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Don Lemon Tonight

Senate Failed to Pass January 6 Commission; Joe Manchin Frustrated with His Colleagues; Hypocrisy is Palpable from the GOP; Lawmakers Are Nice but Lacks Sincerity; China Not Pleased with U.S. Investigation of COVID Origin; Travelers Losing Manners. Aired 10-11p ET

Aired May 28, 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)

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN HOST: Thank you for watching. I'll be back in this chair in 11 hours. Join me tomorrow and every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. Eastern for Smerconish right here on CNN. Don Lemon Tonight with Laura Coates sitting in. Laura, the Sirius XM POTUS channel takeover of CNN continues.

LAURA COATES, CNN HOST: I know.

SMERCONISH: So, take it away.

COATES: I love it. And again, 11 hours from now. That's a little before voting. I get a couple of days off until my next show, but I'm so glad to be with you on with you in Sirius XM POTUS.

SMERCONISH: Me too.

COATES: And certainly, in the House tonight. Thank you very much, Michael. Great to see you.

SMERCONISH: You too, Laura.

COATES: This is --

(CROSSTALK)

SMERCONISH: Thank you. Ba-bye.

COATES: This is Don Lemon Tonight. I am Laura Coates, in for Don Lemon.

Senate Republicans voting to block the creation of a bipartisan commission. A commission to investigate the insurrection at the capitol on January 6th. A riot in which five people died. On the final vote, 54-35. Under that final vote, 54 to 35, six Republicans breaking ranks and joining with Democrats.

But it wasn't enough. Two Democrats didn't vote. But still it would not have made a difference because 60 yes votes were needed. Ten Republicans had to stand up for democracy. The country fell for short. A total of nine Republican senators you see there and nearly one-tenth of all members of the Senate didn't bother to show up and go on record against the legislation.

Only one of them, Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania said that he would have voted in favor of the bill. But again, it would not have mattered. The GOP fix was in. Senator Republican Leader Mitch McConnell vehemently opposes the commission. And he spent yesterday lobbying fellow Republicans to vote against the bill as a personal favor to him. A personal favor? Why would you need that?

Republican senators falling in line behind him and Trump who also opposes the investigation. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called him out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), Senate MAJORITY LEADER: Out of fear or fealty to Donald Trump the Republican minority just prevented the American people from getting the full truth about January 6th. This vote has made it official. Donald Trump's big lie has now fully enveloped the Republican Party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Republicans in both the House and Senate ridiculously trying to ignore what was recorded on video, what we saw, playing down the violence on January 6th. One calling it a peaceful protest. Another saying it looked like a tourist were just visiting the capitol.

Maybe senators didn't want to dig too deeply into why rioters were saying, well, things like this, that ugly day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: It only proves they want to push this bill, though.

UNKNOWN: Yes, absolutely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: And tonight, growing calls among House Democrats for Speaker Nancy Pelosi to create a select committee with subpoena power. But she has yet to indicate that she will go down that route but has always made it very clear that it is an option that she could take.

A lot to discuss tonight with CNN senior political commentator David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to President Obama, and Mark McKinnon, former adviser to George W. Bush and John McCain. He is the executive producer of The Circus.

I'm glad to have you both here, Mark and David.

Let me begin with you, Mark, let me see if I get this right, OK? So here we are, you lose a vote in the Senate, 54 to 35 because Republican senators can't exert their minority power to now block an independent bipartisan commission, one that was negotiated by both Republicans and Democrats to look into the one of the worst events in our history. Do I have that right?

MARK MCKINNON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You got it right. I think the Republicans have finally clawed their way to the bottom and you know, the one good outcome of this maybe that Joe Manchin now finally has the evidence that he needs that Republicans are never going to negotiate, they're never going to compromise, they're never going to work in a bipartisan. If you can't get a single vote on COVID and you can't vote on this, it's pretty clear you're not going to get votes on anything. And I think the filibuster maybe pretty short lived, at least they get the right democratic strategy at this point.

But it's really striking to me that Republicans who called for 33 committee hearing on Benghazi where more people were killed, more U.S. citizens were killed in Benghazi than in a domestic terrorism event on our soil and they refused to call a committee.

[22:04:58]

And I think strategically it doesn't make sense to me because the original proposition Republicans oppose because they didn't have equal numbers on the commission, they didn't have subpoena power. So, they asked for all that, they got it. And they say, well, actually, no, we don't want to support that either.

So now they're probably going to get the select committee. I think Pelosi should go ahead and do that, why not? And they are going to get exactly what they didn't want in the beginning.

COATES: So, David, let's listen to what Joe Manchin had to say, he put out a video statement. Here is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): Choosing to put politics and political election above the health of our democracy is unconscionable. And the betrayal of the oath that we each take is something they will have to live it. And every American who watched in horror as our capitol was attacked on January the 6th, you deserve better. And I am sorry that my Republican colleagues and friends let political fear prevent them from doing what they know in their hearts to be right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: So, David, I mean, given what he had to say, should this change the calculation for Manchin and the Democrats moving forward?

DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, the calculations for the Democrats all rely on Manchin because they need 50 Democrats in the Senate to move forward with the vice president breaking the tie and if Manchin doesn't go along then you can't change the filibuster, you can't pass reconciliation. You know, he is the key man. And we'll see. He said this week that he wasn't going to -- he wasn't going down the road of doing what Mark suggests which is to do away with the filibuster. But I want to go back, Laura, for a second to something that Mark

said. You know, regardless of what the Republicans said that they wanted an equal voice on this commission which they got, I think they prefer to have the speaker appoint a select committee so that they can call it political.

I think their great fear was that you would have a bipartisan commission and they would -- and their findings would be embarrassing to President Trump and some of his supporters and they couldn't abide that, and they'd rather call whatever a select committee does political.

I think that's what McConnell's game is. You know, he has made very clear to his members he thinks it will be bad for the Republican Party if a select committee, if a commission were appointed bipartisan and reported back at the end of the year. He said he thought it would hurt them in the midterm elections.

Now I don't know whether that's because Trump would be angry about it or whether the findings were going to be such that it would be an embarrassment to Trump and therefore to all those who adhere to him. But clearly, he wanted to kill this commission. If he hadn't done what he did, we would have a bipartisan commission right now.

COATES: I mean, David, the notion of bipartisanship as being a poison pill to democracy is something, I think people did not have on their bingo card here.

I want to go to you, Mark, because Edward-Isaac Dovere tweeted an anecdote about the insurrection from his new book called "Battle for the Soul." And in it, he writes, Cory Booker noticed that the Secret Service was rushing Mike Pence off the Senate floor before he heard the noise of the mob. When he had been mayor of Newark, he was known for chasing down muggers, rescuing of freezing dog, carrying a woman out of the burning house. He started scanning the doors of the chamber and taking stock of the other senators on the floor, assessing which ones could help in a fight and which were the elderly ones they need to protect. When they evacuated, he was the last on the floor protecting the flank.

Now when you read it's really yet another story showing the extraordinary danger of January 6th. And it's just so surprising to think, remember, I know it's the people's house. But these were actually, they were in the room where it happened. It was happening to them. It was happening around them. They were the ones taking off their, you know, their pins and whatnot to not show people that they were members of congress and being even more vulnerable. I mean, how are they willing now to ignore that memory and all they endured, and we all saw?

MCKINNON: It's really striking, Laura, it really is. And it's unconscionable that they would deny the reality that they themselves experienced and witnessed. And you know, the other thing about the commission, Laura, is that Republicans, you hear this from representatives and their supporters that, as you mentioned in the report, it was just a peaceful protest, it wasn't that big a deal or that it was completely liberal set-up. There was a bunch of antifa protesters that were actually doing it.

So, if we had a real commission, you could determine whether or not those facts that all those Trump supporters believe and affirm it. So if you actually believe that that's what happened and reflect with what you say your constituents believe, you can prove it or disprove it by having a commission.

COATES: Well, you know, --

(CROSSTALK)

[22:10:00]

AXELROD: Laura, can I add --

COATES: -- I wish we had more time. Sure. Real quick. David?

AXELROD: Well, you know, the thing I worry about is the future not the past. You have Matt Gaetz out yesterday saying the Second Amendment was important in case we have to take arms against the government. You have Republicans who are actually provoking future events, and a Senate that's turning its back on looking at the root causes of this. I worry about what's going to happen down the line because of the events in the last 24 hours.

MCKINNON: Exactly.

COATES: You're so right. David and Mark, a republic if you can keep, right? Thank you for your time. I appreciate it here from both of you. We'll talk again soon.

Thanks, Laura.

COATES: Because I want to bring in CNN presidential historian Douglas Brinkley now in. Speaking of the idea of having an eye towards the past for us and the future. But we know the past is indeed prologue.

And Douglas, I'm glad to talk to you this evening. I want to read this tweet from a friend of the show Matthew Dowd. Because what he says is, any Republican who voted against the January 6th commission and shows up at a Memorial Day event is a complete hypocrite. How can you honor those who died for our democracy even when you won't even defend it with a vote? I mean, does that sum it up for you, Douglas?

DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: It sums it exactly, Laura. It's well written by Matthew Dowd as usual. I mean, here we are in our Memorial Day weekend, we go to national cemeteries, graves of fallen heroes and what we think about is how they gave their lives for free and fair elections and the peaceful transfer of power.

You can think about Abraham Lincoln in the middle of the Civil War holding a free and fair election, you can think about FDR doing it in a World War II. But more to the point that we have law enforcement in the capitol, the men in blue, the women in blue that have been abandoned by the Republican Party and now they're making a mockery, the GOP, in a shameless way on Memorial Day weekend that we can't even do an investigation to the riot of the U.S. Capitol?

The good news is, Laura, history will end up having a House select committee, will get what will happen. There may be a presidential commission. But as of this evening, the Republican Party is anti- democratic in spirit. I'm afraid we've known it for a while but nothing is blazed forward quite like this non-vote that took place.

COATES: You know, I wonder if that timeline and the idea of having that select committee will come to fruition that either whether President Biden will have some role in creating one as well. But I want to say, 59 percent of Americans say pretty much of what you are talking about. Fifty-nine percent say that the Republican Party is not acting in the best interests of democracy. That's according to a recent Quinnipiac poll.

So, when they take a vote that puts democracy at risk, I mean, 59 percent of the voters are saying, Americans say that that is not an interest of democracy. I mean, could this backfire?

BRINKLEY: It could. But Mitch McConnell thinks there is a short-term gain here. I thought it was very interesting. Lisa Murkowski kind of got in the face of Mitch McConnell and said, where is your conscience. This happened when Joe McCarthy was operating in the 1950s. Mitch McConnell becomes a very dark and sordid figure in American history.

January 6th was a moment of nobility for him when he gave that famous speech after the insurrection and now to see him organizing the fact that we don't even want to have the real facts occur because it might somehow damage Donald Trump is really, probably one of the lowest, if not the lowest moment in U.S. civic affairs. It's mind boggling.

And I just would say, Laura, George W. Bush, 9/11 happened on his watch and a commission went forward. Some people were going to blame George W. Bush for not having our country ready or alert for a terror attack. But when you go forward with this and Trump would have been all right at the end of the line but Mitch McConnell smell politics and he refused to do the right thing. Our country is a lesser place because of it.

COATES: You know, it's crazy to think that people could use the idea of the law on unattended consequences with transparency, we don't want that to happen because God forbid, people actually discovered the truth that was never the intention. And when the GOP is actually out there, frankly, and many of them are still contesting the election.

I mean, look at the sham audit in Arizona and also changing voting laws in so many respects to minimize people's ability to be a part of our democracy to favor themselves. I mean, tell me just contextually, Douglas, how much danger is our democracy in really? I mean, could there be worse yet to come?

BRINKLEY: There could be worse yet to come. But as we mention, you do have a House select committee you might have a presidential commission, and then there are other options. I mean, there are -- what if there is a new conservative party? I mean, how much do we have to listen to Mitt Romney and Murkowski and Collins complain? What if there is a new third party movement?

[22:15:06]

You know, in 1912, Theodore Roosevelt broke the Republican Party in two and created the Bull Moose Party. There might be a need now for a new conservative party, that would ensure the end of Trumpism and this sort of nativist, xenophobic and anti-democratic spirit that seems to be encompassing unfortunately over 100 million Americans.

COATES: Well, past is prologue and you are the one to tell us. Thank you so much for your time, Douglas. Nice speaking to you this evening.

BRINKLEY: Thank you.

COATES: Only six Republicans voting in favor of the commission to investigate. Just to investigate the insurrection. Even the mother of a fallen Capitol Hill police officer couldn't stop the majority of Republicans from embracing Donald Trump's big lie. But that mom is still having her say. Officer Brian Sicknick's mother Gladys and his partner is speaking out to CNN. That's next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLADYS SICKNICK, OFFICER BRIAN SICKNICK'S MOTHER: We knew they weren't sincere. They weren't sincere.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: And they did not want to get to the bottom of what happened.

SICKNICK: No. No. And I don't understand it. They are elected for us, the people. And they don't care about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[22:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COATES: All talk and no action. That's how loved ones of the late Capitol Hill police officer Brian Sicknick described the Republican senators who voted against a January 6th commission just today.

Sicknick died a day after protecting lawmakers from the violent mob that stormed our capitol. His mother and his partner were on the Hill yesterday trying to convince Republicans to vote in favor of the investigation. Here is part of their exclusive interview with CNN's Jake Tapper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP).

TAPPER: Sandra, let me just start with you, what was your reaction when you saw the vote today that the Senate Republicans with six exceptions voted to block the creation of this commission?

SANDRA GARZA, PARTNER OF OFFICER BRIAN SICKNICK: Well, I was very disappointed obviously. I was very optimistic and hopeful yesterday but for, you know, obviously some of them I was not surprised that voted no. But, still, clinging to that hope based on our passionate pleas to them.

But, I think you know it, it speaks volume to how they really feel, not only about the events of that day but they're also speaking volumes to their constituents, you know, and how much they really care because it's not just our pleas about how we felt about Brian, and you know, his brothers and sisters in blue and everything they did that day but also, the safety of them and everyone else that was in the capitol that day.

If they can't do their jobs. If something happens to them. That also speaks volume about, you know, how they feel about our democracy in general. How can they do their jobs if they are no longer here.

TAPPER: What about you, Gladys? What was your reaction to the news today?

SICKNICK: I was disappointed but I realized it was going to happen. I really did. It was just vibes that we got yesterday.

TAPPER: What were the vibes?

SICKNICK: Just feeling that they went through their emotions but you can tell that, you know, underneath they were being nice to us.

TAPPER: You know, we hear a lot about backing the blue from politicians specially, we talk about the importance of backing our men and women in blue who protect us, what does it mean in that sense because you know you are going to hear some of these 35 Republicans talk about in the future how important it is to back our men and women in blue. What will you think when you hear that?

SICKNICK: Unbelievable that they think like that. You know, they have a child that was hurt or was killed on a day like that, they would think very differently or if they were hurt, I mean, they could have very well, somebody could have been killed, one of the congressmen, one of the senators. But apparently, they just think, well, you know, we're safe because of the men in blue. But they don't think any further from that.

TAPPER: Who do you think? I mean, Gladys said it was a slap in face to not have this commission created.

GARZA: I think, you know, it's all talk and no action. Clearly, they're not backing the blue. And yesterday having Officer Fanone and Officer Dunn there to talk about their experiences. I mean, I even learned more about what actually happened on that day hearing their stories, you know, close and up front and live and in color. I was absolutely appalled, so you know, they heard it firsthand. Some of that stuff is not put out in the media.

And you know, it's devastating because you know they could have, especially Officer Fanone, he could have been murdered. And you know, this cannot happen again. It cannot. So, for them to vote no is, you know, it's not protecting law enforcement, and you know, more importantly, it's not protecting our democracy. You know? People there were not only hurting law enforcement officers and then of course like I said yesterday, there is the ripple effect of trauma that's still continuing today.

TAPPER: Of course.

GARZA: And again, I mean, though there were some tense moment yesterday. I'm hopeful that at least they'll be able to reflect on some of what we said as the days go on and they'll be able to start to get the ball rolling fast and say we need to do something now.

[22:25:00]

And I think more importantly is to listen to the officers that were there that day on the ground because there is this misconception that there were no firearms there, that those people on the crowd had no firearms.

There were firearms there. And I'm talking about handguns and not just the, you know, general term, weapons. I'm talking about actual hand guns. People had handguns on them. So, you know, this is serious. This is serious. I actually heard the former D.C. police chief here that was on this network --

TAPPER: Yes.

GARZA: -- Charles Ramsey that was talking about, you know, they need to get serious about this because, you know, some bad stuff is going to happen and they need to take this seriously. If not for themselves, about the other employees that are in the capitol, the staffers, the architect of the -- I mean, yes, the architect of the capitol.

I was very moved by Senator Klobuchar's opening statements in the hearings --

TAPPER: Yes.

GARZA: -- when she talked about the gentleman who hid in the closet that was part of the cleaning crew.

TAPPER: Yes, it's terrifying.

GARZA: And he came out and had to clean up urine and feces in the building. You know, I mean, this is ridiculous. They need to do something, and they need to act now.

TAPPER: Gladys, I know some of the senators alluded too that some of moments in the meeting were tense. I mean, one of the things that I think people don't -- it doesn't really even matter but Brian was a Republican. I mean, so it's not just turning their backs on Americans but they're turning their back on a fellow Republican. Whatever you are comfortable with, tell me about the tense moments and the senators -- with the senators that you met with.

You don't have to name them if you don't want to. SICKNICK: No, I am not going to do that. They were charming. They knew

what they were doing, they knew how to talk to us. But we kind of held back. And it's just -- it was -- it was tense, we just made believe, you know, that everything was fine and we were very nice to them for the most part.

TAPPER: It was just tense because --

SICKNICK: Because of -- because we knew, I think because they weren't sincere. They weren't sincere.

TAPPER: And they didn't want to go to the bottom of what happened.

SICKNICK: No. No. And I don't understand it. We -- they are elected for us, the people. And they don't care about that. They care about money, I guess. Their pocketbooks, their -- so they'll be in front of the camera when they feel like it? They just don't care. And it's not right.

TAPPER: Sandra, were you surprised? Some of the senators didn't even agree to meet with you.

GARZA: No, I wasn't surprised. You know it is much easier to do interviews with people who are not moved by their actions, and you know, by losing a family member, a loved one like Gladys and I were, right, you know, to do something from afar. It's different when you have to face someone who have been touched personally by something like Gladys and I were.

So, you know, it's about having courage and a backbone and saying, you know, I'm willing to meet with you which I respect those who were. Even if they didn't agree with us, I still have respect for those who were, you know. And them willing to listen and hopefully, you know, even though some of them did decide ultimately to vote no. My hope is that they will eventually do something because that needs to happen. So.

TAPPER: Gladys, you met with Senator Cassidy from Louisiana, he voted yes. You met with Senator Portman from Ohio.

SICKNICK: He voted.

TAPPER: Senator Toomey had a family commitment so he didn't vote but he would have voted yes, he said. Does that mean, does that give you any sense of satisfaction --

SICKNICK: Definitely.

TAPPER: -- that you may have changed some minds?

SICKNICK: Definitely. I don't know how -- I don't know if they were on the fence or not. That I am not sure of. Were they all on the fence, I'm not sure?

TAPPER: Well, we only knew three ahead of time that were going to vote yes. That Romney, Murkowski and Collins. So ultimately, -- (CROSSTALK)

SICKNICK: That they were --

TAPPER: -- three more voted yes.

SICKNICK: Well, then they maybe change their minds, that would be great. That would be great.

TAPPER: It's not nothing.

SICKNICK: Right.

TAPPER: I mean, a bipartisan majority did vote to create the commission, it just wasn't enough again.

SICKNICK: Well, you know, what bothers me is that all these people that are, you know, backing, you know, the wrong people I should say. They don't understand what they are doing. What kind of country do they want? Do they really want to live in a country that they creating?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: What kind of country do they want? You know, they gave us a standing ovation for an officer who protected them on January 6th, but now they're passing the buck on investigating the attack.

[22:30:07]

Why today's vote shows Republicans think this is well, all someone else's problem. I'll make my case. Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COATES: So, you don't want to investigate the origins of the January 6th insurrection. Because as Minority Leader McConnell suggest, they -- they don't want to duplicate efforts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MINORITY LEADER: I do not believe the additional extraneous commission that Democratic leaders want would uncover crucial new facts or promote. Frankly, I do not believe it is even designed to do that. So, I will continue to support the real serious work of our criminal justice system in our own Senate committees. And I'll continue to urge my colleagues to oppose this extraneous layer when the time comes for the Senate to vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[22:35:08]

COATES: Extraneous. You know, it made me of his explanation for not voting to convict former President Trump after his second impeachment trial. Remember this? (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCONNELL: President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office. As an ordinary citizen, unless the statute of limitations is run, he is still liable for everything he did while he's in office. He didn't get away with anything yet. Yet. We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil litigation. And former presidents are not immune from being accountable by either one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: He would always seem to be someone else's problem to solve. Let someone else deal with it, right? I mean, imagine that everyone had this philosophy. Our service members, our first responders and our teachers and our vaccine scientists and our allies.

In fact, minority leader, imagine if the brave men and women who risk their lives to protect Congress, the capitol and the people who were inside of it. Imagine if they had subscribed to that philosophy and decided not to duplicate efforts on January 6th as a violent mob was scaling walls to attack you, some salivating to harm or even kill dually effected officials. And not because the election was rigged but because it was fair. You know, there were already capitol officers assigned that day. So why should the D.C. police officers duplicate their efforts and help you?

There was already someone securing the chambers. So why should Eugene Goodman duplicate efforts and lead the mob away from the open door? I mean, there were already locks on those doors, so why expand human capitol to duplicate efforts? Vice President Mike Pence, well, he already had Secret Service men and women assigned to his details and so does Speaker Pelosi. So why should anyone have duplicated efforts to help them?

There were already physical barricades erected outside the capitol building so why should there be any men power at all? Imagine what could have been? Had everyone decided to let someone else deal with it, but instead heroism prevailed. Even as the last line of defense was crumbling. Even when out-numbered, even when they were out-weapon, even when they were exhausted and there was no reinforcement in sight. They didn't think about duplicating efforts.

And as you waited to vote, Officer Eugene Goodman stood outside of the very door to give his life for you, yet again prepared to do so. So how could it be that there is even a single senator who could say that they were unwilling to investigate - investigate the cause of the insurrection.

The same senators who gave Officer Eugene Goodman a standing ovation can't stand to assemble a bipartisan commission? You know, I often wonder what it's like for the dedicated public servants like Officer Goodman to watch this all unfold, and yet, still return each and every day with the same resolve to serve, the same resolve to protect, the same resolve to defend.

How do they feel about the people that smiles in their face relay that perfunctory greeting, probably don't wait for the answer and run for cover behind them when they are afraid but won't lift a finger to protect them in the end?

But then, I remember whose House officers like Eugene Goodman were really protecting. And who it stands for? The people. Not one party, not one politician, not one king or kingmaker. They do it because they know they are defending the United States of America and the sanctity of our democratic system.

They stand guard against enemies foreign and domestic. They duplicate the efforts of our founding fathers. And here we are on the cusp of another Memorial Day. Commemorating those who sacrificed their lives for humanity.

[22:40:07]

They are not here today because they refused to let someone else deal within humanity. You know what? They deserve better. Frankly, we all do.

You know, they were there in Wuhan when the pandemic first began. And now, that there are renewed questions about the Wuhan lab and the coronavirus. We ask our team on the ground in China to take a closer look at the investigation into how the disease spread from Wuhan to the world. That's up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[22:44:57]

COATES: The White House ramping up efforts to determine the origins of COVID as new intelligence raises questions about what China knew and when they knew it.

CNN's David Culver has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): President Biden ordering U.S. intelligence to dig deeper into the origin of COVID-19, putting renewed focus into the Chinese city where it was first publicly detected, Wuhan.

The White House says there are two possible origin theories. The first, a natural spread from animals to humans possibly amplified in this once crowded Wuhan seafood market. The second, and far more controversial possibility, a leak of the deadly virus from this Wuhan lab.

UNKNOWN: We know China that engaged in a massive cover up starting from day one involve -- including destroying samples, hiding records, imprisoning people asking -- in China asking basic questions and placing a gag order.

CULVER: It has been well over a year since the initial outbreak and still no conclusive answers. Former President Trump made claims last spring that it started in the

Wuhan Institute of Virology lab but never provided evidence. The Chinese along with many scientists dismissed Trump's lab leak theory as a conspiracy.

President Biden took office supporting an international approach in investigating the origin. This week three sources familiar with the matter tells CNN that Biden also shut down a Trump's State Department inquiry into the origins over concerns about the quality of the evidence.

But now with newly reported intel, there were new questions of what China knew and when. The Wall Street Journal reporting this week that a U.S. intel report found that several researchers at the Wuhan lab got so sick they had to go to the hospital in November 2019, that is weeks before China reported the first patient with COVID-like symptoms to the WHO. It led mounting pressure on the Biden administration to find answers.

In January of this year, we were in Wuhan as the WHO sent a field team into China to investigate. Visiting a now shattered market once believed to have been the original ground zero. It since been wiped clean. We drove by the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Heavily secured. And despite multiple request we were not granted access to enter. This was as close as we got. The WHO scientists however were allowed in. Their conclusion that it's very likely the virus spread naturally from animals and that a lab leak was extremely unlikely.

UNKNOWN: There is no evidence of that at all. But it is something that we talked about with people at Wuhan lab and got really honest and frank and good informative answers, too.

CULVER: But that's the issue with the WHO investigation, according to some of the scientists who took part it relied mostly on conversations with the Chinese scientists taking them at their word. Some of the experts complained China has blocked them from crucial data. And those like Peter Daszak have been criticized for their personal ties to the Wuhan lab, having helped fund and take part in research in the facility before the outbreak.

Virologist Marion Koopmans was among the WHO team in Wuhan in January. She's careful to characterize the team's work as research gathering, not as an inspection. She also welcomes Biden's effort to get more intel on the origins, hoping he'll share the findings.

MARION KOOPMANS, MEMBER, WHO FIELD TEAM: So, if there is really something to it, well then, it needs to be followed up.

CULVER: Meantime, China is pushing back with its own narrative calling the U.S. efforts a smear campaign. Their motive is vicious, the spokesperson says. Chinese officials have relentlessly pushed an unfounded conspiracy that the virus began in the U.S. but there is no evidence of that. Chinese state media has labeled the virus as an imported threat, even baselessly suggesting that it came from outside China on frozen foods.

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CULVER: From the chaos and the confusion of the initial outbreak to the surge and panic as the number of deaths soared and the virus spread to hopes that vaccines might bring us to life pre-COVID-19. We're still left with the question. How did all this really begun? Laura?

COATES: David Culver, thank you so much for that reporting.

You know, the number of people flying is setting pandemic records and tempers are on the edge.

[22:50:00]

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COATES: Flights packed as millions of Americans travel this holiday weekend and that's causing some not so friendly skies.

Here's CNN's senior aviation correspondent Pete Muntean.

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PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The newest demand facing pent-up demand for travel is pent-up frustration in the sky with federal agencies citing a serious surge of in-flight fights. In a new letter Southwest Airlines flight attendant say unruly passenger incidents are becoming intolerable and more aggressive. These images are from a Southwest flight on Sunday when a flight attendant had two teeth knocked out by a passenger according to their union.

LYN MONTGOMERY, PRESIDENT, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES FLIGHT ATTENDANTS UNION: They seemed to be almost angry before they step onboard the aircraft, and they are verbally attacking flight attendants, calling them names, pulling on their lanyards, getting aggressive. We've had to deal with almost riot-like incidences.

MUNTEAN: Even if you are fully vaccinated masks are still required on all public forms of transportation and in terminals by the TSA. It is now investigating 1,300 cases of people violating that mandate.

[22:55:04]

The Federal Aviation Administration says it has received 2,500 reports of unruly passengers just this year, 1,900 of them about mask compliance.

UNKNOWN: Started antagonizing other passengers.

MUNTEAN: A crew member on this JetBlue flight says an unruly passenger cut this coast to coast trip short causing it to land in Minneapolis.

UNKNOWN: Gesturing stabbing motions towards the other passenger and he was also observed erratic behavior and snorting a white substance.

UNKNOWN: OK. DARBY LAJOYE, ACTING ADMINISTRATOR, TSA: We want to be clear that

anyone causing a disturbance onboard an aircraft or within the airport environment will be punished with fines and possible criminal charges.

MUNTEAN: Even still health officials are telling fully vaccinated Americans to enjoy Memorial Day. AAA says the rush to return to travel is on with 37 million people headed out this holiday weekend, only a 13 percent drop compared to 2019. Airports that were a ghost town last year are now filling up. TSA figures show air travel has already hit 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels compared to 13 percent a year ago.

UNKNOWN: It's been a stressful year and I'm just going to go by myself and have some fun in the Bahamas.

UNKNOWN: It can be a little crowded, but I feel pretty safe. I've got my vaccine and my mask, hand sanitizer, so I should be good to go.

MUNTEAN: The latest forecast from the U.S. Travel Association says 77 percent of Americans will take at least one trip this summer up from 29 percent last year. But flight crews hope with people rushing to return to normal this does not become the new normal.

SARA NELSON, PRESIDENT, ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS: These actions onboard the aircraft what may start out as little actions can become really big action -- problems really quickly. And we're stuck in the middle, too, where we can't call for help or people cannot walk away. So we've all got to treat each other with respect.

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MUNTEAN: Southwest Airlines is permanently banning the woman accused of that assault on their flight attendant, also the airline now says it is not resuming alcohol service like it had planned to do starting in June. Laura?

COATES: Pete Muntean, thank you. It's unbelievable. And thank you all for watching. Our coverage continues. Up next, Don Lemon's CNN special What's Going On, Marvin Gaye's Anthem for the Ages.

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