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Putin Welcomes Call with Biden; State Department Approves Weapons Transfer; Biden Says Elections may be Illegitimate; Biden Signals New Strategies for Second Year in Office; Weekly Jobless Claims Jump; Kim Wehle is Interviewed about Trump White House Documents. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired January 20, 2022 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: I mean, is anyone really after -- really after that? I don't -- I can't imagine. I guess this means we shouldn't have mimosas tomorrow to cheer -- to toast Friday.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Or we shouldn't have just had them, more likely.

All right, a lot to chew on.

CNN's coverage continues right now.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: A very good Thursday morning to you. I'm Jim Sciutto.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Bianna Golodryga.

Not if, but when. President Biden making an ominous prediction, saying that he believes Vladimir Putin will send Russian troops into Ukraine. The White House warning today that if that happens, the price will be high.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The president and I work closely together, and I know his position, because he's been consistent in that regard. If Vladimir Putin and Russia takes aggressive action, it will be met with a cost that will be severe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Here at home, after Biden's domestic agenda takes a hit again, the president is now considering changes to his economic strategy, including breaking up the Build Back Better plan into what he called chunks. Will senators Manchin and Sinema get on board?

And a brand-new report released just moments ago, states with weaker gun laws have higher rates of firearm-related homicides and suicides. We have those numbers ahead.

GOLODRYGA: But we begin with what by all accounts could be an impending invasion.

Joining us now is CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson, live from Moscow, and CNN national security correspondent Kylie Atwood at the State Department.

Nic, let's begin with you on the latest, that Russia says that it would welcome another call between Biden and Putin. Of course, this coming after President Biden saying yesterday that he would be open to perhaps another summit between the two leaders as well.

What more are we hearing?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, I think there's some sort of work going on at the Kremlin at the moment. They're trying to figure out precisely what President Biden was meaning. Every day Dmitry Peskov, President Putin's spokesperson, has a phone call with journalists. And he was asked the question today, OK, do you interpret anything that President Biden has said as a sort of softer approach. And his answer was kind of careful and cautious, and it said, there seems to be some willingness to discuss some issues.

But he did go on, when he was asked -- when he was asked if President Putin would meet with President Biden, he said, yes. The pair of them could meet. President Putin would be -- would be open to that for this face-to-face meeting. But -- and this is a huge caveat that he put in, in front of that -- and the caveat is this, that the United States needs to respond to Russia's security concerns as they put them down, security demands as they're seen, the idea that Ukraine can't become a member of NATO, that the United States must respond to that in writing, OK?

What we heard from Secretary of State Blinken yesterday saying that when he meets with Russia's foreign secretary in Geneva tomorrow, he's not going to provide him with those written responses, with United States written position. So, at the moment, the threshold for that face-to-face meeting, it doesn't seem to be there. The Kremlin is, as I say, trying to figure out precisely what President Biden means.

SCIUTTO: Yes, the trouble is, saying that Ukraine will never become a member of NATO is something that the U.S. has said repeatedly is a nonstarter.

Kylie, we've been reporting for some time that part of the U.S. plan to bolster Ukraine's defenses is to send anti-aircraft, shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles and that that would come from NATO allies. What are we learning and how soon could this aid go?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Jim, and here we are, we've reported that that has been part of the discussion. That is now in motion. The State Department approving export licenses for three Baltic nations, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. They are, of course, right there, very close to Ukraine and Russia. They have this weaponry of U.S. origin, and they are now going to be sharing it with Ukraine.

They needed approval from the United States, from the State Department, to share it because they aren't legally available allowed to do that unless they get the seal of approval, the green light from the United States. And that has now happened.

We don't know exactly when that new weaponry, that anti-tank weaponry, in addition to other things, is actually going to get to Ukraine, so we'll be watching for that. But this is significant. It demonstrates the Biden administration is willing to make moves right now to inflict a higher cost on Russia if they do invade Ukraine. This is some of the weaponry that Ukraine has been asking for, of course, in addition to the defensive weaponry that the United States has been providing Ukraine.

And I think it's significant that this happened in a quick period of time. Now, the State Department, not confirming or denying this, but saying that they have been in touch with Ukraine, with NATO allies, and they are moving to expedite situations like this where they can provide more assistance to Ukraine.

[09:05:06]

Basically saying that, yes, they went through with this.

So, it's a situation we'll be watching. We'll be watching to see if Ukraine gets any more security military assistance from the United States and from NATO allies.

GOLODRYGA: Kylie Atwood and Nic Robertson, thank you.

And, Jim, I can't help but think here we are on perhaps a precipice of what would be the largest war on European soil since World War II perhaps. Thinking back to where you were this past summer, the Geneva summit between President Biden and Putin, where President Biden said that he was hoping to come out of it with a stable relationship and a predictable relationship with Russia.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: And he said, ask me six months later. Well, here we are, and it's anything but that now.

SCIUTTO: No, it's not. And, by the way, Russian forces already in Ukraine. They've already violated their borders. Significant questions as to whether they're willing to do that even more so now.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, we'll continue to be covering this story throughout this morning.

Also this morning, after failing to pass voting rights reforms, Democrats are now focused on making changes to the Electoral Count Act through bipartisan talks. This as President Biden raises concerns surrounding the 2022 midterms.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The increase in the prospect of being illegitimate is in direct proportion to us not being able to get these -- these reforms passed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: CNN congressional correspondent Lauren Fox is on Capitol Hill.

Lauren, Biden's comments on legitimacy sparked an understandable reaction. Now, there's been some attempt to clarify them afterwards. But the first question is, what was the president actually saying here, and how will it impact Democrats' efforts as they pursue at least an attempt at bipartisan legislation?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you saw a number of Republicans yesterday saying, wait a minute. If the president is saying that the election may not be legitimate if these bills do not pass the U.S. Senate, he's starting to sound a little bit like the former president, Donald Trump. That was a comment made from Mitt Romney of Utah.

One thing to keep in mind here is that Democrats are expected to pivot now from their voting rights push and their Senate rules change push back to the Electoral Count Act. And the hope is they can bring Republicans and Democrats together to find a way forward to actually deal with how the U.S. Congress certifies elections.

And the argument from some Republicans is, this is the kind of legislation that would actually make sure that you don't have a situation like you did going into January 6th where there were questions about what the vice president's role should be, whether or not that person was going to get pressure from the president to overturn the results of the election. So, there is some hope in this group of bipartisan senators is expected to have a conversation later today to discuss the future of that legislation.

Look, this is going to take weeks, perhaps months, but it is a turning point for Democrats and Republicans to try to do something related to election security.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, and, Lauren, it's notable that Republicans have gone on the record, saying that this is something they would be open to supporting.

The president trying to sound as optimistic about his agenda going into the midterms as possible, but he did say that he's open now to breaking up the Build Back Better plan. Manchin saying that it will be like starting all over.

What's the appetite now in Washington for pushing through smaller portions of this legislation?

FOX: Well, Democrats are going to have to make a decision, how much time do they want to spend on something that may still go nowhere in the end? Remember, they had five months of negotiations with Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema. In the end, Manchin could not get to yes.

Now, is there something smaller that they could break apart to pass with just Democratic votes? Perhaps. Are there really tiny pieces that perhaps they could reach across the aisle and get some Republican support for? Maybe. That's a further stretch.

But I think that the question now is, how much time and how many resources do Democrats want to spend in an election year to focus on this piece of legislation that is not going to look anything like what already passed the House of Representatives.

So, a lot of discussions moving forward. I think there are going to be some Democrats who want to pick up the pieces and keep negotiating this legislation. But, at the end of the day, it's going to be a call of leadership as to how much time they want to spend on this.

SCIUTTO: Well, controlling prescription drug prices, right? I mean that's something that even Manchin has said he would support, and, by the way, some Republicans. It would be a difficult vote against that, and that's something administration officials bringing up this morning. We'll see if they can follow through.

Lauren Fox, on The Hill, thanks very much.

President Biden has signaled a change as he heads into his second year in office. That includes taking a harder line, Bianna, with the GOP. And some of his comments last night in the press conference were pretty forward leaning.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, a bit of a reality check for the president one year in.

CNN White House correspondent Jeremy Diamond is on the North Lawn with more.

[09:10:03]

And, Jeremy, Biden says Republicans are, quote, obstructionist, more so than they were during the Obama years, where, of course, he served as vice president. So what is his plan going forward then in getting any of his legislation passed given that?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, listen, if 2021 was the year that President Biden hoped and tried to get Republicans on board with his agenda, 2022 is certainly the year that he's going to ramp up his criticism of Republicans. And he did exactly that yesterday. We heard President Biden repeatedly laying his stalled agenda at the feet of Republican lawmakers in Congress. President Biden directly going after Mitch McConnell, for example, and talking about all that he is doing to try and stop the president's agenda.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The idea that -- Mitch has been very clear. He'll do anything to prevent Biden from being a success. And I get along (ph) with Mitch. I actually like Mitch McConnell. We like one another. But he has one, straightforward objective, make sure that there's nothing I do that makes me look good in the mind, in his mind, with the public at large. And that's OK. I'm a big boy. I've been here before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: And as you mentioned, Bianna, President Biden even going so far as to say that he believes Republicans are more obstructionist against his presidency and his agenda than they were against President Barack Obama's time -- during President Barack Obama's time in office.

Ultimately, though, there is a certain irony in the fact that one of the major accomplishments the president was touting was this bipartisan infrastructure deal that did pass with the support of Republicans. And, ultimately, hours after this press conference, yes, Republicans opposing these pieces of voting rights legislation. But it was the president's failure to unite his own caucus, those -- the slimmest of slim majorities of 50 Democrats, to get around changes to the filibuster that stalled that push on voting rights. Same issue with the Build Back Better plan as well. But President Biden making clear, he's going to strike a much stronger contrast with Republicans heading into this midterm year, repeatedly saying, what are you for? I think that's something we'll hear on the campaign trail this year.

GOLODRYGA: Jeremy Diamond, thank you, as always.

Well, this just in to CNN, a jump in jobless claims last week. And 286,000 Americans filed for unemployment. That's the most new claims since October. And it comes as President Biden throws his support behind the Federal Reserve's efforts to fight rising costs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A critical job in making sure that the elevated prices don't become entrenched rests with the Federal Reserve, which has a dual mandate, full employment and stable prices.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: CNN's chief business correspondent Christine Romans joins us now.

And, you know, I was trying to look at the big picture, trend lines here.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

SCIUTTO: Help fit this snapshot number in with the broader trend in terms of jobs in this economy.

ROMANS: Sure. You're so right. Look, omicron disruption. Those are the two words that I would say here, 286,000 first time unemployment claims. That's a jump. But you look at the overall trend, we're still here, you know, not too far from the lowest levels in 50-some years when you look at over weekly jobless claims. So this is a disappointing one week within a trend that has been pretty good.

And the job market overall has been pretty, pretty strong. You can see that far right there. That's that blip we're talking about here. And some economists this morning are saying they think as omicron starts to fade, then these numbers will resume again because we have a 3.9 percent unemployment rate in this country. You know, employers don't want to lay people off. They're trying to hire workers.

So that's the strong part of the, right, the Covid contradiction economy. The other part is the thing that's really been bedeviling so many consumers, and that is -- that is inflation. The president talked about it yesterday. He seemed to tacitly endorse the Fed raising interest rates to get that inflation under control. But inflation has been the part of the Covid economy that has been really hard to get a handle on. Seven percent consumer price inflation over the past year. You know, that's something that eats into higher paychecks. That's something that eats into family budgets. It really hurts people who are lower income. So this is what the real focus is here now, not so much this still pretty strong job market, but that inflation picture here in 2022, that's going to be the big story.

You can look category by category. And on that first one there, you guys, on gas, I spoke with a gas analyst this morning who said he's expecting $4 a gallon national average by Memorial Day. Seasonally, these prices start to go up. And he says that's not -- that's not -- that's a Covid problem here, it's not necessarily a White House problem. Once again, the White House doesn't have that many levers to pull in terms of gas and oil prices. Big global market heading into a time of the year you usually see those prices rise.

SCIUTTO: We'll have a chance to press the administration next hour. We're going to be speaking to the commerce secretary.

ROMANS: Good.

SCIUTTO: Christine Romans, thanks very much.

Coming up next, the January 6th committee is now getting its hands on 700 pages of documents from inside the Trump White House. Details on what those documents could include.

[09:15:01]

Plus, what we know about an FBI search at the home of a Democratic congressman, Henry Cuellar. CNN has just confirmed that agents also searched his campaign office.

GOLODRYGA: And Republicans are advancing a bill through the Florida senate that would make it illegal to teach anything that makes people feel, quote, discomfort based on their race on gender. Critics say it's just an attempt to protect white people from America's racist past. More on that up ahead.

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GOLODRYGA: The House committee investigating the January 6th Capitol attack will soon receive hundreds of records from the Trump White House. The Supreme Court rejected a request by the former president to keep those documents secret, citing executive privilege. Those records could shed light on the events leading up to the insurrection.

[09:20:04]

Some of the material has already been handed over to the January 6th committee.

Joining me now to discuss is former U.S. assistant attorney, Kim Wehle.

Welcome to the program.

Talk about the significance of this ruling. We know that President Trump -- former President Trump and his lawyers have been aggressively fighting from this very decision from happening.

KIM WEHLE, FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY: Right. So, a few points. One is the court, interestingly, held that they -- it did not -- or indicated in its decision, didn't have to decide between dueling presidents. Basically, Trump's position was, I'm former president, I get to have a position that could supersede a sitting president. The court here said that there wasn't any -- even if Trump was president today, there was no basis for executive privilege. So that's significant, not just for these documents, but also for the witnesses that are now lining up, refusing to testify before the United States Congress, on the grounds of executive privilege that Donald Trump, in theory, might exert.

So, the fact that the court has gone out of its way to say, you know what, even if he was president, this would not be withheld from the public. And the reason is, Bianna, is because we're talking about a bloody insurrection at the Capitol and all Americans need to get to the bottom of what went on here.

And I think the walls are closing in, frankly, on Donald Trump and the people in the White House and, frankly, in the Congress that were working together, apparently, to take a valid election away from the American people. Very serious stuff.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, and as we mentioned, that the committee is already getting its hands on some of these documents as we speak.

What exactly could they be learning from these documents? What would these documents reveal that they don't already know?

WEHLE: Well, t's important to keep in mind, of course, if there was nothing to hide in the documents, I don't think Donald Trump would have been -- fought so hard to keep them from the January 6th committee. We don't know, of course, what's in them. We do know Representative Jamie Raskin has indicated that it's going to be a shocking disclosure to the American people when these hearings start unfolding in the spring as far as what went on. And so, just to be clear, we'll know more than we knew in the second impeachment where Jamie Raskin laid out what happened that day.

The question is not so much what happened at the Capitol, but what happened behind the scenes? And we know the Justice Department has already indicted 10 or 11 Oath Keeper people in that group for conspiracy, conspiracy. That requires a meeting of the minds. A very high bar. And so I think the question from these documents is, did Donald Trump -- was he part of what looks like now a potential conspiracy? Did he weigh in? Did he agree to take steps to subvert a valid election? That would be unlawful.

So, it's getting into the minds of the president and inside the White House and his handlers and potentially communications with Congress. That's the actual heart of, I think, what the committee is looking at right now.

GOLODRYGA: And it helps provide them with real-time information, right? We've talked and reported at great length about these subpoenas that have gone out to witnesses, right, between courts and the extensions there and perhaps them pleading the Fifth or exerting privilege, they may be actually -- the committee itself may be able to get more information from this paper trail than they could from some of the witnesses that they are hoping to hear from.

WEHLE: Right. As I tell my law students, documents don't lie, they don't die, and they don't misremember, right? To have something that is in black and white, or in an email chain, that's different from someone coming in, as you indicate, in a witness context and saying, I can't really remember, hedging that.

GOLODRYGA: Yes.

WEHLE: The other thing is, these documents now can be used to question the witnesses. Listen, here's your name on the email. Here's your name on the document. Why did you put your name here? What was the context in which that was drafted?

And these are Americans' documents. These come straight from the National Archives. So, it's a little piece of history in addition to potentially a stepping-stone to more criminal charges coming out of DOJ ultimately, plus, of course, the report from the January 6th committee.

GOLODRYGA: So, on that point, quickly, will the public have access to these documents?

WEHLE: Well, they're not grand jury material, so there's no secret lock on them like there would be in that context. So, potentially, yes. I mean, it's hard to say whether it would be now or 10 or 20 years from now. The archivist would have to decide that. But I don't think this is going to be shielded ultimately from history. And that's absolutely crucial given that we're in this moment where American history -- American democracy is hanging on by a thread, in part due to what's happening in the U.S. Senate regarding voting.

GOLODRYGA: Yes.

WEHLE: Very important that we see what happened.

GOLODRYGA: Kim Wehle, thank you so much. We appreciate it.

WEHLE: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: New this morning, a new study finds a clear link between gun laws and the number of gun-related deaths and killings in each state. You'll want to hear these numbers.

Plus, we are moments away from the opening bell on Wall Street. Stocks look poised for some gains, actually, today.

[09:25:02]

This despite an unexpected rise in jobless claims for the third week in a row. Since President Biden took office one year ago today, the Dow is up more than 12 percent, the S&P has risen 18 percent. One stock to watch today, Netflix. The streaming giant is set to report earnings later this afternoon.

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