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President-elect Joe Biden to Speak This Afternoon; Nashville Bomber Identified As Anthony Quinn Warner; Christmas Sees Busiest Airport Travel Of Pandemic. Aired 10:30-11a ET
Aired December 28, 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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[10:30:58]
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: President-elect Joe Biden will speak later this afternoon after he and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are briefed by their national security and foreign policy teams on what they say are the challenges that they'll inherit from the Trump administration's America First agenda.
Let's go to CNN's Joe Johns in Washington. Joe, good morning to you. Do we have any more detail on what Biden will be briefed on specifically?
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bianna, not a whole lot of detail right there right now, but I can tell you that this is going to be a briefing about what the agency review teams for the incoming Biden administration have actually learned as they fanned out, and this is specifically going to be about the issue of national security.
One of the things we know is that the Biden people are saying they have not been getting a lot of information from the Defense Department about the issue of that enormous cyber-security attack that has occurred involving multiple federal agencies here in Washington, D.C. So there's a concern about that. DOD says they're not dragging their feet and they will resume these briefings in January.
Nonetheless, even the president-elect himself has said there's cause for concern there, especially because underlying is the larger issue of Russia. Russia has been blamed for that cyber-attack, and Russia is one of the things the incoming administration's going to have to deal with in a big way right after January 20th -- Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, Biden said he would be aggressive in his response to Russia, but obviously not being briefed in detail hinders that approach.
The Biden team specifically used the word "inherit" in their statement and that really stood out to us. Does this mean that they are gearing up to frame certain challenges in a way that puts the blame on their predecessor, this being the Trump administration? JOHNS: Well, I think they have been doing that almost from the start.
And there are a few examples of things the Trump administration has done that the Biden administration plans to change -- for example the Paris Accords. Now, these are the climate accords, this is something that Donald Trump pulled out of. Joe Biden says he's going to go back into those accords.
There's also, of course, the issue that's very much related of the Iran nuclear accord as well as WHO. These are all things -- decisions Biden has made -- Trump has made and Biden wants to reverse.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, a lot of foreign policy fires out there that this administration's going to be walking into to deal with. Joe Johns, thank you so much.
JOHNS: You bet.
[10:33:34]
GOLODRYGA: Well, new information this morning on the Christmas Day explosion in Nashville. Officials have named the bomber, but his motive is still unknown.
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GOLODRYGA: Nashville police, releasing new surveillance video overnight showing the exact moment on Christmas morning when that R.V., parked on a downtown street, explodes, sending a giant fireball and debris flying through the air. Officials now identifying the bomber as 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner. What they haven't been able to pin down? A motive.
CNN's Natasha Chen joins me now with more -- Natasha.
NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Bianna, well, the investigators are working through the blast site right now, opening up some of the perimeter streets now. But still, the area where the explosion happened is under strict control, nobody can go near that.
Now, Anthony Warner, it's interesting how they confirmed the identity of this suspect. A law enforcement source told CNN that it was actually a tip about the R.V. that led them to his home in Antioch, Tennessee, about 10 miles southeast of where I'm standing. That's where we spent several hours on Saturday, watching federal agents go in and out of that house gathering evidence.
We saw Google Street View images of that property with an R.V. with similar markings that can be seen there. Neighbors told me they have seen that R.V. there before.
And we know now that police have shared this really incredible video of the explosion happening, this giant orange fireball. And in that video, you can see one officer actually walking away from the R.V. seconds before the explosion. Here's Officer James Wells talking about that moment.
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JAMES WELLS, OFFICER, METRO NASHVILLE POLICE: You watch the video, you can see that moment of clarity for me, when I heard (ph) God (ph) say, go and check on Topping. And so I was peeking around, you know, looking like this, and then he (ph) was like, no, turn around and go check on Topping.
[10:40:05]
And so I turned around and start walking in the opposite direction, and then three seconds later, boom. So, you know, I'm not going to shy away from that because that's what saved my life, that's what got me to see my kids and my wife on Christmas.
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CHEN: Law enforcement say that Warner was here when the bomb went off and died in the explosion. They are now looking into his motive, going into his history, talking to people who have maybe been in contact with him, to figure out why this happened. The type of explosives used, that's still under investigation as well -- Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, those quick-thinking police officers not only saved their own lives, but obviously all the residents there that they were able to get out of the area before that bomb went off. Natasha Chen, thank you so much.
Well, millions of people have traveled over the past week for the holidays. In fact, the TSA says yesterday was the busiest day at U.S. airports since the pandemic began, and that's fueled fears we'll soon see another huge surge in cases.
CNN's Adrienne Broaddus is at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Adrienne, what are people telling you about their reasons for traveling? I'm still stuck on what some passengers told you in our last hour.
ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there was one woman who we talked about in the last hour who said she needs an escape, so she's traveling to Jamaica to meet up with friends. Another family of five told me the pandemic forced them to cancel their vacation back in March, so they're making up for lost time.
All of the travelers we spoke with today say they are taking steps to remain safe and healthy, but you can do everything right -- wear your mask, wash your hands, watch your distance -- but the risks are still high.
And all these people traveling is concerning, especially for top health officials as we watch the number of cases across the country climb. More than 19 million Americans have been diagnosed with COVID- 19, and Dr. Anthony Fauci fears the coming days could be pretty bad.
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ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We very well might see a post-seasonal -- in the sense of Christmas, New Year's -- surge. And as I've described it, as a surge upon a surge because if you look at the slope, the incline of cases that we've experienced as we've gone into the late fall and soon-to-be early winter, it is really quite troubling.
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BROADDUS: And so many people we spoke with believe the vaccine is a way out of pandemic darkness. Indeed, the vaccine is a symbol of hope, but it's important to underscore, we will not see the impact of the vaccine for months to come -- Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: That is so true, and those travelers need to be reminded of that as well. We all have fatigue, but we need to hold on a bit longer. Adrienne Broaddus, thank you.
And still to come, more from the coronavirus pandemic to the presidential election. We take a look back at the major headlines of 2020.
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But first, a quick programming note, be sure to watch my exclusive one-on-one interview tonight with retired Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman. He was a key witness in the Trump impeachment inquiry, and I'll get his take on how the president is spending his final days in office. That's tonight at 7:00, right here on CNN.
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GOLODRYGA: From the pandemic to the unprecedented election, 2020 was a year like no other when it came to media coverage. CNN's Brian Stelter takes a closer look.
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BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: In 2020, every member of the media lived the stories they covered. Some of the biggest stories in generations were also intensely personal.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST, CUOMO PRIME TIME: I tested positive.
STELTER (voice-over): From the pandemic to the Black Lives Matter protests to the Election Day that stretched into Election Week --
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: We'll show our viewers the celebrations that are going on around the country, celebrations that Joe Biden is now the president-elect of the United States.
VAN JONES, CNN HOST: It's a vindication for a lot of people who have really suffered.
STELTER: CNN and other networks registered record ratings in 2020. People around the world flocked to trusted sources --
JOHN KING, CNN HOST: So now you're getting into the battleground states as we flip it out, but again --
STELTER: -- showing the value of traditional news brands in a digital age dominated by Google and Facebook.
You know, President Trump's unreality might have been the biggest media story of the year were it not for the coronavirus.
DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: One of the things we wanted to see firsthand here in Wuhan was the epicenter of this.
STELTER : CNN's David Culver and his team delivered early warnings from Wuhan, China.
CULVER: A lot of folks said, why would you go there? Why would you go to the epicenter? Well, the reality is we needed to be on the ground.
STELTER: Then his team quarantined for two weeks. It was a preview of what so many others were about to do. It all happened so fast.
[10:50:03]
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR, NEW DAY: Tom Hanks, announcing that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, have both tested positive for coronavirus.
STELTER: There, on March 12th, the on-screen graphic still promoted a CNN primary debate with social distancing suddenly added.
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Guess we can say hi, right?
STELTER: Studio audiences were scrapped; Broadway shut down; movie releases postponed; theme parks closed; almost everything closed.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Someone on my team believes they may be positive for the coronavirus, and so out of an abundance of caution, I'm going to be broadcasting tonight from my house.
STELTER: Newspapers and TV networks were suddenly produced remotely, from living rooms and basements.
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNTIONAL HOST: So we're about to go on the air in a few minutes, around the world on CNN International.
STELTER: Small numbers of essential staffers donned PPE to keep programming on the air.
Some of the journalists covering COVID then contracted it, and shared their stories.
CUOMO: This virus came at me. I've never seen anything like it, OK? So, yes, I've had a fever, you've had a fever. But 102, 103, 103-plus that wouldn't quit, and it was like somebody was beating me like a pinata.
STELTER: The pandemic was accompanied by an infodemic of misinformation.
RUSH LIMBAUGH, HOST, THE RUSH LIMBAUGH SHOW: The coronavirus is the common cold, folks.
STELTER: Some right-wing hosts claimed that Democrats were hyping a hoax just to hurt Trump. Trish Regan and Fox Business parted ways after she said this.
TRISH REGAN, FOX BUSINESS ANCHOR: -- this is yet another attempt to impeach the president.
STELTER: But Fox's biggest stars faced no consequences for mocking public health measures.
LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS HOST: Any of these blue-state control freaks -- well, all of them -- they need to keep away from our children and away from our businesses.
STELTER: The president took his cues from these shows, and downplayed the dangers even mocking reporters who wore masks.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You're going to have to take that off, please.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll speak a lot louder.
STELTER: And if 2020 proved anything, it's that America is split into two parallel universes of information, one much more tethered to reality than the other. Trump's war on truth weakened America's response to the pandemic.
But testimonials and videos from inside hospitals were undeniable.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: My god, Miguel, what an incredible look inside that hospital. "Overwhelmed," they kept on saying, "We are overwhelmed."
STELTER: Now at times, reporters were unfairly targeted for covering this truth. Some were assaulted while covering racial justice protests, and one CNN crew was even arrested live on the air.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're under arrest.
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK. Do you mind telling me why I'm under arrest, sir? Why am I under arrest, sir?
CAMEROTA: You are watching our correspondent Omar Jimenez being arrested by state police in Minnesota. We're not sure why.
STELTER: National newsrooms recommitted to covering race and justice stories, and activists told their own stories. For example, showing locals cleaning up after nights of looting and vandalism, showing good outweighing the bad.
So many of us used technology to feel connected during an isolating year. Some, however, went down dark virtual rabbit holes, embracing conspiracy theories like QAnon, a virtual cult that cast the Democrats as evil child abusers and Satanic pedophiles.
DON LEMON, CNN HOST: The president refusing the denounce the fringe conspiracy group known as QAnon.
STELTER: Trump's rejection of reality, his denial about the pandemic and the election almost merged toward the end of the year, causing anchors and columnists to speak out more forcefully than ever before.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: History is not going to be kind to the people around the president who are enabling any of this. It is, frankly, immoral.
STELTER: Trump's challenger Joe Biden was content with letting Trump be the big story even when they faced off.
BIDEN: Will you shut up, man?
TRUMP: Who is it -- listen --
CHRIS WALLACE, DEBATE MODERATOR: Mr. President, can you let him finish, sir?
BIDEN: No, he doesn't know how to do that.
TRUMP: Forty-seven years, you've done nothing.
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm just going to say it like it is, that was a shitshow.
STELTER: Voters also watched dueling presidential town halls. And Biden surprised everyone by drawing more viewers than Trump.
As the one-term president's lies escalated, Twitter, for the first time ever, slapped some of his tweets with fact-checks.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: Twitter now prompting users to get the facts about mail-in ballots because what the president had tweeted wasn't true.
STELTER: But some experts said those labels were mild, not going nearly far enough.
Meantime, the scoops kept coming.
ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: Updating our breaking news tonight, a bombshell report in "The New York Times" is giving us a look at the tax returns of President Trump.
STELTER: Reporters revealed COVID infections in the White House.
[10:55:00]
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: So it's not clear if the White House would have even told us if reporters had not first reported it, as has been the case with every other person in the West Wing who has tested positive.
STELTER: The mainstream press held Trump accountable while a separate world of sycophants propped him up and lied about the election result. LOU DOBBS, FOX HOST: Many are trying to steal this election from
President Trump.
STELTER: Now, with the inauguration on the horizon and Trump possibly returning to some TV role, one question looms large: Can America really function as one country while living in two totally different universes of news?
Brian Stelter, CNN, New York.
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GOLODRYGA: Such an important question, so hard to believe that all took place in just one year. Our thanks to Brian for that.
And thank you so much for joining us today, I'm Bianna Golodryga. NEWSROOM with Brianna Keilar starts right after the break.
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