Return to Transcripts main page
Erin Burnett Outfront
Sheriff "Aware" Of Reports Of Possible Ransom Notes In Guthrie Case; WSJ: Classified Whistleblower Complaint About Gabbard Locked In Safe; Melinda Gates Breaks Silence On Bill Gates' Presence In Epstein Files. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired February 03, 2026 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:24]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:
The breaking news, the sheriff investigating the abduction of Savannah Guthrie's mother says there are possible ransom notes. "The L.A. Times" reporting blood was found at Nancy Guthrie's home as Guthrie's neighbor speaks out. He's our guest.
Plus, a classified complaint against the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, so sensitive that it is reportedly locked away in a safe. So, what are the allegations?
The lawyer for the whistleblower behind that complaint is OUTFRONT tonight.
And more fallout from the Epstein files. Melinda Gates, Bill Gates' ex-wife, breaking her silence.
Let's go OUTFRONT.
(MUSIC)
BURNETT: And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
And OUTFRONT tonight, we begin with the breaking news with the newest details and the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mother. The Pima County sheriff acknowledging reports of possible ransom notes tonight. TMZ and at least one local newsroom in Tucson, both saying that they have received an alleged ransom note for Nancy Guthrie. She is 84 years old and was reported missing on Sunday at noon.
Now, the sheriff's office is responding to that report of ransom notes with a statement, which I'll read to you now. They say, quote, we are aware of reports circulating about possible ransom notes regarding the investigation into Nancy Guthrie. We are taking all tips and leads very seriously. Anything that comes in goes directly to our detectives who are coordinating with the FBI.
So they're acknowledging it, but not directly confirming it. Now, according to "The L.A. Times", blood was found at Nancy Guthrie's home. Officials, however, at this time are not giving specifics on that. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF CHRIS NANOS, PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA: We've submitted all, all kinds of samples for DNA, and we've gotten some back, but nothing to indicate any suspects. We don't know where she is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Now, in the last few minutes, the sheriff's helicopter was flying over Nancy Guthrie's house. Our teams on the ground saw that it has now been two and a half days since she was reported missing, and almost three days since she was last seen.
And officials say you just heard the sheriff there. You saw him on this program last night, but he's now saying they have no suspects.
And tonight, for the first time, we are hearing audio, audio dispatch from the sheriff's office in the hours after Nancy Guthrie was reported missing. Sharing these details about someone you'll hear named Nancy, who does match the description of Nancy Guthrie.
Let me play it for you.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
SHERIFF DISPATCH AUDIO: Nancy, a white female, 84 years of age, 5'2", medium build, brown over blue. Nancy has high blood pressure, pacemaker and cardiac issues.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BURNETT: Ed Lavandera is there on the ground in Tucson tonight. And, Ed, you know, a lot more detail. But still, they say they don't have a specific suspect, a lead. They're now trying to get the footage from any cameras in the home. And I know they've been, you know, getting access to that. They're asking neighbors for any footage as you have been in the neighborhood. You know, you now have a feel yourself editor for how hard it would be to find any leads there.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. You know, we're still several hours away from sunset here in Tucson, but you can imagine just how dark this neighborhood is. And, you know, one of the things that investigators have been doing is they've been putting out pleas to residents in this area to look for their camera -- cameras on their doors or anything that would give them some clues. Maybe they captured something and you might be able to hear just on the other side of this tree line, which is difficult to see, is the sheriff's chopper that has been flying over.
Actually, if we stand back over this way, you can kind of see it. This is like the fourth or fifth pass in the last 10 or 15 minutes that the sheriff's department has made back over the home. This is not something we have seen throughout the course of the day. We don't know exactly what they are up to.
Obviously, this moment, this is all unfolding right now, but we've seen this gentleman there kind of leaning out over the side of the chopper. They've been doing multiple passes around this area for the last 15 minutes or so, probably over the course of several blocks as well. So clearly, something going on, either they're trying to map the area or get a sense of, you know, what the -- what the area is like. Or they might, you know, maybe they have new evidence or new information that they're trying to track down.
So, we will try to figure out what is going on there. But it is interesting that this has been going on here for the last 15 minutes, but this neighborhood is not your traditional kind of neighborhood where you talk about, you know, homes like stacked one next to the other.
[19:05:03]
These are homes in this neighborhood that are spaced out, many of them tucked away behind desert foliage. And so, a clear view from people's porches or camera door -- door cameras, not -- it's going to be very difficult to capture something out here. And I think that's one of the reasons why investigators here have perhaps been hampered by what is going on. Here comes the helicopter past us once again. So, it might be a little bit difficult to hear us.
But that is one of the things that has been, I think, very difficult for investigators to piece this timeline together of what happened in these crucial hours. Let it go overhead. You might be very difficult to hear me, but, you know, there's this, Erin, about a 14-hour window from when Nancy Guthrie was dropped off at her home here on Saturday night into when her family realized she was missing. And so, investigators are trying to piece together this timeline, whatever they can, to find those crucial clues that might be able to help them track her down.
But in this kind of environment, in this kind of terrain, out here in this neighborhood that has proven to be rather difficult. Of course, investigators did tell us today that they are getting a number of videos, a lot of tips coming in because of the coverage on this story. And they are urging people to continue doing that. But the extent to which, whether or not that has provided something crucial, a license plate or a visual on somebody, we do not have clear indication of yet -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Ed, thank you very much.
Ed there on the ground in Tucson, that is where Jeff Lamie is also OUTFRONT. He's a neighbor of Nancy Guthrie.
And, Jeff, I know you can hear that same helicopter that was just flying over where Ed is, because this is your neighborhood. You know, look, you walk by Nancy's house, I understand, every day walking your dogs. And I know you regularly saw her. You would -- you would talk to her as a neighbor might.
So what is your feeling when you -- as you describe your neighborhood, I mean, what is your feeling about what has happened here? JEFF LAMIE, NANCY GUTHRIE'S NEIGHBOR: People feel unsettled. I would
not say fearful, but obviously, this is shocking. This is a very quiet, safe neighborhood. We've lived here six years. It's actually a wonderful, wonderful neighborhood.
This was a horrible event. And we're obviously hoping for her safe return.
BURNETT: So, how would you, you know, describe her? I mean, obviously, I know you -- you knew her. I mean, in the sense as neighbors -- as neighbors would.
LAMIE: Yeah.
BURNETT: How would you describe her?
LAMIE: Yeah. Once again, we were not aware that Savannah Guthrie was her daughter. I mean, this is a very normal person in a community, a hello. She had a dog at one time also. When we'd walk by, if she was in the front yard, just a greeting.
Just a -- just a normal person who lived here. I believe she lived here since 1975. I mean, a long-time resident and just a typical person.
BURNETT: So, when authorities came to your door, and I understand they did. You know, last night I was talking to Sheriff Nanos, and he was saying, well, we're asking, you know, everyone for any -- kind of Ring cameras or anything. They were going door to door.
You know, what -- what did they ask for and what kind of help did you provide? And I guess, have they come repeatedly or what?
LAMIE: You know, what -- once again, and I have to say that the response has been amazing. Obviously, you hear the helicopter above, the drones. Volunteer crews that are coming through that do search and rescue in the mountains here who are scouring the neighborhood.
They've asked us to check our back, you know, as you noted, the lots are large. They're over an acre. So, checking our -- the scrub, but also asking if we could review our Ring cameras. And unfortunately, as noted, this has been challenging.
BURNETT: I mean, so when they're asking to check the scrub. What do you mean, just the scrub? The kind of foliage behind your back?
(CROSSTALK)
LAMIE: Back with -- yeah, yeah, the cactus and the trees and what have you. It's fairly dense.
And the -- the lots abut each other, actually our lot abuts the home -- the home with Mrs. Guthrie. So, unfortunately, we've all been looking and keeping our -- being aware and reviewing the Ring cameras. And unfortunately, thus far, we can't -- you know, we can't provide any assistance in that regard. BURNETT: Yeah. And I know, Jeff, that you've lived just next to Nancy
Guthrie for about six years here in this neighborhood. And, you know, I know that obviously, you were saying, you know, you stop and talk. You talk when you're walking your dog, neighborly things.
[19:10:02]
But I understand you were surprised to find out that her daughter is Savannah Guthrie. So, it wasn't something --
LAMIE: Yes.
BURNETT: -- that people knew, right?
LAMIE: You know, I mean, some did. Actually, another neighbor who's a 30-year resident also didn't know. I think she was just a normal person who lived here. And, you know, what -- made this her home.
BURNETT: All right. Well, I really appreciate your time very much, Jeff. Thank you for sharing everything that you can with us. And hopefully, hopefully --
(CROSSTALK)
LAMIE: And we're obviously all --
BURNETT: -- we're going to get her back. Yeah.
LAMIE: You know, we're all, you know, hoping obviously, for a positive outcome and for her return. This was -- this has been very shocking.
BURNETT: And one final question before you go, Jeff, I will ask -- did you ever see her with anyone else around the home or anyone there?
LAMIE: You know, she used to have a dog. You know, unfortunately, I believe her dog had passed away. She had a little terrier.
We would see folks who -- you know, her gardener, folks who helped her. Wonderful people.
But beyond that, I know she would drive. I believe she was very involved with her church. She would leave with activities. But, you know, she did live alone.
BURNETT: Yes. All right. Well, thank you very much, Jeff. I appreciate your time.
LAMIE: For sure.
BURNETT: And I want to go straight to Wallace Zeins, who's the former commanding officer of the NYPD hostage negotiating team.
And, Wally, let me just begin where Jeff ended when he was talking about, you know, obviously, the big lots, but talking about how he saw gardener, that she was very involved with her church coming and going. But, I mean, in terms of people in and around the home. WALLACE ZEINS, FORMER NYPD HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR AND HOMICIDE DETECTIVE:
Sure. What's very important, as you noticed, that the helicopter was flying over now.
BURNETT: This helicopter. That's right. This moment.
ZEINS: What usually happens on these type of investigations is they go back to the original crime scene and they repeat it. For instance, they may have looked at hundreds of license plate identifiers and came up with nothing. But keep in mind, it's a very rural area.
We had cases like that in New York City. What we do is we put together a grid search. Now a grid search is we take all the police officers and the police academy and corrections, other academies, and we line up and we go through a rural area together. We all take one step at a time, and we all look and we stop. And if we see something that shouldn't belong there, we pick it up and we use it as we bag it as evidence.
And that's maybe the helicopter was cordoning off different areas from above to see possibility if maybe if she -- from the abduction that were hearing took place --
BURNETT: Yeah.
ZEINS: They took her through the fields, through the rural area.
BURNETT: Well, it's interesting from what Jeff said, he's saying they were saying, check the scrub behind your houses, asking for help from neighbors. And as he's describing it, very dense.
ZEINS: Exactly.
BURNETT: Dense foliage. I mean, what do you believe happened here?
ZEINS: Well, let's -- let's start from the beginning. We know originally it was a missing person case, and they immediately then changed it to a criminal investigation, which means that they have probable cause of some manner, which means that probable cause is, an average person has enough knowledge that an arrest could be made.
BURNETT: They know something happened.
ZEINS: That something happened. And in this particular thing, at night, when they said that she was abducted, they had to have footage from a camera inside the house. How did we know that?
Also, I believe that the possibility of more than one person, she's 150 pounds, five foot five or 5 feet, waking up in the middle of the night, not in the best of health. Can't walk or run. So, I would think there's more than one person involved in this particular crime.
BURNETT: So when they say and the sheriff says now still that they have no suspects, given the fact that the resources put against this are extraordinary, do you think that's really the case? ZEINS: Well, let's look, from a law enforcement perspective. From my
perspective, being back in law enforcement we want to keep everything close to the vest, because if you leak information out to the public, don't forget the bad guys also have their counterintelligence going. They're out there listening to everything that's going on.
And this investigation, for instance, they're saying that TMZ found --
BURNETT: The ransom note.
ZEINS: Ransom note with bitcoins they're asking for.
BURNETT: They're asking for bitcoin.
ZEINS: What does that tell you? It tells you that there's some type of group that knows what bitcoins are all about. And social media, and they know the system.
BURNETT: So if these ransom notes are real, we don't know that they are at this point. But if they are, then then what do you think that that raises the possibility that she will be returned?
ZEINS: That all depends. You know, also, you got to take into consideration her health. Her health is paramount. And we know that without her medication, it's a tough situation and we know that -- where could she be? Could she be in a place? Could she be out in the field somewhere? We don't know.
But in relationship to the letters now, was it a physical paper letter? If it was, then it has to go through forensic.
[19:15:02]
It has to go through many different phases of crime scene technology. If it was on a computer, then that helps also because then the FBI is so good at what they do. When it comes down to electronic surveillance and electronic stuff of that nature, then they'll be able to further the investigation.
BURNETT: Yeah. All right. Well, Wally, thank you very much. I mean, just an extraordinarily sad and frightening situation. Thank you. And if you have any information at all, there is that FBI tip line that you see on the bottom of your screen. But if you are listening, it is 1-800-CALL-FBI.
OUTFRONT next, a whistleblower complaint against director of intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. And this one is so highly classified, so sensitive that it's reportedly locked away in a safe. The lawyer for the whistleblower, though, is speaking out right now OUTFRONT.
Plus, the brothers of Renee Nicole Good demanding justice tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The completely surreal scenes taking place on the streets of Minneapolis are beyond explanation. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And Jill Biden's ex-husband charged with murder in the death of his current wife.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:20:40]
BURNETT: Breaking news, new details surrounding the highly classified whistleblower complaint about the director of national intelligence. That's Tulsi Gabbard. This is a complaint that is so sensitive that "The Wall Street Journal" reports that it is actually being kept in a safe while officials work through how to even disclose it safely to Congress. One official telling "The Wall Street Journal" that if the complaint became public, it could cause, quote, "grave damage to national security". It's all ominous.
Tonight, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee says he expects to receive the whistleblower complaint by tonight or tomorrow.
Gabbard's office, meantime, dismissing the complaint, saying in part that it is, quote, "completely baseless".
OUTFRONT now, Andrew Bakaj. He is the lawyer for this unnamed whistleblower.
And, Andrew, your client's complaint, because obviously you know exactly who your client is -- and is so highly classified and so sensitive that when it comes to this, the complaint, the allegation itself, you haven't even seen it. We understand it's locked in a safe.
ANDREW BAKAJ, LAWYER FOR WHISTLEBLOWER WHO FILED GABBARD COMPLAINT: Uh-huh.
BURNETT: What can you tell us about it?
BAKAJ: Well, what I can say is that, you know, just before we came on the air tonight, the office -- I think it was the intelligence community I.G.'s office sent a letter to Capitol Hill yesterday. And the Office of the Director of National Intelligence just informed us that that they've received guidance about how to get this information to them, to Congress, and that it's so classified that it can only go to the Gang of Eight.
I mean, this is highly sensitive, classified information.
And one of the things I just want to point out is that Senator Warner says that, you know, he's expecting to see a copy of the disclosure either today or tomorrow. Well, the director of national intelligence, the DNI, has yet to give us at whistlebloweraid.org guidance as to how to bring our client to the Hill.
In fact, just this evening, I sent a letter to the director of national intelligence asking for guidance. The intelligence community I.G. has now been provided with the ability to get the information there.
But the question that I have is what information is really being sent to those members? Because the fact of the matter is, the underlying intelligence is of grave concern to our national security.
BURNETT: So, okay, a lot of questions from that though. But this -- as you've just used those words again --
BAKAJ: Absolutely.
BURNETT: -- grave concern to our national security. I know that another official had said publicly disclosing it would be grave damage to national security. So, you're very consistent here.
I understand that I'm asking a question without knowing the full premise here, without knowing exactly what it is. How imminent and major is this risk as far as you understand it?
BAKAJ: Well, the information that was gathered, the intelligence that was gathered last spring is just as relevant today, if not more so, given what's happening currently, with talks occurring globally -- on global security-related issues.
One of the things that I find curious about this entire -- over the past couple of days, in terms of what the DNI has put out there, is saying that they're also flagging executive privilege concerns. And for me, executive privilege concerns means that this somehow involves the White House.
In fact, I do know that before the urgent concern was filed by my client with the intelligence community I.G., Tulsi Gabbard had taken the underlying intelligence at issue and gone to the White House and disclosed it to Susie Wiles. The question that I have is why and what happened there? There are a lot of unknowns here that have to be investigated.
BURNETT: Absolutely. But it sounds like you're saying that when Mark Warner, the senator and he's a member of the Gang of Eight, I believe, would be receiving this information --
BAKAJ: Yeah.
BURNETT: -- okay, that you're not sure if, in fact, he's going to receive the full information, and that your client has not been given -- and that you therefore have not been given any sense of how your client would be able to meet with anybody or share any information, and to do so in a way, I suppose that would protect his or her identity from the public, or how this would be handled?
BAKAJ: Look, I have no confidence at this point, juncture that the -- that the intelligence community, that the congressional committees, that Congress will get what they need.
So, in this case, the disclosure was made over eight months ago. For over eight months now, my client has requested for the ability to go to Congress and tell them what's going on, to get the disclosure to them, to get the complaint to them, so that way they can see with their own eyes what happened.
[19:25:13]
When I was retained and I began interfacing with the I.C. I.G.'s office, there has been dialogue, but on the part of the DNI, zero action.
So, they've been slow-rolling this for months now. And by way of comparison --
BURNETT: But you're saying grave --
(CROSSTALK)
BAKAJ: -- whistleblower matter that I --
BURNETT: Yeah.
BAKAJ: Yeah, go ahead.
BURNETT: I just want to say -- you're talking about something of grave concern to national security, as you just said, that you're saying --
BAKAJ: Yes, yeah.
BURNETT: -- that they have been sitting on for over eight months. And if it really is that --
BAKAJ: Yes.
BURNETT: -- if it really is that grave damage to national security, then what does it mean that they've refused to put it out there and have someone do something about it?
BAKAJ: Well, the question should be asked of Tulsi Gabbard as to why it is that she's blocking a disclosure by her own actions or inactions vis-a-vis that underlying intelligence.
BURNETT: I want to share --
BAKAJ: There needs to be an investigation.
BURNETT: Yeah, yeah.
BAKAJ: That's -- that's what it comes down to.
BURNETT: Gabbard's spokesperson has obviously dismissed the complaint's allegations, as I just indicated a moment ago, and they gave us a lengthy statement. But in part, it says this: This is a classic case of a politically motivated individual weaponizing their position in the intelligence community, submitting a baseless complaint and then burying it in highly classified information to create false intrigue, a manufactured narrative, and conditions which make it substantially more difficult to produce security guidance for transmittal to Congress. So, a lot of allegations there but the fundamental part of it, they're
saying it's baseless and it got buried in highly classified information, basically to make a big song and dance about nothing.
What do you say to them?
BAKAJ: I say to that -- that's your classic deflect and make counter accusations, because they're not actually coming forward with the underlying -- they're not addressing the underlying concern here. And by the way, all for the past eight months, all that my client wanted to have done is have this disclosure go to the congressional intelligence committees.
You know, it -- what's happening here is the DNI is trying to muddy the waters. They're trying to make this seem to be political in nature. They're trying to make it something that it isn't, because that's all that they have. You know, they're just trying to make counter accusations. And it is what it is.
But all that we've wanted to do is to get this to Congress. Tulsi Gabbard has yet to follow the law to make that happen. And the truth of the matter is, there's an elegant solution to this, and that is get the whole thing to Congress -- unredacted, and let the leadership on the congressional intelligence committees see what's going on.
BURNETT: Yeah. All right, Andrew Bakaj, I appreciate your time, and thank you very much.
Ryan Goodman is here with me now. He is the former special counsel at the Defense Department.
So, Ryan, look, I mean, this is -- the complaint here is as serious as it gets, right? Without knowing exactly what is -- it is, we know that they're saying it's a grave risk to national security. Okay? And that it's so highly classified. It's locked away in a safe.
And if that's the case, you would think people would want to know what it is. And it would be really important to know what it is. So, what stands out to you in all of this that they've been able to slow roll it?
RYAN GOODMAN, FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL AT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: It's incredible because there is this Intelligence Whistleblower Protection Act that's supposed to be the framework for sharing this kind of highly national -- high national security information if it's an urgent matter. And I think one thing that's important is when the whistleblowers lawyer, Andrew Bakaj, says that they haven't gotten guidance, that's important --
BURNETT: Yeah.
GOODMAN: -- because the statute says they need to get that guidance from the director of national intelligence in order to share it with Congress. And if they don't get the guidance, they can't share it. So, when you're saying --
BURNETT: But this is about the director of --
GOODMAN: Exactly, so there's a conflict of interest. And if this is an urgent matter, eight months ago, for her to be slow rolling this and not giving them the guidance to share it with Congress, that's what makes no sense here.
If it's totally baseless, share it with the leaders of the intelligence committees and they'll decide that.
BURNETT: But when we talk about an issue of grave national -- I mean, it could be anything. I realize that, but this could be -- I mean, what this could be someone is a foreign asset. This could -- I mean, what are some of the range of things it could be just to give people a sense of like what -- what grave and imminent might mean?
GOODMAN: That's the top one on my list, that it is something about a senior U.S. official being a foreign asset, something like that. Maybe it's about nuclear secrets. Maybe it's about nuclear negotiations. Maybe it's about negotiations with Ukraine, and that being compromised.
It's something of that nature that it is that high level of classification. That seems to be why it's even stored in this particular kind of a safe.
BURNETT: It's incredibly disturbing that it could be anything like that and that people be able to block it. So, nobody would know for eight months. And I find that stunning.
Tulsi Gabbard herself is in the middle of many firestorms right now, right? We know she was actually cut out of Maduro and wasn't present. A lot was made of that. Then she goes with the FBI agents on the ground in Fulton County, and she shows up there and there's pictures, and she calls Trump on her cell phone and he says rah-rah to the agents, and all this happens.
What do you make of that performative behavior in this context?
[19:30:04]
GOODMAN: So, she's acting very strangely. The idea that the director of national intelligence would be involved in Fulton County and whatever went on with the 2020 election, it does sound like it dovetails with other "Wall Street Journal" reporting that says that she's trying to relitigate the 2020 election and point to foreign election interference. That, to me, is just deeply suspicious.
The first Trump administration's top officials, John Ratcliffe, who was the head of the DNI at the time, Chris Krebs, who was the head of cybersecurity. All the Republican officials in Georgia saying it was a free and fair election. They did a hand recount.
BURNETT: Multiple, multiple audits.
GOODMAN: So for her to be there on site and for "The Wall Street Journal" to say that she's actually trying to dig up foreign intelligence interference or foreign interference in the 2020 election. To me, it kind of dovetails with President Trump's recent statements that he's trying to nationalize the nationalized U.S. elections, which there's no role for the president for that as Senator Thune said today, there's no role.
But maybe they're trying to cook something up. I have to say, where Tulsi Gabbard comes out with a conspiracy theory that says, oh, it's about foreign interference in our elections. That's why we need a federal role here, because those are the kind of dots that are being put together. It seems like.
BURNETT: All right, Ryan Goodman, thank you very much.
And next, we have the breaking news. Melinda Gates breaking her silence about the newly released Epstein files.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELINDA GATES, BILL GATES' EX-WIFE: For me, it's just sadness -- sadness for -- you know, I've left. I had to -- I left my marriage. I had to leave my marriage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And we're following another breaking story this hour. Jill Biden's ex-husband charged in the murder of his current wife.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:35:50]
BURNETT: Breaking news, Melinda French Gates breaking her silence. The ex-wife of billionaire Bill Gates speaking out publicly about the just released Epstein files for the first time and talking candidly about how she felt when she saw Bill Gates was the subject of disgusting draft messages in Epstein's email account.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GATES: Whatever questions remain there of what I don't -- can't even begin to know all of it. Those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband. They need to answer to those things, not me. I'm able to take my own sadness and look at those young girls and say, my God, how did they -- how did that happen to those girls, right?
And so, for me, it's just sadness. Sadness for, you know, I've left, I had I left my marriage, I had to leave my marriage. I wanted to leave my marriage. I had to leave the I felt I needed to eventually leave the foundation for me. I've been able to move on in life, and I hope there's some justice for those now women.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And I'll note, Bill Gates has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein. OUTFRONT now is Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna. He and Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, as you know, were the ones behind the bill that forced the DOJ to release the Epstein files that we have seen so far.
And I have to say that because we've got a lot, but it's not all of it, not anywhere close.
All right. Congressman, I appreciate your time. So, you know, Melinda Gates speaking out and being candid and being emotional about this. And obviously, she could have chosen not to speak out at all, right. But she did.
And, you know, she makes the point that with all the sadness and everything in her own marriage being lost because of this, that she's focused on the fact that there hasn't been justice yet, right? And that the Epstein survivors have not gotten that justice.
Do you think that they will -- that they will get justice and that the Epstein accomplices, the people who knew who participated, who partook, will face accountability?
REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): Well, I really appreciated what Melinda Gates said. You could see the empathy in her demeanor and voice, and you could see her humanity. And she's basically saying that everyone, including Bill Gates, need to answer questions. They need to answer, whether they saw underage girls being raped, whether they know that underage girls were being trafficked.
And, you know, for so long, the survivors have been hearing, oh, it's a conspiracy. It's a hoax.
To have Melinda Gates finally look at this evidence and say, you know what? We're not done here. My ex-husband has questions he needs to answer. Other people, powerful people in real estate and tech and finance have questions they need to answer. And this needs to be investigated. Good for her.
BURNETT: Yeah. I mean, as I said, and I think you're right, she could -- she could choose to remain silent. And she's choosing to speak out. Now, Trump today, the president would not address the concerns of survivors tonight.
You know specifically, Congressman, how the DOJ released the files that we have seen so far with many survivors' names visible, but many men who may have committed vile acts, their names were redacted. Okay?
So, he didn't address that fundamental issue here. But he did say this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think it's really time for the country to get on to something else. You know, now that nothing came out came out about me other than it was a conspiracy against me, literally by Epstein and other people. But I think it's time now for the country to maybe get on to something else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Congressman, there's a lot of layers that the country get on to something else. Trump, of course, hasn't been accused of wrongdoing, but his name is all over those files. What do you say to him?
KHANNA: Well, first of all, it's so self-centered. Not everything is about Donald Trump. Put him aside. You have 1,200 survivors who were raped on an island, working class girls who were raped. And you just want the country to move on?
You've got files released that show that some of the most powerful real estate names, powerful finance names, powerful technology names were on this island.
[19:40:07]
And you want us just to forget about it and move on? What about the survivors? And then you've got your deputy attorney general saying, "Well, this is just men partying with Epstein. Nothing wrong with that." I mean, it's so offensive, so callous.
It's just shows how immature, venal, corrupt the elite in this country are that that they're saying, let's just move on, that the girls were raped. And so, yes, Donald Trump needs to answer for his behavior. But more broadly, our nation needs to have a moral reckoning of how so many people in the elite we're doing this for decades.
BURNETT: Yeah. Well, that is -- that is for sure. I want to ask you about something else you did today, Congressman, and I know where you spent your day, and that was in a hearing that included Renee Nicole Good brothers, Luke and Brent. They were testifying on capitol hill today. As I said, you were in the room when they said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUKE GANGER, RENEE GOOD'S BROTHER: The deep distress our family feels because of nays losses in such a violent and unnecessary way is complicated by feelings of disbelief, distress and desperation for change. This is not just a bad day or a rough week, or isolated incidents. These encounters with federal agents are changing the community and changing many lives, including ours, forever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Congressman, we are hearing obviously about continued detentions of lawful asylum seekers, children, right? We see these images. I mean, is anything actually going to change?
KHANNA: Well, Renee Good's brothers were so moving. They weren't yelling. They weren't angry. They were soft-spoken and they were talking about the loss of their sister. One of the brothers described Renee Good as a dandelion, something that is good, that just sprouts up from the ground, and that she was full -- filled with love and goodness and compassion. And now she's been taken away from them, from the community and the country.
And I just wish we could see this in nonpolitical terms. You've got ICE agents who are on the streets in Minneapolis. I was there going and following people to churches, third and fourth generation Minnesotans being followed to churches, going into people's grocery stores, going into bookstores.
This is not what America believes in. We have freedoms in this country and they're violating it. And that's why I voted against any new funding to ICE today. That's why most Democrats voted that way.
We need to tear down this agency and have a new agency that actually adheres to constitutional law that will enforce immigration law.
BURNETT: Congressman Khanna, thank you very much. It's good to see you as always.
KHANNA: Thank you, Erin.
BURNETT: And OUTFRONT next, we're following the breaking news in the investigation into Savannah Guthrie mothers abduction, as our Brian Stelter is reporting new details this hour about Savannah's relationship with her mother.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY GUTHRIE, SAVANNAH GUTHRIE'S MOM: Savannah, this is my original mahjong set that dad brought me back from Singapore.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And Democrats confident tonight riding that wave of special election wins. Fresh off a major victory in Texas. So, Harry Enten is up next. Does this all translate into big midterm wins? That's why Harry's here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:48:01]
BURNETT: Tonight, Democrats are on a roll. They are trying to seize momentum ahead of more special elections because there are more special elections coming up in Georgia and California and Pennsylvania and New Jersey, where Democrats are hoping to continue a winning streak after that huge victory in Texas, where the newly elected state senator, Taylor Rehmet, just trounced his Trump backed opponent by 14 points.
Now, that may sound big to you, but it's even bigger when you think about the fact that Trump won that very district in the general presidential election by 17 points. Democrat -- Rehmet, in fact, is the first Democrat to win that Texas seat in over three decades. Here's what he told us last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TAYLOR REHMET (D), FLIPPED TEXAS STATE SENATE SEAT IN DISTRICT TRUMP WON: I wanted to set out and focus on the bread and butter issues. The people we have in this community are so fed up with the campaigns of outrage, the culture wars, all the same stuff that they're trying to use to divide us. This campaign was about unity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Harry Enten is OUTFRONT to tell us something we don't know.
So, Harry, we do know that Democrats are doing well in special elections this year. Some of those they'll hold on to for a while. Some of them are back up again in November, so they have a very brief window to see if they can hold it, put it into perspective.
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Yeah, I'll put it in perspective. You know, there was all this interest, oh, Texas nine, that state senate district, but it didn't come out of thin air because Democrats have been outperforming in special elections this year and last year, compared to the Kamala Harris baseline 2024 across the map.
Look at this. And on average, they have been outperforming by, get this, 12 points -- by 12 points in the average special election. And we're talking about Texas. We're talking about Virginia. We're talking about Arizona.
We are talking about across the political map. Democrats are doing significantly better than Kamala Harris did in 2024.
BURNETT: Okay. So are they doing significantly better than historically at this time period, or does this fit in with precedent?
ENTEN: Yeah. Okay. So, this is what's so important, right? Why is this so important. Because go back to the 2017-2018 cycle.
[19:50:02]
And what did Democrats do back then compared to the Hillary Clinton baseline. They outperformed Hillary Clinton by -- get this -- nine points. They did nine points better than Hillary Clinton did.
So, they're actually even outperforming how well Democrats did in that -- in that lead up to that midterm election cycle. And why is that so important? Because in the House of Representatives, what did they do the following midterm?
They picked up a net gain of 40 seats. They picked up a net gain of 40 seats. They went from 195 to 235. That's a huge, huge gain.
If you apply that now, Democrats would easily end up in the House majority. And that's why I think it's so important that Democrats read -- Republicans read this as a warning sign, because if they don't, adios, amigos. Goodbye. See you later. The house majority.
BURNETT: Well, and some of them are saying that, you know, some are trying to say, oh, turn out and make excuses. Others, like Ron DeSantis, are being very direct that they need to focus on it.
Okay, tell me something else I don't know.
ENTEN: I'll tell you something else that you don't know. It's not just the House that's in danger. Look at the chance that Democrats win back the United States Senate, which nobody's talking about. You look at the Kalshi prediction market a year ago, their chance of taking back the United States Senate was just 18 percent. Now it's all the way up to 37 percent.
Republicans really have to watch their back, because if they don't, it might not just be the House, it might be the Senate going back into the Democratic column.
BURNETT: All right. Harry Enten, thank you very much.
ENTEN: Thank you.
BURNETT: And next, the search for Savannah Guthrie's mother continuing as fear spreads within NBC tonight. Brian Stelter has been talking to producers there. He's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:55:38]
BURNETT: Breaking news, Jill Biden's ex-husband charged with first degree murder. William Stevenson was arrested today, accused of killing his current wife, Linda. His arrest comes after a weeks-long extensive investigation into Linda's death. On December 28th, just minutes from midnight, Linda Stevenson was found unresponsive in the living room of the home she shared with her husband of over 30 years. Authorities arrived on scene after receiving a call about a domestic dispute. They tried but failed to save Linda's life. She was later pronounced dead.
William Stevenson was -- is 77 and was married to former First Lady Jill Biden from 1970 to 1975, before she married then-Senator Joe Biden. Jill Biden wrote in her memoir about her ex-husband, quote, "For a moment, we were happy. I had found my prince charming" before she realized that the marriage was not right for her.
Stevenson is currently in custody at a Delaware state prison after reportedly failing to post $500,000 cash bail.
Linda Stevenson was only 64 years old. And according to her obituary, Linda will be remembered as a tenacious, kindhearted and fiercely loyal person. Her strength, resilience and unwavering love for her family and friends will never be forgotten.
The Biden post-presidential office has declined to comment on the arrest.
And finally, tonight, as the search for Savannah Guthrie's mother continues at this hour, our Brian Stelter is reporting tonight on the fear and uncertainty inside NBC News. This story hitting so close to home for everyone there and for so many viewers. Savannah Guthrie's mother was also a familiar face.
Brian Stelter is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CRAIG MELVIN, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: We know someone out there knows something, call.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST (voice-over): Savannah Guthrie's colleagues pleading for help today, hoping for a break in the case of Nancy Guthrie's shocking disappearance.
The story hitting so close to home for viewers, too, because Savannah's mom has been a regular visitor to "The Today Show" for 15 years.
NANCY GUTHRIE, SAVANNAH GUTHRIE'S MOM: All my kids are absolutely amazing, so --
JENNA BUSH HAGER, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: They sure are absolutely amazing.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: I love you, mama.
STELTER (voice-over): When Savannah stepped up as co-host, her mom came along for the ride.
AL ROKER, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Savannah's mom.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Savannah --
S. GUTHRIE: Are you kidding me?
STELTER (voice-over): And she played along with the show's surprises and stunts.
S. GUTHRIE: I am thrilled to welcome a very talented cook to our kitchen, one I know well. My mom, Nancy Guthrie.
Hi, mom. Are you ready to cook?
N. GUTHRIE: I'm ready.
STELTER (voice-over): Last year on "Today", Savannah looked into the game of mahjong, which she says she saw her mom play since she was a little girl.
N. GUTHRIE: Savannah, this is my original mahjong set that dad brought me back from Singapore.
STELTER (voice-over): The family settled in Arizona when Savannah was young. Savannah was just a high schooler when her dad, Charles died, a tragedy that deepened her bond with her mom.
S. GUTHRIE: My mom was so strong and set aside her own grief in many ways just to be there and make sure that we could all move forward together. STELTER (voice-over): And Nancy kept the memory of Charles alive.
S. GUTHRIE: This is a real Kentucky recipe with just a touch of Arizona, because, you know, my mom and dad both grew up in Kentucky.
N. GUTHRIE: The green beans are, you know, dad always grew them, and he called them Kentucky wonders.
STELTER (voice-over): Nancy never remarried, and Savannah felt guilty moving away from home, but knew her mom wanted her to pursue a news career.
S. GUTHRIE: It was really hard for me to leave her, and that's when she said, if you can't leave me, then I didn't do my job right, Savannah.
STELTER (voice-over): Savannah talked over the years about her mom's faith.
S. GUTHRIE: The greatest gift my mother gave me was faith and belief in God. It changed my whole life.
STELTER (voice-over): And now, her "Today Show" colleagues are repeating Savannah's prayers to bring her home.
CARLSON DALY, NBC NEWS HOST: I don't think I've ever prayed for anything harder in my life.
SHEINELLE JONES, NBC NEWS HOST: No.
MELVIN: That's all we can do right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: And, Brian, you know, you know everyone there, right? And you wrote a book about "The Today Show" and morning TV, right? Back when Savannah joined. Right?
STELTER: Yeah.
BURNETT: So that's in a sense. I mean, I know you knew her before then, but in a sense, when you got to know her well.
STELTER: Yeah.
BURNETT: I mean, I remember when she joined the show and, you know, at the time, we were both junior and she joined and she was just this immediate star.
STELTER: Yeah.
BURNETT: Right? Immediately there.
STELTER: Yeah.
BURNETT: What are you hearing from her family and friends? STELTER: Obviously, this has been agonizing for the family. They say
time is of the essence, since Nancy needs her medications. And I'm told by a source close to the family, recognizing the sensitivity of the situation, they're trying to keep certain details out of the media right now.
They are grateful for the attention, grateful. The tip line is being publicized, but also trying to keep some of the details out of the media. And of course, it probably goes without saying, but as of today, NBC confirmed Savannah no longer going to the Olympics in Italy.
She was going to host the opening ceremonies on Friday. Obviously, that's off. Everything is on hold now as she focuses on Tucson, on her family.
BURNETT: Yeah, her mother.
All right. Brian Stelter, thank you very much.
And thanks so much to all of you for joining us.
"AC360" starts now.
