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The Lead with Jake Tapper

U.S. Intelligence Reports Russia's Possible Invasion Of Ukraine; Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) Is Interviewed On The Possibility Of Russia Invading Ukraine; Pushback On COVID Restrictions In Schools; No Decisions On Mask Mandates Announced In Hawaii, New Mexico, Washington, Puerto Rico; DOJ Special Counsel: Clinton Campaign Lawyer Used Internet Data To Raise Suspicious About Trump; Russian Skating Star Allowed To Compete Despite Failing Drug Test; Suspended U.S. Sprinter Calls Russia Doping Case A Double Standard; U.S. Suspends Avocado Imports From Mexico After Threat To U.S. Inspector. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired February 14, 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]

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): But according to U.S. officials its grand troops like these, Russian marines now training in neighboring Belarus that may eventually move across the Ukrainian frontier.

As tensions mount, these latest images released by the Russian defense ministry are further jangling nerves. It may have the capability, but in Moscow, a decision to attack does not yet appear to have been made. In fact, this carefully choreographed scene on Russian state television looks designed to show that diplomacy remains very much on the table. A very long table.

Is there a chance to reach agreement with our partners, President Putin asks his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov? Or is it just an attempt to drag us into endless negotiations? I must say, there is always a chance, Lavrov responds. It seems to me that the possibilities are far from exhaustive. They should not be carrying on indefinitely, but at this stage, I would suggest they be continued and increased, he adds. It is an important sign. The Kremlin may still see negotiations bearing fruit.

Others haven't given up either. In the Ukrainian capital, Germany's new chancellor was greeted warmly by the embattled Ukrainian leader despite bitter disappointment that Germany hasn't done more to deter Russia. And amid the urgent and dire U.S. assessments of a Russian attack perhaps in days. The Ukrainian president remains determined to keep his country calm. Even declaring with irony, a national celebration when Russian forces are said to be rolling in.

(BEGIUN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translation): We are told that February 16th will be the day of the attack. We will make it the day of unity. The relevant decree has already been signed. On this day we will hoist national flags, put on blue and yellow ribbons and show the world our unity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHANCE (voice-over): But Ukraine is also desperate to show the strength of its defenses. Now conducting its own military drills and releasing dramatic videos like this one, set to music. Faced with an overwhelming Russian threat, Ukraine seems at once at ease and bracing for an attack.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE (on camera): Jake, as Ukraine potentially stands on the brink, there are some assurances coming to us from the Kremlin with Vladimir Putin's spokesperson telling CNN that the Russian president remains willing to negotiate. It is a sign that at least perhaps coming from Moscow tonight that there is room for more negotiations. That it does have a chance and that conflict in this region isn't necessarily inevitable, Jake.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: All right. Matthew Chance in Kyiv, Ukraine. Thank you so much. Let's go now to CNN's Sam Kiley who is live for us in Kharkiv, Ukraine, just 30 miles from the Russian border. Sam, how are Ukrainians preparing there?

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, it's very difficult to tell. We've just driven all the way up to that border with Russia to about 20 miles short on the border of the Russian city of Belgorod where on the Russian side, the 1st Guards Tank Army, which on paper can muster some 50,000 men, as well as up to 600 tanks, Jake, are supposedly mustering.

And we've seen evidence of that in terms of our own research and satellite imagery and so on. But on the Ukrainian side, nothing. Absolutely nothing. Just long lines of Ukrainian trucks awaiting to cross into Russia. Not much traffic coming back the other way. In terms of a Ukrainian military presence, just a handful of border guards shooing us away from that location because they don't want it to be filmed excessively.

The border marks with very thin fencing. No sign of entrenchments. No sign of Ukrainian defenses. Because this is a country that is -- any local here will tell you, was invaded by Russia back in 2014 when they lost the Crimea that was annexed to Russia and when Russian-backed separatists have carved out the Donbas region.

So they say that they're living in a perpetual state of invasion. But that doesn't really fully cover why is it doesn't -- it appear that the 200,000 plus Ukrainian army, doesn't appear to be on a war footing. Partly, I think they're hiding themselves away from scrutiny, from international scrutiny so that there can be a surprise if there is some kind of a Russian incursion.

But above all, because the president here is insisting he doesn't believe that one is imminent. Even today he put on a Facebook page and a video celebrating Valentines alongside his wife, the first lady of Ukraine, as he likes to call her. [17:05:002]

On top of those announcements that Matthew talked about which include a substantial 30 percent pay raise for serving soldiers starting next month, Jake.

TAPPER: All right, Sam Kiley in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Thank you so much.

Let's talk about all these with Republican Congressman Mike McCaul of Texas. He is the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Congressman, good to see you. So this morning you were briefed by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Are you satisfied with what you're hearing from this administration and do you think an attack is indeed imminent?

REP. MIKE MCCAUL (R-TX): Well, I did get the sense that time is running out for diplomacy. He did mention that Foreign Minister Lavrov had talked about more time. Of course, we always want the diplomats to talk. But the rhetoric is one thing and the action is another. 130,000 Russian troops are now surrounding Ukraine like a noose and they're in very frontal attack positions.

And the tanks are there and the planes are doing joint exercises. We hear this February 16th date floating around or after the Olympics. One thing is certain. Putin knows, this may be his one chance to take back Ukraine. He has weakened NATO and he wants the Black Sea free energy.

I am, you know, I'm falling less and less optimistic we can reach an agreement. We have enough proper deterrence in my judgment and I think Putin has made his calculation. And one thing interestingly too, Jake, is that as we see Putin, he's surrounding himself with a small group of his traditional hawks that want to go to war and want to invade Ukraine.

TAPPER: You just made reference to the February 16th, Wednesday day. A U.S. official told the Associated Press that they thought that that might be the day that Putin orders the invasion into Ukraine. Earlier today, President Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, kind of made fun of that idea, talking about it being a holiday. Not taking it very seriously. Have you heard that from any sort of reliable source that Wednesday might actually be the day of a potential invasion?

MCCAUL: There has been some reporting about this date, although, I would, you know, I think it's only up to Putin when he decides to do this. Now, they're -- he is fully prepared to invade. And it's been building since last March, almost for a year now and we've done little to nothing to stop it.

And so, I do think it's more imminent. I do think the decision will be made, you know, soon. We have had intelligence on specific plans in a very aggressive timetable that starts really right now. And so, you know, I think we're in that window, as Jake Sullivan talks about, where he can strike.

And it would happen very quickly, Jake. It would be a massive cyberattack taking down all the infrastructure, followed by the tanks rolling in, and then the planes. It would probably only last 48 to 72 hours.

TAPPER: CNN's Jim Sciutto talked to a senior U.S. official who had been briefed on the intelligence and that official said that Russia's plans seemed to be invade Ukraine from multiple points including the beginning of a barrage of missiles and bomb attacks. Then they would encircle the capital of Kyiv on the ground with troops. Is that consistent with what you've been hearing as well?

MCCAUL: Right. There are three major areas. One is just north of Kyiv by about 60 miles where they're doing Belarus joint exercises. There is on the Donbas region on the east side, and then of course, around Crimea where the Black Sea is. They would all converge. I think they would go to Kyiv. Maybe try to pull off some political coup.

The false flag operation, I think it was masterful to divulge that classified space to let people know they were going to try to go under false pretenses. Not unlike what Hitler did when he invaded Poland. And so, you know, look, they're surrounding Ukraine and I don't see a lot of deterrence to stop it at this point.

And then the question is going to be what happens after? And I think it's going to be a resistance movement and Congress and the administration will be looking at heavy sanctions on Russia.

TAPPER: Biden spent 62 minutes talking to Putin over the weekend. There was no real breakthrough, we're told by the White House. At this point, hours or just days before a supposed attack, do you still think that imposing severe sanctions right now would stop this attack?

MCCAUL: You know, may be too little too late, Jake. But, you know, I've been sounding the alarm on this for months. And, you know, the thing is, if you don't have any deterrence, he will take advantage of it. I think the sanctions should have been put in place to deter bad behavior. He has been provocative.

[17:10:00]

He has built up his military, you know, on around Ukraine and taken very aggressive actions with no real cost at hand. I just hope the administration, if the invasion does take place is, will keep their word about the sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline. We asked Jake Sullivan about that today. He assured us that would happen. But if there's a presidential waiver, I worry the president could waive it again.

TAPPER: Congressman Mike McCaul, Republican of Texas, thank you so much, sir. Appreciate it. Why would Vladimir Putin line up 130,000 troops on the border with Ukraine if he did not plan to invade? We'll discuss his other possible motives next.

Plus, what are Olympic athletes' favorite Chinese foods? How many dumplings are they eating? Forget doping or censorship. Those are the question being asked by Chinese government news media. That's ahead as we go behind China's wall. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:15:00]

TAPPER: Back now with our breaking news. The United States is temporarily closing the U.S. embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine. But earlier today, Russia's foreign minister told Russian President Vladimir Putin there is a "chance for diplomatic dialogue and he recommends such efforts continue."

Let's bring in CNN global affairs analyst Susan Glasser who served as the "Washington Post" Moscow bureau chief. Susan, you know Russia, you know Putin. Explain what Putin is considering right now. Is there any way at this point you think he could be deterred from ordering an invasion?

SUSAN GLASSER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIST ANALYST: Well, look, Putin is the decider in that system and I think that's important to note. He has made it possible to make a decision at the last minute by moving this enormous military force into place. And what we're hearing from, you know, intelligence analysts in the U.S. government is that that force is largely ready to go, prepared to strike, even moving into forward positions.

This is something they can sustain for some time but not forever. So a go, no go decision will have to be made by President Putin sometime soon. You know, remember, Jake, this is not the first war that Vladimir Putin has threatened. You know, from the very beginning of his tenure, he has seen what he views as success with war.

And so, you know, whether that was in Chechnya inside Russia itself or previously invading Ukraine in 2014. So, it's not purely theoretical here and he has not shown in the past any evidence that the threat of sanctions by the west has deterred him in advance from taking an action like this.

TAPPER: So, according to two sources familiar with recent U.S. intelligence, Russia has amassed more than 130,000 troops at the Ukrainian border. Would Putin build such a force and put them there for some other reason beyond invading?

GLASSER: Well, look, I mean, you know, I think one of the challenges right now is that, you know, there's a tendency to see this in a sort of black and white war, no war. Either, you know, he sends in tanks and it's a sort of, you know, World War II hell scape or, you know, everything is going to be fine and they'll just go home.

And many people think it's still quite possible you have something in between, which is to say a different kinds of military incursions, stepped up cyberattacks, ways to destabilize the Ukrainian government. You know, I do think that Putin has numerous pasts by which he can claim victory here, short of full out invasion of Kyiv. And that would primarily be, can he topple or otherwise constrain the pro-western government in Ukraine right now, which is a key goal of all this in the first place. TAPPER: Right. He would love for either Ukrainian President Zelensky

or NATO to say Ukraine is not going to join NATO. But Zelensky today reiterated that Ukraine intends to join NATO. What effect does that have on Putin's decision making?

GLASSER: Look, first of all, I think it's extremely important to say this is a manufactured crisis by Vladimir Putin. It's not that Ukraine was about to join NATO. In fact, Putin has wildly succeeded even by getting us to talk over and over and over again about NATO.

Ukraine was no closer to joining NATO today or before this invasion force was launched than it was back in 2014 when Putin invaded -- when it was - since 2008 when Ukraine was given this ambiguous commitment that at some point in the future maybe you could possibly become a member.

So, it's not really about joining NATO. I would also point people to Putin's own words in which he has suggested that, in a pamphlet that was circulated to the entire Russian armed forces, that Ukraine really doesn't have legitimacy as an independent country and that Putin believes that in some ways it should still be a part of mother Russia. It's very hard to negotiate with that and it is not about NATO in and of itself.

TAPPER: Susan Glasser, thank you so much. Appreciate it. They say all politics is local. And in one of the most progressive cities in the United States, three school board members are about to find out just how true that is. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:20:00]

TAPPER: In our "National Lead," three school board members in one of the most progressive cities in the United States are facing a recall election tomorrow for essentially leaning too far left. Some parents say the San Francisco school board is putting too much attention on less important issues such as renaming 44 schools instead of focusing on improving education and creating a plan to reopen classrooms.

As CNN's Nick Watt reports for us now, this bay area battle is part of the mounting frustration with COVID restrictions. Frustration not only in red parts of the country, but blue ones as well.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL: CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A deep blue bastion. San Francisco voted 85 percent for Biden. Pelosi lives here. So did Harris and Newsom. So did the Ginsberg and the Grateful Dead.

But there's trouble in this (inaudible) progressive paradise. Tomorrow these three liberal local school board members face a recall vote organized by these two liberal locals.

UNKNOWN: We were both single parents during COVID.

WATT (voiceover): Their biggest beef, the city's schools were closed by COVID for over a year.

SIVA RAJ, CO-FOUNDER, RECALL SF SCHOOL BOARD: Even as late as Feb 2021, not a single school site was ready for reopening.

[17:25:02]

FAAUUGA MOLIGA, SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER: The people who don't give us credit for as you know, participating in this low COVID (inaudible) at this city and San Francisco has been no (inaudible).

WATT (voice-over): We're used to red state rebellions against COVID closures. This one is very blue.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Parents of every sort, every economic class, every racial background, every ideological background. They want the schools open.

WATT: Seven in 10 Americans now say we just need to get on with our lives. A slew of once COVID cautious Democratic governors now say they'll ease off on the mask mandates. Phil Murphy, oh so narrowly re- elected last November in deep blue Jersey just announced an impending end to mandatory masks in schools.

PHIL MURPHY, GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY: We are stating affirmatively that we can responsibly live with this thing and that's the reason we're doing it.

WATT (voice-over): San Fran born Governor Gavin Newsom up for re- election this fall lifts California's indoor mask mandate tomorrow. But there's much more to this than masks. San Francisco's progressive D.A. faces a recall vote in June.

BREOWNSTEIN: What you're seeing in San Francisco is emblematic of a split that has developed in the Democratic Party of how far the party can go on a whole series of issues that deal with racial equity without losing its ability to build a national majority.

WATT: Karen Bass said, Dem now running for Los Angeles mayor, just said she will fund, not defund, the LAPD. L.A.'s progressive D.A. is facing a fervent recall effort. And back to that school board recall, San Francisco's left leaning newspaper supports it. "Competence matters," wrote the editorial board, even more progressives.

This they say was incompetent. While classrooms remained closed, the board tried to rename 44 schools. Among them, Alamo Elementary. They thought it was named for the battle. Actually, it's just popular tree in Spanish.

RAJ: These individuals are using this as an opportunity to create, you know, media attention and controversies so they can, you know, improve their careers rather than focus on educating our kids.

UNKNOWN: The fundamental thing you have to do as an elected official is serve the people that you're meant to serve.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WATT (on camera): But there are a couple of things we should consider

before we get too carried away with this idea of Dem pivot away from the progressive. One is recalls. A recall is very different to successful recall. Remember, Governor Gavin Newsom survived one here last year so, we'll keep an eye on how those recall efforts go.

The second is COVID. Listen, the numbers are still very high, but they are falling very, very fast and those Democrats rolling back on restrictions will say that this isn't about politics. This is about science. Jake?

TAPPER: All right, Nick Watt, thanks so much. Let's bring in Republican strategist David Urban and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms who is a new CNN political commentator and a Democrat. Welcome to THE LEAD, Mayor Lance Bottoms. Good to see you.

KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good to see you. Thank you for having me.

TAPPER: So let me start with you Madam Mayor. As you heard from Nick Watt, San Francisco, obviously a progressive enclave, but even there it seems many folks have lost patience with overly restrictive COVID rules, especially regarding kids in schools. What are your thoughts?

BOTTOMS: Well, I think what you're seeing in San Francisco is really reflective of where the country is. People want elected officials to be focused on making sure our communities are safe. Also, that we are being thoughtful about what our priorities should be.

And from everything that I've read and seen, all that's happening in San Francisco, is that this is less about politics and more discussion around competence. That in the midst of a pandemic, I am trying to get kids back in school. Trying to make sure that our teachers and everyone involved in the education system had what they needed.

They were having another discussion on an important topic, but not a topic that it appears should have been the priority. And I think that the sentiment of San Francisco -- what you're seeing in San Francisco is being seen all across the country. People want elected officials to focus and that does not appear to have been the case with this board of education.

TAPPER: And David, only six states in the entire U.S. still have indoor mask mandates in place in perpetuity. They're all run by Democrats. We have Hawaii, New Mexico, Washington State and Puerto Rico. The only ones left to announce whether or not they're going to lift their indoor mask rules. Do you think Republicans criticizing these mask mandates in the upcoming elections, which we know is going to happen, will it still be an effective cudgel against Democrats if those restrictions are lifted in the next few months?

DAVID URBAN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Sure. Jake, let's face it. The Democrats got this wrong. Let's just admit it. The Mayor is smart.

[17:30:00] She's just say, look, we got it wrong. Last night, everyone watched the Super Bowl, right? The servers, the help, everyone's -- it's there. They're wearing masks, but the governor and everyone else has no mask. The hypocrisy is amazing.

And in schools, right, kids are the least, least vulnerable to really serious COVID, you know, the effects of COVID, but yet, they're the most vulnerable, the most susceptible to all the negative effects of masks not being in school, mental health crisis. I mean, we see this in report after report after report, the negative impact of kids not being in schools, of kids wearing masks. All the mental health and kids being left behind in terms of learning and education.

And the Democrats blew it. And blue states and red states parents get this issue. They get it in Virginia. They're getting in San Francisco. They're getting it across America.

TAPPER: And Madam Mayor, obviously, two years ago when we knew almost nothing about this pandemic, is very different than today. You were leading the city of Atlanta at the onset of the pandemic. You issued some of the first mask mandates. Again, we didn't know a lot back then.

The CDC has yet to issue new guidelines on masks. Do you think that the governors that are lifting the mask mandates now in places like New Jersey and elsewhere are listening to the science or are they listening to the polling as indicated by some, you know, what we're seeing with angry parents all over the country?

KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS, FORMER ATLANTA MAYOR: I absolutely believe that they are listening to the sciences, same way that we did in Atlanta when our governor hit that. So in Atlanta at the beginning of the pandemic, we convened a cross section of people, public health experts, university officials, school officials, business leaders, large companies, small businesses, to give us a set of guidelines that we could follow so that we wouldn't make rash decisions based on what we thought we knew, guided by those guidelines and the metrics that we set in place.

In December, late November, early December, we removed our recommendation for mask mandate in Atlanta. Personally, I was conflicted by it. But the science said it needed to be removed. When you follow the science, when you follow the data, it removes emotion. So I completely disagree. I don't think --

TAPPER: Well, Jake, I would just -- I would ask the mayor --

BOTTOMS: We made decisions based on science and those were sound decisions.

TAPPER: Go ahead, David.

URBAN: So Jake, I'd ask the mayor to comment on Randi Weingarten, the president of AFT, the most powerful teachers union in America that said kids should not have masks, removed in schools until there's zero transmissions. Madam Mayor, do you agree with that comment? I can't believe. That's not science, that's politics.

BOTTOMS: What I would say is that I have two kids in school, two -- I have four, I have two who are in elementary school, it is far easier for them to wear masks than it is for my older two. They are more compliant. And it is less about them and it is about the teachers and the cafeteria workers and the bus drivers.

In fact, a security guard at their school, a very young man with a young child just died of COVID about three days ago. So if it means that keeping people like that security guard and other people in schools safe, my children are willing to wear masks and I am willing to ask them to wear --

TAPPER: David, we're out of time, but there's one thing I do want to say and I'm sure, David and Mayor Lance Bottoms, I'm sure we all agree, if you're watching this and you have not gotten vaccinated and you have not gotten your eligible children vaccinated, please get them vaccinated. That's the way we open everything back up safely. That's the way we save lives.

David Urban, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, thanks to both you. Really appreciate it.

Sarah Palin tried to take on the New York Times, but now a judge weighs in. Is it a decision that's fit to print? Find out next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:38:21]

TAPPER: In our politics lead now, new revelations about the 2016 presidential race by the special counsel appointed by former Trump administration Attorney General Bill Barr in 2019. As you might remember, Barr first assigned U.S. Attorney John Durham to investigate the origins of the Russia investigation. And then before Barr left office in 2020, he made Durham a special counsel. Durham has since indicted Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussman, as well as a Russian analyst, both of them for allegedly lying to the FBI. Both of them are pleading not guilty.

Now in a court filing late Friday night, Durham says that he found new information about researchers who supported Hillary Clinton. CNN's Evan Perez joins us now. And Evan, what do we know about these researchers for Hillary Clinton and what Durham is learning about their activities?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, so these researchers were supporters of Hillary Clinton and what they believe that they saw was suspicious connections between Russian made phones and Donald Trump's, you know, office at the Trump Tower, as well as what they said was suspicious traffic with the Executive Office of the President. Now, this is the allegation that Durham says was being used essentially to dirty up the former president, President Trump, trying to get the intelligence community essentially, to believe that Trump was in cahoots with the Russians. Again, all of this data that these researchers had access to, they essentially used it -- essentially just to isolate it to Donald Trump and show these types of internet traffic between these Russian made phones and the Executive Office of the President.

[17:40:07]

Durham says that none of that is is true, none of this is suspicious that this is just data that happens all the time. And these phones were being used even before Donald Trump became president.

TAPPER: OK. And Durham made this revelation in a court filing, late Friday night related to Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussman, whom he has --

PEREZ: Right.

TAPPER: -- received a -- he's gotten an indictment against Sussman so as much as he's --

PEREZ: Right.

TAPPER: -- not guilty. What's the backstory on Sussman?

PEREZ: Well, Sussman was the campaign lawyer for Hillary Clinton's campaign and Democrats. He never disclosed, according to Durham, who he was working for when he met with the FBI. This is part of what this filing was for was part of Sussman's case. And one of the things Durham says is, is (through translation) at is that Sussman provided this information to an agency, the CIA, showing some of this data trying again to get the Intelligence Committee to believe that Donald Trump was in cahoots with the Russians.

TAPPER: All right, curious here and curious there. Evan Perez, thank you so much.

Breaking news in our national lead now, Sarah Palin's defamation case against the New York Times will soon be thrown out. The judge announced he plans to dismiss the case even though jurors continued to deliver it. The judge said that Palin's team did not prove actual malice when the times erroneously included a Palin length groups map to a 2017 editorial titled America's Lethal Politics.

Judge rake off saying, "This is an example of very unfortunate editorializing on the part of the times. Having said that, that is not the issue before the court." Jurors were just sent home. They will return tomorrow to keep deliberating even though their decision may not make any difference.

Coming up, she tested positive for a banned substance but a star Russian figure skater will get to compete tomorrow. However, there is a catch if she wins any medal. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:46:26] TAPPER: In our sports lead, 15-year-old Russian the figure skater Kamila Valieva has been cleared to compete again after failing a doping test in November, but there will be no medal ceremony if she places in the top three. Now the teenage prodigy's incredible feat of being the first woman to land a quadruple jump at the games is overshadowed by this mess, including Russia's brazen disregard for rules and the International Olympic Committee's failure to actually penalize in any real way Russia for its athletes repeated doping.

Joining us now to discuss is Adam Rippon, he's a former Olympian who won bronze in the 2018 games. He now coaches Team USA's Mariah Bell. Adam, you tweeted, "The Russian Olympic Committee has miserably failed its athletes and embarrassed themselves on the world stage YET AGAIN, all caps. My heart breaks for the Russian athletes competing in Beijing who will have everything they do with this Olympics questioned."

Do you think Russia is capable of embarrassments or will the country continue to break these doping rules if they're not just taken out of the Olympics entirely for at least a game or two?

ADAM RIPPON, U.S. OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDAL FIGURE SKATER (2018): Well, I think they need to be taken out entirely. Obviously, you know, the message is not getting through. And the punishment of just not being able to compete under their flag and then getting to change their anthem as like the only sort of like, consequence thing to face is, I mean, it's, honestly, it's laughable from the point of view of the athlete. I'm sure the viewer at home is sort of like, aren't they not supposed to be here? And that's kind of the feeling that we have.

You know, we want the athletes that compete claim to be able to compete here at the Olympics. That's fair. You know, we know what that's like to like spend your whole life to prepare for an Olympic Games. And for the fault of someone else for you not to compete, that would suck.

But the Russians have repeatedly shown that they don't want to play by the rules and I can just tell by the discourse online that, you know, I think they just feel like everyone's doping and that like they're the ones just getting picked on. When, you know, we're over here at home, I'm afraid when I'm -- when I was competing, I was afraid to take like a valley nature multivitamin from CVS.

TAPPER: Yes.

RIPPON: It's like two completely different ways of thinking of how to prepare for sport.

TAPPER: American Sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson was suspended from the Tokyo Olympics, you might remember, after testing positive for marijuana. She tweeted, "Can we get a solid answer on the difference of her situation and mine? About Valieva. "My mother died and I can't run and was also favored to place top three The only difference I see is I'm a black young lady."

Do you think there is a double standard not just with race but for the type of drugs that the Olympic Committee deems suspension worthy?

RIPPON: Well, I mean, this definitely brings up like the double standard of like she carries situation versus Kamila. That, you know, she carries like a young black woman who we all wanted to like cheer for and we're so excited for like her personality is amazing. She's an incredible athlete.

She test positive for marijuana. Immediately, you saw that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency is like you can't compete. This is a positive substance. Sha'Carri the next day on TV apologizing, taking accountability. Well here, you know, the doping agency in charge of Kamila's positive test is RUSADA, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency which first suspended her and then lifted the suspension the same day. So it's two different doping agencies who have two different, you know, protocols and live on two different integrity standards.

[17:50:16]

But what I think of the ruling that the CAS, the Court of Arbitration here in Beijing made is, I mean, I think it's a joke. How does somebody with a positive test still get to compete in the Olympic Games? The whole point of the Olympic Games is that it's a level playing field, and that everybody here is competing clean. I mean, I don't know where the Russians are getting their medical advice. It feels like the team doctors like Elizabeth Holmes or something.

TAPPER: Adam Rippon inside the bubble in Beijing. Thank you so much. It's always great to see you.

Turning to our behind China's wall series in which we go behind the fanfare and the glamour of the Olympic Games, the Chinese government hopes to use the games to distract the world from its crackdowns on freedoms and its crimes against humanity, and of course, it's genocide.

The jarring contrast between Chinese state media and foreign reporters on full display at this weekend's press conference with the International Olympic Committee, officials were peppered with questions about Russia's doping scandal and Peng Shuai by foreign reporters. And they were thrown sweet little soft balls from Chinese state media.

CNN's David Culver is in Beijing. David, the whole purpose of the media is different in communist countries. What were Chinese state media reporters asking?

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, they were asking about everything but the so-called sensitive issues here. So many controversies surrounding these games, you and I have talked about them. And so when you have an opportunity to question officials, you use that moment to seek meaningful answers.

I want you to listen now to a comparison between what a foreign journalist asked followed by a Chinese state media question.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just on the Kamila Valieva case, can you explain why it took six weeks for this positive test results come to light?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So what is the favorite dish among all the athletes? How many of the roast ducks are being served?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CULVER: That second question was how many roast ducks are being served? And it would be laughable if it wasn't multiple times that we heard this? In fact, we come through dozens of questions over several days state media here from various outlets, government controlled, they were asking a range of things from how much do the high quality venues and good service contribute to the athlete strong performances? And when will the Japanese ice prints be at the exhibition Gala?

The issue isn't that they're highlighting some of the positive aspects of these games, Jake, but rather that they're using that to deflect entirely from human rights concerns and several other allegations that are really serious here.

TAPPER: And how does this filter out to the Chinese public?

CULVER: Yes, officials here, they really feared that the spotlight of foreign media during these games would hit on those sensitive topics, right? And so to keep that from filtering out in the public, they're using these soft questions to get answers that really just shower preys on this, the host country. And there's a strategy to use the only positive answers.

Perhaps you'll hear some of the athletes give what is really perhaps just an innocent response and some of the officials too and those are then taken and put into reports and combined all together. And they're essentially using them as self-affirming messages to say to their own domestic audience, see, the folks coming in, they do like us, they appreciate us and they say we're doing a great job. Jake?

TAPPER: All right, David Culver in Beijing, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

If you really want to surprise your ex with a special delivery on this beautiful Valentine's Day, well, the U.S. government has an interesting suggestion for you. That's next.

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[17:58:19]

TAPPER: The United States is suspending avocado imports from Mexico after an American food inspector was threatened. According to the USDA, the U.S. inspection official got a threatening phone call and his government issued phone while doing his job carrying out an inspection in the western Mexican state of Michoacan. That is the only Mexican state allowed to import avocados to the United States.

In the past six weeks, more than 135,000 avocados from that state have been exported to the United States. It's estimated to be a $3 billion a year industry. Holy guacamole.

Here's an unusual way to celebrate Valentine's Day. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms or ATF tweeted, "Valentine's Day can still be fun even if you broke up. Do you have information about a former or current partner involved in illegal gun activity? Let us know and we will make sure it's a Valentine's Day to remember."

And the ATF is not the only law enforcement agency offering a special delivery this Valentine's Day. In North Carolina Sheriff's Department posted a Valentine's Special on Facebook for exes who have outstanding warrants. Jilted partners just need to share their exes location and the sheriff will take care of the rest including, "set of limited edition platinum bracelets, free transportation with a chauffeur, a one night minimum stay in our luxurious five-star accommodations. And this special is capped off with a special Valentine's dinner."

You know, I never saw Valentine's Day as a time to get revenge, but I guess every roast has its thorns.

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Our coverage continues now with one Mr. Wolf Blitzer, he's right next door in "THE SITUATION ROOM." Thanks for watching. See you tomorrow.