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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
New Bodycam Video Of Capitol Riot Shows Police As They Were Being Overrun; Interview With Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT); President Biden Today Addressed Issue Of Gun Violence; Rep. Matt Gaetz In Contentious Exchange With Joint Chiefs Chairman Milley At House Hearing; Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner Distance Themselves From Trump And His Constant Complaints; Rising Drug Use, Burglaries In San Francisco. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired June 23, 2021 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: All right, Stephanie, thank you very much for an incredible story.
And thanks to all of you for joining us. "AC360" starts now.
[20:00:19]
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Good evening. We begin tonight with new video of what police saw as the mob harassed and attacked them at the Capitol. It shows better than we or anyone could ever say what some who were there who were themselves under attack are still closing their eyes to.
More than a dozen news outlets led by CNN have spent months seeking access to video used in court against Capitol riot defendants. Today, the Justice Department released six more clips showing police as they were being overrun.
Again, some of the lawmakers whose very lives are being protected by the officers you're about to see would rather make up conspiracy theories about what happened instead of face the facts.
Most -- and these are Republicans we are talking about are trying to pretend that none of this really happened or nothing was as it seemed, or that these were tourists or Antifa or anyone but supporters of the former President, which is what they were.
Some of these 21 House Republicans would not even vote to honor the same police officers you're about to see putting their lives on the line to protect them.
And on the Senate side, every single Republican voted to block a bipartisan commission to investigate what was, after all, the worst attack on American democracy by Americans since the Civil War.
We've been reporting on that element of story for months and we will continue to. We'll continue to show you the raw video whenever we get access to it, because in the end, nothing speaks to the truth of January 6 better than what police saw and heard on the ground that day.
First, though, we want to -- actually, I should say, before we play you an extended sample of this new video, I do want to give the usual warnings about language and content.
[VIDEO CLIP PLAYS]
COOPER: New video of the attack as it really happened. Now, in a moment we'll talk about it with the mother of the late Officer Brian Sicknick, as well as his life partner. It's a reality that so many lawmakers simply do not want to confront.
Today, a senior Federal Judge called them on it.
We should point out the Judge Royce Lamberth of the D.C. Circuit is a Republican appointee, a former Captain in the Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps, and former presiding Judge of the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Service Court. He is a heavy hitter.
Today, sentencing the first rioter to learn their punishment in the insurrection, he judged -- the Judge rebuked Republican lawmakers. He condemned what he called the utter nonsense. His words coming from them and from other right-wing figures who are whitewashing what happened.
Again, quoting the Judge, "I don't know what planet they were on." Does House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy know what planet his members are on when it comes to their whitewashing of conspiracy theories? Well, he was asked that today as well as about House Speaker Pelosi's intention to name a select committee to investigate the attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): I haven't talked to the members. I don't know. I have real concern though, especially the scope of where we're going to go. I know just the other day, we provided a medal to the officer who was killed on Good Friday -- killed because of political purposes, right outside that Capitol.
[20:05:08]
MCCARTHY: But unfortunately, the Speaker does not believe that officer's life is as valued as the others. Now, for some reason, we could not get to the bottom of why that transpired as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: He hasn't talked to members about their lies, that is what he is claiming.
Now remember when he used to say the bad things the former President said? Sorry, I can't comment. I haven't heard it. It's not like he himself hasn't drunk some amnesia juice where the insurrection is concerned after initially blaming the former President for his role in it, he has. But now, there's more When asked today why he hasn't met with Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who was badly hurt while protecting the Capitol, Tased multiple times, had a heart attack, Congressman McCarthy had this to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCARTHY: I said before when he called the office, he called over my office, across the way, we gave him the phone number to the schedule and said we'd love to meet with you. And unfortunately, he hasn't followed up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Speaking to CNN, Officer Fanone denied he was given that phone number. A "New York Times" reporter tweeting, he called what you just heard the Congressman say there and we're abbreviating the word "BS." There's a lot of going around, it seems.
Joining us now is Gladys Sicknick, the mother of fallen Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick. With us as well as well, Mr. Sicknick's life partner, Sandra Garza. I appreciate both of you being with us.
Sandra, I know initially, you couldn't even watch videos of what happened on January 6, and I can certainly understand why. I know ultimately, you did decide to because you wanted to see everything you could and understand what happened that day
When you see these new videos, I mean, showing the intimate horror of the insurrection, I'm wondering, what goes through your mind? What stands out to you?
SANDRA GARZA, OFFICER BRIAN SICKNICK'S LIFE PARTNER: Well, it is heart wrenching. It's disturbing. And some of the footage is just downright sadistic. Some of those violent protesters were absolutely -- that's just the best word to put it -- as is sadistic to the officers. And it is, like I said, it is heart wrenching. It's brutal for me to watch, especially to know that Brian was there that day.
And, you know, experiencing what the officers were experiencing, as well as seeing this and to know his last moments on Earth were, you know, experiencing all of this, it's just horrible. It's heartbreaking.
COOPER: Yes, Gladys. No one would want their loved one to be on the frontline of that facing those people and with what they're saying and what they are doing. Gladys, when you continue to see all these efforts to whitewash, to diminish what happened on the 6th, even though these videos show exactly what happened, I'm wondering what you make of it?
GLADYS SICKNICK, OFFICER BRIAN SICKNICK'S MOTHER: I just don't understand. I just don't understand how they can just try to whitewash it or sweep it under the rug. It just makes no sense to me.
I mean, they were there. And they -- if they thought it was -- if they saw it go sideways, they should have walked away, but they didn't. And they just kept doing what they were doing and hurting people. And you know, and then my son passed away because of it. But I know all the other police officers that were hurt. It's just not right. And I want to know, I want to know answers.
COOPER: You want to know -- you want to know everything about what happened that day? About what led up to it?
SICKNICK: Exactly. I mean, you know, I just want everybody who was involved and could have stopped it. I want them to be brought to justice.
COOPER: Sandra, he wrote a piece for cnn.com, and I just want to read part of it. You wrote, "To know that some Members of Congress along with the former President Donald Trump, who Brian and I once supported, but who can only now be viewed as the mastermind of that horrible attack are not acknowledging Brian's heroism that day is unforgiveable and un-American." What do you want to say to the former President?
GARZA: That's right.
COOPER: And those Members of Congress tonight?
GARZA: Well, I think what they are doing is very damaging. It's sick. You know, it's very upsetting to me, and obviously, Gladys, that they are not recognizing and admitting the truth of that day.
You know, that Brian, regardless of his cause of death, he still is a hero. He fought, defended the Capitol that day, Members of Congress. You know, he defended democracy that day. And the fact that, you know, they're trying to, as you said earlier, whitewash this and pretend that it was, you know no big deal is despicable.
[20:10:10]
GARZA: You know, and we and the American people, you know, deserve to get answers, deserve for them to, you know, stand up and tell the truth and do the right thing here. You know, to further lie to the American people or the people that support them, especially Donald Trump, and to now come out and say, oh, well, the F.B.I. was involved is absolutely irresponsible, unethical, and ludicrous. I mean, it's dangerous as well.
You know, the F.B.I. went to extreme lengths to ask the public's help in identifying a lot of the people that were involved in the violence that day. So, I mean, it's absolutely despicable. It's disgusting.
And, you know, we already are vulnerable for foreign terrorists, and to create this garbage here in our own country. It's unbelievable. And like I said, it's irresponsible.
COOPER: Gladys, you know Officer Fanone. He was with you when you spoke to senators last month on Capitol Hill before they voted down the bipartisan commission. The fact that he apparently still can't even get a meeting with House Republican Leader McCarthy, what does that say to you?
SICKNICK: That they're hiding. They're hiding things, and they don't want us to know, or it's just -- and I don't understand. I mean, they're apparently smart people, but they are -- you know, they're just not doing the right thing. They're very afraid of losing their jobs or -- I don't know what they're afraid of.
And I don't understand why they were afraid of, you know, former -- the former President. For some reason they were afraid of him, and they just keep doing what he says that they should do. And Officer Fanone said something today, I saw him on television that it is -- that a lot of these people that are involved in this cover up is -- they are like -- it's like a cancer and they have to -- and it has to be cut out.
COOPER: Well Sandra, I mean, do you worry that, you know, as time passes, what happened on January 6 won't get the attention that it continues to deserve. We still won't have the answers because there hasn't been a bipartisan independent investigation, and that a lot of the people who did participate, who wanted to participate, who still like the idea of what happened on January 6, that they're still out there, and just waiting for another opportunity.
GARZA: Yes, I do. That's a very scary and real thought, you know, and possibility, which is why I've been speaking out as much as I have. I mean, I think a lot of people don't understand this is not the most comfortable for me to come out and get in front of the cameras, and you know, put myself out there. I'm doing this because this is so important.
What happened on January 6 should have never happened. And to know that at the time, you know, the President of the United States incited this entire thing, because he could not accept that he lost an election.
I mean, it is just mind blowing. So, I think the man is dangerous and I'm talking about Donald Trump here, and all of the people on Capitol Hill that continue to follow him, and, you know, have their nose up his butt because I'm going to call it like it is, you know, is really, really sickening. It's dangerous.
And, you know, I mean, the man may be wounded -- wounded people hurt others, and we have got to separate from him and, you know, stop this madness. So, I don't want anyone to ever forget about January 6. I don't want anyone to ever forget the officers and how hard they fought that day, the sacrifices that they made, and how they continue to suffer today.
And to know that these Republicans that -- not all obviously -- that these Republicans that are continuing to echo this terrible narrative that, oh, it was a tourist day and I didn't feel threatened and all this garbage, you know, they're leaving a terrible legacy here.
And you know, it has got to stop. It's got to stop. And I don't want anyone to forget Brian's heroism and the other officers that day either. SICKNICK: And because of Brian and all his fellow officers, I mean, they all went home that night.
GARZA: That's right.
SICKNICK: To their families, and you know Brian ended up in the hospital and what -- 140 other officers ended up in the hospital, too, with very bad -- you know, they had a lot of bad -- I don't know what the word I'm looking for.
COOPER: Yes, injuries.
[20:15:17]
SICKNICK: You know, they ended up -- yes, right, injuries.
COOPER: Gladys --
SICKNICK: I don't -- I don't understand how they can live with themselves.
COOPER: Gladys, can you just tell us a little bit about your son? I mean, you know, people have seen this picture. Obviously, we've seen the images of what happened on that day, but your son is so much more than, you know, an image on a television screen. What was he like? Was being a police officer something that he had been interested in for a long time?
SICKNICK: Well, when he joined the Air National Guard, that's when he got involved wanting to be a police officer, because that's what he did in the Air National Guard. But yes, he was just -- he was as good as he was handsome. He was -- he was just a good, good person.
You know, there was nothing he -- I think he'd liked everybody.
COOPER: Sandra, what do you want people to know about him?
GARZA: I just -- yes, he was just a very kind person. And, you know, it hurts me that, you know, that he was a supporter of Donald Trump. And, you know, for Donald Trump, to completely spit in his face. That's basically what he's doing. To not even acknowledge that he died that day. And even after we went public, that even after that fact, he never tried to contact us to say, wow, you know, I'm so sorry for your loss. Your son was a hero.
And all the other members of Congress that he admired are not stepping up to do the right thing is very sad to me because Brian was such a wonderful person. And so that that just kind of further adds salt into the wound.
But yes, Brian was a lovely person. I enjoyed his company. He was a very humble soul and yes, there wasn't a person who disliked Brian. He was a very kind, loving person.
COOPER: I mean, you both represent him very well and Gladys Sicknick, Sandra Garza, I really appreciate your time tonight. Thank you. GARZA: Thank you.
SICKNICK: Thank you.
COOPER: A reminder, you can read more of what Sandra Garza wrote at cnn.com.
There's more breaking news coming up next. We are in a possible outbreak of bipartisanship over infrastructure. And later, we'll talk to a Republican Congressman and Air Force veteran about the way some of his fellow Republicans have been taking shots and casting doubt on the Armed Forces of the United States.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:22:17]
COOPER: There's more breaking news tonight. Just moments ago, the White House said the President will meet tomorrow with a bipartisan group of senators who have been racing against a holiday recess deadline to work out a deal on infrastructure. CNN's Kaitlan Collins joins us now with more from the White House. What are you learning about a possible deal in principle?
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's significant that they're going to the White House tomorrow alone. This is something that the White House has said would happen if it looked like they were getting closer to an agreement.
And now Jen Psaki, the Press Secretary is confirming that they will be meeting with President Biden tomorrow. That's this group of bipartisan senators who have been working behind the scenes having several meetings with White House staff trying to come together on an agreement.
And so it doesn't appear that this is finalized yet. The staff is still actually writing out the text of this agreement, Anderson, but the lawmakers who got out of those meetings today, were sounding pretty confident about this. They were saying they would not be going to the White House, unless they did have an agreement.
And so they said they agreed on the top line numbers with the White House of this package. That's the overall spending and the new spending that it would be for infrastructure. And they also said they agreed on the biggest sticking point so far, which is how to pay for it.
So, we're still waiting on an explicit White House endorsement. We have not gotten one yet. And we're told that President Biden is going to be briefed by his team on this tonight. But it does appear a little bit closer to an agreement, Anderson, since you're right, the lawmakers are scheduled to go on a two-week recess starting tomorrow night.
COOPER: Because I mean, there was even debate about what infrastructure actually is and what the definition of it is. Do we know about the left-wing of the Democratic Party who wanted this to go big and sort of in the words of Republicans, kind of redefine what infrastructure is? Is the White House confident they can get them on board?
COLLINS: I think in the end, they believe that maybe they'll pinch their noses and vote for it anyway. But remember that they had been saying recently that they did not want to vote for whatever bipartisan package that the more moderate members of their party came to an agreement with Republicans and the White House unless they had any commitment from those moderate Democrats, people like Senator Manchin, Senator Sinema, that they were actually going to vote for a bigger package down the road. That's the one they expect to pass with only Democratic support.
And so I think that is the commitment that it is waiting to see if that's something that's emerged, but even like Senator Bernie Sanders was saying, we want to make sure we have them on board so we can pass a bigger package later on with all of our priorities, climate, everything else they've been talking about when they were arguing what is infrastructure.
And so that's another thing I think people will be waiting to see when these meetings are happening at the actual White House tomorrow.
COOPER: President Biden today also addressed the issue of gun violence. What did he say?
COLLINS: I think we're seeing just how big the recent surge in crime is becoming an issue for the White House that they've dedicated an entire day's events to it. He met with the Attorney General, mayors of several major cities in the U.S. today, came out talking about what he is going to do, really framing it through the lens of gun violence and saying he wants to tighten gun regulations, give more money for police departments so they can staff up.
[20:25:11]
COLLINS: And he was saying, really, this isn't a partisan issue in his view.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Folks, this shouldn't be a red or blue issue. It's an American issue. We're not changing the Constitution. We're enforcing it. Be reasonable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: One thing he did say that was pretty interesting, Anderson, is of course, there's always an uptick in violence in the summer months, but President Biden said today, he thinks it's going to be worse this summer, because of all of the reopenings due to the pandemic, following the pandemic.
And so essentially, they are warning this could be an issue to come. They know Republicans are going to try to use it against Democrats, politically speaking. And so I think that's why they had President Biden come out today to try to look at, yes, we are on top of this issue. We are taking steps to address it.
COOPER: Kaitlan Collins, I appreciate it. Thanks.
Joining us now is Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut. Senator Murphy, I'm wondering what your reaction first is to the news of the infrastructure agreement or is this something you'll vote for? Or and is it?
SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): Well, my sense is that that deal right now has 20 votes, not 60 votes, we're going to have to take a deep dive into the agreement that they've reached and, you know, square it with the needs of our voters.
I think many of us have had two concerns. One is that some of the numbers in the bill for heart infrastructure just aren't good enough. Let me give you an example of the Northeast Rail Corridor, that's vital to my state of Connecticut getting more people on the train back and forth to Connecticut and New York and Boston.
The numbers I've seen in that bill, you know, barely just fix the things that are broken on the rail line, never mind actually decrease travel times for people
Second, in my state, if you fix the roads and the bridges, well, that helps people get to work. But people can't afford childcare. Infrastructure is not just asphalt. It's the assistance that many people in my state need to be able to afford to leave the house and get back to work.
So, I think that second package that Kaitlan referenced, a bigger package outside of hard infrastructure, we're going to need to make sure we see a path to get that done.
COOPER: Many Democrats obviously have been pressuring President Biden to go it alone on infrastructure. I mean, if it does, in fact, end up on Biden's desk for his signature, does it prove that that bipartisanship is still possible in Washington? Or should we not get ahead of ourselves?
MURPHY: Well, my constituents back home don't really care so much about process, I'm going to be honest with you. If you're making their lives easier, if you're allowing them to be able to get back to work, they don't really care whether Republicans and Democrats or just one party voted for it.
What the President is proposing whether it be in the rescue plan earlier in the year or in the jobs plan that is all bipartisan in the sense that Republicans and Democrats out in America support it. My constituents just want us to get things done. They're not really as focused on this issue of bipartisanship as the inside the beltway punditry seems to be.
COOPER: As Kaitlan noted, something else President Biden talked about today is the rise in violent crime, the increased murder rate in the U.S., "New York Times" columnist Tom Friedman wrote a column warning Democrats about embracing defund the police
He said, "Biden needs to keep rallying his party tightly around his right answer: transforming police and sufficient policing, not defunding the police. Because if people feel forced to choose security over democracy, concerns about stealing outside their door over stealing an election -- beware. Way too many will choose Trump and his cult."
President Biden did reiterate he is not in favor of defunding the police and never has been. But I am wondering what do you make of some of your colleagues who do support a defund the police agenda?
MURPHY: Well, first of all, I think it would be ridiculous for us to view this through a political prism, so I get that columns get written, giving us political advice, what we should be doing is making changes to law enforcement to properly respect civil rights of citizens, and actually investing in things that prevent crime.
I think a lot of, you know, people out there who are very frustrated with the way that money is spent today is that they see an under investment in things like summer jobs and summer camps and an over investment in police.
So, one of the things I liked about President Biden's proposal today is that yes, he's saying we need to spend more money on targeted law enforcement, a different kind of law enforcement. But he also had in that proposal, money for summer jobs and money for summer program to get these kids off the street to give them something productive to do over the course of the summer.
When I'm in the north end of Hartford or the east end of Bridgeport, that's what people want, want. They want police who are going to respect them. But they also want some other options for kids right now, who don't have a lot of productive avenues during the summer.
COOPER: Why do you think it is though, that we are seeing this uptick? I mean, it's always hard to just as it's hard to explain exactly why crime goes down in cycles across the country at the same time. It's hard to explain sometimes why it goes up, but I mean, it's probably a multi-tiered issue, but do you have any sense?
MURPHY: Well, I do. I mean, I think if you look at the sort of scope of American history, crime tends to go up, violence tends to increase when there's more economic desperation and there's been a lot of economic desperation out across America over the last year and a half. Now, it's starting to get better with the passage of the rescue plan, but violence is a lagging indicator.
[20:30:19]
Also, there's a lot more guns out there. And we saw record gun sales last year, many of them were sold to criminals. Many of them were sold to traffickers because we don't have universal background checks. And so, unless we pass universal background checks, you're going to continue to see this record level of gun sales lead to record levels of crime. COOPER: Senator Murphy, appreciate your time. Thank you very much.
MURPHY: Thank you. Thank you.
COOPER: Up next, what the nation's top general told embattled Congressman Matt Gaetz about critical race theory at a fiery House Armed Services Committee hearing today and the fallout after it was over. That's coming up when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: The defense secretary Lloyd Austin and the nation's top general Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley came under attack today at a House Armed Services Committee hearing from Republicans including in battle Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz. The often contentious exchanges centered around critical race theory and why General Milley believes it may be important to understand it. Here's the key portion of the back and forth.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): How should the Department of Defense think about critical race theory?
MARK MILLEY, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Can I make comment (INAUDIBLE).
[20:35:02]
GAETZ: I'm very limited on my time, General Milley.
MILLEY: Well, I just want to make comment that the final --
GAETZ: But I've asked a question to Secretary Austin.
MILLEY: I do think it's important actually, for those of us in uniform, to be open minded and be widely read, and the United States Military Academy is a university. And it is important that we train, and we understand, and I want to understand white rage, and I'm white, and I want to understand it. So, what is it that caused thousands of people to assault this building, and try to overturn the Constitution of the United States of America?
What caused that? I want to find that out. I want to maintain an open mind here, and I do want to analyze it. It's important that we understand that because our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and guardians, they come from the American people. So it is important that the leaders now in the future, do understand it.
I've read Mao Zedong, I've read Karl Marx, I've read Lenin, that doesn't make me a communist. So what is wrong with understanding, having some situational understanding about the country for which we are here to defend, and I personally find it offensive, that we are accusing the United States military, our general officers are commissioned, noncommissioned officers have been, quote, woke or something else, because we're studying some theories that are out there.
That was started at Harvard Law School years ago and it proposed that there were laws in the United States, antebellum laws prior to the Civil War, that led to a power differential with African-Americans that were three quarters of a human being when this country was formed. And we had a civil war and emancipation proclamation to change it. And we brought it up to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It took another 100 years to change that.
So look at I do want to know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger is a military veteran served with the Air Force National Guard.
Congressman, thanks for being here. I'm wondering what you make of that discussion. I mean, I find it fascinating to hear General Milley talk in that way, and clearly as he's a student of history, what do you make of it?
REP. ADAM KINZINGER (R-IL): Yes, I thought it was fascinating actually hearing it's the first time I'd kind of gotten top lines of what was said. And I think what he's showing is a couple of things. Number one, they want military officers to be studied up on all these issues and doesn't -- when I heard that I'm like, I don't think he was saying we need to adopt, you know, critical race theory.
I think he's saying, we need to understand what it's about. I think there is value and understanding different viewpoints. Now, getting into the issue of whether to implement this in military teaching something different.
But I think the bottom line is everything that led to that. Is this new kind of well, it's not really new, but it's really accelerated, just trying to stoke outrage and division. And I think you saw that with the questions were intended to basically stoke outrage and division, and I wish people would depoliticize the military, its job is to defeat our enemies or be willing to do that. That's the job of the military. If we want to debate all these other issues, we can debate them, but I think the military just needs to go out and do what it does.
And you have so many on, I guess, on both sides, but I can be particularly critical of my side as a Republican, that are just out trying to stoke darkness fear division over and over because it gets retweets, it gets the likes, you might be able to raise some money, but it's really destructive to this country.
COOPER: It's also interesting. I mean, you know, I grew up in the age of Ronald Reagan. You know, when I was a kid and in college, to hear Republicans suddenly going after the military from in a way that you would expect in the past, it was, you know, very far left are progressives going after the military on subjects. It's kind of just an interesting juxtaposition, particularly for someone like Matt Gaetz, who has does not exactly have a record of distinguished service in any armed forces or, frankly, in the halls of Congress.
KINZINGER: Yes. So you're right. It's exactly what, you know, people on my side used to be critical of the Democrats doing but it's just now by a different name. They just picked a different issue. And, again, you know, whether it's January 6, you know, that was a quick opportunity to politicize the military. But the reality is the military needs to be left out. It is the last institution in Washington, D.C. Anderson, or I guess, in the whole country, really, when you talk about the government that has the faith of both parties, that has bipartisan support.
I mean, even the FBI is political now in people's minds. Even the CIA is political on people's minds. Obviously congresses and every institution.
The military is the one we need not to be and when we continually try to stoke anger, I think in these questions or these statements, it's not beneficial to the defense of this country or to those that have signed the dotted line to serve and protect and don't want to spend their time being super concerned with, you know, what our latest outrageous here.
COOPER: You've been working on something pushing very hard, hard for in Congress, which I think is a really important thing, especially U.S. immigrant visas for Afghan citizens who helped the U.S. military mission there. It has bipartisan support. Can you just talk about why that's so important to you? What the likelihood is that you can get it passed into law? Because I mean it's not the greatest history that we as a country have of remembering those who have helped us in pass wars.
[20:40:18]
I mean, you know, we, when we left Vietnam, and the way that the U.S. left with the quickness that it left, there were a lot of people who had worked for the U.S. government in difficult situations who were left behind, in Iraq, even though promises were made getting, you know, visas for people who've been interpreters was, was something that was drawn out for many.
KINZINGER: Yes, so that's what the situation is in Afghanistan. You know, I disagreed with the President's decision to leave, but it's made. And so, we now look at there's 18,000 people in Afghanistan that worked with U.S. forces, to work as translators and other things that in many cases actually died.
But those that are still alive, waiting these visas, you know, they were done so with a promise that we will bring you to the United States of America. And what's happened over the last number of years is bureaucratic, slow down, there are 16,000 visas that were approved, that haven't been fulfilled.
And now we're going to be out of Afghanistan, what in a month or two, and there's 18,000 people at -- look, we know what's going to happen, because we've seen it happen to a number of them already. They're going to be killed, their families are going to be killed. And it's not just the humanitarian impact of that, which is tragic,
and obviously important. But when you even look at what the U.S. is, next conflict? We'll be in a war again sometime? How do you make a promise to the American -- to the people there that you'll follow through on what you say?
COOPER: Yes. Congressman, I really appreciate your time. Thank you.
KINZINGER: Anytime.
COOPER: Just ahead, new details tonight on what may be surprising to some, a growing distance between the former president and his daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:45:30]
COOPER: It's certainly no secret that the former president is still insisting the 2020 election was stolen from him despite all the available evidence to the contrary. And it's no secret either that he's complaining pretty much constantly and yearns to be back front and center on the national stage instead of stewing out in Mar-a-Lago.
But what may be surprising is the apparent growing distance between the former president and the power couple most closely associated with his presidency, his daughter, Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner.
Now, there are a lot of new details and here with me now CNN White House correspondent Kate Bennett.
So Kate, do you get the sense from your reporting that this is at least part -- partly mutual that Kushner and Ivanka Trump want to distance themselves from the former president's behavior? Or is it just that he's such a bore now ramp, you know, going on and on about the past that they don't want to be around him? What's going on?
KATE BENNETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I mean, I think it's a little bit of both of those things, for sure the inability to move on has affected how Jared and Ivanka see their roles. I mean, this is not something that they can get into or want to be a part of.
So, certainly, in the cast of characters around the former president has grown to include, you know, some people with some very far fetched theories. And again, this is the distance that Jared and Ivanka are putting themselves away from their father and father-in-law and the for -- the man they spent, you know, four plus years with.
And I think too on the other side, from Trump side, there are certainly maybe some -- we were hearing some jealousy involved in the book deal that Jared Kushner signs, apparently a seven figure deal. There's nothing the former president hates more than people profiting off of something he feels he facilitated. So that's caused some sort of behind the scenes whispers.
So certainly, whatever it is, and there are a lot of factors going on here. The bottom line is, the Jared and Ivanka have really separated themselves, even though they both live down in South Florida and the South Florida area. They've separated themselves from Donald Trump. And that's a very significant change in the dynamic and the relationship.
COOPER: So do they have much input or involvement with the Trump political orbit now?
BENNETT: None, absolutely none. My colleague Gabby Orr and I both of our reporting shows that there's really nothing to do with Ivanka and Jared, in the planning of these rallies, or the political endorsements that Trump is making, or even the super PAC, nothing whatsoever to do with any sort of pending run up to the midterms or 2024.
They are completely removed. Jared will occasionally call and check in. And one person described it as dropping your child off at daycare, or you know, the parent sort of slowly gets to stay a little bit less and less each day, Jared being the parent, Trump being the toddler.
And, you know, and if something does ramp up, perhaps they'll step back in. But clearly now, there's nothing going on between the two sides.
COOPER: Kate, I want you to stand by. Want to bring in CNN's Jim Acosta. Jim, you obviously had a front row seat to this for years. I guess the former president was very close to his daughter and son-in- law at one point or at least publicly, that's what it seemed to be. We also know he has a tendency to sour on those who aren't delivering on his demands or who get better book deals than he do or any or have lives that he doesn't have. How do you see this playing out?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: Well, it sounds as though Jared and Ivanka are trying to treat Trump as the coffee boy. And all this I never thought I would see that day. I did talk to a longtime Trump advisor earlier today, who said you know what Trump feels used by Jared Kushner.
There's a twist Anderson that I don't know if we would ever see Trump feeling used and all of this. But listen, I mean, as for Jared and Ivanka trying to distance themselves, I mean, keep in mind, I mean, I don't want to go over all of the history of the last four years, but Jared was in charge of Middle East peace in the Trump administration, he had a heavy hand in the COVID response. He was working on, you know, the border wall. He was a campaign advisor and so on.
There's no rehab tour, there's no PR spinning. There's no separation that that can be put in place between Trump and Jared and Ivanka, that is going to wash the blood of January 6 off of their designer suits. It's just not going to happen. And I think Jared and Ivanka can try this. But I don't think they're fooling anybody. I think a lot of people out there see their failures tied very tightly to the failures of former President Donald Trump.
[20:50:01]
The other thing I will say Anderson is, you know in all of this, Jared and Ivanka have a decision to make. You know, I recalling Anderson there was video on January 6 backstage at the Stop the Steal rally that showed Ivanka Trump backstage with the President at the time.
They know what took place on January 6, they could tell all, they could they could tell the public how sorry they are about January 6, and what happened to this country. And until they do that, should anybody really take them seriously? I think not.
COOPER: Yes. And also, I mean Kate, is it possible this is just part of a rehabilitation campaign for Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner? Because it seems to me back during the four years of their reign, that every time there was something, you know, something would leak that, well, Ivanka really had a big hand in this or well, Ivanka tried to stop the President from doing this, but he ignored her --
BENNETT: Sure.
COOPER: -- which seemed to clearly come from them. I don't -- you know, I haven't talked to them. But it certainly seemed just coincidental that this stuff would always kind of filter out that we would suddenly hear what Jared and Ivanka were thinking behind the scenes.
BENNETT: Sure. I mean, absolutely. They were behind that they are masters of doing that. I mean, I think it became a pretty reliable sketch that the press would get used to that this sort of pattern would occur.
Certainly, you know, they've taken this road trip from Florida, the family, the Kushner's up from Florida on their way to Bedminster, New Jersey. They stopped off with Nikki Haley and happened to spend the weekend at her house in Kiawah Island in South Carolina. I'm not saying they're not friends, but it's certainly interesting that that they're touring along. Their next step was with Morgan Ortagus, who was the U.S. State Department spokesperson for Mike Pompeo.
So they're making, you know, whatever you want to call it a tour of the east coast of greatest hits of the Trump administration. It's to be determined what's going to happen now they'll arrive at Bedminster where the former president has a cottage and they have a cottage just several tens of feet away from each other. So we'll see what happens with a relationship.
But again, yes, they're masters of their own futures and they try to put out their mess a certain degree of messaging for sure.
COOPER: Yes, Kate Bennett and Jim Acosta, appreciate it. Thanks.
Just ahead, more on our breaking news about the surge in crime with the reported how it's affecting one of the most iconic cities in America.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:56:23] COOPER: More now on our breaking news about the nationwide rise in crime and President Biden's attempt to combat it which came with this warning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D) PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES: Crime is historically rises during the summer. And as we emerge from this pandemic of the country opening back up again, traditional summer -- summer spike may be more pronounced than it usually would be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well CNN's Dan Simon now on how the surge in crime is being felt in one of America's most picturesque cities San Francisco.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Crystal meth. That's crystal meth right here.
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We found 50-year-old Sin Hue (ph) in front of us carved out space on the edge of a San Francisco Street in Cabot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That little bed right there, that's where I sleep. Crystal meth just helps me get through this shit.
SIMON (on-camera): I'm in the city's tenderloin neighborhood and you can see tents and tarps basically lining the entire street. This is pretty typical of what you'll find in this neighborhood.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Residents here are mortified. We're beyond wit's end.
SIMON (voice-over): As it emerges from the pandemic, San Francisco is facing multiple crises. Its homelessness problem has been out of control for years, but COVID made it even worse, with the shelters turned out to prevent the spread of the virus.
That in turn has exacerbated a raging mental health and drug crisis with an overdose rate literally flying off the CDC charts. That purple line San Francisco, a record 712 deaths last year more than doubling those who died of COVID. Police seize more than 5.5 kilos offensive all in 2020 quadrupling the previous year. This year, it's already up to 8.8. And while overall crime went down last year, burglaries went up, 52% according to police data.
Now, with tourists returning to the city, there's also been a surge of car break ins. With thieves seen on camera ransacking and dumping luggage on neighborhood streets.
MARK DIETRICH, SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENT: My security camera captured it directly in front of my house. Eight or nine suitcases and backpacks. It just really creates a sense of, of lawlessness.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow. SIMON (voice-over): And there's also a shoplifting epidemic highlighted by this viral video at a Walgreens last week.
(on-camera): The shoplifting happening every single day?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every single day. Anytime they want. Sometimes they have a group of shoplifter coming.
BILL SCOTT, CHIEF, SAN FRANCISCO POLICE: We need more cops. We need more officers.
SIMON (voice-over): San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott says the problem is twofold. Not enough cops on the street and a revolving door of criminals.
SCOTT: The same people that have written going in at stores and snatching property. Once we arrest them we find out they've been arrested over and over again and it's frustrating.
SIMON (voice-over): Police say only 11 of SFPDs top 25 repeat offenders for burglary are currently in custody.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a rogue district attorney Chesa Boudin.
SIMON (voice-over): The city's progressive DA former public defender Chesa Boudin is facing a potential recall.
(CROSSTALK)
SIMON (voice-over): Elected in 2019, Boudin has enacted controversial policies centered around decarceration like no cash bail. At the height of COVID, he reduced the jail population by nearly 50%.
CHESA BOUDIN, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, SAN FRANCISCO: Jail and prison should be a last resort.
SIMON (voice-over): Boudin says the most pressing problems confronting the city are better addressed at the root level.
BOUDIN: The reality is we are never going to police or prosecute our way out of problems like poverty, mental illness and homelessness. The United States leads the world in locking people up and it has not made us safer.
SCOTT: If you don't want people to sit in jail for running in a store and taking a garbage bag full of property. Then put enough police officers out there to prevent it. You know, we can't say we're going to empty all the jails and not hold anybody accountable. And then but we're going to cut the police budget too, because then we're in chaos.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[21:00:07]
SIMON: And Anderson chaos is really the word a lot of people here in San Francisco would describe the current situation. In the short term, what the city is trying to do is they're trying to reduce the number of tents you see on the street and they have made some progress in that area. But still hundreds of tents, they're also increasing the police foot patrols.
And Anderson as for that Walgreens shoplifter, police arrested him while he was allegedly trying to shoplift at another store. He hit that same Walgreens four days in a row.
COOPER: Wow.
SIMON: Anderson.
COOPER: Dan Simon, appreciate it.
The news continues. Let's go to Chris for "CUOMO PRIME TIME." Chris.
