the more you harden one target, the more you make another appear one soft. We need to look at these state capitals and elected officials, the impeachment managers. I mean, it just goes on and on and on.

WILD: On Capitol Hill, concern growing for the safety of lawmakers. Multiple sources telling CNN some members of Congress have now been provided extra security when traveling between Washington, D.C., and their home states. This because of intelligence based on social media chatter after the January 6 insurrection, a law enforcement source says.

The investigation is ongoing into the Capitol riot mob, with at least 150 people already charged by federal prosecutors. And they are still looking into who left two pipe bombs blocks from the Capitol.

Meantime, in California, the FBI arresting Trump supporter Ian Benjamin Rogers, charging him with "unlawful possession of unregistered destructive devices" after finding five pipe bombs, 49 firearms, and materials that could be used to make explosive devices on his property.

And texts appearing to show him discussing attacking Democrats. One message allegedly saying, "I hope 45 goes to war. If he doesn't, I will."

With ongoing risks of violence nationwide, security experts say it's essential for everyone to stay alert.

CHUCK MARINO, FORMER DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISOR: Because the country, in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security, we need to be prepared for all threats against -- across a multitude of venues in this country.

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WILD: Ian Rogers's attorney told CNN he hadn't seen any -- any evidence to back up the government's claims and says that his client was not at the riot -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Whitney, thank you very much for all of that reporting.

Joining us now, we have CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem. She's a former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security. And CNN national security commentator and former Republican congressman, Mike Rogers. He's the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Great to have both of you.

Juliette, I want to read this DHS bulletin, again, because I just want your thoughts on the language here. It's so specific in some ways.

It says, "Information suggests that some ideologically-motivated violent extremists with objections to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives, could continue to mobilize or incite or commit violence."

What do you think of that language?

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: So as both someone who received these as a state homeland security adviser and then someone who helped draft them, I've never seen language like this in what we call the sort of state and local bulletin.

It's to go out to first responders; and the states and localities and get them prepared. It's to warn the public of a potential threat.

And I think what's important is it basically talks about the false narrative, the big lie, the sort of belief that President Biden isn't the legitimate president.

But you have to couple that with what's going on with the impeachment hearing and what we're seeing with Republicans sort of -- with their sort of move on theory, right? We just need to move on.

Those two things combined are emboldening and empowering this movement of right-wing extremists, white supremacy extremists. They view the Capitol siege as a success. And what we're seeing online right now is not only, "We'll be back," right, but also, they're going to lay low for a little bit. They know they're being watched.

And so this bulletin is to warn the public and first responders, this thing is not going away. They're emboldened by both the false narrative and the fact Republicans seem so willing to walk away from, essentially, an insurrection.

BERMAN: You know, Juliette, to your point, let me just quickly read what Mitt Romney said about that whole "move on" idea. He asked of his fellow Republicans, "First of all, have you gone out publicly and said that there was not widespread voter fraud and that Joe Biden is the legitimate president of the United States? That's really what's at the source of the anger right now."

He's basically pointing the finger at his fellow Republicans, saying, You are allowing this to happen. You are fueling this.

Mr. Chairman, to you, as I look at this. And this is history-making. I mean, this is the first time that DHS has issued this type of bulletin for domestic terror fears. But one of the legitimate questions this morning, Mike, is what took so long?

MIKE ROGERS, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY COMMENTATOR: Well, I think what you're seeing here is a group of kind of desperate -- they're really not cohesive. If you look at the FBI director's testimony back in September of 2020 about the global threats to the United States, he spent a lot of time talking about domestic threats; and he identified these groups as they're -- it's more of an ideology. It's not really a group. It's not really organized.

And I think what you saw happen with the event, the attack on the Capitol, was some of this gelled. And so they -- some of these people went from aspirational, and they've been around for a while, to now they think they can actually effect some change by doing something.

And that's why folks are building pipe bombs, collecting firearms, doing all the things that worry law enforcement. Certainly worries me.

And I do think that the Republicans have a responsibility to come out and say, Hey, election's done; the president is Joe Biden. Let's get on with the important work of governing a nation that has -- you know, obviously, we've got some challenges we're going to have to get through.

CAMEROTA: Juliette, just help me understand the mindset. Why do they think that the Capitol insurrection was a success when they didn't hang Mike Pence --

KAYYEM: Right.

CAMEROTA: -- as they said they wanted to, over and over? They didn't execute lawmakers, thank god, like they said they wanted to. And 150 of them have now been arrested. So how -- how does that register as a success?

KAYYEM: Because they -- basically, what they're saying online is the ease in which they penetrated the Capitol, with the support of the -- of the president -- then president of the United States, Donald Trump.

And so they perceive that, even -- even you know, despite the arrests, despite the fact they didn't maybe get key targets, they view that as a sort of test run. Right?

In other words, they tested the security system. It did not survive, essentially. And so that's what DHS is worried about, is will they view that as a test run?

[06:10:00]

And meanwhile, the Republicans are saying, Let's move on, not a big deal.

That seems to them as an apology or sort of a runway for the next thing. And that's what you're -- you're essentially reading in the DHS bulletin is, this wasn't over. They don't view this as a failure. They view this as, Wow, we tried, we got through; doesn't seem so bad. A couple of people got arrested. And let's continue with this -- with that mission that is essentially embraced by, you know, FOX News and Trump down in Florida and essentially, you know, some major senators.

BERMAN: Chairman, we know that some members of Congress have increased their security or have had their security increased, particularly as they travel back and forth to their districts. How concerned would you be?

ROGERS: Well, this is not the first time we've had members around the country who have higher exposure to some kind of violence. But this is a little bit different, because this -- again, these were groups -- by the way, they weren't Republicans before Trump. They really weren't Republicans during Trump. These are anarchists. These are white supremacists. These really aren't Republicans. They've latched onto this thing based on all their fears and their conspiracies, and now feel like they have a platform. That's what's dangerous about this. Before -- and by the way, I represented Michigan. We have the Michigan

militia. We've had all of these issues. So I've bumped into these kinds of groups and people before, but they never really had a platform. They always looked at these fringe groups. This is what's dangerous.

And so seeing what happened at the Capitol, what they reason, they believe that's successful is because, I think they planned why, I don't think they really believed they were going to do any of those things. Hang the vice president. But they were able to breach security in a way that even surprised themselves.

And so what they thought is, Hey, let's re-evaluate this. We can have impact by spreading this violence around the country.

That's why you see law enforcement and national security folks so concerned about their activities. The raid to get the pipe bombs out of the guy's house, really dangerous stuff.

And -- and again, these folks are worked up. They're frothing at the mouth. They see success. They think that they're -- now they have a platform. People are listening to them. Before people wouldn't listen to them. This is -- it's kind of that brewing recipe for disaster. That's why people are concerned.

KAYYEM: Can I just --

CAMEROTA: Yes. Quickly, Juliette.

KAYYEM: Just quickly, just on the "Who are these people?" That's why it's so incumbent on the Republican Party to expel these, you know, nonpartisan, or whoever they are, elements that are now aligned with the party. This can't be done alone by the Democrats.

And that's why people like Romney's voice is so important. We've got to expel this cancer from the party, this violence, and then have legitimate debate. And the failure of many Republicans to do so is going to be viewed as a success.

CAMEROTA: Well, they're not expelling them; they're promoting them.

KAYYEM: Yes.

CAMEROTA: So we will get into that and what is going on with the Republicans on Capitol Hill on this.

Juliette, thank you very much.

Chairman, thank you.

If you thought the deadly violence at the Capitol would prompt a reckoning within the Republican Party like Juliette was just saying, you are wrong this morning. GOP leadership is embracing former President Trump and promoting conspiracy theorists. We'll explain.

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BERMAN: This morning, the first-ever security bulletin warning Americans of the threat of domestic terror groups, groups inspired, says the bulletin, by the big lie that there was widespread fraud in the election. There was not. This lie spread initially and most strongly by the former president.

So what is Republican leadership in Congress doing about this? Today, Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, is going to meet with the man behind the big lie, the former president himself.

Back now with Mike Rogers. Also joining us, CNN political analyst Rachael Bade. She is the co-author of "The Politico Playbook."

Kevin McCarthy going to Florida. He's there already. Going to Mar-a- Lago to meet with the former president. This in the very same time period as DHS is now warning of domestic terror inspired by the former president's big lie. What's McCarthy doing here, Rachael?

RACHAEL BADE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: My understanding on this -- and I was able to talk to some folks yesterday who have sort of internal thinking on what he is thinking -- this isn't going to be McCarthy going down to Florida to warn Trump, to tell him to sort of back off, to ask him to go away.

This is McCarthy going to Florida to very much try to make amends with the president after they've had this sort of up and down soap opera- type relationship since January 6, where McCarthy was trying to say, you know, he was part of the problem for the insurrection. And then Trump got mad, called him a vulgarity. McCarthy didn't like that, because it hurt him potentially with the Republican base.

My understanding is, basically, McCarthy is going down there to kiss the ring, I guess you could say.

And we're hearing from Trump world folks that there is actually excitement about this, because some people close to the president view this as further proof that there will be some sort of comeback for Trump in terms of the Republican Party, in terms of running again, him being a kingmaker.

But the fact that you have the highest-ranking House Republican going to Florida to sort of ease things over, after he's had a tough couple of weeks with the president [SIC], or former president, is further proof to them that Trump is still in charge.

And remember, McCarthy wants to be speaker some day. That's sort of been his life-long dream. He's tried to do it before. He's going to try and do it again in 2022. This is, again, further proof that Trump isn't going anywhere, because he feels that he's got to go down there if he has any shot of being speaker some day, and he's going to pay homage.

CAMEROTA: Chairman Rogers, here's what's confusing. Donald Trump lost. He lost the Georgia -- the state of Georgia for Republicans, thereby losing the Senate. He is a one-term president, failed by any definition in terms of amount of American lives lost on his watch. He, earlier, lost the House.

Why are Republicans so desperate to stay in the good graces of that person?

ROGERS: A bit of a head scratcher for me. As a matter of fact, he's just starting to fade away. This would be the perfect opportunity to let that happen.

I think it's a little bit like the Arab saying, Alisyn, he who rides the tiger is afraid to dismount for fear of being eaten. And so I think what you're seeing is a lot of people played to the -- kind of the worst elements of what Trumpism was and now are afraid to try to unwind themselves from it.

[06:20:10]

This is a really important time for the Republican Party. I think that a lot of good things happened in the election. A lot of Republicans rejected Trump but voted for Republican principles and policies all over the country. That's why the House got closer. It wasn't because of Trump. It was in spite of Trump. And so I think now is the time for the party to kind of shake itself off of this and get a handle on it.

The problem is, you have so many who did invest themselves in -- in that kind of that meanspirited political vibe that Trump loved so much to espouse. And I think they got elected. And they think that's why they're there. And I think this is going to be an interesting time.

I really don't think he should go down there, until he's going to tell the president, You need to come out, be strong. You need to do this for the country, not you, but the country and tell the folks out there, Listen, everybody, calm down. Biden is the president. We're going to heal -- heal the nation, come together, do some good things for working people around the country and move -- and kind of move forward.

That's what needs to happen. I'm a little worried that -- that if he goes down there to lick his boot, I think this is a bad day for Republicans.

BERMAN: That's exactly what Rachael Bade is reporting he's doing. He's not getting off the tiger; he's petting tiger. I mean, he's coddling the tiger. That's what Kevin McCarthy is doing.

And I have to say, Rachael, this is a piece of what we've seen over the last few days. I mean, this as Denver Riggleman told me yesterday, this is not an aberration. This is what the Republican Party has decided over the last week.

Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is a representative from Georgia, K-File reported that they've gone through her social media posts, and he repeatedly expressed support for executing Democrats.

How does House leadership respond? She gets a committee assignment, Education, no less. This is after calling Parkland a false flag operation and harassing David Hogg. She gets the Education Committee assignment.

This is not an aberration. This is a choice at this point. Whatever battle people may have thought was going on in the Republican Party, isn't that battle now officially over?

BADE: Yes. I mean, the Marjorie Taylor Greene thing is -- it's something we all saw -- we have seen this coming for a long time. I mean, there was reporting over the spring when she won her primary that there was a group of House Republicans, led by Steve Scalise, who is Kevin McCarthy's No. 2, pretty conservative himself. They did not want her coming to Washington and sort of recognized her as a threat.

And I'm sorry, I should say before she won her primary. They did try to get involved.

And they wanted Kevin McCarthy to get involved, because they knew he could raise a lot of money. He had a lot of influence with the president. And they, you know, implored him, make sure this woman doesn't run and doesn't win, because she's going to be a problem for us in Washington.

But McCarthy didn't listen. And the reason he didn't listen is because Trump likes Marjorie Taylor Greene. The president at the time saw her as a very adamant supporter. And so he sort of turned the blind eye.

She won the primary. And then she won the general election. And the Republicans are going to have to answer for all these comments she has made over and over again. This is not the last story. We will see more of these sorts of reports, I'm certain, in the coming weeks and months and years.

And McCarthy is going to be asked about them, and you know, what is he going to do? I think we're getting pretty good insight today or yesterday. He's saying he's going to talk to her, but she's still getting committee assignments.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

BADE: This is just going to be a really terrible situation for Republicans when they should be on the record, very much condemning these sorts of comments. And yet we're seeing them sort of place her on a committee. And it's -- it's very clearly problematic.

CAMEROTA: Chairman, we only have a few seconds. The Republican Party thinks they have a Liz Cheney problem. They don't think they have a Marjorie Taylor Greene problem. They're going to try to box in Liz Cheney. Just your thoughts?

ROGERS: Listen, you -- you don't get ahead by subtraction. You don't go after members who vote -- took a vote on conscience. This is kind of a new era.

She -- the congressman from Georgia is a problem. I don't believe she's a Republican. She felt -- like she came out of the shadows and jumped into that primary.

Republicans need to be really careful about this. They should censure her when she does bad things. We should be the arbitrator of making sure that folks with these kind of views don't get a free pass.

Now, the people voted for her and sent her to Congress. That means something. You can't -- you should not take that away from the people who voted for her. But her behavior now becomes a Republican issue, and we should be on top of this.

And every time she does something as crazy as this and supports QAnon and these other kind of radical conspiracy theorist groups, we need to be on top of it. And remind people, this is not who Republicans are.

[06:25:13]

And I think this is going to be a hard time for us. Again, that tiger is rearing its ugly head. We're going to have to be thoughtful.

And there's so much that the Republicans can do for the United States and people who get up every day and go to work. That should be our focus. We shouldn't be flying to members' districts and campaigning against them because they took a conscience vote.

I mean, this -- we've got to shake ourselves out of it, and we better do it soon; or Americans are going to turn around and walk away from us.

I've seen some of the party registration switches for Republicans after -- after the attack on the Capitol, and that means we have work to do, a lot of work to do, to tell people who real Republicans are.

So I'm encouraged. My wife says it's a genetic defect, that I'm an eternal optimist, but I believe that the principles of the Republican Party are really important for the country. And we're going to have to work through this, and it's going to be a bumpy ride.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

BERMAN: Chairman, Rachael, thank you very much.

We're going to speak a little bit later with Parkland survivor David Hogg about his experience with Marjorie Taylor Greene. She harassed him. She was chasing him. Also about her denial of the Parkland massacre.

We're also going to speak with Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, who has been critical of Greene. He has also said he's not sure that, when all is said and done, he will have a place in the Republican Party.

So as officials across the country struggle -- they struggle to get Americans vaccinated, West Virginia is doing a terrific job getting people vaccinated. How have they been successful?

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