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White House Looks To Protect Abortion Rights Of Pregnant Migrant Minors; Tonight's Hearing On Trump's 187 Minutes Of Inaction During Riot; Biden Calls On More Funding For Police Officers As Crime Rises. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired July 21, 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]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Actions they can be talking about this issue they think will really be key with voters going into the midterms.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: It is notable to me Jessica that you're hearing from both sides that they think they will get the 10 Republican votes because I don't think this was on anyone's radar a few weeks ago. This has all happened very quickly.

DEAN: It absolutely has. And again, you noted at the beginning of our segment 47 House Republicans.

We talked to John Thune yesterday. He is in leadership for Senate Republicans. And he said he really thinks that was a really strong show of support from House Republicans and that he expects to see a show of support from Senate Republicans as well.

BERMAN: This would be a milestone.

Jessica Dean, thank you very much.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We have new CNN reporting this morning on the Biden administration working to protect abortion rights for pregnant migrant minors who are in government custody. The effort comes as many states in the United States have banned or severely limited the right to abortion following that Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe versus Wade.

Let's bring in CNN's Priscilla Alvarez. Priscilla, what are you hearing this morning on this effort that they're making?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN REPORTER: Well, among those caught in the crosshairs after the Supreme Court's decision are federal agencies that are trying to navigate the states that have banned or will ban abortion.

And one of those is the Department of Health and Human Services. That is a department that oversees the care of migrant minors who arrive to the United States without a parent or guardian. And some of those minors, when they come into custody, are pregnant. And so, it makes it all the more challenging with the shifting abortion landscape. And a source now tells me that the administration is working on guidance to ensure that their abortion rights are protected.

Now, HHS has previously released two separate memos -- one in 2020 after litigation and another one in 2021 after the Texas abortion law. Both of those memos focus on pregnancy-related medical services.

And it's the Texas one that an advocate pointed to when I spoke to her about what to expect moving forward. That Texas guidance provided direction to shelter providers when they have a pregnant minor who is in need of an abortion, and it provides guidance in terms of transferring them to another shelter in another state should they need those services.

So this is a pressing issue -- one that the administration is working on.

And we should also note Kaitlan that Immigration and Customs Enforcement similarly reminded its workforce of guidance for pregnant detainees -- Kaitlan.

COLLINS: It's a difficult issue to navigate. Priscilla, thank you for summing it up for us.

As tonight's hearing is going to focus on former President Trump's actions during the Capitol attack on January 6, we'll break down what happened that day minute-by-minute.

BERMAN: And new CNN polling reveals a lack of confidence in U.S. elections. The numbers just in this morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:36:38]

COLLINS: In prime time tonight, the January 6 committee will look into what former President Trump did and did not do for the 187 minutes during the attack.

CNN's Pamela Brown takes a minute-by-minute look back at the insurrection.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR AND SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): One and one-half years later, the minute-by-minute horrors of the January 6 insurrection are becoming even clearer. As the House select committee continues its public hearings, it is uncovering new details of that fateful day, including a heated phone call that morning with then-President Trump pressuring Vice President Pence to prevent the certification of the election.

NICHOLAS LUNA, FORMER ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: I remember hearing the word wimp. Either he called him a wimp. I don't remember if he said you are a wimp, you'll be a wimp.

IVANKA TRUMP, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: It was a different tone than I'd heard him take with the vice president before. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you remember what she said her father called him?

JULIE RADFORD, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF TO IVANKA TRUMP: The "P" word.

BROWN (voice-over): Earlier that morning, the White House had learned that people arriving at Trump's rally were armed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They had Glock-style pistols in their waistbands.

BROWN (voice-over): Chief of staff Mark Meadows' aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified White House deputy chief of staff Tony Ornato briefed the president and Meadows separately about the weapons.

The rally at the Ellipse goes on as planned with many of Trump's most loyal associates igniting the crowd.

RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER TRUMP LAWYER: Let's have trial by combat.

BROWN (voice-over): Trump watches from backstage and demands metal detectors be removed to allow more of his supporters to attend.

CASSIDY HUTCHINSON, FORMER AIDE TO WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF MARK MEADOWS: I overheard the president say something to the effect of you know, I don't -- I don't care that they have weapons. They're not here to hurt me. Take the f-ing mags away. Let my people in. They can march to the Capitol from here.

BROWN (voice-over): At noon, Trump takes the stage.

DONALD TRUMP, THEN-PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're going to walk down to the Capitol. You'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength.

PRO-TRUMP RIOTERS: USA! USA!

BROWN (voice-over): While he speaks, pro-Trump rioters, including members of the far-right group the Proud Boys, overrun the first set of barriers outside the Capitol.

D. TRUMP: This is incredible. Thank you very much.

BROWN (voice-over): At 1:10, Trump's speech concludes and House minority leader Kevin McCarthy warns Hutchinson that Trump should not come to the Capitol.

HUTCHINSON: He just said it on stage, Cassidy. Figure it out. Don't come up here.

BROWN (voice-over): Nine minutes later, Trump arrives back at the White House reportedly enraged the Secret Service refused to take him to the Capitol.

HUTCHINSON: The president reached up towards the front of the vehicle to grab at the steering wheel. Mr. Engel grabbed his arm and said sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel. We're going back to the West Wing. We're not going to the Capitol.

Mr. Trump then used his free hand to lunge toward Bobby Engel. And Mr. -- when Mr. Ornato had recounted the story to me he had motioned towards his clavicles.

BROWN (voice-over): By 2:00, the Capitol goes into lockdown. The Senate abruptly adjourns soon after.

PRO-TRUMP RIOTERS: Hang Mike Pence! Hang Mike Pence!

BROWN (voice-over): Back at the White House, White House counsel Pat Cipollone tells Meadows Trump should intervene or people will die.

HUTCHINSON: Mark had responded something to the effect of you heard him, Pat. He thinks Mike deserves it. He doesn't think they're doing anything wrong. Mark, something needs to be done or people are going to die and the blood is going to be on your f-ing hands.

[07:40:00]

BROWN (voice-over): Minutes later, Trump tweets, slamming Pence for not assisting him in his scheme to overturn the election.

SARAH MATTHEWS, FORMER DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The situation was already bad and so it felt like he's pouring gasoline on the fire by tweeting that.

U.S. CAPITOL POLICE OFFICER: We need an area for these House members. They're all walking over now through the tunnels.

BROWN (voice-over): At 2:30, U.S. Capitol Police start evacuating lawmakers, and the Secret Service removes Pence from the Senate floor.

And shortly after, Trump sends another tweet for everyone to remain peaceful, but does not tell the rioters to leave the Capitol.

Seconds later, the first Capitol windows are smashed by Dominic Pezzola, an alleged Proud Boy who has pleaded not guilty to seditious conspiracy. Rioters flood into the Capitol and are scaling the scaffolding outside.

Then, another far-right group, the Oath Keepers, are seen weeding through the crowd in a military-style formation and entering the Capitol building.

Inside the Capitol, the violence is escalating. Pro-Trump rioter Ashli Babbitt is fatally shot by an officer after she attempts to climb through a window of the barricaded door. About a minute later, rioters breach the Senate floor and break into speaker Nancy Pelosi's office.

For more than an hour, many close allies and associates tried to persuade Trump to intervene by sending text messages to Meadows. White House aides even draft a statement that was never sent.

At 4:15, then-President-elect Biden speaks. JOE BIDEN, THEN-PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is not dissent, it's disorder, it's chaos. It borders on sedition and it must end now.

BROWN (voice-over): Minutes later, Trump tweeted out a video message for his supporters to go home and repeating the lie that the election was stolen.

MIKE PENCE, THEN-VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let's get back to work.

BROWN (voice-over): Around 8:00 p.m., the Capitol Police announce the Capitol is secure and the Senate and House reconvene to finish certifying the election.

Pamela Brown, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: It's remarkable to look at that. One hundred eighty-seven minutes condensed into five minutes.

BERMAN: It is. You know, everyone -- the country lived through that day and saw so much of it, but there's still so much of it that we did not see, and some of that may be the focus tonight.

COLLINS: And what's remarkable is I was in D.C., obviously, covering the White House that day. We knew it was going to be some kind of significant day because they had been putting so much buildup. And it just felt different walking into the White House that morning -- being in the environment. It just -- it just -- everything seemed different.

BERMAN: There was a shadow over everything.

COLLINS: Yes. It's going to be a fascinating hearing tonight.

But meanwhile, at the current White House, President Biden is set to unveil a new plan as crime is rising across the United States. We, ahead, have the new White House adviser Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is going to join us live to explain the new policies.

BERMAN: All right. A potentially rare Faberge egg -- there are only a few dozen of these things on Earth -- recovered from a Russian oligarch's yacht, maybe. The story behind the seizure.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:47:24]

COLLINS: Today, in Pennsylvania, President Biden is going to ask Congress for $37 billion for crime prevention programs as he works to address one of the biggest concerns that Americans have ahead of the midterm elections in November.

Joining us now for her first interview on CNN since joining the White House is former Atlanta mayor and former CNN political commentator Keisha Lance Bottoms. Mayor, thank you so much for joining us this morning.

And I just want to start with what President Biden is going to be talking about today, and how these policies and this funding that you're asking for would reduce crime in the United States.

KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS, SENIOR ADVISER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, thank you for having me.

What I am so happy about President -- that President Biden is doing today is that he's listened to mayors and governors across the country, and what mayors and governors have said repeatedly is that we need more resources in order to fight crime.

So what you will see rolled out today will be a comprehensive approach. It will be funding towards more law enforcement officers but also the ability to hold law enforcement officers more accountable.

Also, resources going into cities and states that will allow cities and states to take those actions that we know stop people from entering a life of crime, whether it's after-school programming, mental health services, substance abuse counseling -- these things that we know often local and state governments don't have the resources to support.

And also, the president is continuing to lean in on where we are with guns and making it more difficult for people to distribute ghost guns in this country.

So, he is taking a holistic approach to what we're dealing with, with crime, and we will see it in what he will speak about later today.

COLLINS: Yes, and I know as former mayor of Atlanta, you know all too well how communities deal with these issues and how much funding they do need.

But one thing about this is this is in the budget request that the administration is making to Congress. It hasn't actually been approved yet and it does have to get approved.

But one of the things that's in it -- one of the provisions is about $13 billion over the next five years to hire another 100,000 police officers. Why is that what's needed to make the difference?

BOTTOMS: Well, what we know is that law enforcement has taken a hit over the past few years. It has become increasingly difficult to attract people into law enforcement and increasingly difficult to retain people in law enforcement. So this will allow cities and states to hire more officers.

But again, the accountability piece is very important. We want to hire people who want to be involved in communities. People who want -- who believe in community policing and developing these proactive relationships with communities.

[07:50:07]

So there are communities across America that are asking for more patrols in their communities, but they also want positive interactions with law enforcement. And that's what the president is taking a look at and that's what this funding will help support.

COLLINS: Yes. It's been very clear that Americans do consider crime one of the top challenges facing the country.

And so, on that front and based on what you're talking about that Americans would like to see, does the White House have any concerns that the rhetoric that you've heard from the more progressive flank of the Democratic Party over the last several years has hurt Democrats' credibility on this matter?

BOTTOMS: Well, what I can say is that I was mayor of one of the most progressive cities in America and there was a desire to have well- trained police officers in our communities. And so, I don't think anyone disagrees with the fact that we need police protection in our communities. When there is no more crime, then we can stop hiring police officers.

But what people want, and I believe the progressive wing of the party has also asked for, is that we have officers who are well-trained, who respect our communities, and who are also held accountable. There are hundreds of thousands of men and women who go into law enforcement and do a very honorable job. We want to make sure that we have the ability with funding that we will be sharing, hopefully, with cities and states across America to allow cities and states to hire those type people to continue to protect and serve our communities.

COLLINS: And I know from the polling this has been very important. One of the most recent CNN polls shows that when voters were asked if they approve or disapprove of the president's handling when it comes to gun policy, 39% said they approve, but 60% said that they disapproved. What do you make of that?

BOTTOMS: Well, we know that this president has done more than any president as it relates to tackling gun violence in America. We know that he was responsible for the assault weapon ban that we had many years ago. He has taken every action that he can possibly take as president, but there is also a need for Congress to take action.

We know that the bipartisan bill that was signed just a couple of weeks ago was an important first step but it's just that -- it's a first step. There's so much more that needs to be done, including banning assault weapons. And the president is continuing to lean into that and asking Congress to support him in that effort.

COLLINS: What happens if the Congress doesn't approve the funding that the White House says they need for these funds?

BOTTOMS: Well, of course, it's our hope that Congress will approve this funding and we will cross that bridge when we get to it. The president has made his position very clear. He has listened to mayors and governors. I was one of those mayors when I sat in the White House as mayor of

Atlanta in March of '21 right after the president was inaugurated. And as we talked about COVID, we could already see crime emerging in places like Atlanta and in Georgia that were already open.

So what the president will continue to do is to remind Congress that this is about communities. This is about not just blue cities and blue states; this is about red states and red cities. This is about communities across America who are asking for more support, and it's our hope that Congress will support the president in this effort.

COLLINS: We'll look to see if they do.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, thank you for joining us in your first CNN interview since joining the White House, and we hope you'll be back for many more.

BOTTOMS: Thank you.

COLLINS: Meanwhile, U.S. officials finding what could be one of those rare Faberge eggs onboard a Russian oligarch's seized superyacht. We have an expert on these very pricey eggs who is going to join us next.

BERMAN: And could the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour spell trouble for other sports leagues?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK CUBAN, ENTREPRENEUR AND OWNER OF THE DALLAS MAVERICKS: It makes us pay attention --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

CUBAN: -- that's for sure. Because who knows what -- for what other sport or what other country, whatever it may be, that is going to come in and try to buy recognition.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:58:23]

COLLINS: U.S. officials have made a discovery that could be worth millions aboard a seized Russian yacht. Justice Department officials are now revealing that they found what appears to be a Faberge egg which, if authentic, would make it one of the few remaining in the world.

So, joining us now to discuss this is Tony Faber, author of "Faberge's Eggs: The Extraordinary Story of the Masterpieces That Outlived an Empire."

Tony, at this point, I just assumed that all Russian yachts come with Faberge eggs, but I know they are actually, indeed, quite rare. So what will they -- how do they figure out if this is real or not? TONY FABER, AUTHOR, "FABERGE'S EGGS: THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE MASTERPIECES THAT OUTLIVED AN EMPIRE" (via Skype): Well, first of all, I think we'd all love to see a picture of it, wouldn't we?

I mean, the likelihood that it's real is pretty small I think, probably. That's to say there were 50 of these eggs made and they are fabulous. You know, these wonderful examples of creativity -- of luxury as well. You know, these links to the decadent Romanovs and their court.

But there are only 50 of them and we know where 43 of them are. I don't think it's likely to be one of those 43, so then we're down to the seven missing ones that have been basically missing since the Revolution. And --

BERMAN: Yes, beautiful symbols of decadence though, right? It's just -- how often --

FABER: Right.

BERMAN: How often does one just turn up?

FABER: Well, one did just turn up about five years ago in Midwest -- somewhere in the U.S. Midwest. It was bought by a dealer in scrap metal -- for its scrap metal value. Its scrap metal value was about $13,000 because it was a lot of gold and a few diamonds, and things like that.

And luckily for him, he just paid slightly too much for it so he wasn't able a turn on his investment and went online, Googled egg clock.

[08:00:00]