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CNN This Morning

Initial Police Report on Death of Tyre Nichols Different from Events Shown on Video; President Biden to Meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Raising U.S. Debt Ceiling; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Discusses Plans for Ending Israeli-Palestinian Conflict; Florida College Board to Release Detailed Outline for A.P. African American Studies Course Banned by Governor Ron DeSantis. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired February 01, 2023 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Santos did fake his way to Congress, and he did not build the career that he claimed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIKKI HALEY, FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR: I would not run if President Trump ran.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, things have changed. The first challenger out of the gate to former President Trump seems to be one of his own former top officials. What is Nikki Haley's place in the 2024 race?

CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.

LEMON: We begin in Memphis where the parents of Tyre Nichols are demanding justice as they prepare to bury their son. The funeral set to begin just hours from now. You are looking at live pictures now. This is from Memphis, a church where the service will be held. The nation still reeling from a horrific video of police officers beating and kicking him.

And there's new developments this morning to tell you about. CNN has obtained the initial police report which was much different from what we saw on that video. CNN has also learned that the city of Memphis is preparing to release even more videos. Civil rights leaders, Vice President Kamala Harris set to attend Tyre Nichols' funeral.

Last night Tyre's family spoke at the same sanctuary where the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his final mountaintop speech on the eve of his assassination in Memphis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RODNEY WELLS, STEPFATHER OF TYRE NICHOLS: Keep fighting for justice for our son and my family. Protect my wife, because she is very fragile right now. We need that for her. Trust me. We've got to stay strong for her. So justice for Tyre.

CROWD: Justice for Tyre!

WELLS: Justice for Tyre!

CROWD: Justice for Tyre!

WELLS: Justice for Tyre!

CROWD: Justice for Tyre!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: To begin our coverage this hour we bring in Shimon Prokupecz who has been on the ground in Memphis. Shimon, good morning to you. The funeral, they're getting set just hours from now. But this story is still developing.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Right. There is still more administrative charges to come to the officers according to the Memphis police. There is still more video. The city yesterday telling us that they're going to be releasing more video in connection to their investigation once the administrative part of this is done.

So we're going to see a lot more. A lot more is going to come. The bottom line, what we are learning that the initial police reports does not -- does not reflect what actually happened, which almost begs the question, were they trying to cover this up in some way and give a false account, a false narrative of what happened here, painting themselves, the police --

LEMON: The officers.

PROKUPECZ The officers as the victims.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Even saying that at one point. One officer who has been charged with second-degree murder.

PROKUPECZ: Correct. And look, this is not uncommon in these situations, sadly. But when you have this kind of video that we have been able to see that paints a completely different picture. And when you look at the video and you look at what the officers were saying, laughing after they beat him up and coming up with excuses and telling supervisors he tried to grab our guns, he hit us, all kinds of excuses, we are seeing that now that that wasn't the case.

So more video, more charges, possibly more firings, more officers being removed. Right now the city is very much telling us, look, we are in the middle of this administrative procedure. They are asking for patience. They are promising transparency. We need them to release, officially release the initial police report so we can see for ourselves and the country can see exactly what the police wrote in that. They have yet to do that. Hopefully they will --

HARLOW: Could they be compelled legally to do that?

PROKUPECZ: Certainly, we can sue, right? As the press, we can sue them and try to get it through the courts.

HARLOW: That's how you got so much in Uvalde?

PROKUPECZ: In Uvalde, correct. But also we had sources in Uvalde who gave us a lot of information. We don't' have that here yet. But the city is trying to do a better job, trying to be transparent, they say. I think the one thing that I would think that I would want to see is the police chief stand up before a podium, have a press conference, and just take questions from the media. I know, Don, you interviewed her, which I thought was excellent and important to do, and we learned so much. But I think she still has more to do and we need to hear more.

LEMON: Other members of the media want to ask questions, too.

PROKUPECZ: Correct, yes.

And then we have the funeral today. And I think a lot of today is going to be about justice for Tyre. I think we're going to hear a lot of that today. But also what we're going to hear a lot about is reform. I think that's going to be sort of the tone of this. They want more change. More change is needed. We are hearing from family members of other victims who died at the hands of police. And as we heard from some this morning. So there's still obviously a lot more to come, but today is really going to be about justice for Tyre and reform. I think we're going to hear a lot about police reform and the needed changes.

COLLINS: With Vice President Harris there, it just raises the question, his family going to the State of the Union in Washington next week, makes it all but impossible that President Biden himself will have to talk about reform as well.

PROKUPECZ: Right. And every administration kind of has their police reform moment, and this is perhaps Biden's police reform moment certainly.

[08:05:00]

LEMON: You are just looking live at the church there where Tyre Nichols family will be, where his services will be held. The family will be there. And that is the same sanctuary where the reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his final mountaintop speech on the eve of his assassination. They spoke last night, and there is where now the funeral will be held in just hours and we will be covering it. Our Shimon Prokupecz will continue to report as well. Thank you, Shimon.

COLLINS: Also this morning, the clock is ticking, and this afternoon President Biden is going to sit down face to face with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for the first time since McCarthy became speaker to hash out differences over the nation's debt ceiling and the threat of a devastating financial default.

McCarthy is prepared to negotiate an increase to the debt ceiling, but the White House has drawn a red line, saying they will not negotiate. The stakes could not be higher for all Americans, not just for lawmakers and for President Biden. Failing to raise the debt ceiling, for example, would delay payments to federal workers, Social Security checks. It would have a major effect on the benefits that veterans receive as well. If the government defaults on its debt, it could spike borrowing costs for consumers and cause turmoil in financial markets. It could through the economy into a recession when we're already on the verge of one potentially. It would also likely stifle job growth.

CNN's M.J. Lee is live at the White House where this meeting is expected to happen this afternoon. But I think the big question that most people want to know is just do we actually expect any kind of breakthroughs or really substantial progress to come out of this meeting? What are you hearing from the White House, M.J.?

M.J. LEE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It's a good question, Kaitlan. This is the first time that the two men are meeting face to face in this new Congress. But it's hard to say whether we can really call this meeting a negotiation because the White House has been very emphatic and consistent in saying all along that when it comes to raising the debt ceiling there is going to be no negotiation. There aren't going to be any concessions, whereas Speaker McCarthy very much wants to negotiate. He has been taking input from his colleagues. There are obviously members of his caucus who are really pressing him to get deep spending cuts in return for raising the debt ceiling.

So this is all to say the two sides go into the meeting today very far apart, and I think we can expect that this afternoon is only going to be the opening salvo. And needless to say the expectations are pretty low. And I think the problem, if you can call it that, is that they know that the deadline is June, and as you know very well in Washington, a couple of months is actually a really long time for all sides to really drag their feet.

COLLINS: Yes. A few months, but so much on the table to wait that long to come to an agreement. President Biden, M.J., was here in New York last night. He had a private reception with Democratic donors. He was pretty unsparing in his criticism of Kevin McCarthy. What did he say?

LEE: Yes, I thought this was a really interesting moment. President Biden at a fundraiser in Manhattan last night saying to donors that McCarthy, when he got the speakership, had to extract commitments from some of his colleagues that Biden said were just absolutely off the wall. And then there is a moment where he turns to Chuck Schumer and says to the New York senator, you know, Chuck, I can't imagine you making one of those commitments.

So, in other words, the president sort of signaling to McCarthy, yes, I know you are speaker, but I also happen to know that you are a very compromised one at that. And, Kaitlan, that happens to be true, and it also happens to be an important dynamic in these talks.

COLLINS: Shaping up to be a pretty tense meeting. M.J. Lee, we'll be paying attention to all of it. Thank you.

And coming up, we are going to talk to a Republican congressman and the House Majority Whip who has a lot on the line here with this meeting, Tom Emmer, and the Democratic Whip in the Senate, Senator Dick Durbin.

HARLOW: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there is a formula for peace but it does not prioritize direct negotiations with the Palestinians, at least right now. The United States' position, though, clearly remains in support of a two-state solution. Take a listen to what Netanyahu told our Jake Tapper about what he thinks is key to ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: I think we can get hung up on this, and we have in the past. People said, unless you resolve this issue and unless you have peace with the Palestinians, you are not going to have a broader peace with the Arab world. So for 25 years the Palestinians who don't want peace with Israel want to see a peace without Israel, who don't want to state next to Israel but a state instead of Israel, they had an effective veto on Israel's expansion of the peace, circle of peace around it.

I went around them. There is a formula for peace, but my view is, because of the fact that the continuing, the persistent Palestinian refusal, which goes back a century, to recognize a Jewish state, a nation-state for the Jewish people in any boundary, that persistent refusal persists.

If we wait for them. We're not going to have peace. People said you have to work outside in first, inside out. First, peace with the Palestinians, peace with the Arab world. I think realistically it is going to be the other way around. If we make peace with Saudi Arabia, depends on the Saudi leadership, and bring effectively the Arab- Israeli conflict to an end, I think we're circle back to the Palestinians and get a workable peace with the Palestinians.

[08:10:05]

I think that's possible, and I think that's the way to go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Let's bring in our Nic Robertson, CNN international diplomatic editor. Nic, that was really eye-opening to hear his position on how he thinks peace can be achieved.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, and this clear daylight, as you said, between the Israeli position, his position, and Prime Minister Netanyahu, and the United States' position. And we heard that expressly when Secretary Blinken was standing side-by-side the day that he arrived here with Prime Minister Netanyahu. The prime minister laid out that analysis, increase the circle of peace, we'll get a workable situation with the Palestinians, not a two state situation, but a workable situation. And Secretary Blinken said very, very clearly, that is no substitute for direct Israeli-Palestinian efforts to improve their -- to improve their dialogue.

And it's far from clear at the moment that Saudi Arabia would actually join Netanyahu's circle of peace. Why? Because they see themselves as this hugely important, the most powerful, pivotal Muslim nation in the world, and they don't want to -- they don't want to give up that position to make a deal with Israel if the Israeli leader at the time, Netanyahu right now, cannot deliver what they want. They haven't fully articulated what they want, but Saudis don't seem to be close to that. So there is a lot of daylight in this.

HARLOW: And Jake did talk about that as the grand prize, right, for Netanyahu, normalizing relations with Saudi?

LEMON: Nic, I want to talk now about the weekend drone attacks on this Iranian military plant, because "The Wall Street Journal" and "The New York Times" have cited unnamed officials claiming that Israel is responsible for that attack. CNN has not independently confirmed. Prime Minister Netanyahu did not deny it -- he did not deny it, I should say, when he spoke to Jake. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Did Israel carry out this strike in Iran over the weekend?

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: I never talk about specific operations with the exception, I think, of our raid on Iran's secret nuclear archive. And every time some explosion takes place in the Middle East, Israel is blamed or given responsibility. Sometimes we are. Sometimes we are not.

But I will say that there is -- you're right. There is an overriding mission that I have. I came back and ran in these elections and was elected the sixth time, for the sixth time, because I have three overriding goals. One is to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions. The second is to expand the peace dramatically to end the Arab-Israeli conflict as a lead-in to ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. And the third to further boost Israel's incredible economy.

But the first is first. The first is Iran. And I will only say this, that I will do everything in my power as Israel's prime minister to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear arsenal that is expressly directed at annihilating us, and they also say not only death to Israel, but death to America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: How does that answer play in Iran?

ROBERTSON: That's not going to play very well because Iranians are going to take it as an implicit threat that if they try to breach anything that Israel considers dangerous, that there is the potential of attack. They are aware of that, but this will heighten those fears and anxieties. This drone attack, a new type of attack, and the Iranians themselves are going to know how plausible and possible it is to use that same technique at other locations.

So this is a real live threat. How they respond, this is going to be very, very interesting because they have the possibility to escalate and not directly onto Israel themselves but through their proxies in the region, through Hezbollah in Lebanon, through proxies, let's say, stoking tensions out of Yemen or across the border in Syria from Israel. They have multiple ways of stoking this fire.

COLLINS: Yes, and also interesting how he brought up Iran supplying Russia with drones that are being used in Ukraine. Nic Robertson, thank you so much.

LEMON: Thanks, Nic.

Any minute now the Florida College Board set to release the detailed outline for an A.P. African American studies course that was thrust into the national spotlight after Governor Ron DeSantis banned it from high school. He claimed the class imposed a, quote, "political bias." Meantime, DeSantis says that he plans to ban state universities from funding diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, calling them discriminatory. Leyla Santiago in Miami for us this morning. Good morning to you, Leyla. What can you tell us about this A.P. African American course?

LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Don. Yes, this is a course that is really under scrutiny, intense scrutiny right now. So let's back up and talk about exactly how we got here.

The college board, that is the non-profit organization that oversees advanced placement courses in the U.S. has been working on this more than a year.

[08:15:00]

They've launched pilot courses in about 60 schools across the country. And when the Florida Department of Education reviewed an initial proposal for the framework of that course, they took a lot of objections to it, they rejected it. In a letter, about a month ago, they said to the college board, and I quote, that the course was "inexplicably contrary to Florida law, and significantly lacks educational value."

So, context here, let's talk about that law portion. Remember, last year, Florida passed a law that basically said a student cannot be made to believe in the classroom, that he or she bears any sort of personal responsibility, or should feel any sort of distress, or anguish, or guilt based off of the actions committed by the same race in the past.

So, that speaks to some of the objections that the Florida Department of Education Commissioner listed off when asked about why they rejected the course. So, let's look at those objections. They include in the list, the mention of queer theory, the movement of Black Lives, reparations among others. But again, this is based off of initial review from framework that was proposed a year ago, February 2022. It was dated, and I spoke to the co-chair of the development committee for this course. And he says today in the official coursework, you should expect revisions, that is part of the typical process for AP courses. But those revisions, he said, are based off of feedback from students, from teachers, from experts engaged in the pilot program, not politicians.

He also emphasized that this is an AP course on African American Studies, not African American history, which means it is an interdisciplinary woke that is a broad view of the African American experience, including art, literature, even geography, and culture. It is a course that is optional for advanced students and could potentially give them college credit in the future. So, the big question is, once this is released on, will the State of Florida allow this to be taught in Florida classrooms?

LEMON: Leyla Santiago, thank you very much, appreciate that.

COLLINS: Also this morning, Texas is expanding ice storm warnings across the state as extreme winter weather is crippling roads. You're looking at live pictures of the driving conditions in Dallas, a rear sight in the city. The National Weather Service is urging everyone don't drive, if you don't have to. Two people have died in accidents on sleet and ice-covered roads sending cars sliding around. 200,000 people now do not have power. Cars were backed up about 10 miles on this Texas Highway as a jackknife semi-trucks blocked both lanes of traffic. Also, in Oklahoma, icy roads have caused this truck driver to lose control. Luckily, he was not injured thanks to the cable barriers, pulling him out of oncoming traffic. Also --

LEMON: Also, we have some breaking news that Kaitlan is going to report right now. Kaitlan, you want to tell us about this what you just discovered?

COLLINS: Not reporting that I'm getting from sources. Actually, no, I'm just reading it on Twitter. But in addition to what we're talking about, you know, there with the weather, you know, we were talking about sports updates this morning. And what we're getting to Tom Brady has just announced he's actually finally fully retiring. He just posted a video on Twitter a few moments ago confirming saying, quote, "I'm retiring for good."

LEMON: Do we have video of that, guys in the control room? Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM BRADY, AMERICAN FOOTBALL, QUARTERBACK: Good morning, guys. I'll get to the point right away. I'm retiring for good. I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning, I figured, I just press record, I let you guys know first. So, won't be long-winded. You only get one super emotional retirement essay, and I used my note last year. So, I really thank, you guys, so much to every single one of you for supporting me. My family, my friends, and teammates, my competitors, I could go on forever, there's too many. Thank you, guys, for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn't change a thing. Love you all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Yes, he said he had one, this is two, right? Remember last time he said he's going to retire and then he came back? POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: That was.

LEMON: And yes.

HARLOW: That was really touching to hear him say it that way. 20 seasons with the Patriots and --

COLLINS: Also notable how he's doing it this time because last time it got reported --

HARLOW: Yes, he's getting in front of it.

COLLINS: -- they were archive denying it. He was saying he wanted to record it first, and be one of the first people to tell people. I know, John Berman's going to be heartbroken (INAUDIBLE)

HARLOW: I'm just saying, John Berman.

COLLINS: Yes, but it's -- I mean, it's amazing. We were -- you know, we were talking about what an amazing athlete LeBron is as he was coming up on that scoring achievement last night when we were at the game. Tom Brady, I mean, has so many records of his own, he's been such a force.

[08:20:04]

LEMON: But there was also consternation from -- even within his family that he admitted that his wife, right, wanting him to retire, and that did not happen. And then quite honestly, he didn't have the season that he thought -- looked really good season comparatively to anyone but didn't have the season that he thought he was going to have. But at a certain point, one realizes what's important and even, you know, the great Tom Brady realizes that he gets -- he's gotten to a point physically, and emotionally, and with his life that it's time for him to move on (INAUDIBLE).

HARLOW: It'll be interesting to hear from him in the days and weeks ahead what led to this decision, right? But back in 2000, I think it was. I was just looking that he was drafted 199th. And look how he went to prove to everyone that he was the best.

LEMON: Yes.

HARLOW: The Best.

LEMON: Our Tom Brady expert on the phone. John Berman --

HARLOW: Hey.

LEMON: -- what say you about this breaking news, sir? Good morning.

JOHN BERMAN (via telephone): I think Poppy Harlow is so smart. When he refers to Tom Brady as the best, she just get on right.

HARLOW: All for you, Berman. BERMAN: I'm still impressed, you've been listening all these years. Look, I'm a little surprised only in that -- you know, he didn't have a great season, or his team didn't have a great season. He still clearly has something left. So, I thought he might play just to prove something. But I guess what else do you have to prove when you're Tom Brady? When he won seven Super Bowls already? I guess he just wants to move on. He's got some multibillion-dollar broadcasting deal.

So, you're not going to need to take up a collection for him, is what I'm saying. You know, he's going to do just fine. But, you know, I wonder -- I do wonder if he regrets this last season. I -- you know, he had not a great --

LEMON: I'm glad you said that.

BERMAN: -- season on the field. Not a great -- you know, I -- we're never going to know what happened in his marriage. Whether or not, it was going back to broke it up, or maybe he went back because it wasn't great. He just wanted to get away from it all, which would be understandable if that were the case, too.

LEMON: John, can I ask you something? Because that's where -- I had been watched -- I've watched him closely, right? When -- even like relief quarterbacks come in, and they have a better game than him or they beat him. And then I watched him on the sidelines. And it wasn't like the same Tom Brady, the confidence that you see. And I mean, quite honestly, looking defeated. Did you notice that? Because I could just -- I would just watch him win these games. And it's like, I've wondered if he's regretting this last season?

BERMAN: Well, I think he was frustrated. But see, I disagree in that, they weren't that many quarterbacks who played better than he played. He still played really well. He was still a top, you know --

LEMON: Yes.

BERMAN: -- five to 10 quarterbacks in the league. It's just he didn't have the guys around him, it wasn't all going great. And for a guy who over the course of his career has only won basically everything, it's really frustrating. It was one of the things you look for Tom Brady. And it's one of these dilemmas or conundrums about competition, you always got the sense that he got more pain out of losing than he got joy out of winning.

HARLOW: Mm-hmm.

BERMAN: And that's a problem I think for a lot of athletes, or a lot of people on different pressures. But if you just step back, and take stock of what he's accomplished, I think he would be rather pleased.

LEMON: On February 1st, 2023, at 8:20 in the morning, lots of folks will remember where they were when Tom Brady officially retired again. Our Andy Scholes, I'm sure.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Oh, yes. Hey, Don.

LEMON: Good morning.

SCHOLES: -- can you hear me?

LEMON: Yes, I can hear you. You're on the air, sir.

SCHOLES: Yes. OK, I --

LEMON: Oh, you're on the air.

SCHOLES: Yes, yes, I was just -- I was just at my computer just now scrolling through, and I saw Tom Brady popping up, and I was like, oh my goodness, is this it? And certain it was. And it was kind of, you know, this is the end of the roller coaster, it looks like. You know, last season, we went through, he retired, he thought about it, he came back, and you guys just kind of discussed it. It was not the season I imagined he was coming back for. The Bucs struggled, you know, much of the way through, didn't even have a winning record.

And you kind of hit it there, Don, you know, Brady didn't really look like himself this year. He kind of looked like he didn't want to get hit anymore. Yes, we weren't used to seeing the -- you know, him losing so many games. He lost more games this year than he had lost in a -- since I think it was high school or something like that. So, you know, but it's definitely a day -- a sad day for football fans, guys, because Tom Brady gave us so many incredible moments over the years. All of the Super Bowl appearances and all of the comebacks.

You know, I like to say, there's never going to be an athlete like Tom Brady because he started off as the biggest underdog there is. A sixth-round pick, you know, pick 199, a guy that was expected to do nothing, and then he turned into the greatest champion in NFL history. And one of the greatest champions, you know, we've ever witnessed in sports winning seven Super Bowls, something that is likely never going to be done again. So, certainly a sad day for all of us sports fans.

COLLINS: I mean, every -- his every major record, he holds all of them. It's just like incredible. And the impact that this will have, you know, when people talk about him retiring, it's so hard for these athletes to walk away from the game. I mean, this is all --

[08:25:07]

SCHOLES: Yes.

COLLINS: -- they've ever known. He talked about the impact of that, people close to him talked about it. Do you have any -- I mean, is it worth thinking about like looking back at his career, what's going to stand out to you the most? Like, what any games any plays, Andy, that you -- you'll never forget?

SCHOLES: Well, so, I got to be there for three of his Super Bowl wins. And I tell you what, I'll never forget when he was down 28-3 to the Falcons in Houston in that Super Bowl. And, you know, things started to happen, they started to make a little bit of a comeback. And in your head, you're like, it's Tom Brady, he's going to actually do this. And so, that's a game I'll definitely never forget looking back on. But it's all the moments, right? Like we -- I mean, so, think about it, Tom Brady has been in the NFL for 23 years. I mean, there was a lot of NFL fans that don't even know an NFL without Tom Brady. Think about that.

So, it's going to be interest -- I mean, you know, moving forward, you know, it's going to be like, what do we do without him? Because he's given us so many moments over the years. And, you know, whenever he was on, you know, in a game, and he was down, guys, you never wanted to turn it off, because you knew he could bring the team back. And we even saw it this year in a couple of games. You know, even that Saints game, I think it was on Monday Night Football, they had no business winning, they were down two scores with like a minute and a half left. But Brady brought it back and won it. And I think it's that's something we're just always going to miss. It's the charisma and the magic that he brought to the game of football.

LEMON: You would have to bring up the Saints game. And that my mom --

COLLINS: Oh, yes.

LEMON: -- has watched when she was visiting from Louisiana. I mean, come on. Hey, listen our Carolyn Manno, remember, we were just on a couple of months ago talking about this? And Carolyn said these high- performing athletes, it's really hard for them, Andy, to leave the game, to stop doing what they're doing, and all the attention. And I mean, this is something that motivates you. It make -- you get out of bed, right? This motivates people like that to get out of bed. Quick answer before the producers beat me up.

SCHOLES: Well, and you know, that was something Brady really prided himself in, right, the TB12 method.

LEMON: Yes.

SCHOLES: He was the one guy that can defeat father time. 45 years old, still playing at a very high level in the NFL. So, I'm sure it was a tough decision, but he's got a nice gig waiting for him at Fox Sports.

LEMON: All right, thanks to the great John Berman, the great Andy Scholes, talking about the great Tom Brady, with my great co-anchors, Poppy and Kaitlan. Thank you very much.

HARLOW: Thank you, guys.

LEMON: All right. We're going to have more straight ahead on this. Plus, everyone is watching today's meeting between President Biden, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the White House. Up next, we're going to talk to Republican congressman, and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer. Kaitlan is going to do that about what we can expect from this meeting happening today.

[08:30:00]