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Wyoming GOP Formally Censures Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY); "New York Times:" 144 Constitutional Lawyers Call Trump's First Amendment Defense Legally Frivolous; CDC Says, More Than 39 Million Vaccine Doses Administered In U.S.; Slight Decline In New Cases & Hospitalizations Across U.S.; One-On-One With New Homeland Security Secretary; Live From Tampa With Super Bowl LV Preview. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired February 06, 2021 - 17:00   ET

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

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[17:00:00]

ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York.

And on this day that marks exactly one month since the explosion of violence at the nation's Capitol, the U.S. Senate is preparing to put on a trial and put the man who was charged with lighting the fuse on trial, Donald Trump.

The twice impeached ex-president won't testify on his own behalf. That was requested by House Democrats and quickly rejected by Trump's lawyers, but becoming ever clear as the consequences of standing up to Donald Trump.

Congresswoman Liz Cheney, the number three Republican in the House, now formally censured by the Republican Party of her state, Wyoming. Her offense? She voted with her conscience in favor of impeaching then President Trump in the days after the deadly Capitol insurrection.

CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is on Capitol Hill tracking these new developments. Suzanne, Liz Cheney will keep her leadership position in the House. This new censure is from her state Republican Party. But what does this mean for her and the other GOP lawmakers to voted against Trump in his impeachment?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ana, it will probably mean that she's going to face a pretty tough primary in two years or so. She is going to face some angry Trump supporters and it really will test her own membership within the GOP, within the Republican Party, as well as the party itself, what it stands for and what direction it goes.

This was a day-long affair, it was well attended, we saw many people wearing cowboy hats, few people wearing masks. They called not only for her to be censured but also for her resignation. They called for her to give back the money from her last campaign and said that they wouldn't fundraise on a state level for any kind of future races. So this is meant to be tough for her. And some of the things that they pointed to in this censure, they said it was because she no longer represented them, the will or what they actually believed in, their values. They went on to say there was no evidence that Trump was involved in inciting this violence on Capitol Hill.

They went on to say that things that had been debated and debunked, that it was Antifa that caused the violence at the Capitol, not pro- Trump supporters. They even cited the Supreme Court chief justice, John Roberts, the fact that he is not presiding over the procedure, saying that this was evidence that it was illegitimate. Roberts never said such a thing.

She did have some defenders, a few defenders in this meeting as well. They said that this is going to basically strip her of her power, that it was unnecessary, that it was political. Here is just a little bit of that exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Liz Cheney put her personal family feud with Donald Trump ahead of the Constitution and ahead of our own people. We must censure Liz Cheney. And I want to give a real good picture. She basically middle fingered the majority of the people in this state.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We must resist this infusion of left wing cancel culture of trying to censure and get rid of anybody that we disagree with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Cheney put out this statement in response saying, my vote to impeach was compelled by the oath I swore to the Constitution. Wyoming citizens know this oath does not bend or yield to politics or partisanship. I will always fight for Wyoming values and stand up for our western way of life. Unapologetic and clearly a test for not only Cheney but many other Republicans who dare to speak or criticize or go against the former president. Ana?

CABRERA: I still keep thinking of Adam Kinzinger and what we've discussed last week, that he's getting disowned by his own family for his vote to impeach. Thank you, Suzanne.

Joining us now is Democratic Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.

Senator, Donald Trump, through his lawyers, has quickly said no to testifying at his Senate impeachment trial. Your Democratic colleague in the Senate, Joe Manchin, also said it would be a dog and pony show. I wonder, what's your view? Do you think Donald Trump should be subpoenaed or would it be too much of a spectacle?

SEN. BOB CASEY (D-PA): Well, it's great to be with you. I think that's a determination, really, that has to be made by the House managers. They are the ones that will present the evidence and make the argument. So I'm going to defer to them on that question.

CABRERA: Would you like him to testify? Would you like to hear from the former president on the stand?

CASEY: Well, some days, yes, some days, no. But I think it's really a determination they have to make with regard to any witness. What I'm going to do as a juror is listen carefully to the presentations on both sides and then make a determination, but they really have to make that decision.

[07:05:00]

I'm just looking at a 77-page filing that they made, which has a lot of damning evidence in it already. I haven't got through all of it but there's a lot of compelling evidence.

I think it's important to the American people to hear all of the evidence in one presentation, not just rely upon our memories.

CABRERA: We're just days away, of course, from the start of the trial. There are a lot of unknowns still, including whether other witnesses will be all called and, on that note, Senator Lindsey Graham issued this warning to Democrats.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): But if you open up that can of worms, we'll want the FBI to come in and tell us about how people actually preplanned these attacks and what happened with the security footprint at the Capitol. You open up Pandora's box if you call one witness and I hope we don't call any and get this trial over next week when it starts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: What's your reaction to that?

CASEY: Look, that's Lindsey's view. But the bottom line here is we have to have a trial. It's important that the American people see that any official is held accountable. No one is above the law, no matter what Lindsey Graham says or anybody else.

Now, if the House managers want to call witnesses and they think they need that to make their case, they should do that. But it's not up to Lindsey Graham or to me to make those determinations. If he wants to have an investigation about what happened before the attack and what the Capitol police did or did not do, fine.

But this is a trial about the conduct of the president of the United States which was led among other things, not to just death and destruction, that led people coming to the Capitol trying to kill his vice president. That's what this is about.

CABRERA: Do you feel bad for people like Liz Cheney?

CASEY: Well, I think Liz Cheney did something which was all too rare in Washington. She stood up for principle at great political risk, as you just reported. And I hope, I hope, and I can only hope, that Republican senators will look to Liz Cheney and others for some measure of inspiration to do the right thing.

This is about holding him accountable. You don't even have to worry about him being removed from office. He's gone. This is about holding an official accountable. It's one of the only ways to uphold the basic foundations of our democracy. Otherwise, any president could do whatever the hell they want and then just resign before an impeachment starts or an impeachment is commenced or completed.

CABRERA: Let's talk COVID relief for a moment. President Biden says he will not cut, he will compromise on the $1,400 stimulus payments, and that if he has to go it alone without Republicans to get his $1.9 trillion plan, then so be it.

Are there any areas in that plan though where Democrats would be willing to compromise?

CASEY: Sure. But, look, I don't think he should compromise on that amount. I think that should be a firm, kind of a red line. But there are areas where I think there can be compromise.

CABRERA: Like what?

CASEY: Well, there's no question that there's some compromise about where you draw the line on the $1,400 check, what income levels. I know the president, his team and the folks in the Senate and the House I'm sure are talking about that. So we'll have to see how that plays out.

But in the end, we've got to do three basic things here. We've got to get dollars out the door to speed up vaccinations. If we don't speed up vaccinations, nothing else really matters. We also have to do everything we can to open up schools and, thirdly, we've got to get relief to people. The hunger, the food insecurity across this country is like never before and that's just one example of people who are suffering.

CABRERA: I feel so deeply for so many Americans right now telling the stories of moms and dads and brothers and sisters who are just really, really struggling.

You said vaccinations and the speed of vaccinations is key. There is a proposal out there from the problem-solver's caucus, a bipartisan group, saying, take out the vaccination funding specifically. Just get that done. Let's pass that as a standalone, would you agree to do that?

CASEY: No.

CABRERA: Why?

CASEY: That's one way to slow the train down of getting something done. We don't have -- we have no time to sit back and wait. We have to get this money out the door because all the economists --

CABRERA: That's what they want to do on that particular issue. It seems like you agree that there is no time to waste. CASEY: No. We've got to get money out for vaccinations and we have to get at aid out the door. So I'm not going to hide behind some limited bill here. We've got to get the whole bill out the door.

And, look, if Republicans want to work us, fine, but we're going to get this bill done, can be signed by the president of the United States, it will be completed after the impeachment trial. And we've got to get this bill done no later than early part of mid-March.

[17:10:00]

CABRERA: Senator Bob Casey, thank you very much for taking the time and sharing your thoughts today.

CASEY: Thank you.

CABRERA: The Biden administration took steps this week to reunite families who were separated at the U.S.-Mexico border under the Trump administration's zero tolerance policy. And who can ever forget moments like this uncovered by ProPublica.

Still so painful to hear that. I sat down for an exclusive interview with the homeland security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, who is the first immigrant and the first Latino to lead that agency and I asked him about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: What was it like for you on a personal note to hear the cries we all heard on the tape of the children who were being taken from their parents, their family members?

ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Ana, I am a father. I am a husband. I am a son. I am a brother. I have not heard before a pain as acute and heartbreaking as that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Coming up, much more of my exclusive interview with Secretary Mayorkas. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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[17:15:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: You'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong.

I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.

We fight like hell and if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: That was then President Trump one month ago today, speaking just before the Capitol riot broke out. Next week, his lawyers plan to argue that his conduct around the January 6th attack at the Capitol is shielded by the First Amendment and that punishing him for his baseless claims about election fraud would violate his right to free speech and thought.

But more than 140 First Amendment lawyers and constitutional scholars beg to differ. In a letter obtained by The New York Times, although we differ from one other in our politics, disagree on questions of constitutional law and take different approaches to understanding the Constitution's text, history and context, we all agree that any First Amendment defense raised by President Trump's attorneys would be legally frivolous. In other words, we all agree that the First Amendment does not prevent the Senate from convicting President Trump and disqualifying him from holding future office.

Joining us now, former Assistant Special Prosecutor during Watergate Nick Akerman and CNN Political Analyst and White House Correspondent for The Grio, April Ryan. Great to have both of you.

Nick, if you were on the Trump team, how would you be defending him?

NICK AKERMAN, FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK: Well, I just think you have to go right to the heart of the matter. That is, whether or not he actually incited a riot and incited the -- what happened on the Capitol steps and what happened inside the Capitol.

I wouldn't be doing what these lawyers are doing, which is basically evading the issue altogether. I mean, instead, they're going off on this First Amendment defense. They're trying to say that a reasonable jurist could find what Trump said about the election might be true or might be false, which is what 60 other jurists and courts have already found was not true, that there was no fraud in the election.

So this is a pretty hard case to defend and I think the only thing that I could possibly do here would be to try and deflect attention away from the central issue, which is what these lawyers are doing and trying to create a smoke screen to avoid the real issues that the senators have to come to grips with. That is, whether or not Donald Trump incited an insurrection at the Capitol.

CABRERA: I think a lot of people wonder whether any arguments are going to make a difference, April, or if Democrats and Republicans have already made up their mind before the trial. Our CNN Legal Analyst Ross Garber made this observation, and I quote, bizarre, the Senate adopted no rules or procedures regarding subpoenas, witnesses, depositions, arguments, et cetera. Trial starts Tuesday. Not a signal the majority Senate Ds are taking this very seriously. How do you see it?

APRIL RYAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, the majority Senate Ds are taking it very seriously. I talked with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer just a few hours ago and he is saying that he is going to vote to convict. Why? Because he remembers January 6th vividly. He recounted when the insurrection happened.

He was grabbed by the collar by a police officer and told, you are in danger. And he along with the three other leaders of the House and Senate were whisked away, away from the Capitol to an undisclosed location. He remembers very vividly and he is saying that Republicans are basically trying to sweep this under the rug but there is video showing what Democrats are going to have to do.

They're going to have to give compelling evidence, videos that we have never seen before, to change the minds and the hearts of those Republicans who are already determined to not convict Donald John Trump of this insurrection that happened on January 6th.

[17:20:03]

But mind you, we don't all hear this word a lot, of the word, infamy. The secretary of the Smithsonian, Lonnie Bunch, the nation's top historian, gave January 6th that titling. So we'll see on Tuesday how everyone views this and what will be on the floor for us to watch.

CABRERA: And remember, it's the big lie that really started all of this, that led to the actions that we saw take place on January 6th.

But, Nick, last night, we got breaking news that Fox Business was canceling its highest rated show, Lou Dobbs Tonight, just a day after a voting technology company named him Fox News and other personalities as part of a $2.7 billion lawsuit over election disinformation.

I know you say this lawsuit is a real threat to the existence of Fox News. Explain.

AKERMAN: Well, everybody always asks me, what is the big difference between back in Watergate and today? And one of those big differences is Fox News, that people do not get their facts from the same place and have the same facts because Fox News basically follows the alternate facts that Donald Trump has spewed out.

What is amazing here, this suit is really a viable lawsuit. I brought these kinds of suits before. I've defended these kinds of suits. I mean, they have gotten very powerful evidence that the defendants, in this case, including Lou Dobbs, including other Fox personalities, Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, purposely lied and used smart as the villain here to try and create a lie and give legs to this lie in order to make it believable.

And what you've got now is you actually have a private company bringing a lawsuit here to -- for defamation that could actually change the behavior of Fox News. I mean, and change the behavior of a lot of other companies that are like Fox News out there that would be following suit. I mean, you couldn't have the government do this because it would look like too far reaching and a violation of First Amendment rights.

But what's amazing here and what really is ironic is that you've got a private corporation doing this, basically, taking us back to what our democracy is supposed to be. It's supposed to be based on everybody having the same facts, discussing the same facts, to come to a policy resolution. And here it is. I mean, we've got now two lawsuits like this out there that are really forcing companies like Fox News to think twice before spinning these lies on behalf of Donald Trump and others.

CABRERA: Finally, right? That's my reaction. April, what was yours when you learned that Lou Dobbs had been canceled?

RYAN: I'm not shocked because it's common sense. When you obscure facts with entertainment and people are sick of it and you are messing with other people's branding and their money, they're going to hit you in the pocket and make you cringe.

And that's what happened to state-run T.V., or as we call it, Fox and Fox Business. Lou Dobbs promoted the lies that then-President Donald John Trump told and questioned the electoral system with the equipment that's part of the process.

So I'm not surprised. And I believe this is a signaling of more to come.

CABRERA: And they knew better. That's what's so unbelievable. April Ryan and Nick Akerman, you both are so smart, great to have you with us. Thanks.

AKERMAN: Thank you.

CABRERA: Today marks one year since the first known coronavirus death in the United States. One year later, more than 460,000 Americans have now died from COVID-19.

But there is some encouraging news as vaccines are ramping up. Our medical analyst is here to discuss next. Stay with us. You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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[17:25:00]

CABRERA: This week, COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the U.S. outnumbered new cases of the virus ten to one. The CDC reporting today, overall, more than 39 million doses have been administered so far. Cases are down. It's been 20 days since the U.S. topped 200,000 new daily cases. Hospitalizations are also down, dropping below 90,000 this week for the first time in over two months. And take a look at this map, no red in sight.

Want to bring in Dr. Jonathan Reiner, he's a CNN Medical Analyst and a Professor of the Medicine at George Washington University.

Dr. Reiner, as these numbers decline, some states are starting to ease restrictions again, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, all announcing that restaurants can reopen with capacity restrictions, for example. We've seen this before, metrics improve, states roll back restrictions, a few weeks later, cases spike. What goes through your mind when you see states roll back restrictions right now? Are we in the clear?

DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Oh, no, this is such a bad idea. Who slows down once you break into the lead? It makes zero sense. Look, there's a lot of worry about variants that might become (INAUDIBLE) over the next few months. And just because we see fewer hospitalizations, you know, we still have over 3,000 people a day dying. U.S. still has almost 130,000 new cases a day and this is not the time to let our guard down. This is the time to stay covered up and to vaccinate like crazy.

[17:30:03]

But we heard this week that the governors of North Dakota and Iowa were removing mask mandates. It makes no sense. Particularly, for a state like Iowa that has some of the highest case rates in the country.

CABRERA: And you think about the mask, specifically, and the Biden administration trying to call in everybody to wear masks for 100 days straight.

And now there's word they may be mailing a mask to every American. The issue is you can mail to everyone but it doesn't necessarily mean they will wear them.

Do you think that move would be helpful or have an impact?

REINER: Ana, that was one of the great lost opportunities of the last administration. They were going to mail about 600 million masks, about five masks to every household in the United States at the beginning of April.

It was a plan from HHS and the United States Postal Service. But the White House cancelled it because it ran afoul with the president's disinformation campaign that the virus was nothing to worry about.

That was an enormous lost opportunity.

Now I see less of an opportunity for mailing masks unless you're mailing people N-95 masks or high-quality surgical masks.

CABRERA: OK.

(CROSSTALK)

CABRERA: Hold your thought on that because I want to ask about that specifically.

But I want you, before we discuss more about that, to listen to what I heard from Dr. Sanjay Gupta this week that caught my attention.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Now I don't think the supply of masks, these cloth masks, is the issue. I think the larger question is: Can we get people masks like this, the N-95 masks?

One of the guys I talked to at Harvard, who's a tracking the virus, said, if people wore these N-95 masks in high-risk situations for four weeks, just the mask for four weeks, we could essentially end this pandemic in the United States.

So that's another discussion about masks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Are there enough of these types of masks? Should we all be wearing them?

REINER: Anyone who can get an N-95 or a KN-95 mask from a reputable distributor should absolutely wear them.

Look, we know that sort of a single-ply cloth masks are really the least effective at preventing acquisition of the virus. As you get into the three-ply surgical masks and KN-95 and N-95 masks, your protection increases.

If you're wearing a mask and your glasses fog, then your mask is not secure enough. It's not sealing enough. And these N-95 masks or KN-95 masks are much more effective against sealing.

And plus, they're constructed in a way that the actual material has electrostatic charge that traps virus particles.

Yes, anyone who goes shopping in a store now, in a supermarket now or who has a front-facing public-facing job should be wearing a high- quality mask.

Wear a mask as if your life depends on it.

CABRERA: That's true.

(CROSSTALK)

REINER: One of the big mistakes we made was trying to get people to protect your neighbors, be altruistic. Now wear a mask as if your own life depends on it.

CABRERA: I like that.

Let me get to this real quick. We only have 30 seconds for the answer.

You say the key to reopening schools is vaccinating teachers. We heard the CDC director with a different message this week saying it may be safe enough to reopen schools without all teachers having the vaccine.

Why do you think that's the answer?

REINER: First of all, I know teachers. My mom was a New York City public schoolteacher for 30 years.

They're dedicated to their kids and they're very loyal to each other. And they also belong to a very big union that looks out for them.

No matter what we tell them, if they don't feel safe, they will not go into the classrooms.

I'm not sure we have data to prove they're safe. All the existing data being touted now is with the wild-type virus that was predominant months ago.

But as the variants become more present in our cities, we don't know that the teachers will be safe. That virus is much more transmissible.

The only way to protect our teachers is to vaccinate them. We have 3.7 million teachers. We have enough vaccine to do that. We should do that over the next two weeks. And then a month from now, we open all of our schools.

CABRERA: Dr. Jonathan Reiner, as always, thank you for your insight and expertise.

We'll be right back.

[17:34:30]

REINER: My pleasure.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: Now to my exclusive one-on-interview with the new secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas. He is the first Latino. He is the first immigrant to head a department.

And as he begins his new job, Mayorkas calls domestic terrorism one of the greatest threats to the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: I want to start with the events of January 6th. The U.S. Capitol was attacked for the first time in more than 200 years by our fellow Americans.

How will the events of that day inform your approach to your new role as Homeland Security Secretary?

ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Ana, let me start on a personal note, if I may. My parents brought my sister and me to this country to enjoy the freedoms of our country, to have the opportunities that a democracy presented.

The Capitol represents one of the pillars of our democracy. And to see the insurrection, to see the horrific acts of January 6th, were not only personally devastating, but a commitment created in me, a commitment to redouble our efforts to fight hate and to fight one of the greatest threats that we face currently on our homeland, which is the threat of domestic terrorism.

CABRERA: I want to dig into that specifically because DHS put out a bulletin just last week warning of a heightened threat of violent domestic extremism.

[17:40:02]

How imminent is this threat and what is your plan to address it?

MAYORKAS: Ana, the threat is persistent. It was exemplified, it was illustrated horrifically by the events of January 6th. The threat of domestic terrorism preceded that terrible day and it persists to this day.

What we, in the Department of Homeland Security, do is we gather intelligence. We gather information. We share that with our state, local, tribal, and territorial partners as we collectively in an all- of-government effort, not just the federal government, but all of government across the country, combat hate and the violence that accompanies it.

CABRERA: What is the biggest challenge in trying to combat this threat?

MAYORKAS: I think is to identify where the line between hateful rhetoric and hateful action takes place, to be well ahead of the action before it occurs and to stop it.

Our primary responsibility as the Department of Homeland Security is to protect the safety and security of the American people. And that means taking preventive actions before they occur of course.

CABRERA: Canada just announced today that the Proud Boys would be designated as a terrorist group there. Will you be considering ways to limit the Proud Boys here in the U.S.?

MAYORKAS: I think our focus is on actions that violate our social norms, that violate our laws, and to ensure that those violations don't occur. That is where our focus is going to be.

CABRERA: I want to turn to the topic of immigration because this is an issue that must be personal to you. As you mentioned at the top, your mom's family fled the Nazis during the Holocaust and settled in Cuba where you were born before, of course, your family immigrated to the U.S.

What does it mean to be the first Latino, the first immigrant to helm the Department of Homeland Security?

MAYORKAS: Ana, it is a privilege. It is an honor. And it is an awesome responsibility.

It is an awesome responsibility to demonstrate not only from coast to coast and border to border, but around the world, what this nation can be and what it is. It is a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.

And I think the President's vision of adhering to our laws and adhering to our values and serving once again as a leader throughout the world is a vision that I am extraordinarily proud to be a part of executing. CABRERA: President Biden just named you to lead a task force to reunite families who were separated at the border during the Trump administration as far back as 2017.

And as of last month, there are still hundreds of children who have not been reunited with their families, with their parents.

How hard will it be to bring these families back together? Do you have a clear sense yet of just how many families need to be reunited?

MAYORKAS: Ana, however hard it is, we will get the job done.

I was sworn in as the Secretary of Homeland Security yesterday. I had the privilege of being in the company of the President of the United States. And the President articulated, yet again, the urgency and the priority of this mission.

The cruelty of the prior administration has come to an end. And now we will demonstrate to the world what we as Americans are.

CABRERA: What was it like for you, on a personal note, to hear the cries we all heard on the tape of the children who were being taken from their parents and their family members?

MAYORKAS: Ana, I am father, I am a husband, I am a son, I am a brother. I have not heard before a pain as acute and heartbreaking as that. And it is our commitment to make sure that pain is not felt again.

CABRERA: President Biden has also launched a review of Trump immigration initiatives, including that "Remain in Mexico" policy.

We've been speaking with immigrant advocates who say they don't have answers for their clients who are stuck in limbo at the border.

When will those people trapped in life-or-death situations, in some cases, get answers?

[17:45:01]

MAYORKAS: We, Ana, are addressing that with a due urgency as well. The President has articulated clearly that the policy will come to an end.

And we are tasked with the obligation of operationalizing effectively, intelligently, and carefully the end to that policy.

And we are looking at that as recently as earlier today. I myself was involved in those discussions. The urgency of that also cannot be overstated.

CABRERA: You use the word "empathy." President Biden says it's time to reestablish America's reputation as a haven for people in need.

How do you make sure you're doing that, but not unintentionally giving a green light to migrants attempting to cross the border illegally? Because there was a huge surge at the southern border when you were deputy DHS Secretary under President Obama.

MAYORKAS: Ana, this returns to the core principle that I articulated earlier, which is, we are a nation of laws and we are a nation of immigrants.

We used to lead the world in our stature as a country of refuge. And we will once again lead the world in that regard. We have asylum laws that provide humanitarian relief.

Those who qualify under those laws are entitled to the relief that we extend. Those who do not, will not be able to remain in our country.

And we can effectively implement both responsibilities and both opportunities to be both a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. That's our core and fundamental obligation.

CABRERA: One of the biggest threats facing everyday Americans today is the pandemic. You oversee FEMA, which is supporting vaccination sites right now, providing financial assistance and federal supplies to state and local governments.

What does that effort look like? And what more can FEMA and DHS do to increase the number of people getting vaccinated?

MAYORKAS: So this is, again, a significant priority of ours. We, as you well know, we have many priorities. And because of the talent and dedication of our workforce, we're going to execute on all of them effectively.

And the vaccination effort, the bold vision that the President has outlined is but one example of the responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security and the fulfillment of those responsibilities.

Under Bob Fenton's able leadership, the acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management administration, we are setting up vaccine centers throughout the country.

The President outlined the goal of 100 centers in 30 days. And we are well underway.

The President outlined an effort to vaccinate 100 million people in 100 days. FEMA has dispensed $1.7 billion to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to assist them in that effort.

This is an all-of-government, all-of-community effort. And we are proud to play a pivotal role in defeating this pandemic once and for all.

CABRERA: We've talked about the domestic security threat. I also want to ask you about an emerging foreign threat to U.S. national security right now.

The Russian hack of the U.S. government and American corporations has been described as the modern-day cyber equivalent of Pearl Harbor. And now there's evidence the Chinese have exploited the same vulnerability. What will it take to recover from this attack and to secure the

country's cyber infrastructure?

MAYORKAS: Ana, there is no better catalysts, regrettably, for swift and decisive and bold action than an adverse event, which the SolarWinds hack, the very sophisticated cyberattack that you referenced is.

And we, as a government, working with Congress, are taking a look at what additional funding can be provided to enhance the security and safety of our federal infrastructure, and our federal information systems.

And to work with the private sector in a public-private partnership to strengthen the hybrid hygiene of critical infrastructure throughout the United States of America.

In the cyber arena, specifically, there's a saying that we're only as strong as our weakest link. And we need to strengthen our weakest link to make sure that we, as a nation, are safe and secure from these pernicious attacks by our adversaries.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: Coming up, it's the Buccaneers versus the Chiefs. That's Super Bowl LV. We'll take you live to Tampa for a preview.

And award-winning actor and best-selling cookbook author, Stanley Tucci is coming to CNN. The new CNN original series, "Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy" premieres next Sunday, February 14th, right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:53:08]

CABRERA: So the winner of tomorrow's Super Bowl will not be going to Disney World. The Magic Kingdom announcing the parade is off this year. Though the iconic commercial will still air following the game.

Let's go to CNN sports anchor, Coy Wire, in Tampa, Florida, from where tomorrow's game will be played.

It's going to be different on a number of levels tomorrow. What can we expect?

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, Ana, no doubt about it. The most unusual Super Bowl that we've ever seen, right?

Both teams normally arriving a week ahead of time just to get adjusted. The Chiefs arriving just hours ago. Yet, another example of the audibles that had to be called that had to be called in a season during a pandemic.

Even players I spoke to, Ana, said they didn't think the season would make it. But with strict protocols and the discipline to follow them, here we are.

Inside Raymond James Stadium behind me, you'll see tomorrow 30,000 cardboard cutout fans in the stands, acting as social distancing barriers for the real fans, 25,000 of them, about a third vaccinated health care workers, heroes invited here by the league.

I spoke to one, Belinda Spahn, a critical care nurse manager at Advent Health North Pinellas.

I asked her what went through her mind when she found out she would be going to the Super Bowl.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BELINDA SPAHN, CRITICAL CARE NURSE MANGER: The moment when you think it's awesome -- and it is. It's a dream come true to go to the Super Bowl. And yet, it never would have happened if this monster hadn't had have descended upon us.

And I'd sit in the living room and cheer the Bucs on if we could turn back time and not had this pandemic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: So inspiring, Ana. Belinda leads about 30 to 40 nursing. Her team is as tough as any playing in the Super Bowl.

She said she has learned so much about the human spirit, how resilient we are, how much we can accomplish working together.

She says they have huddles every day. They go over their game plan. And the mantra, Ana, is mission possible.

[17:55:05]

So we thank --

CABRERA: I love her.

(CROSSTALK)

WIRE: -- Belinda and all of her team and those health care workers across the country.

CABRERA: No doubt about it. So grateful that they at least get to be honored tomorrow night for all the hard work that they do. I'm sure it feels like a thankless job sometimes.

Coy Wire, thank you for the great reporting.

That does it for me tonight. I'm Ana Cabrera.

The news continues after a quick break with Pamela Brown.

I'll see you back here tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 Eastern in the CNN NEWSROOM. Have a great night. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)