Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Democrats Seek To Force Votes On Witnesses, Documents; Prince Harry Breaks Silence On Stepping Back From Royal Duties, Expresses Great Sadness; Beirut Faces Second Night Of Violent Protests; FBI Assists Virginia Police Ahead of Gun Rally; World Leaders Call for Sanctions if Ceasefire Violated in Libya; China Confirms 139 New Cases of Pneumonia Linked to Virus; Rain Brings Some Relief as Crews Battle Bushfires. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired January 20, 2020 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:00:00]
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN NEWSROOM: Hello and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Michael Holmes.
NATALIE ALLEN, CNN NEWSROOM: And I'm Natalie Allen.
Coming up this hour on CNN Newsroom, U.S. lawmakers are preparing for a battle as Mr. Trump's impeachment trial nears. A top Democrat says he will force votes on witnesses and documents.
HOLMES: After a weekend of threats of violence, hate groups are expected to descend on the Virginia State Capital for a gun rights rally.
ALLEN: We'll have a live interview about that.
Plus, China is reporting more cases of a new strain of coronavirus, as the outbreak spread beyond the city where it was first identified.
HOLMES: Well, it is just after midnight in Washington, three years to the day that Donald Trump was inaugurated as U.S. president.
ALLEN: And now, that presidency hangs in the balance with this historic impeachment trial about to get underway. The Trial begins Tuesday, and the Democratic leader in the U.S. Senate is promising a battle. Chuck Schumer seen right there told reporters Sunday night he will push for more evidence on the abuse of power and obstruction of Congress charges against the president. He will need 51 votes to succeed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): We will force votes on witnesses and documents and it will be up to four Republicans to side with the Constitution, to side with our democracy, to side with rule of law and not side in blind obeisance to President Trump and his desire to suppress the truth because in my judgment he probably thinks he's guilty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, speaking earlier at a Farm Bureau conference where he boasted about trade agreement, President Trump got a standing ovation when he attacked the impeachment process.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We're achieving what no administration has ever achieved before. And what do I get out of it? Tell me. I get impeached. That's what I get out of it. By these radical left lunatic's, I get impeached. But that's okay, the farmers are sticking with Trump. They are sticking with Trump. They are sticking with Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, Alan Dershowitz is a recent addition to President Trump's defense team. He previewed his arguments on Sunday making it clear that he is on board to handle one specific issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALAN DERSHOWITZ, LAWYER ON TRUMP DEFENSE TEAM: I am not involved in the day-to-day issues. I was asked by the president's defense team to become of council on the specific issue of the criteria, the constitutional criteria for impeachment. That's a very important issue. I will be making that argument as an advocate, not as an expert witness. I will be advocating against impeachment of this president based on the constitutional criteria in the Constitution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: The legal skirmishes are well underway. The White House and Democrats having filed pre-trial documents and there's more to come.
Sarah Westwood has details from Capitol Hill.
SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: The trial of President Trump set to begin on Tuesday, both the White House and House Democrats fired opening shots this weekend in the first round of filings ahead of the trial.
On Saturday evening, House Democrats filed their trial brief, and that's essentially the paper version of the case that we will hear House Democrats lay out against Trump on the floor of the Senate when the trial gets underway.
Now, interestingly, has Democrat mentioned they may want to draw from new evidence. Those are documents provided by Lev Parnas, an associate of the president's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani. Republicans have sought to limit the evidence House Democrats can cite at the trial to just what was relied upon for voting on the articles of impeachment House weeks ago. Also on Saturday evening, we saw the White House make its first filing ahead of the Senate trial, and that was in response to the Senate's summons of President Trump. It was a six-page document from the president's legal team that offered a taste of the aggressive tone that Trump's lawyers are likely to strike in the trial. It laid out extensive arguments against both articles of impeachment,, both abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Now, of course, there is still a bitter divide in the Senate between Republicans and Democrats over whether lawmakers will hear from witnesses in the course of the Senate trial. Democrats on Sunday expressed concerns about whether witnesses will be called in other aspects of the case. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): If the Senate decides, if Senator McConnell prevails and there are no witnesses, it will be the first impeachment trial in history that goes to conclusion without witnesses.
[00:05:06]
REP. JERRY NADLER (D-NY): There is no question that working with a foreign power, trying to extort a foreign power to interfere in our election is about as bad as you can imagine. The main fear the framers of the Constitution had, why they put the impeachment clause in the Constitution, was they were afraid of foreign interference in our domestic affairs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WESTWOOD: Now, Monday is set to be a busy day in the trial of President Trump. The White House is legal brief is due by noon. And an hour earlier at 11:00 A.M., House managers, the seven Democrats presenting the case against Trump, are expected to do a walkthrough of the Senate floor in preparation for the trial the start in earnest on Tuesday. Democrats are still expressing complaints about the fact that they have not seen the Senate resolution outlining the rules of the trial but some Senate Republicans have pushed for an aggressive schedule that would see longer but fewer days for presenting. That question of witnesses also left open-ended heading into the week of the trial.
Sarah Westwood, CNN, Capitol Hill.
HOLMES: Now, Thomas Gift is a political science lecturer at University College London joining us now from Stanford, California. Good to see you again.
I mean, I just want to set something up. You're getting a sense of the Republican strategy when this gets underway and I want to talk about part of it. On the State of the Union, Alan Dershowitz said the framers of the Constitution intended for impeachable conduct to mean criminal-like conduct. He was quoting a defense use in 1868 by Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Curtis. Let's have a listen to that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DERSHOWITZ: The Senate refused to remove Andrew Johnson because Justice Curtis successfully argued that you need a crime. Without a crime, there can be no impeachment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Without a crime, there can be no impeachment. In 1988, Deshowitz said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DERSHOWITZ: It certainly doesn't have to be a crime. If you have somebody who completely corrupts the office of president and who abuses trust and who poses great danger to our liberty, you don't need a technical crime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Needs to be a crime in 2020, not in '98. I mean, the thought of Government Accountability Office, of course, we talked about this yesterday, they say the law was broken when it comes to Ukraine. I'm curious what you make of the Dershowitz argument, how it might hold up, what do you make of the strategy given his previous positions.
THOMAS GIFT, POLITICAL SCIENCE LECTURER, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: Well, it does seem to suggest that there's some degree of hypocrisy on the Republican argument here in favor of Donald Trump. And so you're right, I could discuss this part, Michael.
A crime isn't a prerequisite for impeachment. And an executive that converts (ph) the integrity of an election can't truly be held to account by that, so Democrats are trying to make the case that simply moving the question up to the American people isn't a satisfactory (ph) solution.
HOLMES: Yes, absolutely. I mean, Dershowitz also argued that presidential abuse of power isn't impeachable, obstruction of Congress. But I guess that leaves the question. What then is impeachable? I mean, if a foreign leader was asked to investigate a political rival and that's not impeachable, what is?
GIFT: Well, I think that is the big question. I mean, all crimes are not impeachable offense. But they're not all impeachable offense. It's high crimes. But at the same time, it really does beg the question that if this scenario does not constitute an impeachable, what really does?
Michael, I almost feel like the question isn't then will Republicans turn on Trump with the state of the trial as it is. Instead, is there anything that could possibly change their minds? They've been so solidly behind Trump since the very outset. It's almost like they seem relatively indifferent to the facts. They're just supporting him because they're support him.
HOLMES: Yes. If you take that broader view though and let's look down the line a bit, I mean, what precedent is set if those actions aren't impeachable? I mean, If what we're seeing unfold is deemed okay in the Senate trial, if obstruction of Congress isn't considered impeachable, abuse of power or any of the other things, then what future precedents, what sort of leeway will they have in how they behave?
GIFT: Well, I think that that is exactly the point. These are such serious issues, issues of election, issues with foreign interference. And if Trump's action won't constitute an impeachable offense, I think it does provide significant leeway for future presidents to also act in ways that are inconsistent with the Constitution.
Michael, it's not just future presidents, it could also be Donald Trump himself if he does get another four years.
[00:10:00]
And so if he's not held to account in this incident, then by all accounts of his record, he may feel that he's free to do the same thing going forward.
HOLMES: It's nearly about to get underway, Tuesday, of course, a lot of talk still about witnesses or not. I'm wondering on your thoughts on whether there are risks for Democrats on witnesses. I mean, if Republicans allow, say, former National Security Adviser John Bolton to testify, even if he claims privilege, Democrats would then be forced to allow perhaps Hunter Biden, even Joe Biden, any number of other witnesses who could hurt Democrats, is that a quid pro quo worth taking? How do you think that discussion is going on?
GIFT: Well, I think all in all, Democrats would prefer to have witnesses rather than not to have witnesses.
Republicans have essentially claimed that if Democrats already have such an air-tight case, there is no additional need for witnesses. But I think that that seriously disregards the point that Congress has the fundamental oversight role that -- and challenge from the very outset by a president who refused to cooperate on every single level.
And so I think Democrats do want to hear from John Bolton, who's called some of the reported action in Ukraine a drug deal. They want to hear from Mick Mulvaney, the chief of staff, and others close to the president. Because, ultimately, Michael, this really is a fact- finding mission, it shouldn't be just a partisan exercise, to be about figuring out what happened, how much the president knew, how he was involved and so on. And so I think all in all, Democrats would prefer to see that witnesses are called.
HOLMES: This is, of course, going to be the first impeachment history where the impeached will have Twitter. This is a president who thinks he is a victim. He's being hounded. Do you see -- or how do you see him handling the actual trial in this age of Twitter?
GIFT: Well, I think it's going to be more of a thing. He's going to double down on the strategy at the very beginning. He's going to frame (ph) this process a witch-hunt. He's going to call it presidential harassment. And to some extent, this had been successful for Trump, at least in galvanizing and rallying his base. He's used this as a fundraising tool. For example, we saw that -- he's talked about this extensively in various campaign events that he's been doing across the country.
And so Donald Trump is going to do what Donald Trump does. He's is going to take it to Twitter. He's going to find other ways to demean the process that the (INAUDIBLE).
HOLMES: Always good do chat, Thomas Gift with the University College London, thanks so much for joining us, sir.
GIFT: Thanks, Michael.
ALLEN: Well, we'll see if President Trump tweets about this next news. The New York Times Editorial Board just announced who it think should be the U.S. Democratic presidential nominee, they didn't just pick one.
HOLMES: He's got to tweet. He will.
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, they are sharing this endorsement by the Gray Lady, The New York Times. The Times describing Warren as a, quote, brilliant architect a regulation and praised Klobuchar for her bipartisanship and her deal-making skills that could possibly unite the nation.
ALLEN: And this paper has kept its endorsement process of private for 160 years until now. It made the announcement in a televised special that featured interviews with many of the leading Democratic presidential candidates. Sometimes they are changing.
HOLMES: They are. And they finished it by saying, may the best lady win or the best woman win, yes, that's right.
All right, let's turn our attention to London now where Prince Harry says he and his wife, Meghan, had no other option than to step back from the royal family.
ALLEN: Speaking for the first time since Buckingham Palace announced the couple would no longer represent the queen, Harry expressed great sadness over the decision. This is what he had to say at a charity event on Sunday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: Good evening, everyone, and thank you very much for being here for Sentebale Charity that myself and Prince Seeiso created all way back in 2006 to honor our mother's legacy in supporting those affected by HIV and AIDS.
Before I begin, I must say I can only imagine what you may have heard or perhaps read over the past few weeks. So I want you to hear the truth from me as much as I can share, not as a prince or a duke but as Harry, the same person that many of you have watched grow up over the last 35 years but now with a clearer perspective. The U.K. is my home and a place that I love. That will never change. I have grown up feeling supported from so many of you and I watched as you welcome Meghan with opened arms as you saw me the love and happiness that I had hoped for all my life.
[00:15:05]
Finally, the second son of Diana got hitched, hooray.
I also know that you've come to know me well enough over all this years to trust that the woman that I chose as my wife upholds the same values as I do, and she does, and she's the same woman I fell in love with. We both do everything we can to fly the flag and to carry out our roles for this country with pride. Once Meghan and I were married, we were excited, we were hopeful and we were here to serve.
For those reasons, it brings me great sadness that it has come to this. The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back is not what I made likely. It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges. And I know that I haven't always done it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option.
What I want to make clear is we are not walking away and we certainly aren't walking away from you. Our hope was to continue to serving the queen, the commonwealth and my military associations but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible. I've accepted this knowing that it doesn't change who I am or how committed I am. But I hope that helps you understand what it had come to that I would set my family back from all I have ever known, to take a step forward into what I hope can be a more peaceful life. I was born into this life and it is a great honor to serve my country and the queen.
When I lost my mom 23 years ago, you took me under your wing. you looked out for me for so long but the media is a powerful force. And my hope is one day our collective support for each other could be more powerful because this is so much bigger than just us.
It has been our privilege to serve you and we will continue to live a life of service. So in that respect, nothing changes. It has also been privileged to meet so many of you and to feel your excitement for our son, Archie, who saw snow the first time the other day, he thought it was bloody Britain (ph).
I will always have the utmost respect for my grandmother, my commander-in-chief, and I am incredibly grateful to her and the rest of my family for the support they have shown to Meghan and I over the last few months. I will continue to be the same man who holds his country dear and dedicates his life to supporting the causes, charities and military communities that are so important to me.
Together, you have given me an education about living. And this role has told me more about what is right and just that I could ever have imagined. We are taking a leap of faith, so thank you for giving me the courage to take this next step.
(END VIDEOTAPE) ALLEN: Well, there you have it. Moving forward, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no longer receive funds, as he said, for royal duties and will repay the money spent on renovating their Frogmore ottage. The couple is expected to split their time between the U.K. and North America.
Well, dozens more are injured in Lebanon as protests rage on there. Coming up, we take you to the streets of Beirut to see how the government is trying to bring calm.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:20:00]
PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hi there. I'm Patrick Snell with your World Sport headlines.
We begin in England where Premier League Champions Liverpool have taken another big step towards a first top flight title in three decades.
On Sunday, the Reds beat archrivals Manchester United two to nothing. They scored early through Virgil van Diijk header but had to wait until stoppage time before adding another through Mo Salah. You Jurgen Klopp's team now with a huge 16 point lead over 2nd place and outgoing champs Man City and a game in hand too.
To (INAUDIBLE), Juventus have enjoyed a productive weekend with results very much going their way. On Sunday, they saw up (ph) Parma 2-1 in Turin thanks to two goals from you know who, Portuguese super star Cristiano Ronaldo, 2nd place inter held to one, all draw(INAUDIBLE) now with four-point lead atop the summit as they continue their quest for a ninth straight (INAUDIBLE).
And we can tell you the British golfer Lee Westwood celebrating a big career win after seeding victory Sunday at the Abu Dhabi Championship, now ensuring he has won titles in four different decades. The 46-year- old finishing two shots clear of his nearest challengers after a final round of 67 in the UAE, it's Westwood's 44th professional victory and his 25th on the European Tour. The Englishman very emotional indeed after this win. He's now expected to rise in the top 30 of the world golf rankings.
Those are your sports headlines. I'm Patrick Snell.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALLEN: That's Beirut right there. Lebanon trying to restore calm as a week of rage intensifies in its capital. Anti-government protesters clashed with police for the 2nd straight night on Sunday.
HOLMES: The Lebanese Red Cross says hundreds of people have been injured for months now. Demonstrators have been furious over the longstanding economic crisis and the government's inability to choose new leadership that isn't like old leadership.
ALLEN: The military has been deployed to restore calm. CNN's Ben Wedeman is on the ground.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN : Another night of heavy clashes in downtown Beirut. This evening, they're centered around here. Let's get a little closer. They're centered around one of the roads that leads to the Lebanese parliament, which is just up here behind this water cannon, here at the barricades which all evening have been the focus of these clashes. We have seen Molotov cocktails of being thrown at the security forces who are responding with rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannons and throwing some rocks themselves.
Now, the protesters seem to have been pushed back as a result of the heavy use of tear gas. This is yet another day in this so-called week of rage which has seen a variety of clashes taking place. And here swinging around, we are seeing now the security forces deploying here after hours when they were huddled behind those barricades.
On Saturday evening, the Lebanese president, Michel Aoun, called upon the army and the security forces to impose order, but it seems like they took a long time to do so.
Now here, we are seeing these are members of the Lebanese army which for the most part have stayed back, but now after hours of clashes, they have been deployed.
What we are hearing from the protesters is that after more than three months of largelypeaceful protests, they have, in a sense, decided to take a different tactic, to use more violence. Over the last few days, we have seen them attacking banks. Just a little while ago we saw them breaking the windows of one of the main cell phone companies here.
[00:25:03]
The political paralysis continues. On Sunday evening, the prime minister designate, Hassan Diab, met with the president of Lebanon for further consultations to form a government. But even if a government is formed, Lebanon's fundamental, economic and financial crisis, which is driving much of these protests, appears unresolved and none of the politicians have come up with any ideas how to solve them.
I am Ben Wedemon, CNN, reporting from downtown Beirut.
ALLEN: Our Ben there usually in the thick of things.
HOLMES: Always.
ALLEN: Well, Venezuela's embattled President Nicolas Maduro insists he's still in charge of the country and says he's open to direct talks with the United States.
HOLMES: He did an interview with The Washington Post and he said that both countries can create a new relationship if they are willing to talk and respect each other. He also blamed U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for what he considered a failed American policy on Venezuela.
All of this coming as Mr. Pompeo is getting ready to meet Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido in Columbia.
ALLEN: Guaido, who is recognized by as Venezuela's interim president by more than 50 nations, including the U.S., arrived in Bogota Sunday. Pompeo says he is looking forward to speaking with him. He also reiterated that America's position towards Venezuela has not changed.
HOLMES: We'll take a short break.
When we come, back to U.S. State of Virginia is bracing for a gun rights rally. We'll have more on tight security ahead of the event as authorities worry about violence from militia and hate groups.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:30:00]
ALLEN: And welcome to our viewers here in United States and all around the world. I'm Natalie Allen.
[00:30:27]
HOLMES: And I'm Michael Holmes. Let's update you now on the hour's top news.
U.S. President Donald Trump has until noon on Monday to file a trial brief with the Senate. It would contain detailed material from his lawyers on the abuse of power and obstruction charges against him. A reply from the House due 24 hours later, and the impeachment trial begins Tuesday.
ALLEN: For the first time, Prince Harry is publicly addressing his decision to step back from the royal family. While expressing great sadness at a charity event on Sunday, the Duke of Sussex said there really was no other option.
HOLMES: South Korea has confirmed its first case of the Wuhan coronavirus. It appeared the virus originated in China, where officials have confirmed 139 new cases of pneumonia linked to the strain. Three of those cases were confirmed in Beijing and Shenzhen. It is the first time officials have identified cases of the virus in Chinese cities beyond Wuhan. At least three people have died since the outbreak began last month.
ALLEN: The governor of Hawaii says the entire state is in mourning after two police officers were killed in a shooting there.
HOLMES: Yes. Police say a suspect opened fire on the officers as they responded to a call at the residence -- at a residence. At some point the House caught fire, and flames engulfed other homes around it, completely destroying seven of them.
ALLEN: Police have closed the area as they investigate. Three people, including the suspect, are unaccounted for.
HOLMES: The FBI working with local law enforcement in Virginia as the state braces for a contentious gun rights rally in the hours ahead. ALLEN: Authorities are working on public safety after threats of
violence from hate groups. Nick Valencia has more about the controversial rally.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Today is the day, and it goes without saying that there is big concern here that this could turn into a similar situation that we saw in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. The governor, of course, worries that this could be a magnet for extremist groups and that similar situation could happen.
Of course, police officers here are worried, as well. In fact, I was talking to some earlier patrolling the area who said it seems as though there were individuals in the area that were doing counter surveillance on them. That's their characterization, not ours.
But I did speak to a source in the Virginia State Police Department who tells me that over the course of the weekend, there was an increase in threats on law enforcement, specifically on the social media pages of the Richmond Police Department, as well as the Virginia State Police. But there are some individuals, pro-gun rights individuals who are expected to attend that are no longer, because they fear something bad will happen. Tim Anderson is one of them.
TIM ANDERSON, ATTORNEY: What worries me most about tomorrow is there's going to be a bad actor. Right? Not a Virginia gun owner, not somebody who's lawfully owning and possessing a firearm. There's going to be a bad actor, and there's going to be something that happens in here.
I just hope that people really understand that Virginia gun owners are peaceful people. We've peacefully demonstrated. This is not -- this didn't start today. This started back in November. We've peacefully demonstrated throughout the commonwealth. And what -- if anything bad comes out of tomorrow, I hope that the world understands that it's not Virginia gun owners that are causing this. It is -- it is the same kind of terrorist organizations that have caused unrest in other -- in other places.
VALENCIA: We want to be clear: what's happening today happens every year. It's an event hosted by the Virginia Citizens Defense League, officially known as Lobby Day. But it seems as though it's going to be less of a Lobby Day and more of a protest.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: CNN's Nick Valencia there.
For more, let's bring in Brian Levin. He's the director at the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism.
Brian, hello to you. I know we've talked about Virginia before, and here we are again. This crowd expected to be larger than usual, because Democrats took control of the legislature. They're proposing several gun control bills that would limit handgun purchases and require background checks. Why are these steps rallying extremist groups now?
BRIAN COHEN, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF HATE AND EXTREMISM: Great -- great question, and as long -- as long back as white supremacists have kind of a folkloric history, starting even with "The Turner Diaries," guns was an important issue.
"The Turner Diaries" was this racist novel that Timothy McVeigh used as a blueprint for the Oklahoma City bombings. But key to this. in this fictional book. was something called the Cohen Act, a gun restriction bill. So not only are people of good who want to debate the Second Amendment but, on the extreme radical side, the gun issue has been intertwined with bigotry to become a wedge issue, similar to what we saw with Charlottesville where the confederate monuments were. Now we have a whole bunch of different groups. But the bottom line is, a whole array of groups, besides traditional Second Amendment rights groups, have now glommed onto this, and some of those folks are, indeed, racist as we've seen in the arrest of this group, The Base, going into this protest, if you will.
ALLEN: Yes, you mentioned Charlottesville. That happened two and a half years ago where one woman was killed, so it looks like Virginia has not made any gains since that day.
Remember, the president said, you know, there were good people out there during that day. And the president's also tweeted coming into this day, "Your Second Amendment is under very serious attack in the great Commonwealth of Virginia."
So it seems like President Trump is not taking leadership here to try to quell the anxiety over what could happen here.
LEVIN: Very irresponsible remarks. The full extent of the Second Amendment has not been determined by the courts. In a 2008 case, D.C. versus Heller, the Supreme Court ruled at the very least a handgun in the home by a non-criminal is protected, but since then, you know, we do let the courts decide these issues. This was very irresponsible. Let me tell you why.
The last two -- the worst months of the last decade, according to FBI data, with respect to hate crimes, for instance, was November 2016, election time, October 2018 election time, and Charlottesville. These kinds of comments are not helpful.
And we've also seen that around presidential remarks or actions, for instance, like the Muslim ban, hate crimes against Muslims went up 23 percent. Moreover, last year, we saw 26 homicides by white supremacists. That's more than we've seen in recent years. We only saw three in 2016. And it was more, just by white supremacists alone, in 2019 than all the extremist homicides the previous year.
So when we have active hate groups showing up and arrests being made, these kinds of incendiary comments are not helpful at all.
ALLEN: Right, and another sidebar to what's going on in Virginia, presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg bombarded the state with gun control ads during the governor's election, and it apparently worked, with this legislation forthcoming.
But in the larger presidential election coming up, could we see more states face this threat if Democratic candidates make inroads with gun measures?
LEVIN: This is really interesting. And we have a bunch of data, for instance. Our friend Andrew Thompson found that there is a rise, for instance, in hate crimes -- I'm sorry, in hate speech around political events. We found this rise also in hate crime.
And I'll tell you what else we did. We looked at certain places where there were changes politically. So for instance, in California we had a doubling of violent demonstrations in 2017 over 2016 and in places that were either targeted like Berkeley, where we had events, but also in places like Orange County, California which were tied for the most violent public demonstrations. And that was a time when that county shifted from red to blue.
So we're trying to establish, are their places where there is a political change, or are there more catalytic events where we see other hate crimes go up, or even extremist plots? And unfortunately, these kinds of things are -- are to be on the lookout for.
It doesn't mean we will see violence. Again, it's not guaranteed every time, thank goodness. But these are times when politicians, law enforcement and citizens should be trying to tamp things down, not -- not make things worse with derisive rhetoric.
ALLEN: Absolutely. We'll be watching Virginia and hope things are peaceful there. We always appreciate your insights when we have to talk about extremism. Brian Levin, thank you, Brian.
LEVIN: Thank you. That's another state that may be shifting from one side to another, from red to blue, or vice versa.
ALLEN: It might be. You're absolutely right.
Thanks, Brian. We'll talk to you again.
LEVIN: Thank you.
HOLMES: All right. We'll take a short break. When we come back, it was a long road to a peace summit for war-torn Libya, and it finally happened. World leaders met in Berlin just hours ago.
ALLEN: Nice photo op, but what does it mean for Libya's future? We take a closer look, coming next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Welcome back. A threat and a promise over war-torn Libya. World leaders now calling for sanctions on anyone who violates any ceasefire in that battle-scarred country. They've just wrapped up a Libya peace summit in Berlin, where they pledged to respect an arms embargo and promised not to interfere in the country's ongoing civil war.
ALLEN: The United Nations says hundreds of people have died. Tens of thousands are now displaced in a conflict between a powerful general and the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli.
The big prize, though, didn't happen. No enduring truce. It wasn't really expected.
HOLMES: No. And Europe has plenty to say about it. CNN's Nic Robertson explains in this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): As leaders met in Berlin this weekend, one demand for Libya.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First, we need to have a cease-fire.
ROBERTSON: The reality, it would have been easier several years ago. The long road to this summit strewn with lost opportunity, a lack of international consensus, and a worsening conflict. Turkey, the latest regional power to escalate the stakes, vowing to send its troops and already helping hundreds of Syrian fighters get to Libya's front lines.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Until now, we have an escalation of the Libyan conflict with some foreign interference. Now we were facing the risk of a true regional escalation.
ROBERTSON: The root of this crisis in the overthrow of dictator Moammar Gadhafi, 2011. Gadhafi's forces were poised to crush Libya's Arab Spring uprising. After disagreements, the U.N.-backed NATO to intervene.
French jets stopped Gadhafi's advance. In the following weeks, British and French gets pounded Gadhafi's boat holds and army, but not U.S. forces. President Obama contributed only what the Europeans could not: surveillance and midair refueling. His message: Libya was Europe's problem.
And when Gadhafi was killed, again, no consensus for what next. Europe took its eye off the ball. Tribal divisions opened up. Islamist militias took control of the cities.
U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and a colleague were killed in Benghazi. Diplomats began to draw down.
ISIS and al-Qaeda found a foothold. The U.N. helped create a government of national accord, but it had little local buy-in. International air strikes, the only real point of western consensus, routed ISIS, but meaningful help rebuilding the country was in retreat.
Waves of migrants began using Libya as a launchpad to reach Europe. Oil flows fluctuated. Libya was a failing state, fertile ground for regional and global power plays. In the chaos, General Khalifa Haftar, a retired secular commander
who'd lived in the U.S. for many years, took control of Benghazi, planning to purge the country of Islamists and install himself as a ruler. He got Russia's backing, and Egypt's and Saudis' and the UAE's.
By now, President Trump was in the White House. He had no clear strategy, and neither did the Europeans, except stop the migrants and steady the oil flows.
Deals were struck with the U.N.-backed government, and the capital's Islamist militias profited. Haftar ramped up his offensive to take the capital, Tripoli. Civilian casualties escalated. The offensive stalled. But still, no international consensus on how to stop the bloodshed until this weekend summit, and even that barely papering over divisions.
Nic Robertson, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: Next here, a mysterious pneumonia outbreak is spreading across China. We'll tell you where it's reached and how many people are now affected.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:48:53]
(CNN SPORT NOW)
[00:50:20]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:51:22]
ALLEN: A pneumonia outbreak caused by a new strain of coronavirus is spreading across Asia and affecting more people.
HOLMES: South Korea, in fact, just confirming its first case of the virus weeks after it was first identified in China. Meanwhile, Chinese officials confirming 139 new cases of pneumonia linked to the virus and say a third person has died from it. Two of those cases were found in Beijing and another in Shenzhen.
ALLEN: Well, concerns about the spread of the virus come as millions are on the move ahead of the lunar new year.
HOLMES: Yes, and CNN's David Culver joins us now from Beijing with more on that. Fill us in, David.
DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Michael. Good to see you.
As you point out, this is coming in the midst of the holiday rush here, right? This is the lunar new year that they're preparing to celebrate. This is not only China-specific but also regionwide. And so you've got hundreds of millions preparing to go embarking on
this travel, and that's where we are, actually, outside of one of Beijing's railway stations, where we have seen large crowds coming together ready to board. They expect some 440 million trips.
Now, putting this all into contact with the concern over the spread of this virus. Well, the numbers as of now may not seem that alarming when you compare it to the larger population that we're talking about here. The concern is the unknown.
So just before we came on the air, we've learned that this has spread not only beyond outside of Wuhan, where it's believed to have originated, but also beyond China and even farther. It's now a confirmed case in South Korea. So you have South Korea with one, Japan with one and two in Thailand.
We now have two cases, as you mentioned, here in Beijing, it's all believed to have originated in central China and the city of Wuhan, where they say it likely started at a wildlife and seafood market. That market's been shut down, but here's the concern.
Some of those who are believed to have been impacted by this virus say they actually never went to that market. So while all cases are believed to have been linked to Wuhan, there's concern that it could be transmitted human to human.
Now, health officials in Wuhan held a press conference yesterday, and they tried to dispel some of the fears, some of the concerns, some of the misinformation, they say. They say this is preventable. They say this is controllable. But they didn't go into specifics as to why that is the case and why they believe that to be so.
Moreover, they have set up some procedures. They've got a lot of screening at airports and railway stations like this one, checking on temperatures, people either arriving from Wuhan or leaving the country and going into other countries. They're monitoring this to see how exactly this can be contained and if there is worry that this could spread well beyond where it's currently at right now. Michael, as of now, there are fears that the numbers could go up, and so they are hoping that that can be dispelled.
HOLMES: Yes, obviously a lot of concern there. So many people on the move. Thank you so much, David. Appreciate it. David Culver there for us.
ALLEN: To Australia now, where the first grand slam tennis event of the decade is underway. Some players at the Australian Open have been voicing concern about the level of air pollution as the country battles its bush fire crisis.
HOLMES: Yes. Not to mention some extreme weather. Melbourne, also Canberra hit by some massive hailstorms a short time ago.
ALLEN: CNN's Will Ripley joins us live from Melbourne with more about this extreme weather.
Hello to you, Will.
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Natalie.
The one thing I can say is that at least here in Melbourne, the bushfire smoke is not a concern because we're being pelted with heavy rain and hail, golf-ball-size hail in some areas.
[00:55:00]
Does Australia not catch a break or what? I mean, we've had, in the last week, you know, the worst air quality in the world here in Melbourne. Then there were these massive dust storms. Now we have these massive hailstorms that have been smashing car windows, ripping the leaves off of trees and, of course, the hail, that's pretty normal for Australia this time of year. The bushfire smoke certainly abnormal.
And while the number of fires burning across the state continues to diminish with these cooler temperatures that we've been experiencing and, of course, the rain certainly helps quite a bit. The fires are not out, and once this weather clears, the big concern here is that this is day one of the Australian Open, but there's two weeks of tennis play. Temperatures are very likely going to climb back up.
And if the winds change, if the wind direction shifts from the southeast back into Melbourne, then we could have this city filled with smoke yet again.
So certainly, extreme weather influencing the day one of the Australian Open. We know that at this point, all play in the outdoor tennis courts has been suspended. But at the tennis center behind me, they do have the roof closed, and play is continuing inside.
We've been watching the tennis action on the ground here. And certainly, most Australians would agree, Natalie, that they will take this over the horrific smoke and, of course, those fires that have been ravaging the state that have taken more than two dozen lives and made thousands of people homeless.
ALLEN: One can understand, for sure. Yes, so we'll be watching the Australian Open with particular interest this year.
Thank you so much. Will Ripley for us.
HOLMES: That --
ALLEN: What have you got to say, since you're -- this is your homeland?
HOLMES: It seems like Will Ripley is on a holiday, actually. He's moved on to just sort of watching the Australian Open.
The hail, unbelievable. Some of the videos I've seen, incredible. It's been massive damage, cars destroyed. Horrible. Anyway, we've got to go for the moment.
Thanks for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Michael Holmes.
ALLEN: I'm Natalie Allen. We'll be right back with another of news. Please stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
