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New Day

Texas, Mississippi End Mask Mandates and Allow Businesses to Reopen; FBI Director Debunks Desperate GOP Conspiracies. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired March 03, 2021 - 07:00   ET

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

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sanitizer, wearing masks during rehearsals.

[07:00:02]

The kind of created a bubble around the cast and crew separating them from the audience and the people who deal with the crowds, which means none of those backstage selfies.

But people get the experience, Alisyn, of being able to go in and see a live show. They have to agree to contact tracing. Theaters have had to change their air ventilation systems, but it does give hope that people can go back to work. And if you know any performers, give them a hug. It's been a tough year, but what's happening in Australia should be a bright spot.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN NEW DAY: We miss it so much here, Will. We count the days until Broadway can come back and we can all go to live performances. Thank you very much.

And New Day continues right now.

We want to welcome our years in the United States and all around the world. This is New Day.

And one day after the CDC director warned us about a potential fourth surge in coronavirus cases, Texas is rolling back all restrictions. The governor announcing he is ending a statewide mask mandate and fully reopening businesses as of next week.

Mississippi is also ending its mask mandate, joining a list of more than a dozen states that have done the same thing.

The White House is blasting these moves. President Biden pleaded for patience, promising that there will be enough vaccines for every American in the U.S. by the end of May.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN NEW DAY: Also developing this morning, we hear from a key general, the first military testimony on what the National Guard did and did not do during the Capitol insurrection and when they were asked to do it. This after FBI Director Christopher Wray, line by line, word by word, systemically exploded the revisionist history and lies about the insurrection being peddled by current and former Republican lawmakers.

First, though, Lucy Kafanov in Houston, the mask mandate being lifted. You're still wearing one. We'll hear from one Houston doctor this morning, Lucy, that he is expecting hell from this decision.

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, I mean, more states are rolling back restrictions as the White House looks to speed up vaccine productions and is pleading with Americans to stay vigilant in following these safety guidelines, wearing your mask, as this pandemic continues to rage on.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAFANOV (voice over): Shipments of the third coronavirus vaccine arriving in Texas, as the governor says he's loosening restrictions in just one week.

GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R-TX): Effective next Wednesday, all businesses of any type are allowed to open 100 percent.

Also, I am ending the statewide mask mandate.

KAFANOV: The announcement frustrating some local leaders.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To put it in very stark terms, it makes no sense.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's mind boggling, given where we are.

KAFANOV: And in Mississippi, the governor also lifting mask mandates.

GOV. TATE REEVES (R-MS): This new order removes all of our county mask mandates and allows businesses to operate at full capacity without state imposed rules or restrictions.

KAFANOV: As more states roll back restrictions, health experts warn --

DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: It's just irresponsible and goes against science to try to open up.

KAFANOV: The White House is asking Texas and others to keep safety measures in place.

ANDY SLAVITT, SENIOR ADVISER TO WHITE HOUSE COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM: We think it's a mistake to lift these mandates too early. Masks are saving a lot of lives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two, one, vaccinate.

KAFANOV: Meanwhile in Ohio, a single shot of history, with the first Johnson & Johnson vaccines administered.

DR. CARLOS DEL RIO, EXECUTIVE ASSOCIATE DEAN, EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT GRADY: It's definitely a game changer. The problem we have right now is, as you know, there are only about 4 million doses available. So they really need to ramp up production. KAFANOV: President Joe Biden using the Defense Production Act to speed the manufacturing process, making a deal with Merck to help pharmaceutical competitor Johnson & Johnson produce its single-dose vaccine.

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: We're now on track to have enough vaccine supply for every adult in America by the end of May.

KAFANOV: The president also asking states to prioritize teachers and school staff on their vaccine lists, an effort to allow more classrooms to reopen safely.

BIDEN: We want every educator, school staff member, child care worker to receive at least one shot by the end of the month of March.

KAFANOV: Biden urging the public to keep wearing masks and following safety protocols.

BIDEN: There is light at the end of the tunnel. But we cannot let our guard down now. We must remain vigilant.

KAFANOV: Health experts agree, as new highly infectious variants spread across the nation --

DR. ALA STANFORD, FOUNDER, BLACK DOCTORS COVID-19 CONSORTIUM: There's a race between these variants and getting vaccinated. And we've just got to push and push with that and not remove these public health measures that have been helping us to reduce the transmissibility.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAFANOV (on camera): And, look, while it's true that the country is doing better than it was back in December in terms of deaths and new cases, the levels are still very similar to what we saw over the summer.

[07:05:03]

Plus, there is that new unknown factor of the more contagious variant spreading across the country.

So it's extremely puzzling, while states like Texas and Mississippi would be following through on these rollbacks now. Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: Yes, puzzling is one word for it. Lucy, thank you very much.

Joining us now is Chokwe Antar Lumumba, the mayor of Jackson, Mississippi. Mr. Mayor, thank you very much for joining us.

What do you think of your governor's rollback of the mask mandate?

MAYOR CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA (D-JACKSON, MS): It appears that, you know, as the president said, that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, we're making a decision to sabotage our efforts. It is against the advice of our health experts and it is premature. No one celebrates victory in the third quarter.

And so, as we have the introduction of another vaccine and as we, you know, ramp up opportunities to have more Americans vaccinated, it makes no sense that we're choosing to sabotage our efforts and put people and lives and businesses in jeopardy.

CAMEROTA: Okay. Well, here's his reasoning. Let me play for you what he said yesterday on Newsmax.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REEVES: We have done the right thing. We've focused on protecting those most vulnerable, but also protecting those individuals who have to make a living, have to put food on their table. And that's what we've tried to do during the entire pandemic and today is just another step in the right direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: So, Mayor, he's basically saying, people have to make a living, they have to put food on their table.

LUMUMBA: Well, I would say that the decision actually operates in stark contrast to that. When we find that we are eliminating the mask mandate, then we are putting more people in jeopardy and consequently can see the numbers rise. And when we these see those numbers right, then we will have to make a decision of how we operate our economy in the presence of COVID -19. That is what has led to the restricting of businesses in the first place.

And so, fortunately, the city of Jackson has the ability to be more restrictive than the state. And so we will maintain our mask mandate. And that is an effort not only to protect lives, protect families, but to protect businesses, as well.

When we initiated the mask mandate prior to the state, we did so because we were learning how to navigate or offer our own solutions in the midst of this pandemic, and that is considering both life and protection of life, and it is considering economic well-being as well.

CAMEROTA: How long will you maintain your mask mandate?

LUMUMBA: Until health experts -- until my COVID task force, which is populated with medical experts, who are informed on the subject, who are following the data of the CDC, until they advise that it is appropriate to do so, I don't think --

CAMEROTA: Yes. Here is what the numbers are right now. And they're not, at the moment, going in the right direction. So, February 28th, Mississippi had 704 new cases. March 1st, 199, great, look at that. March 2nd, 301. And you can see that it's either plateauing, it appears, or ticking up a little bit.

And the irony, I mean, the paradox here is that it's the wearing of masks that has allowed some businesses to function as well as they have. I mean, the evidence from the past six months show that because everybody is wearing masks, nail salons and hair salons and retail stores have not been spreader events. And so opening businesses and taking away the masks just seems to be a, at the moment, peculiar choice. But I should mention that the governor is encouraging people to wear a mask. He's not mandating it. He's leaving it up to basically personal responsibility.

And so do you think that most in Mississippi will comply with still wearing a mask?

LUMUMBA: I think that it is a contradictory message. And I believe without it being required, without it being mandated, then far too many Mississippians will not wear a mask. My mask protects you from me and your mask protects me from you. And so that is why we need a universal or a consistent policy not only in the for the residents, not only in the city of Jackson but in the state of Mississippi.

When he issues or pulls back a restriction of that nature, he puts Jackson in an extremely dangerous position, because we're not only the capital of the state of Mississippi, we're the capital of health care. So when surrounding communities in the central Mississippi area are reducing their restrictions on mask mandates due to the governors and this order, it will create increased pressure on our hospitals. It will increase our hospitalization rate, putting Jacksonians in danger.

[07:10:02]

CAMEROTA: Mayor, while we have you, can you tell us what's happening with the water situation in Jackson? How many of your residents are still without water for these past two weeks since the storms?

LUMUMBA: Well, fortunately, the situation is improving. We are getting more information that the residents at the furthest point of distribution are beginning to see water. The -- our water treatment facility is operated off of hydraulics (ph). And so when the pressure was reduced upon the storm, the winter weather, it reduced our psi to about 37 percent and we needed to be above 90 consistently to get it to the higher elevations across the city.

And so that is slowly starting to happen again. We are grateful for all of the support that we received. But this is another area where we need state support, state and federal support. We live in a legacy city with an aged infrastructure that has been neglected for far too long.

CAMEROTA: Mayor Lumumba, thank you very much for taking time to talk to us this morning.

LUMUMBA: Thank you.

BERMAN: In just hours, national security officials, including the commander of the D.C. National Guard testifying under oath about the security failures that led to the violent pro-Trump mob to storm the U.S. Capitol.

CNN's Whitney Wild live in D.C. And, Whitney, I think this is the first time we will hear from anyone from the National Guard about what took place or didn't on man January 6.

WHITNEY WILD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's true. And their testimony is so important because there has been a ton of criticism about how long it took the D.C. National Guard to get up and running and to respond to this crisis. DOD and the D.C. National Guard are very likely to defend their actions today. They are basically going to explain that they're not first responders, that it takes some time to get the D.C. National Guard up and running and that leaders in this area should know that because they should be familiar with the process.

They are going to say that they're not the police department, they're not the fire department, they are emergency, but not first responder emergency, and that is a critical difference.

We are also going to hear from the FBI and DHS. They're very likely to defend their intelligence. So a lot of criticism has come, both in the analysis and as well as basically the packaging of the intelligence. For example, Steven Sund, Michael Stenger, Paul Irving have indicated that they thought -- as well as the House acting sergeant at arms, Timothy Blodgett, indicated that they thought the intelligence was either incomplete or just plain wrong. And, additionally, it wasn't packaged in a way that local law enforcement would have taken some of these analyses about the threats that seriously.

A lot has been made about the FBI memo that came out of Norfolk, Virginia, and the criticism of that memo, John, was that it came in an email the night before.

So the FBI and DHS is going to defend that action. They are going to say that, in fact, they told their state and local partners about this chatter that they were monitoring in three different ways. They will very likely echo what we heard from Christopher Wray today.

But I will tell you, here in D.C., there is a brand-new opinion and really embracing of intelligence. U.S. Capitol Police adding members to the Capitol because they are very concerned about possible unrest on March 4th, although there is no credible threat at this point, John.

BERMAN: Whitney Wild, thank you very much. It will be really interesting to hear what they say today, especially based on what we heard yesterday from the FBI director taking aim at this ridiculous, revisionist conspiracies being spread by Republican lawmakers. What will they say now?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:15:00]

BERMAN: On Capitol Hill, a surgical destruction of the revisionist lies that have been spread by Republican lawmakers and television carnival barkers about the Capitol insurrection. FBI Director Christopher Wray just obliterated them.

John Avlon with a Reality Check. JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: That's right. Deny, deflect, project. Republicans have embraced ex-President Trump's old playbook and they've been desperately trying to use it to rewrite history, pretending that the attack on the U.S. Capitol was not a right-wing nut riot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): They were masquerading as Trump supporters and, in fact, were members of the violent terrorist group Antifa.

REP. MO BROOKS (R-AL): There was some indication that fascist Antifa elements were involved.

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): We have many credible reports that Antifa was very much involved.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think a lot of it is the Antifa folks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AVLON: Yesterday, the Trump-picked head of the FBI, Chris Wray, wasn't having any of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTOPHER WRAY, FBI DIRECTOR: We have not, to-date, seen any evidence of anarchist violent extremists or people subscribing to Antifa in connection with the 6th.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AVLON: We know what we saw and we've got statements from some of the rioters saying they're proudly pro-Trump. We've seen dozens of arrests with people with possible ties to militia or violent extremist groups, along with avowed white supremacists and even members of the military and law enforcement.

But what hasn't gotten enough attention is the arrest of at least five people, explicitly affiliated with the Republican Party, as elected officials, former candidates, or local GOP activists.

There's Derrick Evans, he's a West Virginia State legislature when he filmed himself storming the Capitol. Here is Jenny Louise Cudd, who ran for mayor of Midland, Texas in 2019. Here is Couy Griffin, County Commissioner in New Mexico and head of Cowboys for Trump. Jorge Riley, an ex-leader of the Sacramento Branch of the California Republican Assembly. And Philip Grillo, a GOP leader in his Queens, New York assembly district, who reportedly calls himself the Republican messiah. All will have their day in court.

But Wray was clear and called this terrorism and noted that the number of domestic terrorism cases has soared in recent months, especially in the wake of the U.S. Capitol attack. I'm so old I remember when Republicans were committed to combating terrorism, but that wasn't the right-wing kind, I guess, and now they want to change the subject. [07:20:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is the FBI tracking extremist groups like Antifa?

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Is Antifa a domestic terrorist organization?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AVLON: This is deflect and project. And it's the worst kind of whataboutism, because it's trying to foster a myth that Democrats didn't denounce protests that turned violent over the summer, which is also a lie.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I said to outset of recent protests that there's no place for violence and destruction of property. Peaceful protesters should be protected and arsonists and anarchists should be prosecuted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AVLON: But for Republicans who have been trying to blame Antifa, yesterday, the FBI announced one arrest that comes this close to giving them something to work with.

According to the FBI, a South Carolina man told his family he dressed up like Antifa in the attack, so in his words, he could get away with anything and proceeded to beat a police officer. In other words, he became the thing he says he's against.

Now, that's project and deflect, and that's your Reality Check.

BERMAN: John, thank you very much for that.

Joining us now is CNN Political Analyst David Gregory and Toluse Olorunnipa. Toluse is a National Politics Reporter for The Washington Post.

David, I don't use the term revisionist lightly, but that's what's been going on here, an attempt to revise history, pure, simple revisionism, which is why what Christopher Wray did yesterday was so important. He did it with Antifa, as you just heard there from John, but also did it on this idea of white supremacy. What I'm going to play for you is a television cable personality lying to his millions of viewers and then what Christopher Wray had to say about it. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TUCKER CARLSON, FOX NEWS HOST: There's no evidence that white supremacists were responsible for what happened on January 6th. That's a lie. SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): Is there any doubt that the people who stormed the Capitol included white supremacists and other far-right extremist organizations?

WRAY: There's no doubt that it included individuals that we would call militia violent extremists and then, in some instances, individuals that were racially motivated violent extremists who advocate for the superiority of the white race.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: There you have it, David. I mean, there you have it. So important to acknowledge what everyone saw and knew and, honestly, the lies that are being spread every day.

DAVID GREGORY, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. I mean, I remember when Republicans insisted that presidents call the threat to America what it was, call out Islamic extremism in that particular case. And we have danced around domestic extremists, white supremacists, militia groups, domestic terrorists, we've danced around this, tried to slice and dice it. And now you have someone who is standing up for an institution of law enforcement in Chris Wray, who is saying, no, we're going to call it what it is, we're going to investigate it like the threat it is, and we're not going to let politics get in the way.

And that's what was important about his testimony and about this moment, because, you know, I remember and I often reference the Oklahoma City bombing at a time in the '90s, when there was militia activity, white supremacy, anti-government animus, but the ultimate expression of that, the Oklahoma City bombing was not as popular in those groups. That's what's important.

January 6th is this kind of call to action, and that's why the threat is so real.

CAMEROTA: Yes. I mean, Toluse, Director Wray is the authority. He knows the background. The FBI has done the background checks on the 270 people who were arrested. They're Trump supporters. They can't find any evidence of what Senator Ron Johnson and Mo Brooks and Sarah Palin and Marjorie Taylor Greene and all the people that John Avlon just showed.

And it's so unconscionable that Senator Ron Johnson, who could pick up the phone any day of the week and call the FBI and get the real answer, relies on a right-wing blog. Let me just remind everybody, what, about ten days ago, the narrative that Ron Johnson was trying to peddle.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-WI): A very few different share the jovial, friendly, earnest demeanor of the great majority. Some obviously didn't fit in. And he describes four different types of people plains clothes militants, agents provocateurs, fake Trump protesters, and then disciplined uniformed column of attackers. I think these are the people that have probably planned this. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Now that Director Wray has said all of that is nonsense, does it change Senator Ron Johnson's tune?

TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I doubt it. It's a political strategy. It's really political smoke and mirrors. Ron Johnson did an interview with The New York Times, essentially trying to defend why he aired the unvetted explanation of this blogger in a Senate hearing by saying, I just want to get to the facts. I heard this recounting of what happened and I just want to put it out there, see if it's true. I don't know if it's true, I don't know if it's false.

[07:25:00]

Let's just put it out there and air everything out.

And that is really a strategy that we've seen emerge, especially over the last four years, where there's been an attack on truth and it's just sort of throw anything out there, no one can know the real truth, so no one can be held accountable. And that's what Senator Ron Johnson is doing. That's what several Republican senators have done, especially in voting to acquit former President Trump, essentially saying, we don't know if the president was involved, we don't know how involved he was. No one can know whether or not these rioters were inspired by his speech. There's too much uncertainty. Let's just move on and not hold anyone accountable.

And I think that will continue to be the case, even though we have heard in clear language from the FBI director that some of these claims were just completely false and that these were Trump supporters. They did storm the Capitol after the president spoke. They were carrying his flag and everyone was able to see it, but these Republican senators have shown that they are willing to be willfully blind to the facts and to the evidence, just because they want to protect the former president and they don't want to show that his supporters were the ones who stormed the Capitol on January 6th.

CAMEROTA: Thank you, both, very much. Great to talk to you.

So, President Biden promising that by the end of May, there will be enough vaccine for every American. New York City's top doctor here to tell us if we can take that one to the bank.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:30:00]