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Erin Burnett Outfront
Trump Defends Pardon As Rioters, Militia Leaders Are Free Tonight; Bishop Calls Out Trump During Prayer Service: "Have Mercy"; Pence Group: RFK's "Dangerous" Views Should Be "Disqualifying". Aired 7-8p ET
Aired January 21, 2025 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:35]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:
Breaking news, the payback. The former leader of the Proud Boys, a free man at this hour because of Trump's blanket pardons of January 6th defendants, now vowing to revenge those who put him behind bars, as even some Republicans tonight are raising -- raising -- calling foul, saying that Trump has gone too far on this.
Plus, the bishop who spoke her mind directly to Trump's face today pleading for him to have mercy for migrants and the LGBTQ community. The bishop is my guest.
And prominent Republicans now raising serious objections over RFK, Jr.'s nomination. Will his be the one that doesn't go through?
Let's go OUTFRONT.
(MUSIC)
BURNETT: And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news revenge. The former leader of the Proud Boys, who had been sentenced to 22 years in prison, 22 years for the extremely serious crime of seditious conspiracy and leading a plot to prevent the transfer of power on January 6th, 2021, is a free man tonight.
That is because of Trump's blanket pardon and commutation of just about every January 6th defendant. Tonight, the Proud Boys leader vowing to get even after Trump's pardon.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
ENRIQUE TARRIO, FORMER PROUD BOYS CHAIRMAN: The people who did this, they need to feel the heat. They need to be put behind bars. And they need to be prosecuted. I'm not going anywhere.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BURNETT: He told people not to refer to him as the ex-leader of the Proud Boys. He said that it would continue. Enrique Tarrio is among the nearly 1,300 rioters who were pardoned by
Trump, many of whom assaulted police officers -- injuries, including broken noses, broken arms and head injuries.
And tonight, Trump is doubling down on his decision. Just moments ago, saying this in the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: These were people that actually love our country. So we thought a pardon would be appropriate. They've served years in jail. They should not have served. Excuse me. And they've served years in jail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Of course, in many of the cases, that is not true. They had just begun to start to serve sentences in many cases.
And not everyone agrees that the pardons are the right thing to do at all. In fact, many Republicans are simply refusing to talk about them at all.
Here's Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD): We're not looking backwards. We're looking forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Thune doesn't want to look backwards because after the attack, he has very clear where he stood. He pledged to hold those responsible to account.
Senator Tommy Tuberville, here he is when pressed about Trump pardoning the rioters who assaulted officers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TOMMY TUBERVILLE (R-AL): No, that's not acceptable, but I didn't see it. I didn't see any of that video.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: All right. Well, of course, what happened happened. And those who did attack police officers are now free. Even though Trump's own vice president had been clear that that would not happen when he talked about it just nine days ago.
I mean, let's just play what he said nine days ago when he was talking about the rioters who actually attacked police.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you protested peacefully on January (AUDIO GAP) Department of Justice treat you like a gang member, you should be pardoned. If you committed violence on that day, obviously, you shouldn't be pardoned.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Obviously, you shouldn't be pardoned. I mean, it was almost as if it didn't bear reference. And the president actually used to agree with Vance. Here's what he said shortly after January 6th itself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The demonstrators who infiltrated the Capitol have defiled the seat of American democracy. 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Except for not now.
Paula Reid is outside the jail where many rioters have been held in Washington. And Paula, obviously, people have been getting out. There's been family, you know, reuniting where you are. What is the scene like where you are tonight?
PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, tonight at the detention facility, there is certainly a heavy police presence, as some of those who have benefited from President Trump's clemency have slowly been trickling out of this facility. And behind me, there are a few dozen people who are here to demonstrate in support of the rioters. But as we've seen over the past 24 hours, not everyone is supportive of President Trump's move to grant all of this clemency.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: We hope they come out tonight, frankly.
[19:05:02]
REID (voice-over): In one fell swoop, President Trump ended all of the 1,600 cases stemming from January 6th.
TRUMP: So this is January 6th. And these are the hostages for a pardon? Full pardon.
REID: Among those pardoned, many of the most violent offenders, including Patrick McCaughey, who assaulted Metro Police Officer Daniel Hodges with a police shield in the tunnel of the Capitol.
Robert Palmer threw a fire extinguisher at a police officer and attacked police with a wooden plank and pole.
Kyle Fitz Simons accused of committing five assaults against law enforcement over an approximately five minute span.
Peter Schwartz, who threw a folding chair at law enforcement and repeatedly used pepper spray on police.
Enrique Tarrio, a former leader of the Proud Boys who is convicted on the most serious charge seditious conspiracy for his role in directing the violence that day from afar. He was one and a half years into his 22-year sentence. Tarrio praising Trump for the pardon in an interview tonight with right wing host Alex Jones.
TARRIO: I had no doubt he was going to release us. He gave me my life back. Twenty-two years is not a short sentence. That's the rest of my life.
REID: Trump also commuted the sentences of 14 defendants. Those cases are being reviewed and they still could get pardons, including Stewart Rhodes, leader of the far right Oath Keepers, who prosecutors said called for a bloody revolution to keep Trump in power. He had his 18- year sentence commuted and was seen here getting out of prison Monday evening.
At least 180 of those pardoned Monday by Trump were charged with assault with a deadly weapon.
Back in 2021, Trump denounced the protesters.
TRUMP: Those who engaged in the attacks last week will be brought to justice.
REID: But on the campaign trail, he vowed to pardon them.
TRUMP: I will sign their pardons on day one.
REID: Though he and others suggested the pardons would be limited to nonviolent offenders, his action went farther than many, including his GOP allies, were expecting.
SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): I just can't agree. It was surprising to me that it was a blanket pardon.
REID: But perhaps the strongest rebuke came from former Officer Michael Fanone, who was attacked during the riot.
MICHAEL FANONE, FORMER DC POLICE OFFICER: Six individuals who assaulted me as I did my job on January 6th, as did hundreds of other law enforcement officers, will now walk free.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
REID (on camera): So in addition to those who received a commutation or a pardon, there is a third group. And those are the defendants who have cases that are still pending. And president Trump has ordered those cases to be dismissed. But that could take a minute, because a judge has to sign off on that. And we expect that some judges are going to want to go on the record and weigh in on this historic decision -- Erin. BURNETT: Certainly historic.
Paula Reid, thank you very much, outside that jail in Washington.
And I want to go OUTFRONT now to the Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin from Oklahoma. He jumped into action on January 6th to stop the violent mob at the Capitol. You see him here barricading the doors to the House chamber with a desk from the House floor.
So, Senator Mullin, you -- you were there and you know what happened that day. Do you wish President Trump would have only pardoned nonviolent offenders? Obviously, that was that was clear that he was going to do that instead of the blanket pardon he issued?
SEN. MARKWAYNE MULLIN (R-OK): Well, I think what happened is after President Biden did the preemptive pardon on his family members and on the Jan 6 Committee, I think it all changed. And this is President Trump's prerogative. He's the president of the United States now.
And the American people on November 5th chose to -- to move on past January 6th. It was a regretful day. It should have never taken place. There's no question it was a riot. I saw it with my own eyes.
But President Trump is the president of the United States, and things changed. Even -- even President Biden, remember, four years ago, said that a pardon -- a preemptive pardon shows guilt. But yet he went ahead and did that. And as I said, I think everything changed after President Biden did what he did 15 minutes before he left office.
BURNETT: So, obviously, I'm not going to equate one versus the other. I do just want to point out the point, Senator, as you and I know anyone watching knows, there's no way that they -- they got 700 pardons ready in those few hours, right? Those were ready to go.
It wasn't -- it wasn't after President Biden made the decision about his family and the January 6th Committee.
MULLIN: I believe it was -- yeah, I believe it was 42 executive orders with 200 actions on them. And there was a change, but there was. It doesn't take too long to put a full and complete pardon on January 6th. It simply changes the changes, the piece of paper.
And I get people are upset at -- at those that provided violence, and especially to our officers who many are my friends. But at the same time, I'm not saying it's fair, but at the same time, President Biden changed all this.
Remember the 37 murderers that he commuted their sentences? Remember two of them? One that he pardoned, two -- the one that he pardoned killed two FBI agents. Another one literally beat an officer to death with a hammer, and another one literally tied up a woman who had accused him of rape, tied her up in duct tape, put a cinder block around her and threw her over a bridge live.
And so, you -- you remember that the violence that he pardoned. And I'm just saying, you got to compare both of them, Erin, if you're going to cover the story, cover both stories, because neither one of them is great.
BURNETT: Senator, there are two -- two -- two things, though. First, I want to talk about you. First of all, saying somebody else jumped off a bridge. So I'm going to jump off the bridge, too, is not an excuse that any of us would generally find acceptable. So just putting aside Biden did this. So Trump did this.
I want to talk about your feelings about it. You talk about these as officers. You know, you were there. You say it's a riot. You were yelling in rioters faces.
You were blockading a door as they were attacking the Capitol. And you've talked about what you what you saw, right? You've talked about what you saw, that you walked in a room and saw people that had had officers that had had broken limbs, noses broken. You talked about it yourself. Let me just play some of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MULLIN: I hollered at him and I says, I'd put you down, and I said, I'd put you down. And the guy looked at me, and he says, this is our house. I said, it's our house, too. He says, yeah, but this is our f- ing house. And I said, its our house, too. And we're not going to let you come in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And that was an exchange, senator, that you described having with one of the rioters in the context of what were talking about here, just this particular pardons, how can you defend people like, how can you defend people like that?
MULLIN: I'm not -- I am not trying to defend the individuals whatsoever. That's not what I'm trying to do. And I get what you're saying by jumping off a bridge, I'm saying things changed when President Biden did what they did. And both are equally bad. And neither one should be assaulting police officers at any time, especially those that Biden pardoned that killed each other -- or that killed officers.
Now, going back to -- to what happened, it was a horrible day, Erin. I said it was a horrible day. However, the American people have chose to move on. That was evident with the overwhelming support that President Trump got November 5th, and he did not hide his -- his disdain for the Department of Justice, who was openly targeting individuals.
Keep in mind, over half the individuals that was pardoned here, Erin, were people that got misdemeanors for like parading on public lands and picketing on public. You know that to be a fact.
(CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: And we knew -- we all, Senator, well, yes. And we knew that he was going to pardon those individuals. I don't think anybody was under any illusions about that, right? But the ones who did the violence, you know, when you heard Officer Fanone talking about six individuals who assaulted him, the officers that your friends who are on the receiving end of this, you know, what do you say to them today?
MULLIN: Well, I mean, I'm -- Erin, I don't mean to be beating a drum here, but I just want to make sure that reporting is equal. What does the individuals -- how does the Biden administration, what does this station say to the individuals that they lost two of their family members that were FBI agents? What about the officer that was beaten to death with a hammer?
All I'm trying to say is lets make sure were not just focusing on President Trump and his pardon.
BURNETT: But, Senator --
MULLIN: Let's keep in mind that the --
BURNETT: Senator, I understand what.
MULLIN: -- outgoing administration of President Biden did even worse.
BURNETT: Well, no, I'm not going to accept that premise, but I will just take you on very one clear fact, right. You are here to talk about January 6th. It's just like when you and I both speak to our own children. They come and say, well, but Joey did this and this is just as bad.
No, I want to talk about you and what happened with you.
MULLIN: A hundred percent.
BURNETT: So what I'm talking about here, in this context of you and me having a conversation, is January 6th and something that you were there, that you called a riot, that you said you walked into a room and you saw people whose legs had -- limbs had been broken, noses had been broken. People who are your friends and the people who did that, the perpetrators of those acts are now pardoned.
That's just a simple thing for you to answer, separate from what anybody else did. Are you okay with that?
MULLIN: Well, what I'm saying is the American people have chosen to move on. I have my personal feelings on it, but the American people have chosen to move on. And president Trump, its his prerogative to do this. He did not hide that he was going to pardon January 6th individuals that was wrongfully charged by the DOJ.
I get what you're saying about the violent crimes. However, that is still the presidents prerogative, just like it was Joe Biden's prerogative to parole the 37 murders or commute their sentences, it is still the presidents prerogative to do that, regardless of you and I agree with it or not, the president has the authority, and the American people chose to put President Trump in office by overwhelming support.
[19:15:01]
What is sad is that we continue to talk about this, and were not talking about the other executive orders that literally put the American people back on track which they wanted.
BURNETT: Well, there are a lot of them -- there are a lot of them to talk about. Again, just talking to you about this specifically, I just wonder whether you're worried about what this does to the rule of law. The American people can vote for what they vote for, right? But our courts are independent from our -- from -- from the executive office. That's the way its supposed to be.
And again, you can say, well, this person did this and this did this, but in this moment, this is what happened. I mean, Enrique Tarrio, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy for coordinating and directing the attacks, is free. And he said, Senator, and I quote him, he just gave an interview to Alex Jones. He said, the people who did this, they need to feel the heat. They need to be put behind bars and they need to be prosecuted. I'm not going anywhere.
MULLIN: Well, if you're talking about the rule of law, President Trump is the person that's reinstating the rule of law. He's the one that has closed down the lawlessness that was happening on the border. He's the one that's going to aggressively go after criminals in the cities. He's going to close down the sanctuary cities.
He's the one that's going to enforce the law. He's not the one that weaponized the DOJ in his first administration. He's not going to weaponize the DOJ this time like the Biden administration did.
So if you're talking about rule of law, I'm not worried about it. In fact, I'm excited that President Trump is going to actually enforce the rule of law once again, because what separates us from a third world country is a -- is that we enforce the law and we respect the law.
Third world country kind of does whatever they want to. That's why people wanted to come to the United States because they wanted security, they wanted confidence. They wanted to know they could live in peace. And that we didn't see that underneath the Biden administration.
BURNETT: All right. Senator Mullin, I appreciate your time. Thank you very much.
MULLIN: Thank you, Erin.
BURNETT: All right. And the Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin joins me now. He was a member of the January 6th Committee which investigated the attack on Capitol Hill.
So, of course, you are the recipient of one of those pardons Senator Mullin takes issue with. You also are the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee.
So, Senator Raskin, I appreciate your time.
You heard Senator Mullin's response to this. He calls it a riot. He's obviously upset about what happened that day. He doesn't mince words about it, but he is defending the pardons, the blanket pardons given to violent and nonviolent offenders by President Trump.
REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD): Yeah, well, look, people are giving pardons, as the senator points out under the -- basically unlimited executive discretion of the president. But the question is why. Pardons have generally been used when people are actually innocent or there was some procedural miscarriage of justice.
And nobody's claiming that these people were innocent. We've got them on tape, you know, hitting the police officers over the head with pipes and bats and Confederate battle flags and all of that's been established, most of them pled guilty. The others have been convicted.
There was no procedural miscarriage of justice. On the contrary, they've had every benefit of due process. So pardons in that case are reserved for people who are reformed, people who are rehabilitated and no longer constitute a threat to public safety. So that's what's missing in this conversation.
If President Trump had come forward and said, we've spoken to these people. They are not going to be attacking police officers in the future the way that they bloodied and wounded and hospitalized, 140 of them in Washington, D.C. They are not going to be attacking the rule of law, and democratic institutions. They are not going to be interrupting the peaceful transfer of power, and they're not going to be a threat to their communities. We haven't heard anything like that.
So then the question is, why are they being released? Are they being released as a reserve army of political foot soldiers to act on behalf of MAGA in Donald Trump? And I think that's what's so profoundly troubling to a majority of the American people who rejected the idea of freeing at least the violent criminals and the ones who were convicted of seditious conspiracy, which means conspiracy to overthrow the government?
BURNETT: I may speak for some viewers, I don't know. I find the whole pardon process in general, and the last minute pardons that we get to, to often be very tough to swallow. I'll be honest with you, that is the truth.
But when it comes to the pardons that were issued that you heard Senator Mullin and others saying, well, because Biden did pardon January 6th and pardoned his own family members, which is something he had said he would not do when it came to his own family, the preemptive pardon that is what paved the way for this.
RASKIN: Well --
BURNETT: That's the argument that they're making.
RASKIN: That's nonsense. Well, they're making contradictory arguments then, because they're also running. Around saying Donald Trump campaigned on this. He's been talking about it for months, which is indeed true.
So whatever Joe Biden did has nothing to do with what Donald Trump did. He followed through on what he intended to do from the very beginning.
But I think, look, Joe Biden, at least in the case of why he pardoned Liz Cheney and Bennie Thompson and the rest of the January 6th committee and the police officers and Dr. Fauci was very clear why. He said he was pardoning people, not because they were guilty of anything. And he rejected any insinuation that they were.
[19:20:01]
He was pardoning them because they were innocent, but because Donald Trump has been running around saying he was going to unleash prosecutors against Dr. Fauci and General Milley and Liz Cheney and Bennie Thompson.
But why did Donald Trump pardon all of the insurrectionists? That's what we want to know. Are they reformed? Are they no longer a threat to public safety?
BURNETT: All right. Well, I appreciate your time. And thank you very much, Congressman. Thank you so much for being with me tonight.
RASKIN: You bet.
BURNETT: Congressman Raskin there and Senator Mullin.
Well, next, the breaking news, Trump's border czar says immigration raids are now underway. Cities across the country are readying. So what are they going to do? What is New York, Chicago, San Francisco, what are they going to do?
Plus, a Washington bishop calls out Trump directly to his face.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BISHOP: I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: She's OUTFRONT.
And has Trump met his match? The president of Mexico tonight going toe to toe with Trump and speaking out about -- well, a lot of things, including his plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:25:35]
BURNETT: Breaking news, President Trump is preparing to take action on another one of his top priorities. And that, of course, those executive orders for targeted immigration operations in cities across the country. They say that federal immigration authorities will be arresting -- permitted to arrest people in places including schools and churches.
Jeff Zeleny is OUTFRONT.
So, Jeff, schools and churches, everyone knew this was coming in some shape or form. But obviously when you're thinking its just going to apply to criminals, as many people thought -- you wouldn't be talking about places like schools.
So what more can you tell us about what could be ahead for these raids and for major U.S. cities?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, this is coming a day after the president signed those series of executive actions. You saw it happening right here last night. And now this is his government putting these plans into place.
So the immigration, of course, a top priority of this administration, these plans now are taking shape. So this came in a directive from the Homeland Security Department.
And it is a sort of at odds with the long standing policy of the government, certainly in the Biden administration, to essentially not go into schools or churches.
But let's take a look at the language in this memorandum from the Homeland Security Department. It lays it out very directly. It says this.
It says a criminal will no longer be able to hide in America's schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trust them to use common sense.
So it sounds fairly simple there, but the reality here again, this is at odds with the long standing policy of the schools and churches essentially being a safe place. Now, the immigration officials will say this is a place where people have hidden out.
So this is a whole new era. This is happening, you know, sort of a day by day here. But one more metric of how this immigration policy is taking shape on the second day of the Trump administration -- Erin.
BURNETT: The second day, and of course, all moving fast and furiously.
Jeff, thank you very much.
Let's bring in Ryan Goodman, OUTFRONT legal analyst and coeditor in chief of "Just Security".
So, Ryan, looking at these executive orders, when you talk about the immigration raids that we are expecting, we have been told will be carried out and at any moment. And, you know, they've mentioned Chicago, possibly first, it's unclear. We're looking for it.
So what -- what are the legal implications of this? If you start seeing it in places like schools and churches?
RYAN GOODMAN, JUST SECURITY CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: So there's no real legal constraint that would differentiate between a school and a church and a work site. This really is about a policy constraint out of respect for those kinds of institutions.
That said, for any building that the ICE agents want to go in, they would need to have a judge approved warrant, otherwise they wouldn't be able to get permission to go into private spaces within those buildings. That might be one area in which there's an issue.
And the other one is that Tom Homan, the border czar for the White House, has threatened local officials with the idea that they themselves could be prosecuted for harboring unlawful immigrants. And that seems to be a stretch. I mean, that's him threatening areas of the law that have never been used that way in the U.S. Supreme Court has read that area of the law very narrowly because of what it would impose on local actors.
BURNETT: Of course, it's fascinating to think about what this if this did go to the Supreme Court, if it's tested. There's also the executive order on birthright citizenship. And that, of course, is in the Constitution. So it's guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. If you are born here, you're a U.S. citizen. So he goes ahead. He puts out that executive order saying that's over. Legal challenges immediately, as I'm sure the Trump administration anticipated from 24 Democrat led states and cities.
So how strong is the argument? I mean, is this just a okay, it's in the Constitution. You have to change the Constitution. This -- this whole ending birthright citizenship is going to go in the garbage. Or is it more complicated than that?
GOODMAN: It's actually not very complicated. Its one of the few areas of law that I would say they have a very losing argument. Its entrenched in the Constitution, the Supreme Court case law on it. The Fifth Circuit has one of the most conservative benches and one of the most conservative judges, James Ho, has written law review articles on how birthright citizenship is guaranteed in the Constitution. You would need a constitutional amendment.
And what's remarkable about the executive order, that's actually quite surprising is it does not just try to deny citizenship to people who are born here, to immigrants who are undocumented or unauthorized. It actually says as well that it would apply to children who are born to legally present migrants, but they're only legally present on a temporary visa. So imagine somebody who's on a long term visa. They're the chair of a medical department at a university, and they have a child. It's impossible for me to think that that's going to be upheld in the courts.
And I think in some regards, maybe they're trying such an extreme position that they hope the judges or the justices, ultimately, the Supreme Court will adopt a compromise position, but this one is really a loser for them, even to the idea that they would roll this out on the first day, it might be a very significant legal loss immediately in the courts and then upheld on appeal.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Ryan. As always, appreciate it.
And so many questions about that birthright citizenship one. Hopefully some answers there.
And next, Trump -- you know, forced to sit there. It was an awkward moment. Let's be honest for anybody sitting there after a Washington bishop takes on the new president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BISHOP: The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: She's OUTFRONT next.
Plus, some of Chinas biggest companies are taking on Trump by setting up companies basically in Mexico, ending around the Chinese tariffs. It's a bold move, and you'll see more in a story here first OUTFRONT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:35:16]
BURNETT: Tonight, a bishop takes on Trump and pleads with him face to face to, quote, have mercy. The Episcopal bishop of Washington, pleading with President Trump to show compassion towards undocumented immigrants and the LGBTQ community today, a dramatic moment coming during her sermon at today's national prayer service.
I'm going to speak to the bishop in just a moment, but first, so everyone can understand exactly what happened. I want to play for you the moment and show you at the same time on the screen, the president's reaction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BISHOP MARIANN EDGAR BUDDE, WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL: Let me make one final plea, Mr. President. Millions have put their trust in you. And as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)(
BURNETT: All right. Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde, the bishop at Washington National Cathedral, is now OUTFRONT.
And, Bishop, I appreciate your time and your tone there is so serious and genuine. You see him? He's stone faced. He then looks down, but he's listening to every word you say as you made that personal plea to him.
What -- were you looking at him in that moment? What kind of response were you perhaps hoping for in that moment? BUDDE: I was. I was looking at the president because I was speaking
directly to him. I was also, frankly, as you do in every sermon, speaking to everyone who was listening through that one on one conversation with the president, reminding us all that in the people that are frightened in our country, the two groups of people that I mentioned are our fellow human beings, and that they have been portrayed in all throughout the political campaign, in the harshest of lights that I -- I wanted to -- I wanted to counter as gently as I could with a reminder of their humanity and their -- and their place in our wider community.
And I was speaking to the president because I -- I felt that he has this moment now where he feels charged and empowered to do what he feels called to do. And I wanted to say, you know, there is room for mercy. There's room for a broader compassion. We don't need to portray with a broad cloth in the harshest of terms, some of the most vulnerable people in our society who are in fact our neighbors, our friends, our children, our friends' children and so forth.
BURNETT: So you spoke. I like how you used the word gently because it was gentle. I mean, it was it was intense and passionate, but yet it was gentle. It was not ugly or confrontational.
I wouldn't expect it to be. But, you know, these are hard things to talk about in that context.
BUDDE: Right.
BURNETT: You spoke obviously about undocumented migrants. Also the LGBT community, the two communities you're talking about. I wanted to play a little bit more of what you said. And also, again, the president's reaction at that moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUDDE: There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives. The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors.
I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away.
(END VIDOE CLIP)
BURNETT: What made you decide to say all that today?
BUDDE: Well, these are the people that I know. These are not abstract people for me. These are actual people that I know. So I wanted to speak on their behalf.
I wanted to present a vision of what unity can look like in this country that is transcending of differences and viewpoints and acknowledging our common humanity.
BURNETT: Yes. BUDDE: I wanted to speak in such a way that reflected that dignity and respect, but I also wanted to bring into -- into that space the real humanity of the people that I was referencing.
BURNETT: Now, he was asked about that because obviously there was there were cameras in there. People -- people saw that interaction and they saw it.
[19:40:01]
He was asked about your service afterward, and here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Not too exciting, was it? I didn't think it was a good service. No. They can do much better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: From him, honestly, Bishop, it's tame. He could have said much -- he could have been much stronger than that.
BUDDE: Yeah.
BURNETT: But obviously he made a -- you know, he made his feelings known in that context. But -- but we know, right? He'll -- he'll say what he thinks. And he could have said much more.
What -- what do you -- what's your response to him in that?
BUDDE: Well, I agree with you. It was a very -- it was a very muted response. I wasn't expecting. I keep my expectations low whenever I preach, Erin. I don't -- and I don't always I can't always measure impact by body language or even what people say afterwards.
And so I have to let all of that go. I speak from what I believe I've been given to say and, and, and let it go from there.
But I -- actually it was -- it was -- it was a respectful response. He didn't like it. He said so. He said we could do better. Some of the other comments I've received haven't been as kind or has been as -- as muted, shall we say. And one of the things I was trying to get across is that we can actually have these conversations in a respectful way.
BURNETT: Yeah. Yeah. Well, I can only imagine. But thank you so much for taking the time to talk about it and to be so thoughtful about it. Thank you so much, Bishop.
BUDDE: Thank you.
BURNETT: And next, a face off tonight between Trump and Mexico's president. She is not backing down. This is an interesting face off. Has he met his match in her?
Plus, Trump's former vice president is now trying to take down RFK, Jr. How come? (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:46:00]
BURNETT: Breaking news the president of Mexico standing up to Trump. Claudia Sheinbaum taking on Trump's executive action to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT: He says that he will call it the "Gulf of America" on its continental shelf. For us, it is still the Gulf of Mexico and for the entire world, it is still the Gulf of Mexico.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Just dismissing it casually. There it comes, though, as Trump is also threatening 25 percent tariffs on anything that comes through Mexico as soon as February 1st.
David Culver takes you to a town in Mexico that is -- is booming economy booming because of Chinese factories that moved there to dodge Trump's tariffs originally on China.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is where we assembled everything.
DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're getting a firsthand look at what some are calling an industrial Chinatown.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything we make, we produce here is going to end up in a major furnishing store in the U.S.
CULVER: We're in Mexico. This is an hour outside Monterrey, Mexico, about 160 miles from the U.S. southern border.
(voice-over): This region, Mexico's so-called industrial capital, ideal for companies like China's Kuka Home Furnishing, looking to reach U.S. customers.
MATT HARRISON, KUKA HOME FURNISHING, NORTH AMERICA PRESIDENT: We as an American consumers want everything immediately. So, okay, let's -- let's open up shop in Mexico.
CULVER: While Kuka Home says their move was motivated by shorter supply chains, a surge of other Chinese companies flooded Mexico to dodge hefty tariffs President Trump levied during his first term.
CESAR SANTOS, PRESIDENT, HOFUSAN INDUSTRIAL PARK: Well, actually, that helped us because when they put a tariff there in China, then those companies came to us.
CULVER: And are they still here?
SANTOS: Yeah, of course. They are growing.
CULVER: Question is going to be what happens if tariffs are applied to Mexico? That's something President Trump has suggested he might do.
Threatening to hit the U.S.'s southern neighbor and largest trading partner with a 25 percent tariff on exports to the U.S.
HARRISON: I mean, the 25 percent tariff on -- on Mexico puts me out of business. Simply put, it puts me out of business.
CULVER: And that, in turn, would leave many here out of work. If you look around me, you can see at this factory in particular, the vast majority of people who work here are from Mexico.
For now, he's comfortable staying here in Mexico because he has a job. He has opportunity. You don't have that, he said. You have to look for other ways to sustain your family. And he goes, for some, that means migrating to places like the U.S.
The uncertainty of the Trump tariff threat has Kuka Home pausing expansion plans here and leaves other Chinese companies questioning their next move.
This is your -- your Spanish language books.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
CULVER: Chinese to Spanish.
Zhang Jianqiu is in Mexico scouting future opportunities for his Chinese employer.
With the 25 percent tariff, is it feasible?
ZHANG JIANQUI, CHINESE ENGINEER SCOUTING OPPORTUNITIES IN MEXICO: I think most Chinese companies, they are waiting. They are watching and then they will make the final decision.
CULVER: Some Chinese companies, though, are full steam ahead with expanding their footprint to be within reach of their U.S. customers.
SANTOS: This is called the Hofusan Industrial Park.
CULVER: Inside Hofusan --
SANTOS: Basically, 100 percent of the companies are Chinese companies here.
CULVER: Some 40 companies making home appliances, auto parts, light bulbs, medical supplies, you name it, all destined for the U.S. Here, the lines between what's Mexican and what's Chinese quickly become blurred.
You have street signs. You can see the Chinese flag there.
SANTOS: The Chinese flag, yes. These are restaurants. These are very nice Chinese restaurants.
CULVER: Chinese restaurant?
SANTOS: Chinese restaurant, yes.
CULVER: As I look at the name, your name is mixed into this.
SANTOS: Yeah. It's a Holley, Futong and Santos.
CULVER: These two shareholders, Holley --
[19:50:02]
SANTOS: Chinese.
CULVER: Hofusan is expanding rapidly with plans to eventually cover some 2,000 acres. But that's not been enough for the demand.
RAMIRO GONZALEZ, DEVELOPER: This area is just next to Monterrey. It's called Juarez.
CULVER: Developer Ramiro Gonzalez is now building another so-called industrial Chinatown.
You've got your name in Spanish and then Chinese.
GONZALEZ: Yeah. Yes. I'm really happy because the Chinese people call me Dai Loong. Dai Loong means big dragon.
Basically, this is a multi-tenant building.
CULVER: But if Trump's proposed tariffs on Mexico make the U.S. market too expensive, some Chinese companies are confident that they've still got other options.
SANTOS: We can sell to Europe, we can sell to Latin America, even Mexico. Mexico is a big market, too.
CULVER: Yet despite the potential loss Trump's tariffs might cause him, Cesar Santos believes widening cartel violence is a bigger threat to business here in Mexico, so much so that he's given up prime real estate to have a police presence nearby.
SANTOS: Yeah, we donated that area adjacent to the property.
CULVER: It's a big part of why he actually supports the man behind the tariffs.
SANTOS: He's strong.
CULVER: President Trump.
SANTOS: Actually, I like him for all the issues we have in terms of all the criminal gangs and everything like that, the drugs. So we need the help of people like him to stop that. (END VIDEOTAPE)
CULVER (on camera): I'll pick up on that last point right there, Erin, because that's the nuance that really stood out to us as we were down there, is the wide range of support for President Trump even though these tariffs could do a lot of damage economically to that region. And we had we had that engineer from China who even said he looks up to President Trump as a businessman. So he thinks that he actually won't go forward with the tariffs.
And then you heard Cesar Santos right there who says put profits aside, for him, it's about national security in Mexico, the influence of the cartels. That's his real concern. And he's looking to the U.S. president for help on that.
BURNETT: Really incredible, David, just incredible reporting too, because, you know, the tariffs on China that they all moved there. I mean, in a sense, this is exactly the point Trump's been making that -- that that's why the tariffs are needed on Mexico. I mean, it is -- it is really fascinating to see all of this and their support for him nonetheless.
Thank you so much, David.
And next, why some big name Republicans are breaking with Trump on trying to take down RFK, Jr.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:56:09]
BURNETT: Tonight, Trump's former vice president trying to tank one of Trump's cabinet nominees. An advocacy group founded by Mike Pence is urging GOP senators to not confirm RFK Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Why? Because he embraces anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and is a former heroin addict. Wasn't even about the abortion support.
But Pence's pleas may be falling on deaf ears in Washington, and Meena Duerson is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MEENA DUERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the MAHA ball, which is the Make America Healthy Again party thrown in honor of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who is President Trump's pick to lead the department of HHS.
There's about 800 people here who are some of his biggest supporters, from health and wellness influencers, to big conservative stars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: MAHA ball is like one of the, you know, the biggest balls here in town. We are literally at 1,000 people on a waiting list right now.
DUERSON: MAHA was born when Kennedy ended his presidential campaign and joined forces with Trump. ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR., SECRETARY OF HEALTH NOMINEE: Don't you want a
president that's going to make America healthy again?
DUERSON: Trump's inauguration put the MAHA agenda on its biggest stage yet.
TRUMP: Together, we will end the chronic disease epidemic and keep our children safe, healthy and disease free.
VANI HARI, INFLUENCER: Him specifically calling out fixing the chronic disease issue, I cheered from my seat.
DUERSON: Vani Hari isn't a medical professional, but she's built an audience of over 2 million followers on Instagram as the food babe. She was an Obama delegate in 2012, but spent this weekend with Trump's picks to lead health.
HARI: The people I've been meeting with have been unreal.
DUERSON: Is this the first time that health and wellness influencers have had the ear of the president in this way?
HARI: Yes.
ALEX CLARK, HOST, CULTURE APOTHECARY PODCAST: I was radicalized during the pandemic. I was greatly disturbed and confused about mandating a vaccine for everyone to take that, led me to start diving deeper into corruption in pharma and in food. And that's really a lot of conservative female story.
DUERSON: Alex Clark doesn't have a formal background in food science or medicine, but hosts a popular podcast on health and wellness for the conservative youth group turning point.
What are your top things you want to see happen? You know, in the next 100 days, the next four years?
CLARK: We're going to completely revamp public school lunch and we're going to get pharmaceutical ads off of TV.
HARI: We have to address this fundamental., unethical, hypocritical issue of American companies. We need an America first standard with our own American food companies.
Poison is not partisan.
DUERSON: A recent poll found some of RFK's positions are resonating. Nearly half of Americans see chemicals or unsafe food additives as a risk, but there's far less support for policies he's advocated, like removing fluoride from water or ending vaccine requirements in public schools.
KENNEDY: I'm not anti-vaccine. I just want good science. I want people should be able to make informed choices. I am against vaccine mandates. DUERSON: Close to 20,000 doctors have signed an open letter saying the
Senate should not confirm Kennedy. They said he is unqualified, actively dangerous.
DEL BIGTREE, CEO, MAHA ACTION: Now, I don't know what these 17,000 doctors do. I think someone should audit that list.
DUERSON: Del Bigtree was Kennedy's communications director during his presidential campaign and is now the CEO of MAHA Action.
How do you lead people who are scared of you and what you might do?
BIGTREE: You don't do dramatic and drastic things that scare them. The news has made Bobby seem scary. No ones taking anything away from anyone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's not coming for any one thing. He's coming for transparency.
CLARK: I don't understand what they're scared about. What is wrong with saying we want to make sure that every single vaccine on the schedule is completely foolproof, that there's evidence that these are working, that these are necessary.
CALLEY MEANS, AUTHOR, "GOOD ENERGY": We are the sickest country in the developed world. So the worst thing we could possibly do is more of the same.
HARI: This movement is unstoppable. We have had this pent up frustration that we have not been heard from our government leaders. And for the first time, we are being amplified and it gives us an electrification that could be measured.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DUERSON (on camera): And it's important, you know, for me to note that this issue of child vaccine schedule and the safety and efficacy of vaccines comes up repeatedly in this MAHA sphere, but the agencies that Kennedy is slated to lead if confirmed, you know, the Department of Human and Health Services, the CDC, state unequivocally that they are safe and effective and scientifically proven to be better than the alternative.
BURNETT: All right, Mina, thank you very much.
And thanks so much to all of you.
"AC360" starts now.