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FBI Releases New Video in Capitol Pipe Bomb Investigation; Queen Elizabeth Breaks Silence. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired March 09, 2021 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:00]

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: Queen Elizabeth breaking her silence today over that bombshell interview from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, where they accused the royal family of racism and yanking their security protection.

A statement from Buckingham Palace indicates that -- quote -- "The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan" -- quote.

We have so much more on that statement and, of course, how the royal family intends to address the couple's claims.

Plus, that final vote on President Biden's $1.9 trillion relief bill will get under way no later than tomorrow morning. It is expected to pass. And when and if it does, those paychecks could come to you in a matter of days from the bank accounts of millions of struggling Americans. We will talk about that timeline.

And, oh, it feels so good to be able to say this today. New infections of COVID-19 are consistently declining this week. And, yes, while that sounds like a step forward, the CDC, though, is cautioning against taking two steps back, as more and more states are gearing up to reopen, even though only a fraction of their populations have been fully vaccinated.

So, joining me with more on that is CNN's Nick Watt.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This country is now averaging under 60,000 new COVID-19 cases a day, and about 60 percent of Americans 65 and older, the demo in deepest danger, have had at least one dose of vaccine.

DR. CRAIG SPENCER, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER: No guarantee that just because we're ramping up our vaccine at record levels nearly every day that we're completely out of the woods.

WATT: There are now CDC guidelines for the fully vaccinated. Basically, they can mix unmasked with each other in private. In public, still mask and distance.

DR. CARLOS DEL RIO, PROFESSOR OF GLOBAL HEALTH, EMORY UNIVERSITY: I was a little disappointed that they didn't say anything about travel.

WATT: We're told the CDC talked about travel, but there was never momentum behind a change. Official advice remains, just don't. Still, more than five million people flew these past five days.

DEL RIO: Already, people are traveling. There's spring break coming up. I think it's important to tell people how to travel.

WATT: Starting tomorrow, no more mask mandate in Texas and businesses can open without restriction. Many say they will still ask customers to mask up.

ART ACEVEDO, HOUSTON, TEXAS, POLICE CHIEF: I can see the conflict coming, and the cops will be stuck in the middle, just like we always are.

WATT: By the way, nearly 14 percent of tests are coming back positive in the Lone Star State; 5 or under suggest the virus is under control.

SYLVESTER TURNER (D), MAYOR OF HOUSTON, TEXAS: But let's not lose sight of the fact people are going to get the virus and people are going to die.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATT: So, in Texas, from tomorrow, it's going to be up to businesses, but also school districts, about what to do with masks. Now, the Magnolia district, just north of Houston, they voted last night that as of April 1 they will not require masks for students or staff.

Quick scan of their Facebook page ,reaction is mixed, one person calling the decision stupid and reckless, another proud of the board for -- quote -- "freeing our children from filthy masks" -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Everyone wants to get back to normalcy.

I want to start with my next guest on that.

Nick Watt, thank you.

Now that there is a bit more good news coming in about lower case numbers and higher vaccination rates, more Americans are feeling optimistic about reclaiming their normal routines. Look at this new poll. A new Axios/Ipsos poll shows 40 percent of Americans expect to be able to return to normal within six months. That is up from when they were last polled in January. And you see there 17 percent say it will take an entire year.

And while things are looking up, experts caution we still have to be careful.

Joining me more on that point is public health specialist and primary care physician Dr. Saju Mathew. Dr. Mathew, good to see you again. Welcome.

DR. SAJU MATHEW, PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN AND PUBLIC HEALTH SPECIALIST: Thank you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: As we are seeing these very promising numbers and cases and deaths going down, and people are getting vaccinated, yet health professionals keep warning everyone to be careful, all of these variants still, that we're -- quote, unquote -- "in the eye of the hurricane."

Which is it, Dr. Mathew?

MATHEW: You know, Brooke, I describe the way I feel about COVID with two separate words. Initially, I always used the word cautiously optimistic. Now I use the word optimistic.

I definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm not cautiously optimistic. I'm optimistic. But I'm also cautious. And what I mean by that is, on one hand, we're worried about the possibility of these variants.

With the daily cases, like Nick Watts said, under 60,000, we think about 20 percent of those daily cases, Brooke, are from these variants that were worried about, especially the U.K. strain that we know is more deadly and more contagious.

But just today, here at work, I see about 15 to 20 patients. Sixty percent of my patients today were vaccinated, and that is huge. I can definitely feel like a load has been taken off of my back. I'm fully vaccinated. A lot of my elderly patients and young patients are vaccinated.

[15:05:12]

So, that's the exciting part. That's the optimistic part. But we have to hang in there. We have had a long year. I'm telling all Americans that our viewers, hang in there for two or three more months, and we can get out of this pandemic.

BALDWIN: As we are hanging in there -- and I feel your optimism sort of radiating through the screen -- the issue, though, is, people are like, all right, I can get vaccinated. That means I can travel.

But the airline industry, Dr. Mathew, was pushing back on that CDC guidance that people who are vaccinated fully still should avoid travel. I was talking to Dr. Leana Wen yesterday on the show, and she said that the travel guidance, her quote was defies common sense.

What do you think? Do you think people who are fully vaccinated should be allowed to jump on planes, should be allowed to travel?

MATHEW: So, if you look at the signs, it's very clear, and I agree with Dr. Wen, if you are vaccinated, traveling should be safe.

Already, just the travel itself of being on an aircraft with the HEPA air filtration systems and the fact that everybody has to wear a mask, that, in of itself, is a very safe activity. And if I'm doubly vaccinated, fully vaccinated, technically, it should really be low risk.

But I could see where the CDC director, Dr. Walensky, she's being really careful. Brooke, we have been through a year of mixed messaging and conflicting messaging, that I think that the CDC wants to be absolutely sure, before the issue, if you will, like some type of guidance on travel, they don't want to have to go back and modify it.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: No, listen, I totally get that.

Forgive me for jumping in, Dr. Mathew. And, yes, Dr. Walensky, they're still coming down pretty hard and cautiously, understandably, given the year we have had. But if the CDC keeps all the strict guidelines in place, even for people who have had their vaccines, do you worry that that will encourage some people from even bother to get the shots?

MATHEW: I can see both sides, Brooke. I think that this could actually be an incentive if the CDC comes out and says, hey, guys, not only can you hug your grandparents or grandparents can hug your grandkids if you're fully vaccinated, you can hop on a flight, you can travel.

I want to go to Paris. That's my destination after the pandemic is over.

BALDWIN: Exactly.

MATHEW: And I know, Brooke, you like to travel as well.

But I also feel like they need to make a statement that is clear. And I think, with these variants looming, they're just being a little cautious. But I feel like, in the next couple of weeks, as more Americans get vaccinated, those guidelines will be upgraded.

BALDWIN: We will be watching them so, so carefully.

Dr. Saju Mathew, good to see you again. Thank you so much.

MATHEW: Thank you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: We are finally hearing now from the British royal family about that explosive, headline-making interview that Oprah Winfrey conducted with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Buckingham Palace issuing this statement on behalf of the queen just a little while ago. Here it is. She says: "The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved family members." Now, that statement coming out just hours after Prince Harry's father, Prince Charles, basically ducked a reporter's question about that interview. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Sir, can I ask what did you think of the interview?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Well, Prince Charles avoiding the question while appearing at this COVID vaccination clinic in London today.

Now, in contrast, the British papers have been detailing a lot about Harry and Meghan's devastating claims of racism within the royal family and in the media coverage of her, along with reaction to Meghan's descriptions of isolation and despair so deep that, while pregnant, she says she contemplated suicide.

CNN royal correspondent Max Foster is live this evening for us there in Windsor.

And, first, Max, of all your years covering the family, what do you make of the queen's response?

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, these things are very carefully crafted. They're almost in code, aren't they? On the face of it, they look very simple.

But at the very top, this was not a statement from Buckingham Palace. They said it's on behalf of Her Majesty, the queen. She's in the castle behind me. So this is from the boss. It's kind of sit down and listen.

Meghan and Harry in their interviews said they expressed all of their concerns to the family and they weren't acted upon, the family didn't support them, so they were forced to leave.

We spoke about that yesterday, Brooke. But this statement, where you read, "We're saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been," they are saying that they didn't know the full extent.

[15:10:10]

So, they're challenging what Meghan and Harry was saying in the interview to that extent. And, also, you pointed this out. Some recollections may vary. This is about the conversation on race in relation to Archie.

So, Harry has one recollection. The person in the family who is in the room with him speaking to him has a very different recollection. So there are two views here. So I think you read what you can into it. I think that's my interpretation. They're not agreeing with what Harry and Meghan said, but they want to take this out of the public sphere, off TV, behind palace walls. They're saying, let's speak about this. BALDWIN: But if they do that, Max, if they work on this privately,

what do you know about Prince Harry's current relationship with his family?

FOSTER: Well, he admitted pretty much in the interview he's not in touch with Prince William. He may have been in touch with Prince Charles.

But, obviously, that's a very charged relationship. I'm not sure what happened as they were crafting this statement. I got in touch with the Sussex office. They're not going to respond to this. So perhaps the Sussexes have been in touch with the family. And they have agreed to start talking about this, which would be great news.

This is a family affair. It would great to see them resolve it. But it is pretty pointed. I spoke to a source. They said to me, at the heart of this is a family. They should be given the opportunity to discuss the issues raised privately as a family, a shot across the bows, really, to the Sussexes, saying you shouldn't be doing this on TV.

So, you know, hopefully, they can resolve this behind the scenes. I think everyone's trying to draw a line on this. I think it really depends now on whether the Sussexes are happy with what they get out of this. If they're not, they may well go back on TV and talk about it, because that was their solution this time.

BALDWIN: Yes.

One more question for you, max, because this Sussexes, Meghan and Harry, they talked about this symbiotic relationship between the palace and the British press. And she mentioned specifically the holiday parties for the press hosted at the palace. And then Harry said -- quote -- "There is this invisible contract behind closed doors, behind the institution and U.K. tabloids."

And he called it -- quote -- "a level of control by fear that has existed for generations."

After all of this, Max, do you see that changing?

FOSTER: I don't. I think there's a difference of opinion, frankly.

I mean, other people would argue the opposite discussion is democracy. Right? So, you got pillars of the British democracy, and the monarchy is part of that. Parliament is another part of that. The media is the other part of that.

I think, if you spoke to people in the palace, they would say, we can't choose -- pick and choose which parts of the media we're going to speak to. Most people read tabloids. We have got to keep working with them.

Harry and Meghan, throughout their time here, wanted to stop working with the tabloids because they didn't like the lies that they spread. I think the rest of the family have accepted they have to deal with it as an instrument of the establishment here. So there's just a difference of opinion there. Also, a lot of the

tabloid reporters telling me today they have never been invited to a party by anyone in the royal family.

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: Max Foster, thank you very much.

The queen's residence there in Windsor. Thank you.

We have so much more ahead on the royal response to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's interview with Oprah. He is addressing the concerns over racism privately. Is that enough? We will talk about that.

And the massive COVID relief bill is closer to full passage, and it is set to be one of the biggest boosts to American families in decades. What you can expect and when.

And New York prosecutors just subpoenaed an investment firm that loaned millions of dollars to former President Donald Trump. What are they looking for? We will talk about that.

You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin. We will be right back.

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[15:18:31]

BALDWIN: We're back. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you for being here.

The British royal family is now speaking out today about Prince Harry and Meghan's explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey. Buckingham Palace say on behalf of the queen that she is saddened at how challenging the last few years have been for the couple. The palace adding that the allegations particularly of race are concerning and says that they will be addressed by the royal family privately.

A source tells CNN the royal family waited to respond and tell the interview aired last night in the U.K.

My next guest, Kehinde Andrews, is a professor of black studies at Birmingham City University in Birmingham, England. He is also the author of the book "The New Age of Empire: How Racism and Colonialism Still Rule the World."

And he wrote this really powerful CNN.com op-ed that I encourage all of you to read.

Kehinde, a pleasure. Welcome.

KEHINDE ANDREWS, BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY: I'm happy to be here.

BALDWIN: So, when you read this statement specifically from the queen, that they're saddened, they're concerned about the racism allegations, that they're going to handle it privately, just for people of color in the U.K., is this what they want to hear? Does that go far enough?

ANDREWS: I think it's just a massive eye roll.

I mean, the idea this is the first time the queen or the palace have heard about these allegations is just -- this is exactly what you get when you raise issues of racism. Oh, what a surprise. We didn't know, like they hadn't been complaining about it previously.

This is actually a slap in the face, I think.

BALDWIN: Wow.

[15:20:00]

I think back -- and you write about this in the in your first graph of your piece about, you think back to their royal wedding. It was may of 2010, the gospel choir singing "Stand By Me," the black bishop from Chicago. You point out in your opinion piece it looked like black excellence.

What happened? What changed?

ANDREWS: Well, I think the problem was that was always a delusion.

I mean, it was -- I think in the piece I mentioned that it was Malcolm X's birthday. And Malcolm X would have been stunned at this kind of piece of theater, which was supposed to usher in this new age. But it was always nonsense. The royal family is the premier symbol of whiteness in the entire world.

The idea that one woman entering it would change that was always a fantasy.

BALDWIN: This is your quote. This was powerful.

You say -- you write about how the queen really is just this symbol and that -- quote -- "The British monarchy is one of the premier symbols of white supremacy, of born-to-rule white elite, encrusted with the wealth and jewels stolen from their former colonies."

And then you conclude with this: "The one silver lining is how the arc of this story has gone from a fairy tale to a cautionary tale for all of those hoping that change will come from our entry into these white institutions."

Kehinde, it seems to me that you have just totally given up on any possible change here within the monarchy. Am I reading that correctly?

ANDREWS: I never had any hope in the first place, so I don't think I could give it up.

I mean, I think this -- when we understand what the monarchy is -- and it really is this deeply colonial role, and not just in the past, but now. I mean, the fact that we take this really white family to represent what Britain is, this tells you that this is a kind of hangover to the colonial time. So, the idea that there was going to be any change here, it was --

like I said, it was always a fantasy. The only thing I am surprised about is just how quickly this happened, because, I mean, it was pretty much fanfare around the wedding and then the press started abusing her straight away. That's only the real surprise here.

BALDWIN: Explain that to me, though, especially just as an American. I mean, so many Americans have been hanging on their every word and we cover them very differently than it seems the U.K. tabloids have.

When you talk about their wedding and what you described as black, seemingly black excellence, you say, no, it was just a delusion, who was delusional?

ANDREWS: I think there was the -- kind of the media, the press, the coverage, around the world as well, like, there is this -- I mean, the crown's massively popular.

In fact, this story may be bigger in America than it is in the U.K., actually. And there is this kind of -- they have this real important role. And it was just this fantasy. It was the princess, the fairy tale. Isn't this great?

But we were all kidding ourselves. Because we -- I don't think we really have come to terms with what the monarchy is and what the British empire is and what that represents. The queen is still the head of state of 15 countries, including Jamaica, where my family are from. It's not something that is past. It's someone that is very present.

BALDWIN: Yes.

Where do we go from here after this giant conversation, after these allegations of race and concern over the baby's skin tone? What happens? Does nothing changed within the monarchy?

ANDREWS: No, I mean, honestly.

The only thing the monarchy could do to benefit race relations would be to abolish itself, literally. I think what -- I think this is actually a good moment, because, in 2018, we were having this really distorted discussion about what racism is in England.

And, actually, today, we're having a much better discussion, where we are talking about the impact of like the paper cuts of racism, the impact of racism. Even if you make it all the way to the top, you're still going to have your mental health damaged by racism.

And I think that's actually a really interesting conversation. And, hopefully, maybe potentially, we can have now a better conversation about racism in the modern world.

BALDWIN: I agree to that. We here in America certainly had our own racial reckoning in the wake of George Floyd's death, and perhaps it takes something such as that and such as this to have those to have those conversations. I do want to ask you, though, about the -- Piers Morgan. I'm sure you

have seen the news. He's now leaving "Good Morning Britain." I don't know the full story there. He used to be a colleague of ours here at CNN, but he has been -- he's somebody who doesn't hold back and he owns that. He's been very outspoken against Meghan.

So let me play -- this is what he said about the interview with Oprah yesterday. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PIERS MORGAN, TALK SHOW HOST: This is a two-hour trash-a-thon of our royal family, of the monarchy, of everything the queen has worked so hard for. And it's all being done as Prince Philip lies in hospital. They trashed everybody.

They basically make out the entire royal family a bunch of white supremacists.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Now let me play another clip. This is what happened today when his co-host called him out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEX BERESFORD, "GOOD MORNING BRITAIN": I understand that you don't like Meghan Markle. You have made it so clear a number of times on this program.

Has she said anything about you since she cut you off? I don't think she has, but yet you continue to trash her.

MORGAN: OK, I'm done with this.

BERESFORD: No, no, no.

MORGAN: Sorry. No.

(CROSSTALK)

BERESFORD: Do you know what? That's pathetic.

(CROSSTALK)

MORGAN: See you later. Sorry. Can't do this.

BERESFORD: This is absolutely diabolical behavior.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:25:03]

BALDWIN: And as I mentioned off the top, in a statement, ITV announced piers has decided to leave the show "GMB," "Good Morning Britain." ITV received thousands of complaints after Piers yesterday said he didn't believe Meghan, but, Kehinde, does this represent -- is this sort of a microcosm that is the battle within the British press right now?

ANDREWS: I think so.

I mean, as somebody who has had many run-ins with Piers Morgan, this is kind of his form. This is what he does. It was grossly offensive, the comments that he made. And I think you have generally -- but I think the issue with Piers Morgan is, a bit like Trump, actually, he actually does represent like quite a big section of the population, right?

Like, a lot of people talk like this, think like this, act like this. And by him leaving the scene, you actually missed that. And I think sometimes the media we kind of have this -- we kind of like to get this liberal in the middle. And we don't want to see the extremes.

But, unfortunately, the extremes are there, certainly in the British press, but actually on a day to day. And I think we will lose that with Piers leaving.

BALDWIN: Piers always so good to me. But, listen, he has his reasons. And he's a man who is loathed and adored.That is for sure.

Kehinde Andrews, thank you so much for the hat.

Want to get used to some breaking news now on the January attack on the U.S. Capitol. The FBI has just released new video in connection with the pipe bombs that were found near the U.S. Capitol Building. And so this angle of the investigation remains one of the most troubling mysteries for law enforcement.

Let's go straight to our justice correspondent, Jessica Schneider.

And, Jessica, what does the video show?

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: It shows many different angles on this, Brooke.

This is a much more robust view of this suspect than we have seen before. The FBI had previously released some video, but it was a very short snippet of this suspect in an alley. But as you can see here, they now have multiple camera angles showing the suspect at various points between 7:30 and 8:30 on January 5, the night before the insurrection, allegedly planting this pipe bomb.

So the FBI putting out this video that they have edited together, really with an urgent plea again to the public two months after this happened. They are still looking for this suspect. They say part of the problem is that he is masked, he is wearing a hood.

And he has not yet been identified, so the FBI releasing all of this bit video, and also the assistant director in charge of the FBI field office here in Washington really putting out a lengthy statement as well, pressing to the public how important it is that these -- that people come forward if they know who this person is.

They put in their press release, maybe you're familiar with the manner of walking, of the style that they're walking, of their gait, even, of their body language, of their mannerisms. So, really Brooke, they are stretching to get any information here, because it's clear they are struggling a lot to pinpoint who this person is.

The assistant director in charge here saying: "We still believe there is someone out there who has information they may not have realized was significant until now. We know it can be a difficult decision to report information about family or friends."

But, Brooke, they're making this plea especially since the FBI at this point, they have made more than 300 arrests in relation to the Capitol attack, but they have not had enough tips to actually pinpoint who this suspect is. So that is a big priority of the FBI.

And today, Brooke, right now releasing this long video. I mean, it's more than two minutes long, showing multiple angles from multiple surveillance cameras, and possibly trying to figure out still who this suspect is -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Hoping soon, with help of video, they will find him or her.

Jessica Schneider, thank you for that from Washington.

Staying in D.C. the U.S. House is gearing up for tomorrow's vote on President Biden's COVID relief plan. If it passes, checks will go out very soon. We will tell you how to know for sure whether you're getting one.

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