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Trump Pushes to Lighten Roger Stone Sentence as House Republicans Boycott Intelligence Committee; Grand Jury Brings New Charges Against Jussie Smollett; Joe Biden to Call Donors Today. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired February 12, 2020 - 10:30   ET

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

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[10:33:05]

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: So this just in, Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee right now are boycotting a public subcommittee hearing today.

Ranking Member Congressman Devin Nunes and some other Republicans on the committee sent a letter to Intel Chairman Adam Schiff, saying they will not take part in the hearing on Emerging Technologies and National Security. This is according to a copy of the letter obtained by CNN.

Congressman Jim Himes, the subcommittee chairman, said he was told Republicans were protesting over, quote, "some perceived grievance" with the impeachment investigation. The letter just doesn't go on to explicitly explain more. Obviously --

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

HARLOW: -- there are more answers needed here on the reasoning. We'll get them to you as we can.

SCIUTTO: Yes, not clear why a subcommittee hearing on technology and election security, which is a real issue, would be seen as political. We will dig deeper.

President Trump unleashed, attacking those he feels betrayed him during his impeachment. That includes Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, U.S. Ambassador to the E.U. Gordon Sondland -- it's a long list.

HARLOW: He also hinted that the military may take punitive action against ousted Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When you look at Vindman's -- the person he reports to said horrible things, avoided the chain of command, leaked, did a lot of bad things. And so we sent him on his way to a much different location. And the military can handle him any way they want. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Amanda Carpenter is with us, political columnist for "Bulwark" and CNN political commentator David Gergen also, former presidential advisor to Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton and our senior political analyst.

So, David, let's just begin, big picture here, on these actions and what they tell you about the president, post-acquittal.

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Sure. There's no question he feels emboldened by the end of the impeachment and the acquittal.

It is also true, if you look at the big context, in many countries around the world, people have been elected democratically to lead that -- lead a nation, have often become strongmen. And one of the ways they get there is by suppressing voices of dissent and controlling the judicial system, the law enforcement system. That is the way you gain power to do what you want to do.

[10:35:15]

SCIUTTO: Amanda Carpenter, there were a number of Republican senators explaining their decisions to acquit the president, saying that he learned a lesson. Have a listen again and I want to get your reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LAMAR ALEXANDER (R-TN): I would think he would think twice before he did it again.

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Are you confident the president's not going to simply ask another foreign power to investigate a political rival again?

SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD): Ah, yes. I think there are lessons that can -- everybody can learn from it.

SEN. ROB PORTMAN (R-OH): I think the message has been delivered.

MARTHA MACCALLUM, FOX NEWS HOST: So why do you have that feeling that he has changed, that he learned a lesson?

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME): Well, I may not be correct on that. It's more aspirational on my part, it's more that I -- I hope that he's listened to the many voices in the Senate who have pointed out that the call was very problematic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: In fact, of course, the lesson he president seems to have learned is that he has more, not less power and leeway now. Where is GOP credibility on this?

AMANDA CARPENTER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Listen, they've tied their political fortunes to Trump and they're subject to whatever he does. Donald Trump does not give a whit what Susan Collins thinks.

The message that he is sending, very clearly, today, is that someone like Roger Stone, who lies, who cheats to win elections, who obstructs justice, who makes false charges is good and is deserving of special treatment, while someone like Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, who serves his country, has shrapnel in his body, who responds to subpoenas, who tells the truth is bad.

There is a presidential election going on right now, and I really think Democrats need to make a rule of law argument that Republicans who aren't in Washington but are out there in America and do care about these things, would respond to.

Because Donald Trump is saying, we don't have equal protection under the law. There's no such thing as equal justice. Because if you're a friend of Donald Trump, like Roger Stone, who tries to do his dirty work, who aspires to be, you know, a political villain out of some "Batman" cartoon, that's fine. You're going to get special treatment.

But if you're anybody else, even somebody who served their country, forget you. You're out the door and your brother, too.

SCIUTTO: Yes. The deciding factor is, are you on the president's side or not. I mean, basically.

HARLOW: Yes --

GERGEN: That's right. He's essentially setting up two classes of people, you know? One class of people he likes and he's going to get -- you know, give favor to. The other class, he hates and he's going to treat harshly. And he's compromising the Department of Justice in a way we have not seen, I don't think, since Watergate and even then, I thought it was more in balance.

But we're actually destroying the mores and traditions that have been built up over decades by people who have been dedicated to the notion that there ought to be equal justice. Amanda's absolutely right about that.

HARLOW: So, Amanda, what do you think members of Congress are or aren't going to do about it? I ask because, for example, later today and into tomorrow, we're expected to get that Senate vote on the War Powers Act. And there are going to be three, if not four Republicans who are going to constrain the president's power on that. Not a veto- proof majority, but still voices including Susan Collins, willing to speak out on that.

Why is that so different than this? Why will nothing really be done about this?

CARPENTER: Well, about this? Maybe because they're not sure of the mechanism to pursue. Like, we went down the impeachment road, right?

HARLOW: Yes.

CARPENTER: And they're not willing to remove him. Somehow, they think their, you know, furrowed brows and shaking heads is going to be enough to protect them from their electorate. They think that's an argument that will buy off their constituents.

But, you know, when a more -- an easier question is put before them, yes or no, they can do that on war powers. But this is the bigger deal. Like, at the end of the day in 2020, are people going to remember the parade of diplomats and public servants that Donald Trump has dismissed unceremoniously? Probably not. But are they going to look at Donald Trump and say, hey, I trust you to treat people equally and fairly? And the answer is no.

And all the Democrats have to do is draw a contrast and say, listen, we are going to restore these norms. We believe in treating people --

SCIUTTO: Right.

CARPENTER: -- equally before the law. And you don't have to do special favors to get special treatment --

SCIUTTO: Yes.

CARPENTER: -- from me. That's all they need to do.

SCIUTTO: Right --

CARPENTER: And the Republicans will be forced to respond to that, ultimately, when it hurts them politically.

SCIUTTO: David Gergen, just you've served so many administrations, Republican and Democrat. You just made a comparison to the Nixon administration, said this may be worse.

Just explain to folks at home -- and I know some of them are listening to these stories and saying, ah, it's just politics, how can I tell who's in the wrong, who's in the right? Why is this different?

GERGEN: Well, people can watch the -- CNN has a special coming up this weekend, isn't (ph) it (ph)? About the --

[10:40:00]

HARLOW: The White House, yes.

GERGEN: -- John Mitchell and the Department of Justice?

HARLOW: Yes.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

GERGEN: And one of the first things the Nixon people had to do, in covering up Watergate, was to compromise the Justice Department. And make sure they were under their thumb, just as they tried to compromise the intelligence and the FBI.

And -- but it was sort of a onetime thing, for -- to cover up a particular episode. This is wide in scope. It's almost every big decision that's coming through the Justice Department now, has to be sent through the White House and check out what (ph) the president -- and then do what the president -- do the president's bidding. We've never -- we didn't see that in Watergate. And this is why this is more sinister (ph).

SCIUTTO: Remarkable.

GERGEN: Yes.

SCIUTTO: David Gergen, Amanda Carpenter, thanks to both of you.

HARLOW: Thanks, guys.

SCIUTTO: Well, Joe Biden says he's now focusing what he's called his firewall in South Carolina, that's what he's focusing on. But is his support there enough to help the former V.P. bounce back from two in a row, two disappointing performances?

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[10:45:33]

SCIUTTO: The actor Jussie Smollett has been indicted by a grand jury in Chicago again. He's now facing six new counts of disorderly conduct after prosecutors say he knowingly made false reports.

HARLOW: He is accused of orchestrating what he claimed was a racist and homophobic attack last year, accusations he's repeatedly denied. Let's go to Ryan Young, he's been on this story. He joins us again this morning from Chicago.

So what do we know? What does this all men?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You guys remember this story, of course, the actor Jussie Smollett. We're in the same neighborhood where he said this attack apparently happened.

It was one of the coldest days of the year. He said he walked to a subway which was about two blocks away from here. And on the way back, he said he was attacked by two people who were screaming racial epithets at him and tried to put a noose around his neck. In fact, we have that body camera footage from inside his apartment, where he was describing to police exactly what happened.

But according to police, that never did happen. If you remember, those charges were dropped. Well, now, a special prosecutor has put those six new counts on him. And of course, this was a big conversation in the city.

Jussie Smollett's (ph) about to release a new statement, which says, "After more than five months of investigation, the Office of the Special Prosecutor has not found any evidence of wrongdoing whatsoever related to the dismissal of the charges against Mr. Smollett. Rather, the charges were appropriately dismissed the first time because they were not supported by the evidence. The attempt to re-prosecute Mr. Smollett one year later on the eve of the Cook County State's Attorney election is clearly all about politics not [about] justice."

And that is really the big conversation, also, as well because the state prosecutor is getting ready for -- to go through an election campaign, and she's the one who dismissed the charged originally. So there's a big part of this conversation -- but again, Jussie Smollett will have to be back in court in about two weeks. This is the starting (ph) to swirl a whole big conversation again because the actor has really never told his side of the story after police said it was all a hoax.

SCIUTTO: Incredible story. Ryan Young in Chicago, thanks very much.

We are learning now that Joe Biden will be on a campaign call with donors this afternoon. Where does he stand as we head into South Carolina and Nevada? He's certain to face some tough questions in that call.

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[10:52:04]

HARLOW: Sources now tell CNN the Biden campaign is holding a finance call with its top donors this afternoon. The former vice president is expected to be on that call.

SCIUTTO: There are, of course, major concerns following a disappointing fifth place finish last night, disappointing as well in Iowa. CNN political correspondent Arlette Saenz is in South Carolina, the state Biden is now focusing on. In fact, he left New Hampshire early.

Tell us, Arlette, you've been covering this campaign for some time, the mood inside the campaign but also what answers do they have to the very reasonable questions following New Hampshire and Iowa, going forward?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, there was no clearer sign that Joe Biden was eager to move past Iowa and New Hampshire than last night, when he came here to spend Primary Night in South Carolina, a state that he has described to me as his firewall in this 2020 race.

And we learned, just a short while ago that the Biden campaign is going to hold a call with some of its top donors this afternoon, and Biden himself, one of the sources tells me, is expected to call in to talk to donors.

This is coming on the heels of that disappointing finish in New Hampshire, and as there are some questions about whether Biden will have the financial resources to remain competitive in this race as the primary process moves forward.

But right now, what the Biden campaign is essentially arguing is that there are diverse states that are coming up in this primary process, starting right here in South Carolina, that could prove to be more beneficial to the former vice president. We have Nevada coming up in just about a week and a half, then South Carolina will be voting here.

And the Biden campaign is arguing that it's time for the majority of diverse voices in this Democratic Party to have their say, that they need to get down to states like South Carolina, Nevada. Also Super Tuesday states where there is a diverse demographic, many of those states, either with big Latino populations or also with African- American populations.

And the Biden campaign thinks that when Biden is in front of those -- that diverse coalition of voters, that that will be beneficial to him. South Carolina here, being the firewall for Joe Biden.

He said, yesterday, that it was just the opening bell, not the closing bell. We'll see if he'll be able to reverse course when he gets to states like this.

HARLOW: He has to, right? We'll see. Arlette, great reporting. Thank you.

[10:54:22]

The president congratulating, this morning, his attorney general for, quote, "taking charge" in the case of the president's ally Roger Stone. And this comes after all of the prosecutors in the case -- four of them -- resigned over it. Much more ahead.

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HARLOW: A gorgeous poodle set the standard --

(LAUGHTER)

-- there's a backstory there -- at the 144th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Siba -- there you go -- a standard poodle, won Best in Show in New York on Tuesday night, topping six other finalists.

SCIUTTO: If you're keeping track at home, standard poodle, this is the fifth one to win the top prize in the show's history. I'll admit, I'm partial to, like, bulldogs, beagles -- no insult to the poodle --

HARLOW: Me, too.

SCIUTTO: -- the last time a poodle won? Twenty-nice years ago, that is 203 years for dogs.

HARLOW: All right, there's your happy news dose. Thanks for joining us today. I'm Poppy Harlow.

SCIUTTO: I'm going to show up tomorrow with that hairdo.

(LAUGHTER)

I'm Jim Sciutto. "AT THIS HOUR" with Kate Bolduan starts now.

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