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President Biden Vows Swift And Severe Costs If Russia Invades Ukraine; U.S. Orders 3,000 More Troops To Deploy Amid Russia Threat; Pfizer Delays COVID Vaccine Authorization; Familiar Faces Return For Super Bowl Ads; Biden Vows Swift And Severe Costs If Russia Invades Ukraine; Clean Energy Breakthrough; Book Reveals Trump Staff Found Flushed Papers In White House Toilet. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired February 12, 2022 - 19:00   ET

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

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Well, that girl now thanking the crossing guard, Police Corporal Annette Goodyear, for saving her life. [19:00:02]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FEMALE: Thank you.

POL. CPL. ANNETTE GOODYEAR: Oh, thank you.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Corporal Goodyear received a governor citation from Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, and kudos from state and local government officials.

Well, I'm Pamela Brown in Washington on this Saturday. The top stories for you.

President Biden vowing, quote, "swift and severe costs if Russia invades Ukraine. New insight tonight on what's driving Putin's new aggressive and confrontational style.

Also tonight, four people shot outside a Justin Bieber after-party. What we're now learning about the victims.

And clean power. As much as we need forever, is it possible? I talk to a scientist who says it's doable, and he can prove it.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Sixty-two minutes of talk with very little diplomatic progress to prevent a possible war. In today's hour-long conversation, President Biden told Russian President Putin that the U.S. and its allies remain committed to diplomacy. But Biden also warned that if Russia attacks Ukraine the West will respond, quote, "decisively and impose swift and severe costs."

Now satellite images show a continued build-up of Russian troops this week, as you see right here, with thousands more added to the estimated 100,000 already there. And that has left Ukraine facing a potential invasion from three sides.

Today the U.S. pulled 160 National Guard troops that had been training in Ukraine, and the State Department ordered nonemergency U.S. employees at the embassy in Kyiv to evacuate.

So let's begin our coverage in southeastern Ukraine with CNN's Alex Marquardt.

What are you seeing there, Alex?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pam, what we are not seeing is large-scale preparations for a war that the Pentagon says could be horrific. We are not seeing people panicking. We are not seeing, you know, military build-up in the streets. We are not seeing people going to the grocery stores to fill up their cupboards in advance of that possible incursion by Russia.

And Pam, it really does speak to this difference in tone, this difference in attitude that we have now seen for weeks between Ukraine and not just the United States but really the rest of NATO in which, you know, the United States now issuing its most dire warning yet that an invasion could come before the end of the Olympics on February 20th. And Ukraine essentially saying not so fast. You know, our military is ready to go. They will defend us, we will fight.

This is not 2014 like when Ukraine was invaded by Russia and they took Crimea. This is a different time.

Pam, we heard from President Zelensky who was observing some Ukrainian military drills, exercises, earlier today. He said essentially in response to what the United States revealed yesterday that he still needs to analyze the information that has been revealed. And he said, we have different information. Take a listen to a little bit more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, UKRAINE: We have a lot of information because we are on these borders. It's our borders. It's our territory. You know, I have to speak with our people, like, you know, like president and say people truths and the truths that we have different information, and now the best friend for enemies that is panic in our country. And all this information that helps only for panic. It doesn't help us.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: Zelensky there saying what he has now said for weeks, asking his population not to panic, saying that there is no need for chaos yet. We did hear from a Zelensky adviser just yesterday, Pam, who said that the security situation is not yet at a level where countries need to issue travel advisories or draw down their embassies, but, Pam, that is exactly what is happening.

Hour by hour we're hearing from more and more countries warning their citizens not to come to Ukraine, pulling back personnel. As you mentioned, the U.S. embassy drawing down nonessential personnel, moving others to the western part of Ukraine and telling American citizens now is the time to get out -- Pam.

BROWN: All right. Alex Marquardt, thank you so much, Alex.

Well, U.S. lawmakers are considering sanctions on Russia over this military buildup. But I spoke earlier with California Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, a member of the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committee. She says it's not yet time to punish Russia, and it might actually backfire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. SARA JACOBS (D-CA): Well, in a time like this, what we want is for Vladimir Putin to calculate that it is not in his interests to do the invasion. If we do preemptive sanctions, he will likely conclude that he has nothing left to lose. Sanctions take a long time to impose, and they also take a long time to unwind.

[19:05:01]

And so he might feel like he's already bearing the costs, and both, therefore, for his own calculations and for his domestic politics, he has to also get the win of going and invading Ukraine versus what we can do right now which is make sure he understands that that will be a cost if he invades, a real cost. But also offering a diplomatic off ramp and trying to make sure we can get to a solution that doesn't involve that invasion.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And the U.S. is sending 3,000 more troops to Eastern Europe, Poland to be specific. That brings the total Americans deployed there to 4700. This is in addition to the 300 troops into Germany and the 1,000 sent to Romania. And it's all designed to reassure nervous NATO allies in that region.

CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is following the U.S. Military rebels in Romania.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): As Russia has just kicked off massive military drills with Belarus right on the border with Ukraine, the U.S. is not backing down, sending an additional 1,000 troops from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment to Romania.

LT. COL. BENJAMIN NAGY, U.S. ARMY: Our mission here is to reassure the allies and show faith that we are here to support and deter aggression.

PLEITGEN: The reinforcements setting up here are only part of a larger deployment of thousands of troops ordered by President Biden. That also includes additional combat aircraft, both for air policing and for deterrence.

(On-camera): With the deployment of forces here to Romania, the U.S. says it wants to send a clear message to both its allies and its adversaries, that the United States remains fully committed to collective defense on NATO's eastern flank.

(Voice-over): U.S. troops will be training with allied NATO forces to make sure the alliance can operate as a single, coherent force in case of aggression from Russia.

LT. COL. DANIEL HILL, U.S. ARMY: If the time were to ever come, you know, they know that they can trust us and we know we can trust them.

PLEITGEN: The U.S. says Russia already has well over 100,000 troops amassed near Ukraine and Vladimir Putin could order an attack at any time, even though Russia claims it would not.

The next days could be critical. NATO's secretary-general told me in an exclusive interview.

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: Russia is increasing both the number of troops but also their readiness and their capability to act and to conduct aggressive actions on very short notice. So the number of troops is going up while the warning time is going down.

PLEITGEN: And the secretary general tells me that's exactly why the additional U.S. support is so important.

STOLTENBERG: I strongly welcome the deployment of more U.S. forces partly because the United States is by far the biggest ally and they contribute thousands of troops but also because it, of course, sends that very strong message of the ironclad commitment of the United States to NATO and to European security.

PLEITGEN: Both the U.S. and NATO say they hope diplomacy can prevail but they are stepping up preparations in case it fails.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Bucharest, Romania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: And President Biden's National Security adviser, Jake Sullivan, joins Jake Tapper tomorrow on "STATE OF THE UNION." Tune in at 9:00 a.m. right here on CNN.

Well, parents of very young children will have to wait even longer now for their kids to be eligible for a COVID vaccine. The FDA postponing next week's meeting to consider authorizing Pfizer's vaccine for kids 6 months to 5 years old as they wait for more data. Now meanwhile, a growing number of states are choosing to end mask mandates despite warnings from the World Health Organization that the pandemic is not over.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SOUMYA SWAMINATHAN, CHIEF SCIENTIST, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: We have seen the virus evolve, mutate, and in fact the Omicron variant was detected here in South Africa. The whole world came to know about it because of the scientists here. So we know that there will be more variants, more variants of concern. And so we're not at the end of the pandemic.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And joining me now is Dr. Jeanne Noble, she is an associate professor of emergency medicine and director of COVID response at the University of California San Francisco.

Hi, Doctor, thanks for coming on. Let's start with the news that the FDA is delaying COVID vaccines for children under 5 years old. Millions of parents for weeks were led to believe that an emergency authorization for a two-dose shot was imminent for them. Why the sudden reversal?

DR. JEANNE NOBLE, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE, UCSF: Well, it happens that there was just not the antibody response that was needed in the 2 to 4-year-olds. But I just want to tell parents not to despair. I know they are incredibly anxious to get their youngest kids vaccinated, but they need to also keep in mind that an unvaccinated toddler has a flu-like level of risk of serious outcome from COVID.

[19:10:02]

So although it now looks like parents are going to have to wait until April, it is a risk that we have managed and lived with before COVID.

BROWN: All right. Well, that's good to know as a mom of two little ones. So states around the country are moving to lift mask mandates, but CDC's guidance remains unchanged. Here is President Biden yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I committed that I would follow the science, the science says put forward by the CDC and the federal people, and I think it's probably premature, but it's -- you know, it's a tough call.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So the CDC is also still recommending children wear masks in school despite a growing number of states ditching those as well. Are federal health officials losing the plot here?

NOBLE: I don't think so. I think now is really the time -- if anyone is going to unmask, that we let our children go first. Kids are at the lowest risk of serious health outcomes from COVID of any group in our society. They also have the most harms from perpetual masking. Kids are in school six to eight hours a day, five days a week. And masks interfere with the quality of their education, with their social and emotional development.

And we really need to bring equity back into the equation. Just in California alone we have a million English-language learners. Having that child be masked and their teacher masked when they are trying to learn English is incredibly difficult. And throughout the United States we have almost four million students who have some form of speech delay that they're trying to overcome. Teaching those kids with masked teachers and masked students is just like really tough.

BROWN: It is. And you know, look, as a mom of, again, two children under the age of 5, both of my kids' classes have been out in the last month because another child tested positive. It is so disruptive to both the parents and the kids, this is from personal experience, so, you know, you have the mask issue, but also do you think schools should stop shutting down classrooms because of a positive COVID case, especially since it poses such a relatively low threat to young kids, as you point out?

NOBLE: I do. And I think we really need to do this for our working families. Just as you noted, it is incredibly disruptive to get that call from the school that someone else in your child's classroom has tested positive, and your kid is a close contact and needs to go home. And these are healthy kids we are sending home. They are at very low risk of serious disease.

BROWN: Yes. It's really, really frustrating to have -- to get that call, especially this has just happened twice in the last month, both my kids. And you know, my kids were fine, tested negative for COVID. But yet they have to be home for 10 days. So hopefully that will change soon.

Dr. Jeanne Noble, thank you so much.

NOBLE: Thanks for having me.

BROWN: Well, coming up, the diplomatic standoff between the world's two largest nuclear powers. What is driving Putin's new aggressive and confrontational style.

Also tonight, a giant doughnut-shaped machine proving that near limitless clean power is possible. I'll talk to the scientists leading the project.

And forget the Super Bowl. It's all about the puppy bowl here tonight. Referee Dan Schachner joins me live.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:17:39]

BROWN: Final preparations are in full swing for Super Bowl LVI. The Los Angeles Rams taking on the Cincinnati Bengals in less than 24 hours. Security in and around SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, will be very tight with a heavy police presence in the air and on the ground. At least 100,000 visitors are expected, and a short time ago we found some tickets in the nosebleed section for under $3,000. The only thing hotter than the tickets may be the weather. There is a chance this will be the warmest Super Bowl ever.

And of course, tomorrow will also be the Super Bowl of TV commercials. Some 30-second spots during the game have sold for $7 million.

CNN's Chloe Melas joins me with a sneak peek at some of the ads we're going to see.

Hi there, Chloe. So what can we expect?

CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Pamela. Well, look, I have to admit, I watch the Super Bowl for the halftime show and the commercials. And I know that I'm not the only one who doesn't quite understand what is going on during the game. But there are so many Super Bowl ads every single year that I love. But I've broken down some of my favorites.

And one that I'm really excited for, Pam, is the Budweiser bringing back the Clydesdales. So I don't know if you guys know this, but Clydesdale commercials, you know, in the Budweiser ads have been around since the '80s. So if you think you've seen them several years before, well, they are back, and this year the ad is actually directed by Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao. She won for "Nomadland" last year.

And there are like moments in the ad that feel very much like that movie. And it's all about America's resilience. You know, Budweiser, they didn't have an ad last year. They sat it out because of COVID-19. So this year they are back, and I got to say it makes me cry. It's so good. Even my 4-year-old loved it. He loved it. It's so good.

BROWN: That's so fun. Well, I'm right there with you, by the way, on these -- on the commercials and the halftime show. Like that's really what I'm focused on, let's be honest. So we got the commercials.

MELAS: I know.

BROWN: You laid that out. Looking forward to seeing those tomorrow. Tell us about the halftime show. What can we expect in this year's lineup?

MELAS: OK, well, so in this year's halftime show, we have honestly it's '90s vibes. We have Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and they have promised that there are going to be some major surprises.

[19:20:07]

I'm telling you that this is going to be an epic Super Bowl halftime show, and they spoke at a press conference just a few days ago about the fact that hip-hop has never taken center stage before at the halftime show. So yes, there have been rappers and hip-hop artists before but it's always been as a featured act. Never as one of the main performers. So they said the other that, you know, in the midst of this racial reckoning that the NFL is having, that this is a major moment for hip-hop to take center stage.

I do want to, though, just say, Pamela, I did want to just show you guys a clip of one commercial that I am really excited about. It is a Dr. Evil commercial for General Motors. And I actually think we have a little clip of that for you guys to watch. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE MYERS, ACTOR, "DR. EVIL": This is complete.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dr. Evil, GM's Ultium platform will power our whole operation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now we can reduce tailpipe emissions.

MYERS: Oh, please, tear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For my son.

MYERS: Your son? I shall name him Baby Me.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

MELAS: Right. So it's about having or manufacturing these electric zero-emissions cars in the future. That's not the only ad when it comes to cars that has something similar to that. Arnold Schwarzenegger taking center stage in this BMW ad where he plays Zeus, and he is zapping golf carts and different things to give them electric currents for their electric car. And it's a really, really cute commercial. He's all dressed up there. At one point he's in a pool.

And then something that I have talked about this week that I really like is Hellman's. They are doing this ad talking about preventing food waste. It stars "SNL's" Pete Davidson. His mom, Pete's mom actually makes a cameo in this. So it's with Jared Mayo, of course, former NFL star, and he's tackling people so that they make sure to tackle food waste. And it's a really important message that they're putting out there but with a fun twist.

But I got to tell you, I mean, the list goes on and on. And like you've said, so many celebrities taking part in commercials this year. Over $7 million it can cost for sometimes just 30-second spots, Pamela. We have Zendaya and many other celebrities in commercials this year. So I'm telling you, like other than the halftime show and the commercials, you're going to see new movie trailers, you're going to see news being made.

I mean, these ads are so major every year, they happen so fast you might miss something. But a lot of news comes out of the Super Bowl other than is it the Cincinnati Bengals or the Los Angeles Rams? But, you know, I don't really have a team this year because I don't know that much about football. But I know my husband is rooting for the Bengals. So there you go. I guess I'm rooting for the Bengals.

BROWN: Yes. You know, but the thing that I love, like we talked about, there's a little something for everyone. So if you're not into the football or you don't have a team, you can, you know, watch the commercials and root on for the different commercials or the halftime show. So again, that's what I'm going to be focused on. Thanks for teeing it up for us. Chloe Melas, appreciate it.

MELAS: Thank you.

BROWN: Well, U.S. officials say Vladimir Putin could send Russian troops into Ukraine at any time. But why would he make the move now, and why has he become more aggressive in recent years?

I'll ask an expert on U.S. relations with Russia up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:27:55]

BROWN: Well, we turn back now to the developing situation in Ukraine. Today President Biden spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for more than an hour telling him the U.S. and its allies are committed to diplomacy. Biden did warn Putin that the West will respond, quote, "decisively and impose swift and severe costs if Russia invades Ukraine."

Satellite images show a continued buildup of Russian troops this week with thousands added to the estimated 100,000 already near the Ukraine border. That has left Ukraine facing a potential invasion from three sides, as you see right here on this map. The State Department is trying to get Americans out before a possible invasion occurs today ordering nonemergency employees at the embassy in Kyiv to evacuate.

Michael Kimmage is here with me now. He is a history professor at Catholic University of America and specializes in the Cold War and U.S.-Russia relations.

Hi, Michael. Thanks for coming on. So tell us, why are we seeing a more overtly aggressive Vladimir Putin? Why do you think that is?

PROF. MICHAEL KIMMAGE, CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA: Well, I think that he has a number of motives. He's stated for a long time that he wants Ukraine to be neutral, not to be in NATO, not to be on the side of the West. I think he feels like he was holding out a certain amount of hope, perhaps for the Biden administration that that could be achieved through persuasion.

That didn't work over the summer. And so he's put this massive military buildup on the border of Ukraine, and I think that he's close to making the decision that only through force can he achieve his truest objective.

BROWN: Is the 2022 version of Vladimir Putin harder to predict than in years past?

KIMMAGE: In a sense, that's true. There's really nothing comparable in the last five or really 20 years of Putin's rule to the possible wider invasion of Ukraine. In 2014 he found ways of limiting his involvement. In 2015 in Syria he did the same. This looks to be a massive invasion, and therefore a massive risk, and to a degree out of character. BROWN: At the same time, Putin has never shied away from flexing his

military power. Russia's claiming, as you know, that American officials are engaged in hysteria over an invasion.

[19:30:02]

But why else would Russia be amassing all these troops at the border?

KIMMAGE: It's difficult at this stage to find evidence for this being a bluff. It's too spectacular in nature, and it really hasn't achieved much if it is a bluff.

So, I think the only plausible explanation is the one that staring us in the face, that within the next couple of weeks, a wider war between Russia and Ukraine is imminently plausible.

BROWN: Well, the U.S., of course, is no stranger to tensions with Russia. What is the difference between what's going on now and the Cold War?

KIMMAGE: There is a major difference. The Cold War had any number of rules, and especially in Europe, it was largely at a stalemate from the late 1940s, all the way down to 1991. This is much more open- ended. It is not clear what the rules of engagement are. And in that sense, these two nuclear powers are much closer to each other. I would say, even then, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the risk level is very high.

BROWN: I want to ask you, you know, you just said earlier that you believe given what we're seeing with the troop buildup that an invasion is likely imminent in the next couple of weeks. What would that mean to Americans? Why should this conflict matter so much to every American?

KIMMAGE: Well, the first point to make is that Ukraine is not a treaty ally of the United States. So the Biden administration has been clear that the United States will not be directly involved militarily, so there will be some degree of distance.

But the notion that Europe is a place where small states can be pushed around, where borders can be arranged is something that the United States over the years going back all the way to the Second World War, that Europe is something that the United States has never wanted and has fought to prevent.

So those are the stakes in a sense. Will it be a new Europe? Will it be a kind of lawless, anarchic environment? Or will some of these old rules still obtain and that will matter across the board to Americans.

BROWN: But bigger picture? I mean, again, someone you know, sitting here in America will say: Well, that's over there in Europe. But I mean, it also has to do with just democracy, right, and protecting democracy and standing up for democracy.

KIMMAGE: Now, there is certainly that element that has been a very strong commitment of the U.S. since 2014 in Ukraine, but I might frame it around the notion of stability that the United States profits enormously from a stable Europe, but profits commercially, it profits by having the Europeans as allies, and the less stable Europe is, the less effective American foreign policy is going to be and in a sense, less safe and secure the United States itself will be, so it goes beyond even democracy.

BROWN: If Russia goes through with the invasion of Ukraine, what does that change for NATO?

KIMMAGE: It changes the whole dynamic around NATO. You will have Russia much closer to NATO borders. You'll have instability on the doorstep of NATO.

You'll likely have a migrant crisis that will affect NATO countries like Poland, and you'll also have extremely high levels of anxiety in the Baltic Republics, in Poland, in Bulgaria, and Romania, so that the chief job of the United States in that respect is not to go to war across NATO borders in Ukraine, it's going to be to reassure those NATO allies and keep them feeling safe.

BROWN: All right, Michael Kimmage, thank you for coming on and sharing your analysis and insight into this developing situation.

KIMMAGE: Thank you so much for having me.

BROWN: And we want to update you now on that shooting outside of West Hollywood restaurant that was hosting a Justin Bieber party. Four people are recovering. They are all in stable condition we are told.

During this after party, apparently a fight broke out near the restaurant, multiple shots were fired. Justin Bieber was inside the restaurant at the time but was not injured. The suspect fled the scene and has not been identified.

Well, there has been a massive breakthrough in the possibility of generating clean energy. What these flashing lights mean for the future of power and how it could affect the planet, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:38:25]

BROWN: Well, you might have heard of nuclear fission, the process of splitting an atom that was key to creating the first atomic weapons. It's okay if you haven't heard of it either. But nuclear fusion is smashing atoms together and it's what makes the sun and stars shine so brightly, but without the radioactive waste that comes from splitting an atom.

Nuclear fusion power is a clean nearly unlimited source of energy that could remove dependency on fossil fuels and provide a solution to climate change. The problem is sustaining it.

Last December, researchers were able to produce a record breaking level of fusion energy and sustain it for five seconds. Earlier this evening, I spoke with the lead scientist behind this groundbreaking technology.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY DONNE, CEO, EUROFUSION: We have to create temperatures which are 10 times as hot as the sun, 150 million degrees, and you need to keep that very hot gas long enough together and so that's not very easy. You need only a tiny bit of fuel, and that makes fusion so attractive because the fuel is really very cheap.

And for a big reactor, which is comparable to a big fossil fuel plant, you only need 500 kilograms of fuel per year. So in that sense, it is a game changer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: The fuel needed can be found in so many places, even seawater that makes it easily accessible to almost anyone. But if you're expecting nuclear fusion powered homes or cars, you may want to pump the brakes. The technology is still a long way from commercial availability.

[19:40:04]

BROWN: Well, as investigations into the final days of the Trump administration proceed, the former President is under new scrutiny. This time, it's over how he handled documents during his time in the White House.

New reporting reveals Trump often ripped up pages or even flushed them down the toilet when he was done reading them, and other classified documents ended up at Trump's Florida residence at Mar-a-Lago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN (voice over): White House aides began the process of collecting documents that needed to be turned over to the National Archives soon after Trump lost the November election, but while Trump was trying to figure out how to remain in power, the one standard process seems to have gone awry.

Multiple sources tell CNN, it was chaotic, with no one ensuring protocols were followed at the end.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They rigged it election, they rigged it like they've never rigged an election before.

BROWN (voice over): It wasn't until May of last year that the Archives noticed several items were missing from their catalogue of Trump White House records, significant items like letters he exchanged with North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un and an infamous Sharpie altered map of Hurricane Dorian.

Longtime National Archives lawyer, Gary Stern first reached out to a former Trump White House Counsel attorney hoping to locate the missing items and initiate their swift transfer according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. Sources say Stern, frustrated by the pace of the turnover, sought the

intervention of another Trump attorney in October.

Also last fall, a top official in Trump's orbit was concerned that classified documents have been brought to Mar-a-Lago and warned people not to touch the boxes out of fear that sensitive material could be exposed to those without the proper clearance.

The situation becoming so tense that sources tell CNN, the archives warned Trump's team it planned to notify Congress and the Justice Department if this wasn't resolved quickly, Trump says something different, claiming the boxes taken to Mar-a-Lago, "... contained letters, records, newspapers, magazines, and various articles" that are to be featured in his Presidential Library someday. "The papers were given easily and without conflict and on a very friendly basis," he said.

The Archives has since asked Justice Department officials to investigate Trump's handling of White House records, including whether he violated the Presidential Records Act.

Separately, the House Oversight Committee is launching an investigation. Critics crying hypocrisy, especially since Trump attacked Hillary Clinton over her handling of e-mails.

TRUMP: People who have nothing to hide don't smash phones with hammers. They don't. People who have nothing to hide don't bleach. Nobody has ever heard of it -- don't bleach their e-mails or destroy evidence to keep it from being publicly archived as required under Federal law.

BROWN (voice over): The Mar-a-Lago documents only the latest revelation about record keeping.

CNN has reported Trump repeatedly ripped up documents and --

MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Staff in the White House residence where the President lived were discovering that the toilets were clogged, and when engineers went in to go see what was happening there were you know, clumped up wads of paper. You know, apparently, notes or documents.

BROWN (voice over): Former White House National Security Adviser, H.R. McMaster told CNN that when he was in the White House, his staff had a foolproof system for their own record keeping.

H.R. MCMASTER, FORMER WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Well, the staff was running it well. Everything that goes in to the Oval Office is logged in. Everything the President sees should be logged in. I can't think about what happened after I left.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: The Justice Department has not said if it is investigating this. We do want to note that President Trump has denied flushing papers in the toilet. I spoke to a source about all of this just recently who tells me that this has not been fully resolved and the National Archives alluded to that in a statement this past week when it said Trump representatives are still tracking down documents to turn over.

Well, the big game is just one day away. No, not the Super Bowl the puppy bowl coached by Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg. Team Ruff will battle Team Fluff.

Up next, the game's ruff-eree joins us live for a preview of all the action.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:48:51]

BROWN: Let's get real here. A lot of people don't even know who is lining up tomorrow at the Super Bowl, myself included. I've got to admit that. They're all about the snacks, commercials, maybe the puppies.

Yes, it is time for Puppy Bowl XVIII, three-hours of nonstop cuteness.

Kicking off at 1:00 PM Eastern tomorrow on Discovery+ and Animal Planet. This year, it is Team Ruff coached by Martha Stewart against Team Fluff, coached by Stewart's BFF, Snoop Dogg.

Joining me now with all the details and some of the star players, Puppy Bowl ruff-eree, Dan Schachner, so many puns so little time here, Dan.

All right, so this is your 11th year doing this. It's not just: Hey, let's get some cute puppies together for fun. This is actually to promote pet adoption and rescue, a very worthy cause. So, are all of tomorrow's players adoptable?

DAN SCHACHNER, RUFF-EREE, PUPPY BOWL XVIII: Every single one of them are adoptable. It's been that way since the very beginning, 18 years ago.

I mean, when we first started, we had a couple of dozen puppies in the field and didn't think much of it, it was just sort of thrown up there as I guess an original form of counterprogramming against the Super Bowl, and people were watching and we grew and our audience grew by millions.

And now, we're still viewed by many millions and we have 118 dogs. That's what our roster has ballooned to over the last 18 years.

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BROWN: Wow.

SCHACHNER: So, 118, and yes, by the end of Puppy Bowl, if history repeats itself, which we think it will, all will be adopted.

BROWN: Oh, hope so, 118. That's some stiff competition for these dogs who are really going to have to step up their game this year if they want to be a breakout star.

So how successful is this? You talk about how usually adoptions do happen. Tell us a little bit more about the response that you get from the Puppy Bowl.

SCHACHNER: Oh, it's immense. And the actual response begins prior to the Puppy Bowl because we're trying to get these dogs out in front of America soon. So the starting lineup is published weeks ahead of time. We start promoting all of the pregame show and postgame show acts and all of the companionship program that goes along with it because there are so many stories.

You can imagine with 118 dogs, each one has an incredible story that we want to tell. This year, one that is of particular importance to me, warms my heart, is we have the most amount of special needs dogs competing, nine in total, which is a record for us.

We have dogs who have missing a leg or missing an eye or perhaps are hearing impaired or sight impaired. And honestly you would not know that they're any different when they're on the field for many, quote, "able-bodied dog." So you know, our idea is look, getting a cute puppy adopted in front of millions is not too difficult. But maybe that puppy has siblings that are maybe a little less desirable. Well, they deserve a chance, too.

So, the greatest thing that I see, to answer your question about response is, after every single Puppy Bowl, every shelter and we worked with 67 this year across the country, across 33 states including Hawaii, they all report an uptick in adoption increase.

BROWN: Wow, that's wonderful.

SCHACHNER: And that lasts throughout the year.

BROWN: So for cat lovers -- yes, oh, really, that's great.

SCHACHNER: Oh, yes.

BROWN: That's wonderful. So you know, there are cat lovers out there. Maybe people watching don't have dogs, but they have cats or they love cats. What's in it for them? There's this kitty halftime show featuring adoptable felines, right?

SCHACHNER: Yes. Yes. Honestly, because we're Animal Planet, the show is a bit of a zoo. Yes, all the cats are adoptable during the halftime show. So you'll see them as well. They are performing a beach theme this year, just to remind us on the East Coast that summer will be coming soon, we promise.

And we've also got, let's see, in the past, we've had chicken cheerleaders, we have a hamster who powers our scoreboard. We have Meep, the Tweeting Bird, who literally will send out tweets, live game actions throughout the game, you can follow.

So we try to keep it very interesting. Yes, the puns galore. They're all hanging out in the parking lot during their tailgating. But it keeps the fun and it keeps it interesting. And, you know, the result is always heartwarming.

BROWN: I also do want to note, there will be no drug testing on the players, but they will be DNA testing. Tell me about that.

SCHACHNER: Yes. The most exciting thing. Well, let me just correct you if I may, for a quick moment there.

BROWN: Please, do.

SCHACHNER: It's not that -- yes, it's not that there isn't drug testing. It's just that we have so many urine samples that we just don't know what to do with them. So, they are untrained puppies.

BROWN: Overwhelmed.

SCHACHNER: Since they are between three and six months of age, ad again, we have so much urine that I assure you they are clean. We are very aware of it.

BROWN: Okay.

SCHACHNER: As for the DNA Wisdom Panel, man they have been incredible this year with us. They have tested our entire starting lineup so even before these puppies take the field, we have their DNA background, their breed mixes. We got even screened for genetic diseases, predispositions, issues, they can find relatives.

The DNA testing these years is quite, quite advanced. So, you know, you're going to see some dogs that are really interesting mixes. Our Team Captain, DiNozzo, so for example, is a -- let's see -- basset hound and shitzu mix. So that's a pretty unique mix and you're going to get to see him lead the team this year.

BROWN: I don't know how you can like leave empty handed each year, like these dogs are just so adorable. I love watching this video. It makes me so happy.

Dan Schachner, thank you so much for coming on, and good luck being the Ruff-eree tomorrow.

SCHACHNER: Absolutely. Thank you for having me on. Happy Puppy Bowl.

BROWN: And while we're talking about pups, we thought it was time that we -- high time we saluted Team PBs very own fur babies. There's a lot of them. Look right in here.

They're all there in all their glory, and that is my dog right in the middle. Bingo. He likes to be the center of the show. So perfect place for him right there. And he does have his own Twitter account. I just retweeted him if you want to give him a follow.

He needs to step up his tweeting game, but he did tweet out today and I retweeted that, so hopefully you can check it out. But look how adorable they all are. We love our fur babies here on Team PB.

All right, well one American Olympian didn't need to show -- didn't need snow rather to train for the Winter Games, how ski jumper, Logan Sankey use a video game to get ready for Beijing, up next.

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BROWN: A Team U.S.A. ski jumper got creative for her Olympic team by using -- get this -- Wii Fit. The video game allows players to bend their knees and speed down a virtual slope, no snow needed.

Well, little did Nintendo know that its game would be an Olympic training tool for Logan Sankey, who showed off her skills on TikTok, we are sure both she and her Wii character will go very far.

Your next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

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