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CNN: Barrett Did Not Disclose Talks Hosted By Anti-Abortion Groups; Michigan AG: Domestic Terrorism Is A Problem Across America; Trump: There's Just A "Lingering Thing" From COVID-19 Infection. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired October 09, 2020 - 12:30   ET

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

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[12:31:14]

JOHN KING, CNN HOST: Some new information that could be a wrinkle in the process to confirm judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. CNN's KFILE team found that on paperwork provided to the Senate for her confirmation hearings, Judge Barrett did not disclose two talks she gave on court cases dealing with abortion rights.

Those talks were hosted by two antiabortion rights students groups during Coney Barrett's time as a law professor at the University of Notre Dame. CNN's KFILE senior editor Andrew Kaczynski is here to walk us through this new reporting. And Andrew, it could be very important new reporting as Democrats try to make the case, number one, they don't want her on the court. And number two, now they're going to say she's withholding information.

ANDREW KACZYNSKI, CNN KFILE SENIOR EDITOR: Yes, that's right. This sort of raises questions about whether or not Barrett's paperwork was filled out all the way if there's other things that might be missing. And just to get into the recording a little bit, these were two speeches she gave both in 2013. And what's interesting about 2013 is that was also the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision.

Now, both of these talks were to Right to Life groups, one was just called Right to Life. And that was the undergraduate antiabortion group at Notre Dame. And the other was called just the tie. And that's actually the law school's version of Right to Life. Now, the speech to the undergraduate school was that was an hour long seminar called being a woman after Roe. It was part of their Right to Life series. And it was advertised as speaking with professors who were opposed to abortion.

The other one, again, to the law school Right to Life that happened in November 2013 that was, again also discussed Roe v. Wade. And again, we don't know what was mentioned in these chats. We know Roe v. Wade was the topic of them. But again, she didn't disclose these. So there's new questions that are being raised by that.

KING: Right, new questions, because on that questionnaire to the Senate Committee it specifically asked in the case of judges, and especially Supreme Court judges, list the speeches you've given on topics that could be relevant issues before the court, right? That's why we're asking this question today.

KACZYNSKI: Right, and you're supposed to disclose basically any -- and it's probably very hard for people to fill out because it's like, give any speech you've ever given, any talk, any article. So the question is, was this an oversight? Was this left off intentionally? Like we obviously don't know what happened there.

But when we spoke to the Senate Judiciary Committee, what they told us was, they said it was very normal practice that nominees might update their paperwork, the White House claim she was being transparent on all this stuff. So we'll see what happens here. But again, it raises, you know, what other things might be missing from this paperwork.

KING: And we know you're in the KFILE team. We'll stay on top of it. Andrew Kaczynski, thank you so much, very important reporting and we will stay on top of it.

We're also learning more about an alleged domestic terror plot to kidnap Michigan's governor and to overthrow governments, perhaps in several states. Thirteen people now face state and federal charges. Michigan's Attorney General telling CNN earlier today, this is not an isolated incident.

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DANA NESSEL (D), MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL: There are multiple groups that are operating across multiple jurisdictions in many different states. And it is something that we need to be very concerned about. What we're seeing here in Michigan right now, it's not just a Michigan problem, it's an American problem. And I think there's going to be more incidences to come.

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KING: Authorities alleged in that Michigan plot that members of local extremist groups talked of storming the state capitol, in part because of their anger at Governor Gretchen Whitmer, strict coronavirus lockdown. Let's discuss this now with our national security analyst Peter Bergen. Peter, you have tracked this issue domestic terrorism, domestic extremist groups, angry militias for quite some time. When you look at the details of this alleged Michigan plot, and from all the work you've done on this over the years, what jumps out?

[12:35:14]

PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, one thing that jumps out when you read the indictment is the government was all over this. I mean, there were quite a number of confidential informants, undercover officers. So you know, I think for what happens, I'm just speculating here, but I think that we've seen this in many cases.

You know, people post on social media, FBI, kind of looks at it puts a confidential informant in, pays that person a little bit of money, they make the recordings, the whole case rests on his recordings from the confidential informant. So, you know, it's threatening, certainly. But on the other hand, the Feds certainly were on top of it, which isn't surprising, because I'm very interested, John, in the fact that both the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are very kind of vocal on the subject that right wing, far right wing extremists, the kind of threat they pose.

Just three days ago, the Department of Homeland Security said that this is, you know, white supremacists are the leading national security threat of the United States in terms of terrorism, which is kind of unusual, given the track record of Department of Homeland Security in the past sort of downplaying, I think, the right -- the far right threat.

KING: Well, you raise an excellent point there, because as you see, and you read this indictment, they planned on storming the Capitol, kidnapping a governor, maybe harming the governor, talking about doing this in other states. You mentioned the Department of Homeland Security, FBI Director quite transparent about this right now. We often focus on what the President says, and understandably so when he refuses on a debate stage, for example, to condemn white supremacy.

But what about what the President doesn't say or do? He has the bully pulpit of the White House to have an event when his own Homeland Security Department and his own FBI say this is a grave threat facing the country right now, but this President has done zip on this issue, right?

BERGEN: Well, you know, people who support him even no matter how, kind of, you know, aberrant their belief are, he will not criticize. And, you know, what's interesting, look, one of the principal goals of these kinds of groups is to attack law enforcement. So it's not a kind of new phenomenon in this country, law enforcement is very concerned about this.

In fact, go back to Oklahoma City in 1995, 168 people were killed in the federal building by Timothy McVeigh, he had a pretty strong contract with the Michigan militia at the time. So this is also not something that's new in Michigan, where you've had these kind of antigovernment kind of militias. Obviously, when President Barack Obama was elected, they kind of picked up in the steam and then we have this, you know, relatively serious plot, which on the other hand, was pretty well surveyed by the government.

KING: Peter Bergen grateful for your help and insights and trying to understand all this and the important work you've done in this over the years. Peter, thank you so much.

When we come back, the President right now is on the radio, calling into Rush Limbaugh insisting he feels fine.

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[12:42:27]

KING: President Trump right now, as we speak, taking time to talk to Rush Limbaugh on the radio revealing a little bit more about the state of his health. Let's get straight to white house correspondent Kaitlan Collins who has been listening in. Kaitlan?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the President is already talking about his COVID-19 diagnosis. And it's interesting how he's talking about his treatment here, John. Of course, we know that the President got multiple several drugs while he was in the hospital in addition to the supplemental oxygen that he also received. But one is this antibody cocktail he got from this company called Regeneron.

This is something that we should note is not widely available. It doesn't even have an emergency use authorization yet. Yet, in this interview with Rush Limbaugh, the President is describing it as a quote, cure for coronavirus. We should be clear it is not a cure, it's more thought of as a treatment and it's not even widely available or even close to it yet, John.

But the President was also talking about how his experience what he's been going through, you know, we heard him coughing last night and he even brought that up during this interview. Listen to what he said.

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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's always that little, you know, that little lingering thing for a couple of days. But no, I have a -- my voice is now perfect. I mean for a couple of days, you know, you have it's called the lingering thing if you have a -- if you have hay fever, if you have something, you have that too a little bit.

But, no, it's this is the most amazing thing that's happened. And I was asking the doctors today. I said how bad was I? They said you could have been very bad. You were going into a very bad phase. And so it wasn't like it was just going to like with the kids, where they get it and they get sniffles and they're better two days later, right? Just looks like it was going to be a big deal.

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COLLINS: So even though just a few days ago, the President was trying to say he wasn't having a lot of symptoms. He's conceding here that he actually was in a position where doctors said they were worried about his condition until he received the drugs that he received that we should know, we do not know that it's this antibody cocktail the president received that has helped him. It could be the several other drugs that he was on as well, including that aggressive steroid, John.

We haven't heard from the President's doctors in order to find out what they believe actually was the most beneficial to him. But the way he's portraying it as a cure and not as a treatment, which is how it's being currently explored is misleading and inaccurate at best, John.

KING: Misleading and inaccurate at best. Kaitlan Collins, appreciate the quick live update, and we'll get more if the President says anything more newsworthy. Kaitlan, thank you.

And this just in, a related story, this development just into us, the former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie remains hospitalized today. That nearly a week after he tested positive for COVID-19 but a source saying Christie there for precaution. He is not on a ventilator. Christie, of course checked himself into the hospital back on October 3rd, as a precautionary measure. One of the members of the President's debate prep team who came down with COVID-19.

[12:45:07]

Up next for us, why the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he has not been inside the White House for months.

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KING: There are three Republican senators right now infected with coronavirus. But their leader, the Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, making something clear this morning. He does not believe they were infected under the Capitol dome.

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[12:50:09]

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): The only thing each other is going to do is to take responsibility for our own behavior by wearing a mask and practicing social distancing. We've had little or no incidences in the Senate by doing exactly what I said, wearing mask, practicing social distancing.

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KING: That today, yesterday, McConnell said he had not been to the White House since early August because he says he takes coronavirus protocols one way, the right, White House differently.

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MCCONNELL: I haven't actually been to the White House since August 6th because my impression was their approach to how to handle this was different from mine and what I insisted that we do in the Senate, which is to wear a mask and practice social distancing.

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KING: Joining us now, a longtime political adviser to Leader McConnell, Scott Jennings. Scott, it is good to see you. You know how to translate the Leader. Let me give you my attempt. He says their approach is different. That's why he hasn't been to the White House. He is so valuable to this President, especially in the Supreme Court fight, especially in the stimulus conversations, not been to the White House since August because their approach is different. He means reckless.

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think he means different. And I think he's also practicing what he has practiced for many years, which is he rarely lectures other branches of government about how they should operate. But he will tell you exactly how he intends to operate the Senate and why he is doing it that way. Sometimes that means he's doing it a different way.

I think McConnell, frankly, has been one of the most consistent voices from the beginning of this pandemic regarding personal responsibility and following the CDC guidelines. You heard him say it over and over again, wear a mask, practice social distancing.

So I don't really think he's in the business of rebuking others so much, but he never hides the ball. And he'll tells you exactly what he's thinking and on this, his thinking on following CDC guidelines. He's been very clear from the beginning.

KING: Well, let's go back through some of that. But as I go through this, I'm just -- I'm sorry, he had no hesitancy in talking about the Obama White House and then criticizing things in the Obama White House. I'm sorry. That's just a fact. You have a Republican president now. He might be a little bit more gentle. But you're right from the beginning he has said things like this.

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MCCONNELL: We must have no stigma, not about wearing mask. Wear a mask. Wear a mask and practice social distancing. Since May we have operated successfully here in the Senate. We know what we're doing. We're following the CDC guidelines.

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KING: He's telling the President that he thinks what the President's doing is wrong. I'm sorry. I want to ask you a question about the political dynamics of all this Peggy Noonan writes about this in the Wall Street Journal. This is how a lot of Republican political professionals sound to me ready for a jailbreak and afraid to dig a tunnel. They think the President is going down and is all too willing to pull the rest of the ballot down with him. A few will try to cut loose and be gracious about it, in the way Tony Montana was being gracious when he said, say hello to my little friend, little Scarface reference there from Peggy Noonan. But how nervous are Republicans that the President's bad numbers are going to cost them the Senate?

JENNINGS: Well, I think all Republicans are nervous. I mean, any of us can read a poll. The President's job approval is down. The President is struggling to get over the hump against Joe Biden. He didn't have a very good first debate. So I think all Republicans would rightfully be nervous. I also think every race is different. You know, a Senate race in Maine is different than a Senate race in North Carolina or Georgia.

And so I do think these things all have their own unique character and quality. But anybody who can read tells you they're not nervous about this election right now would be lying because obviously Republicans are in a precarious position.

KING: Well put. Scott Jennings, grateful for your time today, it's good to see you.

[12:53:52] When we come back, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded today, among its recipients, a former governor. We'll go back for some important history.

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KING: The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded today to the World Food Programme. There is a bit of irony here or interesting history anyway. It is no secret President Trump thinks he deserves that prize and he has repeatedly pushed allies to nominate him. Now many of you I know laugh at that. He is the President after all, who on the debate stage just days ago refused to condemn white supremacists and who condemn NASCAR for banning the Confederate flag from its tracks and its properties.

Well, today's winner knows this flag debate better than most. David Beasley is the executive director of the World Food Programme. A generation ago, I met him when he was governor of South Carolina and a rising Republican star. Governor Beasley though lost his bid for reelection back in 1998. And to this day, he blames that loss on conservative outrage at his proposal in late 1996 after several ugly racial incidents to stop flying the Confederate flag over the South Carolina Capitol.

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GOV. DAVID BEASLEY (R-SC): My friends, our children will not learn charity unless black parents and white parents start practicing charity towards one another. The Bible also tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves. It is time for the races to compromise on the Confederate flag, to show Judeo Christian love that will bring the races together, closer together, and teach our children that we can live together in mutual respect.

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KING: Congratulations today to Governor Beasley and to everyone at the World Food Programme for their heroic work.

[13:00:04]

That's it for us today. Brianna Keilar picks up our coverage right now. Have a good day.