Return to Transcripts main page

The Situation Room

D.C. and All 50 State Capitols on High Alert for Extremist Threats; Federal Prosecutors: Capitol Rioters Intended to "Capture and Assassinate" Elected Officials; Trump Meets with My Pillow CEO in Final Days of Presidency; Biden Announces Plan To Speed Up COVID Vaccinations; D.C. Police Officers Give Frightening Accounts Of Facing Mob; Wash Post: Capitol Mob Was Seconds Away From Pence, Came Within 100 Feet Of His Hiding Place; U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 391,000 With 23.4 Million Cases. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired January 15, 2021 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:25]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM. We're following breaking news.

Washington, D.C. is a fortress tonight as the city and all 50 state Capitols are on high alert, fearing violence by armed extremists emboldened by last week's siege of the U.S. Capitol.

Also breaking, CNN has just obtained a joint bulletin from the Homeland Security Department, the FBI and eight other agencies warning that domestic extremists pose the most likely threat to the presidential inauguration, especially those who believe the incoming administration is illegitimate.

Meanwhile, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia says 275 cases have been opened in the investigation into the Capitol insurrection.

All of this, as federal prosecutors allege in a filing that some of the rioters intended to, quote, "capture and kill" elected officials.

Let's start our coverage this hour with CNN's Brian Todd who's working all of this for us. Brian, this investigation, the federal criminal investigation is rapidly expanding.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is, Wolf. As you just mentioned, investigators say tonight they opened 275 criminal cases. They have charged nearly 100 people in connection with the Capitol siege.

Also, the acting U.S. attorney for D.C. says they have indications that current and former law enforcement officers, who may have been off duty, might have taken part in the riot.

This comes as security perimeters here have been dramatically stepped up, like razor wire on that fence that ringing the Capitol tonight. And we have new information tonight as well on the threat assessments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): Tonight, unprecedented security measures across the nation's Capitol. Razor wire now on top of high-security fences near the Capitol building. This comes as CNN obtains a new bulletin from the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies, saying domestic extremists pose the most likely threat to the inauguration, particularly those extremists who feel the incoming Biden administration is illegitimate.

ANDREW MCCABE, FORMER DEPUTY DIRECTOR, FBI: They have united under the banner of this president. They have embraced his cause, the lie that the election was stolen. And that is not going to go away. It is fueling them. It's adding logs to that fire of grievance and hate.

TODD: Homeland Security officials now say the rehearsal for President- elect Biden's inauguration is postponed a day until Monday. While the official says there are no specific credible threats. Internet and social media chatter about potential threats for this Sunday, they say, prompted the department to make that call.

AGENT MATT MILLER, U.S. SECRET SERVICE: There's a great deal of very concerning chatter, and it's what you don't know that we are preparing for. So, I don't know if anyone has raised their hand to say we are coming. We will be there. But we are preparing as if they are.

TODD: Serious questions are now being raised about the intent of some rioters during the Capitol siege. Federal prosecutors in Arizona say there is evidence rioters intended to quote, "capture and assassinate" elected officials. The man who told them that, they say, Jacob Chansley, who wore a headdress and face paint and carried a spear. And who is now in custody.

But the acting U.S. attorney for Washington D.C. says this.

MICHAEL SHERWIN, ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY FOR D.C.: There is no direct evidence at this point of kill/capture teams and assassination.

TODD: Still, federal prosecutors in Texas say this man, retired Air Force Reservist Larry Brock, photographed carrying zip tie like restraints inside the Capitol, may have intended to use them to restrain people he viewed as enemies, presumably lawmakers.

Brock has said he picked the restraints up off the ground and intended to give them to a police officer. "The Washington Post" reports the mob came closer than was previously known to Vice President Pence. "The Post" says as the winding mob made its way through the Capitol, they were roughly 60 seconds way from actually seeing the vice president in the hallway as he was being rushed to safety.

MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER (D-WA), DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: We saw white extremists stormed the Capitol Building who were trained and organized and seemingly with the intent to capture the vice president of the United States and perhaps harm other lawmakers. TODD: Sources tell CNN tonight some members of Congress have told party leadership they fear for their lives and the lives of their families, and several of them have taken new security measures.

JONATHAN WACKROW, FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT: They have now become direct targets of anti-government and anti-establishment militia-style extremists. 100 percent, they should be taking every possible option available to them to provide their own security.

[17:05:08]

TODD: Tonight, D.C. Metropolitan police officers give frightening accounts to CNN of what it was like battling the mob. Officer Michael Fanone says as he was injured on the ground, rioters were tasing him, stripping him of his gear.

OFFICER MICHAEL FANONE, D.C. METROPOLITAN POLICE: Some guy started to a hold of my gun and they were screaming out, you know, "kill him with his own gun."

TODD: Officer Daniel Hodges was seen in disturbing video being crushed against a door frame. Hodges told CNN how zealous the rioters were.

OFFICER DANIEL HODGES, D.C. METROPOLITAN POLICE: There was a guy ripping my mask off. And he was able to rip away my baton, beat me with it. He was practically foaming at the mouth. So, just these people were true believers in the worst way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (on camera): Meanwhile, no arrests yet in the death of Capitol Hill police officer Brian Sicknick, who died as a result of injuries suffered during the riot. An FBI official says they're making progress in that investigation. Two law enforcement officials tell CNN they're looking at several people in connection with that officer's death. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right. Brian, stay safe over there. We'll get back to you.

We're also following a critical development in President Trump's impeachment. A source now telling CNN, the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to send the article of impeachment, charging the president with inciting insurrection to the U.S. Senate next week. Our senior congressional correspondent Manu Raju is working with the story for us. How quickly will things go from there, Manu?

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the second she sends it over there, it would kickstart a process that would have led to the impeachment trial beginning the following day at 1:00 in the afternoon. The Senate doesn't come back until January 19th.

So, that means if she does go forward and submit the article of impeachment, transmit it from the House to the Senate, then Joe Biden's presidency, the early days, will be consumed by this impeachment trial. Now, she would not say so explicitly today about when she would send it over. She refused to comment. I tried to ask her if she would even consider withholding the articles all together. Something she could presumably do to delay the trial indefinitely. She would not respond to that question.

But there are discussions ongoing about how to schedule the trial. Republicans and Democrats are having discussions at leadership level about trying to divide up the Senate days, presumably deal with confirming some of Joe Biden's nominees to his cabinet posts early in the day. Because a trial would begin at noon on each day once those articles are sent over, once a trial begins. But they're going to need cooperation, Democrats will, in order to get those nominees confirmed very quickly.

On top of that, the question is how long a trial would even go. In recent past, it could go at least three weeks, trials that have taken place in the Senate. If that were to happen, this could go until mid- February. Potentially even longer.

And if Democrats push for witnesses, it could prolong the trial, too, Wolf. And Democrats are talking about whether to bring witnesses. One person -- the secretary of state of Georgia, Brad Raffensperger who is mentioned in that article of impeachment for the president's efforts to urge the secretary of state to find the votes, to change the election results that went to Joe Biden's victory.

They may bring him in. There's some discussion of that. We'll see if that's where they ultimately come down. But those are some of the key decisions Democrats have to make as they juggle with advancing Biden's agenda.

BLITZER: What a way for a new administration to begin four years in office. Amazing stuff going on. Manu, thank you very much.

Let's go to the White House right now. Our chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta is joining us. Jim, there is high anxiety here in Washington. Indeed, across the country, in all 50 state Capitols. The president, for all practical purposes, has all but vanished.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. On this last Friday in office, President Trump remains in hiding while Vice President Mike Pence continues to form the duties of almost a de facto commander in chief. He has called incoming Vice President Kamala Harris to congratulate her.

As for the president, CNN has learned Trump is expected to skip the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20th and instead hold his own grand departure ceremony that could include a military band and 21-gun salute, all promising to be another strange sight as the world watches this transfer of power.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (voice-over): Even as he carries the shameful stamp of being impeached twice, President Trump is planning to leave the White House with one last dear leader moment.

On the morning before Joe Biden's inauguration, the White House is expected to stage a grand departure ceremony for Trump that may include a color guard, military band, 21-gun salute and red carpet.

Unlike his own inauguration, when he was greeted by Barack and Michelle Obama, Trump won't do the same for the Bidens.

After last week's bloody siege at the Capitol, Trump allies say it's probably better that way.

[17:10:02]

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Maybe that's best now, given the situation we're in. And it seems to me that the president is ready to move on.

MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And may God continue to bless the United States of America.

ACOSTA: Vice President Mike Pence is expected to attend Biden's inauguration, another sign he's all but become the nation's acting commander in chief. On Thursday, he called his successor Kamala Harris to congratulate her after thanking National Guard members protecting the Capitol.

PENCE: Thank you all for stepping forward to serve your country.

ACOSTA: Pence was at the Capitol and fled the rioters as some were trying to hunt him down.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Hang Mike Pence! Hang Mike Pence!

ACOSTA: The GOP Senator Ben Sasse said in a statement, "Every American needs to understand what the Department of Justice just made public. Investigators have strong evidence to suggest that some of the rioters who stormed the United States Capitol planned to kidnap and possibly assassinate the vice president."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants an investigation as to whether some members of Congress aided the insurrectionists.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): If, in fact, it is found that members of Congress were accomplices to this insurrection, if they aided and abetted the crime, there may have to be actions taken beyond the Congress in terms of prosecution for that.

ACOSTA: That could include lawmakers like Republican Mo Brooks of Alabama.

REP. MO BROOKS (R-AL): Today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass.

ACOSTA: Questions have also been raised about White House involvement as well as top aides and members of the Trump family were on hand for the rally that sparked the violence.

DONALD TRUMP, JR., TRUMP ORGANIZATION: Mark Meadows, an actual fighter, one of the few.

ACOSTA: Before his own speech at that rally --

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore.

ACOSTA: CNN has learned the president was back in touch with his former strategist Steve Bannon discussing Trump's election conspiracy theories. Sources say Bannon who's facing federal fraud charges is seeking a pardon from Trump.

Back in November, Bannon called for administration officials to be executed.

STEVE BANNON, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF STRATEGIST: I'd put the heads on pikes, right? I'd put them at the two corners of the White House, as a warning to federal bureaucrats.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Now after Trump arrives in Palm Beach, Florida, on Biden's Inauguration Day, one thing the president will not be able to do is tweet. A Twitter spokesman reaffirmed to me that Trump will remain permanently suspended on the social media platform. Yes, even after he leaves office.

And Wolf, one other thing we want to call your attention to and our viewers, we saw earlier this afternoon one of the president's visitors or one of the visitors over here to the White House was Mike Lindell, the founder of My Pillow. We hear some video of him right here. This just goes to show you that the White House is still welcoming people over here to the West Wing, who have fringe views about the election.

Lindell has been on social media, questioning the election results. And there have been some photographers over here, Wolf, who have zoomed in on some of the notes that Mike Lindell was carrying around. Those notes appear to have some very fringe ideas, just sort of unbalanced views when it comes to the election, Wolf.

We're digging into that, trying to get more on all of that. But it just goes to show you even after everything that has transpired, they are still welcoming people over to the White House who have fringe ideas about what happened on November 3rd. Wolf?

BLITZER: So disturbing. Jim Acosta, thank you very much.

Let's get some more on the breaking news. Joining us, our chief political correspondent Dana Bash and "New York Times" White House correspondent and CNN political analyst Maggie Haberman.

Dana, I want to begin with why your new reporting that Capitol police had banned tours for January 6th, the day of the deadly riot, after Democrats raised security concerns. You actually obtained a copy of that memo. Tell us what it reveals. DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Our colleague, Annie Grayer and Ryan Nobles obtained the copy of that memo. I've done reporting along with them about perhaps what the genesis is of rereleasing the guidelines for no tours in that memo.

And the answer is, we talked to a lot of lawmakers who were very alarmed at seeing tours in and around the Capitol in the days leading up to January 6th. And they were alarmed because there weren't supposed to be tours. There were not supposed to be any, not just for security reasons but also because of the pandemic.

And just for one example, I talked to one lawmaker who saw a group of people, tourists perhaps, wearing MAGA attire, hats and other things. And this lawmaker went up to a Capitol police officer and said why are they here? And why aren't they wearing masks? And the cop said there's nothing I can do about it. They were brought here by a member.

And so, that is not an isolated anecdote, the one I heard. I heard similar from others.

[17:15:01]

And so, the question is, who were those members? We don't know the answer to that. And why did they bring those tourists around? There's no evidence that we know of, that we have heard that there was a reconnaissance mission, as some lawmakers have suggested. But even Nancy Pelosi said today, if there was any lawmaker who acted as an accomplice to this, they should be facing criminal charges, not just you know some kind of punishment in the Congress.

BLITZER: So disturbing. And she was very, very blunt in making that charge. You know, Maggie, as Washington transforms into, if you drive around a little bit, into a fortress just ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration, President Trump remains largely out of sight. What's going on, based on all of your reporting, inside the White House?

MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Sure. So, Wolf, one adviser to the president described him as, and I quote, "sulking." Less that he's railing around, screaming at people. Though he has often done that. But mostly he is snapping, he is angry. He is you know everything that we know he has been at various points when things aren't going his way. And that's what we are seeing right now.

I think the concern for some advisers who have remained in the White House is what happens in the final few days? What will he try to do something to try to push back or get attention on himself as this, as you put it, fortress has been created around a presidential inauguration, something we have not seen before in this way, at least not in modern history, where people just can't come.

And he is, I think, very happy that he's doing things to try to take attention away from Joe Biden. That has often been one of his M.O.'s, but he's going to do, supposedly, a flurry of pardons. We have been expecting them for a couple of days. I think we will see them in the coming days. There's a divide among his advisers as to whether he ought to go ahead and he shall a bunch of pre-pardons basically before charges have been filed to a number of people, including members of his family. But that's what we're watching for right now.

BLITZER: Yes. And bracing for that, too. Every journalist here in Washington is getting ready to see those pardons. You know, Dana, typically in the days leading up to an inauguration. You and I, Maggie, we covered inaugurations over the years. We'd see a lot of preparations being made for revelers to gather on the National Mall, to watch the president being sworn in, catch a glimpse of the parade. Now the nation's Capitol resembles a war zone. We've really never seen anything like this before, have we?

BASH: Not even close. It's so true what you said. That there's usually an excitement in the air, no matter which party's president has won and is about to be inaugurated. And the opposite is in the air here. It's -- there's a lot of anxiety, a lot of anxiety. And the fact of the matter is, we cannot underscore this enough. Tens of thousands of National Guard troops are guarding this city, the nation's Capitol, because of a threat that was incited by the president of the United States, who is on his way out and couldn't accept the reality and is still not accepting the reality in any way, shape or form, either in private or in public.

And it's really too bad because we do celebrate the peaceful transition of power. And you know, we talk about the fact that there aren't tanks in the streets. Well, there's something pretty close. And it's a real shame.

BLITZER: You know, Maggie, you broke the news that the Vice President Mike Pence actually, finally, finally called his successor, Kamala Harris, to congratulate her, offer his assistance five days to go until the inauguration. That's something the president -- President Trump he has not done yet. This is but the latest example of the many ways the president is totally abdicating his responsibilities in these final days in office, isn't it?

HABERMAN: It's true, Wolf. I should say that my colleague Jonathan Martin broke that story, not me. I, once again, was riding his coattails in a shared byline. But it's absolutely true that Mike Pence is - he's making this call. That is a traditional call in a normal scenario.

You have the vice president making that call almost immediately after the election and if not immediately, then a short time later. We are now, many, many days from November 3rd, the election, and Pence is just doing this because the election has now been certified and is, as you say, it is some of the most extensive outreach we've seen from this administration to the incoming White House.

You've had complaints from various agencies, some which Trump officials have pushed back on, but particularly Department of Defense, that there were some issues in terms of transition. I think Biden -- excuse me, I think Pence belatedly, is trying to set that message that you know we are here to move forward.

But there's been a lot of damage in the last you know many days. And it is not just what took place on January 6th, but that was certainly the most visible example. BLITZER: All right guys, thank you very, very much.

[17:20:00]

We're continuing to follow all the breaking news here in "THE SITUATION ROOM," Washington, D.C. And not just Washington, D.C., all 50 state Capitols are on high alert right now, bracing for possible violence. There's armed extremists, potentially could move in as Inauguration Day approaches.

Plus, we now know just how close the mob that laid siege to the U.S. Capitol got to the Vice President Mike Pence, only seconds away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We are following multiple breaking stories in the wake of the Capitol riot. Security is traumatically ramped up here in Washington. Really, to extraordinary levels and amid preparations for President- elect Joe Biden's inauguration and President Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate.

Let's discuss all of this with U.S. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. He's a key member of the Foreign Relations Committee. Senator, thanks so much for joining us. A source tells CNN, the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now intends to actually deliver that one article of impeachment to the Senate next week. So, what does that mean for the timeline of the Senate impeachment trial?

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): Well, that's obviously going to be a question you know that Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell are going to have to discuss.

[17:25:00]

Listen, I could just speak for myself. I'll have input in that decision. But my priority is to get Joe Biden's cabinet into place. I think especially at this moment, with an ongoing insurrection still being mounted against the federal government. We need to have those people in those positions. In addition, we need his COVID team ready to go to fix this broken vaccination distribution system.

And then we need to move on legislation. I thought Joe Biden outlined a really fantastic plan last night to get the economy going and to tackle this virus. So those are my priorities.

And my hope is that if we are going to process an impeachment trial, we would do it in a way that would allow us to get the cabinet in place and get this legislation moving first. Maybe we can do all of it at the same time. But I don't want to be spending the first two weeks on impeachment alone.

BLTIZER: It's pretty hard when you think about what you have to do in a formal Senate impeachment trial. The Senate, all 100 members, they have to convene at noon each day and that goes on for hours and hours and hours and it could go on. Some of the experts are suggesting for two or three weeks, which would dramatically delay other business like confirming an incoming cabinet.

MURPHY: Listen, what I know is that civilizations and countries that have attempted coups that skip the accountability phase never recover. And you know the rule of law is the foundation of this country. And the rule of law is about when you violate a norm or a law, there's accountability. There's consequences.

And so, yes, I understand it's not a great time for us to do an impeachment trial. But at the same time, I think in order to right this wrong and send a signal to future presidents that you're not going to get away with this kind of anti-Democratic behavior, we've got to process the article sent to us by the House.

Again, you know the stakes are lower than they were in prior impeachments. We're not talking about kicking a sitting president out of the Oval Office. And so, maybe that means that the trial itself doesn't need to take as long as previous versions did.

BLITZER: A joint bulletin, Senator, from the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, other agencies now warning that domestic extremists pose the most likely threat to President-elect Biden's inauguration. How concerned are you about these threats? And indeed, beyond Biden and Kamala Harris, for that matter, the safety of people like you, members of Congress.

MURPHY: Well, I'll be at the inauguration. And I think we're going to put on a great show for the world. You know, I've received a classified briefing on the security measures for the inauguration. Security is always tight in inaugurations. This is unprecedented.

And it is simply not going to allow for these hooligans to be able to disrupt the proceedings. And if they try, they're going to go to jail for a long, long time.

Listen, we weren't prepositioned last Wednesday in order to immediately arrest everybody that was trying to break in or successfully broke into the Capitol. We will be ready to arrest every single individual, put them up on federal charges and send them away for decades if they try something on Wednesday.

And I think that we're ready to meet the challenge if it arrives. And I think it's going to end up being a great day for Joe Biden and a great day for this country.

BLITZER: Well, good luck, Senator. Be careful out there. Obviously, we'll watch every step of the way, Senator Chris Murphy, appreciate it very much.

MURPHY: Thanks a lot.

BLITZER: Coming up for the first time, police officers are speaking out publicly about their harrowing fight with the Capitol rioters. These are stories you will want to hear.

Also, President-elect Biden releases new details on how he plans to speed up the desperately needed coronavirus vaccinations. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:33:13]

BLITZER: There's more breaking news we're following this afternoon, President-elect Joe Biden announced his plans to try to speed up coronavirus vaccinations here in the United States. It comes as we've learned that despite earlier promises, the Trump administration has no, repeat, no reserve of second doses. Hard to believe, but that's the latest information.

Let's go to CNN's Jeff Zeleny is joining us from Wilmington, Delaware, where he's covering the Biden transition. What about the Biden plan? What do we know right now, Jeff?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, President- elect Joe Biden said, first and foremost, he wants to speed through the bureaucracy and really streamline the process here trying to get more vaccination to more Americans in a faster way. Now, all this is coming as a new variant is, you know, about to potentially take hold even more here in the U.S. Now, President-elect Joe Biden called it a dismal failure the vaccination rollout plan of the Trump administration. They're even changing the name of it doing away with Operation Warp Speed, but this is what he had to say specifically about his plans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our plan is as clear as it is bold, get more people vaccinated for free. Create more places for them to get vaccinated. Mobilize more medical teams to get the shots in people's arms. Increase supply and get it out the door as soon as possible. This will be one of the most challenging operational efforts ever undertaken by our country. But you have my word and we will manage the hell out of this operation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: So even as he pledged to manage the operation in a much better way, also did not sugarcoat the task at hand and the deep challenge at hand here coming up. Now, he did say within the first month of his administration, Americans would see in gyms, you know, in a baseball stadiums and other, you know, big places in communities there would be major vaccination centers.

[17:35:09]

But there's also one problem, there's still only two vaccines here. So, the Biden administration very much dependent on producing more vaccine. And he said he would, you know, call on companies to do so using the Defense Authorization Act, or the Defense Production Act, excuse me, if you needed to do that. So, Wolf, he certainly laid out a plan, but did not say it would be easy because that, of course, just simply isn't true.

BLITZER: Yes. And both of these vaccines need two doses, not just one, three and four weeks apart.

ZELENY: Right.

BLITZER: Jeff Zeleny, thank you very much.

Also, tonight we're getting horrifying details about what police officers actually went through during last week's riot and insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. I want to bring in our Crime and Justice Correspondent Shimon Prokupecz to join us. You've done some amazing reporting, Shimon. Tell us what you're learning.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. For the first time, Wolf, we get to hear from these officers. Some of them we've seen the video of them being crushed and pushed by many of the members of that mob inside the Capitol, Wolf.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FANONE: When I first entered the hallway which was, you know, completely engulfed in CS gas, I could only see about -- maybe there's probably about 30 officers that were inside the hallway. A lot of them were fatigued, they had been, you know, directly engaged in that, you know, brutal medieval style combat for about an hour with no relief. It was difficult to offer any resistance when you're only about 30 guys going up against 15,000.

I mean, it was like real life 300 without the six pack abs. Guys were stripping me in my gear, these rioters pulling my badge off my chest. They ripped my radio off of my vest, started pulling, like ammunition magazines from their holder on my belt. And then some guys started getting a hold of my gun, and they were screaming out, you know, kill him with his own gun. At that point, you know, is just like self- preservation. You know, how do I survive this situation.

HODGES: There's a guy ripping my mask off, and he was able to rip away my baton, beat me with it. And, you know, he was practically foaming at the mouth. So just -- these people were true believers in the worst way. That was all I really had to defend myself against the crush. So I was holding on, but eventually he was able to get away from me because my arms were pinned so I couldn't really effectively defend myself.

Eventually, you know, I was -- when things were looking better, you know, obviously, I was calling out for all I was worth and an officer behind me was able to give me enough room to pull me out of there. And they brought me to the rear, so I was able to execrate myself.

OFFICER CHRISTINA LAURY, DC METROPOLITAN POLICE: I just remember seeing metal objects flying and, you know, just they were throwing any and everything at us. It was two to three hours of, you know, heroism and bravery from these officers. They were getting hit with metal objects, metal poles. I remember seeing pitchforks, you know, they're getting sprayed, knocked down. And I remember, you know, just reinforcements, just officers pulling officers back to heal up. And, you know, them stepping in to get to the frontline. And then they go down and then, you know, more officers step in and then, you know, the officers that were knocked down or they're better again, and they're just, they're just battling, you know, because the bottom line is, you know, we're not letting anybody through. We're not letting anybody into the Capitol, period.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PROKUPECZ: And, Wolf, law enforcement officials we've talked to credit their actions, the actions of these officers for giving time to the Capitol Police so they could remove many of the lawmakers, fearing that many of the lawmakers are going to be attacked by this mob of -- that enter the Capitol. And what law enforcement officials say based on the video they've seen, the way these officers reacted, the way they acted was extremely heroic saving lives and allowing them to move many of the lawmakers out of harm's way, Wolf.

BLITZER: I salute those Capitol Police officers. They saved lives. There's no doubt about that. Shimon, thank you very, very much.

Coming up, the mob that attacked the Capitol reportedly coming within just feet and just a few seconds away from the Vice President Mike Pence, and they were threatening him. Plus, breaking news on the highly transmissible coronavirus variant now here in the United States, there's new information coming out tonight from the CDC. This is information all of you here in the United States need to know.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:43:20]

BLITZER: We're following a very disturbing report that the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol came much closer to the Vice President Mike Pence than previously realized. CNN's Tom Foreman is working the story for us. Tom, it was reportedly a very, very close call amid all the threats. They were leveling against the Vice President.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is no question, whatsoever, Wolf, that there were people in the Capitol who were hunting Mike Pence, and they very nearly found him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN (voice-over): As the mob chanted hang Mike Pence in a makeshift gallows went up, the Vice President, his wife and daughter were just seconds away from being spotted, according to The Washington Post. At one point, they were hiding less than 100 feet from the violent crowd attacking police officers, journalists and others. The timeline tells how it happened. Just before 1:00, President Trump demands pants toss the election results.

TRUMP: Mike Pence, I hope you're going to stand up for the good of our Constitution and for the good of our country. And if you're not, I'm going to be very disappointed in you. I will tell you right now. I'm not hearing good stories.

PENCE: The Senate will now retire to its chamber.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Pence has no legal power to reject the vote. But in a little more than an hour as he leads Congress and certifying the vote for Joe Biden, the Trump crowd is hammering through Capitol barricades. Inside --

RAJU: We have been told by Capitol Police at the Capitol is in lockdown.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Outside, by 2:11, the mob smashes into the building. Moments later, The Post says Pence has pulled out of the chamber.

[17:45:01]

CHUCK GRASSLEY, PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE: And it will stand in recess until the call of the chair.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll pause.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

FOREMAN (voice-over): 2:14, Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman is single-handedly slowing the surge of rioters, some shouting, where's Mike Pence. Based on The Post reporting, the few seconds Goodman buys keeps the mob from seeing Pence and his family being hurried into hiding in an office. Goodman lowers the crowd toward other officers likely getting other lawmakers time to escape too.

Soon after the violent mob seizes the Senate floor anyway, taking the very seat the Vice President occupied minutes earlier. And President Trump during all of this, he was watching events unfold on TV. According to many witnesses taking no action for hours to stop the attack, and tweeting to 2:24, "Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done". It was later deleted.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN: Of course, Pence later came back to the chamber and he did certify that Joe Biden was the winner of the election. The Secret Service says the Vice President was secure at all times. But this new evidence shows us that security was far more tenuous than we knew. Wolf?

BLITZER: Tom Foreman, a very, very disturbing report indeed. Thank you very much.

There's more of breaking pandemic news we're following, President- elect Biden just announcing his plan to speed up coronavirus vaccinations in the U.S. Plus, the reserved vaccine doses that the Trump administration promised to release, guess what? It turns out they don't exist.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [17:51:04]

BLITZER: The breaking pandemic news tonight, the U.S. death toll now topping 391,000 people with more than 23.4 million, million confirmed cases. Let's bring in our Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. His new book is entitled, "Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age". There it is. It's -- I'm reading it right now. It is so informative.

Sanjay, thanks, first of all for writing this book. Let's talk about the breaking news that we're following, the President-elect Joe Biden just announcing his plan to speed up coronavirus vaccinations desperately needed. If he's successful in doing what he has pledged, which includes opening up eligibility to people over 65, creating more places where people can get the shot, mobilizing medical teams, increasing supply, are you optimistic we would finally be getting to where we need to go?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I think certainly the goal that he's laid out, this 100 million shots within 100 days, I think seems very, very achievable at that point because, you know, you're talking about these community centers. He talked about FEMA being engaged on day one, National Guard in the states, the completely reimbursed by the federal government, which would obviously offer a lot more personnel to basically handle this. So I think that the goal that they've set out is very doable, and maybe frankly, they're under shooting a little bit.

To get to where we need to go, Wolf, that question, some 250, you know, million people roughly, that means 500 million doses, that's obviously going to take longer, it's probably going to require even more of these resources. But one thing I read carefully in his remarks from yesterday, Wolf, was that for the goals, they set out, they think they can achieve this even without any of these other vaccines coming online, the Johnson & Johnson or the Oxford AstraZeneca. So they're quite confident, and I think that goal seems very doable.

BLITZER: All this comes as we're learning, Sanjay, is very disturbing. There is actually no reserve supply of second vaccine doses here in the United States, despite promises from the Trump administration. How could that be -- how long will it take to increase supply?

GUPTA: This is kind of remarkable, Wolf. I mean, I think it's worth just taking a step back for a second, we've been reporting on this for so long, and saying, these are the most precious commodities right now on the planet, these vaccine doses. The fact that there's this back and forth and not even really having a full accountability of it, it's a little ridiculous at this point, Wolf. I mean, the vaccines and the development of vaccines, a Moncef Slaoui's work and Pfizer and Moderna, incredible work.

But this distribution, it just -- there's a level of sort of incompetence, that sort of baffling, it sounds like, first, the time course was, as you remember, the Biden administration said, when they will recommend and they will, you know, basically release all reserved doses. Current administration, HHS said, that's not a good idea and then they basically reverse course and said, OK, we will also plan on releasing the reserved doses. Well, it turns out there really aren't any reserved doses. That was essentially a paper exercise.

So, I am not entirely sure what's going on here. Frankly, it's been hard to report on this because the number of doses is still a little bit of a mystery. This has to be straightened out. We got to know how many doses are out there, what percentage are actually going into arms. It'll let you know how many are being vaccinated, but also what's necessary, because these are two dose regimens, Wolf, as you know.

BLITZER: Yes, within three or four weeks, you got to take both of these doses. This is all so, so disturbing. Sanjay, I know you're coming back the next hour. I got more questions for you. Thank you very, very much.

There's more breaking news we're following right now, a new federal security warning, fueling anxiety and fear of extremist violence as Inauguration Day approaches.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:59:27]

BLITZER: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world, I'm Wolf Blitzer in The Situation Room. We're following breaking news. The nation's Capitol is a fortress tonight just five days before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. The truly extraordinary new security measures here in Washington, as well as in all 50 state capitols prompted by growing fears that armed extremists could once again violently target government officials.

We've just learned that the Pentagon is now boosting the number of National Guard troops here in D.C. to 25,000 to secure the city for the inaugural ceremony.