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McConnell, McCarthy Split Over RNC's Censure Of Cheney, Kinzinger; Pence Emboldened By Positive Reaction To Statement That "Trump Is Wrong"; Snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis Wins First Gold For Team USA; Inflation Spikes Prices For Super Bowl Party Items; Buttigieg Reacts To Florida's "Don't Say Gay" Bill. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired February 09, 2022 - 13:30   ET

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

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[13:30:53]

ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: The most powerful Republican on Capitol Hill is now pushing back against the RNC's censure of Representatives Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney. Their offense, serving on the House committee investigating the capitol attack.

But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell took issue with the resolution, referring to the riot as, quote, "legitimate political discourse," and made a point to call it a violent insurrection, to state the facts.

Chief congressional correspondent, Manu Raju, spoke to the House minority leader, Kevin McCarthy.

What did you tell you?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT; He is defending that resolution censuring two of his members of his conference, Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney, for investigating the January 6th attack.

And he said he had no issue with it. He contended that the language talking about political discourse referred to a separate issue, dealing with the notion that there were some people who were subpoenaed by the committee who, in his view, the Republican National Committee's view had nothing to do with the attack.

But that's not what the resolution said, and what the resolution said has gotten a number of other Republicans, including some in his conference, to say that is not the approach Republicans should take at this critical juncture as they're trying to unite and trying to win back the House and Senate majority in the fall.

But nevertheless, McCarthy is aligning himself with Trump, aligning himself with the Republican National Committee even as the Republican leader in the Senate is taking a decidedly different approach.

CABRERA: And I understand we're learning some new details about the response to Mike Pence's rebuke of Trump last week when he said in no uncertain terms, "Trump is wrong," when he says Pence could have overturned the election.

RAJU: Yes, that's right. Our colleagues are learning it was essentially the last straw, a couple of statements Donald Trump issued regarding Mike Pence.

That forced him ultimately to decide and call what Donald Trump was saying un-American, that a vice president overseeing Congress, certifying the electoral votes on that day could simply overturn the will of the voters.

That essentially was enough for him. And as a result, he has gotten a lot of encouragement, according to our colleagues' reporters. Donors and others have privately reached out to the former vice president saying he did the right thing.

Earlier today, I caught up with Greg Pence, a Republican congressman from Indiana. He happens to be Mike Pence's brother. He told me he stands behind what his brother said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Can you say if he agrees with your brother's speech last week?

REP. GREG PENCE (R-IN): I'll stand by my brother now and forever, OK?

RAJU: And what he said?

PENCE: I love my brother. I'll stand by him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: But, again, there's still division on Capitol Hill about whether that was the right approach.

Very few Republicans have come out in support of what Mike Pence is saying, showing the divide over Donald Trump, his handling of January 6th, still remains such an issue that has not been resolved by this party.

Which is why many leaders here simply want to look past what happened there and look forward to the election and, instead, focus on what unites them, which is railing against the Biden agenda -- Ana?

CABRERA: Manu Raju, thank you.

Meantime, "The Washington Post" is reporting a damning new twist in Donald Trump's lie.

According to the newspaper, Trump ally, Rudy Giuliani, actually asked a prosecutor in the swing state of Michigan, a Republican prosecutor, to get ahold of the voting machines and turn them over to the Trump team.

Let's get to CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor, Elliot Williams.

First, your reaction to this.

ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Look, what it shows, Ana, is the desperation of the Trump here. Look at the number of different entities that have been brought into this scheme to seize voting machines.

We learned the Defense Department and Department of Homeland Security, approached them. Number two, law enforcement officials. Number three, state and local officials. And finally now today we know prosecutors.

[13:35:03]

So it's a web of individuals who should not have been brought into the president's scheme here.

Now the question is, were there any laws violated? If anybody was signing or writing false statements, putting their names on false documents, those could be grounds for criminal charges.

CABRERA: And Giuliani is a former federal prosecutor. I just can't help but think how disturbing is it he would be asking for these voting machines without any legal checks and balances.

WILLIAMS: Right. We've now seen a number of instances of Mayor Giuliani, former Mayor Giuliani, hiding behind his role as a counsel to the president of the United States, in carrying out the political aims of the president.

There's a level of care that prosecutors and, frankly, all lawyers who are sworn members of the bar, ought to be proceeding with as they approach their work.

And it does not seem that's the case here when you have a figure head or a president of the United States seeking to deputize law enforcement to carry out political goals.

CABRERA: And the January 6th committee, we know, has subpoenaed Rudy Giuliani over his alleged efforts to overturn the election. How much focus will the January 6th committee give this detail?

WILLIAMS: Look, it's incredibly relevant to the January 6th committee. Number one, it goes to the intent of the president, the lengths to which the president or any party that you are investigating will go.

You look at the steps they take in carrying those things out and some unlawful or some questionable judgment. So, yes, even if the particulars of the scheme cannot themselves be proven, they speak to intent.

Now whether you get Rudy Giuliani himself to testify is an open question.

But there are any number of White House staffers or others around the president's orbit that could be brought in to provide valuable evidence about this. CABRERA: This prosecutor, who he was trying to twist his arm, get him

to go and do his bidding, get those voting machines, said to "The Washington Post" that, you know, I said I just can't -- I can't just say give them here. We don't have that magical power to just demand things as prosecutors. You need probable cause.

The fact that he had to say that to a lawyer is just kind of mind- boggling.

WILLIAMS: Look, there are standards for everything. And what we've seen time and again throughout the president's -- the former president's conduct, is a willingness to push aside standards of conduct.

We are seeing that again here. And it is individuals who may well have been political allies of the president before who are putting the brakes on and stepping in when the president and his aides were overstepping their bounds and behaving inappropriately.

That's the striking thing. A lot of this conduct seems to transcend partisanship.

CABRERA: Elliot Williams, appreciate you. Thank you.

Five-time Olympic athlete snagged the United States' first gold medal. We have the latest from Beijing.

And park your car outside because it might burst into flames? The recall you'll want to hear about.

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[13:43:03]

Team USA snags its first gold medal of these Olympic games.

And CNN's Selina Wang is in Beijing with the latest.

SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL REPORTER: Ana, Lindsey Jacobellis winning the first gold for Team USA for snowboarding. She's 36 years old and the oldest American woman in history to win a gold at the winter games.

This is actually her first winter Olympics but her first time getting that gold. She's come close before.

Back in 2006, she infamously fell when her victory seemed inevitable. This time around she said everything just worked out.

Unfortunately, for Mikaela Shiffrin she's had two big disappointments in three days.

On Monday, she crashed out of her first course. And days later, she skied out of line in the first few seconds of her opening attempt.

She's one of the most decorated Alpine skiers in history, but the pressure, she said, was high and so were the nerves.

Take a listen to what she said.

Quote, "It's a letdown of everything, letting down myself, letting down other people. I will try to reset again but I also don't know how to do better because I just don't. I have never been in this position before, and I don't know how to handle it."

And now, Ana, she said she is second-guessing everything, her career, her technique, her past few decades of work -- Ana?

CABRERA: I hope she gets her head on right.

Selina Wang, thank you.

She still has more events to compete in, three more events. We're wishing her the best.

Your Super Bowl party is going to cost you a lot more this year, I'm afraid. According to Wells Fargo, as much as 14 percent more than last year.

And the biggest offender? Meat. The Bureau of Labor statistics says chicken wings are up 12 percent, ground beef, 13 percent, steak, 21 percent.

It's not all terrible news. Chips and dip only up 1 percent. While a 12 pack of soda is up 12 percent this year, beer is only up 4 percent. Wine just 3 percent. Cheers to that.

[13:45:05]

And, of course, party anything is still much cheaper to do at home than going to the game at Sofi stadium in Los Angeles.

This year's tickets are the most expensive ever. The average price for a single ticket, look at that, $8,475. That is a lot of soda even with that big price spike.

If you drive a Kia or a Hyundai there's a chance it could catch fire, even when it's not running.

The two automakers have recalled almost half a million vehicles over a possible defect and an anti-lock brake system that could cause a fire in the engine compartment.

Until owners can get this problem fixed, they're told to park outside and away from buildings.

These are the models included in this recall. And you can enter your VIN number and check as well to make sure your car is not impacted.

Sticking with car trouble, have you seen this video? This is dash cam footage showing the moment a parked highway patrol car hits an officer after it was slammed into by another car hit by a Tesla in autopilot mode. Now authorities say the Tesla driver was watching a movie on his

phone. This happened last summer in North Carolina. We're getting a look at the video. Thankfully, the officers weren't seriously hurt.

But other crashes involving Tesla's autopilot have resulted in at least 17 injuries and one death. This is all part of an ongoing federal investigation.

OK, we know eating healthy foods can help us live longer, but how much? A new study finds that changing your diet could add a decade or more to your life span.

Research from the nonprofit "PLOS Medical Journal" found that changing from a western diet full of red meat and processed foods to a Mediterranean diet focused on fruits and vegetables and whole grains could pay off with a healthier and longer life.

The top life extenders, things like beans, peas, lentils, nuts like almonds and pistachios.

The younger you are when you make the switch and focus on these heart healthy and overall healthy choices, the more extra time you get.

But the study found that even people in their 80s could add several years to their lives.

Critics are calling it the "Don't Say Gay" bill, and the White House is calling it dangerous. More on the controversial legislation advancing in Florida.

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[13:51:00]

CABRERA: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the first openly gay cabinet member, is reacting to Florida's controversial legislation that critics call the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

This bill would ban certain discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE BUTTIGIEG, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: It tells youth who are different or whose families are different that there's something wrong with them out of the gate.

And I do think that contributes to the shocking levels of suicidal thoughts and attempts among LGBTQ youth.

My husband pointed out, if our kids someday, some Monday morning come into class and kids are sitting around, teacher's got the morning circle talking about hour everyone's weekend went, and one said, I had the best weekend with my dad, is the teacher supposed to say, no, we don't talk about that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: CNN's Steve Contorno joins us now.

Steve, tell us more about the bill. What are the chances the bill becomes law?

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Ana, this bill is quickly moving through the Florida legislation. And it's part of a larger piece of legislation that's supposed to give parents more insight into their children's lives.

The portion that has the LGBTQ community concerned is about sexual orientation and gender identity.

Let me read what it says:

"A school district may not encourage classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students."

First off, this is geared towards school districts, meaning students, parents and even teachers wouldn't necessarily be prohibited from having one-off discussions about these issues in their classroom.

But there's a question about who this applies to. It says primary schools. And that's supposed to mean K-3.

But there's also this question of what it means by age appropriate and developmentally appropriate. Who determines that? Who does that apply to? None of those are answered by the bill.

This has all drawn the attention of the Biden administration. You heard Secretary Buttigieg before. Yesterday, the White House put out a statement condemning Florida Republicans for advancing this legislation.

Then last night, President Biden tweeting that he promises to, quote, "fight for the protection and safety of Florida's LGBTQ students" -- Ana?

CABRERA: So where is it in terms of the process of you know, actually getting to the governor's desk?

CONTORNO: So, so far, it has passed the House committee and Senate committee, so it still has to go through the legislative process here.

Governor DeSantis this week talked about it for the first time and said he is somewhat supportive of it, although he didn't say he would sign the bill.

It's supposed to pass the full House and full Senate chamber in the next month for it to get to his desk. So we'll be watching closely to see if that happens.

[13:55:04] CABRERA: I know you'll stay on it. Steve Contorno, thank you for your reporting.

That does it for me. Thank you for being with us. See you tomorrow, same time, same place. Until then, join me on Twitter, @AnaCabrera.

Have a great afternoon.

Victor and Alisyn take over from here.

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ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone. I'm Alisyn Camerota. Welcome to CNN NEWSROOM.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: I'm Victor Blackwell.