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New Day

Fan Receives Video Call from Singer Adele; U.S. Evacuating Nonessential Personnel and Their Family Members from Embassy in Ukraine Ahead of Possible Russian Incursion; NFL Holds Playoff Games over Weekend. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired January 24, 2022 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

JAMES MASON FOX, FAN WHO RECEIVED VIDEO CALL FROM ADELE: was a little bit vague. And I fall asleep, I take a nap. And Instagram says Adele wants to message you. I was like, hold up. And I actually thought it was spam. I let it sit there for like two-and-a-half minutes, because I was like, that's not real. And so I shower, and I look again, and I was like, there's a blue checkmark there. And so I just lose my mind.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: And then what? Then you end up, it's really Adele?

FOX: Yes. So every Adele superfan knows that she talks about how she doesn't have access to her socials because they're afraid of what she'll post. But I said is this Mamma Adele or is this her team? And she said yes, it's me, which, of course, I wish she would have said "Hello."

(LAUGHTER)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: So listen, let's get to the end of the story here. The bottom line is, you got to hang out with her, at least digitally. You got to hang out with Adele.

FOX: I can't even understand what happened this weekend, but yes. It was just like all of us were losing our minds. It was insane. We were looking her in the eyes. And you could tell she just hated the situation. I don't speak for everyone, but I forgive her. It's just money. That was an experience of a lifetime that surpassed any financial meaning.

KEILAR: You got invited to this popup, and it seems like it's someone from her staff who is holding this message to you and really just a few other people. Could you -- it seems like it was kind of wild there. Could you make out what she was saying? FOX: Not really. All I really heard was -- I was actually checking

out at the time. And I was so bombarded, I was trying to figure out what was happening. I was so shook. And all I heard really was, she was like, this isn't how I wanted it to be. But it was more about the look in her face. You could just tell she was hurting so much than any of us were. She wanted it so bad, you could tell. And I forgive her. And I'll be back in Vegas once she reschedules. Just vibing.

(LAUGHTER)

KEILAR: Just vibing.

(LAUGHTER)

KEILAR: I love it. I love it, James. You have such a good attitude about all of this. And we really appreciate you talking with us and sharing that moment, because you're one of the few that got it.

FOX: Thank you for having me.

KEILAR: James Mason Fox, thank you. NEW DAY continues right now.

BERMAN: Good morning to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. It is Monday, January 24th. I'm John Berman with Brianna Keilar.

Major developments this morning in the Russia-Ukraine crisis. CNN has learned that the Biden administration is considering sending several thousand U.S. troops along with warships and aircraft to NATO allies in the Baltic states and eastern Europe. The move comes amid widening concerns of a Russian incursion into Ukraine. NATO allies also putting forces on standby and sending additional ships and fighter jets to eastern Europe.

KEILAR: The State Department announcing it is reducing embassy levels of the U.S. embassy in Kiev, and that starts with nonessential employees and family members of employees. Officials say the decision was made out of an abundance of caution. Ukraine, though, is not pleased here, calling this decision premature and a display of excessive caution.

CNN's Clarissa Ward is on the ground in Kiev, Ukraine. You tell us what it is. What is the situation there right now Clarissa?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think understandably, Brianna, the Ukrainians don't want to contribute in any way, shape, or form to panic. They're worried that the local population here will get nervous if they see that the U.S. is starting to evacuate some nonessential personnel and family members. They're worried that that projects an image potentially that there really is Russian aggression expected imminently.

But while everyone is waiting for the diplomacy process to play out and hoping that it bears some fruit, there's no question that very real preparations are being made on all sides for the possibility of a military conflict. You mentioned there that NATO has just announced that will it be

sending additional resource, ships, fighter jets to deployments of NATO in eastern Europe. That has already been greeted by the Kremlin with a negative tone, saying that this is increasing tensions. The Kremlin also grousing about what they call informational hysteria and accusing the Ukrainians of building up military personnel and hardware along the border with the Donbas region, which is where the pro- Russian separatists are based.

It would come as no surprise to many, though, that of course the Ukrainians are building up their presence along the border there because that is exactly where many fear some type of incursion may occur if and when it does so. So I think it's a sense of people still hoping that the diplomatic efforts might bear some fruit, but preparing, in the meantime, for a worst as well, Brianna.

KEILAR: Clarissa, thank you so much for the very latest there from Kiev.

BERMAN: Stand by, Clarissa. We're going to also bring in CNN anchor and chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto.

[08:05:01]

Jim, you're part of the team that broke the reporting of this new possible U.S. troop deployment being discussed with the president, which would include thousands of U.S. troops in the Baltic states and eastern Europe. And what's truly interesting about this, Jim, is that this is the very thing, as President Biden likes to point out, that Russia has been trying to avoid or stave off with its machinations around Ukraine.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right. I'm told this is one of several options that was briefed to the president this weekend, the idea of deploying 1,000 to 5,000 U.S. troops to the east of NATO, east -- within NATO's eastern partners here, with two objectives. One, to bolster the defenses of those eastern NATO allies who have been very nervous, understandably, about Russia's buildup of forces, because they see themselves as on the front line and most vulnerable to any future Russian aggression.

But I'm also told this is, in part, to put U.S. forces in place in case the situation deteriorates further in Ukraine and the U.S. is in a position where it has to evacuate American citizens from Ukraine. Keep in mind, John and Brianna, that the U.S., burned to some degree by its experience in Afghanistan, does not want to see a similar situation again. So they want to be prepared if it comes to that.

But to your point, John, this is exactly part of the administration's messaging here with getting this out there to communicate to Russia, if you escalate, you're going to get a worse situation than you have today, not better. In other words, as you said, more NATO and western troops close to its borders rather than fewer, which is what Russia is demanding.

BERMAN: And Clarissa, just in terms of the escalation of tension here, in the various relationships at play, our audience need to know that for the Baltic nations and some of the nations in eastern Europe, the United States does have an Article Five commitment with NATO, a security commitment, ironclad security commitment, that it does not exist with Ukraine. Still, how much does it raise tensions in the region?

WARD: It raises a huge amount of tension here, John, because this is about defending the ideals here of what democracy stands for, at least that's how the U.S. and NATO would see it. This is about defending the idea of sovereignty, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken put it on Friday, defending the idea of the right to self-determination, because the idea becomes that if you don't defend those ideals, then they very quickly erode and disappear. And what happens in Ukraine could quickly be seen to play out in other countries in eastern Europe, as Jim was just articulating, or that was, at least, the fear.

And that's why the Ukrainians have been privately shouting from the rooftops here. It doesn't matter, essentially, that Ukraine is not officially a member of NATO at this point. This has become a hugely symbolic inflection point, or tension point. And the way the west responds to this will ultimately dictate the way other nations can anticipate or not anticipate Russian aggression in the future, but also NATO's ability to defend.

And what's interesting in all of this is that if President Putin's calculation was to weaken NATO throughout this, or to expose the weakness that exists within, the lack of unity, the Germans not sure about how they would like to respond as opposed to other European nations, then it seems so far from what we're seeing, that it's actually had the reverse effect, that it's actually had a unifying, consolidating effect. And we're seeing stronger, more unified NATO coming out with much stronger language.

SCIUTTO: One criticism, John, to that point is that you do hear some, including former ambassadors to Ukraine and others, who say -- and by the way, Republican and Democratic representatives who say move those forces now, right, rather than wait for Russian action. Take the initiative from Putin. Invariably with situations like this you have folks who want to push more aggressively, and the same for economic sanctions. Do they take place preemptively or after the fact?

BERMAN: Everyone is going to watch every movement that takes place this week very, very carefully. They all mean something. Clarissa Ward, thank you for being there for us. Jim, I know you're going to be picking this up right at the top of the hour. We will see you then.

So we're shifting gears here now in a big way. A lot of us were up very late last night watching football, maybe one of the better football playoff weekends ever. And it all ended with really one of the most amazing games I've ever seen. You're not supposed to be able to go the length of the football field in 13 seconds, which is what the Chiefs did. It's basically impossible, or supposed to be. This is how the Chiefs game ended, and it was one of the best games played I have ever, ever seen. This was it, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes hitting Travis Kelce in the end zone. That's what won the game in over time. To even get there, though, was an odyssey. It's going to be

controversial because it happened in overtime, but the Bills never got to touch the ball there. It capped a weekend of almost ridiculous football games.

[08:10:02]

Joining us now, Damien Woody, two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots. We'll ignore the entire Jets episode.

(LAUGHTER)

BERMAN: He's also an ESPN NFL analyst. Damien, it's an honor to meet you. I'm a huge fan of yours from your days in college. This was ridiculous football that's not supposed to happen. The Chiefs-Bills game, 25 points in the last two minutes. Each quarterback marching down the field twice to score improbably, all ending with Patrick Mahomes doing something that I think defies the laws physics. How did it happen?

DAMIEN WOODY, TWO-TIME SUPER BOWL CHAMPION: John, listen good morning. This was the best weekend of football I've ever witnessed. And what you saw from Patrick Mahomes actually was typical Patrick Mahomes, the magic that he's able to bring out in these type of situations.

But listen, with 13 seconds, I'm thinking the game is already over. I think the critical error in that game was the way Buffalo kicked off, giving the chiefs the opportunity to even allow Patrick Mahomes to march down in 13 seconds to kick the game-tying field goal to send it into overtime. It was just ridiculous.

PAUL: And then Damien, there, of course, is going to be no 11th Super Bowl appearance for Tom Brady. I almost wondered if there was going to be, right, it was so close there. He came back amazingly from being down 27 to three in the third quarter. It wasn't enough, though. The L.A. Rams defeated the defending champion 30 to 27, as we mentioned there, on Matt Gay's 30 yard game-winning field goal as time ran out. It was amazing.

WOODY: Yes, absolutely. Listen, Brianna, I sent out a text right before half-time saying that that game was over. And boy, if Tom Brady had came back in that game, I think I would have deleted my Twitter account. But listen, what Tom Brady did in that game yesterday, we've seen it before. We've seen it in the Super Bowl against the Atlanta Falcons where he came back. He came back a little short this time, but that was another wild game in which Tom Brady was being Tom Brady, literally putting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on his back.

BERMAN: And we'll see him playing next year, and then five years from now, 10 years from now. He'll have a chance to redeem himself.

(LAUGHTER)

BERMAN: Listen, Damien, I want to go back to the overtime game, the Bills-Chiefs, if I can for a minute. What's your view of the overtime rules? I know they've been changed so now you can't just win in a field goal in the first possession. But the idea that Josh Allen of the Bills never got to touch if football in overtime there, doesn't this have to change?

WOODY: John, I'm going to sound like a "get off my lawn" type of guy here, but I do not believe in changing the rules, because the defensive side of the ball gets paid, too. And you're talking about a Buffalo Bills defense that was ranked number one in the league in several categories. So I'm a big believer in, you know what? You get paid, too, big boys. Stop them. That's what it's all about. We have three phases to the game, offense, defense, and special teams. You have to stop them. And they couldn't do it.

BERMAN: Spoken like a guy who smacked around a lot of defensive linemen in his day.

(LAUGHTER)

BERMAN: Damien Woody, I think you're in the minority there. I think you can still have good defenses and maybe make it a fair way to end the game. But you know more about it than I do. Let's be honest. Thanks.

WOODY: I've been fighting off people all night.

(LAUGHTER)

BERMAN: No doubt. Well, you're good at that. Thanks, Damien. Damien Woody, thank you so much.

WOODY: Yes.

BERMAN: Fallen NYPD officer Jason Rivera in his own words. Hear the reason he chose to become a police officer and the noble mission he set for himself.

And NBA Hall of Famer John Stockton, spreader of delusional vaccine misinformation, just outer-space-like stuff, now suspended from his alma mater. We'll tell you why.

KEILAR: Plus, Peloton just can't catch a break. The latest TV character other than Mr. Big to suffer a heart attack while, or after, in Mr. Big's case, biking.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:17:40]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, tributes are pouring in for 22-year-old NYPD officer, Jason Rivera who was shot and killed in Harlem after responding to a domestic dispute.

While at the Police Academy in 2020, Rivera wrote a letter to his commanding officer. We want to read it to you now.

Officer Rivera wrote quote: "When I applied to become a police officer, I knew this was the career for me. I would be the first person in my family to become a police officer. Coming from an immigrant family, I will be the first to say that I am a member of the NYPD, the greatest police force in the world."

"Growing up in New York City, I realized how impactful for my role as a police officer would go in this chaotic city of about 10 million people. I know that something as small as helping a tourist with directions or helping a couple resolve an issue will put a smile on someone's face."

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: And he continued, "Growing up in Inwood, Manhattan, the community's relationship between the police and the community was not great. I remember one day when I witnessed my brother being stopped and frisked. I asked myself, 'Why are we being pulled over if we were in a taxi?' I was too young to know that during that time, the NYPD was pulling over and frisking people at a high rate."

"My perspective on police and the way they policed really bothered me. As time went on, I saw the NYPD pushing hard on changing the relationship between the police and community, this was when I realized that I wanted to be a part of the men in blue, better the relationship between the community and the police."

And joining us now are Jason Rivera's high school English teachers from Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School where Jason graduated in 2017.

Anthony Voulgarides and Samantha Love with us, thank you to both of you for being with us to talk about your former student.

You know, Anthony, to you first, can you just tell us a little bit about him and how the community is reacting?

ANTHONY VOULGARIDES, JASON RIVERA'S FORMER ENGLISH TEACHER: Sure. You know, one of the biggest memories I have of Jason is his smile. You know, every day he would come in and say, you know, "How's it going, Mr. V?"

He just radiated this kind of positivity to everyone around him. He was like an eternal optimist and that that ranged from everyone from his peers, his friends his teachers, the principals at our school and then even out in the community in Washington Heights and Inwood.

[08:20:10]

VOULGARIDES: He was just kind of this positive force, which makes it all the more difficult, you know that we lost him because he was just a positive force for this community.

KEILAR: Oh, you can see it in the picture, Samantha, you can just see it in, you know, sort of the light that comes from him, the smile that is always on his face.

SAMANTHA LOVE, JASON RIVERA'S FORMER ENGLISH TEACHER: Yes, you know, a few -- a number of us in the school community have been compiling pictures, and I'm sure you see some of them and you see it the pride and that giant smile in his NYPD portrait, just -- you couldn't actually find a picture of him not smiling when we went back and were reviewing some of our memories with him. He was one of a kind.

KEILAR: I love listening, you know, to a video of him and reading that letter where you get to see that he cares so much about other people.

And Anthony, I know that you wanted to read a part of Jason's college application essay that he wrote in 2016, if you would go ahead for us.

VOULGARIDES: Sure. He says: "Sometimes I sit in my room alone and just think to myself that life is not easy. Sometimes you're thrown a ball and you have to learn how to dodge that ball. You either stay hurt from the ball thrown at you or you work hard and heal again. That is my mentality."

"I'm very blessed to be the person I am today. You see, I have two legs to walk, two eyes to see, two hands to touch. I have an education, which I don't have to take a dime out of my pockets. I work, my parents work. My brother is finishing college. Why wouldn't I work hard when I have everything I need to be successful?"

And, you know, it speaks for itself. But Jason was the kind of person who was literally appreciative and grateful for everything he had. He was self-aware, mature beyond his years as a 17-year-old, just cared so much about others, appreciate what he had and just exuded this positivity that was such a force in our community.

KEILAR: So he is so clearly was, Samantha and Anthony, and we really appreciate you sharing some of him with us this morning. Thank you so much, and we're keeping you on our thoughts and prayers.

We will be right back.

LOVE: Thank you.

VOULGARIDES: Thanks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:26:55]

BERMAN: In a new development, former Donald Trump adviser, Boris Epshteyn now admits his involvement in a plan to challenge the rightful results of the 2020 election with a group of alternate electors. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS EPSHTEYN, FORMER DONALD TRUMP ADVISER: Yes, I was part of the process to make sure there were alternate electors for when as we hoped the challenges to the seated electors would be heard and will be successful, part of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution and the Electoral Count Act. ARI MELBER, MSNBC HOST: And you would then support putting in these

alternate or others call them fraudulent electors. You support that. You don't see any chance there that that could be against the law, Boris?

EPSHTEYN: It is actually not against law. It is actually according to the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Joining me now, the former Chief of the Department of Justice's Counterintelligence Section, a former counsel to the House Ethics Committee, David Laufman.

David, thanks for being with us. You know, in the law business, you call this an admission against interest. What do you mean?

DAVID LAUFMAN, FORMER CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE COUNTERINTELLIGENCE SECTION: Well, that means is Mr. Epshteyn made admissions here in public view on television that he participated in a plot to overturn a free and fair election. You know, whether that's part of other criminal acts or potential criminal acts, conspiracies, would be the fodder for a Justice Department investigation, which is now completely appropriate to undertake.

BERMAN: What he is admitting to is this scheme to submit these alternate electoral slates in at least seven states here. They actually submitted them and said, hey, these are the actual electors. In other words, Donald Trump won the states even though he didn't win these states, and these electors will vote for him in the Electoral College.

Is it clear exactly what law might have been broken there?

LAUFMAN: It's not clear exactly, but here is what we know, and think of this in the broader context of what we recently learned about this draft presidential order.

I mean, in one respect that order is comical. It's like an executive order version of the infamous Rudy Giuliani press conference at Four Seasons landscaping, but in another respect, it's completely chilling. It reflects an intent by the President or the people around him to use United States military forces to seize voting machines, to federalize the National Guard.

It relies on legal authorities that are commonly employed against our foreign adversaries. You know, whether the conduct that the Department of Justice would induce if it conducted an investigation actually leads to criminal liability remains to be seen.

But hypothetically, there could be evidence to do that would lead to another seditious conspiracy charge, to a conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding.

And there could be even violations with respect to the transmittal of classified information, these National Security memoranda they decided in the order, that somebody disclosed classified information from those memoranda to someone not authorized to receive it.

It's just a law school exam of potential issues that the Department of Justice needs to investigate.

BERMAN: You're talking about something separate here, which is the story that first came out of POLITICO, which was that there's a draft of an executive order to literally seize the voting machines, the DoD to seize the voting machines.

It is terrifying, but it didn't happen. It never did happen there, so again, the exact legal culpability there would have to be very much in question.

[08:30:07]