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New Day
Police Report Does Not Match Leaked Body Camera Footage of Death of Black Man after High-Speed Chase with Police in Louisiana; Congressional Republicans Stated Concerns about Bipartisan Commission to Investigation January 6th Riots Examined; Trump: "Consequences" for GOP Supporters of 1/6 Commission. Aired 8-8:30a ET
Aired May 21, 2021 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:03]
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. It is Friday, May 21st. And we're learning new details this morning about the case of Ronald Greene who died more than two years ago while in police custody following a high- speed chase. His family says police told them he died in a car wreck. Body camera footage that was just released -- actually, it wasn't released. It emerged from the Associated Press. It shows that Ronald Greene, you see him being kicked, dragged, and tased by Louisiana state troopers. A preliminary incident report makes no mention of that at all. A state official with knowledge of the investigation tells CNN state police started investigating it as a criminal matter the night it took place.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: In the last hour on NEW DAY we spoke with Ronald Greene's mother Mona Hardin. She believes that her son was murdered, and she says it's been a cover-up from the start.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MONA HARDIN, MOTHER OF RONALD GREENE: It's been a nightmare. We've not properly grieved. But we need to hold these people accountable. Someone needs to pay. Someone needs to go to jail for this. This is murder what happened to my son, Ronnie. It's horrific hearing my son. It's horrible that everyone has to see this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Joining us now, Don Lemon, host of "Don Lemon Tonight," the author of "This is the Fire, What I Say to My Friends about Racism." Brianna spoke to Ronald Greene's mother moments ago. You spoke to her last night. Obviously, she was told something different. She was told something different about this than what now has emerged in the video. And this really does raise questions about people's faith, I think, in what they are told in general about these incidents.
DON LEMON, CNN HOST, "DON LEMON TONIGHT": If you look at what's happened in a number of police incidents we have reported on throughout the country, the initial report is often not what it is once we see the video. She has a right to be concerned. If you look at what happened with the Derek Chauvin trial that just happened. Same thing. We looked at the police report, and we said what incident are they talking about, because that doesn't appear to be what happened.
Ms. Hardin was told her son died because he was in a car accident from a head injury from hitting a tree. Did you see that in that video? That's not what happened. They should be concerned. We should all be concerned. Law enforcement, police are supposed to protect and serve. Yes, they have a hard job, we say that every single time, but their job is to protect and serve. And it doesn't appear, we haven't seen the entire video, but it doesn't look like anyone is protected or served in this incident.
KEILAR: It was the E.R. doctor who, it seemed, initially flagged it, Don, said does not add up, looking at the report of what happened and the injuries that Mr. Green sustained that the doctor was looking at. And look, we see these incidents. Now we have George Floyd. We see this one where what we're seeing on video is not matching the report.
We actually spoke with an expert this morning as well who said this happens a lot. This is not just -- it's not just something you're seeing here or there. This is a pervasive problem.
LEMON: It's a pervasive problem. And I spoke to experts as well last night, law enforcement experts, members of law enforcement who said essentially, Brianna, police are policing themselves. The whole point of having body-worn cameras and body-worn camera video is for transparency. It is to protect the citizens and to protect the officers as well. If an officer is accused of something that did not happen, that body-worn camera video will protect the officer.
Officers can now turn the video on, and in some instances on and off at will. That shouldn't happen. Police department now can decide when they want to release that body-worn camera video. That should not happen. There should be a standard across the board. In this particular incident, there was an officer who was accused of manipulating the bodycam video. So we can't have that. There should be transparency, and there should be standards across the board about releasing body-worn camera video, and that it should be on all the time. That's the whole point of it.
BERMAN: So Don, first of all, thanks for coming in, thanks for waking up and seeing us here on the show. And you've done it a few weeks running now, and it's great. We could run a weekly segment on provocative things that Don Lemon has said that have generated controversy and conversation. One of the things you said this week on a podcast, you were asked what the brand essence of the Democratic Party is, and your answer was, weak. Why?
LEMON: Because I believe our democracy -- I don't believe, I know, our democracy is in trouble.
BERMAN: This is the Democratic Party, bid "D".
LEMON: The republic is in danger. I believe that we're in danger right now. Voter suppression, people who are lying, bending reality to fit -- bending the truth to try to fit their own reality. We have people who think it's OK now to yell at lawmakers, congressmen through the doors, call them babies. We have people who believe in Jewish space lasers. We have people who are trying to basically, now, have minority rule in the country.
[08:05:07]
I'm talking about one particular party. And I'm not a partisan person. I know people are like, oh, my gosh, they're not going to believe that. I'm not. I don't believe in belonging to a political party. I'm an independent. But right now our democracy is in danger, and it's because of one party, and that's the Republican Party. And the Democratic Party in order to save this democracy needs to stand up and needs to be stronger.
They can no longer operate by the rules that they did before. These are pre-Trump rules that they need to operate by -- that they are operating on, and they need to operate now for the rules that apply a post-truth, post-fact world, and that's what we live in, in order to save the democracy that we so love.
BERMAN: What do you think they're doing this week?
LEMON: I don't hear them standing up enough for this madness that's in Washington, for the lying. We have people now -- it is OK in this country now to be an indecent, immoral person. It is OK for adults to act like what we tell children not to do. It is OK to lie to journalists' faces and to the faces of American people, to tell people one thing one day about an insurrection and then another thing the next day about an insurrection.
BERMAN: Or say it didn't happen.
LEMON: Or say it didn't happen. I don't see Democrats standing up strongly enough for that. They need to become more cunning. They need to realize what is at stake. And what's at stake is really America at this point. And I do not see them doing it.
I think that their morals are great. I actually think the Democrats now are the party -- is the party of morality. I don't think the Republican Party is. Maybe in the old days they believed that they were. But they're not. And if you look at what's happening, it is basically, John, white grievance is what we have now.
I had Matthew Dowd on last night, who really dropped jewels last night. He said 25 to 30 percent of the population, white males in this country, 80 percent to 90 percent of the representation that we have in Washington and the people who hold power are white males. And what they are operating on now is white grievance, white fear. Trump capitalized on that. The country is changing, and they are afraid of it. What are they essentially saying? That they don't trust people who don't look like them? That people who don't look like them should not have the amount of power and the equity and equality that they have? I don't see Democrats standing up for that or understanding the danger in that.
So in order for us to move forward, when we have one party who is operating on lies and not living in reality, we need a party to stand up and be stronger and operate on truth and live in reality and show the world that America is better than Jewish space lasers. What else do I have to say? It is the God's honest truth.
BERMAN: You had me at space lasers.
(LAUGHTER)
KEILAR: It can't just be one party that does that.
LEMON: What party do we -- well, the Republican Party should be doing it, but they're not going to do it.
KEILAR: No, I agree, they're not doing it.
LEMON: We have no evidence, Brianna, that the Republican Party is going to do it. We keep saying, well, it's going to be better. We have people like Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney who are saying, well, that's not what the Republican Party is or should be. I agree that's not what it should be, but that's what it is.
KEILAR: I guess my question, Don, is, how do you -- how does that correct if you only have a fraction of whatever the political spectrum dealing with this issue?
LEMON: Well, right now, the person who is in the White House is a Democrat. The people who are in charge of Congress are Democrats. The people who are in the majority, slightly in the Senate, are Democrats. The only party now that is operating in reality is the Democratic Party. The Republican Party is obsolete. The Republican Party is not dealing and living in reality.
So you cannot negotiate with a party that doesn't operate on logic. And so I don't know what the answer is when it comes to the Republican Party. I think at this point, it needs to be restructured, and perhaps Americans who want this country to be a country that is sane and rational and equitable and equal, that perhaps they need to challenge the Republican Party more. But I don't think the Republican Party at this point is -- I don't think that they can be changed. I really don't. I think that it has gone way too far, and it's just sad to see.
I'm not -- listen, again, I'm not a political person. I'm a person who lives in reality. I'm a journalist. I can see and I can hear, and I can think. And there is no reason to believe that the Republicans are going to start playing fairly and are going to start operating as a party of sanity.
[08:10:00]
KEILAR: This is the challenge that we're leaving for the next generation is operating in a post-truth era. The happy note that I wanted to have you on to talk about, Don, is this very cool thing that we've been working on this week for the class of 2021 and honoring them as they graduate. These are the challenges they're going to be confronting. I will tell you, based on the seniors that I spoke with, I was incredibly encouraged by just how accomplished and wonderful these young people are who are graduating this year. This is a special, it's called "Graduation 2021" and we've got a lot in store for them. Will you share that for us?
LEMON: Yes, we have got a lot in store. We have lots of entertainers, but the biggest and most important person we have is the vice president of the United States who is going to give the commencement address. But there are lots of surprises. I don't want to give it all away, but you'll see some big names that you might not think you'd hear from or see in this particular moment. But listen, we're operating in -- we're moving out of COVID, out of quarantine. So there's still going to be -- we're going to have some Zooms and some other things. But there are going to be performances that you're going to want to see. And more importantly, it's going to be me and you, Brianna.
(LAUGHTER)
KEILAR: That is the very fun part. But, you know, also --
BERMAN: I'm sitting right here. By the way.
LEMON: The new poet laureate is going to be there as well, and I'm excited about seeing her.
KEILAR: And also, John Berman, I will say, everyone should tune into this. This isn't just for the class of 2021, because I think we all need a little inspiration right now. And you'll never get that more than listening to commencement addresses. And there are some very cool little commencement addresses coming from a lot of people that you're going to recognize.
BERMAN: And I understand, Brianna was telling me, that Don Lemon is going to sing "The Body Electric" like at the end of "Fame" at that. So I'm looking forward that that.
LEMON: And dance as well. You can do high kicks and everything.
BERMAN: You want to live forever.
(LAUGHTER)
BERMAN: Thank you very much. You can, of course, watch that special, that is Sunday night at 7:00 with Don and Brianna. It is wonderful. I can't wait for that. And you catch Don Lemon every weeknight at 10:00 p.m. on "Don Lemon Tonight."
LEMON: Except I get in more trouble on this show than in my own show.
BERMAN: That's why we have you.
KEILAR: That's why we get you up early, my friend.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Thank you. KEILAR: Make no mistake, there is a reason that Republicans are fighting this idea of a commission into the January 6th riots, and it has nothing to do with moving forward like they are saying. John Avlon joins us with our "Reality Check."
JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: It's official, Republicans have become the know-nothing party in American politics. And I'm not just comparing the anti-immigrant know-nothing party of the 1850s with the Trumpists of today. No, I'm saying that Republicans have embraced an official policy of knowing nothing, in the sense of Sergeant Schultz in "Hogan's Heroes."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see nothing. I know nothing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AVLON: Think back to all the times that Republicans pled ignorance to avoid commenting on some indefensible Trump tweet or when then Senator Kelly Loeffler said this about Trump's "Access Hollywood" tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're still not disagreeing with President Trump's statements about personally sexually assaulting women?
KELLY LOEFFLER, FORMER U.S. SENATOR: I'm not familiar with that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AVLON: I know nothing. But often the arena is more serious, like Trump's first impeachment trial, when Republicans refused to hear witnesses because they didn't want to have to confront more evidence. Of course, climate change denial is now a core tenet of the GOP, and when the five-volume bipartisan Senate Intel Committee report was released detailing copious Russian connections to the Trump campaign, Republicans just decided to continue calling it all a hoax. After years of embracing denial and defaulting to whataboutism, the rot had set in. So even after a violent mob attacked our capitol, 147 Republicans voted to overturn the election. But some powerful Republicans seemed to briefly learn the lesson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY, (R-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: The president bears responsibility for Wednesday's attack on Congress by mob rioters. And the president's immediate action also deserves congressional action, which is why I think a fact-finding commission and a censure resolution would be prudent.
We must unite once again as Americans. I understand for some this call for unity may ring hollow.
(END VIDEO CLIP) AVLON: It sure does ring hollow, because when McCarthy was presented with the fact-finding commission he asked for, including three conditions he specifically requested, he still immediately moved to kill it. Mitch McConnell followed suit. Now the bipartisan commission is hanging by a thread. Republican senators who said they would be open to it are now in full retreat, arguing that the bipartisan commission would be somehow slanted and biased. Here's what Republican Congressman John Katko, who negotiated the deal, said about some of their concerns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN KATKO, (R-NY): Another charge I heard was that the commission could be controlled by partisan staff hired unilaterally by the commission chair. That is simply not true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AVLON: Facts don't seem to matter to these folks. There's no move to negotiate the details.
[08:15:02]
And here's why. Republicans don't want more damning information about the January 6th attack to come out. They know the facts will make them look bad. So they say they don't want to relitigate the 2020 election. They want to look forward without resolving the rot that led to this sustained assault on our democracy.
But remember, the reason there needs to be ten Republican votes to pass this bipartisan commission in the Senate is that Mitch McConnell has indicated he intends to kill it with the filibuster. And that's going to expose the need for filibuster reform now because, let's be honest, this isn't really a tough vote. If we can't unite across partisan lines to reason together after an attack on our Capitol, what can we agree on?
If the twisted incentive structure inside our politics has led one party to think that ignoring facts and resisting majority rule is a path to power, then we need to take steps to strengthen our democracy before it's too late.
And that's your "Reality Check."
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: John Avlon, thank you so much for that.
Ahead, President Trump threatening consequences for Republicans who voted in favor of a January 6th investigation. How will that affect the chances of it passing the Senate?
BERMAN: And new this morning, why the Biden administration is teaming up with dating apps.
And under way now, the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. We're getting new video of clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police. This is NEW DAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:20:08]
KEILAR: Former President Donald Trump slamming Republicans who support the creation of a congressional commission to investigate the January 6th Capitol Hill attacks warning the 35 Republicans who voted yes of consequences for being ineffective and weak.
Joining us now is CNN chief political correspondent and co-anchor of "STATE OF THE UNION," Dana Bash.
You know, Dana, wonderful to see you this morning.
It's not just a commission vote. This is -- it's a loyalty test.
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's what this is. It should be a commission vote. It should be a vote to get the truth. It should be a vote to really dig in, in a bipartisan way, taking it out of the hands of these lawmakers because we know what that means. But it's not.
And there are three reasons why these Republicans, the vast majority of House Republicans, voted no.
Number one, the loyalty test. President Trump didn't want them to vote yes.
Number two, for some of them, especially and including the leader, it's their own hide because heaven McCarthy expected to get a subpoena and if this goes through will get a subpoena about the phone call he that had with the then-president that day.
And number three, it's about politics because they don't want the conversation to be about this. I don't understand that, Brianna, because it seems to be so shortsighted or even misguided because we know what it's like when there are real congressional hearings. They're spectacles.
And the Democrats have gavels in the House and Senate. They're going to have open, very aggressive hearings if this commission goes through. If the commission goes through, it will be a little more quiet.
KEILAR: It's like they are more afraid of a serious commission finding perhaps because it would really be something that people could hold up as, look, this isn't political, you know?
BASH: You're exactly right. That's right. And that is, you know, one of the incredible benefits for Americans and for American history in the 9/11 Commission is that it really was trusted. They made so many recommendations, either almost all or all of the recommendations were implemented, including the Department of Homeland Security being created. These were big monumental recommendations and decisions to change the
way Americans act and react. And that won't happen without a commission after January 6th.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: So Liz Cheney, obviously, Republican, supports the commission. She wants Kevin McCarthy to be subpoenaed and have to testify and the former president also and there are a lot of people who held Liz Cheney up as this pillar of virtue for standing up to the big lie, refusing to lie about the results of the election.
But Justin Amash, former Republican turned independent, now ex-member of Congress, he was on the "Axe Files" with our friend David Axelrod. And this is what he said about Liz Cheney.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
JUSTIN AMASH, FOMER GOP CONGRESSMAN: I think this effort to turn her into some sort of hero is a bit misguided. We had four years where she could have stood up and said there's a problem here. What Donald Trump is doing, is wrong. And granted, she did do that a couple of times. Not of any significance.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BERMAN: Justin Amash saying, you could have been with me -- Dana.
BASH: Yeah, and listen, he's not wrong, if you look at the path that he took, and the path he took was very early and very loud and saying I'm out of here. If this is the Republican Party, count me out.
And, you know, he didn't -- he paid a political price in a lot of ways for that. But I think what he's not addressing is that what got Liz Cheney in the end weren't ideological differences. They were differences about whether or not to support basic rule of law, basic tenets of democracy or not.
I mean, it was as -- it was and is as fundamental as it gets. It's not just about whether or not to send troops to -- keep troops in Afghanistan or to pull them back, which is something that Liz Cheney was, you know, differed with the former president on and other things.
She did speak out as Amash said, but, you know, this is just a whole different thing. And that is why people really need to understand that this isn't just your typical partisan squabble. This is a very, very grave discussion about democracy. As Don Lemon was saying earlier in the hour. He's right.
KEILAR: On a lighter note, which is something we like to give you when you're so lovely to join us nearly the morning. Did you see this? The White House is partnering with prominent dating apps to try to encourage vaccination in younger demographics. As it turns out, between Berman, you and me, I don't think we're experts on dating apps here but --
[08:25:03]
BASH: But I know people who are.
KEILAR: OK, good.
BASH: I have dating apps expert friends.
KEILAR: That's what being a reporter. You have dating expert friends. You checked in with them.
Okay. What they're doing is vaccinated users of these apps, right? So, Bumble and like a few others. They'll not only get access to premium features if they say they're vaccinated but if you're unvaccinated, you will be able to book your shot appointments.
BASH: It's kind of -- it's kind of genius, it really is, because look -- I mean, first of all, let's just step back and say, how are we at this place in society where you have to be begging people and coming up with creative ways for them to protect their own health and protect the health of others?
That aside, this is clearly an area that they believe needs to be addressed and reached, a demographic, and that young people -- maybe not even young people on dating apps. And the idea that you can see -- it's actually -- look, if I were on a dating app, I'm vaccinated. We're vaccinated. If I were in that --
BERMAN: Hypothetically.
BASH: Hypothetically, which I am not, I would want to know that the person is vaccinated. Never mind the fact that I would have the chance. Sweeping right for vax is kind of genius.
KEILAR: If you're indoor dining, maybe you want to know.
BASH: I mean, you know what, that actually is a good thing, too. Maybe restaurants should take this. I'm kind of bummed out we didn't get to talk about cicada bugs.
BERMAN: What does it mean for the cicadas?
BASH: Yeah.
BERMAN: Right?
BASH: Yeah, there might be a way to integrate cicadas and the perspective of the fungus and dating apps.
KEILAR: Here's why. Here's what it means. If you're unvaccinated, the person you hook up with on your dating app might suggest outdoor coffee. You have a much, much higher chance of being hit by a fungal (INAUDIBLE) cicada.
BASH: Wow, that was well-played, Brianna Keilar. That was good. That was just wrapping it all together.
BERMAN: Premium content.
(LAUGHTER)
BASH: I love you guys.
KEILAR: We love you, Dana Bash. It's great to see you.
BASH: You, too.
KEILAR: Slowly, but surely, the economy is coming back. There are signs of recovery post-COVID.
BERMAN: One of those signs of recovery, the return of summer concerts. It's getting hot in here. Grammy winning hip-hop star Nelly joins us with a preview of his upcoming show at Bonnaroo.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
