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Dems Plan to Make January 6 Investigation More Low-Key; Fragile Haiti Under 'State of Siege' after President's Assassination; Trump Fundraises Off Lawsuit Stunt Against Social Media Giants. Aired 6- 6:30a ET

Aired July 08, 2021 - 06:00   ET

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

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm John Berman alongside Brianna Keilar on this NEW DAY. New reporting just in on the strategy from Democrats to keep the January 6th committee from becoming a circus.

[06:00:22]

Plus, speaking of -- why legal experts say Donald Trump's lawsuit against social media companies is, quote, "as stupid as you think it is."

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: And a fragile nation on edge. Breaking developments this morning on the assassination of Haiti's president inside of his own home.

And two weeks from the Olympics, Japan declares a state of emergency involving coronavirus. Are the games at risk?

BERMAN: Good morning to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. It is Thursday, July 8.

We begin with brand-new reporting about the Capitol insurrection and the Democrats' strategy to investigate it. Sources tell CNN the Democrats are making a conscious effort to avoid turning the probe into a spectacle. Something that they think Republicans might attempt to do. Democrats are also looking to keep some of the work they do behind closed doors.

KEILAR: Now the panel intends to explore a range of issues surrounding the January 6th riot that do not all center around former President Trump. And the committee will be working into the fall when midterm elections start heating up.

Lauren Fox joins us now with her new reporting. And it's really fascinating. You have a lot of details about what the speaker is thinking here.

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's exactly right. Look the committee has met twice behind closed doors to try to sort out how they are going to move forward, investigating what happened on January 6th.

And one thing that they're very conscious of, very aware of is that Republicans are going to try to make this a spectacle as quickly as they can, because they want to make the argument that this is a political investigation.

Now, Democrats know they have to look into Trump. That has to be part of this investigation. The Senate committees did an investigation into the security failures. They didn't get into Trump's role.

Democrats know they have to dig into that, but they don't want this entire information to just be about Trump. That's impeachment part two or part three, depending on how you count your impeachments on Capitol Hill.

It's also they're very conscious of the fact that select committees like the Benghazi select committee became something that was a political firework every time they had a public hearing.

Some of the work that they want to do is going to happen behind closed door. They can have interviews that aren't all in public hearing settings. They're very conscious that when they have a public hearing, it becomes a moment where we're all watching. And that's good. That's important. They want the American public to be educated, but they're also aware of the fact that to get some new information, to actually break through what happened on January 6, how these people were able to communicate ahead of this event, they need to have some real investigations that happen behind closed doors. They need documents.

And just a reminder, when you're going to set up the staffing for a committee like this, it can take months to make sure that everyone has the security clearances that they need. So they're going to be doing all of this as the midterm elections really start to heat up into the fall.

Now the first committee hearing we expect is going to be with rank- and-file Capitol police officers. And that's because they want the voices of those officers to be heard.

And that's really an area where I think all people should be able to agree that our Capitol Police officers endured real harm on that day and real, you know, long-term psychological damage because of what they endured.

Now, whether or not everyone can agree on that, I mean, that's another question entirely. Whether or not Democrats can keep this from becoming a political circus, they're going to try really hard, and they're very conscious of that, Brianna.

KEILAR: They should agree on that. We had Officer Mike Fanone on yesterday. It's very clear what he and others have gone through. It's undeniable, even as you have some Republicans who are denying it.

And you mentioned, as part of your reporting, the delay that it's going to take in standing up this committee, and you've spoken to folks who have done this before.

FOX: Yes. KEILAR: What I found so interesting about that, that it's going to

take months, is that I wonder now about the calculus of Republicans in retrospect of not going for the commission, which would have, I think, gotten started much more quickly.

FOX: Well, I mean, this was one of the arguments. You know, Senator Richard Burr, who has a lot of experience on the Intelligence Committee, was telling his Republican senator colleagues in private settings, look, you know, it takes a long time for people to get security clearances.

You don't want to vote for a commission, because this is going to drag on.

We should note the commission had an end date that was part of the bill. This does not have an end date. This could go on for as long as Democrats want it to go on.

And we should also note that Pelosi, in trying to make sure this doesn't look like a partisan circus, has Liz Cheney that she appointed to this committee. That was a very conscious decision to send a message to some of her more moderate members, Look, I understand that this is going to be hard in re-elections, that I want you to know that we're taking every action we can to try to make this as serious as possible. And not to make it a spectacle.

[06:05:13]

KEILAR: Great reporting. Lauren, thank you so much.

Joining us now is former Republican congressman and presidential candidate Joe Walsh.

Joe, it's great to see you. What is your reaction to this strategy of Democrats? They're trying to keep it less political. We'll see if they succeed with that.

JOE WALSH, FORMER REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN: Hey, Brianna. Good to be with you.

I understand what the Democrats are doing, and I understand their concerns, but my plea to them would be not to be afraid.

Look, the Republicans want this thing to be a circus. They want this thing to be a spectacle. They want this thing to be a partisan exercise, because they don't want the truth.

Democrats need to investigate, Brianna, the why. I mean, if they really want to know the truth, why the heck did January 6th happen? Why? The why? Why were people there trying to overturn an election? Why was there an insurrection?

If -- The Democrats shouldn't be afraid, Brianna, to look into that truth, because that truth is that Donald Trump and the Republicans, the big lie, led to the why, to why people were there. I think Democrats really need to be unafraid here to pursue the truth. BERMAN: The problem, though, as they used to say to me growing up on

the farm, Joe, is the thing is when you wrestle with a pig, you both get dirty and the pig likes it.

The Republicans, as you say, they want this to be dirty. So how do the Democrats avoid that while getting the information you say they want?

WALSH: I think it makes sense, John, to do as much as you can in private. Public hearings tend to become spectacles. I think there's no doubt Kevin McCarthy, who I don't think wanted to appoint any Republicans to this committee at all and to just point to it and say it's a political exercise, I think he's going to appoint people, put people on this committee who are going to try to make it a partisan circus.

So I think -- look, as much as Democrats can do privately and professionally, that's all good and well. And I understand the politics -- and I get all of that -- and this will happen next year in an election year.

But my God, we are six months removed from an attack on our government, and none of the current investigations again, John, are investigating the why. Why did thousands of people go to Washington to attack our government?

That truth Democrats can't be afraid to go there, because we sort of know where the "there" is. That's the big lie. And that's going to point toward Republicans.

BERMAN: So, there are many people up in arms over the fact that Republican Chip Roy of Texas basically said that he feels it's his job to fight the Democratic agenda until 2022.

Let's listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. CHIP ROY (R-TX): You know, you're seeing it happen right now in transportation and infrastructure, right? Pelosi is just tacking hard to the left, and AOC and company. So this whole Pelosi, Schumer, Biden, you know, thing on infrastructure. We have no idea where they are.

So it's going to be dependent on the Senate. And what Senator Scott is able to work out with whatever coalition he can get to get to 60, as long as 60 is the number, which is obviously something in question. Honestly, right now, for the next 18 months, our job is to do everything we can to slow all of that down to get to December of 2022 and then get in -- get in here (ph) and lead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: So where is the line, Joe? Look, you were part of the Tea Party movement. You know, you had a lot to do with obstructing a whole lot of things for a while. Where's that sweet spot, though, between fighting an agenda that you

don't agree with and making sure that certain things do get done for the American people?

WALSH: Yes, John. I'll tell you what. The Republicans, deep down, I think they know they have a really strong chance of taking back control of the House next year. And that's all they care about. Through redistricting and -- and history, they have a great chance at retaking the House.

The only thing, John, that can mess that up for them is if Joe Biden and the Democrats can get things done. And they did on COVID relief. And now they have a great opportunity, the Democrats do, if Republicans will work with them, to do something on infrastructure.

Chip Roy said the truth out loud there. What Republicans want to do is not let an infrastructure package get passed. Not let anything get done so that they can take control of the House after 2022. They're just going to try to keep things chaotic and keep things a mess to get -- and, oh, by the way, John, focus on all the culture war bull crap. That's what Republicans think they need to do to take back the House.

[06:10:17]

KEILAR: Well, speaking of that culture war bull crap, as you put it, former secretary of state Mike Pompeo tweeted this week, wading into this critical race theory debate, "If we teach that the founding of the United States of America was somehow flawed, it was corrupt, it was racist, that's really dangerous. It strikes at the very foundations of our country."

We should mention that he's saying this as we find out that he's going to headline a GOP dinner in South Carolina, which is raising some eyebrows about what he wants to do politically for himself. But what's your reaction to that tweet?

WALSH: Brianna, I read that tweet. And I know Mike Pompeo. I served in Congress with Mike Pompeo. I read that tweet, and I almost cried.

And it made me think again and realize again, Brianna, that this is Donald Trump's party. Donald Trump controls the Republican Party. And any Republican who wants to be viable -- and Mike Pompeo wants to run for president -- any Republican that wants to be viable has to be as dishonest as Trump, has to be as stupid as Trump, has to be as mean and ignorant as Trump.

Mike Pompeo, Brianna, knows that every word he said in that tweet is wrong. Historically, it's wrong. Pompeo is a smart guy, but he puts out an ignorant tweet like that purely to embrace Trump and -- and appeal to Republican Party base voters. It's so sad.

BERMAN: It's also just historically inaccurate, right? I mean, for a guy who went to West Point and Harvard, he should know the Constitution talks about forming a more perfect union. In other words, we can be better. What are constitutional amendments, if not admissions that things can

be better, that there's something wrong -- or, yes, Mike Pompeo -- even flawed that needs to be fixed? Go back to high school history, Mr. Secretary.

WALSH: He knows that, John. He knows that. Pompeo is no dummy. He knows all of that.

BERMAN: Joe Walsh, thank you very much.

WALSH: Thanks, guys.

BERMAN: Breaking news in the assassination of Haiti's president, what we now know about the attackers.

KEILAR: Plus, legal experts bash Donald Trump's lawsuit against social media companies.

And with two weeks to go before the Olympics, Japan is declaring a state of emergency. So what will this mean for the games?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:16:50]

BERMAN: Breaking overnight, police in Haiti claiming taking swift action in response to the assassination of the president, Jovenel Moise.

Police say they arrested two suspects and killed four others in connection with the president's death.

The Haitian ambassador to the U.S. says all six were foreigners. Police have not yet determined their nationalities.

It comes as new video posted on social media is said to show security outside of the private residence after the attack. In another audio clip, a person can be heard shouting, "DEA operation." Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: DEA Operation. Everybody stand down. DEA operation. Everybody back up, stand down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Now CNN cannot independently confirm the authenticity of the audio or the video.

The U.S. State Department denies the attackers were DEA agents. A spokesman calls the claims absolutely false.

Now a state of siege has been declared in Haiti.

KEILAR: And joining us now to discuss is Haiti's ambassador to the United States. With us now, Bocchit Edmond. Sir, thank you so much for being with us. What can you tell us right

now about what you know, if anything new, about these operations that have been reportedly resulted in the death of four of the alleged assassins and the capture of two others?

BOCCHIT EDMOND, HAITIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: Good morning. Good to be with you this morning.

Indeed, the national police last night before 6 has arrested six -- I believe in an exchange of fire and the police, four of them were killed. And two are now in custody.

We do hope the national police will continue to hunt them down, because possibly there were more than six. We are trying to see how we

can, you know, make sure that those are caught and identified and be brought to justice. This is now what is happening.

KEILAR: Do you have any idea what the motive was here?

EDMOND: You know, Brianna, I just don't want to speculate on the motive, because since there is an investigation going on, I have to wait for the results. But it's certain that the head of state cannot be killed just for play.

KEILAR: Sure.

EDMOND: There has to be a reason. And those reasons we -- hopefully, those reasons will be known, once the -- the investigation is concluded.

But it's very important. That's one of the reason we call on the international partners, was to have expertise and to help us, you know, carry out these investigations and to make sure that we identify those killers.

KEILAR: Now authorities say --

EDMOND: Not only the killers but those who financed them.

KEILAR: Yes, the authorities say that they were foreigners but that they appear to have had the help of Haitians because of the vehicles that they were in. Do you have any idea how it was ascertained that they're foreigners? And do you know where they are from?

EDMOND: That's why we -- we -- I mentioned to you about an investigation. Because indeed they were foreigners, but at the same time, we need to recognize that they also have -- they have had some help, internal help. Because if you take the logistics, for instance, the cars, to go all the way to the president's residence, I believe they're getting it underground.

[06:20:19]

Therefore, there was no doubt about it there would be -- there was some internal help. But the most important thing is we need to continue with the investigations and look and identify those who financed them, those who paid them to commit this horrible act.

KEILAR: First lady Moise suffered gunshot wounds, some serious wounds here. Do you have any update on her health as she's being treated at a hospital in south Florida?

EDMOND: I don't have the last report, but I believe yesterday when she arrived where she was being treated. And she's under good care now. Hopefully, we are -- we will continue to pray for her for her -- you know, her recovery.

But I do believe to what I know of I'm sure that she's now out of danger. And then we want to be -- to recover very soon.

KEILAR: Well, Ambassador, thank you so much. We know that you are enduring so much turmoil in your country, and we appreciate you being with us, Ambassador Edmond.

EDMOND: Thank you so very much. We do hope this horrible act will -- can be used between Haitians as a prep to start reunification, reconciliation between ourself. Because this has been a big blow to the nation.

KEILAR: All right. Sir, we'll continue to have you on to talk about that. Ambassador, thank you.

Former President Trump crying censorship, but legal experts say that his lawsuits against social media companies are actually going nowhere, so is this just a big fundraising stunt?

BERMAN: Is that a rhetorical question?

Plus, another twist in Britney Spears' legal saga. What her mother is now saying about the conservatorship.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[06:26:15]

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're demanding an end to the shadow banning, a stop to the silencing and a stop to the blacklisting, banishing and canceling that you know so well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: That is the former president, announcing that he is suing Twitter, Facebook and YouTube after he was banned from their platforms following the Capitol insurrection.

Of course, the lawsuits are unlikely to go anywhere, since the First Amendment relates to governments censoring free speech, not private businesses. But maybe, just maybe, this is about something besides the law.

Joining us now, Maggie Haberman, CNN political analyst and Washington correspondent for "The New York Times." And the reason I ask that question, maybe this isn't about the law is I couldn't help but notice the fundraising pitches that went out at exactly the same time.

MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Usually, serious lawsuits are not accompanied by a fundraising solicitation that goes out simultaneous.

Look, I think that with most things, if not everything, with Donald Trump, there is some money component involved. Right? So I think that's definitely a piece of it.

I think the other piece is that this is, frankly, something of a distraction that he's trying to set up after his company was indicted last week by the Manhattan district attorney and as his CFO was indicted by the Manhattan district attorney.

This is a go-to move of his, going back to the early 1970s. If you get, you know, sued or in some legal trouble, you countersue in some way. He's obviously not able to countersue the Manhattan D.A. So instead, this is what he's aiming the punch at.

But to your point about the efficacy of this lawsuit, this has been tried by other people. The Supreme Court has not favored these arguments.

And one of the stranger arguments in the suit is essentially saying that these firms, these tech companies, are -- are you know, pseudo state actors, that they're basically arms of the government because of certain provisions that they are allowed.

Donald Trump was president when he was kicked off. So in theory, he was the government. And so there's a lot about the argument made in this lawsuit that doesn't quite make sense.

It is an issue that plays very well with conservatives. And I think that's part of why he's doing it.

BERMAN: There is one thing that I noticed during this event, and it's not the first time this has sort of happened. But I found it to be striking. And if you put the picture up so people can see it here.

It's -- it's the lectern there, which has that seal, the sort of presidential seal, and says, "The Office of Donald Trump," trying to project the image that he is the president. I mean, am I wrong to look at this and say this is a deliberate effort going on here?

HABERMAN: No, no, you're not. I mean, including the fact that all of the statements that come out from his office say, "45th president of the United States." They don't say the former president of the United States.

His staff still calls him 45, you know, very frequently. Now, it's not unusual to have a president's staff do that. Obama's staff calls him 44.

But the fact that they put out these statements, being so aggressive this way, is -- is very notable. There is this, you know, whether it is just because it makes him feel good or because it conveys strength or because it tries to convey that he is not diminished on the stage, he is trying to project this "I'm still in power" image.

BERMAN: And it's more --

HABERMAN: And he's not, to be clear. He's not the one in power now.

BERMAN: It's -- it's just so different than anything we've ever seen --

HABERMAN: Yes.

BERMAN: -- from a former president. To take that tour at the southern border, and to speak as if he is still in charge. And I think it -- you know, it seems to have an effect on people, including, you know, people who may do bad things. There's this whole idea of possible violence in August.

HABERMAN: Right. So this is why it is -- look, there's been this debate since he left office, as you know, about should we pay attention to him, should we cover him?

I certainly don't agree that everything should be, you know, Donald Trump speaks, and therefore, a story gets written. But when a former president is behaving this way and doing things like trying to encourage people to perpetuate his falsehoods about the election; trying to encourage these pseudo audits in various states; trying to suggest and feed this conspiracy theory that he could be reinstated to office, it's very hard to ignore that, because there could be real- world consequences.

And that is a consequence of what you're talking about, which is projecting this idea that he is still the president. There are a number of his followers who still believe that.