Return to Transcripts main page

New Day

Biden Calls for De-Escalation on Russia; Eight Killed in FedEx Shooting; William Haseltine is Interviewed about COVID-19. Aired 6:30- 7a ET

Aired April 16, 2021 - 06:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:33:52]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I was clear with President Putin that we could have gone further, but I chose not to do so. To be -- I chose to be proportionate. The United States is not looking to kick off a cycle of escalation and conflict with Russia. We want a stable, predictable relationship.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: That is President Biden calling for the U.S. and Russia to try to de-escalate tension after announcing new sanctions on Russia and expelling ten Russian diplomats from the U.S. Those steps taken in retribution for cyberattacks, including the huge SolarWinds attack and, of course, interference in two presidential elections.

Our Alex Marquardt joins us live in Washington with more.

But, Alex, there is a lot this morning -- a lot of analysis from a lot of smart folks saying this -- this was in many ways a punt, not addressing some of the most critical things in the ways that would hurt Putin the most.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, and that's because these sanctions cover a number of different areas. They're wide-ranging but they are aggressive. You heard the president there saying that he could have been harsher. And to your point, that's true. He made clear that he doesn't want things to escalate with Russia.

This punishment for Russia covering a number of different areas.

[06:35:00]

First, on that unprecedented hack that was exposed late last year, which is come -- become to be known as SolarWinds, the Biden administration said that Russia's foreign intelligence service, known as the SVR, was behind that hack. They were able to get inside at least nine U.S. federal agencies, as well as around 100 companies.

The other major response from the Biden administration was for Russia's interference in the 2020 election when they conducted a massive influence operation primarily against Joe Biden to help former President Donald Trump. So what the Biden administration did was to sanction 32 people and entities for the 2020 election, not just in Russia but globally, in Africa and Pakistan as well. The U.S. also sanctioned six technology companies that were connected -- that are connected to Russian intelligence. Ten diplomats, including some known spies, are being expelled from the Russian embassy here in Washington, D.C.,

And then, separately, for Russia's annexation of Crimea, eight people were sanctioned. Now, interestingly, there was no punishment for those bounties that were reportedly put on the heads of U.S. troops by Russia in Afghanistan. You'll remember that was a big line of attack for Biden against Trump during the campaign. The White House said that the intelligence community only had low to moderate confidence in that assessment, Poppy.

HARLOW: That's right.

Before you go, Alex, the Biden administration also did importantly reveal new information about connections between a Russian agent and the Trump campaign. What can you tell us?

MARQUARDT: Yes, this might have been the most interesting piece out of what came out yesterday. It showed that for the first time a new connection between the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence services. Konstantin Kilimnik, you may remember that name, he's a Russian associate of the 2016 Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, he received polling data and campaign strategy from Manafort. He then handed it off, according to these sanctions, to Russian intelligence services.

Now, that part is new and it's very significant. He had also pushed this narrative that it was Ukraine, not Russia, interfering in the 2016 election. Something that we then heard from Donald Trump himself.

Kilimnik, according to the administration, also interfered in the 2020 election, but they don't say how.

Poppy, I just have to add that in the last few minutes we have heard from the Kremlin. They have said that it is positive that Putin -- that Biden wants to work towards what Biden has called a more stable and predictable relationship. But he -- the spokesman for President Putin also called these sanctions unacceptable.

Poppy.

HARLOW: Thank you, Alex Marquardt, in Washington, with all of that reporting.

Of course this morning we are staying on top of the breaking news. A deadly shooting in Indianapolis overnight has left eight people dead this morning, another hospitalized. What we're learning this hour, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:41:43]

BERMAN: The breaking news this morning, a mass shooting at a FedEx facility near the Indianapolis airport. At least eight people were killed, four others transported to the hospital, one of them in critical condition.

Minutes ago I spoke with the deputy chief of investigations at the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department who told me that the suspect was armed with at least one rifle and took his own life after being confronted by police.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEPUTY CHIEF CRAIG MCCARTT, INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN POLICE CHIEF: The suspect came into the parking lot, and I believe he -- he exited his vehicle and quickly began shooting. There didn't -- it wasn't precipitated by any kind of a disturbance or an argument with anyone there that he just immediately started shooting. So the first shooting occurred in the parking lot and then he went inside and was -- did not get very far into the facility at all. So I think that it probably only lasted one to two minutes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Our Jason Carroll just arrived at the scene in Minneapolis. Jason, give us the very latest. Indianapolis, I'm sorry.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I can tell you that -- I can tell you that at this point a number of FedEx employees are at another location at a Holiday Inn Express. They're still trying to get reunited with some of their family members.

But let's set the scene for what happened here. You can see the parking lot behind me. That is the one that you heard the official talking about, the suspect entered through the parking lot behind me and immediately started shooting. Apparently did not get far inside the facility and also continued to keep shooting as well.

The calls started to come in to the Indianapolis Metro Police Department at about 11:00. They quickly arrived here at the scene and described it as an active shooting situation. They said it wasn't long after they arrived here on the scene, John, that the suspect ended up taking his own life.

One eyewitness who was here, a FedEx employee, described what happened. He said he heard the gunshots, he was out on a break, but he wasn't sure that they were gunshots at first. Once he realized they were gunshots, he said he had to act very quickly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMIAH MILLER, WITNESSED FEDEX SHOOTING: And he was firing at open -- any open. And I immediately ducked down and got scared. And my friend's mother, he came -- she came in and told us to get inside the car.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Police say at this point they have eight people dead, four people transported to hospitals, one of those people in critical condition.

But what is also clear, John, is that there were a number of walking wounded. People who were injured out at the parking lot, may have been shot and took themselves to area hospitals. This is a facility that's located in an area that borders basically, you know, two different jurisdictions. And so some people went to one hospital in one county, some went to another hospital -- took themselves to another hospital in another county. And so, at this point, police still trying to get an exact number on the number of injured.

A little bit more about those FedEx employees who were trying to be reunified with their family members. Again, they're at a local Holiday Inn Express. I spoke to a clerk in that hotel. He told me that there is a FedEx representative there trying to talk to them, trying to give them some information, trying to get that whole process going on.

[06:45:06]

We do have a statement from FedEx as well. I want to read part of that to you. It says, we are deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of our team members following the tragic shooting at our FedEx Ground facility in Indianapolis. Our most heartfelt sympathies are with all those affected by this senseless act of violence. The safety of our team members is our top priority and we are fully cooperating with investigating authorities.

So at this point investigators trying to get those FedEx employees reunified with their family members and also trying to get to the bottom of a motive for yet another tragic shooting.

John.

BERMAN: It's been so difficult all night because the employees themselves aren't allowed to have cell phones or use cell phones on the floor of the FedEx facility. So a lot of the communication that might normally happen between survivors and families couldn't.

CARROLL: Exactly. Exactly.

BERMAN: Just couldn't. And I know it's been a frustrating night for people at that Holiday Inn.

Jason Carroll rushing to the scene in Indianapolis. We're going to let you do some reporting now. Terrific information. Please keep us posted as you learn more.

Up next, new details about when you may need a coronavirus booster shot. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:50:14]

HARLOW: An update now in the latest on the COVID pandemic. Nearly 74,000 new COVID cases reported just yesterday alone. Dr. Anthony Fauci telling a congressional subcommittee that number needs to get below 10,000 before really COVID restrictions can safely be lifted. Well, that led to quite a heated exchange with Ohio Republican Congressman Jim Jordan.

Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): What measure, what standard, what objective outcome do we have to reach before -- before Americans get their liberty and freedoms back?

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: You know, I -- you're indicating liberty and freedom. I look at it as a public health measure to prevent people from dying.

You're making this a personal thing and it isn't.

JORDAN: It's not a personal thing.

FAUCI: No, you are. That is exactly what you're doing.

We're not talking about liberties, we're talking about a pandemic that has killed 560,000 Americans.

JORDAN: I -- and I get that, Doctor (ph).

FAUCI: That's what we're talking about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: William Haseltine is with us. He is the president of ACCESS Health International and a former professor at Harvard Medical School.

I mean I watched the whole thing. It went on for more than 6.5 minutes. I'm not sure if you've seen all of it, but that was emblematic of what took place there, sort of rational facts versus the opposite. What's your read?

WILLIAM HASELTINE, PRESIDENT, ACCESS HEALTH INTERNATIONAL: It's time for all of our public officials to get behind and do everything they can to stop this pandemic. As you mentioned at the beginning, 74,000 people were infected yesterday in the United States, and about a thousand of those will die. We've heard tragic news of shootings throughout the country in your earlier program, but what about those thousand families that today will lose a family member? It's as if 75,000 people go to a soccer stadium or a football stadium and there's a thousand hearses waiting for them when they return every day. How are we reacting? We're not on the same team. And that's a big mistake. Our public officials, all of them, elected or not, have to get on the same team.

BERMAN: Yes, I mean, Jim Jordan has to ask himself, what did he do yesterday to save lives, right? What did he do to save lives?

I want to ask you about some important information we received yesterday from the CEO of Pfizer who said that he believes now that people will need to receive a booster shot, a third Pfizer shot, what, what, within the year?

HARLOW: Six to 12 months.

BERMAN: Six to 12 months after getting your first two doses.

Explain the significance of that, Professor.

HASELTINE: Well, I think the best way for people to think about COVID today is a more serious version of the flu. We accept that every year we have to take new booster shots because our immunity wanes and the virus is tricky and mutates around it. That's exactly what's happening now with COVID. We're seeing the vaccines wane a little bit. Actually, they're working pretty well for a long time, especially the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines are working extremely well. But they will fade. The companies know they'll fade. And the way to deal with that is a booster shot, either of the same vaccine or, when you identify the most troublesome variants, to create a booster shot against that. So think of it as a more serious -- about a ten times more deadly infection than the flu, but it's behaving pretty much the same way.

HARLOW: So does that mean -- I mean I -- I'm like the one in my household, kids get the flu shot, my husband, have you gotten one yet? Any childcare providers. It's just an annual sort of fall ritual for us. Does this become that forever?

HASELTINE: I think it is on the way becoming that. You're exactly right. And hopefully it will be a combination of flu plus this new shot. It's another burden for mothers. It's another burden for families. And it's something to worry about.

In terms of the children, we're now moving down the chain. So babies a year and older are beginning to be tested for it. We're already very much -- very closer to a time when six-year-old plus can be vaccinated. So we're moving very much toward that situation that you describe.

BERMAN: Professor, as always, thank you for being with us. We do appreciate your time on a very busy morning.

HASELTINE: You're welcome. Thank you very much.

BERMAN: And the breaking news this morning, eight people killed in a mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis. We got some new details about this within the last hour and we will go live there next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:58:46]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BERMAN: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY. I'm John Berman, along with Poppy Harlow. And we are tracking breaking news.

A mass shooting at a FedEx warehouse in Indianapolis. Details are still coming in. We know that eight people are dead, four others suffered what we are told are non-fatal gunshot wounds, one other person in the hospital with shrapnel.

The police say the gunman took his own life. The deputy chief told us moments ago the killer began shooting outside, then moved inside. It lasted only a few minutes.

So there was a mass shooting last week. Less than a month ago. Ten people were killed in Colorado. Four weeks since eight people were killed in Georgia. It's come to the point where we can simply say there is an active shooter situation in America.

HARLOW: That's exactly right.

We do not know what led to the shooting. And there are no details about who the victims are. Their families desperate for answers.

We also don't have the name of the suspect at this hour.

Anxious family members have been reuniting with loved ones throughout the morning. A White House official tells CNN, the president will be briefed on all of this today.

[07:00:00]

Let's go right to the scene and bring in our Jason Carroll.

Jason, you have been on the ground there for just a little while, literally racing there overnight as this happened.

What can you tell us?