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Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) Discusses Intel Report Regarding Election Fraud Claims; Man Arrested Outside Vice President's Residence Had AR-15 In Car; DHS Chief Grilled By Lawmakers Over Migrant Influx At Border. Aired 7:30-8a ET
Aired March 18, 2021 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[07:31:32]
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The House of Representatives has voted overwhelmingly to award the Congressional Gold Medal to police officers who put their lives on the line during the January sixth insurrection. Now, 12 Republicans actually voted against the bill.
And now we're hearing a firsthand account of that hate-filled day from a Black Capitol Police officer, Harry Dunn, who survived it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OFFICER HARRY DUNN, U.S. CAPITOL POLICE: It was just so overwhelming that here we are giving so much and putting our lives on the line to protect democracy and keep it, and we're being called racial slurs, traitors, and any just weapon that these people could use.
One of my colleagues said that he was called a racial slur. He was carrying a rifle -- a long gun that day -- and a group of terrorists came to him and said you think you're a tough n-word with that gun. Put that gun down and we'll show you what type of n-word you really are.
And nobody deserves that. Nobody deserves to be talked to like that, but especially this guy. He did not deserve -- yes, it was rough. And I guess it's the -- but we keep coming back and back and we love our country even though it doesn't love us back.
I don't think that dealing with depression and any type of stress or whatever related to an incident is a color thing. You've got several white officers, Asian-American officers that went through -- Hispanic officers that went through hell also.
But the Black officer's struggle was different as in -- like, I said, we fought against not just people that were -- that hated what we represented, but they hated our skin color also. That's just a fact and they used those words to prove that. They showed that they hated us and they hated our skin color.
A lot of people don't know what that's like -- officers of color, Black people. We are -- we feel like sometimes we're alone even though we're not. Officers -- white officers have expressed that hey, we're sorry -- this shouldn't have happened. However, besides just I'm sorry that happened they don't know how it feels. And it's hard to even put in words because everybody's affected by things differently.
But, Black officers can relate with each other and we kind of lean on each other a little more as a support system because we know what it's like to face racism as a minority.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Officer Harry Dunn.
In a newly-released report, U.S. intelligence agencies make a direct connection between the Capitol insurrection and the potential for future violence.
The report says, quote, "Newer sociopolitical developments, such as narratives of fraud in the recent general election and the emboldening impact of the violent breach of the U.S. Capitol, will almost certainly spur some domestic violent extremists to try to engage in violence this year."
Joining me now is Democratic Congresswoman and former CIA officer, Abigail Spanberger. Congresswoman, thank you so much for being with us this morning.
[07:35:00]
Twelve Republicans voted against the Gold Medal for the Capitol Police officers because they didn't want to use the word "insurrection." Many Republicans bend themselves into pretzels to not say that Joe Biden won the election fairly.
We see this report from Intelligence Communities warning that more could be coming because of these false narratives.
What are your concerns this morning?
REP. ABIGAIL SPANBERGER (D-VA): Well, I want to first start by saying thank you very much for giving a platform to Officer Dunn to tell his story -- his extraordinary story. And frankly, what -- it was his testimony that is his and that of so many Capitol Police officers.
I was in the Capitol on the day of the January sixth insurrection and the incredible work of the Capitol Police officers is what saved democracy that day and it's what kept so many of us safe. And unfortunately, three police officers have lost their lives and so many more have faced lifelong consequences because of their fight to save our democracy.
And the fact that we have colleagues who are unwilling to call an attack on the United States Capitol by fellow Americans an insurrection -- an attack on the United States Capitol. As we were there to do our constitutional duty of recognizing the results of the 2020 election, they were there to disrupt that effort. They were there to stop it. They were there to essentially assert their will over the will of the American people. And if -- I mean, that is what an insurrection is.
And when we look at the threat of domestic violence that we have heard from FBI Dir. Wray, from Sec. Mayorkas, and when we look at this new DNI report recognizing -- the unclassified DNI report recognizing the efforts of the Russian government to sow disinformation and divisions within our community -- the most important thing is that lawmakers and anyone with an elevated voice tell the truth.
And the truth is there was not widespread fraud. The truth is Joe Biden won the election. And many people may be disappointed by that fact but it is the truth.
And the fact that I have colleagues who continue to be unwilling to tell the truth to their constituents, it's dangerous to democracy and it's a grave disappointment.
BERMAN: You brought up the other intelligence report about Russian interference in the U.S. election.
You're on the Foreign Affairs Committee and there's a full-scale diplomatic battle now between the U.S. and Russia. Russia is lashing out at the Biden administration for these comments that President Biden made about this report that Russia, once again, attacked the U.S. election -- listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC ANCHOR: You know Vladimir Putin. Do you think he's a killer?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Um-hum, I do.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So what price must he pay?
BIDEN: The price he's going to pay -- well, you'll see shortly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Um-hum, yes -- he thinks that Vladimir Putin is a killer. Russia has recalled its ambassadors, calling on President Biden to apologize for those statements.
Where does this go from here? Is this worth it? Was it important enough to send that message to Russia and have it be worth that they have recalled their ambassador?
SPANBERGER: The starting point of the relationship, right now where we are in March of 2021, is that we are beginning a new administration having just finished four years of a President of the United States who stood by while Russia, while Vladimir Putin aggressed against our elections, sowed division through propaganda means within our community. And when faced with the undisputed intelligence and information provided by the Intelligence Community, the former president chose the side of defending Russia instead of believing the Intelligence Community.
So it's important in context to recognize that this is -- this, where we are right now, is a result of four years of not pushing back up against an authoritarian government. Pushing back up against a former KGB officer who we know has meddled in our elections and who we know engaged to try and influence the 2020 elections as well.
And so, it's a real challenge for the Biden administration because there hasn't been consistent U.S. policy pushing back up against the aggression of Russia, which is nothing new. But what is new is that we have departed -- the former administration didn't denounce it. Didn't fight back against it.
And so that's why President Biden's comments are so extraordinary -- at least they seem so at this moment -- because it's coming after four years of really not standing up for the American democracy in the face of an authoritarian regime trying to undo it.
BERMAN: And in fact -- and, you know, all these things are connected, right? There is actually a lot of connection between all these different threads that we're talking about this morning.
[07:40:00]
The former administration didn't just not push back. In some cases, they tried to distract, it seems, and maybe even offer dishonest testimony or statements.
In this new report that came out it, it talks about China and China's efforts to influence the election or lack thereof. The report says China did not interfere. China considered but did not deploy interference efforts, OK? That just from a report in the Intelligence Community.
Nevertheless, the former Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe, said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN RATCLIFFE, FORMER DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: China is using a massive and sophisticated influence campaign that dwarfs anything that any other country is doing."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: The report says China did not interfere. Considered, but did not deploy interference efforts. Both things can't be true.
SPANBERGER: I would agree with you both things can't be true. So then, the question has to become why were we hearing such a departure?
The men and women -- the professionals in the Intelligence Community -- career public servants who focus day in and day out on collecting information, analyzing said information, and putting it forward in reports that are meant to inform policymakers, that are meant to inform administration officials -- those folks didn't change. And so, I'm grateful at this point that we have this unclassified version of the DNI report out in the public sphere so that we can understand what's been happening for the -- and we can speak publicly about what's been happening and who, in fact, has tried to --
BERMAN: Let me --
SPANBERGER: -- impact our elections and sow division in our society.
BERMAN: Let me play more sound from the former attorney general of the United States, William Barr, with our Wolf Blitzer. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR, "THE SITUATION ROOM WITH WOLF BLITZER": The Intelligence Community has pointed to Russia, China, and Iran. Which is the most assertive -- the most aggressive in this area?
WILLIAM BARR, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: I believe it's China.
BLITZER: Which one?
BARR: China.
BLITZER: China more than Russia right now?
BARR: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Again, it's just stunning when you read the report that just came out that says that -- I'm not dismissing the threat that China poses to the United States --
SPANBERGER: That's right.
BERMAN: -- but the report says China did not interfere. And you have Ratcliffe and the attorney general saying they did. It just seems -- I mean, were they lying?
SPANBERGER: Well, and what's telling in that interview is that he said I believe it's China. It's not about his belief system, it's about the undisputed intelligence. It's not about what he chooses to believe. But this is consistent with the former administration constantly trying to divert attention towards China, trying to create some sort of punching bag conversation.
And let me be clear. We face significant challenges as it relates to the Chinese Communist Party. But this sort of rhetoric constantly trying to create a distraction away from Russia, away from Iran, away from North Korea, and towards China is not only detrimental to our national security but we see it here domestically.
We see a president who constantly was talking about the coronavirus in terms of the links back to China. And now, here domestically, to bring it full circle, we see the increases of anti-Asian hate that I'm hearing about from my constituents back home in Virginia. And certainly, we see the tragic murder of eight people, six of them Asian women, in Atlanta.
You know, all of these things have some connection within our society and it all comes back to telling the truth.
And so, my heart goes out to the people of Georgia. My heart goes out to any Asian-American person who feels fear at this moment.
But we have to demonstrate that what matters is telling the truth. And when it comes to who is attempting to meddle in our elections it's the Russians.
BERMAN: Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, great discussion. Thank you for coming on this morning. I really appreciate your time.
SPANBERGER: Thank you. Thank you, John.
BERMAN: So, police in Washington apparently stopping a threat against Vice President Kamala Harris outside her home. We have a live report, next.
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[07:48:33]
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Developing this morning, a Texas man is facing weapons charges after being arrested outside Vice President Kamala Harris' official residence in Washington, D.C. Metro Police say they found an AR-15 rifle and ammunition in his car.
CNN's Whitney Wild is live in Washington with more. Whitney, good morning.
WHITNEY WILD, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Erica.
Well, this was quite a bit of ammunition, in fact. There were 113 rounds of ammunition found in that suspect's vehicle. In addition, there were five 30-round magazines. D.C. has very strict weapons and ammunitions laws here, so that was certainly the wrong arsenal to bring to D.C. He is now facing a list of charges.
Here's how it all happened, Erica.
As you mentioned, this man is from Texas. So there was an intelligence bulletin issued by Texas law enforcement that went out region-wide here in D.C. Law enforcement spotted this man, recognizing him from that intelligence bulletin, outside of the vice president's residence.
They contacted him through the course of the investigation and figured out he had this arsenal in his vehicle. As I said, he's now facing a list of charges. Right now, he's behind bars in D.C.
Luckily, encouragingly, John, a Secret Service official tells us that none of its protectees were inside the residence at the time -- John.
BERMAN: All right, Whitney Wild. Thank you for bringing us that report. Appreciate it.
We've been talking about the shootings in Georgia. Now, it's not just that, right? The number of brutal attacks against Asian-Americans is on the rise.
[07:50:00]
John Avlon with a reality check.
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JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST (on camera): Hey, guys.
Now, we don't yet know exactly what motivated the alleged killer of eight people in the Atlanta area spas but we do know that Asian spas were targeted and that most victims were Asian women, and that alone says a lot. It's certainly more than a case of the suspect having a bad day, as the sheriff's spokesperson callously described the killings, because we know that hate crimes against Asian-Americans have been on the rise since COVID hit.
Asian-Americans have been targeted more than 500 times so far this year, according to Stop AAPI Hate, with at least 3,795 complaints received since the pandemic started. About 68 percent were verbal harassments. Around 11 percent involved physical assaults.
In recent weeks, we've seen the killing of an 84-year-old and the brutal robbery of a 67-year-old, both in San Francisco. In L.A., 27- year-old Denny Kim said his attacker shouted "You have the Chinese virus. Go back to China."
In New York City last year there were 24 reported attacks against people of Asian descent that the NYPD describes as coronavirus- motivated. And it's a fact that the first outbreak was reported in Wuhan, China, but pandemics don't care about politics or race. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop racial scapegoating.
And that's why there was a pushback on attempts to label this the China virus or the Kung Flu by ex-President Trump and allies, and right-wing media.
PETE HEGSETH, FOX NEWS HOST, "FOX & FRIENDS WEEKEND": Say it with me, Tucker. Wuhan virus, Chinese virus -- maybe even the Kung Flu, you know. A little off-color, but funny.
AVLON (on camera): Yes.
Folks weren't warning against this because of political correctness. It was an awareness of the ugly impulses it could unleash.
Now, according to the ADL, anti-Asian language and conspiracy theories spiked 85 percent on Twitter in the 12 hours after Trump first tweeted about his COVID diagnosis. In addition, white supremacist propaganda nearly doubled in 2020 to
the highest levels they've recorded. Much of it featured what the ADL called veiled white supremacist language with a patriotic slant in an effort to bolster recruitment while targeting minority groups.
And the DHS secretary just described domestic violence extremism as the greatest threat to the United States.
We are a nation of emigrants. Asian-Americans may be the fastest- growing emigrant group but they've also been part of the American tapestry for a long time.
They've experienced periods of profound discrimination, from the infamous 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act to Japanese-American internment camps during World War II. And this is a horrific side of American history and we need to remember it so we don't repeat it.
But discrimination does not define us as a nation. A decade after the internment camps closed, voters elected the first Asian-American senator, Hiram Fong of Hawaii, the son of Chinese emigrants. He was soon joined by Sen. Daniel Inouye, a Japanese-American World War II veteran who served in the Senate for nearly half a century.
We are fundamentally a composite nation, as Frederick Douglass declared in his speech defending the rights of Asian-Americans in 1869.
So if you want to look for a patriotic tradition to defend, that's the one. You want to engage in group blame or group hate, you should know that you're on the wrong side of American history.
And that's your reality check.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[07:57:19]
HILL: Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas assuring lawmakers the border is not open as an influx of migrant children crossing alone overwhelms border patrol resources. Now, he admits it is a difficult situation but continues to stop short of calling it a crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY: A crisis is when a nation is willing to rip a 9-year-old child out of the hands of his or her parent and separate that family to deter future migration. That, to me, is a humanitarian crisis.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: CNN's Priscilla Alvarez is live this morning in Dallas with more. Priscilla, good morning.
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN IMMIGRATION REPORTER: Good morning, Erica. As you saw, Mayorkas stopping short of calling the situation on the border a crisis yesterday. Democrats and Republicans questioned Mayorkas about the situation on the border and he outlined the steps that they are taking to try to accommodate the record number of children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border alone.
One of those -- one of those steps, Erica, is the use of the convention center behind me here in Dallas that will be used for migrant teens. These are boys that have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border alone that they are bringing here to try to get them out of overcrowded border patrol facilities. So we have seen just this morning at least a dozen American Red Cross volunteers trickle into this building.
And again, one of the steps here to try to start alleviating those border patrol facilities and getting kids to facilities that are more suited for them.
HILL: Priscilla Alvarez with the latest for us from Dallas.
ALVAREZ: Erica.
HILL: Priscilla, thank you.
And NEW DAY continues right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The killing spree, in which most of the victims were Asian-American women, happened in the span of just a few hours.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is so heartbreaking.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This family is broken because of this man.
MAYOR KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS (D), ATLANTA: This is a man who murdered eight people in cold blood. It's very difficult to ignore that the Asian community has once again been targeted.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are worrying signs of the possibility of another surge. States are reporting a week-to-week increase of more than 10 percent.
DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, DIRECTOR, CDC: We are in a race to stop transmission, and the emergence of variants that spread more easily has made that even more challenging.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.
BERMAN: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY.
Alisyn is off. Erica Hill with me here this morning. Great to see you, as always. HILL: Always good to be here.
BERMAN: So, fear and anger building in the Asian-American community this morning after the killing spree in Georgia that left eight people dead -- six of them Asian women. Anti-Asian hate crimes up nearly 150 percent in major U.S. cities since the start of the pandemic.
Now, the suspect in Georgia is claiming to law enforcement that the killings were not.
