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Don Lemon Tonight
Biden Says U.S. Will Respond If Russia Misbehaves Again; Overwhelming Vote In The House Tonight Establishing Juneteenth As Federal Holiday; GOP Lawmakers Downplay The January 6th Insurrection; Congressman Clyde Snubs Officer Fanone; President Biden Apologizes To Press; Delta Variant Poses Threat To Unvaccinated People. Aired 10-11p ET
Aired June 16, 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 (on camera): Thank you for the opportunity to get after it. It is now time for the big show. "DON LEMON TONIGHT" with its star, D. Lemon. And D. Lemon has a new offering for you.
DON LEMON, CNN HOST: I do?
CUOMO: Are you a podcast person? Do you go to Apple podcast? A big place to get podcasts. You will see in Apple podcasts, a new offering.
LEMON: What is it?
CUOMO: With the big star D. Lemon called the handoff. There it is.
LEMON: Wait, who is that guy on the left?
CUOMO: Good hairline. Some suggestion that they really don't like what we say because they don't even show our mouths. The first episode is out, brother.
LEMON: I know. But they're telling us to shut up and look ugly.
CUOMO: I'll tell you what. You win this. Because you have better spacing of wide eyes. Look how close my eyes are. Beady. Beady little eyes. You have nice spacing. So, what do you want people to know about this?
LEMON: I want people to know about it is, you know, in the media it's been said, it is what they do every night. It's not going to be what we do every night. It is we're going to up the ante. Because the freedom that we'll have in a podcast, it's not on broadcast or on cable television where you have a bit more restraints and the parameters are tighter.
In a podcast, we are freer as you are freer on the radio to say certain things, to talk about certain things. But what I want people to know is that, this is a place for everyone to come to. As I have said, if you are -- if you are easily offended, you definitely want to watch this.
If you -- I mean listen to us. If you are not easily offended, you definitely want to listen to us. Because especially if you are because we're going to toughen you up a little bit. As you know, I don't -- I believe in accountability. I don't believe in canceling people. I believe that people are fallible and that they're human, and in this podcast we're going to say things that are provocative the way people talk in person with each other. How people often make mistakes in conversations. Because that's what we do.
And if people make a mistake, then we talk about it. We don't cancel people for being human. We need to allow people to be human. And allow people to, if they do make a mistake, to apologize, to come back, to move on, restoration. That's what America is about. Redemption.
So, in that, the whole reason I'm saying all of this is because we're going to go there in this podcast. And you'll learn a lot about us and a lot about yourself. What do you think?
CUOMO: Strong words from a man who probably can't be canceled.
LEMON: That's not true.
CUOMO: The question is, how long will it take me to get canceled because of a podcast, of all things?
LEMON: I don't think -- I don't think that you are going to get canceled. Because we're talking about something and we're hashing it out and you have questions and that you're curious. I want people to be more curious and less judgmental. The only way you're going to get canceled if you do something that is that you shouldn't be doing.
CUOMO: Look, neither of us can say that. Don't sell the handoff short. Here are my two points.
LEMON: OK.
CUOMO: One, we don't know what's going to get you canceled. The line slips all the time. I believe that the right has weaponized a lefty perversion of decent discourse. I blame the left for this. The right is weaponized it. They use it against the left in different targets when they want to but this is a mistake. This is an allegation equals a conviction. And if I don't like it, you lose.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: But that's not what we're doing on the handoff.
LEMON: No. No, no. All I'm doing is saying offer some room.
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: Don is --
LEMON: I'm just saying, give us some -- give us some --
CUOMO: Give us some item too.
LEMON: -- room and some grace and give other people some grace, room and item too.
CUOMO: And if you don't, we're going to take it anyway.
LEMON: Right.
CUOMO: Because, look, you're dealing with two veterans. Don and I share many things other than our affection and our family bond. Which is, we've been doing this a long time.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: We know who we are. We know what we believe. And neither of us has a whole lot of concern about people not agreeing or wanting to take us to task about it. If you want to know what is going on inside our hearts and our heads about what we cover.
LEMON: And in our lives.
CUOMO: And what's happening in the world, and in our lives.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: We go very deep --
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: -- in this first episode, by the way. COVID brain? I don't remember 100 percent of what we did in the episode.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: But people who have listened to it today were like, wow, man, you know, you really said some stuff in there.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: So, I'm going to have to listen to it again because I don't even remember what I said. You sure as hell weren't protecting me.
[22:05:03]
LEMON: I got you.
CUOMO: But people were pretty jazzed by it early on. And I dig that.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: I dig being provocative and I hope it offers food for thought.
LEMON: I got you. And look, I agree with you. And there are people who, look, you know, you've been around me and my family. I have disagreement with my mom. We, you know, raise our voices mom.
CUOMO: You lose though.
LEMON: Yes. I'm going to lose but that's how you do it! Look, these are my notes for my family coming up. At first they said, well, book me, I said I'm going to book your flights and when I booked them, that's it because I'm paying for a round-trip everything, come on up. Don't changed it, I know right. Don't change the dates or whatever, so I call them back and say hey, I missed a couple people's birthdays. We have some small issues and I'm like, my gosh.
CUOMO: How many people? You have too many damn family.
LEMON: One, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 9, 9 or 10 of them. It depends.
CUOMO: So many. They come and they're all running around. They're all these kids.
LEMON: They're beautiful though, aren't they?
CUOMO: And there are people -- and everybody has got something to say. A lot of good-looking people.
LEMON: Beautiful?
CUOMO: Interesting, interesting set of good-looking genes.
LEMON: I've got some beautiful black folks, and we're all mixed up from down in Louisiana. We got some Creo (Ph) going on, we got some, you know, interracial marriages whatever.
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: You didn't get your mom's eyes.
LEMON: I did get my mom's eyes.
CUOMO: No, her color is different on her eyes.
LEMON: She's lighter, my mom is --
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: No, not her skin, her color eye color.
LEMON: No. Her eye color is lighter.
CUOMO: Yes. That's what I just said.
LEMON: I think is like -- my mom is like, I think it was we did our DNA. She's like 75, 73 European.
CUOMO: She's good-looking.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: But she could do you ugly fast, she gets up on my face Chris! Chris, don't you talk to me! LEMON: My God. You're in trouble.
CUOMO: I'm like, listen lady, you better back off. I don't want any trouble.
LEMON: The handoff, anywhere you get your podcasts with Apple podcast, sorry, sorry. Apple, sorry, Apple, I'm screwing up and we just started.
CUOMO: That's it, we're getting canceled. I love you, D. Lemon, I got to get out here. I got to feed my family.
LEMON: I love you. I'll see you later, I love you too.
This is DON LEMON TONIGHT. Thank you so much for joining us.
A lot of big, big news today and tonight as a matter of fact. But I want to start with the overwhelming vote in the House tonight establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday, can you believe that? Many of you are probably unfamiliar, so for those who are unfamiliar Juneteenth marks June 19th, that's in 1865. That was the end of slavery when a union general announced in Galveston, Texas, that slavery was over in accordance with President Lincoln's 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.
Black Americans, but that was two years after. Can you believe? Black people are free and emancipated and then it didn't find out, it was on purpose, purposely that they weren't freed or emancipated two years after. So Black Americans have long observed Juneteenth as the unofficial end of slavery in this country, though, you know, it has been a state holiday in Texas for 40 years that hasn't had full recognition.
Well, as they say, a change is going to come, right? The Senate passed the bill just yesterday, President Biden is expected to signed into law as a Juneteenth National Independence Day. Juneteenth National Independence Day, keep that name in mind. And I'll tell you why in just a moment.
The House vote, nearly unanimous, 415, 415 to 14. Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez noting tonight that the 14 dissenters are all white Republican men.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): I mean, this is pretty consistent with I think the Republican base and it's, whether it's trying to fight against teaching basic history around racism and the role of racism in U.S. history to, you know, there is a direct through line from that to denying Juneteenth.
The day that is widely recognized and celebrated as the symbolic kind of day that, to represent the end of slavery in the United States. You know, there is a direct through line between that denial of our history and wanting to understand the full scope of our history and celebrating the end, a major end of injustice in the United States. And I think it's a -- it's a shame.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): Well, one of those voting no, Texas Republican Chip Reeves (Ph) saying this. Chip Roy, excuse me. Today, I voted against the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act which would establish a new national holiday called Juneteenth National Independence Day.
Juneteenth should be commemorated as the expression of the realization of the end of slavery in the United States and I commend those who worked for its passage. I cannot vote for this bill however, because the holiday should not be called Juneteenth National Independence Day, but rather Juneteenth National Emancipation or freedom or otherwise day.
[22:10:01]
OK, Chip Roy, the name needlessly divides our nation he says on a matter that should be, or should instead bring us together by creating a separate Independence Day based on the color of one skin.
OK. OK. There is nothing divisive about recognizing the history or freedom or otherwise, in fact, it's quite the opposite. It's a shame that you can't see it, but history will see it.
And tonight, President Biden is flying back from overseas after telling Russia's leader what the United States expects from him if he is going to be a player on the world stage. Biden mincing no words, saying that despite doubts by some, that he should not have met with Putin at this point in his young presidency and that he was boosting Putin's world image. He accomplished what he set out to do, here is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I told president Putin my agenda is not against Russia, or anyone else. It's for the American people. I also told him that no president of the United States could keep faith with the American people if they did not speak out to defend our Democratic values.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): Well, that is a far cry from this humiliating spectacle the world saw just three years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: My people came to me, Dan Coats came to me and some others, they said they think it's Russia. I have President Putin, he just said it's not Russia. I have great confidence in my intelligence people but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON (on camera): Cringy, isn't it? Well, that moment is so
embarrassing that Fiona Hill, an adviser to President Trump and Joe Biden as well, told me last night that she looked for a fire alarm to pull or a medical emergency to fake to just end it. Seriously, she said that.
Biden on the other hand, though, not bending to Putin but knowing that dealing with him is not going to be easy. Putin, for example, refusing to take responsibility for a massive cyberattacks in the U.S. But Biden publicly threatening possible retaliation if the attacks don't stop.
And there's more at stake here, not just with Russia. Joe Biden knows full well that democracy is under attack. Not only around the world, but right here at home as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: A lot is going on, I don't about you. I never anticipated notwithstanding no matter how persuasive President Trump was that we have to before attacking and breaking down the doors of the United States Capitol, I didn't think that would happen. I don't think I'd see that in my lifetime and I've never seen including during since the Civil War, such an outward assault on voting rights.
I mean, just a flat assault, I didn't anticipate that happening four years ago. But it's happening now. So, there's a lot at stake, each of the countries we have our own concerns and problems but we still as long as I'm president we are going to stick to the notion that we are open, accountable and transparent. And I think that's important message to send the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): Well as it turns out, surprised, surprised Vladimir Putin doesn't like being questioned about how he imprisons political opponents and, in some cases, has them murdered. So, what did he do? He saw an opportunity to acquit them with the Black Lives Matter protesters, who took to the streets after George Floyd's murder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): America quite recently had to deal with terrible events after the murder of, the killing of the African-American and Black Lives Matter ensued. I don't want to make any judgment about that, but what we saw mass violations of the law, and so and so forth. We sympathize with the Americans but we do not wish that this kind of thing should happen on our territory and we will do our utmost to prevent it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): But defensive, right? Well, Putin going on to express sympathy with those who stormed the capitol on January 6th as if, you know, they're political dissidents or something, rather than rioters who tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PUTIN (through translator): People rioted and went into the Congress in the U.S. with political demands. And many people were declared as criminals and they are threatened with imprisonment from 20 to 25 years.
[22:15:06]
And these people were immediately arrested after those events. One of the participants were just shot on the spot and unarmed as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): Hold on to that, so he's talking about Ashli Babbitt. But the logic doesn't make sense there because he talks about one type of violence, right, with the protesters around the country. And then he says that that's bad. But then, the violence that happened at the capitol is in some way in his mind good. Logic much?
So, in that last statement, he's talking about Ashli Babbitt who was shot by a police officer while she was breaking into the capitol. And Putin is saying that those who rioted on January 6th were exercising their free speech rights. He says that because he knows that's a right that we have in America that they just don't have in Russia.
And everyone in this country has that right. All the people who have been arrested and charged in connection with the deadly insurrection, nearly 500 of them, have due process. A right to a fair trial. The Russian leader wants to twist what happened to provide cover for his own authoritarianism.
And Republicans in Congress who are denying the riot even took place are taking a page right out of Putin's play book. This is GOP Representative Paul Gosar just yesterday grilling FBI director Christopher Wray.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PAUL GOSAR (R-AZ): The capitol police officer that did that shooting of Ashli Babbitt appeared -- appeared to be hiding, like in wait, and he gave no warning before killing her. Question again, why hasn't that officer that executed Ashli Babbitt been named when police officers around the country are routinely identified after a shooting.
CHRISTOPHER WRAY, DIRECTOR, U.S. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: On that case it's the one that we've been directly involved in so I can't agree or disagree with your characterization.
GOSAR: Sounds good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): Just today, the Justice Department releasing new videos of the insurrection. Americans violently breaking in to the capitol. Desecrating it. Yet some Republicans didn't see what the rest of America witnessed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ANDREW CLYDE (R-GA): There was no insurrection. And to call it an insurrection in my opinion is a bold-faced lie.
GOSAR: Outright propaganda and lies are being used to unleash the national security state against law-abiding U.S. citizens, especially Trump voters. As a result, the DOJ is harassing peaceful patriots across the country.
UNKNOWN: It was Trump supporters who lost their lives that day. Not Trump supporters who were taking the lives of others.
REP. RALPH NORMAN (R-SC): When I see this sheet on a time line, on the, let's see, OK, at 2.07, a mob of Trump supporters breach the steps. I don't know who did a poll that it's Trump supporters.
REP. LOUIE GOHMERT (R-TX): There have been things worse than people without any firearms coming into a building.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): Those are your leaders, America. And the right-wing media has been playing the denial game and claiming it wasn't Trump supporters as well who stormed the capitol. They spent months trying to pin the blame on followers of antifa. You know, described as Trumpers. That failed. Because it's just so ludicrous. Now, the right Fox host Tucker Carlson blaming the deep state and claiming the FBI is behind the insurrection. Seriously?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TUCKER CARLSON, HOST, FOX NEWS: You know why. They were almost certainly working for the FBI. So FBI operatives were organizing the attack on the capitol on January 6th, according to government documents. And those two are not alone.
In all, Revolver News reported, there are quote, "upwards of 20 unindicted co-conspirators in the Oath Keeper indictments," all playing various roles in the conspiracy who have not been charged for virtually the exact same activities and in some cases, much, much more severe activities as those named alongside them in the indictments. Huh?
So it turns out that this white supremacist insurrection was again, by the government's own admission in these documents organized at least in part by government agents.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): Yes. At least that time wasn't in the form of a question as it often is. So, no surprise. Following the pied piper of nonsense, QAnon supporting Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene pushing this new line of garbage tweeting, we need names and answers about the FBI operatives who were involved in organizing at carrying out the January 6th capitol riot.
[22:20:03]
First, they had a back-up plan to stop Trump in Russia collusion witch hunt. Now we are finding out they were deeply involved in January 6th deep state. Boy. Which might work if not for, you know, the truth. It was not the deep state. It wasn't antifa. It was Trump supporters. Incited by Trump. Fooled and fueled by Trump and the big lie. There's your answer.
So, the United States president met with the Russian leader and no one had to fake sick or dream about pulling a fire alarm to stop the madness. Up next, I'm going to talk with Fareed Zakaria and get his take on how it went.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: This is not about trust. This is about self-interest and verification of self-interest. That's what it's about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON (on camera): President Biden on his way back to Washington after wrapping up his historic summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Biden saying that he did what he came to do during the three-hour meeting and that proof of progress will reveal itself down the road.
Let's discuss now with Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS. He joins us now. Fareed, good evening to you. Good to see you. So, give me your take on the summit and how it went for Biden and for Putin.
[22:25:06]
FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST: I think it was very successful. I think it was successful for both of them. Which is after all what you expect in an adult setting like this, with adult foreign policy. I mean, really, the theme I would say is the adults are back. You are in a serious conversation with a country with many, many differences, but it was professional, it was cordial.
You know, all the things that sound boring, but this is what kind of keeps the world stable, and peaceful and be prosperous. You know, you try to construct predictable stable relations among the most powerful countries in the world.
I don't think -- it wasn't -- people have used the words summit a lot, and I think that conjures up the kind of cold war summits where you have a big arms control agreement that was going to come out of the summit, or a big de-escalation that was going to come out of the summit.
This wasn't a summit in that sense. And so, you know, people would be a little surprise well, what came out a bit. This was more like a bilateral meeting among two of the most powerful countries in the world. And it went well. It went, you know, it was a good -- a good rapport was established.
It's all happening of course against the backdrop that you described, which was the last of these, which was a complete fiasco, which was an ex show, let us say, I'm not going to use the word on television. But that has all been in, you know, that's in the past. We now have a normal great power -- we have great power diplomacy between the United States and Russia and that's great.
LEMON: Yes. I found myself, as you, said that you know what show. You know, I didn't have to sit there and say, my gosh, my gosh, what is he going to -- so I found myself doing my normal business and checking in and out of the television as one would do in a, you know, in normal circumstances.
Let's talk about what happened though. On cyberattacks, Biden gave Putin a list, Fareed, of 16 critical U.S. infrastructure targets that were off limits saying that the U.S. has significant cyber capability and will respond if attacked. And when asked about whether he delivered any ultimatums, he said no. But then he said this, here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: I talked about the pipeline that cyber hit for five million, that ransomware hit in the United States. I looked to him and I said, how would you feel if ransomware took on the pipelines from your oil fields? He said it wouldn't matter. This is not about just our self- interest. It's about a mutual self-interest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): So, I mean, it's a little like nice pipeline you got there, ashamed of something happened to it, no?
ZAKARIA: Absolutely. And that is a -- that was actually a move forward, and a fairly aggressive move by President Biden. So, the big problem with cyber, unlike nuclear or chemical, is it's very hard to say for sure that something came from a particular country, a particular address at they call attribution is very hard.
So, what you are trying to do is create a generalized climate of deterrence where you are saying exactly what he was saying, which is we are going to tell, you we would be -- this would look very suspicious.
And what Biden said for the first time, that I am aware of, is that the United States would respond and would respond in kind. This has been the big question. How do you treat a cyberattack when the government of North Korea, as far as we can tell, shut down Sony's computers? Remember that this happened.
LEMON: Yes.
ZAKARIA: They essentially destroyed about 75 percent of the computers of Sony entertainment in L.A. The United States government did not do anything. It did not view that as an attack on the United States.
What Biden is saying is an important shift, which he is saying you do something like that particularly to critical infrastructure, that list, we will respond, we will respond in kind, reminding Putin, of course, probably the world's most sophisticated cyber operation is in the United States, the National Security Agency, and some other agencies we have. So, we can -- we can counter punch.
LEMON: Yes. So, I got it. Let's see. Both you said did well, the adults are in charge. Bilateral not a summit and respond in kind. I was taking notes. Got it. Fareed Zakaria, thank you very much. Good to see you.
ZAKARIA: Glad you are taking notes.
LEMON: Thank you, Fareed. Make sure you watch Fareed Zakaria GPS Sunday 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. right here on CNN.
Twenty-one Republican representatives voting against gold medals for law enforcement officers who defended the capitol on January 6th. One officer who was there defending the capitol trying to get meetings with them and instead facing hostility.
[22:30:02]
Officer Michael Fanone tells us about it. There he is alive, he is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON (on camera): So, we're back. Congresswoman Liz Cheney slamming the 21 Republicans who voted against giving the Congressional Gold Medal to officers who defended the capitol on January 6th.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): The police fought for us that day. They defended us. They I'm sure saved lives. They defended the capitol. The idea that they wouldn't get the Congressional Gold Medal is just, it's outrageous.
MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Should Kevin McCarthy do something about these members?
CHENEY: It's outrageous that they voted no.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): She just looks exasperated these days and rightfully so. If it wasn't for the hundreds of brave officers who defended our capitol from the violent mob, January 6th could have been a massacre. I'm talking about heroes like D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone who almost died from the insurrection.
[22:35:00]
He was brutally assaulted and tased multiple times. Here's part of his body camera footage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: I got one.
UNKNOWN: All right. Easy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): Well Officer Fanone went back to the capitol -- back to Capitol Hill today to try to talk to those 21 lawmakers, and he joins me tonight.
Mike, good evening. Thank you. I appreciate you joining.
MICHAEL FANONE, D.C. METROPOLITAN POLICE OFFICER: Thanks, buddy. I appreciate you having me on.
LEMON: Why did you go talk to those 21 Republicans who voted against this bill and were you able to talk to any of them?
FANONE: So, I just went there today to try to schedule appointments to speak with the 21 members that voted no for the gold medal bill, acknowledging the U.S. Capitol police officers, as well as the MPD officers who responded to the capitol insurrection on January 6th. I really just went there to engage with them, talk to them about my experience. Show them the body-worn camera footage from that day if they were interested.
And you know, again, just relay what my experiences were and what the experiences of some of my colleagues were. I didn't go there with the, you know, thoughts that I was going to change a bunch of hearts and minds. But I wanted to better educate them as to what officers' experiences were that day. And no, again, I didn't meet with any members other than I did bump into Representative Andrew Clyde in an elevator.
LEMON: Yes. Let's talk about this. Because you ran into him. Congressman Andrew Clyde. Here's what he said about January 6th. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLYDE: Let me be clear. There was no insurrection. If you didn't know the TV footage was a video from January 6th, you would actually think it was a normal tourist visit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): So, we have this picture up now. I don't know if you can see it. I think you're in the studio and you can. This is Clyde trying to barricade a door on January 6th which clearly wouldn't be necessary with just normal tourists. So, what happened when you introduced yourself to the congressman?
FANONE: Well, so like I said, I, you know, I saw Congressman Clyde standing outside of an elevator. I was there with officer Harry Dunn who accompanied me throughout the capitol. I went into the elevator. I told I greeted Congressman Clyde. I was very cordial. I extended my hand to shake his hand. He just stared at me.
I asked him if he was going to shake my hand and he told that he didn't know who I was. So, I introduced myself. I said that I was officer Michael Fanone. That I was a D.C. Metropolitan police officer who fought on January 6th to defend the capitol and as a result, I suffered a traumatic brain injury, as well as a heart attack after having been tased numerous times at the base of my skull, as well as being severely beaten.
At that point the congressman turned away from me. Pulled out a cell phone. It looked like he was attempting to pull up like an audio recording app on his phone. And again, like never acknowledged me at any point. As soon as the elevator doors opened, he ran as quickly as he could like a coward.
LEMON: Like a coward.
FANONE: Correct.
LEMON: He didn't shake your hand.
FANONE: Absolutely not.
LEMON: What do you think of that?
FANONE: You know, obviously, like I took that particular interaction very personally. But I also took it as a representation of Andrew Clyde giving the middle finger to myself and every other member of the Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. capitol police that responded that day.
LEMON: We reached out to Clyde's office for comment but we haven't heard back. And you said that he seemed to be again, fumbling with his phone and trying to record, record you, right?
FANONE: Correct. That's right. That's why I introduced myself and explained to him, you who I was and what had happened to me on January 6, neither one of us spoke to each other after that. But he did pull out his phone. It was apparent to me that he was trying to record any additional conversation that we had.
But you know, I felt compelled to confront him specifically because of the comments that he had made. You know, other congressmen who voted against the bill, they had different reasons, whether it was language that it was in the bill, but Congressman Clyde has made some pretty incendiary remarks downplaying the event. And you know, to be honest with you, downplaying is disingenuous. He just out and out lied.
And the reality is, like at this point, if you're going to sling bull shit about January 6th, I'm going on call out on it. And you're going to be held accountable.
[22:40:02] LEMON: Yes. Were the -- were people complaining about you being there? That's what I said you said that there were complaint about you being on the Hill? What was the problem?
FANONE: So, I mean, just --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: I'm sure they weren't complaining about you being there on January 6, but go on.
FANONE: Correct. I mean, most of our interactions was again just with staff members. The staff members were incredibly cordial. You know, they, you know, wanted to assist us in, you know, in setting up meetings with members of Congress or with their representatives. And some of them may have expressed like, you know, significant interest in having us sit-down with their representatives.
We did have one interaction with the representative, I believe from Montana. I can't remember his name. But his chat, his chief of staff seemed like very uncomfortable at Harry and I presence at their office. And I believe that stemmed from the fact that we were there just to discuss January 6th.
I mean, again, we were very cordial. Obviously, I knew that there was some potential for, you know, some degree of hostility just at my mere presence in their office. So, I went about it, you know, with the perspective of killing people with kindness and tried to be overly polite.
And you know, I have no regrets about the interactions and my behavior that day. I think some members, Andrew Clyde specifically, and this particular chief of staff from the Montana representative's office, their behavior was pretty damn disgusting.
LEMON: Yes. Officer Fanone, Mike, thank you.
FANONE: I appreciate it.
LEMON: I appreciate it.
Don't miss the CNN special report by the way, it's called assault on democracy, the roots of Trump's insurrection. Our Drew Griffin has new details about what happened on that day. That's Sunday night at 9 p.m. Sunday night right here on CNN. Assault on democracy.
Did a top Trump adviser want Joe Biden to win the election? My next guest suggest yes, at least one did. He'll tell us about it next.
[22:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON (on camera): We're back now. I just want to show some pictures before we get to our story on the coronavirus. This is Joint Base Andrews. Air Force One on the tarmac now. The president arriving back to the United States from Geneva where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin today and where he was on a trip meeting with world leaders.
As soon as the president leaves the plane and gets off the plane, we will bring you the live pictures of it.
In the meantime, we're going to move on here and talk about the coronavirus. Thirteen states are fully vaccinated and more than half of their residents against coronavirus. And CDC is predicting coronavirus deaths, hospitalizations and cases will decrease over the next four weeks. But experts are warning, there is now even more of a reason for people to get vaccinated.
So, joining us now is the former White House senior adviser for COVID- 19 response. Before we get to that, let's get to the president now. There he is President Joe Biden deplaning Air Force One back from a world -- a trip meeting with world leaders.
And again, with that historic meeting today with Vladimir Putin. It was a summit, but our Fareed Zakaria tells us it was much more of a bilateral meeting than a summit. So, there is the president. And speaking of, the president has been dealing with world issues. COVID- 19 one of them.
So, joining us now is the former White House senior adviser for COVID- 19, Andy Slavitt. He is the author of the brand-new book, "Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response."
Thank you very much, Andy, for joining us. Kind of perfect timing there. You get the president coming off the plane where he has been talking to world leaders about all of this stuff what's happening around the world and also COVID-19 has been a big part of that.
So, lots of good news. But the CDC now says the Delta variant first identified in India is, quote, "a variant of concern." A study says that the variant may be twice as likely to spread and leads to the double -- leads to double hospitalizations. Currently it accounts for close to 10 percent of cases in the U.S.
How concerned are you and how concerned should the man that you see there on your screen live, the president of the United States, be about that?
ANDY SLAVITT, FORMER ACTING ADMINISTRATOR, CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES: Well, good evening, Don. I'm very I'm concerned for people who have been vaccinated. And I'm more concerned for people who have not been vaccinated. The communities that are largely unvaccinated.
Because as you know, most people live in clusters. So, either everybody they know is vaccinated or most people they know are not vaccinated. And in those communities of a COVID that spreads twice as fast is not a good thing. So, it's one more reason for people to take this seriously and say, we've got great vaccines. We're so lucky to have them. Maybe I should take one. Or two. LEMON: Or two. You're right on, right on, brother.
So, I want to talk about your book as well. You write about a conversation that you had with Deborah Birx back when she was President Trump's White House coronavirus response coordinator. She was front and center at the beginning of this pandemic and at very briefing with Trump and then this happened.
So, you know, the -- I'm not going to show it. Let's just talk about it. That's the bleach moment. The, you know, light inside and outside the body, whatever. Before it was clear who would win in 2020, she told us that she wanted -- she told us who she wanted to be president. What did -- she told you who she wanted to be president. What did she say?
[22:50:03]
SLAVITT: Well, she looked me in the eye. She knew I was there to talk about and think about whether there was potential pre-planning for a transition. And she said, I hope a certain person wins. She locked eyes with me. It wasn't hard to imagine why that was the case.
You know, she went from the White House darling to being replaced by Scott Atlas. And anybody who thought that they didn't like Deborah Birx, they just hadn't had a chance to meet Scott Atlas yet.
LEMON: When you saw her at the end of October 2020, you write that she was, quote, "downright scared." Talk to me about that, Andy.
SLAVITT: She knew that we had a big wave coming. And she had seen the data and yet she was unpermitted, she was not permitted to talk to the press. And this harkens back to another part in the book in February when Alex Azar who was oftentimes doing Trump's bidding, had wanted to go on Fox and Friends and say that things were fine, which they weren't, but that things could change rapidly.
The White House pulled him from Fox and Friends and told him that he and the department were not allowed to talk to the media for 45 days. So, imagine this. We have a pandemic that is starting. And our own Department of Human Health and Human Services isn't even allowed to talk to the press or the public. And that was the pattern throughout the entire 2020. If you didn't agree with Trump's narrative about the pandemic, you were shut down.
LEMON: Yes.
SLAVITT: And that's what happened to Birx at the end.
LEMON: Andy, it's always a pleasure to speak with you. We had you on all the time right in the middle of quarantine at the height of the pandemic and we love having you on now. The book is fascinating. We thank you for your time and thank you for writing this book. It is called "Preventable. The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response." Again, our thanks to Andy Slavitt. I appreciate it. Be well.
SLAVITT: Thank you.
LEMON: Thank you.
President Biden apologizing today for something that Trump would never apologize for. We'll tell you why. That's next.
[22:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON (on camera): So, take this. Everyone, take note. Seriously. President Biden lashing out at CNN's Kaitlan Collins at the end of his news conference today. But then apologizing. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Why are you so confident he'll change his behavior, Mr. President?
BIDEN: I'm not confident he's going to change the behavior. What the hell -- what do you all the time?
COLLINS: So --
BIDEN: When did I say I was confident? I said --
COLLINS: You said in the next six months you will be able to --
(CROSSTALK)
BIDEN: I said -- what I said was -- let's get it straight. I owe my last questioner an apology. I shouldn't have -- I should have been such a wise guy to the last answer I gave.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): Kaitlan is gracious enough to say that the president's apology was completely unnecessary. Imagine that. Apologizing. A president. Biden did the right thing by apologizing, an action totally unfamiliar to the last president who often went way out of bounds with the press.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: That's such a racist question. Honestly, I mean, I know you have it written down and you are going to tell me. Let me tell you. It's a racist question.
UNKNOWN: What do you say to Americans who are watching you right now who are scared?
UNKNOWN: I say that you're a terrible reporter. That's what I say.
She is shocked that I picked her. It's like in a state of shock.
UNKNOWN: I'm not. Thank you, Mr. President. TRUMP: That's OK. I know you're not thinking. You never do.
UNKNOWN: I'm sorry?
TRUMP: No. Go ahead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): Sorry doesn't have to be the hardest word. It really doesn't. It takes a big person to apologize. President Biden returns to Washington after meeting with Vladimir Putin, and the challenges he is facing back home could be just as tough.
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