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Trump Impeachment Defense; Trump Disavowed The Violence In Capitol Siege; Remnants Of U.S. President's Inner Circle In Disarray; Biden Unveils $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Rescue Plan; Right-Wing Media, Politicians Furiously Defend Trump; New Coronavirus Variant In Brazil; France Extends Curfew Nationwide To Avoid Another Lockdown; Star Pitcher Koji Uehara Featured On Local Hero; Washington on High Alert; Joe Biden Optimistic to Implement His Plan; Vaccines Reaching Small Communities; Indonesia Shaken by 6.2 Magnitude Earthquake; Trump Leaving His Mark to Joe Biden. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired January 15, 2021 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): Ahead this hour, the U.S. Capitol under lockdown, not because of the coronavirus but fears of more attacks.
Meanwhile, President-elect Joe Biden has unveiled his plan to help the struggling American economy.
Plus, we're following breaking news out of Indonesia where rescue efforts are underway after a powerful deadly earthquake.
Welcome to all of you watching here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.
Joe Biden's inauguration as U.S. president in just five days, it will take place to the highly fortified U.S. Capitol. No expectations will be allowed on the National Mall, as is normally the case. More than 20,000-armed National Guard, along with other law enforcement agencies aim to prevent another potential assault on the capitol.
Barricades and roadblocks now cut off the buildings in all directions. The FBI says it has identified some 200,000 people who took part in the deadly insurrection at the capitol on January 6th. About 100 have been arrested so far.
Now, it's not just Washington that's on high alert, all 50 state capitols are bracing for possible arm protests next Wednesday, at least 20 states have called in the National Guard to beef up their security.
CNN's Brian Todd has more on these unprecedented security measures ahead of the inauguration.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Striking images of the
nation's capitol on high alert, and on edge. National Guardsmen in tight formations everywhere, automatic weapons at the ready. Armored personnel carriers rolling down the streets. High metal fences across streets and sidewalks, checkpoints at many corners, tightly restricted movements for millions of people.
Federal law enforcement agencies calling for reinforcement, warning that following the siege of the capitol, domestic extremists will carry out more attacks in the days ahead.
CHRISTOPHER WRAY, DIRECTOR, FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: We are seeing an extensive amount of concerning online chatter -- I guess the best way I would describe it -- about a number of events surrounding the inauguration. And together with our partners we evaluate those threats and what kind of resources to deploy against them. Right now, we're tracking calls for potential armed protests.
DARYL JOHNSON, FORMER SENIOR DOMESTIC TERRORISM ANALYST, DHS: We've seen these people become emboldened from these capitol attacks last week. I mean, these people believe they are patriots, and they are on the side of history, and that they're making history. That this was a positive accomplishment. And so, people are watching, other extremists are watching this occur, and they are taking cues from these people last week.
TODD: Over 20,000 National Guard troops are expected to be in Washington on the inauguration. More than three times the number of active duty U.S. troops now in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, combined.
UNKNOWN: Have you ever seen this much help coming in for a large event?
UNKNOWN: Not at this level, no.
TODD: The National Mall will be completely close to the public on inauguration day. The investigation, and man hunt is quickly expanding after the riot at the capitol.
WRAY: We and our partners have already arrested more than 100 individuals for (Inaudible) in last week's siege at the capitol and continue to pursue countless other related investigations.
TODD: A federal law enforcement officials tell CNN, evidence uncovered suggests a level of planning for the January 6th assault in the capitol which leads investigators to believe, it was not a spur of the moment push. This official says the FBI is looking at indications that some participants in the Trump rally at the ellipse before the capital siege left that event early possibly to retrieve items for the capitol assault.
JOHNSON: They must have had either human sources in the crowd or they could have been looking at surveillance footage that are, you know, out in the open, on street posts and other places. So, it does point to a level of sophistication and planning. TODD: Good part of that planning have involved gathering intelligence
inside the capitol before the siege? One Democratic congresswoman accused unnamed lawmakers of bringing some rioters into the capitol one day before the assault.
REP. MIKIE SHERRILL (D-NJ): Those members of Congress who had groups coming through the capitol that I saw on January 5th are reconnaissance for the next day. I want to see that they are held accountable, and if necessary, ensure that they don't serve in Congress.
TODD: CNN has not verified the allegation. Under arrest tonight, a retired Pennsylvania firefighter, accused of throwing a fire extinguisher, striking a police officer on his helmet.
Also in custody, a Delaware man, Kevin Seefried seen carrying a large confederate battle flag inside the capitol. And tracked down in Virginia, the man who was wearing a camp Auschwitz sweatshirt through the halls of the U.S. Capitol. Experts say, sophisticated techniques are being used to round up more suspects.
Canvassing social media, interviewing all of those individuals that were there, canvassing the CCTV.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD (on camera): And there are serious concerns about law enforcement officers from around the country who allegedly took part on the assault on the capitol. Two off-duty officers from a small Virginia town have been charged on multiple counts including violent entry. And an active officer from Houston could face federal charges for participating in the riot.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
BRUNHUBER: U.S. President-elect Joe Biden is outlining his COVID-19 relief plan which couldn't come soon enough. Thursday was the 10th day in a row where new daily cases in the U.S. are above 200,000. More than 3,000 lives were lost the same day, and it could get even worse.
A new CDC forecast projects than more than 90,000 Americans could die of COVID-19 in the next three weeks. But there is one bit of good news. Official data shows that more than 1.3 million Americans received two doses of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines and will be significantly less likely to get sick.
So, let's take a closer look at the president-elect's plan with CNN's Jeff Zeleny.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (on camera): President-elect Joe Biden offering the most detailed plan yet for how he plans to fight the coronavirus pandemic, and boost the U.S. economy, offering a $1.9 trillion-dollar plan on Thursday night here in Wilmington. Now of course, next week is his inaugural address in Washington, but the address he gave certainly offers the nuts and bolts outline of his agenda. And it is, indeed, a sweeping and ambitious plan. He calls it an
achievable one, he said it's a moral obligation to act in all of these respects. First and foremost, it is to help contain the coronavirus pandemic that is just crushing the U.S. economy, and of course, rising death tolls day by day.
Now he is going to offer a vaccination distribution plan that is entirely different than the one the Trump administration has been using for the last several months. He called that planted a dismal failure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: This is one of most challenging operational efforts we have ever undertaken as a nation. We'll have to move heaven and earth to get more people vaccinated, and to create more places for them to get vaccinated. To mobilize more medical teams, to get shots in people's arms, to increase vaccine supply, and to get it out the door as fast as possible.
ZELENY: And he is also calling on Congress, members of both parties to come together to pass an economic relief bill as well. A $15 minimum wage plan, which of course Republicans have been opposed to. So, there's certainly sets the framework for his presidency. One thing he did not mention? Impeachment.
That, of course is something he'll be inheriting as well. It will be happening at the very time he is trying to push this agenda through the Congress. It's an open question on how he can do both.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Wilmington, Delaware.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER (on camera): All right for more analysis on this let's bring in CNN's John Defterios who joins us live from Dubai. John, a massive price tag, even bigger than the 2009 stimulus. Biden said it does not come cheaply. But failure to do so will cost us dearly.
So, let's look at where we are economically. Things seem to be backsliding if anything. New unemployment claims increase 25 percent from the previous week. So how dire is the situation expected to get in the coming weeks and months, and how long will it take these measures -- assuming they pass -- to jolt the economy back to life?
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN BUSINESS EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Yes, it is a tricky road to recovery, Kim, to your point here. And the jobless claims nearly at a million, the highest since August. So, this is alarming. But you can see the Biden strategy here provide the relief now, stimulate now, before you can get the volume of the vaccines up. So that seems to be pretty wide.
We're looking now since March of 2020 direct stimulus from the government of $5 trillion so the debt is going up at a rapid pace. But you can hear it in the sense of urgency with Joe Biden in Delaware and he set a very high bar -- 100 million vaccines in the first hundred days, he says, it's necessary. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: It's not hard to see that we are in the middle of the once in several generation's economic crisis with a once in several generation's public health crisis. A crisis of deep human suffering is in plain sight and there's no time to waste. We have to act and we have to act now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[03:10:02]
DEFTERIOS (on camera): Joe Biden in Delaware, as we were saying, a very progressive package far center from the left here package, which would please that arm of the party. Fifteen billion dollars to help the hardest hit one million small businesses. I don't think anybody could argue with that, Kim. Thirty-five billion dollars in state and local support in terms of loans.
Also, to Native Americans and nonprofits to support small business. Again, that's pretty center-left in terms of policies. And this one stood out for me -- emergency paid leave for 100 million Americans, the workforce is only 160 million, they're trying to stop the spread of the virus and that is a very aggressive policy in which to do so.
BRUNHUBER: All right, so if the left is applauding, as you say, then what's been the reaction from the business community in the markets?
DEFTERIOS: Yes. I like the way you bring it up here. Because it was quickly endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. They say it's timely and targeted and provides relief to business and families.
Let's take a look at the market reaction. U.S. futures has been trading in a very tight range but that's not alarming, Kim, because we saw a three percent rally since the runoff elections in Georgia. I think what investors are praying for right now is no shock from that transition that's taking place on the 20th, and that reporting by Brian Todd here about the security in place.
BRUNHUBER (on camera): Yes. We all can get behind that for sure. Thank you so much, John Defteriois in Dubai. Always appreciate it.
Well, when Joe Biden becomes the president next week, he will inherit from his predecessor a long list of foreign policy problems.
Our Nic Robertson explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice over): As President Donald Trump's loyalists stormed Congress, America's global standing sagged, and President-elect Joe Biden's job to unify at home and rally overseas allies got harder.
BIDEN: Let me be very clear. The scenes of chaos at the capitol do not reflect a true America.
ROBERTSON: In the days since, Trump has worsened Biden's overseas woes from the Caribbean to the Mideast to the far east, Trump is miring Biden in foreign policy problems. January 9th, lifting self- imposed restrictions regarding Taiwan. January 10th, saying it will designate Yemen's Houthis a terrorist organization. January 11th, designating Cuba a state sponsor of terror, and January 12th, adding yet another complicating twist to years of escalating tensions with Iran with this claim.
MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Al Qaeda has a new home base. It is the Islamic republic of Iran.
ROBERTSON: With days left in office, Trump's administration appears to be further limiting Biden's diplomatic options. The president-elect hoped for international backing to bring Tehran back into compliance with the Obama era multinational nuclear deal that Trump unilaterally exited.
BIDEN: The only way out of this crisis is through diplomacy. Clear eyed, hard-nosed diplomacy.
ROBERTSON: Tehran's position now as Trump heads for the exit, Biden is isolated.
HASSAN ROUHANI, PRESIDENT OF IRAN (through translator): It's going to take so many years for world countries to trust the U.S. and that was a major loss.
ROBERTSON: Tensions with China have also been kept bubbling by Trump. Last Saturday, lifting restrictions limiting diplomats and other officials travel to Taiwan a red line for China.
ZHAO LIJIAN, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON (through translator): Any action that harms China's core interests will receive a resolute counter strike from China and will succeed.
ROBERTSON: In Yemen, the following day, Trump's plan to designate the Iranian-backed Houthi's who control much of the country as a terrorist organization, condemned by aid agencies for limiting aid and stunting Biden's already limited ability to help end the war.
Next day in Cuba, more of Biden's diplomatic reach curbed, Trump designating Cuba a state sponsor of terror. Normalization could cost Biden political capital. On the border with Mexico a day later, Trump taunt to Biden. My legacy will live on.
TRUMP: The 25th amendment is of zero risk to me, but will back to haunt Joe Biden and the Biden administration. Be careful what you wish for.
ROBERTSON: Biden's challenge at home and overseas, repair Trump's damage. An unlikely outgoing president, Biden has the diplomatic experience to at least put some of the pieces back together.
[03:15:03] Nic Robertson, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER (on camera): Survivors are trapped in the rubble after a deadly earthquake in Indonesia. Now the race is on to find and free them as the death toll rises. We'll have a live report after the break.
Plus, the U.S. has come under fire for how slowly vaccines have been getting to those who need the most. After the break, we'll show you what states are up against. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Rescue efforts are underway in Indonesia after a powerful and deadly earthquake. The magnitude 6.2 quake has left hundreds injured and the damage many buildings. Officials say at least eight people are confirmed dead. The power is out in many areas, and now authorities are worried about dangerous aftershocks.
Will Ripley is tracking this live from Hong Kong. Will, what's the latest?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kim, just moments ago, we got a sad update to that number of fatalities in these two large earthquakes, really, because there was a 5.9 on Thursday, and in the early morning hours of Friday a 6.2. when a lot of people were asleep in their homes, many people trapped. And now, the number of dead has jumped to at least 34 from the official toll of eight just one hour ago.
So, unfortunately, all indications are that as more pictures come in from this devastated scene that that number could continue to rise. There are hundreds of people who are injured, tens of thousands likely who are displaced.
This is a very shallow earthquake that hit near two cities that populations of right around 200,000 people. So, you're potentially talking about tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people who are unable to be in their homes, either because they are damaged or destroyed or simply out of fear. Because there have been more than two dozen aftershocks, and these are not buildings that are built up to earthquake code, like in other earthquake prone countries.
In Indonesia, despite sitting on the Ring of Fire and having, you know, in many cases, one small earthquake, I mean, under 5.0 magnitude earthquake every day somewhere in that country, an extraordinary number of the buildings are just not equipped to handle it when the ground shakes.
If there is one piece of good news here despite all the damage, despite the widespread power outages, cell service out, rescuers having a hard team -- time even reaching some of these devastated areas, hospitals damaged, the one bright spot here is that there has not been a tsunami triggered by this, unlike some of the other earthquakes that have hit that island of Sulawesi including the one in 2018, Kim, where a tsunami hit and hundreds of people were killed.
BRUNHUBER: But still, the ramifications of this will last for a long time. We'll keep covering the story. Thanks so much, Will Ripley. I appreciate it.
[03:19:55]
Now we're only two weeks into the New Year and already more than 42,000 Americans have died from COVID-19. Nearly 4,000 lives were reported lost on Thursday alone. And while tens of millions of vaccine doses have been distributed and more on the way, the challenge for many states is actually getting those shots into arms.
CNN's Nick Watt has more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The home of the Houston Texans opens well, a parking lot, it's a mass vaccination site. Roughly 13,000 slots through Sunday, every one already filled. Meanwhile, some rural hospitals in Texas say they still haven't yet received a single dose of vaccine. In New Jersey, even the elderly face a long wait, up to eight weeks.
GOV. PHIL MURPHY (D-NJ): The biggest reason is we don't have the supplies from the feds that we need, or that they had indicated we'd have.
WATT: Mississippi, only CDV and Walgreens are allowed to give the shots, in long term care facilities Walgreens just doesn't have the manpower.
ROY ARMSTRONG, REGIONAL HEALTHCARE DIRECTOR, WALGREENS: We had staffing challenges in Mississippi before COVID vaccine was ever available.
WATT: Those vaccines currently available require a double dose. Johnson and Johnson single dose offering appears safe and effective in early trials. They could apply for emergency authorization around the end of the month.
UNKNOWN: Having a single dose vaccine will be a game-changer.
WATT: Meantime, here's the reality. By New Year, we were told 20 million shots in arms, two weeks later, still just over half that. And since New Year more than three million new confirmed COVID cases across the country were averaging well over 3,000 deaths a day.
JONATHAN REINER, PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: Until we see hospitalizations drop, and until we start to see a sustained drop in daily cases, we are going to see this terrible toll.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WATT (on camera): Here in California, there have never been fewer ICU beds available. About 1,000 in a state of about 40 million. Here in Los Angeles, county officials say that they believe one in three Angelina's have already been infected. Ironically, that might now help slow the spread because so many people have already had it.
Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
BRUNHUBER: For more on that now let's turn to Dr. Scott Miscovich, a family physician and national consultant for COVID-19 testing in the United States. Doctor, thank you so much for being here with us.
Last night, President-elect Joe Biden call the vaccine distribution rollout so far, a dismal failure. Do you agree? And if so, what's gone wrong?
SCOTT MISCOVICH, NATIONAL CONSULTANT FOR COVID-19 TESTING: I think I would agree, and I think we've talked about this before about there was no real plan from the federal government and I think that just giving the states money and vaccines without any real direction. Three hundred thirty million Americans are going to have to get vaccine.
States are not prepared for this. Small, local, and federal governments, our local governments were not prepared. There needed to be more direction. So, I agree, and there are some shining lights, some states have done really well. And other states are just very far behind.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Well, let's talk about one of those states. West Virginia leads the nation in terms of first doses administered per capita, at more than twice the national rate. And the reason why I bring up West Virginia is because the governor told CNN it's because they basically chose not to go with the federal vaccine distribution model.
So, is that a reflection of the shortcomings of that model that you've just mentioned there? Or proof of how important local solutions are for operations like this?
MISCOVICH: I think that is a good point, Kim. Because if you also highlight the second and third states, South Dakota, North Dakota, who -- who on earth would have said those would be the three states that would have been the most successful with the challenges they have?
But what did they do? They knew that they knew their states better than the federal government. And so, they used local resources to plan and went into the small communities. They all chose to opt out of the large pharmacy networks that did not get the contract in those states to provide the vaccines to the long-term care homes. They took it into the communities, into the providers, into the small pharmacies, and that's one of the main reasons they were successful.
Another is, they started planning way in advance in North Dakota, they planned well in advance. And they trained people well in advance to be prepared to give the vaccines.
BRUNHUBER: So, is all of that informing what you're doing now? Now normally when I'm speaking to you, you're in Hawaii, but right now you're in Arizona helping support the vaccination efforts in the southern part of the state for some, what, 1.2 million people.
[03:24:56]
You know, Arizona's new case and death rate are ranked highest in the country, so you are in a race against time there. What are you planning to do differently there and what are your biggest challenges?
MISCOVICH: Well, we're working very cooperatively with the health departments here, and we really appreciate their energy which is looking at, I think very similar things we are talking about with the successful model of the West Virginia and the Dakotas.
And going to those rural communities working with the local partnerships within the communities, you have to be part of that community. You don't just bring a massive foreseen of strangers. You have to integrate into those communities and find a way to reach those communities.
Because like seniors, you might reach very close to the Mexican border in a small town maybe be very different than once you might reach on a small affluent subdivision. So, it has to be customized, and that's what we're doing working with the leadership here on that.
BRUNHUBER: All right. So, President-elect Biden's COVID relief plan is to get 100 million vaccinations in the first 100 days, it includes some 400 billion for provisions to fight the coronavirus with more vaccines, and testing, more money for state and local governments. How big of a difference will all of this make, do you think?
MISCOVICH: Gosh, for those of us who are out there in the frontlines, and for all of these brave people I have work across the country with my group, it is such a relief to see a plan that really, understands what we are fighting. And so, I think most of us feel almost any one of the boxes that we wanted to have checked beforehand that we needed, it was checked.
Look at what you and I have talked about on the show before, his announcement of the national vaccine program where he is going to have 100,000 new hires. He's going to activate some guard, he's going to have more national health service corps, we need that.
And the money is going to be balanced between the vaccinations, yet not giving up on the testing. And the country needs to understand that. Testing still is going to be key, there is still another six to eight months before we have enough vaccine present, and so don't let your guard down.
BRUNHUBER: Listen, best of luck with all of your work out there. So, stay safe. Dr. Scott Miscovich, thanks for coming on. We appreciate it.
MISCOVICH: Thank you, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Donald Trump's one term presidency is ending in unprecedented disarray. Many staffers in the White House have already cleared out and the president heads into retirement with the second Senate trial hanging over him.
Coming up, with a closer look at what lies ahead.
And right-wing media in the U.S. are furious over continued election fraud claims, and the supposed betrayal of Republican lawmakers who voted to impeach the president. We'll go to Washington for the details. Stay with us.
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[03:30:00]
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): And welcome back. I'm Kim Brunhuber, live from Atlanta.
You are seeing the pictures there. Here in the United States, Donald Trump is spending his final days in office, reflecting about election all loss, and in the impending trial in the U.S. Senate, following his historic second impeachment.
CNN's Jim Acosta has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Now facing a second impeachment trial, this time for his incitement of the violence in the Capitol, the president's attorneys are planning to warn that any effort to punish Trump for his speech on January 6th would violate his first amendment rights.
A source familiar with Trump's impeachment defense said the soon to be ex-president's legal team is expected to argue the remarks fall under the category of protected speech. Trump's attorneys may question the legality of the Senate impeachment trial that takes place after he leaves office. A tough case to make after the presidents rally spark an insurrection.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We fight like hell, and if you don't fight like hell, you will not going to have a country anymore.
ACOSTA: Aides of the president urged Trump to release a video condemning violence, telling him he would be responsible for further bloodshed.
TRUMP: Mob violence goes against everything I believe in, and everything our movement stands for. No true supporter of mine could ever endorsed political violence.
ACOSTA: A source close to the White House told CNN that the video quote, should have been done a week ago. Trump's former acting homeland security secretary says the president bear some responsibility for what happened.
CHAD WOLF, FORMER ACTING U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: I think, as we look back at the events of last week, I think certainly, the president's words matter, and I think I've said that publicly on several occasions now.
ACOSTA: Trump defenders, like Senator Lindsey Graham, complaints it's the bipartisan push for a second impeachment that will cause more violence, not the president.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): These actions, if they continue will incite more violence. Every time U.S. President Trump to calm his people down to reject violence, to move on, he has done it.
ACOSTA: While White House trade adviser Peter Navarro is still clinging to Trump's election lies.
PETER NAVARRO, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF TRADE AND MANUFACTURING TARIFFS: What happened yesterday was a travesty. The Democratic Party did violence to this country by attacking a president who, I believe, was legally elected on November 3rd.
ACOSTA: What's left of the Trump inner circle is in disarray. As CNN has confirmed, the president has talked about stiffing his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani on his legal fees. That is after Giuliani stoked unrest too.
RUDY GIULIANI, ATTORNEY FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP: So, let's have trial by combat.
ACOSTA: Some Trump advisers have had enough, with one ally telling CNN, he will be the cautionary tale parents tell their kids. Don't end up like Trump because of your lies.
But there are growing demands for accountability, for GOP members of Congress who also called for violence.
REP. MO BROOKS (R-AL): Today is the day American patriot start taking their own names and kicking ass.
REP. MADISON CAWTHORN (R-NC): Call your Congressman, and feel free. You can lightly threaten them. And say, you know what, if you don't start supporting election integrity, I'm coming after you.
ACOSTA: One former administration cybersecurity official says, there should be consequences.
CHRISTOPHER KREBS, FORMER DIRECTOR U.S. CYBERSECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY: You don't get a mulligan on insurrection. You don't get a one-time pass. We have to be forceful, and clearly communicate to the world, that this is unacceptable and there will be consequences.
ACOSTA: In these final days, signs Trump officials are heading for the exits, from the moving trucks, to staffers for moving items from the West Wing. For the Biden inauguration bunting in full view of the White House.
ACOSTA (on camera): CNN has obtained a memo from the Director of the Secret Service, James Murray to the agencies, thousands of employees that notes that they may be exposed to an extensive amount of hyper partisan content heading into the Joe Biden inaugurations. But the memo stresses, that agency personnel must push that to the side, adding quote, when carrying out your duties and representing the agency, we are expected to behave in a nonpartisan manner.
Jim Acosta, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER (on camera): Joining me now in Washington D.C., CNN senior political analyst, Ryan Lizza. Ryan, before we turn to impeachment, let's start with the latest. Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID relief package. So, any obstacles to passing it was such a narrow Democratic majority in Congress? And you know, a Biden campaign is a bipartisan deal maker, do you think he will get any Republican support on this? Or is the price tag to high?
RYAN LIZZA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, ESQUIRE MAGAZINE (on camera): I do think he will get some Republican support in the Senate. You know, as most of your viewers probably know, the House is a majority institution and the Democrats hold the majority in the House, and they have a very slim majority, but it's a good chance to all pass in the House not without some drama, I'm sure.
[03:35:13]
The United States Senate is different because of the filibuster. You need 60 votes in the Senate to pass anything significance, even though the Democrats control the chamber with a majority. Very often, when a Democratic president takes over, Republicans start to talk a lot about spending, and deficit, and you will see a lot of Republicans, certainly, switch to a small government mentality, and start to talk about the price tag of Biden items.
And that's -- we are already starting to see that. And so they are playing Republicans who have taken much more left leaning positions on COVID relief and stimulus in the last year. And they will have to, you know, reconcile those positions with any kind of new austerity positions, and that is a very long way of saying there is going to be quite a bit of drama before this gets across the finish line. But, it is not impossible to see 60 votes in the Senate for that package.
BRUNHUBER: All right. So, the segue to impeachment. How will the Senate deal with this and other important items on Biden's agenda? Chief among them, the cabinet confirmations. If they are bogged down with impeachment, we heard Senator on CNN, Senator Klobuchar, optimistically propose the Senate could handle confirmation hearings in the morning, run the trial in the afternoons, and pass legislation in the evening. So, what do you expect, in terms of the impeachment timing, and its effect on Biden's agenda?
LIZZA: It's a great question. And as you know, Biden was not -- he was not enthusiastic about impeachment. He was not out there, publicly talking about it's and pushing for it. He was not signaling great enthusiasm for it. And for exactly this reason, he does want a fresh start. Of course, he wants the Trump era to be behind him, but Trump has inserted himself into the first few weeks, or you know, at least the first week of the Biden administration by his actions leading up to January 6th, and on January 6th.
And whether it is fair, or not, the impeachment and the trial will push a lot of Republicans into the position of, well, we are not going to cooperate with this new president because the Democrats are still fighting the last war. You know, they are putting the last president on trial, they are the ones that are slowing down the nomination process, that are gumming up the works of the Biden's first 100 day agenda. And it is the Democrats fault.
Again, I'll tell you what the Republican argument would be here, that he can't get his cabinet in place, and get his agenda off the ground. To your point, to what Senator Klobuchar says, certainly, that can be done. They can dual track these things, but the constitution is pretty clear about once a Senate trial for impeachment starts, it has to go to the finish line.
So, it will take up an enormous amount of oxygen in the United States Senate. I learned that it doesn't necessarily have to be all that long. The facts of this impeachment are pretty well-known. I think the president's defense is pretty clear. And so, I don't think we are necessarily looking at a -- you know, this isn't going to be like a multi week trial or at least it doesn't have to be.
BRUNHUBER: OK. But before we let you go, I have to ask you the million dollar question, and how many Republican Senators do you expect will actually vote in favor of conviction this time.
LIZZA: You know, in the House, I think a lot of the numbers were exaggerated, the estimates were 10 to 20, and of course it ended up being 10.
BRUNHUBER: Right.
LIZZA: The Senate is different, you have Mitch McConnell, who is still widely respected among Republicans. Signaling, at least privately, we haven't had seen public comments from him yet, but there have been leaks from his office, suggesting that he is more enthusiastic about impeachment, or he have some sympathy for it.
There are a lot of Republicans who want to make Trump not an influence in their lives anymore. And one way to do that is to ensure that he can't run for reelection. And so some of them will be tempted to make that happen. Whether you get to 66 votes to convict in the Senate, boy, that's tough to see given the Republicans relationship with Trump over the last few years. But, I would expect, we would see at least, you know, in the range, of a half dozen Republicans joining all Democrats, if this makes it, you know, (inaudible) or full Senate trial to a vote -- vote on the convictions.
[03:40:35]
BRUNHUBER: All right. We will see, we will have to leave it there, thank you so much, we appreciate, Ryan Lizza, as always.
LIZZA: Thank you, have a good night.
BRUNHUBER (on camera): Yes. Take care.
Right-wing politicians and media outlets are crying foul, not only against Democrats, but even against former allies, especially those Republican lawmakers who voted to impeach President Trump.
CNN's Tom Foreman reports, the falsehoods are overwhelming calls for moderation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNKNOWN: For the second time, there has been an unconstitutional impeachment of innocent man.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The violent attack on the Capitol last week, spurge some calls for peace between the political parties inside. But outside, the right-wing is stepping up the war. Commiserating with Trump supporters, convince the election was rigged, railing at Democrats who point out the vote was fair and furiously defending President Trump.
UNKNOWN: He did nothing wrong. He did nothing wrong.
UNKNOWN: Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Damer, were given more basic due process rights than President Trump today.
FOREMAN: Many claims are peppered with falsehoods.
REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): President Trump, rightly pointed out, the improper activities of the Biden crime family and subsequently he's been proven right.
FOREMAN: And one representative took the fury absurdly further, claiming the incoming president is to blame for the uproar.
UNKNOWN: So, on January 21st, I will be filing articles of impeachment on Joe Biden. The American people need help, they need to know that there are Republicans in Congress that are willing to stand up and fight for them.
FOREMAN: Still, much of the fire has been aimed at the 10 Republicans who voted with Democrats to impeach Trump. Some are calling for Wyoming's Liz Cheney to be stripped of her leadership role in the party, others want her canceled all together.
SEAN HANNITY, FOX HOST: Liz Cheney, I have a message for those 10 Republicans, good luck in your new Democratic Party.
FOREMAN: To be sure in the recently besieged Capitol, some Republicans met the impeachment charge with cries for a political cease-fire.
UNKNOWN: Instead, we must unite. It is time to focus on unity.
UNKNOWN: Dividing America will not save this republic.
FOREMAN: But all three of those lawmakers, indeed, a majority of Republicans in the House, still voted to reject the results of the election and others keep blasting away.
REP. LAUREN BOEBERT (R-CO): When I hear the Democrats demanding unity, sadly, they are only unified in hate.
FOREMAN (on camera): This isn't just a national movement, in swing states across the country, Republicans are pushing for new restrictions on voters to address the nonexistence fraud. They say so many Trump supporters are worried about. And they say, to restore faith in democracy, faith they keep steadily undermining.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER (on camera): Coming up, the U.K. strain, the South African strain, and now one from Brazil. Another mutation of the coronavirus is causing concern, and forcing travel bans.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:45:00]
BRUNHUBER (on camera): The coronavirus pandemic is tearing through much of the world, including places that were once relatively successful in containing it. One of those places is Germany, where health officials say, confirmed cases have now top 2 million. Authorities reported more than 1,200 deaths Thursday, a new records. A top German health official says, intensive care units are at 85 percent capacity across more than half the country.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the number of reported cases around the world is more than 93 million. The global death toll could pass 2 million as early as today. Experts say, recent surges in COVID cases are largely driven by new, more infectious variants of the virus. Another, one has appeared in Brazil.
Journalist, Stefano Pozzebon, reports from the Bogota, the capital of neighboring Columbia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST (on camera): Yes, coronavirus continues to batter South America, of particular concern is the situation in Brazil. This American giant is yet to commence its vaccination campaign. And now, the United Kingdom is banning all flights from all across the region, due to a new variant that has spurs being reported in Brazil.
One of the most concerning hotspots of this new wave of the virus in Brazil is exactly where this variant has first been reported. It's the city of Manaus, the capital of the Amazonas state in the heart of the Amazon forest.
Now, Manaus had already made international headlines last year when mass graves had to be dug to accommodate the sheer amount of victims of the pandemic. Now, health authorities are saying that the situation right now is worse than it has ever been. And the health system is on the border of collapse.
They have demanded authorization to start enlisting patients out of the intensive care units of the overflown hospitals in Amazonas state and bring them to other cities in Brazil, just as a measure. The consumption of oxygen in Amazonas state has increased fivefold in the last 15 days, according to the local government, the situation of increasing concern and particular worry.
For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER (on camera): Stefano mentioned that the U.K. is banning travel from South America due to the new Brazilian strain. England itself is in its third national lockdown. And it is fighting a variant which appears to have originated there. Now, the country is pinning its hopes on a quick rollout of vaccines.
Our Salma Abdelaziz, joining us now from London. Salma, several countries as you know impose travel bans on the U.K. because of its coronavirus variant. And, now, it is banning travel from some other countries, because of the different variant. Tell us, what is the latest?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER (on camera): It is kind of strange to see this all sort of turnaround here on the U.K. now. Of course, several South American country is now facing bans on their travelers, anyone who traveled through those countries in the last 10 days cannot enter the U.K. Starting today, also a ban of course on travel from Portugal, because the transport secretary says that there are strong links there, strong travel links between Portugal and Brazil.
Essentially the authorities here trying to avoid the possibility of a new variant that some have raised the possibility that it could be more immune to the new vaccine. Of course, it is still very early days for us to understand how this new variant will transpire. But here in the U.K., there is already been a more infectious variant. One that has caused a huge spike in cases. A surge in infection rates, record- breaking death tolls across this country.
So quite simply, the authorities here can't afford anything else to come into this country that adds another variable to the crisis. The health crisis here is absolutely at its worst point during this pandemic. Hospitals are overwhelmed like no point before. And the only solution here, Kim, really that the authorities are offering is the vaccination program.
They are throwing everything into this vaccination program, essentially, the Prime Minister saying, that he's willing to vaccinate people 24/7, if supply allows.
[03:50:2]
That's how quickly they want to vaccinate this country's most vulnerable people. 15 million people, including frontline health care workers, those over 70, care home staff and their residents, and everyone extremely clinically vulnerable by mid-February. Then, and only then, can health care workers begin to see some sort of relief here, Kim?
BRUNHUBER: Absolutely. All right, thank you so much, Salma Abdelaziz in London.
Well now to France, were soon the entire country will be under an extended overnight curfew. CNN's Melissa Bell has more on that. From Paris, most of the French government is patting its citizens on the back for not creating huge flare-ups tied to Christmas, or New Year's, but they are not taking any chances for quite severe restrictions there.
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): That's right. Simply because the numbers had, once again, yet again, Kim, been worst. When you look at the number of new cases announced daily, in early December, we were around 10,000 on average per day. Work backup closer now, or beyond, as we have been for the last couple of days, 20,000.
So, that is what's worrying them with particular fears about what that variant first identified in the United Kingdom. That Salma was talking about a minute ago, might mean here in France. For the time being, they say it is only about 1 percent of the positive PCR test that represent that new variant, but great concerns because of just how contagious it is.
So, in announcing this new curfew, it was 8:00 p.m. until now, Kim. Except in those areas that were particularly hard hit, they will brought back to 6:00 p.m. It is now nationwide, a 6:00 p.m. curfew, everyone has to be home after that. But the Prime Minister, also would not rule out a third lockdown. He said that if things continue to deteriorate, one would be necessary.
Similarly in Germany, you mentioned a moment ago, those German headlines and it is something we are seeing around Europe, worst in figures, ICUs filling up once again, with particular fears over that new variant. You look at those death rates in Germany over the course of the last few days. That tragic records set on Thursday, 1,244 COVID-19 related deaths in a single 24-hour period.
Again, this morning, German authorities announcing a death figure above 1,000. So, that is extremely worrying and there are fears now in Germany that the current lockdown that is in place, already, that has already been tightened. May now have to be extended beyond January 31st, because of that problem of ICUs now filling up, as you mentioned a moment ago, Kim, just too quickly.
So, many European countries now looking at worse in figures, tightened restrictions, Portugal is also introducing another lockdown from today, and it is two things. And once, the holiday period, that is beginning to show its effects in some of the figure, and some of those European countries, and of course, there are fears about the new variant and just how fast it is now getting to be spreading here on the continent. Kim?
BRUNHUBER: There, you point a very troubling picture. Melissa Bell, in Paris, I appreciate it.
Well, for live updates on the pandemic, and the global response, go to our website at CNN.com. We will be right back, please do stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRUNHUBER (on camera): All this week, we've been featuring stories of sporting excellence from Japan, as Tokyo prepares to host this Summer's Olympic Games. Now Baseball is called Americas past time, but it is also beloved in Japan.
In today's installment of our local hero series, CNN's Cory Wire takes -- talks to a veteran Japanese ballplayer, who has won success on both sides of the Pacific?
[03:55:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR (voice over): He's played for Japan's oldest team, the Yomiuri Giants before transferring to Major League Baseball, and (inaudible) with the Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, and signing again with the Giants. Now retired, 45-year-old Koji Uehara reflects on his story baseball career at the MLB Cafe, near the Tokyo Dome, his former home field.
KOJI UEHARA, RETIRE BASEBALL PLAYER (through translator): I have had great moments, thanks to baseball. I've also had bad moments, but baseball made it possible for me to become who I am now. I am really grateful to baseball. For example, I was so proud to become a World Series Champion in Boston in 2013. Because I pitched, right at the end. This is a moment I will treasure for life.
WIRE: Uehara says that other Japanese baseball players like (inaudible) and (inaudible) paved the way for his transfer to the major leagues.
UEHARA: To be honest, I didn't think I was capable of playing in the major league. But I want to experience American baseball. I didn't want to damage the image of Japanese players, as there will be others who will want to go to the states and succeed in the future.
WIRE: His sport will be featured in the Tokyo Olympics for the first time since 2008. With no guarantee that the sport will return in future games, Uehara says he is hopeful the team Japan will have a home field advantage.
UEHARA: As the Olympics has comes into Tokyo, everybody in Japan should be excited. I want the team to feel how exceptional it is to carry the national flag when they play baseball.
WIRE: Coy Wire, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER (on camera): And for more on this, and other stories like it, watch Local Hero, right here on CNN. The show airs Saturday at 12:30 in the afternoon in New York. And 5:30 p.m. in London. (Inaudible) this hour of CNN Newsroom, I'm Kim Brunhuber, but I will be back in just a moment with more news. Please do stay with us.
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