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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Authorities Arrest Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO's Murder; Manifesto Found on Suspect; U.S. and Israel Struck ISIS Targets Inside Syria. Russian State Media Confirms Assad Is In Russia; Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) Is Interviewed About Gabbard Meets With Senators Amid Syria Questions; Jay-Z Calls Sexual Assault Allegations "A Blackmail Attempt". Aired 5-6p ET

Aired December 09, 2024 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: -- recovered by police earlier today when they detained 26-year-old Luigi Mangione. A New York police official say this is a ghost gun, meaning a handmade weapon that could have been 3D printed. It's not the only potential evidence. Police say they found a Mangione today after a McDonald's employee spotted him eating inside the restaurant and called 911.

Police say they also found a multi-page document on the suspect. And the source says that document criticized the health insurance industry and included the lines, quote, "these parasites had it coming," end quote. "I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done," end quote.

A private memorial is being held today for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to the source. Thompson was on his way to attend his company's annual investor conference when he was shot and murdered last week in New York. Let's go straight to CNN's Danny Freeman, who is live for us outside McDonald's in Altoona, PA, where Mangione was taken into police custody just hours ago. Danny? Do investigators know how he ended up in Altoona?

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jake, that's still one of the biggest outstanding questions that we're hoping to learn. What brought 26-year-old Luigi Mangione specifically to Altoona and specifically to this McDonald's behind me? I'm going to show you just really --

(TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY)

TAPPER: Looks like we're having problems with our satellite there in --

FREEMAN: -- midtown Manhattan where that crime. Oh.

TAPPER: Well, let's go back to Danny. Danny, yeah, you broke up for a second, Danny. Go ahead, start again. Oh, got another hit.

FREEMAN: No, I was just gonna say. Oh, maybe? Can you hear me?

TAPPER: No, go ahead. Go ahead. We can hear you.

FREEMAN: Yes. So, Jake, I just want to describe to you where we are so this is the McDonald's right here where Luigi Mangione was apprehended by police, Altoona police. They said that at 9:14 this morning they received a call like you noted from an employee of this McDonald's, a female employee of this McDonald's saying that someone saw who they believed to be someone who looked like the suspect in that UnitedHealth Care CEO murder.

Altoona police arrived here right to this restaurant, they came inside, they spoke with this man, and sure enough, they ended up apprehending him. Now, they arrested him for charges unrelated to specifically the murder. They arrested him on gun charges, but on his person notably, as you noted, they found that ghost gun, they found that suppressor. They found fake IDs. They also found a manifesto. Much of that, I believe, our colleague, Brynn Gingras, will get into in just a moment.

But again, I just wanted to describe to you, you know (inaudible) station that's right in this immediate area, Jake. The grand station is maybe about an hour's walk from this point maybe about 10-15 minutes of drive. There's a local bus station right here. The question still is why this specific spot and how did he get here at 9:14 this morning where he was ultimately apprehended by local law enforcement officials, Jake.

TAPPER: All right, Danny Freeman in Altoona, thanks so much. Let's go to Brynn Gingras in New York and Brynn, you have some new reporting about a fake ID that was also allegedly found on Mr. Mangione.

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, and Jake, we know that NYPD investigators are there in Altoona. They are working on this investigation, obviously trying to talk to Mangione at this point. And that fake ID is key. Let's talk about why because it is one of many that was found on Mangione according to sources. And let's take a look at it for your viewers.

But police believe this New Jersey fake ID may be the same one that was used to check into that Upper West Side hostel that police knew was used prior to the murder happening last Wednesday. So that would give it a direct connection to here to New York to the possibly the crime. So that is a big piece of evidence that they found. Of course, as you just heard Danny mentioned, they also found that ghost gun, that picture that John Miller had that they believe possibly could have been made with a 3D printer.

They're gonna run ballistics on They know that it could fire nine millimeter bullets. And they also found a silencer. And that also was something very unique to this investigation. So investigators certainly are going to be looking at that handmade silencer suppressor as well to kind of see if there's a connection there. But it doesn't end there. Of course, there is so much investigation that is still being done at this point. We know that Mangione was carrying some sort of document according to

our sources that really railed against the healthcare industry. Didn't name any names, didn't say Brian Thompson at this point, of course a victim in this case, but certainly it is something that they are now looking into exactly what sort of strife he might have had with the healthcare industry. He said, as you mentioned, Jake, some of the phrases in this sort of document, quote, "the parasites had it coming." That was one line. And another was, quote, "I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done."

Jake, we know at this point investigators are still trying to make all the connections they possibly can including trying to answer that question you asked Danny about how did he get to Altoona from New York City. But they're also, at this point, you know they're going to get him fingerprinted. You know that they are going to take his DNA once this arrest -- after this arrest, and hopefully they can make that connection as well to some of the evidence that was left behind very close to the crime scene, Jake.

[17:05:04]

TAPPER: All right, Brynn Gingras in New York. Thanks so much. Let's bring in CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller, CNN Law Enforcement contributor and FBI retired supervisory special agent Steve Moore. John, we showed the photo of the gun that you were able to obtain from your sources. What else can you tell us about this weapon and what investigators will do with it now?

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AN INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, this is a ghost gun, which means somebody ordered the parts and put it together. You can order these parts to be delivered to, you know, your home and then there are literally YouTube videos that instruct you on how to put it together.

Next to it you see the magazine which looks like a 15-shot magazine and this has no serial number, it just comes with the parts. It's not sold the way you would buy a gun in a gun store where you'd have to fill out the forms because the trick of this has always been, well, it's not a gun until it's assembled. Therefore, you know, it doesn't have to go through the process, which is why it's been popular among not just people who like to build things and like guns, but also among criminals, gang members, and in this case, a self-appointed alleged hitman.

So you have that, you have the suppressor, also homemade, and probably Jake, probably the reason that the gun malfunctioned three times in a row as he was firing it at his target because the silencer was probably pulling the barrel down. There's usually an adapter that you can use called the Nielsen device which will fix that, which he didn't have.

So this is going to be critical because they will fire a bullet through this gun. They will look at the shell casing and compare the strike marks microscopically. They will match that to the shell casings on the scene and see if they were fired from the same gun. They'll do the same with the bullets and the striations if the markers are there. And this may be the proverbial, no pun intended, smoking gun that ties this suspect to the case after that testing.

Otherwise, they will rely on the DNA and the fingerprints and presumably if all of these things match, they have a very strong case, but we won't know until those tests are done.

TAPPER: Steve, what does it tell you that Mangione allegedly had all of these items on him, this ghost gun, a fake ID, these documents, in which he rails against the health insurance industry? What does that signify to you?

STEVE MOORE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR: It tells me that he's moving with everything he has. He's not leaving anything behind. He doesn't have a stash place or a place where he's living right then. He's very mobile. And so he's keeping all those things that he wants, that he believes are absolutely necessary to him. He's keeping him with himself because he's not going back to the last location.

The other thing is, is I'm familiar with Altoona and that area. And I believe from what I've read that he said he was or was a student at Penn State. Well, Altoona is just about 40 minutes from Penn State. And frequently what you find with fugitives like this is after a few days, they start to need help. They start to need a familiar place so they can operate a little bit better and possibly even get some help. My guess is you went to Altoona because it was close to Penn State, but it was also likely familiar to him.

TAPPER: So right now we're looking at what is apparently a fake ID. Can we put that back up, guys? Control room, the fake ID. The suspect's name is Luigi Mangione, but this ID identifies him as Mark Rosario, just in case there was any confusion out there. This is one of several fake IDs that he allegedly had on him according to law enforcement. Steve, were you surprised that New York police did not have the name Luigi Mangione until he was taken into custody and until the McDonald's employee spotted him and called 911?

MOORE: Yeah, I'm very surprised at that, because the mayor of New York said they did have the person's name. Also, I'm surprised that he was in possession of what we thought in the beginning, a Glock-type ghost gun, because the police had released officially or unofficially that it was a one-shot assassination-type gun. So there was some -- I assume it was -- and mistakes and not intentional, but there was a lot of information that came out from the police that turned out not to be accurate.

TAPPER: All right. Thanks to both of you. Don't miss out on a CNN special report tonight. Laura Coates and her team are working on new reporting for "Captured: Arrest in the CEO Manhunt," which airs at 11 p.m. tonight only here on CNN. So much more on our breaking news coming up, including the clues to a possible motive in this case and the incredibly strong social media reaction we've seen since the initial murder.

[17:10:04]

Plus, the United States and its allies scrambling to figure out what happens next after the Syrian regime is toppled, within a matter of days, CNN's teams are on the ground inside the country with new details.

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TAPPER: Back with more in our breaking news, the arrest of a suspect in the murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO. The NYPD says that 26-year- old Luigi Mangione was arrested on a gun charge this morning at McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Among the items found on Mangione was a two-page document that officials say indicated he, quote, "has some ill will towards corporate America," unquote.

A police official who has seen the document said it rails against the health insurance industry and suggests that violence is the answer and specifically contained the following lines, quote, "these parasites had it coming," and, quote, "I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done."

[17:15:04]

Well, we do not know whether the document specifically mentions United Healthcare, we do know that killing last Wednesday has unleashed a flurry of anecdotes of individuals denied insurance claims, some cases matters of life and death, perhaps also bottom line decisions that felt to the patients, the customers, compassionless.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: This knee, can you move that ankle? Now I'll help you to the bathroom. I had to give her haircuts and showers and until you've had to do that with your own mother, you can't know what it's like. But to UnitedHealthcare, she was a number. She was a dollar amount, $90 billion in profits. And anyone on here who is saying, oh, all of you commenters have no compassion for him, you're right, we don't. He had no compassion for us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Let's bring in CNN's Clark Duffy and CNN's John Miller is still with us. And Clarence, this has really exposed the extent to which so many Americans are frustrated with health insurance companies. And obviously, no, none of us support murder, none of us think that violence is the answer, but these are real struggles.

CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS: Yeah, Jake, it is interesting because normally when we see this kind of public display of violence, the response on social media is one of support and sympathy, but that has not been the case here. One of the examples that really stood out to me was this Facebook post from UnitedHealth expressing sadness over Thompson's death. It got tens of thousands of emoji reactions and most of them are laughing emojis.

I think what we're seeing is this sort of bubbling up of the pent-up anger and frustration that so many Americans feel over the health care and health insurance industries. And we've seen a lot of these stories people sharing of, as you said, being denied health care claims. And that is one of the things that experts say is often the root of people's frustration with their health insurance. There was a study last year that found that a majority of Americans,

58 percent, experienced some problem with their health insurance over the course of a year, often including claim denials and pre- authorization issues. And of that 58 percent, 15 percent of those people experienced actual negative implications for their health. These denials can cause anxiety. They can delay treatment.

So I think what we're seeing is this general sense from many Americans who feel like these companies, although I'm sure the companies would sort of quibble with this depiction, but that these companies are prioritizing profit over the people that they're serving, Jake.

TAPPER: And John, this obviously theoretically goes to motive. Based on what you're learning about the document, police say, was found with Mangione, this two-page manifesto, how will investigators determine whether his feelings about health insurers were actually the factor?

MILLER: Well, the letter certainly, as much as we know about it, seems to spell that out, talking about profiteering and the words that were on the bullets, which is deny, delay, depose, talking about the litigious nature and the slow rolling of claims payments and so on. So, it appears there. But I would also say, you know, having done a pretty good sweep of his social media activity, internet activity, and you know, the places where we can see him interacting with others, this doesn't seem to be an out front theme.

You know, you asked a couple of times before today, did police have his name, you know? How did police not have his name? And police did not have his name because he just wouldn't have been on that radar beyond this. This was a result of literally thousands of hours of reviewing video by hundreds of cops who pulled those tapes by going block by block, store by store, building by building, camera by camera, until they assembled, you know, all these hours and found that one moment when the mask was down. Before that, the moment in Starbucks, after that, the moment in the taxi.

So they have enough images until somebody, a woman in a McDonald's who worked there, said, I think that looks like the guy. That's the only reason they had his name, not because he was in the DNA database. He wasn't. Not because he had a criminal record and his prints would have popped when they took him from the phone, because he isn't. This guy was a ghost.

TAPPER: Yeah, incredible work by the police and incredible work by the public. And let's also mention the news media getting the photographs out.

MILLER: That too.

TAPPER: The people seeing it. We have just learned that we will see a preliminary arraignment tonight in Pennsylvania at 6:00 p.m. Eastern, which is less than an hour from now, and Mr. Mangione will appear in person. Clare Duffy, John Miller, thanks to both of you.

Coming up next, so many questions about what happens next in Syria after rebels toppled the Assad government. We're covering the story in a way only CNN can from inside Syria, inside Russia and at the Pentagon. That's in moments. Stay with us.

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[17:20:00]

TAPPER: Topping our "World Lead," who exactly is running Syria right now? That's an open question, according to top White House National Security official John Kirby. As the United States and allies race to ensure that the toppling of Bashar al-Assad's regime does not mean that the war-torn country will become a hotbed for terrorism. The U.S. military says it struck dozens of ISIS targets within Syria, while Syria's neighbor Israel hit Syrian chemical weapons facilities and took control of what Israel calls a buffer zone on the border, in order they say, to prevent another October 7th.

[17:25:05]

We have correspondence covering all of this in Syria and in Russia and at the Pentagon. Let's start with CNN's Jomana Karadsheh in Damascus. And Jomana, we've seen videos of prisoners freed, people looting Assad's palace, Syrians celebrating in the streets after rebels declared that Damascus had been liberated following these horrific 13 years of civil war. How does it feel to be in Syria right now?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Jake, this is my first time back in Damascus in more than 11 years. I have been here on many, many trips as a journalist since 2003. And coming into this country today, it felt like we are arriving into a new and a very different Syria.

From the moment that we crossed the Jordanian border and we were met by the rebels from one of the groups, the Free Syrian Army, a moment really that was so surreal for many of us who have watched this conflict very closely, especially with the developments over the past year, where it did seem like Assad had survived that war, that he had gotten away with it all.

And arriving in the city, in the capital, you know, comparing it to my previous trips, Jake, where people were very cautious around foreign media, they were very guarded, did not want to say the wrong thing, did not want to speak openly because we were being closely watched and monitored by the Assad regime and people were living this fear of retribution if they spoke to foreign journalists. They could get arrested for that.

But coming here today and hearing people speaking so openly and freely about what they think, how they feel is just truly remarkable. So many people are just happy to see this regime gone. There's so much relief. But at the same time there is a great deal of uncertainty and apprehension right now. And what we are also seeing, Jake, is one of the many dark sides of the Assad regime coming to light, the atrocities that were committed by this ruthless regime.

You know, many of these atrocities have been documented, but what you have right now is much more is being unearthed as they are going into these prisons, as they're going into these notorious detention facilities where people were being tortured to death and beginning to free prisoners and many are fearing what else they're going to find in these facilities, Jake.

TAPPER: Jomana, we should note that you interviewed the leader of this rebel group, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, just last week. I want to play a part of what he told you at the time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARADSHEH: Many Syrians are happy and will be happy to see the end of the Assad regime, but they're also worried about what HTS rule would mean, including minorities.

ABU MOHAMMED AL-JOLANI, SYRIAN REBEL LEADER (through translation): No one has the right to erase another group. These sects have co-existed in this region for hundreds of years and no one has the right to eliminate them. There must be a legal framework that protects and ensures the rights of all, not a system that serves only one sect as Assad's regime has done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Has there been any more clarity on where he sees the country going? Is this going to become a secular republic? Is this going to become a theocracy? Do we know?

KARADSHEH: You know, Jake, when we went into that interview to talk to Jolani, they had just, you know, a couple of days before that, captured the city of Aleppo. And just moments before we sat down for that interview with him, they announced that they captured the fourth city, Hama. They were making these swift advances, but he really didn't want to talk about their military plans, what they were going to do next.

But he was exuding confidence that they were going to overthrow Assad. And he was very keen to talk about the post-Assad Syria and what they had planned for this. And of course, I asked him exactly that question, what it is that he wanted to do, what his vision is for post-Assad Syria, because this is a man, of course, as you know, who was a former al-Qaeda leader. He had links to ISIS.

In the past, he said that he was going to bring strict Sharia law to Syria. And he was -- he really wanted to say that those days are behind him, that now he is coming to rule this country along with other factions that they're going to work together on the transition to turn this country into an inclusive one, that it is not going to be one sector, one group's vision for this country that prevails, that they are going to work together to build a state of institutions.

As you've heard from him, since he's come into Damascus, he has really been very keen to make people feel -- reassure people that this is what he wants to do.

[17:30:07]

But everyone is watching closely to see if he is going to deliver on these pledges. I was speaking to foreign diplomats here in Damascus, they're also watching very carefully. He's saying the right things they say, but they just want to wait and see what he does next.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: And Fred, you're in Moscow. Russian state media reports that Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia. Remind us what Russia's role has been in backing Assad's regime and where the Russia-Syria relationship stands as of now.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's very difficult right now for the Russians. First of all, the Russians have also confirmed, Jake, that Bashar al-Assad and members of his family have fled here and that Vladimir Putin himself actually made the decision to allow Bashar al-Assad and members of his family to come here to Moscow, as he put it, on humanitarian grounds. And that just shows the close relations between Vladimir Putin and Bashar al- Assad and what was the Bashar al-Assad regime.

And the two really very important for one another. Remember, in 2015, the Assad regime very much on the back foot back then in the Syrian civil war, losing a lot of ground, especially in the north of the country. And it was then that the Russians came into Syria, expanded an air base near the city of Latakia, and then unleashed their air force on the rebels in Syria.

And they were brutally effective. There were obviously a lot of casualties on the ground. But it also allowed for two things. It allowed for the Syrian military to move forward and oust those rebels from large parts of the country, essentially saving the Assad regime, also, of course, with the help of Iran and some of Iran's proxies.

But what it also did, Jake, it also instantly made Vladimir Putin one of the most powerful leaders in the Middle Eastern region, definitely a factor in that region. And it allowed Russia to also project power not just into the Middle Eastern region, but all the way into Africa as well with that air base that they were using for longer distance flights.

Now, all of that instantly has been called into question. We were on a call today with the Kremlin, where they, first of all, acknowledged that they did not see this coming, that this came as a surprise to them. They said it basically came as a surprise to the entire world, they said.

And, of course, now very uncertain what is going to be the future of their air bases as well. They said right now they have to see who the new leaders in Syria are going to be. As of today, the opposition flag flies over the Syrian embassy here in Damascus. The Russians are saying right now premature to debate what will happen to their military assets in the Middle East, Jake.

TAPPER: And, Natasha, the American military will be under new leadership in just a few weeks. What conversations are you hearing at the Pentagon about the U.S. posture towards Syria during this critical moment?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Well, current officials here at the Pentagon, they are saying that there are no plans right now to pull out the roughly 900 troops that are in Syria as part of this anti-ISIS coalition that they work on with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic forces in northeastern Syria.

They believe that it still serves a very important purpose to keep those troops there in order to prevent the resurgence of ISIS. And you saw that just yesterday when they conducted this really massive sweep of airstrikes against 75-plus targets, ISIS targets inside central Syria, targeting ISIS leaders, ISIS infrastructure, clearly designed to send a message to any terrorist groups that might try to take advantage of this power vacuum that appears to have emerged at this point or that U.S. officials fear will emerge.

And so, right now, all signs are pointing to, look, the U.S. is going to stay there until they believe that it is not safe or effective for them to be there anymore. So far, they've gotten no signs from this rebel group, from these opposition forces, that they are not welcome there. So, they are going to keep -- kep put for now, Jake.

All right, Jomana Karadsheh, Fred Pleitgen, Natasha Bertrand, thanks to all of you. And some of the stunning images we've seen since the fall of Assad show people rifling through his mansion, taking high-end furniture, seeing piles of food in a country where nearly everyone lives in poverty. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz has more on these shocking displays of wealth.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You are looking at the extravagant car collection of the now-deposed President Bashar al- Assad, a red Ferrari F50 worth at least $3 million, a Lamborghini, a Rolls-Royce, a Bentley, among 40 luxury vehicles stored in this warehouse in western Damascus.

Proving to Syrians what they already believed to be true, that while Assad bombed and brutalized his people, his family revealed in vast wealth. Inside the presidential palace, more signs of luxury, a massive kitchen equipped with an industrial freezer, a pizza oven, and piles of food in a country where most go hungry every day.

The woman behind the camera reads from what appears to be a draft menu for the former first lady. To madame's food, she says, she hates spinach. Tomorrow we will make her salmon or Latakia fish.

[17:35:08]

Vogue magazine infamously dubbed, Asma al-Assad, a rose in the desert mere months before her husband used brute and barbaric force to crush a revolt against his dictatorship. But as rebels swiftly advanced on the capital, the Assads were finally dislodged, fleeing to Moscow where they received asylum.

Overjoyed Syrians celebrated in the streets and ransacked the regime's residences and offices, taking chairs, plates, clothes, whatever they could carry. Is this stealing, one person jokes? No, no, no, it's not, another laughs. Syrians have long accused the generational autocracy of pocketing hundreds of millions from the state. Festering corruption was one of the key grievances of the 2011 uprising. The Assad family is estimated to be worth $1 to $2 billion. Epic wealth maintained and cultivated while the regime killed, maimed, disappeared in displaced millions.

Syrians were plunged into a living nightmare. Some 90 percent of the population lives in poverty, according to the U.N. I came to see what Assad forbade us from seeing, this woman says. We were only allowed to know poverty, deprivation and suffering.

Now clear for all to see the grandiosity of the presidential palace, the callousness of his reign and the joy that Assad is finally gone.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ (on camera): Jake, what you see there is a minuscule fraction of Assad's assets. Activists say that he exerted great influence over Syria's economy. It will now be up to the new government to disentangle the country's finances from the Assad family. Jake?

TAPPER: All right, Salma Abdelaziz, thanks so much to you.

A big day on Capitol Hill today with a number of Trump's picks meeting with the senators who control their fate. Have they done enough to win over their support so that they will be confirmed? I'll ask one of the Republican senators in those meetings, next.

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[17:41:10]

TAPPER: In our Politics Lead, as Syria is being taken over by rebel and terrorist groups, here in Washington, President-elect Trump's picks for key national security jobs are on Capitol Hill, meeting with the senators whose votes they will need to confirm them.

I'm joined now by one of those senators, Republican Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senator, what -- what's your assessment right now of what's happening in Syria after the toppling of Bashar al-Assad and his fleeing to Russia? Is there any understanding of who's in charge of Syria? And how do you think the U.S. should be responding?

SEN. BILL HAGERTY (R-TN): I think the U.S. right now certainly is and should be continuing to communicate with various leaders on the ground to help get to a point where we do know how to work with. And certainly the goal overall is to ensure that stability ensues there.

Israel, our allies in the region should take the lead. The U.S. should be supportive. I certainly don't think we need to be entering and getting involved directly, but I do think that this is something that we should be watching extremely closely. Because the last thing we want, Jake, is to see Assad's chemical weapons, to see any of the terrorist groups that are there in any way get into a position where they could actually hurt America here in the homeland.

TAPPER: Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who was a Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii, although now she's a Republican. She is Mr. Trump's pick to be the Director of National Intelligence. She was meeting with senators today. Back in 2017, she made a controversial and secret visit to Syria, where she met with Assad. After she came back, she came on this show, came on The Lead to discuss that trip. Let me -- let me just roll some of what she told me back then.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TULSI GABBARD (R-HI), FORMER DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN: The Syrian people recognize and they know that if President Assad is overthrown, then al-Qaida or a group like al-Qaida that has been killing Christians, killing people simply because of their religion or because they won't support their terror activities, they will take charge of all of Syria. This is the reality that the people of Syria are facing on the ground, and why they are pleading with us here in the United States to stop supporting these terrorist groups. Let the Syrian people themselves determine their future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Congresswoman Gabbard at the time also expressed skepticism that it was Assad who actually gassed his own people, which I -- I think is the U.S. government is fairly certain is what happened. Are you hearing any concerns from other Republican senators about Congresswoman Gabbard serving as DNI?

HAGERTY: Well, I certainly am aware of the discussions that you're talking about right now in terms of what she said back in 2017. But Congresswoman Gabbard is -- is a decorated veteran. She's -- she's acted -- has been a wonderful member of the military. President Trump has hired her for a very specific job. He's in the process of doing that. And she's actually raised questions with respect to the intelligence community, I think, that need to be asked, that need to be delivered upon. Also, Tulsi represents a broadening of the -- of the tent, if you will, bringing in people from a variety of backgrounds.

President Trump won the election by broadening the tent. I'm pleased to see her do this. And I think she's going to move through the progress, I'm sorry, move to through the process. I think she'll make good progress. And at the end of the day, President Trump's policies are what's going to drive this administration. And Tulsi Gabbard should be a loyal member of his cabinet and follow those policies.

TAPPER: So no concerns at all, or you're hearing them, but those discussions will be part of the process?

HAGERTY: I -- I think the discussions will be part of the process. I have heard about that, but I've not heard concerns, Jake, as you -- as you would lay that out. I'm not hearing concerns that that's going to be in any way something that would jeopardize her capability of getting through the process with Republicans. Let me ask you about Kash Patel, Trump's pick to head the FBI, also on the Hill today, also meeting with senators. He has made a number of controversial statements in the past, some of them on forums that seem questionable. There was a show he hosted called Kash's Corner for "The Epoch Times," an organization known for pushing conspiracy theories. Here's a little excerpt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[17:45:02]

KASH PATEL, FORMER TRUMP ADVISER: We showed the corruption of the FBI's confidential human source program to cover up the FBI's corruption. We showed it's lies to the FISA court and we basically dismantled the biggest criminal syndicate operated from within the FBI by the likes of James Comey and company.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: So, criticizing the FBI, totally legitimate and -- and disrupting the FBI and the Justice Department, I get it, I understand it, I'm not criticizing that, but calling the biggest -- calling the FBI the biggest criminal syndicate operating from within the FBI, or -- or saying that the biggest criminal syndicate operating from the -- within the FBI by the likes of James Comey and company. Does that give you a moment of pause at all?

HAGERTY: Well, I'm not familiar with the context of this -- this discussion that you just showed. But I'll say this, I think Kash is, in -- in every sense, right, to be calling out, the team there at the FBI that back in 2016, you know, used a Clinton, you know, fabricated dossier as an excuse to come spy on the Trump campaign. The whole context and pretext for this Russia thing that hampered the Trump campaign the first several years of --of his administration, all of this emanated from the FBI, all of it needs to be cleaned up.

And even if you look forward to 2020, the FBI collaborated with Tony Blinken and the so-called 51 intelligence experts to hide Hunter Biden -- Hunter -- Hunter Biden's black -- back -- excuse me, Hunter Biden's laptop. They went out in front and ran that story to, you know, major -- major social media organizations to basically say it's going to be Russian disinformation. FBI was complicit in this. There really is a lot that needs to be cleaned up, Jake. And Kash is very much focused on this.

TAPPER: Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, thank you so much, sir. Always good to have you on.

HAGERTY: Thank you Jake. Good to be with you, too.

TAPPER: Jay-Z has a strong response after he became the first celebrity to be accused of sexual assault alongside Sean "Diddy" Combs, but accusations are not facts, and now the accuser's lawyer is responding to what he has to say. All of that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [17:51:23]

TAPPER: In our Pop Culture Lead, rap mogul Sean Carter, better known as Jay-Z, is denying allegations in a new civil lawsuit accusing him of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000.

The claim comes in an amended lawsuit already accusing Sean "Diddy" Combs. It alleges both men sexually assaulted the then-minor after the MTV Video Music Awards. In a statement, Carter called the allegations heinous.

He claimed the woman's attorney is attempting extortion. Carter pressed further, saying that if this had actually happened, the accuser would have, of course, gone to the police, writing, quote, whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree?, unquote. CNN's Kara Scannell breaks down these allegations in the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TONY BUZBEE, ATTORNEY FOR JANE DOE: The day will come when we will name names other than Sean Combs, and there's a lot of names. It's a long list already.

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jay-Z is the first celebrity to be accused alongside Sean "Diddy "Combs of sexual assault, according to a civil lawsuit brought by a Jane Doe.

BUZBEE: The names that we're going to name, assuming that our investigators confirm and corroborate what we've been told, are names that will shock you.

SCANNELL (voice-over): The lawsuit was first filed against Combs in October, including allegations that celebrity A also assaulted a minor. On Sunday night, it was amended to identify Jay-Z, whose real name is Sean Carter, as that celebrity.

The rapper is accused of raping a 13-year-old girl at an after-party following the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000. The woman alleges she was drugged, and according to the lawsuit, at that point, Carter began removing plaintiffs' clothes as she grew more and more disoriented. Then, the lawsuit alleges Jay-Z raped her, while a female identified as celebrity B watched.

The lawsuit was brought by plaintiffs' lawyer Tony Buzbee, who has filed 20 lawsuits against Combs. Combs has vigorously denied any wrongdoing. The Texas lawyer said they contacted Jay-Z to try to resolve the matter through mediation before filing the lawsuit.

Jay-Z denied the rape allegations, calling them heinous. He said the lawsuit followed an attempt at blackmail and said Buzbee is a deplorable human being. My heart and support goes out to true victims in the world who have to watch how their life story is dressed in costume for profitability by this ambulance chaser in a cheap suit.

The musician, who is married to Beyonce, said his heartbreak is having to explain to his children the cruelty and greed of people. Buzbee responded on X saying the alleged victim never demanded a penny from Jay-Z and accused the rapper of trying to bully them into silence. We will let the filing speak for itself and will litigate the facts in court, not in the media, he said.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCANNELL (on camera): So Jake, strong words of denial from Jay-Z's camp tonight. You know, they're saying that if these allegations were true, then there would be some criminal case here instead of the civil lawsuit some 20 years after the alleged assault took place. His lawyer is saying that this is part of a smear campaign. And tonight, his attorney is asking the judge to require the Jane Doe who filed the lawsuit to re-file it using her real name or dismiss the lawsuit saying that what's fair is fair. Jake?

TAPPER: All right. Kara Scannell, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

[17:54:39]

We have some breaking news for you. There's a live look outside a police station in Altoona, Pennsylvania. At any moment, we expect the suspect in the CEO murder to come out that door and be escorted by law enforcement to the Blair County Courthouse where he will be arraigned. Stay with CNN for coverage. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: Our last lead starred in our National Lead, University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker tells us that his home was vandalized overnight. Photos show the message divest-free Palestine spray painted on his wife's car. Acker also says it's someone through mason jars containing a foul-smelling liquid through the front window of his home.

The University of Michigan called this a quote, clear act of anti- Semitic intimidation. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement, quote, we cannot allow hateful acts to further fan the flames of division, unquote. Acker, who is Jewish, has been the target of previous anti-Semitic protests.

And in our Law and Justice Lead, a dramatic ruling prevents Rupert Murdoch from turning over control of his media empire, including "Fox," to his more conservative son, Lachlan. A Nevada commissioner reportedly said, they acted in, quote, bad faith. Murdoch wanted to give Lachlan all the power, even though his original family trust gave his four eldest children equal voting shares upon his death. Sources previously told CNN this dispute has torn the family apart.

[18:00:24]

The news continues now on CNN with Wolf Blitzer in The Situation Room. I'll see you tomorrow.