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New Day
Rick Scott Releases Agenda; Luxury Cars Burning at Sea; Coast to Coast Storms Hit U.S.; Trial Begins in Taylor Raid. Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired February 23, 2022 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[06:30:00]
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Minority leader Mitch McConnell stays mum on the party's agenda. Florida's Rick Scott is getting ahead of his own party and rolling out an agenda for the right win. The plan includes a list of frequent conservative talking points mixed with cultural fringe. Some of them include, one, public schools will not indoctrinate children with critical race theory. Those are his words. Four, finish building the wall and name it after Donald Trump. And then, men are men, women are women, and unborn babies are babies.
Joining me now, CNN's senior political analyst John Avlon. Also the author of the new book, "Lincoln and the Fight for Peace," which you should go read immediately during the break. Not just yet.
Listen, I actually don't think there's a point in going through line by line what he's proposing because, relatively speaking, it's conservative boiler plate here. But the fact of this is interesting. Mitch McConnell has been asked about a Republican agenda and he says, you know, I'm going to hold off on it. We're just going to -- we're just going to beat the Democrats because the Democrats are creating their own problems, McConnell says.
But Rick Scott's coming forward with something proactive. Why is there that tension?
JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it's fascinating for the reasons you point out. Look, it's a call back to the Newt Gingrich contract with America. And there is a school of thought that says, look, you don't need to put forward a specific agenda because these are -- these are pendulum swings that are referendums on the president. That's the McConnell beat (ph).
Scott's saying, look, let's give people some specifics. The problem is, this is all culture war all the time. You can dismiss it as, you know, as conservative boiler plate. Some of these things will poll well certainly among the Republican base. Other things, the devil's in the details that are going to cause some headaches right now, which sort of makes some of McConnell's point that, you know, you're maybe causing more problems than you solve.
BERMAN: Well, McConnell's point is also, why alienate swing voters, right? Isn't that it? AVLON: Yes. And, look, some of these might even poll well with swing
voters. But when you're all of a sudden -- in one proposal you're proposing raising taxes on around 100 million folks who currently don't pay taxes, that's a problem, politically.
BERMAN: Rick Scott is taking the position -- and this is not a position that hasn't existed before, which he says that every American should have to pay some income tax. You might remember Mitt Romney and the whole 47 percent that didn't pay income tax.
AVLON: Yes.
BERMAN: There are Americans who don't pay any income tax.
AVLON: Yes.
BERMAN: And Rick Scott is saying they should, which is something that's out there.
But then why not own up to it. This is Rick Scott I guess last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS: Chucky Schumer saying that your plan is to raise taxes on more than half of Americans. I didn't see that in your plan. Did you have that in your plan? Was it in invisible ink in the copy that I got because I didn't see that?
SEN. RICK SCOTT (R-FL): Of course not. Oh, no. No. Oh -- no. Chuck Schumer, who wants to raise taxes for everything, while I've cut -- I've cut -- when I was governor I cut taxes and fees 100 times. We're the opposite. But Chuck Schumer, I mean he -- he is all in to take every dime you have. And, think about it, he's -- he's responsible for where this country is right now, his bad acts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: The important part about that was the beginning when he just didn't own what is literally a proposal where he wants every American to pay some income tax and many don't.
AVLON: Yes.
BERMAN: He is definitionally proposing to raise taxes on Americans.
AVLON: Yes. Look, did he not bother to read his own damn plan because it's right there. It's not particularly hidden. It's just maybe the -- the boiler plate of everyone should pay taxes who has some skin in the game, they didn't do the actual math, that that means raising taxes for people, like, half of Americans, you know, working class folks, retirees, and others.
You know, but don't lie. But, on the other hand, yes, the impulse is always to lie now because they learned it from dad.
BERMAN: Right. I mean, make the case. If you support it, make the case. Don't lie about it. Explain why you think that everyone should have skin in the game. That is something that people have put forth before.
Finally, suggesting that the finish building this wall, which barely exists on the southern border, and name it after Donald Trump. Our friend Maggie Haberman had an interesting take on this, which is, you know, this wasn't, you know, heaping praise at the feet of Donald Trump. What this really was, she says, is a gold retirement watch saying, here, Donald Trump, you got what you wanted, now go retire so the rest of us can move forward.
AVLON: Take the win, Donald Trump.
BERMAN: Yes.
AVLON: We're going to name the border wall after you and you can retire happy. I thought that was an inspired sort of lens through which to look at this. Clearly on Scott's part it's, find a way to please the base. You know, really pump up Trump, reinforce border security.
But there is that sense that Republicans are trying to push Trump to the wings. I mean you've got a half dozen Republicans that are privately telling folks they're running for president regardless of what Trump does. Now, publicly, most of them are staying mum because they don't want to risk the wrath and the blowback. But this could be seen very clearly. And I think Maggie is insightful, as usual, as sort of a nudge in -- a nudge towards the wings.
BERMAN: The title of the book is --
AVLON: "Lincoln and the Fight for Peace."
BERMAN: Go get it now.
AVLON: Thank you.
BERMAN: John Avlon, thank you very much.
More on the breaking news.
Ukraine warning its citizens to leave Russia immediately and preparing to declare a state of emergency. CNN is live on the ground where shelling has recently taken place.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Plus, some stunning video capturing the moment that two Black Hawk helicopters crashed near a ski resort.
[06:35:02]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It crashed. It (EXPLETIVE DELETED) crashed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, no.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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KEILAR: Two friends were on a ski lift capturing the moment that two Black Hawk helicopters suddenly went down outside of a popular Utah resort.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It crashed. It (EXPLETIVE DELETED) crashed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Now those choppers belonged to the Utah National Guard. They were involved in a winter mountain training exercise at the time when they crashed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was its blade.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JARED JONES, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, UTAH AIR NATIONAL GUARD: The first aircraft landed. You do see a lot of snow kick up. A lot of snow. And then, thereafter, portions of the blade of the lead helicopter separated and it appears struck the second helicopter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: The Utah National Guard officials saying that thankfully no crew members or people at the ski resort were injured.
[06:40:06]
The cause of this accident now under investigation.
BERMAN: This morning, a giant cargo ship is burning at sea, carrying an estimated $335 million worth of luxury cars. The blaze burning thousands of Porsches, Lamborghinis and Bentleys, many of which are electric, which makes putting the flames out even more challenging.
CNN's Peter Valdes-Dapena joins me now with the latest on this. Pretty crazy.
PETER VALDES-DAPENA, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR AUTO WRITER: Yes, it's a pretty insane situation. It's sort of symbolic for how things have been going for the auto industry lately. We've had, you know, transportation problems and here -- Volkswagen Group -- all these are Volkswagen Group brands. Found a ship. And it begins to burn at sea. It's now been abandoned. And pretty much they're trying to get the flames completely out at this point.
BERMAN: All right, Peter, thank you very much. Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo has strong words for the proposal to
eliminate handshakes at the end of college basketball games.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM IZZO, HEAD COACH, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY: That, to me, would be the biggest farce, joke, ridiculous nature of anything I've ever heard of.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Plus, more on our breaking news. Ukraine set to declare a state of emergency as Vladimir Putin gets more aggressive in rhetoric and also troop movements. See what some new satellite images are revealing.
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[06:45:43]
KEILAR: Winter is not done with us yet. Coast to coast storms are on tap, followed by an arctic plunge in temperatures.
So, let's get more now from Chad Myers, who's going to explain to us why it's 71 in D.C. today but going down to 43 tomorrow. Say what?
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Exactly. And why is it 22 degrees below zero with a windchill factor in Denver right now. That is the cold air out there. This has really set itself up just like the last three storms we've seen across the Midwest.
This weather is brought to you by the Jamaica Tourist Board. Plan your vacation at visitjamaica.com.
So, I guess some of you could use a vacation. But here's what's happening. The rain across the southeast, this is the first storm. The problem with the rain is that it's bringing a lot of cold air in behind it. And that cold air is going to interact with the next storm that's out to the southwest. It's going to run over the top of that cold air and it's going to rain through into 28-degree air.
You say, how does that happen? Because it's 40 degrees a loft, but it's 28 at the surface. That cold air is denser, so it stays on the ground, and the warm air is lighter, so it goes up on top. We are going to see significant icing here through the Ozarks, all the way up into the Ohio Valley and eventually it will make some snow for upstate New York and even into parts of New York state and into Boston as well. There you see the snow on the coldest part of the storm.
But, otherwise, it is going to be an ice event. Big-time ice across a lot of the country. There could be an inch of ice on the ground in some spots here where you have those blue areas there. That is just unbelievably hard to drive in or even impossible to drive in.
Then when it gets farther to the northeast, Brianna, that's where it turns into snow. Not for you in D.C. Temperatures are going to be in the 40s and the 50s. But even today it's nice and mild. Look what happens to New York, all the way down into the upper 30s. And morning lows in the 20s. And that could freeze some of this stuff up too.
KEILAR: Yes, coming from California, I always have thought the ice is so beautiful until I had to deal with it. And it is indeed not.
Chad, thank you so much.
BERMAN: So, coming on the heels of that post-game fight between Michigan Coach Juwan Howard and others, some have suggested getting rid of the traditional handshake line in college basketball games. Well, Michigan State Coach Tim Izzo is weighing in on the idea, leaving no doubt where he stands.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM IZZO, HEAD COACH, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY: That, to me, would be the biggest farce, joke, ridiculous nature of anything I've ever heard of. We've already taught these poor 18-year-olds that when, you know, you're told to go to class and you don't like it you can leave. We've already told these kids, if you're not happy you can do something else. We're already told these kids that it's hard to hold them accountable. And now we're going to tell them to not man up and walk down on a line on someone who's kicked your butt and have enough class to shake their hand is utterly ridiculous.
Not shaking hands, that's typical of our country right now, you know. Instead of solving the problem, let's make an excuse and let's see if we can just -- instead of confronting and demanding that it changes, let's eliminate it so that we don't have those problems. Let's try to do that. That's perfect us right now and that's not perfect me. That's not happening here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Look, I don't know about the whole social commentary about what he thinks kids are being told or not told these day, but why not shake hands at the end of the game? You know, I'm with him on that. I mean what's the downside in shaking hands at the end of the game. It's supposed to be a game.
KEILAR: Exactly. I think it's one of the things that tells kids and also adults that this is just a game at the end. You know, you can win or you can lose. You come together. You know, sportsman-like conduct. These are the most important lessons, aren't they, of sports?
BERMAN: Yes. You don't have to shake hands during the game. You can compete like hell during the game. But after you should acknowledge what just happened there.
KEILAR: Yes. It's a good life lesson.
BERMAN: All right, beginning today, the trial for a former Kentucky police officer involved in the deadly raid that killed Breonna Taylor, but there is a catch. Why Taylor's family says this isn't the day in court they were hoping for. [06:50:04]
KEILAR: And happening overnight, Ukraine calls for all of its citizens to leave Russia immediately. We have the latest from the escalating crisis abroad.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: At least 19 law enforcement officers in Austin, Texas, have been indicted for their use of force during the 2020 protest that broke out over the killing of George Floyd. A Texas district attorney says many protesters injured by the officers were innocent bystanders and that the majority of the victims suffered serious injuries. Eight of the indicted officers have been released on a $1 cash deposit bond. The officers have been placed on administrative duty until their cases are resolved.
[06:55:03]
BERMAN: Today the trial begins for the former officer facing criminal charges in the botched raid that led to the killing of Breonna Taylor. Brett Hankison faces felony charges of wanton endangerment for blindly firing into Taylor's building, but no charges directly related to Taylor's death.
CNN's Jason Carroll, who's covered this story for us from the beginning, is in Louisville, Kentucky, with much more on what today means.
Jason.
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And, John, opening statements will be getting underway today. But already Brett Hankison's defense attorney has pretty much summed up what this trial is all about. Yesterday, when he was speaking to jurors during jury selection, he said the following. He said, Breonna Taylor has nothing to do with the charges against Hankison and she has everything to do with it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL (voice over): Brett Hankison's attorney says he has been preparing for some time now to defend the former Louisville Metro Police officer in court. This as Breonna Taylor's mother is also preparing herself, already coping with a list of emotions.
TAMIKA PALMER, BREONNA TAYLOR'S MOTHER: Frustrated, angry, heartbroken, disappointed. The list goes on. It's just this vicious cycle of not trusting in the system.
CARROLL: Neither Hankison, nor any of the officers involved in serving the no-knock warrant that night at Taylor's apartment on March 13, 2020, were charged in her death. Instead, Hankison, the only officer facing criminal charges, is defending himself against three counts of wanton endangerment in the first degree for allegedly firing 10 shots blindly into Taylor's apartment, with some of the bullets entering an adjacent department. Hankison denied the charges saying he thought his colleagues were being executed after hearing gunfire and hearing an officer say he had been hit.
CARROLL (on camera): Do you feel like justice is being served?
PALMER: No, not at all. But it's a start, I guess, for somebody, not Breonna at all.
LONITA BAKER, TAYLOR FAMILY ATTORNEY: This is the justice that the -- her neighbors deserve, but it's still not the justice that Breonna deserves.
CARROLL (voice over): In the wake of the shooting, the Louisville Metro Police Department fired Hankison for his actions during the botched raid, along with two other officers. Another announced his retirement. The city also banning no-knock warrants.
The shooting fueled protests that lasted for more than a year as demonstrators in Louisville and across the country, who at times clashed with police, demanded accountability for Taylor's death. Many here, such as Pastor Timothy Findley (ph) and Catora Haron (ph), rallied in Louisville's Jefferson Square Park for months. It evolved into a gathering point for those who wanted to voice their support for Taylor. It's the same place we met them to get their thoughts about Hankison's trial.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not the trial, this is not the moment that fits the injustice that this city's been through.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have to come to the realization that there's no justice for Breonna Taylor at this point.
CARROLL: Neither the state attorney general nor the LMPD would comment about the trial. Hankison's attorney said in a statement to CNN, we look forward to the upcoming trial where hopefully the true narrative of this unfortunate incident will be told and correctly reported.
And though it is not the day in court she had hoped for, Taylor's mother says she will still be there.
PALMER: If I go away, they would hope the people would go away, the momentum would go away. So, I refuse to go away.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: Hankison is expected to testify on his behalf during the trial. Some of the other officers, John, involved in that botched raid are expected to testify as well. If Hankison is convicted, he faces a maximum of five years in prison.
John.
BERMAN: How long is the trial supposed to run, Jason?
CARROLL: The trial is expected to last about two weeks, maybe a week and a half or so. Pretty short in terms of how trials go. But, again, when it doesn't matter how long this trial is, for Breonna Taylor's mother, it's just not the justice that she was looking for.
BERMAN: An important point.
Jason Carroll, really appreciate you being there. Thank you so much.
And NEW DAY continues right now.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
KEILAR: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. It is Wednesday, February 23rd. And I'm Breonna Keilar, with John Berman.
Breaking moments ago, Ukraine announcing a state of emergency will be introduced across all government-controlled regions. The measure is expected to be approved by the Ukrainian parliament within 48 hours and will last for 30 days.
[06:59:57]
This directive coming as Vladimir Putin grows even more aggressive in the face of mounting world pressure, bragging about weapons that have no equal, while insisting Russia's interest and security are non- negotiable.
