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The Lead with Jake Tapper
Sources: Pentagon Preparing Military Options In Case Of Invasion; Sen. Roger Wicker, (R-MS), Is Interviewed About Ukraine; Ukrainian Official To CNN: Talks May Be Russia's Delay Tactic; GOP Sen. Candidates Spend Millions On Ads Pushing Trump's Delusions; Politico: Trump Draft Order Would Have Seized Voting Machines; Politico: Trump Considering Dual Midterm Endorsements, Growing Suspicious Of Advisers; Biden Administration Divided Over Plan To Vaccinate Migrants; South Africa Returns To Normal Life After Omicron Surge; Childcare Woes, Vaccine Questions Plague Parents Of Kids Under 5; Legendary Rock Singer, Actor Meat Loaf Dies At 74; Actor & Comedian Louie Anderson Dies At 68. Aired 5-6p ET
Aired January 21, 2022 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[17:00:00]
ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: I believe we are now on a clear path in terms of understanding each other's concerns each, other's positions.
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Secretary of State Tony Blinken said the U.S. would put pen to paper in order to advance the conversation.
BLINKEN: What we've agreed today is that we will share in writing next week our ideas, our response to concerns that Russia has raised, concerns that we have that we will share, again, in writing with Russia.
ATWOOD (voice-over): Still, the two countries are incredibly far apart. First and foremost, the U.S. says Russia must pull back its troops from Ukraine's borders. Russia's demanding that NATO cease any plans for expansion, but the U.S. and NATO have said that is a nonstarter.
BLINKEN: There is no trade space. None.
ATWOOD (voice-over): Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov made no commitments about where the diplomacy will lead.
SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): I can't say whether we're on the right path or on the wrong path. We will understand this when we get a written reaction from the Americans to all our proposals.
ATWOOD (voice-over): The stakes are high, Russia planning to deploy S400 antiaircraft missile systems in Belarus and continuing to bolster its true presence of more than 100,000 Soldiers along all of Ukraine's borders. And Ukraine's defense minister is now accusing the Kremlin of sending tanks and artillery to pro-Russian separatists in the country's occupied Donbass region. Claiming Russia is actively recruiting mercenaries and sending them to the temporarily occupied territory. CNN has learned the Pentagon is working on a series of military options for President Biden to beef up the U.S. military presence in Eastern Europe as a deterrent.
The two foreign ministers committed to meet again, and neither side counted up the possibility of another meeting between the two presidents.
LAVROV (trough translator): We need to understand what will happen before we go to the presidential level.
ATWOOD (voice-over): And the U.S. says there will be a high cost for Russia if diplomacy doesn't prevail.
BLINKEN: If any Russian military forces move across Ukraine's border, that's a renewed invasion, it will be met with Swift, severe, and a united response from the United States and our partners and allies.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
ATWOOD (voice-over): Now, a senior State Department official saying tonight, Jake, that the Biden administration doesn't want to foreclose any diplomatic solution here. So long as the Russians are willing to engage in diplomacy, the Biden administration will do the same. But if Russia moves any further into Ukraine, according to this senior State Department official, diplomacy is over. Jake.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: All right. Kylie Atwood at the State Department, thanks so much.
Let's bring in CNN's Fred Pleitgen. He's in Geneva, Switzerland, where today's talks took place. Also, CNN's Matthew Chance is in Ukraine's capital city of Kiev.
Fred, first to you. You were at the news conferences with Secretary Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, what was your read on what they had to say?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know what, I think both sides, the American side and the Russian side believed that they got as much out of this meeting as they could, especially if you look at Secretary of State Blinken, he was preparing this meeting meticulously in the days running up to this. And I think the U.S. did project very much that it was very much in the corner of Ukraine. There were certain principles that U.S. was not willing to move on at all, and also show that the US was united with its allies as well.
Secretary of State Blinken saying that he believes that right now the ball is firmly in Vladimir Putin's court, and he wants to see de- escalation from the Russian, real de-escalation as he put it. Let's listen into what some of what he had to say. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLINKEN: We've heard Russian officials say that they have no intention of invading Ukraine. In fact, Mr. Lavrov repeated that to me today. But, again, we're looking at what is visible to all, and it is deeds and actions, not words that make the difference.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: The Russians, for their part, in the form of Sergey Lavrov, were saying that they're quite happy about the fact that they are going to get those written responses that they have been demanding. Of course, the core demand that the Russians had is they want no more NATO expansion, specifically that Ukraine will never be admitted as a NATO member, Jake.
TAPPER: And Matthew, you have new reaction from Ukrainian officials about these talks. Tell us.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. I just got off the phone, actually, from a senior Ukrainian official who's been, you know, telling me about their reaction to these talks, their concerns that these continuing U.S. Russian diplomatic efforts could simply be a delaying tactic by Moscow to further prepare for military offenses. Of course, you know, Moscow has 10s of 1000s of troops poised just across the border inside Russia, for the most part, you know, pointed towards Ukraine. And there's still a great deal of skepticism that this diplomatic process will not lead to, you know, a resolution and could, as I say, just be a delay tactic.
[17:05:06]
And in terms of the coordination between the United States and Ukraine, well, we're getting much more positive language coming out of Ukraine over the course of the past, you know, 24 hours or even less than that. In fact, this Ukrainian official that I spoke to within the last few minutes, said that the two countries are now closely coordinating again on diplomatic efforts, and that Ukrainian officials have been given a full debrief by the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken following his 90-minute talks with the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov.
The official told me that United States had, you know, privately stressed to them, the Ukrainian officials, that there would be no concessions given to Russia when it comes to Ukraine and that Ukraine would not be coerced to make any concessions. And it's because of those private assurances, as well as the public ones from President Biden, of course, that any Russian incursion, even a minor one would trigger a harsh response has, in the words of this official now, eased Ukrainian fears to some extent about, you know, the U.S. commitment to their cause.
TAPPER: All right. Matthew Chance in Ukraine, Fred Pleitgen in Geneva, Switzerland, thanks to both of you. Let's bring in Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi. He's on the Senate Armed Services Committee. He traveled this week with a bipartisan group of senators to Ukraine and met with Ukrainian President Zelensky.
Senator, thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate it. CNN's Barbara Starr at the Pentagon learn today that military leaders are preparing a series of options for President Biden's approval to beef up the U.S. military presence in Eastern Europe, not necessarily in Ukraine. Do you think this might have the intended goal as a possible deterrence if Russia ultimately decides to invade?
SEN. ROGER WICKER (R-MS), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: Well, I think it might possibly be a deterrent, but also it would, it would position us to be able to supply arms to our friends in Ukraine if we have to.
There was a lot of mentioned in the previous segment about diplomacy. We always have to try diplomacy. But I do you think now is the time to actually show that we're going to try to provide the weaponry to the Ukrainians to actually defend themselves.
TAPPER: What's your reaction to, I'm not sure if you heard of it, Matthew Chance, our reporter in Kiev, just got off the phone with a senior Ukrainian official who told CNN that his view is that these diplomatic talks between Secretary of State Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are just a, quote, "delay tactic" for Putin?
WICKER: They might very well be a delaying tactic. And, and you have to look at this in the context of what Russia has already done. In 2014 they took Crimea, and they invaded the eastern part of Ukraine. Earlier in 2008, they invaded two provinces in the Republic of Georgia. This country is being led by a man who wants to return to the evil empire that Ronald Reagan talked about.
And when we talked about de-escalation, Jake, we're seeing further escalation on the part of Russia. They're moving elite troops into Belarus, very close to Kiev, the capital city, but also dangerously close to Poland, which is a NATO ally. And I can tell you, the Poles have got to be very, very mindful of that. It's it seems to me that now's the time to be moving some of our tanks into Poland a little closer to that border to be able to defend our NATO ally in case something goes wrong there.
TAPPER: Former Defense Secretary William Cohen told CNN today that Putin likely has a plan because he's keeping rushing troops along the Ukraine border. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM COHEN, FORMER DEFENSE SECREATARY: Who knows exactly what he wants to do. And he would not put 100,000 plus, perhaps even more today, troops on the border and say, oh, you're threatening me with sanctions? I guess I better pull my troops back and put them in the garrisons. He's going to get something out of this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Do you think that Putin does have an end goal beyond invading Ukraine that maybe he just wants, for instance, a U.S. NATO promise to not make Ukraine a NATO country? What do you think?
WICKER: We should never make that promise, and particularly at the point of a gun. And we shouldn't be making that promise with regard to the Republic of Georgia either, so.
I have a lot of respect for Bill Cohen, and I think he probably knows what he's talking about. I think the reason 100,000 troops are amassed on the eastern border of Ukraine and they're bringing troops in to the compliant neighbor of Belarus is that Putin is up to something. It could be a massive attack on the capital city of Kiev, it could be an assassination attempt, some sort of a coup or just a few miles.
[17:10:13]
Our strong message of our delegation this weekend is that none of that is acceptable. And on a bipartisan basis, the Senate of the United States backs the ability of this little country to make their own determination as to whether to be a free market oriented Western looking country or to be closer to the old Soviet Union. They have that right. And I think at least we gave a bipartisan message of support from the Senate this weekend.
TAPPER: You're on the Senate Armed Services Committee, President Biden said in December that the U.S. intervening unilaterally in Ukraine is not an option. Do you think he should reconsider that? Would you support either U.S. troops in Ukraine or U.S. troops in Ukraine as part of a larger NATO mission?
WICKER: I think here's where the President makes mistakes, is when he publicly takes things off the table. It has been our policy since President Eisenhower, consistently for Republican and Democratic presidents alike, not to rule things out.
I think our response should be you will regret this. Frankly, Vladimir Putin is the neighborhood bully. And he's never gotten a bloody nose from anything he's ever done, the assassinations, the poisonings, the invasion of his neighbors.
I do think the people of Ukraine, this time, will resist whatever happens. And it would be a mistake that Putin would regret for a long, long time.
TAPPER: Have you or any of your colleagues who were on this bipartisan trip to Ukraine, have any of you talked with President Biden or anyone at the White House about what you saw and what you heard while you were there?
WICKER: Absolutely. We talked to him in a classified setting the very next morning after we got back, no question about it.
And I think our message was that the Ukrainian people are not panicked, but they are resolved. They've been fighting the Russian troops since 2014 and they and they've lost 1000s and 1000s of Ukrainian troops. So, this is really not new to them. But they're going to fight city by city, block to block and house to house rather than submit to Putin's Russia.
TAPPER: Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that.
Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, thank you so much for your time, sir, really appreciate it.
WICKER: Thank you, Jake.
TAPPER: It just never seems to end a new report about an insane executive order, never actually filed, thankfully, that Donald Trump had drafted that would have seized all voting machines and election records.
Then, he did anything for love, boxing our (ph) Meat Loaf passes away, but his music will live on. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:17:44]
TAPPER: And we're back with our politics lead and a week of bad legal news for Donald Trump. The January 6 committee wants to talk to his daughter Ivanka.
A Georgia district attorney has requested a special grand jury to gather evidence and compel witnesses to look at Trump's attempts to overturn the election results in that state. And the New York Attorney General's office as it has identified numerous misleading statements and omissions in the Trump organization's financial statements. As CNN's Sara Murray reports for us now, the legal troubles may not stop anytime soon for the former president.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An extraordinary week of investigators ramping up legal pressure on former President Donald Trump and his family.
FANI WILLIS, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA: As a district attorney. I do not have the right to look the other way on any crime that may have happened in my jurisdiction.
MURRAY (voice-over): In Georgia's Fulton County, District Attorney Fani Willis, is asking to see a special Grand Jury this spring to collect evidence for her probe into Trump's efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results. She wants subpoenas for testimony from witnesses like Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Trump's target in this infamous call last year.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: All I want to do is this, I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have Because we Won the state.
MURRAY (voice-over): The Grand Jury request assign Willis is pursuing possible criminal charges against Trump and his allies.
Manhattan's new district attorney, Alvin Bragg, has now been briefed on the criminal investigation there into the Trump Organization. Last year, Bragg told CNN the Trump case merits the attention of the DA personally.
New York Attorney General, Letitia James, also ramping up her investigation into the Trumps.
LETITIA JAMES, NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL: We have conducted a civil investigation into the Trump Organization. We also have a parallel investigation, a criminal investigation.
MURRAY (voice-over): She's looking to compel testimony from Trump as well as Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. in her civil probe after laying out a trove of findings about what her office believes are fraudulent or misleading financial statements. This as the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection now asking Ivanka Trump to voluntarily cooperate and shed light on the pressure her father put on Pence not to certify the election.
[17:20:00]
REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD), JANUARY 6 SELECT COMMITTEE: She could really you know perhaps complete the portrait of what happened on January 6 for us.
MURRAY (voice-over): The committee also sifting through documents from the National Archives after the Supreme Court cleared the way for their release.
RASKIN: It's been a very good week for us with the Supreme Court decision rejecting Trump's efforts to block release of a whole bunch of documents.
MURRAY (voice-over): While witnesses like former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham shed light on Trump's paranoid mindset and the meetings, he was convening in the White House residence ahead of January 6.
STEPHANIE GRISHAM, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: There were meetings taking place up there, Mark Meadows would have been there, as well as the legal team that was working on all of the bonkers little plans.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
MURRAY: And Politico is now reporting that one of the documents that Trump wanted to keep secret from these congressional investigators was a draft executive order requiring the defense secretary to seize voting machines. Of course, Trump has denied any wrongdoing in all of these investigations and said they're politically motivated, Jake.
TAPPER: Of course. Sara Murray, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
Dozens of Republicans are spending millions of dollars spreading the big lie hoping it will help them cash in at the polls. And that story is next.
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[17:25:36]
TAPPER: In our politics lead today, the newest midterm election trend Republican House and Senate candidates spending millions of dollars on ads to tout Donald Trump's big lie. It's happening in Missouri, it's happening in Arizona, it's happening in Ohio. Before we air any clips, what you're about to watch has absolutely no basis in reality.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. BILLY LONG (R-MO): The Democrats rigged the election.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They lie, waste our money, rig our election.
BERNIE MORENO, OHIO PRIMARY SENATE CANDIDATE: President Trump says the election was stolen, and he's right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Let's go right to our panel.
Ayesha Rascoe, Trump is putting pressure on these candidates to embrace the big lie that deranged conspiracy theories. Is it a mistake for these GOP candidates to be looking backward rather than forward?
AYESHA RASCOE, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, NPR: I mean, I think in the short term, it probably is not a mistake, if you're only looking at it politically. Now, for the sake of the democracy in this country, you know, to continue to make people doubt elections is not good, full stop.
But for them politically, this is where their basis, their base believes the lies. Their base believes that, you know, Biden is not the rightful president. So they're playing into that.
And by doing that, it's also showing the association, right? It's saying I'm one of you. You believe this? I do, too. I'm with -- and most of all, I'm with Trump, so you can vote for me. Obviously there are long term consequences.
And I think when it gets down to actual elections and, you know, they're going up against Democrats, focusing on the last election is probably not the way to win, you got to focus on bread and butter issues. But for them to get attention right now, unfortunately, I think it does work.
TAPPER: And Philip, obviously, the problem is beyond rhetoric. Politico obtained a draft of a Trump executive order that he never, thankfully, issued. But the executive order would have instructed the Secretary of Defense to, quote, "seize, collect, retain and analyze all machines, equipment, electronically stored information, and materials record -- material records required for retention," having to do with voting machines. The document that Politico obtained is dated December 16, 2020.
It's becoming very clear that the weeks between the election and the insurrection could have actually been far worse than they were.
PHIL BUMP, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Yes, that's exactly right. I mean, this executive order had been issued. I mean, we had seen there are other reports of Trump having seized upon executive actions that he tried to effect between the election and inauguration, which never actually went anywhere. There was one for example that he submitted to the Department of Defense on something else. So it's not even clear what would have happened had he signed his name to this. But there was absolutely this very, very robust effort to try and move forward with any strategy that came onto his table that might possibly preserve his power.
I think what's fascinating about the executive order that Politico obtain is how even then, even on December 16, it was rooted in absolute nonsense. It's centered on this issue in Antrim, County, Michigan, up at the northern part of Michigan, which had already been debunked. I mean, it was already settled -- set aside on November 5, you know, well over a month before this thing is dated, but the conspiracy theory lived on and could have been the predicate for the president of United States to seize election machines across the country and try and force this broad federal investigation into an election that there's no evidence was tainted in any way by significant fraud.
TAPPER: It's just not. So we know that Michael Flynn, the former general, was talking about declaring at least partial -- invoking at least partial martial law to seize the voting machines coincidentally in states that Biden won.
Ayesha, Politico also reporting the Trump has floated the idea of making dual midterm endorsements because he doesn't trust his advisors, quote, "He feels like he's being penned in, said a person close to the former president, explaining the Trump's logic is that dual endorsements would mean," quote, "I get two chances to win." I mean, tell me what you think.
RASCOE: It really shows your confidence, right? It's like vote for him or him or him or them or whoever. Like it's not really a vote of confidence. If you endorse more than one person in the same election like -- I mean, it shows like how intense he is on showing the power of his endorsement. But if your endorsement is really powerful than the person you endorse will get the boost, right? Like you don't have to worry if it's really the power of your name.
I think the problem is as oftentimes with Trump's -- within Trump's circle is that everyone has competing interest and, you know, conflicts of interest and things that they're pushing. And so no one trusts anyone. And that's really just a problem with within Trump's inner circle, as far as Republicans. I mean, I think if he does move ahead with endorsing more than one person in an election, I think it, you know, I mean, it definitely dilutes the seriousness of his endorsements, if that's going to be the case.
TAPPER: Yes, I mean, it actually could hurt. It could split the Trump vote. It actually could be --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TAPPER: -- counterproductive. Philip --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TAPPER: -- let's switch to President Trump -- I'm sorry, President Biden, in a noticeable shift in strategy heading into a second year. The New York Times obtained White House memos that lay out his new approach, a, ramp up attacks on Republicans ahead of the midterms, b, travel more, engaged with voters, c, focus on what he's already accomplished.
I mean, we didn't need that memo. We already saw him do that the other day. Do you think that this is also a signal that Biden is essentially given up on pushing through any new big legislation?
PHILIP BUMP, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, THE WASHINGTON POST: Yes, I mean, we're already hearing these rumblings that everything's going to sort of come down to Joe Manchin once again, and Manchin's not interested in doing anything or he wants to start from scratch. And so, I don't think President Biden has much of a choice.
I think it certainly is an indication that obviously 2022 is different than 2021, simply because the midterms are approaching. But I think it's also an acknowledgment that where he is now is not where he needs to be. I mean, he made this comment during his press conference earlier this week that he didn't believe the polls. Well, this is pretty strong indication that he probably puts a little faith in polls that show that his approval ratings really low.
And so he's trying to go out there and do more things that actually show the American people why they ought to have confidence in him and his administration. It's an uphill fight. He's been fighting all along against right-wing media. He's been fighting obviously against Republicans. And he wants to try and shift that narrative.
You know, is this the way to do it? I think he's always sort of prided himself on being a sort of, you know, glad-handy person of the people who can go out and have these conversations with everyday voters and that's what he's trying to leverage now. You know, but he's -- it's an uphill fight and this is already promising to be a very, very, very difficult year for his party.
And I'm not sure that there's really a lot that he can do between now and November to really scale that back. I think a lot of outside circumstances are what's going to have to change that he may not have much control over.
TAPPER: All right, two of our favorites, Philip Bump and Ayesha Rascoe, thank you so much. Good to see both. You have a great weekend.
Tune into the Sunday's State of the Union. My colleague, Dana Bash will talk to the Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Republican Senator from Iowa Joni Ernst and Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders. That's at 9:00 a.m. and noon Eastern on Sunday with the great Dana Bash.
Coming up, the proposal that is causing members of the Biden administration to butt heads. Stick around.
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[17:37:06]
TAPPER: In our national lead, new tensions inside the White House over a proposal to vaccinate migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Some say this would encourage more people to come to the United States, to flee to the United States. But a White House spokesperson told CNN a final decision has not yet been made.
CNN's Priscilla Alvarez covers immigration for us. Priscilla, this idea was first floated by the Department of Homeland Security last year but White House officials were quick to shoot it down back then. Why is the proposal coming back up now?
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN REPORTER: Well simply put, Jake, this remains an issue. Migrants are so crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and are being quickly expelled under a public health authority either to Mexico or to their origin country. And some officials see this as a way to address public health concerns.
And as you mentioned, this is a plan that did come up last year and was a source of tension within the White House. Top White House officials including Susan Rice, shot it down because they saw or they believe that it would encourage more migrants. The White House disputed that account saying a decision was not made at the time and has still not been made.
But this plan would apply to migrants that are five years old and up and would prioritize families if they're released into the U.S. as they await their U.S. court hearings. And, Jake, we should also know that the federal government does offer vaccines to immigrants in Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as to migrant children in the custody of Health and Human Services Department. So this would take it one step further by offering those vaccines to migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
TAPPER: And Priscilla, last year, President Biden said many ambitious goals to repeal many of Donald Trump's hard-line policies at the border. Give us a status report. What is Biden been able to do? What has he not been able to do?
ALVAREZ: Well, border aside, the Biden administration has been able to make inroads on various issues with immigration like opening legal immigration back up, modifying rules on interior enforcement. But it is the border that gets the most attention. And that is often used as a barometer of success for administration.
And that is where they have faced numerous challenges not only here at home, but also across the western hemisphere, which has struggled with a pandemic. President Biden acknowledged that in his news conference this week. Take a listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We don't dictate what happens in any other part of that -- of this continent, or the South American continent. We have to work very hard on it. But the trouble is we're having great difficulty making up for the mistakes have been made in the last four years. And it's going to take some time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALVAREZ: And Jake, time is the key word there. The Biden administration is working on overhauling the asylum system at the U.S.-Mexico border, flirting with new technologies to process migrants. Entertaining reception models used by the United Nations, but all of that, Jake, will take time.
TAPPER: All right, Priscilla Alvarez, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
Months after the variant was first detected, the COVID wards are almost empty in South Africa. Is the U.S. looking at a similar path for Omicron here? Stick around.
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[17:44:30]
TAPPER: In our health lead, a ray of hope. The U.S. is showing early signs that the worst of Omicron could soon be behind us. Cases in the U.S., while still sky high have dropped 8 percent from a week ago. Public health experts in South Africa also watched an alarming spike in cases last month, which was followed by a steep decline there in Johannesburg, South Africa.
CNN's David McKenzie reports on what life looks like on the other side of the Omicron surge.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even in the height of Omicron, no one was in this ward for COVID.
DR. RICHARD FRIEDLAND, CEO, NETCARE: That's quite correct.
[17:45:06]
MCKENZIE (voice-over): When the Omicron variant was discovered in South Africa, Dr Richard Friedland prepared his hospital for a rush of COVID-19 patients. A rush that never came.
FRIEDLAND: We never stopped elective surgery. We never closed our coffee shops. We never stopped visitors coming into the hospital.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): This after three brutal waves of COVID each more severe than the last pummeled this country. Charities built field boards just to cope. FRIEDLAND: This is a hospital of over 440 beds and 80 percent of our beds were dedicated to COVID patients.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): But when the highly transmissible Omicron variant hit, Friedland says hospitals and deaths decoupled from spiking infections.
FRIEDLAND: I think in the fourth wave, we've seen a totally different picture. In fact, we've seen a far more milder and moderate version of COVID-19.
MCKENZIE (on-camera): As the wave eases off in South Africa of Omicron, what comes next?
FRIEDLAND: Globally, we've really got to try to find the sweet spot. And by that, I mean, trying to find a way that societies can begin to function again, normally.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): In Soweto's Vilakazi Street, South Africans aren't just functioning. They're thriving.
PALESA MAKGHWATHI, SOWETO RESIDENT: Well, I'm very excited because I'm still alive.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): Scientists here believe that the high levels of prior infection and substantial vaccination rates around 40 percent of adults are fully vaccinated, significantly softened Omicron's impact. Early indications are that the variant itself may be less deadly.
(on-camera): How do you feel about this year?
MBATI MBULI, SOWETO RESIDENT: I think now, it's going to be better now. Probably COVID just ending.
MCKENZIE (on-camera): Are people being overly optimistic about where we are right now?
FRIEDLAND: Certainly that's a scenario that we can potentially contemplate. But equally on the other side of the spectrum is a scenario that says this variant is replaced by something far more virulent.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): A year after our first visit to his biosafety level three lab in Durban, Alex Sigal and his team are still working to answer those critical questions.
ALEX SIGAL, VIROLOGIST, AFRICA HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE: It just goes like wildfire. But it's not -- it doesn't cause as severe of a disease.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): The latest research shows that in a lab setting, Omicron infections can protect against the more virulent Delta variant. Sigal says vaccines are still critical to avoid severe illness and death.
(on-camera): In a year's time from now, what kind of discussion do you think we'll be having about COVID?
SIGAL: There's a good chance we'll be standing here and discussing the next variants. And maybe the virus is going to surprise us again. But in my opinion, we know more now than we did a year ago. And in a year's time, we'll be in even better shape.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): Scientists just don't know if Omicron is COVID- 19's end game. But many do hope, like all of us, that the worst is behind us not in front.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCKENZIE: You know, more than two years after this virus hit this country, Jake, I haven't seen optimism like I've seen with these scientists. They say they feel optimistic right now. But the CDC says that it's impossible to tell whether what's happening in South Africa will happen in the U.S. They do say though, that it's important to get those booster shots to protect you from Omicron. Jake?
TAPPER: All right, David McKenzie in Johannesburg, South Africa. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
Earlier this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he hopes that COVID vaccine for children under five will be available perhaps as soon as a month from now. There are nearly 20 million people in this country under the age of five. Many of their parents have reached a new level of desperation in this pandemic.
Just check out these headlines. NPR, Parents and Caregivers of Young Children Say They've Hit Pandemic Rock Bottom. New York Times -- Rock Bottom. New York Times, No Shots, No Daycare: Parents of Kids Under Five Stuck in Grueling Limbo. CNN, Parents Of The Youngest Kids Are Not OK Right now.
Joining us now to share her expertise and insights as always, Dr. Andrea Bonior, clinical psychologist, author of "Detox Your Thoughts." Dr. Bonior, the public health advice that you and I can follow. Wear a mask. Get the vaccine. Get the booster. Quarantine for five days after exposure. Stay away from others if you get sick.
Much of that advice is useless for families with kids under five. What do you tell them? What do you recommend families do when the public health advice doesn't apply to their family situation?
DR. ANDREA BONIOR, PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: It's so hard because I think we're talking about moving on in a way that a lot of families with children under five are saying I can't move on and I've got someone who can't be vaccinated in my household. And people are burnt out and exhausted.
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And the parents that I'm working with, I tell them, first of all, you are not alone. There is power in using your voice, in speaking out, in asking for help from other parents and other people in the community. But I do think we have a larger problem here, where we're ignoring a whole segment of the population that is totally in burnout mode at this point.
TAPPER: And what advice do you have for these families on how to survive this moment?
BONIOR: Yes. The first step really, is to remember that it is finite, that it seems like it's not because it has been so long, and the moving goalposts and the uncertainty are incredibly treacherous and incredibly difficult. But we are obviously much closer now to the young children getting vaccinated than we've ever been.
There is good news, you know, even though people had hoped for the vaccine to be earlier, that's still good news coming from Dr. Fauci that it is on its way. And we can hope for the fact that by spring, we're going to be looking at a much different situation. I also advise people to look back on what has worked so far. They've already endured the worst of this. They've already endured two winters, or at least a winter and a half or more than this.
And think about what worked and what didn't. What people you were able to rely on, which people made you laugh, which people help the logistics. Who can help give you a break. And think about how to utilize those people now, because isolation is going to make everything worse.
TAPPER: A writer for Slate highlighted the sheer anxiety that comes with the unpredictability of having a toddler right now, "There is a knife hanging over our heads, as there is for every parent of a kid under five. The text alert will come or the phone will ring with a call from school. An exposure. A symptom. Come get them. Come get them. Stay home."
How can we all cope better with this unpredictability?
BONIOR: Yes. First of all, I think there needs to be much more action. I mean, childcare is in crisis right now. There needs to be funding to raise wages to get more workers in there, because this is not sustainable. And I do think that parents need to speak up more and have their voices heard, because I think they're being forgotten, especially parents of younger children who cannot be vaccinated.
And it is empowering to feel like you're actually being heard, sharing your vulnerabilities, reaching out to other people. The sense of community is so important. And reaching out to other parents, offering to help how you can and getting some help in return. That's the only thing that's going to be able to get us through these hard times. It's feeling like we're not totally isolated and helpless.
TAPPER: If a family, small child or baby does get sick, there are ultimately -- they shouldn't but they're -- they ultimately, inevitably, there'll be feelings of guilt, feelings of blame, self- blame. How can parents or anyone in a situation overcome those feelings of shame?
BONIOR: Yes. Try to think of the big picture. We're all doing the best that we can. When you think of the big picture of the values that you're showing your child, your child needs love and care. And there's probably a chance that they're going to get infected and that's not because of anything that you did that you need to feel ashamed over.
We've been through so much already. And when the kids come out of this, they're going to remember not that they got sick. They're going to remember how their parents made them feel during that time. And if their parents made them feel safe and loved, even if they got sick, and that's what's so important.
TAPPER: I hope all the parents out there in this situation are hearing your words, especially the ones who work on my staff who I know have been through quite a different pandemic than the rest of us. We love you and we are here to support you.
Dr. Andrew Bonior, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
Coming up, he hit the music world --
BONIOR: Thanks, Jake.
TAPPER: -- like a "Bat Out Of Hell." We're going to remember rock legend Meat Loaf. Stay with us.
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TAPPER: Legendary rock singer Meat Loaf died last night at the age of 74. That number one hit, "I Do Anything For Love" winning the larger- than-life performer, a Grammy Award in 1994. Tributes are pouring in for Meat Loaf, born Marvin Lee Aday, from his fans, music industry colleagues and political leaders including Mitt Romney, whom he memorably performed for during a presidential campaign appearance in 2012.
In a career spanning six decades, Meat Loaf is estimated to have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide with "Bat Out Of Hell" as his bestselling album.
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TAPPER: Meat Loaf also starred on stage and screen including his scene stealing performance in the "Rocky Horror Picture Show," although don't sleep on his role in "Fight Club." He died last night surrounded by his wife Deborah and daughters Pearl and Amanda. May his memory be a blessing.
Another sad loss today, comedian Louie Anderson has died at the age of 68. Anderson was best known for hosting the beloved game show "Family Feud," a gig that made him a household name. He appeared in lots of TV shows over his decades long career, most recently in the FX show baskets, which won him an Emmy Award, as well as memorable movie roles such as classic comedies "Coming to America" or "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"
May Louie Anderson's memory be a blessing as well. Our coverage continues now with Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM." Have a great weekend. I'll see you Monday.
