Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

U.S. House Ousts Rep. Greene from Committee Assignments; Trump's Lawyers Reject Request to Testify Before Senate; CDC: More than 600 Variant Cases Identified in the U.S.; Biden Lays Out Blueprint to Restore U.S. Diplomacy; Alexey Navalny Appearing at Court Hearing on Libel Charge. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired February 05, 2021 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world, you're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Michael Holmes. Thanks for your company.

Coming up, the U.S. House votes to punish Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene after her racist, violent and conspiracy theory ladened statements were unearthed. So why are so many Republicans still backing her? We'll discuss.

Also, Joe Biden says America is back as he signals to world leaders that his foreign policy won't be like his predecessor's.

And the fight to get kids back in school as cities across the U.S. grapple with how to return to in-person learning while keeping everyone safe.

Now the U.S. House voted last night to remove newly elected Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committee assignments. That move coming after past statements -- a lot of them by her -- supporting violence and discredited QAnon conspiracy theories. Greene was dropped from the education and budget committees by a vote of 230 to 199. Only 11 Republicans crossed the aisle to vote with Democrats. Ryan Nobles with our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have order in the House.

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The U.S. House vote to remove freshman Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committee assignments.

REP. TED DEUTCH (D-FL): Conspiracy theories and hate our malignant. They do not fade away. We must stand up to them and say enough.

[04:05:00]

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: Never before in the history of this House has the majority abused its power in this way. NOBLES (voice-over): The debate, including a last-ditch effort by the Georgia congresswoman to save her spot on two House committees.

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): I was allowed to believe things that weren't true, and I would ask questions about them and talk about them. And that is absolutely what I regret.

NOBLES (voice-over): In a more than 10-minute speech amid a debate about her future, Greene attempted to put distance between herself and the vile conspiracy theories she said she once believed.

GREENE: School shootings are absolutely real. And every child that is lost, those families mourn it. I also want to tell you 9/11 absolutely happened.

NOBLES (voice-over): In the past, Greene has promoted conspiracies such as there are not being evidence a plane hit the Pentagon on 9/11. And that the 2018 shooting at a Florida high school was fake or staged. She's also promoted the QAnon conspiracy.

GREENE: I never said any of these things since I have been elected for Congress. These were words of the past. And these things do not represent me.

NOBLES (voice-over): But as recently as last December, Greene defended QAnon believers in an interview with CNN.

GREENE: I think it's unfair to criticize regular American people that just are looking things up on the internet.

NOBLES (voice-over): During her remarks, Greene spent as much time attacking her detractors as she did try to clean up her past comments. Democrats said Greene's remarks were too little, too late.

REP. JAMES MCGOVERN (D-MA): I didn't hear anybody apologize or retract the anti-Semitic and Islamophobic remarks that have been made that have been posted over and over and over again.

NOBLES: And the final vote to remove Greene from the committees wasn't close, 230 to 199, 11 Republicans voting with the Democrats. Now Greene is still going to be a member of Congress. She is not expected to go anywhere. She's already raised a lot of money around this controversy. But she is scheduled to hold a press conference on Capitol Hill on Friday.

Ryan Nobles, CNN, on Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Now Donald Trump's lawyers say he will not speak in his own defense when his impeachment trial gets underway next week. On Thursday, Democratic House impeachment mangers asked Trump to testify under oath before the Senate, but Trump's lawyers quickly rejected that request. CNN's Manu Raju with more on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: House Democrats are trying to goad Donald Trump into coming to Capitol Hill, testify under oath before the Senate about the charge that he faced from the House, that he incited insurrection. When he was impeached earlier in January in the aftermath of the January 6th riot on Capitol Hill, they wanted to come and talk about what he did, why he did what he did and explain the legal brief that his team put out earlier in the week in which they disputed some key facts.

They disputed how Democrats characterized his speech before the rally goers as well as everything he did into the run up to the January 6th rally. But Donald Trump has no interest in doing that. They made it very clear through his advisers just earlier in the day and also his attorneys called it a publicity stunt. So if Democrats really want Donald Trump to testify, they would have to vote to subpoena him. The moment it seems like that is an unlikely course. We'll see if that changes.

But the other question remaining for the Democrats is how far do they go in pushing their case? Do they bring in other witnesses? What they're trying to do is show Donald Trump intentionally incited rioters to come to Capitol Hill, intentionally suggested the election was stolen and intentionally subverted the will of voters -- tried to subvert the will of voters and pressuring the election officials to change the election results.

Do they need witnesses for that? It's uncertain at this point. The Trump team is confident they'll ultimately have the votes to ensure Donald Trump is acquitted. At the moment they're probably right. 17 Republican Senators will be needed to break ranks and join 50 Democrats to convict Trump, prevent him from ever serving from office again. That seems highly, highly unlikely at the moment. But next week the trial will again, the arguments and then the voting will take place.

Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Now the Biden administration is adamant that nothing less than a $1.9 trillion stimulus package is required right now to help Americans struggling through this pandemic. The president has reached out to Republicans for bipartisan support, but they've shown little interest in the hefty price tag.

With Democrats now in control of Congress, they really don't need Republican support to get it done. But first, the Senate Democrats must lay the groundwork to get a bill passed by a simple majority. House Democrats have already done the same on their side.

[04:10:00]

U.S. drug regulators are set to consider a third COVID vaccine for emergency use possibly by next month. Johnson & Johnson's vaccine is not quite as effective as the others, but it only requires one shot and it also can be stored in normal refrigeration. Now this encouraging news tempered by a sobering new forecast from the University of Washington.

Have a look at this. Now that predicts the U.S. death toll could reach 630,000 by June the 1st. Of particular concern is the spread of new, more contagious and perhaps more deadly variants. America's top infectious disease experts explains why that is so worrisome.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, U.S. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: The variants don't dominate now in our country. We have the variant that was dominating in the U.K. It's called 117. That one is one that is more efficient in going from person to person. And a recent study from the U.K., showed that it might be somewhat more deadly in the sense of making people sicker and certainly leading to death more. So we don't want that to become dominant in our own country. It might become dominant because it seems to be very efficient.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now even with these new variants, wearing a mask, of course, can help reduce transmission, so the White House is considering sending facemasks to every American. CNN's Erica Hill reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Masks for everyone? CNN learning the Biden administration is considering a plan to send them to all Americans.

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: There are a range of options on the table to help protect more Americans from the coronavirus and encourage people to mask up, but no decision has been made to do that.

HILL (voice-over): Whether the government sends them or not, masks are still a must.

DR. RICARDO FRANCO, CENTER FOR AIDS RESEARCH, UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM: We tied the game at halftime. And we need to keep pushing and not give this virus a chance to play well the second half.

HILL (voice-over): Fast spreading variance, now identified in more than 30 states.

MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH AND POLICY, UNIVERSITY MINNESOTA: We are really good at pumping the brakes after we wrap the car around the tree. What we need to do is anticipate this is coming.

HILL (voice-over): The most common, first documented in the U.K., especially concerning on track to become dominant in Florida and California and --

DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, U.S. CDC DIRECTOR: There's increasing data that suggest that some of the variants, the B117 variant may actually be increase -- lead to increased mortality. HILL (voice-over): On Wednesday, the U.S. surpassed 450,000 COVID deaths. For nearly a month, daily reports had been stuck at or above 3,000. Cases and hospitalizations however are improving. Including a dramatic shift in California, where new cases have dropped nearly 60 percent in the last month. This hospital, finally, dismantling its COVID overflow tents.

SISTER TERRY MAHER, MISSION INTEGRATION MANAGER, ST. MARY MEDICAL CENTER: We honor the sacred stories that now, forever fold as we pack it up.

HILL (voice-over): Vaccinations, slowly improving. The U.S. now averaging 1.3 million shots a day. But equitable distribution still needs a lot of work.

DR. UCHE BLACKSTOCK, EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN: We need them to be even more accessible. Global vaccination centers in schools and community centers.

HILL (voice-over): New York City, launching dozens of pop-up sites this week. Opening day at Yankee Stadium now set for tomorrow with 15,000 appointments available, in the first week.

BILL DE BLASIO, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: Having this Yankee Stadium site up will be a game-changer.

HILL (voice-over): Vaccinations at the center of a standoff in Chicago. Over a return to in-person learning.

MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT (D) CHICAGO): We need our kids back in school. We need our parents to have that option.

DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: If we, as a society, want to prioritize students returning for in-person instruction, the least we can do is to prioritize the health and safety of our teachers.

HILL (voice-over): Teachers in Chicago also requesting testing, while overall transmission in schools remains low. A new study suggests it could be cut in half with weekly rapid testing.

HILL: Johnson & Johnson officially asking the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization on Thursday. The single dose vaccine does not require the ultra-low temperatures for storage as Pfizer's does, and of course, it is only one dose. It shown an efficacy of about 72 percent in U.S. trials.

In New York, I'm Erica Hill, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Now president Biden visits the U.S. State Department to deliver his vision for American foreign policy. We'll have a live report from London on how his remarks are playing out among U.S. allies. That's after the break.

[04:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Welcome back. U.S. President Joe Biden did not mention his predecessor during his first major foreign policy address on Thursday, but he didn't need to. Everyone at the U.S. State Department knew exactly what he meant when he said the U.S. would no longer roll over in the face of Russian aggression or when he told the agency's employees they would not be politicized or targeted for doing their jobs. Here are some of the key points of his speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: America is back. Diplomacy is back at the center of our foreign policy. American alliances are our greatest asset and leading with diplomacy means standing shoulder to shoulder with our allies and key partners once again ...

I made it clear to President Putin in a manner very different from my predecessor that the days of the United States rolling over in the face of Russia's aggressive actions, interfering with our elections, cyberattacks, poisoning its citizens are over ...

We'll confront China's economic abuses, counter its aggressive, coercive action to push back on China's attack on human rights, intellectual property and global governors, but we are ready to work with Beijing when it's in America's interest to do so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson joins me now from London.

[04:20:00]

Allies, no doubt, reassured that it is, indeed, a new day. But do you think some of them are going to fear that, you know, given what has happened over the last four years it could happen again and perhaps not rely on U.S. leadership the way they used to?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think they want to engage with President Biden on a lot of the things that he wants to do. Like, you know, curtail, you know, some of the sort of Chinese trade policies, for example, redress that balance. You know, Russia's sort of human rights abuses and other destabilizing influences, you know, undermining democracies by sort of, you know, being host to troll factories. All these sorts of things that they've been accused of.

There's going to be alignment on that, but I think this sort of idea that, you know, Europe can be as reliant on a steady hand at the tiller in the United States, that's gone. You know, and President Biden is right when he talks about rebuilding trust and needing to earn -- the United States needing to earn its position of leadership again on the globe. He's saying the right things and the message is message they what they want to hear, rejoining global institutions, World Health Organization, Paris climate change agreement. But I think the real measure is going to be in a number of things. One is, you know, how does he follow through with these actions? These are early days. He's had one phone conversation it seems with President Putin that we're aware of. None with President Xi in China so far.

So how do his actions stack up from there? But also what happens in domestic U.S. politics. The reality was that Trump had a strong showing in the last elections and there's wrangling in the Republican ranks about, you know, the direction of the party and what voice is going to become dominant over the next few years.

So there'll be concern in Europe about that. There is concern in Europe about that and, therefore, they want the relationship to be on a slightly different footing, but are they going to get on with Biden right now? You bet they are.

HOLMES: All right, Nic Robertson, really appreciate it. Good to see you there in London for us.

Now earlier I spoke with Matthew Kroenig, a professor of government and foreign service at Georgetown University, and asked him how allies are reacting to President Biden's speech after four years of Donald Trump?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW KROENIG, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, SCOWCROFT CENTER FOR STRATEGY & SECURITY, THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL: Well, in my role at The Atlantic Council I do speak with European officials on almost a daily basis and they are enthusiastic about the Biden presidency. They're excited that Biden wants to restore America's traditional alliances.

At the same time, they say things will never be the same after the past several years, that they do need to hedge their bets. And there are discussions in Germany and France about more strategic autonomy for Europe. So I think they are enthusiastic to work with United States again. But also, I'm somewhat weary and hedging the bets.

HOLMES: In the Trump administration of course, in a foreign policy sense, there was the enablement of strongman admiration even, I mean, including Saudi Arabia and its leader Mohammed bin Salman. And you know, he called Egypt's El Sisi my favorite dictator, deference to Russia's Putin and so on. What has been the impact of that and what will or needs to change in your view?

KROENIG: Well, Biden was very strong today, I thought, on America's values. One of the first things he said in the speech was about the coup in Myanmar. He called on the generals there to relinquish power and turn control back to the civilians. He talked about having a summit for democracy, bringing America's democratic allies from around the world together in Washington to talk about the need to work together against autocracies.

This has been a key theme of his throughout his campaign. Also, a key theme in my book, as you mentioned democracy versus autocracy in "Great Power Rivalry. So, I do think that this is a central issue in global politics today that Biden understands that, and he said all the right things in the speech today about working with democracies against these revisionist autocracies like Russia and China.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And my thanks to Matthew Kroenig there for his analysis speaking with me earlier.

Now Putin critic and Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has been appearing in a libel hearing in Mosco where he just pled not guilty. He's facing a libel charge for allegedly defaming a World War II veteran. He says the charges like the others that he's faced are politically motivated. Navalny was sentenced earlier this week to more than 2 1/2 years in prison for violating his parole while he was being treated in Germany for poisoning.

Joining us now from the courthouse in Moscow, CNN senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen.

[04:25:00]

Yes, not surprising he pled not guilty. Tell us what happened, how the proceedings went.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Michael, he pled not guilty and he really used this opportunity once again to rip into the court and to also say that he believed essentially that this trial, like the last one that he had on Tuesday, is essentially a sham.

Alexey Navalny is inside the courtroom, however, the man who he allegedly defamed, the World War II veteran, who is 95 years old, he's actually joining in via video link. And Alexey Navalny has already said that he doesn't believe that the veteran fully really understands the proceedings. He said that there's another person actually speaking for the World War II veteran.

Also Alexey Navalny's attorneys have come forward and they have said that they believe that the hearing that's going on today, that the charges are arbitrary, they're vague. They say that they're illegitimate under Russian law also, and therefore they say illegal. So they've been pretty tough in those proceedings so far. Something we've seen from Alexey Navalny.

We also saw in that trial of course where he was on trial on Tuesday where he ripped not into -- not just into the court and not just into those proceedings but also into Vladimir Putin as well. So it certainly seems as though Alexey Navalny continues to be very combative. If indeed he is convicted and sentenced in this case, he could face a substantial fine on top of, of course, the jail time that he is already facing for that other trial.

So certainly the Russian state you could feel is maintaining the pressure on Alexey Navalny despite the fact that we've had these protests going on across Russia over the past couple of weekends. Despite also the fact that there's been this international pressure, and of course, Michael, we're talking about the fact that President Biden took his time to speak extensively about the case of Alexey Navalny in his speech there at the State Department yesterday.

So far none of that having any sort of effect on the Kremlin. We've asked the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov several times whether or not Russia is reconsidering that position. They say absolutely not. They say anything that the State Department or the U.S. government said will not be considered. They consider this a Russian judicial matter, and a judicial matter alone, not something that the Russian president or his spokesman would comment on or change anything about -- Michael.

HOLMES: CNN's Frederick Pleitgen there for us in Moscow. Fred, thank you very much.

Now we're going to take a quick break on CNN NEWSROOM. When we come back, President Biden hoping for a big turnaround in America's economy during his presidency. But the numbers coming out later today are expected to show that will not be an easy fete. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)