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Fringe Group Advising President on Overturning Election; U.S. Attorney General Says No Systematic Fraud in Election; U.S. President- Elect Biden Receives Vaccine Dose; McConnell: No Senators Think Stimulus Bill is Perfect; U.S. Congress Passes $900 Billion Stimulus Package; Novichok Sprinkled on Navalny's Underwear. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired December 22, 2020 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: With only weeks left in office, U.S. President Donald Trump is considering more unusual measures in a desperate bid to stay in the White House. Allies to the president are now distancing themselves as his moves become more unpredictable. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has more from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): President Trump's brazen and delusional pushed to overturn the 2020 election is alarming some senior officials and people close to the president, who say they are concerned about how he is handling his final weeks in office. One official telling CNN, no one is sure where this is heading. He is still the president for another month.

Now, as Trump considers an executive order to seize voting machines, naming a special counsel to investigate voter fraud, and even imposing martial law in key battleground states. Even his most loyal allies are pushing back.

WILLIAM BARR, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: I see no basis now for seizing machines by the federal government. You know, wholesale seizure of machines by the federal government.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you believe there is enough evidence to warrant appointing a special counsel?

BARR: If I thought a special counsel at this stage was the right tool and was appropriate, I would do -- I would name one, but I haven't.

DIAMOND: The attorney general isn't alone. Sources telling CNN that White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows also push back on the outlandish ideas raised during a heated Oval Office meeting on Friday. Trump denied considering martial law, but he is increasingly turning to the fringes of his political orbit.

Chief among them, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and conspiracy theorist Sidney Powell who was removed from her position on Trump's legal team after baselessly accusing the CIA and the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez of rigging the 2020 election.

The pair were at the center of a heated Oval Office meeting on Friday, which sources said turned into a shouting match. Powell -- who Trump is considering named as a special counsel -- was spotted again leaving the White House residence late Sunday night. Also now back in the president ear, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.

STEVE BANNON, FORMER WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR: As I strongly recommended to the president, we need a special counsel named immediately -- special prosecutor just an election fraud and voter fraud, they're two different things. Election fraud and voter fraud. You need to do that immediately.

DIAMOND: Bannon who was charged with counts of wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy last summer may also be seeking a presidential pardon. Meanwhile, the president is missing in action on the coronavirus pandemic. And downplaying one of the worst cyberattacks on U.S. government systems. Calling it, quote, far greater in the fake news media than in actuality. And suggesting China was the culprit, even though top U.S. officials say all signs point to Russia.

MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: This was a very significant effort, and I think it's the case that now we can say pretty clearly, that it was the Russians that engaged in this activity.

BARR: From that information I have, you know, I agree with Secretary Pompeo's assessment. It certainly appears to be the Russians.

DIAMOND (on camera): And President Trump on Monday spent several hours meeting with some of the most pro-Trump members of Congress who were plotting his long shot attempt to object and try and overturn the results of the Electoral College. That's on January 6th when members of Congress are supposed to certify the vote from the Electoral College to approve Joe Biden as the next president of the United States.

And this meeting is just one of several that the president was holding on Monday focused on this effort to overturn the results of a democratic election that he lost. The conspiracy theorist and attorney Sidney Powell, she was also at the White House on Monday, it was the third time in just four days that she's been meeting with the president.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: CHURCH: Let's talk now with CNN national security analyst, Carrie Cordero. Good to have you with us.

CARRIE CORDERO, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Thank you. Good to be with you.

[04:35:00]

CHURCH: So just days before he leaves his post, Attorney General Bill Barr held his final news conference contradicting President Trump again, repeating there is no evidence of widespread election fraud, no basis for seizing voting machines, no need for a special counsel to investigate false claims of voter fraud, or of Hunter Biden. And insisting Russia was behind this recent massive cyberattack in the U.S. not China as President Trump claims. What did you make of this?

CORDERO: Well, in some ways, it's helpful for the attorney general to be stating these things, because this is what the true facts are that there was no evidence of widespread fraud. That there is no reason to appoint special counsels based on the information that's coming out of some executive branch officials, as well as member of Congress, it looks like the government is attributing the recent cyber intrusion to Russia.

So, it's helpful that the attorney general is actually saying these things, even though they are contrary to the messaging that's coming from the president himself.

CHURCH: Right. And sources tell CNN that some White House advisers fear President Trump's final days in office, warning that no one is sure where this is heading. That's his advisor saying this. What might that reveal about Trump's state of mind right now? And do you think he is serious about invoking martial law to redo elections in battleground states. And will Bill Barr's replacement Jeff Rosen push back on any of this?

CORDERO: Well, I don't think that we are going to be in a situation where martial law is going to be declared in the United States. The military is not going to go on with that, hopefully. If something like that were to be actually approached in a serious way by the president, there would be mass resignation amongst his senior advisers.

There has to be at some point, when the senior leadership, and even his closest advisers draws some kind of line and that's certainly would be it.

CHURCH: And on the subject of these cyberattacks, why do you think President Trump has been so protective of Russia, and the Russian president? Even in these closing days of his administration insisting against all advice given that China not Russia was behind it.

CORDERO: Well, so according to all that information that has become public, it certainly sounds as if Russia is behind this particular attack. This is the most significant cyber intrusion. I think that the U.S. federal government has experienced in at least seven years since the hack of the Office of Personnel Management files.

And so, this is a really significant national security event. It doesn't seem like the president is going to address it in a serious way. One thing that he could do is he could sign a pending national security legislation bill. The National Defense Authorization Act, which is waiting for his signature, in which he said he is going to veto. And that bill actually contains some provisions that would help the country's cybersecurity.

We need a full, U.S. government response to it. And he doesn't seem at all interested.

CHURCH: Carrie Cordero, thank you so much for your analysis. I appreciate it.

CORDERO: Thank you.

CHURCH: And just ahead, U.S. lawmakers finally approve a massive COVID relief bill. What it means for those most in need.

[04:40:00]

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CHURCH: President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill got their first doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine on Monday. Joe Biden received his on live television saying while the vaccine gives Americans hope, it's just the beginning of a long road to recovery. He also said the Trump administration deserves some credit for Operation Warp Speed and he thanked the health care workers on the frontlines.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT: We owe these folks an awful lot, the scientists and the people who put this together, frontline workers, the people who were the ones who actually did the clinical work, it's just amazing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, as the U.S. Congress sends its coronavirus stimulus package to be signed by President Trump, the response from the Senate has been mixed. Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is praising the bill's passage but acknowledges there is more to be done. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): None of us think any of this legislation is perfect. But a big bipartisan majority of us recognize the incredible amount of good it will do when we send it to the president's desk. The American people have waited long enough. I'm glad for our country that we're now moving ahead together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Similar sentiment from Senator Bernie Sanders on the left. He says he wishes the bill had gone further.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): What we needed was a major, major response to tell the working families of this country who are struggling to keep their families in place, we hear their pain, and we are responding. Now, this bill, to be honest, has a lot of very important stuff in it. I mean, we worked very hard -- I worked with Senator Hawley to make sure there would be direct payments. I wanted 1,200 bucks, we ended up with $600, which for a family of four, the average family of four will be $2,400. Will that help? Yes, it will. Is it enough? No, it is not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Joining me now is CNN global economic analyst, Rana Foroohar, great to have you with us.

RANA FOROOHAR, CNN GLOBAL ECONOMIC ANALYST: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: So once the president signs off on this legislation, how long will it take for Americans to get their stimulus checks and of course, the extra $300 per week for the unemployed along with the other help in the pipeline.

FOROOHAR: Well, the truth is that it's probably going to take weeks. That's what it took the last time around and then of course, there was also that lag time once the first set of stimulus effects ran out, that checks didn't run out right away, they keep going. You know, that has to do with the bureaucratic issues and administration, but it's going to be a little while before these checks get through. Which is why it's so important that this bill got passed now. I mean, we really couldn't have gone through the winter without -- I think it's a significant downturn unless we got some stimulus.

Yes, indeed, of course the big question is, will this relief package be enough to help those people lining up at food banks, being evicted from their homes and struggling day-to-day just to survive.

FOROOHAR: Well look, any help is better than no help and, in some ways, this bill represents what is a middle road forward and could be really a model for future stimulus.

[04:45:00]

As you know, the U.S. political system is incredibly polarizing right now. Both sides had to make big compromises to get here. It's not what either side wanted but what you saw was the extremes in both the Democratic and the Republican parties really stepping back and saying, look, we've got to get something through. The center did hold, and, you know, we've a $900 billion stimulus packages.

Democrats see this really what they're hoping will be a starter package, and then once Joe Biden takes office, hopefully they will roll out more. We'll have to see, but certainly this is going to be a big help with what would be a very bleak winter in America.

CHURCH: Absolutely, and of course the other group waiting for help is small business. But we all remember how large businesses elbowed their way in and took most of the money last time. How will the government ensure that doesn't happen again?

FOROOHAR: You know, it's a great question. And in fact, one of the downsides, I think, of this bill is that you did see another bailout for the airline industry. You know, that's something that unions have supported. There's a lot of unionized workers in transport and transit. The stimulus that's going to be received by the big airline companies is tied to keeping workers on the job.

But I think, again, you're going to see this big square off and a lot of folks saying, look, the industries of the biggest lobbyists have been those that have gotten bailouts. There is help for small business in this relief package. It has to be said, but at the end of the day, America has got a real problem with money and politics, and I think that's going to be a theme that will continue through beyond the bailouts and through the Biden administration's four years.

CHURCH: And of course a lot of people, they will not forget the politics involved in getting to this point. Both sides were guilty of playing politics. How will voters remember this?

FOROOHAR: You know, I think in a way, this bill will be seen as a success for the center. And there's a lot of political analysis to show that, in fact, when you really dig into it, when you look at the nuance, there is more commonality between Republicans and Democrats than either side would really like to admit. You know, Americans really do meet in the middle. This bill is a testament to that, and I think that you're going to see both parties trying to, you know, sideline some of the extreme elements, at least for the moment until we can get to the spring and summer, and the vaccine rollout moves forward, and we really see where we are in the wake of this pandemic.

CHURCH: Wise words. Rana Foroohar, thank you so much for talking with us. We appreciate it.

FOROOHAR: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: Just ahead, a stunning update in the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny. How he tricked a secret agent into revealing how the whole plot unfolded. We'll have the details next.

[04:50:00]

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CHURCH: Well now to a CNN exclusive. A Russian agent sent to tail opposition leader Alexey Navalny has accidently revealed how Navalny was poisoned in August. The agent, a member of an elite toxins team in Russia's FSB security service said the lethal nerve agent Novichok was planted in Navalny's underwear. Last week a CNN Bellingcat investigation revealed that the unit has trailed Navalny for more than three years. CNN's Clarissa Ward has the details.

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CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is an extraordinary scene. Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny on the phone with one of the FSB units he believes poisoned him in August. Navalny is pretending to be a senior figure from Russia's National Security Council investigating the attempted assassination.

The operative, Konstantin Kudryavtsev, is hesitant at first but then reveals the poison was placed on Navalny's underpants.

ALEXEY NAVALNY, RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER (through translator): Well, imagine underpants and in what place.

KONSTANTIN KUDRYAVTSEV, RUSSIAN AGENT (through translator): The insides, the groin.

NAVALNY (through translator): The crotch on the underpants?

KUDRYAVTSEV (through translator): Well, the so-called flap. There are some seams there, so across the seams.

WARD: The explosive admission punches a gaping hole in the Kremlin's repeated denials that the Russian government played any role in Navalny's poisoning. Kudryavtsev was one of an elite team who trailed Navalny for years, as CNN and online investigative outlet Bellingcat reported last week.

The unit was headquartered in this unassuming building in a Moscow suburb. Most of its members were doctors or scientists. Kudryavtsev graduated from the Russian Academy of Chemical Defense.

When Navalny was poisoned back in August, his flight was suddenly diverted to Omsk. Flight records show that just five days later, Kudryavtsev flew to that same city, taking possession of Navalny's clothes. On the 45-minute call with Navalny, he offers an assurance that no trace of Novichok would be found on them.

KUDRYAVTSEV (through translator): Yes, all is clean.

NAVALNY (through translator): Visually, it will not be visible? They did not remove? There are no stains on them -- nothing?

KUDRYAVTSEV (through translator): No, no, nothing. They're in good condition and clean.

NAVALNY (through translator): Pants?

KUDRYAVTSEV (through translator): There is the same inside area. Perhaps something was left on it, too. We washed it off there also. But this is presumably because there was contact with the pants. Perhaps there was something on there, too.

WARD: The FSB toxins team trailed Navalny on more than 30 trips around Russia. Five of its members flew to Siberia around the same time as Navalny during the fateful August trip when he was poisoned.

[04:55:00]

Toxicologists have told CNN that Navalny is lucky to be alive and that the intention was almost certainly to kill him, a point Kudryavtsev himself appears to acknowledge.

KUDRYAVTSEV (through translator): If he had flown a little longer and perhaps would not have landed so quickly and all, perhaps it would have all gone differently. That is, had it not been for the prompt assistance of doctors or ambulances on the landing strip, and so on.

NAVALNY (through translator): The plane landed after 40 minutes. Basically, this should have been taken into account while planning the operation. It wasn't that the plane landed instantly. They calculated the wrong dose, the probability. Why?

KUDRYAVTSEV (through translator): Well, I can't say why. As I understand it, we added a bit extra, so --

NAVALNY: How did you do this? How did you do this?

WARD: At the end of the call, Navalny and his team are elated that their sting operation has worked. And despite everything he's discovered, he's still determined to return to Russia as soon as possible.

WARD (on camera): CNN has reached out to the Kremlin for comment. So far, we have not heard back. But, Russia's state security services, the FSB, has called the conversation a fake. They've said it was designed to make the state security services look bad and that it could only have been done with the help of foreign special services. This is something they often accuse Navalny of doing -- of working with Western intelligence services. But one has the suspicion that this story is not going away for them. There will be more questions asked.

Clarissa Ward, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And thanks so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. "EARLY START" is up next. You're watching CNN. Have yourselves a great day.

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