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January 6 Committee To Use Footage From New Trump Documentary "Unprecedented"; Former Florida Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Indicted; Biden Calls For Federal Gas Tax Holiday, But Will Congress Go Along? Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired June 23, 2022 - 05:30   ET

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

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[05:30:12]

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Turning back now to our top story this morning. The fifth public hearing of the January 6 Committee happening later this afternoon. The planned focus today, efforts by former President Trump and his allies to pressure the Justice Department into lending credibility to the bogus claims of widespread voter fraud.

Then-acting attorney general Jeffrey Rosen and two other top DOJ officials are set to testify about their refusal to go along and what they threatened to do if Trump tried to fire Rosen and replace him with a more compliant underling.

The committee's next set of hearings TBD right now due to what members are calling a deluge of new evidence. That includes evidence from an upcoming documentary with brand-new footage of Trump and his family. The trailer for that film just released.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: OK.

IVANKA TRUMP, DAUGHTER OF DONALD TRUMP: My father -- he's very honest and he is who he is.

DONALD TRUMP JR., SON OF DONALD TRUMP: He believes everything that he's doing is right.

D. TRUMP: I believe I treat people well unless they don't treat me well, in which case you go to war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can we talk for a minute about January 6?

D. TRUMP: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Let's bring in Daniel Strauss, senior political correspondent, and co-author of "The Run Up" for The New Republic. Dan, so nice to see you this morning. We know this documentary filmmaker.

DANIEL STRAUSS, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW REPUBLIC (via Skype): Hi, Laura.

JARRETT: His name -- hi. We know his name is Alex Holder. We know he began filming this project back in September of 2020 -- so before the election -- really, weeks before. The footage could be a treasure trove or it could be more of what we already know. Either way, it seems key.

STRAUSS: Yes. I mean, look, what we know -- I think one of the big indicators here is the fact that the committee is changing its schedule based off of the revelation that they have this -- these 11 hours of tape of Trump in this raw footage, which is really like an investigator's gold mine or white whale here.

And it's -- we know just from seeing the former president in the national spotlight as the president and former president that he is a very frank person who speaks his mind.

So whatever is on those tapes and in this documentary is likely to be germane to the January 6 Committee's investigation. And part of the reason that the committee has had to recalibrate its schedule is because according to its chairman, the tape -- the existence of these tapes and this documentary have sparked a flood of new tips and evidence that the committee has to go through, as well as just sifting through the footage.

JARRETT: Yes, and you can understand why they want to do that. You can understand why they want to get it right.

They say they're going to delay the rest of the hearings until at least July because of this. Do you think they risk losing some people along the way here? You know, it is summer.

STRAUSS: Yes, it is -- that's true. And in so many areas of politics, we know that during the summer months there is sort of a decline of interest. I doubt it, though.

We also know that the people who are engaged with the committee's revelations are highly engaged --

JARRETT: Yes.

STRAUSS: -- and they've been following the hearings and they have been following the evidence. I don't think that's going to change. This is a very serious topic and the summer months will not distract them from this.

JARRETT: OK, so let's talk about the people who are engaged and maybe the people who aren't so much.

Our Jeff Zeleny caught up with some voters in Georgia to see what they think so far. I want you to take a listen to this and then we're going to talk on the other side. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really think they're just after Trump. They're not after the truth.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's one-sided and I choose not to watch it.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Is there anything that could come out in the hearing that would change your mind about things?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All I know is I'm not going to watch the rest of it, you know. I have other things to do with my time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I pray that they will actually tune in and watch this so they can see for themselves.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is an attack on our democracy. I do not think the Watergate hearings were -- rose to that level -- even close, do you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. I think you're right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: So, some very different views there. Some people saying they're not even watching; others saying this is an attack on democracy.

Do you think the committee should be trying to reach voters and trying to win hearts and minds with these hearings, or is that sort of missing the point?

STRAUSS: I mean, the polling out there shows that this subject is very polarized and the voters and Americans who think that the evidence is very damning and that this was an attack on democracy are unlikely to change that position.

[05:35:05]

Conversely, the supporters of Donald Trump who do not think that this is a legitimate investigation will probably not be moved from that opinion despite whatever evidence comes out from the committee. They feel that the committee is a sham and that there is a widespread conspiracy, and that January 6 did not happen the way that it's being framed.

I -- the committee has sort of treated this more as an important way to -- excuse me -- an important way to show and keep a public record of all of their findings and to explain why it's important in this investigation.

JARRETT: Well -- and certainly, an important record for history. And to get a full airing of the record they really need all of the evidence, and it appears as though they have more work to do.

Daniel Strauss, thank you so much. Really nice to have you on EARLY START. Hope to have you back soon.

STRAUSS: Thanks.

JARRETT: All right. He was a rising Democratic star in Florida. Now, Andrew Gillum, who narrowly lost to Ron DeSantis in the governor's race just four years ago -- he's facing campaign fraud charges.

CNN's Steve Contorno is live in St. Petersburg on this story with the details. Steve, good morning. What exactly is Gillum being charged with, and what's he saying about this?

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Laura, Gillum has been indicted on 21 counts, including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and making false statements. Now, these allegations go all the way back to when governor -- or, excuse me, Andrew Gillum was the mayor of Tallahassee. It spans his entire race for governor and even includes some of his political activity after he lost the election when he was still very much the face of the Florida Democratic Party.

Now, what this indictment alleges is that Gillum and a close political associate of his had a multiyear scheme where they defrauded donors by moving money from various entities and businesses and accounts that they owned in ways that were for their own personal and financial benefits.

Gillum is also charged with lying to the FBI during a previous investigation into city hall in Tallahassee while he was the mayor. This was a very public scandal for Gillum right as he was running for governor. There were allegations that he took free tickets to go see Hamilton in New York and other gifts from an FBI informant who was undercover as a developer in the city. Now he's being charged with lying during that investigation.

But Gillum, yesterday, pleaded not guilty during a brief appearance in a -- in a federal courtroom.

And he also released this statement just hours before the indictment was unsealed, in which he said, quote, "I have spent the last 20 years of my life in public service and continue to fight for the people. Every campaign I've run has been done with integrity. Make no mistake that this case is not legal, it is political. Throughout my career, I have always stood up for the people of Florida and have spoken truth to power."

But Laura, this is just a stunning downfall for someone who was just 33,000 votes away from winning the governor's race in 2018 and now facing significant prison time.

JARRETT: Quite a difference that four years makes.

Steve, thank you.

All right. The man charged with the attempted murder of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh pleading not guilty on Wednesday. Twenty-six- year-old Nicholas Roske arrived at Kavanaugh's home, you might remember back on June 8, armed with a pistol, ammo, and other scary tools. Roske told police he was upset about a leaked draft opinion on abortion rights, among other cases.

Some potentially major news when it comes to vaping and kids. The FDA is preparing to order Juul Labs to remove its e-cigarettes from the market. That's according to a new report in The Wall Street Journal. The FDA and Juul Labs did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment on this.

Studies show that more than two million high-schoolers and middle- schoolers used e-cigarettes back in 2021.

All this as the Biden administration revealed plans this week to establish a maximum nicotine level in cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Still ahead, President Biden presses Congress for a 3-month gas tax holiday, but will lawmakers get on board?

And summer's just begun and already, millions of Americans are sweltering in a record-setting heat wave.

Plus, there's a new top dog as the Westminster Dog Show crowns its Best in Show.

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JARRETT: Forty-three minutes -- back now.

President Biden is calling on Congress to suspend the federal tax on gas and diesel fuel for three months. It's all in an effort to help ease the pain at the pump. But lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are pumping the brakes on the president's plan.

Joining me now, business journalist Marc Stewart. Marc, so nice to have you back on set -- appreciate it.

MARC STEWART, BUSINESS JOURNALIST: Good to see you, Laura. You bet.

JARRETT: So, this administration is doing everything it can to try to convince Congress to get on board with the gas tax holiday. His former boss called it a gimmick. The administration is pushing back on that. Do they have a leg to stand on here?

STEWART: This could be a very tough sell. As one economist described a gas tax holiday to me, he described it as a gift. There's no question we will some savings -- not wholesale savings but it may make us feel a little bit better. But there are perhaps, in some cases, unintended consequences that so many members of Congress are raising eyebrows about.

[05:45:06]

JARRETT: Like what?

STEWART: Well, think about it. We are at a time when we are trying to reduce demand --

JARRETT: Yes.

STEWART: -- because the supply of gasoline is very tight right now. Well, if price goes down it may give us a license to feel like we can buy more -- perhaps go on that extra trip -- when we're really trying to quell demand because supply is so inhibited because of the war overseas in Ukraine.

In addition, there are concerns that money will be lost for vital things like road repair, road construction. About $10 billion could be at stake.

Now, President Biden has said there are other ways this can be funded, but a time when there is a big focus on infrastructure in this country and by this administration --

JARRETT: Yes.

STEWART: -- it's raising some eyebrows.

JARRETT: Interesting.

OK. The other big topic, of course, for this administration -- is currently grappling with is inflation, of course.

So yesterday, the Fed chief Jerome Powell testified. Senator Elizabeth Warren was trying to hold his feet to the fire. Let's listen to a little bit of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): You know what's worse than high inflation and low unemployment? It's high inflation and a recession with millions of people out of work. And I hope you'll reconsider that as you drive this -- before you drive this economy off a cliff.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: What do you think? She's got a point?

STEWART: These are some very murky times. Now, the goal of the Fed is to try to control inflation. That is one of its prime missions. And to do so it can adjust interest rates. But it's just one of many tools that are at the disposal to try and control inflation.

I was talking to an economist from a very prominent firm recently and I asked him what is causing inflation these days. And there are a lot of issues, including supply chain. I thought we were maybe done with these issues but as China begins to reopen the supply chain issues from the past are still going to be pervasive today.

We still have the war in Ukraine. That is impacting fuel prices. That's impacting food prices.

And then we have a red-hot labor market. People are going back to work. They have money to spend but companies are also having to pay workers more.

JARRETT: Yes.

STEWART: So that adds to costs.

So, the concerns by Sen. Warren obviously have some -- have some sticking points, but this is an inflation equation that just has so many different variables. Interest rates are one part of it.

JARRETT: Yes. As my co-anchor and chief business correspondent --

STEWART: Our friend, Christine -- yes.

JARRETT: -- and our friend Christine would say, there are a lot of crosscurrents happening --

STEWART: I like that.

JARRETT: -- at one time.

STEWART: I like that.

JARRETT: I also want to ask you about this. JPMorgan laying off some of its staff in the mortgage division. Of course, just as the Fed chief has raised interest rates, mortgage rates spiked.

Is this a bad omen? Is this to be expected? What do you make of this?

STEWART: Well, the housing market, since these interest rate hikes were instituted, has begun to cool down. Some may argue that's a good thing. It's perhaps eventually going to make house -- a house -- housing more --

JARRETT: As someone in the market, it's a good thing.

STEWART: Yes. It's going to make it a little bit more affordable.

JARRETT: Yes.

STEWART: But I think it's a reflection of what we have seen during this pandemic. The economy is very fickle. Think about how consumer trends have changed.

Remember at the beginning of the -- of the pandemic everyone was racing to buy a Peloton? Well, that kind of cooled off. And, in fact, earlier this year, Peloton had to lay people off.

So I think that this shift that we're seeing with the housing market is just a reflection of the changing nature of the economy.

JARRETT: That makes sense.

All right, Marc. So nice to have you on set.

STEWART: You bet. Good to see you, Laura.

JARRETT: Please come back -- appreciate it.

STEWART: Of course -- thanks.

JARRETT: All right. It has been a bumpy start to the summer travel season so far. On Wednesday, the first full day of summer, more than 1,000 airline flights in the U.S. were canceled and another 3,400 were delayed. That's according to the tracking site FlightAware.

More than one in seven flights departing Newark and LaGuardia in the New York metro area were canceled Wednesday, too. The disruptions largely due to weather conditions on the east coast.

And another heat wave dominating the U.S. as more than 20 million Americans remain under heat alerts. And record-high triple-digit temperatures are expected over the south and the Plains region.

Let's get to CNN's Derek Van Dam. How hot are we talking, Derek?

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, it got to 105 yesterday -- is that hot enough for you, Laura -- in Macon, Georgia. Sweltering in the south. That's what I like to call it.

And just a few moments ago, the National Weather Service upgraded the Macon, Georgia and central Georgia to an excessive heat warning. So, they expect the heat indices -- that's how it feels on your skin as you step outside. You factor in the actual temperature with the dew points and the humidity -- all those factors together and it will feel like 105 -- maybe 110 in some locations.

Here's the heat advisory. It's along the Gulf Coast states, including New Orleans all the way to Dallas.

Here is just a sample of some of the record highs that were either tied or shattered yesterday. And we have the potential to break another 50 record-high temperatures across the Deep South from today right through the early parts of the weekend.

[05:50:05]

What's the cause? Well, it's, of course, the heat dome. We have seen that settle in time and time again already this summer and we're only about, what, 36 hours into the summer solstice.

Here's a look at your temperatures. Ninety-six for Atlanta. It's worth noting the New England coastline significantly cooler. Enjoy it while it lasts because it won't be there long. The hot air is going to move its way into the east coast as well, so expect summerlike temperatures for places like Boston all the way to Portland, Maine.

Here's a sample of some of the temperatures you can expect across the Deep South today as you swelter. Houston to Dallas, we're talking triple-digit heat. You factor in the humidity and the dew points, it'll feel closer to 110 -- Laura.

JARRETT: Geez. All right, that is hot. Stay safe out there, folks.

VAN DAM: All right.

JARRETT: Derek Van Dam, thank you.

All right, let's get a little sports. The Avalanche pushed the 2-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning to the brink of elimination with a controversial overtime win.

Andy Scholes is here in person --

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

JARRETT: -- with this morning's Bleacher Report. Andy Scholes as I live and breathe.

SCHOLES: Back in person.

JARRETT: I have talked to you for two years in a box.

SCHOLES: Yes. You know, the satellite gets old at some point. Good to be back with you here in person, Laura.

JARRETT: So nice to have you.

SCHOLES: And I'll tell you what -- you know, we're happy, all smiling this morning. Tampa fans though are not. They are not very happy with how game four ended last night, especially since Colorado is now just one win away from hoisting the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2001.

The Lightning -- they were up 2-1 in the third. This shot right here is going to bounce around and then go off the shin of Andrew Cogliano and into the net to tie the game at two.

So we would go to overtime and Nazem Kadri making his return after missing three games after thumb surgery scoring the winning goal. They weren't sure it went in at first because it was stuck at the top of the net. But then Colorado started to celebrate.

Now, the Lightning claim the Avalanche had too many players on the ice and the goal shouldn't have counted. And none of the four officials, after the game, say they saw too many men on the ice. The Avalanche -- they were making a change right before the goal.

Nevertheless, Colorado wins 3-2. They can hoist that Stanley Cup with a win tomorrow night.

All right, some sad news from the NFL. Tony Siragusa, known as the Goose, died unexpectedly yesterday. Siragusa was a key member of the dominant 2000 Ravens defense. They won a Super Bowl title.

He played 12 years as a defensive tackle with the Ravens and the Colts before becoming a popular sideline analyst for Fox. He was a fan favorite and dozens of coaches and teammates praising his colorful personality and sense of humor.

Tony Siragusa was just 55 years old. All right, the PGA Tour, meanwhile, announcing several changes as they

desperately try to prevent more top stars from departing for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series.

Commissioner Jay Monahan announcing that they are significantly increasing the purses for eight current events next season. And starting in 2024, the Tour is going to have a new playoff structure with fewer players. They're also going to add a 3-event international series and those purses are going to be upwards of $25 million.

But Monahan made it clear if money is all that matters they can't compete.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY MONAHAN, PGA TOUR COMMISSIONER: If this is an arms race and if the only weapons here are dollar bills, the PGA Tour can't compete. We welcome good, healthy competition. The LIV Saudi golf league is not that. It's an irrational threat -- one not concerned with the return on investment or true growth of the game.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes, and it was announced yesterday that the LIV Golf players will be able to compete in this year's final Major, the British Open, next month.

All right, the NBA draft is tonight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Orlando Magic own the top pick for the first time since 2004. They'll be followed by the Thunder and the Rockets.

What's the Magic do at number one? That's still a mystery. This draft has a big three at the top. Auburn's Jabari Smith is the betting favorite to go first, followed by Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren, and the Duke's Paolo Banchero.

All right. Finally, --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Best in Show winner is the bloodhound.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, wonderful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: All right, Trumpet the bloodhound winning Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show last night. He's the first bloodhound to ever win the top prize in the event's 146-year history. Trumpet beating out six other finalists for the honor.

Second place going to Winston the French bulldog. He's actually owned by Chargers defensive end Morgan Fox.

JARRETT: So tell -- something tells me you are here in New York City not for the Westminster Dog Show but probably for the draft. SCHOLES: I am here for the NBA draft, not the dog show. But I kind of

like seeing who wins best. I think it was the right pick this year though, Laura. You know, Trumpet the bloodhound. That is a big, nice- looking dog, right? Sometimes they give it to the little fluffy dog.

JARRETT: I like seeing how closely the dogs resemble the owners because oftentimes, the hairstyles, the bows, even the jogs around the course -- I -- it's just -- it's so entertaining.

[05:55:00]

SCHOLES: They do --

JARRETT: And I love the movie "Best in Show" because I love Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy. So --

SCHOLES: I've never seen that one, but --

JARRETT: Oh, you've got -- you've never seen "Best in Show?"

SCHOLES: No.

JARRETT: OK. For your weekend cue --

SCHOLES: All right, on the button.

JARRETT: Exactly.

So great to have you in person.

SCHOLES: It's good to be here.

JARRETT: Nice to see you, my friend.

All right, I am Laura Jarrett. "NEW DAY" is next.

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