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CNN Live Event/Special

Trump to Leave Blair House for Church Service; Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) is Interviewed about the Trump Administration. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired January 20, 2025 - 08:30   ET

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


[08:30:00]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Church. You could walk it in 15, 20 seconds.

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

TAPPER: But it - but it's going to be shrouded in security. We don't even - you know, by the way, I mean any U.S. Secret Service agent is dispatched with the task of keeping the president safe. They would have the president never leave the Oval Office if they could.

PHILLIP: Yes.

TAPPER: We don't know what security - what role security played in the decision to keep the inauguration indoors today. I mean we were told that it was because of the weather, and I have no reason to doubt that. But I'm sure the U.S. Secret Service - let's just put it this way, I'm sure the U.S. Secret Service was happy with the news.

Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: And I - I just want to go back to one of the things that you were talking about, about this sort of Trump base. And if you take it back eight years to the, you know, famous statement that Donald Trump made about that base, which was at the time, I would say about, you know, 30 to 35 percent of the country, that, you know, the famous Fifth Avenue statement. And there were so many people, Republicans and Democrats, as Donald Trump embarked on a second run, asking, how is he going to expand that base? Who do you see as supporting him that didn't support him before?

Well, we now have the answer. And that is a lot of people.

PHILLIPS: Yes.

BASH: And what is really extraordinary, honestly, in talking to people who have not only come here for the inauguration, but who are excited about this Trump term, second Trump term, are people who really didn't support him the first time around. Maybe didn't even support him in his second run when he lost to Joe Biden, but have become so disenchanted with the incumbent government, just as they have in democracies all around the globe, whether they are liberal governments or conservative governments, they have come to very much support Donald Trump. It's not just been a vote against the incumbency, a vote against - an anger vote, but support for what he says he's going to do on the economy, on immigration, on the big promises that he made.

PHILLIPS: And there's been a process of normalization, I think you would say. That people feel a sense of - that they - that they can support Donald Trump and be out loud about it. I rarely travel to Washington but usually I am here, I live here. I have lived here. But this time I actually traveled to Washington yesterday on a - in a plane full of Trump supporters and they were wearing the hats and singing "YMCA." And there's a sense that people can be out loud about this. We just - just to pointed out, that is different, OK.

BASH: Very. That's -

PHILLIPS: It was not like that in 2016. It was not like that in 2020. But it is more like that now.

TAPPER: Yes, well, once again I'll note that "YMCA," one of the most misused political signs since "Born in the USA."

The last time, Jamie Gangel, that Ronald - that the inauguration was taken indoors was 1985.

JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

TAPPER: Right after the re-election of President Ronald Reagan.

GANGEL: Right.

TAPPER: Also anticipated to be bitter cold. Tell us about that.

GANGEL: So, I - please do not do the math, let's just call it hashtag 1985 when they didn't know what a hashtag was.

But, yes, I was there. I covered it. It was bitterly cold. It was about, I think, 7 degrees, as I recall, but with the wind chill, something like minus 25. When the marching bands were practicing, their instruments were literally breaking, I just remember, I don't know if it was a trombone player or a trumpet player, he dropped his brass instrument, it cracked and - and broke. And so, there was no question that that had to move indoors.

You know, just to go back to what you were talking about, about the Secret Service probably being happier that it's inside, that's true. As you say, you know, they - they like to be able to control the situation as much as possible.

But I talked to a very senior Secret Service source last night who said, you cannot imagine what the scramble is like at the last minute. They're prepared for it, but - but it takes a lot to change - change the plans.

Jake, we just got another statement and from former Capitol Hill Police Officer Harry Dunn, who's included in the Biden pardon as one of the witnesses to the January 6th Committee. And he just texted me and he said he's eternally grateful to President Biden. And he goes on to say, "I wish this pardon weren't necessary but, unfortunately, the political climate we are in now has made the need for one somewhat of a reality."

[08:35:00]

And I also spoke to several committee staffers. They were blindsided by this. They did not know it was coming. Several of them had said to me before, we don't want one. We didn't do anything wrong. But they do understand the protective blanket nature of it.

Someone asked why the only witnesses included in the Biden pardon were specifically the D.C. Metropolitan Police officers and Capitol Hill Police officers. And I spoke with someone familiar with the thinking behind the pardon. And what you have to remember is that the witnesses also included people like Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, more than 30 of the witnesses took the Fifth. These were people who were allies of Trump, who might have some culpability. So, that's why you're not seeing like Cassidy Hutchinson or Sarah Matthews, or Greg Jacob, who was former Vice President Mike Pence's general counsel included. They just didn't want to name every name, and so they limited it to this group.

Jake.

TAPPER: Thanks, Jamie.

Let's go to Alayna Treene, who's right outside Blair House, where Trump stayed last night.

Alayna.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Yes, we just saw some members of Donald Trump's family exit Blair House, where they also stated last night, some of them, I'm told, and get into some of the cars. We saw Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. We also saw Tiffany Trump and her husband, Michael. And so some of them are going to be - they have not yet departed for Blair House, but they've gotten into some of these black SUVs, as you can see, outside of Blair House before departing to - on their way to St. John's Church.

I'm also told, according to a source who's currently at St. John's Church waiting for the - services to begin, that Elon Musk is in attendance, and he is seated near Donald Trump's incoming national security advisor, Mike Waltz. Both of them currently already at St. John's waiting for the arrival of Donald Trump and his family.

TAPPER: All right, the modern tradition of attending a worship service on Inauguration Day began with FDR in 1933, Anderson.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Jake, Pamela Brown is at St. John's Episcopal Church awaiting the president-elect's arrival.

Pamela, who's already inside the church?

PAMELA BROWN, CNN CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's some activity, I should note right now. We had some police officers on motorcycle. So, we are expecting the soon to be vice president, J.D. Vance, and his family to be arriving here shortly.

But so far we've seen some of President-elect Trump's family arrive here. His kids, Ivanka, Eric Trump and their families. And, of course, we expect more to arrive, including, of course, President-elect Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, and some of his senior advisers, including Stephen Miller, Karoline Leavitt and Susie Wiles.

As you can see, there's a lot of activity right now behind me here. This is a much smaller crowd than what we saw eight years ago for Donald Trump's first inauguration. It's much more simple and traditional in terms of the service. I'm told that Trump's team wanted to go back to the traditional roots with no sermon, when President Roosevelt started this tradition 92 years ago.

So, I'm told that the service will be based on morning prayer with Psalms and other scripture passages, interspersed with hymns, an anthem, and collects (ph) from the prayer book, no sermon and the opening hymn will be "Oh God Our Help in Ages Past." Again, that was what President Roosevelt had for his service 92 years ago.

I spoke to the reverend here at the church, St. John's Episcopal Church, who said the service today will be explicitly nonpartisan. He says he wants it to feel unifying, and a time of reflection, a time of peace, before the very busy festivities of the day.

I'm going to step aside again because we are expecting the soon to be vice president, J.D. Vance and his family, to arrive here. This is really sort of the beginning of the day's festivities. And again, you know, the point of this is sort of tradition, a continuation of tradition. The 14th pre-inaugural prayer service, returning to its roots of 1933 when Roosevelt began this tradition.

It's going to be a quick service, I'm told. Just about 30 minutes. And soon to be President Donald Trump will be sitting in the first row, the first pew, which is actually a break from tradition. Typically, presidents will sit in the presidential pew right in the middle of the church. But not today.

So, of course, we're going to keep an eye on when J.D. Vance arrives, Donald Trump and his family for the service here this morning.

Back to you.

COOPER: Pamela, thanks.

Alayna Treene is over at Blair House. I understand they're about to be some departures there.

TREENE: That's right, Anderson. We did just see Barron Trump , Donald Trump's son, exit Blair House and get into some of the cars you can see that are situated outside of that tent just right in front of Blair House where Donald Trump and his family - members of his family slept last night.

[08:40:11] We are told that President-elect Donald Trump and the incoming first lady, Melania Trump, are expected to be leaving soon and arriving shortly at St. John's for that private service with many of Donald Trump's cabinet picks and top advisers.

We're waiting now to see when this motorcade will depart, but we're told that it will happen momentarily.

Anderson.

COOPER: Yes. All right, and we just watched J.D. Vance, the vice president-elect, and his wife entering St. John's Church. We anticipate that service to begin - well, it was supposed to begin at 8:30. So, they're a little bit behind schedule. But momentarily, soon we'll see President-elect Trump and his wife headed toward the church.

As we continue to look at these pictures, Alyssa, what role - it's interesting, I mean faith - when you think of faith and Donald Trump, it's - he has clearly quoted evangelical voters, he's clearly got a lot of support, unclear exactly the role faith plays in - in his life.

ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, I mean, faith played a huge role, obviously, in getting him the evangelical vote. It's what put him over the edge in 2016.

And while he's not ever been somebody who's an open practicer - practitioner of faith, I do think after the first assassination attempt you saw him working the language in more. You saw him really talking more in terms of those of us who read our Bibles, who attend church.

What's interesting, I was -

COOPER: By the way, that is the presidential motorcade now.

GRIFFIN: And it's a very short motorcade ride there, by the way.

Interesting imagery, though. Different vice president here. Mike Pence is not there, as he was in 2016. Now we have J.D. Vance. And, of course, this famous church, which we remember from the summer of 2020 when Donald Trump went against Lafyette Park. It was, you know, parts of it were burned and it was a very controversial sort of last time he attended that church and now he's there as sort of a conquering king returning to Washington really with everyone under his thumb and just how remarkable his comeback has been is unprecedented, to say the least.

November 15, 2022, when he said - announced he'd be running again, very few lawmakers even showed up to that. Now, Capitol Hill is at his beck and call.

COOPER: And, Kate Andersen Brower, there's a tradition of presidents signing a book inside that church.

KATE ANDERSEN BROWER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Right. And I think this is so interesting, the juxtaposition of all of these traditional parts of our democracy, and with the most untraditional president that we have ever had coming to light.

I mean in 1921 was the first time that a departing president invited the incoming president and first lady to the White House. That was the Wilsons inviting the Hardings. And, you know, just to see history playing out in this way, and to see these traditions being revisited, I think back to Truman and Eisenhower and their icy ride to the White House. I'm so curious to see what that ride is going to be like.

DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It's interesting that he sits in the front row. This is the first time a president has sat in the front row. Traditionally they didn't because in the beginning they were selling the Pews in the front row to people who supported the church. But Lincoln sat in the back row. Trump sits in the front row.

VAN JONES, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, it's - people don't think he's a man of faith. Donald Trump has faith in himself. And that's important because, I think Abby was mentioning, people are projecting onto him almost kind of a messianic awe because of what he's -

COOPER: There is President-elect Donald Trump.

JONES: There he is.

And, you know, it is highly unlikely this man would be standing here right now. He could - there - there are other scenarios where he could have been literally killed, put in prison. Instead, he's going into that church as the incoming president.

COOPER: This - this is the first time that we are seeing both Melania Trump and President-elect Trump today. We saw him yesterday at the - at the arena. Yes. The beginning of what will be a very long day for them, a very exciting day for - for them and - and their supporters as well.

Being greeted by the reverend there and entering St. John's Church.

GRIFFIN: Well, and something - those of us who know Donald Trump always kind of wonder is, is he struck by these moments, because he's somebody who's lived a very remarkable and different life than many, many different lives. And I have to wonder, you know, after the loss, after how he left Washington, D.C., really as a pariah, coming back and having lines outside of the Capital One Arena, being welcomed into this church, that he certainly wouldn't have been at another time, if he's being struck by this moment. And it's got a sense -

AXELROD: Well, you were -

DAVID URBAN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think he is. Listen, in the time I spent with the president one on one, whether it's in the Beast or in - on Air Force One in the White House, he is - he is struck by, he's mentioned it to me, he's mentioned the fact that, you know, the majesty of the presidency, the - kind of the pomp and circumstance, you can't help be awed by all those things. Like you said, when you walk into the White House compound, you know, John King was talking about it, when you walk in there, no matter if you're having a bad day, you look at it, it's the White House.

[08:45:06]

You know, you stand next to Air Force One, it - what it represents when it lands on foreign soil, Trump - Trump soaks that all in and he absorbs -

AXELROD: He's also - he also prides him - he - you know, he's a guy who values the approbation of elites and so on. And so to come back, you used the word conquering, he's coming back as a - in some ways as a conqueror, having been banished essentially from the Capitol four years ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Vanquished -

AXELROD: So, all of this must be working through his head today.

COOPER: John.

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's the greatest comeback in American political history, certainly in moder day pollical history.

COOPER: Yes.

KING: And so, I think my question is, you know, humbled is not a word you find in the same sentence as Donald Trump that often. Will he be humbled by this in any way?

David had the - you know, I said earlier, he does have a mandate. He has a mandate because the people of the United States - Joe Biden's mandate was to restore normalcy to Washington and he country, and he didn't because of the cost of living, because of his own decline, because of how the country felt. And so the American people did something extraordinary, they put Donald Trump back in charge here. The question is, does he over read his mandate? He does have a mandate to - to try to revive the economy and it says that he's also inheriting the strongest economy in the world, by the way, just like he did when he left office, he said America was a mess he inherited from Barack Obama, a gangbuster economy. He is incredibly lucky as a politician in terms of, the American economy has potholes, but it is the strongest economy in the world.

AXELROD: He may report that differently in his speech.

KING: Yes, he will. He will. But the question is, what does he do, right? Yes, he has a mandate to do border security, to do pretty dramatic immigration reforms. But does he overstep the line and make it mean and caustic and cost himself support? That's my big question is, is he at all humbled by this?

COOPER: Want to check in with Tim Naftali, historian.

It is remarkable, and you think just the tradition of this day and how many presidents have walked through that door and had a service just like this today too. TIMOTHY NAFTALI, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: I'm thinking about that. I am also thinking about the last time that Donald Trump was at that church. It was June 1, 2020. And it was when there was tear gas in the air and he held the Bible upside down. And standing near him was General Mark Milley, who was in combat fatigues because he had been at an FBI combat center. And Mark Milley was - later said to the secretary of defense that he felt sick at the tableau (ph). He almost resigned. And in his letter, which he never sent, he - he wrote, "you are the president," then president. "You are using the military to create fear in the minds of the American people and we are trying to protect the American people."

So, I - I wonder, on a day like today, President Trump has a lot to be proud of. I wonder if he remembers 2020, or what he - what the takeaway he might have from that moment because his - the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff almost resigned. And today, that chairman just got a pardon from Donald Trump's successor.

So, there are a lot of points, very historical, and I think very tragic points of intersection that we see today.

So, yes, this is - this is a rekindling of a tradition we're seeing today. Not every American president since FDR has gone to this church. Some have worshiped at Catholic churches. Biden and President Kennedy did. Some didn't have a church service at all. Richard Nixon did not have church services to begin his two inaugurations.

But the fact is, that there's more than that history today in that church, and I wonder whether President Trump reflects on that at all?

COOER: David Urban, what do you expect from the speech today? Obviously, I mean, all the reporting is, it seems like it will be a different tone of the speech obviously that he gave in - the first time.

URBAN: Yes, we heard Jason give a little bit of a preview - Jason Miller previewed it earlier. Hopefully it's going to be a little more optimistic. A new day - a new day in America, kind of hope it will be Reagan-esque.

But I can't help but think what those pardons that were just issued, how that's going to - you know, if that work - they work its way into the speech somehow and maybe turn the tone.

But listen -

COOPER: Do you think he brings that up with the president -

URBAN: I don't know. I mean -

COOPER In their car along the ride.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Awkward.com.

AXELROD: Like, what have you been up today? URBAN: Yes. You know, interesting you know who has not been pardoned

as of yet is the president's - the current president's brother was not mentioned in one of those preemptive pardons. So, we'll see. I think there's a few hours left still, but I'm hopeful that the - that President Trump strikes an optimistic tone because, as David and John said, you know, America, right check, wrong check numbers were in the bad place. That's why Donald Trump was reelected, kind of turned the tied. America wants success. They're tired of being woke and broke. They want - they want a new day, and that's what they're hoping for today. They don't want to go - they don't want to look in the rearview mirror, they want to look through the windshield. They want to go forward, not backwards.

KING: I - have learned the lesson - did he learn the lessons of the first term?

[08:50:02]

I mentioned, it's been 21 years since the majority of American thought the country was on the right track. The closest we came to that - the closest we came to 50 percent was 45 percent in February 2020. Donald Trump was president. The economy was humming. And then Covid hit. And the American people turned on him because they did not think he knew how to run the government at a time of national crisis.

AXELROD: Yes.

URBAN: Do you remember the map - you remember your map you put up on election -

KING: And so the question is, does he - does he learn the governing lesson.

URBAN: On election night, John put up a map of the countries, of all those red counties, right?

AXELROD: Yes.

URBAN: And all those red counties, those people want to see their grocery prices down, their gas prices down.

AXELROD: Right. Exactly.

JONES: The stuff he's not talking about.

URBAN: But I'm saying, so that - that's the challenge for today.

AXELROD: You know, yesterday in "The Wall Street Journal" there was a piece, a survey of economists who were all predicting higher prices and higher interest rates because of tariffs -

JONES: Exactly. Yes.

AXELROD: Because of deportation because of -

UNBAN: No, I remember - I remember - I remember Paul Klugman, I think, said (INAUDIBLE) said -

GRIFFIN: There - there is another element that I think you're going to hear, there's some experts from his speech where he said - calls for a revolution of common sense. I think part of this question around a mandate is also, did DEI policies go to far? Where are we going with some of the policing of language and the way we engage and sort of the social issues. That, I imagine, is going to be a big theme for him and I actually think -

URBAN: Title 9.

GRIFFIN: Title 9 is going to be a major issue.

AXELROD: These are the shiny objects I was talking about before, that he wants people to focus on. And then there are these other things that he's going to do that are not popular, that he doesn't want them to focus on. And we'll see.

URBAN: Today - today they're -

COOPER It's also interesting, and untraditional - the president-elect released a cryptocurrency, a coin yesterday, and Melania Trump -

GRIFFIN: Obama didn't do that?

COOPER: Melania Trump released her own today.

AXELROD: I remember the discussions on that. Yes.

KING: But he wants -

COOPER: But, I mean, it's interesting that that is not even -

AXELROD: No, they are - they are commoditizing.

COOPER: That is not even -

AXELROD: And it's not even - it's not thought as normal.

COOPER: Nobody blinks.

AXELROD: I mentioned Lee Greenwood was selling - was hawking his inaugural Bibles, "God Bless the USA" Bibles, at the arena yesterday on TV. This is something we've not seen before.

GRIFFIN: Well, I mean -

URBAN: A long way from Billy Beer.

GRIFFIN: The main point is actually very interesting because the crypto industry really likes Donald Trump and they think that he's going to be, you know, gangbusters for them. But then this did kind of delegitimize and kind of played into the most silly takes that people have about crypto, is him putting this out and then his wife doing the same. So, there was some initial blowback. URBAN: Yes. On a serious note, just two things that are going to

happen today also on The Hill. Marco Rubio gets confirmed today. He's the only cabinet member to be confirmed today. And then the Laken Riley Act is going to come up for a vote in the Senate. We'll see if that gets passed by the Senate today and go to the desk. A very important piece of legislation for messaging for this administration, for the country.

GRIFFIN: And both will be bipartisan very likely.

COOPER: Let's check in with Kaitlan Collins.

Kaitlan.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Anderson, you just saw the incoming first lady, Melania Trump, walking in with President-elect Donald Trump to St. John's Church. And one thing about her as she's preparing for her own return to the White House, obviously the lady of - the role of first lady was something that she kind of bristled at, at times in the first administration. It was a role that she has acknowledged in interviews that had a lot of responsibilities, and things that she had to take care of that, you know, just most people don't know. This is actually something that a lot of first ladies have experienced when they come into the job. There's an entire exhibit dedicated to them at the Smithsonian and how different first ladies have reshaped the role. And I think it's obviously fair to say that Melania Trump certainly did that the first time around.

But she's also been really preparing for this time around, I'm told. She's actually been doing a lot of studying and intensive preparation going into this administration, whether that's reading up on foreign affairs or making sure she's steeped on what's happening here in Washington, because obviously, she may be certainly a quieter influence around the president-elect, but she certainly is one of the biggest influences.

When you talk to people, they say that really the only person who can change his mind on something, guaranteed is Melania Trump. And so to see her going into the church with him, she talks about how going into the White House this time around, you know, she didn't even know how to move into the White House really and those logistics and the issues of picking furniture and where everything is going the first time around. She started doing that in advance this time around. After he won the election in November, she's been at Mar-a-Lago preparing for that as well.

So, not just Trump trying to make good use of his time, but also Melania Trump as well.

And, Anderson, I will say, one thing that we've just learned as far as those executive actions that we expect President-elect Trump to take once he has the power of the presidency, 10 of them are going to be related to one of his biggest priorities coming into office, that is immigration according to an incoming White House official.

COOPER: Yes, we'll be looking to see what happens with that today. Kaitlan, thanks.

Jake, back to you.

TAPPER: Thanks, Anderson.

I want to turn to Republican Senator Katie Britt of the great state of Alabama, who's joining us by phone.

Senator, good to hear from you.

The president-elect hosted a dinner for Republican senators this weekend to talk about his plans for this week specifically. Tell us what he had to say and how his second term might feel different than his first?

SEN. KATIE BRITT (R-AL) (via telephone): Yes, absolutely. First, there is a unity and excitement that I have never had an opportunity to experience within the Republican Party.

[08:55:07]

And y'all were talking about this earlier, about, you know, kind of how he was envisioning this and the way that he was approaching it. I mean he talked very directly about the grace of God and saving his life there in the assassination attempt, not just one but two. You can tell that he is person - he's very purposeful in what he's going to do and what he believes he needs to accomplish for the American people. And he also understands, you know, this time around, let's all come do this together. Let's get on the same page. He's encouraging that. And I think he's also making a great case that the American people expect that from us.

So, I think it's going to be an exciting day. I think he is going to make sure that America knows it's a new day and that - and that the Republican senators, and obviously the Republicans in the House, that the time for action is now and the time for unity on behalf of the American people to actually get things done is here.

So, it's exciting and certainly, as many people have noted, a bit of a different approach from before.

And I just saw y'all show J.D. and Usha also walking into the church. Obviously, that is another breath of fresh air. With them joining this ticket, I think it made it stronger, it brought, you know, kind of a different perspective. That perspective of parents and just a different life experience to the ticket. They are - they are unified. J.D. has been working diligently with the Senate, with his former colleagues, with all of us, making sure that we are ready to go on day one, which is what will do today, which both Marco Rubio's nomination and getting the Laken Riley act passed and sent to the House so that it can be sent to President Trump's desk.

TAPPER: I know you're on The Hill, about to go into the Rotunda. You get a good seat there as a - as a senator. The president and his team have been filling in lawmakers such as yourself about the executive orders he plans to sign today. I know immigration is a big priority for you, toughening up the border, Trump's team is promising what they call shock and awe. What specifically do you expect to happen this week?

BRITT: You know, we don't have specifics about how he plans to execute, but what he made sure that we understood was that he heard the American people. As he has traveled around, you know, during the campaign, and then even sent that huge verdict that was issued on November 5th saying, hey, we want action, we want results. He's heard and knows that the American people expect him to actually do something about this. He knows he has a limited window to be able to do that. And he has been smart and strategic about thinking through what he was able to achieve last time. He learned where roadblocks are. He knows kind of how the system works. And I think he is better ready and prepared to be able to achieve results on the border quickly.

He wants to secure the border. He wants to make sure that we put the safety and security of Americans first. And so I think you will see what he learned from the last administration and where he understood the roadblocks to be. I think he will - he'll definitely lean into that today and promises made, promises kept, and America will be safer as a result, no doubt.

TAPPER: All right, Senator, we'll let you go in and get your good seat. Enjoy the inauguration. Congratulations to you and your party on a big day.

BRITT: Thank you so much, Jake. I appreciate it. A lot of work to do and look forward to coming back on and talking about it.

TAPPER: Sounds good.

Over to MJ Lee at the White House now.

MJ, what more are you learning about President Biden's waning hours in office?

MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, very soon we are going to see the ceremonial aspects of inauguration morning migrate here to the White House. The Bidens, of course, will host the Trumps for tea here at the White House before the two couples get in the motorcade together and take that short ride together over to Capitol Hill.

And in talking to White House officials familiar with the planning, I am told that all of these traditions, which we have to point out, again, were traditions and courtesies that Donald Trump refused to offer to then incoming President Joe Biden four years ago, that these were not traditions that at any point President Biden thought about basically blowing off. Because he believes that these traditions are important, he wanted to make sure that all of these things were basically done by the book.

But having said all of that, Jake, all of our reporting, talking to sources in recent days and weeks really suggests that the president is in a bit of a dark space when it comes to just his headspace in these very final days. We are told that he never really stopped feeling angry about the fact that he believes that he was forced out, this pressure campaign to drop out of the 2024 race.

[08:59:58]

And then especially since Election Day when his vice president, Kamala Harris, was defeated by Donald Trump.