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Don Lemon Tonight

Republicans Felt Insulted with Joe Biden's Neanderthal Comment; Prosecutors Looking at Cell Communications; Republicans Making Publicity Stunt; Words Only Matter if it is Bad Coming from Democrats; Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) Was Interviewed About How His HR1 Bill Would Counter the GOP's Bill. Aired 10-11p ET

Aired March 04, 2021 - 22:00   ET

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

[22:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: Thank you for watching. It's time for the big show, CNN Tonight with the big star D. Lemon.

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: You saw my message on Kareem's shirt, right?

CUOMO: I did.

LEMON: I said Mr. Jabbar.

CUOMO: Make a friend with someone who doesn't look like you.

LEMON: Who doesn't look like you.

CUOMO: You might just change the world. Here is the problem with that shirt, though. As it applies to us, I am so much bigger than you that you should be Kareem, but I am the fighter, so I am also Bruce.

LEMON: So, you're saying you're fatter. You're admitting you're fat now?

CUOMO: I am taller and more large.

LEMON: You are -- OK.

CUOMO: But the idea is beautiful and real.

LEMON: No, it's true. And I -- as I talk about -- I write about in my new book -- but I've been saying that to you forever. Ever since we've been on the air together, ever since we've been friends, I said the world would be a better place if people make friends with people who don't look like them. And that's -- look, I was waiting all day. Are we working overnight tonight, I thought because --

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: I don't think so.

LEMON: We usually work until like five or six in the morning when there's an inauguration or something.

CUOMO: Yes. You scared me there for a second. Today is March 4th.

LEMON: So, we're not doing the long-haul shift?

CUOMO: No, this will not be a 20-coffee night and nine brain juices.

LEMON: So the reason I went there, it's not a total non-secular, is because the people -- the people who believe in that crazy conspiracy stuff and that Trump is going to be inaugurated again on March 4th, which is today -- day is not over -- which is today, if they found a friend who did not look like them, then perhaps they would have a better understanding of America and the world and exactly what this grand experiment America is, right? A more perfect union.

CUOMO: Right.

LEMON: Not a perfect union. Not a union that looks back on the better days when one group was a pre-imminent voice and it was the 1950s and "Leave it to Beaver" and what have you, but on the grand experiment that we continue to make this a more perfect union. What does that mean? That means inclusion, not exclusion.

CUOMO: You know, some people are trying to trip up the idea you said you want unity but now he won't work with Republicans.

LEMON: Come on.

CUOMO: They're leaving out the key component. Goodwill. I had a guy on my radio show today he called in, he said my grandfather was a huge bigot. He was buried with his KKK cloak. And his mother had all these ideas and all this. And then when he was in the service, he met people of different colors, different creeds.

And he would say things and he had one friend in particular who would say to him, you messed up. You're not supposed to say that. That's a mistake. And he doesn't know it because he was ignorant. And once he was around different people and he had goodwill, he was open to being wrong, he was open to new information, he changed.

LEMON: Yes.

CUOMO: And that's the key. You can't work with people who don't have goodwill. And that's the case on the right.

LEMON: Well, it is. But it's also a case of you have to live in reality. You have to -- you can't work with people who don't live in reality. You can't work with people who believe in conspiracy theories. If you are telling me look, you know, I'm going to drive down the street and the car is going to take off and fly and you're like, hey, that's never -- that's not going to happen.

CUOMO: I must be driving.

LEMON: You understand what I'm saying.

CUOMO: I do.

LEMON: So, you can't really -- you can't really do that. But also, yes, there has to be goodwill. There has to be reality. But you also have to understand. You have to evolve and you have to be open to change. And that means not being afraid.

Every -- nothing stays the same. America is never going to be what it was yesterday. It's not going to be what it was the day before, and it wasn't what it was in the second that I just made these comments. It is always going to change. That is the whole idea of evolution, and that is the whole idea, if you're a Christian, of what the teachings of God tell you is that things change, the world progresses.

And so, it's never going to be the same. It's not going to be the same as the stone age. It's not going to be the same as the time when Jesus walked the earth, if that's what your belief is. So, it's always going to change. So, you cannot be afraid. You have to be able to live in reality and not be afraid, not in fear. And as you said, you've got to have goodwill.

And if you did all of that and found a friend who didn't look like you, I'm telling you, your whole perspective -- and America would change. We wouldn't be dealing with it.

CUOMO: For Christians it should be easier if it's not just bio Christian, you know, which is what you say you are because the two principles are very simple. Love, mercy, and love one another the way I love you. And do it for my name and me and my name is truth. And you should be three-quarters of the way there.

[22:04:59]

You know, I was walking by this place by your house the other night out east, and this guy was outside and he says, as I walked by, nothing like when we were really close to each other as I was going to my truck. But once I'm by, he's like, yes, yes, yes, you eat babies.

And I said, no I just drink the blood. And literally he just starts talking to two guys like, you know, see, I was right. And those people, that's not just about goodwill. That's about -- you don't have to find a friend who looks different. You have to find a friend who thinks different because they really believe crazy stuff.

LEMON: Yes.

CUOMO: The problem I don't want to make is stop ignoring the people who are feeding them the B.S. as if that will make it go away. No. You cannot let the radicalization process happen under your nose. You've got to out it --

LEMON: Yes.

CUOMO: -- and correct it.

LEMON: Yes, but you have to be judicious about what you out because you don't want to necessarily platform -- CUOMO: True.

LEMON: -- ignorance and conspiracy theories.

CUOMO: It's not easy but we got to take it seriously.

LEMON: Yes. And say it because I've got to go.

CUOMO: I love you, D. Lemon.

LEMON: Thank you, brother. I love you as well. I'll talk to you later.

This is CNN Tonight. I'm Don Lemon.

So, listen, this is very important stuff because there is new reporting on this huge story. Right? We're talking about what could happen on today, March 4th, that they thought was going to happen. There's a huge story about this urgent investigation to the deadly insurrection at the Capitol that happened on January 6.

Prosecutors are digging into information from cell phone towers that indicate that there were communications between members of Congress and some pro-Trump rioters. We don't know what's going on, but they're trying to get to the bottom of it. That is certainly raising questions about whether some lawmakers -- some lawmakers -- knowingly or unknowingly helped the rioters. Can you imagine that? This is a huge important story and we're going to have more to come on that in just a moment.

In the meantime, this is happening as democracy in the House is on pause tonight over a threat to lawmakers from the former president's true believers who bought into -- who bought into that bogus QAnon conspiracy theory that he would be inaugurated again today.

What are you going to believe now? Are you still going to believe this? It's March 4th. It's almost over. There's no inauguration. I checked all the channels. I was looking for it all day. I was like watching CNN. I'm like, where's the inauguration? There's no inauguration. It didn't happen.

But the threat from his supporters was serious enough that the House cancelled today's session. You're getting in the way of democracy, people. And in the Senate, the vote on President Joe Biden's COVID relief bill is on pause until they finish a pointless stalling tactic, OK? Senate clerks forced to read the entire bill out loud, which will take about 10 hours -- you heard that right, 10 hours. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: -- $16 million amount of paragraph 1A-2 shall be increased by amount an equal to a $6 amount multiplied by d, the cost of living adjustment determined under section 1F3 for such county year determined by --

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: OK. And there we go. And you know what that is? As if these people -- maybe some of them can't read for themselves from their actions. Maybe they can't read for themselves. Are you trying to tell us something? What a waste of time. What a waste of time.

Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson -- you remember, he wandered aloud in the Senate whether those blood thirsty rioters at the Capitol were fake Trump supporters or maybe antifa. And now he is forcing the full reading of hundreds of pages of the COVID relief bill.

These are the people who are supposed to serve you, who are elected by the American people and this is the crap that they're pulling just because he can, just because he can. You should be outraged by that, a waste of time and your tax dollars And insulting to your senses.

Wisconsin voters, is this what you want? Is this what you want, Wisconsin voters, a pointless, political stunt? You know we're in the middle of a pandemic and every second counts when it gets to getting relief to the American people? This is the biggest political stunt since --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): Do you like green eggs and ham? I do not like them, Sam, I am. I do not like green eggs and ham.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The GOP is so concerned about Dr. Seuss. So, let's consider what Democrats are focused on and what Republicans are focused on. Are you with me? OK. Here's some more truth telling for you.

[22:09:59]

Democrats moving ahead on COVID relief with zero support from Republicans and moving ahead on voting rights in the bill that the House passed last night. The GOP focusing on Dr. Seuss and defending Neanderthals. Seriously? Well, I don't think they are.

Here's what President Joe Biden said yesterday about governors lifting COVID restrictions too soon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The last thing -- the last thing -- we need is Neanderthal thinking that in the meantime everything is fine, take off your masks, forget it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: OK. And that's at the GOP fake outrage machine into motion. Yes, I said fake outrage machine, right into motion. They really, really, really want to make this happen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R-TN): Neanderthals are hunter, gatherers. They're protectors of their family. They are resilient. They're resourceful. They tend to their own. So, I think Joe Biden needs to rethink what he is saying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Marsha, Marsha, Marsha. The Neanderthals have been extinct for about 40,000 years. I'm not sure that they need Senator Marsha Blackburn to come to their defense now. Here's the thing. If you don't support the Democrats' agenda -- and nothing says that you have to -- then tell us what you do support.

Instead, we've got the GOP's fake outrage machine at work. They just cannot resist. And none of it is based in fact, right? I told you last night about the Dr. Seuss thing. They were saying Joe Biden cancelled Dr. Seuss and Democrats -- no. It was the company that runs Dr. Seuss -- it's Dr. Seuss's company who on their own said, this doesn't represent our company anymore. We're going to take these books out of circulation.

But fake outrage, Republicans had to say, OK, it's Joe Biden, it's the Democrats, nothing to do with Democrats or Joe Biden. It's all a big, big darn lie.

Senator Marco Rubio. Marco Rubio, really? Jumping on the chance to troll President Biden, sarcastically tweeting that he should apologize for using an old stereotype and suggesting that he should seek training on unconscious bias. OK. Bonus fake outrage points to Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves for circling back to the old favorite, deplorables.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. TATE REEVES (R-MS): Today I feel the same way as I did the day that Hillary Clinton called all of us in Middle America deplorables.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And then there's Jim Jordan. Never want to miss a chance to stoke the fake outrage machine, still harping on Dr. Seuss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): I think you're right. I think Americans are just fed up with this all. I mean, you know, first it was Kermit the Frog and the Muppets, and Mr. Potato Head, and now Dr. Seuss.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Do you ever get tired of just lying? Are you tired of them lying to you? I don't care that it -- even if you're a representative and you voted for them, don't you -- aren't you tired of them lying to you? Because what they're telling you about Dr. Seuss is just a total lie. It's a lie, easily exposed. And then there's Tom Norton who is running for Congress in Michigan's

third district tweeting about Goya beans, Mr. Potato Head and Dr. Seuss all at once. Remember COVID relief, people are hurting, they need the money, they need the stimulus, they need it. But they're tweeting about Dr. Seuss and Mr. Potato Head.

OK. Don't fall for it. Don't fall for the old okey-doke, you know I tell you that all the time. Don't believe that they're upset about Biden saying Neanderthals or Dr. Seuss. Remember all the crap that the former president would say about people, would tweet and then they would pretend they didn't see the tweets?

Or when he talked about Ted Cruz's wife's looks? And on and on -- and he called so many people names? Actually, his thing was to make fake names for people, Lying Ted, Little Marco. And now they're upset about someone saying a name like Neanderthal? You've got to really think people are stupid to fall for that one.

[22:15:01]

It is fake outrage, and it is -- you know why they're doing it? Because it's all they've got. They don't have anything else. The vaccine is getting out, Joe Biden is moving ahead with his agenda and he is ignoring their noise and their B.S.

And Republicans lost the House. Facts. They lost the Senate. Facts. They lost the White House. Facts. And they're still sucking up to the disgraced, twice-impeached, one-term former president.

But it doesn't look like it is working because Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said he'll support Trump in 2024, even though Trump demanded that he resign and promised to campaign against him. What did he get for that? He got slammed by the former president who claimed Georgia Republicans didn't turn out to vote because they were angry at Kemp for falling -- for failing, excuse me, to stand up to Stacey Abrams.

And then there is Mitch McConnell. Mitch McConnell, who, in spite of saying Trump was responsible for the insurrection voted acquit him. He got slammed too. And they're all upset about names.

Remember when he talked about how many chins -- this president -- that Mitch McConnell has and all that stuff. That's what he wanted to write in the note to Mitch McConnell. He called Mitch McConnell, he said he was the most unpopular politician in the country.

Like I said, still sucking up to the former president. And while Democrats are working to get COVID relief to millions of Americans, Texas Governor Greg Abbott with absolutely no evidence is blaming the Biden administration for releasing migrants with COVID.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R-TX): The Biden administration was releasing illegal immigrant -- illegal immigrants into our communities who had COVID. The Biden administration was exposing Texans to COVID. That is Neanderthal type approach to dealing with the COVID situation. (END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: All while in his head, he's thinking if he had a little bubble over his head, it would say don't think about -- don't think about the storm. Don't think about the snowstorm. Don't think about the power that was out. Don't think about the water.

Here's a shiny object, governor. I see you. Here's a shiny object. I'm not just picking on Republicans because they're Republicans. Don't get it twisted. I'm picking on them because they're acting like idiots, because they're laughable, because they're easily exposed, as I said, because they have nothing else.

And instead of trying to help the people they're supposed to serve, they're playing word games and mind games and little tricks. That doesn't help anybody. Even you if you voted for them, it does not help you.

I will tell you who is exposing Texans to COVID. It's you, Governor Abbott, the governor who is lifting mask mandates and reopening businesses. That's who's exposing people to COVID. The governor who has not responded to the Biden administration's offer of federal funds for COVID tests for migrants. That is the truth, not the lie that they're telling you. The governor jumping on the GOP outrage machine with that Neanderthal comment.

So, here's where we are tonight. This is where we are tonight. Democrats are working on COVID relief and they're working on voting rights. COVID relief to help the American people, voting rights to get as many people to participate in our electoral process as possible.

And Republicans, here's the mirror. This is what you're working on. Dr. Seuss and Neanderthals. Get with it, people. What is wrong with you? Your stupidity, as my friend would say, your slip is showing.

Huge developments in the Capitol riot investigation to tell you about, prosecutors looking at records from are cell towers indicating members of Congress communicated with rioters. Did some of our elected representatives knowingly or unknowingly help the mob? That's the question.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): It would be obviously deeply, deeply disturbing if some of the people I serve with were giving -- giving aid and comfort to people who were planning to attack the Capitol or assisting them in some way or, as some have alleged, were given tours to potential insurrectionists.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[22:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: So, here's developing news now. Tonight, federal investigators looking into whether members of Congress knowingly or unknowingly helped the pro-Trump mob that attacked the Capitol on January 6th. They are -- so they're examining communication records, OK.

CNN senior justice correspondent Evan Perez broke the story and he joins me now. Evan, this is huge news. Good evening to you. Your new reporting is so disturbing -- did some lawmakers have contact with the pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol? What are you learning here?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, that's exactly what investigators have right now. They have some of these records. Keep in mind, you have 300 arrests so far already. And in some of those cases the alleged rioters, they have now possession of the cell phones, of their computers, of their electronic devices. And what they found is some indications that those people were in

touch with members of Congress in the days leading up to, on the day of the insurrection.

So, the question is what was that about? We don't know what the content of those contexts were, what those text messages or e-mails, perhaps were, in between them. We do know that investigators have some indications from some of the rioters that they were talking about how they were interacting with members of Congress.

[22:25:04]

We know, again, that they have these contacts. At this point what we don't know is whether that indicates that they were in any way involved in the insurrection, either aiding/abetting it or perhaps wittingly or unwittingly trying to help them before or after the riots.

LEMON: Listen, this was talked about right after it happened. There were accusations, Evan --

PEREZ: Yes.

LEMON: -- that some Republicans gave tours leads up to the insurrection. Where does that stand right now?

PEREZ: Well, that's still under investigation. We know that the FBI has their surveillance video from the Capitol. It's been turned over. And they're still examining to determine whether any of those tours -- and we know that there were some tours that were done. The question is what was that about, whether, you know, these people used this to do surveillance before the insurrection.

And again, whether members of Congress were at all aware of this, Don. At this point, we don't know that any members of Congress are actually under investigation. It's not necessarily illegal to be having these contacts, but you can see there's a lot of smoke here, as one official told me today, and so that's what the FBI and prosecutors are very much interested in.

LEMON: Evan, thank you very much. Our legal analyst here at CNN is Elie Honig, and also a former special prosecutor. He joins us now. Elie, thank you so much. We don't know exactly what communications are, phone calls, text. So how do investigators find out and what would make them criminal?

ELIE HONIG, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, Don, boy, boy, do I have questions here. Starting with why on earth were elected members of Congress in communication on January third, fourth, and fifth with people who ended up storming the Capitol and rioting on January 6th, especially given that we know now that a lot of those people who stormed the Capitol were members of the Proud Boys and oath keepers and other domestic terrorist groups.

If I'm prosecuting this case, I'll start with those cell phone records. They can tell you a lot. They can tell you which cell phone communicated with which cell phone at what time and where they physically were in the Capitol, near the Capitol. Start with that.

And then as Evan said, investigators have some of those cell phones. So, you would do a full forensic dump of those cell phones. You would look to see are there any texts in there, are there any e-mails in there. It's key to figure out what was the substance of those communications.

LEMON: And so, are they going to be getting those from members of Congress? Are they going to demand that they turn over their cell phone records?

HONIG: Yes, so a couple of things, as Evan said, some of the cell phones of the rioters are already in the possession of prosecutors --

LEMON: Right.

HONIG: -- and the FBI. You start with that. I think, yes. There are ways you can get those phones. You can, in some cases you can subpoena them, require them to be turned over. In other cases, you can go to a judge and get a warrant if you can show probable cause that there may have been some crime there. And I think you ask as well.

I think if a certain member of Congress is shown to have been in communication with a rioter multiple times, you ask that representative or senator, hey, we would like to see your phone. And if they say no, I think that's a pretty good indicator of something.

LEMON: Elie, the FBI director, Christopher Wray, was questioned by senators earlier this week. I want you to watch this exchange, this is with Senator Hawley over collecting phone data. Here it is.

HONIG: Yes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): The cell tower data that was reportedly scooped up by the bureau on the day during, in fact, while the riot was underway, what's happened -- what's happened to that data? Do you still have it? Has it been retained? Do you have plans to retain it?

CHRISTOPHER WRAY, DIRECTOR, U.S. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: Again, whatever we're doing with cell phone data, I'm confident we're doing it in conjunction with our appropriate legal tools working -- (CROSSTALK)

HAWLEY: Well, here's what I'm trying to get at, and I think it's what Senator Lee was trying to get at. How are we going to know what you were doing with it?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, Senator Mike Lee also asked about the FBI gathering metadata and location information. Again, no indication of wrongdoing by lawmakers, but why so much interest over this do you think?

HONIG: Yes, Don. That is an eyebrow raiser. Why is Josh Hawley so interested in this? And now I think with Evan's reporting, maybe it comes together a little bit, right? Now that we know there have been communications, there have been links. I don't know why Josh Hawley is so concerned with this.

And as the director, Chris Wray said there are legal ways you can go about getting metadata, meaning the information I talked about before, who's calling who, when and where. That's fairly routine for prosecutors to get. I'm sure Chris Wray. I take him at his word that they're complying with all the laws about how to get that information, but that's crucial information. And if you were involved in a call that you were worried about you may have some questions.

LEMON: Elie Honig, thank you very much. More to come and we'll continue to follow.

HONIG: Thanks, Don.

LEMON: I appreciate it.

Right now, Senate clerks are reading the coronavirus relief bill in full, all because of one Republican senator and the White House response to questions about the president's Neanderthal thinking comment. That's next.

[22:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Right now, Senate Republicans are staging a political stunt to stall passage of President Biden's COVID relief bill. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin forcing Senate clerks to read the entire bill out loud, all 628 pages. It started around 3.30 Eastern. And it's expected to take about 10 hours. Only then will 20-hour of real floor debate begin, although there could be more stalling to gum up the works even more.

So, let's discuss now with CNN's political analysts, plural, Kirsten Powers and John Avlon. Good evening to both of you.

John, Democrats are trying to pass a COVID rescue package. Before pandemic unemployment benefits run out. And Republicans appear more focused on Dr. Seuss or defending Neanderthals. Ron Johnson is out there forcing clerks to work around the clock for a stunt. Do voters see what's going on here?

JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: If they're paying attention, which is more than probably most members of the Senate are doing. I mean, clerks are reading this right now, but what this stunt lies the fact that we just had 750,000 people apply for first-time unemployment benefits. People are still suffering, and this is just more than a distract and delay tactic.

[22:34:59]

Is Ron Johnson continuing his attempt to sort of claim the crown of king of the trolls. It doesn't make a lot of sense given that Biden won his state if he wants to run for re-election again. But this is what he's decided to do. And even Republican senators are looking themselves and saying we don't see the end game here. This is just designed to irritate and annoy.

LEMON: Listen, Kirsten, President Biden called it Neanderthal thinking to lift COVID restrictions in Texas and Mississippi. And everyone from the Texas governor to Senator Marsha Blackburn spun up the outrage machine. They were never outrage by thing the president, President Trump said. Doesn't that undercut their performance right now?

KIRSTEN POWERS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I mean, I don't -- I don't know if you can even undercut. Is it possible to go lower? I haven't really -- I haven't seen that. I feel like we've been at rock bottom for a while.

But, look, if you are somebody who stood by Donald Trump for the last four years complaining about anything that anybody says is kind of ridiculous. But let's just talk about saying the word Neanderthal. That's not an offensive word.

So, you know, it's a way of saying that people have backward thinking. And it is backward thinking to think that you don't need to wear a mask during a pandemic. That's an accurate statement. So, you know, really Marco Rubio was clearly just trolling over this issue.

And the idea that you would take the time to troll over something or complain about Dr. Seuss or just the ridiculous things that Republicans are talking about right now when we have a pandemic that people -- where people are dying and where people need relief and they need money and they're holding up the bill. It's -- you know, it just shows you where their priorities are.

LEMON: Why isn't Marco Rubio upset about, you know, for little people, or vertically challenged people because, you know, little Marco? That was -- I'm serious. I mean, it would be worse if someone says, come on, Don, your thinking is Neanderthal. OK. But if someone, like, you know, attacked me for a physical attribute, wouldn't that be more outrageous? And, you know, there are a lot of people who are vertically challenged in this country and there are a lot of little people.

POWERS: But Don.

LEMON: They should be offended by that.

POWERS: He's not he's not offended by Neanderthal, though. That's the point. Like, it's all fake outrage. And so, they're willing to absorb anything that Donald Trump says, even an attack on himself.

LEMON: Yes.

POWERS: But they do all of this performative outrage because that is what gets their voters riled up, the idea that Dr. Seuss has been cancelled -- which he hasn't -- or that somehow, it's offensive to say Neanderthal. It's just -- it's all -- it's a joke. I mean, which is, the thing is --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Well, it's so weird because they are supporting the very people who, in their estimation, cancelled the Dr. Seuss books by going to buy them. So, they're agreeing with what the Dr. Seuss -- it is so mind -- like -- God.

AVLON: But it's transparent at what it is, right? I mean, it's an attempt to distract. It's a culture war sort of bobble they're going to dangle to distract people from what's really going on, COVID deaths, the need for economic relief. But the underlying deal is what's so ridiculous.

You have all these Republicans who were attacked by Donald Trump they're now bending over backwards to defend him and to adopt his playbook because they think it succeeds. They don't have the spine to stand up on their own two feet and do what they think is right. And this is all just performative outrage. Just trolling has become the coin of the realm right now in the Republican Party.

LEMON: Yes, again, I would rather someone say my thinking was Neanderthal than call me lying Ted. It's more insulting to me.

POWERS: You're normal, John -- Don.

LEMON: OK.

POWERS: You're normal.

LEMON: Kirsten, the president, the real president, Joe Biden, is already looking ahead to infrastructure. This is Ezra Klein, what he writes in The New York Times. He says Biden is blitzing. His theory seems to be that if you can dial down the conflict, you can dial up the policy.

I mean, that might be right. But can we expect any more Republican support? Because right now he has zero. And you know in the beginning -- you guys know what I said. That whole thing about working with the other side didn't work for the Obama administration. They have gone through this before.

AVLON: Yes.

LEMON: I didn't think it was going to work before, and here we are, Kirsten.

POWERS: Yes, well, right. It's -- I still say that Biden is right and is right to have tried, and I think that that's the right thing to do. But you have to deal with the hand you've been dealt. And the hand he's been dealt --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Two months in.

POWERS: -- is the Republican Party

LEMON: It's only two months in.

POWERS: Yes. But this is, you know, the Republican Party is not a party. It's not -- it's not a serious party. It's not a party that's serious about governing. It's a party about keeping their base riled up and upset over inconsequential issues and being perpetually aggrieved and opposing anything the Democrats do.

LEMON: Yes.

[22:40:00]

POWERS: So, I think that he's going to have to figure out a way to get things done, you know, through other things, through executive orders or, you know, where he can get just the bare minimum support that he needs to get in Congress.

LEMON: OK. Listen, do not send -- I was going to say, we didn't cancel you, John. There was a technical glitch --

(CROSSTALK)

AVLON: I won't worry about that.

LEMON: There was a technical glitch that you went away. Thank you. We did not cancel John Avlon.

AVLON: I'm very confident about that.

LEMON: I was trying to do a Dr. Seuss thing, but I can't think that quick on my feet. It's Thursday. Maybe at the beginning of the week I could.

Thank you, both. I appreciate it. I'll see you soon.

AVLON: Take care.

LEMON: House Democrats passing the biggest Voting Rights bill since the 1960s trying to head off Republican attempts to make it harder to vote. And now Michelle Obama is weighing in. What she's saying, next.

[22:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: We have some breaking news. Michelle Obama, the former first lady, urging the Senate to pass a sweeping election bill that could stop a GOP push across the country to limit voting. The former first lady slamming state level Republicans who are pushing bills that would make it harder to vote, releasing a statement.

Here's what it says. Make no mistake, the idea that we cannot hold both secure elections and ensure that every eligible voter can make their voices heard is a false choice. It's based on lies, and it flies in the face of our history. It is sad. It is infuriating, and it is a genuine threat to our future that must be taken seriously.

Well House Democrats last night passing the For the People Act, known as HR1. Some of the measures to expand voting include, allowing states at least 15 days of early voting, expanding mail-in voting, establishing automatic and same-day voter registration and preventing states from prohibiting curb side voting.

So, joining me now Democratic Congressman, John Sarbanes, the chief author of the bill who led the effort to pass it in the pass. Congressman, I appreciate you joining. Thanks so much.

OK. So, how will this bill counter the Republican effort across the country to make it harder to vote?

REP. JOHN SARBANES (D-MD): Well, you just detailed some of the major changes. What it would do is it would put in place a uniform standards and best practices when it comes to access to the ballot box. People are tired of having to run an obstacle course every two years to get to the ballot box. In 2020, in November, we saw people fight their way to the ballot box. They overcame a lot of obstacles. But we shouldn't have those obstacles in the first place.

And if you put in early voting, which this bill would do, if you make mail-in voting easier and more convenient, if you have same day registration and automatic voter registration, you create a system nationwide that respects the voter and says to them we're going to make it convenient and easy for you to access the vote, which is your voice.

LEMON: So, if the GOP -- if the GOP manages to pass these bills that restrict voting and Democrats don't stop it, are you worried that you could lose the House and the Senate?

SARBANES: I'm worried about what would happen to the democracy because I think it would split our democracy into two. We would have some states where voting is easy and accessible, and then we would have this whole other set of states where voting has been blocked and where voting suppression is the order of the day.

And, you know, you're going to be in one state looking over the fence at another state and saying, why are those people able to vote in their democracy, and why are we being restrained from that? That splits the country apart. It undermines our democracy. So, that's what's at stake here. They're heading in the wrong direction at 100-miles-an-hour with all

of these bills they've introduced over the last six weeks. We're trying to go in a positive direction and make sure people can access the ballot box in a way that makes just common sense for our democracy. I think that's why the former first lady has weighed in here because it makes perfect sense to her that we should see these changes.

LEMON: Listen, I don't need to tell you that this bill has a huge uphill climb in the Senate. You say it makes sense to re-evaluate the filibuster if this cannot pass with bipartisan support. But moderate Democratic Senators like Joe Manchin have publicly opposed the filibuster. Do they realize what's at stake?

SARBANES: Well, I would note that moderate Democratic senators like Amy Klobuchar are saying that maybe for something this important we ought to wave the filibuster. And I think that approach has a lot to it. I mean, if you think about it, if there's one kind of legislation that we shouldn't hold hostage to a supermajority requirement, its legislation that's designed to restore majority rule in our democracy.

So, if there's anything where we ought to just have an up and down vote with a simple majority, it's for something that can set our democracy back on a course, a positive course here. And I think people are starting to appreciate that argument and that's going to intensify. We know the public wants to this. And by the way, it's not just Democrats. Majority of Republicans, independents and Democrats support these changes because they just make sense and they help strengthen our democracy.

LEMON: Congressman Sarbanes, thank you for your time. I appreciate it.

SARBANES: Thank you. Take care.

LEMON: A courtroom meltdown. Take this. This infamous rioter screamed at a judge and his own lawyers today. You're going to want to hear this. That's next.

[22:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Take this. The so-called QAnon shaman Jacob Chansley telling a federal court that he brought positivity to the Capitol during the deadly January 6 riot. Chansley backing up his positive vibes defense in a new interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACOB CHANSLEY, QANON SHAMAN: My actions on January 6th, how I describe them, well, I sang a song, and that's a part of shamanism. It's about creating positive vibrations in a sacred chamber. I also stopped people from stealing and vandalizing that sacred space, the Senate. OK? I actually stopped somebody from stealing muffins out of the break room.

That is the one very serious regret that I have, was believing that when we were waved in by police officers that it was acceptable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[22:55:07]

LEMON: Remember, this is a guy who had to be moved to another jail because he demanded an all-organic diet. Prosecutors say he left a threatening note to Vice President Mike Pence in the Senate chamber saying justice was coming. Now he wants you to think that he did nothing wrong because he sang a stopped and stopped a muffin theft. Give me a break.

Another Capitol rioter screamed at the judge and his own attorneys in court today. Richard Barnett, the man seen with his feet up on the desk in Speaker Pelosi's office having a meltdown over being held in jail saying, and I quote, "I don't agree to this. It's not fair. And everybody else who did things much worse are already home."

Prosecutors say he violently broke into the Capitol with a weapon. The weapon? A 950,000-volt stun gun walking stick. A stun gun walking stick. He learned about that during former President Trump's second impeachment trial. For one rioter it's not fair and for another it's all about positive vibrations. It goes to show you there's no good defense for insurrection.

Major new developments in the Capitol riot investigation. Federal investigators examining communications between members of Congress and rioters to see if any provided aid to the insurrectionists. More ahead.

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