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Secret Service Documents Show Law Enforcement Discussed Capitol Threats Ahead of January 6 Attack; Chinese Leader Xi Expected to Secure an Unprecedented Third Term; Tomato Prices Soar as Drought Slams California Farmers. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired October 17, 2022 - 10:30   ET

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

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BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: New CNN reporting this morning, the Secret Service and its law enforcement partners were aware of social media posts containing violent language and threats to lawmakers. Prior to the January 6, 2021 insurrection, and yet none of the agencies gave a clear potential for large scale violence, like what unfolded at the Capitol building that day.

Here with me now is CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller. John, great to have you with us here. So, what exactly are we learning about the extent of the risk that they were aware of before January 6th?

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: So, this is based on documents that were obtained by CNN, the same documents that were shared with the committee, the January 6th committee. But there is a lot of reporting in there. These documents came from the Secret Service but most of them originated from other agencies, FBI, U.S. Marshalls, Homeland Security, where that intelligence was being shared.

But they're following the hashtags, we are the storm, 1776 rebels, they're seeing lots people are either coming to the Capitol or to the White House and they're talking about bringing weapons. They're talking about quick reaction forces for groups, like the Oath Keepers, where that trial is going on right now to be staged in Virginia in case they get the call from POTUS, president of the United States, to come in. So, that is armed quick reaction forces across the river waiting for -- so, in other words, there was a lot of information that these large groups thought that they were working for the president.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, you mentioned these hashtags, we are the storm and occupy Capitol ahead of January 6th riot. So, they were aware of that which leads to the question of whose fault was it that there was a failure to translate this down to law enforcement throughout the city and for others to be aware potentially of what was to come. Was it DHS's responsibility?

MILLER: Well, technically, yes. Executive order 12-333 gives the responsibility for information sharing on these kinds of events to the Department of Homeland Security, and on terrorism, the FBI.

Now, DHS routinely does threat assessments that go to all of law enforcement and all the partners to say, here is the event. It could be anything from the Kentucky Derby to the 4th of July to the lighting of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, and yet they didn't put one out either as DHS or with joint seals, them or FBI, on January 6th.

And there could be politics involved in that, which is it would be hard for an acting secretary of Homeland Security to put out a widely circulated document that captured the threat but also said the president's most virulent supports constitute a danger to Washington. And when politics and operations mix, it is never good.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. The acting homeland security chief was Chad Wolf at the time.

I want to ask you about committee member Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren telling CNN yesterday that the panel will call former Secret Service Assistant Director Tony Ornato back in for questioning.

[10:35:03]

Do you think that he will be more telling in his cooperation? And what would you like to hear from him, specifically?

MILLER: Well, Tony Ornato is a fascinating character and basically a unicorn in this universe. He was a key Secret Service person in the Obama White House. He was key on the president's detail in the Trump administration, and the president made him deputy chief of staff. We've never seen a Secret Service agent be pulled into the political staff of the White House before. The Secret Service obviously didn't like it and yet couldn't say no. But Tony Ornato is the person who was supposedly in the limo that --

GOLODRYGA: Cassidy Hutchinson gave us the information in her testimony.

MILLER: Cassidy Hutchinson says there was a big fight, Trump tried to grab the steering wheel. And I think they want to ask him about threat information about his testimony, which differs from her about what happened in that car, and I think they're going to circle back to that.

I think if Tony Ornato had life to live over again, he would never make a transition from the Secret Service to the political staff because it has been very hard to come back and then had to retire and so on.

GOLODRYGA: We will see what they do here from him. John Miller, great to have you on set. Thank you.

MILLER: Thanks.

GOLODRYGA: Well, not backing town, China's president refusing to renounce the use of force against Taiwan, this as he issue a stark warning to foreign nations looking to step in. More on what that means for the United States, up next.

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GOLODRYGA: Chinese Leader Xi Jinping is expected to secure an unprecedented breaking third term in power this week as China's ruling communist party gathers for a twice in a decade meeting to choose new leaders. Xi laid out his policy priorities during a two-hour speech in Beijing on Sunday, defending China's zero COVID policy and vowing to use force to take Taiwan.

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XI JINPING, CHINESE PRESIDENT: We will continue to strive for a peaceful reunification with the greatest of sincerity and the utmost effort but we will never promise to renounce the use of force and we reserve the option of taking all measures necessary. This is directed solely at interference by outside forces and a few separatists seeking Taiwan independence.

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GOLODRYGA: Joining me now is Bonnie Glaser, the director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund. Bonnie, thank you so much for joining us today.

So, I noticed in a Twitter thread that you highlighted a few notable points from Xi's speech, including that opposing foreign interference is now a central part of China's policy. Xi didn't mention the United States at all in his speech but is it safe to say that he views that the U.S./China confrontation will only continue to grow in the years ahead?

BONNIE GLASER, DIRECTOR, ASIA PROGRAM AT THE GERMAN MARSHALL FUND: I think that is absolutely right. I think that Xi Jinping has concluded that the United States is implacably hostile toward China, that the United States wants to prevent China's re-rise as a great power, especially technologically, as we've seen with the imposition of new export controls on China that will prevent China from really gaining the capability to develop advanced semiconductors in the years ahead.

So, I think there was a real emphasis, even though the U.S. was not mentioned, that Xi Jinping sees headwinds and risks going forward because of the policies of the United States and other western countries.

GOLODRYGA: Well, before we get to the military headwinds and potential confrontations, let's talk about the economic confrontations that he envisions between the United States, because President Biden laid that out as well last week in his assessment that was released.

I'm curious to get your view as to how Xi's new move, the policy, the common prosperity really pushing away from the private sector and more toward government-run and owned enterprises will impact this dynamic between these two superpowers, that China is the world's second largest economy but we've seen some of the policies really hit their economy hard, whether it is their COVID -- zero COVID policy, the lockdowns there and just overall the housing market is suffering as well. What is your view longer term?

GLASER: Well, there is no doubt that China's economy is slowing down and Xi Jinping is emphasizing more quality growth. But at the same time, he is not signaling or didn't in the party congress speech, that there will be any changes in policies. Innovation was emphasized, that this will remain at the heart of China's modernization, self-reliance, the economy is seen as crucial going forward. But, nonetheless, there wasn't much said about common prosperity in terms of detail. It was, I think, just lip service paid to it in his speech.

So, the details of what the economic policies will be going forward, I think the jury is still out. But my expectation is that we won't see very much change going forward. We will see a central role for the state. We will see more subsidies coming from China to industries where they want to catch up with the United States.

GOLODRYGA: What change, if any, do you see going forward on his positioning toward vis-a-vis Taiwan? And I know in your twitter thread you suggested that you didn't see much change, at least from the speech, in terms of when we might anticipate a possible physical attack over the course of the next few years.

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GLASER: Well, the question is whether reunification with Taiwan is a legacy issue for Xi Jinping. And, of course, we don't know how long he will be in power. Some people think he will be in power for life. Others think he might be there for another 5, 10 or 15 years. I don't think Xi Jinping has made a decision yet that he will have to use force to achieve that goal. And, indeed, he talked about peaceful reunification, that this party will strive the utmost to achieve that unification peacefully but did not rule out the use of force.

That said, going forward, if Xi Jinping believes that there is a potential for Taiwan to permanently separate from China, that legal jury independence is possible, then he may make a decision to use force. And he's certainly emphasizing the need for the military to develop the capability to do that going forward.

GOLODRYGA: Fascinating. Bonnie Glaser, thank you, we appreciate your time, Chinese communist party congress taking place all throughout this week, thank you.

Well at least eight people are dead and dozens injured following a fire at a notorious prison in Iran. According to reports from state- run media, Iranian authorities are accusing prisoners of starting the fire at the Evin Prison on Saturday night. Officials say the fire is now contained and peace has been restored. The Iranian state T.V. reporter toured the damage on Sunday but CNN could not verify the situation as Iranian officials have not given independent news organizations access to the prison.

The prison is known as a brutal facility where the Iranian regime incarcerates political dissidents.

And still to come, devastating droughts in California have tomato prices soaring and farmers reeling. The latest on the growing crisis there, up next.

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GOLODRYGA: Climate change has reduced stretches of mighty Mississippi River to a trickle. Monitors say more than half of the U.S. is experiencing drought conditions and experts say it is having a significant impact on the Mississippi River.

More than 40 river gauges on the river are reporting low water levels. And it comes at a crucial time. Crops from the nation's heartland are being moved down river. The low water levels means barges loaded with grain have to be queued up, waiting for the all clear.

The dried river bed has also produced unique opportunities for sightseeing. In Missouri, people can now walk to Tower Rock. The 32- acre island is in the middle of the river and usually only accessible by boat. And Louisiana, extremely low water levels have revealed a 107-year-old ship wreck. Archeologists are using the opportunity to learn about the ship and recover artifacts. The ferry called the Brookhill sank in 1915 during a hurricane.

Well, like the price of just about everything, the cost of ketchup for your French fries or the sauce for your pasta is up. California farmers grew $1.18 billion tomatoes last year. But without enough water to go around, growing the cash crop has become a less profitable venture and a lot more expensive for consumers.

CNN's Stephanie Elam reports.

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AARON BARCELLOS, FARMER, A-BAR AG ENTERPRISE: We pick it at the peak of freshness.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For 25 years --

BARCELLOS: It's a great product. There is a sense of home to it.

ELAM: -- Aaron Barcellos has grown tomatoes in California's Central Valley.

BARCELLOS: This year was a below average year for us.

ELAM: But between the crushing three-year drought and the rising cost of the growing tomatoes --

BARCELLOS: We're just at the mercy of Mother Nature.

ELAM: -- farmers like Barcellos are feeling the squeeze as their margins get sliced and diced. BARCELLOS: We had a little over 500 acres. We fallowed over 2,000 acres of ground that normally go to tomatoes. We just do not have the water to go ahead and grow. And during the drought, our water triples and quadruples in price as well.

ELAM: But it's not just water, due to inflation, farmers are also paying more for fuel and fertilizers, those added costs then reflected in consumer products.

BARCELLOS: There aren't any farmers making money on tomato in California this is year, even with a record price.

ELAM: Take a summertime drive on Interstate 5 through the Central Valley and it is nearly impossible to miss the trucks of tomatoes being hauled straight from harvest to production.

MIKE MONTANA, PRESIDENT AND CEO, CALIFORNIA TOMATOR GROWERS ASSOCIATION: 90 percent of the tomato products consumed in the United States come right here from California Central Valley.

ELAM: As California's tomato growers are at the end of their harvesting season, there just hasn't been enough tons of tomatoes to harvest this year versus last year, which means there's less to go around, which means prices will go up, something that consumers will feel when they go to the grocery store.

These are tomatoes that become ingredients in sauces, soups and salsas. The California Tomato Growers Association said its members produced about 14 percent less this year than originally intended.

MONTANA: What make this is different is this is about our fourth year in a row of having a shorter crop than what we wanted. Ultimately, it does come down to water.

ELAM: You've grown up in the Central Valley. The climate the same as it was when you were growing up?

BARCELLOS: It has definitely changed. We are seeing hotter streaks during the summer, more extremes between cool and warm. And I don't know what an average year is anymore.

[10:55:01]

ELAM: Barcellos says tomato crop yields across the state has steadily declined over the last decade.

BARCELLOS: A lot of that is due to the climate change.

ELAM: As for his family's operation, tomatoes may soon be out of the mix.

BARCELLOS: Right now, we don't have any acres scheduled for tomatoes for next year. Unless tomato prices in the field get to a level where we think we have a chance of making money, we're going to go do something else with those open acres.

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ELAM (on camera): And these farmers say that they really need consumers to vote with their wallet at the grocery store. Because if they like to get produce that's grown here in the United States, when they know how it's grown, that there are safety measures in place, then they need to buy that instead of buying products that are coming from other countries. Because at this rate, they're saying they can't grow and actually make money and also beat other countries who are bringing in those products for cheaper dollars.

So, that's something that they're saying going forward. We need to know where our food is coming from, Bianna, and that is why they're saying people need to know that this is really what we're seeing, these higher prices, but this is what you're getting, good tasting, healthy fruit that is grown here in the United States.

GOLODRYGA: And they're saying it all comes down to a lack of water and climate change, ultimately. Stephanie Elam, thank you.

And thank you at home for joining us today. I'm Bianna Golodryga.

At This Hour with Kate Bolduan starts after a quick break.

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