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Don Lemon Tonight

Never Before Seen Videos Show Capitol Rioters Attacking Police From Officer's Point Of View; Critical Race Theory Becomes Wedge Issue Not Based In Reality; Top Defense Department Brass Pushing Back Against Accusations Of Wokeness; Senators Say Deal Reached On Infrastructure As Bipartisan Agenda Faces Make-Or-Break Moment; Biden Warns Of More Pronounced Summer Crime Spike; Britney Spears Pleads With Judge To End Court-Ordered Conservatorship. Aired 11p-12a ET

Aired June 23, 2021 - 23:00   ET

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

[23:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON LEMON, CNN HOST (on camera): Tonight, the Justice Department is releasing more videos never seen before of the violence in the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol. Showing police officers being attacked and beaten by rioters, the FBI Director saying 500 people have now been arrested. Republican Senator Mitt Romney and Democrat Joe Manchin saying tonight, the bipartisan group of 10 Senators has reached an infrastructure deal with the White House. But do they have enough votes to get a bill passed?

And Britney Spears pleading with a judge to end the court ordered conservatorship she's lived with since 2008, saying the situation is quote, abusive. I want to bring in now CNN's senior legal analyst, Elie Honig. Elie, good evening to you. Thank you so, much we have a lot to discuss. These videos are horrific, they are going to keep coming, possibly for years. How important is this evidence? Not just in court, but in exposing the truth about January 6th?

ELIE HONIG, CNN LEGAL ANALYST (on camera): Yeah, Don, legally these videos are going to be the heart of the prosecutions of this Capitol insurrection. As a prosecutor, this the best possible evidence you can have. I mean, all 500 plus of these defendants are essentially charged with one or both of two types of crimes, one assaulting police officers were looking at it right now, it is clear as this video and two is forcible or unauthorized entry into the Capitol.

Again, you can see that on all of these videos. More broadly though, these videos they are truth, there is still such thing as truth, there is still such thing as fact at least in our courtrooms, at least in our prosecutorial system. And all the denialism, and all the spin in the world just cannot change that. It's part of the beauty of our criminal justice process.

LEMON: Elie, prosecutors also released a video of one of the rioters, his name is Grady Owens, attacking police with a skateboard. Let's watch, then we'll talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(Inaudible)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So we have heard the former president and other Republican claiming that the officers were holding the door open for rioters as the hug and kiss people. I mean this just shows what a lie that is.

HONIG: Yeah. They're not tourist either, by the way as you can see in that video. I mean, this particular defendant, Mr. Owens is charged with assaulting a police officer plus, five other crimes. I mean, there it is. And assaulting a police officer with a skateboard. I mean, if you ever held a skateboard, my kids have them, they are heavy. You can kill a person if you hit him with a skateboard.

So, he's as guilty as we just saw on that video, a lot of these folks virtually all of them, DO, I expect to plead guilty eventually. And I think it will fall to our judges to meet out fair and appropriate sentences.

[23:05:05]

LEMON: Elie Honig, always a pleasure. Thank you, sir, I appreciate it.

In a wake of a racial reckoning over the George Floyd murder and Black Lives Matter protests, school boards across the country are examining ways that they can better serve a more diverse student body. A long overdue change, but right-wing media is pushing back with a new bogeyman, and it's called critical race theory.

The idea is driving a wedge into school board across the country where parents are fighting against their kids, against their kids getting taught something that they're not actually being taught. Boris Sanchez has the latest for us now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Riling up activists across the country.

(CROWD CHANTING): Shame on you. Shame on you.

SANCHEZ: Debate over critical race theory and classrooms, transforming typically bland school board meetings into the newest front in the culture wars.

UNKNOWN: Don't leave. Don't leave, please. We came here to say that this is our house. Everyone can stay.

SANCHEZ: Tempers flaring in Loudoun County Virginia last night as competing groups squared off when the public was allowed to comment. The CRT was not on the agenda, the board had plans to discuss a policy impacting rights of transgender and gender expensive students. The crowd growing agitated about both, boiling out of control with intimidation and interruptions. UNKNOWN: People were screaming, they were cursing, there were throwing

things at the school board.

BRENDA SHERIDAN, LOUDOUN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD CHAIR: So please respect each other and let everyone have their turn at the mic.

This is your last and final warning.

UNKNOWN: This board has a dark history of suppressing free speech, to punish opponents of critical race theory.

DICK BLACK, FORMER REPUBLICAN U.S. SENATOR: You are teaching children to hate others because of the skin color, and you're forcing them to lie about other kid's gender. I am disgusted by your bigotry and your depravity, it's time to replace (inaudible).

(APPLAUSE)

(CHEERS)

UNKNOWN: Madam Chair, I moved in public comment.

There has been a motion to end public comment, is there a second?

UNKNOWN: I second.

UNKNOWN: Motion made by Miss (inaudible) executed by Miss King, all in favor please raise your hand and say I?

CROWD: I.

UNKNOWN: The motion carries 9-0, public comment is now and it will move to our next agenda item.

SANCHEZ: The border unanimously shutting down the public comment portion of the meeting, the superintendent declaring an unlawful assembly as one demonstrator struggling with police, arrested after allegedly threatening to hurt someone.

UNKNOWN: This is an unlawful arrest!

SANCHEZ: School officials say the crowd has been fueled into a frenzy by falsehoods about students curriculum spread on cable news and social media. The misconceptions and misinformation persists, writes the superintendent of Loudoun County schools, LCPS has not adopted critical race theory.

UNKNOWN: This is the (inaudible) school board in America, it's also the worst school board in America.

SANCHEZ: Ian Prior, a former Trump administration official heads a group aiming to recall six members of the school board. He says, diversity training for teachers, that explains critical race theory finds its way into the classroom.

IAN PRIOR, FORMER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Now when you see a leak down into the school system and into the teaching, you have lessons where they are talking about white fragility, white privilege, micro aggressions, race essential-ism as really a second grade.

SANCHEZ: The school board says that's not true, critical race theory is not taught in Loudoun County schools. He insists he is concerned about what his kids are being taught.

PRIOR: This is bigger than any one issue, this is bigger than just critical race theory, this is bigger than just opening schools. You know, these are parents that just feel that their school board is not responsive to parents and is more responsive to a small (inaudible) and activists that seem to have years for members of the schoolboard.

SANCHEZ: Ian, also claims members of the school board are involved in a private Facebook group, promoting critical race theory, seeking to target parents who oppose it. A school board spokesperson says the member's never took part in plans to persecute anyone. And the suggestion that special interest groups influence the school board amounts to nothing more than a conspiracy theory.

SANCHEZ (on camera): And two important things to keep in mind here, Don, just how widespread this is. It is truly happening all over the country. In Florida, Texas, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and etc. And second, there's an aspect to this dynamic that is really curious. Lawmakers in many of these states are trying to ban critical race theory from being taught in the classroom, even though it's not.

[23:10:06]

Case in point, Florida. The Florida board of education, effectively banned critical race theory. A pushed led by Florida governor Ron DeSantis, School administrators will readily admit, it is not actually being taught in the classroom in Florida. Make of that what you will.

LEMON: It's not even being taught and they are all fired up, and that one guy being held off by police falling for another big lie, it's really sad. Thank you. Boris, I appreciate that. I want to bring now Loudoun County school board chair Brenda Sheridan.

Brenda, thank you so much, I know this has to be -- this is a very busy and frustrating time for you. You were there last night, what were you thinking when all of this was happening?

SHERIDAN: Thank you for having me on tonight. What was I thinking? I was thinking that I never thought a school board meeting could ever erupt into such violence. We had a meeting two weeks prior on June 8th, and so we knew that tensions were high, it was our first in- person meeting since COVID, where we allowed the public to stay in the room.

And we knew tensions were high over our transgender policy, 80/40 when tensions are continuing to be high over the falsehood being promoted that we have CRT in our curriculum. And we did our best. I did my best at the beginning of public comment when I introduced it to keep the calm -- the crowd calm. And to also just set expectations that we were going to maintain decorum in the room. And as you can see from the video of that is not what happened.

LEMON: I just want to -- listen, can we do some fact checking here? I was looking at something that I want to share with you if I have time, but listen let's do some fact checking here, OK? One speaker said, critical race theory is an ideology that teaches children to hate one another. First, that is wrong, it teaches people to examine history through the lens of race. It is a way to learn about our differences. But before you get to what it really is, is critical race theory again, even being taught in your schools?

SHERIDAN: No, it is not.

We have session on critical race theory, our equity plan was (inaudible). We held a work session a couple of weeks ago. And I poignantly asked the superintendent, Dr. (inaudible), our instructional leader and said, is it being taught in our curriculum? And once again, over and over again it is no.

LEMON: So, Brenda 62 of your 95 schools are minority, majority minority, right? Seven more are within a percentage point of becoming majority minority, is this why you are seeing this backlash?

SHERIDAN: I hope not, I live in Loudoun County for 23 years, and I truly hope not. I hope that we are a reflection of the greater United States that our County is diverse, and that we would celebrate that. I think perhaps people can be uncomfortable with change of any kind. I really hope that this is not what is doing this. I hope that it is maybe becoming out of the pandemic and people were having trouble coping and someone latch on to this and it has erupted.

LEMON: OK, this is coming from a conservative think tank, it's a heritage foundation, OK. And they have an entire page dedicated to critical race theory, some of these headlines include institutionalizing racial fanaticism across American society.

Purging whiteness to purge Capitalism, the left is implementing critical theory in schools, if you combine that with what you see on the Fox News channel, when it comes to CRT, are these the kinds of places that where this misinformation is coming from?

SHERIDAN: I believe so, I believe that Loudoun County in particular in our school system is being used as a hub have to promote these falsehoods. And it is unfortunate because we are a stellar school system, we are one of the top school systems in the country.

And we are being promoted as something we are not, teaching something we are not and asking people to reflect on their own lives and ease with which they are able to succeed, compared to someone who has been part of a marginalized group is uncomfortable. But it is a good practice and it is something that we should teach our youth.

LEMON: I want to ask you this. This is why I said, if I could get to it. I'm not going to say exactly where it is or who it is, but you know, it may change -- I'm not even going to say names here. Because I'm wondering how frustrating this is for, because when your job is to teach kids. OK? So, I got this from a friend who says a couple months ago, my sibling

who is works in a public school system, I won't say where. He was part of a workshop that was held by teachers, it was very standard. Issue learning empathy, and trying to deal with kids and parents who might come from different backgrounds.

[23:15:08]

Two days later, one of the school board members who happens to be -- I won't say what they do, wrote a letter in the paper saying that they were teaching critical race theory. My sibling gave them the entire curriculum of the workshop, wanted to give them, and then they declined, they didn't want it. Never really heard of it, and now they have spent three months the person who works in the school system at a series of meetings telling people that they are not teaching it, because they are not teaching it.

It occupies so much of my sibling's time and energy, three months onward when they're not even teaching critical race theory. How frustrating is this for school, for educators around the country to be dealing with B.S. that they're not even teaching because it's being stirred up by politicians and propagandist on so-called news networks?

SHERIDAN: Well, it's incredibly frustrating and the average that it caused and the passion that insights, and the organized disruption that we've had at our last two school board meetings has prevented us from being able to engage with the public and allow them to have that public comment where they were able to engage with the school board and express their concerns and feelings on any topic. And so having to shut down public comment last night is the last thing we wanted to do. But we are not going to be able to keep the room safe.

LEMON: Yeah.

SHERIDAN: the tension in the room was explosive.

LEMON: The tension in the room was explosive, you said, I cut you off, yeah.

SHERIDAN: It was.

LEMON: Yeah, Brenda, best of luck to you, I'm sorry that you are having to deal with this. Keep us updated on what happens.

SHERIDAN: Absolutely, thank you so much.

LEMON: Thank you. Top defense department leaders pushing back against Republicans in Congress today after they were asked about critical race theory and wokeness in the military. General Mark Milley responding forcefully, here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GENERAL MARK MILLEY, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF CHAIRMAN: On the issue of critical race theory etcetera, we'll have to get much broader on whatever the theory is. But I do think it's important actually, for those of us in uniform to be open minded and be widely wed. And the United States military academy is a University, and it is important that we train and we understand. And I want to understand why it rage. And I'm white. And I want to understand it. So, what is it that cause thousands of people to assault this building and try to overturn the constitution of the United States? What caused that? I want to find that out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: OK, so that was Mark Milley speaking there, joining me now a retired General Dana Pittard, coauthor of Hunting the caliphate. Also with me is a national political correspondent from Politico, Meridith McGraw. Good evening to both of you. Boy, what an interesting conversation this is going to be, I know.

So, general, how important is it that the top military brass like general Milley is speaking out like this?

GEN. DANA PITTARD (RET.), FORMER ARMY GROUND COMMANDER IN IRAQ (on camera): Well, first of all good evening, Don. It's extremely important, and of course I have known General Mark Milley for years. And his comments are spot on, the mission of all of our military leaders from our highest general all the way down to our youngest squad leaders is to promote unit cohesion so that our soldiers, sailors, marines and guardsmen can win America's worst.

So, that's what's behind this, is understanding where people are coming from, what they have experienced historically, fact based. But it's about Unit Cohesion.

LEMON: Meridith, listen I know you have a new piece out it's in Politico where you report that former top aides to the President Trump are attempting to capitalize off of the push against the teaching of critical race theory. Steve Bannon says, it is the Tea Party to the 10th power. And you report that it's all in 10th power by Republicans to take back power. Again, it was a fascinating piece, I encourage everyone to read it. Explain to me what's going on, please.

MERIDITH MCGRAW, NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, POLITICO (on camera): Well, I think critical race theory is something that has been misunderstood but it really is an issue that has energized a lot of suburbia as we just saw in Boris' piece before we came on. Loudoun County that was an explosive school board meeting. Something that I don't think many people have seen lately, and that's over this issue of what kind of curriculum is being taught in schools.

And you know, Donald Trump didn't perform very well with suburban women, he didn't perform very well in much of suburbia for that matter. And the right has really captured on to what really has been an organic grassroots movement among parents who they say are concerned about the type of curriculum that's being taught in their schools.

[23:20:00]

And we've seen a movement among big think tanks like Heritage, we've seen a lot of former Trump advisers start to get involved in organizing on their own and it is something that Republicans say is really pulling well for them. I was talking to a Republican operative today who shared some of their own internal polling that shows just how well this is as an issue, as it is doing among Republican voters.

So, it really is an energizing thing, it's something that they feel like could really help push people to the polls in the midterm elections. Especially among demographics that they didn't do so well with, among college educated women, suburban women. Especially in the upcoming elections.

LEMON: if we can -- Dan, if you can find some of the video from that meeting because as my producer pointed out, as we were going through and looking at that video, you know, these aren't like signs that you just make with your hand, right?

These were printed, people -- look, there they are. People there were handing them out, it looks like they had been previously made. So there is a strategy behind this, Meridith, and so the proof is in what you see in that crowd. The kinds of signs that you're seeing and really the passion that you are discussing here.

MCGRAW: Yeah, it's something when I talk to Steve Bannon that Trump's former chief campaign strategist, he brought up, you know, the Tea Party movement, was something that came out of a lot of anger towards Obamacare, a lot of anger towards the deficit, the budget. Sometimes pretty nebulous stuff. And this topic is something that a lot of parents think is reaching their own children, reaching their own schools.

And as you've seen in these videos, it's incredibly emotional for a lot of them, it's something that political organizers, political activists on the right see as a real opportunity here. But you know, for a lot of parents, they do feel like this is a grassroots movement, this is something that's happening school board by school board.

It's something that Steve Bannon said himself, he said this is the type of emotion and the type of you know, heated arguments that he really hasn't seen since the Tea Party movement that I'm sure would and Republican control in 2020 -- excuse in 2010.

LEMON: In 2010. General, you know, you saw that exchange with the general, after that exchange with the generals Congressman Matt Gaetz, later tweeted with generals like this it is no wonder that we have fought considerably more wars than we have one.

What do you say to Congressman Gaetz, general?

PITTARD: Obviously that was a silly comment by Congressman Gaetz, we have military leaders who are looking at history through a fact-based perspective. There is misinformation out there about critical race theory. And critical race theory is still just really a tool to help people understand history of racism in our country. It's again, fact- based fact. 1619 is when we first had slaves come to the American shores. A year before the pilgrims, fact. Our constitution 1788, African-Americans were three-fifths of

citizens, fact. We fought a civil war, the over slavery. The bloodiest war Americas ever fought. Fact, it took 100 years after the civil war to end segregation. Which was worse than apartheid. So, those are facts. And it's just something that should be a part of the curriculum, and a part of what people are talking about in the military. So you can understand where people are coming from, to help promote unit cohesion.

LEMON: Yeah. And just so you know, k-12 listen everyone. As we have said from every single person who's been on here, school board leaders, superintendents. Critical race theory is not being taught in schools, k through 12. It is taught in law school, legal courses in college but not in grade school. It's all a big lie, thank you both, I appreciate it. We'll keep talking about it and keep discussing. I appreciate having you here.

PITTARD: Thank, you Don.

MCGRAW: Thank you.

LEMON: So, there's a bipartisan group of Senators and they say that they have a deal on infrastructure and the White House believes it will get the support of at least 10 Republicans, but will all 50 Democrats get on board is the question?

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[23:25:00]

LEMON: The White House confirming tonight that President Biden will meet tomorrow with a bipartisan group of Senators striking a deal on infrastructure. Republican Senator Mitt Romney and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin say that they have an agreement on a bill that will cost $1.2 trillion over eight years with $579 billion in new spending. Both Senator saying the bill is fully paid for, and offsets the new spending.

Let's discuss now. CNN's senior political analyst, Kirsten Powers and political commentator, Scott Jennings, both here. Good evening to both of you. Kirsten, let's see. Let's start with what the sources are telling CNN. The White House believes that this agreement will have the support of at least 10 Senate Republicans, but it's unclear if they will have enough Democrats. Warren and Sanders have already said they won't get behind it. So, how do you see this playing out?

KIRSTEN POWERS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST (on camera): Well, I think they are going to try to take a sort of complex approach to this in terms of trying to maybe break it up into different bills in order to you know, pass something that they can get supportive Republicans on, then maybe do something different separately that could make progressives happy.

But you know, this is kind of the puzzle that I think Biden is always facing is ow to piece something together that can get enough support, because if you do something the Republicans might support, then you are going to lose. The progressive and vice versa.

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POWERS: So, you know, I think that -- you know, I don't like -- I don't like to make predictions but I assume that something will get passed. It is just a question of what it will look like. Will it be something that, you know, progressives look at and say this wasn't enough?

LEMON: Scott, let me ask you about Rob Portman. You know Rob is one of the lead infrastructure negotiators who say that they still have some final details to work out and still needs to go through McConnell, who is determined to block Biden's agenda. Do you think he is going to let this deal go through?

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, I think the devil will be in the

details here specifically on the pay for. I know they say it's paid for.

And so what I'm looking for, Don, is whether they've agreed to any tax increases in this or whether it's largely going to be paid for with unspent coronavirus relief money, because if that is the way they've gone on this, if you look at the top line number of 1.2 trillion and if they go down the road of using unspent coronavirus relief money, well, that looks a heck of a lot like what McConnell and the Republicans tossed out several weeks ago when Shelley Moore Capito was talking to Joe Biden over at the White House.

And so the top line number looks good to me, frankly, if you're a Republican. But again, the pay for are where, I think, Republicans will want to see the details because, as you know, tax increases have just been a non-starter.

And on McConnell, you know, he has never said he doesn't want an infrastructure deal. He has just said he wants one that doesn't raise taxes, that spends money on actual infrastructure, roads, bridges, highways, airports and seaports, and it uses the unspent coronavirus money. So that's where they want. I think you've got the makings of a real possibility here.

LEMON: So, Kirsten, also tonight, you know, we're learning that the Biden administration is forcing out the border patrol chief who took over the agency while Trump was still in office. Rodney Scott was a big supporter of Trump's border policies. What do you make of this move right before the vice president, Vice President Kamala Harris, heads down to the border on Friday?

POWERS: I think it's a signal of, you know, there is a new sheriff in town, and we're going to do things a little bit differently. And, you know, I think that obviously the Trump view of the situation on the border and anybody that was in line with that point of view is widely out of step with the way the Biden administration is approaching this issue.

I mean, the Biden administration does not view the people on the boarder as invaders. As you remember Donald Trump referred to them as -- they have more of a point of view that these are desperate people.

And the vice president is spending a lot of time trying to actually deal with what should have always been what the approach was, which is deal with the root issue, why are they coming here? You're going to have to change conditions in the countries that they are coming from, that they're -- they don't feel that they can live in for a variety of reasons whether they don't feel safe or because of poverty.

So, yeah, so I think it's just a very clear marker that they're taking things in a different direction.

LEMON: All right. Kirsten, Scott, thank you both very much. I appreciate it.

POWERS: Thank you.

LEMON: President Biden warning crime could get worse this summer amid big spikes that we're already seeing. Will the "defund the police" message of some progressives hurt Democrats down the road?

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[23:35:00]

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LEMON: Crime is surging across the country. Homicide rates in cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago spiking from the same point last year and the year before.

President Biden is warning the violence could get worse this summer, so he is unveiling a new strategy focussing on getting guns off the streets and giving law enforcement more resources.

Joining me now is Democratic Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts. Representative, thank you so much for your time. I know that you're very busy right now. I want to talk about this new report that shows dozens of cities and counties are seeing an increase in homicides and aggravated assaults this year. But you support defunding the police. Is that the right message for where we are right now?

REP. AYANNA PRESSLEY (D-MA): You know, Don, what I support is our making investments in communities that have historically been under investment -- underinvested in -- divested from forcing people to struggle to meet their most basic needs, and oftentimes that behavior just to survive is criminalized, and that's everything from poverty to homelessness to substance use disorder to mental health.

And so, you know, what I support is an investment in community. I think if we do that robustly in a targeted way, particularly to those communities that historically been under resourced, that supports the health of community and the stabilization of families, and in turn, that supports public safety.

LEMON: Listen, I don't want to put words in your mouth or mischaracterize what you support. So, you don't support defunding the police. You support what you're saying right now is defunding the police not part of something that you support?

PRESSLEY: Don, what I support and why I put forward bills like my Counseling Not Criminalization Act is that instead of our spending $1 billion over the last two decades to have 46,000 school police officers when every child does not have equitable access to a school nurse, a social worker or a guidance counselor, some of those ratios are one counselor for every 2,000 students.

So, yes, I support a radical reimagining of community safety and public safety, which means reallocating --

LEMON: Mm-hmm.

PRESSLEY: -- and not further investing in a carceral state --

LEMON: All right.

[23:40:00]

PRESSLEY: -- respectfully (ph), Don, when we have not yet ended qualified immunity.

LEMON: Yeah.

PRESSLEY: So, you know, that needs to be the priority is, police accountability.

LEMON: Well, congresswoman, some of your colleagues say that they are frustrated with President Biden because he hasn't been more forceful on voting rights. How do you see that?

PRESSLEY: Well, you know, certainly that's fundamental to our democracy and I would -- I think the ultimate goal here needs to be not a talking point of bipartisanship but of justice. And that includes voter rights, that includes infrastructure, and that includes lowering the cost of prescription drugs.

And our Republican colleagues, as we saw last night, continue to obstruct the will and to deny the urgent needs of everyone who calls this country home, while we are in the midst of recovering from a pandemic. This is a backlash certainly in response to a growing electorate and this is voter suppression pure and simple.

LEMON: Yeah. We'll talk about more policy, because it looks like the White House is getting close to a deal on infrastructure. But some of your colleagues are threatening to block this key Biden agenda item if voting reform isn't resolved first. Is that something that you're willing to do, congresswoman?

PRESSLEY: Well, I'm a sophomore in Congress now, but even if that were not the case, Don, I'm not new to legislating. I'm the type -- I'm no obstructionist. I always seek to be responsive to the needs of the people who I represent. And so I'm a deliberate and thoughtful lawmaker and I organize and I mobilize and I push for more until the ink is dry. And then I see where I land and how to move. Right now, I'm going to continue to push for a bill that honors an expanded definition of infrastructure and includes things like the care economy, which is infrastructure and is critical to our recovery.

LEMON: Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

PRESSLEY: Thank you.

LEMON: Britney Spears says she's traumatized, forced to use birth control and put on lithium despite her objections, and she wants out of the conservatorship that controls her life.

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[23:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Britney Spears is pleading with the judge to end the court order conservatorship she lives under, saying that the situation is called abusive.

I want to bring in now CNN legal analyst Areva Martin, a civil rights attorney. Areva, I'm so glad you're here. Let's get to it. Britney -- thank you so much. Britney Spears has lived under this conservatorship since 2008. Most arrangements like this are for elderly people and mentally disabled people. She has released several albums during this time. She has had her Vegas residency. How unusual is an arrangement like this for a successful 39-year-old woman?

AREVA MARTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Hello, Don. Good to see you. And you are right, this is incredibly unusual, and I think Britney put it best when she said it is abusive. When you think of conservatorship, you usually think of someone in their 80s or their 90s who have suffered from dementia or Alzheimer and they're no longer able to make, you know, decisions about their finances or their health. They are mentally incapacitated.

Britney Spears is none of that. As you just appropriately stated, this woman has been working and not just working a 9:00 to 5:00 job, she has been performing at the highest level. She was a judge for one year on a national competition show. She has toured the world, you know, giving concerts.

And so when you think about who is incapacitated, you know, her picture should be nowhere near the definition of being mentally incapacitated. So, it's really bothersome to me as a lawyer that the court system has allowed this conservatorship to go on for as long as it has.

You know, I applaud her for her bravery and her courage to speak up for herself and to advocate for herself, and not just herself, Britney is a mother of two kids.

LEMON: Yeah. MARTIN: And she wants to have another child. She says she wants to get married. She is forced to wear an IUD, so even decisions about her own reproductive rights have been deprived. She has been deprived of those rights. I cannot think of any legal reason why this conservatorship is still in place.

LEMON: And she -- listen, she feeds a lot of mouths and runs companies, right? There are a lot of people who depend on Britney Spears's success. Confidential court records obtained by The New York Times reveals that -- I should say reveal that Britney Spears has been pushing to end her conservatorship for years now, even as early as 2014. She went to explore removing her father as a conservator. Why has this gone on for so long?

MARTIN: You know that's the million-dollar question, Don. Why has this gone on so long, why has the court allowed it, and why Britney's father? Think about this. This is a biological father. You would think that the interest of a father-daughter relationship, he would voluntarily in this relationship, but you stated, you know, again appropriately that a lot of mouths are being fed.

These conservatorships are incredibly expensive to run. There are lots of people who are getting paid, who profit from Britney Spears's talent, from her labor.

[23:50:00]

MARTIN: And the fact that it has gone on so long is really abhorrent. It speaks really poorly of our court system. And I'm hopeful that today is the beginning, marks the beginning of what will soon be the end of this conservatorship.

LEMON: Areva, it is always good to see you. We will continue to report on the story and we will have you back. Thank you very much.

MARTIN: Thanks, Don. Good to see you.

LEMON: You, too. We'll be right back.

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LEMON: Guess what I have for you. I have a podcast.

[23:55:00]

LEMON: Extravaganza. First up, this one is really important. It's talking about the issues. It's called "Silence is Not an Option." We talk about the issues about being Black in America, really hard and interesting conversations. That one is, you can find on your favorite podcast app.

And then my new podcast with Sir Christopher Cuomo. That one is on Apple podcast. It's actually featured on the main page. Go check it out. You will love it. It is called "The Handoff." OK? All the podcasts you need, right here, I got it for you.

And thanks for watching. Our coverage continues.

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