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The Lead with Jake Tapper

D.C. Security Tight Ahead of Inauguration; Interview With Fmr. Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA); Trump Set to Issue 100 Pardons. Aired 4- 4:30p ET

Aired January 18, 2021 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:45]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper.

And we begin today with the 45th president's final 44 hours in office. The disgraced and twice impeached President Trump will soon leave Washington, D.C. He leaves Washington with the lowest approval rating for a first-term president since scientific polling began.

And that historical achievement is earned. Trump is leaving, as the city here continues to struggle with the virus he failed to contain. He is leaving with parts of the city looking like a war zone because of threats of violence he incited and lies he spread.

We have long since passed a peaceful transition of power. There are dead bodies as a result of the president's deranged belief that he won the election that he lost and the conspiracy theories that he and his enablers on Capitol Hill and in MAGA media continue to propagate.

So, this is what the transition of power looks like in America in 2021, at the end of the Trump era, some 25,000 members of the National Guard protecting the Capitol, all because of the fear that other Americans, President Trump's supporters, will harm their fellow Americans, some of them far right extremists with whom President Trump has been playing footsie for years, others radicalized by lies pushed by President Trump and the MAGA political media ecosystem.

The threat of extremism is so serious that even members of the National Guard are currently being vetted to make sure there won't be an insider attack from those tasked with protecting the inauguration.

But, on noon Wednesday, two weeks after the Capitol Hill siege, the terrorist attack, a week after President Trump was impeached for his role in inciting that terrorist attack, a new chapter will begin at the U.S. Capitol, as president-elect Biden takes the oath of office, and we see the wake of the carnage that President Trump spoke of four years ago at his inaugural, carnage that he ended up unleashing on our Capitol, on our nation.

It threatened his own vice president's life.

But, as CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports, on his way out the door, President Trump is still able to do more damage. And we're all waiting to see just whom he will pardon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Before leaving office Wednesday, President Trump is planning a pardoning spree as one of his final acts.

Sources say Trump is expected to grant clemency to nearly 100 people after an intense lobbying campaign by former administration officials, political allies and old family friends. The president met with top aides yesterday to review the final list, as some advisers are urging him not to pardon those involved in the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): To seek a pardon of these people would be wrong. It would be -- I think it would destroy President Trump, and I hope we don't go down that road.

COLLINS: Trump hasn't appeared in public in six days, but moving trucks from a D.C.-based company were spotted at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach today, as another reminder that he has less than 48 hours left in office.

Trump still hasn't spoken to president-elect Joe Biden and will skip his inauguration Wednesday, in favor of a military-style send-off ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, where Trump is expecting a red carpet rollout and adoring crowd to bid him goodbye.

But his second impeachment trial will still loom over the city long after he's gone from Washington. Rudy Giuliani was seen at the White House Saturday, but says he won't serve on Trump's defense team because he told ABC News this speech that he gave at the rally before the Capitol attack could make him a potential witness.

RUDY GIULIANI, ATTORNEY FOR PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: So, let's have trial by combat.

COLLINS: Trump has blamed Giuliani for his second impeachment, and outside advisers like Karl Rove are warning that, if he defends the president, Republicans could very well vote to convict him.

KARL ROVE, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, I think it really boils down to, what's the defense that the president is going to make? And if it's Rudy Giuliani's defense, I think there's -- it raises the likelihood of more than 17 Republicans voting for conviction.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[16:05:00]

COLLINS: The snub of Joe Biden is not just between the two of them.

It also extends to the first ladies, because we are told that Melania Trump has not reached out to Jill Biden. There is no tour of the residence, as you often see first ladies give to their successors. And so that means that, on Wednesday, typically, you would see President Trump and Melania Trump be the ones to greet the Bidens as they got to the White House.

But my colleague Kate Bennett is told that they are instead going to be greeted by the chief usher, because, of course, the Trumps will be on their way to Florida by the time they arrive.

TAPPER: As gracious and classy as ever.

Kaitlan Collins, thanks so much.

In our national lead: The FBI, U.S. Army and Secret Service are now vetting the men and women you see here, National Guard troops sent from all over the country, to protect Washington, D.C., during the inaugural. They're being screened to make sure that none of them pose any insider threats ahead of the inauguration.

The enhanced screening comes as "The New Yorker" magazine releases chilling new video of the attack on January 6.

As CNN's Alex Marquardt reports, authorities are doing everything they can to prevent yet another attack.

A quick warning to our viewers: Some of the language and abhorrent behavior in this video is quite disturbing and occasionally graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): The streets of Washington, D.C., today clearly making the point this has not been a peaceful transfer of power, as a new fear is growing that National Guard troops, whose numbers may climb to 25,000, could include potential insurgents.

The Army is working with the Secret Service and FBI to identify and screen anyone who could be an insider threat.

MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM WALKER, COMMANDING GENERAL, NATIONAL GUARD: What happens is, they're screened before they leave their state. And what it is, is a credentialing process. So they're screened, and then they're repeatedly screened until they are actually put on the street.

MARQUARDT: There's growing evidence of current and former military and law enforcement among the insurrectionists at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, including Larry Rendall Brock, a retired Air Force Reservist lieutenant colonel, seen here in new video from "The New Yorker."

The video showing remarkable moments from the start of the rioting...

UNKNOWN: You're outnumbered. There's a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) million of us out there. And we are listening to Trump, your boss.

MARQUARDT: ... to the Senate floor, where rioters rifled through desks and papers, one saying that Texas Senator Ted Cruz would approve.

UNKNOWN: I think Cruz would want us to do this, so... UNKNOWN: Yes, absolutely.

MARQUARDT: And the man in the horns, Jacob Chansley, writing a note where Vice President Mike Pence had just sat, reading:

UNKNOWN:: "It's only matter of time. Justice is coming."

MARQUARDT: Justice is indeed coming, for them and for dozens of others who have been arrested, including Riley Williams from Pennsylvania. Court records indicate that the FBI is looking into whether a laptop from Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office was stolen to potentially sell to Russia.

And federal investigators say an Army Reservist with secret level security clearance has also been charged. According to court documents, federal investigators say that Timothy Hale-Cusanelli is an avowed white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer with a long record of extremist postings online.

Fears of more pro-Trump terrorist violence have turned the nation's capital into a fortress, with miles of fencing, often topped with razor wire, the National Mall, usually full of people celebrating, now closed, streets blocked and guarded by thousands of National Guard from across the country.

MURIEL BOWSER (D), MAYOR OF WASHINGTON, D.C.: I think this will be an inauguration unlike any other.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT: So, that National Mall will, of course, be empty, but members of Congress will be in attendance at the inauguration, Jake.

And they are allowed to bring guests. And we have just learned that the guests of members of Congress will not have to be subjected to background tests. Now, that is standard practice, but it is rather surprising this year, given the heightened security posture.

They will, however, have to be tested for COVID. And given how tight things are, of course, they will be going through security before they get close to that inauguration stage -- Jake.

TAPPER: All right, Alex Marquardt, thanks so much.

Joining us now, CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem, also a former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security under Obama.

Juliette, let me just ask you about the reporting we just heard from Alex. What do you think about the idea that they're not going to do background checks on guests of members of Congress? We're in a situation right now where there are a lot of not only Democrats, but some Republicans, too, who are very suspicious of some of their Republican House colleagues, in terms of what their relationships are with the insurrectionists or terrorists.

Do you think that it's OK just to trust members of Congress, they're not going to bring anybody crazy to the inaugural?

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, it's not OK anymore.

But I would suspect, just having been in that scrum before, that they are saying that because they want to have elected officials be able to bring family or friends. But there are particular congressional people whose guests will be more vetted than not. So, because they have the names, they have the date of birth, they can do that relatively quickly.

[16:10:09]

So, there is there is security clearance check, and then there is additional vetting. And I think, after the inaugural, we will hear that there was additional vetting going on. That's just the way that public safety says things to sort of make sure that people know that there's not this sort of formal background check, but they're not letting all of these people in without some review.

And for some of those crazy congressional people, their people are being reviewed.

TAPPER: Yes, that would be wise, I would think.

KAYYEM: Yes.

TAPPER: Juliette, I want to go back to that dramatic video released by "The New Yorker."

KAYYEM: Yes.

TAPPER: A note to our viewers that there's some graphic language in here, but let's roll that again.

KAYYEM: OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: You're outnumbered. There's a fucking million of us out there. And we are listening to Trump, your boss.

UNIDENTIFIED RIOTERS: Treason! Treason! Treason! Treason!

UNKNOWN: Knock, knock. We're here.

UNKNOWN:: Is this the Senate?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: So, just to quote one of the terrorists in that video, "There's an F'ing million of us out there," talking to cops, saying, you're outnumbered police. "There's an F'ing million of us out there. And we're listening to Trump, your boss."

That seems pretty clear indication that they felt like they were directed to do this by President Trump.

KAYYEM: That's exactly right, where listening to Trump seems -- to me was the sort of takeaway, that they felt empowered by him, they felt that they would be excused by him.

And the shocking nature of that video -- I know people are inundated with videos, but this one is particularly shocking. It's -- you feel violated and assaulted and somewhat soiled after you see it. And I use those words purposefully. And I was thinking about it overnight. Why these images?

And I think them being in that Senate room. It's our room, right? It's our chair. And they're using the flag and the Bible and the language of America to justify what they're doing, because they think that's what the president -- or they know that's what the president wants, because the president has told him so.

We use words like incitement. And they're too vague, I think. The president was directing that day to meet. He was telling them why they were angry. That morning, he told them the target. It was Congress.

And we have to view him as the spiritual and motivational leader of a large domestic terrorism incident that occurred on our property, not his and not theirs.

TAPPER: CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem, who I met when we were covering...

KAYYEM: Yes.

TAPPER: ... and you were analyzing the Boston Marathon bombing, the terrorist attack there. I never thought we would see a day when you and I were talking about an attack incited, directed by the president of the United States.

Thank you so much. Really appreciate your time.

(CROSSTALK)

KAYYEM: Thank you, Jake.

TAPPER: We're getting our first look at just some of the actions Joe Biden plans in his first few hours in office.

Plus: new clues that the January 6 Capitol attack may just be the beginning of more right-wing extremist MAGA terrorist attacks in America.

You're going to see it first on THE LEAD. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:17:13]

TAPPER: In the politics lead: Within hours of taking office on Wednesday, soon-to-be President Joe Biden will sign roughly 12 executive orders, according to his incoming chief of staff.

The list includes rejoining the Paris climate accords, reversing President Trump's travel ban for citizens from predominantly Muslim countries, and mandating masks on federal property during this pandemic.

Biden also starts off his inauguration week with confirmation hearings for his Cabinet picks far behind schedule, as CNN's Jeff Zeleny now reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two days before taking office, president-elect Joe Biden and his family filling food boxes in Philadelphia today at a community service project to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

It's his final stop before traveling to Washington the eve of his inauguration, where the pomp and circumstance from his own swearing-in as vice president will be far different on Wednesday, amid the country's stubborn pandemic and a capital fortified by wartime-like security.

He's still putting the finishing touches on his inaugural address, aides tells CNN, with an overriding theme a clarion call for national unity. And just after the ceremony, Biden is planning for swift and sweeping action on his first day in office.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT: And the first thing I will do, I will rejoin the Paris accord.

ZELENY: In addition to making good on a campaign promise to rejoin the Paris climate accord, Biden will also end the travel ban on predominantly Muslim countries, halt evictions and student loan payments, and issue a new executive order requiring masks on federal property.

BIDEN: It's not a political statement. It's a patriotic duty.

ZELENY: Yet Biden will not be surrounded by his own Cabinet when he arrives at the White House. The Senate has not confirmed any of his nominees, even those tasked with national security.

The confirmation hearings for secretary of state, defense secretary, intelligence chief and Treasury secretary are set for Tuesday. Incoming White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain told Jake on Sunday that confirming those nominees is critical and must be done even as the Senate begins an impeachment trial.

RON KLAIN, INCOMING WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: It's important for the Senate to do its constitutional duty, but also to do its constitutional duty to move forward on these appointments, on the urgent action the country needs.

ZELENY: Biden believes the inauguration is one way of beginning to open a door toward bridging that divide. Last night, Jill Biden asked country star Garth Brooks to perform at

the inauguration. He said yes, telling reporters today it was not a statement of politics, but one of unity.

GARTH BROOKS, MUSICIAN: I might be a Republican at this place. But it's reaching across, loving one another, because that's what's going to get us through probably the most divided times that we have.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZELENY: Now, Jake, that that divide is clear.

[16:20:00]

But, on this day 12 years ago, as Barack Obama and Joe Biden were beginning to take office, six Cabinet members were already confirmed by the Senate. When he takes office on Wednesday, zero will be confirmed, despite those hearings tomorrow.

Now, that's one reason that Biden transition officials are still looking across the government for acting secretaries, people who will be in charge once the noontime hour passes, and the Biden administration is taking power.

But, Jake, they're not revealing the names of those acting secretaries in some cases. They want to keep them secret from the Trump administration -- Jake.

TAPPER: What a thing.

All right, Jeff Zeleny, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

Joining us now is incoming White House senior adviser former Louisiana Congressman Cedric Richmond.

Congressman, do I call your Congressman? Do I call you senior adviser? What do you -- I don't -- what do you want me to call you, sir?

(LAUGHTER)

FMR. REP. CEDRIC RICHMOND (D-LA): Cedric Richmond, I don't know. I'm trying to figure that out myself. But most people call me Cedric.

TAPPER: I'll just call you Cedric until you get your title, and then we can talk about it.

So, let me ask you. A pandemic raging out of control, economic catastrophe, students in crisis, a terrorist attack on our nation's Capitol from the president's supporters, and a majority of Republicans in this country believing the lie pushed by Trump that Biden didn't win.

Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, this is going to be really tough.

RICHMOND: Look, I think it's just the right time to go in. I believe in president-elect Biden and vice president-elect Harris, and I know what they want to do. And so I just want to be a part of achieving their goals, which is to solve these multiple disasters that we're going through right now and also unify the country and empower people.

And I think that's -- it's transformational. And anything I can do to help, I'll be a part of it.

TAPPER: Two-thirds of your former colleagues in the House in the Republican Caucus, two-thirds of the Republican Caucus, including Kevin McCarthy, including a whole bunch of Republicans that you probably considered friends, voted for the lie, voted to disenfranchise millions of voters from Arizona and Pennsylvania after the terrorist attack.

How are you going to work with those people?

RICHMOND: Well, look, at the time, you definitely looked at them with the side eye.

But what we have right now, the disasters, you have so many families that are hurting, you have so many people that are dying. We don't have the luxury of picking who we're going to work with and who we're not. Look, we're going to advance our agenda. Anybody who wants to help us, we want their help. If we have to go at it alone, we will do that. But we don't want to.

These problems that we're facing are not Republican or Democrat. These are American people that are dying. And it's Americans that can't put food on the table and can't pay their bills. And so we're going to work hard, and we will extend that olive branch for people to work with us, but we're not going to let it slow us down.

And we're not going to deviate from our values.

TAPPER: Obviously, it takes time when an administration takes over for things to change. The vaccine rollout has been sputtering. It's slow, it's plagued with problems.

How long until you think the vaccine rollout can be fixed?

RICHMOND: Look, we're going to start on day one. We have already been preparing for this.

And our goal is still to get 100 million vaccinations out in the first 100 days. And we think it's doable. And we're going to just have a better system. But, more importantly, you're going to have a president that's engaged in watching and figuring out what states and local municipalities need to get it done.

And so I think that's a big difference. Leadership makes a difference.

TAPPER: President-elect Biden's also pushing this $1.9 trillion legislation for COVID relief, for economic relief.

Can you get that passed in a Congress that Democrats control so narrowly.

RICHMOND: We can get it passed. And we're going to get it passed with the help of the American people. And we are going to get it passed with the help of congresspeople that are hearing from their constituents, who are saying they need help.

And so we need money, so that we can make sure we get the vaccinations out. We need to help our front-line workers in states and local municipalities. And we have to help families survive. So, look, this is important to the American people and it's important to the Biden administration.

But I think that what you will see in this administration that's different from the outgoing one is, you know why it's important to the Biden administration? Because it's important to the American people, and we're always going to put them first.

TAPPER: Former Congressman Cedric Richmond, incoming senior adviser to president-elect Biden, thanks so much for your time. And, of course, best of luck in your new job.

RICHMOND: Thank you, Jake.

TAPPER: A group unshy about trying to provoke another civil war threatening even more violence and terrorism across the U.S. -- why the MAGA riot may just be the beginning.

[16:25:00]

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: In our politics lead: concerning new warnings today from experts on extremism, who fear the attack on the Capitol and the threats we have seen leading up to inauguration are likely just the beginning.

These experts who study groups such as white supremacists say there has been a surge of chatter in fringe online spaces about taking back America, as far right figures and QAnon conspiracy theorists are joined by Trump supporters who believe falsely that the election was stolen.

In order to understand the threat of this big lie, CNN's Sara Sidner, who covers hate groups for CNN, talked to some of the extremists pushing the big lie.

And she filed this report to highlight the danger in our midst.

[16:30:00]