Transcripts For CNN The Lead With Jake Tapper 20240711 : vim

Greene took to the floor of the house and tried to defend herself from charges that she spread lies and Conspiracy Theories. She attempted to do so by telling lies and creating a new conspiracy theory. This one blaming the news media for, quote, taking teeny tiny pieces of comments she made so as to cancel her. That is not true. That is not at all what happened. The full context of congresswoman greenes bigoted theories and stunts have been recorded for all of us to see by her. Videos, live streams. We took screen shots. Here she is on video Accosting Parkland Activist and School Shooting survivor david hogg in 2019 calling him a coward. He was a teenager at the time. Here she is trying to find muslimamerican Congresswoman Tlaib and omar, trying to force them to swear in on a christian bible. Claiming falsely that they were not legitimate democratic representatives. Heres congresswoman greenes long unhinged Facebook Post accusing the wealthy jewish family, the rothschilds, of using a space laser to cause a deadly forest fire so as to enrich themselves as well as senator feinsteins husband, richard blum. Heres greene liking a comment that called for the assassination of the speaker of the house, nancy pelosi. None of that out of context. None of that teeny tiny piece. Now, today greene said School Shootings are real. Thats a general comment that does not specifically address the social media post in 2018 in which she agreed with the crazy notion that the parkland shooting, the specific School Shooting, was a fake, planted operation. Exactly, she wrote. Today greene admits that 9 11 happened even though shes on camera in 2018 in an extensive video in which she doubted specifically whether or not a plane hit the pentagon, which, of course, it did. Todays speech just as a factual matter was an attempt to rewrite history ahead of this vote that is happening because Republican Leadership, frankly, has refused to take any action against her as normally would happen in the past. In fact, in a meeting of House Republicans yesterday, roughly half of the Republican Caucus gave greene a Standing Ovation. A source in the room tells me. Let that sink in. A Standing Ovation for an Obvious Impempirically bigoted person, antisemitic, islamophobic, and deranged Conspiracy Theories. This is about more than one member of congress. This is what her party stands for, the Republican Party and how much House Republicans will continue to embrace these lies and Conspiracy Theories. Though, of course, it, frankly, might be tough for them to push it away. Given the fact that twothirds of the house Republican Caucus went along with the lies and Conspiracy Theories about the november election. A big lie that led to the january 6th insurrection. So, given the opportunity to denounce Marjorie Greenes lies, perhaps, its no surprise that Republican Leaders have abdicated responsibility. As cnns ryan nobles reports. Reporter in a lastditch effort to save her spot on House Committees the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from georgia. Reporter republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor greene went to the house floor to ask her colleagues to give her a second chance. I was allowed to believe things that werent true, and i would ask questions about them and talk about them. And that is absolutely what i regret. Reporter in a more than tenminute speech amid a debate about her future, greene attempted to put distance between herself and the vile Conspiracy Theories she said she once believed. School shootings are absolutely real. And every child that is lost, those families mourn it. I also want to tell you 9 11 salu absolutely happened. Reporter in the past greene has promoted conspiracies such as there not being evidence a plane hit a Pentagon On 9 11 and the 2018 shooting at a Florida High School was fake or staged. Shes also promoted the qanon conspiracy. I never said any of these things since i have been elected for congress. These were words of the past. And these things do not represent me. Reporter but as recently as last december, greene defended Qanon Believers in an interview with cnn. I think its unfair to criticize regular American People that just are looking things up on the internet. Reporter during her remarks greene spent as much time attacking her detractors as she did trying to clean up her past comments. Democrats said greenes remarks were too little too late. I didnt hear anybody apologize or retract the a antisemitic and islamophobic remarks that have been made, that have been posted over and over and over again. So as you can see there, democrats were not moved by Marjorie Taylor greenes speech on the house floor today. It is very likely she will be removed from those House Committees in the next couple of hours. The question is, how Many Republicans will join their democratic colleagues to vote to kick her off those committees . At this point its pretty clear that the majority of republicans will argue that they do not want to set a precedent of a Majority Party taking minority members off committees. At this point, jake, maybe only a handful of those republicans call for her to be removed off of those committees. Its a bad precedent, but the point is usually the leaders of the party in the house take the action so it doesnt have to go to the Majority Party. Ryan, thanks so much zb. Lets discuss with two former House Republicans. Former congresswoman mia love who represented a district in utah. Former congressman Paul Mitchell l represented a district in michigan. Congresswoman love, let me start with you. I want to start with this rewriting of history were seeing today from congresswoman greene. What was your reaction . Well, first of all, you cant rewrite history. I have so much to say about this and its its not like i have any skin in the game except for my life, my childrens life, and the lives of the American People. Right . The internet is there and what you say will be used against you. And you cant just say that you didnt say it and whats important is that this is not something she was apologetic about a week ago, two weeks ago. Its when her rear end was in hot water. Now all of a sudden she wants to full back. This is what i have to say. If you do not have any friends, if you do not build any coalitions, youre not going to be able to get anything done. Things that her constituents are depending on her to do. Youre not going to be able to have any leverage or any room to have anybody help you with any legislation. Congressman mitchell, i mean, these arent comments that she made when she was 16. Comments, you know, actions that she took in college. This is just a couple years ago. And shes been, frankly, saying wild things since being elected to congress, too. Well, i think this emanates, first, from a failure of leadership to engage in the primary. They should have engaged in the primary. As you recall, i engaged in a primary where i was an initial contributor to steve kings primary opponent because of things he said and he had done. I was involved in leadership and removed steve king from committees as well as duncan hunter. The republicans should have taken action to address her long before she hit congress and they should have taken action, not had this drawnout process. This really detracted from where theyre trying to go because theyre in some manner trying to defend Marjorie Taylor greene. Shes an embarrassment to the Republican Party. Shes an embarrassment to leadership there. And you cant she failed to apologize. She failed to renounce specific things she said. Youre absolutely correct, renounce the discussion of the shooting School Shootings werent real, say it, parkland was real and im sorry. She didnt do that. Yeah. She cant do that, i believe. For that, we have a real problem. Congressman kinzinger, a source inside the room tells me, hes somebody i know both of you appreciate as standing up for what the Republican Party should be, Congressman Kinzinger took Leader Mccarthy to task, im told, from somebody in the room because he extensively for, like, maybe four minutes defenddefend defended Marjorie Taylor greene and halfheartedly defended liz cheney for maybe a couple sentences i was told. Is there not a Leadership Problem here, Congresswoman Love . Well, i said this, and i think that the im going to say it again, this is an opportunity for Kevin Mccarthy to stand up and be a leader for the Republican Party, not look to former President Donald Trump to be the leader of the Republican Party. And also, this is i find it really interesting that they went after liz cheney for a vote versus going after representative greene for comments that are really bad for the party. And the last thing im going to say about this is if it werent for congresswoman liz cheney, steve king probably would still be there. It wasnt until she became the Conference Chair that they finally stripped him of his Committee Assignments because it was bad for the party as a whole. So, i find this really interesting. Yeah. And congressman mitchell, republican Leader Mccarthy also now pretending he doesnt know what this deranged conspiracy theory, this cult, qanon, is. This is what he said in august. Let me be very clear. Theres no place for qanon in the Republican Party. I do not support it. Yesterday, he was acting as though he had no idea what was going on. Theres a it seems to me like theres a real problem in the house Republican Caucus about lies and dishonesty. Not just about qanon but also just the big election lies that you were pushing back against that so many House Republicans endorsed. Well, two comments on that. I think youre right, i think there are too many members that are afraid of the small minority of the party that are loud, that are obviously they came to the Capitol Steps and attacked the capitol. Theyre afraid to stands up and say, you know, there was no stolen election, were done with the lies, the Conspiracy Theories. The other item for you is your comment about leadership, i think, is very real. I said it on twitter just today, you cant placate all sides of this and lead. Kevin mccarthy needs to stand up and lead. He should have led on the Marjorie Taylor greene thing. He sohould have led on the issu with cheney. Somebody said shes entitled to take the vote she believes to represent herself and those people, the people she represents. They claim they had 140, 160 sign signatures on a petition. If you have them, show me the signatures then well talk about it. Talks cheap. He didnt do that. Yeah. Leadership is needed in a time of crisis. I wish both of you were still in the caucus, i wish both of you were in leadership. Thanks so much for joining us today. We appreciate it. Congresswoman love, congressman mitchell. Appreciate it. Were going to continue to watch the vote on the house sffloor a bring you updates. Also breaking today house Impeachment Managersing democrats, asking trump to testify. The former president just responded to their request. Parents, teachers, mayors, medical experts trying to get kids Back To School safely. Can that happen before teachers get vaccinated . Well take a look. Stay with us. St order on the sup and its ready to go with contactless curbside. Turkey sub in a hot tub now get 15 off any footlong when you order in the app. Keeping your oysters Business Growing has you swamped. You need to hire. I need indeed indeed you do. The moment you sponsor a job on indeed you get a shortlist of quality candidates from a resume data base claim your seventyfivedollar credit when you post your first job at indeed. Com promo were excited to do business with you but before we sign i gotta ask. Sure, anything. We searched you online and maybe you can explain this . I cant believe that garbage is still coming in. That is so false frustrated with your Online Search results . Call reputation defender today to join Tens Of Thousands whove improved their online reputation. Get your free reputation report card at reputationdefender. Com or call 18778668555. For every trip youve been dreaming of, expedia has millions of flexible booking options. [announcer] grubhub perks give you dealsp is wherever we go together. On all the food that makes you boogie. Phone Dinging singing in Foreign Language 2 phut hon kaiz remix by phao get the food you love with perks from [group] grubhub grub what you love. vo businesses are always making choices. Heres a choice you dont have to make the largest 5g network. Awardwinning customer satisfaction. Or insanely great value. Now, with tmobile for business, theres no compromise. Network. Support. Value. Choose. All. Three. Tmobile for business. Ready when you are. Liberty mutual customized my car insurance, so i only pay for what i need. What a great day what an ok day. What a messed up only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. In our other big story in the Politics Lead the former president of the United States, donald trump, will not testify in the Senate Impeachment trial. We just got that response from the demand from House Democratic Impeachment Managers that trump testify in the trial. Testimony under oath would get trump on the record about his conduct and actions surrounding his spreading of the big lie and his incitement of the january 6th capitol hill attack. This request for his testimony comes after his lawyers made claims in a legal brief that were undermined by trumps own public statements. Lets bring in cnns jim acosta. First, jim, what are trumps lawyers saying about the request that he testify . Well, theyre throwing cold water on the idea. Theyre calling it a publicity stunt. A as you were saying a few moments ago, jame b trumps spokesman is saying, no, the former president will not be testifying at this Impeachment Trial. House managers, house Impeachment Managers wanted the former president to testify because they say that this filing coming from the trump Impeachment Team a couple days ago was filled with factual inaccuracies. For example, the trump Impeachment Team was saying that the former president never tried to subvert the counting of the electoral votes on january 6th. Thats just not the case. This is what the trump Impeachment Team is saying in response to the house demo demodemo democdemo demodemo democrats. It says were in receipt of your latest Public Relations stunt. As you certainly know, theres no such thing as a negative inference in this unconstitutional proceeding. Your letter only confirms what is known to everyone, you cant prove your allegations against the 45th president of the United States whos now a private citizen. The use of our constitution to bring a purported impeachment proceeding is much too serious to try to play these games. Jake, the question is at this point whether or not House Democrats or Senate Democrats for that matter would vote to compel the testimony of the former president , i. E. , vote to subpoena the former president. He did not testify, obviously, during the first Impeachment Trial, and nor was he called to do so. They didnt have any witnesses at that first Impeachment Trial over in the senate. So it remains to be seen what the Conspiracy Theories<\/a>. She attempted to do so by telling lies and creating a new conspiracy theory. This one blaming the news media for, quote, taking teeny tiny pieces of comments she made so as to cancel her. That is not true. That is not at all what happened. The full context of congresswoman greenes bigoted theories and stunts have been recorded for all of us to see by her. Videos, live streams. We took screen shots. Here she is on video Accosting Parkland Activist<\/a> and School Shooting<\/a> survivor david hogg in 2019 calling him a coward. He was a teenager at the time. Here she is trying to find muslimamerican Congresswoman Tlaib<\/a> and omar, trying to force them to swear in on a christian bible. Claiming falsely that they were not legitimate democratic representatives. Heres congresswoman greenes long unhinged Facebook Post<\/a> accusing the wealthy jewish family, the rothschilds, of using a space laser to cause a deadly forest fire so as to enrich themselves as well as senator feinsteins husband, richard blum. Heres greene liking a comment that called for the assassination of the speaker of the house, nancy pelosi. None of that out of context. None of that teeny tiny piece. Now, today greene said School Shooting<\/a>s are real. Thats a general comment that does not specifically address the social media post in 2018 in which she agreed with the crazy notion that the parkland shooting, the specific School Shooting<\/a>, was a fake, planted operation. Exactly, she wrote. Today greene admits that 9 11 happened even though shes on camera in 2018 in an extensive video in which she doubted specifically whether or not a plane hit the pentagon, which, of course, it did. Todays speech just as a factual matter was an attempt to rewrite history ahead of this vote that is happening because Republican Leaders<\/a>hip, frankly, has refused to take any action against her as normally would happen in the past. In fact, in a meeting of House Republicans<\/a> yesterday, roughly half of the Republican Caucus<\/a> gave greene a Standing Ovation<\/a>. A source in the room tells me. Let that sink in. A Standing Ovation<\/a> for an Obvious Impempirically<\/a> bigoted person, antisemitic, islamophobic, and deranged Conspiracy Theories<\/a>. This is about more than one member of congress. This is what her party stands for, the Republican Party<\/a> and how much House Republicans<\/a> will continue to embrace these lies and Conspiracy Theories<\/a>. Though, of course, it, frankly, might be tough for them to push it away. Given the fact that twothirds of the house Republican Caucus<\/a> went along with the lies and Conspiracy Theories<\/a> about the november election. A big lie that led to the january 6th insurrection. So, given the opportunity to denounce Marjorie Greenes<\/a> lies, perhaps, its no surprise that Republican Leaders<\/a> have abdicated responsibility. As cnns ryan nobles reports. Reporter in a lastditch effort to save her spot on House Committees<\/a> the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from georgia. Reporter republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor<\/a> greene went to the house floor to ask her colleagues to give her a second chance. I was allowed to believe things that werent true, and i would ask questions about them and talk about them. And that is absolutely what i regret. Reporter in a more than tenminute speech amid a debate about her future, greene attempted to put distance between herself and the vile Conspiracy Theories<\/a> she said she once believed. School shootings are absolutely real. And every child that is lost, those families mourn it. I also want to tell you 9 11 salu absolutely happened. Reporter in the past greene has promoted conspiracies such as there not being evidence a plane hit a Pentagon On 9<\/a> 11 and the 2018 shooting at a Florida High School<\/a> was fake or staged. Shes also promoted the qanon conspiracy. I never said any of these things since i have been elected for congress. These were words of the past. And these things do not represent me. Reporter but as recently as last december, greene defended Qanon Believers<\/a> in an interview with cnn. I think its unfair to criticize regular American People<\/a> that just are looking things up on the internet. Reporter during her remarks greene spent as much time attacking her detractors as she did trying to clean up her past comments. Democrats said greenes remarks were too little too late. I didnt hear anybody apologize or retract the a antisemitic and islamophobic remarks that have been made, that have been posted over and over and over again. So as you can see there, democrats were not moved by Marjorie Taylor<\/a> greenes speech on the house floor today. It is very likely she will be removed from those House Committees<\/a> in the next couple of hours. The question is, how Many Republican<\/a>s will join their democratic colleagues to vote to kick her off those committees . At this point its pretty clear that the majority of republicans will argue that they do not want to set a precedent of a Majority Party<\/a> taking minority members off committees. At this point, jake, maybe only a handful of those republicans call for her to be removed off of those committees. Its a bad precedent, but the point is usually the leaders of the party in the house take the action so it doesnt have to go to the Majority Party<\/a>. Ryan, thanks so much zb. Lets discuss with two former House Republicans<\/a>. Former congresswoman mia love who represented a district in utah. Former congressman Paul Mitchell<\/a> l represented a district in michigan. Congresswoman love, let me start with you. I want to start with this rewriting of history were seeing today from congresswoman greene. What was your reaction . Well, first of all, you cant rewrite history. I have so much to say about this and its its not like i have any skin in the game except for my life, my childrens life, and the lives of the American People<\/a>. Right . The internet is there and what you say will be used against you. And you cant just say that you didnt say it and whats important is that this is not something she was apologetic about a week ago, two weeks ago. Its when her rear end was in hot water. Now all of a sudden she wants to full back. This is what i have to say. If you do not have any friends, if you do not build any coalitions, youre not going to be able to get anything done. Things that her constituents are depending on her to do. Youre not going to be able to have any leverage or any room to have anybody help you with any legislation. Congressman mitchell, i mean, these arent comments that she made when she was 16. Comments, you know, actions that she took in college. This is just a couple years ago. And shes been, frankly, saying wild things since being elected to congress, too. Well, i think this emanates, first, from a failure of leadership to engage in the primary. They should have engaged in the primary. As you recall, i engaged in a primary where i was an initial contributor to steve kings primary opponent because of things he said and he had done. I was involved in leadership and removed steve king from committees as well as duncan hunter. The republicans should have taken action to address her long before she hit congress and they should have taken action, not had this drawnout process. This really detracted from where theyre trying to go because theyre in some manner trying to defend Marjorie Taylor<\/a> greene. Shes an embarrassment to the Republican Party<\/a>. Shes an embarrassment to leadership there. And you cant she failed to apologize. She failed to renounce specific things she said. Youre absolutely correct, renounce the discussion of the shooting School Shooting<\/a>s werent real, say it, parkland was real and im sorry. She didnt do that. Yeah. She cant do that, i believe. For that, we have a real problem. Congressman kinzinger, a source inside the room tells me, hes somebody i know both of you appreciate as standing up for what the Republican Party<\/a> should be, Congressman Kinzinger<\/a> took Leader Mccarthy<\/a> to task, im told, from somebody in the room because he extensively for, like, maybe four minutes defenddefend defended Marjorie Taylor<\/a> greene and halfheartedly defended liz cheney for maybe a couple sentences i was told. Is there not a Leadership Problem<\/a> here, Congresswoman Love<\/a> . Well, i said this, and i think that the im going to say it again, this is an opportunity for Kevin Mccarthy<\/a> to stand up and be a leader for the Republican Party<\/a>, not look to former President Donald Trump<\/a> to be the leader of the Republican Party<\/a>. And also, this is i find it really interesting that they went after liz cheney for a vote versus going after representative greene for comments that are really bad for the party. And the last thing im going to say about this is if it werent for congresswoman liz cheney, steve king probably would still be there. It wasnt until she became the Conference Chair<\/a> that they finally stripped him of his Committee Assignments<\/a> because it was bad for the party as a whole. So, i find this really interesting. Yeah. And congressman mitchell, republican Leader Mccarthy<\/a> also now pretending he doesnt know what this deranged conspiracy theory, this cult, qanon, is. This is what he said in august. Let me be very clear. Theres no place for qanon in the Republican Party<\/a>. I do not support it. Yesterday, he was acting as though he had no idea what was going on. Theres a it seems to me like theres a real problem in the house Republican Caucus<\/a> about lies and dishonesty. Not just about qanon but also just the big election lies that you were pushing back against that so many House Republicans<\/a> endorsed. Well, two comments on that. I think youre right, i think there are too many members that are afraid of the small minority of the party that are loud, that are obviously they came to the Capitol Steps<\/a> and attacked the capitol. Theyre afraid to stands up and say, you know, there was no stolen election, were done with the lies, the Conspiracy Theories<\/a>. The other item for you is your comment about leadership, i think, is very real. I said it on twitter just today, you cant placate all sides of this and lead. Kevin mccarthy needs to stand up and lead. He should have led on the Marjorie Taylor<\/a> greene thing. He sohould have led on the issu with cheney. Somebody said shes entitled to take the vote she believes to represent herself and those people, the people she represents. They claim they had 140, 160 sign signatures on a petition. If you have them, show me the signatures then well talk about it. Talks cheap. He didnt do that. Yeah. Leadership is needed in a time of crisis. I wish both of you were still in the caucus, i wish both of you were in leadership. Thanks so much for joining us today. We appreciate it. Congresswoman love, congressman mitchell. Appreciate it. Were going to continue to watch the vote on the house sffloor a bring you updates. Also breaking today house Impeachment Managers<\/a>ing democrats, asking trump to testify. The former president just responded to their request. Parents, teachers, mayors, medical experts trying to get kids Back To School<\/a> safely. Can that happen before teachers get vaccinated . Well take a look. Stay with us. St order on the sup and its ready to go with contactless curbside. Turkey sub in a hot tub now get 15 off any footlong when you order in the app. Keeping your oysters Business Growing<\/a> has you swamped. You need to hire. I need indeed indeed you do. The moment you sponsor a job on indeed you get a shortlist of quality candidates from a resume data base claim your seventyfivedollar credit when you post your first job at indeed. Com promo were excited to do business with you but before we sign i gotta ask. Sure, anything. We searched you online and maybe you can explain this . I cant believe that garbage is still coming in. That is so false frustrated with your Online Search<\/a> results . Call reputation defender today to join Tens Of Thousands<\/a> whove improved their online reputation. Get your free reputation report card at reputationdefender. Com or call 18778668555. For every trip youve been dreaming of, expedia has millions of flexible booking options. [announcer] grubhub perks give you dealsp is wherever we go together. On all the food that makes you boogie. Phone Dinging<\/a> singing in Foreign Language<\/a> 2 phut hon kaiz remix by phao get the food you love with perks from [group] grubhub grub what you love. vo businesses are always making choices. Heres a choice you dont have to make the largest 5g network. Awardwinning customer satisfaction. Or insanely great value. Now, with tmobile for business, theres no compromise. Network. Support. Value. Choose. All. Three. Tmobile for business. Ready when you are. Liberty mutual customized my car insurance, so i only pay for what i need. What a great day what an ok day. What a messed up only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. In our other big story in the Politics Lead<\/a> the former president of the United States<\/a>, donald trump, will not testify in the Senate Impeachment<\/a> trial. We just got that response from the demand from House Democratic<\/a> Impeachment Managers<\/a> that trump testify in the trial. Testimony under oath would get trump on the record about his conduct and actions surrounding his spreading of the big lie and his incitement of the january 6th capitol hill attack. This request for his testimony comes after his lawyers made claims in a legal brief that were undermined by trumps own public statements. Lets bring in cnns jim acosta. First, jim, what are trumps lawyers saying about the request that he testify . Well, theyre throwing cold water on the idea. Theyre calling it a publicity stunt. A as you were saying a few moments ago, jame b trumps spokesman is saying, no, the former president will not be testifying at this Impeachment Trial<\/a>. House managers, house Impeachment Managers<\/a> wanted the former president to testify because they say that this filing coming from the trump Impeachment Team<\/a> a couple days ago was filled with factual inaccuracies. For example, the trump Impeachment Team<\/a> was saying that the former president never tried to subvert the counting of the electoral votes on january 6th. Thats just not the case. This is what the trump Impeachment Team<\/a> is saying in response to the house demo demodemo democdemo demodemo democrats. It says were in receipt of your latest Public Relations<\/a> stunt. As you certainly know, theres no such thing as a negative inference in this unconstitutional proceeding. Your letter only confirms what is known to everyone, you cant prove your allegations against the 45th president of the United States<\/a> whos now a private citizen. The use of our constitution to bring a purported impeachment proceeding is much too serious to try to play these games. Jake, the question is at this point whether or not House Democrats<\/a> or Senate Democrats<\/a> for that matter would vote to compel the testimony of the former president , i. E. , vote to subpoena the former president. He did not testify, obviously, during the first Impeachment Trial<\/a>, and nor was he called to do so. They didnt have any witnesses at that first Impeachment Trial<\/a> over in the senate. So it remains to be seen what the House Democrats<\/a> will do next. Of course, the senate is now controlled by democrats, not republicans. As opposed to a year ago during that Impeachment Trial<\/a>. What are Senate Republicans<\/a> saying, how are they reacting to this request that he testify from the House Democrats<\/a> . Yeah, theyre reacting pretty negatively to it. There are some who are leaving the door open, i suppose, to hearing from the former president , but here is some of the reaction we got earlier today to this. They want a ridiculous show trial because theyre more motivated by Partisan Anger<\/a> than they are to actually solving the very real problems we have in this country. We need to get to work and do our jobs. Were setting a precedent here, they dont have to do diddley squat over there, impeach somebody, send them to us and build their case. Im frustrated by that. Its unfair to the process. And, jake, truth be told, there are some Senate Democrats<\/a> who are not hot on this idea, either. Of seeing the former president testify at the Impeachment Trial<\/a>. As senator chris coons, i think, was speaking for some Senate Democrats<\/a> who were hopeful this would get over as soon as possible. And, you know, really talk down the idea of seeing the former president come in and testify. In his words, he said, have you met President Trump<\/a> . Meaning they dont want this to turn into a spectacle which, of course, is exactly what would happen if donald trump were to come in and tv at this trial. Jake . All right, jim acosta, thanks so much. Lets discuss with our panel. Abby, in their response today trumps lawyers called the democrats request for trump to testify a Public Relations<\/a> stunt. And democrats know very well it would be a very high bar, digit difficult to get the former president to comply with their requests. So why manke it . Its a good question. They also know if they were in the shoes of the Trump Lawyers<\/a> they also wouldnt allow former President Trump<\/a> to testify before congress. I also think that its even from a factual purr sperspective, th not an individual whos known to be truthful. So its not clear to me that they would get anything from the experience out other than a continuation of the lies that weve heard from former President Trump<\/a> for months and months. That being said, i do think they want to make the point that they have given him an opportunity to defend himself in the context of this hearing. And that he has turned it down. One of the key parts about the pushback from on the republican side is this idea that hes not being given sufficient due process. And at least this gives him the opportunity to come forward and proclaim his innocence if he sees fit. But hes very unlikely to do that. But, jackie, i mean, the House Democrats<\/a> have a good point when they argue that the lawyers for trump, their briefing on tuesday was just full of lies. I mean, at one point they wrote, it is denied that the phrase, this is what President Trump<\/a> said at the january 6th rally, the phrase if you dont Fight Like Hell<\/a>, youre not going to have a country anymore. As it was clearly about the need to fight for Election Security<\/a> in general as evidenced by the recording of the speech. Take a listen to trump on that day. You Fight Like Hell<\/a> and if you dont Fight Like Hell<\/a>, youre not going to have a country anymore. I mean, youll recall this was in the context of him saying that they were caall, including himming going to march down to the capitol. Right. This was moments before the house and senate were to convene to count the electoral votes. He told people at the rally, lets go down. He was going to go down with them. This was not about, like, general election integrity. Well, right, and also in that brief, it said i believe there was insufficient evidence to say that trumps claims about Election Fraud<\/a> were untrue. Apparently, all those Court Hearings<\/a> that dismissed them out of hand dont count as evidence. So, but lets remember, lets go back to 2018 during the mueller investigation. And they were worried about him trump having a perjury trap which basically, its only a perjury trap if you go in and lie. So the president isnt really known for his lawyers having confidence in him to tell the truth. And also for telling the truth. And these what democrats would risk is having the same lies be broadcast on the senate floor for all to see. Now, that as abby mentioned that weve heard over and over and over again. And what the value add is there for these republican senators, who have essentially said nothing, as the president did this over and over and over again before the riot, i just i dont know that it would change any minds and it would just create a spectacle. So what theyre thinking i think is unclear. Contributed to the big lie. Exactly. Abby, in the sound jim acosta just played for us, none other than ted cruz is there talking about the importance of getting to the important work of the American People<\/a>. He was one of the chief spreaders of the big lie and he did so under the guise of all sorts of he did so cleverly so that you knew that he knew what was true and what wasnt true and yet he did so in such a way so as to give credence to this nonsense that the election could be overturned. I mean, its it just its tough to hear him say things like that. Yeah, maybe a little too clever by half. I think he used the phrase, partisan, you know, stirring up par Partisan Anger<\/a>. Yeah. What is more evidence of Partisan Anger<\/a> than the riot that happened on capitol hill on january 6th that he stirred up because he told these people that there was something happening in the capitol that day that would have turned the results of the election the other way. That is the responsibility of people like ted cruz who are now trying to move on and now trying to claim that they want the senate to get back to its normal business when for months they backed up the president as he prevented a peaceful transition of power from happening. As he obstructed the Biden Administration<\/a> from doing what they needed to do to get in the government. This is this is a little bit of a trial for ted cruz, too, in some ways. Him and josh hawley, they have blood on their hands just like all the others who spread the lies. Thanks so much. Were going to come back to you in a little bit. The cdc says schools can reopen even if teachers have not had their covid vaccines. What teachers can do to stay safe when kids return to classrooms. Thats next. Introducing fidelity income planning. We look at what youve saved, what youll need, and help you build a flexible plan for cash flow that lasts, even when youre not working, so you can go from saving. To living. Lets go [announcer] duran catches leonard with a big left. You can spend your life in boxing or any other business, but one day, youre gonna take a hit you didnt see coming. And it wont matter what hit you. What matters is youre down. And theres nothing down there with you but the choice that will define you. Do you stay down . Or. Do you find, somewhere deep inside of you, the resilience to get up. [announcer] and this fight is a long way from over, leonard is coming back. Nefertiti as a young girl i was always comparing myself to my sisters. They were always thin and i wasnt. I ate a lot of food. And then after i had my son it was really difficult to lose the baby weight, and everything took so much time and energy and i didnt have that. And then i tried noom, it was easy and it was super convenient. Its effective, id say its life changing. My my name is nefertiri and noom worked for me. Visit noom. Com and lose the weight for good. [ Thunder Rumbles<\/a> ] [ Engine Rumbling<\/a> ] [ beeping ] [ engine revs ] uh, you know theres a 30minute limit, right . Tell that to the rain. [ beeping ] for those who were born to ride, theres progressive. In our health lead today A Battle Is Raging In<\/a> School Districts<\/a> across the country as teachers unions fight against plans to reopen classrooms for inperson learning. Without the Safety Measures<\/a> they say are needed. Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot<\/a> said Public Schools<\/a> cannot deny parents the right to have their kids back in Public School<\/a> builds. That Public School<\/a> system implemented daily screenings, new air filtration systems, Sanitizing Stations<\/a>, contact tracing. Now, Rapid Testing<\/a> could have the potential to ease some teachers concerns. A new study shows that weekly sk screenings could slash infections by up to 50 in high schools as cnns erica hill now reports. We are really good at pumping the brakes after we wrap the car around the tree. What we need to do is anticipate this is coming. Reporter fastspreading variants now identified in more than 30 states. The most common first documented in the uk especially concerning. Theres increasing data that suggests that some of the variants, the b117 variant, may actually be increased lead to increased mortality. Reporter on wednesday the u. S. Surpassed 450,000 covid deaths. For nearly a month, daily reports have been stuck at or above 3,000. Cases and hospitalizations, however, are improving. Including a dramatic shift in california where new cases have dropped nearly 60 in the last month. Everything that should be up in relationship to this virus is up. Everything that should be down is down. Reporter vaccinations slowly improving. The u. S. Now averaging 1. 3 million shots a day. Its wonderful. Its great. Flawless. Its perfect. Reporter new york city launching dozens of popup sites this week. Opening day at Yankee Stadium<\/a> now set for tomorrow with 15,000 Appointments Available<\/a> in the first week. Having this Yankee Stadium<\/a> site up will be a game changer. Reporter the Biden Administration<\/a> announcing megasites in l. A. And oakland, california. A Pilot Program<\/a> it plans to grow to 100 sites nationwide. In addition to partnerships with more than 20 Pharmacy Chains<\/a> across multiple states. Though experts warn the outreach cant stop there. We need to start vaccinating our community against fear with truth. Reporter vaccinations at the center of a standoff in chicago over a return to inperson learning. We need our kids back in school. We need our parents to have that option. If we as a society want to prioritize students returning for inperson instruction, the least we can do is to prioritize the health and safety of our teachers. Reporter teachers in chicago also requesting testing. While overall transmission in schools remains low, a new Study Suggests<\/a> it could be cut in half with weekly Rapid Testing<\/a>. And, jake, another note on schools, weve learned that the atlanta Public Schools<\/a>, which is one of georgias, of course, largest districts, is now considering a fourweek session in june to combat the potential Learning Loss<\/a> due to covid19. Its not clear yet whether this would be mandatory, if it is, of course, that would impact staffing levels. It would impact funding. But this is one of the ideas that is being discussed right now. Again, to combat some of that Learning Loss<\/a> due to the pandemic, jake. All righti. Erica hill. Joining us to discuss, a member of the fdas vaccine advisory commission. Doctor, good to see you. The cdc director says vaccinates teachers should not be required to safely reopen schools. You agree. Tell us more. I agree. I think teachers are right that they consider themselves Essential Workers<\/a> like others who work in police department, grocery stores, pharmacies, utilities. Many of those workers are also back at work without being vaccinate the. Theyve done everything they can to try to mitigate the risk. Lessen the risk by masking, physical distancing and other measures. I think teachers fall into that category. We need to get Back To School<\/a>. I mean, it is indisputable that onsite learning is better than virtual learning, that for certainly children as you know, jake, in the philadelphia area, for many children the school lunch is the only decent meal they get during the day. Child abuse is often picked up first in school. We need to get Back To School<\/a>. So if the schools have taken measures as they have in chicago with new Ventilation Systems<\/a> and ppe and Sanitizing Stations<\/a> and the rest, is there any reason why teachers should not go Back To School<\/a> . Im not talking about ones who have preexisting Health Conditions<\/a> and make it especially dangerous for them to do so. But for a normal adult. Is there any reason for them to not go back in . No, i mean, the parochial schools in the philadelphia area are open. I think the Public Schools<\/a> which i think face greater challenges, sort of making sure things are safe, have not opened. But, again, with things like this new antigen test which is rapid, which is better able to detect whether or not somebodys actually shedding infectious virus compared to having the viral genes in their throat are all advances that can make this easier. No, i think theres no reason one cant go back. I agree completely with dr. Rochelle walensky from the cdc that one doesnt need to be vaccinated to go back to cool. There was a question asked about the White House Briefing<\/a> today that basically dry described it, obviously its much for complicated than this, of having to choose between students and teachers. Now, look, we dont want that choice. And obviously, every Safety Measure<\/a> should take place, but at the end of the day, when i asked why arent teachers going back, im being told, well, teachers dont feel safe. It seems to me like were either adhering to the science or were not. This doesnt have to do with feelings. I agree you. If you look at that study in wisconsin where, in fact, children and teachers were there was less transmission in a School Setting<\/a> than in the community setting, theres no evidence that the School Setting<\/a> is more dangerous, arguably, its less dangerous. How else can teachers mitigate their personal risk, especially in places across the country that for whatever reason might not take this as seriously as possible . Ive seen some videos from cobb county, georgia, for example, where the School Superintendent<\/a> didnt seem to be taking it very seriously. And my heart goes out to teachers in districts like that. What should they do . Well, its this is a virus thats spread by small droplets. If you wear things like the kn95 mask which is available, easily available, and some have argued if you put sort of a cloth mask on top of that, which makes for a better fit, and then do that associated with physical distancing, then you can dramatically reduce your risk. Youre not going to eliminate it. I mean, the minute you walk outside, there is some level of risk but we need to get back get back those Essential Workers<\/a> and teachers, certainly an essential worker. So we need them back at work. Tens of thousands of kids are falling through the cracks as you know. Take a listen to chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot<\/a> today saying that Public Schools<\/a> cannot deny kids the right to is an inperson learning experience. Take a listen. We need our kids back in school. We need our parents to have that option. It should not be that cps parents of all the schools in our city are the only ones who dont have the options for inperson learning. It cannot be so that a Public School<\/a> system denies parents that right. The governor of iowa signed a bill last week to require all School Districts<\/a> to provide an option for inperson learning. Do you think thats the right mindset here . As long as steps have been taken, new ventilation, ppe, masks, et cetera, schools should open . Yes, i also think things are about to get much better which should make people feel better. I mean, you have two excellent vaccines out there that are 95 effective. You have three more vaccines right around the corner that well probably hear about in the next month or two. The weathers going to get warmer which makes it less easy for this virus to be transmitted. You have an administration that cares and is good at modeling Good Behavior<\/a> in terms of masking and social distancing and also you say on cnn that 26 Million People<\/a> have been infected, but thats just people who have been tested to be infected. When you do antibody surveillance studies, that figure is probably off by a factor of three and possibly four. At least 20 and as many 30 of americans have already been exposed meaning theyre less likely to get sick. 30 million doses of vaccines that have been out there. I think there are many reasons to believe things are going to get better and better. Yet another reason we can go Back To School<\/a> and feel better. Doctor, good to see you. The Biden Administration<\/a> making changes that could affect american troops all around the world. Thats next. Vented Car Vending Machines<\/a> and buying a car 100 online. Now weve created a brandnew way for you to sell your car. Whether its a year old or a few years old. We wanna buy your car. So go to carvana and enter your License Plate<\/a> answer a few questions. And our Techno Wizardry<\/a> calculates your cars value and gives you a real offer in seconds. When youre ready, well come to you, pay you on the spot and pick up your car, thats it. So ditch the old way of selling your car, and say hello to the new way at carvana. [announcer] grubhub perks give you the kind of panera deals that make you want to move. Get a free Delivery Perk<\/a> on your first order from panera, only on. [group] grubhub [announcer] grub what you love. Get exactly what you want on wayfair. Hi. Last piece. Kelly clarkson . Youre welcome. Like an updated kitchen in just an afternoon. Its a whole new look. Drinks . From the new kitchen cart . Yes. The bedroom style of your dreams. This room is so you. I got it all on wayfair. Yeah you did, and so did i. The perfect setup for game night. I know this its the singer, its the singer yes i got next game. Kelly clarkson. I love this sofa. Look at the storage. You like my sofa . I love your sofa. [announcer] pray. Coms bedtime bible stories calm your mind and ease your spirit. Download pray. Com to get the 1 app for prayer and sleep. Were back with our world lead. President biden delivered his first Foreign Policy<\/a> address as commander in chief. The Biggest Surprise<\/a> in the speech, a reversal of not just trump policy but obama policy. President biden announced the u. S. Will no longer support offensive Military Operations<\/a> in yemen and will stop selling weapons to saudi arabia and the uae. Some of which were ultimately used in yemens bloody civil war. Also in the speech, more expected, a tougher stance on russia with biden saying that the days of the u. S. Rolling over to putin are over. And a freeze on former President Trump<\/a>s plan to move american troops out of germany. Cnns Kaitlan Collins<\/a> joins me now live. Kaitlan, lets start with the actions around u. S. Troops today. What does this mean moving forward . Well, this is putting a freeze on that trumpled policy to start to redeploy those troops that were stationed in germany. About 12,000, roughly, of them, that the president wanted to redeploy to other countries, bring some of them back home. Thats the last president , of course, that im talking about. Now President Biden<\/a> says hes putting a freeze on that. And thats notable because this is a move that really irritated a lot of european leaders. This has kind of been seen as a cornerstone after world war ii. And so it also got bipartisan criticism from people who said it was a shortsighted move on Donald Trumps<\/a> behalf. Joe biden said thats not going to be happening. Hes putting a freeze to that. Thats a reversal of trumps policy. And really what you saw in that speech today was two weeks for two weeks we heard joe biden talk about his domestic agenda. Now President Biden<\/a> is talking about what its going to look like with him on the world stage. And kaitlan, its important to point out how many of these announcements are clear reverses of trump plans and policies sending a message not only to allies but adversaries about how biden plans to approach the next four years. Yeah, it is. And youre seeing that with the stopping the support for whats happening with the saudiled war in yemen. And with biden saying this. Its not just a reversal of trump policy, but its a big reversal because, remember, Congress Passed<\/a> two resolutions that trump had to veto calling on the u. S. To stop providing weapons to the saudiled coalition. And so this is a big reversal in that sense, but also in a larger sense where youre seeing all of these military moves that hes taking whether its ending the transgender band there, talking about the importance of a free press to a democracy which he did today while he was at the state department. Really going out of his way to be effusive in his praise of diplomats. Diplomatic workers at the state department. Youre really just seeing a complete turn from what we saw during the donald trump four years in office. So what hes telling allies and adversaries is that its going to look a lot different for the u. S. Over the next four years in his opinion. And we should point out as i did at the top the pulling back the u. S. From involvement in the war in yemen not just a reversal of trump policy, a reversal of obama policy. The u. S. First got involved in that war under president obama. Thats a big deal for him to pull back from the trump ma p obama policy. Kaitlan collins, appreciate it. Several states proposing laws making it harder, not ea easier, harder, for people to vote. Thats next. Its a beautiful reflection of every single thing youve been through in life. Which is why Dove Body Wash<\/a> renews your skins ceramides and strengthens it against dryness. For instantly softer smoother skin you can lovingly embrace. Renew the love for your skin with Dove Body Wash<\/a>. burke at farmers, we know how nice it is to save on your auto policy. But its even nicer knowing that if this happens. Renew the love for your skin. Or this. Or even this. Weve seen and covered it. So, call 1800farmers and get a quote today. We are farmers. Bumpadum, bumbumbumbum ok, just keep coloring there. And sweetie can you just be. Gentle with the pens. Okey. Okey. I know. Gentle. Gentle new projects means new project managers. You need to hire. I need indeed. Indeed you do. The moment you sponsor a job on indeed you get a short list of quality candidates from our Resume Database<\/a> so you can start hiring right away. Claim your Seventy Five Dollar<\/a> credit, when you post your first job at indeed. Com home. When you switch to xfinity mobile, youre choosing to get connected to the most Reliable Network<\/a> nationwide, now with 5g included. Discover how to save up to 300 a year with shared data starting at 15 a month, or get the lowest price for one line of unlimited. Come into your local xfinity store to make the most of your mobile experience. You can shop the latest phones, bring your own device, or trade in for extra savings. Stop in or book an appointment to shop safely with Peace Of Mind<\/a> at your local xfinity store. In our Politics Lead<\/a>, Voting Technology<\/a> company, smartmatic, has filed a 2. 7 billion lawsuit against fox news, its hosts, lou dobbs, Maria Bartiromo<\/a> and janine pirro when Rudy Giuliani<\/a> and Sydidney Powell<\/a> for when it came to the election. Smartmatic said it had no choice but to file the suit after the many, many lies spread about the trump allies over his loss and how the lies cost the Parent Company<\/a> hundreds of millions of dollars. Giuliani and powell have also been sued by dominion voting systems, another voting company, for their spreading their conspiracies and possible dominion will take legal action against fox as well. In the wake of Debunked Claims<\/a> of voter fraud and record turnout in the last election Many Republican<\/a> State Lawmakers<\/a> are moving at a rapid clip to put restrictions on voting. According to the Brennan Center<\/a> for justice since the november election, more than 100 bills in 28 states aim to limit voting. Creating new photo i. D. Laws. Purging names from voter rolls. In many cases these bills could change voting laws in key swing states. As cnns Diane Gallagher<\/a> reports in our latest installment of making your vote count. Reporter georgia still has voting on its mind. Senate bill 70 by senators reporter just one month after democrats pulled off a Surprise Senate<\/a> sweep, then three months after President Joe Biden<\/a> turned the Southern State<\/a> blue, republicans are reacting with a slew of proposed legislation. Its definitely a kneejerk reaction. Reporter nearly a dozen bills that could make it harder to vote have already been s introduced in the state senate. Headlinegrabbing Promo Proposal<\/a> requiring two copies of photo i. D. To vote by mail. Others would end automatic voter registration, use of Ballot Drop Boxes<\/a> and no excuse absentee voting. Thats something republican State Senator<\/a> burt jones supports. I do believe that voting in this country is a privilege and its a right. Its a right as well. But it ought to mean enough where you could put forth a little bit of effort in trying to cast your ballot. Reporter what some call ea effort others call suppression. We see it as a way to keep democrats from voting easily. In the end it really hurts everyone. Were not taking away anybodys rights but what we are asking is we want a fair and honest election that doesnt have all the allegations that we had in this past election cycle. Reporter those allegations, baseless claims of fraud, were promoted by jones who was recently stripped of a Committee Chairmanship<\/a> following his efforts to undermine the president ial election. That decision made by his fellow republican, the states lieutenant governor, who has vehemently defended georgias election integrity. Republicans have a Credibility Problem<\/a> right now. Were having to carry the baggage of all of that misinformation. Reporter in a statement, the Voting Rights<\/a> group founded by democratic activist Stacey Abrams<\/a> called the bill an unhinged set of quote, appease Conspiracy Theorists<\/a> like nodes who stormed the capitol. Its not just georgia. Other states with former President Trump<\/a> pushed Election Fraud<\/a> lies to protest his losses are also seeing a surge in election reform bills sponsored by republican lawmakers. In arizona one proposal would allow the legislature to override the secretary of states certification of the electoral votes. I think its pretty clear there are some politicians who would rather put barriers in front of the ballot box than compete for voters. Reporter according to the Brennan Center<\/a> for justice, so far in 2021 at least 28 states have introduced, prefiled or carried over more than 100 bills that would restrict voting access. More than triple what was filed this time last year. One of the biggest targets, according to Voting Rights<\/a> groups, minority voters. When elections like in 2020 offer more ways to vote, turnout in communities of color tends to increase. Eliminating options and adding extra steps has been shown to decrease participation. Having one more barrier in front of the ballot box may be a reason why you vote or you dont vote. Now, of course, these are just bills and proposals at this point. Theres a process it must go through. In certain states like georgia with republican control, state government, its likely we will see changes signed into law, jake. One more point i want to make here, the pendulum swings heavy in the other direction as well. According to the Brennan Center<\/a>, more than 400 bills have already been proposed or filed this year. That would actually expand access to voting for many people. The more legal votes, the better. Diane gallagher, thanks so much. The house about to vote on whether to kick congresswoman mar Marjorie Taylor<\/a> greene after key committees for her racist and vile comments. Well bring that to you live. Stay with us. Man i have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Now, theres skyrizi. 3 out of 4 people achieved 90 clearer skin at 4 months after just 2 doses. Skyrizi may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. Before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, such as fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches or coughs, or if you plan to or recently received a vaccine. Man i feel free to bare my skin. Ask your dermatologist about skyrizi. [announcer] grubhub perks give you deals on all the food that makes you boogie. Phone Dinging<\/a> singing in Foreign Language<\/a> 2 phut hon kaiz remix by phao get the food you love with perks from [group] grubhub grub what you love. If you have moderate to severe psoriasis. Or psoriatic arthritis, little things, can become your big moment. Thats why theres otezla. Otezla is not an injection or a cream. Its a pill that treats differently. For psoriasis, 75 clearer skin is achievable. With reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. For psoriatic arthritis,. Otezla is proven. To reduce joint swelling, tenderness, and pain. And the otezla Prescribing Information<\/a> has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. Dont use if youre allergic to otezla. It may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. Otezla is associated with an. Increased risk of depression. Tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts. Or if these feelings develop. Some people taking otezla reported weight loss. Your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. Upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. Tell your doctor about your medicines and if youre pregnant or planning to be. Otezla. Show more of you. Tfinally today, we want to remember 1 of the more than 454,000 lives lost to covid in this country. Panton adams worked as security at the Masters School<\/a> in new york but he did so much more than that. Colleagues say he was always pos positive. Always had a smile. In 2017 adams stood outside in the pouring rain to greet every single student on the first day of school. May his memory with a blessing. You can follow me on facebook, instagram and twitter. jaketapper. Tweet the show the leadcnn. Our coverage on cnn continues right now. This is cnn breaking news. Welcome to our viewers here in the United States<\/a> and around the world, im wolf blitzer in the situation room. Were following breaking news. The house of representatives is about to begin voting on Whether To Strip Georgia<\/a> congresswoman Marjorie Taylor<\/a> greene of her Committee Assignments<\/a> over extremist social media posts and spreading lots of Conspiracy Theories<\/a>. A short while ago, greene actually took to the house floor, an 11thhour attempt to try to distance herself from the controversies admitting the School Shooting<\/a>s","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"archive.org","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","width":"800","height":"600","url":"\/\/ia801807.us.archive.org\/6\/items\/CNNW_20210204_210000_The_Lead_With_Jake_Tapper\/CNNW_20210204_210000_The_Lead_With_Jake_Tapper.thumbs\/CNNW_20210204_210000_The_Lead_With_Jake_Tapper_000001.jpg"}},"autauthor":{"@type":"Organization"},"author":{"sameAs":"archive.org","name":"archive.org"}}],"coverageEndTime":"20240716T12:35:10+00:00"}