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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Justice Department Opens Criminal Probe Into Fed Chair Jerome Powell; Minnesota Sues Trump Admin Over Immigration Operations; U.S.- Based Rights Group Says, 540-Plus People Killed In Protests; Smithsonian Removes Details Of Trump's Impeachments From Exhibition; Warren Urges Dems To Focus On Affordability, Reject Billionaires. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired January 12, 2026 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper.

This hour breaking news out of Minnesota, officials just announced minutes ago that they're suing the Trump administration over its ramped up immigration operations in the state. We're live on the ground in Minneapolis in moments with details about the lawsuit and what happens next.

Plus, a growing number of Republicans are pushing back against the White House today after the Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into Trump nemesis Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Powell says this is only happening because he's refusing to give into Trump's pressure to lower interest rates. The White House response to that coming up.

Plus, the FBI revealing new details today about the suspect accused of starting a fire at the largest synagogue in the state of Mississippi. Court documents claim the man started the fire because of the building's, quote, Jewish ties. What else the suspect allegedly said when he was confronted by his own father.

And Democrats hoping to flip the house, maybe even the Senate in this year's midterms, but Senator Elizabeth Warren says that's going to require her party to, quote, read the room. What does that mean? And how easy will that be? We'll discuss.

The Lead tonight, a resounding statement of support today from all living former Federal Reserve chairs for the current chair, Jerome Powell, and his fight against the Trump administration. On Sunday, the Trump administration announced an unprecedented federal criminal investigation into Powell in his Congressional testimony on the Central Bank's $2.5 billion renovation of the aging Fed headquarters in Washington. Powell responded in an equally unprecedented video message, saying this is clearly not about the renovation. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEROME POWELL, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions, or whether instead, monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation.

I have served at the Federal Reserve under four administrations, Republicans and Democrats alike. In every case, I have carried out my duties without political fear or favor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: CNN's Kristen Holmes is at the White House for us today. Kristen?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jake. I mean, we're hearing a mixed reaction from administration officials as to how this is exactly going down. There are a number of officials who are loyalists to President Trump, who agree with his usual kind of going after his enemies in the court of law, though, of course, the White House has denied that he ordered the Justice Department to do this.

But there are also a number of people who are concerned about this, that this is going to negatively impact the markets. I mean, one thing to keep in mind here is that we know that there have been a number of officials close to President Trump who have urged him not to fire Powell because of the impact it might have on both the U.S. markets and the global economy.

Now, Karoline Leavitt was asked specifically whether or not President Trump has directed the Department of Justice to do this. This is what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Did the president ever direct DOJ officials to open an investigation into Powell?

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: No.

The president has every right to criticize the Fed chair. He has a First Amendment right, just like all of you do. And one thing for sure the president's made it quite clear is Jerome Powell is bad at his job. As for whether or not Jerome Powell is a criminal, that's an answer the Department of Justice is going to have to find out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And, well, Jake, this is unprecedented. This is stunning. It is not that surprising, if you actually look at what we've seen for the last several months. I mean, it was back in July in which Russ Vought, the head of OMB, put out a letter to Powell accusing him of lying to Congress. It was around the same time that President Trump installed a number of loyalists into the National Planning Commission essentially for this issue to look into the budget surrounding this Federal Reserve complex and the updates, all of them telling me at the time, at least two of them telling me at the time, that they were going to look into whether or not he had committed a crime, whether or not he had lied. So, now, obviously, you see where we've ended up.

TAPPER: And, of course, there are all these Trump nemesis who have just coincidentally ended up under investigation, whether James Comey or Letitia James or Adam Schiff. And, obviously, Trump doesn't have to give explicit orders to his underlings as to how to go after his enemies. I mean, there's that famous story of Henry II, will no one rid me of this turbulent priest, and then assassins targeted and killed the priest, Thomas Beck, the archbishop of Canterbury.

[18:05:05]

Isn't that more like how it works here?

HOLMES: I don't think there's any, you know, lack of knowledge among his closest advisers that he would like to see Powell out. He has been threatening to fire him now for months and months. We've seen this kind of idea or this hinting, as I said, since July, that they were going to try and accused Powell of lying to Congress during that testimony. So, the writing bit has been on the wall here, and anyone who is close to President Trump or has been watching anything he said understands that he wants Powell out.

TAPPER: Will no one rid me of this turbulent Fed chair? Kristen Holmes, thank you so much. I appreciate it.

Let's go to CNN's Manu Raju on Capitol Hill. Manu, you've been catching up with lawmakers there. What are they saying about this?

MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Jake, there are a lot of questions from Republicans and Democrats alike. But even House and Senate Republicans, they are -- they want more answers about what exactly is happening here and are worried about the implications for the independence of the Federal Reserve if this goes on for too long. In fact, one of the regular comments that I've been getting all afternoon from Republican senators in particular is that they want this done quickly. They want this investigation done quickly. They want to move on, and they're worried about the implications of political interference with this critical agency.

That's a message that came from including one key senator, Senator Thom Tillis, who sits on the Senate Banking Committee, which would consider any nomination to replace Jerome Powell, and he's warning he will vote against Powell's successor if this is not done and done quickly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Do you think the White House is trying to stop the independence of the Fed?

SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): -- somebody at DOJ, I mean, the president said he wasn't in the mix, another example of amateur hour, as far as I'm concerned.

RAJU: Should they drop the investigation?

TILLIS: I'm not going to get into that. What I'm going to do is drop any consideration for any board confirmation until it's done.

RAJU: Are you concerned about it?

SEN. STEVE DAINES (R-MT): Well, I support the independence of the Feds and I hope that this investigation wraps up very, very quickly.

RAJU: And what's the impact if it isn't wrapped up quickly?

DAINES: It will wrap up quickly. It needs to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: And Powell has been actually on the phone with some Republican senators in the last 24 hours or so. Senator Elisa Murkowski, who aligned herself with the concerns raised by Senator Thom Tillis, said that she had spoken with Powell, Tillis also speaking with Powell. And the Senate majority leader, John Thune, also said that he wants this done quickly. He wants an investigation done quickly. He said he wants to make sure there's absolutely no political interference with the Federal Reserve.

That was not the message though from the speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, who I asked about this. He said he would reserve judgment on these allegations. He said that if Powell is innocent, that he will essentially be proven innocent. And I asked him about concerns that the Justice Department could be weaponized now that Powell is yet another political foe of the president, who is now being targeted by the Justice Department, but Mike Johnson said that the Justice Department is not being weaponized, he said, under Donald Trump. Jake?

TAPPER: All right. Manu on Capitol Hill, thanks so much.

Joining us now, former Trump White House Communications Director Alyssa Farah Griffin and former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger.

Alyssa, Powell's term is fed Chair technically ends in May. This may -- actually, this move might persuade Powell to stick around even longer as a Fed chair governor. That wouldn't end in 2028. What do you think is Donald Trump's strategy behind this making this aggressive move now, not just waiting until May, and what do you think of Speaker Johnson saying that the Justice Department is not politicized?

ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Listen, this is a very odd battle for the president to pick, and I suspect economic advisers around him have told him as much. As you mentioned Jerome Powell's term does end in the near future, but I'd also note the president's gotten three rate cuts since he's been in office. He's hardly been a victim of an unfair or unhelpful Fed in terms of trying to stabilize the economy while we're still dealing with inflation in a year into his term now.

Listen, a lot of these grievances go back to his first term despite the fact that this was someone who he had handpicked for the role. And there's a lot of speculation that he wants somebody close to him, like Kevin Hassett, the current NEC director, to be the next Fed chair. And for what it's worth, I think it's worth advisers of the president and the president himself to consider that even somebody who does have the credentials, like Kevin Hassett, I think, if they were confirmed for this role in the future would also operate independently. That is just the role of the Fed chair. Congress has a key role in this, and it doesn't serve any administration, future, past or present, if you have a Federal Reserve chair who feels beholden to whatever presidents in office.

TAPPER: And, Congressman, you posted a video saying this is more about Congress' power versus Trump's, and also that Republicans need to step in to stop Trump from doing this. Speaker Johnson dismissed concerns, said that Trump is not weaponizing the Justice Department.

[18:10:01]

What do you expect is going to happen and what should happen?

ADAM KINZINGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It always blows me away that the speaker can just say stuff like that. Everybody knows he doesn't mean it, but he says it, and, you know, whatever. Or anybody actually, that's what politic -- so, look, I mean, what's going to happen is there's going to be a lot of concern expressed. There might be some tweets even expressing concern.

You know, the senators even going -- as I was listening to the package where they were talking, they weren't saying, this is political. This should stop. The thing they say is they need to do this investigation quickly. And as politicians, they always try to find the middle ground where they can kind of be on the good side here but also not completely tick off President Trump, and that's what this do, this quickly thing is. This is a very bad precedent no matter what ends up happening, even if you if there's no indictment.

What Republicans should do, and it's particularly in the House, even though this doesn't come through the House, because there's like a two-vote majority, is just say, hey, any number of these priorities that President Trump has, we are going to vote against them. We will shut down his priorities in the House of Representatives until he depoliticizes something as important as the Fed. But they won't do it. There'll be a lot of concerns and tweets and stuff, but where they have real power, they're always hesitant to actually exercise that.

TAPPER: And, Alyssa, obviously, this is just the latest Department of Justice investigation into a nemesis of Trump. You had James Comey, Letitia James, Lisa Cook, another Federal Reserve chair, Adam Schiff. So, what do you make of this? I mean, President Trump ran against lawfare, and so many Republicans said, yes, you know, the Biden administration politicized the Justice Department against him, and that's not fair, et cetera, et cetera, but they're pretty quiet now. So, lawfare is okay, it's just -- it only needs to be done against Democrats or people that Trump doesn't like, including the Fed chair that he himself appointed?

GRIFFIN: Well, and, listen, the president telegraphed on the campaign trail that retribution was going to be on the table. And I told Republicans at the time and during the campaign that you could try to signal, he doesn't actually mean that, he's going to be focused on the economy, immigration, and other things, but we've seen it. We've seen it since day one. He gave his remarks in the Capitol Rotunda during his inauguration that largely stayed on topic. And then moments after he gave another speech where he started talking about political foes and retribution. This is something he can't shake from his system.

But I would just remind conservatives, the precedent that we set when we're in power can also once again be used against us when Democrats are back in power. And I'd also remind folks that anytime a new investigation is opened by the Department of Justice, that is taxpayer dollars that are being used. And in this case, we've seen most of them thrown out, in the case of James Comey and others.

So, I think it's, it is incredibly hard for Republicans to defend and it's House members and many senators who have to defend these things ahead of the midterms going into November of this year. They're the ones who are going to have to talk about it, not the president.

TAPPER: And, Congressman. I mean, presumably Donald Trump is going to leave it the end of this term, at least that's what the U.S. Constitution suggests. What is the calculus of the House and Senate Republicans that just keep quiet about any of these things? Do they think, well, I can just wait this out? Do they -- I mean, do they not understand that they're going to be judged by history, including their kids and grandkids?

KINZINGER: That's the question I always have, is, you know, history books are going to record their name in some fashion. But I think, you know, what it comes down to ultimately, right now, they have primaries, they're concerned about that. But, Jake, I've come to believe that people more than they fear even death, they fear being kicked out of their tribe, lose your social circles. You get the text that Alyssa and I have gotten all the time about people disappointed in us or mad or what have you become, and I think that frightens these people from making a decision.

Keep in mind, Jake, too, when they leave politics, they're hoping to use their connections to make money afterwards. So, that's why a lot of people that aren't running again still are hesitant to make the president mad because they want to have access in the job that follows.

TAPPER: All right. Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger, Alyssa Farah Griffin, thank you to both of you. I appreciate it.

The breaking news tonight, Minnesota is suing the Trump administration over those ramped up immigration operations in the state, but the White House is already surging even more agents to Minnesota. So, what happens next? We're live on the ground in Minneapolis in moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:15:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KEITH ELLISON (D), MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL: The deployment of thousands of armed, masked DHS agents to Minnesota has done our state serious harm. This is, in essence, a federal invasion of the Twin Cities and Minnesota, and it must stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: In our National Aid, just a short time ago, Minnesota's Attorney General Keith Ellison announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration over immigration enforcement actions in both Minneapolis and St. Paul, the Twin Cities. Over the weekend, mass anti-ICE protests across major U.S. cities following the deadly ICE shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis.

CNN's Ryan Young is at the scene of the shooting in Minneapolis. And, Ryan, what are the main points behind the lawsuit filed by the state of Minnesota and the Twin Cities?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jake, they're calling this a violation of state rights. They say they want a restraining order to happen immediately to make sure these operations stop.

Something to keep in mind here, they have about 600 officers in Minneapolis, 600 in St. Paul, and they say the surge of officers into this area is more than both departments. So, they really believe this is having an impact and they're seeing more 911 calls come in because they believe the unlawful arrests that are happening throughout the city is really shaking it to its core.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I cannot believe this is happening in our community, that Minneapolis used to be known as an open city, as a loving city, and now it is invaded. It's invaded by ICE.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A fellow Minnesotan was killed.

[18:20:03]

And I see order in our country, order in my state falling apart. And it's not a time to sit on the sidelines.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Jake, I want show you something right here. They just started up this now saying, say her name. You can see protesters who are showing up any number. This has been happening throughout the city all day long, as people remain energized by this, they do not want to forget her memory. You see all the signs and this growing memorial here, we've seen people from all across the state come to leave messages here that can't believe the city is now having more ICE agents and police officers.

Of course, we're hearing about the strain on local police departments as well as people are calling 911, scared at the fact that some of their neighbors have been snatched up and put in SUVs not knowing where they are. The protesters at the federal building, a lot smaller than what they were in the last few days, but we've been talking to some folks who say they believe more protests will happen in the next few days. Jake?

TAPPER: All right. Ryan Young in Minneapolis, thanks so much.

A new threat from Iran tonight as President Trump is weighing a series of potential military options amid deadly protests in that country, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:25:00]

TAPPER: In our World Lead, 16 straight days of protests in Iran against the regime there, 84 hours of an internet blackout, at least 544 people killed, all this as anti-government demonstrations across that country continue. Top members of the Trump administration plan to discuss a potential response to these protests tomorrow after President Trump says, Iran called to negotiate. But the speaker of Iran's parliament warns his country will retaliate, targeting U.S. military bases, ships, and personnel across the region if the U.S. intervenes in any way.

I want to bring in Nazanin Boniadi. She's a British Iranian actress as well as an activist for Iranian people's rights. We've had her on the show many times. Good to see you again, Naz.

So, Iran's internet blackout has now persisted for four days. The countrywide communication shutdown is making it difficult to even assess what's happening on the ground. I know you have family in Iran. What have you heard from them, if anything?

NAZANIN BONIADI, BRITISH IRANIAN ACTRESS AND ACTIVIST: Thanks for having me, Jake. Yes, I have family in Iran and I'm also -- I have been in touch for years with dissidents on the ground. And, unfortunately, for the past four days, it's been a complete back blackout. I mean, we are getting pieces and bits and audio bites and clips of videos that are sent to us only because of Starlink, and even that's being jammed.

It's not looking good. I mean, there's been 500 confirmed -- more than 500 confirmed and documented killings by the state. But it's more likely in the thousands. That's what I'm hearing from the very little information we're getting from within Iran. And they're using military grade weapons is what I'm hearing and close range shots.

This is really a youth-led movement. And for the past few years at least, there's always been some kind of a demand in every protest, whether it was the 2009 movements and for reform and women's rights in 2022, and the Women Life Freedom Movement, it's unequivocally an overthrow this time and they're in the millions. Even with a blackout, and they shut out the electricity leaving them in the dark and with no way to communicate with the outside world, they shine their phones in the air and create this wave of light showing that they're in the tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands and millions across the country.

TAPPER: What do the dissidents, what do the people on the ground in Iran who want freedom, who want democracy, who want basic human rights, what do they want the west to do other than issue statements? Because I'm sure that's not enough.

BONIADI: Yes, it isn't enough. One dissident explained it in the most basic term possible. When a crime is happening to you or you are witnessing a crime, you call the police. We have someone to help us. On an international scale, we have failed the Iranian people. Who are they supposed to call? The criminal is the state. Who are they supposed to call? We go to the U.N. Security Council to get a multilateral approach to save them and defend their rights, and, of course, it's going to be vetoed by China and Russia.

How do we save these? How do we protect that and defend them? They need help and we need to do better. We need to reframe the way we look at these things. And what we have in place right now as far as international law is not helping them. We failed.

TAPPER: So, what should happen, do you think? What do you want to happen? I mean, there has been talk that President Trump is looking at potential military targets. Obviously, you know, he ordered the attack on Iran's nuclear facility. So, I'm sure it's not out of the question. What could he do that would help?

BONIADI: I mean, the only thing that can help is that's what the Iranian people are calling for, which is, you know, stop the people who are killing us at close range. And they're in the thousands now. And if we don't stop them then it's going to continue.

And they've already shown that this is not a legitimate regime. It's not a regime that represents the people. And they want the right to have an internationally monitored, free and fair election. They want to choose their own fate and their own destiny.

[18:30:00]

But how can they do that when they're being met with war bullets simply for asking for freedom?

I mean, and so I'm not a politician, Jake. I don't know how that comes about, but all I know is that we can appeal to lawmakers and we can appeal to the international community to do whatever it takes. As one dissident said, do whatever it takes to stop them and protect us. It's really that simple.

I don't know what that looks like. But I'm calling on international lawmakers and really for a multilateral approach, everybody coming together, please, the people of Iran are standing united, shoulder to shoulder. It's a diverse country. They have their political differences. But there's one thing that they agree on. They don't want this regime.

So, how do we put that in place? How do we protect them and for the day after, ensure that they have an internationally monitored, free, and fair election, where they choose their own fate and their own destiny? That's really what they want. That's what they've asked me to relate.

TAPPER: Amen. Nazanin Boniadi, thank you so much, always good to have you on the show.

BONIADI: Thank you, Jake.

TAPPER: Tonight, the FBI's releasing new details about the suspect accused of setting a fire at the largest synagogue in Mississippi. We're breaking down the new revelations, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:35:00]

TAPPER: In our National Lead, a suspect arrested and charged with arson for causing the fire at Mississippi's largest synagogue with authorities not ruling out possible hate crime charges. Incidents of anti-Semitism, of course, are all on the rise nationwide.

CNN's Rafael Romo has details of the unfolding investigation in Mississippi.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Tonight, a confession from the man authorities say set fire to Mississippi's largest synagogue, this according to a new court filing. Surveillance video shows a man wearing a hoodie and a mask pouring liquid from a can inside the synagogue. The man seems to be making an effort to douse every crevice in corner as he moves around the building.

According to a criminal complaint filed Monday, Stephen Spencer Pittman confessed to his father to setting the building on fire after confronting his son about burn on his ankles, hand and face. The complaint also says Pittman laughed as he told his father what he did, later referring to the Jewish temple as the synagogue of Satan, when interviewed by investigators.

According to the Beth Israel congregation president, there was significant damage to the temple's library and offices, as well as smoke and ash damage throughout the building.

ZACH SHEMPER, PRESIDENT, BETH ISRAEL CONGREGATION: They had broken in through one of the windows from the outside with an ax apparently and then proceeded to pour gasoline or some kind of accelerant from a gas can.

ROMO: Two Torahs and other sacred scriptures were also destroyed.

SHEMPER: It's all gone, all of it.

ROMO: Beth Israel is Mississippi's first and largest synagogue built just after the Civil War and the only synagogue in Jackson. According to the Synagogue's website, in 1967, the Ku Klux Klan bombed Beth Israel in part because of the congregation's work in the civil rights movement.

Several local officials have publicly expressed support for the congregation.

DEPUTY CHIEF CLEOTHA SANDERS, JACKSON FIRE DEPARTMENT: You know, we just want to let the be Israel community know that the city of Jackson is standing with this community, so attack against the synagogue is an attack against all of us.

ROMO: The fire comes in a wave of anti-Semitic events across the country. The Anti-Defamation League documented more than 9,300 anti- Semitic incidents across the United States in 2024, a 5 percent increase from the year before.

SHEMPER: The outreach of the community has been overwhelming. All of -- you know, a lot of the churches in the area have offered their worship space as our worship space as we need it.

ROMO: Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TAPPER: And our thanks to Rafael Romo for that report.

I want to bring in Liora Rez. She's the founder and executive director of Stop Antisemitism. Liora, good to see you again.

So, the complaint says that this suspect called this temple, Beth Israel, the synagogue of Satan, which echoes language that we've heard from right wing figures, Candace Owens comes to mind, to describe houses of worship for Jews. What do you think that could say about the suspect?

LIORA REZ, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STOPANTISEMITISM: Hi. It's so nice to be back with you, Jake. So, I mean, this is the go-to language for, you know, just really controversial, anti-Semitic figures on the right, such as Candace Owens, Nick Fuentes is another example. But if we look at decades going back, I mean, this is the, you know, systematic vocabulary of the Nation of Islam and Louis Farrakhan.

And this particular individual, we took a peek at his social media, and he appeared to be, you know, a promising baseball player, a student at a Catholic school, and received some type of scholarship and/or future possibility of playing baseball in his postgraduate studies. So, we're not sure what exactly happened to him during his time in high school and thereafter. However, we are not surprised or we won't be surprised if we learn that his podcast or pool of favorites does include Nick Fuentes, Candace Owens, and others.

TAPPER: Yes. Who also -- they all cloak themselves in Christianity, even though it's not any form of Christianity I recognize.

It just seems like you can't go a day without there being something anti-Semitic. There was a post, a GoFundMe that I saw earlier today from conservatives for the ICE officer involved in that shooting. [18:40:00]

And like in the language of the GoFundMe, it mentioned -- it said, you know, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who was Jewish, like as if that was relevant at all to anything. I mean, Stephen Miller's Jewish too. It's like it's completely irrelevant to any of this stuff. And as we Rafael noted in that piece, FBI hate crime statistics show that hate crimes against Jews far exceed any other crimes against any other religious groups. Why? What's going on?

REZ: So, I have to tell you that GoFundMe that you just referred to after much uproar, thankfully, that note that the mayor was Jewish was removed. And there was absolutely no reason except to possibly vilify him by the individual who started that GoFundMe. Any other person's religion wasn't noted there. But, again, just to vilify the mayor and note that, A, he was Jewish is just completely bizarre to us. Whether, you know, whatever side of this debate that you are on, the fact that the mayor is of a certain religion has no -- it has nothing to do with anything.

That being said, whether we're looking at the right, whether we're looking at the left, whether we're looking at Christianity, Islam, anti-Semitism and hatred of Jews is coming at us at every single angle. And we've been in touch with the DOJ and specifically Leo Terrell's office in regards to this individual, this, you know, lunatic who set Mississippi's oldest and largest synagogue on fire. The fact that he maniacally was laughing to his father as he was telling him about what he did is just a true testament to the problem that we're facing as a community right now.

TAPPER: And, Liora, I mean, speaking of synagogues, there was a demonstration outside of synagogue in New York City and the group protesting were -- they labeled themselves pro-Hamas, Hamas being a group that the U.S. government designates a terrorist group. They kill Jewish civilians all the time. They kill American civilians. It was so stark that New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both of whom are very critical of Israel, Governor Kathy Hochul, other officials, all very quick to condemn. So as you note, it's coming from right, left, and sideways.

REZ: It is. And after Zohran Mamdani won the election, I just want to note that language that was so blatant right now to the rally that you had just noted was never so overly pro-Hamas. It was always pro- Palestinian. Now that band-aid was fully ripped off and they were literally chanting, we are Hamas, without any fear of consequences, and it's just absolutely shameful.

I will say also, we're not buying Zohran Mamdani's and AOC's, you know, disgusting claims of how awful this is. We firmly believe this is part of their voting base. And the fact that Zohran Mamdani refuses to this day to denounce globalize the intifada, what does he think the intifada is? Sentiments and prayers? No, it's violence and rallies, such as this one.

TAPPER: Liora Rez with StopAntisemitism, thank you so much. I appreciate it. President Trump now says he regrets not having seized the voting machines after Joe Biden legally and completely, legitimately beat him in the 2020 election. My panel weighs in next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:47:17]

TAPPER: And we're back with the politics lead.

It's a New Year and a new portrait for President Trump with the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery with a new label that now leaves out that sentence about how he was impeached twice on charges of abuse of power -- of power and incitement of insurrection during his first term.

That switch, coming at the same time as the president's remarks to "The New York Times" that he regrets not having ordered the National Guard at the time to seize voting machines in swing states after his loss in the 2020 election.

My panel is here, so here is exactly, Congressman Dent, what President Trump told the times when asked about whether using the military to impound voting machines was actually a viable idea, he said, quote, I don't know that they are sophisticated enough, meaning the national guard, you know, they're good warriors. I'm not sure that they're sophisticated enough in the ways of crooked Democrats and the way they cheat to figure they figure that out.

So here we are, Charlie dent. Congressman Dent, with the way this administration is dedicated to erasing the impeachments and rewriting the history of January 6th, are you does this make you worried about what might happen in 2028?

CHARLIE DENT (R), FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: Well, sure. I'm concerned. I mean, look, I -- it's a terrible idea to seize the machines. There was really no fraud to speak of in these swing states, including our state of Pennsylvania.

So bottom line is, it's just strikes me that this is another form of intimidation. Sending a signal to election officials that if he doesn't like the outcome of an election, he may seize your machines. And, of course, that would set off a constitutional crisis like we've never seen before. But I guess when you're going to seize Greenland and do all sorts of things, you know, criminally charged, potentially criminally charged, the chairman of the Fed, you know, nothing surprises me anymore.

TAPPER: What do you think?

ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I don't think it's even until 2028. I think it's preparing for midterms. So, you think of a presidential election and there's some consistency across states, because everyone is going to be voting for the president of the United States. Well, let's say Minnesota is the state that he wants to go in and seize. And he starts doing it. There are -- TAPPER: He claims that he's won it three times. He actually --

ALLISON: I'm aware of that.

TAPPER: He's actually lost it three times.

ALLISON: Three times, right. And so I think it is just a warning for people to be on alert, to think -- to put in the necessary precautions at the state and local level to make sure that their systems and procedures are in place and that there's some bipartisan support on the state and local level, because he's waving the flag like he did in 2020.

DENT: And think, what could happen to a state like Pennsylvania if he -- if the president calls out the national guard and the governor objects? Because --

ALLISON: That's right.

DENT: The guard is also under the jurisdiction of the governor.

TAPPER: Yeah.

DENT: Again, another crisis right there, so --

[18:50:01]

ALLISON: Pushing the bounds of democracy.

TAPPER: Senator Elizabeth Warren is trying to shape the Democratic agenda for the midterms, as well as her 2028 -- with a speech this morning at the National Press Club. She sat down with my colleague Dana Bash to talk about her message earlier today. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): We can either say we are all in for American families and lay out in concrete terms. Here's how we're going to lower costs. Or we can say we're going to moderate that. Were going to nibble around the edges in order to be more attractive to billionaire donors who might help fund Democratic campaigns. At the end of the day, the money is not worth it if it causes us to narrow up our agenda.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Do you think that that is the reason why Democrats in the past have moderated legislative ideas because of the billionaires that donate? Or is it because of voters in the middle, or a combination of both?

ALLISON: I think it's both, actually. I think that they're -- one thing Donald Trump has done is he has unearthed this sentiment that things are not working. And I think Democrats have an opportunity to say, you're right, they are not working. And this is the agenda in which we put forth to make them work for you, the American people, the middle class, poor people, folks who are trying to come up first generation college students.

And this is how we do it. The research shows that when we do, when we talk about issues that way, moderate voters, centrist voters and the far left, its a progressive agenda, is actually popular. It is when we start infighting with amongst ourselves and saying, like the crazy radical left amongst Democrats is when the agenda gets a little weak and wobbly.

TAPPER: So, this is kind of the same debate. One 2028 contender for the Democrats potentially former Ambassador Rahm Emanuel, who's also a CNN senior political commentator, at least as of now, until he announces he seems to agree that there's a split in the Democratic Party, he seems to be wanting to embrace the more moderate side, as opposed to the more progressive side, I can, you know, be simplistic in my characterizations there.

And Rahm told "Axios" last week in Mississippi, quote, there's a resistance wing dominated by Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, and there's a renewal wing that will be as forceful in fighting for America as the other wing is in fighting Trump. What do you make of that?

DENT: Well, Rahm Emanuel is ruthlessly pragmatic. I've observed that of him when he was chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He was all about getting results.

Rahm always struck me as a guy. He was not a -- he's not an economic populist like some of these other characters. He is a serious guy. And I think that Rahm is on to something. He is about winning and he has a good sense of how to find the political center. And I think that's what he is trying to articulate here, not just being a resistance party, but having ideas.

So, I think there's a lot to be said for Rahm. I know he's got his critics, and a lot of people think his time has passed. But I listen to what he has to say.

TAPPER: What do you think?

ALLISON: Well, I don't think --

TAPPER: You have thoughts. I see it in your eyes. Just say it. Just say it.

ALLISON: I don't want to get in trouble on a Monday. No, I don't think people are looking for a renewal. It kind of goes back to my other point. People are looking for something different. And so, I would just encourage anyone who thinks that there is a split in the Democratic Party right now. I think that they are part of the problem. I think people should be listening to -- in order to win in this country right now, you actually can get progressives and moderates.

It is actually something I would -- I would encourage the ambassador to remind what happened in 2008. There was like this old school Clinton branch, and then there was this new wave of Obama-ism, and people didn't think it was possible. And Obama was able to build this massive coalition. I think that is what people are looking for right now.

TAPPER: Somebody that unites the factions of this. Of course, in 2008, Obama was actually able to get Republicans, too.

ALLISON: That's right.

TAPPER: And he won Indiana and North Carolina.

ALLISON: And I think we are in this moment where people are sick of parties and looking at R and D, and they're looking for solutions.

TAPPER: Is there anyone in the Democratic Party today that you see who could unite the party and be that Obamacare? Let's say without Indiana?

DENT: Well, I think the ones, in my view, again, as a Republican, I would suggest maybe a Josh Shapiro, Andy Beshear, I think their challenges will be getting nominated in the Democratic Party, such as it is these days. But I think those two I would even suggest Rahm is in that same category, but those are three that I would look at, maybe even a Governor Whitmer.

ALLISON: Whitmer, Warnock, I mean --

DENT: I could put Warnock in there too.

ALLISON: The list is very long and --

DENT: But some of the hard progressive left I think they're going to be a really tough sell for general election.

TAPPER: To be continued. Thanks guys. Really appreciate having both of you here.

How the Department of Homeland Security is hoping to use drones to keep it safe at the World Cup, when the World Cup comes to the U.S. later this year.

[18:55:06]

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: Last leads now, it starts in our national lead.

The Department of Homeland Security says it is investing $115 million in counter drone technologies ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In the U.S., drones have been a security concern for public safety for years, and the tournament is expected to bring more than a million visitors into the U.S.

And our world lead, a Swiss court ruled today that the owner of the ski resort bar that caught fire during a New Year's party, killing 40 people, must remain in custody. The court statement says Jacques Moretti will be held for a provisional period of three months. However, the court stated this could be reviewed if measures are taken to counter the risk of Moretti fleeing the country.

In our money lead today, Mattel launched the very first Barbie with autism. The doll comes with a working fidget spinner and oversize headphones that reduce sensory overload, and a pink tablet that represents her with a working fidget spinner and with a working fidget spinner and oversize headphones that reduce sensory overload, and a pink tablet that represents her communication device. The doll is part of a new collection of Barbies with a range of skin tones and hair textures, and body types and health conditions.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts now. I'll see you tomorrow.