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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Pro-Trump Rioters Breached The U.S. Capitol On Historic Day In Congress; Congress Reconvenes To Certify Biden's Win After Pro-Trump Rioters Storm The U.S. Capitol. Aired 11p-12a ET
Aired January 06, 2021 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[23:00:00]
DON LEMON, CNN HOST (on camera): They are voting on certifying this election and the objections against certain states. And we are going to continue to watch it.
So, thank you for watching this particular hour with me. I'll be back a little bit later on with my colleague Christopher Cuomo. In the meantime our breaking news coverage continues on with Anderson Cooper and "AC360."
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST (on camera): Again, history is being written tonight on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. There is turmoil inside the White House, silence from the president and talk of invoking the 25th amendment to remove the president after he turned his mob on Capitol Hill.
And at the Capitol back to business, the House voting on an objection to the electoral vote in Arizona. That is happening right now, that it is not back to normal.
This, after that very same mob incited by a president to cowardly to admit defeat, to violent action. As result there is wreckage tonight, physical and otherwise at the seat of the world's longest running democracy. The woman is dead, shot in the chaos. Bombs have been discovered, as well as a truck loaded with molotov cocktails nearby.
And yet despite it all, some lawmakers as they count the electoral votes still cannot stop themselves from raising the same unfounded objections, to the outcome that had fueled today's insurrection, objections which are based on lies.
Such as Missouri Republican Josh Hawley for instance, the man who raised his fist as you see there today in solidarity, the very same people who would later storm his workplace. He is still objecting to the vote and covering his factually unfounded decision in a thin layer of smooth talk.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): So to those who say that this is just a formality today, and antique ceremony that we've engaged in for a couple of hundred years. I can't say that I agree. I can't say that our president suggest that. I actually think it's very vital what we do, the opportunity to be heard, to register objections is very vital, because this is the place where those objections are to be heard and dealt with, debated and finally resolve. In this lawful, means peacefully without violence, without attacks, without bullets.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER (on camera): He wants to be president and he thinks this is his play to help. He thought that before the violence, maybe now he is not so sure but he's sticking with it because frankly he has -- I guess no other options. Ted Cruz same thing, he wants to run for president got beat by Trump the last time. Now he thinks he can try to get as many Trump voters as possible, as long as he stays in the presidents good graces and this is his ticket to try to do that.
To their credit, a number of his colleagues were shaken enough or needed to appear shaken enough to withdraw their planned objections, and then there's Utah Republican Mitt Romney, who was never on board with his now deadly charade at all.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITT ROMNEY (R-UT): Fairly or not, they'll be remembered for their role in this shameful episode in American history. That will be their legacy, no Congressional audit is ever going to convince these voters, particularly when the president will continue to say that the election was stolen. The best way we can show respect, for the voters who are upset is by telling them the truth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER (on camera): Telling them the truth. CNN's Phil Mattingly joins us now. Phil, the House and Senate are obviously moving along towards certifying the presidential race. The votes are still taking place in the House on Arizona, everything that is happening right now is happening in the shadow of this attempted insurrection. What is the latest you're hearing in terms of just what happens next?
Obviously, the Senate has already voted not -- the I.D. had passed failed in the Senate on Arizona, and it's now going to reconvene with the House -- they will then go on to separate again and once they debate and vote on Pennsylvania. But what happens next?
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's fascinating procedure that I think most lawmakers at this point in time after this day they had experience, which they wouldn't have to go through over the course of the next several hours.
What you are looking at your screen right now is the House vote, and not unlike the Senate. The objectors to the slated electors in Arizona are going to lose this fight by a pretty wide margin. So, Arizona will go down, the two chambers will reconvene in joint session and they are expected to tick through a number of states pretty quickly.
Vice President Mike Pence once again, in the chair. Until they get to the state of Pennsylvania, that is where Josh Hawley has made clear he will object, just like he said he would. One interesting thing though and I think this goes back, Anderson, to one word you used and I think is really important at this point in time, and that's shaken. When you talk to lawmakers, lawmakers who are taken away in undisclosed locations, who are surrounded by law enforcement officials in tactical gear and long guns, who had to be escorted back to the Senate floor by those same enforcement officers.
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And then in the Senate floor was being guarded by a line of law enforcement officers as well. They're shaken and they want this to end. There is a recognition, even amongst some of those who are out initially saying they plan to object. That they just need to get this behind them.
In fact, Anderson, while there were six who voted for the Arizona objection. Keep in mind, there were 14 going into this day, Republicans in the United States Senate, who said they were going to object. A number of Republicans changed their (inaudible) siding today siding what they saw, siding with a recognized that their words, their actions and how they line up with the presidents had very, very real repercussions.
And grasping the fact that again this needed to end quickly. So, timeline wise, while we know that Pennsylvania will be objected to, we expect the Senate to immediately move to a vote. In other words yield back all of the two hours they've be given to debate. And then how that vote, that will quicken the process over there. The real question is in the House. House Republican want to talk about this.
House Republican even after today had made very clear. There are number of them that agreed with everything that the president has said or tweeted before his Twitter account was locked. And they will likely want to debate or use a good portion of those two hours.
Anderson, one thing is very clear though, when you talk to officials who are talking to Congressional leaders right now, they want to get this done, they want to get this done as fast as possible. Pennsylvania is expected to be the last objection, they are going to try and move as quickly through that objection as possible.
COOPER: I mean, is there any Congress may do over the next two weeks to try to keep President Trump from inciting more violence?
MATTINGLY: You know, it's interesting I was actually just talking to Senator about that, who was a little bit wide eyed and said yeah, it's pretty scary. It was the actual word from the Senator, and it was as if as if it hadn't quite necessarily dawn on them in the wake of today, that OK we still have 15 more days to go of this.
Now in terms of what Congress can do, there are people who are calling for impeachment, there are people in terms of actual remedies over the course of the two-week period. I don't think you're going to see much, I think the most interesting shift that has occurred today. And look, it's a low water market it's not a high bar to clear. But you've seen Republicans who have over the course of the last four
years, particular in the United States Senate would never ever attribute anything that went wrong to President Trump.
You might know that's what they thought, that they would either dodged the question, not answer the question or try and pivot somewhere else. Who have made very clear what happen today was in large part, if not entirely because of President Trump. And so that shift, while it's just rhetorical will be interesting to watch and it will be probably more interesting as whether or not any of their constituents follow them.
When they as a number of Senators have said, tell the truth about what's going on, tell the truth about what's happening. But in terms of tangible actionable things you are going to see over the next couple of weeks, frankly, I think most Senators and members of Congress who are unnerved right now are kind of in a hope and pray mode.
COOPER: Phil Mattingly, I appreciate it. Thank you.
As we wait for the next steps on Capitol Hill. I want to go to CNN's White House correspondent, Kaitlan Collins. Kaitlan, a lot to talk about, now there's discussion or talk over the 25th amendment, about a possible high-level staff resignations. How real is that? What's going on now?
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, it depends on which one you are referencing, the 25th amendment is certainly being discussed. You know, we talked about this before back in the day during the Russia investigation. This seems more real at this time. I don't actually have an idea yet, if it is actually something that they would move forward with.
But it is something that senior staff right now is discussing. But the other thing that does seem more likely and more imminent potentially is mass resignations from senior officials. Because several currently right now are considering resigning including the national security adviser, Robert O'Brien who is really closely aligned himself with the president over the last several months. But today came out in defense of the vice president, and of course the Deputy National Security Adviser that his resignation could come sooner.
COOPER: I just want to interrupt, Speaker Pelosi is speaking. Let's listen.
(BEGIN LIVE VIDEO)
UNKNOWN: (inaudible)
COOPER (voice over): OK we're waiting on her, I'm sorry I got wrong information. It looks like they are trying to get the last members to vote Kaitlan, please continue.
(END VIDEO LIVE FEED) COLLINS (on camera): Yes. We're just waiting to hear from what Pelosi
is going to say, commenting on all of this. You know, we've seen several of the president's allies up there on Capitol Hill. We should note that as this is going on, you know, those allies on Capitol Hill, the Republicans are waiting to see what these people in the administration are going to do.
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Because basically all day, Anderson, the president has been really largely isolated. He's been in the West Wing, you know, he was really resistant to sending the National Guard out to Capitol Hill earlier today.
COOPER (on camera): Did the military even contact him? Because when the military put out a statement, specifying they talked to the Vice President and other officials, they made no mention of speaking to the president.
COLLINS: No one has made clear that the president actually was involved in that. And if he was it wasn't incredibly involved, because the press secretary said he was the one who directed it. That is not what our reporting shows at all, it was instead that there were conversations about it. The vice president was involved in moving it along. People went to the president, he was very resistant against sending it, because he was watching these people, these pro-Trump supporters go up until he was resistant to having them go.
COOPER (on camera): And let's listen to Speaker Pelosi.
(BEGIN LIVE VIDEO)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: The nays have it. The objection is not agreed to and without objection, a motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. The clerk will now notify the Senate of the action of this House, informing that body that the House is now ready to proceed in joint session with the further counting of the electoral votes with the president and the vice president.
To remind both sides of the aisle, during the joint session there are 11 House Republicans, 11 House Democrats, 11 House Senate Democrats, 11 Senate Republicans, 44 members on the floor. Please view the proceedings from your officers, thank you.
COOPER (voice over): So now, Senators are going to come -- there's going to be another joint gathering of both the Senate --
PELOSI: -- on you how seriously we take the coronavirus threat, and the need for social distancing. Please my colleagues, if you are not having a participating in the next part of this please return to your offices.
COOPER (on camera): So, Senators will then walk over. They will begin again on the electors and then they will eventually take a vote on Arizona, sorry again, Kaitlan to interrupt. The president's Twitter account has been shut off at least 12 hours,
Twitter has done that. His allies objections to the Electoral College kind of Congress has dwindled, do we know what he's doing tonight? Because I mean, the idea that he was just watching this mayhem on television, not calling in the National Guard or reluctant to call in the National Guard. Because of course these are his people who he calls patriots, and even after witnessing the destruction that they wrought, and you know, somebody being shot on Capitol Hill. He talked about them being great people, and you know, that he loved them?
COLLINS: And look how long it took for the National Guard to get there. This is a president who at every other situation that we've seen play out with protests, with riots over the last year. The president has been eager, Anderson, to send in the National Guard. And he has criticize Governors if they refuse to do so very publicly. Yet today, he was the one who is resistant to do so.
And you know, it's around 1:30 this afternoon, we started seeing people start to breach those barricades. And they were assaulting police officers, getting pepper sprayed. And despite that still, it took a lot of effort to get the president to not only put out a statement saying that they should go home, because before he was saying remain peaceful, though nothing that we are watching was peaceful.
And then he was resistant to the National Guard. That involves the vice president getting involved in acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller getting involved, to actually get the National Guard deployed out there.
And it's because how the president is viewing this approach a mob that was fueled by his lies about the election going there. And he was, you know, someone described it to me as he was borderline enthusiastic. Because they were going and they were disrupting this certification that we are still waiting on now. And that was the president's ultimate goal.
That he wanted today, with the vice president and his Republican allies, was he wanted a disruption. And of course, now have gotten one that has completely shaken Washington, including several of his own staffers and allies on the Hill.
COOPER: Yeah, I mean, you know, let's just be frank if it had been thousands of black people marching on the capitol, if it had been thousands of Muslims, marching on the Capitol, storming barricades, breaking into the Capitol causing mayhem, the idea that the president would have just watched it all on TV is -- I mean, absurd. I mean, the difference in the police response --
COLLINS: Yes, he defended them, he said he love them, so aid they were special. You know, there was last tweet that the president sent, that has really freak people out. Where he was defending them saying, this is what you get when you steal election basically. Which of course this election wasn't stolen, but he was defending what we saw today.
And that is just, you know, there are going to be a lot of people who criticize White House staffers, and you know, coming out at the 11th hour to now resign, or you know, voice their objections to the president. But seeing it today, has actually unsettle people. And they are genuinely freaked out over the president's reaction to this and how he has responded to what the rest of us you know, have witnessed.
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COOPER: Right, and frankly what we witnessed long before this, when we saw armed thugs storming the Michigan Statehouse. Threatening elected leaders there, the president gave him an Atta boy, the president was cheering them on again, referring them as great people just as he did in neo-Nazis, of course in Charlottesville.
So, I understand, you know, there are a few people resigning that they say on principle in the waning days of an administration that they're going to lose their jobs in any way. But we have seen this before, this is not new, this is not the first time maybe it just happened a few blocks closer to them this time. And suddenly they felt a sense of fear. And so, now they're acting, that doesn't speak very well of them in my opinion.
Kaitlan, I appreciate all of your reporting, it's a difficult day. Joining us CNN political commentator Scott Jennings, former special assistant to George W. Bush, and CNN political analyst, an investigative journalist, Carl Bernstein.
We'll also going to a have a panel on law enforcement, because there is a lot of questions about -- I mean, why the protesters, writers, insurrectionist, domestic terrorists able to penetrate the Capitol like this? Why were there not preparations as they were for Black Lives Matter protesters this summer? Scott, should President Trump remain in office for the next two weeks?
SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR (on camera): Well, I've been wrestling with this question all day. I mean, he's clearly violated his oath of office to preserve protect and defend the constitution, to the best of my ability. And no one could with a straight face argue that he has preserving, protecting or defending it. And in fact, it's the opposite of defending it. It's under attack.
So, he is certainly not doing any of that to the best of his ability. So, if you want to strictly look at his oath. He's violated it. You can make an argument he violated it his weekend when called the Georgia Secretary of State as well, which seems like a lifetime ago.
I don't know the answer, I know that there are things being discussed. I don't know what the right thing to do is tonight. He doesn't seem like to me, based on the tweets that were remove that he learned any lesson after this got out of hand today. This is what you get when you steal an election? He didn't learned anything when this happened today.
And so, if that's going to be his attitude for the next two weeks I'm very fearful of what other insurrection type activities. And that's exactly what it was, it was an insurrection. And it should be labeled as such, I can't believe more people haven't been arrested for storming the Capitol of the United States.
And I can't frankly believe there are still Republicans tonight, siding with the people who storm the Capitol by voting for these objections. Siding with the people who are wearing animal pelts and horns, and scaling down the walls of the U.S. Senate? It's absurd, and it's a stain on this president, on our party, on our country and I cannot believe what I saw in my television today. And I had to explain to my children at home.
COOPER: And I know Trump supporters, who are good and decent people who are raising questions about, well those weren't really Trump supporters storming the Capitol. The guy wearing, you know, horns on his head, who showed up in another demonstration that doesn't look like a Trump supporter. I mean it's unbelievable how already there are trying to rewrite what we all witnessed with our eyes.
Carl, do you believe, I mean, do you believe the 25th amendment can be invoked? And I mean, I guess would have to come from the vice president and the cabinet, not sure any of them really have the backbone for that, do they?
CARL BERNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR (on camera): I think at this point, there is the backbone to do something. Because there is recognition, the president of the United States is dangerously unstable. The vice president apparently recognizes it according to people on the Hill.
Look, for three weeks now people around the president of the United States have been trying to talk him down, to restrain him. He's been acting in one of those people's words like a mad man and a despot. That we are in unprecedented and dangerous situation that is out of control, unstable president of the United States.
And there is now, there is now recognition in the cabinet, in the White House staff, along Capitol Hill, among Republicans. That our president of the United States is a danger, not just to the national security of the United States, but really to all of our Democratic institutions. And as well, he does have military abilities.
This began in some ways, three weeks ago. Maybe four. There was an attempt by the president that he had to be talked down from stared down by the generals and some people at the Department of Defense for an action that he wanted to take abroad, that was regarded as reckless and dangerous.
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And that set off alarm bells and those alarm bells have been going off day after day, after day, as he's become more irrational, as he's become more unhinged. They've seen a lot of it before, but never so consistently and so out of control and out of touch with reality as now. We have a national emergency with an unstable dangerous president. And the consensus is, among those near him something has to be done to restrain him and isolate him.
COOPER: Kaitlan, who is still left in the White House around the president? I mean, who interacts with him? I know Mark Meadows is still there, right?
COLLINS: Yeah.
COOPER: Got help us all, Peter Navarro is still there, who else?
COLLINS: Well, a lot of people are still there but the president has not been listening to him, to any of them. Lately, it has been the Rudy Giuliani's, in the Sydney Powell's, Peter Navarro is when the president has listened to.
COOPER: Yes, the cracking chorus (ph)?
COLLINS: Yes, even though they've distance themselves from Sydney Powell, the president has fully embraced all of Sydney Powell's ideas. He brought up half of them on that call with the Georgia Secretary of State. So it's not just who's around, it's the president is not listening to people. I mean he has met with the Vice President several times over the last few days about what today is going to look like.
And even today, he made a last-minute appeal to Pence. Believing he could basically bully him into going up to Capitol Hill and doing something that he doesn't have the authority to do. It's not a decision by Mike Pence on whether or not he's going to stand by the president or do this, he just does not have that ability.
But the president would not internalize that, he would not accept that. And so, I think it's the president being completely resistant to that. And I think it is the concern about what his time left in office could look like. This is why you're hearing those conversations about the 25th amendment, because basically it has been so desperate. All of his attempts after witnessing what happened today and how the president responded. I think that is what has started those conversations in earnest.
COOPER: Well, also this the legacy of the president. I mean, this is the shambles is the legacy of the president. That and deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans and the illness, the sickness and the devastation, the economic devastation. It's his legacy, it's his children's legacy. It's a legacy of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. It's the legacy of Donnie Trump Jr., White House spent this morning talking tough in front of this unruly crowd early in the morning, egging them on just as the president did.
Just as Eric trump did, and Lara Trump did and once they actually started walking toward the Capitol, did you see any of the Trump children screwing around with them? No, they all hot, you know hot fretted it out. I think Lara Trump was aid to have flown out immediately after the rally.
COLLINS: Yes.
COOPER: I don't know where D.J. Teejay was but he was probably, you know I don't know it he was hanging out with the, you know, the mayor, you know, formerly known as Rudy Giuliani, who's now just a shadow of that person in some hotel room somewhere watching, but I mean, this is their legacy. Kaitlan, I appreciate it. Carl Bernstein, Scott Jennings as well. I appreciate your sentiments.
As we wait for the next move in the Senate, I want to turn to one of the images we saw today, one of two members taking cover on the House floor. As violent protesters tried to get in. Susan Wild, a Democrat of Pennsylvania and Jason Crow, Democrat of Colorado. Holding her hand, they both join us now. I appreciate both of you being with us after the day that you had have.
Congressman Crow, you said earlier today, you hadn't been in a situation like that since you are an army ranger serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Can you just take me back to the moment you realize what it was going on, because you were in the gallery, looking over this. And basically you all were trapped there?
REP. JASON CROW (D-CO) (on the phone): Yeah, hi Anderson, I realize shortly after Speaker Pelosi and Vice President Pence were evacuated from the floor. And then they evacuated the members who are on the floor -- on the floor and then they started to move us towards the doorway. But then they stopped, and they started locking the doors, and barricading the doors. There was no way out for us, the rioters, the mob had descended and surrounded the House chamber.
And that the few remaining Capitol police officers that were in the chambers with us had their guns drawn, and they were starting to stack furniture against the doors and windows. We were in trouble, and we started to think about you know, what we need to do, and it was the first time in many, many years since I was an army ranger that I thought that I might have to fight my way out.
COOPER: Congresswoman Wild, when the police instructed you to get down as they were drawing their weapons, what went through your mind? Clearly, in this photo it is a very dramatic photo.
REP. SUSAN WILD (D-PA) (on the phone): Well, thank you Anderson. Unlike Jason, I have never had experience in combat. And I suddenly felt like I was thrust into combat and it was terrifying. My heart was pounding, we had just finished climbing through around the gallery to try and get to the doorway, where we are supposed to exit.
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And then all of a sudden, that door was barred too, because of some sort of disturbance. So, it was -- all I can tell you is that it was the most panicky moment of my life.
COOPER: You know Congressman Crow, you think about what might have happened. I mean, had there not been security on the door, had some of these people gotten in. There is no telling what a mob like this can do. I mean, you know better than anybody, you've been on the frontline positions. A mob, you know, is an incredibly, it's like an organism.
I mean, people do things in a mob that they wouldn't ordinarily do if it was just an individual. I mean, it is unbelievable that this happened at all, did you -- how long were you there after this photo where taken? I mean, how long did it last before you realized, before you were able to find a getaway out? CROW: We were stuck in the chamber I would say, for about 15 or 20
minutes. We got a way out. And you're right, Anderson. I mean, this was an unspeakable tragedy, a travesty, an enormous security failure. I have some very serious questions about how this ever happened in the first instance.
And as you've been talking about tonight that this had been a group of Black Lives Matter protesters or other folks, I think it would have been handled very differently. Massive security failure, I think an awful lot of people should lose their jobs over this, over what has happened. But you know, that said, a mob is extremely dangerous. And we're actually fortunate that it wasn't even far worse than it was. Because they could have very well been a lot worse.
COOPER (on camera): I read today at the head of Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, is out in the Middle East somewhere on some sort of farewell tour. The idea that the head of homeland security, knowing what is happening in the United States in this stressful last few weeks, in a desperate last days of this criminal administration. It's amazing to me that he is just flown the coup, and you know, I don't know what he's doing over there.
Congressman Jason Crow, I appreciate you talking to you tonight, Congressman Susan Wild as well. Thank you so much for your time, I'm glad that you're both are safe. The president as we've been reporting could not bring himself to condemn the mob he unleashed, far from it he said that he love them, that they were brave. The president-elect however made a plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, 2020 PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: What we're seeing where a small number of extremists, dedicated to lawlessness. This is not descent, it's disorder, it's chaos, it borders on sedition. And it must end now. Like so many other Americans, I am generally shocked and saddened that our nation so long a beacon of light and hope for democracy, has come to such a dark moment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER (on camera): A dark moment indeed, CNN's Arlette Saenz is covering the president-elect, she joins us now from Wilmington, Delaware.
So, any reaction from the Biden (inaudible) to the -- from the transition team to the reports that some in the president's cabinet are thinking of invoking the 25th amendment, or at least is there some discussion of that?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, Anderson, we haven't gotten any direct reaction to those reports that some members of the cabinet maybe considering invoking the 25th amendment. Part of that is because these are things that are still underway, you don't always see the Biden transition a way in so early in the process.
But also Biden's aide simply wants to let his words from earlier today, stand. Where he directly and passionately spoke about what was happening and unfolding at the Capitol. Calling it an insurrection, saying that the Capitol was under siege.
And he also talked about how words of a president matter. That is something that you hear Biden go to time and time again, over the course of the campaign. As he could have talked about some of the division in this country. And you heard the president-elect urging President Trump to tell these people, engaging in these acts at the Capitol to stop. And it really speaks to the president-elect's belief in the power of the presidency.
And what you saw from him today, was this attempt to fill this leadership vacuum that as the current president was not forcibly condemning what was happening at the Capitol. And the president-elect taking it into his own hands, to try to offer that calm. That sense of unity that he believes to be projected as he sets to take office in two weeks.
COOPER: Yes. Arlette Saenz, I appreciate it. We are going to take a quick break as we wait for the Joint Session to Reconvene. Coming up next a closer look at why these insurrection has faced so little resistance from law enforcement. Where was the law enforcement?
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Those who were there were certainly -- I mean, many were not in full riot gear, were not prepared for this, did the best they could with what they had.
Former police chief of the capitol and the district joins us along with former FBI Director Andrew McCabe. Later, presidential historian Tim Naftali is to take on this moment, and we could follow (ph).
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER (on camera): Police presence tonight in and around the capitol. It is hard to fathom such an absence of it earlier today as insurrectionist literally scaled walls, broke windows to get inside the capitol.
The question tonight is pretty simple. Why were police so unprepared and even afterwards, why were so few arrests seemingly made? Was the treatment these people received seems far different than what it would have been had it been -- even the police preparation in some of the protests we saw this summer?
CNN's Jim Sciutto has more sources on that. He joins us now. Do we know why law enforcement was caught so off guard?
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: We don't, honestly, Anderson. This was telegraphed, as you know. There were protests here planned today. Thousands of Trump supporters came out and Trump said -- you played the tape earlier on your broadcast -- said, we're going to march on the capitol, go tell them how angry you are. They did just that. And hundreds broke into the capitol, Anderson. Hundreds broke through those barriers. When you see the videos, police were clearly overwhelmed. They didn't have the manpower there, man or woman power there, to resist, just did not seem to be the planning for the Intel.
Well, don't even call it intelligence because it was broadcast along the airways that this is where they were going. It's truly remarkable. And remember, the capitol has been attacked before, right?
I mean, in 1998, there was a shooting there. They redesigned the entire security structure of the place. They dug an enormous visitor center underground to push people through in effect so you could control entry into the building.
And today, remarkable accounts of how in the midst of this, people who were fleeing to safe rooms in that visitor center where they are made with reinforced doors, that was infiltrated by those hundreds of protesters, as well. So, it is failure at multiple levels.
I find it amazing, Anderson, as I watch what is an impressive security presence right now hours after it happened. I mean, we've been seeing dozens of police vehicles, hundreds of police officers go by circling the capitol. Fine, that's all fine. But where were they earlier today? Why have we not heard from the leadership of the capitol police?
I mean, 26 arrests on capitol grounds when you had hundreds of people breaking in to the capitol itself are paltry by any measure. And you saw that the vast majority of those folks were allowed to leave the building. No problem, nothing. It's remarkable.
And I've got to tell you, Anderson, I've covered violence, I've covered terror attacks around the world and in this country, but to see it happen in the capitol here and with a -- just a flailing police response --
COOPER: Well, when you think back -- you think back --
SCIUTTO: -- questions need to be answered.
COOPER: You think back to when President Trump decided he wanted to, you know, walk over to -- in front of a church and hold a bible up upside-down --
[23:35:00]
SCIUTTO: Yeah.
COOPER: -- and was very willing and able to clear out an entire park full of peaceful protesters very aggressively in a matter of seconds --
SCIUTTO: Yeah.
COOPER (on camera): -- with militarized, well-armed, you know, and well-protected law enforcement officials from a variety of federal agencies. I don't understand why there wasn't preparation in advance on this.
We're taking another look, Jim, just so you know at the House floor, senators walking in. Let's just take that full screen for a moment.
SCIUTTO: Yeah.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(APPLAUSE)
COOPER (voice-over): We know that the movement -- the move on Arizona failed in the Senate. It has failed in the House. They will now -- let's listen.
As we continue to watch the senators coming in, Phil Mattingly, what do we expect now?
MATTINGLY (voice-over): Continue the process, a process that usually every four years doesn't last much more than an hour. That is you're going to start ticking through the next states, the states that follow the state of Arizona. We'll go to Arkansas and we will move on through those states.
It will be -- and again, this feels like about 10 years ago now, Anderson, but once the senators finish filing in and Vice President Pence gavels the joint session back into session, it will do what we initially saw with the states before Arizona, where he gets -- receives the electors, he asks if there's any objections.
We know there's not going to be an objection to Arkansas. It will be accepted. And they will move on. They will move on state-by-state alphabetically until there is an objection where both a House member and a Senator pair up in writing to agree to the objection.
The only one we know that's coming right now is Pennsylvania. There will be other states I'm told that House Republicans will plan to object to. It won't matter so long as they don't have a senator to pair up with. And again, as of this point, the only senator who has stated that they plan to object on anything further is Josh Hawley of the State of Pennsylvania.
COOPER (voice-over): And any sense of just how long this entire process may take?
SCIUTTO (voice-over): Yeah, it's basically the question I've been asking everyone that is in my rolodex at the moment.
(LAUGHTER)
SCIUTTO (voice-over): I feel like it's been the question that a lot of members and staff have been asking me. One thing to keep in mind here, I think it has become abundantly clear over the course of the last couple hours is that members in both parties, even those who plan to object, even those initially wanted to object and then changed their mind, they want to get this done and they want to get this done quickly. They've already set up a process in the U.S. Senate that even when Josh Hawley objects to Pennsylvania and they recess and go back to the chamber to have that debate, they will not utilize the two hours of debate at all. They will yield back and they will likely head straight into a roll call vote.
The open question right now is the House. There are House Republicans who want to talk, who want their five minutes, a lot of five minutes, want an opportunity to say whatever it is they want to say. They may take up the full two hours.
The rest of the process, when you take out the two hours of debate, when you take out the roll call votes, particularly in the House, because of how they are cautious -- how cautious they are with COVID issues, it can move along pretty quickly.
And I think you're going to see over the course of the next 30 to 45 minutes, they're going to move through the non-objection states very, very quickly. The big outstanding issue right now, I think, in terms of if you want to know when this is going to end, you need to know how long the House is going to debate the Pennsylvania objection before they vote.
Once that's done and so long as there are no other objections where there's a House member and there's a senator that agree in writing on those objections, they'll get through the end of the alphabet on the states, and then they will have the final vote on certification.
COOPER (voice-over): I want to bring in now Tim Naftali, as we continue to wait here, a historian. Tim, just -- as a historian, how do you see today and what we're witnessing?
TIMOTHY NAFTALI, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN (voice-over): Anderson, today was the first time in our history that a president has opposed the peaceful transfer of power. We've never seen this before.
[23:39:50]
NAFTALI (voice-over): The president's actions both in inciting the insurrection and then his initial response to the insurrection, the fact that he didn't ask people to leave the capitol, is tantamount to encouraging violence, and that makes him the first president ever to encourage violence during what is supposed to be a (INAUDIBLE) transfer of power.
COOPER (voice-over): Let's listen.
MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- taken their seats. The two houses retired to consider separately and decide upon the vote of the State of Arizona to which an objection has been filed. The secretary of the Senate will report the action of the Senate.
UNKNOWN: And the Senate of the United States order that the Senate by a vote of six ayes to 93 nays rejects the objection to the electoral votes cast in the State of Arizona for Joseph R. Biden for president and Kamala D. Harris for vice president. PENCE: The clerk of the House will report the action of the house.
UNKNOWN: Order that the House of Representatives rejects the objections to the electoral vote of the State of Arizona.
PENCE: Pursuant to the law, chapter 1 of title 3 of the United States code, because the two houses have not sustained the objection, the original certificate submitted by the State of Arizona will be counted as provided therein.
The tellers will now record and announce the vote of the State of Arkansas for president and vice president in accordance with the action of the two houses.
This certificate from Arkansas, the parliamentarians advised me, is the only certificate of vote from the state that purports to be a return from the state, and annexed to it a certificate from an authority of the state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
REP. RODNEY DAVIS (R-IL): Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Arkansas seems to be in regular -- seems to be regular in form and authentic. And it appears therefrom that Donald J. Trump of the State of Florida received six votes for president and Michael R. Pence of the state of Indiana received six votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of vote of the State of Arkansas that the tellers verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
UNKNOWN: Hearing none.
PENCE: Hearing none. This certificate from California, the parliamentarians advised me, is the only certificate of vote from the state that purports to be a return from the state, and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of that state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D-CA): Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of California, I would say the great State of California, seems to be regular in form and authentic. And it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the State of Delaware received 55 votes for president and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received 55 votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote to the State of California that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
Hearing none, this certificate from Colorado, the parliamentarians advised me, is the only certificate of vote from the state that purports to be a return from the state, and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of the state purporting to appoint and ascertain electors.
SEN. ROY BLUNT, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN POLICY COMMITTEE: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Colorado seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the State of Delaware received nine votes for president and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received nine votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote to the State of Colorado that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
UNKNOWN: Hearing none.
PENCE: Hearing none. This certificate from Connecticut, the parliamentarians advised me, is the only certificate of vote from the state that purports to be a return from the state, and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of that state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
REP. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Connecticut seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the state of Delaware receives seven votes for president and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California receives seven votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote of the State of the Connecticut that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
[23:45:07]
UNKNOWN: Hearing none.
PENCE: Hearing none. This certificate from Delaware, the parliamentarians advised me, is the only certificate of vote from the state that purports to be a return from the state, and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of the state purporting to appoint and ascertain electors.
DAVIS: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of Delaware seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the state of Delaware received three votes for president and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received three votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote of the State of the Delaware that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
Hearing none. This certificate from the District of Colombia, the parliamentarians advised me, is the only certificate of vote from the district that purports to be a return from the district, and has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of the district purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
BLUNT: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the District of Columbia seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the State of Delaware received three votes for president and Kamala D. Harris from the State of California received three votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of vote of the District of Columbia that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
UNKNOWN: Hearing none.
PENCE: Hearing none. This certificate from Florida, the parliamentarians advised me, is the only certificate of vote from that state that purports to be a return from the state, and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of the state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
LOFGREN: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Florida seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Donald J. Trump of the State of Florida received 29 votes for president and Michael R. Pence of the State of Indiana received 29 votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of vote of the State of Florida that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
UNKNOWN: Hearing none.
PENCE: Hearing none. This certificate from Georgia, the parliamentarians advised me, is the only certificate of vote from that state that purports to be a return from the state, and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of the state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
KLOBUCHAR: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Georgia seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the State of Delaware received 16 votes for president and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received 16 votes for vice president.
PENCE: For what purpose does the gentleman from Georgia rise?
UNKNOWN: Mr. President, myself, members of the Georgia delegation, and some 74 of my Republican colleagues and I, object to the electoral votes from the State of Georgia on the grounds that the election conducted on November 3rd was faulty and fraudulent due to unilateral actions by the secretary of state to unlawfully change the state's election process without approval from the general assembly, and thereby setting the stage for an unprecedented amount of fraud and irregularities, and I have signed the objection myself.
PENCE: Sections 15 and 17 of title 3 of the United States code require that any objection be presented in writing and signed by a member of the House of Representatives and a senator. Is the objection in writing and signed by a member and a senator?
UNKNOWN: Mr. President, prior to the actions and events of today, we did, but following the events of today, it appears that some senators have withdrawn their objection.
(APPLAUSE)
PENCE: In that case, the objection cannot be entertained. Section 18 of title 3 of the United States code (INAUDIBLE).
[23:49:55]
PENCE: This certificate from Hawaii, the parliamentarians advised me, is the only certificate of vote from the state that purports to be a return from the state, and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of that state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
DAVIS: Mr. President, the certificate of electoral vote of the state of Hawaii seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the State of Delaware received four votes for president and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received four votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of vote of the State of Hawaii that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
UNKNOWN: Hearing none.
PENCE: Hearing none. This certificate from Idaho, the parliamentarians advised me, is the only certificate of vote from the state that purports to be a return from the state, and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of the state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
BLUNT: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Idaho seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Donald J. Trump of the state of Florida received four votes for president and Michael R. Pence of the State of Indiana four votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of vote from the State of Idaho that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
UNKNOWN: Hearing none.
PENCE: Hearing none. This certificate from Illinois, the parliamentarians advised me, is the only certificate of vote from the state that purports to be a return from the state, and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of the state purporting to appoint and ascertain electors.
DAVIS: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Illinois seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the State of Delaware received 20 votes for president and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received 20 votes for vice president. PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote of the State of Illinois that the teller has verified appears to be in regular form and authentic?
PENCE: Hearing none. This certificate from Indiana, the parliamentarians advised me, is the only certificate of vote from the state that purports to be a return from the state, and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of that state purporting to appoint and ascertain electors.
KLOBUCHAR: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Indiana seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Donald J. Trump of the State of Florida received 11 votes for president and Michael R. Pence of the State of Indiana received 11 votes for vice president.
(APPLAUSE)
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote of the State of Indiana that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
Hearing none. This certificate from Iowa, the parliamentarians advised me, is the only certificate of vote from the state that purports to be a return from the state, and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of that state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
LOFGREN: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of Iowa seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Donald J. Trump of the State of Florida received six votes for president and Michael R. Pence of the State of Indiana received six votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of vote of the State of Iowa that the teller has verified appears to be regular and authentic?
Hearing none. This certificate from Kansas, the parliamentarians advised me, is the only certificate of vote from the state that purports to be a return from the state, and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of that state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
BLUNT: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Kansas seems to be regular in form and authentic. It appears therefrom that Donald J. Trump of the State of Florida received six votes for president and Michael R. Pence of the State of Indiana received six votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of vote of the State of Kansas that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
Hearing none. This certificate from Commonwealth of Kentucky, the parliamentarians advised me, is the only certificate of vote from that state that purports to be a return from the state, has annexed to it a certificate of authority of the state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
[23:54:57]
LOFGREN: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the Commonwealth of Kentucky seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Donald J. Trump of the State of Florida received eight votes for president and Michael R. Pence of the State of Indiana received eight votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote of the Commonwealth of Kentucky that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
Hearing none. This certificate from Louisiana, the parliamentarians advised me, is the only certificate of vote from that state that purports to be a return from the state, has annexed to it a certificate of authority from the state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
KLOBUCHAR: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Louisiana seems to be regular in form and authentic, and appears therefrom that Donald J. Trump of the State of Florida received eight votes for president and Michael R. Pence of the State of Indiana received eight votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote of the State of Louisiana that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
Hearing none. This certificate from Maine, the parliamentarians advised, is the only certificate of vote from that state that purports to be a return from the state, has annexed to it a certificate of authority from the state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
DAVIS: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Maine seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the State of Delaware received three votes for president and Donald J. Trump of the State of Florida received one vote for president and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received three votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote of the State of Maine that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
Hearing none. This certificate from the Maryland, the parliamentarians advised me, is the only certificate of vote from that state, purports to be a return from the state, and has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of the state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
BLUNT: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Maryland seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the State of Delaware received 10 votes for president and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received 10 votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote of the State of Maryland that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
Hearing none. This certificate from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the parliamentarians advised, is the only certificate of vote from that state, purports to be a return from the state, and has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of the state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
LOFGREN: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the State of Delaware received 11 votes for president and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received 11 votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that the teller has advised appears to be regular in form and authentic?
Hearing none. This certificate from Michigan, the parliamentarians advised, is the only certificate of vote from that state, that purports to be a return from the state, and has annexed to it a certificate of authority of the state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
KLOBUCHAR: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Michigan seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the State of Delaware received 16 votes for president and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received 16 votes for vice president.
PENCE: For what reason does the gentlelady from Georgia rise?
UNKNOWN: Mr. President, I along with 70 of my Republican colleagues object to the counting of the electoral votes for the State of Michigan on the grounds that the error rate precedes the FEC rate allowed at .0008 percent, and that the people who signed affidavits at risk of perjury, their voices have not been heard in a court of law.
PENCE: Section 15 and 17 of title 3 of the U.S. code require that any objection be presented in writing, and signed by a member of the House of Representatives and a senator. Is the objection in writing and signed by a member and a senator?
