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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Chinese Tennis Star Peng Shuai Now Says Sexual Assault Allegations was a Huge Misunderstanding; Macron to Meet with Putin Today Over Russia-Ukraine Crisis; Boris Johnson in the Hot Seat As Troubles Multiply in Partygate Scandal. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired February 07, 2022 - 05:00   ET

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


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LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone, it is Monday, February 7th, it's 5:00 a.m. here in New York, thanks so much for getting in an early start with us, I'm Laura Jarrett.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Christine Romans. Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. New this morning, the Chinese tennis star who dropped out of sight after accusing a top Chinese official of pressuring her into sex, she's emerged just a short time ago at the Beijing Olympics. Peng Shuai meeting with the president of the International Olympic Committee, and she's also giving a rare interview in person.

CNN's Selina Wang is in Beijing for us. And Selena, what is Peng Shuai now saying about those accusations that had the entire world worried about her safety?

SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine, Peng Shuai denied ever making those sexual assault allegations, and she called the whole situation and the global outcry a, quote, "huge misunderstanding". This was in an interview with a French sports outlet "L'Equipe". And this is the second time actually that she's walked back those claims with it. It's the first time she's spoken to an independent media outlet.

But Christine, this interview, the meeting with Thomas Bach, they do not allay concerns from these rights groups who say that we still don't know if Peng Shuai was speaking freely or she's being coerced into walking back these statements to make the scandal go away. Remember, back in November, she had posted this long emotional story about how she had been coerced into sex by a former Chinese vice premier who was one of the most powerful leaders in China.

Then she disappeared from public view for a few weeks, then later re- emerged in what seemed to be these carefully-choreographed re- appearances. Now, I spoke to the French journalist who interviewed Peng Shuai in person here in Beijing. And he told me that when they were talking about sports, she seemed relaxed, but then when he asked about the sexual assault allegations, she clearly became more cautious and was cautiously thinking about how to answer. It was also clear that this interview was carefully managed. There was

a Chinese Olympic Committee official who was in the room acting as the translator, they asked him to submit the questions he was going to ask Peng beforehand. In addition to that, they required that he print the story as a Q&A instead of as a piece with the quotes, "inside of it with other commentary." Now, in addition to this piece around the same time, the story went out, the IOC made a statement that they had dinner with Peng Shuai here in Beijing over the weekend.

In the statement, they did not make any reference to the sexual assault allegations. Later, the IOC saying they don't think it's their place to pass judgment on the accusations. The IOC also refusing to comment on whether or not they think Peng Shuai is speaking under duress. Now, rights groups have slammed the IOC for what they say is the organization legitimizing the Chinese government's narrative. Instead, rights groups say that the IOC should be pushing for a transparent investigation into the sexual assault claims. Christine?

ROMANS: All right, Selina, thank you so much for that, in Beijing. Laura?

JARRETT: Out of the situation with Ukraine. The search for a diplomatic solution this morning, taking on new urgency with Russia, appearing to gear up for an invasion. Just hours from now, French President Macron is in Moscow meeting with Vladimir Putin. Later, President Biden meets with the new German chancellor to discuss this tense standoff. Meantime, new satellite images appear to show advanced deployments of Russian military forces.

CNN has it all covered from Washington to Kyiv to Moscow. First though, to Nic Robertson in Moscow. Nic, good morning. How does President Macron hope to de-escalate things? What does he see as his role here?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, one of the things he's bringing to the table is what he sees as sort of a new security order in Europe. That's a very big sell to his NATO partners and an even bigger sell to Russia because the underlying theme of it would have to go some way to meeting Russia's concerns about NATO's expansion. It's not clear what Macron can put on the table there.

Macron sees the European Union as having a greater foreign policy and defense role in Europe, but that's not the solution here at the table. I mean, what we're hearing from the Kremlin right now in the last half an hour is they're saying, don't expect a breakthrough today because they're not -- they're not hearing anything that goes in any way to meet their security demands. That is, that NATO cannot accept Ukraine as a member, that NATO needs to roll back to sort of pre-1997 levels.

And the Russian side are saying that what they expect to be on the table here, and the very focus of the conversation is going to be about their security demands, and Macron's desire to get an easing of tensions around Ukraine, i.e., for Putin to pull back some of his troops and show -- really clearly show and demonstrate that he's intent on diplomacy.

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But the Kremlin here is describing the current atmosphere as extremely tense. Certainly, President Macron is coming in to this, we've heard from his office saying they're not expecting breakthroughs today either. There is a huge gap between everyone's positions and not clear at all at this moment what can actually bring it -- bridge it, a lot of ideas, but nothing concrete we're aware of.

JARRETT: All right, Nic Robertson, thank you.

ROMANS: So, now, an eighth plane load of U.S. military aid arriving in Ukraine as the country braces for possible invasion by Russia. The U.S. embassy in Ukraine describing the shipment as 80 tons of solidarity. CNN's Melissa Bell live in Kyiv for us. Melissa, what's the feeling in Kyiv this morning.

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look, Christine, there's concern a great deal of gratitude expressed by Ukraine and authorities about these kinds of weapons shipments with Ukrainians are reaching out to other allies, including Germany to ask for them to contribute as well to this important effort. So, gratitude on one hand, and yet, even as Ukraine prepares militarily for what might be a possible invasion, there remains a difference of assessment in terms of how likely that is.

Now, we've heard over the course of the weekend some of the most dire warnings from the United States, from American Intelligence about the likelihood of an invasion, because what's been happening just across the border on the Belarus border is a substantial build-up with troops and weaponry moving to within 15 kilometers of the border. That border, Christine, is less than a 2-hour drive from where I am standing right now.

So, clearly, a great deal of alarm on the part of the United States. Here in Kyiv though, what we're hearing from Ukrainian officials including the foreign minister who spoke out yesterday, is that the hope for diplomacy is still greater than the fear of war, and that people shouldn't be listening to what the foreign minister described as apocalyptic predictions. So a difference of assessments. Everyone is preparing for the worst, but clearly, Ukrainians still hoping that, that diplomacy that begins in Moscow today continues in Kyiv tomorrow with the visit by the French president here might yet yield results.

ROMANS: The president hoping to be some sort of mediator here and start a de-escalation process. Melissa Bell, thank you so much.

JARRETT: Also today, President Biden meets with the new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the White House. CNN's Jasmine Wright joins us live from Washington this morning. Jasmine, after two months on the job, the chancellor is under fire, accused of being soft on Russia. So, what's the purpose of this visit to the U.S. now?

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Laura, it's going to be utterly important for both the U.S. and Germany to show that they are actually united on a plan to further deter Russia any -- excuse me, any Russian aggression against Ukraine. But also on what consequences could come, should Russia invade Ukraine. And now, this is Chancellor Olaf's first time as you said, visiting President Biden in the U.S. since taking over from Angela Merkel.

And previewing this meeting today, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, she said that they would discuss their deep and enduring ties between the two states and also their shared efforts on ongoing diplomacy to deter Russia from any further aggression. But you're right, he is under fire for frankly not sending arms to Ukraine, not undergoing efforts to shore up the eastern flank as other allies in the situation of the U.S. have done. Now, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, he was asked about the lack of arms sent from Germany to Ukraine yesterday on the Sunday shows, and he defended Germany.

He said that in this allyship, there are things that some allies will send and others will not, really just kind of preview the messaging that we may hear today from the president. But it's going to be interesting at this really critical time, Laura, to see when the president and Chancellor Olaf meet at 1:30 p.m., and then later on, they're expected to take questions, whether or not these two are actually in lock-step heading into, once again, another critical week with really high tensions.

JARRETT: Jasmine, I also want to ask you about President Biden planning to visit Israel later this year after a phone call on Sunday with the Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. How does the U.S. counterterrorism raid in Syria last week play out between the two countries? How does that factor in?

WRIGHT: Well, that's just something that we are actually going to have to wait and see on, because this is the highest profile killing of an ISIS leader that has happened during President Biden's tenure, and obviously Prime Minister Bennett's tenure. They're both relatively new in this office. But I want to read you a statement that the Israeli government put out after that phone call, really congratulating Biden, they said that the world is now a safer place, thanks to the courageous operation of the U.S. forces.

So, this is going to be something that -- a relationship that really grows in this area and, of course, the Israeli Prime Minister Bennett has invited President Biden to visit Israel later on this year.

JARRETT: All right, Jasmine Wright, thank you so much, appreciate it.

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ROMANS: OK, up next, the GOP calls this legitimate political discourse. Legitimate political discourse. New video from the attack on the Capitol, graphic threats against the former vice president.

JARRETT: Plus, the world's highest-paid podcaster apologizing again. What Joe Rogan now calls "shameful". We'll tell you what Spotify is and isn't doing now.

ROMANS: And a royal surprise as Queen Elizabeth names her own successor.

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JARRETT: Welcome back. The U.S. Justice Department releasing more graphic video from the scene of the Capitol insurrection. This after the Republican National Committee on Friday called the January 6 riot, quote, "legitimate political discourse".

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hear that Pence just caved.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is that true?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't hear it --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm hearing reports that Pence caved.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm telling you that if Pence caved, we're going to drag -- through the streets. You -- politicians are going to get -- dragged through the streets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because we're not going to have -- stolen!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Let's bring in CNN crime and justice reporter Katelyn Polantz. Katelyn, good morning. Donald Trump is using the Capitol rioters as campaign talking points now. People like the person you just saw, saying they're been treated unfairly and that he's going to pardon rioters if re-elected. Your reporting is that some participants though are not buying these promises any more. Are his supporters actually seeing the light?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME & JUSTICE REPORTER: And even people, Laura, who are in jail, even people who have pled guilty, even people who are waiting to go to trial, they're not buying what Donald Trump is selling right now. Justice producer Hannah Rabinowitz and I spent last week calling lots of defense attorneys who represent multiple defendants in the Capitol riot investigation, and overall, they were saying that when they heard Trump speak that he wanted to give January 6 rioters pardons, they believed that to be largely theatrics.

It wasn't going to play into their cases. There's a few reasons for that. First of all, Donald Trump isn't president. He doesn't have pardon power. So that's not even feasible at this moment. Secondly, whenever he was in power for 14 days after January 6, there were Capitol riot defendants who were arrested, who were publicly asking for help from him, and he didn't do it. He didn't give them pardons at that time. On top of that, there just isn't a lot of time in these cases. I mean,

the next presidential election isn't until 2024. That's years from now. There are trials. There are sentencing. There are plea deals. These things are all going to be coming up in the next couple of years. And so, there just really isn't time before these cases are wrapped until Trump could potentially return to power. And then on top of that, we asked one defense attorney who's been quite outspoken about some of the right-wing issues really playing into this idea that they're political martyrs, and he said no help is coming, no help is coming.

JARRETT: OK, so you raise a whole bunch of points that are in sound reason and make a lot of logical sense about why this is just sort of a fool's errand. But what about the argument on the legal end of this, the dangling the pardon, the intent of that could be viewed as witness tampering. I would assume that's something that the January 6 committee is interested in, but it seems to me it'd be really up to prosecutors.

POLANTZ: That's exactly right, Laura. So, there is the criminal side of this where there are more than 700 cases, people who are going onto the Capitol grounds that day being prosecuted at this time. But then there is this Capitol Hill investigation. Now, the Capitol Hill investigation, they don't have prosecutorial power themselves, but they are calling witnesses to testify under subpoena and to turn over documents under subpoena.

One consequence of not complying with subpoena would potentially be prosecuted for criminal contempt. We've already seen Steve Bannon indicted for that because he's refusing to comply. Mark Meadows, the chief of staff to Donald Trump in the White House, Capitol Hill voted to refer him to the Justice Department. The Justice Department is considering whether to charge him with contempt. And so, there is that piece out there.

And there is a real fear among lawmakers on the Hill of what happens here. Representative Elaine Luria was on CNN on Friday, and this is what she said about Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ELAINE LURIA (D-VA): That someone who, you know, is sort of waiting out there, that if, you know, I'm president in the future, I'm going to pardon you, you know, someone who could be, you know, right now thinking, I need to do the right thing. I need to, you know, state the facts and you know, potentially plead guilty to the criminal actions that I have. If they think that there's a way in the future to get off from any consequences from their actions, it could certainly color what they do right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POLANTZ: So, that fear really is there among Capitol Hill. But you know, there are some legal experts I spoke to who said, Trump doesn't actually have the power again. That reminder, he's not president, and that if he did want to tamper with witnesses, he's not being very specific at this time. He's not saying specifically to people, don't do it, don't talk. Laura?

JARRETT: Fair enough. Katelyn, thank you as always.

ROMANS: All right, the Miami Dolphins announcing Mike McDaniel as the team's new head coach. McDaniel replaces Brian Flores who was fired after a winning season and then later filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL last week. Now, McDaniel identifies himself as multi-racial, and is the first head coach of color hired in this cycle. He was most recently the offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers.

JARRETT: Coming up for you, Britain's Boris Johnson begins this week as prime minister. Will he end it that way?

ROMANS: And the moment Billie Eilish suddenly stopped her show because of something she spotted in the crowd.

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ROMANS: All right, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson may be close to losing his job as the British public and even a few of his own party members abandoned him. All while police investigate parties at 10 Downing Street. Johnson could face a vote to unseat him as early as this week. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins us live from London. How would that vote go down? There's a lot of secrecy around how this works.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: That's the key here. It's all kind of cloaked in secrecy here. Because for the last few weeks, we've seen that public outrage, right? The big headlines, the investigation that revealed a failure of leadership, a failure of judgment, disregard for the British public.

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Now, what's going to happen behind closed doors among the Conservative Party? Because we've been speaking to conservative lawmakers who tell us they feel angry, frustrated, overwhelmed, helpless because Prime Minister Boris Johnson is still the head of this party, is still leading this country at a time when it seems like he's doing nothing more than clinging to power despite, again, two investigations against him for allegedly, his administration, partying it up during lockdown.

So, now what happens? Well, these conservative lawmakers have a key decision to make. They have to decide if they want to push Prime Minister Boris Johnson out. And if they do, they submit a letter, a letter of no confidence to something called the 1922 Committee. A committee that oversees the Conservative Party in this country. Once 54 lawmakers -- that's 15 percent of conservative lawmakers in this country submit those letters, that's when a vote can be triggered.

But here's the thing. The committee can -- doesn't have to reveal how many letters it's received until that threshold of 15 percent is reached. And we also know that although there is so much anger within the party, there's no organized rebellion. These are overwhelmingly lawmakers who are individually taking matters into their own hands. But you have to start asking yourself, Christine, what is the end game here?

ROMANS: Right --

ABDELAZIZ: You still have that police investigation. You still have a prime minister who is in power despite massive public outrage. There's got to be a goal here. There's got to be an end game.

ROMANS: Yes, I know, he lost four -- I mean, you've already seen consequences, right? He lost four top aides last week, right? What are the consequences, I guess, if there is this no confidence vote?

ABDELAZIZ: The consequences for this are huge. You have to remember who Prime Minister Boris Johnson is and what he brought to this country. He's been likened a great deal to President Trump. He has that laissez-faire attitude, the popularity that got people to the ballot box. The sort of uniting message of we can do Brexit. It's very similar to the "Make America Great Again", it was a sort of make Britain great again message.

And that's something that's really brought new life into the Conservative Party. But it's also what's gotten him into a great deal of trouble with these parties, because what he has shown through his administration is a disregard for the rule of law. It's a disregard for the norms of democracy that make this function -- that make this country function. I'll give you one example. The prime minister right now is accused of misleading parliament.

In this country, the gentleman's agreement is, if you mislead parliament, if you lie to parliament, you must resign. And that's just one of the many strikes Prime Minister Boris Johnson has taken against the norms and rules of this country over the course of the last few weeks. And so, if he stays in power, that really is a threat to the political process here.

ROMANS: There are politicians, there's also the public. What is the view among the public here? I mean, I know the headlines have been just brutal for Boris Johnson, especially some of these parties were happening at a time when people literally were losing loved ones who were alone in the hospital.

ABDELAZIZ: We've had pretty consistent polling for weeks now that show about two-thirds of the British public -- again, these are snap polls, but they've been consistent. About two-thirds of the British public want to see Prime Minister Boris Johnson resign. And you can understand why? I've spoken to families who told me they weren't able to hold funerals for their loved ones. They weren't able to say good- bye to their parents when they were dying of COVID-19.

And for many of these families, Christine, that -- the party, the allegation of partying at 10 Downing Street was really strike one. Strike two was the prime minister lying about it to the public, remember, denial. And strike three was lying about it badly, Christine, because you have to remember, it wasn't just denials. It was an overwhelming denial in the face of overwhelming information. Many people in this country feel they have been taken for fools. They've been disrespected and the prime minister's time is up.

ROMANS: All right, Salma, we know you'll be following it for us, thank you so much. Laura?

JARRETT: All right, the future of Britain's monarchy is coming into focus this morning. Queen Elizabeth just used her platinum jubilee to make a big announcement about Prince Charles' wife, Camilla. CNN's Max Foster is in London for us. Max, good morning, was this announcement a surprise that she wants Camilla to be referred to as queen?

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: It really was. I mean, it came in on Saturday afternoon, well, we had some warning about it on Saturday afternoon, and you know, it was a complete shock even though we knew the various statements were coming out this weekend to mark the jubilee. Effectively, what the queen has done is use her jubilee message to promote the idea that Camilla should be known as queen when Charles is king.

She doesn't have any constitutional authority, she'll be a queen- consort. But it's a really quite big upgrade from princess-consort which they had said will be her title because of sensitivities around Diana. So, I think this is a reward for years of public service from Camilla, but also the queen shoring up the next generation of monarchy, and that will be Charles and Camilla. And it's Queen Elizabeth really saying that she supports the future shape of the monarchy, their future-proving in many ways.

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