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Donald Trump Jr. Expected to Testify to January 6 Committee; Interview With State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-FL); Florida vs. Disney; Interview With Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer; President Biden Announces New Aid Package For Ukraine; Evidence of Mass Graves Outside Mariupol. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired April 21, 2022 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Hello. I'm Victor Blackwell. Welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. Alisyn has the day off.

We are beginning with Putin's war on Ukraine and the critical port city of Mariupol. Ukrainian officials now say they have identified multiple mass graves just outside the city. The satellite company that released these images said that there are more than 200 new graves.

Today, Vladimir Putin proclaimed the efforts to capture Mariupol a success, and he scrapped plans to storm a sprawling factory compound were reportedly more than 1,000 civilians and Ukrainian fighters are sheltering. Instead, he directed his military to set up a blockade, so that a fly can't get through.

And this morning, President Biden cast a doubt about the Russians having taken full control of this near-decimated city.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's questionable whether he does control Mariupol. There is no evidence yet that Mariupol has completely fallen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Well, what is not in question is the intensifying urgency to free the estimated 120,000 people trapped in that city by Russian strikes.

And those who are still there have endured more than a month of little water, food, limited access to medication or medical care. The mayor said today once again Russians are not keeping to the agreement to hold their fire to allow people to get out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VADYM BOYCHENKO, MAYOR OF MARIUPOL, UKRAINE: Now, unfortunately, right now there is no possibility to evacuate civilians from the Azovstal plant, because we asked for a stable cease-fire for at least 24 hours so that we can notify residents that are sheltering there for almost 57 days.

The civilians are sheltering there now. They are constantly bombarded.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: CNN's Ed Lavandera is in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv.

What more are you learning about these mass graves that the Ukrainian say they found outside Mariupol?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well, as an adviser to the mayor there in Mariupol says that -- they have been alleging for some time that there were mass graves in that area.

And satellite imagery is now bolstering that claim. Again, we're not able to independently verify this at this point. But these satellite images, the adviser says, shows evidence that there are rows and rows of these mass graves in a village about 12 miles outside of Mariupol.

And that adviser also goes on to say, Victor, that they believe Russian trucks are driving bodies to this grave site and dumping them on an embankment. They say this is more evidence of Russian war crimes committed in the atrocities there in that city.

Now, Ukrainian officials have been saying for some time that they believe, as of right now -- and it's very hard to get credible information -- that they believe as many as 20,000 people have been killed there in the city of Mariupol. And that's why there is such an intense sense of urgency to try to evacuate the more than 100,000 civilians still inside that city.

And all of this is happening as Vladimir Putin declared today that the city of Mariupol had been liberated, a very cynical term that Russian leaders use to kind of justify their invasion of these cities in Eastern Ukraine.

And the -- Putin says that this -- the soldiers and these Ukrainian fighters inside and civilians, women and children inside the steel plant there, that that area has been completely cordoned off, no one can get in and out.

However, Putin is saying that -- he has stopped short of saying that Russian forces should invade and go inside that steel plant, but that nobody can get in and out. So, there are real questions about whether or not that is indeed the case that -- whether or not Russia has taken complete control, but that's what's being said right now.

BLACKWELL: Yes, in or out of that factory, also in or out of the city of Mariupol.

We heard the frustration from the mayor there over the humanitarian corridor. Yesterday's did not go as planned, and, again, no one out of the city.

LAVANDERA: Yes, the humanitarian corridors, just to kind of give broader context here, has really been an issue of contention and constant failure for weeks now.

But the latest, we had heard that there was a group of about 200 people in the city trying to catch four buses out of the city, but that those people were still waiting.

[14:05:00]

There were a number of people who were able to catch buses and get out yesterday. But these numbers are so small in comparison, Victor, to how many people are still inside Mariupol.

BLACKWELL: Ed Lavandera for us in Kyiv.

Thank you, Ed.

President Biden announced the U.S. will send another $800 million in military assistance to Ukraine. Now, if approved, the U.S. will have committed $3.4 billion in weapons aid to the country since this war began.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is with me now from the White House.

So, what's in this latest package, Jeremy?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor, it's a very significant $800 million of additional security assistance, and it brings the total in just the last two weeks to $1.6 billion, because the president last week also announced an $800 million package.

And, similarly, this package also includes more of that heavy weaponry that Ukraine is going to need in this next phase of the war with Russia in the Donbass in Eastern Ukraine, 72 155-millimeter howitzers. Those are artillery guns that will be helpful in that region, with 144,000 artillery rounds as well.

You also have vehicles to tow those howitzers, as well as over 121 additional drones similar to those Switchblade drones that the Ukrainians have been using, thanks to the United States, all of this coming as President Biden making clear that there is now a critical window to help Ukraine in this next phase of the campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: We're in a critical window now of time where that -- they're going to set the stage for the next phase of this war.

And the United States and our Allies and partners are moving as fast as possible to continue to provide Ukraine the forces that they need -- the weapons they need -- excuse me -- and the equipment they need -- their forces need to defend their nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: And in order to keep up that support, to keep it going as fast as possible and for the long term, President Biden said that two things needs to happen.

First of all, the U.S. and its allies need to be remain united. That has been a key effort by the White House to try and keep the alliance between the United States, the European Union, NATO all working in lockstep to help Ukraine.

And, secondly, it's going to require more funding. And that's why President Biden said today that he will be asking Congress as it returns from recess next week to approve a supplemental budget request so that these weapons, this military assistance can continue flowing to Ukraine -- Victor.

BLACKWELL: Jeremy Diamond for us at the White House.

Jeremy, thank you.

And joining me now, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer. He's also the William Perry fellow at Stanford University.

Mr. Ambassador, welcome back.

We are watching this crisis at Azovstal, the steel plant there in Mariupol, in real time. On Monday, there was a military official who said that untreated wounds are rotting there. They have just days, some hours for some people to survive. Is the world going to just allow this to happen? Is there anything diplomatically that can happen to allow those people to get out of that facility?

STEVEN PIFER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UKRAINE: Yes, well, I think the Ukrainians have indicated that they would like to create corridors to evacuated both civilians and wounded.

But, thus far, the Russians have not agreed. And it's interesting that you see now the Kremlin, almost this desperation to declare a victory somewhere. I mean, the Russian army had to retreat from Kyiv. They failed to take Kharkiv, which was just 20 miles from the Russian border. Their advance towards Odessa has gone nowhere in weeks.

And so Putin now says, we have this victory, although it's kind of an unusual victory in Mariupol, when, by the Russians' own admission, there are still 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers there resisting.

BLACKWELL: So, you talked about the Ukrainians wanting these humanitarian corridors. They're not reliable, as we have watched for the last two months.

But we heard from the undersecretary of state for political affairs, Victoria Nuland, here on CNN that, if they were to hold up, that NATO countries -- here's the quote: "There will be NATO allies involved if that happens."

Now, she didn't elaborate. And I have not heard a clear explanation of what could happen on the ground there in Ukraine. Do you know what role NATO allies could play to get those people out?

PIFER: Yes, I'm not sure.

I mean, there was, I think, an offer a couple of weeks ago by the Greeks, because there's actually a small Greek population in Mariupol, to offer some help.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

PIFER: But, beyond that, I'm not aware of what NATO could do.

And, thus far, there still seems to be a very clear line by NATO of not sending NATO forces into Ukraine, where they would come into conflict with Russian forces, although, as you saw from the president's announcement today, that the United States and other NATO countries are continuing to funnel large amounts of weapons into Ukraine, so that the Ukrainian military can better defend itself.

BLACKWELL: Yes, and Putin has said that those are fair targets if that support continues.

One of President Zelenskyy's top advisers said that the war in Ukraine can end in direct talks between Zelenskyy and Putin. He said that there would be clarity in a week-and-a-half.

[14:10:04]

We're almost two months into this war. Do you expect that there -- any indication that you see in the next 10 days that this could get to some point where Zelenskyy and Putin are able to talk face to face?

PIFER: It's difficult to see.

I think President Zelenskyy, he wants to negotiate. I think it truly pains him that, every day, more Ukrainians are dying as a result of this unprovoked war by Russia. So he has, over the last six or seven weeks, put forward some offers. I think he's extended himself. He said, for example, Ukraine, we're prepared to give up our ambitions to join NATO, and we're prepared to accept neutrality.

He's also asked and said he's ready to meet with Putin. But the Russians have basically said, well, we can't have a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy until the deal is done.

Zelenskyy's view is that he's going to have to sit down and work out some of those terms with Putin directly.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

PIFER: And also coming out of Moscow, you haven't seen any movement from their original demands made two months ago. So, it's hard for me to see the Russians approaching a negotiation in

a serious way that would allow some kind of a real settlement to emerge on terms that would be acceptable to Ukraine.

BLACKWELL: And maybe that is wishful thinking for the Zelenskyy administration there, as we watch the atrocities pile up across Ukraine.

Ambassador Pifer, thank you for your time.

PIFER: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: So this was a major victory for Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis, Disney stripped of its special status.

Up next, how a fight over culture wars could end up costing Florida taxpayers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:16:07]

BLACKWELL: Florida Republicans have voted to end Disney's 55-year-old special status that allowed the company to operate as an independent government around its Orlando area theme parks.

Now, this all started when Disney's CEO publicly criticized a law that stopped schools from teaching young children about sexual orientation or gender identity in Florida.

Let's go to CNN's Leyla Santiago.

So, Leyla, let's start with what happened today. And then let's get to what this means for Disney.

LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, I think Disney itself is probably still trying to figure that out, talking to its own attorneys as to how they will move forward.

But let's talk about what exactly we know in terms of the special district and what that could mean for Disney. It has a special status that, as you mentioned, Victor, basically allows it to operate its own government in the Orlando theme area parks there.

And, today, it passed the Senate, so final passage there. It has now passed the House, the Senate. The next step will make it head to the governor's desk, where, yes, he is expected to sign this and move it forward.

But there's a lot of debate as to if this can even actually be done. Is this something that is legal, because there is a Florida statute that says this could require a vote, a referendum for it to move forward? Something that Republicans really didn't have a great answer to on the floor today.

And then there's the question about Disney's debt or this special district's debt and who would absolve it. According to one Democrat that we talked to, it could be an additional tax burden that is estimated anywhere from $2,200 to $2,800 per family in the Orange County area.

So there could be some real implications here that could impact more than just Disney. But the question right now is, can this legally take place, or is this going to end up in the courts soon enough?

BLACKWELL: The Florida House also today, Leyla, approved this -- the new congressional boundaries.

SANTIAGO: Right.

BLACKWELL: There was a protest on the House floor. Tell us about that.

SANTIAGO: Yes, that got pretty intense.

In fact, let me just kind of show you a little bit of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The clerk will unlock the machine and members will proceed to vote on Senate Bill 4-C.

Have all members voted? Have all members voted?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANTIAGO: So, an active protest during the final passage, which actually made it so there wasn't a final debate before these bills were voted on.

Many of the Democrats took to the floor to protest, one wearing a shirt that said "Stop the Attack on Blacks."

And so this is really stemming from those maps that you're talking about that is very controversial, the redistricting maps that would take away two districts from black Democratic members of the House and give Republicans an advantage and 20 of -- or as many as 20 of 28 districts.

So this is something that Democrats are saying is a distraction. They have called Ron DeSantis, Governor Ron DeSantis, a bully that is trying to out-Trump Trump and really pointing to all of this as a distraction to create culture wars. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STATE REP. FENTRICE DRISKELL (D-FL): We had the 15-week abortion ban. We had the so-called Stop WOKE Act. We had the don't say gay bill. So you're suppressing the stories of women, of minorities and of people who belong to the LGBTQ+ community and their families.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SANTIAGO: So, again, we are waiting to see next what the governor says, when this will head to his office, when he will sign, and if this will all end up in court soon enough.

BLACKWELL: Leyla Santiago with us.

Leyla, thank you very much.

Let's bring it now Carlos Guillermo Smith, a Democratic Florida state representative.

[14:20:03]

Representative Smith, thank you for being with me.

Let me start here. I just want to set the table. And I want everyone to hear from Representative Randy Fine. He is the sponsor of this bill in the House. He is quite vocal about why this is happening, just to frame our conversation. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STATE REP. RANDY FINE (R-FL): If you want special privileges, you had better be on your best behavior. And when you come in and misrepresent a bill that overwhelming majorities of Republicans, Democrats, even Biden voters support, you're going to have an issue in the state of Florida.

I would challenge that it's a knee-jerk reaction. Look, when you kick the hornet's nest, issues pop up that we deal with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: He also said that Disney was bringing California values to Florida. Your reaction to the passage of this legislation?

STATE REP. CARLOS GUILLERMO SMITH (D-FL): Well, Victor, thank you for having made. The bill passed over the objections of the House Democratic Caucus, who had their debate cut off, certainly, before the sit-in was staged.

I was very proud to have stood with many of the members of the Black Caucus in the Florida House really in protest of the constitutional rights of Floridians being trampled.

And as it relates to the sponsor of the bill, who has openly admitted that the purpose of the bill that revokes the Reedy Creek Disney status in state law, the purpose of the bill is to punish Disney for speaking out against the extreme right-wing anti-LGBTQ agenda of Governor Ron DeSantis, just speaks to how drunk with power the Republicans in Florida have become, that they are willing to openly declare that the motivation behind their legislation is political retribution, that they seek to punish those who speak out, whether it be an individual or a corporation.

And House Democrats had had enough. They had had enough, because not only was this bill passing, but, also, it was a distraction from the fact that the Florida Republicans, led by Ron DeSantis, insisted on eliminating black-majority congressional districts, in violation of our state's Constitution...

BLACKWELL: Yes.

SMITH: ... which protects the ability of racial and language minorities to be able to elect the candidate of their choice.

BLACKWELL: And I want to save some time to talk about that.

But let me ask you, do you believe really that this is going to happen? Because I read the bill. And the district is not dissolved until June of 2023. That's after the 2022 election. Of course, there's -- it's now been patched. The governor may sign it. There may be the opportunity to fund-raise off of it.

But once it comes down to brass tacks, do you think that this actually is going to happen?

SMITH: Well, it's hard to say. I don't even know if Disney knows if it's going to happen.

But, Victor, let me tell you who I have been hearing from. I have been hearing from some of the 800 employees of the Reedy Creek District who are worried that their job is going to be abolished because of Governor DeSantis' vendetta against any person who speaks out against his agenda.

I have heard from the Reedy Creek firefighters who are part of that special district that was created for Disney that keeps the tourists that come to Florida safe on whether or not their jobs are on the line.

And all of this, again, is a distraction from the fact that the governor is doing everything in his power to consolidate power by really eliminating black congressional districts, by drawing congressional maps, in violation of the state Constitution that says that you cannot draw a map with partisan intent.

And that is kind of the strategy that they have been implemented. And that is why House Democrats had enough today. And they pushed back hard.

BLACKWELL: We certainly heard the shouting there from the floor. And we know, as Leyla Santiago mentioned, that there will likely be lawsuits in reaction to what happened today.

State Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith, thank you, sir.

SMITH: Thank you for having me, Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right, breaking news: Donald Trump Jr. is expected to meet with the January 6 Committee in the next few days. We have got details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:29:14]

BLACKWELL: Breaking news: Donald Trump Jr. is expected to meet with the House select committee investigating January 6 in the next few days.

CNN's Ryan Nobles joins us now with this reporting.

Ryan, first, there was Ivanka Trump, who met with the committee, and now Don Trump Jr. What are you learning?

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

And then don't forget about Jared Kushner, the former president's son- in-law, as well.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

NOBLES: So, this is a number of those members of the Trump family who are also very close to the former president who have agreed to come and speak to the committee, and doing so all on a voluntary basis.

We're told that Donald Trump Jr. has agreed to come and speak before the committee without a subpoena. And, of course, Victor this comes after the revelation of that text message that CNN exclusively reported that detailed on November 5, just two days after the election, Donald Trump Jr. sending to Mark Meadows, the then-White House chief of staff, a lengthy list of different ideas to try and challenge the election results.