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New Day

Rep. Gaetz Denies Relationship with 17 Year Old, Claims Extortion Attempt; NYT: Justice Dept. Investigating Rep. Gaetz Over Sex with Underage Girl; Biden Admin. Allows Media into Border Tents Packed with Minors; Alarming Spike in Cases; Cases & Hospitalizations Soar in Michigan, Surge in Young Patients; Michigan Governor Pledges to Double Its Daily Vaccination Rate; Michigan GOP Files 39 Election Reform Bills; Michigan GOP Chair Apologizes For Calling Governor a "Witch;" NYPD Announcees Arrest in Attack of Asian Woman in New York City; Biden Announces New Initiatives to Combat Anti-Asian Prejudice; Pfizer Reports Vaccine 100% Effective in Kids Aged 12 to 15. Aired 7:30-8a ET.

Aired March 31, 2021 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00]

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Joining us now is one of The Times' reporters who broke this story, Justice Department Reporter, Katie Benner. Katie, thanks so much for being here. So what exactly was the Department of Justice, again President Trump's Department of Justice, looking into with Matt Gaetz.

KATIE BENNER, JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REPORTER, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Sure. Well what we saw last year is the Justice Department in the central district of Florida, not Matt Gaetz's district, central district of Florida looking into one of his friends, a local official who was accused of several things including child sex trafficking.

And in the course of that investigation they had reason to start looking at Mr. Gaetz himself. So what they started looking at at the end of last summer was whether his sexual relationship with a 17-year- old girl constituted sex trafficking, and what sex trafficking would mean would be that they travelled over state lines and that she could have received something of value that could be money or that could be something. That could be travel expenses. We don't know.

CAMEROTA: Has it been confirmed that he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old?

BENNER: All we know is that that what investigators at the FBI and the Department of Justice in that part of Florida have been looking at as well as investigators here in Washington, D.C.

He has denied it. I think we should say that his lawyer has flatly denied that he has had nay relationships with anyone who is the age of 17. JOHN AVLON, CNN HOST: I want to reiterate that according to your reporting this investigation began under Attorney General Bill Barr. I mean, in your experience is it likely do you think that the president's loyal A.G. up to that point would take on one of the president's biggest supporters if they were baseless claims?

BENNER: You know, I think that we saw that at the end of for the Trump administration Bill Barr was willing to do things that were gong to displease the president. You know, he would not stand up claims of election fraud at the bitter end, and he also allowed investigations to proceed that would displease President Trump, including one into Mr. Gaetz, and he also did not disclose investigations that would have made Trump very happy such as the investigation into Biden's son.

So we do have to give Barr, you know, credit for acting in exactly the way we want an attorney general to act and also the fact that this opened up under A.G. Barr is really important when we look at the claims that Gaetz is making about extortion. I'm not saying that somebody is not trying to extort his family over knowledge of this investigation, but he's trying to cast it as a way to say to say that this investigation begun simply to extort him, which would imply that Attorney General Barr began an investigation so that months later somebody could extort his family. I don't think that that is why A.G. Barr would say that he began the investigation.

AVLON: That's fair.

CAMEROTA: I also thought it was curious that Matt Gaetz made a point on television last night of being very specific. I never travelled with a 17-year-old. That's demustfully (ph) false. I don't travel with a 17-year-old. Obviously the accusations are much worse than just going on a road trip with a 17-year old.

He also last night on Fox TV seemed to believe that Tucker Carlson, one of the hosts, could be an alibi of some kind, but that didn't go that well. Here's that now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): I can say that actually you and I went to dinner about two years ago. Your wife was there, and I brought of mine. You'll remember her. And she was actually threatened by the FBI. I'm just troubled that the lack of any sort of legitimate investigation into me would then permute, would then convert into this extortion attempt.

TUCKER CARLSON, FOX HOST: I don't remember the woman you're speaking of or the context at all honestly, but -

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Katie, do you understand what he was speaking of or the context last night?

BENNER: I'm as confused as Tucker Carlson was about the dinner he speaks of an how that's relevant to this investigation or if he's trying to imply that the person who had (ph) dinner with is the woman in question in the investigation.

I think it's interesting what you brought up about his denials of travel. Now his lawyer has sent a blank of denial saying he's had no sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl, which is fine. You look at what Mr. Gaetz is saying. It is the interstate travel piece that would make this a federal crime. Of course, you know, having a sex with a minor is a state crime, but interstate travel then makes this something that would be a federal - something a federal investigator could look at.

AVLON: We should say that Congressman Gaetz as part of his playing offense in the face of these allegations named a former Justice Department lawyer and accused him or extorting him. His name is David McGee. He gave a statement to The Washington Post definitively pushing it back against those allegations. Here's what he said.

"It's completely false. It's a blatant attempt to distract from the fact that he's under investigation for sex trafficking of minors. I have no connection with that case at all, other than, one of a thousand people who have heard the rumors." So I think that's important to level set as well.

BENNER: Absolutely, and keep in mind Mr. McGee has not worked at the Justice Department for decades, and he also did not work in the district in which this investigation's being conducted. So he was an attorney in the northern district of Florida.

[07:35:00]

If you look at court documents, you can see that since leaving the Justice Department he has been a prolific defense lawyer. However, the investigation itself is being conducted in the central district of Florida.

CAMEROTA: It just gets curiouser and curiouser (ph) frankly.

AVLON: I - we have not heard the last of this particular story. I have a feeling. All right, Katie Benner, thank you very much for joining us on New Day. Look forward to your reporting.

BENNER: Thank you.

AVLON: All right, we're getting our first look inside one of the overcrowded border facilities holding hundreds of migrant children. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility in Donna, Texas is housing 4,100 migrants. Capacity is just 250. The growing number of arrivals is overwhelming, resulting in children staying at the facility far longer than the 72-hour legal limit. On average, migrants are spending 133 hours at this Texas facility.

The coronavirus cases are also on the rise in 26 states, including Michigan. Did the states start reopening too soon. Governor Gretchen Whitmer joining us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:40:25]

CAMEROTA: Michigan is seeing a sharp rise in coronavirus cases weeks after the state began loosening restrictions on restaurants, retail, and gatherings. The new infection rates in that state are up an average of 52 percent from just last week. The number of people hospitalized with coronavirus in Michigan has doubled in just the past two weeks.

So joining us now is Governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer. Governor, thanks so much for being here. We've really been looking at Michigan for this whole week so far and wondering what's been going on there. What's - why is it now number two in the country in new cases?

GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): Well we're obviously watching the trends very closely as well. There are a lot of factors that go into this. Number one, we've got a higher portion of variants, and that means coronavirus spreads faster. These are much more contagious, and we're seeing that whether is youth sports or it is the reengagement of some of our restaurants, et cetera, more activity means more spread.

And that's why we unlike a lot of other states continued a mask mandate we have - still have capacity restrictions on bars and restaurants and gyms, et cetera. So we haven't abandoned our protocols. It's just that we've got a higher proportion of variants, and part of that is people getting tired. There's fatigue and there's variants and there's more travel, and that's some of what the story is here for sure.

CAMEROTA: Well I mean, all states have variants at this point. All states have people with COVID fatigue. And so, let me just go through the restrictions that you did lift on March 5. Indoor dining in Michigan is now at 50 percent. Six people per table are allowed. There's a curfew after I think 11 p.m. Retail shops now at 50 percent. Indoor gatherings up to 25 people. Outdoor residential gatherings up to 50 people. Outdoor gatherings at other places 300 people.

So that was on March 5, and if you look at the graph of your new cases, that's right around the time, March 5 -- here I can pull it up - that cases started climbing notably. So was it a mistake to rollback some of those restrictions?

WHITMER: Well here's what we know. A year ago we didn't know a lot about this virus. Even in the fall we didn't have vaccines available. Now we have three safe and effective vaccines. I mean, we - our experience with COVID is very different than it has been over the last 12 months.

That being said, we have to keep crunching these numbers. We have to keep doing our part, masking up, washing our hands, social distancing. These are all incredibly important.

I think, too, perspective is as well often (ph). And so, we were really aggressive. We were able to keep our COVID numbers down. We saved a lot of lives between the beginning of COVID and when vaccines came online. That work's really important, and what we're seeing is very different than what we saw before. Low numbers mean that when you have an increase you do see 50 percent increases from 3 percent to 6 percent, but still that 3 percent was a lot lower than a lot of the rest of the country. When other states go from 15 percent down to 14 that looks like they've got a great, positive trend.

So I think that perspective's really important. We really have to dig into the data to understand what's happening.

CAMEROTA: That's a good point. I mean, that's happening in Connecticut, too, sort of being punished for its low rates because now Connecticut is also in I think the top five or six states, but given that hospitalizations in Michigan are also going up, would you consider reinstating some of those restrictions?

WHITMER: Well we're continuing to have robust conversations. I mean, I got to tell you yesterday morning I had a restaurant owner asking if we could lift the curfew because the Michigan game last night. Unfortunately, Michigan didn't win but the point still is that there's a lot of push and pull, and what we need to do is double down on our masking and get more people vaccinated.

We are dropping all age and restrictions (ph) starting next week. Everyone can get vaccines. We are upping our goal from 50,000 a day to 100,000 a day. We've got great partnership from the Biden administration. 18.6 percent of our eligible adults are fully vaccinated. 33 percent have had at least one shot.

And so, we are going gangbusters on the vaccines, and that's really where people need to have their personal responsibility following the protocols and getting themselves vaccinated. It's the best thing for them individually and for our economy.

CAMEROTA: I know at one time you were clamoring for more vaccines but it sounds like now that there's been progress on that front and we're happy to hear about that. I also want to ask you about what's happening with some of these Senate bills from Republicans about voting restrictions.

[07:45:00]

In Michigan, Senate Republicans have unveiled 39 different bills on March 24 to require just all sorts of different, new restrictions to voting. What are your - what's your response to these?

WHITMER: Well I mean, this is what we're seeing I think, what, 43 states across the country. We have got Republican legislation that's moving to make it harder for people to vote. We just came through a historic, free, fair, full election. There were no - there was not fraud the way that this big lie perpetuated and fed into people's anxieties and inspired the unthinkable on January 6 or the unthinkable for the rest of the world.

We saw some of that happen here in Michigan earlier, but the facts of the matter is these are - this is a solution in search of a problem, and it is unacceptable. And so, if and when those bills get to my desk and they're aimed at making it harder for people to vote, they will get vetoed.

CAMEROTA: I want to ask you something that the Michigan GOP Chairman said about you and some of your female colleagues. He called you a witch. Here's this moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON WEISER, MICHIGAN GOP CHAIRMAN: Our job now is to soften up those three witches and make sure that we have good candidates to run against them, that they are ready for the - for the burning at the stake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Yikes. What's your response to that one?

WHITMER: I mean, it's just really a sad moment in America where people who are leading are treated with such disrespect, and in this dangers moment where we've seen threats come to those of us in office and a plot to kidnap and kill me. That's - we're seeing people in court this week on that - those very charges, that they're continuing to throw gas on this fire.

And it is dangerous, it's unacceptable, and I've been for almost a year now calling on people to bring down the heat. We can disagree without being dangerous and inciting violence against one another, and it's just despicable.

CAMEROTA: Yes, thank you. It's dangerous and gross. Governor Gretchen Whitmer, thank you very much. We appreciate you going through al of these topics with us.

WHITMER: Thank you, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Another brutal anti-Asian attack highlighting calls for action to stop the hate. The new steps at the federal level to address this recent violence.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:51:45]

AVLON: Developing this morning, New York City Police Department announcing the arrest of a suspect accused of brutally assaulting a 65-year-old Asian woman in New York City. Surveillance video released by police capturing the horrifying attack as the woman was repeatedly punched and kicked. Police say her attacker allegedly made anti-Asian statements and is facing hate crime charges. He's also apparently out on parole.

The attack is just the latest in the growing number of acts of violence against Asian Americans in this country. Joining me now is New York Congresswoman, Grace Meng. Congresswoman Meng, thank you so much for joining us on New Day. What is your reaction when you watch that horrific video not only to the attack itself but to the seeming standoffishness and difference to the two men in the doorway. One of them even closed the door to distance themselves rather than intervening on the victim's behalf.

REP. GRACE MENG (D-NY): Well the video that we watched was offensive and painful on so many levels. Of course to see a woman pushed to the ground and stomped - stomped on repeatedly and then to see people watch what was happening and literally shut the door on her was very painful to watch not just as an Asian American but for all of humanity.

AVLON: Certainly, and I'll note that your district takes (ph) Kew Gardens, Queens where and infamous incident half a century ago, Kitty Genovese, involved an assault on a young woman and the neighbors did not intervene, and whenever we see that kind of indifference in New York I think that memory comes flooding back.

I - we should say that that owners of the apartment building have released a statement condemning their employees' conduct. The Brodsky Organization says it, "condemns all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia and violence against the Asian American community... the staff who witnessed the attack have been suspended pending an investigation in conjunction with their union."

Congresswoman Meng, you know, you have been a crusader on the issue of raising awareness about this Asian - anti-Asian American hate we've seen in the wake of COVID. You've submitted a bill. President Biden's signed onto it since we last spoke, and just yesterday his administration stepped up and put forward very specific procedures in place to try to combat this tide. I'm going to tell you what - tell the audience what they are and then get your take on them to see if they're sufficient in your eyes.

One, DOJ initiative to address anti-Asian violence, the appointment of a permanent director to coordinate all federal policies impacting the AAPI community, and establishing a committee of the COVID-19 Equity Task Force to address an end xenophobia against Asian Americans.

Did you offer input into the administration's decision? And do you think these specific initiatives go far enough?

MENG: Well we are so thankful that President Biden took this action, and within the span of a year we've gone from a former president who literally incited violence to a president who has not only taken meaningful steps, but at - he's taken these steps as a result of this and talking to congressional members when he went down to Georgia with Vice President Harris a few weeks ago.

[07:55:00]

I went just a few days ago, and when I met with some of those same leaders and elected officials they asked for many of these measures that President Biden contained in his announcement.

And so, this shows that the administration is paying attention, they are concerned, and most importantly that they're finding solutions. AVLON: Good, and these solutions involve the Department of Justice, a federal coordinator. You think these initiatives are specific and concrete enough to perhaps make a difference. That's important.

Now listen, in September - in September you put forward a resolution condemning anti-Asian hate in Congress. 164 of your Republican colleagues voted against it. In the wake of what we have seen in Atlanta and, you know, just yesterday but really a nationwide problem, have any of your Republican colleagues reached out to you?

MENG: A few of them have, and I do want to note that it was a different Congress and 14 Republicans did support the resolution. Going forward, we now are continuing to work on legislation. I am hopeful that Republicans will join us on legislation that is called for by Asian Americans in both Republican and Democratic parties. And yes, a few of them have reached out.

AVLON: And what are some specifics that you think there can be bipartisan commitment to pass it?

MENG: Well some of these initiatives add onto what President Biden announced yesterday. We want a more streamlined process and dedicated personnel at the Department of Justice. Our local entities need more guidance and need more resources on how to analyze and collect data on hate crimes and also specifically on how they handle incidents against Asian Americans. They look a little different than some of the other cases traditionally.

And so, we want to make sure that we're providing resources and streamlining that process, which is really different and not unified depending on which state the cases are coming from.

AVLON: Congresswomen Grace Meng, we thank you for joining us on New Day. Be well.

MENG: Thank you for having me.

AVLON: All right, we have breaking news, so New Day continues right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

CAMEROTA: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is New Day. John Avlon is in today for John Berman. Great to have you.

AVLON: Good morning.

CAMEROTA: So we do start with this breaking news because the very first results from a coronavirus vaccine trial on children or adolescents are in. Pfizer just releasing the findings of its Phase 3 trial on adolescents 12 to 15-years-old, and the announcement is significant. Pfizer says their vaccine is 100 percent effective in preventing sickness in that age group. This, of course, could be a major game changer for reopening schools across America, so we'll have much more on this breaking news in just a moment. AVLON: Also developing this morning, the White House releasing details f President Biden's massive infrastructure and jobs plan. The president heading to Pittsburgh to unveil it this afternoon. This is President Biden's second major initiative signing a major coronavirus relief package into law as well.

CAMEROTA: OK. Joining us now is White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki. Good morning, Jen.

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Good morning, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Let's just start with that big breaking news out of Pfizer that they have found that their vaccine is 100 percent effective at preventing sickness in 12 through 15-year-olds. Does that change the timeline or the calculus inside the White House for absolutely getting middle schoolers, can you guarantee they will be back in school by, say, September 1?

PSAKI: Well first our Secretary of Education who's leading this effort is very confident about that, but there's no question, Alisyn, this is good news. What happens next now is the FDA has to go through an approval process, review the data, and make - do their own analysis. That's an important part of what we do in the United States, but there - this is good news.

And I know for parents like myself, like yourself it makes you feel even more confident about your kids potentially being back in the classroom soon.

CAMEROTA: I mean, it really is good news, and it is sorely needed because just as this is happening cases are spiking. 26 states this morning are seeing coronavirus cases spike. We can maybe pull up the map. There's a lot of red and orange across this map, and you'll remember, Jen, I mean, a year ago, OK, so when President Trump was in the White House and that March things were getting so bad, he called for restaurants and bars and schools and gyms to be closed for 15 days to try to get a handle on that. I the Biden White House considering a similar measure?

PSAKI: Well first, we're - we've never been shy about saying we're still at war with this virus, and there's still a thousand people who are dying every day from the pandemic, so what our focus - we're in a different stage now clearly than we were a year ago, and we've still seen encouraging outcomes in a lot of places.

[08:00:00]