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Brittney Griner Back on U.S. Soil Following Prisoner Swap; Sinema Leaving Democratic Party, Will Become Independent. Aired 6- 6:30a ET

Aired December 09, 2022 - 06:00   ET

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

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Nice to see you, Andy. Have a great weekend.

[06:00:03]

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS: You, too.

ROMANS: Thanks for joining me. I'm Christine Romans. CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Good Friday morning, everyone. We are so glad you're with us. We are live in Washington D.C. this morning. Don has the day off.

And moments ago, a wonderful thing happened. WNBA star Brittney Griner has landed on U.S. soil. She is finally home after her release from a Russian prison. We are live on the tarmac in San Antonio.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Plus, there's major breaking news this morning. Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema with a big announcement that is going to impact Congress and President Biden's agenda. Hear what she revealed to our CNN's Jake Tapper in just a few moments.

We do begin with these just dramatic pictures from Texas this morning, Brittney Griner arriving back in the United States moments ago, her ten-month ordeal after being detained in Russia is finally over. The Biden administration securing her release in a one-for-one prisoner exchange with international arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Our Rosa Flores is live on the round in San Antonio. Rosa, you were there for the moment that it happened.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, it was quite the moment, Poppy. Now, what you can see in the background is exactly what we saw. We want you to see these pictures, because this is Brittney Griner coming home for the first time, as you mentioned, after ten months of being detained in a Russian prison.

Now, from what we could see, we could see that she was wearing the beanie and the red coat that she appeared to be wearing in that Russian TV video that was released by Russian TV.

What we could see from here was her landing on this plane. There were several officials that went into the plane first, a few minutes later. Then she deboarded the plane. And we couldn't see anybody greet her from where we were. Our cameras couldn't capture that.

What we could see was Brittney Griner walking into a hangar. Officials have been tight-lipped about exactly who was going to greet her, what was going to happen exactly after.

What we do know from officials is that she will be taken to a medical facility for evaluation.

Now, while officials are not saying much, we know that Trevor Reed just went through this process, and his family did share with CNN that he went through a reintegration program.

And if you just do a little research, the gold standard program for reintegration from the Department of Defense is right here in San Antonio, Texas. And so, Poppy, that's what we're expecting will happen next.

But again, this moment we -- we can't say enough. Like this is the first time that Brittney Griner is back on U.S. soil. She's a Texan. She's a Texas native. She landed here in the Lone Star State, just moments ago -- Poppy.

HARLOW: Yes. So glad you were there to capture it all for us, Rosa. What a great day for her and her family. Thank you. All right.

COLLINS: We have major, major breaking news this morning. It's kind of hard to overstate just how significant this is. A stunning moment for the balance of power in the Senate.

Kyrsten Sinema is leaving the Democratic Party. The Arizona senator says that she has registered as an independent, an announcement that comes just three days after Democrats secured that 51-49 Senate with Senator Raphael Warnock's re-election in Georgia.

Before we discuss what this means, what it's going to mean for President Biden, for Senate Democrats, we want you to hear from Senator Sinema directly on why she's taking this step and why she's taking it now. This is what she told CNN's Jake Tapper in a television exclusive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: You're here to make a significant announcement.

SEN. KYRSTEN SINEMA (I-AZ): I've registered as an Arizona independent. And I know some people might be a little bit surprised by this. But actually, I think it makes a lot of sense.

You know, a growing number of Arizonans and people like me just don't feel like we fit neatly into one party's box or the other. And so, like many across the state and the nation, I decided to leave that partisan process and really just focus on the work that I think matters to Arizona and to our country, which is solving problems and getting things done.

TAPPER: So your voting record is pretty capital "D" Democratic. I mean, your views are generally that of a moderate centrist Democrat. How does leaving the party change how you do your job?

SINEMA: Well, I don't think anything will change about how I do my job. Arizonans sent me to the United States Senate to be an independent voice for our state, and I'll continue doing that.

What I think is important about this decision and this move is that I'll be able to show up to work every day as an independent and not be, you know, stuck into one party's demands of following without thinking.

[06:05:12]

And as we've seen in recent years, both parties have created this kind of requirement or a pull towards the edges that you just unthinkingly support all of one party's viewpoints. It's made it difficult to find folks who are willing to work together and solve problems.

Now, as you know, Jake, we've been able to do a lot of partisan work over the last couple of years. And I'm incredibly proud of that, and I think it's important for folks across my state and, frankly, across the country to say there's someone that -- there's someone that's kind of like me. Doesn't fit neatly into one box or the other but is standing up for their values, what they believe in. And is doing it without trying to get one over on the other party or beat the other guy.

TAPPER: So let's talk about, practically, what this means. Because you're the chair of at least two subcommittee. You're a member of a number of important committees, including veterans' affairs.

Does this mean that you'll no longer going to be in those positions, because you're no longer a Democrat, and the Democrats control the Senate?

SINEMA: Well, I intend to maintain my position on my committees and keep doing the work that I've been doing for Arizona. So I don't think that things will change in terms of how I operate or the work that I do in the United States Senate.

TAPPER: So ever since Raphael Warnock, Senator Warnock was re-elected earlier this week, the balance of power right now is 51 Democrats -- 51 votes for the Democratic Party. That includes two independents, Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont. But that's 51-49.

What you're doing today doesn't change that? It's still basically going to be 51-49?

SINEMA: I know you have to ask that question, Jake.

TAPPER: Yes.

SINEMA: But that's kind of a D.C. thing to worry about. What I'm really focused on is just making sure that what I'm doing, what I think comports with my values and the values of Arizonans.

So when I come to work each day, you know, and be the same. I'm going to still come to work and, hopefully, serve on the same committees I've been serving on, and continue to work well with my colleagues of both political parties.

And I'm not really spending much time worrying about what the mechanics look like for Washington, D.C. To be honest, Jake, I don't think anyone in Arizona is caring about that either. So I don't think things will change much for me, and I don't think things will change much for Arizonans.

TAPPER: It's also an unusual time, because the Democrats in Washington feel really good right now. They actually picked up a Senate seat and picked up some governor's seats. It's the first time the -- the party that controls the White House actually gained Senate and governor's seats since 1934.

The wave that was supposed to come, the red wave didn't actually happen. Kevin McCarthy, or the Republicans, maybe Kevin McCarthy will be the speaker. But either way, the Republicans will control the House, but not with the margins they were expecting.

This is going to disappoint a lot of Democrats. And they're also going to feel that they don't understand. Why would you do this at a time when the Democratic Party is having a good week?

SINEMA: I think folks at home in Arizona have known me for a very long time, and they know who I am. I've always been someone who is focused on getting results, getting things done. And I've never fit neatly into any party box. I never really tried. I don't want to.

And I think that's reflective of how most Arizonans live. You know, Arizonans who aren't affiliated with either party are often the largest group of voters in Arizona. And even those who are affiliated with parties often find that they don't fit 100 percent into that box.

The reality is, is that when we get up in the morning, we don't really think about partisanship. Most people don't wake up and think, OK, well, I have, you know, got to get this Democratic breakfast on the table. I've got to get in my Republican car and go to work.

That's not how real life is. I know it is in this town, but in the rest of the country people are just living their lives. And so they're not thinking about who's winning and who's losing.

But that's what the parties are thinking about, is how do we get one over on this guy? How do we, you know, ensure that we're punishing them? How do we continue to win?

And what I'm really focused on, I think the proof is in the pudding of the work I've done in the Senate. I'm really focused on getting results, like actually solving problems.

And so, you know, removing myself from the partisan structure not only is it true to who I am and how I operate, I also think it'll provide a place of belonging for many folks across the state and the country who also are tired of the partisanship.

TAPPER: Well, there's going to be a lot of noise about this from the Democrats, from progressives, from the left, you know this. That because of your position working with Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia to push back on some of the efforts, the legislative efforts, and change them and moderate them, you've already been a target of the left; and people have been very critical of you.

They're going to call you every name in the book after this comes out. They're going to call you a traitor. They're going to call you an ingrate. What are you going to say?

SINEMA: Well, I think I'll do what I always do, Jake, which is just keep doing the work that I know is important for my state.

You know, I'm just not worried about folks who may not like this approach. What I am worried about is continuing to do what's right for my state.

And there are folks who certainly don't like my approach. We hear about it a lot.

But the proof is in the pudding. In the last few years in the Senate, as you and I have just mentioned, I've been honored to lead historic efforts, from infrastructure to gun violence prevention, to protecting religious liberty, and helping LGBT families feel secure, to the CHIPS and Science bill, to the work we've done on veterans' issues. The list is really long.

And so I think that the results speak for themselves. It's OK if some people aren't comfortable with that approach.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Wow.

HARLOW: Wow.

What a day to be in D.C., huh?

COLLINS: I know. Major Washington news while we're here in Washington.

So let's talk about this with CNN's congressional correspondent, Lauren Fox, and CNN's host of "THE ASSIGNMENT WITH AUDIE CORNISH," Audie Cornish.

Wow.

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wow.

COLLINS: What's your reaction?

FOX: This is really the identity that she has had this entire time she has been in the U.S. Senate. She has really acted independently, time after time. Whether it was how Democrats dealt with Build Back Better and tax

increases, whether it was how she wanted to deal with the filibuster. She wanted to preserve it.

All of those issues really made her an independent. I think the key question, of course, is where is she going to spend her time? Is she still going to caucus with Democrats?

Jake asked that question, and it is such a key one. She really skirted around it. And the reason it matters is because it matters in terms of the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.

If she's going to continue to serve on her committees and Democrats are still really technically going to have that 51-vote advantage, that really matters for subpoena power. It matters for how the committees are made up.

If that changes, obviously, a 50/50 Senate is a different dynamic, the one we've been living with for the last two years. So that's really important and really key. But wow. Just wow.

HARLOW: Remember when Mitch McConnell called her the most effective first-term senator I've seen in my time in the Senate. Right? And the question is, yes, as Jake said, she's voted with Biden. I think it's 93 percent of the time.

And he asked her, like, is that going to change? She essentially said, I'm going to -- nothing is going to change. But we don't know what this will mean for all her votes.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST, "THE ASSIGNMENT WITH ADIE CORNISH": She's -- she's being honest, and nothing is going to change in the fact that she was able to use her status as someone who is inclined to bring Republicans on board to elevate herself in any given discussion, right?

And she -- Joe Manchin of West Virginia, they're able to have a transactional relationship with their own party and extract concessions that benefit them and their constituencies in their state.

It's not an accident that she said "Arizona voters" probably half a dozen times. And we learned that Arizona voters, there were a fair amount of ticket splitters during this midterm election. So whether she's running or not in the future, it's fair to say she is definitely trying to maintain the power that she has gained by making this move.

COLLINS: And that power was changed with what we saw happen in Georgia. So I wonder what you make of the timing of this decision. Because that is something the White House is going to be looking at, that this comes just after they're off a major victory in Georgia, with Warnock getting that full term. And so what do you think the timing of this looks like?

FOX: Maybe the timing really gave her the room to do this in a way where she felt as though Democrats were going to be secure in their majority, that she felt like she could take this step that was really more true to who she was as an independent. Really, that's how she operated --

CORNISH: That's a very charitable reading, by the way.

FOX: But I think that one of the reasons that she's also doing this is she's staring down a tough re-election. But let's not forget about the fact that that's just around the corner.

And you have to be thinking, my state is changing, my state's dynamics have changed. He probably looked at the last midterm and said, What do I need to do to win, to maintain my seat, and perhaps saying I'm an independent, putting that "I" behind your name gives her that power.

CORNISH: And another thing that's not just about Arizona, I mean, we're in an age where running for dog catcher is national politics. Right? So --

HARLOW: As you've showed us in your first episode of your podcast.

CORNISH: Exactly. I mean, it's very real. So this discussion about the filibuster, this discussion about Roe v. Wade, federal judges, all these things they actually have big effects down-ballot and for people and not just in Arizona.

[06:15:04]

And I think, while that is a good focus for her to say nationally, you are actually going to hear a dialogue that isn't just about the Senate, but is also about how senators like Manchin or her are able to wield power over other people in other states because of their status as kind of independent voices.

HARLOW: I wonder what you think the White House thinks this morning? I know it's very early to do that kind of reporting, but she has helped Biden. Yes, she's opposed dismantling the filibuster, but she helped him a lot on Build Back Better, CHIPS, and some of these things where she was in line.

COLLINS: I will say that I did hear from a pretty prominent Democratic source just, like, two minutes ago, as this was airing. The White House did have an idea that this was coming. She did communicate to the White House.

The question, though, that I think no one knows, and this has kind of been the entire premise of Sinema, is that she was this unknown. And she's been this unknown. She was, when they were trying to get all these bill passed, and what was she going to do? She's very quiet. She doesn't often speak to reporters.

It's fascinating to even hear her talking to Jake, because she does not do interviews like this. And so, you know, the White House did have some idea of it, but I think they still have questions of what in practice this actually looks like.

FOX: Yes, absolutely. She likes being a mystery. That is something that, on Capitol Hill she gets attention for. She likes that. That's her identity. And, you know, when she spends time on the floor of the Senate, she

spends sometimes a lot more time with Republicans on their side of the aisle, chitchatting, making deals.

And she says all the time, I don't care who I have to work with. I want to make a deal. I want to make things get done in Washington. That's what voters want.

And I think we still just have to see the practical implications of what this is going to mean in practice.

HARLOW: And to that point, I think McConnell wants any vote he can get from her. Let's listen. I think we have some sound from Mitch McConnell. Is that right? Let's play it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): She is, in my view -- and I've told her this before -- the most effective first-term senator I've seen in my time in the Senate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: That was September. What do you think this means looking ahead to 2024 when the map gets much harder for Democrats?

CORNISH: I'm not all the way at 2024 yet.

COLLINS: Get there, girlfriend. Get there.

CORNISH: I think about the last time this happened, maybe Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, George Bush era. And they were still able to pass some legislative priorities.

Now, they were kind of post-911 related around intelligence, and surveillance, and things like that. So there was a sort of a kind of higher calling in those moments.

But this does have implications for what the legislative agenda is going into that 2024 period of which everyone else will be running on.

COLLINS: And that's going to look like it did this year. And so --

CORNISH: Arizona is just becoming more and more intriguing when you think back to the sort of McCain maverick days and, you know, what happened with the election and Kari Lake. It just -- I feel like it's a place to watch over the next couple years.

HARLOW: For sure.

COLLINS: Definitely. I can't wait to see what the reaction on the Hill is. Lauren, Audie, thanks for joining us on this major breaking news.

CORNISH: Thank you.

FOX: Thank you. HARLOW: A little later we're going to speak to Jake Tapper himself about this rare interview with Senator Sinema, her huge decision to step away from the Democratic Party.

Also this morning, there's a new CNN poll that is just out this hour. We'll tell you what it says about President Biden's approval after those midterm elections we were just talking about.

HARLOW: Plus, hospitals are really hitting their max capacity on patients. The fullest they've been throughout the pandemic, and it's not just because of COVID. What you need to know about this tripledemic.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:22:59]

HARLOW: Moments ago, WNBA star Brittney Griner touched down in the United States on U.S. soil after ten months being detained in Russia. Officials say she was -- will first be taken to a medical facility in San Antonio, where she will receive care, and finally be reunited with her wife and her parents.

Joining us now, national security correspondent Kylie Atwood and CNN senior White House correspondent M.J. Lee.

So you were both on the breaking news with us yesterday morning when this happened. Twenty-four hours later, she is back on U.S. soil.

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And she is, by all measures, elated. Right?

The only video that we have actually seen of Brittney Griner was released by Russian state media, and they asked her on that flight when she was flying to Abu Dhabi. That's where the swap happened. And then she was going to fly back to the United States.

They said are you ready for the flight? And she says, with a small smile on her face, Yes, yes, I'm ready.

I think that's our best indication how she's feeling. We haven't heard from her in a really broad sense. But when you talk to Biden administration officials, they say she's in good spirits.

Cherelle Griner spoke yesterday at the White House and was very definitive in talking about her family being whole once again.

And of course, we look forward to hearing her voice, because the last few months have been, by all accounts, some of the darkest of her entire life.

COLLINS: And this is such a big moment for the White House, too. I think they thought it might be more focused on Brittney Griner and what we just saw there, her landing in her home state of Texas.

But a lot of the questions immediately popped up about Paul Whelan. The fact that this was a significant compromise to -- to send this notorious arms dealer in exchange for a basketball star.

M.J. LEE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Right.

COLLINS: I wonder what the White House is reflecting on as they talked about, you know, this decision that came together, they said, really last week when President Biden made the final call.

LEE: Well, I think you saw from every public statement that we saw yesterday coming from the White House, the emphasis on Paul Whelan and really emphasizing just what a difficult and challenging decision this was for President Biden and everyone around him.

This wasn't where they wanted to end up. They obviously proposed a deal that included both Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan. And at some point, it became very clear, because the Russians were so insistent, you are going to get Brittney Griner and nobody else.

[06:25:11]

And at some point, they just had to make the executive decision that, you know, it's either going to be nobody or we are going to get Brittney Griner.

And I think a piece of language that the White House has continued to use is moral obligation. They said the president himself felt like there was a moral obligation to Brittney Griner, who is a U.S. citizen, to get her out when that deal was being presented to them.

HARLOW: One of the headlines from our colleagues this morning was the White House, Biden chooses humanity over geopolitics. But get your point in. I do want to play for people the Blinken sound.

ATWOOD: And to the credit of Whelan family, they said of course they want the Biden administration to work to bring home Paul Whelan, who we should note has been detained there for almost four years, but they were incredibly gracious yesterday, in saying that they believe that the Biden administration made the right call here. I mean, imagine how hard that is to actually say when your loved one is being left behind.

HARLOW: Let's listen. It's such a good point. Let's listen to the secretary of state, Antony Blinken, on this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: This was not a choice of which American to bring home. The choice was one or none. I wholeheartedly wish that we could have brought Paul home today on the same plane as Brittney, just as, at the time, I wished we could have brought Brittney and Paul home when we secured the release of Trevor Reed back in April.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Does the White House actually have anything Russia wants enough to let Whelan go? LEE: Well, now that Viktor Bout is off the table, it's really, really

unclear. And I think very challenging question that the White House now has to deal with, to, is the bigger question of what kind of precedent this potentially sets, right?

And they have gotten plenty of criticism for this already. You know, if you are a rogue actor or a foreign government watching all of this unfold, what is to say that you are not thinking, OK, so if we take an American citizen captive and hostage, then we, too, could get back somebody as notorious and dangerous as somebody -- somebody like Viktor Bout, who has the nickname of Merchant of Death for a reason.

When we asked the White House this question yesterday, I have to tell you, we did not get a reassuring answer. The answer from Karine Jean- Pierre, was, Well, you know, countries like Russia are doing this kind of thing anyway.

Well, that doesn't really answer the question of how are you going to prevent other countries from taking more people captive and using that as leverage?

COLLINS: And they have very often said, you know, don't pay these ransoms, don't negotiate. That has kind of been their policy from the State Department when it comes to families that have wanted to take this up in their own hands.

ATWOOD: That's right. That is U.S. government policy, right? So it is a challenging thing.

But the other thing that administration officials were saying yesterday very definitively, was they're going to do anything that they can that is in their power to get home Americans.

And I do think that that's a powerful message. Because there's a concern, as you said, that other, you know, countries are watching, that they're going to take other Americans.

But the other thing that the Biden administration is saying that they're doing is that they're going to target those who are taking Americans. We saw the president -- actually, President Biden rolled out an executive order just a few months ago, enabling the .S. government to do that a little bit more easily. We'll have to see how that actually works out, but they're trying their best.

COLLINS: We'll wait to see. M.J. Lee, Kylie, thank you so much for joining us.

Ahead the WNBA commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, is actually going to join us on the league's efforts to bring Brittney Griner home and the letters that she wrote to her during her ten months in Russia.

Meanwhile, President Biden's approval ratings are in. We'll tell you what the new CNN poll shows. These are big numbers for the White House that they'll be watching closely, as well.

HARLOW: Also former President Trump facing a hearing as the Justice Department asks a judge to hold him in contempt. That would be extraordinary. What to expect ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)