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Biden Blames Putin For Reported Death Of Critic Alexei Navalny; Navalny's Wife: Putin "Will Be Punished" If Death Confirmed; Leon Panetta, Former Defense Secretary & Former CIA Director, Discusses Navalny's Death; Special Counsel Weiss Charges Former FBI Informant With Lying About Bidens' Involvement in Ukrainian Firm; Iowa's Caitlin Clark Shatters NCAA Women's Scoring Record. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired February 16, 2024 - 13:30   ET

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

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[13:30:09]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Just moments ago, President Biden blamed Vladimir Putin for the reported death of his most famous critic, Alexei Navalny.

Russia's Prison Service saying that Navalny, quote, "felt unwell" after a walk at the Siberian penal colony where he had been transferred in December. Russian state media reported an ambulance crew tried to resuscitate Navalny for more than half an hour.

This is video that shows the 47-year-old opposition leader just yesterday. He was at a court appearance and he was laughing, he was joking with the judge. He appeared in good spirits, as he often does.

Biden praised Navalny's sacrifice after years of calling out Putin's corruption.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Even in prison, he was a powerful voice for the truth, which is kind of amazing when you think about it.

And he could have lived safely in exile after the assassination attempt on him in 2020, which nearly killed him, I might add. And -- but he was traveling outside the country at the time. Instead, he returned to Russia. Russian authorities are going to tell their own story.

But make no mistake, make no mistake, Putin is responsible for Navalny's death. Putin is responsible. What has happened and evolving is yet more proof of Putin's brutality.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Let's turn now to CNN White House reporter, Priscilla Alvarez -- White House correspondent, Priscilla Alvarez. Priscilla, the president also using this time to demand the $60 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine against Russia's invasion.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Brianna, and using it to underscore the stakes of this moment. This $60 billion, of course, has been stalled since October when the White House made that national security supplemental request.

And the president saying quite forcefully that Congress or the House at least is going on a two-week recess as this remains before them.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: But it's about time they step up, don't you think, instead of going on a two-week vacation? Two weeks, you're walking away. Two weeks. What are they thinking?

My god. This is bizarre. And it's just reinforcing all the concerning and almost -- I won't say panic -- but real concern about the United States being a reliable ally.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ: Now, the resounding message for President Biden from the outset, is that not providing these funds could cede grounds to Russia. And that is what the administration is trying to avoid, the message they're trying to convey to Republicans as this remains stalled.

Now, as you heard earlier, President Biden putting direct blame on Russian President Vladimir Putin for the death of Alexei Navalny. That has been also the message from the top Biden officials who are at a security conference in Munich, Germany.

Now in 2021, President Biden did say and warn President Putin that if Navalny died in prison, that there would be consequences. The president was asked about that today. He said his administration is looking at options. Though he wouldn't say what that consequence would be.

But the two big questions going into the next few hours is, what is that consequence if the administration decides to take that route? And also what additional pressure can they put on Congress and will it renewed urgency among Republicans who, again, have not moved forward on this stalled package.

KEILAR: All right, Priscilla, thank you for that.

We're going to turn now to CNN chief international security correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh. He's there in Munich, Germany, were that Global Security Conference is underway.

And, Nick, Navalny's wife just spoke. Can you tell us what she said?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, in the last hours, an emotional statement.

Let's hear, in her own words, what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIA NAVALNAYA, WIFE OF ALEXEI NAVALNY (through translation): I want them to know that they will be punished for what they have done with our country, with my family and with my husband. There'll be brought to justice. And this day will come soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PATON WALSH: Now announced as a surprise guest, not somebody originally on the agenda here, and not a story, not an event on the agenda here either.

But now, a conference that had been expected to predominantly, I think, be full of reassurances from the United States to NATO allies.

That the comments of former President Donald Trump about goading Russia on to attack NATO allies if they didn't pay their dues towards their own defense spending, transformed, frankly, into the more acute, real, and serious threats of Vladimir Putin himself.

Essentially now, the discussions about what Putin is willing to do to his own dissidents.

[13:35:01]

Even a man like Alexei Navalny, caught up in the Arctic Circle diminished, frankly, muted in his capacity to reach so many in Russia, still managing to get message out through court appearances, through parts of his loyal coterie around him, but not the threat he has been.

Yet still, many believe allowed to die or even killed by a Russian administration that still, at this stage, considered him to be a threat.

I think there were some interpretations as to what that shows you of the mindset in the Kremlin now, paranoid or unwilling to tolerate even the smallest notion of dissent at this point.

But to some degree, it's forcing a remarkable change in the tone here, much less the debate about NATO, about whether Ukraine could potentially be resolved through diplomacy.

Ukraine seizing on this, saying it shows Putin simply cannot be trusted, that diplomacy would be pointless.

And now, I think a very real sense of nations need to respond to the death of Navalny. In 2021, President Joe Biden clear he would potentially bring in serious consequences.

They've had to wheel out so much from their armory because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But really, I think pressure now for some sort of cohesive response and certainly for that assistance to Ukraine to get pushed through.

Remember, $60 billion still caught by dysfunctionality, frankly, in the Republican Congress.

Back to you.

KEILAR: That's right, a lot of dysfunction in that.

Nick Paton Walsh, thank you for that report.

Boris?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: We're going to discuss this further now with Leon Panetta. He's a former secretary of defense and CIA director.

Sir, thanks so much for sharing your afternoon with us.

President Biden was asked by a reporter whether he believed that Alexei Navalny was assassinated. Biden said that he didn't know exactly what happened, but that he holds Vladimir Putin responsible.

The U.S. now working to confirm the reports from the Russian Prison Service about how Navalny ultimately died.

But what does an investigation look like into a death like this on the U.S. side?

LEON PANETTA, FORMER U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY & FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: Well, I think the president is right. Regardless here of whether or not Putin pulled the trigger that killed Navalny, we all know that Putin is responsible for his death. He tried to poison Navalny. He's tortured him. He's threatened him. He's put him in prison.

There's no question that Navalny paid a price for trying to be a patriot in Russia.

SANCHEZ: On that note, we're seeing footage of his appearance yesterday. He was in a video laughing with a judge, joking about how much money he'd lost through all his legal or deals, asking the judge to pitch into his bank account.

Do you have any suspicions about his death, whether this was something that was done nefariously by the Kremlin? What questions do you have about the nature of his death?

PANETTA: Look, I have nothing but suspicions when it comes to Putin dealing with his opponents. I mean, he has a history of killing those that opposed him.

You know, we just saw that recently with Prigozhin, somebody who tried to challenge Putin and wound up dying in a plane crash. Putin is going to do that.

And there's no question that I think there are suspicions as to what took place here when he was in good shape the day before, was laughing and joking at the hearing, and then the next day, winds up being dead. So, yes, I think there are a lot of suspicions here about whether or

not Putin was involved in his death.

SANCHEZ: The timing of his death is also interesting, given that it comes just weeks before Russia's presidential election. Also at a time where Vladimir Putin may feel emboldened, given U.S. support for Ukraine appearing to wane.

I'm wondering what you think this does, not only to the power struggle within Russia, but Vladimir Putin's efforts to expand his influence even beyond Russia's borders.

PANETTA: Well, you know that's -- that's the one thing that -- that indicates that Putin may not particularly have wanted Navalny to die at this point because there's an election coming up. And it's pretty clear that there's growing criticism in Russia with regards to Putin and how he's handled this war.

I think the most important thing the United States can do at this point, most important thing we can do is to provide that $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine.

[13:40:06]

To show Putin that the United States is still there, that we are credible, and that were going to do everything we can to make sure that he does not succeed in Ukraine.

That's the best way to respond to what happened to Navalny.

SANCHEZ: Former defense secretary, Leon Panetta, we have to leave the conversation there. Appreciate your time, sir.

PANETTA: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Of course.

So Republican lawmakers are facing growing pressure to drop their efforts to impeach President Joe Biden after the key witness they were banking on has been charged for allegedly making false statements about the Bidens. We're following the very latest.

And University of Iowa superstar, Caitlin Clark, just became the all- time leading scorer in women's college basketball in spectacular fashion, setting a career high. We have the highlights for you in just moments.

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[13:45:21]

KEILAR: Congressional Republican's push to impeach President Biden just took a major hit. Special counsel, David Weiss, has charged a former FBI informant with lying about the president and his son Hunter Biden's ties to Ukrainian energy company.

Those discredited claims by Alexander Smirnov have been touted by Republicans for nearly a year now in their impeachment inquiry.

Just moments ago, President Biden commented on the former informant from the White House:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: He's lying and it should be dropped. And it's just been -- has been an outrageous effort from the beginning.

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KEILAR: I'd like to bring in CNN's Marshall Cohen.

Marshall, House Oversight Chair James Comer said in a statement to CNN that his investigation into the president does not revolve around Smirnov or his claims.

So what happens to their investigation considering they have so often touted these claims?

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Well, Brianna, factually speaking, this destroys a big chunk of their impeachment case.

Look, Special Counsel David Weiss says that this longtime FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, lied to investigators when he accused Joe Biden and Hunter Biden of corruption.

He made up a story about the Bidens taking millions of dollars of bribes from the Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, where Hunter Biden was on the board, including when his dad was V.P.

So this informant passed that tip along to the FBI in the summer of 2020 seemingly corroborating the Republicans claims that the Bidens were peddling their influence in Ukraine to get rich.

There was only one problem though, Brianna, it wasn't true, according to this indictment, according to special counsel, David Weiss.

And remember, Weiss not a Biden crony. He's a Trump appointee. He is literally currently prosecuting Hunter Biden during an election year, but he said that these were fabricated allegations.

KEILAR: Republicans have tried to nonetheless discredit Weiss. As I mentioned, these allegations, he's discredited allegations, Marshall, have really been the linchpin, no matter what James Comer says of so much of what Republicans have alleged.

How are lawmakers reacting to this?

COHEN: Look, there's no way around it. It's a huge blow to the GOP impeachment case. Democrats have taken a victory lap on this.

Because Republicans have championed this guy, this informant. They threatened to hold the FBI director in contempt if he didn't turn out -- turn over memos about these allegations.

Then the Republicans publicly released those memos over the objections of the FBI.

They have been peddling this garbage for nearly a year, and no surprise, Brianna, it found a home in right-wing media, dozens of segments on FOX News last year alone.

Here are just a few examples. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN HANNITY, FOX HOST, "HANNITY": How real of a bribery scandal -- Joe Biden bribery scandal allegation is this?

REP. KEVIN MCCARTNEY (R-CA): Well, every day, this bribery scandal becomes more credible.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We already know the president took bribes from Burisma.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even a trusted FBI informant has alleged a bribe to the Biden family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So you heard at the top from the president himself. He and the House Democrats think this is enough to drop the whole impeachment saga. But frankly, I'm not holding my breath -- Brianna?

KEILAR: Yes, that might be smart.

Marshall Cohen, thank you so much.

[13:48:57]

Coming up, she needed just eight points to break the NCAA women's scoring record and she did it in the first three 30 minutes of the game. We'll have more on basketball superstar Caitlin Clark's historic night.

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[13:53:48]

SANCHEZ: Shattering a record with extra points. She should have gotten extra points for style. A long three pointer just two minutes and 12 seconds into last night's game made Caitlin Clark the NCAA's all-time leading scorer in women's basketball.

The Iowa Hawkeyes sensation now has -- listen to this number -- 3,569 points.

Our Andy Scholes has more.

And, Andy, Clark wasted no time etching her name into the history books. She was on a mission last night.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: It certainly seemed that way, Boris. You know, she came into last night's game just eight points shy of Kelsey Plum, NCAA, a record on the all-time scoring list.

And with all that pressure coming into the game, Clark still ended up having her best performance of the season. She scored five points in the first minute of the game.

Then with the entire crowd on their feet, she came down and hit a three from way downtown to break the record. She even joked after the game, of course, she hit a three from the logo to set the record.

And Clark ended up with a career-best 49 points in this game as Iowa ended up beating Michigan.

And afterwards Clark reflected on now being number one on that all- time scoring list.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[13:55:03]

CAITLIN CLARK, NEW NCAA WOMEN'S ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER: I don't know if you can really script it any better. I'm very grateful. I'm very thankful to be surrounded by so many people that have kind of been my foundation in everything that I've done since I was a young little girl.

And I started crying watching it on video just because, like, I'm just filled with so much gratitude and love. And the way these fans support women's basketball is so much special -- is so special.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: And I'm here in Indianapolis where our friends over at TNT are gearing up for this weekend's all-star festivities.

I got a chance to talk to the guys from inside the NBA last night, and I asked them just how impressed have they been with what they've seen from Clark.

(TECHNICAL PROBLEM)

SANCHEZ: Doesn't look like we have that sound bite.

But Andy Scholes live from a snowy Indianapolis.

Looking forward to the all-star game, Andy?

SCHOLES: Oh, yes. Yes. It should be fun. They're going back to east- west this year, Boris. And tomorrow night's even going to be more fun because Steph Curry is going to face Sabrina Ionescu in an extra competition.

It's the battle of the sexes in a three-point competition. Really looking forward to that.

SANCHEZ: It is going to get heated.

Andy Scholes, again, from snowy Indy. Thank you so much, Andy.

Still plenty more news to come on NEWS CENTRAL. President Biden headed to East Palestine, Ohio, more than a year after a nasty train derailment disaster. How that community is still trying to get back on its feet.

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