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Interview With Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) About January 6th First Primetime Hearing; Trump Lashed Out At Pence For Not Overturning Election; Biden Reacts To Record Gas Prices; March For Our Lives Rallies Held In 400-Plus U.S. Cities; Mom Of Buffalo Shooting Survivor Urges Lawmakers To Pass Gun Laws; Civilians Struggle In Frontline Ukrainian Town. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired June 11, 2022 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:31]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.

The January 6th Committee is employing the American people to pay attention. In this week's primetime hearing they laid out a presentation that former President Donald Trump directly inspired extremist groups to breach the U.S. Capitol. The panel plans to present more evidence in a new round of hearings next week, promising to show that Trump concocted a seven-point plan to stay in power at all costs, even though he knew Biden won a fair election.

This is the mob that Trump assembled. You're seeing the video once again according to the committee's Republican vice chair, Republican Liz Cheney. Previously unseen body cam footage shows an officer under attack by insurrectionists.

We also heard testimony from people very close to Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL BARR, FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL: I had three discussions with the president that I can recall. I made it clear I did not agree with the idea of saying the election was stolen and putting out this stuff, which I told the president was bullshit, and you know, I didn't want to be a part of it, and that's one of the reasons that went into me deciding to leave when I did.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How did that affect your perspective about the election when Attorney General Barr made that statement?

IVANKA TRUMP, DAUGHTER OF FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND FORMER WHITE HOUSE AIDE: It affected my perspective. I respect Attorney General Barr. So I accepted what he was saying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: No surprise that Trump's response to this testimony was to trash his attorney general, but he's also dismissing his own daughter saying she was checked out at the time. I'm joined now by a member of the January 6th Select Committee,

Democratic Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren of California.

Congresswoman, thank you very much. It was a powerful presentation the other night. Do you think the Justice Department was watching.

REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D-CA): Well, I'm sure if there were 20 million viewers, there were some of those viewers who were DOJ employees so we'll see what they think in the end.

ACOSTA: And why were some of those clips do you think important to show? People like the attorney general, Bill Barr, the president's own daughter, Ivanka Trump, what were you trying to accomplish there?

LOFGREN: Well, the first hearing was really a preview of the hearings to come, and I think it is important for people to know, in our hearing on Monday, we'll go through this in greater depth, that Trump lost the election. He -- all of these claims of fraud were investigated and he was told they weren't true by people in his own government and his own family, and he persisted because it was fundamental to the multiple schemes of applaud that big lie be accepted in order to seize power.

ACOSTA: And Chairman Bennie Thompson says that you all have evidence of extremists engaging with people in Trump's orbit. That was the phrasing he used. I know you don't want to get into specifics just yet, but that's a pretty explosive claim. When he says orbit, are we talking about members of Congress, White House officials, Trump campaign staffers, all of the above?

LOFGREN: I think I'll just let that evidence come out at the appropriate hearing. We're going through very methodically, as I say, Monday morning at 10:00 Eastern Time, we will go into the big lie for lack of a better word, the fraudulent claim that the election had been stolen through fraud, we'll go through some of the president's supporters are alleging he really never got his day in court. That's not true.

We'll go through that, and I think have people receive a common understanding from people in Trump's own world. These are Trump world witnesses who can dispel the false narrative that the election was stolen.

ACOSTA: And one of the most remarkable things that we heard on Thursday night, Vice Chair Liz Cheney saying that multiple GOP lawmakers sought pardons for their role in January 6th including Congressman Scott Perry, and Perry, we should note, he has denied this. He tweeted this, "The notion that I ever sought a presidential pardon for myself or other members of Congress is an absolute shameless and soulless lie."

[16:05:05]

Your response to that? I suppose you're saying it's not a lie.

LOFGREN: Well, I, again, I'm going let the evidence be unfolded in its proper order, but when I saw that, I was reminded of minority leader, Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy, who said what a vicious lie that he had ever called to the president to resign and it was just an hour later that the audio tapes were released, so I think we'll let the evidence unfold in an orderly way.

ACOSTA: But this notion that this accusation that Republican members of Congress were seeking pardons, what does that suggest? I mean, there are folks who were commenting afterwards that what this suggests is that there was a -- I guess a knowledge on the part of some of these members that they might have done something that would merit a pardon or require a pardon to stay out of hot water.

LOFGREN: As a general matter, you don't seek a pardon if you don't think you've done something that could be prosecuted as a crime. That's the only reason why people seek pardons, so, you know, it is what it is, and as I say, we're going to roll out the evidence first on Monday about the big lie and then the other elements of this plot, and I'll say this. We have been very careful not to suggest something was true if we didn't have evidence to back it up.

We know that some of our Republican colleagues are trying to discredit the committee and the evidence, so it would be unwise to say anything that we can't back up. We've been very careful about that.

ACOSTA: And one of the most stunning moments, another one, there were several, on Thursday was General Milley's testimony, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He said it was Vice President Pence, not President Trump who led the security response during the Capitol attack. He said the White House, specifically the chief of staff at the time, Mark Meadows, was focused on the politics of all of this. Let's revisit that, we'll talk about it.

LOFGREN: Yes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. MARK MILLEY, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: He said we have to -- we have to kill the narrative that the vice president is making all the decisions. We need to establish the narrative that, you know, that the president is still in charge and that things are steady or stable, or words to that effect. I immediately interpreted that as politics, politics, politics, red flag for me personally, no action, but I remember it distinctly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: I mean, that is remarkable coming from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

LOFGREN: It is.

ACOSTA: Are we going to find out what Trump was doing during the attack? We don't have all of those details. Do you think we're going to get those details?

LOFGREN: Well, we'll get a lot of details. I don't know that we have every single minute, but we will get the main elements of what he was doing and what he wasn't doing was anything to stop his supporters from trying to overthrow the electoral count. He was not calling -- he never did anything. He didn't call General Milley. He didn't call the secretary of Defense. He didn't try to do anything to protect the Capitol.

The vice president tried and obviously he's not in the line of command, but at least he was making an effort to protect the Constitution, something the president failed to do.

ACOSTA: And I know that you weren't going for the ratings on Thursday night, but the Nielsen numbers have come in, and it's been estimated that some 20 million Americans were watching the hearing, the very first hearing unfold on Thursday night. Of course that does not include FOX because FOX was not showing the hearing.

Did that meet your satisfaction? Is that what you were hoping to see, that many millions of Americans tuning in? Do you consider that a success?

LOFGREN: Well, I had no idea or really any expectation of how many people would tune in. It seems to me that's an awful lot of Americans who watched, and isn't it ironic that the FOX News commentators are constantly talking about so-called cancel culture and what they're trying to do is make sure that the American people don't actually see the committee's work. Cancel culture on steroids.

ACOSTA: They try to cancel you.

LOFGREN: That's right. But we broke through, I think, to multiple millions of Americans and, you know, the ratings will go up and down, I'm sure, the meeting on Monday is at 10:00 a.m., most people work at that time but it's carried online and we'll have an opportunity for people to see it in the evening or later at their leisure if they wish.

[16:10:08]

We're going to just methodically plow through this as we did on Thursday night. We'll have a mix of live witnesses as well as video from the many, many, many interviews that have been conducted as well as the production of documents, so people will be able to see the evidence and the -- that we have to support the things that we are saying.

ACOSTA: All right, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, thank you very much. Good luck with the rest of the hearings. We appreciate it.

LOFGREN: Thanks very much. Take care.

ACOSTA: All right. You too.

As supporters of Donald Trump breached the Capitol, the then president took aim at Mike Pence slamming his number two on Twitter after the former vice president announced he did not have the authority to toss out electoral votes as Trump demanded. It was a move that did not go unnoticed by at least one member of the people storming the Capitol.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our country and our Constitution, giving states the chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. The U.S. demands the truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: So just how did Trump respond upon learning that some in the crowd were chanting hang Mike Pence? According to committee vice chair Liz Cheney, the former president, the president at the time said maybe our supporters have the right idea. Mike Pence, quote, "deserves it," according to Liz Cheney.

Let's talk to Olivia Troye about this. She joins me now. She's a former Pence adviser during the Trump administration.

Olivia, thank you so much. Are you at all surprised by that revelation? That is one of the revelations, and there were many on Thursday night, that really stands out to me, and you know Mike Pence. Well, how do you think he took that?

OLIVIA TROYE, FORMER ADVISER TO MIKE PENCE: Look, unfortunately I'm not shocked that Donald Trump would sit there and say that and just watch his own loyal, most loyal soldier, Vice President Pence, be in danger is and not do anything about it and not care and yet honestly bask in the glory and root them out, root the protesters on, like those people, right, against him because it was about him.

And so I'm not -- well, I say I'm shocked to hear that, that the president of the United States of America had a complete dereliction of duty in that day, in that moment, behaved that way. It is who Trump is. This is who he is. This is his character. This is what he's been and what he was the entire time that he was in office.

ACOSTA: And let's talk about Pence, just this morning he tweeted this, we can put this up on screen. "January 20th, 2021, $2.39 a gallon. June 11th, 2022, $5 a gallon. American prosperity under the Trump- Pence administration, priceless."

You know, I have to ask you, Olivia, I mean, obviously we have to point out the price of gas at that time that Pence is talking about when it was lower was during a pandemic. There weren't as many people driving cars, so there wasn't as much demand, but put that to the side for a moment. You have Pence essentially still trying to claim credit for what occurred during the Trump administration while at the same time we're getting these revelations that Trump thought it was a good idea for him to be hanged. How do you sort that out? What's going on?

TROYE: Well, look, I think this is the story of Mike Pence's four years under Trump and the administration that he served in. I think, you know, he is defending the policies that he was the lead of in the Trump administration and a part of, but yet he's also part of this whole situation where there was this dangerous person sitting in the Oval Office.

And so I think Mike Pence is trying to thread the line and thread the needle of what does his political future look like while he still tries to court Republican voters that are not full-on Trumpists while also trying to keep moving forward when all these revelations come forward about what the reality was of what he was facing inside the White House, especially in the lead up to January 6th.

ACOSTA: And Olivia, I know you think that the threat of January 6th did not end on that day or with Trump's departure from the White House. Do you think these hearings will be enough to convince Americans of that? I do think it was fascinating that the "New York Post" editorial board today was saying it's time for the Republican Party to move on from Donald Trump in light of what was said on Thursday night.

That's the Murdoch-run "New York Post." The "Wall Street Journal" said something to that effect as well. What do you think? Do you think that there are some, you know, some cracks there in Trump's hold on the party after what happened Thursday night?

[16:15:08]

TROYE: Yes, look, certainly I come from a background where I was a lifelong Republican and still lean conservative center right today, and I have to say that I have greater confidence in the American people that once they are presented with these facts in a very methodical way which I believe that the committee is doing that they will understand the fuller narrative in a cohesive way instead of, you know, having to report in piecemeal of things that have been revealed along the way.

And so I think what's happening here, this is probably Donald Trump's worst nightmare because this is facts. This is evidence, and the people that they are presenting are people who lived this firsthand for the most part and they're telling the stories of what they saw and what they witnessed, and I'll say this coming week, in the coming weeks with these hearings, I am looking to the people who are White House staff.

People like Cassidy who worked for Mark Meadows, people like Greg Jacob who served as legal counsel to Mike Pence because they were there. They witnessed this firsthand. And you can't discount the fact that this is honest, truthful testimony of what they saw about this individual and what happened.

And I think that Americans, I hope, are paying attention to this and understanding the reality of how dangerous this moment was and how dangerous we're still in that moment, what it means for the future in terms of many of these people who supported this moment who are either still in elected office or running for office currently, and why that needs to change and why we cannot allow this to continue.

ACOSTA: Yes, you mentioned some of these lesser known figures from the administration who will be testifying. You mentioned Cassidy Hutchinson who was a former aide to Mark Meadows, the chief of staff at that time. They didn't get Mark Meadows to testify, but they're getting Hutchinson, apparently to testify. She'll be one of the -- she's expected to be one of the live witnesses in these upcoming hearings.

And she's the one who said that Mark Meadows was warned by authorities, by the Secret Service and so on that there could be violence that day. And I suppose, you know, Olivia, you are one of those staffers who was at that level when you were there at the administration. What was it like for folks like yourself to watch this, you know, unfold on a regular basis, Trump's erratic behavior, his dangerous behavior and so on, and the way it unfolded on January 6th?

I have to think there's a lot of pressure on these staffers to go out there in front of the cameras and testify when so many millions of Americans are watching.

TROYE: Look, it is, and when you're living this day by day, every day is challenging, and you get blindsided and you're trying to figure out how you navigate in such a difficult situation, and in many times, what is the best thing and the right thing to do when you have no good choices, and that is certainly that I know very well firsthand, and how you sort of hope that you're doing the right thing in a moment where you're trying to do the right thing for the American people really.

But I have to tell you, like I am standing in support of the people that are coming forward as witnesses who testified honestly and are telling the truth about what they saw, and I know how hard it is, and I will be concerned. I'll be concerned do we see them in person, do we see the videos for their safety because I know what's coming their way, and that's -- when I talk about threats, these actors are still out there, and that movement that believes so strongly, that's been led by this whole situation by lies and disinformation and misinformation will come forward once again.

And I can only imagine what they're going to face in the aftermath of this, and I just -- you know, I will be praying for their security and their safety and I'm grateful that in this moment their voices will be heard because I think this is so important for national security and for who we are as a country. I mean, look, no one is above the law. I don't care how wealthy you are, how powerful you are, we're a nation of the rule of law and I hope that we are still that. And like justice, it's about justice and accountability.

ACOSTA: All right, we'll see if we get it. Olivia Troye, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

All right, coming up, yet another economic indicator proves just how much more everything costs right now. So how are the White House and president reacting to all this? We'll talk about that.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:23:40]

ACOSTA: President Biden is in New Mexico right now, a day after a dismal inflation report revealed the Consumer Price Index rose to its highest level since 1981. The national average price for a gallon of gas now tops $5 for the first time ever. This after a week of losses for the U.S. stock market. Biden says fighting the economic crisis is his top priority and blames Russia, big corporations and Republicans for America's surging prices.

CNN's Arlette Saenz joins us now from Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Arlette, tell us more about the president's explanations of these record high gas prices. I know he's getting questions about this everywhere he goes. What can you tell us?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he certainly is, Jim, and President Biden insists that fighting inflation remains his top economic priority as these high prices in gas, food, and other sectors really could be a possible liability for him and Democrats heading into November's midterm elections.

With gas now reaching $5 a gallon, President Biden today was asked by reporters what his message was for Americans feeling that pain at the gas pumps and he pointed to Russia's war in Ukraine as being one of the main factors driving these increases. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's outrageous what the war in Ukraine is causing, and we're trying very hard to make sure that we can -- we significantly increase the number of barrels of oil that are being pumped out of the reserve we have.

[16:25:09]

We've got 240,000 barrels as well coming from other nations. We're going to keep pushing on it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: And yesterday as the president spoke at the Port of Los Angeles, he also placed some blame on energy and gas companies for not trying to drive down these costs, arguing instead that they are focusing on profits. He has specifically called out Exxon Mobil saying that they are going to make Americans know what kind of profits those gas companies are raking in at this moment. He even said that Exxon Mobil is making more than God.

Now the president has repeatedly over the course of the past few weeks tried to show that they are trying to get a handle on inflation. Just last week he had said that they had been hoping that these prices would start to moderate, but that Consumer Price Index report that came out yesterday showed an 8.6 percent gain in inflation from just one-point last year. So that is certainly a figure that this White House was not hoping for as they fully understand where the American sentiment stands at this moment. Even as they try to explain these high gas prices and other high

prices in food and other industries, housing as well, Americans are still very weary about what they are having to pay, and that could affect Democrats as they are heading into these November elections.

Now I also want to note that I am here in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the president will be arriving in just a short while. He will be receiving an update on the wildfires that have been blazing across the state. He has been facing some pressure from state lawmakers who have been asking for the federal government to cover the full response of these fires, so in a short while, we will be hearing from the president as he receives an update on these wildfires. Very important issues for the people here in New Mexico.

ACOSTA: Absolutely. All right, thank you very much, Arlette Saenz. We appreciate it.

Still to come, more than 400 protests across the nation as demonstrators demand stricter gun laws. One of them is Anita Everheart, her son was wounded in the Buffalo mass shooting and she testified before Congress this week. She joins me live next.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:31:41]

ACOSTA: Americans are pushing for gun reform. They marched in the streets today in nearly every state in the U.S. The rallies in more than 400 cities across the country.

They were organized by the March for Our Lives group that was created, of course, by the survivors of the 2018 Parkland High School shooting.

The demonstrations follow recent high-profile mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, that have sparked fresh calls for lawmakers to finally address the violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID HOGG, PARKLAND SHOOTING SURVIVOR & ADVOCATE: As we gather here today, the next shooter is already plotting his attack. While the federal government pretends it can do nothing to stop it. Since the shooting in Texas, the Senate has done only one thing. They have gone on recess.

(APPLAUSE)

RAYMOND WHITFIELD, MOTHER KILLED IN BUFFALO MASS SHOOTING; If you listen closely, you will hear the cries of our fallen loved ones in our churches, our synagogues our schools, and now our grocery stores.

Lower your weapons and let us replace the hate.

(APPLAUSE) WHITFIELD: Then and only then can we make America great. If not again, when?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: The marches come as the Senate mulls a sweeping gun reform package that was passed by the House last week.

This week, the mother of a 21-year-old man who survived last month's mass shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, testified before lawmakers and Congress.

She told them how her son was nearly killed in that racist attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZENETA EVERHART, SON SURVIVED LAST BUFFALO MASS SHOOTING: To the lawmakers who feel that we do not need stricter gun laws, let me paint a picture for you.

My son, Zaire, has a hole in the right side of his neck, two on his back, and another on his left leg caused by an exploding bullet from an A.R.-15.

As I cleaned his wounds, I can feel pieces of that bullet in his back. Shrapnel will be left inside of his body for the rest of had his life. Now I want you to picture that exact scenario for one of your children. This should not be your story or mine's.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: I'm joined now by Zeneta Everhart. She was joined at the D.C. Live protest.

Your testimony was so powerful.

I have to ask you first, how is your son doing?

EVERHART: Zaire is doing really well actually. I was in Buffalo just yesterday morning. He had a follow-up doctor's appointment, and his doctor is really happy with his progress. So she liked the way the wounds look.

And, yes, it's going to be a long road because, yes, he has shrapnel still left inside of his body, so some of it is coming up to the surface, so she'll be able to remove some of it. But a lot of it will remain inside of his body.

ACOSTA: And what's it been like these weeks since what happened in Buffalo?

We were here on the air when it unfolded, and we were in breaking news coverage all afternoon. And it's just unimaginable what you --

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: -- and the other families have been through.

[16:35:00]

EVERHART: Yes, a domestic terrorist came into our community and destroyed us in two minutes. He took 10 lives and injured three others. How do you move from that, right? It's hard.

And it's sad what my community has gone through. But I know that we'll move forward and me being in D.C. today, at the March for Our Lives rally. was a part of that, you know?

Testifying in front of Congress was a part of moving forward. That's a part of my healing, healing for Zaire. And making sure that he knows that, you know, I'm never going to stop pushing for change.

ACOSTA: You're his mom.

EVERHART: I'm his mom. That's what I do. I'm his protector, you know. I've always been his protector. So -- and I'm not going to stop because he's 21.

ACOSTA: Right, of course.

EVERHART: Yes.

ACOSTA: Today, the president urged gun safety advocates like yourself to keep on marching. And said he's optimistic about maybe seeing some gun safety measures getting through the Congress.

Do you share that optimism? What was your sense when you were up there?

EVERHART: Yes. Listen, I'm an eternal optimist. I believe that change happens, right? And it happens with marches like the one that I was at today. That's how it happens.

It happens with people continuously putting pressure on our lawmakers, calling them, writing them, emailing them, and letting -- and voting them out if they don't do something about it.

I know that those things happen. But I also, I live in reality, right? And I know that there's a struggle. There's a power struggle, you know? We have Democrats and Republicans at each other's necks right now.

But right now, this is not about people's personal feelings. You know, I said that in my statement. This is not about lawmakers' personal feelings.

This is about Zaire's life. This is about their children's lives. That's what this is about.

We have to put all of that to the side and we have to figure out how we can compromise and keep this country safe. Keep Zaire safe. That's what this is about.

ACOSTA: What would you like to see passed? What's on your agenda?

EVERHART: Yes, raise the age. Yes, we got it through the House, but it has to keep moving.

ACOSTA: For purchasing an assault rifle?

EVERHART: Yes. Yes, why would an 18-year-old have access to an A.R.- 15. That doesn't make sense in my brain.

That's ridiculous. He can't even buy a beer. Can't even go to a bar. But he can buy an A.R.-15. That's huge. No 18-year-old should have access to anything like that.

ACOSTA: And we, as parents, are supposed to try to make this country a better place for our kids. And right now, it's not happening.

EVERHART: It's not happening.

ACOSTA: Are we failing our kids?

EVERHART: We are failing our kids. That's why I'm in D.C. today because I'm not going to fail my son. I will not fail him. It is our job to leave this place better than the way we found it. I believe that.

My ancestors left this place better than the way they found it, and I'm going to continue on that legacy. I have to do that for Zaire. And I'm going to do that for everyone's kids, you know?

I don't just speak for Zaire. I speak for all of the kids. I want this to be an amazing country for them to live in.

ACOSTA: Is it hard. Is it difficult when you're down at a demonstration like what we saw here in the nation's capital today, and see relatives, friends of people who were lost at mass shooting after mass shooting after mass shooting going back years, almost decades?

EVERHART: Many years. I met students.

(CROSSTALK)

EVERHART: I've met kids from Sandy Hook, Columbine. They were all out there. It was incredible, you know? Like, yes, it would be nice if we all came together, a nice kumbaya. And it was a great moment.

But we were all there for sad, sad reasons. We weren't there, you know, for happy reasons. We all are now part of this club that no one wants to be a part of. It is very heartbreaking and it is very sad.

And how many more decades do we need to keep having these rallies like this and coming together for these very tragic, sad reasons?

ACOSTA: I can tell you're not going to stop fighting.

EVERHART: I'm not going to stop. Listen, before this, you know, I'm not really an activist, but an activist, right? Like I work in diversity and inclusion spaces. I work for a New York

State Senator, you know? Talking about racism and gun violence is what I get paid to do every day. And now it's at my door.

So, no, I'm not going to stop. Thank you for letting me use your platform.

ACOSTA: Well, we appreciate you coming in.

We know you're a mom first --

EVERHART: Always a mom first.

ACOSTA: -- that's going to get something done.

All right, Zeneta Everhart, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

EVERHART: Thank you for having me.

[16:40:00]

ACOSTA: And best of luck to you, and best of luck to Zaire as well.

EVERHART: I appreciate that. Thank you.

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: Coming up, President Biden says the leader of Ukraine didn't want to hear warnings of a Russian invasion. Ukrainian officials are now responding. That's next.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Ukrainian officials today insisting that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy carefully reacted to all the warnings ahead of the Russian invasion from allies.

[16:45:01]

It comes after President Biden told a crowd Friday that Zelenskyy, quote, "didn't want to hear it."

Meanwhile, CNN is getting a closer look at what civilian life is like right now near the frontlines of the war.

CNN's Ben Wedeman is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The daily bread has arrived. Two loaves per person in the frontline city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.

There's no gas here. The bakeries don't work. So the loaves, 10,000, are trucked 10 hours here every day.

Lyliya has come with her two grandchildren and says she tries to shield them from the sounds of war.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WEDEMAN: "We tell them there are some guys playing with tanks," she says. "How can I damage their mental health? You shouldn't do that. It's impossible."

(EXPLOSIONS)

WEDEMAN: That's the roar of outgoing Ukrainian fire.

(EXPLOSION)

WEDEMAN: Tetyana is a volunteer helping to hand out the bread. Leaving Bakhmut is out of the question.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

"I have two children and four grandchildren," she tells me. "I love them all. I want all of us to live here. It's our land. Everything will be fine, God protects us."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WEDEMAN: Pavlo Diachenko's job is to investigate every strike, every damaged building for the Bakhmut police.

PAVLO DIACHENKO, BAKHMUT POLICE: Strike anytime. It's morning, in the evening. We don't know when it's going.

WEDEMAN: He takes us to a school struck by Russian war planes Wednesday. Two passersby were injured. Classes haven't been held for months.

Not far away, a complex of agricultural warehouses has been hit. Workers salvage what they can.

Shrapnel tore into the roof of one warehouse containing a precious resource.

(on camera): We don't know the motives of the Russians for hitting this facility. It's been struck three times, most recently on Thursday morning.

But one cannot but wonder if all of this Ukrainian grain is the target.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(voice-over): Lyudmila and her two children have been staying at this city-run dormitory since March. They fled the shelling on her nearby town. She's pondered leaving to a safer part of the country but doesn't have

enough money. And in the end asks, what's the point, the Russians are coming.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WEDEMAN: It's the same everywhere," she says. "When they" -- the Russians she means -- "are done here, they'll go further."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WEDEMAN: Yet, others aren't so fatalistic, reminded as they wait for the bus out of the city why they should go.

(EXPLOSION)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WEDEMAN: Igor, a beekeeper in peace time, is leaving with his cat, Simone Symonich (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WEDEMAN: "I left everything here," he says, "my bees and my house with all of my belongings."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(EXPLOSION)

WEDEMAN: They load their bags on the bus and go.

(EXPLOSION)

WEDEMAN: Ben Wedeman, CNN, Bakhmut, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Up next, Sarah Palin is on the ballot again. And this time, she's running against Santa Claus? We'll explain next.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:52:59]

ACOSTA: In a shocking announcement, Justin Bieber says he is taking a break from performing because of paralysis on half of his face.

He posted this message on social media.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUSTIN BIEBER, SINGER: It is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis. As you can see, this eye is not blinking. I can't smile on this side of my face.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: The mega star says he is suffering from Ramsey Hunt Syndrome, which is when a shingles outbreak affects a facial nerve, according to the Mayo Clinic.

He will take some time to rest and recover so he can return to performing.

Search crews have found the bodies of seven people in a helicopter crash in northern Italy. Crews had been searching for the helicopter since it went missing from radar screens on Thursday.

An Italian pilot and six passengers from Lebanon and Turkey were on a business trip on the chopper. The wreckage was found near Tuscany. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

In Alaska -- get this -- former Republican vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, is facing a tough crowd and a tough race for an opening congressional seat.

Palin hopes to fill the seat left vacant after Congressman Don Young died in March. But not even an endorsement from the former president may help her defeat Saint Nick.

That's right. One of her opponents is a North Pole councilman named Santa Claus. The 75-year-old -- you see him in this picture right here -- says he supports abortion rights and backs environmentally friendly policies.

He and Palin are among 48 candidates vying for the seat. Voters must mail ballots back by today. The top four will face off in August in a special election to serve out the remainder of Young's term.

I guess we'll find out who's on the nice list and the naughty list for voters there.

[16:55:00]

A quick programming note. A brand-new CNN special report. Join Drew Griffin as he talks with people who know Alex Jones. "MEGAPHONE FOR CONSPIRACY" begins tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

And coming up, Senator Al Franken, how does he think the January 6th committee handled its primetime hearing? I'll ask him live in an interview in just a few moments.

That's next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:00:08]

ACOSTA: You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.