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Trump Set to Begin Immigration Crackdown; Trump Pardons January 6 Rioters Who Assaulted Police Officers; Trump Attends Church Service. Aired 11-11:30a ET
Aired January 21, 2025 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:01]
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: I'm also told that the presidential inaugural committee has invited several members of Donald Trump's Cabinet, incoming administration -- or now administration officials, I should say, as well as different lawmakers.
We haven't seen any of them yet. I'm told they should be pulling up directly to the church momentarily. I have seen some faith leaders, including Ralph Reed, someone who was a close ally of Donald Trump. He leads the Faith and Freedom Coalition, but still waiting to see some of the big names from yesterday and who was attending today.
Now, one thing I just want to talk about regarding this service, as you mentioned, they are dubbing it a Prayer for the Nation. The Episcopal Church, the Washington Cathedral behind me, is not related with any party. They do this. Of course, this is tradition. They do this every day after the inauguration going back to 1933.
We also know that Donald Trump and former presidents were just here less than two weeks ago for Jimmy Carter's funeral, so back here again today for this.
But one thing that's interesting and noteworthy, Pamela, is just some of the opposing views between this church behind me and Donald Trump. We know the Episcopal Church has said very frequently that they are welcoming and openly embrace immigrants and refugees.
Obviously, yesterday, we saw Donald Trump sign a series of executive orders on immigration, including one that declared a national emergency at the border. Also, the Episcopal Church is very open and welcoming to the LGBTQ community. That is something they have repeatedly tried to stress in recent years.
Yesterday, again, we also saw Donald Trump sign an executive order declaring that the U.S. government only has two genders, female and male, so just something to keep in mind, some of the dynamics at play as we await Donald Trump's arrival.
PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: And what else is on the schedule for President Trump today, his first full day back in office?
TREENE: That's right. So, after he wraps up with this service today, he's going to go back to the White House, we're told, where he will meet with several congressional leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and the Senate majority leader, John Thune, among others.
And then later today as well, we actually got a preview of this from Karoline Leavitt. She's the White House press secretary. She said during her first interview as press secretary this morning that she will not be giving a press briefing today, but that we will hear from Donald Trump, who's expected to make some sort of big announcement, her words, on infrastructure this afternoon.
So it's just something to note there. It's kind of reminiscent. Reminds me back when I was covering Donald Trump's first term, his first administration. There were several weeks that they had dubbed infrastructure week. Now we are expected to hear today some sort of infrastructure announcement, the White House is saying.
And, of course, we have to add they are -- the Trump administration is expected to sign several more executive orders. We obviously saw a flurry of them yesterday, more than 200 different orders that Donald Trump signed on day one, still more to come today, I'm told, Pamela.
BROWN: all right, Alayna Treene, thanks so much.
And with us now a CNN political analyst Julian Zelizer. He is a historian and professor at Princeton University. Also joined today by CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein. He is a senior editor at "The Atlantic."
So, Julian, we just heard Alayna really lay it out there, but, if you would tell us more about the national prayer service tradition in Washington.
JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it starts in 1933.
It's FDR who begins this tradition, Franklin Roosevelt, at the height of the Great Depression. It is -- for a long time, it was a nonpartisan event. That's what it was meant to be, a post-inauguration ceremony.
But I think, in this day and age, not only is everything political, but, obviously, the connection between religious politics and Republican politics has been quite important in the last few decades. And it's been very important to President Trump, as he built the coalition with traditional Republican constituency.
BROWN: Yes, tell us more about that, Ron, the sort of religious politics, as Julian put it, and how that played a role in Donald Trump's first administration and what we expect in his second administration now.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, I mean, what we saw was a very unlikely alliance, a thrice-married New Yorker who supported legal abortion rights, who was in the tabloids for his romantic exploits while married or not, ultimately convicted of paying hush money to a porn star, ultimately developed an intensely passionate following among white evangelical Christians, who obviously have moved toward the Republican Party really since Jimmy Carter's presidency in the 1970s in large numbers, but developed an especially profound support for Trump.
I mean, if you look at the states where -- that Trump has won in all three of his elections, in almost all of them, the share of white Christians is larger than the national average and the share of white evangelical Christians is especially larger than the national average.
[11:05:07]
They have been shrinking, Pam, as a share of the society nationally, down to about one in seven now adult Americans. But that has contributed to a sense of embattlement and retreat that Trump speaks to very directly with that one word at the end of his four -- at the end of make America great again, a kind of a restoration vision that has really provided him ironclad support in that community.
BROWN: We see here live inside the National Cathedral as we wait for President Trump to arrive. You see Speaker Johnson right there who will be meeting with President Trump later today and Vice President Vance and his wife, Usha, as well.
As we watch this and we think about this dynamic, Julian, you have President Trump about to arrive and the National Cathedral Church, as you noted, it used to be all nonpartisan. This is an Episcopalian church and it is worth noting the opposing views of this church with the action Trump's administration has taken so far on immigration and LGBTQ rights.
As you pointed out, as Ron said, look, this administration, Trump, for his part, has had significant support from evangelicals and conservative Christians, but that's not necessarily the case, Julian, among progressive Christians.
ZELIZER: Not only progressive Christians, but I think there are many mainstream Christians who are fundamentally at odds with some of the issues he has pursued in his first term and is talking about pursuing and started on day one, including on immigration.
The church, religion has often embodied values that some feel are antithetical to what the administration is trying to do. So that disconnect is there. It's important when talking about religion and politics to remember there's a broad world of religion.
And the key for President Trump is he picks and chooses, essentially, the parts of a religion that can form a coalition with him. That's what we have seen in the Christian community, the Jewish community, and he's used those slivers to build something quite formidable on the electoral front.
BROWN: I'm going to play this sound from what we heard from President Trump during his inauguration yesterday. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Just a few months ago, in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin's bullet ripped through my ear. But I felt then and believe even more so now that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: That is a message that will certainly appeal to many members of his base, Ron.
BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Yes.
Look, I mean, it is always a little unnerving to hear a leader believe that they have been personally tapped by God to do anything. But I think, as you say, it is appealing to parts of the base who share this idea that Trump is their warrior to reverse all of the trends in American life that they believe have marginalized them or taken us away from the true faith.
I mean, that to me is a dimension of the larger point, which is that I think the evidence is very clear, both from the election results and from post-election polling, that Trump two arrives with a broader potential audience than he had the first time.
I mean, through American history, presidents who have followed six predecessors who were believed to have failed by most of the country have an opportunity to expand their coalition. It was true for Roosevelt after Hoover. It was certainly true for Reagan after Carter. And it is true again for Trump after Biden.
The question really is, does that president have the inclination and the skill to speak to that broader audience? I mean, we saw it with Reagan. You know, Julian has written about this era. I mean, he won 49 states and 59 percent of the vote when he was reelected in '84.
The question is whether Trump has the same inclination and skill. If you look at day one, the choice to begin his presidency by pardoning or commuting the sentences of people who beat cops who later died, plus attempting to end birthright citizenship with a stroke of the pen, it suggests that he is someone who is still mostly focused on his own base and his own grievances.
And we will see whether he can take advantage of the very real opportunity that the discontent with Biden's record provided him, in the same way that the discontent with Carter's provided to Reagan.
BROWN: All right, thank you so much.
We're just seeing here J.D. Vance, his wife, Usha, talking to one another, as we wait for President Trump there to arrive at the National Cathedral.
Thank you so much, Julian Zelizer, Ron Brownstein. We will get back to you once the program starts.
And coming up: President Trump pardoned more than 1,000 people, as we were just hearing from Ron, charged in the January 6 attack, including rioters who violently assaulted police officers.
[11:10:00]
So what happens now?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Welcome back.
This is President Trump's first full day back in office for a second term, nonconsecutive term. He walked in there to the National Cathedral for this prayer service. And he shook Speaker Johnson's hand at one point. Now he is waiting there with first lady Melania Trump and next to him J.D. Vance and Usha Vance as well.
[11:15:02]
This was moments ago when that handshake happened with some lawmakers there as they await for the service, a tradition in Washington for the day after the inauguration.
And just hours into his second term, President Trump signed his name and implodes the largest criminal investigation in U.S. history. The president has granted clemency to more than 1,500 people charged in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. More than 140 police officers were injured during the seven-hour siege on the Capitol.
Trump's pardons make no distinction between people convicted of violent felonies versus nonviolent demeanors. And Republican Senator Thom Tillis just told CNN that Trump's pardons make Capitol Hill less safe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): That police officers could potentially be assaulted and there's no consequence. I mean, it's pretty straightforward to make.
QUESTION: Thank you.
QUESTION: Senator, can I just ask you, have you talked to any Capitol Police officers this morning? What is their reaction?
TILLIS: Well, I haven't talked to them. I wouldn't expect them to react, because they're professionals. And if they're not happy about it, they will probably say that outside of this building. I wouldn't expect a single police officer to say a word about it.
QUESTION: Do you have concerns about the message it sends?
TILLIS: Well, it's like I said. I think that it raises, I think, a legitimate safety question here on Capitol Hill. QUESTION: Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And we're getting another reaction from Republican senators on Capitol Hill.
Senator Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, just telling CNN -- quote -- "I think, if you attack a police officer, that's a very serious issue and they should pay a price for that."
And last night on CNN, we heard from Michael Fanone, a former District of Columbia, police officer who you see highlighted in video. As he and other officers tried to block the advance of the mob inside the Capitol, Fanone suffered a concussion and was attacked with his own Taser and went into cardiac arrest.
Here's his reaction to Trump's mass pardon of the rioters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL FANONE, FORMER D.C. METROPOLITAN POLICE OFFICER: So I have been betrayed by my country. Rest assured, I have been betrayed by my country and I have been betrayed by those that supported Donald Trump.
Tonight, six individuals who assaulted me as I did my job on January 6, as did hundreds of other law enforcement officers, will now walk free.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: CNN chief legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid is here.
So, tell us more Paula about some of the people who received clemency, because, before this happened, J.D. Vance, the president's vice president, Pam Bondi, for her part, they made it seem like this was going to be limited in scope. But that's not the case.
PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: No.
And in speaking with sources in the Trump team, it was clear that they were struggling with how to do this in a nuanced way, because speed was their priority. They wanted to do this on day one. So they said there really was no way to do a case-by-case assessment.
But the clemency that was granted here it was more broad than even I expected. So let's go through some of the folks that received pardons.
Let's start with Robert Scott Palmer. Now, he threw a fire extinguisher at a police officer. He also attacked police with a wooden plank and pole. Now, there's -- we will keep going down the list here.
Patrick McCaughey, he assaulted a police officer with a police shield in the tunnel of the Capitol. The officer he assaulted was Daniel Hodges, a Metropolitan Police officer. And then really probably the biggest surprise on the pardon list was Enrique Tarrio. He is the leader of the Proud Boys. He had one of the most significant charges, seditious conspiracy.
What's notable about him is, he wasn't actually in D.C. on January 6, but he was directing the violence. And that was an example of why it's hard to just make the distinction violent versus nonviolent. But he got a full pardon.
Now, as we know, 14 people receive commutations, which means their sentence is eliminated, but they are reviewing those cases to possibly give them pardon. Among those, you have Dominic Pezzola. He smashed a window to the Capitol with a police riot shield. It allowed the first wave of rioters to enter the building.
But then there's also Stewart Rhodes. He is the leader of the Oath Keepers. He was also convicted of seditious conspiracy. Pamela, it's hard to find kind of the pattern or the rhyme or the reason for who got a commutation, as opposed to a pardon, especially when they're pardoning people like Enrique Tarrio.
But these folks still could get a pardon. They're going to do a review process. But this is a nowhere near the more nuanced approach that had been signaled by Trump at times and also by Vice President Vance.
BROWN: Yes, and just for our viewers to sort of understand this again, what is the difference between a commutation that, as you say, eliminates the sentence and a pardon?
REID: Yes, so if you have been convicted and sentenced and you're in jail for something related to January 6, if you're pardoned, the conviction is -- it's not completely erased from your record, but that is gone and your sentence is over. It's dismissed. You can walk out of jail and for the rest of your life if you have to fill out a form and say, have you ever been convicted of crime, you can put that you were pardoned.
A commutation, you still have that conviction, but you are no longer serving a sentence, so it means you can walk out of jail, but you no longer -- you still have that conviction. So there are different kinds of clemency.
[11:20:02]
If you want to use the example of Hunter Biden, after he was convicted in one case and pleaded guilty in another, there was an expectation that he could get a commutation. And that's how President Biden could get around his promise not to pardon his son, but still protect him from going to federal prison. But, of course, he also got a pardon.
And these are absolute powers that the president has. There's no way to challenge this in court.
BROWN: All right, Paula Reid, thank you so much. You had the pardons from President -- former President Biden right before he left office. And you have now these pardons from President Trump in his first hours in office. Paula Reid, thank you so much.
And we will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:25:30]
BROWN: All right, you're looking at some live pictures here at the National Cathedral.
You see President Trump there with his wife, Melania Trump, first lady Trump, Melania Trump, as the service, this national prayer service gets under way for Trump's first full day back in office.
CNN's Alayna Treene is live right outside of the Washington National Cathedral.
What will we see during the service today, Alayna?
TREENE: Yes.
So, so far, obviously, you can see now Donald Trump and members of his family. He's joined -- beside him is first lady Melania Trump, the second first lady -- the second lady, Usha Vance, as well as J.D. Vance, the vice president, as well, several members of their families in attendance. You can see Melania Trump's father is there, Donald Trump's sons and daughters, so big family affair.
We're also told that there are some administration officials who were in the audience. I spot a couple, Steven Cheung among others who are behind Donald Trump and his family. I think I see Alina Habba in the back near Lara Trump, all to say a big family affair for this second day.
This is really the conclusion of the inaugural festivities for Donald Trump. Now, the service is being dubbed as a prayer for the nation. The church has made very clear that this type of event is not political to them. It is all about trying to bring together different faith leaders for really the entire nation to see around the inauguration.
And, of course, as you know, the Washington Cathedral is really a staple of the Washington, D.C., establishment also for different administrations. I mean, just two weeks ago, not even two weeks ago, we saw Donald Trump and several other former presidents come to this cathedral for Jimmy Carter's funeral.
So, a big moment today as they're closing this all out. Now, I'd also just note that, what's interesting just taking into account Donald Trump's administration and what -- and this moment for him at the cathedral behind me and having the service is that his administration and the Episcopal Church actually disagree on several different issues.
I mentioned earlier that they have been very open and welcoming to immigrants and refugees. That is kind of a staple, a longstanding policy of the church. And, of course, yesterday, we saw Donald Trump sign a series of executive orders as it relates to immigration, including trying to call a national emergency on the border.
And we're also expecting to see some sweeps today of different cities, so just some dynamics playing out in the background and all of that. But, right now, we are seeing this service, Donald Trump and his family standing there listening to this service, and, again, marking a tradition and really the final event for the inauguration this week -- Pamela.
BROWN: All right. Thank you so much, Alayna.
And as this tradition takes place, there is a flurry of activity in the wake of President Trump signing executive orders and actions. And at this hour, we're watching for an expected crackdown on undocumented immigrants to begin. City and state leaders across the country are preparing for a potential wave of mass deportations.
President Trump is declaring an emergency at the southern border and says that he's preparing to send troops. The administration is also shutting down the app that allowed migrants to apply for asylum.
Let's bring in CNN's Alvarez.
Priscilla, you have been covering all of this. Tell us about what we have seen so far on the immigration front and what we can expect.
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we have seen so far is that the one thing that President Trump didn't really talk about yesterday is what had the biggest impact on the ground along the U.S. southern border.
What I'm talking about there is that border app. The reason it was important is because it allowed migrants to essentially queue up. They would schedule their appointments to come to a legal port of entry to try to make a claim for asylum.
Well, that option is off the table now. And when you pair that with asylum restrictions, asylum is essentially effectively shut down on the U.S. southern border. So this small turning off made a massive change for the lives of many of those who are waiting on the U.S. southern border.
Now, you ticked through some of the other ones, as did Alayna, for example, the national emergency declaration, familiar to what they did in the first term, essentially shoring up the Pentagon resources along the U.S. southern border.
Some other big moves, though, that were resurfacing ideas from the past, birthright citizenship, trying to kick off the process of ending that. We're already seeing legal challenges come in on that front, but that is an extraordinary move, of course, to even try to take that off the books.
And then, in addition to that, labeling cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, which is something President Trump did want to do in his first term, but that didn't come to fruition. And, of course, that is something that could strain the relationship with Mexico.