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Veterans among Those Accused in Siege; Kinzinger Starts PAC; Florida's Vaccine Rollout Frustrates Residents. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired February 01, 2021 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Court documents show Hartriter (ph) posted this on SnapChat, we're in. Two people killed already. We need all patriots of this country to rally the f up and fight for our freedom or it's gone forever.

They are both charged with conspiracy and assault with a deadly weapon on a federal office.

Former FBI Agent Michael German, who spent years under cover in domestic extremist groups, says he's not surprised so many of the rioters are former military. There are many possible reasons for their actions, but one stands out.

MICHAEL GERMAN, BRENNAN CENTER FELLOW AND FORMER FBI AGENT: What we've seen too often is that this kind of ideological militancy is allowed to exist in the military and there isn't enough effort to root it out and to actually paint it as a -- what it is, an anti-democratic movement and it's a threat to our security within our security forces.

SIDNER: That includes an Army veteran who was awarded a purple heart. According to court documents, Joshua Lollar is caught on police body camera video wearing a gas mask at the Capitol, saying, yep, I'm good, just got gassed and fought with cops. That I never thought would happen.

Lollar was released on bond to his home. His father briefly talked to us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't tell you.

SIDNER (on camera): Do you know him? Are you his dad or --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

SIDNER: You are.

Is there anything you want to say just on his behalf?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

SIDNER (voice over): We also went to this accused Texas veteran's home. He is out on bond, too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please leave your message for --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Larry Brock.

SIDNER: Air Force Veteran Larry Brock is seen dressed for comment inside the Senate chamber holding zip ties. Brock is the guy in the green helmet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I agree with you, brother, but it's not ours. It belongs to the vice president of the United States.

SIDNER: Authorities say he may have intended to use those to restrain individuals who he saw as enemies, presumably lawmakers. Something Brock denied to "The New Yorker."

One thousand miles away in Woodstock, Ohio, two more military veterans face some of the most serious charges yet in the insurrection, including conspiracy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Overran the Capitol.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're in the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) Capitol, bro.

SIDNER: That's Army Veteran Jessica Watkins in the background and former Marine Donovan Crowl in front. Both dressed for battle inside the Capitol. Watkin's boyfriend knows them both.

SIDNER (on camera): What's he like?

MONTANA SINIFF, WATKIN'S PARTNER: When drunk, the guy you want to shut up. When sober, the best man you could have.

SIDNER: What was she doing?

SINIFF: She was supposed to help protect some VIP members within the Trump rally. And then, of course, the -- Trump said that, go protest, and some people took that to mean more than they should have probably.

SIDNER (voice over): Crowl was right there with her. So was Thomas Caldwell of Clark County, Virginia. The three are the first to be indicted on federal charges of conspiracy, obstruction and destruction of government property. Caldwell's disdain for Congress made clear before they stormed the Capitol.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every single (EXPLETIVE DELETED) in there is a traitor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: And the guy you saw there calling lawmakers traitors, well, Thomas Caldwell himself dabbled a bit in politics. He was actually a delegate to the Clark County, Virginia, Republican Convention.

Now, we reached out to the attorneys for all nine of the people who we tried to talk to. None of them had comment. Back to you.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Oh my gosh, Sara Sidner's reporting, as always, is just, obviously, jaw dropping.

It's amazing how bold some of these folks are in their own webcasts alone in a room and then when Sara Sidner shows up, they immediately need to call the police for backup.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: She's a great reporter and she goes where you need to go to get the answers.

Look, I think long term the questions raised about veterans, as her analyst said during the piece, the most important question is, when they are active duty, when they are in service, is there a permissiveness in some cases that's allowing this sentiment to spread or to grow, because that is where there could be some action in the future.

CAMEROTA: I mean one more point is it's interesting when you talk to them, as we -- as she went and talked to the boyfriend of one of the extremists, they're quite clear on who sent them there. They're quite clear on what call they were answering and who that call was from. I mean the idea that the -- President Trump's trial is coming up and there's some question, it wasn't a question to those extremists who called them there.

Our thanks to Sara Sidner for all of that.

Developing this morning, there's newly released body cam footage and it shows police in Rochester, New York, using handcuffs and pepper spray against a nine-year-old girl.

We want to warn you, this video is difficult to watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dear, like, can you just stop for a second and take a deep breath? Hey, just stop.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please, I -- please, I will get your dad.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE). Please, no, stop! (INAUDIBLE).

[08:35:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just -- just spray her. Just spray her at this point.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop! Stop!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dear --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, I got her. I got her. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE). Please, wipe my eyes! Wipe my eyes, please!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Here's what we know. This happened last Friday afternoon. Police say they were called to a domestic disturbance. Officers were trying to place the young girl into the back of a patrol car, as you could see, they say to take her to the hospital. The Rochester police chief calls what happened unacceptable. That girl was later released from police custody. The mayor has ordered a full investigation and offered assistance from the city's mental health crisis team.

Meanwhile, a new effort from a prominent Republican congressman to reclaim the party and resist Donald Trump. We have "The Bottom Line" on whether the GOP will break with President Trump or align with President Trump, next.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM KINZINGER (R-IL): But in recent years, we've forgotten our principles. The party that always spoke of a brighter tomorrow, it no longer does. It talks about a dark future instead.

[08:40:02]

Hope has given way to fear. Outrage has replaced opportunity. And, worst of all, our deep convictions are ignored. They've been replaced by poisonous conspiracies and lies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: So that's Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger launching a few political ad committee, he says to rebuild the Republican Party and resist its embrace of the former president.

So let's get "The Bottom Line" with CNN White House correspondent John Harwood and CNN political commentator and former Republican Senator Jeff Flake.

And, Senator, I want to start with you because I suspect you share this sentiment of Congressman Kinzinger. But my real question is, what actual evidence have you seen in the last few weeks that this is working? Because Marjorie Taylor Greene had a love-filled phone call with the former president and Kevin McCarthy's having a hard time even getting together with her to admonish her.

So what evidence do you actually see that where you want to push the Republican Party is where it wants to go?

JEFF FLAKE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, one, I'm very pleased with what Adam is doing. He's on the right track, definitely. We Republicans, you know, in our heart of hearts know that there's no future with Trumpism. It's been difficult to break with Donald Trump for many of my former colleagues. It will be less deficit to break with Marjorie Taylor Greene. There's simply no way that my former colleagues can countenance the behavior she's exhibited and the conspiracy theories that she's -- that she still espouses and her refusal to apologize for it. So I would assume that some action will be taken, probably removal from committees there.

But -- but, yes, there's very little evidence so far that Republicans have moved on. I think they will, it's just going to take some time.

CAMEROTA: So just to be clear, Senator, you really think that Marjorie Taylor Greene is going to be removed from the Education Committee that she is certainly on and do you -- I mean Kevin McCarthy thinks that there's no future without Donald Trump. I mean that's why he's courting him to help with 2022.

FLAKE: Now, I think that will wane over time. Certainly that's the case right now. And he went down to Mar-a-Lago. I don't know what in the would he would hope to gain in terms of insight on where the party ought to go and how to win elections. When -- since President Trump was elected, we lost the House of Representatives, we lost the Senate, we lost the White House, we lost at net many state legislative seats. So it's hardly a winning formula.

But I can tell you, it's very difficult, if you're a Republican in this House or in the Senate and fear that the president, he can no longer tweet, but he can pick up a phone and dial up a primary opponent for you. And so that's the immediate concern that most members have.

BERMAN: John Harwood, you continue to be the most bullish person out there in terms of the possibility for bipartisanship to work. Maybe except for Joe Biden himself, the president of the United States, who still seems willing to pursue this. He's having ten Republican senators over to the White House today. These 10 Republican senators that put forward an alternative or a counterproposal to his $1.9 trillion relief bill. He's having these Republicans over to the White House before he's actually had Democratic senators over to the White House, or Democratic leadership.

What realistically do you think comes of this?

JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I think it likely cements the idea that the Democrats will end up doing it by themselves. And, you know, when you talk about bullishness on bipartisanship, you have to figure out what -- how you define bipartisanship. I want a piece about that over the weekend and talked to Anita Dunn, who's a White House advisory of Joe Biden, and he says we can build bipartisan support for our program, not necessarily in Congress, but with the American people. That's an important distinction because you have a significant number of Republican who has expressed views in public opinion polling that they want significant action on COVID relief and they want Republicans in Congress to cooperate with President Biden. That doesn't mean that Republicans are going to do it. They're in the same why that Senator Flake was just talking about, over the long run, the Republican Party is going to need to change. Current Republican lawmakers are going to be trailing indicators of

that. They -- that's going to be the result of what happens in elections. But right now Joe Biden has got a chance to persuade the country that aggressive action is needed and pursued a significant number of Republicans. But he may do it without Republican votes.

And the fact that Republicans are struggling to distance themselves from extremist elements in their party, like Marjory Taylor Greene, makes it more likely that Democrats will be able to hold together and move this package forward and marginalize those people who are going to be meeting with Joe Biden today and offering -- making an offer that's less than a third of what Biden has proposed.

CAMEROTA: Senator Flake, what do you think is going to happen today with that offer that is less than a third of what the president has proposed? Do you think that Joe Biden will go along with this or should go along with this in the name of bipartisanship or should he stick to the number, the dollar sign, that he thinks the country needs?

[08:45:06]

FLAKE: Well, I think Joe Biden is doing what he said he would do, that he would negotiate. And, you know, any of us who have served in Congress over the past 20 years have seen Joe Biden negotiate and seen him act in a bipartisan way.

I think that that's what he wants to do. He doesn't want to start with, you know, just pushing over through budget reconciliation the bill that he's introduced. I think he understands that -- that he's going to meet somewhere in the middle. I don't think it will be at $600 billion, but it will be far short of $1.9 trillion. And he's already made indications yesterday, or the administration has, that they're willing to come down, particularly in terms of direct payments. So I think that they will meet somewhere in the middle.

CAMEROTA: Senator Flake, John Harwood, thank you both very much.

BERMAN: I think next time the Senator has to play the piano and do the entire interview musically.

CAMEROTA: That's a good point.

BERMAN: Add a level of difficulty.

CAMEROTA: Prepare for that, Senator.

Thank you, guys.

FLAKE: All right. I'll do.

CAMEROTA: So Florida is allowing more people to get vaccinated, but that has brought some new challenges. We explain, next.

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[08:50:22]

CAMEROTA: Florida is trying something new to get residents vaccinated. That state's latest vaccine rollout has been plagued with issues.

CNN's Rosa Flores is live in Miami with more.

What's the latest, Rosa?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Alisyn, good morning.

So far, in Florida, more than 1.6 million people have received one or both doses of the vaccine. And here's the thing on paper, both seniors and healthcare workers have priority. But in reality, some health care workers feel forgotten.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES (voice over): Evelyn Aub misses pre-COVID times.

EVELYN AUB, STRUGGLED TO GET VACCINE APPOINTMENT: I miss people's smiles.

FLORES: And says her Palm Beach County home is her safe haven, her car is her freedom and the COVID-19 vaccine is hope. And while getting an appointment online was frustrating.

AUB: I waited and waited. And they -- they never said there wasn't room. They always said it's full. Do not leave this page.

FLORES (on camera): Did it try your patience, Evelyn?

AUB: Yes, it most certainly did.

FLORES (voice over): Her son used multiple devices to get her an appointment at a Publix near her home.

AUB: I said, what did you do? How do you do it?

FLORES: The vaccine rollout in Florida has been bumpy, but Governor DeSantis has been working to fulfill a promise.

GOV. RICK DESANTIS (R-FL): Our senior population deserves to be the priority.

FLORES: And so far more than 1.6 million people have received one or both vaccine doses, including more than 1.2 million seniors 65 and over.

But the governor's promise has a blind spot say some home health workers like Stephanie Hyman McDonald (ph). She takes care of vulnerable seniors and has to compete with the elderly for the same vaccine slots on the same jammed websites.

STEPHANIE HAYMAN MCDONALD, HOME HEALTH WORKER (ph): It's terrible. It's awful. FLORES: Stephanie is one of the lucky ones. She got the first dose

Friday. In Florida, there are about 80,000 home health workers like hers and they are up in arms because while the governor's executive order on vaccines gives health care workers and those over 65 priority, home health workers feel forgotten.

SHAYNA ADNIEL, DIRECTOR OF CLIENT SERVICES, BRIGHTSTAR CARE: Home health has just been in this blind spot from the very beginning. It's kind of is disheartening that we are having such a struggle.

FLORES: Governor DeSantis says the answer to getting more people vaccinated is to get more vaccines. And he's been in a fighting match with the Biden White House about it.

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: They've only distributed about 50 percent of the vaccines that they have been given in Florida. So, clearly, they have a good deal of the vaccines.

DESANTIS: When the person at the White House says that Florida has all these doses, she was -- those are second doses.

MELISSA MCKINLAY, COMMISSIONER, PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA: Where's he been. So all of a sudden now that we've had a transfer of power, he now recognizes that there's a vaccine supply problem?

FLORES: Palm Beach County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay says it's not just a supply problem.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But we're the only county where all this vaccine is going to Publix.

FLORES: There was going to be a distribution problem, too. In her county, Publix was going to be the only entity distributing the vaccine.

DESANTIS: Ninety percent of their seniors live within a mile and a half of at least one Publix.

MCKINLAY: That's true on the urban side of Palm Beach County. Obviously, it's not true on the rural side of Palm Beach County. That 10 percent that doesn't live within that radius, they all live in my district. And that's where the inequity falls.

FLORES: After Commissioner McKinley's public comments, the state redirected vaccines to rural areas of Palm Beach County not serviced by Publix.

As for Evelyn's first dose.

FLORES (on camera): So how did it go, Evelyn?

AUB: Perfectly. No problem whatsoever.

FLORES (voice over): Pre-vaccine times look very similar to post- vaccine times because she knows the shots aren't full proof.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: Now, Governor DeSantis announced last week that this week the state is expecting to receive about 307,000 first doses. Now the governor says that's more than 40,000 more doses than prior allotments.

And, John and Alisyn, he says that that's not that big of a difference for the state of Florida but that he -- I'll put it to good use.

John and Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Yes, let's hope they can -- thank you, Rosa. Let's hope that they can accelerate it in every state. Thanks for all of that reporting.

John, I have -- I have some live shots to show you of what it looks like outside right now. This is driving in New York.

BERMAN: Which you should be doing, to be fair.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

BERMAN: That's coming down the west side highway, the Hudson River on your right. The roads look pretty clear. But I've got to tell you, it's not going to stay this way for very long. We're told -- what did Chad Myers say, that this is the appetizer, the amuse-bouche.

CAMEROTA: That's what you said. You said the amuse-bouche, which was amusing.

BERMAN: I said it was amuse-bouche. All right, so I'll quote myself.

But the real heavy part of this storm hasn't even hit yet and it's going to get really, really bad.

CAMEROTA: I'll be taking a -- I'll be commuting in a sled. I'm so happy I'm not on the roads right now. You should see also my footwear, John.

[08:55:00]

I'll take a picture. I'll put it on, you know, Instagram so that people can see that I'm actually wearing Nanook snow boots right now.

BERMAN: And that is what will help people get through the nearly two- feet of snow that we're expecting in the northeast. Really windy conditions. There is concern about power going out in some places. This is a storm you all need to watch very, very closely over the next several hours and you need to watch Alisyn's shoes.

CAMEROTA: I'll be doing that.

But as Chad said, we are not even in the nor'easter part of this. It's -- you can see it's still forming. That green on the radar there is -- it's still forming. We are expecting up to two feet of snow. So everybody, be careful. Take care of yourselves. Stay home. And John and I will see you from our bunkers tomorrow.

BERMAN: Our coverage continues next.

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