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Ivanka Trump Testifies Before Jan. 6 Committee; House Expected To Vote On Referrals For Two Former Trump Advisers To DOJ For Contempt Of Congress; Western Officials: Putin Could Still Try To Capture Kyiv; Interview With Dmytro Bilotserkovets, Adviser To The Mayor Of Kyiv; Yellen Warns Of "Enormous" Repercussions From War In Ukraine & Deutsche Bank Warns Recession May Be Coming; House Lawmakers Grill Oil Executives On Gas Prices. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired April 06, 2022 - 14:30   ET

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

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[14:33:04]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Former President Trump's daughter and senior adviser, Ivanka Trump, spent nearly eight hours testifying before the House committee investigating the January 6th capital riot. She met with the committee members voluntarily and sources say she appeared to be cooperative.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Ryan Nobles is CNN's congressional correspondent.

So, Ryan, do we know what she told the committee?

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Now, the committee at this point, Victor and Alisyn, being very tight lipped about Ivanka Trump's testimony before their committee.

And that's not too big of a surprise. In general, when they have witnesses that come before them who are cooperative, as it appears Ivanka Trump was, they tend to try and keep that information as close to the vest as possible as it relates to their investigation.

So they leave open the opportunity of perhaps going back to her and asking other questions down the road. But there's no doubt they're very interested in what Ivanka Trump knows.

In addition to being so close to the former president, as his daughter and someone that served as a senior adviser in the White House, she also had close proximity to the president on January 6th.

She was at the rally at the Ellipse. She was in and out of the Oval Office on that day.

And she reportedly was in the Oval Office when President Trump had that phone call with Mike Pence in the morning before all the activity on January 6th where he allegedly gave that last pressure campaign push on Pence to try and get him to stand in way of the certification process. We're not sure how much insight Ivanka Trump provided, but she may be

the most important witness up to this point -- Victor and Alisyn?

BLACKWELL: Ryan, the House is expected to vote later today whether to refer former Trump advisers, Dan Scavino, Peter Navarro, on criminal contempt charges. Do you know if they have the votes?

NOBLES: Yes, there's no doubt this is going to pass, Victor. There are far enough Democrats. They control the majority. It's just something that passes on a party line vote.

But what is happening right now on the floor of the House of Representatives really demonstrates just how much Republicans are attempting to stand in the way of this January 6th Select Committee investigation.

[14:35:07]

At one point, Republicans lined up and attempted to put on the floor a unanimous consent order that had nothing to do with the January 6th Select Committee. It was an issue related to border security. Democrats were forced to turn that back.

Then the House minority leader himself, Kevin McCarthy, took to the lectern to hammer the January 6th Select Committee, calling it a partisan witch hunt that was designed only to put the political opponents of Democrats in prison, is what he accused them of, and saying they should not be taking this step.

Now, keep in mind, they are only debating the rule right now, which is the step before the actual resolution for the criminal contempt referral, which will come later tonight. These are nothing more than delayed tactics by Republicans.

But it shows just how much they are opposed to the path of this investigation and how they're doing everything they can to cast doubt on the work the committee is doing, even though, we should point out, the committee is made up of both Republicans and Democrats -- Victor and Alisyn?

BLACKWELL: All right, Ryan Nobles, on Capitol Hill, thank you.

CAMEROTA: So U.S. officials think that Vladimir Putin could re-group and continue trying to capture Kyiv. See how that city is preparing, next.

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[14:41:00]

CAMEROTA: A senior U.S. defense official says Russian forces have completely withdrawn from the areas near Kyiv and Chernihiv. But Western officials warn it is too soon to say that Putin has given up on his goal of capturing the capital.

BLACKWELL: Natasha Bertrand joins us now. Natasha, what else have we learned from these officials?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, Victor, U.S. and Western officials do expect Russia is resupplying and is going to launch a major offensive in the east of the country to take over the Donbass region.

But at the same time, they say it is very unlikely that Putin is going to give up on his goals of captures Kyiv and trying to even try and reinvade the Kyiv region if and when the Russian forces are able to consolidate control over the east.

They say he cannot abide a Western-aligned government in Kyiv and that he still has aims to remove President Zelenskyy from power.

So they say they're watching for potential Russian movement following this operation in the east to potentially go back into the Western part of the country and try to take the capital.

Now NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg was asked about this today and he said that he does not believe that Putin has given up his goals to take over the entire country of Ukraine.

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JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL: We have seen no indication that President Putin has changed his ambition to control the whole of Ukraine and also to rewrite the national order.

So we need to be prepared for long haul. But at the same time, we have to be realistic and realize this may last for a long time, for many months, for even years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERTRAND: Victor and Alisyn, it's very important to note that this is not going to be easy for the Russians. This is going to be, if they decide to relaunch an operation into the West of the country, it will not be simple because they have lost so much equipment and so many Russian forces have been killed.

But U.S. and Western officials are watching this. And that's why they are weighing what kinds of security guarantees they can give to Ukraine in an attempt to deter Putin from launching any renewed offenses -- Victor, Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: OK, Natasha Bertrand, thank you for that.

Joining us now from Kyiv is Dmytro Bilotserkovets. He's an adviser to the mayor of Kyiv.

Dmytro, thank you so much for being here.

It's not just the secretary-general of NATO who thinks that Kyiv is still in Vladimir Putin's sights. It's also the mayor's brother, Wladimir Klitschko. Here's what he told CNN this morning. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO, BOXING CHAMPION & MEMBER, KYIV TERRITORIAL DEFENSE: This is the capital. That's the price. That's the aim. And of course, if they have been stopped here, it's not guaranteed they will never come back. Of course, they will. And we expect that.

And the world must understand it. If they will have success in the east and the south of the country, they will come back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Do you agree, Dmytro? And what do you think the timeframe is?

DMYTRO BILOTSERKOVETS, ADVISER TO MAYOR OF KYIV: About the capital, for Ukraine, the capital. So of course, when understands now it is, indeed, a small batch than it was before.

But of course, we understand that they can come back and that the next steps will be much more important for our country. And we will have a new Russian army. And if what they saw in Bucha --

(CROSSTALK)

CAMEROTA: Yes, please, I'd like to hear that.

BILOTSERKOVETS: It's before. Yes, we can see it. Look at Bucha. What they see in Bucha when they were seeing the people and killing people in the street?

But when they speak with people living with them, they tell me it's not only the Ukrainian people. Putin also make idea of freedom, justice.

[14:45:07]

What I saw in Bucha, for example, innocent people, which were with tied hands. Not only men, also women, children. Yes. It's true.

Please, get out. Your people, the people of the West world are often much more resolute than all your governments. Thanks for the West world people, also.

You can just see here we have majority hospitals in many cities of Mariupol, lots of cities. Our children who are born to the sound of the sirens and explosions. It's not normal.

CAMEROTA: No.

BILOTSERKOVETS: It's not understandable to the West world.

CAMEROTA: Dmytro, we are just seeing these images on our screens and it's horrifying. And so to see it with your own eyes, as you have in Bucha, is deeply traumatizing.

So today, as you know, the United States and the E.U. announced new, what they call very punishing sanctions on Russia.

So I'll just read you the E.U.'s. They're reporting that they're having a ban on coal imports. They are banning four key banks and key transactions on them.

They're banning Russian vessels from all E.U. ports. And they're further targeting more export bans, which will be worth about $11 billion that Russia will lose.

And then the U.S. is ban -- is punishing and leveling sanctions on Putin's adult daughters.

Do you think these things will make a difference?

BILOTSERKOVETS: Sanctions is very good, yes. Thank you very much. It's very good. It's very good.

But in the not -- we will continue with new bombs of our cities, new bombs of our maternity palaces, civilian palaces.

Ukrainian needs not only the sanctions. Sanctions is only one of the steps. Also we need weapon.

Today, we see that some countries of the East Europe give more what we need. Now we have a better situation here. But we have a very bad situation in Odessa and Kharkiv.

Also whole world know what is scheduled in Mariupol, where we have real heroes, who stayed and didn't give our city to Russian army. They are great.

But also we need to help. We need to duplicate Mariupol, duplicate the east Ukraine. We need weapons.

If you couldn't help us with armies, please give to us weapon. We'll do it by ourselves. It's not good, but we'll do this.

We don't have innocent -- we need to do this or we will be killed.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

BILOTSERKOVETS: Understand. Our babies will be killed.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

BILOTSERKOVETS: Please, get up, people.

CAMEROTA: Yes, and I mean, there are weapons coming to you. I know that isn't enough at the moment or on a fast enough schedule, but the entire E.U. and the United States is certainly on your side.

And so thank you very much, Dmytro, for talking to us and we hope --

(CROSSTALK)

CAMEROTA: Yes, quickly. BILOTSERKOVETS: Russian president, what he wants, you need to

understand. He thinks it's the biggest problem in 20th century is a collapse of society.

He want to make and restore the Soviet Union. And the next will be other countries of East Europe and West Europe, too.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

CAMEROTA: Dmytro, we hear you.

Thank you.

[14:49:08]

BLACKWELL: Well, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is warning of enormous economic repercussions from the war in Ukraine. And now a major bank is warning that a recession may be coming. We've got details, next.

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BLACKWELL: Two big appearances on Capitol Hill highlight the state of the U.S. economy.

The first, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. She testified to the House Financial Services Committee and she warned of the economic toll of Russia's war on Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANET YELLEN, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: Russia's actions, including the atrocities committed against the innocent Ukrainians in Bucha -- are reprehensible -- represent an unacceptable affront to the ruled-based global order, and will have enormous economic repercussions in Ukraine and beyond.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Leading oil company CEOs also faced lawmakers' questions on the soaring gas prices.

CNN's Matt Egan joins us now.

Matt, what did the oil execs say about the gas prices?

MATT EGAN, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER: Victor and Alisyn, not surprising there was a lot of finger pointing in this hearing with the oil CEOS.

Republicans were blaming Joe Biden's climate agenda for high prices and Democrats slamming Big Oil, saying companies are putting profit over investment.

[14:55:07] Listen to what California Democratic Congressman Raul Ruiz said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RAUL RUIZ (D-CA): During this Russian war, you are ripping the American people off and it must end. Gas prices need to go down. And while the rest of America is trying to make this happen, you all are trying to increase your record profits.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

EGAN: Oil company executives did stress they don't set prices, the market does.

The Exxon CEO pointed out that his company lost $22 billion in 2020, the years oil prices went negative.

The truth is there's a confluence of factors behind high prices. Demand as gone up as the economy has recovered. Supply has been disrupted by the war in Ukraine. U.S. output has not kept up with demand.

And OPEC has not ramped up production. And as much as lawmakers would like to, they can't haul OPEC leaders before the cameras.

BLACKWELL: Matt, tell us about this forecast from Deutsche Bank. First major bank to forecast a recession in the U.S. late next year.

EGAN: Yes. The concern here is that inflation is so high that the Fed will have to rapidly raise interest rates, of slamming the breaks on the economy and potentially, inadvertently, ending this recovery.

That's why this call from Deutsche Bank is a big deal. Not that Deutsche Bank or any of these banks have a crystal ball into what's going to happen into the economy but it does speak to the level of concern right now about high inflation.

You can see consumer prices going up at the fastest pace in 40 years.

And some of these concerns are playing out in the market as well. We see the Dow is down for a second day in a row.

So the concern is that, even though this recovery is two years old, even though this expansion has been going on all that long compared to the previous ones, that inflation is so high that the Fed may prematurely end it -- Victor and Alisyn?

BLACKWELL: Matt Egan for us. Thank you.

EGAN: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: So CNN has just learned that the U.S. believes it will be able to identify the Russian units that carried out the atrocities in Bucha. We have the new reporting ahead.

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