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The Casket Carrying Queen Elizabeth II Arrives In The Scottish Capital; King Charles III Proclaimed As King Of The United Kingdom; Ukraine Forces Reclaim Settlements From Russia; U.S. Marks 21st Anniversary Of The 9/11 Terror Attacks; A.I. Tech For Security In The NFL; Republican Congressman Gifts Convicted Rioter Honorary Flag. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired September 11, 2022 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta. A bittersweet day in the United Kingdom is where we start. Charles III is proclaimed king of Scotland as the casket carrying his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, arrives in the Scottish capital. It was a six-hour journey.

Look at this, from the Queen's favorite castle, Balmoral, the route passing through beautiful Scottish country sides and villages as she arrived in Edinburgh. Mourners and admirers pack the royal miles to say their goodbyes. She was carried into the throne room at the Scottish residence of the British royal family.

Tomorrow, the Queen's coffin will be taken in procession to St. Giles Cathedral where it will rest until Tuesday before moving to Buckingham Palace in London. And CNN's international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson joins me from the beautiful city of Edinburgh, Scotland. Nic, so great to see you. Much of today was about saying goodbye to one monarch, but also about welcoming another. Tell us about it.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, it is that continuity here in Scotland. You had people coming out across the whole of the north of Scotland, from tiny villages to larger towns as the Queen's cortege made its way all the way to here in Edinburgh where the streets right around me here, deserted now, but crowded earlier on. Yet in London, the new king there out being seen by people to quite some applause.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (voice-over): At Buckingham Palace, massive crowds greet King Charles ahead of some of his first meetings as the nation's new king. In Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, celebration as his royal proclamation is read out Sunday.

UNKNOWN: God save the King.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): A more muted town in Balmoral where his mother passed away on Thursday. The Queen's coffin began a six-hour journey to Edinburgh, all part of a ceremony approved by the Queen herself. Crowds line the streets as the Queen's casket passed them by. The cortege accompanied by the Queen's daughter, Princess Anne, wound its way through remote villages and cities of Scotland.

Edinburgh's royal mile packed with mourners. The crowd gently clapping. And there goes the Queen's coffin around the corner. People of all ages straining at the barriers for a better view, all coming to say goodbye to Britain's longest-serving monarch. Some had even saved spots along the road since news of the Queen's death first broke.

UNKNOWN: A lot of people have been here for hours and the mood has been quite somber, but also quite nice. People talking fond memories about the Queen.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): And this young girl will always live with the Queen's legacy.

UNKNOWN: She was actually named Georgia Elizabeth after the Queen. So, we thought it would be nice for her to grow up and they told that she was here today.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): People even bringing their pets out to pay their respects and memory of the Queen's beloved corgis. Journey's end, this day, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen to lie in the throne room. A memorial service Monday in nearby St. Giles' Cathedral is next. In death, as she lived her life in service.

UNKNOWN: This is her last royal engagement. And this journey has symbolized her duty, her service and also her life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTOSN (on camera): Of course, this is the Queen's last royal engagement, so eloquently put there. It is the beginning of King Charles' many, many engagements with all his official duties coming here tomorrow for that service at St. Giles Cathedral. But he'll also be going into the Scottish parliament to meet with parliamentarians there.

Later in the week, he'll be going to Northern Ireland to repeat the process with political leaders there and have a service there as well. So, as one monarch's duties end, so, the new monarch's duties begin in earnest, Jim.

ACOSTA: Absolutely, Nic, a turning of the page. So many stirring images in that beautiful piece there. Thank you very much. Nic Robertson reporting from Edinburgh. We appreciate it.

Today, we heard the new British National Anthem of "God Save the King" as Charles was proclaimed King of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

[17:05:00]

And now for many, that new anthem will take some getting used to because for the last 70 years it's been God save the Queen. One person who had the honor of singing it in front of Queen Elizabeth herself was soprano Lesley Garrett. She first performed for her about 30 years ago, went on to sing for the Queen many times after that including this performance at the Festival of Remembrance in 2017.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

And what a pleasure to have Lesley Garrett with us right now. Lesley, so great to have you. Thank you so much. And I won't dare to ask you to sing for us. I'm just a scruffy American over here in Washington, D.C., but a lot of people are wondering how do you keep your composure performing in front of the Queen?

LESLEY GARRETT, OPERA SINGER: Oh, it's hard. My heart is always beating very, very fast, but at the same time I know always that she will be so gracious when I meet her afterwards and so grateful to me for performing. Whenever I've performed for her, she's always said how much she's enjoyed it. And we've always had a laugh.

In the two photographs you just showed, we were having fun because the thing that people need to remember most, I think about, our Queen is that she had a fantastic sense of humor. She's a bit somber there because it's a festival of remembrance. But here you can see we were laughing about something funny that she had said.

That was in Seoul. That photo was taken when she was heading up a trade mission for the U.K. in Korea, in South Korea. And I was asked to detail from my Pacific Rim recital tour to go and perform for her.

Here, this is her golden jubilee, and I remember being presented to her three times in the same day, and by the end of it, she said, "Oh, hello, Lesley. How very nice to see you again. Might I say that you have a rather large wardrobe." Because I changed into three different outfits. But that's the sort of funny quip that she would make.

ACOSTA: She thought you had an impressive wardrobe. That's high praise.

GARRETT: Well, it was on my tip of my song to say, well, you would know, ma'am. (Inaudible).

ACOSTA: I think she's probably -- she's the foremost expert on this (inaudible) say. And you got to sing --

GARRETT: Yeah, I think (inaudible).

ACOSTA: Yes. And you got to sing "God Save the Queen" for her. Now we're going to be hearing "God Save the King." it has to be surreal to hear that, a little bit.

GARRETT: I think we won't have a problem at all because we are all behind King Charles III. He's a wonderful man. He's been in training for this role for so many years. I've had the great privilege of singing for him many times, also. He's sensitive, he's kind and he really cares. He cares about so many important things. He cares about our planet. He cares enormously about diversity. He's always been at the forefront, as has the Queen, of welcoming different peoples from all over the world to the (inaudible), particularly from the commonwealth countries, and trying to make a much more inclusive society.

So, I think the British people will absolutely get behind him. Of course, we're desperately mourning our Queen. I mean, if you can imagine having somebody in your life for 96 years. I mean, who was your president 96 years ago? Was it Coolidge? Anyway. If you can imagine having one of your presidents in your life all of that time and then suddenly, they're gone.

You know, it is as if the tectonic plates of our society have shifted. We're all going to have to take some time just for the dust to settle. And we're going to have to take time to see -- wherever it said ER, it will now say CR. All our coinage will change, all our stamps will change. Things like that will just make us all so sad that we don't have the Queen, but so pleased that we have King Charles III.

ACOSTA: And it was just earlier this year they released a jubilee anthem to mark the Queen's 70-year reign on the throne.

[17:10:02]

The title "We Thank You from our Hearts." What did she mean to you personally?

GARRETT: She meant enormous stability. She meant that everything while she was there would be okay somehow. She was such a constant in all of our lives. But then, you know, she represents a monarchy that is absolutely, dare I say, bigger than her. The monarchy in Britain stretches back a thousand years. That I think is what gives Britain its confidence, you know, because we somehow have this thread going back through history of strength that we know we can rely on.

She epitomized that. For me, she was a fantastic role model. She was inspirational. When I was in Seoul, which we were talking about a moment ago, and I watched her working to generate trade and industry on behalf of the U.K., she worked every day from 9:00 in the morning until 11:00 at night, hosting meetings, hosting dinners, hosting lunches, meeting people.

And she made billions for our country in that way. And all of that is very --

ACOSTA: Remarkable.

GARRETT: -- of course there is a kind of rule about no fuss, I mean, which you can see the Queen epitomized that when she, two days before she died, she was still working. She performed her very last function as a monarch. She installed her 15th prime minister.

ACOSTA: Right. She was busy.

GARRETT: And then basically, passed away with no fuss and that's typical of them. So, you don't often get to know what's going on behind. ACOSTA: That's very true. But, Lesley Garrett, you, I think, could not

have sung her praises any better. Thanks for getting this hour off to a high note. Thanks so much. Lesley Garrett, we appreciate your time.

GARRETT: Thank you for all your support. We really appreciate our friends across the Atlantic. Thank you.

ACOSTA: And we appreciate you. Thank you very much.

Coming up, the Ukrainian military advances on more towns held by the Russian invaders. The days of fighting that have reshaped the war. Plus, reaction from former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. He'll be with us in just a few moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:15:00]

ACOSTA: It's been 21 years since 9/11, but this is the first anniversary that every victim's picture will be on the portrait gallery in the 9/11 museum commemorating those killed in the terror attacks on the World Trade Center, both in 2001 and 1993. Albert Ogletree worked as a food handler on the upper floors of the North Tower on September 11th. The 9/11 museum contacted a councilman where Ogletree was from near Detroit.

Her search led her to discover this photo in his high school yearbook and to his stepdaughter who described him as a loving man. This photo was added to the wall in March. The final photograph added to wall is of Antonio Dorsey Pratt who also worked as a food handler on the upper floors of the North Tower. Pratt's supervisor described him as a shining star. His photo, the last photo, was added to the wall in June.

A series of somber tributes here in Washington today at Pentagon, also in Shanksville, Pennsylvania and of course, in New York City. President Biden, the First Lady, and Vice President joining families and survivors to mark 21 years since the September 11th attacks. CNN's Polo Sandoval is in Lower Manhattan for us today. Polo?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, it was certainly a solemn day of remembrance here in New York City as 9/11 families came together at the site where those twin towers once stood as they joined, really, the rest of the world in marking 21 years since that awful day.

So many dignitaries joining those first responders and 9/11 families including Vice President Kamala Harris who was on hand joining Senator Chuck Schumer, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, as the names of the nearly 3,000 people who were lost were echoed once again through that Memorial Plaza, near those memorial pools as well.

Many of those family members still struggling with those tears as they will for quite some time. But at the same time, many of them also, you could see a smile come to their face as they shared some of the stories of their loved ones which is certainly was the focus here, the lives that were lost over two decades ago.

Meanwhile, we also heard from Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, (inaudible) to speak to him for a few moments as he reflected on how the mission of DHS has truly evolved since it came about nearly following the 9/11 attacks.

(BEGION VIDEO CLIP)

ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, SECREARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: The threat landscape has evolved so dramatically. It is extraordinarily dynamic. You know, back 20 years ago when this department was formed, the greatest terrorism-related threat that we faced was the foreign terrorist who tried to come into our country and do us severe harm.

We then began to focus in the second decade on the individual already resident here in the country, radicalized by a foreign terrorist ideology. Now we are seeing increasingly the threat of domestic violent extremism.

Individuals, you know, driven to violence because of an ideology of hate. Anti-government sentiment, false narratives. Twenty years ago, the cybersecurity threat by criminal actors, adverse nations, wasn't top of mind. Now it's something that we're very, very focused on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Throughout the morning, there were six key moments of silence.

[17:19:58]

They acknowledged when each one of the World Trade Center towers was struck and fell, as well as the moment that a plane hit the Pentagon, and of course, when Flight 93 crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The tributes will continue tonight, Jim. That famous "Tribute in Light," those very powerful light beams that shine from lower Manhattan into the sky, they will be shining bright tonight in memory of the victims of 9/11. Jim?

ACOSTA: Polo, thanks. And I'm joined now by former defense secretary and former Senator Chuck Hagel. Mr. Secretary, thanks so much for being with us on this 9/11. We appreciate it. You know, when you took over at the Pentagon, the U.S. was still fighting in Afghanistan. Bin Laden's successor was still running Al Qaeda. We've been out of Afghanistan for about a year now. The Taliban are in control there, but Ayman al-Zawahiri is dead. Your assessment of Al Qaeda, the threat that they pose on this 9/11.

CHUCK HAGEL, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, thank you, Jim, for having me. And thanks for remembering all those victims 21 years ago. It's important that we do that. And I say that, also, to partially begin answering your question. This all began 21 years ago, a new defining time in world history, not just American history, but world history.

And as noted by the secretary, within months we built a new Homeland Security Department. We also brought together a new National Director of Intelligence to oversee the 15 independent intelligence agencies and many other things.

And that was not just a reaction to what happened 21 years ago on 9/11. Yes, it was a reaction, but it was more than that. It was to prepare this country for what was coming. Nobody knew what was coming, but we knew something was coming. Things had changed dramatically.

We didn't know exactly how deep, how wide, but we knew they had changed. And we've seen that the last 21 years. So, as we continue to deal with terrorism and what the secretary talked about, it's wider, it's deeper. We've got domestic terrorism here in this country that we have to pay attention to.

That wasn't the case 20 years ago. It wasn't the case 10 years ago. So, the threats are more and they're varied and they are connected in many ways, but in many ways they're unconnected. So, the vigilance required by this country and this government is significant, more significant I think than ever before, certainly more significant than any time since World War II.

ACOSTA: Let's talk about the classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. According to "The Washington Post," among those documents that were discovered was information, included information about a foreign government's nuclear capabilities. How concerned are you about that?

HAGEL: Well, I'm concerned like any American should be. This is really critically important information. Classified, yes, top secret. But the consequences of the wrong people seeing this, the wrong people getting their hands on this is significant.

This would be information like the means that we get this intelligence. How do we get it? The people we get it from. This also has an effect on our allies. Our allies can't trust us. If they see this kind of thing happening, that will affect their relationship with us and their cooperation with us.

And as good as we are, and we're the best in the world at this business, we can't do it without partners. We can't do it without allies. So, this has immense consequences. And yes, I'm very concerned about this and I don't know where this is going to lead, but we need to find out where it leads and we need to deal with it.

ACOSTA: Do you think Donald Trump should be punished for this in some way?

HAGEL: Well, I'm not going to say -- yeah, I'm not going to say anything on that front until we know what all the facts are. I think we need to get all the facts. We've got a ways to go, but what we're seeing now, Jim, is not a good indication that President Trump took a responsible position here and was responsible for the things that a president, a former president or any of us -- I was on the intelligence committee for a number of years in the Senate. I mean, we all have responsibilities here and they're very important and they're sacred. And what we're seeing so far, it doesn't look good for the former president. But I'll withhold my judgment until we get all the facts here.

[17:24:57]

ACOSTA: And I want to get your thoughts on what's happening in Ukraine right now with this counteroffensive that has Russian forces leaving some pretty key cities. What do you think? Can Ukraine win this war, and do you have more confidence that they can win this war based on what we're seeing right now?

HAGEL: Well, a lot of things are coming together I think, Jim, over the last six months. One is that the Ukrainians are getting better, and they're getting better partly because of the training they're getting. In 2014, when I was secretary and Russia went into Crimea, we started training. Our special forces started training the Ukrainians. Other European NATO allies are also been training them over the years.

Their training is better. Their weapons systems that we're giving them are better. They are being, I think, more adaptable now than they probably have ever been. The Russians on their side have had logistical problems, huge logistical problems right from the beginning.

And an army can't move. When you invade another country, logistics are about as important as any one element of that effort. Their lack of morale is a problem. Their lack of leadership is a problem. Their inefficiency is a problem.

ACOSTA: Is now the time for the U.S. -- I was going to ask is now the time for the U.S. and its allies, Ukraine's allies to step up with military assistance to hit the Russians even harder, keep them on their heels?

HAGEL: Well, we have been, as you know. And we have been considerably, especially over the last two months with new sophisticated weaponry, with drones, with intelligence capabilities that they didn't have, the Ukrainians didn't have. So, yes, I think it is time to considerably step up what we have been doing and what the NATO partners have been doing as well.

ACOSTA: All right. Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, an honor to have you on this 9/11. We really appreciate your time. Thanks so much for being with us.

HAGEL: Thank you, Jim.

ACOSTA: Alright, thank you. And coming up, it could spell the end of long security lines, everything from concerts to sporting events. New A.I. driven technology being rolled out at major stadiums nationwide.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:30:00]

ACOSTA: With thousands of fans expected in the stands as the NFL season gets under way, several teams are turning to newer, evolving technology to help keep ticket holders safe. CNN's Nadia Romero is outside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta where the hometown Falcons held their first game of the season today. Nadia, the Falcons are among the teams using this A.I.-based technology. Tell us how it works.

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Jim. This was a big day for Falcons fans. They face their rivals, the New Orleans Saints. They lost, but they were made safe by this new technology. Here at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, when people first arrive, they go would through these metal detectors that really look like normal metal detectors, only there were blue and they're by Evolv Technology.

The company says it's a combination between artificial intelligence and sensors that supposed to be able to tell the difference between your cell phone and a weapon. Now, if there's an area of concern on the monitors that the staff look at, there will be like a red box around that area of concern.

That person will be pulled out of the line for additional screening. And the Falcons say that they've seen a significant increase in the number of weapons they've been able to catch before people make it inside of the stadium. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREG OVERSTREET, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF SECURITY, MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM: Our Evolv Technology detects weapons and it focuses on weapons. There is no doubt we have found some folks, whether they intended to do harm or not. That they just forgot that they had their weapon on them. You know, keeping those weapons out of the building is still important to us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: And it's not just here in Atlanta, but the Tennessee Titans have the same technology. And Evolv Technology says when they used their system last year for three home games, they were able to catch 250 weapons before making their way inside of the stadium. We also know that this technology, Jim, is being used in schools as well. Jim?

ACOSTA: Alright, Nadia, thank you very much.

Coming up, Gohmert's gift. What the Republican congressman gave a convicted January y 6th rioter after she got out of prison.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:35:00]

ACOSTA: Republican Senator Tim Scott is slamming President Biden for sounding the alarm on the fate of American democracy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC): What we have not seen from the Biden administration is that type of unifying message that people rally around. Why would we have the president of the United States deliver a soul-crushing speech that was unnecessary, polarizing, and inflammatory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Scott's view is shared by many Republicans who continue to criticize the president for his primetime remarks, but Vice President Kamala Harris doubled down in an interview that aired earlier today saying it's actually election denying candidates and lawmakers who backed January 6th rioters who continue to pose the biggest risk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I think it's very dangerous and I think it is very harmful, and it makes us weaker. You look at everything from the fact that there are 11 people right now running for secretary of state, the keepers of the integrity of the voting system of their state, who are election deniers. If you couple that with people who hold some of the highest elected offices in our country who refuse to condemn an insurrection on January 6th.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And I'm joined now by CNN senior political analyst and host of the CNN digital series, "Reality Check: Extremist Beat," John Avlon and CNN political commentator and host of PBS's "Firing Line" Margaret Hoover, also aka hoovalon. Guys, thank you very much for being with us.

You know, it sounds as though the debate has been teed up for the American people for these upcoming weeks as we head towards November. It sounds like truth is on the ballot this November.

JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POTICAL ANALYST: Well, look, I mean, truth is on the ballot runs a risk of overstating it, but at the end of the day when you got election deniers running on the ballot of folks don't vote against them, they're voting for a lie. And I do think that you -- it's not divisive to say that there's an attempt on our democracy.

[17:40:01]

And if people like Tim Scott, who is a good man, wants to, you know, unite the nation and criticize President Biden for calling that out, then he's also got to condemn Donald Trump and the election deniers running under his party's banner to be the kind of unifier that he hopes to see. And I'm not seeing that from him yet.

MARGARET HOOVER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I do want to be fair to Senator Scott, though. I mean, he was talking about President Biden's lack of an ability to have brought the country together under the banner of unity, which he ran on and which was the high hope for the Biden administration.

I think it is a fair criticism that many Republicans and, frankly, centrist Democrats up until very recently in the recent legislative achievements of the Biden administration is that President Biden hasn't been that sort of unifying figure. He doesn't govern that way. Remember the first -- I know John Avlon is laughing. AVLON: I'm not laughing. I'm just --

HOOVER: This is John -- Joe Biden sort of won with a very split Senate and then governed as though if he wanted to be FDR. And that has changed in the last few months. I grant you that. But that I think is what Senator Scott was speaking to. I will say at the same time and I'm going to go quick --

ACOSTA: But Margaret, wasn't his legislative agenda was always going to be very democratic leaning, right?

HOOVER: Yeah, but it -- but he never was going to hang up on how to --

ACOSTA: I mean, unifying the country has more to do with, you know, trying to repair things after January 6th, bringing the country together after January 6th, two different things.

HOOVER: Well, I mean, that was what I -- I hope bringing the country together after January 6th would have been the highest and best hope and then governing, not from -- not as though he had 60 or 70, you know, a supermajority in the Senate. He had only 50 and barely had the Senate. And he governed with the aspiration of being this transformational, FDR- kind of president, not one who barely had a Senate.

But what -- the other point I want to say though, and let me just concede this, is that I have been surprised by the level, and maybe I shouldn't have been. Some may call me naive, but the level of vitriol with which Republicans have spoken about Joe Biden, not as though he were a good man pursuing bad policies they disagree with.

But as though, you know, talking about him the way we would talk about, the leader of a country who is not aligned with the United States. So, it's -- I would prefer to see a different tone and tenor from the GOP just generally.

AVLON: Yeah. And let me just add one last thing to that. Look, if you look at the legislative record of this congress and this president, there have been more bipartisan pieces of legislation, and significant ones, passed because a significant number of Republicans voted for them to their credit.

HOOVER: But they're always --

AVLON: Not like this. And so, I think that, you know, that that is a measure of being able to bring the country together even if fundamentally the polarization in our country is so toxic that even senators can acknowledge that.

ACOSTA: Well, let me move on to the next subject. After Vice President Kamala Harris questioned the legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court this week, Chief Justice John Roberts, we heard him defend the court in his first public comment since the Dobbs decision. Let's talk about that. Let's listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN ROBERTS, CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT: Lately, the criticism is phrased in terms of, you know, because of these opinions it calls into question the legitimacy of the court.

Simply because people disagree with an opinion is not a basis for questioning the legitimacy of the court.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And back in July, Justice Elena Kagan who dissented when the court overturned Roe versus Wade, she warned about the importance of preserving the court's legitimacy. Let's watch that as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELENA KAGAN, ASSOCIATE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT: I'm not talking about any particular decision or even any particular series of decisions. But if over time the court loses all connection with the public and with public sentiment, that's a dangerous thing for a democracy. We have a court that does important things, and if there's -- that connection is lost, you know, that's a dangerous thing for the Democratic system as a whole.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And according to an August Pew Research Center poll, confidence -- American confidence in the court is sinking to a record low. You can see it dip sharply after the abortion ruling. Guys, do we see a danger in how the court is being perceived right now?

AVLON: Yes.

ACOSTA: And is it more than just a perception?

AVLON: No.

HOOVER: Well, I got to say, I actually don't think, no. It is not a perception. The court is -- like every institution plummeting in faith and standing, but this is new because we had -- the court had been protected from this lack in confidence.

And what Justice Roberts, of course, didn't take into account was the fact that the court represents a Republican Senate and a Republican president's agenda over the last six -- eight year or President Trump's four years that, you know, put Brett Kavanaugh in. They didn't put Merrick Garland in, where the political process, while completely legal, was not -- the left field was not in good faith.

AVLON: Yeah, with good reason.

HOOVER: And with good reason. And so, I don't think actually Justice Roberts behind closed doors would disagree with anything Elena Kagan said.

[17:45:02] I mean, that's the irony of the whole thing, is that he's the one who supposedly tried to forge a consensus behind closed doors if you believe the reporting on the Dobbs decision.

AVLON: And it would have been better for the country and the court had he succeeded in my opinion. But I think the larger point is this is a cautionary tale about what happens when the Supreme Court gets politicized, as it has been. And two members of the court did not tell the truth to the Senate when asked directly about the role of precedent and Roe, and took the first opportunity to overturn 50 years of precedent because it's an ideological agenda.

So, this is a cautionary tale about politicizing institutions that at best should be non-partisan. And in recent past, you had appointees from Democratic and Republican presidents who did not vote in lock step with their party's preference. That's healthy because that represents independence of judgement. That's what we seem to have lost.

ACOSTA: And I want to get to this final thing. This week, Republican Congressman Louie Gohmert presented a U.S. flag that flew above the capitol to a woman who was convicted for her role on the capitol attack. These are photos posted on the rioter's Twitter account. Guys, what do we think? I mean, a U.S. congressman giving, rewarding someone who is part of what happened on January 6th.

HOOVER: Let's just leave 15 seconds at the end. John Avlon, go ahead.

AVLON: If you want a museum piece for the insanity that has overtaken our politics in the wake of January 6th, this is it. And it's not just because it's Louie Gohmert. The insanity of a member of Congress giving a flag that hung -- the rose above the capitol to someone who attacked the capitol, the persistent belief that attackers are victims if they agree with you politically because they tried to overturn our democracy and they should be treated as heroes and martyrs.

That is a (inaudible) of a sickness and a psychosis that is twisting our politics and our judgment. And this is one of the worst examples of that I've seen, certainly from a member of Congress.

HOOVER: I'm just going to add a couple of facts. More than 800 people have been prosecuted by the Department of Justice, only 125 served time in prison or jail. This woman is one of those, okay. A representative of Congress who was in the U.S. Capitol building was attacked is rewarding a criminal --

AVLON: Honoring.

HOOVER: -- a criminal.

ACOSTA: Yeah.

HOOVER: Okay. And a criminal who tried to undermine our democracy. And so that's the piece that I think is just so stinging here.

ACOSTA: Yeah. If you're rewarding somebody who was, you know, breaking into the capitol and doing what they were doing on January 6th with an American flag that flew over the capitol, then I do think the truth is very much at stake in these coming weeks. Guys, thanks very much. We appreciate it. Thanks for being with us.

This week, Wall Street has its eyes on the Fed and a Twitter whistle- blower. Here is Christine Romans with your "Before the Bell" report.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Jim. Another critical week for the U.S. economy ahead of the Federal Reserve's next decision on interest rate hikes. That happens later this month. The Fed is committed to raising interest rates and keeping them there until inflation is under control.

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JEROME POWELL, CHIEF, FEDERAL RESERVE: History cautions strongly against prematurely loosening policy. I can assure you that my colleagues and I are strongly committed to this project and we will keep at it until the job is done.

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ROMANS: Every piece of economic data critical in the Fed's fight. This week, the consumer price index, producer price index, consumer sentiment and weekly jobless claims. Now, the good and bad news for the Fed is the strong jobs market. Let me explain, Jim. The robust labor market provides evidence the economy is holding up to sharp rate hikes.

The jobs market remains tight with more vacancies and available workers. The bad news, the Fed may want to cool the jobs market to tame inflation rates running at a 40-year high. Also, this week, Twitter whistle-blower Peter "Mudge' Zatko will testify on Capitol Hill. He accuses Twitter of reckless and negligent policies that endangered national security. Twitter denies it. It says Zatko was fired for poor performance and security and privacy have long been company priorities.

Twitter will also hold a shareholder meeting to vote on the company's $44 billion acquisition by Elon Musk. Twitter's lawsuit against Musk to terminate the agreement will go on trial in mid-October. In New York, I'm Christine Romans.

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ACOSTA: Today we watch Britain's Queen Elizabeth begin her last great journey, honoring her 70 years of devotion to tradition and protocol. But in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks, she made a rare exception. The Queen broke with tradition, ordering the Star- Spangled Banner be performed during the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.

The band of Coldstream guards, a centuries old regiment that once fought against American independence belted out the American national anthem. Emotional adults and children gathered outside the gates, mourning the lives of nearly 3,000 people who were killed in the attacks. Now, 21 years later we mourn them again and remember the Queen for her touching tribute.

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[17:55:00]

ACOSTA: That's friendship and that's the news. Reporting from Washington, I'm Jim Acosta. I'll see you back here next Saturday at 3:00 p.m. eastern. Pamela Brown takes over the CNN NEWSROOM live after a quick break. Have a good night.

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