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Trump Faces Calls to Resign, Threat of 2nd Impeachment, Talk of Invoking 25th Amendment After Deadly Insurgency; Trump Says He Won't Attend Biden's Inauguration. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired January 08, 2021 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:09]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: Tonight, the disastrous end to the Donald Trump saga.
Hello and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD, live from Abu Dhabi. This is CNN's Middle East programming hub. I'm Becky Anderson. It is bang on 7:00 at
night here, it is 10:00 a.m. in D.C.
This hour, you are not alone. It is hard to find anyone around the world not shocked and appalled by what is surely the most inglorious end to an
American presidency in the country's 250-year history.
Donald Trump's time in office is imploding at such a staggering and violent speed that it is quite frankly mind-bending. A reminder, this is all
happening because of who he is and his deep personal and political flaws.
The world watching what is a failure on such an epic scale, the failure of a would be coup d'etat that is has severely, perhaps permanently damaged
what was the crumbling facade of what the United States advertises as its purest export to the world, democracy.
If you need a visual cue for all of this, have a look here. The day that Mr. Trump came into office and the day he decided he never wanted to leave
it side-by-side. And so, even with only 12 days left in office, so malign is Trump's influence perceived to be in Washington that many are working to
end his time in power even sooner.
Here is how. There is the threat of impeachment a second time, something never done before, with proceedings that could start this week. There are
calls for his resignation. And even CNN is learning discussions that his own cabinet could remove him from office. And if that happens it will be
from those who are left given the White House is facing a staff exodus as many seek to jump hit to avoid any association.
We will say to those getting out now, too little, too late.
I will walk you through this tragic saga now and all the very latest but I want to remind you of where all of this started, as the president himself
instructed and incited his supporters to march to the U.S. Capitol in a deadly insurrection attempt that was a threat to the institutions and fiber
of America. Rioters, domestic terrorists some, storming into the bastion of American law and order that was supposed -- supposed to embody the country
itself, intent on stopping the House and Senate from certifying Joe Biden as the next U.S. president.
Well, that was meant to stop an orderly transition of power that was meant to keep Donald Trump in office. That was meant to ruin American democracy.
Well, dozens of arrests have been made and the assassination attempt against the democratic process isn't merely a metaphor. They literally have
blood on their hands. Five people were killed. That number rising by one overnight after a Capitol Hill police officer succumbed to his injuries.
It wasn't a political spectacle, it wasn't a reality television promotion, it wasn't something harmless. It was deadly. And so, the president has seen
the support of all but his most legal sycophants evaporate into thin air. You've got to ask yourself what it would take for some people to realize
that this is all very, very wrong. Apparently, this isn't enough for everyone.
But two cabinet members resigning within the past day. This house of cards sent tumbling, the president released an early edited video and in it, he
did for the very first time acknowledged that he will no longer be in office past January 20th. That is in reference to the election he lost
almost two months ago.
Now, this video watches more like a hostage tape of a man scrambling to save any sense of moral authority and political capital through an
incredible reliance on a teleprompter and a leader looking to lead. But judge for yourself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I would like to begin by addressing the heinous attack on the United States capitol. Like all
Americans, I am outraged by the violence, lawlessness and mayhem. I immediately deployed the National Guard and federal law enforcement to
secure the building and expel the intruders. America is and must always be a nation of law and order.
The demonstrators who infiltrated the capitol have defiled the seat of American democracy.
[10:05:05]
To those who engaged in the acts of violence and destruction, you do not represent our country. And to those who broke the law, you will pay. We
have just been through an intense election and emotions are high, but now, tempers must be cooled and calm restored.
We must get on with the business of America. My campaign vigorously pursued every legal avenue to contest the election results. My only goal was to
ensure the integrity of the vote.
In so doing, I was fighting to defend American democracy. I continue to strongly believe that we must reform our election laws to verify the
identity and eligibility of all voters and to ensure faith and confidence in all future elections. Now Congress has certified the results.
A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power. This
moment calls for healing and reconciliation.
2020 has been a challenging time for our people, a menacing pandemic has upended the lives of our citizens, isolated millions of their homes,
damaged our economy and claimed countless lives, defeating this pandemic and rebuilding the greatest economy on Earth will require all of us working
together. It will require a renewed emphasis on the civic values of patriotism, faith, charity, community and family.
We must revitalize the sacred bonds of love and loyalty that bind us together as one national family. To the citizens of our country, serving as
your president has been the honor of my lifetime and to all of my wonderful supporters, I know you are disappointed, but I also want you to know that
our incredible journey is only just beginning.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, it doesn't exactly scream sincerity, does it, and that is because it is not sincere at all. You will remember that Mr. Trump used to
mock people for using a teleprompter because he believes it shows you don't know your stuff. Well, clearly.
The president may be putting daylight between himself and, well, himself, because he could be in legal trouble for inciting and promoting those
riots.
Take a listen to him on Wednesday, both before and after the rebel band of insurgents stormed the capitol in a hostile takeover.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: To those who engaged in the acts of violence and destruction, you do not represent our country.
Go home. We love you. You're very special.
And to those who broke the law, you will pay.
We're going to the Capitol. We're going to try and give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, there you have it right in front of you. It is, though, by all accounts or appearances an act of desperation, simply trying to swing
out those last days in office and placate attempts to, quite frankly kick him out.
But those poised against Donald Trump just don't seem to be buying it. Top Democrats reckon that even though he will be gone in less than two weeks,
the president has to go not then, but now. They say given that he is such a liability to good conscience.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I join the Senate Democratic leader on calling on the vice president to remove this president
by immediately invoking the 25th Amendment. If the vice president and cabinet do not act, the Congress may be prepared to move forward with
impeachment. That is the overwhelming sentiment of my caucus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And that is Nancy -- and that's Nancy Pelosi, of course.
And it's not just the Democrats. Have a listen to this Republican.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BEN SASSE (R-NE): The House if they come together and have a process, I will definitely consider whatever articles they might move because as
I've told you, I believe the president has disregarded his oath of office. He swore an oath to the American people to preserve, protect and defend the
Constitution. He acted against that. What he did was wicked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, there you have it.
And so you are likely asking yourself, what's the 25th Amendment that we are hearing so much about? Well, that's a great question. That is a
constitutional mechanism wherein half of the cabinet and the vice president can deem a president unfit for office and boot him out. It's not an easy
tool to wheeled and rightly so.
[10:10:03]
We know according to our sources, there have been informal discussions about deploying it, but CNN also discovering that Vice President Mike Pence
doesn't seem to be prepared to go down that road. Still, former Chief of Staff in the White House John Kelly believes it is the right move.
Here is what he told my colleague Jake Tapper.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
JOHN KELLY, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: The behavior yesterday and in the weeks and months before that has just been outrageous from the
president. What happened on Capitol Hill yesterday is a direct result of his, you know, poisoning the minds of people with the lies and the frauds.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST, "THE LEAD": If you were in the cabinet right now, would you vote to remove him from office?
KELLY: Yes, I would.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: All right. So we've discussed the staff exodus, impeachment round two and the 25th. Topping it all off, there is this startling turn
from "The Wall Street Journal," a conservative newspaper controlled, of course, by long-time Trump backer Rupert Murdoch. It is now calling on
President Trump to resign. It accepts that it is unlikely as grace is hardly his forte, but still the paper pointing out after costing his matter
the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives, they say it is the right thing to do.
That's a wrap as it were of Trump's failed coup as it stands right now. I need to remind you that we are in the midst of a global pandemic, of
course, that is worse than ever in America, some 4,000 people dying from it in a single day yesterday and all of this energy being spent not on fixing
that but on wanton violence from bizarre conspiracy theorists.
A source telling White House counsel Pat Cipollone is now considering resigning. Since the election he has considered whether he will be multiple
times but has been urged to stay for the good of the country by members of the Senate and cabinet. Cipollone has been influential behind the scenes in
having the National Guard deployed and encouraging president Trump to be more forceful in his statements.
So, what does all of this mean and what are the chances that President Trump will actually remain in office until Inauguration Day?
Let's bring in CNN's Jeremy Diamond who is live at the White House.
And he isn't going quietly. Donald Trump has just tweeted. Do we have that tweet up for our viewers? I believe that we do.
The 75 million great American patriots who voted for me America first, to make America great again will have a giant voice long into the future. They
will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form.
Suggesting that he will be around for some time to come. Look, we can talk about his potential for being in politics going forward momentarily.
What is the potential that he will still be around by January 20th at this point?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, in that video message that the president released on Twitter last night, he was making quite
clear that he will leave office come January 20th, that he will turn his focus now as he said in this scripted message towards an orderly and
peaceful transition. That, of course, was the scripted message that the president delivers and White House officials at this point do expect that
he will leave office peacefully, but that doesn't mean that he is abandoning all of these other claims about the election.
Notably, the president did not mention President-elect Joe Biden by name, he talked about a next administration that would be coming come January
20th and I don't anticipate that the president will ever accept that he fairly and squarely lost the 2020 election. He is going to continue
sounding this drum.
But we should note why he got to that point to release that video and that is because we are told that aides to the president, including the White
House counsel Pat Cipollone, the president's daughter Ivanka Trump, and the White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, made very clear to the president
yesterday afternoon that if he did not release a video condemning the actions of those rioters and insurrectionists on Capitol Hill and he did
not commit to a peaceful transfer of power, that there was a pretty significant chance that he could potentially be removed from office, that
these threats that have been made are very real.
You are seeing calls for his resignation on Capitol Hill. You saw two members of his cabinet just yesterday resign, the secretary of
transportation and the secretary of education. And my sources have also told me that at least two cabinet members yesterday were making calls to
other cabinet members to discuss the potential of invoking the 25th Amendment or at a minimum holding a cabinet meeting to confront the
president about his behavior and demand that he make some kind of a public statement about a peaceful transition.
[10:15:12]
And so, that is why all of those things combined is why you saw the message that the president recorded and released yesterday. But as you're seeing on
Twitter today, the president says one message in his scripted video because of the pressure that he was facing, but he is still trying to offer a
different message to those supporters of his and there are many millions supporters of his who still remain in this country as he marches towards
the exits in the next couple of weeks.
ANDERSON: It's important to point out that he is actually able to access his Twitter feed because of course he has no access to his Facebook
platform at this point. They banned him in the at least inauguration or after that.
Very briefly, where is he tonight? Or today?
DIAMOND: Yeah, the president is at the White House today. He doesn't have any public events on his schedule which has been the norm in recent weeks
and the question is how does he spend the last 12 remaining days in office?
He was supposed to go to Camp David this weekend. He ultimately canceled that trip, and there's still some executive orders that his staff would
like to sign before he leaves office, there is a potential for a trip to the border next week to tout one of his signature accomplishments in terms
of some of the construction that has occurred on the border there.
So, a lot of questions still remain, but, again, this talk of the president being impeached, talk of the president being pressured to resign that has
not gone away and so we will have to wait and see how the president continues to react to that, especially as we know he says one thing in a
scripted message and then he often reverts to the position that he truly holds.
So that is kind of where we are today, Becky.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. Jeremy, thank you.
For the latest on the aftermath that have deadly insurrection Wednesday, let's bring in CNN's Manu Raju who is live on Capitol Hill.
The question that everyone wants asked and I've seen this being asked by people on social media around the world is what happened? What happened?
How did rioters manage to storm Capitol Hill and what's the aftermath for those in charge of security?
MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot of them have lost their jobs, Becky, the top law enforcement officials who
administer the House and the U.S. Senate, they are two different officials that do each chamber, they are both out of a job as is the Capitol police
chief offering his resignation in the coming days here.
So those people are gone. There is an investigation already under way on Capitol Hill to figure out why Capitol Police along with other law
enforcement were simply not more prepared. They were understaffed, they -- there was some barricades around the Capitol but not what I'm seeing today.
Outside the Capitol today, there are 7 foot fences and they have extended the security perimeter by a fair amount beyond the Capitol. That was not
the case on Wednesday when it was much -- the barricades were easily -- could easily be pushed over by just a few people.
And you saw what happened was these protesters, demonstrators, rioters came in, they broke the windows of the Capitol after walking up the steps, got
into the building that way and just flooded the Capitol and there was just not enough police inside the building.
Also a question of why did it take so long for the National Guard to come in and help clear out the situation, all major questions that are still
being explored here in the aftermath of the deadly violence that, of course, was incited by President Trump, Becky.
ANDERSON: Manu Raju is on Capitol Hill.
Well, in the aftermath of that mayhem that we've just shown you and in the face of calls for his removal, Mr. Trump does appear to be trying to
salvage whatever he still can of his waning presidency. He issued a statement Thursday condemning the violence as we've been reporting and for
the first time since he lost the election, more than two months ago, remember, he said with certainty he will not be in the White House past
Inauguration Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Now Congress has certified the results. A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth
orderly and seamless transition of power.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And in response to that some are saying too little too late and the calls for possible impeachment, the invoking of the 25th amendment and
calls for his resignation have already been made. Will any of this work?
For more on that let's turn to CNN's legal analyst Elie Honig.
Let's start with the 25th because we know that that has been talked about, being pushed certainly by Democrats. What does the 25th Amendment mean and
how does it work?
[10:20:03]
ELIE HONIG, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: So the 25th Amendment, Becky, essentially sets up a constitutional tug of war. It has to start with the vice
president. If Mike Pence is not on board with this it's going nowhere. If the VP and a majority of cabinet certify the president is unable to fill
the duties of office, the VP temporarily takes power. The president, though, can then take it back by certifying that he's okay.
Eventually, if they are in a stalemate, it ends up in front of Congress where you need two thirds vote of both houses to send power to the VP.
So, it's an indirect mechanism. I don't ultimately think this is the way it's going to work out because I don't think Pence is on board for it.
ANDERSON: Yeah, that's certainly what sources are telling CNN as well.
All right. Then what about impeachment again?
HONIG: Yeah. So impeachment is very much on the board. But there's this idea of double jeopardy in criminal law, you can only be tried for the same
case twice. That does not apply to impeachment. Of course, this would be a separate basis than last year's impeachment.
Look, impeachment is a way to, A, send a historic message, B, potentially remove the president from office and this is important. If the president is
impeached and convicted by the Senate, he can be barred from holding future public office.
So I think there's a lot of momentum there. I think it's really the most sensible way if somebody does want to remove the president from office to
go about it.
ANDERSON: What are his chances now of a political career going forward do you think?
HONIG: They're declining by the day, by the hour. Look, this is a situation of the president's own making. If the impeachment goes through,
if he's impeached a second time, it's hard to imagine there being a second life, in terms of politics and if he's disqualified which can happen under
the Constitution, that will be it.
ANDERSON: Is there a really long enough to get any of this done? Certainly he has enough critics, but there are simply 12 days left at this point.
HONIG: Well, look, it will be a time crunch, but there's no requirement that impeachment take a certain amount of time. If you think back to
somehow it was exactly a year ago right now, we are about to start a Senate trial, that whole process took three months but it really can go as quickly
as Congress is motivated to move.
The House can get itself back in order, they can vote on articles of impeachment as quickly as they can draft them up and put them on the floor
and then over to the Senate, will the Senate have time to hold a trial? We learned from the first impeachment, remember, the Senate decided last time,
you don't even need to put in new evidence, they can essentially just do an argument and go right to voting.
So, they can get this done before January 20th I do believe that and, look, mostly this is for the historical record to make a point about how
unacceptable the president's conduct has been here.
ANDERSON: He has a prerogative as president to pardon people. He has been doing that. We have talked before about the possibility of him self-
pardoning. Has that become more or less likely given what we have witnessed this week?
HONIG: Certainly more likely. Look, it's all about self-protectionism. His legal exposure got even greater just in the last couple days.
Look, this president has not hesitated throughout his four years in office to push the boundaries of law and norms in order to protect himself. I
think we're sort of in the ultimate situation of self-protectionism. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he tries to pardon himself.
ANDERSON: And other family members?
HONIG: Oh, absolutely. I expect that to happen as well. His children, I look for a potential pardon of Rudy Giuliani.
Look, he retains the full pardon power until the minute he is out of office, which, look, if people don't trust that he's in sound mind to
handle this position, it's one more reason to proceed with impeachment.
ANDERSON: Another reason why perhaps, though, he will not resign giving himself 12 days to get these pardons done.
All right. Elie, always a pleasure. It's been a busy time of course in Washington. Thank you.
Next hour, we will speak to one of the lawmakers who was in the capitol when it came under attack. Congressman Ruben Gallego defended his country
in Iraq and said he never thought he would have to do so on the floor of Congress.
Also next hour, we will speak to CNN's Van Jones about the vast difference between the police response at the Capitol riots and those are Black Lives
Matter protesters last year.
Well, you've seen their faces now police want to know their names.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No one is helping us. Only us can help us. Only we can do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: CNN goes inside the violent riots at the U.S. Capitol to hear from those who stormed the building.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I unreservedly condemn encouraging people to behave in the disgraceful way that they did in the Capitol.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[10:25:00]
ANDERSON: Well, that is just one of many reactions from international leaders as the world quite frankly watched the chaos in the United States.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, police are still trying to piece together exactly what happened in Washington on Wednesday when crowds stormed the U.S. Capitol
fueled by U.S. president's lies, allegations and marching orders for his followers.
And these weren't just youngsters. Many were in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Our correspondents learned that some were conspiracy theorists, others
survivalists but no one group was behind the insurrection.
One of those correspondents was Elle Reeve she was in the thick of the riot and spoke to some of the people who took part in the mayhem.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are we supposed to do, OK? Supreme Court is not helping us. No one is helping us. Only us can help us. Only we can do it.
(CHANTING)
ELLE REEVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A mass group of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to stop the certification
of what they believed was a fraudulent election.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unquestionable that our votes were stolen. It's unquestionable. There is so much proof.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, you didn't come here for nothing. Come on up and tell Nancy Pelosi what you think.
(INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want our representatives to do the right thing and decertify the seven swing states.
(CHANTING)
REEVE: The rally started peacefully as tens of thousands gathered outside the White House. They cheered Donald Trump and his allies as they continued
to lie that the election was stolen.
RUDY GIULIANI, TRUMP ATTORNEY: Let's have trial by combat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He just said trial by combat. I'm ready. I'm ready.
REEVE: People marched down two avenues to the Capitol and once they got there, some broke through barricades. A few rioters broke into the
building, the mobs followed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was actually here with this guy started to break in with a cane. Obviously, there was a power struggle. There's a peaceful guy
who's like, no, no, we don't want to do that. Then there was that guy, he just said, oh, well. I'm breaking it in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They broke down the barriers and we rushed and we charged them. We got all the way to the steps and we made a line. We stood
there and tried to push them back. Until, finally, they started getting rough with us and we pushed them back.
So, that's what we do. We pushed them back. We tried to get up the steps. They wouldn't let us up. They started to pepper spray and macing everybody.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. They maced me. They pushed me out and they maced me.
REEVE: We spoke into some people who broke into the Capitol.
What happened in there? Tell us what happened?
[10:30:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We went in there and I walked in and there's just a whole people lining up in some Oregon room, I don't know if it's Oregon,
tons of Oregon paintings, they were smoking a bunch of weed in there and they moved down, saw many statues.
The cops are very cool. They were like, hey, guys. Have a good night. Some of them, it's just crazy. It's really -- you can see some of them are on
our side.
REEVE: We've reached out to the Capitol Hill police for comment but have not yet heard back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've had your backs for a long time now. Long time.
JOSIAH, TRUMP SUPPORTER: A huge group of us stormed inside, and as we surged, we were basically shouting anti-cops. There are people arguing,
trying to get them on our side.
REEVE: Clashes with police have been sporadically throughout the day, and waves of teargas wafted into the crowd. They said they felt like they were
doing something good.
(CHANTING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just a bunch of really, really pissed off regular folks. I got a job. This is Wednesday. I'm supposed to be at work. Yeah.
Shh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's what we're doing. We're fighting back.
REEVE: And what's the point? What's the end?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's the point?
REEVE: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are losing our freedom. What do you mean what's the point?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Taking our freedoms, locking us down and turning this country us into a socialist republic. And that is not right. That's what
I'm doing here.
REEVE: Elle Reeve, CNN, Washington, D.C.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: Well, to give you a moment to pick your jaw up off the floor, I am going to take a quick break. Just after that, we will get you the global
reaction to what was -- were these pretty disgusting scenes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, the world was watching as rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, wreaking havoc and cast ago long dark shadow on American
democracy. Well, in the wake of the chaos, some U.S. allies are concerned and directly blame the U.S. president while others are counting on the
strength of American democracy to prevail.
Some U.S. adversaries see this as an opportunity and are using it to denounce what they are calling American hypocrisy.
CNN's Nic Robertson has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWD: USA!
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): On nightly newscast, the world watched America's democracy falter.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here we go, brother.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As we filmed protesters tore down Pelosi's nameplate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Adorable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And so here we are right now inside the halls of Congress.
ROBERTSON: In the aftermath newspapers showering shame on the embers of Trump's presidency, world leaders damning in their response.
JOHNSON: What President Trump has been saying about that has been completely wrong and I'm -- I unreservedly condemn encouraging people to
behave in the disgraceful way that they did in the Capitol.
ANGELA MERKEL, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): The basic rule of democracy is after the election, there are winners and losers. Both have to
play their role with decency and responsibility so that democracy itself remains the winner. I regret very much that President Trump did not admit
defeat in November, and again yesterday.
ROBERTSON: Close allies wondering how it came to this.
SCOTT MORRISON, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: They're a great friend of Australia and one of the world's brightest democracies. And so, we just --
our thoughts are with them and we hope for that peaceful transition to take place.
ROBERTSON: On Twitter, both Norway's and Sweden's prime ministers directly blaming President Trump. Heavy responsibility not rest on President Trump,
Erna Solberg wrote.
President Trump and the several members of Congress bear substantial responsibility, wrote Stefan Lofven.
From Canada to Chile, Norway to Greece, India to Australia and New Zealand, global leaders vented worries. Sadness, horrendous, the world is watching,
common themes.
These leaders know that what happens in America has a trickledown effect on the rest of the world. They worry about how this can influence democracy
going forward. These are real concerns.
Meanwhile, Americas enemies seemingly scoring points. In China, taking some apparent sarcastic satisfaction.
HUA CHUNYING, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN (through translator): We hope that the American people can enjoy peace, stability and security as
soon as possible.
ROBERTSON: And in Moscow, a TV anchor reading a foreign ministry statement.
The reason behind the divide in American society lies also in the archaic electoral system.
Yet perhaps, most striking, some allies still held back from blaming Trump directly.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: The ravage of the capitol yesterday was a disgraceful act and it must be vigorously condemned. I have
no doubt that American democracy will prevail.
EMMANUEL MACRON PRESIDENT OF FRANCE: What happened today in Washington D.C. is not America. Definitely. We believe in the strength of our
democracies. We believe in the strength of American democracy.
ROBERTSON: Everyone it seems counting on President-elect Joe Biden to make it all better.
Nic Robertson, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, let's just take stock for a moment. You have a mob weaponized by a fantasy, politicians fundraising on the back of lies, and
racism all part of a deadly rampage through secular but sacred halls of government.
This all sounds like a banana republic, doesn't it, but it is far from that.
Our senior international correspondent Arwa Damon argues that Wednesday's riots at a place the world sees as the citadel of U.S. democracy should not
be confused with turmoil in the so-called third or developing world.
She writes, quote: What's happening in America is uniquely American. It is that country's monitor, just like the monsters elsewhere often allowed to
exist should be mentioned through support -- overt or covert -- from the U.S. and West are unique to the nations where they exist.
Well, as a regular viewer, you will know that Arwa Damon is one of this network's best Middle East specialists and a good friend of this show.
This was a very revealing essay that you have penned.
Just explain your point because you make some really, really effective points in it.
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Becky.
This came about because of my own growing frustration and the frustration and anger that I was hearing among my friends, contacts and other people
specifically from the region because of the ongoing rhetoric on our own air and on other outlets about how these are scenes that we would be seeing in
the third world and even comparisons to Syria and Iraq in the sense that that was grossly unfair, misleading and quite condescending because America
has enjoyed its democracy for generations now.
[10:40:04]
And a lot of these countries where the comparison is being made, they're countries whose populations are still fighting for that freedom and
democracy that Americans have been enjoying for so long.
And so, you know, there's a sense that we've come to a point where we -- and by we I mean the West, the United States -- should really stop looking
down from this pedestal of moral authority on other countries, especially those who are struggling to achieve even the basic rights, but that we
should perhaps begin looking at them with more understanding and compassion and empathy because, you know, as you mentioned, there in the introduction,
too, Becky, a lot of these countries, they are and quite often have been subjected to American meddling, American direct intervention and have had
to try to navigate through all of that as well.
And so there's a growing sense of, you know, discontent with the United States, but also right now with this perspective and this narrative that is
emerging in the wake of what happened in the U.S. Capitol.
ANDERSON: And you echo similar conversations that I have had with people particularly around this region. You pointed out in your op-ed that this is
America's own monster, you say, and that the Trump era has just removed the veil of the ugliness in the United States. It didn't necessarily create it.
Do you think average Americans agree with that?
DAMON: I think America and actually quite a few of my American friends and I have had this discussion is really having to take a look at who and what
it is and at how deep these divides are and more importantly how does America move from this, you know, position of such bitter polarization to
one where there is an ability to have a more productive conversation.
What's been interesting, Becky, though, is that in talking to people in the region about what the United States is going through is that despite all of
this that has been happening, you know, over the last 48 hours or even over the last four years, a lot of people especially those that are living under
dictators or autocratic regimes or still struggling to find their own shooting with democracy say that they still believe in the merits of that
American dream or that American myth, whatever you want to call it. But this idealistic, you know, sense of living in a real democracy where
individuals are respected no matter what their background is, where people's voices are heard, where there is real freedom.
So no matter how damaged America's reputation is, there is a sense that that image that America projects of what it maybe wants to be, that is very
much still alive.
ANDERSON: Arwa's thoughts on CNN digital and that is at CNN.com. Do read that. We will be publishing or retweeting that over our social platforms
tonight as well.
Arwa, always a pleasure, thank you so much for joining us.
Well, you may remember all the way back to the start this have week, yep, it's a long time ago, there was an extremely important election over in the
United States.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAD RAFFENSPERGER (R), GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE: This information, saying whatever they wanted to out on social media and there were
consequences.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We will hear from one man at the heart of the Georgia Senate runs earlier this week and how he feels about what we witnessed Wednesday
in Washington.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:46:29]
ANDERSON: Well, there is only one story in town as they say this hour, the violence in Washington and now the fallout, but let's not forget what
started all of this, an unfounded conspiracy pushed by Donald Trump that the U.S. elections in November were fraudulent.
We know that the upshot of peddling those lies was the violence we saw in Washington on Wednesday. It may seem like a lifetime ago, but it was just
days ago that Mr. Trump was caught attempting to pressure the Georgia secretary of state to overturn that November election, bullying Brad
Raffensperger didn't succumb.
Georgia's secretary of state now responding to the insurrection in a new interview with CNN's Amara Walker. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFFENSPERGER: It's just horrifying because it really -- things have just gone too far.
AMARA WALKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For two long months, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger endured, standing in the firing line
of Trump's baseless attacks.
TRUMP: He is an enemy of the people.
WALKER: And even with death threats against his own family, he never budged.
RAFFENSPERGER: We believe that we do have an accurate election.
TRUMP: No, I, no, you don't.
WALKER: And then Trump's reckless lies of a rigged election culminated with this.
RAFFENSPERGER: People have spun up for two months about the election results, people have been misrepresenting the facts, spreading this
disinformation, saying whatever they wanted to out on social media and there were consequences and we saw what the consequences were yesterday.
WALKER: When you say people, specifically we are talking about President Trump. He was out at the ellipse.
TRUMP: We're going to walk down to the Capitol.
WALKER: As we all know, right, before the riots broke out, telling his supporters to walk on the capitol. This was incited by the president. Do
you blame President Trump and what would you say to him?
RAFFENSPERGER: Well, obviously that's why I've said from day one that we have to be really mindful of our speech because we can't spin people up and
play people and get them into emotional frenzy, emotional state. Deal with the facts and the facts are on our side. We had fair, honest elections in
Georgia.
WALKER: Did he betray our country?
RAFFENSPERGER: I believe that we have to really recognize when you hold a high office like that that you're really called to call people up to a
higher standard of behavior that maybe you don't like an answer, you don't like a result but you never want to go down the road of violence. At the
end of the day, that lady lost her life. I've lost my oldest son. So I know what their parents -- her parents are going through today, that grief that
they're having and it seems so needless.
WALKER: And it seems this was the last straw for Raffensperger who just last month still declared himself a Trump supporter.
Do you still support President Trump despite him sows doubt in the integrity of the election?
RAFFENSPERGER: Yeah, I wish he would have won.
WALKER: No, he admits things have changed.
Do you regret that vote? Do you still prefer that he had won that last election?
RAFFENSPERGER: The actions that he has taken since then were not what you would expect from a president. When something like this happens then his
accomplishments really get negated, they get obscured and you actually go out with a black mark on your record, and it's a shame it had to come to
that.
It's also a shame that many people, political leaders, elected political leaders in the Republican Party didn't have the courage to stand and say,
Mr. President, here is what the real numbers are and I believe the real numbers.
WALKER: But he still does have a grip on the party clearly and still has a grip on his supporters.
RAFFENSPERGER: I think after today, I think there will be a reevaluation of a lot of things.
WALKER: Including a reevaluation of how two incumbent Republican senators lost their seats to Democrats, making Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff the
first Democrats to win Senate seats in Georgia in 20 years.
RAFFENSPERGER: President Trump really hurt the Republican Party here on the senator runoffs and them getting involved in that, they would have just
tended to focus on their races they would have done well. They came up short. He filled up stadiums. I get that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, I just need to break out that package because as a CNN viewer, you will always get your news first here on this channel. We have
some breaking news. Mr. Trump tweeting just in the last few moments, quote, to all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the inauguration on
January 20th.
Joining my colleagues in the U.S. for you.
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: -- just into CNN, President Trump has tweeted that he will not attend Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20th. As presidents
have done for generations in this country, to acknowledge a peaceful transfer of power. The president will not attend.
Jeremy Diamond is at the White House now. Jeremy, there's been this talk of a change in tone from the president or that statement yesterday finally
indicating he supports a peaceful transition, but, in fact, if he's not attending the inauguration, how is he supporting a peaceful transition?
DIAMOND: Well, he's certainly not sending the signal to the country that he offered, you know, yesterday in that message, he talked about healing
and reconciliation, a time to bring back calm. That was in the script that the president was reading.
This is the real Donald Trump what you are seeing here as we often do on Twitter. The president saying that he will not be going to inauguration on
January 20th, becoming only the fourth president in American history not to attend his successor's inauguration and the first president since 1869. So,
certainly, the first president in modern American history, recent American history not to attend his successor's inauguration and only the fourth
ever.
And we should note that it comes at a time not only just days after we saw this insurrection that happened on Capitol Hill where the president incited
a mob of supporters to go to Capitol Hill and storm the halls of Congress, but also in the wake of that we have seen a number of Republicans, a
growing number of Republicans, encouraging the president to strike a more amicable tone and to try to bring about that peace and reconciliation.
Even Laura Ingraham, the conservative firebrand commentator, just last night was urging President Trump to attend Joe Biden's inauguration. So I
think this also likely rules out the possibility that President Trump will be inviting President-elect Biden to the White House for that traditional
visit that typically happens days after inauguration.
President Obama back in 2016 invited President Trump, I think it was one or two days after his election to the White House.
SCIUTTO: Of course. And gave briefings and acknowledged the victory, et cetera, 1,000 different steps.
David Gergen, the president already had as a parting shot an alleged incitement to a deadly riot and now he will add one more 12 days from now
by denying that step that presidents have done since the mid 19th century, attending their successor's inauguration. Tell us the significance of this
to his legacy, what remains of it.
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: He's actually a sore loser, isn't he, Jim? You contrast what he said last night and it just proves how
false those words were last night in that video. A friend me told me, it looked like a hostage video that he was forced -- he was forced to make
those statements and he puts out tweets today that make it clear he didn't really believe what he was saying.
I think for him not to come is an ultimate insult. There are a lot of people who will glad he is not there because he would distract a lot of
attention, it would be a lot about the Biden/Trump dynamic on stage and we will be spared that at least.
But nonetheless, this is wrong and if we're going to heal the country we have to -- Trump has to play a part in that and bring his base around to
say we're going to be part of the normal politics and when we lose we lose, but we will try to take it back next time. I just -- it will be so much
better for the country, I think this is -- you know, he's just so insulting in so many ways, such a cry baby. It's just disgusting.
SCIUTTO: Let me ask you about the real security implications here. I've been speaking to folks in law enforcement and national security.
[10:55:03]
Following Wednesday, they are deeply concerned about a repeat on inauguration day, that many of the same violent people will return and
that's one of the reasons why we're seeing the deployment of national guardsman by a factor of six. Their presence in D.C. sextupled yesterday.
As a security precaution, they've ringed the Capitol Hill with this much higher fencing, similar what you have around the White House right now.
By not attending is the president further fueling folks like that not just to not accept his loss, but to protest on that day?
GERGEN: That's an interesting question. I'm not so sure about that. My hope would be, and of course hoping anything for Trump to do that's decent
usually is in vain, but my hope would be that he would tell his followers to stay home. That he's not going to be there, they shouldn't be there.
And I think that would -- I think it would be -- it would lessen these concerns.
I must say, Jim, I think we're going to be in a period for months to come when higher security alerts are going to be prevailing all over Washington.
Don't you feel that? It's in the air. There's just a sense here and I've heard of a couple of stories over just the last couple days about the
security, you know -- security concerns were skyrocketing.
SCIUTTO: Yeah, it's not just a feel, David. I will tell you that that very risk has been mentioned to me because these groups have not disappeared. By
the way, loses -- hundreds of them who were in that building capitol are still out and free. I saw some of them wandering around the Hill yesterday
when I was up there, these groups have not disappeared. The threat has not disappeared in the view of U.S. law enforcement.
Jeremy Diamond, do we -- so here is one last petty insecure parting shot and damaging and dangerous one from the president. Do we know what else his
plans are for these next 12 days?
DIAMOND: That is what they're going to start to contemplate now at the White House. You know, aides to the president have tried to get him not
only to give up his attempts to undermine the peaceful transfer of power but also tried to get him to start focusing on his last days in office on
his post-presidency. That is a conversation the president has been unwilling to have until now. So that is beginning at this very moment.
The question is how soon the president will actually leave Washington, but ultimately, Jim, this really comes down to the facts that, you know, while
the president is under no obligation to attend Joe Biden's inauguration, what a symbol it would send to the country if he did. If he did and he
clapped as President Obama clapped when President Trump was inaugurated and if he showed that sign to his supporters, his 74 million voters as he likes
to talk about, that Joe Biden was legitimately elected president, and it is time to move on and heal the country as the president said in this scripted
message that clearly he did not mean just yesterday.
SCIUTTO: He's clearly not going to do that. Has shown no inclination to do that and this is yet more proof of that.
David Gergen, you have the prospect of an impeachment vote next week in the coming days, clear -- looks like a clear majority at least to impeach,
question as to whether you get to a trial in the Senate.
GERGEN: Right.
SCIUTTO: Tell us the significance of that in the coming week prior to his refusal to attend the inauguration.
GERGEN: Well, I think I might add before going to that is also next week we may well have or at least there's been reporting out in the last 24
hours that on the day before January 19th, the day before Joe Biden takes the office, that Trump will issue the pardons that we've all been expecting
and they will be massive, they will cover the family and possibly will cover him, too. So that's going to be a big, big deal before this is over.
But nonetheless I think that the -- an impeachment without a conviction sends a message to historians and I think it sends a message to
politicians, there are limits and you're going to destroy your career and you will destroy your reputation when you go over the lines as this
president has.
"The Wall Street Journal" was pertinent to that, that there was a constitutional line and he has gone over it and repeatedly in my judgment.
But I don't think right now, if you had to ask -- I had a friend of mine who is a scholar in the field, well-known, a person who is a historian and
I asked him, where will Trump wind up among presidents on the rankings? And he said, well, he had been in conversations about this and was having a
hard time deciding whether Andrew Johnson or Donald Trump will be regarded as the worst president in American history.
So, Trump is already in a party of five or less of terrible presidents.
SCIUTTO: Yeah. Well, of course, the trouble is though in a different information bubble --
GERGEN: Yeah.
SCIUTTO: -- with still the vast majority of Republicans based on public polling, he -- he is a great president, despite the facts. I mean, that's
the alarming reality.
David Gergen and Jeremy Diamond, much to discuss in the coming days, and thanks so much for joining us now.
[11:00:00]
END
