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The Lead with Jake Tapper

The Republican Party And Conspiracy Theories; Andrew Brown's Family Shown Only Snippet Of Body Cam Video; India's COVID Crisis, No Hospital Beds And Low Oxygen Supplies; Sources: Biden Will Announce New CDC Mask Guidance Tomorrow; Pro-Democracy Demonstrator Describes Beatings With Cable Wires, Other Torture Tactics By Myanmar Military; Vaccinated Americans May Be Allowed To Vacation In Europe. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired April 26, 2021 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST (on camera): As CNN's Ryan Nobles reports for us now, all these bizarre conspiracy theories are making it clear that even with Trump out of Washington, the Trumpist embrace of lies continues.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nearly six months after the presidential election, a nationwide pockets of Republicans amping up claims the election was stolen and Donald Trump should be president.

In Arizona, a group of GOP leaders attempting a fourth recount of the ballots in Maricopa County reigniting false claims that Trump won the county by 200,000 votes.

DOUG LOGAN, OWNER CYBER NINJAS: There's a lot of Americans here, myself included, they're really bothered at the way the country is being ripped apart right now.

NOBLES (voice-over): And the owner of the firm leading the recount has pushed the false claim that the election was stolen. The big lie, just one example of wild conspiracy theories being pushed by the far-right. In Minnesota, a county Republican committee hosting conspiracy theorist Trevor Loudon who claims the coronavirus was created to undermine Trump's re-election, that Democrats are working covertly with Islamic terrorists and that the murder of George Floyd was planned.

TREVOR LAUDEN, POLOTICAL ACTIVIST: This was planned since 2016, folks. This was organized by a group headquartered in Minnesota called the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

NOBLES (voice-over): But these false and often wacky claims are not just being spun in the dark corners of the internet.

LARRY KUDLOW, FOX NEWS HOST: No burgers on July 4th, no steaks on the barbie. I'm sure middle America is just going to love that. NOBLES (voice-over): Republicans like Representative Lauren Boebert

and Marjorie Taylor Greene being echoed on Fox News claiming the Biden administration wants to stop Americans from eating red meat to reduce carbon emissions. But there is no such policy and a paper being cited from right-wing personalities from the University of Michigan and Tulane has nothing to do with the administration.

For years many Republicans would laugh off or ignore President Trump when he would re-tweet and amplify these yarns, but to this day some Republican leaders like House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy still refuse to challenge the falsehoods. On Sunday, McCarthy trying to recast Trump's role in the January 6th Capitol insurrection as that of a hero.

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): When he ended the call he was saying telling me he'll put something out to make sure to stop this. And that's what he did. He put a video out later.

CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS HOST: Quite a lot later and it was a pretty weak video.

NOBLES (voice-over): Despite saying this shortly after the riot.

MCCARTHY: The president bears responsibility for Wednesday's attack on Congress by mob rioters.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBLES (on camera): It is evidenced that many on the far-right are taking their lead from the former president. Donald Trump today putting out a statement calling the Arizona governor, Doug Ducey, one of the worst governors in America because he refuses to offer up security for this group of GOP people that are counting the ballots once again in Maricopa County.

Of course, Jake, Doug Ducey, a longtime supporter of President Trump and someone that just did not buy into the big lie. Jake?

TAPPER: Yes. A guaranteed way to get criticized by Trump, be a Republican who does not buy into the big lie. Ryan, thanks so much. Let's talk to one -- another Republican who did not buy into the big lie. Republican governor of Maryland Larry Hogan. Governor Hogan, I know you want to talk about infrastructure and I have some questions on that.

But, first, I mean, this county Republican Party event in Minnesota, paid speakers who think that George Floyd's murder was planned, COVID was created so Trump would lose. I mean, I keep hoping for your party to rejoin us on planet earth. What's going on?

GOV. LARRY HOGAN (R-MD): Well, I keep hoping that as well. I can't really explain what's going on, Jake. I mean, it's just, look, pure lunacy and, you know, the kind of thing that I've been speak out against, you know, ever since President Trump was elected. But this has gotten, you know, just out of hand. It's, look, we're not going to win elections in the future. We're not

going to be a majority party. We're not going to win back the House or the Senate or the White House if we continue to go down this crazy road of conspiracy theories and lies.

I mean, we've got to get back to reality. I mean, just listening to that lead-in, I mean, I couldn't -- everything you said was sounding crazy to me and Doug Ducey who is a good friend and a fellow governor, I think he's doing a great job in Arizona. He was a big Trump supporter. He just wouldn't lie about the election. I mean, that's just crazy.

TAPPER: Yes. Right. Yes, I mean, same thing going on in Nevada with the secretary of state there I believe. Do you fear in addition to costing your party election victories in the future, do you think these kind of embracing lies is kind of keeping your party from getting things done right now, working across the aisle. I know members of Congress, Democrats, who are now reluctant to join hands with House Republicans that embrace the big lie.

[17:05:03]

HOGAN: Well, I think there's a whole lot of crazy going on in Washington and a lot of, you know, extreme partisanship on both sides of the aisle but, yes, certainly this is not helpful at all. On the flip side, however, you know, I'm the chairman of this group No Labels. So, we have the problem solvers caucus in Washington.

We've got 29 Democrats and 29 Republicans working together. We had a big summit on infrastructure here in Annapolis last Thursday and Friday where we did have Democrats and Republicans who are trying to work together and get things done, so, you know, I can't speak for all the crazies on either end of the spectrum.

TAPPER (on camera): It's fair enough. But take a listen to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy defending Trump and his actions during the January 6th insurrection.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCARTHY: I was the first person to contact him when the riot was going on. He didn't see it. When he ended the call he was saying telling me he'll put something out to make sure to stop this, and that's what he did. He put a video out later.

WALLACE: Quite a lot later, and it was a pretty weak video.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER (on camera): Now, McCarthy in that interview would not say what the conversation was with Trump beyond that, but we already know from Republican Congresswoman Herrera-Beutler that Trump told McCarthy that the rioters care more about the election than he does. Isn't it important for your party and for leaders like Kevin McCarthy to tell the truth? HOGAN: Certainly, it is. I don't know, you know, I don't know what

happened in those conversations. I wasn't a party to, but I am a little bit disappointed that Leader McCarthy doesn't speak up more. I think it's a mistake to continue to buy into some of these theories.

You know, I think the president is at about 32 percent approval rating right now and obviously you don't have to be a student of math to figure out that that's not a winning strategy. You know, I'm a guy who ran in a -- 45 points ahead of the president in my state where he lost by 30 points two times, so no stranger to this.

But I just don't think it's a smart thing for leaders of the part to continue down the road that was really, you know, a failed path. We lost the White House, the House and the Senate by following that direction and I think we're going to have to return to a more traditional Republican Party or we're not going to be successful.

TAPPER: Well, let's talk about infrastructure because you had that bipartisan summit. I know that Republicans in the Senate have put forward about a $600 billion proposal. Biden is at $2 trillion. Is there a compromise here or are those numbers just too far apart?

HOGAN: I think there is. I mean, they are pretty far apart. It goes from, you know, $600 billion to $2.3 trillion I think, so it's a big gap, but we had, you know, Democratic governors, Democratic senators and Democratic congressmen all gathered here in Annapolis with me in the summit I put together and we're all in agreement, that a bill needs to be bipartisan.

It has to have the support of Republicans and Democrats and it should focus on real infrastructure, not just roads and bridges but also digital infrastructure, also about, you know, energy and the grid, green energy opportunities. Anything that's actually building something or fixing something, but it should not include things that are totally unrelated to infrastructure.

And so if you take where the Republican proposal is, you take where the Biden proposal is and you just try to define the scope of what should be in an infrastructure bill, it's somewhere between near $900 billion to $1.1 trillion, $900 billion to $1.1 trillion. And that's about half of where the thing is, but you could find agreement and get Republicans and Democrats on board.

We have 29 Democratic and 29 Republican congressmen in the problem solvers caucus who have agreed as a block to try to vote together and I think Manchin and a couple of other senators in the Senate are not going to go for the big bill.

So, look, we can argue about all those other things later. We can talk about, you know, massive tax hikes. You can talk about family infrastructure and whatever things that the president is going to talk about on Wednesday night, but let's deal with that later and have those debates.

Right now let's come to agreement on the thing we all agree is a priority and where you can get bipartisan support. That would help set up, you know, the president getting -- being more successful throughout the rest of his term.

TAPPER: Republican Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland, thanks so much for your time. Thanks for coming on our first two-hour lead. We appreciate it.

HOGAN: Thank you.

TAPPER: Coming up next, the family of a black man shot and killed by police. They say they were shown only 20 seconds of the entire body cam videos available. We're going to go live to North Carolina next.

Plus, thousands are dying each day and hospitals are running out of oxygen supplies. The urgent rush to get help for India in their COVID outbreak. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:10:00]

TAPPER: In our "National Lead" today, the family of Andrew Brown, Jr. has finally been shown body cam footage showing his final moments before he was killed by police.

This came after days long calls for the video to be released, but the family's attorneys say that they were only shown a "snippet of about 20 seconds." Let's go live to CNN's Natasha Chen in North Carolina. Natasha, what did the footage show and why wasn't the family allowed to see more?

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): That's what everyone wants to know, Jake. As far as we've been told from the county attorney's office, there were slight delays in actually letting the family see this footage on time today because they needed more time they said for redaction including the blurring of faces. They said that they could do that in order to protect an active internal investigation.

Now, this was 20 seconds we're told from one body camera when previously the sheriff has said that multiple deputies on scene were wearing body cameras. So, you can imagine the frustration from the people, the family gathered here. One of the family attorneys described for us what she saw in those 20 seconds.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHANTEL LASSITER, BROWN FAMILY ATTORNEY: This was an execution.

UNKNOWN: I know it.

LASSITER: Andrew Brown was in his driveway. The sheriff's truck blocked him in his driveway so he could not exit his driveway.

[17:15:00]

Andrew had his hands on his steering wheel. He was not reaching for anything. He was not touching anything. He wasn't throwing anything around. He had his hands firmly on the steering wheel. They run up to his vehicle shooting.

UNKNOWN: Yes. They sure did.

LASSITER: He still stood there, sat there in his vehicle with his hands on the steering wheel while being shot at.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN (on camera): CNN has reached out to the county attorney's office to ask more about why this particular snippet was shown to the family. You know, during that press conference, the president of the local chapter of the NAACP actually left the scene there and walked over to me.

He had tears streaming down his face. He was just emotional and said that he could not take listening to more of that, hearing about this execution he called it. Another person in the crowd told me that she had been here since 7:00 a.m. this morning like many people have and she felt like it was a waste of time.

She was so happy to finally see the family get to walk in and view some of this footage. And when she was told as you just heard what they actually saw, she was highly disappointed. Jake?

TAPPER: This lack of transparency is not, not making things better in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Natasha, thank you so much for that.

This afternoon Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a Justice Department investigation into the Louisville, Kentucky Police Department just over one year after 26-year-old Breonna Taylor was shot and killed in her Louisville home during a no-knock warrant raid. And less than one week after former officer Derek Chauvin of the Minneapolis police department was found guilty on all counts related to the murder of George Floyd.

This has prompted a national outcry of course for policing reform. CNN sat down with Minnesota's Attorney General Keith Ellison to discuss the trial and CNN's Omar Jimenez joins me now. Omar, what did Attorney General Ellison have to say?

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, for starters, he cautioned by saying we are still in the first quarter of this particular fight and he says he wants people to remain vigilant for the remaining quarters so that they finish this prosecution effort strong.

But one of the more critical portions came down to being able to try this case in the first place and how important he believes the availability of video was in this case and the fact that a couple brave bystanders pulled out their cell phone videos, cell phone cameras, excuse me, and started filming.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEITH ELLISON, MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Without the video no one really knows where this would have ended up. There are many times I thought that we were up against the odds because, I mean, how -- you know, conviction of a police officer for murder is a very rare event.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ (on camera): And it is a rare event which is why so many were celebrating. But again, he says there is still more work to be done. Now, he also would not comment on the coming prosecution of the three other officers in this and whether that would be a more difficult process versus this one being just one.

He did say though at points throughout Chauvin's trial he was worried about outside influences potentially tainting the jury like what we saw in the civil settlement before the George Floyd family came during jury selection or when the Daunte Wright shooting happened in the middle of testimony.

Even the comments from Congresswoman Maxine Waters which he actually defended saying that you're not going stop a public figure from commenting on a case like this, but he was satisfied with the judge doing the right thing in his mind and the jury staying true to the case as well.

TAPPER: And Omar, the attorney general, Keith Ellison, he also talked to you about what he wants to see done to prevent a future situation like this.

JIMENEZ (on camera): And that's the real challenge with this. And that he says is going to come down to policy. People in positions like his, but more critically people in the federal government stepping up and prioritizing this as a major issue and when I asked him about what specifically needed to be done, here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELLISON: We need to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. You have these chronic, enduring conflicts between police and community. They've got to come to an end, and this is the president's business.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ (on camera): And moving forward, I asked him about whether he's concerned about an appeal. And he says he is sufficiently concerned because he has to be and he does not want to let his foot off the gas pedal. Jake?

TAPPER: All right, Omar Jimenez, thank you so much. Appreciate it. Coming up next, the desperate situation in India where there has been more than a million new cases of COVID in just a matter of days. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:20:00]

TAPPER: And we're back with our "Health Lead." Today, countries around the world are rushing to send aid as a new wave of coronavirus explodes into a crisis in India. That country has added more than a million new COVID cases in just three days and the soaring number of hospitalizations has led to severe shortages of oxygen.

Overflowing hospitals in the capital city of Delhi have resorted to tweeting out SOS messages, begging for supplies of oxygen. At least 20 people in one hospital died over the weekend after an oxygen shipment was delayed. Let's get straight to CNN senior international correspondent Ivan Watson who joins us now live. Ivan, how did the second COVID wave spiral out of control so quickly?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Complacency, Jake, is one word that some Indian public health experts have used. They say after all the health minister of India six weeks ago was claiming that the country was in the end game of the pandemic and the prime minister was holding huge campaign rallies less than two weeks ago.

[17:24:56]

Now you have these record-breaking numbers and the World Health Organization's top scientist estimating that the actual number of infections is probably 20 times or 30 times more than what we're seeing. So, Indians are desperately trying to find treatment for their sick loved ones when oxygen is in extreme shortages for hospitals.

You have these desperate scenes of people going from hospital to hospital trying to find a hospital bed for their relatives like this man. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAN SHARMA, GRANDFATHER DIED FROM CORONAVIRUS (through translation): The doctors warned us that if we take my father to the hospital without oxygen support there is no guarantee he will be okay, but we just couldn't find an ambulance. In desperation, we had to take auto rickshaw. He was gasping for air and just removed his face mask. He was crying saying save me, please, save me. But I could do nothing. I just watched him die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON (on camera): And Jake, day after day we've been seeing multiple hospitals putting out these messages on social media begging for oxygen saying they have scores or more than hundreds of patients and only hours or minutes of oxygen left for them. It really is a scary situation, Jake.

TAPPER: But Ivan, we know that President Biden spoke to the prime minister of India today about sending emergency assistance. What do we know about the aid heading to India, not just from the U.S., but from other countries as well?

WATSON: Yes. The U.S. is going to send PPE and parts to make vaccines. The Pentagon saying it's going to help with logistics and transport of these goods, respirators as well and also aid promised from France, Ireland, the U.K., even Pakistan.

TAPPER: All right, Ivan Watson, thank you so much. Appreciate it. Let's discuss all this with CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Sanjay, one million cases in three days in India. That's an absolutely devastating milestone. How much worse could this get before it gets any better?

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, you know, we've had these conversations about these lagging indicators, you know, for some time. People know that the numbers of people who are infected a couple of weeks, few weeks behind that is when the hospitalizations will surge. As bad as they are now, some of those images will get worse because that's what we know, is that the hospitals come after and then the deaths a few weeks after that.

So, the next four to six weeks, Jake, no matter what happens, even if the cases were starting to dramatically decrease which they are not, but even if they were, we'd still be talking about this for the next four to six weeks of what's going to unfold in India.

Also, keep in mind, Jake, you know, we see these numbers, but positivity rate is over 20 percent as well. You may remember, that means we're still -- they are not testing enough, so the actual numbers could be much, much higher than even what we're seeing there.

TAPPER: We know that the longer COVID spreads, the more possibility that the virus can mutate. Is there also a chance that new variants could develop in India, ones that our vaccines cannot protect against?

GUPTA: Yes. That's the concern. I mean, that is always the concern whether it's in India or frankly anywhere else in the world. India obviously, got a lot of attention on it because there is clearly so much spread there, but these viruses do mutate and typically the mutation is just random occurrences and often not problematic.

But every now and then it will mutate into something that could be something that makes the vaccine less effective or even develops escape immunity, meaning your existing antibodies don't protect against it anymore.

So, it's not clear that that's there yet. There's a couple of different mutations that they are focused on in India including B-117, the U.K. variant. We know it makes it more transmissible but immunity through vaccines is still going to be the key.

TAPPER: And an official confirms to CNN that the U.S. is going to soon start sharing doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with other countries. How much of an impact could this make especially in India, but also other countries where vaccines are not as readily available as they are in the U.S.?

GUPTA: You know, it will make a big difference, no doubt, Jake, but it won't be an immediate difference. Let me show you, first of all, just the disparity that we're talking about with vaccines in wealthy countries versus vaccines in low, even low middle-income countries. I mean, Jake, that's 81 percent of the global vaccine doses administered have been to high and upper middle-income countries -- 0.3 percent, I mean, it's not even close. And again, we're obviously talking about a pandemic, something that

affects the whole world. We're talking about a virus, something that can infect any human regardless of where you live. So, that's a disparity that has to be addressed for the sake of the whole world. It doesn't matter where you live.

If you have that kind of disparity, we know that that virus will spread, and those mutations that we talked about can become more likely.

[17:29:56]

Right now we're vaccinating about, I think, one person per second in wealthy countries and there are other countries in the world that have not received a single vaccine yet. So it's a problem. But what makes a difference now, you got to stop the viral transmission.

And that is the same basics that we've talked about for over a year now, the high filtration masks, the physical distancing. In Delhi there aren't going to be in lockdown until May 3rd. Those things will make a more acute difference than even the vaccines.

TAPPER: Dr. Sanjay Gupta thanks so much as always. President Biden asked Americans to mask up for his first 100 days in office. Will that change when we hit the 100th day this week? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: In our Politics Lead, President Biden is preparing for the highest profile speech of his presidency. And while he'll be using the joint address to Congress to tout the administration's COVID accomplishments, his push for an infrastructure package may take center stage, with Republicans making a counteroffer of nearly $600 billion dollars to Biden's 2 trillion. The question is, is there room for compromise as CNNs Phil Mattingly reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[17:35:08]

BRIAN DEESE, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL: The President is excited to this week lay out his plan to invest in American families.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His 100th day in office just three days away, President Joe Biden set for a look back but ready to press forward in a major way.

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: He's thinking a great deal about what message he can send directly to the American people about what progress has been made. But of course, what challenges remain ahead.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): With a focus on more than 200 million vaccine doses delivered and more than 160 million stimulus checks deployed.

DEESE: What you're going to hear from the President is a call to consider these investments and the potential that they would provide for the country.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): But it will also set the stage for an ambitious agenda head once centered on transformative economic proposals that would spend more than $4 trillion.

DEESE: This is his vision for how we need to put in place a public adjust investment agenda for the country.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Biden is set to unveil the second part of that plan, a $1.5 trillion proposal focused on what White House officials call human infrastructure with hundreds of billions of dollars directed to child care funding, education, paid family medical leave, and extensions of key tax credits and Obamacare subsidies, but underscore complex road ahead.

Congressional Democrats have been furiously lobbying behind the scenes over the scope of the plan officials tell CNN in the forthcoming proposal has already drawn sharp criticism from Republicans for the tax increases on the wealthy the plan will include, something the White House sought to defend today.

DEESE: There were reforms that the President will lay out are focused on this top sliver of people and treating capital gains the same as wages for that top three tenths of a percent.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): White House officials made clear, the pandemic will remain a focal point with Biden set to press Americans to hang on for just a little bit longer and get vaccinated as soon as possible. The administration set tomorrow to offer new guidance for vaccinated individuals on wearing masks outdoors official say.

ANDY SLAVITT, WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISER, COVID RESPONSE: I think you're going to see increasing steps over the next few weeks on what vaccinated Americans can do.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): As administration officials seek to incentivize a process that has started to slow as eligibility has opened up for adults nationwide.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: And Jake, the speech may be a primetime moment for the President but his entire team will be hitting the road after that speech. The President, the Vice President, their spouses, top cabinet officials will be spreading across the country to sell those infrastructure in spending proposal.

There's a recognition inside the White House that, yes, there are very hardcore negotiations set to come on Capitol Hill. But public sentiment that will be crucial to selling those plans to getting lawmakers to get behind those plans, the President will head to Georgia on Thursday, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Friday, the Vice President to Maryland and also to Ohio, Cabinet officials as well over the course of the next 10 days across the country, Jake, to try and sell those plans will be laying out on Wednesday night. TAPPER: All right, Phil Mattingly at the White House, thanks so much. Let's discuss with CNN's Dana Bash and Nia-Malika Henderson. Dana, Republican Senator Roger Wicker just told CNN that the bipartisan talks and infrastructure with the White House have so far been productive. What do you make of that?

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It seems to be the case. Shelley Moore Capito, Republican of West Virginia told me on State of the Union yesterday the same thing, the two of them are working together that after she and Wicker and a few other Republicans introduced their proposal late last week, which is only $600 billion, far, far less than what the White House is proposing. She said they heard from the White House and talks have begun.

The question is whether or not the White House is going to go for at least the short term, limiting his very, very broad proposal to more traditional infrastructure ideas like roads and bridges and broadband and things like that, because the President's proposal includes home health care and other things that the Republicans say doesn't belong in this bill.

TAPPER: And Nia, we're going to have once again, President Biden is going to have to make a choice. The bill can be as big as he wants it to be, 2 trillion plus or it can be bi partisan, probably closer to 1 trillion, but it can't be both. What do you think he'll do?

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: You know, listen, if the past is any guide, he will go big and bold. The key question is whether or not he can keep his own caucus together. The same folks we were talking about with the COVID relief bill. Senator Joe Manchin, people like Kyrsten Sinema, those are the folks that matter as well.

If you look now at some of the polling on his infrastructure plan, it's pretty popular. It's something like 60 percent people -- of the people who were polled approve of it. Of course, there's still more information to come as people find out about it maybe that'll change when they see that some of the taxes are going to go up on upper income earners.

But so far, the public seems to agree with Biden which is to say that he believes that government can have a real role in people's lives, changing people's lives for the better, changing some of the racial disparities as well. That is where the public is. That is where they were on the COVID relief bill. And perhaps they'll be the same with his infrastructure bill. But again, he's got to keep his own caucus together.

[17:40:21]

TAPPER: And Dana, a majority of Americans approve of Biden's job performance. It's not a huge number, but it is above water, it is above 50 percent. There are sharp partisan divides, though, that NBC News poll found that he has 53 percent approval rating, 90 percent of Democrats approve, 61 percent of independents approve, 9 percent, that's not -- you did not miss hear me, 9 percent of Republicans approve. What do you make of that? BASH: That's why President Biden's approval rating is at 52 percent. Like you said, he's above water. But I went back before coming on here with you, Jake, to look at were past presidents or at their 100-day mark, way, way higher. Even George W. Bush who came in with a big fight after the recount was in the 60s. But even then, compared to now, the divisions in this country are so much more stark.

And you have a now former president who fought tooth and nail and convinced a lot of people who supported him that what happened in November was bad and was fraudulent even though there, we should say over and over again, that is simply not true.

TAPPER: Not true, yes.

BASH: It is the big lie. But that leads to where we are today with a President not, you know, not as high as his predecessors, except for of course, President Trump, who was much lower.

TAPPER: Yes, I think it was the third lowest approval rating at this point in his presidency of in the modern era. Nia-Malika, Biden's handling of coronavirus is strong. It's higher than his overall hand and handling of the presidency. But his handling of immigration, that breaks negative. Is that surprising to you?

HENDERSON: It doesn't. If you think about the images coming from the border, Democrats think that he isn't being humane enough, Republicans think that maybe he's being too lenient, and that's why you see this border surge. Only 60 percent of Democrats actually approve of his handling of immigration, something like 33 percent of independence, and that's why he is where he is in terms of immigration.

And Kamala Harris told you, Dana, that they have a long way to go in terms of reversing some of the trends that we see down at the border. So this isn't going to be an easy fix for this president.

TAPPER: All right, Nia-Malika Henderson, Dana Bash, thanks to both you. Appreciate it.

Coming up, the brutal torture tactics Myanmar's military is using against protesters. One woman beaten so badly, she's now barely recognizable. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:47:20]

TAPPER: In our World Lead today, Myanmar's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi appeared in court via video today. She's seeking permission to meet in person with her attorney. It's nearly three months since her government was overthrown by a military coup.

Since then, more than 700 people have been killed including dozens of children. CNN chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward recently visited Myanmar. Clarissa, Myanmar's military stands accused of incredible cruelty, beating and torturing prodemocracy protesters and worse. CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Jake. The juntas purge against prodemocracy activists continues. And we had the rare opportunity though to speak to one young soldier who was so horrified and ashamed by what he had seen that he defected from the military.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WARD (voice-over): They gather outside the prison every day, mostly parents desperately hoping for a glimpse of their children, proof that they are still alive. They know that behind these walls, Myanmar's military junta is engaging in unspeakable cruelty against those who dare to defend democracy.

Now in hiding, this 19-year-old is brave enough to share his story with us. He says he was detained after being stopped by soldiers who found photos of him at protests on his phone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): When we got there, the commander tied my hands behind my back and use small scissors to cut my ears, to put my nose, my neck, and my throat. Then you had his fellow soldiers beat me up that night.

WARD (voice-over): He shares photos of the abuse. His back lacerated from whippings with a cable wire, his face swollen from endless strikes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I even told them to kill me instead of torturing me. It was that painful.

WARD (voice-over): Myanmar's junta shows no shame about its cruelty. On state television, it proudly displays images of those arrested for so called terrorist activity. The face of this 31-year-old dance teacher is barely recognizable. Family members say this is what she looked like before the beatings.

From the safety of neighboring India, this 23-year-old army cadet says the soldiers were only allowed to watch state T.V. We have agreed not to reveal his identity for his protection.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They tried to brainwash us. There are soldiers who only believe what the commander's told them. They don't think.

[17:50:01]

WARD (voice-over): Two years into his military career, he decided to defect haunted by the military's brutality after the coup. Every night he says they would set out on raids, armed with assault rifles, and the names of protest leaders given by their informants.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): At one point, we went to arrest two leaders one got arrested, and one was trying to escape and we shot him on the spot. We were ordered to shoot when they escaped.

WARD (voice-over): That night, he claims he intentionally broke his rifle so it wouldn't fire but says it was the cruelty to the families of the protesters that finally broken.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They were crying when we raided their houses and beat them. The neighbors knew too, but no one dared to come out at night. If someone was looking at us through their windows, we told them to come out and beat them too. The youngest one I saw was around 10 or 11 years old, a boy.

WARD (voice-over): Despite the ferocity of the military's crackdown, Myanmar is prodemocracy movement is still very much alive. The young protesters ordeal lasted three long days. During the endless beatings he says he had one focus, staying alive so that he could protest once again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WARD: Jake, it's unclear how many soldiers have left the military if this is becoming more common, if more will follow suit. But one thing is startlingly clear, Jake, and that is that the violence continues despite the condemnations and with no end in sight.

TAPPER: And Clarissa, President Obama just tweeted out a statement that quote, the world's attention must remain on Myanmar, and that he is quote, appalled by the heartbreaking violence. But it has to be asked why is the international community failed to deal with this situation?

WARD: So listen, it's complicated, there isn't one sole reason. But when it comes to the U.N. Security Council, Russia and China have condemned the violence, but they haven't condemned the coup and they refuse to support an arms embargo. If you look at this graphic, if we can get it up on screen of weapons transfers to Myanmar, you can see who the biggest suppliers are to the military junta over the last 12 years by a mile.

Now, that doesn't mean that Russia and China are only refusing to condemn the coup, because they make money from the junta, but it underscores how deep those ties are. And CNN actually went to Putin spokesperson and asked why Russia is continuing to sell weapons to the junta whether it will continue to sell them.

And he replied that while Russia is saddened by the loss of civilian lives, quote, Russia has long standing traditional relations with Myanmar, we value them and of course we advocate for Myanmar to deal with its internal problems on its own. Jake?

TAPPER: Yes. You're not really saddened by what's going on in Myanmar if you're continuing to give the military weapons to kill their civilian population. Clarissa Ward, thank you so much. Appreciate your reporting as always.

[17:53:10]

If you are planning a summer vacation you might have a lot more options. Soon the latest on opening up travel to Europe, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) TAPPER: Summer vacation season is just around the corner. Is anyone out there thinking Europe? Anyone who's fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, I mean. CNN Salma Abdelaziz joins us now from London. Salma, you have word that the European Union may lift some of its travel restrictions.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: That's right, Jake. And this news really put a smile on my face because it was only about a year ago that I was standing in front of Heathrow speaking to Americans who were stranded. And that was because a nonessential travel ban went into place that's basically been in place for a year now. But now progress, now signs of hope that that could resume. E.U. official saying that they are in advanced talks with the United States.

But this is going to be logistically complicated. It's going to come down to a vaccine certificate or a vaccine passport of some kind. That's what's being discussed. The details, of course is what will be on it, is it going to be a digital copy, a print copy, you'd assume that of course, it would have your immunization status, whether or not you have any antibodies, potentially if you have a negative COVID test, and it needs to be recognized by both the E.U. and the United States.

And why is this all happening now? Well, the U.S. of course, at the time, a year ago, was one of the countries most affected by COVID-19. Fast forward to now it's one of the fastest in terms of its vaccination rate. The E.U. is quite slow in its vaccine rollout but they're excited to welcome those tourism dollars.

So, all of this being planned now, we don't have a date but it could happen as early as this summer. So if you've been hoping for that study abroad in Madrid or that once in a lifetime trip to Rome, start planning it now, Jake, it's going to happen, end of the summer reopening this channel between the United States and the E.U.

TAPPER: That's great news, CNN's Salma Abdelaziz, thank you so much.

So if you want to vacation in Europe, get the vaccine. And if you're a young person in West Virginia and you want to get paid, get the vaccine. The state's governor just announced they will give a $100 savings bond to any West Virginian, aged 16 to 35 who receives their coronavirus vaccine. Those incentives will be funded by money the state received in this second stimulus deal. So far West Virginia has vaccinated a little more than half of its eligible population.

[17:59:51]

You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, @JakeTapper. You can tweet the show @TheLeadCNN. Our coverage continues right now with Wolf Blitzer. He's right next door in THE SITUATION ROOM.