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Capitol Police Received No Advance Planning; Atlanta Voters Reflect on Election; U.S. Future as World Leader Uncertain. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired January 19, 2021 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Then -- and (ph) the Senate floor, of course, would be 50-50, the Senate would be broke down between each party; Kamala Harris would break the tie on any tie- breaking vote. So that's how they're trying to structure that.

But there are also huge slew of issues that the two leaders have to sort out: How quickly will they move on all those nominations that we were just discussing. As the Biden team has pushed forward its nominations, when will the Senate actually vote. These two men have to reach a deal on scheduling those votes, get their own respective caucuses to back the schedule.

Also, when will the impeachment trial begin? That's a big question as well, when will Nancy Pelosi send that article of impeachment over to the Senate, and how will that trial take place, how many hours, how many weeks will that last. Questions that they don't have the answer to, but logistics the two men still need to work out.

And also questions too, of course, is will any Republicans break ranks, vote to convict Donald Trump? How many will there be? Those 17 senators, I just asked Mitt Romney, the lone Republican senator who voted to convict in the last impeachment trial of Donald Trump's, would not say this time if he's leaning this way. He said he would listen to the evidence once it's presented -- guys.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Manu, thank you for that reporting on the Hill.

Up next, feeling betrayed: Capitol Police officers, obviously rattled after the insurrection, and they're not just blaming the rioters. Why some say their own bosses let them down.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:36:09]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: This morning, already more than 90 known defendants are now facing federal charges in connection with the U.S. Capitol riot and their involvement in it. That number, expected to grow. HARLOW: It comes as the FBI announced it has received nearly 200,000

digital tips since the deadly insurrection. Our Jessica Schneider joins us now with the latest on these arrests connected to the Capitol.

Good morning, Jess.

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Poppy and Jim. Federal agents, they've really been working fast -- at record speed -- to charge and apprehend what have been dozens of suspects, really racking up arrests, it seems, by the hour. And a few have been particularly notable.

First, a Pennsylvania woman actually surrendered to law enforcement last night after allegations that she stole a laptop from Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, and even information from her former boyfriend, who was telling the FBI that she intended to sell that laptop to Russia's foreign intelligence service.

Now, this is all an ongoing investigation, it still is not clear if she actually did steal a laptop, or maybe even if her former boyfriend -- informant to the FBI -- was exaggerating some of the details. So that was one, that was Riley Williams.

And there's another notable charge this morning, it's against a retired New York City firefighter. His name is Thomas Fee, he allegedly entered the Capitol on January 6th. But this is where it gets interesting, Fee was actually found out because a witness reported to the Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York that their spouse saw Fee's girlfriend post on Facebook that Fee was at the rally.

And that witness went a step further, he texted that New York City firefighter, and then the firefighter allegedly sent a selfie he took from inside the Capitol Rotunda.

So, Jim and Poppy, you know, this is a common thread we're seeing here. These suspects facing these serious charges, they're often flaunting their involvement on social media and being very open about it, and then getting caught.

SCIUTTO: Yes, getting caught on the basis -- right? -- of those pictures. It's amazing, I was thinking as we saw those folks march up into the Capitol, they were marching under the dais where the inauguration will take place, that white sheeting here just show the severity of the threat.

So tell us more about how U.S. Capitol Police officers are responding to all this, how they say -- they say they feel betrayed by their leaders? Tell us why.

SCHNEIDER: Yes, a lot of criticism because they say there was no planning, no pre-planning, just no direction on how to handle what they knew was going to be thousands of people who descended on the Capitol. They also say that, you know, there was no all-hands planning session

that usually goes before these major events. And when they did finally get this reinforcement from Metropolitan Police here in D.C., some of them say they had to shout out, hey, we're officers too. So that, no doubt jarring.

Now, some of these officers, they told our team some quite jarring quotes. Here's one. They said, "There was not enough people to stop what was coming. What hurt us was, these people, they had planned for it. They knew we weren't going to shoot."

One black officer we talked to also talked about the racial slurs. And he said that "There was a lot of racism that day. I was called racial slurs, and in the moment I didn't process this as traumatic. I was just trying to survive."

So those tales are harrowing, guys. And we've seen some of this video of Capitol Police officers acting valiantly. We saw that one officer, Eugene Goodman, he led that violent mob away from the Senate chamber.

So they're starting to speak out. This was all under the guise of anonymity because they're concerned about their jobs, but they do say that they feel betrayed, they feel like there was a lack of leadership. And overall, they just were not prepared and there was no management telling them to be prepared -- guys.

SCIUTTO: I'm curious how the rioters knew they weren't going to shoot. I mean, that gets to tactics. Remarkable, we're learning more every day. Jessica Schneider, thanks very much.

[10:40:00]

Hope and excitement about black voters in Georgia, after they helped put Democrats in control of the White House and the Senate. Find out how they view the incoming administration.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Black voters in Georgia turned out in record numbers this election season, putting not only Joe Biden in the White House but electing two Democrats to the Senate in that state.

SCIUTTO: Now, after a chaotic and divisive four years under President Trump, they are hoping to see a big change under the incoming Biden administration. CNN national correspondent Ryan Young has more.

[10:45:09]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My hope is that we can all come together as a nation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not about a Republican, it's not about a Democrat, it's about uniting everybody together as one.

DARIAN "BIG TIGGER" MORGAN, HOST, THE MORNING CULTURE WITH BIG TIGGER: ATL's number-one (INAUDIBLE) R&B (ph), it's "The Morning Culture."

RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the radio and in the streets across metro Atlanta, black voters turned out in record numbers during the runoff. The state of Georgia sent a resounding message about its political foothold and importance.

ISAAC HAYES III, MUSIC PRODUCER: Atlanta is the cultural epicenter of black America, so we have to be leaders in that ,continue to do our job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's happening?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, man, I want to be excited.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The vibe in Atlanta after the election was amazing.

MORGAN: Now maybe we can get on a better path. We know it's not going to all get fixed immediately.

TYLER CHRONICLES, CO-HOST, THE MORNING CULTURE WITH BIG TIGGER: 2020 was full of a lot of hopeless moments for a lot of people. But at the same time, you're looking forward to the inauguration.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Voters say they plan to hold the Biden administration accountable for campaign promises.

YOUNG (voice-over): In Georgia, voter turnout made an impact, turning a traditionally red state blue in this election cycle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was encouraged. We have young daughters ourselves and it was their first time voting, and they were excited. And I was excited for them to actually see, real-time, one vote means something.

YOUNG (voice-over): An election that saw a glass ceiling shattered.

MORGAN: We helped elect the first-ever African-American vice president, the first female vice president, and the first African- American senator from the state of Georgia.

YOUNG: When you saw the stuff going on in the country, how did it hit you?

JESSICA TURNER, ATLANTA RESIDENT: Oh, it was very hurtful, very hurtful. And to see how divided we are. And I was looking at it, and I came in from the store and I thought it was another country. I couldn't believe that our country was actually fighting each other.

YOUNG: Do you feel hopeful about what's coming?

TURNER: Oh yes, I do. I do, I feel very hopeful.

YOUNG (voice-over): The question for some is whether or not Joe Biden is the man to unite this country. HAYES: Absolutely, of course. I think -- and Kamala's the woman for

the job, and I think the Senate and the House are the people for the job. So I think, you know, they'll do what they need to do.

YOUNG: What has this last four years been like, especially as you've been watching from the outside?

HAYES: A wake-up call for, you know, the direction of this country. And I mean, we're coming to an end, we're about to change the era right now.

YOUNG (voice-over): As the city celebrates the legacy of civil rights icons Dr. King and Congressman John Lewis, you could hear an excitement about the country turning a page.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People of color have shown that there's only so much that we're going to tolerate, and our voices do matter.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YOUNG: You think about this, I heard, over and over again, criminal justice reform and health care are two options that people really want to see the Biden administration focus on. Look, the black community said every four years, people come and start making promises, and then they disappear. They say not this time, especially with the vote (ph).

But guys, I want to show you something. Look behind me, there's a living embodiment of just how important this vote was in this community. You see Stacey Abrams there, you see the words "vote," you see Ossoff and Warnock.

All throughout this community, over and over again, you heard people say, just go vote, just go vote. And that's something they are very proud of. They want to make it a part of the culture. That way, they can really see a significant change in the future -- Jim and Poppy.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

HARLOW: Ryan Young, what a piece, thank you so much for bringing it to us.

[10:48:47]

And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Well, the world will certainly be watching tomorrow as President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are sworn into office.

SCIUTTO: Certainly a pivotal moment for our allies, especially the U.K. CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson has been covering this in London.

And, Nic, I think of the enormous loss of U.S. soft power, not just with the Capitol riots but with the president's denial of an election loss. I mean, for decades, we've been lecturing companies (sic) to accept the results of free and fair elections. I just wonder how quickly is confidence restored with the new president?

NIC ROBERSTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think a lot of it is going to depend as well on what happens within the Republican party, and how many continue to sort of support President Trump's last big lie that he won the election, and what does that do to the political landscape in the United States.

Because if the image that's created outside of what President-elect Joe Biden can do, if the image is created that a President Trump or a President Trump-like figure could be coming back to center stage and the White House in the future, then this is of course going to be of great concern to the United States' allies.

Yes, 100 percent, they welcome what they're hearing already from the incoming administration. You know, we heard from Dominic Raab, the British foreign secretary, saying that he has confidence in democracy in the United States, confidence in the checks and balances there and ready to work on issues like Iran, no doubt they'll be ready to work on issues like Russia as well and China.

However, you know, what is the longer-term future for the United States? We talk so much about, was what happened January the 6th the end of something or the beginning? And that's what capitals around Europe, I know that allies, Asia, South Korea, Japan, et cetera are going to be watching for -- Jim.

[10:55:03]

SCIUTTO: Yes, that's a big question.

HARLOW: Yes. Nic, thank you very much, we're all watching very closely, especially tomorrow.

And thanks to all of you for joining us, we will see you tomorrow, I'm Poppy Harlow.

SCIUTTO: And I'm Jim Sciutto. NEWSROOM with Kate Bolduan will start right after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everyone, I'm Kate Bolduan, thank you so much for joining us this hour.