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Erin Burnett Outfront

Trump Eyes 100-Plus Executive Orders On Day One; Trump Takes Credit For TikTok's Return; Trump Drafts Jan. 6 Pardons To Be Issued On Day One, Interview With Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC); Three Hostages Return To Israel After 15 Months In Hamas Captivity. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired January 19, 2025 - 19:00   ET

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


PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: And I'll be out there bright and early at Saint John's Church very early, starting at 7:00 a.m. Our special coverage.

Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Pamela Brown.

CNN's special coverage continues with "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" right now.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: And OUTFRONT next, the breaking news, President-elect Trump, in a nearly 60-minute speech, hours before he takes the oath of office, a marathon sprint that he's going through this next day.

Tonight, promising to fix, quote, "every single crisis" facing America. And we have new details tonight on what that actually means in terms of what Trump will do in the first hours of his presidency.

Plus, January 6th defendants and supporters renting a group house in Washington together, waiting for Trump to pardon the rioters. We're going to take you inside that house in a story you'll see first OUTFRONT. That is an incredible one.

And more breaking news this hour. The freedom for three hostages released by Hamas after 15 months of captivity in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners. Who is next? Will this fragile ceasefire hold? A special report from on the ground tonight.

Let's go OUTFRONT.

And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett, and welcome to this special edition of OUTFRONT on this Sunday.

Tonight, the breaking news, Trump's vow to fix every single crisis, in his words. The president-elect just wrapping up his pre-inauguration speech in Washington, the culmination of his unprecedented political comeback. In just hours, he will once again take the oath of office for president of the United States, becoming the nation's 47th president. So 45 and 47, his numbers.

The ceremony moved from the steps of the Capitol to the Capitol rotunda, indoors, due to the dangerously cold weather. Once Trump reclaims the title of commander-in-chief, there will be radical change in Washington and across the country, and it will unfold fast and furiously.

We are just learning about an incredible slew of executive orders that Trump plans to sign. They include a swift end to many of Biden's policies. Anything he can do by executive order, it seems essentially, he's going to try to do. It's something he just spoke about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT-ELECT: We're going to stop the destructive and divisive diversity, equity and inclusion mandates. The invasion of our borders will have come to a halt. Tomorrow everybody in this very large arena will be very happy with my decision on the J6 hostages. I will direct our military to begin construction of the great Iron Dome missile defense shield.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Now, Trump's vice president, J.D. Vance, was on the program, scheduled to speak, but he never did. He was on the program like I said. He did not speak. But one person did speak. That person was, well, essentially has become Trump's governing partner at this moment, at least as we see it, Elon Musk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Come here, Elon. Did you see his rocket yesterday? It was captured. And X is with him. X. Come on, Elon, say something.

ELON MUSK, TESLA CEO: OK. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. Sorry. Little X just followed me on the stage here. He's a very enthusiastic supporter as you can see. Whoa. Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: And Trump getting the sendoff tonight from the Village People performing YMCA as Trump danced in the back. And they've spoken about it. They didn't vote for Trump, but they wanted to do this for the unity of the country. They've chosen to perform. And there they are with YMCA, they said, because he genuinely seems to love it, which he does.

Jeff Zeleny is OUTFRONT live in Washington to begin our coverage.

Jeff, you were there for that 60-minute long speech. You know, some people might try to go shorter because they got a long day tomorrow, but not this president-elect. He spoke tonight. He will speak tomorrow. This is a moment that he is going to relish every second of. What was the message tonight?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Erin, good evening. The Village People, YMCA, that sound really echoed throughout this arena. And we have seen that at so many campaign rallies. Tonight was really no different. It was actually shorter than Trump's campaign rallies usually were during the campaign. But, look, the moment and the setting was -- told you everything you need to know. Tomorrow at this time all those executive orders, as you said, will be signed into law. But Trump also inherits all the problems that he has been talking about for so long.

[19:05:03]

And he kind of encapsulated that. He said, you know, that he will fix all of these crises. So the governing challenge starts tomorrow. But today was a moment of celebration, and it was quite extraordinary to see the 45th and soon to be 47th president up there dancing with the Village People. He, of course, did that at rallies to their music, but never alongside them. I believe there was only one original member of the band who was actually performing on stage tonight.

But never mind any of that. President Trump was talking specifically about some of the executive orders he intends to do on immigration. I think one of the biggest questions hanging over his entire inauguration as it goes inside tomorrow, inside the very Capitol building where his supporters essentially ransacked. And, you know, so many were arrested and charged and jailed.

How many pardons does he issue on that score? He teased that a bit here tonight. And he said, you'll be very happy with the outcome. The crowd cheered. But that is a question because some Republicans on Capitol Hill, they have told me repeatedly they are not comfortable with the very violent offenders being pardoned. So we shall see.

But, Erin, going into tomorrow, we are going to see President-elect Trump at the White House first and foremost. Then he and President Biden, I'm told, will be driving together in a motorcade up to Capitol Hill. Of course something that Donald Trump did not afford Joe Biden four years ago -- Erin.

BURNETT: No, no, the graciousness with which the transfer of power in this country has always, except for that time taken place. And it is a good thing that it's happening.

Jeff Zeleny, thank you very much.

Tim Pawlenty, Jamal Simmons, Lulu Garcia-Navarro with me.

So, Jamal, OK, Trump went through in this speech a list of things he was going to do. Now, it's familiar from his campaign speeches. But he said on, you know, immediately. Right? Day one. DEI is going away. The border invasion is ending. January 6th pardons. All of this.

Now, just some context. Joe Biden signed nine executive orders on his first day. Trump last time around actually only signed one. Believe the record holder is Harry Truman. You got to give him 100 days to even get 54. It is possible tomorrow that Trump just blows through that number on the first day. You could be about to see a spectacular and stupendous breaking of tradition.

JAMAL SIMMONS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It is possible, you know, first, I got to commend Jeff Zeleny for getting us out of that Village People cul-de-sac that we were about to go into. Listen, I think what Donald Trump is going to do is something that I think we have not really seen before, which is really take the American government in a really very radically different direction. And all of us will be sort of playing catch up as this thing goes along.

BURNETT: Yes.

SIMMONS: I was struck watching his speech earlier today that nobody likes a sore loser. But this guy is kind of a sore winner, right? Like he won the election. He's done the hardest thing there is to do in American politics. He did it twice. And he got up there and he kind of had to go through all the campaign events and talk about what he did and how it all worked out. He even talked about -- he made up numbers.

He said he won the youth vote, which is not true. He lost the youth vote by four points to Kamala Harris. So, you know, you'd hope Donald Trump at this moment would take the pride of it, take the excitement of it, and then talk about how he's going to make the country better, and he's going to be judged by costs and by inflation. That's where I think Americans are going to judge him by.

BURNETT: Yes.

SIMMONS: Not by some of the more hard-right notions that he's been talking about.

BURNETT: Well, and he's mentioned, I mean, in a recent interview, Governor Pawlenty, he said he won because of grocery prices, right? That's how he saw it, at least at that moment. But we might see tomorrow something we've never seen before, just in terms, I mean, you know, we don't know, but it could be an incredible amount of executive orders, which would be a transformational for the government.

It's one thing to say I'm going to do it really differently. It's another thing to come in and toss out a nuke at it in the first hour.

TIM PAWLENTY (R), FORMER MINNESOTA GOVERNOR: Really set a different tone, though, Erin. Look at the transition difference between this time and last time. Last time you went around the country, did rallies, took a long time to make appointments, appointed what many people consider to be traditionalists as cabinet members. This time kind of hunkered down in Florida, named his nominees to the cabinet quickly, and got these executive orders ready quickly.

And I think this is going to send the message, we are going to take action, we're going to take it quickly. And he won the election principally because of inflation, illegal immigration, crime and wokeness run amok. And I think you're going to hear a lot about that through these executive orders in the coming week.

SIMMONS: I disagree with that on one point. I know those were the issues that he talked about a lot. The people that I talked to who were really Biden voters, and then they switched and they voted for Trump, it was really just about inflation. It really wasn't about those social issues. And I think if he doesn't actually figure out a way to bring prices down, he's going to be in for a lot of trouble.

PAWLENTY: I meant to say inflation, I didn't --

SIMMONS: I think you did, but it's not the whole basket of issues. I really do think the cost issues, the economic issues are the ones that drove this election.

BURNETT: Well, and of course those are very hard for a president to control.

Lulu, he also was trademark Trump in some ways. But just to give to presage perhaps what we're going to see, here's a little bit more of what he just said. One part really stood out. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Starting tomorrow I will act with historic speed and strength and fix every single crisis facing our country.

[19:10:02]

We have to do it. We're not going to have a country left.

Before even taking office you are already seeing results that nobody expected to see. Everyone is calling it the -- I don't want to say this, it's too braggadocious, but we'll say it anyway. The Trump effect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: The Trump effect.

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: So there's this thing, right? Which is under-promise and overdeliver. Trump turns that on his head and it's like overpromise. And naturally everyone is going to under- deliver because no one can fix every problem in America. But the thing that is, I think, his special gift is to take something like the economy that Joe Biden is handing over, which is an economy that is pretty strong. Prices are high but the, you know, and take credit for it say that, yes --

BURNETT: Historic wage growth is also a reality.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Yes. All these things and the border is much more secure than it was a year ago. It's the lowest number of crossings that there's been since 2020. So you're taking a country that is actually in a pretty good place. And he's saying, you know what? It's all because of me. And so, you know, as we -- it is classic Trump. But this is the high point. This is the high point for Donald Trump because the minute that you step into the job, it all becomes your burden to bear. And you're judged on by what you do.

And I think that's what these 100 executive orders are meant to show, which is this whole thing that they've been saying, shock and awe, shock and awe, shock and awe. We're going to just blanket everyone with what we want to do, and everyone is going to be stunned.

BURNETT: There is something, Governor Pawlenty, though, in the executive orders that is imperialistic just in its -- the visuals of it, right? I mean, we have Congress. They're the ones who are supposed to do this. Executive orders make a lot of people nauseous to begin with because the whole point is, well, I thought we're supposed to have Congress, right? And presidents use them, some may say abuse them, whatever. But coming in like this, doesn't that also send a message to Congress?

PAWLENTY: Yes. But it also sends another message, which is we as Americans, many of us are unsatisfied with business as usual. And this is President Trump saying, we're not doing this the usual way. We're not doing it with the usual speed. We're not doing it with the usual expectations. And we may unsettle traditional thinking. But that's exactly what his supporters want, and he's going to deliver on it. He has set up for success.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: But there's this thing that we know that those around Donald Trump, J.D. Vance and others have wanted, which is a kind of imperial presidency, which is a presidency which is going to concentrate a lot of the power in Donald Trump. And you've seen that in his cabinet appointments, and you've seen that in how he's dealt with Congress. He wants to be the person in control, and he wants everything around him to be subservient to that. And there's a lot of people around him who want to see that as well.

BURNETT: All right. So, and then there's also the whole role of the vice president. And I raise this, Jamal, because he was on the program today.

SIMMONS: What's his name again, the vice president?

(LAUGHTER)

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Elon.

SIMMONS: Elon.

BURNETT: Yes, exactly. So, I mean, I struggle for the words for Elon because he doesn't have an official title. What is he, the closest adviser? Is he the partner? What is he for Trump? But whatever he is, he's the guy who got to walk out on the stage tonight and talk. And that was not the vice president. He was the one who came out and he brought his child, as he has done before. And then he said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MUSK: Yes. So, anyway, we're going to do great things here. Thank you.

TRUMP: Thank you, Elon. You know, I always say we have to be protective of our geniuses because we don't have too many. But that one is a good one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: I mean, Jamal, J.D. Vance, Musk was -- you saw Musk, right? He comes out to a hero's welcome. The president-elect gave him some time of his 60 minutes. Maybe it was less than a minute, but he got time. J.D. Vance was there but did not get on stage.

SIMMONS: Yes, it was the Elon interlude, right? We've had all these things. We had the YMCA issue. But in here Elon Musk got a chance to go up on stage and talk in the middle of this rally. I wonder, was that part of the deal when he contributed all that money to Donald Trump's campaign and helping him get elected? Remember, he was standing on stage promising people $1 million, right? If they came and registered.

So this is a -- this is something I think we all have to be concerned about is this oligarchy that is kind of coming in and the cabinets, the richest cabinet I think we've ever seen, a lot of billionaires everywhere, almost billionaires everywhere. And, you know, and one last point, he made this point about these executive orders, about DEI. The way Donald Trump talks about diversity and inclusion is that by necessity means you're going to have people who are less qualified.

BURNETT: Right.

SIMMONS: But the only reason that we ever got somebody like Colin Powell, who got to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is because Jimmy Carter, when he got handed a list of colonels, said there were no African-American colonels on that list. And his secretary of the Army, Cliff Alexander, said, go back, let's find some more people.

[19:15:04]

And they brought back names. And one of those names was Colin Powell. He ended up being one of the biggest stellar people in our entire American government for generations. That's what this is really about. This is not about finding people who are unqualified.

BURNETT: Right. It gets -- they have short-handed it, to say that because you're doing that, you're not picking on merit.

All right, Governor, thank you very much. Jamal, Lulu, all staying with me.

But next, Trump saving TikTok. So that was a quick thing, I guess everyone, you know, addicted to your screen, you get it back. But what's really behind the sudden 180 when it comes to the Chinese app? Because that's exactly what it is for him. We've got new reporting next. Plus breaking news. We are learning President Trump has personally invited the mother of Ashli Babbitt. You remember she was shot and killed by Capitol police on January 6th, breaking into the Capitol.

We're going to take you inside a home tonight. And this is a house where January 6th supporters are now waiting for word on Trump's pardons. And they're all gathered together in this house. And from Snoop Dogg to the Village People, one-time Trump critics are now performing for the new president.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:20:30]

BURNETT: Breaking news. President-elect Trump moments ago taking a victory lap after TikTok's triumphant return. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: As of today, TikTok is back. I said we need to save TikTok because we're talking about a tremendous -- who in this audience goes with TikTok? Many? Yes, very popular. And frankly, we have no choice. We have to save it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at that rally tonight ahead of Trump's inauguration. His appearance just hours after TikTok came back online in the U.S. after just 12 hours offline. The welcome back message that appears right now on the app reads, "Thank you for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump's efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S."

Marc Caputo with Axios has some of the best sources in the Trump camp, and he's with me now.

Marc, and you've got new reporting on what actually is going on behind the scenes when it comes to TikTok and why Trump has had such a dramatic turnaround. I mean, he was the one who started out saying the app had to be banned and now he's the one, you know, taking credit for its triumphant return.

MARC CAPUTO, SENIOR POLITICS REPORTER, AXIOS: Yes, sometimes it's tough to follow exactly where Donald Trump is on things because he's liable to change his mind and rather quickly. There's basically three things that are in play here. One thing during the campaign, he met with Jeffrey Yass, who is a large investor in TikTok, and Jeffrey Yass was a supporter of Donald Trump's.

But more importantly, his advisers point out, is that Donald Trump has a tendency to look for his enemies and find the enemy of his enemies and make those enemies his friends. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and at the time, during the campaign, Donald Trump saw as his biggest enemy, Facebook. He really didn't like Mark Zuckerberg. Now, obviously, there's been a thaw since. And Trump saw TikTok as a way to triangulate off of Facebook and basically keep Facebook from sort of owning the market. Now, obviously, Twitter played a role in this as well.

And then the last thing is Trump's campaign did the research and found that young voters are heavily influenced and heavily on TikTok. That is where to find young voters and the young men that Donald Trump saw as a key to his victory. So he embraced it. And Trump won. So he went from sort of liking TikTok as a way to sort of keep his opponent off balance to loving TikTok because it helped deliver the White House to him.

BURNETT: Which is amazing. I mean, as you pointed out that it's in a sense chess, but it is all in what he thinks, you know, is best for him and for the people who support him. But, you know, today on stage with him was Elon Musk, tonight for that, for that speech. And Musk has talked about possibly buying TikTok, which again would be pocket change for him were he to do so. He posted about TikTok this morning. Musk that is.

I have been against a TikTok ban for a long time because it goes against freedom of speech. That said, the current situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America but X is not allowed to operate in China, is unbalanced. Something needs to change.

So is it -- where is this headed? I mean, is it Musk is playing a game where somehow with all of Trump's chips with China, it's going to be Twitter that benefits and Musk that benefits, or r you know, where do you think this is going?

CAPUTO: Well, I don't know where it's going in China. My expertise certainly ends at the waterfront. I would find it hard to believe President Xi would suddenly say, OK, sure, we're going to have an unsanctioned social media app open. So that is a matter to be resolved at a later date. More importantly, Elon Musk is on stage with Donald Trump for a reason. Is Twitter is back for Donald Trump and the management of Elon Musk during the campaign with Twitter certainly let Trump back on and relax some of the, for lack of a better term, censorship of the right on Twitter. And that was also very helpful to Donald Trump and something he appreciated greatly.

BURNETT: All right, Marc, thank you very much. I appreciate it.

I want to go OUTFRONT now to John Bolton, former Trump national security adviser and former U.S. ambassador to the U.N.

And Ambassador, I want to ask you about several things, but let me just start with TikTok since Marc was doing -- was just sharing some of the reporting there. TikTok is back up. It's a triumphant return. Trump is taking credit for it. He wants maybe some sort of a joint venture with China on owning it. It is ironic to hear Elon Musk talk about free speech because obviously TikTok comes from a country which does not have free speech.

When you hear all of this, though, that Trump wants to make deals with China, that the Chinese vice president is going to be at the inauguration, TikTok is back up and running, do you think it all makes sense or is there something ominous or worrisome in it to you?

[19:25:11]

JOHN BOLTON, FORMER TRUMP NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Well, I think it makes sense from Trumps point of view. Let's start with basics, which need repeating time and again, Trump has no philosophy. He has no grand strategy. He doesn't do policy. He does what benefits Donald Trump. And in this case, he did see TikTok as giving him advantages in the campaign.

And I think, as has been reported, he now yearns to go back to China. And what better present to present to his good friend Xi Jinping than saying, I have saved TikTok? Anybody who is worried about American national security has to be very worried about what Trump has done because the main problem with TikTok has nothing to do with what appears on its platform. But the fact that it is a vacuum cleaner for China's intelligence agencies. And I think it's also significant that in the past couple of days, a

number of Republicans have stood up against what Trump is saying. For those who delight in saying the Republican Party has become totally recumbent in the presence of Trump, Senator Cotton and Senator Ricketts have sent -- made a statement that under the terms of the law dealing with TikTok, there is no legal authority for Trump to give a 90-day reprieve. And Speaker Johnson said essentially the same thing this morning.

So we're headed for a real confrontation here between those who understand that TikTok is a threat to American national security and Donald Trump.

BURNETT: Which is going to be crucial because Trump has already indicated China is going to be obviously, as it would have to be, but front and center for him.

You know, you talk about that as a threat to national security. Let me talk about a national threat to national security. That is, of course, much more tangible. And that is actually missiles. OK. Trump saying moments ago he's going to build an Iron Dome missile defense system like Israel has. Now of course, for Israel it's for short range missiles. It is because their country is small. It's for missiles coming in from close distances.

It does not work for intercontinental ballistic missiles, which would be those threatening the U.S. unless they're coming from Canada or Mexico. So in other words, the word Iron Dome. I mean, there's been efforts, as you know better than anyone, for ICBM missile defense in the U.S. on the Western Coast from Korea and elsewhere over the years. So does this actually mean anything big, using the words Iron Dome for the U.S.?

BOLTON: Well, we were major funders of Iron Dome, both in terms of its research and production, and much of what Iron Dome does we've had for a long time with Aegis missiles, theater high altitude air defense systems. So if there's better technology, if we can expand our theater missile defense capabilities, it's all to the good.

What we should have done more of in the first Trump term, and maybe he'll do more in the second, is not theater missile defense. Its national missile defense. That's why in the George W. Bush administration, and I was proud to be the lead negotiator, we got out of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty of 1972 so we could build national missile defenses.

We're now threatened not only by the Russian capability, but by a growing and extremely threatening Chinese capability. We're moving from a bipolar nuclear world to a tripolar nuclear world, which is inconceivably more dangerous. So I'm glad. Glad he wants better theater missile defense. What we really need to stress in a vastly increased defense budget is national missile defense to protect our innocent civilians here at home.

BURNETT: And that's something that you just think hasn't been done? I mean, because I'm just saying there are many programs and we hear updates all the time on how the West Coast, when there's, you know, they'll run practice on ICBMs coming in from Korea or China. And frankly, it doesn't always perform that well, but it's not as if it's something that hasn't been a focus.

BOLTON: Well, it hasn't been adequately focused. And remember, Joe Biden and John Kerry, who was part of his administration, were among the senators who in the George W. Bush administration opposed getting out of the ABM Treaty and setting up national missile defense because they said, you can't hit a bullet with a bullet. That's what they said. And they were dead wrong.

So I hope that the lack of attention that it's gotten since the last -- since really the Bush administration is reversed. It's very important. If you ask people in the United States what matters most, it's their defense. And if we don't have adequate missile defense capabilities and we don't, it's our population that's most at risk.

BURNETT: Yes. Although, of course, this is a pretty grim conversation. I can only imagine a world in which ICBMs are actually coming in over U.S. cities is not a world that any of us would recognize.

BOLTON: Well, think about it again. This is very serious, which is why intelligence is important for China as well as its growing ballistic missile capabilities.

[19:30:03]

BURNETT: All right. Well, Ambassador Bolton, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

BOLTON: Thank you.

BURNETT: Next, inside a home where January 6th supporters and defendants are staying tonight on Inauguration Eve, they are anxiously together. They've gathered together to in this House to await word of Trump's pardons.

Plus, Congressman James Clyburn, emotional as he speaks about his good friend President Biden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D-SC): Joe Biden has been what this country needed for this government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: Breaking news: Pardons for some January 6th defendants are now imminent. Donald Trump telling his supporters tonight they will be, "Very, very happy with his decision."

And sources are telling CNN tonight that Trump has a slate of pardons ready to go as soon as he takes the Oath of Office tomorrow and his supporters expect this and some are planning for a celebratory homecoming for those behind bars.

Our Elle Reeve has this amazing story that you will see first here, OUT FRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICOLE REFFITT, SUPPORTER OF JANUARY 6 PARTICIPANTS: This is the Jan6 House. We call it the Eagles Nest. So, we were spending just so much time on the road. So, we were like, hey, let's move into DC. You know, it's a bit of a safe haven.

[19:35:11]

ELLE REEVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This rental house near Capitol Hill has become a meeting place for Jan 6 supporters and participants.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Isn't it kind of like a little shocking, nobody's taking anything.

REEVE (voice over): Passing through are people with court dates or who just got out of jail, or their supporters. This activism is all culminating with the second inauguration of Donald Trump, who they expect on his first day in office will pardon many or all of those incarcerated for their activities on January 6th, 2021.

MICKI WITTHOEFT, MOTHER OF ASHLI BABBITT: There are men behind Jan 6 in prisons all over this country, and it is our plan to have somebody there to greet every one of them.

JENN BAKER, SUPPORTER OF JANUARY 6 PARTICIPANTS: When President Trump says that these guys can get out, either their sentences commuted or whatever the process is, I'll be driving to Maryland and picking up Stewart Rhodes, who is the founder of the Oath Keepers, and get him out of there.

REEVE (on camera): What are your hopes in terms of pardons?

REFFITT: I think a commutation, and then let's see who gets pardoned. You know, everyone's due process was violated. But, you know, there were wrongdoers, so they should be held accountable, too.

REEVE (voice over): The house is led by Micki Witthoeft. She's the mother of Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by police on Jan 6 in front of the Speaker's lobby, as well as Nicole Reffitt, whose husband was prosecuted after her son turned him in. They spent the weekend before Inauguration Day preparing for a packed house.

WITTHOEFT: My phone rang and I could barely get to my phone, so I considered not answering it and it said West Palm Beach, Florida. And I was like, I don't know anybody in West Palm Beach, Florida. But it turns out it was President Trump.

REEVE (voice over): Trump got her tickets to his outdoor inauguration ceremony, which are now just a memento because the swearing in was moved indoors. REEVE (on camera):The back is fancy too.

BRANDON FELLOWS, CONVICTED FOR ACTIONS ON JANUARY 6: Early on, we were hated by everybody, or so it seemed. Nobody supported us. Nobody talked about us, no politicians, no media. Even the conservative side was like, whoa, this is bad. We went from being hated to lots of people saying, hey, these guys got to be released.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Freedom.

FELLOWS: I don't regret going and I'm just excited to see, you know, how much more things change in in our benefit.

REEVE (voice over): Brandon Fellows hangs out at the house. We first met him when he was exiting the Capitol on Jan 6.

FELLOWS: Yes, we went in there and then I walked in and there's just a whole bunch of people lighting up in some organ room. I don't know if it's an org or tons of organ paintings, but they were smoking a bunch of weed in there.

REEVE (voice over): Because he gave his full name. He says our story helped authorities ID him quickly. A screenshot from our story was in his FBI criminal complaint.

FELLOWS: So, I got my LinkedIn profile and the people you may know, also an FBI agent from DC, FBI Albany. So, I was like, yep, they're coming. I better get ready for a potential arrest.

There is one thing that I've had since January 6th. Weed that I hadn't smoked. So, you know, I stopped smoking after January 6th. So, this is really old weed. I had smoked it the night prior, and I haven't touched -- it's vintage, yes.

REEVE (voice over): A jury convicted him on four misdemeanor counts related to entering the Capitol and one felony obstructing an official proceeding, a charge later thrown out for rioters by the Supreme Court. He spent almost 36 months in jail.

FELLOWS: I wasn't allowed to shower today. I didn't even get to leave my cell.

REEVE (voice over): And he says he snuck out video of his cell to expose conditions there. The harsh reality of jail is a big part of the Jan 6 supporter culture. Some 1,500 people were prosecuted. For more than 900 nights, this group has held a vigil outside the DC jail. They got an up close look at a criminal justice system that they say is not always just.

WITTHOEFT: The way that men are treated inside the jail in this country is horrific, and I hope that the men behind Jan 6 come out and do something about that, because it's not just Jan 6ers being treated horribly in prisons. You know, prisons should be punishment and not torture.

REFFITT: I had no idea, I was so naive. The people that did have a voice about it, unfortunately, were -- had they come from underserved communities and their voices aren't as loud, or they feel like they've already been so downtrodden for so long, their voices don't mean anything

REEVE (on camera): So do you think, as a Jan 6 supporter, you might have more credibility with conservative lawmakers who in the past would be seen as like, less receptive to that kind of --

REFFITT: You know, I just think there was such -- maybe a lot of these guys that aren't Jan 6ers that are detained with them, they're like, man, don't forget about us in here.

BAKER: The left has been screaming about this forever, right? The inhumane conditions of the prisons and the jails and stuff. And unfortunately it's taken January 6th for the right to acknowledge this, but at least it's happened, right? We can start, you know, taking care of this on both sides of the aisle. Everybody could come together that that human rights are important.

REEVE (on camera): Do you think there will be as much interest in an issue like that once Jan 6 is not at the center of it? Like, it's not as directly beneficial to President Trump?

BAKER: Well, we have to make it that. It's an emotional thing. I'm sorry, but I think that people, especially the 1,500 people, if we all get together, we can take care of it. We can make it a priority for President Trump.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BURNETT: What an incredible story, Elle, and to be in that house, to just have those conversations. And in that you just broke some more news. You have learned that Donald Trump personally invited Ashli Babbitt's mother to attend the Inauguration when she was holding up that ticket, which now, of course, its moved inside, you said, is more of a memento. But she told you that he had personally extended that invitation. What more can you tell us about that?

REEVE: So that wasn't the first time that she'd spoken to President Trump. She said he called into her vigil before the last time she spoke to him. She asked if he had any message for the people who are still incarcerated, and he told her to tell them to keep their chins up and that he loved them.

And one reason for that is that Micki Witthoeft is very prominent within the Jan 6 world. She's kind of revered. Everyone I spoke to just called her Micki.

One person described her as a warrior who brought a lot of attention to lesser known Jan 6 families. But she says that she's ready to pack up her things, go back to California and get her own life in order, and let the other people who've been incarcerated take over for the activism.

BURNETT: That was really incredible and just to see that that house where they're living and imagine them all coming in now, waiting to see what happens tomorrow. Thank you very much, Elle for finding that and sharing that. It's important. Thank you.

REEVE: Thanks.

BURNETT: All right next, Biden's final hours in office. That is the moment that we are in. I'm going to speak with Congressman Jim Clyburn, who spent the whole day with Biden, just got off Air Force One with the president in Washington. What did Biden tell his long- time friend?

Also, breaking three hostages now home as the world waits to see if the ceasefire in Gaza will actually hold so that the remaining hostages can be released.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:46:14]

BURNETT: Breaking news President Biden has just landed back at the White House. He spent his last full day as president of the United States in South Carolina, reflecting on his legacy and the days ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We must hold on to hope. We must stay engaged, must always keep the faith in a better day to come. I'm not going anywhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: On the phone with me now is the Democratic Congressman James Clyburn from South Carolina. He was at President Biden's side today, and he just landed back in Washington, flying back there on Air Force One with the president.

And I know Congressman Clyburn just left the White House. And, congressman, you know, you spent the day with your dear friend. You know, you've worked together in politics for a lifetime, and he has become a wonderful friend to you. What did you talk about in these final hours that you spent together?

CLYBURN (via phone): Well, thank you very much for having me. The president and I spent the whole trip back, just the two of us for most of the time in his cabin. And we talked about the consequences of his policies and what would flow from them. We talked about the pieces of legislation that he successfully got enacted into law, and the intent of those pieces of legislation and the results that flowed from them. I thought it was just an incredible discussion.

He has only one regret that he expressed to me, and that was the fact that he did not spend enough time on the politics of it. He thought that what he did was the right thing to do, and they were great, but he didn't explain it to the American people often enough and the consequences of that, he regrets.

BURNETT: That he believes in his policies but regrets the politics of how he, I guess, maybe promoted it or fought for it. CLYBURN: Right, well, he you know, one of the things that the president and I often talk about is the similarities between how we grew up and we kind of grew up, being taught, not to be boastful about everything. Just do it and the world will appreciate it.

Well, in the world of politics these days, that didn't work so well. We live in a world of soundbites, and people are worry about how many hits you get on the internet, rather than what's the substance of what it is that you're putting out.

And so, I said to him, about six months ago, long before he came out of the race, I said to him, I said, look, your substance is as good as anybody can hope for. Your style is lacking in this current environment. And so, his style has been the thing that he regrets more than anything else.

BURNETT: His style is the thing he regrets. What? When? You know, tomorrow, Congressman, he's going to do -- he is going to hold with tradition. He's hosting the tea reception for President-elect Trump and the incoming First Lady Melania Trump, privately. And then he's going to accompany Trump to the Capitol, which, of course, Trump did not afford him that four years ago, right, when Trump went to, gave a goodbye speech at Andrews Air Force Base and refused to attend the Inauguration. What do you think Biden's message is going to be for Trump tomorrow?

[19:50:15]

I mean, in the conversations I've had with him over the past year and I've been a part of two of them, his disdain for who President Trump is, is not something he ever made any effort to hide, right? But he is going with the transfer of power in a gracious way tomorrow. What do you think he says to Trump? Did he talk about tomorrow with you?

CLYBURN: No, he didn't. There was a total silence on that question. We didn't talk about tomorrow at all. We didn't talk about the Inauguration at all. We just talked about his relationship to the people of South Carolina, people that he loved dearly.

Joe Biden spends a lot of time in South Carolina or at least he did and it was no surprise to me that in the primary, in spite of the fact that he had lost in New Hampshire and in Iowa and in Nevada, when he came to South Carolina, he won by 29 points. That is because the people of South Carolina know Joe Biden. They appreciate Joe Biden and the politics of it, they didn't pay any attention to.

BURNETT: All right, well, Congressman Clyburn, I appreciate your time. You, of course, so instrumental to the fact that he is in the White House with your decision to support him in that primary, as we all remember and obviously, you were who he spent his last day in office with Thank you so much, sir. I appreciate your time.

CLYBURN: Well, thank you very much for having me. Bye.

BURNETT: All right. And next, three Israeli hostages are freed. We'll see who will be released next. Of course, nearly a hundred still held hostage, 90 Palestinians released in exchange for those three so far. Will the fragile ceasefire hold? We're live on the ground.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:56:22]

BURNETT: Breaking news from Israel, a convoy of buses, believed to be carrying 90 Palestinian prisoners have just left Israel's Ofer Prison. The prisoners were freed as part of the very fragile ceasefire hostage deal between Israel and Hamas coming hours after three Israeli hostages were freed after 15 months in captivity.

Jeremy Diamond is there and he's out front.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over):These celebrations are more than 15 months in the making, as a ceasefire takes hold and the first hostages are released.

In Gaza, a countdown to the start of the ceasefire unleashes the kind of joy that speaks to all they have endured, and the hope that this could mark the end of the war.

In Israel, tears of joy as a wave of relief crashes over the families of three newly released hostages. After 471 days of captivity, Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher, finally back in the arms of their loved ones. "Romi is back alive" her family cheers as the first images surface.

In Israel, the entire country is celebrating their return. Amid crowds of people swarming their vehicles and masked Hamas militants, this is the moment those hostages emerged from captivity.

One by one, as seen in this Hamas video, they rush into a waiting Red Cross vehicles that will whisk them to freedom. After crossing into Israel where they are greeted by the Israeli military. Doron, Romi and Emily embraced their mothers for the first time after months of agonizing uncertainty.

DIAMOND (on camera): The sound you hear behind me is the engine of a military helicopter whirring, preparing to take off with these three newly freed hostages aboard.

DIAMOND (voice over): As the helicopters take flight, their journey to recovery is only just beginning. A long road also lies ahead for the people of Gaza. Hours into the ceasefire, some of the first displaced Palestinians setting foot in what remains of Northern Gaza. This is what many are returning to. Block after block, devastated by 15 months of unrelenting bombardment.

The destruction speaks to a deeper tragedy here. More than 46,000 people have been killed according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

In Southern Gaza, people also return to homes battered by war after the Israeli military withdrew from Rafah. (UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)

DIAMOND (voice over): "We came back as if to a new country," this man says in the ruins of his home. "We have nothing left."

But amid it all, hope finally, now pierces the air.

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)

DIAMOND (voice over): "This is a moment we've been waiting for, for over a year and-a-half," this man says, smiling broadly.

Conditions now expected to improve in Gaza as hundreds of trucks loaded with clean water, food and hygiene kits begin entering Gaza. Up to 600 trucks of aid per day are expected to flood the Strip over the next six weeks, following months of shortages.

But for now, a moment to celebrate.

"After 15 months of destruction, just standing here alive during these difficult times is indescribable," this man says, "Praise be to God. We are the happiest people in the world today."

At long last, hope for the future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DIAMOND (on camera): And Erin, on the first day of this ceasefire, there are indeed questions about what that hope for the future looks like. Will this six week ceasefire actually endure? And will Israel and Hamas be able to extend it? And ultimately, perhaps reach a permanent end to this war. Major questions surrounding that but for today, at least, it was a moment of hope, a moment of joy for the people of Gaza and here in Israel -- Erin.

BURNETT: All right, Jeremy, thank you very much, from Tel Aviv tonight.

And thanks so much to all of you for being with us on this Sunday. Anderson starts now.

[20:00:40]