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The Situation Room
FDA Says Johnson & Johnson Meets Requirements For Emergency Use Authorization; Interview With Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D-VI); GOP's Johnson: No Regret For Reading Conspiracy Theory During Senate Hearing On Capitol Riot; Biden White House Battles GOP Opposition To COVID Relief Package; Senators Awaiting Parliamentarian's Ruling On Whether Minimum Wage Hike Can Be Included In COVID Relief Bill; Tiger Woods "Awake, Responsive, And Recovering" After Surgery For "Significant" Leg Injuries From High-Speed Car Cash. Aired 5-6p ET
Aired February 24, 2021 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[17:00:00]
DENIS MCDONOUGH, SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS: That's the kind of attention and focus it needs. Let me just say one more thing, Jake.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: We have to go.
MCDONOUGH: Which is, any veterans feeling at risk, any veteran feeling at risk, 1800 273 talk, 1-800-273-8255. There's resources for you veterans out there.
TAPPER: Dennis, Thank you.
MCDONOUGH: There's no stigma here.
TAPPER: No stigma at all.
MCDONOUGH: Go get that treatment.
TAPPER: Thank you so much. We're going to hold you accountable. And you're -- we're always here to help you and your mission as well and protecting our veterans.
Our coverage on CNN continues right now.
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. The White House just announcing that President Biden has extended the national emergency proclamation prompted by the coronavirus pandemic into a second year. It was first issued by former President Trump on March 15 of last year.
And this comes as the FDA now says the Johnson and Johnson single dose COVID vaccine is, is safe and effective and meets the requirements for emergency use authorization. That's expected to happen within a few days. The White House says 3 million maybe even 4 million doses of windy available to ship out next week. Also breaking right now, the drug maker Moderna that has just announced it's actually designed an updated version of its vaccine to help fight the South Africa virus variant. The company says doses have already been shipped to the National Institutes of Health for a clinical study.
Let's begin with all the late breaking pandemic news unfolding right now. CNN's Alexandra field is in New York City for us.
Alexandra, you're at a mass vaccination site in Brooklyn. Update our viewers.
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Wolf. That declaration from the White House that the national emergency surrounding COVID has been extended comes as no surprise given that we are still very much in the thick of a crisis. It also comes as we are seeing these new mass vaccination centers pop up around the country. This one here in Brooklyn, now the largest in New York State. The federal government is also promising that soon, these sites will have more supplies to administer.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
FIELD (voice-over): A third vaccine could be available to Americans as soon as next week.
JEFF ZIENTS, WHITE HOUSE COVID-19 RESPONSE COORDINATOR: If authorized, we are ready to roll out this vaccine without delay.
FIELD: The Biden administration preparing to ship three to 4 million doses of Johnson and Johnson's single dose vaccine, which is likely to receive emergency use authorization from the FDA later this week. The agency today releasing data showing Johnson and Johnson's vaccine is safe and more than 66 percent effective.
DR. ONI BLACKSTOCK, PRIMARY CARE & HIV PHYSICIAN: Don't get us to where we need to be in terms of having most of the public vaccinated, hopefully, by the summer or early fall.
FIELD: The federal government also unveiling a new plan to send out 25 million masks to people who need them most.
ZIENTS: In the month of March, we will begin to deliver millions of mask to food banks and community health centers around the country. Many low income Americans still lack affordable access to this basic protection.
FIELD: This as weeks of declines in New COVID cases continue across the country but not as steeply and not enough to eliminate concerns. New variants could cause another surge.
DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED, EPIDEMIOLOGIST AND FORMER DETROIT HEALTH DIRECTOR: We are in an arms race between the virus and our ability to vaccinate and shut down the avenues that it has to continue to evolve.
FIELD: Weekly shipments of vaccines are getting another increase. ZIENTS: We've nearly doubled weekly supply of doses in just five weeks.
FIELD: States are now set to receive a total of 14.5 million doses this week, with another 2.1 million doses going directly to pharmacies around the country. New analysis suggests that more nuanced allocation of vaccines targeting more specific vulnerable groups could help states save 1000s of lives.
BLACKSTOCK: A disproportionate toll of the pandemic on black Americans, as well as the effects of structural racism called for black Americans to have a lower vaccine cutoff because often we are getting underlying conditions at much earlier ages than our white American counterparts.
FIELD: And tonight even more evidence that the pain felt from COVID in so many ways is still far from behind us. Studies show that up to 30 percent of people experienced long haul COVID symptoms. Dr. Anthony Fauci announcing a new national study will look at causes and treatments.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: What does the spectrum of recovery from this infection look like across all the entire population, young individuals, middle aged, elderly? How many people continue to have symptoms of COVID-19 or even as we've seen, develop new symptoms that they did not have even as part of their acute infection.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
[17:05:09]
FIELD: And Wolf, as we continue to discuss the threats posed by new variants, Moderna has announced that it is working to improve the efficacy of its vaccine against the variant first detected in South Africa. To that end, they say they have designed an updated version of their vaccine, which they will look at and clinical trial. They'll try to determine whether that updated formula could be used as a booster for people who have already received the vaccine.
They'll also look at whether this updated formula could be used as a primary vaccine. And additionally, Wolf, they'll be looking at whether or not a combination of the two formulas could be used as a loser (ph). Always that these companies are trying to stay ahead of a virus that continues to pose new challenges, Wolf.
BLITZER: Yes. They're clearly trying to save lives, which is so, so critical. Alexandra Field in Brooklyn for us, thank you.
Let's get some more on all of this. Our Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is joining us.
Sanjay, looks like this new Johnson and Johnson vaccine single dose is on track for authorization within the next few days. What would you say to someone, though, who's worried that this vaccine might not necessarily be quite as effective as the Pfizer or the Moderna double dose shots?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, we've been looking at all this data. And I guess that's probably what people might be reacting to. I don't know if we have some of the numbers we can show them.
But I think what I would tell people and I've had this conversation with lots of people is that the vaccine in terms of what it can do for people, if you really focus on that right side of the screen, no hospitalizations, and no deaths after a month, after someone received the vaccine, which is pretty, pretty remarkable, you know. I mean, that's a good vaccine. And I think it gives people a lot of peace of mind.
The left side of the screen does sort of paint this picture that there is some efficacy fade in response to the variants. So, in places like South Africa, where the variants made up the majority of the cases, you see that the vaccine didn't work as well there.
I think what I would say is this, Wolf, for the time being, you know, because demand is outstripping supply, you want to get the vaccine that you can get. But it may be one of these things where the recommendations are the people who are less likely to get severely ill, people under the age of 60, for example, maybe better candidates for the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, people who are less likely to be able to follow up for a second shot, because they're transients, they're not one location very long, they may be better candidates for the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
So we've got to be thoughtful about it. We're not at that point yet because, again, the demand is higher than supply. But I think as we roll out, we have to think different vaccines for different people.
BLITZER: Would it make any sense, Sanjay, to, if you're going to get the Johnson and Johnson single dose vaccine to get a second dose, a booster shot three weeks or four weeks later, which is the case, of course, with Madonna and Pfizer?
GUPTA: But you know, that that exact question that trial is being done now, Wolf, they started -- Johnson, and Johnson started this trial back in November of last year, basically adding in a second shot. And I can tell you that if you look at the immunity from this vaccine, it increases steadily. So, at 28 days, it seems better than 14 days, when you get to around two months, that's when it starts to plateau.
So, there may be a case made that around the time that the immunity is starting to plateau, that a booster shot is given. So, we have to see what that trial -- that those trial data show. The same thing, you know, the same sort of questions are being asked to Moderna and at Pfizer, would boosters of some sort be beneficial. So, hopefully we'll have some data soon on that.
BLITZER: Will people be able to choose which brand, which vaccine they're going to receive?
GUPTA: I don't -- for now, you know, I don't think so. Again, this is one of the most common questions we're getting. I mean, because it gets back to this demand and supply issue, right now, I think when it's your turn for the vaccine that's available there, you should take that vaccine. We need to get as many people vaccinated as possible.
But I do think, Wolf, over the next couple of months, we'll have these maybe three vaccines, the Johnson and Johnson authorization looks pretty promising. There may be other vaccines as well. And they may serve, you know, particular roles. Some may be better for younger people, some for older people, depending on the vaccine and depending if it's one shot or two shots.
So right now, you know, I don't think you really are going to have much choice. But overall, I think we do need to be more thoughtful about which vaccine is best for whom.
BLITZER: I heard that Dr. Anthony Fauci earlier today at the White House COVID briefing and he offered some pretty alarming information. I'm sure you've heard it as well, Sanjay. Some people with mild or moderate COVID cases have symptoms that actually linger and linger. And I know you've been doing a lot of reporting on this for months, for several months even if they never wind up in a hospital. Do we know if these vaccines will prevent the chronic long term, long haul disease as a lot of people are calling it?
[17:10:14]
GUPTA: Well, we don't know for sure, Wolf. And you know, the thing about these long hauler type studies is that they take a long time to actually happen because you get to follow up people for, you know, many, many months, if not years.
But I'll tell you a couple things. First of all, you're absolutely right, that, you know, if you look at the studies, about 30 percent of people who have COVID do develop these long haul or long COVID symptoms, 30 percent. I mean, that's significant. Also --
BLITZER: And these symptoms can be pretty -- Sanjay, sorry for interrupting, but these symptoms can be pretty painful, pretty significant, right?
GUPTA: Yes. I mean, you know, they have a lot of similarities to people who have things like chronic fatigue, myalgia and cephalonica. You know, even chronic Lyme disease, things like that. So, they can be very significant. Brain fog headaches, persistent symptoms.
But I think what struck me in our reporting, Wolf, was that I thought there would be a correlation between the severity of your initial symptoms and the likelihood of having long hauling symptoms. And that doesn't appear to be the case. And I think that's part of the point that Dr. Fauci was making today. Even people with milder symptoms initially could still have symptoms that linger for a long time.
And that gets to this the question of the vaccine, can the vaccine be helpful in this regard? If the vaccine prevents infection in the first place, then yes, but we're not entirely sure that these vaccines necessarily prevent infection. We know that they can make you much less likely to get severely ill. But it's unclear that the vaccines would reduce the likelihood that you would develop long hauling symptoms. Maybe they do, we just don't have the data on that yet.
BLITZER: Yes, I know. It's pretty alarming to me when I heard your report, you know, the other day I was alarmed. Dr. Fauci is following in your footsteps when he spoke out today, it was pretty alarming to me as well.
What can you tell us, Sanjay, about Moderna's plans now to update their current COVID vaccine? You heard Alexandra report on that, to try to tackle this new South African variant?
GUPTA: Well, first of all, I got to say, Wolf, the science is pretty fascinating here. You know, with these mRNA vaccines, because in some ways, it's more like computer code than a biological therapeutic. You're basically creating the code for a part of the virus and that's what you're giving in the form of a vaccine.
So, with these boosters, and I think we have a list of the different types of ways that they may approach these boosters, you could do one of really three things. You could give, basically an additional dose of what someone's already given. So you're basically boosting their existing immunology -- their immunity, I should say.
The second thing is, the top line, you could give something that's now specific to the strain. So, we've talked about this strain that's circulating in South Africa, you could create a vaccine specifically to that strain.
Or, you know, the bottom line is you give a combination of both. We're going to give a vaccine that has both components that protect against that specific strain, as well as components that you've already maybe received that, you know, is against the virus that's circulating predominantly in the United States.
They're going to try all these things and see if, you know, one works better than the other. But that's sort of how they're approaching the science here, Wolf.
BLITZER: Yes. We've learned a lot, but there's so much more clearly, Sanjay, I'm sure you agree. We still have tons and tons of stuff to learn about this. Thanks so much for joining us as usual.
I want to go to the White House right now where President Biden just signed another executive order to help the U.S. economy. Our Senior White House Correspondent Phil Mattingly is joining us up.
Phil, tell us what's going on over there.
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, President Biden just moments ago signing a sweeping executive order that will have dual reviews on critical items and critical sectors where supply chain issues have really been laid bare over the course of the coronavirus pandemic, perhaps none more so on the area related to semiconductors, the chips that are key components to just about most major things you use in your life where there has been a critical shortage. That's not just an economic issue, but a national security issue.
White House officials have been deeply focused on, I'm told, over the course of the last several weeks. It was a bipartisan issue, one that President Biden met with Republicans and Democrats in the Oval Office on earlier today, something that is not necessarily the case on nominations.
The President, also, when asked during the signing of the executive order about the pace of nominations, not blaming Republicans or Democrats on Capitol Hill, but instead the transition from his predecessor President Trump where he said it was not a rational transition. That's what he believes has been slowing the process. But there's no question about it. For some of his nominees, slow process or not, there are problems the administration is grappling with right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
MATTINGLY (voice-over): Tonight, President Joe Biden on the brink of his first failure in office.
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We're fighting for her nomination.
MATTINGLY: The White House for now sticking by Neera Tanden, Biden's nominee to run the Office of Management and Budget.
But Tanden's confirmation hopes on the verge of collapse as two Senate Committees postponed a vote on her nomination, making one thing crystal clear at the moment, Tanden doesn't have the votes.
[17:15:10]
PSAKI: It's a numbers game, right? It's a matter of getting one Republican to support her nomination.
MATTINGLY: In a 50-50 Senate with one Democrat already opposed to Tanden's nomination, all eyes now on Republican Lisa Murkowski. But the White House also still waiting to hear if two key allies, Senators Bernie Sanders and Kyrsten Sinema will vote yes, all underscoring a delicate balance Biden faces with his razor thin Senate Majority.
DEB HAALAND, INTERIOR SECRETARY NOMINEE: I promise you all follow the law.
MATTINGLY: With two other nominees Xavier Becerra for Secretary of Health and Human Services and Deb Haaland for Interior Secretary also facing strong GOP opposition.
HAALAND: The role of secretary, a cabinet secretary is far different from that of a congresswoman. And so I recognize that it's -- I'm not just worried about my one district in New Mexico, but the entire country. MATTINGLY: Haaland, a congresswoman, attempting to beat back Republican concerns about her past positions on fossil fuels that differ from Biden's.
SEN. STEVE DAINES, (R) MONTANA: I'm not convinced that you'll be taking that view forward, because you've certainly have been taking some very strong positions that clearly impact folks outside the first District of New Mexico.
MATTINGLY: But Manchin, in a statement Wednesday afternoon, giving Haaland a boost pledging to support her nomination, but that GOP opposition putting increased pressure on the White House to keep Democrats unified, something that goes beyond just nominations, and straight to Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan.
PSAKI: The President is focused on moving this forward as quickly as possible.
MATTINGLY: The White House effort bolstered by more than 150 top business leaders --
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, (D-NY) MAJORITY LEADER: Now it's easy to see why there's such broad support.
MATTINGLY: -- who threw their support behind the outlines of the plan in a letter to congressional leadership. But with Republicans once again unified in opposition.
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY, (R-CA) MINORITY LEADER: Unfortunately, this bill is too costly, too corrupt, and too liberal.
MATTINGLY: A dynamic no different than the one facing Biden's key nominees.
SCHUMER: Our Republican colleagues say all these groups demanding the $1.9 trillion American rescue plan, business leaders, government officials from both parties, economists from across the spectrum and seven and 10 Americans
MATTINGLY: Where democratic unity is a necessity, something top congressional Democrats for now at least, are confident you will be there.
SCHUMER: Congressional Republicans want to oppose all that. My response is, good luck.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
MATTINGLY: And the President and congressional Democrats, those slim majorities in the House and Senate facing a crucial test over the course of the next couple of weeks both on nominees and on that $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. The House is expected to vote on that coronavirus relief package on Friday.
As for nominees, the Senate is still proceeding with them. They should have four nominees of President Biden's confirmed by the end of this week, but obviously still keeping a close eye on one in particular, Neera Tanden. And at this point in time, Lisa Murkowski the one Republican senator everybody's watching hasn't made a decision yet. However, she did tell reporters a short while ago she has heard from the White House and is still doing her due diligence. Wolf.
BLITZER: We'll see what happens. All right, Phil Mattingly over at the White House, thank you.
Up next, the growing fight over the creation of an independent commission to investigate the January 6 Capitol siege. Details of what Republicans are objecting to.
And, is President Biden's pandemic stimulus plan in jeopardy right now as Democrats fight over including a $15 an hour minimum wage? We'll talk about it with a key Democratic member of Congress. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:22:22]
BLITZER: On Capitol Hill, just now Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin expressed no regrets for spreading conspiracy theory during yesterday's hearing up on Capitol Hill in the Capitol riot. Johnson read what he called a witness account, saying the crowd included anti Trump provocateurs who instigated the riot rather than Trump supporters.
Let's discuss this and more with Democratic Delegate Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands. She was one of the House impeachment managers at during former President Trump's second impeachment trial.
Congresswoman, thank you so much for joining us.
How alarming is it that a United States senator is trying to rewrite history, the history of the January 6 insurrection with these completely ridiculous conspiracies?
DEL. STACEY PLASKETT (D-VI): Well, it's alarming, but it's not surprising coming from the source, who has perpetuated so much former President Trump's rhetoric and his vitriol as well as the big lie that he perpetuated about a stolen election. So for him to continue with this line is unfortunate but not surprising.
BLITZER: Yes, it's really outrageous when you think about it and we've seen all the pictures, we've heard all the testimony and for him to make these claims is totally, totally, as I say outrageous.
The Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, as, you know, says the partisan split on this proposed 9/11 style Commission not proposed by Speaker Pelosi, she's proposing seven members appointed by Democrats, four by Republicans. McConnell says that would never be legitimate in the eyes of the American people.
Do you think the Speaker Nancy Pelosi should consider an even 50-50 partisan split, which was the case, in fact on the 9/11 Commission that resulted after the tragedies of 911? PLASKETT: Well, I trust the judgment of Speaker Pelosi, she's been a phenomenal leader throughout this and the January six. You know, it would be nice to be able to have bipartisan, even agreement on what transpired in January six. The fact that we can have agreement on that really substantiates, I believe, of her relying more on the Democrats to lead a true Commission on this when you see individuals like Ron Johnson make perpetuating the lies that he has. So, having it split the way she has, I think shows wisdom on her part at this point.
BLITZER: You know, because I raised the question, Congresswoman, because a lot of people have pointed this out, the 9/11 Commission was the model. It's often been cited as a model because it really worked with evenly split, Democrats and Republicans.
[17:25:03]
The fact is, that there will be a lot of criticism of this new 9/11 style Commission, if it's overwhelmingly Democrat as opposed to even Democrat and Republican.
PLASKETT: Well, I'm sure she has her reasons. I have not spoken with her about the composition of the Commission. It's unfortunate that we're not in a position right now, unlike how we were at 9/11 to agree on who the attackers were.
The 9/11 Commission, while it was looking at security issues, agreed that it was a foreign terrorist who were attempting to attack our democracy. And it appears now that we are not in that same position where Republicans can even get the basic facts right, that indeed in this instance, it was the former president of the United States who instigated the January 6 attack.
BLITZER: My own feeling is we need a commission, we need to study exactly what happened, learn the lessons to make sure it never ever happens again. What an awful day in American history.
Let's talk, Congresswoman --
PLASKETT: Unfortunate --
BLITZER: Yes.
PLASKETT: -- the Commission, Wolf, unfortunately, the Commission should not just look at what happened on that day, and the actual activities. But it should look at what was transpiring within this country over a protracted period of time that fermented that type of hatred, that anger and that frustration, white nationalist, white supremacists, who were utilized by the president to attack our democracy as well. I'm hopeful that the Commission --
BLITZER: Well, that's a good point as well. And I'm hopeful the commission also will come up with recommendations on what needs to be done in our country to prevent this kind of awful situation from unfolding.
Again, while I have you, Congresswoman, let's talk about this a $1.9 trillion COVID relief package. Is the bill in jeopardy right now, as Democrats continue to fight over including a $15 an hour minimum wage?
PLASKETT: No, it's not. I believe that Democrats will show unity at the end of the day in determining how to bring our country forward. We know that the President's American rescue plan is the plan that's needed immediately right now, to crush the virus, return children back safely to classrooms, get vaccines to people, as well as to put dollars in family's pockets and get jobs back on line, get people back to work. We're going to have to be do this in a very large manner.
We know that Democrats were able to do this after the Great Recession, when we were in control after the debacle of the administration previously, and we're going to pull it together for the American people moving forward. And I think that while we may have some trepidations about some of the line items, Democrats are unified in realizing that we have got to get money to people now. If we don't do it now, we could end up with losing 4 million jobs, fewer jobs next year. There's so much at stake that we have to get this done.
BLITZER: Would you support the passing of the COVID relief package without that $15 minimum wage hike included, let's say Democrats were able to pass it down the road in a separate bill?
PLASKETT: Well, I think that the minimum wage hike in the bill is -- we believe that that's necessary to really spur the economy in a different sort of way. Yes, there are going to be small businesses that may have to have fewer employees, that may have to cut back hours. But we recognize that that boost in light and in life, having, you know, an appropriate salary to be able to live on is important for Americans to be stabilized in this pandemic.
And I think that the payoff at the end of the day is much more worth it. And I think that economists have shown that. I think we are doing other components that will support small businesses that may have to make this sacrifice for the $15 minimum wage by having EIDL grants, by expanding PPP eligibility, by supporting small businesses throughout the country and other mechanisms. And that will be the way that we get the country moving forward.
BLITZER: I know some Republicans are coming up with a compromise idea, $11 minimum wage, $11 an hour minimum wage. I know the current legislation that Bernie Sanders and others have put forward gradually increases it to $15 an hour 2025 over the next four years. It would go from 725 right now to 950 immediately then increase over the following four years. Would you be willing to at least accept, let's say, $11 minimum wage right now in deal with the $15 down the road over the next few years?
PLASKETT: Well, you know, as a moderate Democrat and the new Democratic coalition, of course, we're concerned with members who come from areas in which this is going to be a steep climb.
[17:30:00]
And so, we were -- have been voicing concerns and thoughts and ideas to the leadership. But at the end of the day, Wolf, Democrats are going to be unified. And whatever our leadership, speaking with committee chairs, speaking throughout the caucus, we have a big 10, we're going to make sure that this has passed that it crosses the line, and that we get it to the President's desk, before unemployment runs out, before 40. There are 40 million Americans right now that have home insecurity. 12 million children have food insecurity. 24 million Americans are hungry right now.
We're going to get this done. And we're going to get it done quickly, because it needs to happen for the American people.
BLITZER: Yes.
PLASKETT: We know that elections have consequences. And the Democrats are the ones that are in control. And it's unfortunate that this has to be -- the Democrats that are taking this through reconciliation, but we're going to get it done.
BLITZER: And we'll see what the House Parliamentarian decides, what she's going to do in the next day or so. Whether or not you can include this in the current legislation. That's a very, very significant development that will get the word on in the next day or so.
Delegate Stacey Plaskett, the U.S. Representative from the Virgin Islands, thanks so much for joining us. Our viewers, of course, watch you during the impeachment trial. We're grateful for you joining us. Thanks so much.
PLASKETT: Thank you. Always great to speak with you.
BLITZER: Thank you.
Stay with us. We have the latest details about the golfer Tiger Woods as he begins his recovery from yesterday's car accident and the long surgery that follow. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:36:00]
BLITZER: There's breaking news up on Capitol Hill right now where senators have just been briefed on security in the wake of the Capitol siege. Let's go to our Chief Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju. Manu, you've been talking to senators. So, what are you hearing?
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, frustration from senators, Democrats and Republicans alike about the lack of specificity, lack of details about the security measures that are in place right now in the Capitol.
This building is essentially a militarized zone with troops all over key entrances throughout this building, fences everywhere, folks not allowed to enter, general public not allowed to enter. But no real answers on this -- during this private phone call from top law enforcement officials about what the plan is to bring down those fences and what other measures need to actually occur. One of the things that I did come up or concerns about domestic extremists using specific events to launch future attacks against the Capitol, such as a possible joint session of Congress that may meet to hear from President Joe Biden that being one such event, another event in early March, when QAnon conspiracy theorists have circled on their calendar as a possible time for possible attack against the Capitol. But nevertheless, Republicans and Democrats I talked to said they want a more clear and concise plan about what exactly is the plan on Capitol Hill in dealing with all the security measures here and they just didn't hear that, Wolf?
BLITZER: Yes, it's so heartbreaking. I'm sure for you, for me, those of us who love the U.S. Capitol to drive around as I try to do as often as I can, and see the barbed wire, see the fencing not just around the Capitol, but the entire complex, the House and Senate, office buildings to see the Arm National Guard troops.
You know, it's just -- you know, and the weather is getting better now in Washington. Tourists usually love walking up to Capitol Hill, they certainly can't right now. Let's hope this gets better. Totally understandable why they need it, given what happened on January 6th. But let's see what happens.
There's a very public split underway, as we all know, between the two top House Republican leaders concerning former President Trump's role in the party. Update our viewers on this because this is very significant.
RAJU: Yes. Vivid split on display today from Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy in the House and the number three Republican Liz Cheney about the role of Donald Trump going forward. Kevin McCarthy has aligned himself with most House Republicans who say that Donald Trump should indeed have a role in this party trying to align himself with Donald Trump even after Trump's role in inciting the riot that came here on Capitol Hill. Liz Cheney, on the other hand, says that Donald Trump should have no role. So when they were asked in the party during a press conference today about whether or not Donald Trump should speak at a conservative conference this weekend, a split on that key question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you believe President Trump should be speaking -- or former President Trump should be speaking at CPAC this weekend?
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): Yes, he should.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Congresswoman Cheney?
REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): That's up to CPAC. I've been clear on my views about President Trump. I don't think that he should be playing a role in the future of the party or the country.
MCCARTHY: On that high note, thank you all very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP) RAJU: And Wolf, McCarthy has been all over the map on Trump's role in inciting that riot first saying he bears responsibility then suggesting he didn't and then he's gone down to Mar-a-Lago aligning himself with Donald Trump. So he's clear on where he is and so as Liz Cheney on where she is.
BLITZER: Yes. I give Liz Cheney -- Congresswoman Liz Cheney a lot of credit. She's got the guts to say exactly what she believes. She's a courageous woman indeed.
All right, Manu Raju, thank you very much.
Let's discuss all of these with Charlie Dent, he's a former Republican Congressman from Pennsylvania. Charlie, thanks so much for joining us. You heard that awkward moment with the House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and the number three House Republican Leader Liz Cheney, sort of sums up the state of the Republican Party right now, doesn't it?
CHARLIE DENT, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, it sure does, Wolf, that certainly reflects the split within the party. There are many people like Liz Cheney, myself, Kinzinger and Mitch McConnell, Mitt Romney who would like to see a clean break from Donald Trump and want to move forward and not look backwards. And then, of course, there's a large group out there that wants to stay close to Donald Trump.
[17:40:08]
Tonight, as we're speaking in Pennsylvania, that the Republican State Committee is likely to censure our U.S. Senator Pat Toomey. I mean, this is how absurd things have gotten within the Republican Party.
BLITZER: The former Vice President Mike Pence, is telling Republicans, he still has a close personal friendship with Trump. How revealing is that just weeks after that violent mob actually targeted Pence when he was at the U.S. Capitol?
DENT: Well, I guess, Wolf, one should never underestimate an ambitious politician's willingness to accept that type of denigration from Donald Trump. I mean, we saw the same thing happened with Ted Cruz after Donald Trump called his wife ugly and said that his father was somehow involved with the JFK assassination.
And still, these folks know, you know, get on bended knee before Donald Trump because of their own personal political ambitions. I mean, it'd be nice to have a real conversation with him outside of the media. I'm sure that they feel just as I do that this is absolutely reprehensible behavior by the former President, and they're all pretty much disgusted by it.
BLITZER: Charlie Dent, as usual, thanks so much for joining us.
Up next, we were getting some new information from the investigation into the accident that seriously injured the golfer Tiger Woods. Plus, we'll have the latest on his recovery when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [17:45:37]
BLITZER: Golf legend Tiger Woods is set to be awake, responsive and recovering tonight after surgery for significant leg injuries he suffered when his vehicle rolled over near Los Angeles CNN National Correspondent Nick Watt has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the road Tiger Woods was driving alone early Tuesday morning. He hit that median then the curb, flipped and rolled hundreds of feet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Woods wasn't initially reacting to any pain. Unfortunately, I'm sure he's in horrible pain today.
WATT (voice-over): He suffered significant orthopedic injuries to his right leg.
DR. SCOTT BODEN, PROF & CHAIR, DEPT. OF ORTHOPAEDICS, EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE:
WATT (voice-over): Open fractures. He underwent a long surgical procedure.
BODEN: One of the reasons he probably had emergency surgery was because it was a compound fracture, meaning there was a break in the skin and that means that there's an increased risk of infection.
WATT (voice-over): His leg was stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia. Additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle were stabilized with a combination of screws and pins.
BODEN: For an elite athlete like Tiger, you know, he's got as good a chance from coming back from this as anybody does. And we know never an account Tiger out from a recovery.
WATT (voice-over): By the end of the day, Woods was awake, responsive and recovering. Woods was supposed to be filming more content for Golf TV and Golf Digest Tuesday teaching celebrities how to play, it was Dwyane Wade Monday.
DWYANE WADE, BASKETBALL PLAYER: I say the -- he's not comfortable with it.
WATT (voice-over): Then this, here's what we know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No skid marks, no break in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was wearing a seatbelt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Weather is not a factor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The speed limit is 45 miles per hour. When I'm doing speed enforcement, I will sometimes catch people going 80 plus miles per hour. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That area has a high frequency of accidents, it's not uncommon.
WATT (voice-over): No signs of impairment. It's unknown if Woods was on the phone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's something we'll have to explore, the investigators will have to ascertain that, if it was a distracted driving.
WATT (voice-over): The hill, the turns, this is a no accident black spot.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WATT: In fact, 13 accidents here in just the past year and change and this afternoon a safety review, Wolf, was just ordered for this stretch of road. The sheriff says he does not anticipate any charges being filed against Tiger Woods. He says we're treating this as an accident and an accident is not a crime. Wolf?
BLITZER: All right Nick, thanks very much for that update. Nick Watt reporting.
Coming up next, a new link between the Saudi Crown Prince and the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
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[17:52:39]
BLITZER: There's more breaking news we're following here IN THE SITUATION ROOM. President Biden now says he has, he has read an intelligence report on the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi and will be talking to Saudi Arabia's king about it.
Let's go to our Senior National Security Correspondent Alex Marquardt. Alex, I know you have some exclusive reporting that ties Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince closer to the murder. What are you learning?
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Wolf. First of all, on that report, multiple sources are telling me that the report from the Director of National Intelligence is expected as early as Thursday, so that's tomorrow. We've been waiting for this report for a long time.
It was actually passed into law in 2019, but the Trump administration chose to ignore it. It's an unclassified report, it's required to lay out what the U.S. intelligence community has found out about what Saudi officials knew and what they did. Now, you'll remember that after Khashoggi's murder, the CIA assessed with high confidence that the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, himself, ordered the brutal killing of Jamal Khashoggi.
Of course, the prince denies that. And now we're learning about yet another link between MBS as he's known and the brutal murder that took place in Istanbul. We've obtained documents from a Canadian court case that revealed that the two private jets that carried the Saudi hit team were operated by a company that the Crown Prince, MBS, had taken control of less than a year before the murder. He had ordered that this aviation company be transferred into the country's Investment Fund, which he himself, MBS, controls.
Now, the fact that this fleet of planes belong to the fund, which MBS is the chairman of, has not been previously reported. There are letters in these documents from December of 2017, signed by a Saudi minister with the words top secret, not for circulation, very urgent. I did speak with a lawyer for Khashoggi's former fiance who calls these revelations extremely important.
He says that it shows a direct line to MBS killing Jamal Khashoggi. Wolf, we did ask Saudi officials for response, we did not get one. They're likely worried about this intelligence report. That is probably coming tomorrow and what it's going to say about MBS, whether this declassified intelligence report holds a smoking gun proving that MBS ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi is what everybody is looking out for.
Meanwhile, President Biden said a short time ago that he has read this unclassified report. He didn't offer any sort of details, just said that he will be speaking with the Saudi King soon, which is notable because he still hasn't done that after more than a month in office. Wolf?
[17:55:10]
BLITZER: All right. We'll see what happens. Excellent reporting as usual, Alex. Thank you very, very much.
Coming up, millions more doses of COVID vaccine could be shipped next week in the coming days, as the FDA declares the Johnson & Johnson shot safe and effective meeting Emergency Use Authorization requirements.
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BLITZER: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM.
