Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Coronavirus Ship Quarantine Continues; U.S. and Japan Report First Deaths from Wuhan Coronavirus; Trump Takes Revenge Against Star Impeachment Witnesses; Democratic Presidential Candidates Face Off ahead of New Hampshire Primary; Oregon Flooding; Ukraine Saga Continues after Senate Trial Concludes; Oscars Go Green. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired February 08, 2020 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The coronavirus claims new victims, including the first American and Japanese citizens.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): U.S. Democrats take the stage for their final debate before voters in New Hampshire cast ballots.

HOWELL (voice-over): And firing witnesses, the U.S. president getting rid of two people who testified against him in the White House impeachment trial.

ALLEN (voice-over): The president exacting revenge. We have reaction to his moves this hour.

Welcome to our viewers in the U.S. and around the world. I'm Natalie Allen.

HOWELL (voice-over): I'm George Howell from CNN World Headquarters, NEWSROOM starts right now.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

HOWELL: 4:00 am on the U.S. East Coast. It is good to be with you this day.

First we start with the coronavirus, new fatalities, this time in the U.S., the two victims said to be in their 60s. They were in the city of Wuhan.

ALLEN: And that brings the virus' death toll now to at least 726. It is climbing so rapidly, it could soon overtake the SARS outbreak of 2003.

HOWELL: And the infection is on the rise daily; nearly 35,000 people now have the virus, the majority in China. And let's go live to China, Steven Jiang is following the story.

Tell us more about the latest victims. STEVEN JIANG, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER, BEIJING BUREAU: George, we really

don't know much about beyond what you have said. In the case of the Japanese citizen, we know that he was a man in his 60s, died in Wuhan. The cause of death was pneumonia. And as of now, it was listed as a highly suspicious case.

And the American embassy here is not telling us much about the 60-year old because they say that it is out of respect for this person's family's privacy. But we know he -- this person died on Thursday in a hospital in Wuhan designated to treat this virus.

These deaths are probably not entirely surprising, given Wuhan was where the virus originated and also continues to record very grim numbers on a daily basis. As of Friday, the city had now reported more than 13,000 cases with 545 deaths. That was the overwhelming majority of the stats that you mentioned.

And the worrisome trend in Wuhan and the surrounding area is the cities outside of Wuhan, two more cities have recorded more than 2,000 cases. And these are smaller, poorer cities with probably even less public health infrastructure to cope with this kind of outbreak.

So that is the big worry for both local officials and residents; that is, who is going to be the next Wuhan. And in the province where they are located, officials are telling us that they are still facing severe shortage of both medical supplies and medical personnel even after the rest of the country has sent in than 10,000 medical workers.

Officials say they are still short at least 2,000 medical personnel.

HOWELL: Steven Jiang, thank you.

ALLEN: And well over 300 cases of the coronavirus have now been documented outside of Mainland China. Fears of it spreading have led to the quarantine of two cruise ships, one in Hong Kong, one in Japan.

It is the ship in Japan, the Diamond Princess, where the greatest concentration of the virus has been found outside of China.

Matt Rivers is live, where people on that ship, Matt, are just going nowhere.

What is the latest?

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are frustrated. I mean and you can imagine, you know, trying to be in these people's shoes and they are just really bored and scared and nervous about the situation.

I mean, there is roughly -- there were roughly 3,700 people on board that ship, a little more than 1,000 staff, more than 2,000 passengers. And now they will be in quarantine for the better part of the next two weeks.

We know that 64 people have been identified as having this coronavirus and they have been taken off the ship one by one to get treatment at local hospitals here. But for those people who haven't yet either been told that they have this coronavirus or people who just don't have any symptoms, they remain on board the ship.

[04:05:00]

RIVERS: And you know, you might say, well, why are people staying on board the ship.

Why are they not allowed to get off the ship, allowed to spend their quarantine time in local hospitals and positions that are a bit more comfortable?

But authorities say it is protocol to keep people sheltered in place. If they are tested positive, they will be brought off the ship. But in the meantime, for the safety of the people on the boat and the shore, it is their firm stance that they will keep them on their ship the next two weeks.

So are the number of confirmed cases on board going to go up?

We were at 20 two days ago and we've jumped up to 61 yesterday, only an increase of three from 61 to 64 today.

But who knows what tomorrow will bring?

And if you are talking about the uncertainty and the trepidation of those who remain on board, that is what they are looking at; day to day, who knows how the virus is spreading on board. Just a lot of unknowns.

ALLEN: And Matt, because they don't know how it is spreading on the ship, is there a concern that being quarantined on the ship could potentially expose passengers to the virus rather than protect them from it?

RIVERS: Yes, that is a good question. And as far as Japanese officials say, as far as they can tell through the ventilation system, they say that the virus is not being spread through the ventilation system. And I think if that was happening, you'd have to get people off the ship.

But officials are saying no, it is mainly person to person contact, which is how these things have spread or some contact of some sort. It is not being spread through the ventilation system. And that is key.

But you know, imagine if you are a person on this ship, does that make you feel comfortable?

If I was on that ship, if I was in one of these rooms, I'd be uncomfortable. I know that that is what the Japanese authorities are saying and I'm sure they are telling the truth. But it is one thing to hear that and another thing to live it on board.

And that is why I think that the people we've spoken to, they are just nervous being in such close proximity to people and to rooms that have been contaminated by this virus.

ALLEN: And we're seeing video of one of those rooms right now. I can't imagine what people there are going through. Matt Rivers, thank you. U.S. health officials are scrutinizing a cruise ship that docked on

Friday near New York City.

HOWELL: That's right, because the number of passengers had recently visited China. Polo Sandoval has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was initially 27 passengers aboard this cruise ship who caught the attention of health officials who boarded it no longer after it docked early Friday morning. All of them except for four were medically cleared. That family sent to a nearby hospital to be tested for coronavirus.

We should point out, according to Royal Caribbean Cruises, they did not exhibit any coronavirus symptoms and only one of them actually tested positive for influenza during the cruise itself. So it certainly looks promising here.

But they will have to wait until those test results are released, until they can definitively say they were not exposed to the virus itself.

We can tell you Royal Caribbean implementing a series of stricter boarding protocols. They include guests holding passports from Hong Kong or China denied access to their ships for now and anyone traveling from Mainland China the last 15 days regardless of their country of origin denied access.

And finally there would be mandatory health screenings for some of those passengers who feel sick and particularly if they report traveling to mainland China in the last couple of weeks.

In the meantime, as for the ship itself, it was initially scheduled to return back out to sea on Friday afternoon. We're told that will now be heading out on Saturday -- Polo Sandoval, CNN, Bayonne, New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: And now back to the epicenter of the virus, Wuhan, that city has been shut down and under quarantine for more than three weeks.

ALLEN: And that means 11 million people are now feeling the strain when it comes to finding necessary supplies. CNN's David Culver spoke with some of them and asked how they are coping.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Within the epicenter of the deadly coronavirus, an eerie silence. The streets of Wuhan, China, a city 11 million people call home, mostly empty. But even in self-quarantine, some locals like Wu Chen keep moving.

WU CHEN, WUHAN RESIDENT (through translator): I live in an area of Wuhan.

CULVER (voice-over): The start of day 21 when we chatted with Wu, he's only left his place three times.

WU (through translator): I don't really have any real difficulties in daily life right now except that I'm extremely bored at being confined at home.

CULVER (voice-over): Most of his time spent in his apartment with his cat.

[04:10:00]

WU (through translator): I stopped going out from about January 13th because I feel the epidemic is quite serious and it is relatively safer to stay home.

CULVER (voice-over): From cooking to practicing good hygiene, the 26- year-old graphic designer records videos to keep entertained. Having friends over isn't really an option.

WU (through translator): Everyone says don't let any outsiders to come in.

CULVER (voice-over): Wu wishes the rest of the country was a bit more understanding.

WU (through translator): The epidemic is in no one's control. I know maybe the people of China are biased about Wuhan people plus the government did not resolve problems in time.

But though a small number flew out of Wuhan and spread the epidemic, all the Wuhan citizens are carrying the blame. I don't think that is sensible.

JUSTIN STEECE, U.S. CITIZEN LIVING IN WUHAN: We're in local Korean store, as you can see. The store is starting to get pretty cleared out here. So I'll grab some food while I have the chance.

CULVER (voice-over): American teacher Justin Steece gives us a feel from an expat's perspective, awaiting the proper paperwork to evacuate his wife, who is Chinese, and their 1-month-old baby. He and many others becoming at-home health safety experts.

STEECE: Next thing is take eye protection. Well, I don't have a pair of medical safety goggles. I do have my handy dandy eyeshades here, which I really like these.

CULVER (voice-over): Back inside Wu's home, a daily temperature check followed by a game of hide and go seek with his cat.

WU (through translator): I believe the epidemic will pass and, for us ordinary people, all we can do is take good care of ourselves.

CULVER (voice-over): Day 22 is still hours away -- David Culver, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE) ALLEN: Next here, we look at the 2020 election and time running out for Democrats plead their case ahead of the New Hampshire primary. What candidates say they have to do to beat Donald Trump.

HOWELL: And the actions the U.S. president is taking after the impeachment trial ended. We'll be back.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:15:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ALLEN: Welcome back.

Friday night was the last chance for voters in New Hampshire to hear from most of the Democratic candidates at once.

HOWELL: And as the debate heated up, Pete Buttigieg found himself in the crossfire over his lack of experience while Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders sparred over health care. Nadia Romero has more on where the candidates stand ahead of the primary.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADIA ROMERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Seven familiar faces took familiar places at the New Hampshire Democratic debate. But after the disastrous Iowa caucuses...

JOE BIDEN, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I took a hit in Iowa and I'll probably take it here.

ROMERO (voice-over): -- the stakes seemed higher than ever.

WARREN: We need to reestablish the rule of law in this country.

ROMERO (voice-over): Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders claiming victory in Iowa, leading the polls in New Hampshire and feeling the front-runner fire.

BIDEN: Buttigieg is a great guy. He's the mayor of a small city who has done some good things but has not demonstrated he has the ability --

ROMERO (voice-over): Others hoping for a memorable moment.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Bernie and I work together all the time. But I think we are not going to be able to out divide the divider in chief.

PETE BUTTIGIEG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The next president is going to have to restore the credibility of this country.

ROMERO (voice-over): The Democratic candidates touching on the topics that matter most to people in New Hampshire, like health care.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If we do what Joe wants, we'll be spending some $50 trillion on health care over the next 10 years.

That's the status quo, Joe.

ROMERO (voice-over): Climate change.

SANDERS: Maybe we pool our resources and fight our common enemy, which is climate change.

ROMERO (voice-over): And the economy.

TOM STEYER (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're going to have to take Mr. Trump down on the economy and he's going to beat us unless we can take him down on the economy, stupid.

ANDREW YANG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What we actually have to do is get the markets working to improve our families' way of life.

ROMERO (voice-over): With the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, the time for candidates to stand out to voters is quickly running out -- in Manchester, New Hampshire, I'm Nadia Romero, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: And fresh off his Senate acquittal, President Trump fired two key witnesses from the proceedings, Alexander Vindman and Gordon Sondland.

ALLEN: It points to a campaign of retribution. Kaitlan Collins has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump has fired two of the most prominent witnesses that appeared in the impeachment inquiry against him that resulted in those two articles of impeachment, which the president was acquitted of just days ago.

And that comes as the president had been complaining about both of them privately at length but aides had been advising him to wait until the trial was over. Now it is and he has fired Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union, who we should note at one point gave $1 million to his inauguration.

But of course, came to testify that he did believe that there was a quid pro quo in the president withholding that security assistance and demanding those investigations into the Bidens.

The president has also fired Lieutenant Colonel Alex Vindman, who was the top Ukraine expert at the National Security Council, someone who also came forward to testify in his uniform because he had been on the July call that the president had with the Ukranian leader, where he first brought up the Bidens and those investigations that he wanted. Alex Vindman was escorted off White House grounds by security, in

addition to his brother, who is an attorney for the National Security Council but never testified, never spoke publicly about the impeachment inquiry.

But according to his attorney, was also fired without any kind of explanation, despite his years of service. Both are expected to go back to the Pentagon for the time being but still unclear what their role will be.

And, of course, now that Gordon Sondland has been recalled from his post in Brussels, it is unclear what he will unclear what he will say when he returns to the United States. He was essentially seen as not someone with a lot of power for the last several weeks and was clearly on bad terms with the president.

But this will raise questions going forward by Democrats, saying this is a clear sign of retribution by the president.

[04:20:00]

COLLINS (voice-over): He is trying to get retaliation because of their testimony and the question, of course, going forward is whether or not any more witnesses who testified in that impeachment inquiry are also going to be fired -- Kaitlan Collins, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: What a week. A lot to talk about. For that perspective, Scott Lucas is with us, professor of international politics at the University of Birmingham and also founder of "EA WorldView," live this hour in Birmingham, England.

Good to have you with us.

SCOTT LUCAS, UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM: Great morning to you, George.

HOWELL: Let's start with the firing of the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, top Ukraine expert at the National Security Council dismissed. One Trump adviser reportedly described this as flushing out the pipes.

How do you see it?

LUCAS: If you want to call it flushing out the pipes, fine but let's call it what it is. It is revenge. It is retribution. Donald Trump Jr. tweeted in celebration of it afterwards. Donald Trump Sr. spent all day on Twitter yesterday, spreading slanders against Alexander Vindman, slanders that say he is disloyal, that say he should not have worn his military uniform when he testified before Congress.

The crime of Alexander Vindman and of Gordon Sondland, who remember, helped the Trump-Giuliani campaign to pressure Ukraine was to defy subpoenas and to testify.

For that crime of actually accepting the congressional subpoenas and not breaking the law, they have been removed from their posts. And in the case of Vindman, a decorated war veteran, the humiliation of escorting him from the White House by security guards.

Last week Republican senators such as Susan Collins justified their vote not to convict President Trump by saying that he will do better, he will learn from this. This is what learning looks like, folks. Vindictive, angry that Mitt Romney voted with the Democrats.

This is just the start of what Donald Trump will do and what his press secretary Stephanie Grisham called payback.

HOWELL: And what is the message to others in the administration, who see something and feel compelled to say something?

LUCAS: Well, the message is the same it has been for three years. Anytime Donald Trump has faced criticism over his actions, and that is don't cross me, you may look at him as the man in the White House but his actions are like the boss of a large organization, who says to his subordinates, you stay in line.

I don't want to necessarily compare this to a mob movie but we need to know that this is what Trump's tactics are and that he is being enabled. There are those in his inner circle who helped him with the smears against Vindman yesterday. There are those who will help him today by smearing Sondland, even though he gave $1 million to Donald Trump's inaugural committee.

And there will be those in Congress such as Republicans that will continue to excuse this kind of behavior.

HOWELL: What precedence does it set, this impeachment trial, does it set for the future, other presidents when it comes to using the power of the office to get dirt on political rivals?

LUCAS: The precedent has been set not by the trial, the precedent was set by Donald Trump. He is the one who worked with Russia during the 2016 election. He is the one who carried out an investigation with his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, for 10 months to get dirt on Joe Biden, to cover up Russia's interference in the 2016 election.

And the lesson is that any person, not just Donald Trump, can try to get away with this by screaming witch hunt or hoax and exerting payback to anyone who crosses them.

HOWELL: And let's switch to the Democratic debate. Joe Biden admitted that he would take a hit in comparison to Bernie Sanders, also Pete Buttigieg has momentum.

Who had a good night in that debate and who had a tough night?

LUCAS: Let me just say it is a wide open race. And in addition to the three that you named, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren each got at least 13 percent of the votes from Iowa.

I think all of the candidates showed they had strengths; some also had stumbles. But I think what you have is a debate really on issues and position.

If you have a certain view of health care, a certain view of climate change, you might go for a Buttigieg or Biden or Klobuchar. If you have a view about economic justice, you might go with Elizabeth Warren.

In other words, I think what comes out of New Hampshire is, even though it was a feisty debate, sometimes scrambled, this continues to be a rich debate in giving Americans a real choice.

[04:25:00]

LUCAS: A real choice, not just of a candidate but of the issues that concern them as we go beyond the nomination and into the general election in November.

HOWELL: Scott Lucas, good to have you with us. Thank you.

ALLEN: Now that the impeachment trial has come to a close, the House Democrats who prosecuted the case against Mr. Trump are speaking out. The exclusive interview you will only see on CNN next.

HOWELL: Also ahead, growing concerns over how Beijing is handling the coronavirus outbreak.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ALLEN: Welcome back to our viewers around the world. This is CNN NEWSROOM live from Atlanta. I'm Natalie Allen.

HOWELL: And I'm George Howell. These are the headlines we're following for you.

(HEADLINES)

[04:30:00]

ALLEN: And we're reporting to you how U.S. health officials are scrutinizing a cruise ship that docked near New York City. And some Americans on board a cruise ship in Japan have tested positive for the coronavirus.

HOWELL: As the problem gets worse, there is growing concern over how the Chinese government has handled it. Brian Todd has this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Anthem of the Seas was just on a standard Caribbean cruise but the alarm over coronavirus has gotten so strong that when it docked in Bayonne, New Jersey, passengers were screened and four people who had been to Mainland China in late January but not to Wuhan were taken for additional testing.

Half a world away on another cruise ship in Japan, Rebecca Frasure is one of about a dozen Americans who have tested positive for coronavirus.

REBECCA FRASURE, CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER: A little bit scared. Hard to know what the future holds since I don't really feel sick right now.

Is it going to get worse?

TODD (voice-over): Thousands of people on at least two cruise ships in Asia have been quarantined, confined to their cabins, which one expert says could present a new set of dangers.

DR. CELINE GOUNDER, NYU SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Cruise ships are petri dishes. One thing that concerns me about having so many people on a ship like that is you are you keeping them in close quarters where you may actually be amplifying transmission from sick people to other people.

TODD (voice-over): Meanwhile the latest planes out of Americans being evacuated from Wuhan, the ground zero of coronavirus, arrived in the U.S. on Friday. Hundreds of them are being quarantined on military bases, one wearing a mask and streaming about conditions inside.

KATHERINE LI, AMERICAN EVACUEE IN QUARANTINE: We are allowed to do anything inside the fence but not allowed to go outside.

TODD (voice-over): There are more than 31,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus around the world, with more than 630 deaths, almost all those cases inside Mainland China. But the virus has spread to more than 25 countries and regions. There are a dozen cases in the U.S.

ALEX AZAR, U.S. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: Although the virus represents a potentially very serious public health threat and we expect to continue to see more cases here, the immediate risk to the American public is low at this time.

TODD (voice-over): Meanwhile, there has been a social media revolt inside China, accusations that the Communist government covered up the early stages of the outbreak. Citizens are outraged over the fate of Li Wenliang, among a group of whistleblowers who sounded early alarms about coronavirus.

Li was accused of rumormongering, of being disruptive and was targeted by police. He later contracted the virus himself and died. Chinese president Xi Jinping meanwhile uncharacteristically disappeared from public view for several days at the height of the outbreak.

YUN SUN, STIMSON CENTER: The need to avoid to be the public face of this issue is quite pressing because Xi is extremely careful about his reputation and his image.

TODD (voice-over): Analyst Yun Sun, who monitors Chinese media, says that the Beijing government is still blocking information about the virus, like an online article about Dr. Li's death. YUN: It says that the contents of this article related regulations of

the information on the Internet space, therefore it cannot be viewed.

TODD: President Trump would not criticize China for covering up the outbreak, the president saying he has had at least one lengthy discussion with Xi Jinping about combating the virus and he says that the Chinese are working hard to defeat it.

This as the president and his team are escalating their own response, imposing tough new measures. Coronavirus getting new levels of attention inside the White House now that impeachment is behind them -- Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: Since that report was filed, the number of coronavirus cases has risen to nearly 35,000 around the world; 726 people have died.

HOWELL: In parts of the U.S. state of Oregon, there is a state of emergency. Still ahead, severe flooding washing out roads and forcing emergency rescues there.

ALLEN: And Democrats are determined to hear from John Bolton. More about their efforts coming next.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:40:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN (voice-over): This is the state of Oregon; 10 people were rescued from floodwaters Friday, two of those rescue personnel themselves. The flooding happened quickly washing out roads.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(WEATHER REPORT)

[04:40:00]

HOWELL: And the late basketball player, Kobe Bryant, his widow is offering fans a chance to celebrate his life.

ALLEN: Vanessa Bryant announced plans for a public memorial February 24th, it will be at the Staples Center where he play played his entire career for the LA Lakers.

HOWELL: He was killed last month when a helicopter that he was in with his 13-year-old daughter crashed into a hillside near Los Angeles.

ALLEN: On Friday the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board released new details in the investigation into what happened. Nick Watt reports from Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN ANCHOR: The NTSB is calling this an investigation update; this is not analysis, these are not conclusions, this is a report of the facts that they have gathered so far. But experts say it does give an indication, a roadmap of where the investigation is going.

And one line in particular stands out and that is viewable sections of the engines show no evidence of an uncontained or catastrophic internal failure, which suggests that engine failure has pretty much been ruled out. A former managing director at the NTSB talked about his initial reactions.

PETER GOELZ, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: If there were concerns about either the equipment or anything else, it would be mentioned. In this case, they focused in on the weather, they focused in on the pilot's interaction with air traffic control and, in the end, I'm afraid the spotlight will be on the pilot and his decision making.

WATT: The report also details the condition of that helicopter, says there were no outstanding airworthiness directives or minimum equipment list items and all inspections were up-to-date. The pilot, aged 50, had worked in that Island Express for about 10 years. No issues with his record, either.

There was focus on the weather. Photographs, one showing -- taken from a security camera showing the helicopter flying in heavy fog. Some eyewitness testimony, videos and photos taken by the public in the area of the accident also depict fog and low clouds obscuring the hilltops.

We now also know that the last contact with controllers, the pilot said that he was planning to climb to 4,000 feet to avoid cloud. He only got to 2,300 feet before making a left turn, descending and crashing.

A full report might take more than a year to come out. And in the meantime, we now know that there will be a memorial for Kobe Bryant at Staples Center here in Los Angeles Monday, February 24th -- Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: And that will be one packed Staples Center for sure.

HOWELL: Absolutely.

ALLEN: Now that President Trump has been acquitted in his impeachment trial, diplomats and officials who gave testimony are bracing for the fallout.

HOWELL: Mr. Trump on Friday fired the E.U. ambassador, Gordon Sondland, and also Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the top Ukraine expert at the National Security Council. Both men had testified under oath in the impeachment hearings.

Despite the trial being over, both sides are far from letting go of the Ukraine investigation. Alex Marquardt explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): The trial may have ended...

JOHN ROBERTS, CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE U.S. SUPREME COURT: Donald John Trump, president of the United States, is not guilty as charged in the second article of impeachment.

MARQUARDT (voice-over): -- but the Ukraine saga is not over.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: So we will continue to do our oversight to protect and defend the Constitution, which is three co-equal branches of government, each a check and balance on the other.

[04:45:00]

MARQUARDT: Both Democrats and Republicans now with their sights set on their own targets. For Democrats, it's John Bolton, the president's former national security adviser, who said he'd be willing to testify in the Senate trial if subpoenaed. But Republicans blocked witnesses.

So Democrats asked him to submit a sworn document, which Bolton declined.

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA), CHAIR, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Frankly, it's more inexplicable that, when he was willing to come forward before the Senate, that the senators did not want to hear what he had to say.

MARQUARDT: Now House Democrats say it's likely they will subpoena Bolton, who has a book coming out, reported on in "The New York Times," that further alleges that the president did link military aid for Ukraine with personal political investigations and that he pressured Bolton to help him.

SCHIFF: He will have to explain at some point why he is willing to put this in a book, but not in an affidavit under oath.

MARQUARDT: Bolton's tell-all book and willingness to testify angered Republicans, who argue that the Bidens' role in Ukraine deserves more scrutiny, though there's no evidence Joe Biden did anything wrong.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): We're going to get to the bottom of this. And I can prove beyond any doubt that Joe Biden's effort in the Ukraine to root out corruption was undercut because he let his son sit on the board of the most corrupt company in the Ukraine. And we're not going to give him a pass on that.

MARQUARDT: The Trump administration has already handed over documents and information to Senate Republicans on Hunter Biden, after the White House refused to cooperate with House Democrats on their requests.

The president denied today he still wants Ukraine to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden.

TRUMP: I'm not their boss. And I don't think they have done anything, as far as I know. But it's very sad what happened with the Bidens. And it's also very sad how he's doing, how he's doing in the polls.

MARQUARDT: The president commenting on the 2020 campaign, which Lev Parnas, the indicted associate of Rudy Giuliani, told CNN was at the center of their mission in Ukraine on behalf of President Trump.

LEV PARNAS, INDICTED GIULIANI ASSOCIATE: That was the most important thing is for him to stay on for another four years and keep the fight going. I mean, there was no other reason for doing it.

MARQUARDT: Rudy Giuliani told CNN he cannot discuss that trip to Spain because it is a matter of national security. As for Parnas, despite his best efforts to be cooperative, a trial date has now been set in Manhattan in October, meaning that verdict could come in the final days of the 2020 presidential election -- Alex Marquardt, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Asked whether the U.S. president learned anything from the trial, House managers say they're concerned that he did not.

ALLEN: In an exclusive interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, he asked them if they think the impeachment backfired.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REP. VAL DEMINGS (D-FL): I would consider that fake news because we did not have a fair trial.

And I think back to Robert Mueller's words, when he said, if he could exonerate the president, he would, but he could not exonerate the president.

The evidence, again, was overwhelming against him. Many senators said that we proved our case, that the evidence was clear and convincing and overwhelming.

The president is not exonerated today.

And in terms of the polls, we were there to present the best case to the senators and to the American people. I believe we did that.

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA), CHAIR, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: I find myself optimistic coming out of this trial, which may be counterintuitive.

But the fact that senators and the -- a small number showed the kind of courage they did, senators like Mitt Romney, obviously, but also Doug Jones, Joe Manchin and others, I think they lived up to the confidence the founders put in our ability to have self-governance, that we could rise to the occasion.

And so I find myself optimistic about the future.

I do think that what Mitt Romney did in particular demonstrates that one person can change the course of history. I think he will give strength to others, who will learn that you can stand up to this president, you can even disagree with the leader of your party, and be an example of courage to others.

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): I think the impeachment trial was never about polls, politics or personality disagreements with President Trump. It's about the precious nature of the Constitution.

In fact, George Washington observed in his farewell address to the nation that the Constitution is sacredly obligatory upon all. That means everyone.

And from the very beginning of this effort, led by Chairman Schiff and Speaker Pelosi, we have been trying to vindicate the notion that, in America, no one is above the law, not even the president of the United States of America.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: The House managers there speaking to my colleague, Anderson Cooper, on that.

Still ahead, there is a change at the Oscars this year. How the push for sustainability could turn the red carpet afterparties there green.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:50:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

HOWELL: It is one of Hollywood's biggest nights and we are just days away from it but this year's Oscars parties will feature something different, new on the menu.

ALLEN: And Lynda Kinkade has the Oscars going green. Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Here's the actor of the moment sweeping Hollywood's awards season with his performance in the move, "Joker." And Joaquin Phoenix is using his time in the spotlight to spread a message of sustainability throughout Hollywood by encouraging show organizers to feature plant-based menus. JOAQUIN PHOENIX, ACTOR: I think now consuming animal products is no

longer just a personal choice, it is having a drastic and vast consequence on the rest of the world.

KINKADE (voice-over): So far the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild and the Critics' Choice Awards have served vegan meals to their attendees. And this weekend nearly three-quarters of the menu at the Academy Awards afterparty will be plant-based dishes with the options of adding meat.

WOLFGANG PUCK, CHEF: Everything in moderation means the most important (INAUDIBLE), you know?

If we eat smaller portions of red meat, for example, we have to raise less cattle.

KINKADE (voice-over): Some of Hollywood's elites welcome the changes, saying it is a small step in the right direction.

NICOLE KIDMAN, ACTOR: In terms of the vegan menu, yes, I think anything anytime anyone can contribute, it is helpful, right?

[04:55:00]

KINKADE (voice-over): Others see it as a call to action.

BRETT GELMAN, ACTOR: I plan to change a great deal in my diet and the way that I use energy. I'm certainly not taking any private jets, I'll tell you that.

KINKADE (voice-over): The BAFTAs asked its members to dress sustainably with the Duchess of Cambridge wearing a dress previously worn on a visit to Malaysia. Joaquin Phoenix says he's worn the same tuxedo to each awards show and plans do the same on Oscar night, where the big win could be for the environment if more people in Hollywood use their star power in the real life drama of protecting the planet -- Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: And coming next here, fears of the coronavirus, it is not stopping thousands of couples from getting married.

HOWELL: Tens of thousands came together to watch a mass wedding at the Unification Church in South Korea where nearly 6,000 couples tied the knot there. But staff weren't taking any chances. They checked people's temperatures and gave out hand sanitizers.

Many got married with matching face masks, hoping that their marriages would thrive in sickness and health.

ALLEN: Certainly hope so. We'll have the latest numbers on coronavirus just ahead here.

Much more, please stay with us. I'm Natalie Allen.

HOWELL: And I'm George Howell. The news continues right after this.