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Democracy On The Brink; FBI: Brian Laundrie Admitted He Killed Petito In Notebook Confession; CDC: Boosters Provide Best Protection Against Omicron; U.K.: Putin Preparing To Install Puppet Government In Ukraine; Interview With Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ). Aired 5-6p ET

Aired January 22, 2022 - 17:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:00:33]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.

And we now know a big reason why Donald Trump fought to keep hundreds of documents away from the January 6th committee. Politico has obtained what looks to be one of those newly-released files.

A draft executive order from December 2020, that directed the U.S. military to seize voting machines and look for evidence of fraud in an election that Trump had lost. It also directed the Justice Department to name a special council to investigate and prosecute potential election-related crimes -- crimes that Trump's own outgoing attorney general said he had very high confidence in that there was no impact on the election from election fraud at all.

Just two days after the order was drafted, discredited Trump lawyer Sidney Powell was in the Oval Office lobbying for that special council job according to Axios. Also in that meeting, disgraced former Trump adviser Michael Flynn who promoted ideas on seizing voting equipment.

CNN has not been able to independently verify this draft, and it's not clear who wrote it, but to put it plainly, any order directing the military or federal agents to seize voting equipment for political purposes is a coup. And just like that democracy nearly died.

Trump never signed that executive order, but one thing the January 6th Committee is still trying to get its hands on, supposed outtakes from an infamous video that Trump recorded on January 6th and released on social media.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This was a fraudulent election, but we can't play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You're very special.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And that was the video that the White House was apparently ok with. In a letter asking Ivanka Trump to voluntarily cooperate, the Select Committee said it understands that multiple takes of the video were filmed but not utilized.

Information in the Select Committee's possession suggests that the president failed in the initial clips to ask rioters to leave the Capitol. The Select Committee has sought copies of those unused clips from the National Archives.

CNN's chief media correspondent and anchor of "RELIABLE SOURCES" Brian Stelter joins me now.

Brian, committee member Jamie Raskin says he believes they will get those clips from the Archives. I mean it could be very explosive viewing. What do you think the significance of this might be if those outtakes exist and if they're released to the public?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: I think it will be important because it would be visual evidence of Donald Trump's state of mind during the attack. The video, compelling video has been so important in this investigation, Jim.

A lot of what we saw during the actual attack on January 6th was from far away or it was from, you know, from the -- what Donald Trump wanted you to see which was the edited version that was finally released.

So if we saw the unused versions and there must have been reasons why they couldn't be shown, then that would be revealing. And it's important because it would be video documentation. And even though Donald Trump has tried to tell you not to believe what you see with your eyes and ears, video is very important.

ACOSTA: Yes. No question about it. I think if those outtakes come out, it is not going to be good based on what I've heard from a number of sources familiar with what Trump was up to that day.

And Brian, the January 6th Committee released new text exchanges between Fox host Sean Hannity and then White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany from the day after the insurrection. In one exchange, Hannity lays out a five-point plan for how to talk to Trump post- Capitol riot.

"No more election talk, and yes impeachment and 25th amendment are real and many people will quit." To which McEnany responds "Love that, thank you. That is in the playbook. I will help reinforce."

In another exchange, Hannity and McEnany discuss keeping some people away from Trump. Hannity writing "Key now, no more crazy people." McEnany responded, "Yes, 100 percent."

You know, Brian, I think crazy was already in the White House at that point, but it seems like everything that we learn that's new about how much these Fox personalities and hosts were intertwined with the people inside the White House, it just gets more and more remarkable.

And I guess, my question is that do the viewers of Fox not know about this? Because it seems to me that would cut, I mean, to the core of a very important issue in how, you know, so many of them are just frauds.

[17:05:02]

STELTER: Right. Well look, look, Sean Hannity I've known -- I've known Hannity for 15 years. We used to be buddies.

Let's just pretend I'm the head of the Sean Hannity Fan Club, ok? If I were the head of the Sean Hannity Fan Club, I'd be really offended because he has kept his fans in the dark.

ACOSTA: Right.

STELTER: He has kept his fans in the dark all about all of this. He was texting on January 5th saying, "I'm really worried about what's going to happen in D.C. And then afterwards he's texting a plan about how to stop Trump from who even knows what after January 6th, warning Trump about impeachment and the 25th Amendment and being thrown out of office.

He has basically tried to be the guardrails, trying to stop Trump from destroying everything but on air he's letting his guests crash the car. So he never expressed his private worries and fears and concerns to the public. He never told the audience about what he was saying in private.

He never told the audience he was conspiring with Kayleigh McEnany to try to control Trump. so if I were a Sean Hannity Fan Club member, I would want my money back. I would be ticked off. No viewers are not being told about this even today.

We know that Kayleigh McEnany has appeared before the 1/6 committee. We don't know how much she cooperated if at all. But we know that she at least showed. We also know Hannity has not responded -- or at least, we have no reason to believe Hannity has responded.

Remember, a couple of weeks ago the committee asked Hannity for help. And so far we've heard silence about that request. They appealed to his patriotism, but so far we don't know of any reason to believe that Hannity has actually offered to help.

So what we do know is what he was saying in these text messages, which is not what he was saying on TV.

ACOSTA: And it's remarkable because Hannity, you know, he just had Trump on the other night, and he's acting as though, you know, he's a Trump adviser all over again. He's trying to figure out a way to get Trump back in the Oval Office, and yet he was texting to Kayleigh McEnany that, you know, we've got to keep the crazies away from him and that the 25th amendment is real.

STELTER: It shows how far Hannity is falling and it also shows how little Trump respects Hannity. That's one of the through lines here about Trump's advisers and friends and allies. You know, they may suck up to him, but he doesn't respect them. Hannity is saying no more stolen election talk, we have to stop it. We have to stop it. We have to land the plane.

And now a year later Trump is doing it every day and Hannity is falling in line.

ACOSTA: It's just a joke.

And Tucker Carlson, you know, speaking of that. You know, he announced this week he's going back to Hungary next week for some, quote, "important reporting". Or you know, I guess more, I don't know, worshipping at the feet of autocrats and so on.

Carlson previously did his show from Budapest in what sounded like an infomercial for autocrat Victor Orban. What is going on there?

STELTER: It certainly is this right wing fetish fantasy of trying to turn America into something more like Hungary. Here's how Carlson has framed it on his own show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TUCKER CARLSON, FOX NEWS HOST: What's interesting is that that behavior is such a threat to our foreign policy establishment. Hysterical morons with lifelong history of failure. Anne Appelbaum or David (INAUDIBLE), who really supported foreign adventures that hurt our country, hate Hungary and refer to it reflexively as a dictatorship, which obviously it's not. It's a democracy.

Why do you think it's so threatening to them, this nation of 10 million people in central Europe?

PETER SZIJJARTO, HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Look, I think why they hate us is that we are conducting a patriotic Christian-based policy. The target of ours is to reach -- to fulfill the national interest. We are conservative and in the meantime, we are successful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STELTER: Hungary's status as a democracy is very much up for debate. What we've seen in that country is democratic backsliding. The idea that all of the norms, all of the markers for what is a thriving democracy have slid backwards.

That's what we've seen in some other eastern European countries in recent years. And yet Carlson is holding it up as something to be treasured and something to learn from. He was the one who said, why do they care so much about this country of 10 million people?

The question should be bounced right back to him, why is he so interested in Hungary. And I think it's for the reasons that we're articulating here Jim, about this desire for a more authoritarian approach, an approach much more based in control of media and government and society.

ACOSTA: It's so weird, I just -- you know, why would you go and do, you know, live reporting from Hungary twice in a year when you're the host of an 8:00 show on Fox, it is so strange. But then when he goes out there and he's parroting Kremlin talking points about NATO and so on, it's just so damn peculiar and I guess at some point, Brian, we're going to get to the bottom of why it is. It's so strange.

[17:09:58]

ACOSTA: As Tucker would say, we're just asking questions but -- all right.

Brian Stelter, thanks so much. We appreciate it.

STELTER: Thanks.

ACOSTA: And we'll see Brian's great program, "RELIABLE SOURCES" tomorrow morning at 11:00 Eastern. Be sure to tune it for that.

Coming up, it was the case that captivated a nation. And now there are new details about what Brian Laundrie wrote about his fiancee Gabby Petito in a notebook found near his remains.

Plus, a multicar crash involving Arnold Schwarzenegger. What police are revealing about that accident. That's coming up next.

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O'DONNELL: Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is ok following a multicar crash in Los Angeles. Police say four cars were involved including the black SUV that Schwarzenegger was in. And you can see the SUV partially landed on top of another car.

One woman was transported from the scene with a scrape to her head. It's still not clear what caused the crash but police say neither drugs nor alcohol were a factor.

[17:14:57]

ACOSTA: And finally a confession in the death of Gabby Petito. The FBI is now revealing new details about what they found when they recovered the remains of her fiance, Brian Laundrie in a Florida nature reserve weeks after he had gone missing.

CNN's Randi Kaye has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The FBI announced that before Brian Laundrie took his own life, he admitted that he was responsible for the death of Gabby Petito. He apparently admitted this in a notebook that was found alongside his remains.

FBI-Denver releasing a statement saying a review of the notebook revealed written statements by Mr. Laundrie claiming responsibility for Ms. Petito's death.

The FBI also announcing today some new information that a revolver was found near Brian Laundrie's body. We knew last fall that he had taken his own life in that reserve near his family's home. But now we have learned that a revolver was found nearby.

But regarding the notebook, we also knew last fall that it was in decent condition. But the question was what was inside it. Certainly, the Petito family was hoping for some answers inside that notebook about what happened to their daughter.

But the question is what are those details? We don't know what Brian Laundrie wrote besides taking responsibility. Did he say it was an accident or intentional? Did he say why or where this happened?

Also, it's important to note that the coroner last fall when he found the cause of death for Gabby Petito, the Teuton County coroner in Wyoming, he said that it was homicide by manual strangulation. He also said that it was likely somebody used their hands.

Now, in terms of reaction from the families in this case, Gabby Petito's family releasing a statement through their attorney saying thank you to the FBI, but also noting the quality and quantity of the facts and information collected by the FBI leave no doubt Brian Laundrie murdered Gabby Petito.

Steve Bertolino (ph) the attorney for the Laundrie family also releasing a statement after learning more about this case saying this tragedy has caused enormous emotional pain and suffering to all who loved either or both of them. We can only hope that with today's closure of the case each family can begin to heal and move forward and find peace in and with the memories of their children. May Gabby and Brian both rest in peace.

Randi Kaye, CNN, Palm Beach County, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: And coming up, brand new data that getting boosted is the best way to stay safe from omicron. How much protection you get is next.

[17:17:22]

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ACOSTA: Las Vegas is full of sad Adele fans who had traveled to see her now postponed residency. But the singer gave them a much needed boost when she called to say, "hello, it's me".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: It's ok, it's ok. It's ok. It's ok.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: James Mason Fox who provided this video says Adele somehow saw his Tiktok post where he complained about the last minute show cancellation. Rumor has it he got a private message telling him to go to a pop-up shop that evening. He and other fans thought they were just chasing pavements. But that's when someone from Adele's team held up the Facetime call.

Fox said it completely transformed his experience from the worst trip ever to the best, now it's all water under the bridge.

The CDC is out with its strongest data yet on COVID boosters which show an additional vaccine dose gives people the best protection yet against the omicron variant.

One new CDC study in particular looked at hospitalizations and found that getting a booster shot was 90 percent effective at keeping people out of the hospital compared to just 57 percent at least six months past the second shot.

Joining us now from Atlanta is CNN's Nadia Romero.

Nadia, this new CDC data comes as hospitals there and all over the country are overwhelmed with COVID patients and they are looking for some relief. How's it going down there, Nadia?

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, Jim, it's not good news here for six Metro Atlanta hospitals that all joined together for a press conference to sound the alarm. And this is the second time they've come together to do this in just the past few months. Talking about those COVID-19 hospitalizations and how they're just being overrun with patients.

And they say the majority of those being hospitalized you guessed it, the unvaccinated. Listen to one doctor talk about what they're dealing with right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ROBERT JANSEN, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, CHIEF OF STAFF AT GRADY HEALTH SYSTEM: We are running about 110 percent capacity right now. We have no capacity left at the hospital.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: So that doctor says that they're dealing with wall to wall stretchers, so much so that in the Atlanta area they're turning away ambulances because they just can't take anyone on.

So this new data coming from the CDC, a trio of studies coming out talking about how beneficial it is to not just get vaccinated but to get boosted. So that's the message that we're hearing here in Atlanta from doctors. Get vaccinated, get boosted but also get tested to limit the spread of COVID-19.

So the Atlanta Public School District has mandatory testing for its teachers twice a week. But they just announced that they're going to start doing mandatory testing for students who are participating in extracurricular activities.

So think of someone who's in sports or theater or band, they will have to get tested, students twice a week to participate all in an effort to keep in-person learning happening here in the city of Atlanta. [17:20:00]

ROMERO: Now all those health experts we talked to in Atlanta say that they're really excited about those at-home test kits going out to Americans.

The Biden administration's new initiative to push one billion tests out to Americans, you can get up to four of those at-home test kits per household.

But of course, Jim, just like with anything else when you roll out a new program there have been hiccups. The Biden administration says that they are working directly with USPS to figure out why some people are getting error messages when they try to log on and order those kits, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. Nadia Romero, thank you very much.

Let's bring in Dr. Peter Hotez. He's a professor and dean of tropical medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Hotez, great to see you as always.

Let's start with this new CDC data strongly favoring boosters, not too surprising, but encouraging. Is it time for the CDC, though, to change this guidance on being fully vaccinated? That you need that booster to be considered fully vaccinated?

DR. PETER HOTEZ, DEAN OF TROPICAL MEDICINE, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: Jim, it was time to change that guidance a year ago. For a year now we've been speaking about why this is a three-dose vaccine and why immunity is likely to decline after two doses as it was when you space them closely together, as it does with almost all of our vaccines. And this just confirms those numbers.

I mean two doses is just not cutting it because we're seeing after a few months that we're only looking at 38 percent protection against the omicron variant six months after two doses in terms of going into the emergency room or requiring an emergency room visit and 57 percent at hospitalization.

So you need that boost to get a big rev up in your virus neutralizing antibodies, 30 to 40 fold rise and that's going to keep you out of the hospital and keep you out of the emergency room.

The only question is how long the third immunization lasts and that's what we're looking at now. But the bottom line is if you're considering yourself fully vaccinated, you need to get that third dose, especially for some of the nursing homes where they mistakenly believe that two doses will still be adequate, and we really need to get that word out.

ACOSTA: And with omicron, parents with kids under the age of 5 are totally stressed out because their young ones are not eligible yet for a vaccine. But this week Dr. Anthony Fauci, he said that he hopes that could change in the next month. He also says he's not sure, you know, exactly when that's going to take place. But why do you think it's taking so long? Help us fill in the blanks

here.

DR. HOTEZ: Well, we always tend to be a little bit more cautious for the young kids to make certain we get it right. And there's a reason for that, Jim. If you mess up, if there's some problem or glitch, it has the ability to affect all other childhood vaccination programs.

You know, the vaccine ecosystem is very fragile, and if there's something that goes wrong with vaccinating young kids, it could affect measles vaccinations, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, (INAUDIBLE), influenza type B, polio. So everything has to be pristine. So I think there's always that extra level of caution.

And my understanding also is that some of the first studies done in little kids, the vaccines were not as immunogenic at a certain dose toward inducing as strong an immune response.

So it's the extra level of safety concerns and making certain we got it right with booster doses and immunization doses. And again, it should be a reminder of parents that this is being carefully overseen by both the FDA and CDC. This is something they're really good at, at monitoring vaccine effectiveness and safety in young kids.

ACOSTA: And given what you've seen, do you think omicron's spread is going to push COVID from the pandemic phase to a more manageable endemic phase? Or is it too soon to tell? I know you and I have spoken about this subject on so many different occasions.

This problem with disinformation, this problem with bad faith actors pushing vaccine hesitancy, which limits the effectiveness of these vaccines over time. It just prolongs all of this for everybody.

Can we get to that endemic phase if we still are combatting that problem?

DR. HOTEZ: Well, we've got a few problems. One is the fact that you just mentioned and you know, we just heard the report about all the hospitalizations among the unvaccinated and not having enough health care workers because they're knocked out of the work force at home with COVID. That's creating a very dangerous situation.

But ultimately, I think this omicron variant will subside and this wave will subside as the others have. And then we have to look at what the post-omicron world looks like.

And unfortunately, there's too much happy talk about what that means because too many are saying that, well, this will be -- now this will be how it all ends because everybody will have been infected with omicron, and that will create long lasting immunity.

[17:29:50]

DR. HOTEZ: I don't think so. I think it's going to be short-term protection because more like another upper respiratory virus, and because we have failed to vaccinate the African continent. We have failed to vaccinate Southeast Asia. We have failed to adequately vaccinate Latin America.

Guess what? That's where we're going to have another big variant coming on board in this country probably sometime this summer.

Just like we saw in the summer of 2020, just like we saw in the summer of 2021 across the south of Texas.

That's what we're in store for, unless we make a concerted effort to vaccinate the world's low- and middle-income countries.

Mother nature is not being coy here, Jim. She's told us what she has in mind.

She gave us Delta out of an unvaccinated Indian population last year. She gave us Omicron in an unvaccinated population in southern Africa towards the end of last year. I promise you, she'll do it again.

ACOSTA: Dr. Peter Hotez, more reason to get protected.

Thanks so much for your time as always. We appreciate it.

HOTEZ: Thank you, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right, coming up, CNN breaking news, details about a possible Kremlin plot to install pro-Russian leadership in Ukraine, fears of an invasion are growing. Go live to Moscow next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:35:40]

ACOSTA: We have major breaking news just into CNN about a possible Kremlin plan to replace the elected leadership in Ukraine with a puppet government.

That's why about 100,000 Russian troops are lining up for some reason along Ukraine's border. No one knows their intentions. The Russians won't give a straight answer.

And fears are rising that Russia is about to invade.

I want to get right to CNN international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, in Moscow.

Nic, give us some details about this very alarming information that Russia may be trying to engineer a new government in Ukraine. This is coming in from British officials. What are they saying?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, this is coming from the British Foreign Office.

What they're saying is that Russia is preparing, planning to install a pro-Russian former Ukrainian M.P., member of parliament, there, in a future government, if they or as they plan and consider whether they're going to invade and occupy Ukraine.

The British government, the Foreign Office named this person as Yevgeny Murrayev.

CNN has reached out and contacted him, and he said, look, there's no comment for me to make because I'm facing Russian sanctions already.

And there's that information available on the Internet that he is facing Russian sanctions.

But this is a very serious allegation being put forward by the British government, not just to say that there's a plan within the Kremlin to install a pro-Russian leadership, but to go ahead and name someone.

They also named four other people, former Ukrainian members of parliament. One of them a former prime minister, two former deputy prime ministers, one former security official.

And they say these four people have been in contact with Russian intelligence service operatives, those operatives themselves currently involved in the planning of the invasion of Ukraine.

So again, this is a very clear statement from the British government.

The foreign secretary says this shows a stark light on the threat that exists around Ukraine at the moment.

And it also -- the foreign secretary says this kind of shows the thinking that's going on inside the Kremlin at the moment.

Not just to invade but to occupy and put in a pliant pro-Russian government to replace the one that exists right now -- Jim?

ACOSTA: And that, of course, would send shock waves across the entire continent.

Nic Robertson, thank you very much.

Let's bring in the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Democratic Senator Bob Menendez.

Senator Menendez, thank you very much for being with us.

Let's talk about this very alarming report from the British government.

Obviously, the British government is not going to put out that kind of information unless they're pretty confident in what they're talking about here.

What would be the ramifications of Putin trying to install a puppet government in Ukraine? This would be very destabilizing for the region.

SEN. BOB MENENDEZ (D-NJ): It certainly would. And obviously, these people seem to be willing to be traitors to their country.

You know, this is why the U.S. government recently sanctioned a series of individuals who they found working with the FSB, Russian intelligence, because of exactly these types of actions.

And so, you know, Ukraine faces a series of threats. Of course, the 100,000-plus troops along three elements of its border, the cyberattacks, the attempt to create an internal coup, so it's besieged.

And this is why, you know, coming together and both sending in defensive equipment and internationalizing the opposition to any invasion by Putin is so critical at this moment.

ACOSTA: And this plan and the reports of the false flag operation, those plans, now that those are all out in the open, what does it do in terms of changing Putin's approach in all of this, do you think?

You know, one of the questions that I have is, is Putin just benefitting from this domestically, politically, by having everybody revved up and spun up about all of these various potential plots?

[17:40:04]

Or do you think he is moving in the direction of putting these kinds of plans in motion?

MENENDEZ: Well, no one knows for sure what Putin is thinking.

I will say this that clearly, whenever he can detract attention from the domestic challenges that exist inside of Russia, both from COVID and economics and other things, and turning the Russian people's attention elsewhere, he's buying himself time.

Of course, we know -- because if you read Putin's speeches, you have a pretty good view of what his master plan is. His greatest lament is the dissolution of what was the Soviet Union. His greatest desire is to re-create it.

So, you know, in this regard, you have to look at the troop buildup as one of two things.

Either he's going to have some type of an invasion, fully, to try to take over Ukraine, or partially, to continue to destabilize it and not put it in the orbit of the West.

Or to use all of this for leverage with the United States and the West to find some type of security guarantees that he says that he needs. We don't know which one of those it is.

But we will know in short order because, in the next week, the United States is responding to his positions in writing.

The British foreign minister's supposed to be visiting Lavrov in Russia in February. That's a little over a week away. So I think we're going to have a pretty good sense of which way this is going to go.

Is it conflict that Putin chooses? And then, if he does, how many body bags does he want to count going back to Russia, of Russia's sons?

Or is it an off-ramp and a diplomatic solution that deals with security guarantees?

ACOSTA: I assume you are supportive of these efforts that we're seeing televised of weapons and shipments and so on going into Ukraine in the event that the Ukrainians have to defend themselves against a Russian invasion.

It sounds as though what the United States and our allies are saying to Putin is that, if you do this, we're going to make sure you get bogged down in something ugly.

MENENDEZ: Well, absolutely. Over 200 million of the expedited moneys -- not the moneys, the equipment arrived in Kiev today. They include javelin missiles that can stop Russian tanks or rocket launchers, grenade launchers and other critical equipment.

That adds on to the 600 million it's already provided to Ukraine in these types of equipment.

And it makes it very clear, this is not the Ukraine that you took over in Crimea. This is a different Ukraine today. It is better prepared.

You may ultimately, because of the size of your military overrun the country, but at what cost? The cost will be extremely high in the number of Russian soldiers that will be killed.

And the cost to Putin and Russia and all of its sectors of its economy with the sanctions that we had previewed, which are different than the typical sanctions that everybody talks about.

These are, as I call it, the mother of all sanctions and would have lasting economic consequences to Russia.

So this is what Putin has to be part of calibrating it all. And we'll see whether his desire to re-create what was the Soviet Union is greater than saving Russian soldier's lives and saving the economy of his people.

ACOSTA: Let me ask you about some domestic political issues that have come up.

Earlier today, the Arizona Democratic Party's Executive Board censured your colleague, Senator Kyrsten Sinema, because she refused to support changing the filibuster rules to help pass voting legislation.

Senator Sanders said he's open to backing primary challengers against both Senator Sinema and Senator Joe Manchin.

Where do you stand on all of this? Are you comfortable with local Democratic parties censuring some of your colleagues if they don't go along with beefing up voting rights in this country?

MENENDEZ: Well, look, each member of the Senate, all 100, had an opportunity to cast a vote and say where they stood on voting rights.

I voted to ensure that the most essential element of our democracy, the right of each and every individual to vote, is not only guaranteed but further enhanced.

I regret that Senator Sinema did not take the step necessary to ensure that. Because while she voted for the underlying legislation, we got no Republican support.

[17:45:00]

Even though 16 Republican members of the Senate, who are still members today, led by then Leader McConnell in 2006, voted to extend the Voting Rights Act.

I don't know what's different today than it was in 2006 when they voted that way. They're all still in the Senate. They should have voted with us.

But when they didn't, then the question was, do we change the rules to create a limited exception to ensure that the most fundamental of all rights, the right to vote, which leads to everything else was preserved?

Each state will decide for themselves in terms of their parties how they respond to how members voted. I respect that they have that right.

And obviously, everybody faces the consequence for the way they cast their votes.

ACOSTA: And Senator McConnell, who you just mentioned, he had to do some cleanup after he says he misspoke on voting rights this week.

Let's revisit his initial remarks and his two-part clarification.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What's your message for voters of color, who are concerned without the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, they're not going to be able to vote?

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): The concern is misplaced. Because if you look at the statistics, African-American voters are voting in just as high a percentage as Americans.

I want to take an opportunity at the outset here to address the outrageous mischaracterization of my history and record on voting rights and race relations as a result of inadvertently leaving out the word "almost" in my comments the other day.

The omitted word is "all," not "almost," sorry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: He seemed to be struggling with that cleanup in addition to the initial comment.

Your response, Senator? MENENDEZ: Look, he may have made an inadvertent mistake. But I will

just say this, I posited on the Senate floor when I was speaking in favor of the voting rights legislation, why is it that Republicans seem to have a problem with having ballot boxes in minority communities, drop boxes in minority communities?

And say that it's minority communities it creates fraud, but when you have ballot drop-off boxes in non-minority communities, there's no such fraud? Maybe we got our answer.

ACOSTA: And your thoughts on folks like Governor Ron DeSantis setting up election police forces?

MENENDEZ: You know, this falls in line with everything that we see being revealed about President Trump's, in essence, effect on a coup.

As the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair, I call out Democratic backsliding across the globe.

Well, we came really close here in the United States, something I could never have imagined would have happened.

And when we talk about Governor DeSantis having a special police force on elections, you know, it reminds me of the secret police. This is not what happens in a democracy.

This is not what happens in a democracy that is supposed to be a beacon of light to the rest of the world. It's really heinous, it's outrageous, and should be condemned roundly by everyone.

ACOSTA: Senator Bob Menendez, thank you very much for your time. We appreciate it.

MENENDEZ: Thank you.

ACOSTA: All right, coming up, lawyers for Kobe Bryant and his widow make a shocking allegation accusing sheriff's deputies and firefighters of passing around photos of her husband and daughter's remains at bars and a gala award event after the helicopter crash that killed him.

[17:48:45]

Details on the lawsuit about to go to trial.

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[17:53:31]

ACOSTA: Court filings reveal shocking new details in vanessa Bryant's legal battle over graphic images of the January 2020 helicopter crash that killed her husband, Kobe Bryant, and their daughter.

Bryant's lawyers say close-up photos of Kobe and Gianna Bryant's remains were passed around on cell phones belonging to L.A. County sheriff's deputies and firefighters. They say the images were shown off in bars and even at an awards gala.

And that people involved tried to delete the evidence to hide that they had shared it.

Bryant's lawsuit against Los Angeles County is set to go to trial next month.

And police and game wardens in Pennsylvania have an All-Points Bulletin out for a monkey. Yes, a monkey. A semitruck carrying about 100 laboratory monkeys crashed on Friday. This guy, though, got away.

It happened off of Interstate 80. And police are asking residents not to catch or get close to the monkey if they see it. All the other animals on the truck are accounted for.

And when a dog slipped her collar and got stuck on dangerous terrain in England, rescuers came up with an ingenious and delicious solution, if you're the dog in this situation.

They ended up trying to tie sausages to drones to lure this little pup named Milley to safer area where they could scoop her us.

Initially, rescuers tried to reach the stranded dog out on the mud flats by foot and by kayak. And when that didn't work, the sausages ended up doing the trick in the end.

Always goes to show you, a good treat goes a long way.

[17:55:01]

And that's the news. Reporting from Washington, I'm Jim Acosta. I'll see you back here tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

Pamela Brown takes over the CNN NEWSROOM, live, after a quick break.

But before I go, a quick programming note. Make sure you tune in, as I'm going to be hosting "DEMOCRACY IN PERIL," where we will delve into the dangers and threats to democracy and voting. That is all at 9:00 p.m. Eastern all of next week, only on CNN.

Have a great night, everybody. Thanks very much for watching.

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