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Erin Burnett Outfront
Ex-Proud Boys Leader Serving 22 Years Asks Trump For January 6 Pardon; Hawaii Governor Versus RFK Jr.; Elon Musk Warning. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired January 06, 2025 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:37]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:
The breaking news, the leader of the Proud Boys emboldened, asking Trump for a pardon on the anniversary of the January 6th insurrection as new CNN reporting raises questions about whether Trump would even be president if it weren't for missteps by Merrick Garland.
Plus, the Hawaii governor, a doctor determined to try to stop RFK Jr., warning people could die if Kennedy becomes the nation's top health official.
Governor Green is in Washington to make his case. He'll be OUTFRONT this hour.
And America's closest allies are warning Trump about Elon Musk. How come?
Let's go OUTFRONT.
(MUSIC)
BURNETT: And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
An OUTFRONT on this Monday, we have breaking news -- the Proud Boy pardon. The leader of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, asking President-elect Donald Trump for a pardon today, four years to the day after the violent insurrection on Capitol Hill, that members of the Proud Boys and other Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election.
Tarrio right now is serving a 22-year sentence for seditious conspiracy and leading a plot to prevent the transfer of power. His attorney is speaking to one person now and one person only to plea Trump, writing: Henry "Enrique" Tarrio was portrayed throughout the governments case as a right wing extremist that promoted a neo fascist militant organization. Henry is nothing more than a proud American that believes in true conservative values.
Just to be clear, this is what Tarrio said on tape just days before January 6th.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ENRIQUE TARRIO, FORMER PROUD BOYS CHAIRMA: There's ways that you could enact change. You could get armed and go to the Capitol. As crazy as that sounds like, yeah, I think that's the way that you make the biggest noise.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Getting armed, going to the Capitol, true conservative values.
Trump's push to pardon January 6th convicted rioters is now meeting resistance in his own party.
Tonight, Trump's close ally, Senator Lindsey Graham raising a red flag about a blanket pardon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I'm going to leave that to him that's his power to exercise -- but people who beat up police officers, I'd put them in a different category than others.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Of course, men, you can see them on video on this day four years ago, marching toward the Capitol, one of them in this video using a police officers shield to bust out a window in the Capitol, allowing rioters to flood in. And now, just today, four years after those moments, Trump today was certified as the president elect of the USA.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today was obviously a very important day, and it was about what should be the norm and what the American people should be able to take for granted, which is that one of the most important pillars of our democracy is that there will be a peaceful transfer of power.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Of course, the vice president is tasked right with certifying the election, and she did that. It was a calm, respectful procedure, a moment that might make us all forget that feeling four years ago that we had when we sat glued to whatever your screen of choice was. Maybe you were even moved to tears that day, watching a terrifying, horribly on American moment.
And just look at pictures from that day that you're looking at here compared to today. Yet Trump supporters scaling the walls of the U.S. Capitol, then four years later, the Capitol. Quiet, just snow on the steps and the major snowstorm. Then you had officers clashing with insurrectionists. The Capitol hallways where that moment when Mitt Romney suddenly turns and runs.
Today, those hallways just filled with law enforcement officials, these jarring juxtapositions coming as tonight, "The Washington Post" is reporting that President Biden is saying in private that he made a mistake specifically that he should have picked someone else, not Merrick Garland, to be the attorney general. It's an incredible thing to say.
And why? Why would Biden be saying this? Specifically, because of how slow the Justice Department under Merrick Garland was in prosecuting Trump for January 6th.
And our Evan Perez is reporting tonight exclusively that within the Justice Department, a source is telling him that the Justice Department, quote, wasted time. Other former Justice officials telling Evan that the charges could have been brought a whole year earlier.
Now, that is a wow moment.
[19:05:01]
That is something that could have changed where Trump is standing tonight. What happened today? And in fact, the entire arc of American history.
Evan Perez is OUTFRONT live in Washington.
And, Evan, I've got to talk about your breaking reporting here exclusively. But first, that breaking news on a possible pardon tonight. What more are you learning about this request by former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio for a full pardon from Trump?
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, the former -- the incoming president is not really saying exactly how he's going to go forward with these pardons, but Enrique Tarrio is one of the ones that I think would -- would get a lot of pushback from people like Lindsey Graham, people on in the former -- in the president's circle who support law enforcement.
Remember, Enrique Tarrio had one of the longest sentences, 22 years for seditious conspiracy. He's one of over 1,500 people who've been charged with crimes related to January 6th. You'll know that over 600 of those were charged with assaulting police officers and other crimes related to the violence that day.
And of course, as you know, the Proud Boys were at the center of a lot of the most extreme violence we saw that day. Just that evening, you know, you had law enforcement trying to regain control of the, of the Capitol so that you can certify the vote. And the Proud Boys were the ones that were leading that resistance.
So certainly, if -- if Donald Trump decides to give Enrique Tarrio a pardon, it would certainly send a strong message about what else he plans to do with the rest of these people charged that day.
BURNETT: Yeah, it certainly would. And of course, the irony that Tarrio's attorney had earlier said that everything he did was on the direction of Trump, right? And it blamed Trump. And now is, of course, appealing to him with a very different message. So, you know, you're here on January 6th, Evan, Trump's election win
is certified by Vice President Kamala Harris, an incredible moment to just think about for a moment. And you have extensive new reporting tonight on whether wed even be here in this context, if Attorney General Merrick Garland had charged Trump earlier for his actions on January 6th.
What are you hearing from your sources inside the DOJ?
PEREZ: Well, I think one of the things you're hearing right now is people are taking stock of what could have been right. And one of the things that did happen in that first year of the investigation in 2021, Erin, we had, you know, information about a possible meeting between Donald Trump and members of the Proud Boys. That was one of the things that the Justice Department, with these prosecutors really bore in on, tried to figure out whether that actually happened.
They also spent time looking into that, that that Willard room, that Willard Hotel room, as well as the financial ties with some of the rioters who did come to the Capitol. In the end, as you know, that one year ended up really finding no direct ties to Trump. And so, one of the things you hear from people who were involved in the investigation, we talked to about a dozen people.
One of the things that they said was, you know, we could have probably brought this case a lot earlier. I'll read you just a part of one thing they said. One person we talked to, they wasted time. They were not strategic. And they said in the end they ended up helping Trump with the primary and dividing the country.
And I guess, you know, certainly in the end of this, Erin, there's a lot of regrets there at the Justice Department. But they -- they do believe, though, that they had to go down all of these, all of these investigative leads before bringing these charges.
BURNETT: All right. Well, Evan, please stay with us.
I want to bring in Ryan Goodman, our OUTFRONT legal analyst. He's also coeditor in chief of "Just Security", along with former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, who served on the January 6th Committee.
So, Ryan, just to start with these pardons, you've looked extensively at these January 6th defendants. You've gone through every single one with extensive analysis on "Just Security".
Enrique Tarrio, specifically, when you look at pardons, do you think Trump will help him?
RYAN GOODMAN, CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, JUST SECURITY: So I think he's probably one of the last in line. And he served the 22-year-sentence because it's the longest sentence that's been given because of how responsible he is for the attack on the Capitol. He's not just under the category that Lindsey Graham identified of somebody who's responsible for assaults on law enforcement officers that day, he might have been caught up in the mayhem. It is a conspiracy that was premeditated -- BURNETT: Premeditated, directed.
GOODMAN: Absolutely. And the government has their encrypted messages where they were planning to overwhelm the police defenses through the use of violence.
And then during that afternoon, when we all saw what we saw on the television screens, he actually sends an encrypted message to his Proud Boys. At 2:39 p.m. it says, make no mistake, we did this. So that's this person.
You would think that President Trump would actually have an interest in saying, this is the guy who did it, not me. He pre-planned the whole thing. It wasn't what I said on the ellipse. They were going to do it no matter what.
BURNETT: Right. And, of course, Tarrio's attorney had earlier made the argument, Congressman, that everything Tarrio did was at the direction in every way, shape and form of Donald Trump.
Now they're singing a very different tune. But is there any -- any line that Trump can cross with Republicans, including Senator Graham, as you see it now, when it comes to these pardons?
[19:10:07]
ADAM KINZINGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I mean, this is interesting. So, you know, like with Graham saying he prefaced his statement with -- the president can do what he wants, right? Every one of these people that are about to say the president can do what they want had real issues with the Hunter Biden pardon, right?
So let's just be clear about that. I don't know if there's going to be any line yet. I mean, let's say the president does pardon Enrique Tarrio. You know, maybe, maybe, maybe Lindsey Graham will put out a stiffly worded statement. But they're not going to do anything about that. And it'll be news for a couple of days.
So I actually expect at least maybe commuting the sentence. I expect Donald Trump is going to go pretty far on this stuff. And, you know, it's not going to be great for justice.
And by the way, the Justice Department absolutely should have started this investigation. They basically started the investigation after we on the committee began presenting our evidence. And we didn't have near the tools they had. So it's really sad, disappointing and upsetting.
BURNETT: You know, to that reporting that -- Evan's reporting and it is -- it is stunning.
You heard what Congressman Kinzinger saying. They could have gone so much earlier. They could have should have. But Evan's reporting also says there are people within the Justice Department who are saying they wasted time. GOODMAN: Yeah, Evan's reporting is incredible because its talking
about prosecutors themselves or people inside the Justice Department saying, look, we spent our last year, we just lost an entire year because we were investigating if there was any tie between Donald Trump and the Proud Boys or the violence at the Capitol, which is remarkable.
Why would you start there to try to build a case up against Donald Trump? Why wouldn't you just start where they ended, which is the false electors scheme, the scheme against Mike Pence? Those were out in the open.
BURNETT: Right.
GOODMAN: And it's actually May 2022 that the Justice Department, for the first time, even subpoenas the National Archives just to get the White House documents from that period of time. That's a -- well, over a year since January 6th. And so, it just shows you how slow they were to finally get to the case that they could indict.
BURNETT: Evan, I mean, what all this comes down to is the real question as we look at these juxtapositions of the images from four years ago and the images from tonight, and Vice President Kamala Harris certifying the victory of her rival Donald Trump to be the president-elect of the United States. I mean, it's an incredible moment.
I mean, Evan, if Trump had been charged sooner, do you think that we would be here, right? Charge sooner, gets all sorts of things. That gets you a verdict, that gets you sentencing, that gets it, opens the possibility for a very different world.
Do you think we'd be here seeing Trump's election victory certified if the Justice Department had moved sooner?
PEREZ: It is possible. But, you know, keep in mind the other thing that that we have to sort of bear in mind is the Supreme Court, right? The Supreme Court really did eat up about seven months of the calendar of the four years, right?
And one of the things that they did do, and when they finally did grant this broad immunity to the president, they said also that you have to come back to us and we will have to relitigate whether you really can go forward with these charges. So we'll never know. But certainly part of the problem was just the rapidly expiring calendar and the fact that, you know, on this day back four years ago, Donald Trump was a pariah, and very quickly Republicans decided not so much anymore.
BURNETT: So, Congressman Kinzinger, to this other reporting here also, "The Washington Post" reporting tonight. And this fits with what, Evan, you know, maybe in response to Evan's reporting that President Biden privately regrets naming Garland specifically because of how slowly the DOJ moved.
I mean, it's interesting that something like that is actually leaking to "The Washington Post" at this moment, Congressman, but -- but pretty significant that President Biden is saying that.
KINZINGER: Yeah, it is remarkable. And I think there's a lot of frustration.
And I want to be clear, I think the frustration, you know, at least on my end and probably on the presidents end has nothing to do with like we really wanted retribution. And that didn't happen fast enough.
It's about the Department of Justice certainly had Jack Smith presented his case, he would have had information that the committee was unable to get because they had more tools. They were able to kind of pick up where we left off, and they probably had much deeper stuff.
It's about the American people deserving to know who they're electing as president, deserving to know what actually happened on January 6th, and they're not going to get that information.
We always pretend like we pretend in politics. Like sunlight is awesome and we want all information out in the public. And, you know, in this case, that would have been good for people going to the maybe they still would have elected Trump, I don't know, but they deserve to know all that the Justice Department knew.
BURNETT: Right, right. And, and that that they didn't have. So, we don't -- you know, you don't know what would be the alternate history here. But you know that they didn't have all that information and they didn't have it at certain crucial points. As you heard that Justice Department official telling Evan Wright that they believe that their inaction and slowness served to help him in the primary divide, the primary and continue that path.
But there is -- there are people, Ryan, who are going to be held to account.
[19:15:01]
One of them is Rudy Giuliani. Rudy Giuliani has a judge tonight holding him in contempt for failing to turn over information to the two Georgia election workers. You know that he has been obviously found guilty, and he owes them $150 million in damages.
Now, Trump can't bail him out of this case. So you've got a Rudy Giuliani who somehow is going to pay the piper. Trump's president talk about a path in the woods. The two paths diverge in the woods.
What happens to Giuliani now?
GOODMAN: So I think Giuliani is in deep trouble. It looks as though there's no way out for him from this particular proceeding, which means that he's going to lose most of his assets. And it looks like he very well might now have lost his home in Florida because of his contempt of the court. We'll see what happens.
But I think that's a good likelihood. And then he still faces criminal liability and exposure in Georgia. If that case is resurrected, it could be against him. And he's indicted in Arizona for carrying out the false electors' scheme.
So he really has been left in the lurch in a certain sense, in ways in which Donald Trump, as president cannot reach into any of those proceedings and try to pry it loose.
BURNETT: Congressman, you know, I am -- I'm curious. You know, Trump has referred to January 6th as a day of love.
Today, one of your former colleagues, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, also referred to it as a day of love, right? A day where, you know, you were there. What do you think when you hear that version now and have to deal with the very real possibility that that version becomes as much the truth as the truth itself?
KINZINGER: Well, let's be very clear. Today was a very peaceful day, had Kamala Harris, one who knows, right? I guess we don't know, but it would be hard to see that.
Look, they keep talking about this day of love stuff. I almost think that they're reveling in being able to just blatantly lie about it. I mean, and they kind of find it funny. And frankly, a lot of the people that believe that are saying it was a day of love, they know it wasn't. They know that that was a Trump inspired insurrection, but they love being able to just stay there and kind of like, stick it to the libs, right? That's kind of what they say and say it was a day of love.
I think history ultimately is going to be very accurate. On what happened on January 6th. Once Donald Trump is out of office in four years, he'll be far less popular than he went into office. I think people are going to be tired of him, and I think January 6th is going to be on the forefront again in terms of what he did and what he means to democracy.
So I think our committee's record now is, is going to be basically the only official record. And I think it's going to be reflected well in the history books.
BURNETT: All right, Congressman, thank you very much.
Ryan. Evan, thank both of you very much.
And next, the governor of Hawaii also happens to be a doctor, happens to be in Washington tonight. Maybe he wanted to see the snow -- warning senators, though, about why RFK, Jr., he says if he becomes health and human services secretary, people could die. He's my next guest.
Plus, Trudeau goes down. Trump taking credit for this, calling him the governor of the 51st state. And now, Trump just moments ago saying, quote, if and when Greenland becomes part of our nation, as his son prepares for a visit to the country.
And breaking news this hour, President Biden, about to speak at a prayer service for the victims of the New Orleans terror attack. As we're learning new details tonight about those smart glasses, the
ones that were used by the killer to scope out and videotape the scene in advance.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:22:43]
BURNETT: Tonight, Donald Trump claiming a mandate, speaking out in a new radio interview.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: In my first term, people were fighting me all the way. They were just fighting me. In this term, it's so different, I think -- I don't want to say people have given up because that's not nice, but they recognize that we really do have that mandate.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BURNETT: Some people, though, are still fighting, including the Democratic governor of Hawaii, Josh Green, and he is in Washington, D.C. tonight. He is meeting with senators to make his case against Trump's pick for health and human services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Governor Green is also an ER room physician.
And, Governor, I appreciate your time.
Let me just start here with, you know, you've been very blunt about your feelings about Trump. You have said, using your words, that he has a, quote, narcissistic personality disorder and that he, quote, doesn't care about human beings.
So, like I said, you don't mince words. You've said what you believe. He won. He's talking about having a mandate and people not fighting him anymore. What's your reaction to that?
GOV. JOSH GREEN (D), HAWAII: Well, my reaction is this: the president has been reelected and he has to lead a country in a way that will take care of our people and protect people who are vulnerable. Some of his nominees are not the right choices.
Today, I'm here to talk about RFK, Jr. Now, the challenge there is this gentleman has no experience as a public health official whatsoever, no training. He's not a health care provider.
And we crossed paths in the past over a tragedy that occurred in Samoa near my state of Hawaii. So any president, President Trump or President Biden, anyone has to look out for the people. If you put directors in, the secretary of health and human services is a critical position, and it results in our people getting harmed, then you haven't done the right thing by the people. And RFK, Jr. has really given me pause about what he might do. He
could actually damage the health of our nation terribly if he behaves like he did in Samoa.
BURNETT: So can we talk about Samoa? Samoa is where he went and had raised skepticism about vaccines, and a lot of people opted not to get vaccinated. People died. You were summoned.
And as I said, you're a doctor and you went. And right after his visit, and as were part of a group that tried to mass vaccinate, I believe you'll correct me if I wrote the number down here wrong, but 37,000 people.
[19:25:10]
So what did you see in that moment?
GREEN: So what -- what I saw was I saw children who had died from the measles, and it was beyond tragic what happened in Samoa. Two children died about a year before from human error. Two nurses made a mistake with the reagents around the vaccine. And when RFK, Jr. got to Samoa, he went and through what's called the Children's Defense Fund, which is a nonprofit that he essentially founded and pushes. He used misinformation to scare all of the people of Samoa away from being vaccinated.
He did not share what actually happened. He torpedoed their vaccination program. He met with the prime minister and the minister of health. I met with the same people. He basically scared them away from vaccinations.
Vaccinations then dropped for measles, mumps and rubella down to 31 percent for their country. And if you get anywhere lower than, say, 90 to 95 percent, you get huge outbreaks of these diseases. So suddenly, because of the misinformation that he was sharing, no one got vaccinated. Then there was a huge explosion of measles. Over 5000 cases we could account for, and 83 people died, most of them children.
When I spoke to the minister of health, she asked if we could bring a medical mission team. We of course agreed and we brought over 70 people, health care providers, myself included. We worked with their health department and we vaccinated the 37,000 people and measles stopped.
But we would go from village to village where they would tie a red sash or ribbon on a tree, or a post saying that they wanted to be vaccinated. It's much like you see in the Old Testament, actually, where people want the angel of death to pass over.
And what we saw was the angel of death had not passed over. In fact, it had taken the live right in front of our very eyes of an infant girl. And she was still warm. You could see the terrible rash on her. This was the worst cases I've ever seen, and I've been a health care provider for decades now with the National Health Service and so on.
We saw that she had just passed away. Her face and body were still warm. She was not breathing. I put my stethoscope to her heart and her lungs.
The family immediately went into mourning. We quickly held a ceremony and then we vaccinated their entire family, the siblings, the community, and we moved on. And it happened over and over and over again.
And if RFK, Jr. were to be confirmed, and I humbly ask the Republicans in the Senate, the Democrats in the Senate to not confirm him if that happens and he spreads doubt about vaccinations, communities all across the country will see their vaccination rates dip to a dangerous spot, and you'll see outbreaks.
Measles will kill kids. A lot of people have immune deficiency. They will not be able to be protected. You will see things like polio surge once again.
These are not the things that president-elect Trump should want. These are not the things that anyone in the Senate should want. It's not -- believe me -- partisan, I'm just a physician in this case.
We should choose perhaps a conservative Republican, fine, but who has public health experience. That's the kind of person that should run HHS. And it's my job as the only physician, governor, to just share that perspective.
BURNETT: Well, your story is deeply personal, and I don't think anyone listening to it can't be moved.
When it comes to RFK, obviously, he has -- he has pushed forth other ideas, some of which, as you know, Governor, have found fertile ground with Democrats and Republicans. So, you know, the food system, for example, and people's frustration with big pharma, that is something that crosses party lines. And, you know, recently he's talked about fluoride and said he wants to remove it from drinking water.
There's a new study, a nine-year government study, finding that children who were exposed to higher fluoride levels have lower IQs.
Now, look, none of these things are definitive. I just put it out there to you to raise the question of whether you think he does have some good ideas, that if he is confirmed, there would be some good that comes out of it. Or do you just think, no.
GREEN: Well, millions of people will be vulnerable based on what his very extreme health positions are. The main positions that he would get to espouse and have influence over are the things that I'm talking about, like vaccination rates, like I fought for years against pesticide use. That's the kind of political person I have been.
But he's not going to get anywhere near any of those issues. Mr. Trump will have nothing to do with that. It's also interesting because, very ironically, and this is a positive, he's been quite pro-choice, and I'm very surprised that many of the conservatives in the Senate are even remotely considering RFK, Jr.
But I'm talking about the core public health needs that our country has. And imagine if he defunded the NIH, the National Institute of Health, like he's talking about for up to eight years, so that we don't have any health research. He's also talking about stopping research on infectious diseases completely.
[19:30:01]
He's talked about the virus being created to attack everyone but Ashkenazi Jews, and I think one other group, I mean, some of these things are so outlandish. They definitely do not describe serious thinking from a health care professional. So, of course, you can throw a dart at a board and sometimes hit a good idea, but our children will be vulnerable. And you saw just from a little bit of misinformation when he was nothing but a celebrity, and when he was in Samoa, he killed people.
What happens when he has the full control of a trillion dollar agency? And we stopped doing research -- science-based research on diseases, disease states, medications, the medications that we need to help save people, the vaccinations that kept us from seeing tens of millions of people die from COVID. It would be a tragedy.
And so, again, I can just say this as a physician who actually saw the carnage that he caused, I would ask people to pause and think carefully about what they will expose their constituents to if he does get confirmed. There are a lot of these out there, and we will have a very extraordinary ride with President Trump in the second term.
I -- you know, I wish everyone in service well, but they have to make the decisions that will look out for people who are vulnerable. And this decision, putting RFK in control of our health system is a very dangerous one.
BURNETT: All right. Well, Governor Green, I appreciate your time and thank you very much for sharing that personal story as well that you had in Samoa. Thank you.
And next, Justin Trudeau is out. Trump taking credit for his demise just weeks after Trudeau went to Mar-a-Lago to kiss the ring.
Plus, Elon Musk going after world leaders one by one, even some allies of Trump. So what is going on?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:36:06]
BURNETT: New tonight, Trump taking credit for taking down Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, very well known on the world stage, announcing that he's going to step down just five weeks after he raced to Mar-a-Lago unannounced, hoping to talk, the president- elect out of punishing tariffs that Trump has talked about slapping on Canadian goods.
Trump today was quick to take credit for Trudeau's downfall and resignation once again, also pushing for Canada to join the United States. Posting online in part, quote, many people in Canada love being the 51st state. The United States can no longer suffer the massive trade deficits and subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat. Justin Trudeau knew this and resigned. If Canada merged with the U.S., there would be no tariffs.
Paula Newton begins our coverage. She is OUTFRONT tonight in Ottawa with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: It's always a pleasure to sit down with President Trump.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even before his first term, Donald Trump dismissed Justin Trudeau as a pretty boy, then called him dishonest when they met as leaders.
TRUMP: Well, he's two faced.
NEWTON: The relationship was combative. Trudeau, the antithesis of MAGA branding, an unapologetic progressive. Still, they muddled through Trump's first term, even sealing a trade deal.
But since his reelection, Trump has trolled Trudeau, calling him governor and Canada the 51st state. So when Trudeau announced he'd be stepping down --
TRUDEAU: And it has become clear to me that if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election.
NEWTON: President-elect Trump was less than generous, posting on Truth Social. The United States can no longer suffer the massive trade deficits and subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat. Justin Trudeau knew this and resigned.
TRUDEAU: I'm a fighter. Every bone in my body has always told me to fight.
NEWTON: Somber as he spoke on a bitterly cold winter morning, Trudeau admitted he was no longer wanted in the ring by his own party.
TRUDEAU: I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister.
NEWTON: Trudeau's undoing with Canadians and his party sounds strikingly similar to President Joe Biden's fate -- inflation and affordable housing crisis, an increase in legal immigration that has put a strain on public services.
It has all soured voters on his nine-year-old government. The conservative party leader, led by career politician Pierre Poilievre, opened a more than 20 percent margin in polls, in part by doing its own trolling online, most recently calling Trudeau and his government wacko.
AD NARRATOR: What happens if they run a government?
NEWTON: MAGA's base has taken notice, with shout-outs like this one from Megyn Kelly. Can we get him in our country?
But it was Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau's right hand and finance minister, that was the tipping point. She resigned a few weeks ago, and in a letter called Trudeau's recent tax cuts, political gimmicks and lecturing him that Canada needed a stronger fiscal position to battle Trump's America First foreign policy.
Even a quick trip to Mar-a-Lago in November did not come off as the strongest move, as president-elect Trump still threatened 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports, chirping Governor Trudeau in his posts.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON (on camera): And, Erin, you know that chirping, as I call it. You know, it can cut both ways in some ways here in Canada, among voters and politicians, it's already stiffened resolve. I mean, Erin, you interviewed Doug Ford, the Ontario premier, about his threats to cut energy exports to the United States.
Well, today, he said, look, I got a counteroffer for Donald Trump. Maybe well take Alaska. Minnesota? Why not?
So for anyone who takes over from Justin Trudeau, certainly how they deal with at times a capricious and threatening Donald Trump will factor in their political fate -- Erin.
BURNETT: Absolutely. All right, Paula, thank you very much.
And Paula, mentioning the premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, he is back with me now.
[19:40:05]
And, Premier Ford, and Paula talking about your response today. So when Trump today said: Many people in Canada love being the 51st state -- he put the word love in all caps. Together, what a great nation it would be.
How do you even respond to that? I mean, on a certain level, it was a joke. Now, here we are, and Justin Trudeau is gone and your finance minister is gone. The entire government is sort of gone into chaos, all on the back of these things, Trump has said.
So when Trump says this today about the 51st state, how do you respond?
DOUG FORD, ONTARIO, CANADA PREMIER: Well, I can appreciate his sense of humor. And I kind of went back about buying Alaska. But, you know, something? It's just not realistic.
We're a sovereign country. Were proud Canadians, just like Americans are proud. What I want to do is make sure that we build a fortress and can, making sure that we're the strongest and the richest and most prosperous two countries in the entire world. We have a tremendous amount to offer the United States, as we have over the years, no matter if its our energy or our critical minerals. And that's what we want to do. We want to make sure were stronger
together. And people are realizing that in the U.S., with our ads that we're running.
BURNETT: How worried are you, though, Premier, that regardless of who the next prime minister is, that what's happened here is that regardless of how much Trump is joking or not joking, it actually really isn't joking in the sense that he is going to get what he wants. He's going to get what he wants as president, and he's going to get Canada to do whatever he wants it to do because he's dangling these tariffs over your head.
FORD: Well, he had two requests to tighten up the border, which I agree 100 percent, which we're doing and 2 percent NATO commitment, which I agree with that as well. But Canada does $1.3 trillion of trade, two-way trade with the U.S., we're the largest trading partner.
We ship down 4.3 million barrels of oil every single day. We send electricity down to the U.S., critical minerals. These are all areas in different sectors that Americans need.
And why disrupt that? Were two great countries, strongest allies in the world, friends. So we need to get through this and start talking about trade.
BURNETT: So the president elect, you know, when you talk about calling Canada the 51st state, he has also been talking about Greenland in a similar capacity as in the United States taking it over, and of course, his territory of Denmark. And again, he was talking about Greenland tonight, saying, and I don't know if you had a chance to see this premier, maybe not, because you were you were literally hooked up to talk to us.
He posts, I'm hearing that the people of Greenland are MAGA. My son Don Jr., and various representatives will be traveling there to visit some of the most magnificent areas and sites. Greenland is an incredible place and the people will benefit tremendously if and when it becomes part of our nation. Make Greenland great again.
By the way -- I mean, I don't need to tell you this, but lets just throw a map up here. Greenland is next to Canada. It's the big giant white thing. Currently, as I said, a territory of Denmark.
So I mean, do you really just think it's all a joke?
FORD: Well, you know, God bless Greenland. The -- Canada is no Greenland. I can assure you of that. We're a strong nations. We're a strong nation. We have massive trade with the U.S. Nine million Americans wake up every morning, Erin, to produce products for Ontario alone.
Our trade is split equally down the middle of $500 billion. And no matter if it's a critical minerals that China has cut, the U.S. off of. We have the critical minerals. No matter if it's nickel.
Let's start onshoring jobs, American jobs and Canadian jobs. The problem is in Canada. I've talked to so many governors and congresspeople and senators. Never once did they say Canada is a problem. I'll tell you who the problem is. China is the problem.
China shipping in cheap parts, putting them through Mexico. Mexico is slapping a made in Mexico sticker on and shipping it up through the U.S. and Canada, costing American and Canadian jobs. That's unacceptable. And we need to look at a bilateral deal with the U.S.
BURNETT: All right. Well, Premier Ford, I appreciate your time. And thank you very much, sir.
FORD: Thank you so much, Erin.
BURNETT: All right. And next, world leaders, Macron and Starmer, taking on Elon Musk, calling him out. We'll tell you why, what's going on.
Plus, the man behind the deadly New Orleans terror attack relied on a new sort of high tech glasses to help carry out the massacre. We're going to show you exactly what they are, how he used them.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:48:57]
BURNETT: Tonight, a close U.S. ally urging Trump to rethink his relationship with Elon Musk. Senior British politicians warning that Musk could tarnish Trump's reputation as the world's richest man goes after the U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. That's according to Bloomberg.
And tonight, Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are hitting back.
Nic Robertson is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Elon Musk is gunning for world leaders. In his crosshairs, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer alleging failings in a child sexual abuse scandal when Starmer was the UK's chief prosecutor more than a decade ago, and posting this question to his followers, if America should liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government.
Starmer, firing back.
KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We've seen this playbook many times, whipping up intimidation and threats of violence.
ROBERTSON: Musk's inaccurate and sensationalist accusations are catching UK politicians off guard.
[19:50:01]
His trolling of Starmer is not new. Last summer, claiming racist riots were tipping the UK into civil war.
But this, and his international meddling is reaching new levels. Since becoming President-elect Donald Trump's adviser, Musk's words have more muscle. The power pair have teamed up on calls with world leaders, notably with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, one day after the U.S. presidential elections.
But it is Musk's right wing push picking up on what former Trump strategist and adviser Steve Bannon began eight years ago, championing Europe's far right populist disrupters. That has Europe's leaders worried.
EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): Ten years ago, if we'd been told that the owner of the largest social media networks would support an international reactionary movement and directly intervene in elections, including Germany.
ROBERTSON: Musk, also supporting the hard right AFD, Alternative for Germany Party, which has been accused of resurrecting Nazi rhetoric ahead of elections there next month.
But Musk is going further right than Bannon, attacking a staunch Trump ally, Nigel Farage, saying Farage doesn't have what it takes to lead his upstart reform UK party.
Farage, the British populist who pushed Brexit just hours before Musk's put down, had counted the tech titan a supporter who might finance his fledgling party.
NIGEL FARAGE, LEADER, REFORM PARTY: The fact that he supports me politically and supports reform doesn't mean I have to agree with every single statement he makes on X.
ROBERTSON: Why the falling out? Possible differences over this man, known as Tommy Robinson, a jailed anti-Muslim campaigner, who fanned the flames of racist riots last summer.
Musk praises him. Farage doesn't. The question in Europe now how far right will Musk go?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (on camera): And concern here in the U.K. has got to such a level that the leader of the third largest party has suggested that the government should call in the U.S. ambassador to pass a message to the White House saying that anyone in government there should be very careful about speaking about British government affairs -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Nick, thank you very much. Interesting twist there.
And next, we have some breaking news. President Biden is speaking right now at a memorial for victims of the New Orleans terror attack, as we are learning more tonight about exactly how the killer used high tech glasses to plan and execute his attack.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:57:25]
BURNETT: You're looking at live pictures from New Orleans. You see President Biden speaking. He is speaking at a prayer service with family members of the victims of the Bourbon Street terror attack.
It comes as we're learning that the killer wore smart glasses made by Meta to scout the area in advance. So what are these glasses and how exactly do they work?
Ryan Young is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LYONEL MYRTHIL, FBI NEW ORLEANS SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: This video shows Jabbar during that trip in October with his Meta glasses.
RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The FBI releasing this video recorded from a pair of meta smart glasses worn by the man who carried out the attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on New Year's Day.
Investigators revealing that he made at least two visits to the city in the months prior to the holiday attack.
MYRTHIL: During that time, Jabbar using Meta glasses, recorded a video as he rode through the French Quarter on a bicycle.
YOUNG: Eerie video that shows him at one point demonstrating the glasses in front of a mirror, revealing his face.
TIM CLEMENTE, FORMER FBI COUNTERTERRORISM AGENT: It's part of his pre- attack surveillance, where he was involved in the planning stage. The glasses allow him to take everything in, absorb all that data, review it later when he's alone. It allows you complete anonymity. And I think that's what he was looking for, data collection and anonymity.
MACK ZUCKERBERG, META CEO: The next generation of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.
YOUNG: These are the Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses. They have cameras built in and speakers, and an A.I. assistant. You can even tell it to do things like, hey, Meta, take a video and once it starts recording, there is a white light that starts flashing here. And as I look around, you would not even know that I'm recording video. This is what investigators believe the suspect did on two different occasions.
The camera glasses can take photos and record up to three minutes of video, and also be live streamed to Facebook or Instagram. Though authorities say that while the attacker was found wearing the glasses on the day of the attack, they were turned off. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment to CNN.
Other new information also coming out from a 2019 confidential security report carried out by a private security consulting firm and obtained by CNN.
DON AVIV, CEO, INTERFOR INTERNATIONAL: The point of the report was really to highlight issues throughout the French Quarter, security issues, safety issues.
YOUNG: The report saying political clashes in the city may have hindered efforts to install those permanent barriers in the French Quarter that had been recommended to improve security.
AVIV: So it was quite glaring to see how many different groups are fighting for the dollars and the policing dollars to protect this 1.1 square mile piece of land.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
YOUNG: Yeah, and, Erin, today the city of New Orleans asked federal officials for extensive security support to protect Mardi Gras celebrations over the next few months. Let's not forget, the Super Bowl is scheduled to be played in New Orleans on February 9th, Erin.
BURNETT: And they say they're going to have an unprecedented presence during those events. Ryan, thank you very much.
And thanks so much, as always, to all of you for joining us on this Monday.
"AC360" begins now.
