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Op-Ed: Whoopi Firestorm Shows Need For Critical Race Teachings; Ex-Employee: Washington Commanders Owner Inappropriately Touched Me; Officers Fatally Shoot Black Man Who Wasn't Target Of Raid. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired February 04, 2022 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00]

GABBY ORR, CNN REPORTER: The original form of this would have been very ceremonial in nature because, as was mentioned, there was -- there is no mechanism by which the Republican National Committee can decide who gets to serve in Congress or gets to serve in the House Republican Caucus. So that is one point that was made very clearly among members here on the ground yesterday.

But in addition to that, one source is telling CNN that there were conversations that happened behind closed doors in deliberations yesterday about the very unprecedented nature of this resolution -- even just censuring both Kinzinger and Cheney and what that could mean moving forward.

I'm told that there are members who brought up the fact this will likely open the door to future censures of other Republican lawmakers who might anger the party's base or make controversial comments that could attract controversy to the national party, and that could lead to censures in the future.

So, you know, there are feelings here on the ground that this might have been opening Pandora's box if you will by doing this censure of Kinzinger and Cheney later today.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Gabby Orr, Joe Walsh, thanks to both of you -- appreciate it.

JOE WALSH, FORMER GOP ILLINOIS CONGRESSMAN (via Webex by Cisco): Thanks.

BERMAN: The White House bracing for the possibility of a tough jobs report thanks to the Omicron surge. How bad could it be? We're going to bring you numbers live as they come in.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: A beautiful picture this morning. (Picture of the White House).

And our next guest says ABC missed a major opportunity when it chose to punish Whoopi Goldberg, and that teachings about race are more crucial than ever.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:35:48]

BERMAN: This morning, Whoopi Goldberg's two-week suspension from ABC News following her controversial remarks on "THE VIEW" about the Holocaust -- it is sparking fresh discussion. A new op-ed in "The Washington Post" asserts that Goldberg's comment, while misguided and unformed, actually highlights what's missing in how we teach history in our schools.

Joining me now is Karen Attiah. She is the global opinions editor at "The Washington Post" and the author of that op-ed. Karen, what do you mean?

KAREN ATTIAH, GLOBAL OPINIONS EDITOR, THE WASHINGTON POST (via Skype): Hi.

So, I think when we're talking about race and modern race construction it's a really difficult conversation to have, honestly -- precisely because, particularly in the United States, we tend to think of race as just a skin color issue and particularly, in the black-white binary. And so, this was some -- this is something that people trip up on all the time.

And so, when Whoopi Goldberg insisted that the Holocaust was not about race she was missing out on a history of the racialization, frankly, of Jewish people, of others, and of a very flexible definition of whiteness that has persisted throughout hundreds of years.

And frankly, this is -- this is information we're not taught so much in our textbooks. We're not always taught so much that Jewish people and antisemitism in pre-modern Europe lasted for centuries and the Jews themselves were racialized and turned into an other. We're not often even taught -- even with the Holocaust itself, we're not even taught that there were Afro-Germans, Slavs -- other groups that were also a target, although not to the same extent as Jewish people.

So, I think this really just speaks to just how much ignorance there is, frankly, about how race came to be today in the world.

BERMAN: And it seems what you're saying is there's also an irony here. At the very time you're punishing someone for perhaps not having learned or studied enough about race, we're making it harder to teach about it in our schools?

ATTIAH: And -- yes. I mean, the reaction to the discomfort around these topics -- and I don't deny that this -- these are really uncomfortable, really emotional discussions -- the reaction to simply remove these voices and these conversations from the public sphere.

I mean, the whole discussion on "THE VIEW" of that particular segment was about removing a book about the Holocaust -- "Maus" by Art Spiegelman -- from classrooms so that people could not have -- by people, I mean children -- could not have some of these tough conversations about what happened and how white supremacy around the world has worked. So instead of -- I believe, in many ways, that these conversations -- the only way to really reflect and to learn is through dialogue and is with other people. To punish and isolate and humiliate -- that's not how people learn.

BERMAN: No. Look, to punish someone for not being taught about something and then at the same time simultaneously be watching this movement to stop teaching something, there is -- there is a conundrum there. There's an inherent tension in that.

ATTIAH: There's tension to that but then also, precisely -- frankly, this is how oppressive systems and how white supremacy has been able to continue and replicate itself is that it likes to prevent us from discussing it, right? It survives, in many ways, both out in the open, right, and in the dark.

And I think the discussion around whiteness and the discussion around historical forms of white supremacy, again, is the only way that we're going to be able to move forward and to heal from so much of this past pain.

BERMAN: Karen Attiah, I always love reading what you have to write. Thanks so much for being with us this morning.

ATTIAH: Thank you so much.

[07:40:00]

BERMAN: So, a disturbing incident in Minneapolis. Police shot and killed a Black man during a no-knock raid. The man's attorneys say he wasn't even the target.

KEILAR: And damning new allegations against Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder, including that he requested lewd video compilations of cheerleaders -- and that is just the tip of the iceberg. One of his accusers joining us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Damning new allegations of sexual harassment against the newly-branded Washington Commanders team owner Dan Snyder.

Tiffani Johnston, who's a former cheerleader and marketing manager for the team testified in front of a House committee about one time that Snyder harassed her at a team dinner.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIFFANI JOHNSTON, ALLEGES NFL TEAM OWNER DAN SNYDER SEXUALLY HARASSED HER, FORMER NFL WASHINGTON TEAM CHEERLEADER AND MARKETING MANAGER: When I was asked by my boss to attend a networking event -- and, oh, to dress cute -- it was actually an orchestration by him and Dan Snyder to put me in a compromising sexual situation.

[07:45:05] I learned that placing me strategically by the owner at a work dinner after this networking event was not for me to discuss business but to allow him, Dan Snyder, to place his hand on my thigh under the table. I learned how to discreetly remove a man's unwanted hand from my thigh at a crowded dinner table at a busy restaurant to avoid a scene.

I also learned later that evening how to awkwardly laugh when Dan Snyder aggressively pushed me towards his limo with his hand on my lower back, encouraging me to ride with him to my car. I learned how to continue to say no even though a situation was getting more awkward, uncomfortable, and physical.

I learned that the only reason Dan Snyder removed his hand from my back and stopped pushing me towards his limo was because his attorney intervened and said, "Dan, Dan, this is a bad idea."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: The NFL responded. Quote, "The NFL is reviewing and will consider Ms. Johnston's allegations as we would any other new allegations regarding workplace misconduct at the Washington Commanders. We will determine any further action as appropriate."

And Tiffani Johnston is with us now. Thank you so much for being with us and for letting us discuss further your testimony yesterday.

Can you tell us what happened after that when you tried to bring this to someone's attention inside the organization?

JOHNSTON: So, the next day after this had happened, I went into the office of one of my senior co-workers and told him detail for detail what had happened. And he just shook his head and honestly, chucked a little bit and just looked at me and said that's awful, but do not repeat this story outside of this office door.

KEILAR: And how did you feel?

JOHNSTON: I just realized at that moment there was no path to report any types -- any type of these incidents to anyone. There was no true H.R. when I was there -- we knew that -- but before this incident, I never had a reason to go to H.R.

There is no senior person, even though Dan's attorney was right there and witnessed the entire thing. He never approached me about it. It was just OK, it happened. Let's move on.

KEILAR: He -- the lawyer kind of ran interference between Snyder and you. Clearly, he was there for the latter part of this where you were trying to get away from him trying to shuffle you towards his limousine.

Can you tell me -- your story has been corroborated by a former colleague, Jason Friedman, I believe it is. How did you feel when --

JOHNSTON: Yes.

KEILAR: -- you found out someone was saying yes, this happened?

JOHNSTON: That was very emotional for me. Jason and I have talked off the record many times in the last year. He and I were pretty close. We worked together -- we worked together for years at the Redskins. And he was in a situation that was difficult but I understood he couldn't come forward. He couldn't corroborate my story. And to hear him be able to do so yesterday at that committee hearing was emotional.

I knew it had happened. I knew I wasn't pulling it out of thin air. But to have it verified truly meant a lot.

KEILAR: There were NDAs? Is that right?

JOHNSTON: Yes, for other people. But Jason, yes.

KEILAR: So I want to ask you because Dan Snyder has responded to this, as I'm sure you're aware. He apologized for misconduct that previously took place within his organization, but he said that "allegations leveled against me personally were outright lies."

What do you say to that?

JOHNSTON: I mean, I'm not surprised. He's pretty much denied almost everything from all these victims. I mean, there are so many women that have come forward and he's either denied or paid them off and made them sign NDAs so no one can talk. Unfortunately, I'm not surprised.

KEILAR: Has the NFL reached out to you?

JOHNSTON: I have not heard from the NFL.

KEILAR: Would you like to? Would you like the NFL to -- would you -- what would you want to hear from the NFL, if anything?

JOHNSTON: I'm sorry. I don't think I'm --

KEILAR: Oh, I think we're having --

JOHNSTON: -- hearing you.

KEILAR: Yes. I think we're having an audio problem. OK, unfortunately, we have lost our connection with Tiffani Johnston. We're going to try to put that together here in the next couple of seconds but unfortunately, I think we may have to move on for that.

Tiffani, thank you so much for sharing your story with us.

Russian President Vladimir Putin landing in Beijing and cozying up big time to Chinese President Xi Jinping. So, how does this alliance change the global landscape as the drumbeat toward war grows louder?

[07:50:00]

BERMAN: And the Atlanta area D.A. investigating Trump's attempts to overturn the election says the recent onslaught of racial attacks won't stop her from doing her job.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Newly-released bodycam video shows Minneapolis police executing an apparent no-knock search warrant and fatally shooting a Black man inside an apartment two days ago. Tragically, the victim was not a target of the raid. That's according to his attorneys.

We should warn you this video is disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POLICE OFFICER: Police! Search warrant! Search warrant!

(Crosstalk)

POLICE OFFICER: Get on the ground. Get on the (bleep) ground.

(Gunshots)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right. We're going to have much more on this coming up. Omar Jimenez has been covering this story and he's got some new information for us on that.

[07:55:02]

KEILAR: Yes, and raising a lot of questions, too, about these no- knock warrants, right? We saw that play in the death of Breonna Taylor and now, this is raising questions as well.

I do want to get now to Omar. We've been able to bring him in -- Omar.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So, John and Brianna, basically this happened in the early Wednesday morning hours, and the Minneapolis Police Department -- they were executing a warrant for a homicide investigation tied to nearby St. Paul. But now, the attorneys for the man, later identified as Amir Locke, tell us that he wasn't the target of the investigation. And the Minneapolis Police Department says his name never appeared on any of the search warrants.

Now, regardless, Minneapolis police burst through this apartment and they appeared to wake Locke up, who is seen in blankets, and a gun is seen. And it is in those moments that you hear gunshots ring out from officers.

Take a listen to the interim police chief as she begins to try to explain the mentality in those moments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

INTERIM CHIEF AMELIA HUFFMAN, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE: You're forced to make a split-second decision about when it's a threat.

NEKIMA LEVY ARMSTRONG, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY AND ACTIVIST: No, no, do not, OK? I'm not a threat. I don't have a gun, OK? Don't treat me like I'm a threat.

This is what I would call the anatomy of a cover-up. This is unacceptable. I'm sorry, it is. You all had no business agreeing to carry out a warrant and now you're claiming that's part of their investigation -- you don't know. Well, why the (bleep) did you all sign up to do this in the first place?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Now, a spokesperson for the St. Paul Police Department did tell us that the investigation where this warrant stemmed from that, again, Locke was not named in, is still an active one at this point.

We know later this morning the family attorneys, Benjamin Crump and Jeff Storms, are expected to hold a press conference where we're going to hear from the family.

And as for the officer -- Officer Heinemann -- Mark Heinemann has been placed on routine administrative leave as part of what we now know is an all too familiar department policy, John and Brianna.

BERMAN: All right, Omar Jimenez. Thank you for explaining that to us. Obviously, very many questions still remaining there.

NEW DAY continues right now.

KEILAR: Good morning to viewers here in the U.S. and around the world. It is Friday, February fourth.

And breaking overnight, a high-profile meeting between the leaders of China and Russia. This has sent global shockwaves at a critically tense moment in history. Just before the Olympic opening ceremonies, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping stood side-by-side there in Beijing after meeting for bilateral talks.

With more than 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border with Russia, Putin wants China's support for whatever he chooses to do next. It sure looks like he got it.

BERMAN: Yes. It really does feel like Putin's the guest of honor at the Olympic Games right now as the whole world is watching.

This is the joint statement they released just a short time ago. Russian and China saying, "The Chinese side is sympathetic and supports the proposals put forward by the Russian Federation to create long-term legally binding security guarantees in Europe."

This is going on as Russian forces stand poised at the Ukrainian border for a possible invasion, with U.S. officials alleging the Kremlin is preparing to fabricate a pretext for an invasion by staging a fake attack by Ukraine against Russia.

Our David Culver is in Beijing where, really, David, all the challenges to the United States -- we can see them in one place right there. DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, you said that -- the guest of honor. That's kind of how I've looked at this as well. It feels as though they're rolling out the red carpet for President Putin. Even before he arrived they were trumpeting his arrival in state media.

What's interesting about what's playing out right now -- of course, the optics say everything but China has repeatedly slammed the U.S. for politicizing these games. That, really, the U.S. has put this diplomatic boycott in place over China's human rights records. And yet, one of the biggest moments ahead of this ceremony is that in- person meeting.

And you're looking at some of the images that are just coming in, John and Brianna. This is between President Putin and President Xi. President Xi, by the way, has not left this country since the start of the pandemic. And right now, they are both not too far from where we are, attending the opening ceremony here in Beijing.

That meeting sends the major geopolitical message -- sure, to the West -- especially, to the U.S. -- but also -- and this is perhaps more important -- to nations and democracies that have relied on the U.S. for global stability.

And we're just starting to get some of the readouts in from these meetings. A lot of it's coming through state media here. And they're going to be, no doubt, consistently echoed over the next days, weeks, months.

And they're saying that Putin and Xi have vowed to deepen their strategic coordination, adding that this is going to have a far- reaching impact on both China and Russia.