Return to Transcripts main page

Don Lemon Tonight

FBI Warning That Armed Protests In 50 States Are Being Planned; House Dems Plan To Vote Wednesday To Impeach Trump; Acting Department Of Homeland Security Chief Resigns; Interview With Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ); Parler, The Social Media App Popular With The Far- Right, Sues Amazon For Cutting Off Its Services; Big Companies Hit Pause On Political Spending; Congressman Got Down On His Knees To Pick Up Trash Left After The Deadly Capitol Riot. Aired 11p-12a ET

Aired January 11, 2021 - 23:00   ET

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

[23:00:00]

DON LEMON, CNN HOST (on camera): So here's our breaking news tonight. The FBI warning Americans armed protests are being planned for Washington D.C. and all 50 state Capitols in the days leading up to Joe Biden's inauguration next week. Sources saying President Trump and Vice President Pence met today for the first time since the deadly riot at the Capitol, when Pence was inside the building.

House Democrats formally introducing their impeachment resolution charging Trump with inciting the riot. The vote to impeach him set for Wednesday. And at this dangerous moment in the nation, the acting secretary of homeland security resigning his post tonight.

Let's bring in CNN's White House Correspondent, John Harwood and CNN Washington correspondent Ryan Nobles. Good evening gentlemen. Thanks so much for joining.

John, Trump has no remorse and the FBI is warning about attacks on every state Capitol plus D.C., the acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf in his third cabinet secretary is his third cabinet secretary to resign. The nation is in crisis, our leadership looks like its incomplete disarray. Am I wrong?

JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): No. It is in complete disarray, hard to know what to make of Chad Wolf's departure and whether it matters. Chad Wolf had been an undistinguished acting secretary, sort of a tote for Trump although he called on Trump to denounce the rioters the other day and now he leaves. Was he fired? Was he quitting in order to show that he disapproved of what Trump had done?

He cited some court decisions, a question his authority is as acting secretary. But again it's not clear what we lose in terms of protection from his departure. I think what people have to hope, and we don't know because as you were just discussing with Andy McCabe. We haven't had briefings from U.S. Government agencies for days. Let people know what's going on.

LEMON: Who's running the country, John? HARWOOD: Right, but what we have to hope is that Christopher Wray who

has shown integrity and strength as the FBI Director, who've kept a very low profile that he is doing the job and helping sauce out the reports and intelligence that's being picked up about this potential armed demonstrations in 50 states capital in Washington.

LEMON: Interesting, I've been saying all these people resigning, it's like the jet pulling up to the gate and then they take their seatbelt off just before the seatbelt light goes off.

HARWOOD: Completely.

LEMON: It's the equivalent of that. Look how brave you are. Let me take that seatbelt thing off. Ryan, you know, Democrats are pressing ahead of impeachment, an impeachment vote on Wednesday. Now, there's talk about trying to hold a Senate trial before Trump leaves office. What do you know about this timeline? Is it feasible?

RYAN NOBLES, CNN WASHINGON CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Probably not. Frankly, Don, you know, what the problem here is that the Senate majority leader, the current Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell really holds the keys, to whether or not the Senate takes up those impeachment articles. Once they pass through the Democratic-controlled House which should happen relatively easily and even with a level of bipartisan support.

But you know, Mitch McConnell just doesn't have any interest in getting involved in a trial, especially with, you know, so few days left in the Trump administration. But still, the Senate minority leader soon to be Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, would like to press him to make it happen. He's looking at some legislative options that would allow him under emergency proceedings to force the Senate to come back in and take these articles of impeachment up before Trump leaves office.

But there, you know, it doesn't appear to be a lot of ability for him to do this. You know, it seems as though Mitch McConnell has the ability to step in the way of that happening. So, what it is much more likely at this point, Don, is that the House passes this resolution on Wednesday.

And then it is held until the Democrats take control of the United States Senate, and then the trial begins perhaps even as the Biden administration starts and the trial takes place and perhaps even a conviction after President Trump leaves office.

[23:05:00]

Both Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden acknowledged today that it is something that could take place in the early days of the Biden administration. It could distract some from the early days of his administration, but they both seem to acknowledge that this is the will of the members of the United States Senate and the members of the Congress that there's nothing they can do to stop it.

LEMON: John, President Trump is facing impeachment, he's muzzled online. He's not going in front of cameras. He's completely isolated and this is -- I mean, this is -- when he's at his most predictable, isn't it? When he's backed into a corner. Unpredictable, I hope I said unpredictable.

HARWOOD: Yes, Donald Trump is like -- well I got your draft and Donald Trump is a wounded animal at this point. And you don't know how he might strike out. The odd thing is that without his Twitter account which has been the principal means of him expressing himself to the American people.

We don't know moment to moment what he's thinking. We're getting reports from aides about his move, but he hasn't step before the cameras. He's obviously deeply troubled by what's happened to him in the election.

And the question is what exactly could he do? You know, we had those defense secretaries, both parties put the defense establishment on notice, that not to do anything (inaudible) if they think they're getting improper orders or you know, to take care. We saw that in the end of the Nixon administration, when the defensive secretary said, don't carry out any military orders without running them by me.

Nancy Pelosi explore that with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley last week. So, you know, the worst-case would be, some sort of military action. It would seem that the Pentagon and national security apparatus would somehow deter that from happening. But we don't really know. And the one thing we do know though is that the quick instant, strikes out at people that he has been doing on Twitter is simply not available to him now.

LEMON: Hey, Ryan, I have to run. So I hate to give you a short trip but how is the Capitol looking now?

NOBLES: It looks much better Don. You know, they've got almost all of the debris and everything cleaned up. There are some boarded windows. And it's certainly, you know, you can see the remnants of what took place here on Wednesday.

But you know, I was not here on Wednesday when it all took place. I was still covering the Georgia runoff. But I was here the following day. It was pretty remarkable to see how much work had already gone into them cleaning it up.

The other thing I'd point out, Don. I know you're running out of time. You know, what's remarkable is the amount of security that is now starting to be implemented here ahead of the inauguration. You know, big fencing that's being put up around the perimeter of the Capitol and the acting police chief of the United States Capitol police saying tonight that no one from the public will be allowed on to the Capitol grounds for the impeachment.

That was some new information we got here tonight. So, what they didn't perhaps take seriously last Wednesday they now are taking very seriously in terms of security for the inaugurations that's coming up.

LEMON: Thank you, Ryan. Thank you, John. I appreciate it. NOBLES: Thank you.

LEMON: A Democratic lawmaker blaming her coronavirus diagnosis on Republicans who refuse to wear masks during the Capitol riots. Congresswoman and 75-year-old cancer survivor Bonnie Watson Coleman having to go to the hospital for treatment after testing positive for the virus.

Take a look at this video, she was in the same room where six of her Republican colleagues were seen on video rejecting masks, during the attack on the Capitol. One of those Republicans, Congressman Markwayne Mullin can be heard saying I'm not trying to get political here when offered a mask by Democratic Congressman Lisa Blunt Rochester.

Congressman Bonnie Watson Coleman joins me now on the phone. Congresswoman, I'm so glad that you here, we are worried about you. Hello, we know that you just returned from the hospital after going there for a monoclonal antibody treatment. How are you feeling right now?

REP. BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN (D-NJ) (ON THE PHONE): Yes, right now, I feel fine. I feel like I have a little cold, I probably would not have even thought a test had a not been for a directive from the attending physician office that someone in that holding area had tested positive. And that we should all get tested, and that's how I found out today.

LEMON: Boy oh boy, so you were in that room where Republicans were not wearing masks. You're directly blaming them, how many people are we talking about and what do you want to tell them right now, Congresswoman?

WATSON COLEMAN: Well, I want them to move away from their stupidity and their defiance and their arrogance. Mask wearing has already demonstrated to provide a degree of safety with other people in your space from this coronavirus. It may be an inconvenience, but it is not a political tool. And it is something that you do when you think about someone else as well being.

[23:10:05]

And so, I want my colleagues from the Republican side that refuse to wear their mask and who are defiant and arrogant with it. To give some concern to somebody else. That's probably when I would say to them if I were face to face right now. But I can't be, because I'm going to be quarantined until we figure out how this virus is going to run its course through my body.

LEMON: I mean, I just can't believe when I look at the video. I mean, in even in this day in age now, right? That people can't, even if they don't believe in it for other people to help other people, there were other people in the room.

I don't understand why they just couldn't put on a mask, especially considering what you guys are going through at the moment. I mean, I'm wondering, the room you can only see a little bit from the video. I'm wondering how crowded was that room?

WATSON COLEMAN: There was no safe distancing in that room.

LEMON: And what was their reasoning? Why do they reject the masks?

WATSON COLEMAN: You know that's a question if you really have to ask them, and I don't think that they'll give you any kind of a sane answer, it has been a bunch of a malarkey.

They have been Trump sycophants, they do and say what he wants them to do and say. They're responsible for half of the chaos that we have going on there. And then they have the arrogance and the defiance of other people, and the right to be safe and healthy.

And so, they lack of heart, that's the issue. They lack of heart. And obviously the brain is at some place other than where it should be.

LEMON: Did they at any moment when you were there, because listen. We have been talking about, this I know that I have for the past five years or so about how dangerous the rhetoric was, that it was going to lead to some sort of violence. You know, we were in peril of our democracy, our democracy was hanging by a thread.

All of those things and now certain people are realizing, especially Republicans that they are now getting, you know, their fearing for their security and so on and their family's safety. Now all of a sudden they are getting it, what do you say to those people? What took them so long to come around, for the ones who have come around not all of them have?

WATSON COLEMAN: Some of them feared Donald Trump, that his supporters would not support them. If they weren't stocking up to him, some of them believe that silliness, some of them embrace these conspiratorial theories, because they are unstable enough that you believe that. And some of them supported those folks that sieged upon the Capitol. Just last week. And so there's got to be a reckoning and a reconciliation. And for people have to be held accountable.

LEMON: Well Congresswoman, I'm so glad that you are safe in the sense of your life that you're still here. I'm sorry that you're having to deal with this COVID diagnosis, and we certainly wish you the very best and we will send prayers to you. And if you have a prayer circle have them pray for the country and will take some of that as well.

WATSON COLEMAN: Yes I do, yes I do. Thank you Don, thank you for having me on.

LEMON: Congresswoman, thank you. Thank you. We wish you well. We really appreciate you joining us take care of yourself.

WATSON COLEMAN: Thank you. Take care, I will. Bye-bye.

LEMON: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:15:00]

LEMON: Tonight, new reporting from Axios that in a call with White House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy this morning, President Trump falsely blamed Antifa people for the siege at the Capitol.

McCarthy reportedly denied the president's baseless claims saying, quote, it's not Antifa, it's MAGA, I know. I was there. This according to a White House official and another source familiar with the call. McCarthy also reportedly told the president stop it, it's over. The election is over.

Also tonight, several Capitol police officers have been suspended pending investigations into their conduct in the riot according to a statement from the acting Capitol police chief.

This as CNN is obtaining an internal FBI bulletin warning armed protests are being planned in D.C. and all 50 states leading up to the inauguration and amid all this the acting Homeland Security Secretary, Chad Wolf, announces his resignation.

So how do we stop what unfolded on Wednesday from happening again? Joining me now to discuss is Chris Swecker. He is a former FBI assistant director of the criminal investigative division. Hi, Chris. It seems like -- I don't know who's driving the car. It's a little scary at this point.

So, CNN has obtained this bulletin, right. This FBI bulletin, which says that armed protests are being planned at all 50 state Capitols and the U.S. Capitol close to the inauguration. Threats against President-Elect Biden, the V.P. Harris, the House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi. How big a challenge is ahead for all of us if you know, they cover -- for people who have to cover the entire country?

CHRIS SWECKER, FORMER FBI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE DIVISION (on camera): Yeah, I think, this feels a little bit like the '90s, Don, where you know, sort of the hardcore fringe elements on the right side have become very active. And when that happens, I mean, you got to be on top of your game when it comes to security.

That bulletin that went out, I think, is the general intelligence that's out there. But I can tell you there's probably some very specific intelligence that's being passed to various law enforcement agencies across the country on individuals, on individual plots and that sort of thing.

[23:20:00]

So, the FBI is in hyper overdrive right now in terms of gathering intelligence on the social media sites, gathering intelligence from their human sources. And I can guarantee you the inauguration is going to be one of the most secure events we've seen in quite a long time.

LEMON: Yes. Listen, I know we had similar discussions, but why do we -- I mean, all of us, to continue to underestimate the danger of domestic terrorism, especially right-wing domestic terrorism in this country? SWECKER: Well, it went to sleep after the '90s. I mean, at 90s are a

real active period. Domestic terrorism was one of the FBI's highest priorities, not international terrorism, but home-grown domestic terrorism. And that sort of subsided for about a decade in the 2000s and it just reignited over the last five or six years.

And I think it has a lot to do with the political discourse in the country. It has a lot to do just with the general political climate in the country. But I can tell you, when these groups become awake, you got to be on top of your game when it comes to security. When it comes to intelligence gathering. And these 50 state Capitols, they better have some darn good security in about a month or two.

LEMON (on camera): It's obvious -- Wednesday made it all too obvious. What you're saying is correct. So, Chris, President-Elect Biden sounding defiant today when asked if he's afraid to take the oath of office outside. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, 2020 PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm not afraid of taking the oath outside. And we've been getting briefed. But I am -- I think it's critically important that there be a real serious focus on holding those folks who engage in sedition and threaten people's lives, deface public property and cause great damage that they be held accountable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON (on camera): I got to tell you, most people I know, they're saying don't do it. Do it inside. He is projecting confidence. But you say that he should be behind a bullet-proof barrier on inauguration day, right?

SWECKER: As a security professional, absolutely. I would be fully supportive of the President of the United States -- the incoming President being sworn in outdoors. That's just the right thing to do in my opinion. But from a security standpoint. He needs to be behind something that's bullet proof. You can see him through Plexiglas, bulletproof Plexiglas but he has to be behind something that's protective.

I would be concerned about snipers, you know, even something as bizarre as home-made mortar rounds even coming in. I would prepare for absolutely everything. But I would not cancel the outdoor swearing in ceremony.

LEMON: So, listen, the FBI is trying to find the man seen holding the confederate flag inside the building. How do they track this guy down, Chris?

SWECKER: Well, I can tell you the extremists on both ends of the political spectrum post on social media nonstop. And I'm sure this person has posted at some time or another. These people are not invincible. They're very visible you know, when they're planning things. They usually plan on the internet. That's just the age that we live in.

If not, the FBI has sources. They have methods of identifying these people. I would venture to say that he's already been identified at this point. I'll go out on a limb, but I think the source coverage is that good, Don, in terms of their coverage of the right-wing extremists at this point.

LEMON: Yes. And there are so many pictures and so much video, it seems like it's just a matter of time. It seems inevitable that they will catch him. Thank you, Chris.

SWECKER: they will be.

LEMON: I appreciate it. Thank you so much.

SWECKER: Don, thank you.

LEMON: Extremists kicked off Twitter and Facebook, but it could be creating new problems for law enforcement officers who track them.

Plus, Democrats moving forward with impeachment, but will Republicans actually hold Trump to account?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:25:00]

LEMON (on camera): So tonight, Parler, the social media website that's becoming a favorite on the far-right, is suing Amazon saying it has effectively been shut down after Amazon kicked it off its cloud- hosting platforms. That as social media companies work to stem the flow of conspiracy theories after Trump supporters stormed Congress last week. So, where will the fringe right move next online?

CNN's Donie O'Sullivan has more on the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We had an election that was stolen from us.

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER (voice over): Some of the biggest peddlers of the conspiracy theory that Trump didn't lose the election, including the president himself, have been purged from major social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter since last week's insurrection.

UNKNOWN: The president's Twitter account has been suspended.

O'SULLIVAN: But they and their followers have been finding new homes online. Platforms like Parler and messaging app telegram that have few rules and where hate and misinformation fester.

SEAN HANNITY, FOX HOST: I'm moving from Twitter to Parler. I'm moving to Parler. I'm moving to Parler. I have a Parler account. BEN DOCKER, CEO MEMERICA: When people push disinformation or

conspiracy theories, those conspiracy theories are just further reinforced. There's no counter rebuttal like there might be on Facebook or Twitter where you have fact checkers and people who have different views that offers a civic debate.

O'SULLIVAN: Weeks ago we spoke to Parler users who explain why they prefer this.

What is something you can say on Parler that you wouldn't be able to say on Facebook?

UNKNOWN: That the coronavirus is not as deadly as everybody says it is.

UNKNOWN: And you could literally post that on Twitter and get in Twitter trouble for that.

O'SULLIVAN: Or you can post it on Parler?

UNKNOWN: Yes, no problem.

O'SULLIVAN: Financially backed by prominent conservative donor Rebecca Mercier, Parler is a social media app with an interface similar to Twitter.

[23:30:00]

It was increasingly popular and reached number one on the Apple Store for a time before being taken off line overnight Sunday after Amazon, which hosted the site, pulled support of it.

Parler is suing the tech giant in a bid to get back up and running. But Parler did, at least, removed this post from Trump supporter, Attorney Lin Wood, which seemed to call for Vice President Mike Pence to be executed by firing squad.

(LAUGHTER)

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Wood later told CNN he made no threats and believes in the rule of law.

The controversial far-right group, the Proud Boys, is urging followers to welcome new users to the Telegram app, where each channel has seen a surge in new followers over the past few days.

We found this post on a Telegram channel, summing up the potential influx of users. Parler being shut down has sent tens of thousands or more of people to Telegram. Now is our opportunity to grab them by the hand and lead them toward ideological truth.

DECKER, CEO: The further migration towards more secure fringe platforms is going to create a bigger blind spot for researchers and law enforcement. There's absolutely no doubt about that.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Donie O'Sullivan, CNN, New York. (END VIDEO TAPE)

LEMON: Donie, great reporting as always. Thank you so much.

Now, I want to bring in Elizabeth Neumann. She is a former assistant secretary of Homeland Security, and we thank her for joining. Good to see you.

So, we need to stop this domestic terrorism organizing with each other online. But have we now lost visibility at a time we need to know exactly what they're planning?

ELIZABETH NEUMANN, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: You know, we have been struggling with this problem since at least 2005 when I was in the Bush White House Homeland Security Council back then. We started having policy meetings about what do we do about terrorists' use of the internet.

So this is not a new problem. We discovered with ISIS, in particular, that removal of content and making it harder on terrorists to find ways to organize on open platforms like at the time Facebook, that it actually was a good thing to force them to move to environments where it was harder to discover them.

So while it does create a challenge for law enforcement to keep tabs on them, I do think law enforcement is now clued in that we have a significant problem in our hands, and they have a variety of techniques to be able to go after that.

At least it is making it harder for people to get recruited and fall into the rabbit hole, so to speak, of some of these conspiracy theorists and extremist groups here in the United States by removing them off of the mainstream platforms.

LEMON: So it's good because -- I'm glad you're saying that because I didn't really know what the answer was. But it's so -- I get so frustrated even now when I -- when people send me things and they're asking, is this true, is that true, and it's the biggest conspiracy theory.

Where did you see it? I saw it on Twitter. Where did you see it? I saw it on Facebook, I saw it on Instagram. And it's like, oh. Those aren't reliable news sources. So I'm glad you're saying it helps to remove them from those platforms.

What about the acting secretary, Chad Wolf, resigning, joining a growing list of resignations at a time when the FBI and an FBI bulletin is warning of threats of violence all across this country, Elizabeth? Where does that leave the department?

NEUMANN: Well, it's certainly not great to have now -- I think we're at six acting or confirmed secretaries in a four-year period. That is very exhausting on employees and the department is already exhausted.

It's my understanding that this is entirely a legal issue related to some of the ways that the Homeland Security Act does succession and because this nomination was pulled last week, he can no longer serve as acting, so it appears to not be something that he chose to do as much as a legal consequence of his nomination getting pulled.

On the good side, Pete Gaynor is a wonderful man. He is a marine by background. He is an emergency manager. He's the type of person that, you know, would take all of the chaos that we're currently experiencing out of it in this Trump administration. He would serve this role well.

And for the tenure that he will have the role, he might be the right man for the job, able to make the right decisions if we end up in another set of circumstances that require crisis and incident management. He has that skillset. So, I think that will be reassuring for the men and women of the department.

LEMON: So Elizabeth, Parler is suing Amazon for removing Parler from its service. Some on the right called this censorship. But companies have an interest in not being part of mass radicalization. How important is it to regulate Parler and platforms like it?

NEUMANN: You know, I'm thinking about the immediate threat that we're currently facing, and I think the right answer was -- it sounds like they gave him a kind of ultimatum to start policing themselves and they chose not to, and then they pulled them down.

[23:35:08]

NEUMANN: I think on the other side of this very tense moment -- I mean, I think we should think about the next few weeks as a national emergency. And when you're in a national emergency, the government and maybe even private industry do things that they wouldn't normally do.

On the other side of this national emergency, when the temperature comes down and we're not constantly concerned about insurrections and seditious conspiracies and violent militias trying to take over all of our capitols, then let's have a policy debate about what the right answer is for Section 230.

I certainly think that there's room for updating and modernizing Section 230, probably not in the way that many on the right are thinking that it needs to be updated. But even big tech has called for there to be more regulation. So I think we should absolutely have that debate, not in the middle of a national emergency.

LEMON: The right person to have on to speak about this, Elizabeth Neumann. Thank you. I learned so much. I know the audience did, as well. We appreciate it.

NEUMANN: Thanks, Don.

LEMON: Big business pulling big political donations after the riot. Will that be what finally pulls the GOP away from Trump? And ahead, the congressman who stayed at the Capitol until midnight to help clean up after the riot.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [23:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: House Democrats moving lightning speed to impeach. President Trump formally introducing their -- President Trump, I should say. They are formally introducing their impeachment resolution today, charging him with inciting the riot at the Capitol on Wednesday. They're going to vote to impeach him and do that on Wednesday, as well.

I want to bring in Charlie Dent, a former Republican congressman from Pennsylvania, and Amanda Carpenter, former communications director for Ted Cruz.

Good evening, one and all -- in a week, right, Amanda? Hello. The House is set to impeach President Trump, but a member of the GOP lawmakers, including members that voted to overturn the election, are calling for unity, unity with whom exactly, Amanda?

AMANDA CARPENTER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR AND SPEECHWRITER FOR SENATOR TED CRUZ: Yeah. I think the only way to really have unity is to turn the page on the Trump era with force and that requires impeachment.

I mean, you read the stories about Susan Collins calling the White House for help. People are searching for a White House contact while they were under siege. What did they get? Nothing. Nothing. We had the president, a madman, holding Congress hostage. That is not an overstatement.

And Democrats, do not let up on this. There are some people who think they can get away with it. Do not let up on this because President Trump did not protect Congress. If you don't stand up to protect America, more people will be at risk and you will be responsible.

LEMON: Charlie, you signed on to a letter with 23 other former GOP lawmakers calling for President Trump's impeachment. Why aren't more people in your party, current lawmakers, saying the same thing?

CHARLIE DENT, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Don, I actually believe you're going to see some bipartisan support for this impeachment resolution that comes up on Wednesday.

LEMON: Enough --

DENT: I have talked to some current members --

LEMON: You think it's going to enough to --

DENT: I don't know how many. I can't tell you how many. I really can't. But I can see in the conversations I've had the real frustration, the anger. Not that this is just a political assault on Congress by the president, but a physical assault.

That's what I think has everybody so upset, that this constitutional order was disrupted by an angry mob (INAUDIBLE) Congress by the president. So I think that there is genuine anger and disgust. I feel that he has to be held to account.

LEMON: Charlie, the Democratic senator, Sheldon Whitehead, calling for senators Hawley -- Whitehouse, excuse me, Whitehouse -- calling for senators Hawley and Cruz and possibly others to be kicked off relevant committees and possibly expelled from the Senate. Should there be consequences for these enablers, as well?

DENT: Well, that -- I was chair of the Ethics Committee and I used to deal with some of these difficult issues of member misconduct. And I would say that, you know, I think this will fall squarely on the shoulders of Mitch McConnell, to see if he wants to mete out any justice to members who defied him so blatantly.

And, you know, I could see how somebody could be removed from committees. I could see how, at least in the House, I saw at least one member, I think Mo Brooks has a -- he has a complaint filed with him against the Office of Congressional Ethics, which will probably could lead to an investigation. This could lead to some kind of a sanction.

I'm not here to say people should be expelled. I think at the end of the day, it's up to the voters to make the determination on the fitness of the people they have elected. But I do think that some of these members could be held to account either by the Ethics Committee or by their own leadership.

LEMON: Amanda, I'm running short on time, but I want to get this in because I know you're going to have an interesting take on it. A number of companies are suspending donations to Republicans who voted to overturn the election, including AT&T.

[23:44:59]

LEMON: CNN's parent company WarnerMedia is owned by AT&T. What impact will this have?

CARPENTER: Well, you know, most Republicans believe, including myself, that money is a form of speech, and this is a way of Corporate America saying don't talk to us ever again. And I think it is a pathetic commentary that a bunch of corporate lobbyists have a better sense of what democracy requires than the number of people who put their hand up take an oath and swear to protect and defend America.

LEMON: Amanda and Charlie, thank you. I'll see you next time. Be safe.

So he took cover with the rest of the Congress when rioters descended. But after it all calmed down, he didn't leave. He got on his hands and knees, and he helped clean up the mess. Congressman Andy Kim is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: Rioters who stormed the Capitol last Wednesday left a damaged and desecrated building in their wake. Congressman Andy Kim was so disturbed by what he saw as he walked through the rotunda that he grabbed a trash bag, got down on his knees, and helped to pick up the trash left behind.

Wow! Congressman Kim joins me tonight from his district in New Jersey. Congressman, you are a really great man. I want to thank you for what you did. What was going on in that moment? What were you thinking?

REP. ANDY KIM (D-NJ): Well, thank you for having me. I really just think what I was doing was a very ordinary in the extraordinary times.

I just finished voting on the House floor and walking around the Capitol for the very first time since the siege ended. And when I got to the rotunda, seeing this beautiful room, this soaring, extraordinary room under the Capitol dome in such disarray, this room that I love, this building that I love, I was -- my heart broke.

You know, this is where -- this is a building where my mom and my dad, my immigrant parents brought me when I was a kid to show my respect to the country. And it was hurting. And I want to do my best to try to fix it up. So I just grabbed the trash bag and started to clean up the building.

LEMON: Let's talk a little bit more about that. I mean, you think about we all. You know, we sort of look at the Capitol when we were kids, most of us who don't live in the Washington, D.C. area, right? Most people don't in America. We sort of look on television in awe right at those buildings and, you know, the statues and all of those things.

The attack on the Capitol was horrifying. What was it like for you when you were in there?

KIM: Well, it was absolutely horrifying. It was so chaotic. We didn't know what was happening. I was thankfully further away from the House floor, so -- but I was so fearful for my colleagues that were right there at the front.

And going through the Capitol at night, just seeing just the debris and the damage done by, you know, people just ransacked this temple of our democracy --

LEMON: It was an interesting experience for me this week, and I want to know what it was like for you, because I had been reporting on it all week, right? But as I sat back not reporting and just started watching it, right, watching the images on television and things that were coming across my phone, I became more -- seeing more and more disturbing images, I became more and more disturbed by it.

Having processed it and seeing the images and seeing what is happening, you know, from your television, how do you feel about it now? It is worse than what I thought and I was reporting on it the whole time. KIM: I remember once I got past the initial phase of shock and worry about my colleagues, honestly, I just felt this really deep sadness that just overwhelmed me, and that sadness was accompanied by a single question, which was, how did it get so bad here in this country?

LEMON: Mm-hmm.

KIM: How did we get to this point in our history that this had happened, that we had people that just disrespected our country so much, disrespected our institution? While they claim to be patriots, they're anything but. They are cowards.

LEMON: Mm-hmm.

KIM: But after that, honestly, when I was down back at the Capitol, I was on the House floor, I was so insistent that we get back to work and I wanted to make sure we did that work. I honestly on the House floor, I was just overwhelmed by a new sense of patriotism, a heightened patriotism, as well as a clear and determined focus.

So, I know exactly what I need to doing to try to help get this country in a better path. We need to really rebuild that foundation of decency, patriotism, and civility. And I think a lot of people in this country recognize it.

I think that perhaps it is why the photos of me have been resonating so widely. People want leadership that is grounded in service, and they want a service that isn't just about yelling loudly on the House floor, but a service that is about rolling up our sleeves and doing the work of our country.

LEMON: I hope that you are right, because I have to -- I have been saying this the entire time. I think the country needs healing. And obviously, we need to work together. But it is really hard when there's one side that doesn't believe in facts or reality.

I don't really know how you, as a lawmaker, are going to work with that. But, I mean, listen, good luck to you. So listen, I got to get this question. Now that a couple of weeks -- just a couple weeks into your term, you are going to be voting on whether to impeach the president of the United States. Could you ever have imagined this scenario and how are you going to vote?

KIM: Well, you know, like for me, I have been in Congress, I was sworn in for my second term, so I have been through one ringer of an impeachment process, but this is even more alarming and the clear and present danger is there.

[23:55:06]

KIM: So, we need to make sure that we are securing our nation. That's first and foremost. This is not about partisanship. This is about delivering for our country.

You know, I came back home on Friday and talked to my kids. Do you know how hard it is to talk to a three-year-old and a five-year-old about this? I mean they had heard just -- I don't even know how they heard about this all. But, you know, they were just fearful for me. I had to explain to them that the president of the United States had authorized an attack from one branch of government to another. That is not something that I want to raise my kids in that kind of world.

So we've got to do this. We have to have accountability, and that's what I am going to be voting for.

LEMON: Well, congressman, thank you. Bless you for what you have done and the heart that you have. We really appreciate you joining us. We are glad you are OK.

KIM: Thank you. I appreciate it.

LEMON: And thank you for watching, everyone. Our coverage continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)