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Rogan Apologizes For Resurfaced Clips Of Him Using N-Word 20- Plus Times; Ex-Dolphins Head Coach Sues NFL, Claims Racial Discrimination By Teams; Interview With Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ); Pence Rebukes Trump In Strongest Terms Yet: "Trump is Wrong"; U.S. Claims Russia Planning A Fake Attack As Pretext For Invasion; National Archives: Some Trump Documents Sent To 1/6 Committee Were Torn Up, Taped Back Together; Queen Elizabeth Calls For Camilla To Be Known As "Queen Consort" When Charles Becomes King. Aired 5-6p ET
Aired February 05, 2022 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:59:49]
JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.
We begin with controversial podcaster Joe Rogan apologizing again. This time after videos resurfaced of him using the N-word more than 20 times on his podcast. The video was posted by Patriot Takes, an organization that aims to expose extremism on the far right. It's an edited compilation of different podcast episodes and I want to warn you, this is very disturbing to hear.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE ROGAN, PODCAST HOST: UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) thing.
Saying the word (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
I already said (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
He's calling you a (EXPLETIVE DELETED). That he's a (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Starts calling them (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
There should be a word like (EXPLETIVE DELETED) especially like the word (EXPLETIVE DELETED). That's an (EXPLETIVE DELETED), (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
He says (EXPLETIVE DELETED) guy. And (EXPLETIVE DELETED) and starts saying (EXPLETIVE DELETED) use the word (EXPLETIVE DELETED). You can't say (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Let's bring in CNN's senior media correspondent Oliver Darcy.
Oliver, Joe Rogan is apologizing. He's been apologizing quite a lot lately. Some days ago, he said he was sorry for all the trouble he has caused Spotify. What's he saying now?
OLIVER DARCY, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim, Joe Rogan is quite a regretful man as of late. The other week, he was apologizing for some of the COVID misinformation that he had helped spread and he promised to do better on that front.
And this morning, he has posted on Instagram, a lengthy apology addressing some previous racial slurs he used years ago an episode of the Joe Rogan program. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROGAN: I'm making this video to talk about the most regretful and shameful thing that I've ever had to talk about publicly. There's a video that's out that's a compilation of me saying the N-word. It's a video that's made of clips taken out of context of me of 12 years of conversations on my podcast and it's all smushed together and it looks (EXPLETIVE DELETED) horrible Even to me.
Now, I know that to most people, there's no context where a white person is ever allowed to say that word. Never mind publicly on a podcast and I agree with that now.
I haven't said it in years. But for a long time, when I would bring that word up, like if it would come up in conversation, instead of saying the N-word, I would just say the word. I never used it to be racist because I'm not racist. but whenever you're in a situation where you have to say I'm not racist, you (EXPLETIVE DELETED) up and I clearly have (EXPLETIVE DELETED) up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DARCY: Yes, there you go, Jim. Rogan admitting that he did mess up there. Whether people accept his apology, I think that's too soon to tell.
ACOSTA: No question about it.
There's another video though from Patriot Takes, which we also want to play. It's a story Joe Rogan is telling of when he went to see what he describes as "Planet of the Apes"; also highly offensive, disgusting comments here. Let's play it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROGAN: And it says ok, take me to this one and the guy goes ok, is that in a good neighborhood? He's like oh, yes, yes, yes, yes. Guy barely speaks English.
He takes us there. We get out and we're giggling, we're going to see "Planet of the Apes". We walked into "Planet of the Apes". We walked into Africa, dude. We walked in the door and there was no white people.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ACOSTA: Yes, I mean you take these two videos together, Oliver. I mean Joe Rogan is just a racist. I mean that is just it. There's just no other way to describe it. He's a racist who has used racist language for years.
I mean, how does he deal with this? And how does Spotify respond?
DARCY: Yes, Jim. Spotify is not commenting at all right now on this new matter for them. You know, this new controversy. They commented previously on the COVID misinformation and now they're being under intense scrutiny again for Joe Rogan, this time with regards to these racial slurs that he used years ago.
That said, a source familiar with the matter did tell our colleague Brian Stelter that the company has been talking to Rogan about some of these slurs and some of these problems on his old podcast and that Rogan himself chose to remove a lot of these podcasts where he used these slurs from the Spotify library. Fans noticed that about 70 episodes of Rogan past episodes had been removed.
Again, whether that's enough is too soon to tell. This has been a controversy that's spiraling out of control for Spotify. You know, it started with Neil Young removing his music. And it has continued to grow where artists, podcasters are saying they're taking their stuff off of Spotify or pausing their work with the platform.
So you know, whether they end up severing ties with Rogan, we don't know. But they are under intense scrutiny. This is a controversy that has continued to grow and it's all because of Joe Rogan and the reported $100 million they pay him to host his podcast exclusively on their platform.
[17:05:02]
ACOSTA: Incredible. And I have to think, Oliver, in the days to come, you're going to see other recording artists, I suppose, who are going to say, you know, this material that they removed from Joe Rogan is just so appalling, so disgusting, so racist, that they don't want to have anything to do with Spotify.
All right. Oliver Darcy, thanks so much. We appreciate it.
DARCY: Thank you.
ACOSTA: Eight days away from the Super Bowl, but that's not why we're talking about the NFL this week. The league is on defense against a racial discrimination lawsuit filed by Miami Dolphins former head coach, Brian Flores. He claims the New York Giants interviewed him for their vacant head coaching job but he says it was all a sham, allowing the Giants to essentially check a box saying they were in compliance with an NFL diversity rule.
He also claims Dolphins owner Stephen Ross wanted to pay him for losing games on purpose. Ross has denied this, but these allegations have entangled multiple people and teams across the league. Let's go to CNN's Camila Bernal in front of the Los Angeles Convention Center where the Super Bowl experience is going on right now. The lawsuit is forcing the NFL to respond, isn't it?
CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is, Jim. And NFL commissioner Roger Goodell saying that the lack of black head coaches in the NFL is unacceptable. He says that he understands the concerns that were expressed by Brian Flores. And look, what Brian Flores said is that he just wants change and this may be, could be the beginning of that change because the commissioner is calling for a review of the policies -- the diversity, equity and inclusion policies in the NFL.
He said this would be outside experts coming in to talk to former coaches and former players and we found out about all of this through a memo that Roger Goodell sent to many of the executives and the presidents of these clubs.
CNN obtained a copy of that memo and I want to read part of it because he says we have made significant efforts to promote diversity and adopted numerous policies and programs which have produced positive change in many areas. However, we must acknowledge that particularly with respect to head coaches, the results have been unacceptable.
Now, the attorneys representing Brian Flores also responding and saying that the statement made by the commissioner is on the surface, a positive first step, but they suspect that this is more of a public relations ploy than a real commitment to change and I want to give you some background on all of this.
Out of all of the NFL players, about 70 percent of them are black. But out of all of the head coaches, 28 of them who are currently employed, only one of them is black. There are two other non-black minority head coaches, but those are the numbers that Brian Flores is pointing to.
Now, it is also important to say that this week when all of this came out, Jim, both the NFL and the three teams that are involved in this lawsuit denied the allegations. So that's also something that the attorneys are pointing to, Jim.
ACOSTA: All right. Camila Bernal, thank you very much.
Let's turn to January 31st, 1988, Washington, 42, Denver, 10. On that day Doug Williams became the first African American quarterback to win the Super Bowl. The MVP of the Super Bowl XXII Doug Williams joins me now.
Doug, great to see you. Doug Williams, we should also note he serves as a senior adviser for the NFL's newly-named Washington Commanders, which has also been a subject of a lot of conversation around D.C. this week.
Doug, are you surprised -- let's talk about this last report we just heard a few moments ago about what's happening with the NFL and black coaches. Are you surprised when you look around 34 years later and there's one African American head coach out of 32 teams? DOUG WILLIAMS, FIRST BLACK QUARTERBACK TO WIN THE SUPER BOWL: Thanks,
Jim. Thanks for having me. You know, I came into this league in 1970, 44 years ago. And I can remember standing on the sideline thinking about how many black coaches was on the other sideline. It was very seldom you saw one. I know in our team, in fact, we only had one.
But when you think about from 44 years ago, how many black coaches out there so much qualified. It's so many coaches, you know, first of all, they say we don't have any in the pipeline. The pipeline is full. You know, Jim Caldwell, how can he not be coaching?
The enemy (ph) -- How can you not be coaching? You got Todd Bowles. You got Byron Leftwich. You know, you got Leslie Frazier, Raheem Morris -- you know, all these guys out there that who deserve an opportunity to be coaching in the league. And you know, I don't know who's on the diversity committee in the national football league to try to get hired -- black coaches hired, but I can say this, they're not doing a great job.
[17:09:51]
ACOSTA: And you've worked in NFL front offices, other football leagues, head coach for Grambling State University. Did you ever feel like an NFL head coaching position was an avenue for you to pursue?
WILLIAMS: You know what, I think I looked at it from the standpoint of what's the chances. Because since I played in the league 44 years, you know, I've looked at the scorecard for how many black coaches get opportunity to coach in the National Football League.
I mean this year, we have eight jobs that's been open and you know, I'm going to be honest with you. Before anybody was hired, I said to myself you know, we got a chance to get at least three, maybe four of these jobs that is open.
And here we are now, possibility of being shut out. I mean that in itself says a lot. I mean you look at this league and you think you making progress. We not making progress. Yes, we make it in the sales department and we going to look better in the general manager area, but when we talk about on the field and you've got 70 percent of the players basically that are playing this league, you know, it's good to have somebody that look like them that they can say is in charge of something. And that's not what's happening here.
ACOSTA: Yes. And as part of his lawsuit against the NFL, former Dolphins coach Brian Flores says the team's owner, Stephen Ross, offered him money to lose games. The Miami Dolphins denied those allegations.
But you know, it's something the fans, you know, they think about, you know, if their team is performing poorly, that they're just going to tank games at the end of is the season so they can get a high draft pick and it doesn't surprise me that these allegations are coming up. Have you ever been aware of this kind of incentivizing going on for people to lose games? WILLIAMS: I've never been aware because I've never been in the seat
that Brian sits in. You know, I think Brian was in that seat and it's nothing but the owner to state that it never happened. What else he going to say to that? I mean there's nothing else left to say. He can't say I did that. He's got to defend himself and say we didn't do that.
But Brian and Coach Jackson, they've been in that seat and they can tell you more than I could because I haven't been in that position.
ACOSTA: And I want to switch gears to your team, the newly named Washington Commanders. In addition to being a legendary figure to a generation of Washington fans and full disclosure, I'm a Washington football fan or I guess Washington Commanders fan.
You're also a senior adviser with the team. And you've worked with the team in some capacity for the last eight years, but an important subject has come up. On Thursday, well off the field in front of the House Oversight Committee, former employees, cheerleaders from the Washington Commanders, Washington football team, detailed their accusations against the team owner Dan Snyder, including asking staff to compile lewd video clips of cheerleaders without their knowledge or consent as well as a new claim of unwanted sexual touching.
Have you ever witnessed this type of behavior and what's the team doing about it?
WILLIAMS: Jim, let me say this. All that happened before I got here. All this happened before 2014. So I wasn't privy to anything that was going on. I mean I'm just like you as far as watching and listening and hearing.
I mean as far as I'm concerned, I don't know anything about it because everything happened way before I got there.
ACOSTA: But let me ask you this because there's a bigger issue here. In a letter on Friday, the House Committee sent a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell requesting the release of the full findings of the leagues investigation that found team owner Dan Snyder was responsible for the club's unprofessional and intimidating culture.
You're a part of the organization now. You are a obviously a huge presence in the Washington, D.C. area. Everybody knows Doug Williams. Do you support releasing these findings?
WILLIAMS: Well let me tell you, I think that the most important thing is in the hand of the commission. And I think he has to be the one, I can't say don't release them. I can't say release them. I think this has to come straight from the NFL's office. And I think they're ones that have to answer that question.
ACOSTA: And I wanted to show our viewers this. I do have a Washington football team sweatshirt here that my mom gave me for Christmas. I'm a huge fan. As I said before, I grew up loving the Washington Football Team and you know, I'll continue to support the Commanders. But I have to ask you something, Doug. As a fan and as a family member of superfans of the Washington Football Team, don't the fans deserve a new owner here in Washington, D.C.? For years, people have just been so frustrated with Dan Snyder and the way that this team has been run. And I hate to put you on the spot because you're Doug Williams and you know, so many great memories watching Doug Williams play.
But it seems to me that the team needs a new owner. What do you think and what do you say to fans who say that?
[17:14:48]
WILLIAMS: Well, let me tell you, I'm not in position to say that, but I could say this. I mean as far as what's on the field, I think that has to go through the people who pick the players. It's not Dan Snyder who's coaching them or what have you.
Now from the other standpoint, I can't say, I'm not going to sit here and say what we should or should not do because I do work for the organization and that's not appropriate for me to say at this time.
ACOSTA: I get that. But you hear it all the time.
WILLIAMS: I hear it all the time. I mean, it's hard not to hear it. It's out there.
But you know, we just have to just bear and see what happens, what comes of this whole situation. But you know, I'm positive about what happens. I mean the most important thing for me, you know, I try to stay out of stuff that's going on out there because that's bigger than me. That's before I got here. I'm more concerned with the guys on the field.
ACOSTA: And before we go, I do want to ask you about a disturbing example of the overt racism that permeates our culture to this day. We were talking about it at the top of this hour. Joe Rogan is now apologizing after videos have resurfaced of him using the N-word multiple times on his podcast.
The video is an edited compilation of different episodes. Let's play this for our viewers who may have missed it. Let me get your comment on it, Doug.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE ROGAN, PODCAST HOST: UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) thing.
Saying the word (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
I already said (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
He's calling you a (EXPLETIVE DELETED). That he's a (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Starts calling them (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
There should be a word like (EXPLETIVE DELETED) especially like the word (EXPLETIVE DELETED). That's an (EXPLETIVE DELETED), (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
He says (EXPLETIVE DELETED) guy. And (EXPLETIVE DELETED) and starts saying (EXPLETIVE DELETED) use the word (EXPLETIVE DELETED). You can't say (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Doug, you were around so many young men who I'm sure listen to Joe Rogan's podcast. And I have to ask you as somebody who made history in the NFL as the first black quarterback to win the Super Bowl and that is a source of pride here in Washington, I will tell you.
I have to wonder what you think of this podcaster who has so much sway over so many young men around the country.
WILLIAMS: First of all, you know, I don't know how he's still on the radio, number one. You know, he can apologize as much he wants, but you don't mistakenly make those type of comments which he apologizes for. I mean it's one thing if you do it once, but when you do it as many times as he's done it, that's who he is, you know.
And when you hear him say it once, that's exactly who he is, man. And you can't sit here and feel sorry for his apology. And for the people who do accept his apologies, shame on you.
ACOSTA: All right. Well said, the great Doug Williams. Thank you so much for your time. Thanks for letting this fan put you on the spot a little bit about the team. And hopefully we'll see some winning for the Commanders down the road. We'll have to get used to that name.
WILLIAMS: That's what I'm waiting on, Jim. Thanks for having me.
ACOSTA: All right. Take care, Doug. We appreciate it. Thanks for your time.
Coming up, Mike Pence takes on his former boss telling the world, quote, "President Trump is wrong about the power he had to overturn the election. So why now, why finally after 13 months?
[17:18:04]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: It seems Mike Pence has drawn a line in the sand, at least temporarily. Just days after former president Trump publicly admitted he was banking on Pence to overturn the 2020 election and after a year of Trump lobbying pot shots at his former vice president, Pence returned the favor calling out his ex-boss by name on Friday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I heard this week that President Trump said I had the right to overturn the election. President Trump is wrong. I had no right to overturn the election. The presidency belongs to the American people and the American people alone.
And frankly, there is no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the American president. Under the constitution, I had no right to change the outcome of our election.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: As usual, Trump wanted to have the last word and as usual, it was full of falsehoods or lies, we should say.
Quote, "I was right and everyone knows it." That's not true.
"If there is fraud or large-scale irregularities, it would have been appropriate to send those votes back to the legislatures to figure it out." That is also not true.
Just that whole thing was lies. Stamp it, lies. The man is a broken record when it comes to breaking democracy.
I'm joined now by Democratic Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey. The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Senator, I do want to ask you about the situation with Russia and Ukraine in just a moment. But first, what was your reaction when you saw what Mike Pence had to say?
SEN. BOB MENENDEZ (D-NJ): Well, I applaud former vice president Pence for saying what is the truth. He had no right, no power whatsoever to not certify the election as per the will of the American people and the votes that were cast to the electors. It's plain and simple.
And it just goes to show how dangerous Trump was and is today. Because you can only imagine if he runs again, what he will claim about whatever the results are of that election. And if he were even to win such an election, whether he would ever leave from office voluntarily.
I mean this man is the-- one of the biggest threats we have to our democracy that I have not seen such a threat in such a long time.
ACOSTA: And why do you think none of your Republican colleagues are publicly backing up Mike Pence? We're just not really hearing any of that one day after he made these comments.
[17:24:50]
MENENDEZ: You know, the Republican Party that I have spent most of my public career working with, which was fiscally responsible, socially moderate, is not the party of today. That's not the Republican Party today.
This is the party of Trump. And they are -- I believe that they are fearful at the end of the day of the ability that he might have in a primary context to affect their elections. Because no rational person could ever take the position that in fact Mike Pence had the power to not certify the election. Or as the Republican National Committee just put out that the events of January 6th were somehow peaceful protests. I mean it is beyond even in Washington context, beyond you know, wildest possibilities of a major national political party taking the positions it's taking and having its members acquiesce.
ACOSTA: And let's talk about Ukraine and Russia. Some of the first U.S. troops have arrived in Poland to reinforce NATO. This as we learn about an apparent Russian plan to depict a staged attack intended to justify an invasion of Ukraine. This is not what de-escalation looks like, I suppose.
Has anything changed in your stance in recent days about how you see this being resolved? Should there be this kind of build up that we're seeing? Might that potentially provoke things in the direction of conflict?
MENENDEZ: Jim, there's only one aggressor here and that's Vladimir Putin. There's no other aggressor. Ukraine did nothing to have 150,000 forces lined up along its border; to send you know, strategic bombers into Belarus that can carry a nuclear weapon; to go ahead and have cyber attacks upon the Ukrainian government; to have efforts to undermine the Ukrainian government and have in essence an internal coup.
These false flag operations are pretexts for Putin to try to create a set of circumstances that somehow justifies his action instead of seeing it for what it is -- the malign actions of someone who ultimately wants to change the map of Europe by force.
And that's what we cannot have. Nothing that we are going to do, whether it be on the mother of all sanctions, whether it be on sending troops to bolster our NATO allies in the region, that's not going to be provoking Putin.
Putin will make a decision based on what he wants to accomplish. And either he will find a pathway off conflict and towards maybe some of the security concerns that he wants and potential guarantees to a diplomatic process. Or he will ultimately have a devastating economy as a result of his actions and a lot of Russia's sons sent back dead to Russia. That's his choice before us.
ACOSTA: Senator, just to follow up on that. Just to make sure I'm crystal clear on this. You do believe what the administration has been saying in terms of Russia potentially planning or maybe planning to stage some sort of false flag operation in order to justify an attack on Ukraine.
You do put stock into that intelligence, that information coming from the administration.
MENENDEZ: Absolutely. We've already seen the British previously out Putin on a previous false flag operation. The administration was right to declassify and put this out there. The more we can deny Putin any potential reason even though that reason may be a false one, a pretextual one, the better off Ukraine is in terms of staving off an invasion.
So this is not a creation or a fantasy. This is Putin at his best in terms of trying to create circumstances to justify his actions. We saw that in Crimea. We saw that in the Donbas Region of Ukraine.
He is the aggressor and I'm amazed that Xi Jinping in China joined him because basically if Russia invades, he will have in essence blessed the invasion. I don't know that China wants to be on that side of history.
ACOSTA: Certainly not during the Olympics that are taking place in Beijing right now.
All right. Senator Bob --
MENENDEZ: You would think that the Olympics is a totally different message.
ACOSTA: Absolutely. All right. Senator Bob Menendez, thanks very much for your time. We appreciate it.
MENENDEZ: Thank you.
And coming up, exclusive CNN reporting that seems to establish what one congressman has been notoriously reluctant to pin down on. Exactly when did Jim Jordan speak with former president, Trump on January 6th.
[17:59:55]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:34:11]
ACOSTA: CNN has exclusive new reporting on January 6th and a phone call between Republican Congressman Jim Jordan and then President Trump.
Sources tell us the House Select Committee investigating the insurrection has records showing Trump and Jordan spoke on the phone for 10 minutes on the morning of January 6th.
That afternoon, Jordan took to the House floor to object to the certification of the 2020 election results and pro-Trump supporters attacked the capitol.
I'm joined by John Dean, CNN contributor and former White House counsel for President Nixon.
John, great to see you.
Jordan has defied the committee's request to cooperate with the investigation. Now this comes to light.
What do you make of it?
[17:35:02] JOHN DEAN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, it seems to me the committee knows more about his memory than he does. He's been very fuzzy on when asked by reporters as to the sequence of calls.
He's admitted talking to Trump. Not much beyond great confusion in his mind.
ACOSTA: And we now know that Trump allies in Congress were lobbying Pence in the White House ahead of January 6th.
Here's Congressman Matt Gaetz describing the meetings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL) (voice-over): I remember my last meeting with Mike Pence. It was before January 6th. It was in the White House.
We were there talking not about insurrection and overthrowing the government, but about the substantive arguments that we believed would prevail in debate, much like Peter Navarro has laid out on this program.
And also the substantive arguments that we thought would be persuasive to state legislatures who were looking for a signal to take more aggressive action to not maintain the fiction of elections that were not run fairly.
And I knew then that he was not going to show a great deal of boldness before the Congress. We put forward arguments and affidavits and evidence. We showed them videos.
We were in the Cabinet Room meeting with Mike Pence in the days leading up to January 6th. And I left quite disappointed that he was not motivated by our argument.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: John Dean, seems to me we have to get to the bottom of what happened on January 6th, of course.
But the days leading up to January 6th are equally important if not more important because you had this pressure campaign on the vice president.
Here's a congressman talking about how they were showing Pence videos at the White House. They were also pressuring Pence before January 6th.
The committee has not ruled out calling him in to testify. Do you think he should come forward and offer that testimony?
DEAN: I do. I think everybody has an obligation.
I think Matt Gaetz should be in there. I think the former vice president should be in there.
He could explain a lot that his staff, which is apparently cooperating with the committee, cannot.
They really can't get to his precise state of mind. They can't get to all of what was changed between he and Trump. They weren't privy to it.
So, yes, I think he should be a witness.
And I think his speech didn't go far at all. He just said what everybody knew. He said I'm not a total toady anymore. I'm going to stand up and say the former president is wrong in saying I had the authority.
But he didn't say, I think the election was fair and square and let's just get on with business.
ACOSTA: Yes. I mean, I think that sums it up perfectly.
Pence is essentially saying the accurate part out loud. We'll see if he has anything more to say about it.
Trump has said a couple of times that he would consider pardons or he would go ahead and pardon people convicted of the capitol riots.
Let's listen to some of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I would absolutely because some of them are being treated very unfairly. Yes, I would absolutely give them a pardon --
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: -- if things don't work out fairly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: What do you think, John? Is this witness tampering? Sure sounds like it.
DEAN: Boy, it sounds like it to me.
You know, under the obstruction statute, you don't have to actually succeed in obstructing an endeavor to do so.
And this sounds an awful lot like an endeavor to me where he's telling witnesses don't cooperate. If I get re-elected, I've got your back. Bet on me.
So you know, as I say, if the Justice Department isn't tracking this stuff, I don't know what our Justice Department is for.
ACOSTA: No kidding.
According to sources inside the investigation, some of the Trump White House documents given to the House committee -- this is incredible. Again, under the category of shocking not surprising.
Some of these documents were apparently torn up and taped back together. Trump was, of course, known to tear up documents while he was president.
Did hearing that give you a Nixon Watergate flashback? People tearing up documents?
DEAN: It flashed on the 18-and-a-half-minute gap that many think Richard Nixon was responsible for. I don't think he was that good with machines, frankly, that he could have done it.
Yes, this shows a guilty mind. Somebody who is president had to have been briefed about presidential records that he had to keep them and he's destroying documents.
His staff, fortunately, is putting them back together.
ACOSTA: But it suggests that perhaps there may be evidence that was destroyed, successfully destroyed?
DEAN: Well, indeed. I think a lot of evidence is going to come up missing.
[17:40:04]
We understand that a lot of things that were supposed to be in the records never got there. So that hasn't been sorted out yet.
And, Jim, it's not a very strong law, the Presidential Records Act. There are no criminal sanctions for it.
It's just expected that somebody at that level of government service, or a president, they'll do what the law guides them to do.
It's a relatively new law. It started post-Watergate.
But I think there's going to be discovered open defiance by the Trump presidency of that law.
ACOSTA: Yes. Talk about a law that was not designed for the Trump administration. That would be it.
John Dean, thanks very much as always for you insights. We appreciate it.
DEAN: Thank you, Jim.
ACOSTA: Coming up, call it a real life "Game of Thrones." Queen Elizabeth just made a major announcement about a member of the royal family.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:45:35] ACOSTA: And we're following major breaking royal news. Queen Elizabeth just announced her wishes for Camilla, the duchess of Cornwall, when Camilla's husband, Prince Charles, becomes King.
Let's get right to CNN royal correspondent, Max Foster, in London.
Max, what are you learning?
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: It's a real surprise, I have to say. Camilla, obviously, Prince Charles' second wife.
A huge sensitivity around titles when it comes to her. Because these titles were destined for Diana.
So currently, Camilla is princess of Wales. She doesn't use that title because that was Diana's title.
When Charles and Camilla got married, they said that Camilla would be known as "princess consort" when Charles becomes king.
He's not really talked about that since that time. But he's also been pushing for the idea that Camilla would be queen one day.
And a huge statement from Queen Elizabeth to say that she's giving out her blessing. Only she can really decide this.
We've also just heard from Camilla offices that they feel touched by this. It's a very moving statement as far as they're concern.
It's an acknowledgment, really, I think, that Prince Charles feels that, when he's king, he wants Camilla crowned as queen alongside him and that the public is probably ready for that.
So a big moment really for British history. And we weren't really expecting this to come.
And for the queen to do it in her jubilee message is a real statement of intent.
ACOSTA: And, Max, the queen is marking a milestone of her own.
FOSTER: Yes, 70 years on the throne. That will be marked tomorrow. She is the first British monarch to mark a Platinum Jubilee.
There will be big celebrations this summer. But nothing from her tomorrow. She always spends it privately because it also marks the moment when her father died and when she became queen. So she'll want that privately.
But we do have this statement, which really speaks to what she wants to come out of this day, which is looking ahead to future monarchy. She very much sees Camilla as part of that.
So we're talking and the future of the monarchy. And she's giving her blessing to Charles and Camilla. She's actually, in the statement she put out, asking for the public to
support that as well, on her behalf. And obviously, she's very revered. And it's a powerful statement from her.
ACOSTA: All right, Max Foster.
We just saw a cake that was presented to the queen there. That was one heck of a cake there.
Thanks so much for that.
There it is right there. I just wish I could get a slice of that cake. That would be something else.
All right, Max Foster, thanks very much. We appreciate it.
And our congrats to the queen.
Coming up, the Washington football team getting a new name and nickname that has some seeing red. Jeanne Moos explains next.
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[17:52:53]
ACOSTA: The Washington football team unveiled the new name this week. And you didn't really think everyone was just going to love it, did you? This is Washington. Nobody agrees on anything.
And Jeanne Moos has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When the Washington football team revealed its new name, it was done commandingly.
UNIDENTIFIED FOOTBALL PLAYER: We are --
UNIDENTIFIED FOOTBALL PLAYERS: The Commanders.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are the Commanders.
JOE SCARBOROUGH, MSNBC HOST, "MORNING JOE": It's the Washington Commanders.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Commanders.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Appreciate it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Commanders.
MOOS: But fist bumps turned to eye rolls as the Commanders got their first nickname.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Washington Commies, the red team in the nation's capital.
MOOS: Actually, it's burgundy and gold, not red. But that didn't stop people from making the same joke.
"Hail to the Commies," with the team's owner getting a Communist makeover.
"Trying to decide which hat I should wear for Commie's games," complete with a selection of Russian military head wear.
New Commanders' merchandise competed with symbolic sickles.
New official slogan, #takeCommand, was challenged.
"Please, let their hash tag be Going Commando."
Their home stadium, the "Commode."
The actual commander in chief, owner of a German puppy named Commander --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, Pal.
MOOS: -- was quick to tweet, "I suppose there's room for two commanders in this town."
And President Biden's granddaughter wondered, does the team need a new mascot?
When it comes to football, there's a new Cold War. It's --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Commies.
MOOS: -- versus the --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Commanders.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: I just want them to win. What can I say?
There's an old saying, if you want a friend in Washington, get a dog. Last week, I put that adage to the test when I rescued Duke.
There he is. He's the sweet puppy in these pictures.
Duke came into my life with the help of the Best Friends Pet Adoption Organization.
[17:55:02]
He was one of 18 dogs -- or his mother was -- one of 18 dogs found abandoned in a foreclosed home in Arkansas. As a result, he was homeless. Thankfully, the others have found homes with foster families and Duke
came home to me.
I can't wait for the many adventures that Duke and I will have together.
He was not driving the car during that one picture, just so you know.
If you want to help another four-legged companion find a home, visit my friends at bestfriends.org.
And that's the news. Reporting from Washington, I'm Jim Acosta.
I'll bring in Duke sometime, hold him up for the camera, if I can, if they let me do that here.
In the meantime, Pamela Brown takes over the CNN NEWSROOM, live, after a quick break.
Have a good night, everyone.
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