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Blinken Speaks Before Leaving For Israel; Trump Files Motion To Dismiss Georgia Election Subversion Case; Defense Secretary Under Scrutiny For Keeping Hospitalization Secret; Interview With Rep. George Connolly (D-VA). Aired 1:30-2p ET
Aired January 08, 2024 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[13:30:00]
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That will also be her role. She will hit the road this month talking about reproductive rights.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: All right, and, Priscilla, if you can just stand by for us.
We want to go now to Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaking with reporters before his trip to Israel.
ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: -- that there is a future path that can bring lasting peace and security for Israel, that can ensure that October 7th never happens again.
And it can bring the region together, that can meet the aspirations of the Palestinian people and do it in a way that makes this a region focused on the future and not on the challenges of the past.
With that, I will take some questions.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. Secretary, you talked about trying to prevent a wider war. But Israel has now killed two Hezbollah leaders within a week. What does that say about U.S. leverage over Israel? And doesn't that risk a second front?
And, secondly, Israel's Minister Haqqani yesterday said military strikes against the Houthi was not the best option, that he preferred diplomacy since the military strikes would raise regional tension.
What message are you getting to Arab partners in the region about U.S. coalition efforts and intensions towards potential military strikes in Yemen.
BLINKEN: Well, first, with regards to Lebanon, it is clearly not in the interest of anyone, Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah, for that matter, to see this escalate and to see an actual conflict.
And the Israelis have been very clear with us that they want to find a diplomatic rapport, a rapport that creates the kind of security that allows Israelis to return home.
Nearly 100,000 Israelis have been forced to leave their homes in northern Israel because of the threat coming from Hezbollah. But also allows Lebanese to return to their homes in southern Lebanon. We are working intensely on that effort and doing so diplomatically.
Second, with regard to the Red Sea. The international community as a whole faces a challenge. These attacks, the consistent attacks by the Houthis on international shipping are a threat to everyone.
We talked about this yesterday. You have about 15 percent of the world's commerce every day going through that strait and going through the Red Sea. These attacks are having a real effect on the prices that people have to pay for food, for medicine, for energy.
Ships have to get diverted to other places and insurance rates go up. And the basic principle of freedom of navigation is what is at stake. So the international community has a real stake in upholding that principle.
As I said, we have had 40 countries come together to make clear that what the Houthis are doing has to stop. We have other countries that have made clear that, if it continues, there has to be consequences.
So our strong view, our strong preference is that the Houthis get the message that they are receiving from countries around the world that this needs to stop. And that's what we're focused on.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Before the October 7th attacks, you and other aides to President Biden were trying to pursue the idea of Saudi- Israel normalization. It seems like that has been more difficult in the light of the attacks, given the animus on different sides now.
But you still want to pursue that? It might be one way to get Israel to recognize the aspirations of the Palestinians. What did Crown Prince Mohammed tell you today about the prospects for normalization?
What conditions is he looking for to reach normalization? And what do you think the U.S. and Israel have to put forth to reach an agreement?
Secondly, would Crown Prince Mohammed and MbD (ph) today tell you about what they are willing to do in a post-war state in Gaza?
BLINKEN: The second part of the question first. What I found, virtually at every stop, was the willingness of all the countries involved to do important things to help Gaza stabilize and revitalize. I heard that in every place.
One thing that we will be working on together is just what that would require and just what countries specifically are prepared to do. But that was a pretty constant theme.
With regard to immigration and normalization, yes, we talked about that actually at every stop, including here in Saudi Arabia. I can tell you this. There is a clear interest here in pursuing that. There is a clear interest in the region in pursuing that.
But it will require that the conflict end in Gaza. And it will also require that there be a practical pathway to a Palestinian state. [13:35:04]
This is what I heard from everyone we talked to about it. But the interest is there, it's real, and it could be transformative.
(INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Thank you.
KEILAR: You are listening to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He is on a whirlwind tour of the Middle East as this war between Israel and Hamas continues on. There, he is leaving Saudi Arabia. His next stop is Israel.
As we just heard President Biden saying to someone who was heckling him about Palestinians and demanding a ceasefire during his visit to Mother Emanuel AME Church.
He said he is basically pressuring Israel, trying to get them out of Gaza, trying to ensure the left side of his party that he is trying to, I guess, change the tide when it comes to all these civilian casualties we've seen.
So this is a critical visit we are watching here. Working intensely, he said, for a diplomatic solution.
And still ahead, former President Trump is now seeking to dismiss his election subversion case in Georgia, claiming that he has presidential immunity. We'll have more on the latest from Trump's legal team coming up.
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[13:40:30]
KEILAR: Former President Donald Trump is asking a Georgia judge to throw out the election subversion case against him in that state. And he is using a very familiar tactic, which is citing presidential immunity.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: In a motion filed today in Atlanta, his lawyers claim that Trump was only acting in his official capacity as president when he allegedly sought to undermine Georgia's 2020 election results.
A federal appeals court is also set to hear that argument from Trump's attorneys tomorrow.
Let's go now live to Atlanta with CNN's Nick Valencia.
Nick, what are Trump's lawyers saying with this new court filing?
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Boris and Brianna, we had anticipated this. But it doesn't make it any less significant.
It is familiar though because it is a similar argument that we are seeing his attorneys in the federal case argue, and effectively invoking the Supremacy Clause.
And what he's saying here in terms of his Georgia criminal case is that --
(TECHNICAL PROBLEM)
SANCHEZ: It looks like we have some technical difficulties with Nick's live shot. We will, of course, circle back with him.
It is significant news. Trump, again, seeking to get a case dismissed arguing that he has residential immunity.
KEILAR: Yes. And of course, that is something that is very questionable. And we will have to see, ultimately, where the court's land on that.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
So more news to come, the White House says there are no plans to dismiss Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after he failed to disclose he was hospitalized for several days.
And there are big questions that remain, including, why were the president and the deputy defense secretary kept in the dark? We will discuss with a sitting member of Congress in just moments.
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[13:46:38]
SANCHEZ: So the White House is vowing to review and, if needed, reform the, quote, "process and procedures" surrounding Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's hospital stay.
Austin is facing bipartisan criticism for taking three days to notify President Biden and other top officials that he was admitted to the ICU on New Year's Day.
Now here is what we know. Austin had an undisclosed elective procedure December 22nd and he was released the next day. But on January 1st, Austin had severe pain and an ambulance rushed him to the ICU at Walter Reed Medical Center.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was notified the next day, on January 2nd, the same day that Kathleen Hicks assumed some of Austin's duties.
But get this -- she was not told he was hospitalized until January 4th, which is also the day President Biden found out.
Austin has resumed his duties but he remains at the hospital.
Joining us now is Congressman Gerry Connolly, a Democrat from Virginia. He is on the Foreign Affairs and Oversight Committees.
Congressman, thank you so much for sharing part of your afternoon with us.
Do you have any insight on how the secretary is doing? And why the White House and others were not notified that he was rushed to the ICU?
REP. GERRY CONNOLLY (D-VA): I don't have any independent information other than what has been reported.
The fact that he was rushed to the hospital and was put into intensive care would suggest that whatever was going on was serious. You are not put into ICU without some serious medical complications.
And as of yesterday, I believe he was still in Walter Reed, he was still in the hospital.
So our first concern is we want the secretary of defense to get well and to be able to return to his duties.
SANCHEZ: According to his team --
CONNOLLY: Once that happens --
SANCHEZ: Go ahead, sir. I'm sorry.
CONNOLLY: I was going to say, secondly, once he is released from the hospital and is recuperated, he has some explaining to do. This is not an acceptable situation for one of the most senior cabinet-level responsibilities.
And given what's going on around the world. It is a complicated world. There are wars going on. We have engaged in hostile action to take out a terrorist leader.
The secretary of defense cannot go missing and cannot go missing unexplained.
SANCHEZ: Why do you think there was a failure to follow protocol? Do you have any idea why this was kept secret?
CONNOLLY: There has been speculation that the secretary himself is a very introverted personality, very private and, initially, did not want to share what was going on medically.
The problem is that is a luxury that cannot be afforded for someone in his position. He is the secretary of defense.
He needs to be very transparent and almost immediately about anything that could impair his ability to carry out his responsibilities.
SANCHEZ: Congressman, if, as you alluded to, there are national security implications for the way this was carried out, d Do you think Secretary Austin should resign?
[13:50:00]
CONNOLLY: I think it is way too early to make that decision. He has got to have the opportunity to explain himself.
I will say I find it choice and delicious that some of my Republican friends, including Donald Trump himself, are calling for him to resign because he has not been transparent on his medical condition.
We seem to recall Donald Trump getting Covid and actually being angry with his own chief of staff for releasing details about how serious it was.
And flaunting that Covid, insisting on a ride while he was still actively infectious with the Secret Service detail, taking up the mask when he got back to the White House and exposing a lot of other people to what was, then, certainly a lethal virus that did not yet have a vaccine.
That Donald Trump and those Republicans?
SANCHEZ: So, Congressman, in your mind, what can the secretary do to fix the situation? I'm also wondering what questions you might have for him?
CONNOLLY: I want to have him explain in detail what happened and when. Go over the chronology.
And at the very least, the level -- the chain of command that needs to kick in immediately has to be refreshed and clearly delineated as we move forward. We can never have this happen again.
SANCHEZ: Congressman, I do want to pivot to what is happening on Capitol Hill. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer come to an agreement on topline spending numbers this weekend.
I am wondering what you make of the agreement and if you think that this is a good step forward to avert a partial government shutdown in a few weeks.
CONNOLLY: I actually tip my hat to the new speaker for yielding to reality. No budget can pass the House of Representatives without overwhelming Democratic support. That is a fact of the math.
And he recognized that and decided to negotiate with the Democratic leader in the Senate, the Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and with Hakeem Jeffries in the House, the minority leader.
And I believe that's going to allow us to move forward with funding of the government.
It's going to create problems for him, just like it did Kevin McCarthy on the right side of his caucus, which is never happy with any budget agreement or with any appropriations bill. And he's got to bypass them and risk his own speakership in doing so.
So I think, you know, he deserves credit for at least recognizing the reality and making sure that we can come to an agreement that keeps the government open. SANCHEZ: Does it strike you, sir, that what he largely agreed to is
essentially the same that Kevin McCarthy did when he was a speaker and is, ultimately, part of the reason that he was kicked out as speaker?
CONNOLLY: Yes. I think there is a lot of irony here. Kevin McCarthy loses his job by doing what Mike Johnson is going to repeat.
But it is sort of this intellectual logic, however. There is no choice. It is not like Kevin McCarthy had a choice. He tried and he could not get Republicans to vote for a Republican budget.
That is when he gave up and finally came up with a bipartisan agreement, dropping all the poison pills, dropping the horrible policy language, and agreeing to a set of numbers that had already been codified in the debt ceiling increase early in the year.
That is what Mike Johnson is repeating. And we will see what the Freedom Caucus and the far-right elements of the Republican caucus in the House are going to do in response.
SANCHEZ: Congressman Gerry Connolly, we have to leave the conversation there. Please keep us posted if you learn more about the secretary of defense.
CONNELLY: Sure will, Boris. Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Thanks so much.
KEILAR: And now to some of the other headlines we are watching this hour.
The civil trial against the NRA is getting underway. New York Attorney General Letitia James has accused top executives of the gun lobby group of tax fraud and stealing millions of dollars for personal use.
The NRA's longtime leader, Wayne LaPierre, resigned on Friday. His testimony is still expected to be one of the most significant parts of the trial.
And March for our Lives, the student led gun-reform movement, is calling for a statewide student walkout in Iowa.
Last week, at Perry High School, outside Des Moines, a 17-year-old gunman killed a sixth grader and wounded five other people, including the school principal. The walkout will culminate with a protest at the state capital.
And Olympic gold gymnast, Mary Lou Retton, speaking out for the first time since her life-threatening health scare in October. She tells NBC's Hoda Kotb that she is a fighter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY LOU RETTON, OLYMPIC GOLD GYMNAST: I am very private.
HODA KOTB, ANCHOR, NBC NEWS: I know.
[13:55:00]
RETTON: And to come out and talk about it, usually, my interviews are, oh, yes, it felt great to win the Olympics.
KOTB: Yes, that kind of stuff.
RETTON: This is serious and this is life. And I am so grateful to be here. I am blessed to be here. Because there was a time when they were about to put me on life support.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Retton was hospitalized with a rare form of pneumonia that left her unable to breathe on her own.
The NTSB is looking for answers after a terrifying accident left an Alaskan Airlines flight with a hole in the fuselage thousands of feet above the ground. We will have that ahead on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.
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