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W.H. Addresses Discovery Of Classified Docs In Biden's Private Office; Buffalo Bills: Damar Hamlin Discharged From Buffalo Hospital; Conservative Justices Tell Opponents Of Gun Control Law To Keep Pressure On The Courts; Golden Globes Show Returns After Diversity Scandal. Aired 3:30-4p ET
Aired January 11, 2023 - 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[15:31:18]
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Moments ago, the White House addressed the discovery of classified documents in President Biden's private office last fall.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: CNN White House Correspondent Jeremy Diamond is following the story. What did we hear?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we heard a lot of questions in the White House briefing room today. Not so many answers from the White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who repeatedly returned to a couple of notions saying that the President's team did the right thing here in discovering the documents and ultimately disclosing that immediately to the National Archives.
And then she just repeatedly pointed back to the statement that the President made just yesterday. Here's a little bit of Karine Jean- Pierre trying to answer those questions today.
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KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This is an ongoing process. You heard from the President, he spoke about this in detail yesterday, in front of -- on a world stage, in front of many of you who were there, in front of many of your colleagues. He laid out what he knew.
He said that he seriously -- he takes this seriously when it comes to classified documents, when it comes to information that is classified. He was surprised to learn about the records had been there. And again, he believes that the lawyers did the right thing. And they immediately turned them over to the Archives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAMOND: Notion there again, this idea that the lawyers did the right thing here. But in terms of why those documents were there in the first place in this office, not where those classified documents are supposed to be, she did not provide any answers on that. She also wouldn't answer why it took so long to disclose the fact that these documents had been discovered and found.
It emerged, of course, this week through news reports. And then the White House Counsel's Office ultimately explaining the process that happens here where they discovered these documents on November 2, alerted the National Archives, and handed over those documents.
The White House did say in the same way that President Biden said yesterday that once this process plays out, that might be a time of for further details and further explanation. But we don't know when that will happen. We do know that the Department of Justice has been reviewing this situation, the U.S. Attorney base in Chicago.
We also seem to know more about these classified documents than President Biden himself might even. He has not been -- he suggested that he's been asked -- he's been told not to ask what is in these documents. But we've reported, of course, that there -- these are 10 classified documents with classified briefing materials on countries such as Iran, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
Ultimately here this is the story of the White House being very cautious as they watched this judicial review taking place and very concerned, of course, as well about the prospects, the possibility of a special counsel being appointed in this matter. We know that when special counsels are appointed to investigate at White House's, it rarely goes well ultimately for the President's currently sitting in the Oval Office.
CAMEROTA: OK, Jeremy Diamond, thank you for all of that.
Let's bring in former FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok. He joins us now. He's the author of, "Compromised: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump." Peter, great to see you. Obviously, different details between President Trump and President Biden but still the same problem, which is classified documents not being where they're supposed to be, and being mishandled. How concerning is this to you?
PETER STRZOK, FORMER FBI DEPUTY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Well, I think it's certainly concerning. There are some similarities and there's some differences. I mean, look, anytime classified information is not stored appropriately, it presents a great deal of risk to all the different sources of information that the intelligence community might be running, whether that's human sources, signals, intercept capability, satellite capabilities, the sort of thing that provide vital information to the -- support the national security of the United States.
It's supposed to be protected in a certain way. It shouldn't have been in the location that it was with President Biden. Now, the fact of the matter is, as sensitive as this information is almost on a daily basis, somewhere in the U.S. government, classified information is mishandled.
[15:35:11] And where that becomes important is the reasons why it was mishandled. Is this something where somebody simply negligent, they didn't know that something was taken, they accidentally let something -- left something behind. They got it shuffled up in a mix of classified and unclassified papers, those sorts of things typically are handled in an administrative way. And again, they're unfortunately very, very common.
Now, that's entirely different from a scenario where you have somebody, obviously, if they're trying to give that to a foreign power, but also if they know that they have this classified information. They know they shouldn't have it. They're taking methods to -- or taking steps to hide that from the authorities trying to obscure the fact that they have it. And that sort of intent and behavior behind this mishandling of classified information is really what's important to understand.
BLACKWELL: Yes, I think the variables and how they differ, they're clear between the Trump case and the Biden case here. But we know this attorney general places a premium, he prioritizes an apolitical Justice Department. Do you expect that there will be a special prosecutor assigned to this because there is a special prosecutor overseeing the Trump case?
STRZOK: Well, what I've seen so far is, in my opinion, exactly what should happen. One, the President is staying out of it. President Biden is saying I'm not involved in whether or not he's been told not to be involved. He's letting the Department of the Justice and the FBI manage this independent of any sort of pressure from the White House.
Two, this on the U.S. Attorney out of Chicago, who was a Trump appointee, to sort of oversee the look. Now, it is too early to tell. We don't know what the FBI and DOJ have found. But everything that has been made public so far, the fact that the Biden attorneys approach the Archives of this information, and it appears they've been very cooperative.
And it appears that it's been limited to only 10 documents, that there's no indication of a foreign power leads me to believe that there won't be a special counsel appointed. But again, we don't know what we don't know at this point. But I would expect within the coming probably weeks to have some sort of answer about where this is going to go.
CAMEROTA: I also want to ask you about one of the House Republicans top priorities that now that they're in charge that they say they want to do, which is investigate the FBI. And what they say is the polarization of the DOJ and the FBI. We just --
STRZOK: I'm sorry, I lost you.
CAMEROTA: Oh, the House Republicans -- can you hear me, Peter? Peter, we may have lost you. Can you hear us?
BLACKWELL: No, I think he's gone. All right. All right, out thanks to Peter Strzok, for as long as we had him. We had a little, obviously, a technical issue. Thank you, Peter.
CAMEROTA: Meanwhile --
BLACKWELL: OK.
CAMEROTA: OK. Meanwhile, the Bills safety, Damar Hamlin's remarkable recovery continues. He is now actually out of the hospital. Up next, what the team is saying about his return to football.
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CAMEROTA: More good news for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. His team says he has been discharged from the Buffalo Hospital and will be able to continue his rehabilitation at home. CNN's Sports Anchor Andy Scholes joins us now. Andy, what's happening?
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, Victor and Alisyn, I mean, it doesn't get any better than this, right? Damar Hamlin is going to get to sleep in his own bed for the first time in nearly two weeks. That has to be such an amazing feeling for him and his family and the doctors there in Buffalo.
Say they put Hamlin through a comprehensive medical evaluation including a series of cardiac, neurological and vascular testing on Tuesday, and all of them went pretty well. So they were able to have the confidence to be able to send him home so that he can continue his rehab there and with the Bills.
Now, will Hamlin end up walking into the Bills facility sometime this week? Well head coach Sean McDermott says that's completely up to Hamlin. Take a listen.
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SEAN MCDERMOTT, BUFFALO BILLS HEAD COACH: Grateful, first and foremost, that he's home and with his parents and his brother, which is great. Sure, it's felt like a long time since he's been able to be home. Naturally there and sure, it's a great feeling.
And yes, we'll leave it up to him. You know, his health is first and foremost on our mind as far as his situation goes. And then when he feels ready, you know, we welcome him back as he feels ready.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Yes, the Buffalo Bills have their first playoff game against the Miami Dolphins at 1:00 Eastern on Sunday. And you know, guys, in that first game against the Patriot since tomorrow Hamlin's incident against the Bengals, they returned the kickoff on the very first point in the game. It was that incredible moment.
I can't think of a better moment than Damar Hamlin being there with the team. Could he possibly lead them out of the tunnel before the game? You know, I don't know. But that would certainly be an incredible moment considering where we were a week from Monday.
CAMEROTA: Andy Scholes, thank you for the great update.
BLACKWELL: Thank you, Andy.
SCHOLES: All right.
BLACKWELL: Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas send a strong signal to opponents of gun control laws. Their message, keep pressure on the court. CNN's new reporting is next.
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BLACKWELL: Just in to CNN, the Supreme Court just sent a strong signal to gun rights activists while the justices allow the New York handgun restriction to stay in place for now. Conservatives had an extraordinary message to the lost challengers.
CNN's Jessica Schneider joins us live now. So what did they say?
JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, what's interesting here, Victor and Alisyn is that earlier this morning, the Supreme Court actually turned away a challenge from gun owners, basically saying it wasn't the right time for these gun owners to bring their complaint to the Supreme Court. It had to play out at the lower courts first.
But what's raising some eyebrows and getting some interest here is a separate statement that was simultaneously released from Justice Samuel Alito and joined by Clarence Thomas. And in that statement, they're sending this strong signal to gun owners to keep pressing their claims in court and keep pursuing these challenges to gun laws potentially across the country. Now this one concerned a New York gun law that was recently put into effect.
[15:50:06]
And in the statement with this emergency order, Samuel Alito said this, he said, "The New York law at issue in this application presents novel and serious questions under both the First and Second Amendments." And then he continued saying that while he agreed that the Supreme Court should turn away the challenge, at this time, he said, "Applicants should not be deterred by today's order from again seeking relief," potentially in the future.
Specifically, if the lower courts don't maybe act in the right way. And Alisyn and Victor, this is really significant, because of course, it was just last term that the Supreme Court validated a previous New York gun law that had specific parameters for concealed carry permits for gun owners.
They had rejected that law, struck it down. And it's really changed the landscape of how lower courts are judging gun laws all across the country. So it's creating this ripple effect of challenges in courts, and consequentially, courts don't exactly know how to address all of these gun laws because they have to adhere to a specific set of parameters when evaluating these laws really looking into the history and whether maybe the founders would have approved of some of these laws.
So today, really a strong signal from two of the courts most conservative justices, Samuel Alito, and Clarence Thomas, to these gun owners, saying, keep challenging these laws and really leaving the door open that the Supreme Court might consider other laws in the future here, guys.
CAMEROTA: Really interesting development. OK, Jessica Schneider, thank you.
So Steven Spielberg won big at the Golden Globes last night. We'll tell you who else won and how the show addressed the diversity scandal that drove them off the air last year.
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CAMEROTA: The Golden Globe Awards returned last night after NBC canceled last year's telecast when it was revealed that the Hollywood Foreign Press had zero black members.
BLACKWELL: The organization has since made some changes. CNN's Stephanie Elam was on the red carpet to see some of the changes and the stars in person, also spoke to some of the night's biggest winners.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Spielberg, step right up here.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A big night for "The Fabelmans" and legendary director Steven Spielberg, besting heavy hitter "Avatar: The Way of Water" for Best Motion Picture Drama. And Spielberg winning Best Director for the auto biographical story of his life.
STEVEN SPIELBERG, WINNER, BEST DIRECTOR & BEST DRAMA FOR "THE FABELMANS": I spent a lot of time trying to figure out when I could tell that story and I figured out when I turned about 74 years old, I said you better do it now.
ELAM (voice-over): The 80th Golden Globes were without the fireworks of the Will Smith Oscars. But Lifetime Achievement winner Eddie Murphy did surprise while offering advice for a successful career.
EDDIE MURPHY, WINNER, CECIL B. DEMILLE AWARD: Keep Will Smith's wife's name (INAUDIBLE).
JERROD CARMICHAEL, HOST: I'm here because I'm black.
ELAM (voice-over): Host Jerrod Carmichael not shying away from the Golden Globes controversial path. The show banished from television last year after the LA Times revealed its voting body. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association lacked diversity. There were no black members.
Now the HFPA says an expansion of more than 100 members has led to nearly 52 percent being ethnically diverse.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope they will uphold and upkeep the high standards.
ELAM (voice-over): The stars telling me it was time to embrace the show's return. But one star not present, Tom Cruise, who returned his three Globes last year admits the Globes controversy.
CARMICHAEL: Backstage I found these three Golden Globe Awards that Tom Cruise returned.
ELAM (voice-over): The Globes are not always the best predictor of Oscar gold, but they can influence Academy nominations later this month.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just call me over flash.
ELAM (voice-over): Austin Butler fueled his momentum winning Best Actor in a Drama for playing Elvis.
AUSTIN BUTLER, WINNER, BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA: And the Presley family, thank you, guys. Thank you for opening your hearts, your memories.
ELAM (voice-over): "The Banshees of Inisherin" best in Indie Darling everything, everywhere all at once. But the latter film Michelle Yeoh proved why she has Oscar buzz.
MICHELLE YEOH, WINNER, BEST ACTRESS MUSICAL OR COMEDY: This is also for all the shoulders that I've stand on, all who came before me who looks like me.
ELAM (voice-over): On the TV side, "House of the Dragon" won Best Drama and "Abbott Elementary" won big for Best Comedy.
QUINTA BRUNSON, CREATOR, "ABBOTT ELEMENTARY": Comedy brings people together. Comedy gives us all the same laugh. Hey, Brad Pitt.
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ELAM: And "Abbott Elementary" had another win there for Tyler James Williams, who also won for his supporting actor role in "Abbott Elementary", this show that just keeps on getting more viewers who just love it. But overall, Alisyn and Victor, I can tell you that on the carpet, people were happy that the Golden Globes were back in person, that they were back and that they were changing their tune on how they do things.
And, you know, the stars like the show. So first one out the box for award season, and they also get to drink wine while they're watching the show. So their speeches are a little bit looser, too, as you saw that if you happen to catch the show last night.
CAMEROTA: And Brad Pitt is distracting, apparently, to anyone.
BLACKWELL: And they sit him front and center.
CAMEROTA: Yes. Once again, that's where they put him and he distracts everybody.
BLACKWELL: Yes. I think Eddie Murphy is --
ELAM: And he ate it up. He ate it up.
BLACKWELL: Yes. Eddie Murphy speech was great and hilarious. He said, pay your taxes. Mind your business. And then you heard the third, which I'm not going to repeat in the middle of the day.
CAMEROTA: That's great.
ELAM: He was so serious. That's what made it more funny.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
CAMEROTA: Exactly. Important wisdom. But it definitely looked like a livelier entire party and reception than usual, so that's great. I mean seems like they fixed some of their problems.
BLACKWELL: Yes, they fixed some of them. I thought it was a great show. I enjoyed it. I watched it. I watched the Golden Globes. I sat down and looked at the screen.
ELAM: You actually stayed up and watched?
BLACKWELL: I did, you know, that's new for me, but I did.
ELAM: New Victor, new you.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
CAMEROTA: New Year, new you.
BLACKWELL: Thank you, Stephanie.
CAMEROTA: Stephanie, thanks a lot.
BLACKWELL: "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER" starts right now.
