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Don Lemon Tonight

U.S. Strikes in Syria; Another Threat Posed to U.S. Capitol and Lawmakers; President Biden Aggressive with Vaccination Program; Kevin McCarthy Sticking with Trump; A $15 Minimum Wage Not Approved in the Bill; Johnson & Johnson Single-Dose Vaccine Waiting for FDA Approval; Lady Gaga's French Dogs Stolen. Aired 10-11p ET

Aired February 25, 2021 - 22:00   ET

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

[22:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: Thank you for watching. CNN Tonight, the big show with the big star, D. Lemon. very interesting and different state of play with our breaking news tonight.

We went from somebody who was sabre rattling all the time and talking, talking, talking. No word about this before, no word from the president after, but bombs hit down in Syria to take up people who are believed to have been aggressors against Americans and (Inaudible) in Baghdad.

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: It certainly did, and early on into the administration. And so, there is just, there is no sabre rattling now. This is just -- America is doing what America has to do at this point.

So, Chris, I'm going to let you go. I'm going to get to the breaking news because we've got a lot to get to.

This is CNN Tonight. I'm Don Lemon. Thank you so much for joining us.

Our breaking news tonight, President Joe Biden's first military action. Air strikes on a site in Syria used by two Iranian-backed militia groups followed repeated rocket fire on American forces in the region.

While the Pentagon putting out a statement including this, it said, quote, "the operation sends an unambiguous message. President Biden will act to protect American coalition personnel."

Joining me to discuss, CNN's Phil Mattingly and also James Clapper who is the former Director of National Intelligence. Gentlemen, thank you very much for joining us on our breaking news.

Phil, I'm going to start with you with the reporting. What do we know about these air strikes?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, we know from the Pentagon that these were retaliatory strikes. As you noted, from Iraq and attacks that occurred in Erbil, appeared near the green zone in Baghdad. And it was, as you noted, meant to send a message not just about the retaliation for those strikes, but also about future protection for U.S. forces and coalition forces in the region.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby putting out a statement that reads in part, at President Biden's direction U.S. military forces early this evening conducted air strikes against infrastructure utilized by Iranian-backed militant groups in eastern Syria. This proportionate military response was conducted together with diplomatic measures including consultation with coalition partners.

Now we are being told by U.S. officials that at least a handful of militants were likely killed in this strike. But it's more important in that statement that I want to point out and that is the fact that it was a proportionate response according to the Pentagon, making very clear this was not a response designed to escalate things. This was a response designed to respond in retaliation for those strikes and also to send a message, not to make something bigger occur here.

Up to this point we've seen no response or statement from Iran. But clearly, the first military action, at least that we know of publicly from President Biden from his time in office and an action that was undertaken very clearly to send a message in response to rocketed attacks over the course of the last couple of weeks.

LEMON: Now to the man who has experience in these types of issues, the former Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper is here. Director, it is -- it is the president, President Biden's first known military strike targeting Iranian-backed militia, as Phil just said. What is the message here? What is the message the Biden administration is sending?

JAMES CLAPPER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, Don, I think that's really the key here is the messaging. Not only the messaging in the region, obviously specifically to Iran but to the rest of the region. And I think as well as message here at home, particularly for critics who are already accusing this administration of appeasing Iran.

So, and the other thing I think on style points is just the sort of business-like matter of fact like way this has been done, there are no tweeting. The president himself didn't get involved. Let John Kirby at the Pentagon handle the announcement of it.

So, I think it's somewhat reminiscent of no drama Obama. I think finally it's entirely appropriate. And of course, I have to say this. I assume that we had good intelligence on both the source of the attack at Erbil, as well as the targets that were hit in Syria.

LEMON: It was just last week, director, that the Biden administration said that the U.S. was willing to talk with Iran on a nuclear deal. So, how will Iran react to this now?

CLAPPER: Well, actually I think -- I don't know, obviously, but I think that the Iranians will view this as a sign of strength and resolve on the part of the United States. And whether this will influence their return to compliance with the terms of the JCPOA the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear deal, because they're out of compliance with it right now, that remains to be seen.

LEMON: What is this -- what about Biden's overall strategy in this season -- in this region, excuse me? What does this reveal about it?

CLAPPER: About our strategy or theirs?

LEMON: About the administration's strategy in this region.

[22:04:57]

CLAPPER: Well, I think first, this clearly conveys a message that we are still a presence in the region, and we have interests in the region and that we will protect our forces and facilities in the region. And, you know, we're not going to be a pushover.

So, I think that's, at least to me, is a clear message. It's a reassurance to Israel, and certainly for other allies like the UAE, for example. I think it bodes well for the United States and the message it's conveying.

LEMON: Phil, I'm just looking at my notes here and it's saying, I was saying the Pentagon made it very clear that these strikes were at the direction of President Biden. What does that signal to you? What's the importance? Why are they making that clear and highlighting that?

MATTINGLY: Well, I think they're making clear that this came from the very top, that this was something that the president not only met on and was advised on by his defense secretary but that he made the final order for action to take place.

I think the interesting element, and Director Clapper points this out, the White House has said nothing about this at all. They have made very clear that this is not something that they're going to talk about. This is not something that they're going to sabre rattle about.

The Pentagon press secretary has been the only individual who has put out and on the record statement up to this point. But that statement included the fact that this was on the president's orders.

I think the other element here that you have to keep in mind is, you know, Director Clapper hit at this as well, there's been a lot of pressure building over the course of the last couple of weeks as these attacks have taken place, not just from Republicans on Capitol Hill but I'm told behind the scenes from some Democrats as well, trying to ensure that there would be a response at the administration with the same exact time was attempting the diplomacy route in terms of the Iran nuclear deal.

And this makes very clear that the administration will respond. They will respond in a proportionate manner, but they -- mannered -- but they will respond when they feel like they need to protect the U.S. forces or coalition forces in the region.

LEMON: Phil Mattingly and James Clapper with our breaking news. U.S. carrying out air strikes in Syria, the first known under the Biden administration. We'll keep on top of this breaking news, gentlemen. Thank you so much for your time and for your expertise.

There's more breaking news to tell you about tonight, and it's on the president's COVID relief bill.

The Senate parliamentarian ruling against including the federal $15 minimum wage in that bill. We're going to have much more to report to you in just moments here on CNN.

That is happening as the remnants of the Trump administration are really right out in the open tonight, and America is paying the price for it at this moment. The big lie that he pushed, the deadly insurrection he incited, 10,000 rioters storming the capitol grounds, hunting lawmakers in the halls. The danger is not over yet.

The acting capitol police chief telling Congress that militants want to blow up the capitol and kill them when President Biden makes his state of the union address.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YOGANANDA PITTMAN, ACTING U.S. CAPITOL POLICE CHIEF: We know that members of the militia groups that were present on January 6th have stated their desires that they want to blow up the capitol and kill as many members as possible with the direct nexus to the state of the union.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The remnants of the insurrection are out there, the hate on display. The white supremacy that's poisoning America.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JAIME HERRERA BEUTLER (R-WA): We have white supremacy that's fueling the violence, white supremacy that fueled the big lie about our elections. Do you believe that played a role in the discrepancy between the intelligence received, the assessment of the likelihood of violence and the preparation that left our officers really at the mercy of the mob?

PITTMAN: So as the first black and female chief of this department, I take any allegation of inequitable policing extremely seriously. I have no evidence whatsoever that suggests that there was any discrepancy based on our security posture and as it relates to making enhancements or not based upon police.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Chief Pittman denying race played any role in the security failures ahead of the riot. But we all saw the confederate battle flag paraded through the capitol. There it is on your screen right now. We all saw the overwhelmingly white mob with Trump banners and flags. And we heard Joe Biden say this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: No one can tell

me that if it had been a group of Black Lives Matter protesting yesterday there wouldn't have been -- they would have been treated very, very differently than the mob of thugs that stormed the capitol.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Like I said, the remnants of the Trump administration are out there, and America is paying the price.

[22:10:02]

President Biden marking 50 million shots in arms in the United States since he took office, comparing that to the previous administration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Weeks before I became president, the previous administration saw six million shots administered last week. This coming week we will administer over 12 million shots, double the pace in just six weeks that we've been in office.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And remember Kayleigh McEnany's boasting exactly one year ago?

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KAYLEIGH MCENANY, FORMER WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: You will not see diseases like the coronavirus come here. We will not see terrorism come here. And isn't that refreshing when contrasting it with the awful presidency of President Obama.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, it turns out we got both. Domestic terrorism at the capitol riot and a pandemic let loose to steal half a million American lives. But the disgraced, twice-impeached, one-term former president still has his supporters tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: If the president was the party's nominee, would you support him?

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MINORITY LEADER: The nominee of the party? Absolutely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Mitch McConnell saying he'd absolutely support the same man he blamed for inciting the capitol insurrection. That's really weak. That's the honest truth. Weak. The minority leader who was still in power, kowtowing to the former president, twice-impeached, one-term, who lost the House and the Senate and the White House. And then there's Kevin McCarthy, Kevin McCarthy who, remember,

travelled to Florida to kiss the ring a couple weeks ago. Now he is twisting himself into knots claiming that it's cancel culture for Liz Cheney to say a former president who incited a deadly riot at the U.S. capitol should not be the leader at the GOP.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: The idea that a Republican would join with the cancel culture I just think is wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Those little things, like cancel culture, it's just, they always come with those little things. And just -- just because, I guess it works for people who are actually -- maybe it works for people who are actually not paying attention or haven't studied up on this or haven't watched them closely enough to realize that they're playing games, people who actually know that it's not cancel culture, that it's accountability.

There's a difference between being accountable -- you can say whatever you want. But then in America, if you say something that's not good, then you suffer the consequences. That's how it works. That's actually how freedom of speech works. Say whatever you want. That is something -- accountability is something in short supply in the GOP at this moment.

As the House passes the Equality Act protecting LGBTQ Americans from discrimination, passing it with support from just three Republicans, fewer than voted for impeachment. Trump ally and QAnon Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is spreading her hate-filled garbage.

I almost don't want to give this oxygen because I can't imagine what kind of person would conduct themselves this way. The hate-filled oxygen -- I don't want to give that because she is using hate and bigotry to get the attention. That's exactly what she's doing. She wants the attention.

She's basically saying, look at me, look at me, look at me. But, you know, if we let these things go unanswered, they just fester, OK? Re- imposing an anti-transgender sign outside her office, which happens to be right across the hall from Congresswoman Marie Newman who hang a pink and blue transgender pride flag to support her daughter who is transgender.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MARIE NEWMAN (D-IL): I just want to make a statement so she sees LGBTQ plus people. Ans so the symbolism was simply to put the flag out there so she has to see our community every day. You know, I'm immensely proud of my daughter and that's all anyone is asking for is to be treated as anyone else. And that's what I want Representative Greene to see.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: Do unto others. Isn't that what Christianity, being a Christian is all about, about loving thy neighbor? Supporting a daughter, being proud of her, now that's love. Congressman Kinzinger calling out Greene.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM KINZINGER (R-IL): And to sit there and say that my goal is retweets and anger and fear and stoking division at the cost of who knows what and I'll create whatever collateral damage, that's what has to end.

[22:15:02]

And nobody can call that out like somebody in their own party. So, that's why I'm calling it out in the Republican Party because that kind of garbage has got to stop. People are human beings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, like I said, the remnants of the previous administration, the one who stoked all of this, the hate, the big lie, it's all out in the open now. We see you. And America is paying the price. The current president now ran on bipartisanship -- bipartisanism. But what's in it for him to reach across the aisle when the GOP is tearing itself apart?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): Liz Cheney and any other Republican that wants to make statements against President Donald J. Trump is a fool. They are disconnected with the base.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: More breaking news as we mentioned at the top of the show. President Biden won't be getting his $15 minimum wage hike. Tonight's ruling is a major setback for Democrats, but could it ultimately help in getting COVID relief passed?

[22:20:06]

Let's discuss now. CNN's senior political correspondent Abby Phillip is here, and also, former Republican Congressman Charlie Dent.

Good evening to both of you. Abby, no minimum wage hike. The rules won't allow it. That is a huge disappointment for progressives, but does it make President Biden's job easier politically maybe?

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I think it does, Don. I think it really takes this issue off the table for the time being, and he didn't have to do it. He didn't have to be the one to say we've got to take this out and compromise with the moderates. The parliamentarian made that decision for him. And so now I think it's actually easier for Biden to make the case

that this is a bill that is needed. You know, you heard over the last couple of weeks a message on not the campaign trail but on the sort of soap box trail for the president where he says what would you have me take out of the bill.

Well, for moderates and Republicans, the answer to that would have been the $15 minimum wage. That's now off the table, and I think it will be easier for Biden to pose that rhetorical question, and it will be harder for Republicans to answer it.

LEMON: Got it. So, Charlie, the Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is saying that if Trump is the GOP nominee in 2024, that he would support him. Besides the obvious hypocrisy, it also makes McConnell look pretty weak, doesn't it?

CHARLIE DENT, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think the statements clearly are incompatible. But I also kind of understand the predicament that McConnell is in. Look, he made a great speech after the conviction vote. I didn't agree with his vote on conviction but I kind of got why he said what he said. If he didn't answer that question in the negative today, then I think his leadership position would be in jeopardy. And as I've said many times on these shows, you know what you call a leader with no followers, just a guy taking a walk.

And so, I think he put himself in a predicament. he really did. I mean, so he is -- so, look, he wants to break from Trump unlike some of the House leaders. He wants to break from Trumps, but I think he understands the limits of what he can do and what he can say.

LEMON: Sure thing. Abby, you know, CNN spoke with more than two dozen House and Senate Republicans and they're refusing to debunk Trump's election lie, the big election lie. This -- I mean, doesn't that tell you all you need to know?

PHILLIP: I've said it before and I'll say it again. The big lie has become embedded in the Republican Party's strategy not just at the national level. But when you look at what is happening at the state level it is part of the firmament now. Look no further than CPAC this weekend, which is almost exclusively dedicated to doubling down on the lie that this election was fraudulent or that there was evidence of widespread fraud, of which there was not.

And I'll tell you, Don. I have a story coming up on my show this weekend in which I talk to one such person at the state level in Virginia who is basically campaigning for governor on that lie. And I think that it really illustrates that this is not just a fringe view that belonged to Trump and is now gone.

It's actually part of the story now. They're just framing it in a different way, packaging it up in something differently and selling it as, you know, election security or confidence in elections when it's really about the same lies that led to the January 6th insurrection.

LEMON: It's -- Abby, it's really unbelievable. So, that leads you to the question, OK, that I have been asking, Charlie, and as you know, on this show all the time about how do you unite with people who don't -- who are not in reality. I mean, why should President Biden try to work across the aisle when all the Republicans are essentially saying that he didn't win fair and square, that he, basically saying he's not a legitimate president?

DENT: Well, no doubt. Look, I supported Joe Biden and I think Joe Biden won in large part because people wanted some semblance of normalcy back to government. They wanted Biden to try. Biden has raised expectations.

I honestly think that the president, you know, has missed an opportunity here on this COVID package. I really do believe they should have tried to done something on a bipartisan basis. They did five bills before on COVID bipartisan. They could do another one. I really think it's a missed opportunity.

I don't think either side is going to get the political advantage they think but I think Biden has to keep trying because that's what he promised. And look, there are a lot of Republicans with whom he can work. There are some we all know who are never going to be able to enter into agreements with him, but I think Biden has to try.

LEMON: Abby, can we talk about this, you know, whole plotting revenge by the former president and, you know, for a potential run and what he's going to do in front of this adoring crowd at CPAC this weekend?

PHILLIP: Well, I mean, you know, I think two things that our president -- former President Trump are known for. One is threatening retribution against his political critics, and the other is teasing that he will run for political office. So, I think we can expect to see both of those things.

[22:25:02]

His allies are actually working really hard to build up this narrative that Trump is the king maker. He's had a parade of people coming to visit him in Mar-a-Lago. And that's all building up to the speech at CPAC this weekend in which I think it will be a kind of statement against his enemies, against people like Liz Cheney, against any -- even people like Mitch McConnell who might think that there is a future for the Republican Party without him.

But I also think that even though he may not announce a presidential run, the whole idea of the CPAC speech is going to be to say I can do this if I want to. And look at all of these adoring people who are here just to hear me speak. And they're all waiting for me to run. He's going to keep that out there like a tease. And it's going to be a tease for as long as he wants it to be because that's one of the ways that he's going to try to solidify power within this Republican Party.

LEMON: Charlie, the House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is saying that Representative Liz Cheney should not -- and this is a quote from him -- join with cancel culture after saying that the Republican Party should move on for Trump -- from Trump. DENT: Well, I respectfully disagree with the minority leader. I think

that Liz Cheney is on the right track. And by the way, speaking of cancel culture, I think that CPAC is calling this event this weekend, they're calling it America uncancelled, and they just cancelled one of their speakers because this individual made some outrageously inflammatory comments. I think they're anti-Semitic comments.

LEMON: Yes.

DENT: They should have never been invited in the first place. But how do you cancel somebody from an America uncancelled program?

LEMON: Yes.

DENT: But this is what you're dealing with. And to be perfectly honest, Liz is on the right track. She wants to do the right thing. And I think the other leaders have to start respecting what she's doing. Because now they want -- now some of them want to dump her again because of her comments yesterday when in fact, most of them know she's saying the right thing. But I wish more had the courage to follow her.

LEMON: But I'll tell you both, that someone told me tonight who I really respect that the only people who are really anticipating and excited about what the president is going to say this weekend is the media because most people are not, you know, CPAC is such so far to the right that most people are -- it's not a big part of America, it's not on anyone's radar except the media is like what is he going to say? What is he going to say? And so, it's a tempest and a teapot. Thank you all. Go -- what did you say, Charlie?

DENT: I was -- I went O for 14 with CPAC. I never went to CPAC once because there's always a lot of silly events. You know, the straw Paul's. Ron Paul would always win.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: That's the point, but yet --

DENT: It didn't reflect anything. It's just going to be Trump fest this weekend.

LEMON: But yet we are promoting it. Yes. Thank you both. I appreciate. And make sure you tune in -- Abby, I can't wait the story. Tune in to Abby on Sunday morning at 8 a.m. Abby host Inside Politics right here on CNN.

A news right to the capitol. The head of capitol police force warning extremists want to blow it up. Stay with us.

[22:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: The acting capitol police chief giving a shocking warning to lawmakers saying extremist groups involved in the capitol insurrection want to carry out another attack. She says that they want to kill as many people as possible when President Joe Biden addresses Congress for the state of the union. That during a hearing on the security failures for -- from January 6th.

So, joining me now, CNN counterterrorism analyst Phil Mudd. Phil, thank you for joining us.

This is certainly, certainly disturbing. I appreciate -- I appreciate seeing you here. This testimony, they want to kill as many people as possible. It just shows you that weeks after the insurrection the threat from these extremists is very real and it's a present danger.

PHILIP MUDD, CNN COUNTERTERRORISM ANALYST: It does. It shows you something else that we're going to be uncomfortable to talk about, Don. If you went back to January 5th and you said we want to look at people who are coming to Washington, D.C. to attend a political rally hosted by the president, people think about Crawley (Ph), think about Ted Cruz, people in the Senate would have said, do you mean to tell me you're surveilling people who are political activists who favor the former president?

They would say that's unacceptable. You fast forward now just to February, Don, and it's OK now to say look, we're worried about people who are political activists who favor a former president and now who stormed the capitol.

It's not just about anticipating what might happen, Don. It's about for people like me in my old life saying it's OK to surveil people who are political activists because they might, they might, do something like what we saw on January 6th.

LEMON: Well, are you confident then that there's enough security in place to stop another attack?

MUDD: I'd say yes. I mean, it's really easy when you're in the position of the people testifying today to say look, we missed it once, we won't miss it twice. The thing that's more curious to me that I'd like to know that we will not know, Don, is not the physical security. It's after January 6th, are they able to conduct surveillance against, for example, encrypted chat to determine whether there's a threat to the capitol?

You couldn't have done that, again, on January 5th because people would have said how dare you? How dare you surveil people who are coming to Washington to be political activists. You could do it today, I would think.

LEMON: Let's talk about the failures to stop that insurrection on January 6th.

MUDD: Yes.

LEMON: And I just want to play something. This is from Congresswoman Jamie Herrera-Beutler. She said to -- and Pittman's response shortly after. Listen. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[22:34:54]

BEUTLER: It was very clear that their headpieces, like the communications pieces, they were getting no actual real communication. They were getting no leadership. They were getting no direction. They had -- there was no coordination and you could see the fear in their eyes.

PITTMAN: When there's a breakdown, you look for those commanders with boots on the ground to provide that instruction. That did not happen primarily because those operational commanders at the time were so overwhelmed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, Phil, it seems like a complete breakdown of command and control. So, what's supposed to happen in situations like this?

MUDD: Well, look, I have sympathy, not a great deal, but a little bit of sympathy. How could you anticipate, Don, that the commander-in- chief would tell thousands of people, hundreds of whom went over into the capitol, thousands of people to go down the street and fight, down the street, that is, from the White House to the capitol? I mean, I don't think you can anticipate that. That said --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: You don't think you can -- wait, wait, Phil. You don't think you could have anticipated that when the whole idea was it was called stop the steal, they were coming there to prevent lawmakers from certifying the election, the president was going to show up, these people were riled up, they were posting on social media about what they were going to do and there was going to be some big thing happening? And you couldn't anticipate that.

MUDD: Well --

LEMON: I'm not in law enforcement and I would have had people at the capitol because it was happening at the capitol. That's the whole reason they were there.

MUDD: Well, for the first time you just became an intelligence officer. What I was going to say is I'm trying to be sympathetic, but I really can't be. Give me a break. If you -- forget about intelligence, forget about paying for intelligence.

If you paid your cable bill and tuned in to CNN, you knew where it was going to happen, when it was going to happen to the minute. You could watch how people were going to be animated, you could see how many there were.

Here's the question I have that I wish had been answered. Forget about whether the intelligence was perfect because it was damn well good. We knew all that detail that you just outlined. Did you ever ask the question from a leadership position, what if this goes bad? I don't care whether you work at Facebook, at CNN, or at the capitol

police or where I served as C.I. in the FBI. What if it goes bad? I don't understand -- I understand how they got overwhelmed. There were more people than they anticipated. I don't understand how leaders can look at us and say, we've got it right, it was somebody else's fault. We never asked how this could have gone so bad. It is really frustrating, Don.

LEMON: So, but then where were then, Phil, where were all the people who were out on the streets this summer who were, you know, in tactical gear and gassing people? Where were those people because there were -- it was known that crowds were going to show up? And it wasn't like they were going to be marching through the streets. Everyone knew they were going to the capitol to stop the certification of the election.

So, I don't understand when you say -- where were the resources? How are they -- I don't understand how they were overwhelmed when they knew a crowd was coming. Shouldn't they have a crowd to go up against the crowd?

MUDD: I understand, Don. So, get ready. Let me give you two questions. One will be answered. One will not.

LEMON: All right.

MUDD: Two questions, don. Let me tell you why this is painful. The first will not be answered. Political leadership from places like the Pentagon will show up to testify. Here's the question that they will dodge. Was the -- is the fact that the President of the United States was instigator, did that fact change the preparation and the response?

Don, let's not -- the answer is yes. And they're all going to dodge and shock and jive and tell us how no, they responded the same way to this event as they would have as the president wasn't there. That's not true. Let me give you the question that we can't answer --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Wait, Phil. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. The president walked across the mall to --

MUDD: Yes.

LEMON: -- walked across the street with a bible that had never -- it looks like it had never been used to a church for a photo op and there was a huge presence. So, you're telling me --

MUDD: Yes.

LEMON: -- there was -- they are going to say no presence because the president is going to be there? I don't understand --

(CROSSTALK)

MUDD: No, what they're going to say is -- no, no. What I'm telling you is they're going to say we responded to this the same way we would respond to any other incident, which I'm -- which you can't prove. I'm telling you that's not true. That is not true.

The question they can't dodge, the second question I'm going to tell you, Don, is a, what was the White House role in preparing and coordinating the anticipatory activities? How did the White House national security adviser get involved in coordinating people like the FBI, the Pentagon and capitol police?

And second, what was the White House role in responding to the event in the minutes and hours afterward. We can get details on that. And if they say the White House was involved in a major national security event, that's a lie. They weren't. They should have been. Any White House should have been.

[22:40:09]

LEMON: I enjoyed this conversation. Thank you, Phil.

MUDD: I didn't.

LEMON: Thank you, Phil. And we should get those answers.

MUDD: See you later.

LEMON: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

So, we could be days away from a third vaccine being approved, but President Biden's warning there's still a long way to go.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: There is progress to report on vaccines tonight. Of 91 million vaccines distributed, over 68 million have made it into arms so far. And 50 million of those have been administered since President Joe Biden took office. But he is warning now isn't the time for a victory lap and hinting at some announcements still to come.

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[22:45:00]

BIDEN: Two weeks ago, if the FDA approves the use of this new vaccine, we have a plan to roll it out as quickly as Johnson & Johnson can make it. We'll use every conceivable way to expand manufacturing of the vaccine, and we'll make even more rapid progress on overall vaccines in March. I'll have more to say about this in the days after the FDA review.

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LEMON: Plenty to discuss now with CNN medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner. Doctor, thanks for joining tonight.

So, the president seems to hint that a big vaccine announcement will be coming in the very near future. Do you have any idea what to expect?

JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Well, it's probably going to include the J&J vaccine. There's a lot -- there's a lot happening. We have a really good vaccine that's about to come on the scene in the United States, the J&J vaccine, which is easy to transport. It comes in a -- only requirement for just a single dose, and it's very, very effective at preventing illness in general and completely effective at preventing death and hospitalization at least in the big pivotal trial.

What's going to be a bit of a game changer from this vaccine is that it's going to almost double our capacity to deliver new shots to people. So, you think about it, right now we're delivering every day about 1.4 million vaccines into arms. But about half of that is split between new folks getting vaccinated and people coming back for their second shots.

So, we're giving about five million new vaccines per week. We'll probably see somewhere between three to four million doses of the J&J vaccine available immediately and then about five million doses per week after that. So, it's going to almost double our ability to get new shots into people, to get immunity on board. It's a big deal.

LEMON: The FDA's vaccine advisers will meet tomorrow. They are going to discuss whether to give emergency approval to the J&J, as you call it, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which locks likely. And it could begin rolling out as early as next week. How much is this single dose vaccine going to help us fight this virus?

REINER: I think it's going to be very, very useful. First of all, there are a lot of people who, you know, we can basically get ahold of to vaccinate once harder to arrange for people to come back for a second shot, people who have limited mobility, people who can make it to single mass vaccination events but hard to schedule back for other events.

This vaccine is going to give us a lot of flexibility. We'll also learn perhaps going forward some interesting new ideas about vaccinations. There's some data that suggests that the Pfizer vaccine, for instance, is superbly effective at producing neutralizing antibodies after a single shot in people who have already had the infection.

So, it may with that people have recovered from the coronavirus, maybe they had it in the fall, all need a single dose. So, over the next, you know, few weeks we're going to start to learn about some of these perhaps changes to our vaccination strategies.

LEMON: All right, Dr. Reiner, thank you. I appreciate your time.

REINER: My pleasure.

LEMON: So, an odd story coming out today about Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga's dog walker shot, her dogs stolen. It's a very disturbing story and disturbing videos. Next.

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LEMON: So, this is new tonight. It's video from the moment Lady Gaga's dog walker was shot and two of her French bulldogs were stolen. This new video, recorded last night by home surveillance camera and obtained by CNN, OK? It captured two individuals attacking and then shooting the dog walker on a Hollywood street. CNN has removed the moment the victim was shot and some of the audio. Here it is.

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UNKNOWN: Give it up! Give it up!

UNKNOWN: No, no, no!

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LEMON: My goodness. Horrifying. Horrifying. Later on, the dog walker yells that he has been shot in the heart and lungs. Los Angeles police say he's in critical condition. The two attackers speeding off with French bulldogs Koji and Gustav, they are still missing tonight. A third French he was recovered by police.

A source telling CNN that Lady Gaga is offering a $500,000 million reward for the two missing dogs. We hope the dog walker is OK and we hope she gets her dogs back. I would be just beside myself. So best of luck all around with that story.

Breaking news tonight, the first known air strikes under President Biden. The target was Syria, but the message seems to be aimed at Iran. Stay with us.

[22:55:00]

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LEMON: So, here's our breaking news tonight -- the U.S. launching an air strike against Iranian backed militias in Syria. This is the first known military action under President Biden. It comes after three separate rocket attacks in the past couple of weeks against U.S. forces in Baghdad.

Also, tonight, the White House learning that they can't get the $15 minimum wage hike that they were hoping for. And Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell comes crawling back to you know who.

I want to start though, with CNN Pentagon correspondent Oren Lieberman and CNN senior international correspondent Arwa Damon on President Biden's first military action.

Hello to both of you. Oren, I'm going to start with you. You have been working your sources at the Pentagon. What can you tell us about these air strikes?

[22:59:52] OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, as you've said, this is the first known military strike coming from President Joe Biden. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said as he was coming back from a trip to the West Coast that it was his recommendation but it was Biden that gave the final authorization earlier today for a strike, an air strike along the Iraq-Syria border in Syria, eastern Syria.