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Around 1,200 Migrant Children Expected At Dallas Facility; Spa Shooting Suspect Charged With Murder, Multiple Felonies; Biden Now Aims To Administer 200 Million Doses By His 100th Day; Judge Rules Chauvin Murder Trial Will Continue & Not Relocate; Family Discuses Decision For Two Kids To Participate In Moderna Vaccine Trial; War Of Words Erupts Between Biden & Putin; Trump's Private 757 Jet Abandoned & In Need Of Repairs At New York Airport. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired March 20, 2021 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:00]

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN REPORTER: So, now we are learning that there are up to 1,200 children expected to come to the Dallas Convention Center behind me.

As you mentioned, this is an emergency intake site. It's a temporary measure that the administration is taking to start to alleviate the overcrowding at Border Patrol facility. So, this center behind me has been outfitted with cots to accommodate at least 2,000 children. But again, as we're learning, more children trickling in here. They'll be provided entertainment, medical services, and work with case managers to relocate in the United States, with family.

So, this number just indicating again how quickly the administration is moving to get kids out of those Border Patrol facilities and into the sites like the one behind me so they can start to process through and get them to family in the United States. Fred.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: And you had mentioned earlier that it has a capacity of what, about 2,500 or so. And we're saying that right now, 1500 are on their way?

ALVAREZ: That's right. So, there'll be about 2,300 that this facility will be able to accommodate and it has been outfitted to do just that. So, we're learning, as you mentioned, that 1,200 will come, so it is going to fill up quickly just based on these numbers. And again, that is just because of the sheer number of kids crossing the U.S.-Mexico border alone.

WHITFIELD: All right, Priscilla Alvarez, keep us posted there in Dallas. Thank you so much. The White House has faced intense criticism in the last few weeks over its handling of the crisis at the border. CNN's Arlette Signs is that the White House. So, Arlet, what is the administration saying about this latest move?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, we are still waiting to hear whether the White House will further comment on this latest move. But it is very clear that this is a humanitarian and logistical crisis for this White House in the administration as more migrant undocumented children are crossing into the border and many being housed in these facilities that are just not intended to keep children for very long.

Now, the White House has resisted calling this a crisis a few days ago. White House Press Secretary John Psaki refer to it as a crisis in the briefing but then later walked that back simply calling this a challenge. And you have heard this administration stressing this message that people should not be traveling to try to cross the border at this moment. The President himself saying this week in an interview that people should not come to the border. But this is also quickly becoming a political Flashpoint.

While the Biden administration has blamed some of this on the policies of the past administration under President Trump, you have Republicans traveling down to the border, placing blame on the Biden administration for not being prepared and some Democrats also calling out the way that this has been handled.

But it is very clear that this is not an easy fix. And this is something that will continue to be a priority for the administration as these border crossings continue.

WHITFIELD: All right, Arlette Saenz, thank you so much at the White House.

And now, we have more on the aftermath of those deadly Atlanta spa shootings. A new information about the victims who lost their lives in that attack. In all eight people were killed on Tuesday, six of the victims were Asian women. The owner of Young's Asian massage, Xiaojie Tan is being remembered as someone who made you feel like family.

Delaina Yaun was a mother of two and recently married. Her youngest child just eight months old. Her family is understandably heartbroken.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): They took the most valuable thing I have in my life, I had because she was taken from me. He left me with only pain, the killer who killed my wife, something needs to be done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Hyun Jung Grant was a single mother of two. A GoFundMe account has raised over $2 million for her sons. And Yong Ae Yuewas a licensed massage therapist. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says she was thrilled to finally be back at work after being laid off because of the pandemic.

Let's go now to CNN's Natasha Chen who is outside the Georgia State Capitol. Natasha, where does this investigation stand? And clearly, a lot of people outpouring of thoughts and prayers coming out for the victims.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, this group right here is probably one or 200 strong. This is a protest where everybody is here to support the Asian American community knowing that the investigation is still in progress. We should mention, authorities have charged the suspect with eight counts of murder across two counties and they are still looking into all angles, have not called it a hate crime yet at this point.

But I want to introduce you to someone. Timothy Phan came here, drove here this morning, eight hours, to be at this protest. And he drove from Florida, Port St. Lucie. And remember, the suspect, investigators say, was on his way south to possibly commit more crimes like this in his state.

So, Timothy, why did you drive here? Why was it important to you? How does this relate to you personally?

[13:05:17]

TIMOTHY PHAN, PROTESTER FROM FLORIDA: Well, I live in Florida, right? And when I heard about this right, on top of everything else happening around the country in New York, in the West Coast, you can -- you can easily choose to dismiss it like, oh, it will never be near me, right? But then it happened at Atlanta, Georgia, our neighbors, right. As a Floridian, they are neighbors. So, I felt like I had to be here, you know, because just to support the people here, right?

CHEN: And Timothy, you said that your family works in the nail salon industry. And when you heard that this person was coming down to possibly commit similar crimes, that hit you personally.

PHAN: That hit me personally. That hit me personally. And the people, the women who perished, right, I see my family in them, you know. That's why it just hits home. I see my mother, I see my acquaintances, my colleagues. And I felt like, because the mayor said that, that guy, that (INAUDIBLE), right, if he wasn't -- if he wasn't going to get caught, he wouldn't be heading down to Florida. And who knows, maybe shoot up more salons.

So, I felt like I just had to be here to support the people. And, you know, this is an Asian issue. But on top of that, this is more than that. This is a human issue.

CHEN: And tell me how you feel about the current state of the investigation where authorities are not saying this is racially motivated at this time. What is your reaction to that?

PHAN: My reaction is that oftentimes, you know, Asian people, right, they put their head down, you know. They eat their bitterness, you know. They feel like they have to minimize their pain, right? And for the captain, you know, of the police here, to just dismiss it, you know, as that guy having a bad day is such a cop-out, you know, because --

CHEN: That was difficult for you to hear, obviously.

PHAN: Yes. I feel like, for too often, we're just erased. And that was just a symbol of just erasing our struggle, you know.

CHEN: Timothy, I know this is been so difficult for so many people to talk about, so I appreciate you discussing this with us and for being here. And again, this is a protest in support of the Asian American community, on the heels of this horrific set of shootings on Tuesday with, it looks like, more people arriving as we speak, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Well, I understand. His pause is as powerful as his words. Thank you so much Natasha Chen. I appreciate it.

So, many -- for many of the -- during most of the President's visit to Atlanta, many consider it to be a real powerful symbol in a country where racism has far too often targeted the Asian community. CNN's Amara Walker got emotional in describing her feelings after the president's speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMARA WALKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This really is a moment for Asian- Americans in America. I can't overstate how much it means, I think, for the Asian-American community to see the President and the Vice President who is half Asian, to physically come to Atlanta, to listen to the concerns, and to feel the pain of the Asian-American community, just that acknowledgment because we are a community that has felt invisible for so long.

And for the President to come and say, I see you, I hear you, I feel your pain, and to elevate this issue, I think -- I think a lot of us -- it's a cathartic moment because this first step is to be seen and to be heard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Thank you, Amara, for that. So, here with me now, Angela Hsu. She is the president of the Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association. It's so good to see you. What does it mean for you? What does it mean for you to hear the President and Vice President -- Vice President's acknowledgment and commitment to help heal?

ANGELA HSU, PRESIDENT, GEORGIA ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION: You know, I think it's great. And I was just listening to the rest of your broadcast and the people that were speaking, you know, it really speaks to my heart. I mean, they're really expressing what our community is feeling right now. You know, on the one hand, really jarred and really shocked by what happened.

But on the other hand, like grateful that, you know, after waiting for at least an entire year -- and previous to that there's, you know, acts of Asian American violence but certainly during the pandemic, there has been a lot of market increased in violence against Asian Americans, against the most vulnerable of our population, a lot of elderly people that, you know, we really feel like that finally, we are being heard and that we're visible. So, all the things that, you know, that the last few speakers highlighted, I mean, I think that's very much what our community's feeling.

[13:10:34]

And I think one of the other themes though that, you know, that within our organization that we've been talking about a lot is the idea that Asian-Americans are the perpetual foreigners. I think that, you know, that was really -- that was really true during the coronavirus pandemic. But, you know, you have these conflicts now between the United States and a foreign country like China, and that has a really weird way of reverberating against Asian-Americans.

You know, we're Americans. And, you know, we look at this situation like, you know, draw analogy to like 2003 when the U.S. had a conflict with France. You know, what happened was, we recast French fries as freedom fries. But it wasn't like there were a lot of, you know, old people of European descent getting harassed by people or getting beat up by people.

And so, I think that, you know, that we really need to kind of pause for a moment and think about, why is it that Asian Americans -- how many generations is it going to take for Asian Americans to be perceived as something other than foreign?

WHITFIELD: So, if this is a moment of a realization, right, it's become an eye-opening moment for so much of America, what are you hoping in the near term it is going to bring? What do you -- what is -- what are you most hopeful about? Because this is -- this is so painful and the pain is so deep for so many.

You know, how do people look ahead to weeks or months from now, or is this, you know, still just so deeply entrenched that it's going to take another generation to enlighten people?

HSU: Well, I think that, you know, that it's part of a continual dialogue. And I think that it does date to, you know, the events of last summer with social justice and Black Lives Matter that you know, that we are very much a part of that movement. And, you know, that with the ongoing dialogue about communities of color and their particular issues, you know, that -- I remember, like, last year, I mean, that caused me to go buy Isabel Wilkerson's book and buy for my friends and read it and digest it and really become educated.

And so I think this is a time for dialogue and bridge-building and really being thoughtful about these issues and really trying to find solutions together and walk together. And I think one of your speakers said something about this an everybody problem. Oh, yes, it is an everybody problem.

That's the way I look at it. That's the way people in my organization look at it. You know, we consider the issues that affect other minority communities, like the black community as our issues as well, and that we all need to take collective ownership.

And so that's really what the hope is, is that we're moving together on this stuff. You know, I don't have all the answers. I don't think our organization has all the answers but we feel that, you know, if we all are working together, we can find some answers together and we can learn more about each other and, you know, about these issues.

WHITFIELD: Simply put -- you know, back to that simply put phrase, you know, we're all in it together. We are indeed. Angeles Hsu, thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it.

HSU: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And for more on this conversation, join Anderson Cooper, Amara Walker, Victor Blackwell, and Ana Cabrera for our CNN special Afraid: Fear in America's Communities of Color. That's Monday night at 9:00.

Coming up, President Biden announces a new Coronavirus vaccine goal after putting more than 100 million shots in arms. But what about a vaccine for children? I'll talk live with a couple whose children are participating in the Moderna trial.

And this just in. New video out of London showing anti-lockdown protests getting out of control. We'll have the latest straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:15:00]

WHITFIELD: President Biden is now aiming to get 200 million COVID vaccinations in the arms of Americans by his 100th day in office. The president doubling his goal after administering 100 million doses in just 58 days. After a briefing yesterday at the CDC, the president emphasized the urgent need to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Things may get worse as new variants of the virus spread. That's why we need to vaccinate as many people as quickly as we possibly can because it's best thing we can do to fight back against these variants.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Evan McMorris-Santoro joining me now from New York. So, Evan, what more are you learning?

EVAN MCMORRIS-SANTORO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, as the President indicated in that clip, this push for more vaccines, getting them out quickly, isn't just about making administration look good, or even fulfilling that pent up demand all people have to get that vaccine shot finally. It's also about pushing back on a growing threat of this pandemic which of these -- which are these variants that are spreading across the country.

Yesterday, Dr. Anthony Fauci mentioned that the U.K. variant is now very prevalent here in the United States. He calls it B117. And he said the best way to combat that new variant is through vaccines and masks. Let's listen to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: The way we can counter 117, which is a growing threat in our country, is to do two things to get as many people vaccinated as quickly and as expeditiously as possible with the vaccine that we know works against this variant. And finally, to implement the public health measures that we talked about all the time, and that was on Dr. Walensky's slide, masking, physical distancing, and avoiding congregate settings, particularly indoors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[13:20:28

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: So, look, Fred, people need to get this vaccine when they can get it. Here in New York where I'm standing, at the Javits Center at a large vaccination site, we're about to see a huge new shipment of vaccines getting here.

Senator Chuck Schumer saying yesterday 33 percent more vaccines through the end of the month. He's calling it a supercharge to get that vaccine availability up to try and prevent these variants from taking over. But it's all about getting that vaccine when you can, Fred.

WHITFIELD: That's right. Don't hesitate. If it's available, grab t. Evan McMorris-Santoro, thank you so much. All right, this just in to CNN. Anti-lockdown protests are taking place all across Europe right now. Scuffles are breaking out between demonstrators and police just moments ago in central London.

The U.K. will decide in the coming weeks whether to reopen international travel. Large-scale live events are slated to return in June under the British government's roadmap out of lockdown. Protests are also happening in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands.

All right, coming up next, the trial of a former police officer charged with killing George Floyd is about to enter a new phase. How body camera video could affect the case, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:25:00]

WHITFIELD: The suspect in the deadly shooting spree in the Atlanta area that claimed the lives of eight people including six Asian women faces multiple murder charges and there are growing calls for hate crimes to be added to the list of charges. Areva Martin is a CNN Legal Analyst and a civil rights attorney.

Areva, it's so good to see you. So, the suspect is currently charged with four counts of murder and four additional counts of murder with malice. What does a charge of murder with malice mean? How is that different from just murder?

AREVA MARTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: The malice charged in murder in the state of Georgia just means that he acted with intentionality, that he was deliberate in his actions as he, you know, carried out the murders of these individuals. He planned it. He was intentional without provocation. That's the difference with respect to the charges, Fred. And I think it's important when we look at these charges that we talk

also about the hate crime enhancement. In the state of Georgia, they pass a hate crime law just last summer. It hasn't been --

WHITFIELD: Just last year. Yes.

MARTIN: And it hasn't been tested as of yet. So, the question also remains as whether the district attorneys in the two counties involved in this case are going to see those hate crime enhancements when it gets to the sentencing phase with respect to this defendant.

WHITFIELD: So, you think that would -- that's an intentional delay, sentencing phase, as opposed to you wouldn't attach it on the front end because this -- that hate crimes legislation would involve in the aspects of religion, sex, you know, race, all of that?

MARTIN: Well, in the state of Georgia, they have an opportunity to do it at different stages. They can definitely add it at this stage pre- trial. But they can also attempt to include that as they get to the sentencing phase. Assuming that, you know, there's been a conviction. The actual enhancement requires there to be an underlying conviction on those murder charges.

We've seen some people question whether it's even worth including the hate crime because it only enhances the sentencing by two years, and it provides an additional monetary fine. But I think it is absolutely critical that the hate crime statute in Georgia be applied in this case when you look at the individuals that were targeted when you look at issues of racism, sexism, xenophobia that are clearly connected to the shootings in Atlanta.

WHITFIELD: Yes. I mean, it sounds like you're saying critical because of the very circumstance it would send a strong message as well.

So, let me shift gears to the trial of Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, who is charged with murdering George Floyd. He is expected to -- or that trial is expected to start soon now that a full jury has been selected. So, yesterday a judge rejected a motion to postpone and relocate the trial after defense attorneys argued that a $27 million settlement for the Floyd family was prejudicial to their clients. So, do you expect that settlement will become an issue that could impact this trial?

MARTIN: We saw it come up. When the settlement was announced, there were some jurors that were very clear in their questioning, saying that they could not put that settlement aside, that it would impact their ability to be fair and impartial jurors. And the reality is, Fred, this case has gotten so much publicity, there was not going to be a jurisdiction in the state of Minnesota where you could probably find yours that did not have information about the trial, including the settlement.

I think we have to trust the process. We have to trust the jurors will do what they've been asked to do, which is to focus on the facts and the evidence that will be presented at trial and not allow any evidence or information or anything that's in the media to influence their decision making.

And the reality is our jury system is not perfect.

[13:30:00]

But it's what we have and we trust that jurors will abide by the instructions that will be given by the judge when they deliberate guilt or innocence.

WHITFIELD: How did it sit with you that the judge also ruled that evidence from a 2019 arrest of George Floyd was admissible?

MARTIN: I think it cuts both ways, Fred. Some of that information, particularly given the interaction that Floyd and Chauvin had, we're going to see the prosecutors try to use that establish that Chauvin had a vendetta out against George Floyd, he was biased against George Floyd. So we will see the prosecutors try to use it in that way.

We will see the defendants also try to use that because we know part of their defense is George Floyd died not because he had a knee on the neck for eight minutes or so, but because he had a pre-existing heart condition and that he had drugs in his system.

So I think we're going to see that evidence used by both the prosecutors and the defense.

WHITFIELD: Areva Martin, we will leave it there for now. Thank you very much. Be well.

MARTIN: Thank you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Still ahead, Moderna's vaccine trial for kids is under way. We will meet two of those very special young people and talk to their parents as well, both doctors. And we will talk about how the family made this very big decision.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:35:22]

WHITFIELD: Dr. Anthony Fauci says getting children vaccinated against COVID-19 is likely key to achieving true herd immunity in the U.S.

Moderna announced this week it just kicked off its late-phase vaccine trial in children younger than 12. And it's trial of kids between ages of 12 and 17 began late last year involving 3,000 participants.

Including our next guests, 15-year-old Zoe Campbell and her 12-year- old sister, Esme, joining me along with their smiling and very proud parents, Dr. Lucy Chie and Dr. Justin Campbell.

All right, gorgeous family, all smiles, happy about getting vaccinated.

How are we feeling?

DR. LUCY CHIE, MOTHER OF 2 CHILDREN PARTICIPATING IN MODERNA VACCINE TRIAL: Excited.

WHITFIELD: OK.

Zoe, you tell me first, did you jump at the chance? What was the thought process on getting a COVID-19 vaccine as part of a trial?

ZOE CAMPBELL, PARTICIPATING IN MODERNA VACCINE TRIAL: Well, honestly, I was just really excited because, with the pandemic, a lot has felt out of my control. And I had been looking forward to the vaccine for about a year now.

To be part of that process and science and making the vaccine successful for my friends, and all kids, was super exciting, yes.

WHITFIELD: How are you feeling after that, you had one shot, right?

Z. CAMPBELL: Yes, I had one shot.

WHITFIELD: OK. How have you physically felt?

Z. CAMPBELL: I physically felt great. I think about the day after I got my first shot, my arm was pretty sore but other than that, I didn't feel any symptoMs.

WHITFIELD: OK.

Esme, how about you? Were you nervous about the idea? Did you jump at the chance? Tell me about it.

ESME CAMPBELL, PARTICIPATING IN MODERNA VACCINE TRIAL: Well, similar to Zoe, I thought it would be really cool if I can be one of the people contributing to making the vaccine available for kids.

But also I didn't get many symptoMs. I got a sore arm. And a week after, I got a little rash that lasted only like a day. But, yes, that's basically it.

WHITFIELD: Very brave.

Dr. Chie, is this what kids of doctors are like? They're just like OK, we're all in, we'll give it a shot, or was there any arm-twisting? How did you as a family make this decision?

CHIE: As physicians, we know vaccines are one of our most important public health tools.

And we're just so grateful to science and to all of the scientists who made these vaccines possible. It's been a really tough year for everyone around the world.

And we're grateful to all of the adult participants who participated in the initial trials to show that this vaccine is safe.

Millions of Americans and people around the world have gotten this vaccine safely. My husband and I have gotten the vaccine and feel immense relief from getting it. So when we learned that UMass was a nearby trial site, we were excited

to enroll and register.

When we got the phone call that the girls could participate, we talked about it as a family and the girls were super excited for it.

WHITFIELD: That's fantastic.

Dr. Campbell, of course, as parents, we worry about our kids. But it seems like the worry is taken to a whole new level when you talk about your kids being part of a trial.

Tell me, did you have any trepidation? Was there any worry, second thoughts, anything?

DR. JUSTIN CAMPBELL, FATHER OF 2 CHILDREN PARTICIPATING IN MODERNA VACCINE TRIAL: I mean, when there's unknown, there's always concern. I do feel like we're really all in this together.

Lucy and I are both health care providers and have been working with patients who are sick. We have close friends and colleagues who lost family.

And I do feel like so many people are doing so many different things to help us get through the pandemic. This was one opportunity we had as a family to doing so.

So we talked about it with the girls. Wad them do reading about it, and they were excited about it.

There's a long history. Vaccines have been around for quite some time. And they've been critically important, I think, back to the polio pioneers, who did an enormous service to everyone on the planet in getting rid of polio.

And they were also facing some of the unknown that we are. So we felt comfortable going forward.

WHITFIELD: Zoe, what's next? What are you bracing for? When is your next shot or follow up? Where are you in this phase?

Z. CAMPBELL: So my next shot is actually on Tuesday. And I'm looking forward to going back. The nurses at the site were all so kind. I'm a little bit scared of needles so they really eased all of those worries.

[13:40:05]

Yes, I think excited is just the best word to describe it. I know I have said that many times.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: Hey, well, I'm excited that you're excited.

Esme, how about you? What's next? How do you brace yourself for the next step?

E. CAMPBELL: Well, I have my next shot with Zoe on Tuesday. And I'm pretty excited that I don't have to get my blood drawn again because needles are not really my thing. But I'm excited to get my second shot even if it's just the physical.

WHITFIELD: Oh, this is so encouraging.

I love you all are so excited because you're doing very big things, not just for yourselves but everybody, as your parents just underscored really for the world.

Fantastic. Congratulations.

So glad you could all be with us and you're all healthy, strong and very happy. I love the smiles.

CHIE: Thank you for having us.

CAMPBELL: Thank you for having us.

Z. CAMPBELL: Thank you.

E. CAMPBELL: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Thanks for being with us.

Straight ahead, a war of words between the United States and Russia. We'll take a closer look at the rocky relationship between President Biden and Putin.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:45:38]

WHITFIELD: Tension with Russia on the rise following a war of words this week between President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It followed a U.S. intelligence report saying Russia tried to interfere in last November's election with the aim of undermining the Biden campaign and a dramatic accusation from President Biden.

CNN's Matthew Chance looks at the state of affairs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know you and you know me.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the moment U.S.-Russian ties, fraught by fresh allegations of election meddling and the poisoning of a key Russian opposition figure, plunged to a new low.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS ANCHOR: Do you think he's a killer?

BIDEN: Mmm-mmm, I do.

CHANCE: With just a few words, President Biden signaled his intolerance of Russian misdeeds.

And unlike his predecessor, who fawned over the Russian leader Vladimir Putin, a willingness to call out the Kremlin's strongman.

(MUSIC)

CHANCE: He looks relaxed, marking the seventh anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea, but Putin is clearly furious, facing the promise of yet more painful U.S. sanctions in the weeks ahead.

He's recalling Russia's ambassador from Washington for consultations, first time that's happened in decades, and issuing a snide response to the killer insult.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

CHANCE: "I wish him well and good health, and I mean that without any joking or irony," Putin said of Biden by video conference.

Some cast it as a veiled threat from a leader who kills his critics.

PUTIN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

CHANCE: But it looks more like a wink to rampant speculation from Russian state TV alleging that Biden's mental health is faltering due to old age.

UNIDENTIFIED RUSSIAN STATE TV ANCHOR: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

CHANCE: "Maybe he just forgot to take his pills," one state anchor jokes about the Biden remarks.

UNIDENTIFIED RUSSIAN STATE TV ANCHOR: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

CHANCE: "It's age-related dementia," says another. "The triumph of political insanity."

Putin also trolled Biden by citing an old Russian children's joke that reflects the killer tag:

PUTIN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

CHANCE: "You are what you call others," he says. It takes one to know one, in other words.

The playground retort that sums up the worst diplomatic spat between these nuclear rivals in years.

It was a falling out waiting to happen.

When Biden first met Putin as U.S. vice president in 2011, he says he told him he didn't think he had a soul and warned the Russian leader not to run for another Kremlin term. Ten years on, with fewer than 100 days in office, President Biden has toughened his Russian stance even more.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So where could things be headed between the U.S. and Russia?

I want to bring in CNN global affairs analyst, Susan Glasser. She's also a staff writer at the "New Yorker" and bureau chief for "The Washington Post."

Good to see you, Susan.

Calling or at least saying, mmm-mmm, agreeing to the word "killer" in association with Putin, that is very striking for a U.S. president to do.

Give me an idea how dramatic this moment was.

SUSAN GLASSER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Look, it's also a striking contrast, of course, to President Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, who was asked a similar question, remember, and said, essentially, well, you know, we're killers, too, here in America.

And I was struck, as I'm sure you were, listening to the Russian state media come to Vladimir Putin's defense, essentially by amplifying and echoing an attack on Joe Biden that Donald Trump made during the election.

And you even saw Donald Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., retweeting something to that effect.

So basically, you now have the Russian state media and the Republican Party, or at least a good chunk of it, saying the same thing, taking Vladimir Putin's side against Joe Biden.

WHITFIELD: Yes, that was -- that was quite ominous.

And what about this point of Putin, you know, responding by saying, "I'm wishing him good health." I mean, especially on the heels of other opposition leaders who have said something and next thing you know they're either in jail or poisoned.

[13:49:59]

GLASSER. Well, that's right. I'm glad you brought that up. Alexi Navalny, Russia's leading dissident, was subjected to a near-fatal poisoning. His life was saved only by going to Germany.

He now calls Putin "Vladimir, the underpants poisoner," because that's where the banned chemical agent might have been placed.

He has now returned to Russia and sent to prison, a really notorious prison colony. That's part of why there are new sanctions from the Biden administration.

I think we'll see further rounds of sanctions in response to the cyberattacks in the United States, the SolarWinds hacking, the election interference. There was just a very scathing report out this week.

Again, a reminder that Donald Trump's administration often talked tough, but it was at odds with both Trump, his own fawning over Putin, also a refusal to talk to things like this election interference and cyber hacking.

WHITFIELD: This week's intelligence report said Russia's interference in last year's election aimed to undermine Biden and support Trump.

So now that Biden has won, is Russia's interference backfiring on him or is this just an opening for more salvo from Russia or what?

GLASSER: Look, I think it is important to see if there's anything else in the American tool kit.

The truth is that for years now, ever since -- for seven years -- this week was the seventh anniversary of Russia's illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine.

We've had rounds and rounds of sanctions. So what I am looking for is, is there anything else in Biden's tool kit beyond just sanctioning a few more Russian officials here or a few Russian corporate leaders there.

This has been the tactic for years. It obviously has not radically changed Vladimir Putin's behavior.

There are ways that the U.S. could ratchet things up in its response. They're and promising to do things that are not just sanctions in response to the cyberattacks.

And that is something that I am looking for --

WHITFIELD: Yes.

GLASSER: -- is, are varying this playbook.

WHITFIELD: OK.

Susan Glasser, thank you for being with us. Appreciate it. See you next time.

GLASSER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: This is just into CNN. Up to 1,200 migrant children are now expected to arrive at the Dallas Convention Center sometime today. We will take you there live. Straight ahead.

Plus, don't miss an unprecedented event with Dr. Sanjay Gupta when the medical leaders of the war on COVID break their silence. CNN's special report, "COVID WAR, THE PANDEMIC DOCTORS SPEAK OUT," begins Sunday, March 28th.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN: Hi, Sanjay.

ANNOUNCER: In an unprecedented event, the leaders of the war on COVID break their silence.

DR. DEBORAH BIRX, FORMER COORDINATOR, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE: I wanted to make sure that we stopped saying that the risk to Americans was low.

DR. ROBERT REDFIELD, FORMER CDC DIRECTOR: I finally hit a moment in life where enough is enough.

ANNOUNCER: What they saw.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was a line in the sand for me.

FAUCI: We're in for a disaster.

ANNOUNCER: What they believe.

REDFIELD: People are not being transparent about it. I could use the word cover-up.

BIRX: I knew that I was being watched. Everybody inside was waiting for me to make a misstep.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Were you threatened?

ANNOUNCER: And what's next?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As bad as this was, it could be worse. And there will be another pandemic. Guaranteed.

ANNOUNCER: Join Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

GUPTA: We were not testing enough.

REDFIELD: I agree with you.

GUPTA: Why not?

ANNOUNCER: CNN special report, COVID WAR, THE PANDEMIC DOCTORS SPEAK OUT, March 28th at 9:00.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:58:13]

WHITFIELD: Former President Donald Trump no longer gets to fly on Air Force One. And he won't be flying his own private Boeing 757 any time soon.

Here is CNN's Kate Bennett.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BENNETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the ultimate status symbol, Donald Trump's Boeing 757.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES: Nice to see you. Have a good time.

BENNETT: A regular presence on the 2016 campaign. At his marquee events, there was his plane.

TRUMP: They've never had anybody that owned a Boeing 757 before.

BENNETT: From rallies --

TRUMP: And you know --

BENNETT: -- to KFC.

Today, however, the massive jet sits abandoned at an Upstate New York airport. One engine mostly missing, one wrapped idle in apparent disrepair. According to records, it hasn't been flown in months.

DAVID SOUCIE, CNN SAFETY ANALYST: It has been sitting on the ramp for at least a year or two. And the left engine has been taken off probably for service.

BENNETT: The crown jewel of Trump's fleet now future unknown. The cost to fix it, says one aviation expert, well into the six figures if not more.

SOUCIE: That engine goes out for service, it's going to need anything from -- could range from the low $100,000 up to nearly a million dollars if it had to be replaced.

BENNETT: An asset that Trump is apparently setting on the sidelines.

And though it's unclear why it's grounded, it comes at a time when some of his businesses have racked up losses.

SOUCIE: It really is a vintage aircraft.

BENNETT: The plane, built in 1991. Trump purchased it in 2010.

SOUCIE: There are a thousand -- a little bit over a thousand of these aircraft built. And almost all of them are out of service right now.

BENNETT: A Trump-sanctioned documentary about the plane says he paid $100 million for it. Similar 757s are up for sale at a market price of about $7 million to $10 million.

[13:59:59] But Trump did trick it out, covering every metal surface, from seat belt buckles to doorknobs, even the faucets, in 24 karat gold. Price tag $250,000 for that alone, according to the interior design company who outfitted the entire plane.