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Dueling Conservative Events Showcase Split Within Party; Biden Tells Dems He Won't Veto Effort To Rescind D.C. Crime Law; Blinken Meets Lavrov For First Time Since Russia Invaded Ukraine; Jalen Carter Returns To NFL Combine After Turning Himself In. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired March 02, 2023 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: The Annual Conservative Conference, known as CPAC is happening now in Maryland. It's typically a pilgrimage for Republican leaders. Former President Trump, he'll be speaking over the weekend, but many big names are skipping the event this year.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST: Including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. He will instead headline the Club for Growth's Private Donor Retreat in Florida. CNN's Kristen Holmes is live at CPAC. So, Kristen, is CPAC losing its relevance? What are you hearing from attendees? Kristen, can you hear us?

BLACKWELL: Doesn't look like it.

GOLODRYGA: Maybe a little too loud in there for her to hear us. Kristen? You got us? Maybe not.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hi, I've got you guys, I'm sorry. I must have missed the intro there. Are you there?

BLACKWELL: Yes, we got you. Go ahead, take it.

HOLMES: OK, so here we go. So, I've spoken to a lot of voters here on the ground Republicans, and it's been very, very interesting. In first of all, I just want to note one thing, this is a very Trump centric event. It's not only that he's the keynote Speaker tomorrow, but it seems to be almost completely branded by the MAGA movement. There are flags, there are Trump 2024 bumper stickers. There are even people here who I have spoken to that don't believe that Joe Biden is the actual president. They believe in Trump's election denialism. Many of the Speakers here are Trump supporters.

We just heard from Devin Nunes who was talking about Trump's Truth Social, his own social media platform. However, while we did speak to a number of rabid Trump 2024 supporters, we also spoke to several people who said that they weren't sold on Trump 2024, that they actually wanted to hear from other potential 2024 hopefuls.

Now, as I believe you mentioned, I didn't hear you, but they probably won't get that chance or they won't here at CPAC because so many of these major names that are potential 2024 Republican hopefuls are skipping this event. They're going to be at that private donor retreat in Florida. And that includes Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott. But I do want to play for you what we heard from voters because this sentiment -- there's two sentiments. We heard it over and over and over again. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REBECCA BRYAN, REPUBLICAN VOTER FROM VIRGINIA: I think we're all a little disappointed about Ron DeSantis.

JONATHAN RICHES, REPUBLICAN VOTER FROM FLORIDA: Came here specifically for Trump. We want Trump 2024. We want the other Republicans out there that might want to run against Trump not to run against Trump and endorse Trump so we can have a gigantic MAGA movement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, the other thing I want to point out here was that even the people who were diehard Trump 2024, many of them refused to say anything negative about DeSantis. They said they actually really liked him. And many of them said that they wished that former president Trump wouldn't attack him so much. What they said was that they believed he needed to wait his turn, be president -- or run for president later. But again, they said they liked him and they liked their policies. So very interesting talking to these Republicans on the ground here.

GOLODRYGA: All right, Kristen Holmes, thank you.

Well, President Biden just returned from a meeting with Senate Democrats, a source telling CNN that he urged them to stick together in the impending fight over raising the government's debt limit. But today reporters got maybe a little more insight into another looming decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When will you announce your re-election, sir?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When I announce it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: CNN's Manu Raju joins us live from Capitol Hill. So, Manu, senators are also revealing that Biden said he will not veto Republican legislation to rescind a D.C. crime bill. Tell us more about that.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and that was a surprise. Remember, Republicans have the ability and any member of Congress to push forward legislation to rescind any D.C. law because Congress has oversight over the District of Columbia. And their under a power known as the Congressional Review Act, a process that allows them to pull back on regulations that are recently enacted.

[15:35:00] The D.C. Crime Law which would lower mandatory minimum sentences for some violent offenses has come under fierce assault from Republicans and some Democrats too, leery about looking soft on crime are siding with Republicans on this measure. It's expected to go to Joe Biden's desk next week. Biden has not said yet what he would do. But behind closed doors he made clear he would let this essentially go into law and rescind D.C.'s Crime Law enraging a lot of Democrats who had said -- say that D.C. should have the ability and right to make their own laws.

But I am told that Biden did not explain his rationale for allowing this Republican led effort to go forward. And afterwards I asked him about it directly. He would not respond to my questions about this as well. Now after he came out of this meeting he was also asked about another major issue on his plate, the train disaster in East Palestine, Ohio, and whether or not he would actually go and visit the scene of this disaster. He did not exactly say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I have spoken with every official in Ohio, Democrat and Republican, on a continuing basis, as in Pennsylvania. I laid out what I think the answers are together. And we will get together and we will be able to do an awful lot through the legislature here and I will be --.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: So he's faced some criticism from Republicans and even some Democrats like Joe Manchin who earlier today told me that Biden should in fact go to East Palestine, Ohio, and give confidence to people on the ground that the federal government is all in on this effort. Biden says his administration is all in to deal with the aftermath of that train disaster. And he also told lawmakers behind closed doors today that he would support a bipartisan bill that is moving forward to essentially push for more inspections and more guardrails on freight rail moving across this country.

So it appears that that measure likely could pass the United States Senate. Still uncertain whether that train safety measure could pass the Republican-led House. But that's where things stand at the moment. On that key issue Biden not saying whether he will in fact visit the scene of that disaster -- guys.

BLACKWELL: Manu Raju, thank you.

GOLODRYGA: UGA football star Jalen Carter turned himself into police last night over the crash that killed his teammate and a staffer. What he's saying about the charges that he's facing. That's next.

[15:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: A live look inside the courtroom at Walterboro, South Carolina. And we've just learned that the jury in this case now has the case. They are beginning deliberating after six weeks of testimony. This, of course, is the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial. He is on trial for the murders of his wife and son. We are now on verdict watch.

GOLODRYGA: Yes.

BLACKWELL: To see how long it will take. Of course, it will be some time. They have to read over the instructions once they get inside the room, but now we will wait to see if they determine that he indeed killed his wife Maggie and his son Paul.

GOLODRYGA: Four hours of closing arguments from the prosecutors, two hours of closing arguments for the defense. And we'll see where the jury takes it.

BLACKWELL: Russian officials allege armed Ukrainians crossed the border into Russia's southern region there. And Putin blames the alleged raid on neo-Nazis. The governor of the region claims that two civilians were killed and a child was injured. CNN cannot independently verify the claims. And Kyiv dismissed them as classic Russian provocation.

GOLODRYGA: Also, today U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the G-20 in India. Joining us with more Mikhail Zygar, author of "All the Kremlin's Men." And the new book "War and Punishment: Putin, Zelenskyy and the Path to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine," which will be out later this year.

Mikhail, it's great to have you on. You have been known as a criminologist and you have sources that remain there in the Kremlin. It's interesting to see Secretary of State Blinken meet with Foreign Minister Lavrov today, their first meeting since the war began. But I'm just curious to get your insight into what leverage at all Lavrov has over Putin at this point, given that he didn't know until the last minute of the invasion itself.

MIKHAIL ZYGAR, AUTHOR, "ALL THE KREMLIN'S MEN": Yes, that's true. You know, we cannot say if anyone has any leverage on President Putin, and definitely Lavrov is not the case, is not the man to take any part in any decision-making, but even -- like all the bureaucrats who are not close to the army or not close to the making any decisions concerning the war are outdated right now.

They are not relevant. Even like old members of Russian government. And even, for example, Yury Kovalchuk, who used to be the closest man to Putin is now not really that influential as he used to be, because only those people who are involved in the war have actually some leverage on President Putin.

BLACKWELL: We just passed the one-year mark since this invasion started last February. And the war that Russia is fighting is not the one that Putin expected. He didn't expect Ukraine to be that strong, that the West would stay together, that NATO would coalesce around Ukraine. How has the war thus far impacted how those around him view Putin and his strength and his leadership? ZYGAR: That's -- that's a very good question because according to him

and his inner circle, they do not view that as a defeat. On the contrary, they still think -- that's weird -- that the time is on their side and they have a lot of time.

[15:45:00]

And they strongly believe somehow that probably by the next November, the closer American elections are, the support of Ukraine will probably fade away and like Americans will be tired of supporting Ukraine. So that would be -- so they are ready to wait for the possibility to strike again. Actually, the plan A that existed in Putin's mind back last February is still there. There is no plan B. He's waiting for the moment to start the next offensive towards Kyiv, unfortunately. So that's the way -- how they view the situation.

GOLODRYGA: So, he's still all in. I'm just curious what those inside the Kremlin are saying when they see what's playing out in Washington, where we're continuing to see an increasing number of Republicans and even some Democrats question the amount of support militarily, financially, that the United States is providing for Ukraine, going to your point that Putin thinks that time is on his side. Do they view that as something that could benefit them knowing that you have a constant question of Republicans asking when will this end, we're not writing a blank check?

ZYGAR: That's definitely it. That's something -- that's the card Putin was always using. He used to think of himself as the only stable there. There's all the Western politicians, they come and go. They are getting re-elected or not re-elected every four years or five years. And he remains the same. His next presidential term is supposed to start in 2024. And he knows that he thinks at least that he is going to stay in Kremlin.

And he loves that situation when he's not dependent on the Parliament and everyone is dependent on the opinion polls, public opinion. So he thinks that the West is very vulnerable and he knows that -- although most of Russian business, most of Russian elite were really scared a year ago and they were expecting a huge economic crisis. But it's not there and Russia is not isolated as they expected to be isolated.

We see that, that there is a huge outburst of oil supplies from the Middle Eastern countries like Egypt or Algeria. They are selling oil to European countries, but they are buying oil from Russia and Europeans are buying it. So, Putin has no problem with the economic isolation. His oil profits are still high.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, I think their GDP shrank just 2, 3 percent, compared that to Ukraine down 40 percent this past year with the war.

ZYGAR: And that's a tragedy.

GOLODRYGA: And that the tragedy. It's frightening Mikhail Zygar, it was great to have you and your perspective.

ZYGAR: Thanks so much. GOLODRYGA: Thank you, great to have you on set.

BLACKWELL: We're learning new details about a plot by a Michigan man who threatened to kill Jewish members of the state's government. We'll bring you the latest in a moment.

College football superstar, Jalen Carter is back at the NFL combine according to reports. Last night he turned himself in to authorities on charges he's facing in connection to the fatal crash that killed his teammate and one of his team's staffers.

[15:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: College football superstar Jalen Carter is back at the NFL combine -- according to reports. Last night he turned himself in to authorities on charges he's facing in connection to the fatal crash that killed his teammate and one of his team staffers.

GOLODRYGA: The star lineman who is projected to be a top pick in the NFL draft is charged with reckless driving and racing. CNN's Nick Valencia is following this story for us. So, Nick, you have new video of an interaction between Carter and police months prior to this incident. What does it show?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We do, Bianna and Victor, and we obtained this video earlier today through an open records request with the police department there in Athens, and it is chilling. It shows that four months prior to his alleged involvement in the fatal crash that killed his teammate and a UGA employee, Jalen Carter was ticketed for going 89 miles per hour in a 45 miles per hour zone.

The incident happened on September 22nd, 2022, and in addition to getting a speeding ticket, he was also ticketed for tint but also given an ominous warning to slow down and to tell his UGA football teammates to do the same. Now in this body cam video that we are about to show you, you can hear the ticketing officer tell Carter that he had just pulled over two of his other teammates and that the message needs to be sent to the football team to drive more carefully.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OFFICER: Y'all need to slow down dude. Your break is you're not going to jail. That's your break. Because that would make all kinds of news, all right? You're getting a ticket for speeding. That was reckless. All right? So, when you're around your teammates, tell them to slow down. It is so easy to slow down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: So the message from the police officer very clear there, slow down. We have reached out to the Carter -- to Carter's representatives, but we have not yet heard back -- Victor, Bianna.

BLACKWELL: Nick Valencia for us, thank you so much Nick. VALENCIA: You bet.

GOLODRYGA: The House Ethics Committee announced that it is opening an investigation into Congressman George Santos, who is under scrutiny for lies about his background and questions about his campaign finances. We'll have more on this ahead.

[15:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: More signs of the deepening rift among the British royals, a spokesman for Harry and Meghan say the prince and his wife have been asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage.

GOLODRYGA: That's the couple's official U.K. residence. Buckingham Palace is not commenting on the news. The duke and duchess currently live in California.

BLACKWELL: Speaking of frogs, the state of Utah is asking people who live there for help in managing an increasingly invasive species, the bullfrog. Here's the proposal, eat them.

GOLODRYGA: In Utah it's now always bullfrog hunting season and you don't need a specific license to catch them. Officials even provided a recipe for breaded bullfrog legs, Victor.

BLACKWELL: That's how I like them, yes.

GOLODRYGA: As many people from Louisiana and Florida swamps know that frog legs taste like chicken or fish or both. I've had frog legs in the past. It does taste like chicken. There's just something about lake the visual and eating a frog.

BLACKWELL: Why is your face all balled up?

GOLODRYGA: I just can't. No, we looked up some photos --

[16:00:00]

BLACKWELL: Yes, they have been -- they get up to, what, two or three pounds, and apparently you can have the legs, and it's described in this recipe, there's like a meaty strip along the back that you can add into stew.

GOLODRYGA: You are selling that so well.

BLACKWELL: I mean if you're --

GOLODRYGA: What are you having for dinner?

BLACKWELL: Not that. I'm just saying these are options. These are options. I've never had frog legs. I'm a pescatarian, and it's an amphibian, so I can't --

GOLODRYGA: He actually Googled -- he researched that before -- yes. Well, have at it, folks in Utah.

"THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.