Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Pro-Bolsonaro Supporters Break Into Brazilian Government Buildings; Buffalo Bills Kick Off Two Returns In Their First Game Since Hamlin's Collapse; Interview With Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown About The Buffalo Bills And Damar Hamlin; President Biden Visits Southern Border Today Amid Influx Of Migrants; Interview With Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX). Aired 4-5p ET

Aired January 08, 2023 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:10]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington. And we are following breaking news out of Brazil where a group of protesters have breached security barriers at that country's congressional building and gained access to the structure.

The supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro also broke into the federal supreme court building in that country and its presidential palace. Neither House of Congress in Brazil is currently in session. And Brazil's new president, we should note, is not at the palace.

But there's still lots to follow in all of this. And let's go straight to CNN's Rafael Romo, who is following this.

Rafael, of course, viewers here in the United States and around the world can see the parallels between what is taking place in Brazil right now and what took place in this country on January 6th of 2021. What more can you tell us?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Jim. It's eerily similar. And this started a few hours ago as a peaceful protest in front of the army's headquarters in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. Then a numerous group of protesters started marching towards the area where government buildings for all three branches of government are located. At one point, protesters stormed the building that houses the Brazilian Congress before other groups did the same at the Planalto Palace, the seat of the executive power, the presidential building, and also the supreme court.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who took office only a week ago, Jim, is still speaking about the situation there. And he's been calling the protesters vandals and fanatical fascists, and adding that those who committed acts of vandalism will be found and punished. There is no precedent to what is happening today, he said.

Over the last couple of hours, Jim, we have obtained images of protesters vandalizing offices, and clashing with the few government employees who were trying to stop them. There's also a video of a man sitting at the desk of Brazil's Congress president, if you can imagine that. Other videos show protesters carrying flags and throwing objects amid tear gas clouds.

To give you a little bit of background, Jim, Brazil has a new president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who took office exactly a week ago. His predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, lost the second round of the presidential election in October by less than 2 percentage points. As you can imagine, Brazil is a polarized and deeply divided country. Bolsonaro, instead of attending the swearing in ceremony, decided to leave the country and travel to Florida where he currently is -- Jim.

ACOSTA: And Rafael, one thing that we should note to our viewers in addition to just the visual parallels that exist between what's taking place today in Brazil and what took place in the United States on January 6th, 2021, Bolsonaro is sort of been whipping up these thoughts among his supporters that the election was stolen from him, that there's a criminal in the White House. He's even been advised by Trump allies and aides, people like Steve Bannon have been advising Bolsonaro. It's really no surprise that it has led to this kind of instability and violence.

ROMO: Yes, if you remember, Jim, when he was in office, he used to be called the Trump of the tropics and for good reason. He was known to call to his people on a weekly basis. He would hold rallies of supporters, sympathizers, and many of these people are right there protesting today. We have no idea at this point whether this protest was spontaneous or whether it was something organized.

We mentioned before, Jair Bolsonaro is currently in Florida after refusing to be at the swearing in ceremony. So there's no indication at this point that he had anything to do with this. But the reality is that Brazil, much like what happened here in the United States a couple of years ago, is a deeply divided, polarized country and you're seeing the results with these images coming to us from Brasilia right now -- Jim.

ACOSTA: Right. I mean, this almost happened on the two-year anniversary of January 6th. It's just unbelievable to see the parallels.

Rafael Romo, thank you very much. We'll stay on top of this. We appreciate it.

Turning now to a remarkable comeback story that has transcended sports. This is how the Buffalo Bills got back to work for the first time since Monday when safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field and nearly died. The Buffalo Bills today fielded the opening kickoff and returned it for a 96-yard touchdown against the New England Patriots. Of course, the fans were roaring in the stands and one was apparently not enough for the Bills returner. He also ran his second kickoff back for a 101-yard touchdown.

You just can't make this up. The most fitting response to that opening play came from Hamlin himself, who was watching from the hospital.

[16:05:05]

He tweeted, "OMFG," which I think we can figure out what that stands for, but just before the game, the Bills honored Hamlin, his number 3 jersey, and could be seen displayed by fans all across the stadium and his teammates who have been on an emotional rollercoaster since Monday took the field waving flags with Hamlin's name and number 3.

The Buffalo Bills medical and athletic training staff, they were also recognized ahead of today's game including the assistant athletic trainer Denny Kellington who was credited with saving Hamlin's life.

CNN's Omar Jimenez joins us now near the Bills Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.

Omar, you know, I have to think that this just lifted the spirits of an entire city.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really did. Now, I was out talking to fans a little bit earlier today. And one of the things they told me was that the entire vibe changed with three words, did we win? Of course, referencing what Damar Hamlin had asked when he first began to wake up earlier this week, of course, after that hit on "Monday Night Football."

Over the course of today, you talked about that first play returned for a touchdown, the first time in three years and three months, which is unbelievable, considering Hamlin's number is number 3. It's an understatement to say it's been a rollercoaster of a week here for the Buffalo area. But especially so for the players. Take a listen to Josh Allen before today's game.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH ALLEN, BUFFALO BILLS QUARTERBACK: I always say, don't play for the name on the back, you play for the name on the front. Pretty special we play for that (EXPLETIVE DELETED) number on our front, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: And it's not just for the players. That's the vibe by the way that has been motivating this team to get back out on the field, to do it for Damar. Now when you talk about the fans, of course it's been difficult for them, too. But one thing I heard consistently from them is Damar Hamlin isn't just some guy on a team that they like. They truly feel like he's family. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOANIE "MAMA J" DEKOKER, ATTENDED ROUGHLY 200 CONSECUTIVE GAMES: I was like crying. I was crying. He's like our family. He's one of us. He's a Buffalo Bill. That's all that needs to be said.

KEN "PINTO RON" JOHNSON, 463RD CONSECUTIVE GAME: And the whole vibe to this game, you're going to see a lot of energy in the stadium. It's all based on just three words, did we win? I mean, when I heard, did we win, it was like watching the second "Rocky" movie when Adrian wakes up and says, Rocky, just win it for me. I mean, that changed the entire vibe of the mafia fan base. RAMSEY PERRY, BUFFALO BILLS SUPERFAN: When he started writing and he

woke up, and now I'm just like, all right, back to football. He's up. He's smiling. He was like, who won the game. And they're like, you won the game of life, so now I'm ready for football again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: And look, I just want to point out, you look at a guy like Pinto Ron who's been to over 400 consecutive games home and away. Mama J over 200. These are people who love their team. And no matter where you go here, I'm holding up a cookie that has Damar Hamlin's jersey and number on it. You can't go anywhere here in this area without seeing his name, his number, his jersey, especially on a day like today and especially when they may pull out a victory -- Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. Save me one of those cookies, Omar. Omar Jimenez, thanks very much. Go Damar. We appreciate it.

Joining me now is the mayor of Buffalo, Byron Brown.

Mayor Brown, great to see you. Thanks so much. I see the Bills -- there you go flashing the number three. I see the Bills pullover there you're sporting there, of course. But just to start on a somewhat serious note, it has been such a difficult past year for the city of Buffalo. You had the mass shooting. You had the deadly snowstorm recently. What does this game and Damar Hamlin's comeback mean for your city?

MAYOR BYRON BROWN, BUFFALO, NEW YORK: Very challenging year for the city of Buffalo. A lot of tragedy in our city. And we all watched Damar Hamlin go down in the last game. We thought it was going to be more tragedy heaped on our city. And out of what looked like was going to be more tragedy, his recovery is a sense of triumph that's lifting the collective spirits of this community and really giving the community a boost when we really needed it.

ACOSTA: And Mayor Brown, Americans across the country have been praying and cheering for Damar Hamlin since his collapse. He made incredible progress. You know, he was tweeting at his team today. I guess he was Facetiming with team members today. How remarkable is this? How inspiring is this?

BROWN: It's remarkable. It's inspiring. It certainly shows the power of prayer and love, all of the prayers from Buffalo, Cincinnati, people all across the country, all across the world. And Damar's spirit itself, how he has handled this adversity, how positive he has been, and his recovery that seems almost miraculous from where he was, it is just tremendous.

[16:10:15]

It's a source of inspiration not only for the Buffalo community but I think for the entire nation.

ACOSTA: And he really -- I mean, he really motivated the Bills players. I mean, they're already an incredible team. As a Washington football team fan, I'm jealous and I have been for some time about how good the Bills are. But I mean, for them to come out, opening kickoff, return it for a touchdown, what was your reaction when you saw -- and I should note to our viewers, we're pulling you from the game right now so thank you for that. But what was your reaction when you saw that kickoff return for a touchdown?

BROWN: You know, I couldn't believe it. It was absolutely, absolutely amazing. The opening play of the game, a kickoff return, certainly what Buffalo needed, what the community needed. Nyheim Hines not only did -- had one kickoff return, but he had two kickoff returns. Just absolutely amazing.

ACOSTA: Amazing.

BROWN: Obviously our players have been inspired by Damar Hamlin. And not only are the Bills great on the field, they're very involved in the community. And they're great off the field as well. The entire organization.

ACOSTA: And we should just note, Mayor, the Bills have won the game, 35-23 is the final score there. They've won the first game since Damar Hamlin's collapse. You know, I asked Donte Stallworth about this earlier, former professional football player, you know, could this be the juice that this team needs to go all the way. I know Buffalo has been on that quest for many years now to win that first Super Bowl. They've had so many heartbreaking finishes in the title game. What do you think?

BROWN: Well, as we say in Buffalo, Jim, we Bill-ieve, so we believe the Bills are going to go all the way to the Super Bowl. We believe they're going to win it. They are a great team. They have a great coach. It's a great organization. And we believe the Bills are going to go all the way this year and come home with the win.

ACOSTA: And why is Buffalo such a big football town? Our very own Wolf Blitzer I should note is a huge Bills fan as he likes to remind us from time to time. Why is Buffalo such a big football town? Why is this sport so central to its identity?

BROWN: We absolutely love the Bills in Buffalo and western New York. They really represent the Buffalo spirit. They're tough. They're hardnosed. They never give up. Sometimes they're down. Sometimes they're up. They're never out of it. And that is like Buffalo. That's the Buffalo story. We are a community that is strong and resilient. And we keep moving forward.

ACOSTA: All right. Well, we hope that continues for your city and for Damar Hamlin. Mayor Byron Brown, thank you so much for being with us. We appreciate it.

BROWN: Thank you very much, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. And I'll say go Bills. Why not. Thanks so much. All right.

BROWN: Go bills. ACOSTA: Coming up -- go Bills, exactly.

President Biden is visiting the border for the first time in his presidency. We'll go there next. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:17:34]

ACOSTA: President Joe Biden has arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border, that's where the number of migrants has sharply and steadily grown over the past several months. It's the president's first border trip since he took office and he finds himself facing criticism from both political parties here in Washington.

Many Republicans and even some border district Democrats has said this trip is long overdue, saying the president has failed to address the record-level of border crossings. While other Democrats and human rights activists are now saying that the president's new plan to deal with the border is too enforcement heavy. Since 2021, more than 2.4 million people have been arrested along the U.S.-Mexico border, many were turned away under a Trump-era COVID restriction policy known as Title 42.

The arrivals of thousands of migrants have strained border communities including El Paso.

CNN's Rosa Flores is in El Paso, Texas, for us. So, Rosa, what's happening on the ground right now? What are you seeing?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim. So I want you to process this with me for just a moment because this is the first trip that the president is taking to the border during his presidency. And I am literally in what advocates say is the epicenter of this crisis. You can look around me. There are hundreds of migrants who are living on the street. And the big question is, will the president actually make it to the second ward here in downtown El Paso to see these images.

These are streets in the United States of America, in a major city, in a border city. Will the president actually come here to see what's going on, perhaps to talk to some of these migrants. Now from talking to advocates, I can tell you that they don't usually agree with the governor of Texas, with Governor Greg Abbott. But they do agree on this, even Governor Greg Abbott is stressing that it would be important for the president to come see this scene right here right now. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R), TEXAS: I urged him in the letter to see the real chaos, what everybody here may already know, and that is there were thousands of migrants sleeping on the streets in El Paso that have been cleaned up in the past few days. And I asked him to go see the areas where we have these mass migration processes and go visit with the people who own property and live on the border whose lives have been totally disrupted. And I said, you, Mr. President, you have a job to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[16:20:05]

FLORES: Now, Jim, the timing of the president's visit is also raising eyebrows because the conditions have really improved. Even though what you're seeing around me is pretty shocking to see hundreds of people living on the street, back in mid-December, those were -- that was the time when hundreds of migrants were lined up along the Rio Grande in freezing temperatures, waiting to turn themselves in to immigration authorities.

At that point, Border Patrol said that they were encountering about 2500 migrants per day. Right now, according to DHS, that number has dropped significantly to about 700. But you can take a look around me, Jim, there are hundreds of people still here. A lot of them, from talking to them, they feel stuck here in downtown El Paso because if they head outside of this area, they feel that they can be detained -- Jim.

ACOSTA: All right, Rosa Flores, thank you very much. Rosa Flores, tracking the president's visit there in El Paso, Texas.

Joining me now Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas.

Congressman, thanks so much for being with us. You put out a tough statement after the Biden administration extended some of these Trump- era border restrictions. What do you think about the president making this trip now? I know you were with us a few weeks ago and you said that he needed to make this trip.

REP. JOAQUIN CASTRO (D-TX): Well, first of all, Jim, I'm glad that he's come to Texas to see the situation, the humanitarian crisis at the southern border. And I give him a lot of credit for doing it. It takes a lot of political courage for any president, Republican or Democrat, to go engage on an issue that is the number one boogieman for the other side.

In the runup to the 2022 elections, the border is what Republicans hit Democrats most. And here you have Joe Biden going right there to the border to see what's going on. So I give him a lot of credit for that.

I did take issue with the proposal that the administration put out, the proposed new rule because it expands the use of Title 42, which was put in place by Stephen Miller and the Trump administration really because they wanted to get everybody out, didn't want any asylum seekers in the United States. The Biden administration is not going that far, but it is the recurring use of Title 42. But there's also what's called a transit ban or a kind of modified transit ban that they're using.

And the way that works is if these migrants along the way, if they go through Mexico, for example, and don't apply for asylum in Mexico, then they suffer consequence when they come to the United States. They're barred from being considered for asylum. And so there's -- you're essentially setting a new precedent --

ACOSTA: Are you still with us?

CASTRO: Yes.

ACOSTA: Keep going. I'm sorry.

CASTRO: I'm here. Sure. No. So it sets a new precedent both for Democratic presidents and Republican presidents about how they're going to treat asylum seekers.

ACOSTA: Let me ask you this, because right now we're showing some live pictures of what's taking place in Brazil right now. As you know, and we've been reporting all afternoon here on CNN, pro-Bolsonaro supporters, supporters of the former President Jair Bolsonaro have stormed into various government buildings in that country's capital. It looks like a replay of January 6th. This time in Brazil, as you know, Congressman, you just have to look at the scenes on our screens right now, and we've been playing some of these screens earlier -- some of these images earlier today, one of these pro-Bolsonaro supporters was sitting at a desk inside the capitol in Brasilia, in Brazil, and it looked like a scene right out of January 6th.

What are your thoughts as this is taking place today?

CASTRO: Well, Bolsonaro was an authoritarian leader. And I stand with the democratically elected leadership in Brazil. And he basically used the Trump playbook to inspire domestic terrorists to try to take over the government. And you're right. It looks a lot like January 6th in the United States. And right now Bolsonaro is in Florida. And he's actually very close to Donald Trump. He should be extradited to Brazil.

In fact, it was reported that he was under investigation for corruption and fled Brazil to the United States. So we were talking about asylum seekers and immigration earlier, Republicans make a big deal and try to scare people about bad people in those groups, coming to the United States. Well, they know where one of them is. Jair Bolsonaro is in Florida hanging out with Donald Trump. He's a dangerous man. They should send him back to his home country of Brazil.

ACOSTA: And so if I'm gathering what you're saying, Congressman, are you calling on the Biden administration or authorities in Florida to return Bolsonaro, put him on a plane and send him to Brazil as soon as possible?

CASTRO: Yes, absolutely. Bolsonaro should not be in Florida. The United States should not be a refuge for this authoritarian who has inspired domestic terrorism in Brazil. He should be sent back to Brazil.

[16:25:08]

ACOSTA: And what do you think of -- I mean in recent weeks, we've seen people like Steve Bannon, close to the former President Donald Trump, sort of whipping up some of these same sentiments in Brazil as Bolsonaro was claiming that the election was stolen from him down there, that the new President Lula was a criminal and so on. Very eerily similar to a lot of the rhetoric that you heard before January 6th in this country. What do you make of these parallels?

CASTRO: Well, what's interesting is that you hear a lot of these guys like Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller and others criticize what they call globalists. Well, in fact, they're trying to spread their -- what is really an authoritarian fascist movement and inspire domestic terrorism in other countries around the world. And Brazil is one example of that. And so it doesn't surprise me that Steve Bannon has made those comments. And it doesn't surprise me that Bolsonaro, who just inspired terrorism in his own country, is close to Donald Trump.

ACOSTA: All right. Congressman Joaquin Castro, thank you very much for your time. We appreciate it.

I want to go back to Rafael Romo who is following the situation in Brazil, as we have been reporting throughout the afternoon. Supporters of former President Bolsonaro have stormed various government buildings in the Brazilian capital. They have entered the congressional building. They've entered the presidential palace, the federal supreme court building.

Rafael, what can you tell us about the latest? It looks as though -- we're looking at some live images right now from our colleagues at CNN Brazil. It look as though evening is starting to come in Brazil or it's close to it, and that authorities have gathered to start expelling some of these demonstrators, these rioters, I guess you could call them. You can certainly call them that. Domestic extremists there in Brazil. What more can you tell us?

ROMO: Yes. I have a couple of updates for you, Jim. Number one, yes, you're absolutely right. Police in riot gear showed up, was clashing with the protesters, trying to clear the buildings. Some of the armed forces also showed up. And then we were just looking at those images before where you can see some flames. That is the congressional building, Jim. And apparently protesters try to set -- if you can imagine this -- the carpet inside the main hall in the congressional building on fire.

The sprinkler system activated and flooded the whole area. And that's what you're looking at right now in these images coming to us from CNN Brazil. Now, in the last few minutes, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who took office only a week ago, reacted to the events describing them as barbaric and calling those responsible for acts of vandalism, fanatical fascists.

These people, he said, are everything that is abominable in politics to invade the government headquarters, the headquarters of Congress and the headquarters of the Supreme Court like true vandals, destroying everything in their path. That's what the president said.

And as we reported earlier, Jim, it all started a few hours ago. It was a peaceful protest at first. It was in front of the army's headquarters in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. Then this large group of people started marching towards the area where government buildings for all three branches of government are located. And then all of a sudden protesters stormed the building that houses the Brazilian Congress and from then everything turned into chaos -- Jim.

ACOSTA: And Rafael, just a few moments ago it looked as though we were showing some images of police officers there in Brazil firing off teargas canisters. So it does look as though they are trying to get a handle on this situation. We're now showing those images one more time. You can see those what appears to be, I can't say for certain, I'm not on the ground there, but what appears to be teargas canisters being fired off, dispersants being fired off to clear these protesters.

And Rafael, I do want to note that the White House National Security adviser Jake Sullivan has put out a statement on Twitter condemning the violence in Brazil, saying the United States condemns any effort to undermine democracy in Brazil, that President Biden is following the situation closely, and our support for Brazil's democratic institutions is unwavering.

Rafael, was there any sense that this could happen, that this violence could break out today?

ROMO: Yes. That's a very good point, Jim. It is painfully clear now that Brazilian authorities either didn't know that this was a possibility or were just simply unprepared because the group of protesters was very large.

[16:30:00]

What they, apparently, didn't know was that they were going to march to this area in Brasilia with all seats of government are. And, at first, it was peaceful. And their reality was that the few public employees, government employees, who were trying to stop them were just outnumbered, Jim.

There were not enough police to stop the thousands upon thousands of people who showed up. And by the time the police showed up, and the armed forces as well, it was a little too late. Because, by then, the protesters had already entered the offices of legislatures. Had destroyed many of them, breaking windows, breaking doors, you name it. The situation was already out of control -- Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. Rafael, thank you very much.

And we should note, just a few moments ago on this program, Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro was calling for the extradition of former President Bolsonaro back to Brazil to answer for what is taking place there in the Brazilian capital today.

We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back in a few moments. Thank you.

[16:31:14]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ACOSTA: We are learning shocking new details about the suspect accused of killing four University of Idaho students. According to court documents, a DNA profile, from trash at Bryan Kohberger's family home, closely matched DNA on a tan leather knife sheath found on the bed of one of the victims.

One of the surviving roommates told investigators that, on the night of the murder, she heard crying inside the house and a male voice say, it's OK. I'm going to help you. She then saw a figure clad in black clothing and a mask that covered the person's mouth and nose walking toward her. She told investigators that she locked herself in a room after seeing him.

Another disturbing detail, phone records indicate that Kohberger's phone was near the victim's residence multiple times, including just hours after the four students were killed.

And joining us now to talk about this is Lawrence Kobilinsky. He is a forensic scientist and professor emeritus at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Lawrence, thanks so much for being with us. You're an expert in DNA analysis. What does it take to match DNA at a crime scene to a suspect in a situation like this? It has to be like that proverbial needle in the haystack, I imagine.

LAWRENCE KOBILINSKY, FORENSIC SCIENTIST AND PROFESSOR EMERITUS, JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE: Well, not exactly. If you look at evidentiary DNA, that is the DNA that they got from the knife sheath, the button clasp was the place where the perpetrator left DNA, either during the murder or maybe a few days prior to the murder.

But they got a single profile, a Male A. And what they normally do, not only in this case, but many other cases, is check the national database, CODIS, which is administered by the FBI. It started in 1990 and it came of great use starting in 1994.

But, unfortunately, despite the huge size of this database, with 14 million profiles, even more than that, they got no hit. And that's not surprising because now we know that Kohberger was not a felon. He was not put on that database.

So, they got no hit. That's not what broke the case. DNA is going to finish the case because, as you pointed out a moment ago, DNA was found in the trash of the residence where the Kohbergers live in Pennsylvania in Albrightsville. And that DNA was DNA from his father.

Just a mere inspection of that DNA profile with the DNA that came off the sheath, the knife sheath, you could see immediately it's a parent- child relationship. After somebody is arrested, they give up a cheek swab. And then, they can do an exact match. No question about it, 100 percent, Male A is Bryan Kohberger.

What broke this case was actually the video surveillance of the vehicle and the data, the cell data, that we have. Now, we have got a lot of information. ACOSTA: Right.

KOBILINSKY: The video surveillance showed the vehicle, this white sedan, this Hyundai Elantra, leave the residence, the Kings Road residence, at a very high rate of speed at 4:20. The Madison -- the Moscow Police Department put out a notice to agencies to look for that vehicle.

And it turned out that the Washington State University police actually found that 2015 vehicle. They found it was registered to Bryan Kohberger. That it was from Pennsylvania. It had one license plate in the back. And that was the key. Now, the police have the name.

There were also two arrests that were -- not arrests, they were traffic stops that occurred back in August and October, which revealed this cell phone that Bryan had. So, now we've got the vehicle. We have the cell phone. The police did an incredibly great job linking the two together.

So, you could literally watch as he traveled in and around Moscow and back to Pullman where he lived, Pullman, Washington.

ACOSTA: Yes.

KOBILINSKY: So, what -- again, --

ACOSTA: Yes.

KOBILINSKY: -- DNA ends this case.

[16:40:00]

KOBILINSKY: Litigation will end with that, but that's not what broke the case.

ACOSTA: And there are so many pieces that have come together and the details that have come out of this investigation.

Lawrence Kobilinsky, we appreciate your insights, expertise very much. Love to have you back. Thank you very much for your time. We appreciate it.

KOBILINSKY: Thank you.

ACOSTA: All right. Now, as we go to break, we're watching the breaking news out of Brazil, where supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro have stormed government buildings. You can see some of them being led out -- it looks like they're being led out of the buildings as we speak with zip tie handcuffs.

So, they're being under -- put under arrest in these last several moments as we have been following this. We have seen tear gas being deployed. We've seen vandalism. And the White House now condemning the violence in Brazil.

Stay right there. We'll have more on all of this when we come back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Go inside the rise and fall of a political firebrand. CNN's new original series, "GIULIANI: WHAT HAPPENED TO AMERICA'S MAYOR?," premieres tonight.

[16:45:02]

ACOSTA: It offers a new (INAUDIBLE.) He became a national hero in the aftermath of the 911 attacks. And who is now facing a litany of legal troubles for his role in spreading Trump's election conspiracies. Here is a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Forget Paris and forget London and forget everything else. New York City is where it's at.

MICHAEL TOMASKY, CHIEF POLITICAL COLUMNIST, "NEW YORK MAGAZINE" (1995- 2003): I don't know how close Giuliani and Trump were personally in the 1980s. But I do know they occupied similar spaces.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're Attleboro guys. One thing they have inherited from their fathers is a certain kind of awe and resentment of Manhattan and those rich people.

NANCY COLLINS, JOURNALIST, NEW YORK: Rudy represented the kind of every guy who came from the boroughs and came to New York and made it big.

ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI, FORMER WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: If you are a person that's looking at a snow globe, if you will, from the outside, even if you end up inside the snow globe, you always feel like an outsider.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Giuliani didn't come from the upper crust establishment that may have fueled his ambition. Did it also contribute to some deep sense of insecurity that he was an outsider? And, in that, maybe he does identify with Trump.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Joining us now is Ken Frydman, a former aide to Rudy Giuliani and a consulting producer on this series. Thanks for joining us. What do you see as the dominant factor in this fall from grace which has just been absolutely stunning?

KEN FRYDMAN, CONSULTING PRODUCER, "GIULIANI: WHAT HAPPENED TO AMERICA'S MAYOR?" (via Webex): Well, I think it's a desperate need to maintain and retain relevance, access, power, fame, money, bordering on mania. That's what I have seen since Rudy joined Trump world.

ACOSTA: And, Ken, the series says that if his trajectory continued in the same direction it was in after 911, Giuliani would have had airports and high schools potentially named after him. I remember covering him when he was running for president back in 2008. What's the state of his legacy now?

FRYDMAN: Well, it's not -- it's not airports and high schools, I suspect. He doesn't care about his legacy, so I don't think anybody else -- anybody else will. That's what motivated me to write my "New York Times" column three years ago.

You know, I care about my legacy and other people who work for him care about their legacies. So, I'm hoping he starts to care about his legacy, although it's probably too late. As I say, Donald Trump now is going to be in the lead of his obituary unfortunately, not America's mayor.

ACOSTA: And Giuliani is facing so many legal challenges right now: civil lawsuit related to January Sixth, a criminal probe in Georgia, possible disbarment in D.C. You talk to people close to him. How -- is he worried about any of this? I -- he seems to be thumbing his nose at it, when we see him out on the streets talking to reporters from time to time.

FRYDMAN: Well, internally, he's not OK. I understand from people very close to him, intimates, that his greatest fear is losing his legal license. You know, he's been practicing law for the better part of 40, 45 years, and that would strip him of his identity. And that would wake him up, I can tell you that. That and Georgia, you know, what he's facing from the Grand Jury there, a possible indictment.

ACOSTA: And, Ken, you've known Giuliani for years. He even performed your marriage ceremony, as I understand it.

FRYDMAN: Yes.

ACOSTA: Is what we're seeing from Rudy, is it performative, do you think, or does he actually believe this stuff that he's been trying to sell?

FRYDMAN: No, I don't believe he believes it. At least not anymore. I've spoken to people who have said that he kind of grudgingly acknowledges the truth. Someone told me that he didn't deny the fact that Biden won by 7 million votes. In fact, he winked at the person when he questioned Rudy's fervor about overturning the election. So, I think he's in on the joke, unfortunately.

ACOSTA: Yes, it's a sad joke, if you can call it a joke at all. Ken Frydman, thanks so much. We appreciate it.

Be sure to tune in, the all-new CNN original series, "GIULIANI: WHAT HAPPENED TO AMERICA'S MAYOR?" premieres tonight with back-to-back episodes beginning at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, only on CNN.

And we'll be right back.

[16:49:38]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Today, the Buffalo Bills won their first game since Damar Hamlin collapsed and suffered cardiac arrest. Quarterback Josh Allen reflected on emotions among the players as the Bills' scored a touchdown in the very first play of the game. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH ALLEN, QUARTERBACK, BUFFALO BILLS: I really appreciate the leadership that we have in this organization from top to bottom. Everybody was there for each other. You know, we were there for Damar. I mean, our spirits have been high ever since, you know, Thursday morning when we got the news.

So, just wanted to come out and play free, play loose, play for him. And that first -- actually, the first kickoff, you couldn't have script it any better, man. Like, it was -- it was pretty -- that one was pretty emotional.

And I was told by Kevin Curren, it's been three years and three months -- since the last kickoff return. So, it's pretty cool.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[16:55:00]

ACOSTA: What an emotional moment. In the -- in the moments after the win, Hamlin's charity toy drive, that we've heard so much about, topped $8.5 million. He started it in 2020 to purchase toys for children.

Bills' assistant athletic trainer, Denny Kellington, received a game ball after a touchdown reception in the third quarter. You'll recall, Kellington has been praised by Bills' head coach for saving Damar's life.

After Hamlin awoke in the hospital, his first question was, did we win? And in a nod to that, Hamlin is now selling t-shirts with that question, writing, I want to give back an ounce of the love you all showed me. The proceeds of these shirts will go to first responders and the University of Cincinnati Trauma Center.

And, in that tweet, Hamlin reminding us that we all won. Did we win? Damar Hamlin winning today. The Bills winning today. Giving us a lot of hope, just when we needed it.

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. Go Bills. Have a good night.

[16:56:14]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)