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The Situation Room
Interview with National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins; Interview with Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA); House Set to Pass COVID Relief Bill; FDA Panel Recommends Authorizing Johnson & Johnson Vaccine; FDA Advisers Recommend Authorization of J&J Vaccine; Conservatives Rally Behind Trump at CPAC, Set to Rehash Lies About Stolen Election; U.S. Publicly Asserts Saudi Crown Prince Ordered Khashoggi Murder But Imposes No Penalties on Him; Soon: House Votes on $1.9 Trillion COVID Relief Bill. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired February 26, 2021 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some of our progress in this fight is because so many Americans are stepping up and doing these things. And the worst thing we could do now would be let our guard down.
And here's another critical point. We're going to hit a phase in this effort, maybe late April, early May, when many predict there will be ramped-up vaccine supply, and we will have administered shots to most of the people who really are eager to get them, and those who have been able to get there.
But at the same time, the warning is, there will people who live in hard-to-reach areas who can't get the shots and there are folks who are hesitant to take the shots. We all know there's a history in this country of subjugating certain communities to terrible medical and scientific abuse.
But if there's one message that needs to cut through all this, the vaccines are safe, I promise you. They are safe and effective. Listen to Dr. Fauci. Listen to the scientists who developed them through extensive and rigorous review. I did. And I took my shot publicly to demonstrate to the American people it's safe and effective.
To address this challenge, we're going to launch a massive campaign to educate people about the vaccines, that they are safe and effective, and that they can go and get those shots and be good.
I'm going to close with this. This past year has been one of the most painful years in American history. As I said, we have lost over 500,000 lives to the virus, 500,000 moms and dads, husbands and wives, sons and daughters staring at an empty chair at the dining room table or the kitchen table, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and over the country, all over the country, where the loved ones who are gone.
They are gone, empty, empty feeling in your chest, like you're being sucked into a black hole in your chest. But all over the country, where loved ones once sat, there's an empty chair. And, folks, look, there's so much we can do. As you see the broken hearts of the families that have been left behind, there's nothing partisan about this virus. It's too long we have allowed the virus to divide us.
I met today with Governor Abbott, Senator Cornyn, conservative Republicans. I'm a Democratic president. We disagree on plenty of things. There's nothing wrong with that. But there are plenty of things we can work on together. And one of them is represented right here today, the effort to speed up vaccinations.
We're not giving shots to Democrats or Republicans. I say it again. We're giving shots to Americans. And all across the country, we have got members of the armed forces, FEMA, volunteers, retirees, fellow Americans working around the clock to give these shots.
And they're building on the work of scientists, researchers, doctors, and nurses. And my team at the White House which has coordinated all of this is first-rate. None of this has a partisan tinge or a partisan element to it. This can be a great American achievement, being the only country in the world to reach 100 million shots in 100 days.
This could unite us as a country to vaccinate America, to protect America, to heal America. And I know we can do this. Why? Because I know America can do great things when we do it together.
I know my family spent a lot of time here in Houston, by the way, at -- hey, John Netty (ph). How are you, buddy? I didn't see you there.
And Houston, at M.D. Anderson, when our son Beau was being treated for glioblastoma before he passed away. Just yesterday, I saw M.D. Anderson announce its joint -- they joined four other major cancer hospitals to help break down the silos that make real progress in this effort difficult.
Now they're sharing data and information. That wasn't going on four or five years ago. We're going to beat cancer. I know we will. I have said it before, and I will say it again. If there's just one thing, one thing I could be known for as president, it would be end the -- the president who during his era ended cancer as we know it.
But, then, last week, guess what? We also landed a rover on Mars. We led by a NASA team in Pasadena, California. A rover carries instruments developed by a team in Houston that will be used in the mission of our time and our dreams. Imagine. Everybody has been so down the last number of years about what America -- what can we do?
Look, we can do anything. America can do anything. And now we see the images that are truly stunning, battling COVID, beating cancer, going to Mars.
If there's one thing I know about America, it's this. Americans never give up. They never give in. They never cry uncle. They just struggle, innovate, and they preserve and persevere.
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We're going to get through all of this, I promise you. We're going to do it together, together.
God bless you all, and may God protect our troops. You're the best.
We can do all of this, guys. I promise you. We can do this. Nobody in the world can compete with us when we're together.
Thank you all so very much.
(APPLAUSE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: We have been listening to President Biden speaking at a COVID vaccination site in Houston, Texas, after viewing storm damage in the state.
I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM. We're following multiple breaking stories right now.
President Biden, you just heard, speaking just minutes after the FDA, the advisers there recommended unanimously the authorization of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose COVID-19 vaccine.
It's another key hurdle toward making a third coronavirus vaccine available in the United States. And that should start as soon as the coming days, early next week.
We have lots going on right now.
I first want to go to our senior White House correspondent, Phil Mattingly.
Phil, a very busy night, busy day for President Biden. You just heard him. Update our viewers on what's going on.
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, no question.
Just listening to wide-ranging remarks that were equal parts hype man, cheerleader, and logistical coordinator when it comes to the most important thing for the president and his White House team, and that is trying to corral the coronavirus pandemic.
The president sitting at a community vaccination center NRG Stadium, the Houston Texans' stadium, where up to 6,000 shots a day are being given out with the coronavirus vaccine, part of the logistical answer that the administration believes they're putting together, a wide- ranging, scaled-up version of the infrastructure that is being led by the federal government that the Biden team has put into place over the course of their first six weeks in office.
What you heard from the president were a couple elements. One, he mentioned that Johnson & Johnson approval that looks to be headed toward authorization at some point tonight and what that means for the vaccination supply.
The biggest issue the administration had been dealing with, Wolf, in the first few weeks in office was ramping up the supply. The president alluding to the fact that they are now reaching a moment where supply between the three vaccines once that authorization comes in for Johnson & Johnson is about to surge.
And once the supply surges, they need to ensure that they have the capability to actually put shots in arms, whether it's due to hesitancy, whether it's due to the ability to actually reach people. That is what the Biden administration has been putting into place over the course of the last several weeks, something they hope they're doing in a way that will effectively address some of the concerns about getting vaccines into arms in the weeks and months ahead, when the supply is available.
You also heard the president talk about the safety of the vaccine. Wolf, an interesting development over the course of the last several weeks is, you have seen through polling the willingness of Americans to get the vaccine start to rise a little bit.
The administration believes, according to officials that I have spoken to, that the more they talk about it, the more people who receive the vaccine, the more those numbers are going to expand. That's where you get the cheerleader version of the president, trying to build up the idea that, for the country, for Americans, this is something they need to do to try and finally beat the pandemic.
Obviously, you heard the president continue to acknowledge the devastation over the course of the last year due to the pandemic and try and rally the people of the country to try to address that.
Wolf, this is all happening as one other key component is happening on Capitol Hill, The president's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, in just a couple hours, should get a vote in the United States House, should pass. The administration views that as a critical component to kind of the final phase of putting the infrastructure into place to actually put the pandemic to bed.
All of this happening at the same time as the president made very clear, an extraordinarily complicated logistical effort, but one that the president clearly believes is starting to run into shape -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Yes, and just to recap a couple very important points that the president made, he said he's way ahead of schedule, his first -- getting 100 million doses out there in the first 100 days.
He says: "For God's sake, though, wear your mask. The worst thing you can do is to let your guard down. He promised that the vaccines are all safe. He said this third vaccine, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, has been approved. "It's safe, I promise you," he said, and he said there's going to be, in his words, a massive campaign to educate the American people about the safety of these vaccines.
Phil Mattingly is over at the White House. We will get back to you.
But, right now, from the White House, I want to head to Capitol Hill for more on the House vote on the president's COVID relief bill.
Our congressional correspondent, Jessica Dean, is joining us right now.
So, update our viewers, Jessica, on the latest.
JESSICA DEAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, as President Biden is in Houston and talking about his plans, the House will vote, is set to vote later tonight on his massive package, his first big legislative push for COVID relief.
And it's going to be a long night here at the Capitol. Members I have talked to say they plan for a very, very late night. As it stands right now, this bill is still in the Rules Committee.
It hasn't even gone to the House floor yet. So, once it goes to the floor, that's still hours and hours of debating and voting that's going to have to happen. So, if you put all that math together, you can understand why this is going to be a very, very late night here on Capitol Hill.
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Now, this is a $1.9 trillion package that is all-encompassing, touching so many aspects of the American economy. Schools, unemployment benefits, small businesses, of course, direct payments to Americans, it's all in this bill.
Now, what is in this House bill is that $15 minimum wage. Of course, the Senate parliamentarian ruled that it cannot be pushed through as part of this bill under reconciliation, which is what they're using. It's the method which they're using to get this bill through the House and the Senate.
So some progressives in the House have said that the Senate, the Democratic Senate, should overrule the parliamentarian. Here's what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said about that just a few moments ago:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): As a matter of practice, I don't get involved in the rules of the United States Senate.
But, as a matter of values, I can just say, we will not rest until we pass the $15 minimum wage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: So, we can expect that battle to play out once it goes over to the Senate, but, of course, Wolf, it needs to pass here first. This bill is expected to pass in the House, but with quite a slim margin, House Democratic leadership saying that they do anticipate some Democrats will not vote for the bill.
They can lose up to three votes and still get it through. Again, the anticipation is that it will pass through, but March 14, Wolf, is the deadline that Democrats here on the Hill have set for themselves to get this legislation over to President Biden's desk.
BLITZER: All right, Jessica, thank you very much, Jessica Dean on Capitol Hill.
And yet there's more breaking news unfolding right now.
CNN has learned about truly sweeping changes now being recommended for the U.S. Capitol security system in the wake of the deadly January 6 insurrection.
Let's go to our chief national security correspondent, Jim Sciutto. He broke the story for us.
Jim, so update our viewers. What are you hearing from your source?
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, these are draft recommendations from the security review ordered in the wake of the January 6 Capitol insurrection by the House speaker.
They will be released next week, although lawmakers have already been briefed on them. And they recommend truly dramatic changes and lasting changes to the Capitol security.
Let's go through the headline recommendations here. The first one, the addition of some 1,000 new Capitol Police officers, and crucially, not just here in D.C., but to provide security for House members back in their home districts, when they get home. The threat to them extends beyond Washington to their home districts.
That's number one. Two, the establishment of a quick reaction force, this will be composed of a National Guard battalion posted to D.C. on call 24/7, of course, in response to what was absent on that day, January 6, which was a quick response from the National Guard to back up Capitol Police officers.
Also crucially, recommendations for really an array of walls and fencing around the Capitol grounds to help hold back something like this being repeated in the future. Now, to be clear, I'm told that the fence that's around there now would be removed and the preference is for movable, easily deployable fences and barriers. But the idea here is that you will have a presence like that long term at the Capitol.
Also, something that came up frequently in those hearings earlier this week, and that is to improve communications among Capitol security officers, police officers, in the event of a violent event. They had real issues communicating amongst themselves, responding quickly as the Capitol was overrun.
I mean, Wolf, you look at these, and it makes very clear that folks who took a look at security there believe the threat to the Capitol and to members of the House and the Senate will continue for some time. It's not a short-term threat.
BLITZER: Yes, totally understandable. They want to make sure that everyone is safe in the midst of what's going on.
Jim Sciutto, excellent reporting. Thank you very much.
Joining us now, Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat of Washington state. She's the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, serves on the House Budget and Judiciary committees as well.
Congresswoman, thanks so much for joining us.
Let me get your reaction to what Jim Sciutto is now reporting, these new security recommendations. Are you satisfied with these plans? How worried are you about your own personal safety up on Capitol Hill, when you go back home, and your colleagues as well?
REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA): Well, Wolf, I can tell you, we haven't gone through these recommendations in detail, so I have to wait to see them fully.
But we are very concerned about our safety here on Capitol Hill and at home. And we have members' text strings for many of us that were trapped in the gallery. We have our special gallery group. And I will tell you that this is a serious issue that continues to haunt each and every one of us.
[18:15:13]
And so I do hope that these recommendations will make us all feel like we can come to work and be safe every day, and that our Republican colleagues will also heed any requirements that are necessary for security.
BLITZER: What was your reaction yesterday, Congresswoman, when you heard the acting Capitol Police chief say that she is so concerned that there are elements out there that want to, in her words, blow up the U.S. Capitol, kill as many members as possible, especially when the president, President Biden, delivers a State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress?
What was your reaction when you heard that?
JAYAPAL: It shakes us. It shook me. It shook many of us.
The text string started going crazy with that -- you know that statement. And the thing is that we all knew that January 6 was going to be a really different day than anything else we had seen. We got lots of news about that ahead of time.
And I think the gap between where our security and safety actually ended up being and what we thought it was going to be as we walked in on January 6 is something that we're all still dealing with.
We don't know necessarily what we can trust, who we can trust. We don't know what information is actually getting to our leadership. We don't know what information is being conveyed from intelligence to Capitol Police.
And so, I think that is -- that is the situation we're in. We obviously are trying to get to the bottom of everything, but there's still a lot of questions that are unanswered for most of us.
BLITZER: Yes, I hear that from so many members, so many of your colleagues in the House and the Senate. They are so concerned about their security.
Let's talk a little bit about what's going on now. You're the chair of the Progressive Caucus, as it's called. Many of your members have obviously voiced deep disapproval over the Senate parliamentarian's decision to strip the $15 minimum wage increase from the relief package.
Do you want your party to disregard the parliamentarian's ruling?
JAYAPAL: Well, I said that in my statement yesterday.
This is an advisory opinion from the parliamentarian. There is precedent in our history. Vice President Hubert Humphrey disregarded the parliamentarian's advisory opinion twice, 1967 and 1969. Vice President Rockefeller disregarded the parliamentarian's opinion in 1975.
And I think, Wolf, that we are in a crisis situation. We have a million people filing unemployment claims every day. We have 27 million people that would get a raise if we pass a $15 minimum wage; 60 percent are women; 30 percent are black; 26 percent are Latinx.
This is a policy that would pick one million people up out of poverty. And it's something that we promised and that has populist, popular, bipartisan support across the country.
So, yes, I think we really believe that it is essential that we deliver on this promise. Voters are not going to understand if we go back in two years and say, you know what, there's a parliamentarian who told us we couldn't do it, so I'm sorry, we couldn't deliver what we promised.
That's simply not going to cut it. And this is an emergency for so many of the lowest-wage workers in the country. And for people who say we should target our assistance. This is the easiest way to target help to those who need it the most. We're talking about low-wage workers, and $330 billion that would flow into our communities and our economies that would help small businesses.
So it's a great solution and it's the right thing to do.
BLITZER: And the current $7.25 minimum wage out there, it has been around since 2009. Obviously, you can't make a living. You're in poverty working 40 hours a week if you're only making $7.25 an hour.
But, as you know, there's a 50/50 split in the Senate. Two Democratic senators have already said, if the $15 increase is included, they're going to vote against it. It's not going to pass.
Here's the question. If you get the legislation back from the Senate without the $15 minimum wage increase, will you still vote for it?
JAYAPAL: Well, we got to see the final package. We have to see what's in it. Are things watered down?
I'm so proud. Because of progressives working with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and our leadership, we got that $15 minimum wage into the bill. We got threshold checks, keeping the thresholds the same for survival checks into the bill. We are putting money in people's pocket, child tax credit, so many other things, vaccine money for distribution.
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And so we just have to make sure that this is still a bold package, and let's evaluate it at the end of the day.
But to some of the senators that are balking at carrying through on our commitment that we made to black, brown, indigenous, poor, and working-class voters that delivered us the majorities in the House, the Senate, and the White House, I would just say, I listened yesterday or two days ago to a home health care worker from West Virginia who's earning $12,000 a year looking after people with autism, and can't even afford a new car that he really desperately needs for his job, can't afford the health care that he needs for his job.
Let's just recognize that this is a policy that lifts up people, whether in West Virginia, Arizona, Georgia, or Florida, where voters actually voted for -- with a two-thirds super majority for a $15 minimum wage.
BLITZER: Let's see what happens.
Representative Pramila Jayapal, thank you so much for joining us. Good luck over there.
JAYAPAL: Thank you so much, Wolf.
BLITZER: Just ahead, we're going to have more on the breaking pandemic news, the Johnson & Johnson single-dose COVID vaccine on the verge now of getting final emergency use authorization from the FDA, after a key panel recommends it unanimously.
Plus, conservatives rallying around former President Trump and his false claims about the election as they gather for an annual conference.
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BLITZER: We're following major breaking news on a truly critical step forward in making a third coronavirus vaccine available to millions and millions of Americans.
Just a little while ago, an FDA advisory panel recommended that the Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine should immediately get emergency use authorization.
Joining us now, the director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins.
Dr. Collins, thanks so much for joining us.
Let me get your immediate reaction to the breaking news. How important will this new Johnson & Johnson vaccine be in the fight against this deadly virus?
DR. FRANCIS COLLINS, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: It's incredibly important. And this is really good news for the world. Now we have a third vaccine in the United States that has reached this approval by the advisory committee.
And FDA will need to work on making a final decision in the next couple days. But we have had two vaccines. Now it looks like we're going to have three, and that means we can get more doses into arms and we can try to get this terrible pandemic behind us as fast as we can. So, it is a good day.
BLITZER: It's a very good day, Pfizer, Moderna, now Johnson & Johnson.
Would you urge, Dr. Collins, all Americans to take this third vaccine as soon as they can get it, even if it might be slightly, slightly less effective than the shots from Pfizer and Moderna?
COLLINS: I would certainly say to anybody, if you get offered a vaccine right now, take it, because that is the best way, we're going to be able to end this pandemic.
And even though the numbers of cases are coming down, they have kind of plateaued in the last week. We are not done with this. And the best way to get done is with this vaccine being added to the others. This one, by the way, is a single dose. So, it's a little less complicated. You don't have to have that second dose three or four weeks later.
It also doesn't require fancy freezers. It can just be kept in the refrigerator. So, it has some real advantages there.
Yes, it is the case that, in terms of preventing mild or moderate disease, it's a bit less effective in that space, 72 percent in the U.S., compared to 95 percent for Pfizer and Moderna, but in terms of severe disease, it's 85 percent effective. And in terms of hospitalizations or deaths, it's 100 percent.
And I think that's what most people are interested in trying to prevent. So, this is a really good bit of news from a company that's worked really hard to get to this point.
BLITZER: Yes, and the real advantage also, among other things, is that it's a single dose. You don't have to come back three or four weeks later and get a second shot.
As you know, Dr. Collins, this weekend, a CDC panel is also going to take a closer look at which groups might benefit the most from vaccine -- this vaccine.
Is it possible that some Americans will be encouraged to actually take the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, while other groups are encouraged to take the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna?
COLLINS: Well, that will be very interesting for the CDC's advisory group called the ACIP, which is going to meet on Sunday to look at that, because these are not all quite identical.
Pfizer and Moderna are extremely similar in terms of exactly how they are made and how they have turned out to provide safety and efficacy. Johnson & Johnson is a different vector. It's called an adenovirus vector. So, it has slightly different properties. And it may be that ACIP wants to look at that and do some fine-tuning.
There was a little question in the discussion today whether we were absolutely sure that the J&J vaccine was just as good in the elderly as the other vaccines. And they may be looking at that, although the data looks very encouraging.
BLITZER: You have warned, Dr. Collins, that these viral variants out there potentially could set back some of the recent progress.
And you mentioned the numbers seem to be plateauing right now. Some believe it's because of these variants. On the current path, and now with the addition of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, will we be able to vaccinate Americans quickly enough to keep things under control?
COLLINS: Well, Wolf, that's the big question.
And the best answer to that is, let's just hurry up and go as fast as we can. There are these variants, one in the U.S. called B117, which is getting more frequent every day. We think these vaccines, though, work quite well against that.
But the problem with that variant is, it's more contagious, which is all the more reason both to get the vaccines into arms, but also for all of us to double down on those other means of preventing infections, wearing your mask when you're going outside, keeping that six-foot distance.
We're not done with those measures either. And if we really want to get through this, even in the face of those kind of new variants, it's not just up to the vaccine companies. It's up to all of us.
BLITZER: I just want to be precise, and I want to make sure I heard you right earlier, when you said the new Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine would be 100 percent effective in preventing, what, hospitalizations and deaths, is that right?
[18:30:11]
COLLINS: That's correct, that's what the data that was reviewed today showed. Numbers are small, but it's 100 percent. And you can see it right there in the table. And all that data is made public.
By the way, I hope everybody notices that that there is absolutely the most transparent process that's ever been used to give everybody a chance to look at the data and decide for themselves whether they think this is safe and effective. Obviously, the experts today thought so, they voted 22-0 in favor of this emergency use authorization, but everybody can look at the data too.
BLITZER: Yes. We spoke to Dr. Offit in the last hour, one of those experts who was actually there going through all of the data, voting, and he said it was unanimous, 22-0. Usually, there's at least one or two or three dissenters. In this particular case, they all said get, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. It's safe, could save your life. Don't worry, just do it. Get the vaccine as quickly as possible, which is exactly what you're saying.
A lot of Americans have been vaccinated already and they seem to be unclear as to what they can and can't do, and this is where I need your help. When will guidance be coming out to help answer those specific questions? Because people want to know, if you're a grandparent, for example, you have gotten both shots already, it's been two or three weeks after the second dose, can you go ahead and meet with the grandkids or not?
COLLINS: It's a great question, Wolf, and CDC is working on that right now. The problem we have, which has not been resolved, there was a little discussion about it today, is whether the vaccination actually prevents you from being able to carry the virus, even if you don't have any symptoms. And if so, could you then be spreading it to other people around you. That is still possible, which is why we're telling everybody, even after the vaccination, you need to wear your mask, and we need to adhere to that until we have better data.
The exception might be if you have four people who have all been vaccinated, they have gotten through their second dose and 14 days have gone by, you could imagine those people getting together and taking their masks off because they're all immune. But as soon as you start having mixed company, including kids, then the bets are not quite so clear.
Watch CDC. They're going to come out with something pretty soon, I think, to try to provide advice about this, but meanwhile, be cautious, be safe. Yes, I know people are tired of wearing those masks, but let's keep them on a while longer.
BLITZER: I totally agree. Dr. Collins, as usual, thanks for what you're doing, all your colleagues at NIH, we are so, so grateful to you. Say hi to Dr. Fauci as well. You're his boss, and he's one great, great guy.
COLLINS: I am, and I will see him tonight. I will definitely say hello to him from you, Wolf. Thanks for the chance to tell this story. It's a good day.
BLITZER: He's doing amazing work, he's an old friend and we're grateful to him, grateful to all of you for what you're doing. Thanks once again.
Just ahead, we're going to go live to the big conservative conference under way right now in Florida, shaping up to be something of a Trump love fest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [18:35:00]
BLITZER: Tonight, a new GOP show of support for Donald Trump at the CPAC conference under way in Florida. Conservatives rallying behind the former president and his false claims about the election despite deep divisions within the GOP over his role in the party.
Let's go to our Chief Domestic Correspondent Jim Acosta. He's covering the conference in Orlando for us. Jim, so what's the latest down there? What are you hearing, what are you seeing?
JIM ACOSTA, CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, one of the topics at the CPAC this year is cancel culture, but what we saw today when we toured the conference site over in Orlando was a lot of cult culture.
They literally rolled in, Wolf, a golden idol of Donald Trump where there were supporters of the former president taking pictures with that statue. In addition to that, there were breakout sessions throughout the day where they were parroting Donald Trump's big lie that he won the election when in fact we know Joe Biden won the election, and you saw even saw some of the presidential wannabes, people like Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Josh Hawley, touting their efforts in leading the conservative movement. At one point, Josh Hawley got a standing ovation when he defended his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
It's no wonder, Wolf, that Donald Trump Jr., who was one of the main speakers at the end of the day, described this conference as the TPAC conference because it's very much Donald Trump's conference.
And I talked to Matt Schlapp, who is the chief organizer of this conference. He refused to admit, refused to concede, Wolf, that Donald Trump had anything to do with that violent insurrection, the bloody siege that took the lives of those people at the capitol on January 6th.
So no question about it, this is Donald Trump's Republican Party, this is Donald Trump's conference, and it doesn't seem like anybody in the party can pull it away from him.
BLITZER: What do we know, Jim, about Trump's speech scheduled for Sunday afternoon?
ACOSTA: What we know, obviously, he's going to tear into Joe Biden. There's no question about that. He is going to tease, I think, the crowd about his intentions for 2024. We talked to our sources. They say, yes, Donald Trump is seriously thinking about taking another stab at the presidency in 2024. He's also going to peddle this big election lie that he won the election and that it was stolen from him when we know that is not the case. That's been confirmed to us by his advisers.
But, Wolf, the other thing we should point out is in building up to this speech that he has on Sunday, his first big speech since leaving the presidency, he has been meeting with advisers down at Mar-a-Lago and plotting revenge. [18:40:01]
Just today, he announced he is going to be supporting a Republican candidate running against primarying another Republican House member who voted to impeach the president.
So, Wolf, this conference seems to be all about revisionism and revenge for the president.
BLITZER: Very quickly, the video, I saw, I didn't see a whole bunch of people wearing masks. Are they wearing masks there?
ACOSTA: Some are wearing masks, Wolf. At one point, I will tell you, this crowd was admonished to please wear your masks, and at that point, some of the organizers were booed when they asked people to wear their masks. And I will tell you, Wolf, when we were trying to talk to some of the attendees here at the conference, talked to people like Matt Schlapp, you know, we were getting booed. And some of those people who are getting hostile with us were not wearing their mask. So, obviously, a dangerous, unsafe situation when people are not taking those very basic precautions, Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Jim Accost at Orlando for us, thanks very much.
Let's discuss with CNN Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger and former Ohio Governor, CNN Senior Commentator, John Kasich.
Gloria, we're going to hear from a Twitter list for Trump for really the first time since he left office and his speech is going to deliver on Sunday. Do you think we'll see teleprompter Trump or one of his more freewheeling hour-plus performances?
GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: I think probably a little bit of each. If you talk to people who still consider themselves allies of Donald Trump, I spoke with one who hopes he sticks to a teleprompter, talks about the future, talks about policy, talks about Joe Biden and immigration and what he wants to do for the party's, and winning back control of the House and Senate.
However, everybody knows this is Donald Trump. Everybody knows what's likely to occur is a speech that is self-validating, it's a speech that's going to say he didn't lose the election and is a speech that's going to be all about vengeance and revenge. It's not going to be about taking back the House and Senate so much. I would think it's going to be about getting back at those people who voted to impeach him or who voted to certify the election.
I mean, you know his own vice president is not going to be there. He's hanging back and not doing political events for six months or so, but Donald Trump is making a list. He's already made it. And what he's doing is he's spending his days plotting how to get back at people who weren't with him.
BLITZER: Yes. Governor Kasich, you have spoken to CPAC over the years. It's long been a place where Republican presidential hopefuls, rising stars, they have gathered. What do you think about what's happening now?
JOHN KASICH, CNN SENIOR COMMENTATOR: Well, Wolf, I kind of looked at the list here, and I hope that we're going to see a happy warrior, somebody that's going to dish out hope based on issues, something that Gloria sort of mentioned. They hope that Trump would talk about issues. I don't know that he'll do that.
But when I look at this list, it seems to be a list of people who are sort of dower and dark, and I'm interested to see whether anybody will come out and be positive and hopeful. And not just spend all their time attacking people in the other party.
I mean, it's really easy to rise up a crowd by just viciously attacking the other person. I remember running for re-election and people said, well, you know, you need to get the crowd excited. You need to start attacking Barack Obama. I said I'm not going to do that. I'm going to talk about what I did in this state. And actually, it worked out well. I won 86 out of 88 counties.
But, you know I'm sort of a happy guy about this, a positive person. It doesn't mean that I'm not going to point out the things I think are wrong on the other side, but I believe over time people are worn down by negativity. They are -- over time, they will rise if you can give them hope and you can give them a purpose.
And I really don't know whether we're going to see that down there. I had spoken at CPAC, but that was a time when we talked about issues and what we intended to do. This just looks like a whole different day. And with Donald Trump, it will be a barn burner down there for the people and the tenants, and then this will fade and then we'll move on to Monday.
BLITZER: And we'll see what happens then.
Gloria, the lineup, as Governor Kasich points out at the CPAC conference, features speakers, events, they're going to be doubling down on Trump's big lie that he actually won the election. Is it just about trying to curry favor with the former president, or do you think these people actually believe these lies?
BORGER: I think a lot of them do believe the lies. I think a lot of people are trying to curry favor, particularly some of those candidates -- some of those politicians down there who might want to be president one day. And you know, some of the events are called, like, your votes canceled and those kinds of thing.
Look, he lost the election. He lost the election by 7 million votes. The big lie is being propagated by Donald Trump, and there are people who are willing to follow him like he's pied piper, except one day in the long-term, I believe, it will take the Republican Party right over the cliff.
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In the short term, it might save them primary challengers because Donald Trump is going to pat them on the back, but the big picture here for the Republican Party is that this is not a formula for increasing the base. This is a formula for shrinking the base.
BLITZER: Gloria Borger, John Kasich, guys, thank you very much.
Just ahead, there's more news we're following, on the just released U.S. intelligence report saying Saudi Arabia's crown prince approved the operation that led to the murder of the journalist, Jamal Khashoggi.
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BLITZER: The breaking news we're following, this just released, U.S. intelligence report says Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved, personally approved the operation that led to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
CNN's Alex Marquardt is following the story for us.
So, Alex, walk us through the evidence that they released.
ALEXANDER MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, there's nothing in the way of new evidence in this report that directly ties the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to ordering this murder. Essentially what they're saying, the thrust of their argument is that this crown prince known as MBS is so powerful that this murder could not have happened without his say so.
I want to read you part of their assessment right at the beginning of this report. The director of national intelligence, her office writes that since 2017, the crown prince has had absolute control of the kingdom's security and intelligence organizations, making it highly unlikely that Saudi officials would have carried out an operation of this nature without the crown prince's authorization. The report goes onto say that his aides would have been too afraid to question him.
Some of the evidence they offer they highlight the fact that some of the 15 members of this hit squad worked for one of MBS' top lieutenants, his name is Saud al-Qahtani. Others were member of the crown prince's notorious protective detail, which is known as the Tiger Squad. And they were sanctioned today.
Now, the report goes onto say that the crown prince saw Khashoggi as a threat. Let me read a little bit more from this report. It says, the crown prince viewed Khashoggi as a threat to the kingdom and broadly supported using violent measures if necessary to silence him. Violent measures if necessary to silence him.
So, Wolf, if you were among the many who were hoping for a smoking gun today, you would be disappointed. That is not in here. But this does say in no uncertain terms publicly in an intelligence community report that Jamal Khashoggi was killed because the crown prince of Saudi Arabia approved it.
BLITZER: Yeah, the lead sentence in the report, we assess that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved an operation in the Istanbul of Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. That's their main point.
All right, Alex, thank you very, very much.
Just ahead, we're following more news as we await the house vote on the nearly $2 trillion COVID relief plan. We're going to take a look at what's in the bill to help those struggling during this pandemic.
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BLITZER: Tonight, the House of Representatives will vote on passage of President Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package.
Let's bring in Brian Todd. He's got some details -- Brian.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we have critical new information tonight on what millions of Americans can expect from the stimulus package, whether they're unemployed or otherwise struggling.
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TODD (voice-over): Michelle Mitchom is a mother of four who's been out of a job since July because of the pandemic. She recently told CNN that while she's built a career in sales, she's found herself applying for jobs she never considered before.
MICHELLE MITCHOM, UNEMPLOYED MOTHER: I've been applying for any type of job. It doesn't matter if it's entry level, if it's internships, if it's janitorial, if it's anything I've been applying.
TODD: Mitchom and millions of other Americans out of work because of the pandemic would get money in the stimulus package. Each unemployed American would get $400 a week in federal unemployment money through August 29th. That's up from $300 a week they're getting now, and it's added onto whatever state unemployment benefits they're getting.
What's in the stimulus for you if you're working, individuals making $75,000 a year or less would get a one time payment of $1,400. That's up from $1,200 in the first stimulus bill, $600 in the second. If you make $100,000 a year ore more, you get nothing.
Couples earning less than $150,000 would get a $2,800 one time payment. Families with children would be able to get an additional $1,400 for each dependent. Families earning $200,000 a year or more get nothing.
And unlike in the previous two stimulus packages, this time, adult dependent, including college students would be eligible for one time payments.
MICHELLE SINGLETARY, PERSONAL FINANCE COLUMNIST, THE WASHINGTON POST: And you might be thinking, well, why should they get it? But, you know, college students lost their jobs, and those jobs help for them to go to school. And so, many of them were shutout because they were older than 17. And many parents are taking care of disabled adult children, and they are also in need.
TODD: The current freeze on evictions runs out at the end of March. And the new stimulus bill designed to help millions in danger of being thrown out of their homes.
SINGLETARY: When you pause evictions people still have to go back and pay that money at some point, and so putting money on the table to help them make those payments is key. If you lost your job, and maybe now you're employed again, but it's going to take you so long to catch up.
TODD: So, in the new stimulus, over $19 billion would go to state and local governments to help low income Americans cover rent, back rent and utilities. $12 million to help struggling home owners pay their mortgages, utilities and taxes.
And another $5 billion to help state and local governments assist people who are at immediate risk of becoming homeless.
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TODD: But there is bad news tonight for those earning minimum wage or just above that. A bid to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $15 is not even going to make it into the Senate version of this bill -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Brian Todd reporting, a very important information, Brian. Thank you very much.
And to our viewers, thanks very much for watching. Hope you have a nice weekend. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM.
"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.
