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Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders Running For Arkansas Governor; Dr. Birx Admits Trump White House "Censored" Real COVID Data; Coronavirus Pandemic; Mexican President Tests Positive For COVID-19; The Biden Agenda; Biden Pushes For Bipartisanship In Effort To Unify The Nation; Trump Businesses Hit Hard By Pandemic And Presidency; Sanders' Mittens Steal The Show At Biden's Inauguration. Aired 9-10p ET

Aired January 24, 2021 - 21:00   ET

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

[21:00:00]

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DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Pamela?

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PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Thanks so much for that and all new CNN Global Townhall. Join Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta for Coronavirus, Facts and Fears. That's live Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

BROWN: And I'm Pamela brown in Washington. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. You're in the CNN Newsroom on this Sunday evening. And we share some disturbing new information just into CNN with you tonight.

The brother of a Secret Service agent is facing five charges connecting to his -- connected to his alleged role and this month violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Let's go straight to CNN Shimon Prokupecz for more. So, what more do we know about the Secret Service agent and his brother, who has been charged now?

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: So his brother who had nothing to do with this incident, obviously on the Capitol, his name is Preston Fairlamb, and he wants actually led Michelle Obama's security details, Secret Service agent, as you said, who once led Michelle Obama's security detail.

She even mentions him in her memoir, becoming she talks about him briefly in the book. She also attended a memorial service for their father for the Fairlamb's family, the father, who was a police officer and was died in a motorcycle accident.

Now as to Scott Fairlamb, who's charged for his participation in the Capitol insurrection. What's really interesting, Pam, is that he's actually one of the charges that he's facing, is an assault on a police officer. He's captured on video that the FBI now has and they say that on that video, you see him pushing and shoving and hitting a police officer.

He is the brother of this Secret Service agent, Preston Fairlamb III, a lawyer who represents Scott Fairlamb and says that the brother knew nothing about this. Didn't even know that he was coming here. So they're saying that the brother had nothing to do with this, obviously.

But certainly disturbing details here when you learn of this man's connections to law enforcement and what he is charged with here now.

BROWN: Yes, what he's charged with against a police officer. Very disturbing. Shimon Prokupecz, thanks for bringing us this breaking news.

And also breaking this hour CNN has learned that former Trump White House press secretary Sarah Sanders will announce Monday that she will run for governor of Arkansas. The story was first reported by the Washington Post and I'm joined now by Washington Post political investigations reporter and CNN political analyst, Josh Dawsey. Hi, Josh, nice to have you on. Tell us more about this news that you broke.

JOSH DAWSEY, POLITICAL INVESTIGATION REPORTER, WASHINGTON POST: Hi, Pamela. Yes. Sarah has been back in Arkansas for some time plotting to run for governor. And we've learned this weekend that she will announce tomorrow that she's running for governor of Arkansas. She was the President's press secretary. Former Governor Mike Huckabee, his daughter, longtime political operative, and she will announce tomorrow via video that she's planning to post in the morning, but she will be candidates for governor of Arkansas.

BROWN: And I remember we were both covering the White House at the time when she left the speculation was that she would take this move, she would run for governor of Arkansas. As you pointed out her father was the governor between 1996 and 2000. As President Trump's former press secretary, how much do you think that helps her in the state? How popular? Is she there?

DAWSEY: Well, Sarah remain popular. Sarah Sanders remains popular in Arkansas, and the President's numbers still remain good there in the state as well. One of the upsides that she has there is that she's so closely linked to the President and the Republican primary against others there. She thinks she will do quite well.

Sarah has been plotting for some time to run for governor. She left back in 2018, as you know, as press secretary of the White House and has not been one of those folks, I guess 19 to distance yourself from the president. She's still been in his orbit talking to him regularly. And she's planning to run.

BROWN: You would imagine you have to wonder if we would get a tweet from the president if he still had access to his Twitter right now. But what do you think you think somehow we'll hear from him. He'll weigh in?

DAWSEY: I don't know. But I know Pamela that she still remains close to him. She speaks to him fairly regularly. And she was a press secretary that books in his orbit thought, did a good job as press secretary. She obviously was very famous from her role there and she's well known back in Arkansas from her time as being, you know, the daughter of the governor there. Mike Huckabee.

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Sarah is someone who people see in Arkansas as quite a formidable candidate. You know, she will obviously have to answer for many of the things he said and did and her role as press secretary there, but she's putting out a video in the morning and she's ready to go.

BROWN: All right, Josh Dawsey. Thank you very much for bringing us the latest on that front.

DAWSEY: Thank you very much.

BROWN: Well as America surpasses and appalling new benchmark, more than 25 million people infected with coronavirus. You have to wonder where we might be right now if the Trump administration had taken the science more seriously.

Instead, former White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx says there were deliberate attempts to placate the former president.

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DR. DEBORAH BIRX, FMR. WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR: I saw the president presenting graphs that I never made. So, I know that someone or someone out there or someone inside was creating a parallel set of data and graphics that were shown to the President.

I know what I sent up, and I know that what was in his hands was different from that. You can't do that. You have to use the entire database.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who is doing that?

BRIX: To this day, I don't know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And joining me now with more is CNN senior medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner, professor of medicine at George Washington University. Dr. Reiner, good to see you. Earlier you were on with our CNN's Ana Cabrera and had some very harsh words about Dr. Birx. You called her complicit in the coronavirus disaster here in the US. Why do you think that?

DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL ANALYST: Hi, Pamela. Look, it's been said that the first casualty of war is the truth. And what's clear now is the first casualty in this horrible pandemic in the United States was the truth. The American public was purpose -- purposely and repeatedly lied to. The President admitted this to Bob Woodward. We heard this today from Deborah Birx. But when I hear Dr. Birx, who I have tried to give the benefit of the doubt to for a long time because of her many years of distinguished service, particularly in her work with the Global AIDS Crisis over many years.

But when I hear her talk about parallel data streams, that has a horrible resonance to alternative facts. And the public was told this was a hoax, the pandemic would just blow away, it would go away when it got warmer, you could wear a mask, maybe not wear a mask, the President's not going to wear a mask, state should open quickly. Then they brought in a radiologist who pushed this herd immunity nonsense.

And all along we know that Dr. Birx knew that what the public was being told was garbage. And she stayed silent. That makes her complicit.

If the public knew in March, when she was sort of boasting about the president's prowess to synthesize data because he's a businessman. If the public knew how serious this was, perhaps the public would have taken this more seriously and masked up and perhaps, you know, a quarter of a million people in this country who are dead now might still be alive. So silence equals complicity. She doesn't get off.

BROWN: Well, when you compare how Dr. Fauci responded to the White House attempts to downplay the severity of the epidemic -- pandemic, what did he do correctly? I mean, we know he managed to disagree with Donald Trump, and he still kept his job. What do you think about that?

REINER: I think when Dr. Fauci was asked direct questions, he gave direct answers. The problem with Dr. Fauci is that he was basically muzzled for many months, prohibited from doing media interviews. Dr. Birx had an opportunity to stand up and refute these so called, quote, parallel data streams, but decided not to do that. Perhaps she felt that she could be more effective from within the administration and if she stood up and left, but the public would have taken her seriously if she told the public how serious the pandemic was.

Now, early on in very, very early on in the pandemic, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, who was the head of the respiratory and immunization section at CDC, told the public that the virus was going to be bad, it was going to be a community spread, and they should get ready for disruptions.

She told that to the public when there are only 14 cases of the coronavirus in the United States and she was never heard from again. So what the public needed to know was the truth. Dr. Birx knew the truth, but she did not stand up and tell everyone in a loud and clear voice.

BROWN: I want to ask you about the vaccine rollout that is on a lot of people's minds as we all try to get back to normal I had a doctor on earlier Dr. Celine Gounder, who said she was predicted mid summer to late summer before, you know, healthy Americans would be able to be vaccinated.

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Do you agree with that timeline? And what would you say is the biggest issue with this rollout right now? I think people are just confused as to what the deal is.

REINER: Well, first of all, the Biden administration is placing a ton of resources on getting vaccine into arms. With -- It doesn't matter if we have vaccines if they don't become vaccinations and the Biden administration, I do believe understands this.

The problem is the Biden administration's goal of a million shots a day for 100 days, is basically what we're doing now. It would be as if the Biden administration came out and said that the goal for the administration should be to get the employment rate to about six and a half -- unemployment rate to about six and a half percent. Or people would say, well, that's where it is. Now what kind of a goal is that? So we need to do better than a million shots per day.

Look, most of the shots we're giving now are new shots. But as we go forward, more and more shots every day will be the second vaccinations. So the number of new vaccinations is going to start to drop until we get to a point in the not too distant future, where every day the shots that are given our 50 percent follow up and 50 percent new vaccinations. We need to do better. We need to vaccinate about 2 million people a day. That should be the goal. We can do that.

The manufacturers are delivering every week, somewhere between 12 and 18 million doses of the vaccine. But we're barely administering, you know, eight to 9 million doses. We should deliver every dose of vaccine that is given every week that is delivered very week.

BROWN: It's so confusing. I think people hear that and it's so confusing because there's so much demand, right? I mean, there, you're like, Wait a second, there's just all of this vaccine, these doses of that vaccine that are just sitting there and they're not being used.

REINER: Right.

BROWN: I think it was at last check around 21 million had been administered and there were 40 million altogether that bed that had been administered. So, all right, Dr. Jonathan Reiner, thank you for coming on. We appreciate it.

REINER: My pleasure. Thank you.

BROWN: Well, right now California is the state hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, while the U.S. are passes 25 million confirmed cases of the virus. California is now the first state to record 3 million COVID-19 infections and new cases they keep coming. More than 24,000 new cases reported in California just in the past 24 hours.

Let's go to CNN's Paul Vercammen in Los Angeles. So Paul, give us up to date on the situation there and if there are any signs of improvement.

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's interesting, Pam, because you pointed out the 24,000 new cases so the numbers are awful. But they have been worse. Let's also look at the death count, 429 COVID-19 deaths at the last report. And 17,810 hospitalizations in that a glimmer of hope that number has been coming down grudgingly. That could be good news.

But in all of this with this mounting death toll, extreme, unyielding pressure on funeral directors, let's go to Boyle Heights in this neighborhood, the Bowers funeral home, it's been here for 90 years. In order to make up they have added employees. They now have a 24-hour answering service, unheard of. They've also mandated that all viewings be outside, and for these mortuary owners, it is just stressful.

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JENNIFER BAGUES, FUNERAL DIRECTOR, FELIPE BAGUES MORTUARY: But it's been really hard turning people away and just you know, especially when they're upset, and you have to tell them that, you know, I can put you on a wait list and, you know, we'll get to you, you know, when your number comes up, which is I don't think that's unheard in our history. I've been doing it 25 years and I've never had that this happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VERCAMMEN: And perhaps some relief late this afternoon LA County numbers only 98 deaths. Now to the vaccinations, they say if LA County doesn't step it up and has another week like last week, we will see people still receiving coronavirus vaccines into 2022, Pam.

BROWN: Paul Vercammen, thank you for bringing us the latest there from Los Angeles, just tough news to share I know.

Well some more breaking news and to CNN this hour, Mexico's president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced on Twitter that he has tested positive for the coronavirus. He says he has mild symptoms but is receiving care.

Now, Lopez Obrador has consistently shunned wearing masks. Even while holding events around the country and the pandemic. He's got -- admit the pandemic rather he's even gone as far as saying that he'd wear a mask only once. There was no more corruption in Mexico.

Well, his diagnosis comes as Mexico has seen a surge in new cases, which is pushing many hospitals to capacity.

Well, Democrats now lead all branches of the government, but there are divisions within the party over how to wield that power, how that could affect President Biden's $1.9 trillion relief plan.

And we'll take a closer look at one of the extremist groups that prosecutor say came to the Capitol ready for war.

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[21:19:21] BROWN: Well, President Joe Biden is making moves to address the economic toll of this pandemic. Today sending a top economic official to call a group of bipartisan senators who could help support his $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan.

CNN white house correspondent Arlette Saenz joins me now. So, Arlette, do the Biden administration make progress and swaying reluctant Republicans?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pamela, President Biden dispatched his top economic adviser Brian Deese to try to make the case that bipartisan group of senators and at least one Republican who participated in that meeting said she's not quite convinced yet that she will support that $1.9 trillion COVID relief package.

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Senator Susan Collins, a Republican of Maine said that she believes it was -- it's premature to be talking about a nearly $2 trillion package. She said she felt that way going into the meeting. And she left the meeting, feeling that exact same sentiment.

She believes that that bipartisan group can put together a more targeted approach than what the Biden administration is currently proposing. One of the issues that some Republicans have with this bill is that they just passed a bill for $900 billion of relief at the end of the year, so some are hesitant to pass such a large bill going forward.

But right now, what the Biden administration really wants to do White House officials has made it clear that they do want to get bipartisan sign on for this package, they want to be able to do it with support from both sides of the aisle. President Biden has said that. But they have also said that they will leave all tools available to them, as this process folds out unfolds. And some Democrats are already urging the administration to use something called the reconciliation process, which would only require a simple majority to pass this measure.

So right now, that meeting that was held today with Brian Deese, and that group of 16 senators, it's just one of several meetings that have been unfolding behind the scenes, by the by the administration, as the President has made clear that getting this COVID relief package passed is a top ticket item for him in the opening days of his administration. Pamela.

BROWN: All right, Arlette Saenz. Thank you so much for that. And now let me bring in Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California. She's the former chair of both the Congressional Black Caucus and Progressive Caucus, Congresswoman, thank you so much for coming on. I first want to get your reaction to something we heard from Senator Bernie Sanders this morning. Let's watch.

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SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I), VERMONT: We're going to push Joe is the president as far as we can. But given the fact he's been in office for less than a week, I think he is off to a good start.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So he's only a weekend. But what is your take us the President's first week been progressive enough in your view?

REP. BARBARA LEE (D-CA): Well, Pamela, first of all, congratulations on your show.

BROWN: Thank you. Thank you.

LEE: I'm really honored to be on your show during your first weekend. So thank you for having me.

BROWN: Thank you for having much.

LEE: You know, I think the Biden administration is off to a good start. First of all, people are dying. The COVID pandemic has wreaked havoc on the lives and livelihoods of American families. And so it's so important that we unify and pass a bill which really is a rescue bill, to make sure that we crush this virus, that we make sure that we help put people back to work, put money in people's pockets, provide food for people who are hungry, and make sure that our small businesses have what they need to survive during this period.

And so $1.9 trillion, that's a good amount. But I believe we have to go as far as we can go. Remember, several months ago, we put forward the Heroes bill, which had about 3.7, $3.8 trillion. People need help, and we have to deliver for them.

BROWN: You've heard the criticism from some that the concern that some of this money from the stimulus would go to people who don't really need it, who aren't suffering economically, from this pandemic, and that it'd be better just to focus on people who really the -- part of the population that really does need it. What do you say to, to those that are skeptical of this bill?

LEE: The majority of people do need it when you look at the unemployment rate, when you look at what's happening with our state and local governments, come on people, who provide these essential services could lose their jobs. When you look at the fact that we have to target resources, yes to black and brown communities, which are disproportionately impacted by this horrific pandemic, we have to make sure that the vaccine is distributed. And we have to make sure that communities of color are provided the resources to hire trusted messengers to deliver the message for the vaccine.

So we have a lot of work to do and to believe you me, people in our country need this help. Eight million plus more people have fallen below the poverty line. So you can't tell me that we should not do this. We should do the right thing and help the American people survive during this terrible period.

BROWN: And you support getting rid of the filibuster. Are you concerned at all about the blowback for instance? Like what if Republicans take control and for years are no longer constrained by the filibuster? What is your view on that?

LEE: Well, my view is we have to get rid of the filibuster. We have to -- you see what they're talking about now trying to stall and make sure that the $1.9 trillion does not go through. People need help, people need did this to take place immediately and so we have to do what we have to do.

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I want to see this as a bipartisan effort it should be. Democrats are dying from this pandemic, Republicans are dying from this pandemic, Democrats are losing their jobs, their businesses are going under. So Republicans, they're losing their jobs, their businesses are going under. So this should not be a partisan issue. We should come together and do something in a bipartisan way. We have to do that. We can't allow people to just live on the edge anymore.

BROWN: All right. So let's talk about that. Just unity and you're talking about bipartisanship. Let's focus on House Republicans. They were extremely unified under Trump. According to analysis by our stat expert Harry Enten, the average House Republican voted with Trump 92 percent of the time, Democrats have a slim majority, will they have a similar level of unity under Biden?

LEE: I'm convinced that we will. And let me tell you, Democrats, we're Democrats, right? We're diverse, we have many diverse ideas. We have people with different points of views, which is a good thing. But at the end of the day, we come together, we unify and we move forward on behalf of the people.

And so I'm really proud of our speaker, Speaker Pelosi and how she continues to unify us because we're quite a diverse group of people. We come from different places. And as a progressive African-American woman, I've been working with all of our Democrats throughout my time in Congress and with Republicans also. But I think that many of us want to see bipartisanship. And we know that we can unify our caucus.

But we also know we have to go further in terms of making sure that we do the right thing by the American people and fight hard on behalf of all of those issues such as racial justice, criminal justice reform, housing, education, climate, so we have a lot of work to do. And I'm really excited about this possibility that we're going to get the job done finally, for people in our country.

BROWN: Congresswoman Barbara Lee, thank you so much again for coming on this Sunday evening. Great to have you here.

LEE: Thank you. I was really happy to be with you tonight, Pamela.

BROWN: A quick CNN programming note now it's an all new CNN Global Townhall join Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta for Coronavirus Facts and Fears. It airs live this coming Wednesday night at 9:00 Eastern.

And a deeper dive into Biden's first 100 days with someone who knows him best Biden biographer Evan Osnos joins us up next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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BROWN: Well, the President's first 100 days are a metric we are all used to measuring and Joe Biden will be no exception. But how exceptional are the conditions he is inherited.

CNN contributor Evan Osnos joins me with more on this. He's also a staff writer for The New Yorker, and the author of "Joe Biden: The Life, the run, and What Matters Now". Evan, welcome to the show. As you watch events play out right now with power sharing, the impeachment, COVID relief, what are you picking up about Biden's approach?

EVAN OSNOS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, as we heard on inauguration days, he said, unity is more than just a -- it's more than rhetoric for him. And as he said, my whole soul is in it. And you know, when you talk to the people who are close to him these days, what they will tell you is that they see this really foremost as a rescue operation right now, I mean, literally a rescue operation in the sense of dealing with COVID, getting relief out to people, getting money into their pockets, then you begin to harder process of recovery.

And I think the question we're all trying to figure out is whether there is any prospects for bipartisanship here. And I think all of us have looked at the number of 147 Republicans who voted to throw out the results of the election and said, is there any chance here of any kind of real cooperation? Is this just a delusion on Joe Biden's part?

I will tell you that it is deeply felt. And there's a political calculation there. He looks at it today. And he says that the numbers of Republicans who want to turn the page who say they've done with the craziness, they're done with Donald Trump, that number is small, but it's growing. Right now it's about a quarter of the Republican rank and file, according to polls, and that's the area where they think they can begin to make some headway.

BROWN: There is this question of bipartisanship, though, because we have heard Biden talk about a lot, there is this call today with members from both sides of the aisle about his COVID relief plan. But what is he actually done in terms of action to show that he's going to follow through with trying to create bipartisanship because some could argue that, look, he's making all these moves with executive orders. And tonight, he reinstated restrictions on travel that Trump had put in that, basically policies that Republicans liked. So could that hurt his goal essentially?

OSNOS: Well, he wanted to send a pretty clear message at the outset that things that were introduced by executive order can be unwound by executive order. In many cases, those were introduced by executive order precisely because they were unpopular policies, they couldn't be achieved in the Congress.

And so with the stroke of the pen, he went ahead and began to undo them. It's also about sending a message, you know, sending a message to Americans and also around the world to say, we're taking a new direction, you know, by getting rid of restrictions on travel from predominantly Muslim countries, things like that.

But I think there's also a piece of this here, which is there's a difference between the elected Republican lawmakers in Washington and the attitudes of the rank and file out in America. When you look at polls, it's a fascinating pattern, that there are issues on which Americans really do agree things like immigration. Believe it or not, even though Donald Trump made hostility to immigration, the center of his politics, two-thirds of Americans actually agree that immigration makes America stronger.

It's one of the reasons why you see the Biden administration beginning to talk about a serious immigration bill within its first 100 days, because they say despite what you might hear in Washington, there's actually appetite out there for making progress on an issue that has bedeviled us for years.

BROWN: You know Joe Biden so well after working on your book. Has there been anything he's done since taking office that has surprised you?

OSNOS: Well, in many ways, what he has done so far is very much a reflection of the things he's been telling me for months. Now, going back all the way to last summer, I remember saying to him once, you said that you expect Republicans to have an epiphany after Donald Trump is gone. I said, how could you really imagine an epiphany?

[21:35:08]

And he said, no, no, I believe it and I don't mean that they're going to wake up and suddenly become enthusiastic partners on everything I do. That's not what I mean. What I mean is that if you remove Donald Trump, the very specific malign influence of this President who scares members of his caucus, that they begin to recalculate their interests individually and collectively.

And that I think, Pam, is what you're seeing right now, where you begin to see around the edges, members of the Senate, you have -- you saw, of course, 10 members who came out in favor of impeachment. That's the room that Donald, that sorry, that Joe Biden has always worked in legislatively over the course of his career. And that's where he thinks that you can begin to peel off some successes.

BROWN: It's interesting, too, because he has stayed mom, in terms of where he stands, essentially, on the Senate trial whether Trump should be convicted or acquitted and a lot of the circumstances around the trial. Does that surprise you at all? Or is that what you would expect?

OSNOS: No, he's trying a very hard hand. I mean, look, what he's trying to do is be very clear that he wants accountability for the former president. But he also does not want it to blot out the sun and make it impossible to get things done to move things forward to the administration. He needs, obviously, to get his nominees in place. And he wants to start getting some legislative points on the board. And so he's trying to have both things done. And I think it's worth pointing out, you know, Biden, as you know, is a real believer in the power of the Congress. He thinks it has its job and the President has his job. In his mind, it's the Congress's job to do the impeachment. So Biden's going to encourage the process, sure, as much as it needed, but he doesn't want it to come at the expense of everything else. So he's trying to put these two things in some balance with each other. It's not all that easy.

BROWN: All right, Evan, thank you so much for coming on.

OSNOS: My pleasure. Thanks for the invitation.

BROWN: And whatever happens with Trump's impeachment trial, judgment is already being passed on the ex-President by forces that have nothing to do with the senate, namely his bankers, his customers, and the marketplace. CNN's Randi Kaye reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Being President has cost me a fortune, a tremendous fortune like you've never seen before.

RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That may be true and his own mismanagement of the pandemic may be partly to blame. Revenues dropped about 40 percent across the 47 companies listed on Donald Trump's final financial disclosure form. Trump's golf courses and hotels were hit especially hard. Just look at the numbers.

At the Trump International hotel in Washington, D.C., sales dropped 63 percent compared to the year before. In 2019, sales at that hotel were more than $40 million. But they've since dropped to $15.1 million.

TRUMP: This is the most coveted piece of real estate in Washington, D.C., the best location.

KAYE (voice-over): Coveted, perhaps but, keep in mind, along with those sinking revenues, Trump still has a $170 million loan on that property. And revenues at some of Trump's golf courses are in a freefall. At his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland, revenue fell about 62 percent last year to $9.8 million.

KAYE (on camera): And here at Trump National Doral Golf Resort near Miami, revenues have also dried up. After a banner year in 2019, with revenues of more than $77 million, revenues dropped to just over $44 million last year, according to Trump's final financial disclosure. And documents also show Trump has mortgages on this property, between $55 million and $75 million. Those loans come due in 2023.

KAYE (voice-over): Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, saw revenues slashed by about $3 million, down to about $14.7 million last year. On top of that the PGA canceled its upcoming tournament there, delivering another gut punch to the former president.

At Trump's Wollman ice skating rink in New York City, one of the areas hardest hit by the pandemic, revenues fell by nearly $5 million year over year. It wasn't all bad news for Trump. Sales at the Mar-a-lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, which the former president now calls home, increased by about $3 million to $24.2 million.

But still, Trump's impeachment for inciting an insurrection sparked a mass exodus as businesses and banks severed ties with the Trump brand. Beyond the PGA tournament, New York City is looking to end all business relationships with the Trump Organization and cancel contracts with its ice skating rinks and parks.

Financial documents show Signature Bank, which ran Trump's checking account, is severing ties. Even Deutsche Bank, Germany's biggest bank and Trump's largest business lender, has decided to no longer do business with him.

The Trump Organization still owes Deutsche Bank about $340 million. The Trump Organization tells us in a statement, there are places, due to government mandates, we were not able to operate, which in some cases means you lose the entire season. We are very proud of our team and how we have continued to navigate this devastating pandemic. We have never been stronger.

[21:40:09]

Randi Kaye, CNN, Doral, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: And coming up they came to the U.S. Capitol ready for war according to prosecutors, a closer look at the extremist group the Oath Keepers up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: All right now plans are being made to keep thousands of National Guard troops in Washington at least through the end of the month, possibly into March. That's partly due to concerns about the upcoming impeachment proceedings, as well as other major political events that could attract violent fringe elements to the Nation's Capitol.

And this week, federal prosecutors filed the first significant conspiracy charge stemming from the attack on the Capitol giving the public a glimpse at three people they say are part of a violent extremist group who did more than just participate. CNN's Sara Sidner reports.

SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is striking just how many people who are U.S. veterans that are now accused of attacking the U.S. Capitol.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWD: USA, USA.

SIDNER (voice-over): They came to Washington trained in warfare, wearing combat gear, forming a line, marching up the Capitol steps, and then used their training against the U.S. Capitol.

[21:45:05]

These three Americans are some of the first to face the most severe charges in the attack on the Capitol, including conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding, and violent entry or disorderly conduct. All three are U.S. veterans.

Sixty-five-year-old Thomas Edward Caldwell served in the Navy. Fifty- year-old Donovan Ray Crowl is a former Marine. This is Crowl inside the Capitol building on January 6th.

DONOVAN CROWL, CAPITOL RIOTER: All the way in the Capitol.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're in the -- Capitol.

SIDNER (voice-over): The person who popped up behind him is Jessica Marie Watkins. She served in the Army as Jeremy David Watkins. On January 6th, the former Army veteran riled up her troops in person and on a social media site, Parler. We stormed the Capitol today.

Watkins is a member of the Oath Keepers, an extremist anti-government group. She also started her own self-styled militia in Ohio. We wanted to know more about these Americans now charged with attacking the Democratic transfer of power they claimed to support. So went to their towns. It turns out Watkins runs a bar with her partner in the village of Woodstock, Ohio.

SIDNER (on camera): I spoke with a neighbor who lives down the street from this bar, who didn't want to be identified. But he told us that this is the watering hole for this town of about 300 people. And that, when you would go to get your beer, Watkins would often try to recruit you to her militia, he said most people didn't bite. But we know at least one person did because he was in D.C. with Watkins and they were both arrested.

SIDNER (voice-over): That person was Donovan Crowl, who lives just down the street from Watkins's bar.

MONTANA SINIFF, WATKINS' BOYFRIEND: I'm her boyfriend. She is not a violent person.

SIDNER (voice-over): Montana Siniff and Watkins run the bar. The two live upstairs, where the FBI showed up last week.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The shots woke us up and the yelling because they were on the microphone yelling, it is the FBI, and to come down. And it was crazy.

SIDNER (voice-over): It was flashbangs, not gunshots. The blasted-out window remains broken. Only Siniff was home and says he was questioned and released. Watkins later turned herself in.

SIDNER (on camera): What was her plan?

SINIFF: She was supposed to help protect some VIP members within the Trump rally.

SIDNER: There are people calling her a traitor. How would you describe her? Is that fair?

SINIFF: That's very much an unfair statement. She would never try to dismantle the Constitution.

SIDNER: So you don't see this as an insurrection or sedition?

SINIFF: It was illegal and those people involved do need to take their lumps but it's --

SIDNER: Including Ms. Watkins?

SINIFF: For what -- if she is found guilty of anything, then she will have to take the consequences of that.

SIDNER (voice-over): Siniff also knows Crowl and says he joined Watkins self-styled militia.

SIDNER (on camera): What's he like?

SINIFF: When drunk, the guy you want to shut up. When sober, the best man you could have.

SIDNER: Well, you came to the bar, so you saw him both drunk and sober.

SINIFF: That's how I got that barometer and the militia was a good thing to help him be like a reason to be sober.

SIDNER (voice-over): Crowl has been convicted in Ohio for drunk driving. His mother told CNN by phone that, a couple years ago, her son said they were going to take over the government if they tried to take Trump's presidency from him. His mother said she didn't think much of it until January 6th happened.

About 400 miles away from Woodstock, Ohio, near Berryville, Virginia, is where Thomas Caldwell lives.

THOMAS CALDWELL, CAPITOL RIOTER: Every single -- in there is a traitor, every single one.

SIDNER (voice-over): That is Caldwell at the Capitol, calling legislators the traitors. Caldwell was a delegate to the Clark County Republican Convention last year. In Washington, D.C., authorities say he was a co-conspirator with Crowl and Watkins in the assault on the Capitol.

SINIFF: I do not believe the charges of conspiracy are at all fair.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: It is unclear how Caldwell knew Crowl and Watkins, but according to federal prosecutors, they were all in D.C. and Watkins was using the Zello phone application on her phone to both communicate and help plan the attack on the Capitol.

Sara Sidner, CNN, Toledo.

BROWN: And our thanks to Sara Sidner for that report. And also a quick reminder that you could tweet me at PamelaBrownCNN and follow me on Instagram as well.

[21:49:30]

Coming up, how Senator Bernie Sanders is making money for charity from those show-stealing mittens, I'm sure you've seen this meme.

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BROWN: Well, Senator Bernie Sanders hoped to be celebrating his own inauguration as president this week. As a consolation prize, he still turned out to be one of the stars of the show. I'm sure you've seen this with his mittens in manila folder, the look that launched a million memes. CNN's Jeanne Moos has the report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): People gushed about Michelle Obama's outfits

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I just remark of how flawless Michelle Obama is.

MOOS (voice-over): Some even gushed about the $2,000 sneakers worn by Emhoff, Vice President Kamala Harris's.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rocking some Dior Air Jordans, amazing, amazing.

MOOS (voice-over): But none of that gushing came close to the gusher of memes inspired by Bernie Sanders for what was dubbed his.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Grumpy chic book.

MOOS (voice-over): There was just something about the pose, the mittens, the social distance. One company is already rushing to turn Bernie into a bobble head. His images on a set of birch coasters selling for 11.99 on Etsy, he's been transferred to Forrest Gump bench, behind the Resolute desk seated in the game of thrones throne, appropriately dressed for Crossing the Delaware or less heroically.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An old man on his way to the post office.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As if he had an appointment at the DMV.

MOOS (voice-over): Or was taking a break with a boys in that famous skyscraper construction photo.

MOOS (on camera): True Bernie's mittens may be on the far fringe of fashion.

[21:55:01] MOOS (voice-over): But so what if he seemed dress for riding the subway rather than attending the inauguration looking warm, tweeted Dionne Warwick, people were smitten with the mittens made for him two years ago by a Vermont school teacher fan.

JEN ELLIS, MADE MITTENS FOR SEN. SANDERS: I gave those mittens to Bernie as a gift just I'm expecting nothing in return. And I think it's beautiful that they've gone so far.

MOOS (voice-over): They're made out of old wool sweaters with fleece from recycled plastic. Sadly, I have no more mittens for sale. Jen Ellis tweeted after a flood of requests. Maybe the look isn't everyone's cup of tea. Maybe he'll never be described as.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely flawless.

MOOS (voice-over): But Bernie saw no flaws in his inaugural look coming from Vermont.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): We know something about the cold. And we're not so concerned about good fashion. We want to keep warm.

MOOS (voice-over): Bernie isn't just warm. He's hot. Capable of making pottery and love in mittens.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: You just have to laugh. Well, Sanders is taking his newfound fame and stride. And as he told, Dana Bash on State of the Union, it's helping him raise money for a good cause.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: Not only are we having fun, what we're doing here in Vermont, is we're going to be selling around the country sweatshirts and t- shirts. And all of the money that's going to be raised, which I expect will be a couple of million dollars will be going to programs like Meals on Wheels that feed low-income senior citizens. So it turns out actually to be a good thing and not only a fun thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Well, thank you for joining me this evening. I'm Pamela Brown. I'll see you again next weekend.

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