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U.S. Deaths Remain Alarmingly High As New Cases And Hospitalizations Plummet; House Impeachment Managers Begin Presenting Their Case Today; How The World Views Trump's Impeachment Trial. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired February 10, 2021 - 05:30   ET

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

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[05:32:09]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Three thousand thirty-one new coronavirus deaths reported in the United States overnight. Hospitalizations have dropped below 80,000 for the first time since mid-November. That is a very encouraging graphic there as long as it keeps going down.

This morning, 10 percent of Americans have now received their first vaccine dose; three percent, fully vaccinated.

CNN has reporters covering the latest on the pandemic across the country.

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ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Elizabeth Cohen.

Since the federal vaccination program began at nursing homes, cases at nursing homes of COVID-19 have gone down. Let's take a look at the results of a CNN analysis. Between December 14th and January 24th, cases among nursing home residents went down 55 percent. Cases among nursing home staff went down 53 percent.

Now, we can't say that vaccinations at nursing homes are the sole reason for this decline, but vaccinations of residents and staff at nursing homes started at the beginning of that time period. So clearly, they likely played a role.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Stephanie Elam in Los Angeles.

Forty hospitals in Washington State have been alerted that hundreds of thousands of N95 masks that they received in December may actually have been counterfeit. At this point, many of the masks have already been used and it's still not clear whether or not these fake masks are effective.

This all came to light when the company that makes the N95 mask, 3M, alerted homeland security. And this, after the company was working with Washington State officials at looking at some of its other products that they deemed were, in fact, counterfeit and were not purchased through an authorized distributor.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Martin Savidge.

What do bananas, peanut butter, and the COVID-19 vaccine all have in common? Well, if you live in the state of Florida, by the end of the week you may be able to pick up all three in the very same place.

Gov. DeSantis announcing that the Moderna vaccine will now be available in pharmacies and supermarkets like Winn Dixie or Publix, and also in Sam's Clubs and Walmarts, and that's just to name a few. Initially, they're expecting about 65,000 doses that will be made available to seniors at 490 locations in 52 counties. So, roll up your sleeves. Oh, don't forget the bananas.

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BERMAN: And tomorrow, Martin Savidge has knock-knock jokes.

So, one Republican senator changes his mind on a key part of the impeachment trial. What would it take or what does it take for members of Congress to change their mind? We're going to ask two former members, next.

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[05:39:12]

BERMAN: Just hours from now we will hear from the House managers. They begin their opening arguments and, really, the meat of the impeachment trial of the former president.

Lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin is expected to introduce new video evidence today. He began the trial with an emotional speech explaining how his daughter and son-in-law had to hide in the Capitol during the siege.

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REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD), LEAD IMPEACHMENT MANAGER: And I promised her that it would not be like this again the next time she came back to the Capitol with me. And you know what she said? She said Dad, I don't want to come back to the Capitol.

[05:40:00]

Of all the terrible, brutal things I saw and I heard on that day and since then, that one hit me the hardest. That, and watching someone use an American flagpole with the flag still on it to spear and pummel one of our police officers. Ruthlessly, mercilessly, tortured by a pole with a flag on it that he was defending with his very life.

People died that day. Officers ended up with head damage and brain damage. People's eyes were gouged.

An officer had a heart attack. An officer lost three fingers that day. Two officers have taken their own lives.

Senators, this cannot be our future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: I should have also noted that Congressman Jamie Raskin is still mourning the loss of his son Tommy who took his own life at the very end of last year. So that moment with one of his surviving daughters and son-in-law particularly emotional in the U.S. Capitol.

Joining us now, CNN political commentators and former members of Congress, Charlie Dent and Joe Kennedy.

Congressman Kennedy, first of all, welcome to NEW DAY. And like all new contributors, we haze you by putting you on before 6:00 a.m. on your first hit. So we appreciate you getting up early and joining us.

You know, Congressman Raskin, I think in a way reminded us that you're all human beings. I mean, you're members of Congress but you're all human beings. And you -- they lived through this incredibly emotional and threatening moment. And I think that was evidence in itself of the impact it had on them and the country, Congressman Kennedy.

JOE KENNEDY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, (D) FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE (via Cisco Webex): Yes, 100 percent.

Look, I've talked to dozens of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and as Congressman Raskin alluded to in his comments, many thought that they were going to die that day. You've heard members say that's why there's not necessarily a need to present a long and lengthy case here because many members were witnesses, we experienced it, we saw it, and the rest of the consequences of it.

And obviously, Jamie's point there -- Congressman Raskin's point there for not only a member of Congress and not only a constitutional law professor but somebody that's devoted his life to the law and our democracy -- to have your child say that you never want to go back to the heart of it, it was a gutting moment I think for all of us.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Congressman Dent, even Donald Trump's legal team was impressed with Jamie Raskin and with the case that the House impeachment managers put on. Here is what Bruce Castor had to say at the very beginning.

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BRUCE CASTOR, JR., DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR DONALD TRUMP: I want to comment on the outstanding presentation from our opponents. I'll be quite frank with you. We changed what we were going to do on account that we thought that the House managers' presentation was well done.

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CAMEROTA: Charlie, I know that you have known Bruce Castor for years, both -- obviously, in Pennsylvania. Your thoughts on what you saw yesterday. CHARLIE DENT, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, (R) FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: Well, my thought, Alisyn, was that obviously, Jamie Raskin presented a powerful performance and an emotional one and spoke to the trauma of the day.

And, you know, Bruce was just -- I just cringed watching it. I mean, he has bad facts, he has a bad client, they were ill-prepared, and it was just -- it was just cringeworthy. I mean, a disjointed, meandering presentation that I couldn't figure out either. John said he didn't know what the point was. I was having a hell of a time trying to figure it out.

So, day one, a clear victory for the prosecution, but it seems like this is a predetermined outcome so it may not really matter. But just a terrible performance.

CAMEROTA: But, Charlie, you may want to your old friend Bruce and let him know he might not be paid. I mean, Donald Trump doesn't like to pay. His track record is he doesn't pay for even a job well done and the reporting is he was not happy about that job.

DENT: Yes, of course. Yes, I mean -- well, that's the whole point and I think that's part of the reason why the other lawyers dropped the case. They didn't like the client or figured the client wouldn't pay them. And I think that Bruce and Mr. Schoen shouldn't be expecting much payment for that performance.

BERMAN: So, Congressman Kennedy, one thing I know about members is you don't like changing your minds, right? It's hard -- it's hard to get a member of Congress to change his or her mind. So what's that process like?

It really was striking. I know it was just one U.S. senator, but for Sen. Cassidy to vote one way two weeks ago and another way yesterday, it's not insignificant and it shows there is some receptiveness to it.

[05:45:08]

But what does it take to change your mind in Congress?

KENNEDY: I think, John, it takes some clear, convincing evidence. It takes a good argument. It takes a willingness on behalf of a member to have -- to be able and willing to listen. I think you saw yesterday some of Sen. Cassidy's colleagues weren't even willing to do that.

But I think the case, as Charlie said -- the case that the House managers put forward and particularly, Congressman Raskin, was compelling. And take the emotion out of it, which is hard to do but which is what the law often requires that we do.

The idea that we could say an impeachable offense is impeachable for somebody's term up until the last final weeks is an absurdity. And I think that's basically what this comes down to is you have the fallacy of the Trump -- Trump's argument here finally was at least heard by many of the Republican colleagues. And look, I was a former prosecutor. There is always the adage if you

have the law, you argue the law. If you have the facts, you argue the facts, which I heard yesterday from Trump's team is that they had neither. And there's a term for normally those cases, too. It's called a tweet.

CAMEROTA: Charlie, do you think that some senators -- I mean, there's open-mindedness that can sway some. Do you think that some might just be so angry -- so angry that Donald Trump -- not only did he risk their lives when they are reminded of seeing the video of what they endured in the Capitol but that he hung them out to dry with no case?

I mean, that if they vote to support that argument that Bruce Castor was making yesterday, that that's kind of a scarlet letter for them for history that they're going along with that.

DENT: You know, the performance, it really was that bad that it may have moved a few votes in the prosecutions' behavior. Look, I'm not operating under any illusions that they're going to get the 17 votes needed to convict. But boy, oh boy, I know a lot of these senators have to be wrestling with this. I mean, I can see probably at least five or six senators voting to convict right now.

But it was just so horrible that I don't know how they -- these -- many of these members are worried about their own primaries. We've talked about this many times. They're worried about a primary, they're fearful.

But at the same time, they also need -- they know they need to cut ties with Trump. I mean, he's cost them their Senate majority. He's cost them the White House. He's cost them the House.

I mean, why would anybody think it's in their interest to follow a president who has been soundly defeated and thinking that's the future of the party? I think most know they need a clean break and I cannot for the life of me understand why they're sticking with him.

BERMAN: Congressman Dent, Congressman Kennedy, next time we promise no earlier than 5:53. Appreciate your time.

KENNEDY: Thank you.

BERMAN: So, as the former president stands trial how is the world viewing it all? We have a live report -- this is really interesting -- next.

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[05:52:17]

CAMEROTA: It is day two of Donald Trump's second impeachment trial, so how does the rest of the world see what's happening here?

CNN's Clarissa Ward is live in London for us with more. Hi, Clarissa.

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Alisyn. Yes, it's really interesting to see just how different this situation is. With the first impeachment, the whole world was watching with rapt attention because Donald Trump was still the President of the United States and also, a foreign power was involved -- Ukraine.

This, it's a little different because people understand that this is more of a symbolic exercise. That this is very important for America to go through. But it's being seen through the lens of a kind of U.S. centric event.

It's also very different than the storming of the Capitol. I think you saw world leaders come out with some very strong words. When they saw those scenes unfolding -- those grotesque, frankly, scenes, there was a sense of palpable horror, of shock, of anguish, and also deep-seated concern about what that instability means for the rest of the world that still does look to America as a kind of leading force, let's say.

And so, it's feeling like a very different situation. People are not following it as closely and they're not commenting on it publicly. They're adhering to traditional diplomatic norms where the world leaders would not come out and say something about an internal domestic political issue.

If you talk to people just on the streets though, Alisyn, and try to get a feel for how they're responding, they're paying some attention but they're not fixated on it.

There's a sense, particularly in Europe, that people are just relieved that President Trump is gone, that America is engaging with the rest of the world again. That America has rejoined the Paris Climate Accords. That America has recommitted to the World Health Organization.

And they really just want to see the U.S. continue to stay engaged with the rest of the world and not become overly consumed by these profound political divisions domestically.

CAMEROTA: Yes, they want stability. That's really interesting, Clarissa. I mean, because after all, when you think about it this is about the U.S. Constitution and this rather nebulous portion of it that we're debating. So, thank you very much. That's really interesting to get that perspective.

So, back here, House impeachment managers have 16 hours to lay out their case against Donald Trump. We have new reporting about what they have in store.

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[05:59:31]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RASKIN: These powers must apply even if the president commits his offenses in his final weeks in office. In fact, that's precisely when we need them the most. DAVID SCHOEN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR DONALD TRUMP: This is not just about Donald Trump. This is about abusing the impeachment power for political gain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A number of Republican senators said that they were disappointed in the Trump team's legal performance.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's easier for them to talk about how bad of a case they presented today than it is to grapple with the facts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These guys are not going to get -- athwart their base because they want to get reelected. I mean, it's just that simple.

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