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Fox Downplays Insurrection Report; Right-Wing Media Whitewashes Insurrection; George Packer is Interviewed about America. Aired 6:30- 7a ET
Aired June 09, 2021 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[06:30:00]
JOAQUIN SAPIEN, REPORTER, PROPUBLICA: Having the folks that we were told were also co-authors said that they were not authors.
But I think one of the things that came out of this letter as well is that we now know that people who are inside D.C. jail are communicating, and at least some of them don't seem to be backing down on their positions and believe that, you know, had they really wanted to overthrow the government that day, they would have succeeded in doing so.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, I'll encourage people to look at your report because you talk about that, Joaquin, how people are -- who -- suspects in the jail are communicating and also I think importantly the radicalization of the author of this letter.
Joaquin Sapien, thank you so much for being with us this morning.
SAPIEN: Thanks for having me.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: So the bipartisan Senate report that came out yesterday detailing the huge security intelligence failures that helped allow the Capitol insurrection, it has a gaping Trump-size hole in it. There is no examination of Trump's role there. But even with that, one network -- guess which one -- pretty much ignored the report altogether.
CNN's Oliver Darcy joins us now.
And that network, I imagine, rhymes with box.
OLIVER DARCY, CNN SENIOR MEDIA REPORTER: Yes, John, it's really difficult to give an honest accounting of what happened on January 6th without mentioning Donald Trump. And it's equally as difficult to give an honest accounting of what happened on January 6th without mentioning Fox News, which is why I was interested in how they were going to cover this Senate report about the insurrection.
And it turns out they largely didn't. You know, I looked up the coverage, and here's one key metric. By noon yesterday, when most news organizations, like CNN, "The New York Times," The "Washington Post," were treating this as their top story, Fox had only devoted about a minute total in coverage to talking about this report, the most comprehensive report of what happened on that day since it took place a few months ago.
At nighttime, things were a little different. But instead of examining their own role in radicalizing Americans into thinking that the election was stolen from Donald Trump, they were set on laying the blame at the Capitol Police.
Here's a clip from Tucker Carlson's show last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIE KELLY, "AMERICAN GREATNESS": Because it basically really blames the U.S. Capitol Police, who we are told were heroes similar to the heroes who stormed the beach in Normandy. And -- but it turns out that U.S. Capitol police were not prepared.
So many protesters were let in. They were talking to Capitol Police officers. We know they were taking selfies. So for the insurrection, QAnon, white supremacists, domestic violent extremists, worst thing since the Civil War happened, either the cops are complicit in it or, you know, what -- what can you say about them?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DARCY: Look, John, without a doubt, obviously there were security failures on behalf of the Capitol Police and other authorities as this report laid out. But the real question is, why were those people there? Why did they think that the democratic system had failed and that they needed to take things into their own hands? If you look into that, it's difficult to ignore Fox's role. And so it's, you know, they really just don't want to seem to talk about it.
BERMAN: I think that's true.
Oliver, really interesting reporting.
Oliver Darcy, thank you so much.
DARCY: Thank you.
BERMAN: Joining us now, Amanda Carpenter, CNN political commentator and political columnist for "The Bulwark."
Amanda, that was stunning to listen to that last night. It seems as if Fox will do everything it can either to, a, say the insurrection didn't happen, but, b, if it did happen, it wasn't actually the fault of the insurrectionists or the former president?
AMANDA CARPENTER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, this is sort of what they were doing with the Senate report. No -- everybody wants to make this seem, this was just a security problem. When Mitch McConnell says he wants to look into the insurrection, he is only willing to look into the security breaches. This wasn't a security breach. This was a mass act of political
violence. And that's why they can't cover it because the politics blows back on them. This was stoked by the president. They don't want to talk about that. The only thing they'll put in the Senate report is Donald Trump's speech.
But when you look at all the court filings and you listen to what the defendants are saying, they are open about the fact that they were there on behalf of the president to try to overturn the election. I mean it was straight up. But, instead, they want to blame the police? I mean it's just -- I don't know how these people walk into the Capitol, pass these people who defended them, and look them in the eye.
KEILAR: And I don't think we can overstate that because when you go into the Capitol, if you're not familiar with it, they are the first people you see when you go into the Capitol. You see the police every day. You know them. You know their faces. You know their name. And it just seems nuts to me, especially when we're hearing from Republican senators who, I mean, talk about whitewashing what happened. They're essentially defending folks who are in jail, suspects in the insurrection, by writing a letter to the attorney general, to Merrick Garland, to discuss their concern of unequal justice, suggesting that the DOJ is pursuing these prosecutions of the folks from January 6th in a way that is really too much.
[06:35:08]
CARPENTER: If I were Merrick Garland, I would welcome this inquiry. I would have a spokesperson go out and do a press conference and explain very clearly why these people are in jail, why there are heavy sentences that they potentially face for impeding congressional hearings, obstructing justice, conspiracy charges. I mean this is going to go on for years and years. There are more than 500 people who have been arrested. I mean this -- the courts are so stacked right now, I -- it's probably going to be two or three years before we get a conclusion.
BERMAN: There is a political movement which you write about. You know, almost every day, Amanda, right now, we're talking about right now within the Republican Party, that is trying to whitewash what happened, trying to, in a way, guarantee that it can happen again, which is scary.
There's a Pennsylvania state senator, Doug Mastriano, who has been in the middle of this really since the election itself, trying to overthrow the results of the election. He went on a pilgrimage to Arizona to view the sham audit there. Hasn't wanted to talk to the press.
Well, our Gary Tuchman tracked down Senator Mastriano and had this really twilight zone like conversation with him, and I want to play a little bit of it right now.
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's one thing you didn't mention.
DOUG MASTRIANO (R), PENNSYLVANIA STATE SENATOR: Yes.
TUCHMAN: You know -- you know --
MASTRIANO: Yes.
TUCHMAN: Dozens of judges in courts around the country have ruled against Trump's voting claims. And a lot of them are Trump appointed judges, and even in the U.S. Supreme Court.
MASTRIANO: OK.
TUCHMAN: Is there a higher authority than the courts?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, the people.
MASTRIANO: Well, I'll -- I'll -- well, it is the people.
TUCHMAN: You think the people -- do you (INAUDIBLE) think the people are above the courts?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TUCHMAN: This is a country of laws.
MASTRIANO: So --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Absolutely the people are.
TUCHMAN: (INAUDIBLE) Supreme Court -- Supreme Court. You know -- you know that Donald Trump expected the Supreme Court to (INAUDIBLE).
MASTRIANO: Where do we -- where do we -- where do we derive the power of the government? Where does the power --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From the people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) the people.
TUCHMAN: So you're saying the people are above the courts?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The people. (INAUDIBLE).
TUCHMAN: You guys -- you guys at this rally are above the courts?
MASTRIANO: So I'd be -- I'd be careful with twisting -- that's an impartisan there what you -- you just made an assertion.
TUCHMAN: Well, you tell me what you said.
MASTRIANO: So what I'm saying here is that I work in a judicial -- I'm sorry, legislative rights. You've got me a little flustered.
TUCHMAN: Cyber Ninjas. A (INAUDIBLE) group that never got elected (ph) before.
MASTRIANO: So what?
TUCHMAN: Are you saying -- would you like Democrats to come here with the Cyber Ninjas and overturn your vote?
MASTRIANO: So -- so you're -- you're afraid of transparency.
TUCHMAN: I'm not afraid of nothing.
MASTRIANO: You're terrified. He's afraid.
TUCHMAN: I'm not afraid of nothing.
(INAUDIBLE).
TUCHMAN: (INAUDIBLE).
MASTRIANO: He's afraid of a -- of a proper forensic, and I wonder, what -- what -- what are we afraid of here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The truth!
MASTRIANO: The truth.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) the truth.
(INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why didn't Democrats ask for it in 2016?
MASTRIANO: You know what's really heartbreaking --
TUCHMAN: There have been two (INAUDIBLE).
MASTRIANO: What's really heartbreaking to me -- I mentioned in my speech, I've seen better elections in Afghanistan and I --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because we're not Trump (ph).
TUCHMAN: You really think that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
MASTRIANO: OK
TUCHMAN: You -- you want I have both been to Afghanistan.
MASTRIANO: Why -- why do I say that? So, in Afghanistan --
(INAUDIBLE).
MASTRIANO: In Afghanistan, they have to go in with an ID card. In Pennsylvania, no ID's required (ph). (END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: In Afghanistan people get killed around elections. What the hell is he talking about?
CARPENTER: I mean he represents a lot of thinking out there right now. There's a lot of distrust in the elections. That is why when we talk about January 6th, it is not a past tense event. Like, this threat, this movement is active. It is ongoing. You know, I keep -- keep thing about what's going on in Arizona with this fraud, as they call it. Essentially, if you have the resources and the money, you can seize the ballots. There's going to be election machines destroyed as a result of conspiracy theories where they want to count, and count, and recount and find something to have a reason to overthrow the election.
I mean at some point you have to worry, is this sabotage? I mean if you can break election machines and take them offline through this kind of mass thinking, I mean, conspiracy theories, people like to discount it, but they have real world impacts, death threats for election officials in Georgia, what we are seeing in Pennsylvania. Death threats to people in Michigan. And this is not an uncommon occurrence now.
BERMAN: I will say, physical sabotage? Maybe. We'll see. But intellectual sabotage? Absolutely. With lasting impact. And as you said, to undermine the concept of democracy, U.S. democracy, by saying they have better election in Afghanistan, it is -- I mean stunning doesn't even begin to cover it.
CARPENTER: But when the former president, who a lot of people still say is the leader of the Republican Party --
BERMAN: He is.
CARPENTER: Talks about the rigged election that was taken from him, people that believe that have reason to take up arms. That is the justification in their minds. That is why the Oath Keepers thought. That's what the Three Percenters thought. That's why they went to the Capitol on January 6th with knives, with body armor, with gun. It -- this is not speculative anymore. It is happening. It is here.
KEILAR: And Donald Trump knows it and still says it.
CARPENTER: Yes.
KEILAR: Amanda, great to see you this morning. Thank you so much.
There's an increase in inflammatory heart cases in young people after they've had their second COVID vaccine dose. So we're going to talk about what a CDC panel is saying about a possible link here.
[06:40:04]
BERMAN: Plus, a new report reveals America's most wealthy paid next to nothing in taxes. How they're doing it just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: New this morning, a panel of CDC advisers is monitoring what's really -- it's a higher than expected number of cases of myocarditis. What is that? That is heart inflammation. And the thing to pay attention to here is that it's happening in young people. It's mostly males who recently got a second dose of the Pfizer or the Moderna coronavirus vaccines, so those mRNA vaccines, but it is happening rarely. I think we should emphasize that. And young people are recovering quickly.
So let's talk with CNN's Elizabeth Cohen about this.
Tell us what this heart ailment is. Tell us, is it caused by the vaccine because that is what people are going to want to know here.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Brianna. That is what parents are going to want to know.
And right now we don't know if it's caused by the vaccine or not. What we do know is that it's looking more and more like there is some kind of a link between the vaccine and these reports of myocarditis or inflammation of the heart.
[06:45:04]
I want to reiterate what you just said, Brianna, which is that reports of these cases of myocarditis, it's among young people, mostly young males, they are rare. There are relatively very few of these cases. We don't have a number, but that's the language that the CDC uses. And that these young men, while they were ill, they recovered quickly with just really very basic medications.
So let's take a look at what this advisory committee to the CDC is saying. These are vaccine advisers. On May 20th they were saying that the rates of myocarditis rates -- reports have not differed from what you would expect. In other words, you know, young men get myocarditis. It doesn't seem any difference if they've been vaccinated or not.
But then on June 1st, this subtle but important change. There was a higher number of observed than expected myocarditis or pericarditis -- that's inflammation of the issue around the heart -- cases in 16 to 24-year-olds. That's kind of the age range that we're talking about here.
So you can see there was this change. And what we're hearing from sources is that it is looking more and more like there may be a link. Again, relatively few cases, and that these young men recovered.
Let's take a look. There was a review recently in a medical journal of seven cases where young men contracted myocarditis within just a few days of being vaccinated with their second shot of either Moderna -- of an mRNA vaccine. And so they were healthy males between the ages of 14 and 19. These were various medical centers around the country. They experienced chest pain. They went to the emergency room. They then spent two to six days in the hospital. They were treated with medications. They were discharged. And they're doing fine. So I think we're going to be hearing more and more about this issue,
Brianna. The Israelis, for example, have noticed the same thing. They see -- they say -- the Israelis say that there does appears to be a likelihood of a link.
Brianna.
KEILAR: All right, we will pay much attention to that.
Elizabeth Cohen, thank you so much.
COHEN: Thanks.
KEILAR: Free America, smart America, real America, just America, so which of these four boxes do you fit into? Maybe you fit into a couple. The author of a new article about polarization in America is going to join us next.
BERMAN: Plus, France's president slapped in the face while greeting a crowd. Yikes. What he is saying about the incident this morning.
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[06:50:53]
BERMAN: The United States is a country fractured into parts. I think that's indisputable at this point. But how many parts and where exactly do you fit? An expansive new piece for "The Atlantic," journalist and author George Packer explains how the United States has become fractured into four distinct groups. George is also the author of a new book called "Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal." And that's where this piece is adapted from.
George, so nice to see you.
I want to go one by one, if we can, into these four groups and have you explain what they are.
First you talk about free America.
GEORGE PACKER, STAFF WRITER, "THE ATLANTIC": Free America is the America that began during the Reagan years. And each of the four had its turn at kind of dominating our politics. And free America is the -- the thinking of low taxes, deregulation, setting business free of government intervention, and it sees Americans essentially as individuals, not so much as members of a society, as consumers, as investors, and entrepreneurs and as taxpayers.
Free America really dominated our politics throughout most of my adult life. It was the strongest of the four.
The second is what I call smart America, which is the America of professionals, of the educated, of what we call meritocrats, people who believe in credentials and who do well through their --- through their brain power essentially. And that became a -- part of the base of the Democratic Party during the Clinton years and it really is the defining quality of many Democrats today. They belong to the educated class.
But smart America started as a meritocracy, but it really has become a new aristocracy. You're born now into the meritocracy. Your advantages of where you come from are what determine to a large extent how well you'll do in the success race.
And the third I call real America, which is Trump's America. It's the America of what I call the white Christian heartland, right wing populism. The America that began really with Sarah Palin. She put it on the map. And she was John the Baptist to Trump, who made it into the new thinking of the Republican Party.
You could say free America never really died in the Republican Party, but it's now essentially the elites of the party who still cling to that, whereas the base of the party has become real America.
And the fourth I call just America, which is the social justice movement of the millennial generation. And that -- just as real America rebelled against the hollowness of free -- of free America, just America has rebelled against the complacency of smart America. It's -- it's more on the left and it's become a rebellion against the promises of the meritocracy, which younger Americans feel have been broken.
BERMAN: And I think that's what's so interesting about your piece is you write about how these four groups interact from within, but also as opposed to each other. And that just America you talk about is really trying to push smart America along and real America, as you call it, is really a reaction within the right to free America.
PACKER: Yes. So the Republican Party subscribed to free trade and open immigration and low corporate taxes. And in a lot of the country, that led to hollowing out of towns and cities, especially in the industrial heartland. And eventually the slogan of free America began to ring hollow for the base of Republican voters. And suddenly, in 2016, the leaders of the party discovered that their voters didn't believe in what they had been saying. Instead, what they wanted was a kind of cultural nationalism and nativism to keep the foreigners out and to purify the country in a way that has been, I think, quite destructive.
And in the same way smart America had promised, if you work hard, if you go to school, your talents will carry you far.
[06:55:01]
And it turned out for a lot of Americans that wasn't true because the zip code into which they were born became their destiny. And a new generation, the millennials, became disenchanted with the promises of their parents and said, no, the meritocracy doesn't work. We need is equity. What we need is government to intervene and create conditions of equality because merit is not -- is not doing it.
And so a lot of young educated Americans stopped believing in some ways in their own right to be part of the successful class.
BERMAN: George Packer, it's a terrific piece. Everyone should go read it. Check out the book as well. Appreciate you being with us this morning.
PACKER: Thanks for having me.
BERMAN: All right, President Biden about to take off on his first international trip with every critical item on his domestic agenda seeming to be stalled.
KEILAR: Plus, why Kamala Harris' first international trip is perplexing some of her White House colleagues.
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