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Connect the World
Joe Biden Pandemic-Related Executive Orders Thursday; Joe Biden's Second Cabinet Member Confirmed By Senate; Bobi Wine Speaks With CNN While Under House Arrest; International Community Call For Ugandan Election Probe; Some Conservatives Concerned About Fallout From Trump; Olympic Gymnast Becky Downie Speaks With CNN. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired January 22, 2021 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It is going to take months for us to turn things around and to a nation waiting for action, let me be the
clearest on this point, help is on the way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will be building on things. We're not going to be destroying it. We're not going to trash anything.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are running out of vaccine, and we are not getting any assurance of any major new shipments.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Looming over everything on Capitol Hill, the impeachment trial of Former President Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is "Connect the World" with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Very warm welcome back full speed ahead in the White House and on Capitol Hill this hour. The U.S. House set
to send Mr. Trump's impeachment article to the Senate on Monday. And U.S. Joe Biden's steaming ahead with his agenda on day three in office. The
Biden Administration rolling out two new executive orders to help Americans cope with the economic crisis rode on by the Coronavirus pandemic this day
after signing a slew of orders to combat the Virus.
Joe Biden is trying to fill the void his predecessor left a void that is contributed to more than 400,000 Americans dying. In those executive orders
include bolstering the pandemic response and testing and a mask mandate for interstate travel that is in addition to Mr. Biden's plan to get 100
million people vaccinated in his first 100 days. A plan the nation's top infectious disease expert says it is totally do-able.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: You go for over 100 million over 100 days, if you do better than
that which I personally think that we likely will, then great. I just don't want to get fixated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Mr. Biden's next challenge is behind the scenes with congress. The White House proposing a $1.9 trillion stimulus package and
the lawmakers can't even agree on the rules that will govern the Senate since neither party has a majority nor why that White House remains
optimistic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: He thinks that we can get to a bipartisan package at the same time. We're not going to take tools off of
the table because addressing this is what he was elected to do, but we're going to start and we're going to pursue a bipartisan package first.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, against that backdrop -- against that backdrop, we saw the new Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announce last hour that House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi will deliver what is known as the article of impeachment against President Trump to the Senate on Monday. That will
trigger the start of Trump's Senate trial.
Now, Majority Leader, sorry, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell opposes to time line. He wanted the trial delayed until mid-February. Let's talk more
about this upcoming impeachment trial, and what is brewing in the Senate with a friend of the show Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. It is
good to have you back, Debbie.
We spoke a lot before the election and in the period between the election of course and the inauguration. Today, we hear that these articles or the
article is being sent on Monday. What is your message to your colleagues in the Senate?
REP. DEBBIE DINGELL (D-MI): Well Becky, first of all, it is good to be with you, and I think it's the first time we have been together in the New Year,
so happy New Year, and -
ANDERSON: To you, too.
DINGELL: And Washington is feeling much better in the last 24 to 48 hours, and so I have to say that to you. We know there's been a lot of discussion,
because we do need to hold people accountable for what happened in the United States Capitol on January 6. It really was an attack on our
democracy.
The fact of the matter is that people wanted to kidnap and kill government officials and they wanted to harm our democracy, and they wanted to harm
our national security. So, the House had no choice but to vote for impeachment, but now Joe Biden as President, he has many things that he has
to do with the same time.
We need a team in place that's going to make sure that our national security is safe, and they are voting on the Secretary of Defense right now
as you are, and I are speaking. We have to address COVID, because COVID has been a national crisis for a year and a world crisis for a year. We need a
national strategy, and we have to work on that. So, I think you're going to find that the Senators know that they can do more than one thing at the
same time.
[11:05:00]
DINGELL: So, they will have to do a part of the -- somehow which is what they did in the last impeachment trial, to the impeachment trial who we've
got some other work that's got to be done. And I think the Senators are going to figure out how to deal with all. And you know what Republicans and
Democrats are very talented, and they can do it all.
ANDERSON: Let's talk about what's going on specifically on this kind of, you know, the twin track as it were, because as we know now, we will get
the details of this trial. And it is a sort of the unanswered question as of yet as to whether Mitch McConnell will vote to convict and should it be
clear that he will do that?
Of course, that may drag a bunch of Republican Senators with him, but it is an outstanding question at this point, and one that you and I can discuss
in the days and the weeks to come. President Biden though, as you rightly point out is full steam ahead with his COVID plans. CNN spoke to Dr.
Anthony Fauci this morning, and this is what he said about Mr. Trump's handling of the pandemic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAUCI: You know, it is very likely did, you know I don't want that to be a sound bite, but I think if you just look at that, and you could see that
when you are starting to go down paths that are not based on any at all, and we have been there before.
I don't want to rehash it that is not helpful at all and particularly when you are in the situation of almost being in a crisis with the number of
cases and hospitalizations and deaths that we have. When you start talking about things that make no sense medically and no sense scientifically, that
clearly is not helpful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And the question to Dr. Fauci was, were deaths increased as a result of Donald Trump's COVID plan if you can call it that. Look, you
released a statement on Joe Biden's plan, saying and I quote, for a year we have needed a national strategy to combat the COVID pandemic, and now we
have a leader willing to meet this moment.
And Debbie, we are seeing the executive order after executive order, but complaints from the Republicans already that Biden is pandering to the
left, and when it is comes to getting this enormous stimulus plan that he would like through congress, he is going to need bipartisan support. What
chance does he have at this point?
DINGELL: Well, I am tired of everybody being negative day two. I think that Joe Biden knows how to work with people on both sides of the aisle. And
quite frankly, if the Senators were to get out of their -- now and then if you go home -- and you to talk to your people, you know people are really,
really hurting.
What Dr. Fauci was talking about how did the wearing of masks become so political? If you want to save lives, simply wear your mask that's all you
have to do. Masks save lives. Too many people have died. We have exceeded 400,000 in this country more than died in World War II.
They are predicting another 100,000 people could die in the next month. This is not a game, and these are people's lives that we are playing with,
and they need help. We have got to accelerate the development of vaccine. We've got to produce the syringes and we've got to make sure that there are
more places available for people to get their vaccines.
And story after story after story every day and people on the phone for 15, 16 hours and can't get an appointment that they are in the age category
that they should be getting shots. Small businesses, our restaurant, people are scared, the students with student loans and people were afraid they're
going to be kicked out of their homes. They need a helping hand.
They are not asking for charity. Our job is to help the people that we represent. Joe Biden is trying to do that. And I am going to work with him
to bring a coalition of people together that's going to give people the help they need.
ANDERSON: Debbie Dingell is lawmaker who does speak to her constituents. You and I have spoken time and again about what your constituents told you
ahead of the 2016 election and what your constituents told you ahead of the 2020 election, and that's what lawmakers do, they speak to their
constituents.
Breaking just now Debbie, the U.S. Senate confirming the Biden Administration's second cabinets pick General Lloyd Austin for the
Secretary of Defense. Now, General Austin is the first Black Secretary of Defense in U.S. history, and this is a man who required a special waiver to
head the agency after retiring from the military less than five years ago and typically only civilians run the Defense Department.
Importantly, he got Mitch McConnell's support. Although Mitch McConnell clearly, you know, understands or certainly wants people to understand that
he doesn't see those from the military as perfect fits for this top job.
[11:10:00]
ANDERSON: Is or was Mitch McConnell's support of this nomination a good thing as far as you can see when it comes to working with this new
administration?
DINGELL: I think that as many times as we can bring people together, it is going to be very important. I, myself, had concerns and not everybody that
I talked to says that this man is very, very talented and we need to have an African American Secretary of Defense.
Many of our troops need to have that kind of bolster, and there has been a racial discrimination quite frankly inside of the Pentagon, so that is
important. But I am very worried that we have just seen a president who -- there was evidence that he was going to try to use the military for his own
personal desires potentially for who or whatever.
I asked a lot of questions and I called a lot of people before I agreed to vote for the labor. I don't want to be precedent setting. I think any time
we have to take a vote like that we have to be thoughtful, know what we're thinking about. And I will tell you that I spent a good week researching,
talking and making my own decision.
But that is what a lawmaker should do. He should talk to people and get the facts and then do what is right for this country. I thank the United States
Senate for voting for him today, it is the second cabinet member that's now been confirmed, and we are getting on to forming the government of Joe
Biden.
ANDERSON: Debbie Dingell, it is always a pleasure. We will speak again soon, I hope. Don't leave it too long. Thank you.
DINGELL: All right. Thank you.
ANDERSON: A lot going on in American politics of course. Well, I want to bring you now a tale of two opposition leaders, one under house arrest and
the other languishing in a detention cell. Both are up against tough guide politics in their home countries Bobby Wine in Uganda and Alexei Navalny in
Russia.
Well, I'm planning to speak to Bobby Wine very shortly. First up I want to focus on the Kremlin's fiercest critic -- sits in a Moscow prison Navalny
is working to get his message out to the Russian people.
His allies urging anti-corruption protests across the country on Saturday this is tomorrow against President Vladimir Putin and his team also
releases the findings of their probe into Mr. Putin's wealth which suggests that the Russian President may be a billionaire on a government income.
Let's get you to Moscow and our Fred Pleitgen who is connecting us to all that is the Navalny story and indeed the investigation. Fred?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there. Becky, certainly it's a lot that's going on here in Moscow. As you
mentioned that Navalny is calling for protests here on Saturday, calling for protests tomorrow, despite the fact that he is in detention and he is
going to be in that detention or he was sentenced to 30 days in detention, and then faces other criminal cases against him as well.
But he is certainly is showing that he is not going to be silent, and really while he is in the detention, his organization managed to release
that investigation which is completed narrated by him. It's about a two- hour long documentary looking at Vladimir Putin's alleged wealth specifically a palace that is allegedly owned by Vladimir Putin.
Again, it's a very long video, and it is also one that is getting a lot of views on social media. So far, more than 50 million views, and that of
course is something that is very important in the run-up to the protests that are going to be happening here in Moscow and in other places across
Russia tomorrow at least if Alexei Navalny has his way. I want to take a look at some of what that investigation holds of course also some of the
reactions from Kremlin to it as well, let's have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN (voice-over): This is a video going viral in Russia an investigation done by Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and his anti-corruption
foundation showing the monstrosities and the luxurious details of a palace allegedly owned by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
ALEXEI NAVALNY, KREMLIN CRITIC: We introduce you to the most secret palace in Russia, Putin's palace near Gelendzhik. This is the biggest private
house in Russia, and it takes up 17,500 square meters.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): While the palace is existence has been known for years, Navalny's foundation managed to film it using a drone and created 3D
models of the inside using information they say they got from four plants and photos obtained from construction workers.
CNN is not able to independently verify Navalny's claims but with 11 bedrooms two spas, a hockey rink and a church, Navalny's team claims the
property is worth around $1.4 billion.
[11:15:00]
PLEITGEN (voice-over): With some eccentric interiors a Houlka Lounge for instance with what Navalny's team frames this, a dancing pole. Navalny
mocking what he describes as the Russian President's over the top taste.
NAVALNY: We can't even imagine why you would need a pole on this stage maybe it's for a giant Christmas tree or giant swatter.
PLIETGEN (voice-over): The Kremlin vehemently denies the allegations and any claims of official corruption. Vladimir Putin's Spokesman telling CNN
"They are repeating the old story". It is old year 2017 or 2016 if I am not mistaken that the first time it was mentioned there should be the so-called
palace of Putin in Gelendzhik, this is not true.
There is no palace, and he is not the own over any palace. Alexei Navalny was arrested last Sunday as he arrived in Moscow from Berlin having spent
five months in Germany recovering from being poisoned with the chemical nerve agent Novichok.
Navalny has been ordered detained for a month and faces other criminal investigations in Russia that could put him behind bars for years. Still,
he managed to publish the palace investigation and he is calling for protests across Russia this Saturday.
NAVALNY: I urge you not to be silent to resist and to take to the streets. No one but ourselves will protect us.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Several of Navalny's supporters have been arrested ahead of the planned protests, and Russian authorities are warning people
not to show up as the showdown between Vladimir Putin and his harshest critic heats up Navalny refusing to be silent despite being -- in one of
Moscow's toughest jails.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITEN (on camera): And Russia's mediator regulator Becky is also warning social media companies to take down any sort of videos or any sort of calls
to go to these protests and also threatening some pretty hefty fines of course is regarding a Russian media law that was put in place a couple of
years ago.
So certainly, you can see that the Russian authorities really are trying to prevent people from going to these protests, and meanwhile though on social
media, a lot of people are viewing those videos a lot of folks are calling for folks to go to these protests not just in Moscow, but in other places
as well.
So certainly, we're going to wait and see what's going to happen there on Saturday, and it could be a very important day here in Russia, Becky.
ANDERSON: Absolutely and our Moscow Bureau -- on that for you. Fred, thank you. Next up as promised I will talk to the other opposition candidate, we
mentioned who refuses to be silenced. Bobby Wine joining me from what he says his house arrest in Uganda under lock and key following an election he
claims was rigged.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
ANDERSON: well, after a disputed election, Uganda's longest serving President Yoweri Museveni has made a jubilant return to Kampala and stark
contrast to my next guest Opposition Candidate Bobi Wine who was spent eight days sitting in what he calls house arrest along with his wife and an
18-month-old niece with dwindling food supplies.
Bobi Wine maintains that the election was rigged and is adamant that Uganda will be free as long as the world does not turn its back on his country. He
spoke on Facebook live a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOBI WINE, FORMER UGANDAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This was not a fair election. I told you that this was a global mission, and I wanted you know
that the revolution is going on, and nothing, absolutely nothing will stop this revolution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, troops have surrounded Wine's home since Thursday of last week when ballots from the presidential election began being counted. It
was a race marred by violence and delays which left 40 people dead and has resulted in calls from the European Union and the U.S. State Department for
an independent inquiry.
Well, CNN has been following this story closely. I spoke to Wine last when his imprisonment at home had just begun and Mr. Wine joining me now again
live on the phone from Kampala. As I said we spoke this time last week, and you were under siege then, and you say you are still under house arrest,
and just describe what you mean by that. Who is it pinning you in and upon whose orders, sir?
WINE: Thank you very much. On the 14th of January immediately after casting my ballot, the military and the police surrounded my house and right from
the -- nobody was allowed to come in, and I also was blocked from leaving. Even when my wife tried to access the cabin to get some food she was
assaulted by the military.
This has been happening all along, I was blocked by the military from going about my campaign but because Museveni is aware that he lost this election
flat, and that is why I am being kept under immediate detention, and I am not allowed to meet with my family or I'm not allowed to meet my doctors
and all my lawyers have been kept away from meeting me.
ANDERSON: You say that you have an 18-month-old little one with you, and that you have no food. How are you coping? WINE: We actually, I posted a
picture of myself and my wife and the 18-month-old baby, and that is when the military allowed my lawyers to come in and evacuate the baby. So I'm
glad to inform the wife that the baby was evacuated yesterday when my lawyers were very briefly allowed to come in.
My lawyers also find before the high court case of habeas corpus until the court to order the military and the police to prevent my wife and me in
court if we have a kid to answer. And the court -- the high court of Uganda says that we will be coming on Monday whether or not we are allowed to
leave our home.
But in the meantime, our house is surrounded by hundreds of soldiers, and they have even jumped over the fence and have taken control of our
compound. Everybody tell us that my security guard was beaten and made to roll in the mud by the soldiers who are surrounding us and keeping us
captive.
ANDERSON: So, you are saying that on Monday, you expect to be taken to court to hear charges, is that what I understand? The line is not great.
Just explain what happens next as you understand it.
WINE: Sorry, the lines are breaking, and the internet is also blocked, and I hope you can hear me. I said that my lawyers took a case in court four
days ago, but the courts have said it will only deliver a judgment about my case on Monday.
My lawyers -- will challenge my detention in my house, because it is not anywhere anchored in the law. This detention in my house is illegal, and my
lawyers are questioning that if it is the case for me and my wife to answer then we should be presented before a competent court.
[11:25:00]
ANDERSON: Bobi Wine, people will be wondering as we speak if the internet is blocked and your phones are blocked, how was it that you were able to do
the Facebook live earlier.
WINE: Actually, the internet has been relived -- it has been restored in all of Uganda, but as soon as I started doing the Facebook live, it was cut
short because there are helicopters hovering around my compound. I was supposed to be doing this CNN interview on the Skype, but even Skype has
been cut off and the entire internet was cut off and that is why you cannot see me, and that is why I am doing this interview on the telephone.
And I am also using the telephone, because it is not known to the authorities and my real phone line and the phone line of my wife and the
house line have all been blocked.
ANDERSON: And I have to say viewers, Bobi Wine was supposed to be appearing by Skype today on this show, but it was impossible to get a decent shot up
on that facility. So, we are now speaking by phone.
Bobi CNN spoke to Museveni's Senior Press Secretary, Don Wanyama he implied that the president knows nothing about your detention, and he said that,
and I quote him here, why would he? Wanyama said stop Musevenizing everything, talk to the police. Do you believe that?
WINE: Well, in Uganda, everything is -- of General Museveni. All the state institutions have been taken over by General Museveni. The police, the
military, the media, and every state institution including the court of law, and that is why there is saying there is an order from above.
No institution is independent, and that is why the police are waiting for orders whether or not to follow the law, and otherwise if the police were
supposed to keep law and order like it was mandated by the law, then the police would have taken me in legal detention facility, because my house is
not a designated detention center.
And indeed, the court seems to be waiting for the orders of General Museveni, because if that was the case, then the court would not wait for
eight days of my detention. They would have done their noble duty. But no institution seems to be watching everything begins and ends with General
Museveni because it is his order that work in Uganda and not the law.
ANDERSON: Jake Sullivan, the National Security Adviser for the new U.S. President Joe Biden has criticized what is happening to you. He said,
"After this flawed election, the world is watching". The EU and several human rights have called for a probe into the election. You maintain this
election was rigged. What evidence do you have of that you can share with us?
WINE: Thank you. With the internet blocked out and General Museveni is sure that the election is carried out in the dark and the United States and the
European Union, we are blocked from the election. We were able to obtain outstanding and very, very strong evidence that we have a declaration from
that was the Electoral Commission announced as a final result.
We're not anywhere near the reality that took place, and we have proof -- declaration of results from proving that we indeed defeated General
Museveni by far. And we have also very, very many videos that show the military stealing ballots and stuffing them in the boxes.
We have videos of the military putting voters in gun point and ordering them to pick General Museveni not speaking in secret but speaking on the
boxes and on the desks when everybody was watching. We also have video of the military and police -- away our agents from the polling stations--
ANDERSON: Bobi Wine, let me just stop you there for a moment, because I do want to just ask you this one question and I am running out of time here,
and I worry that your phone will go down. There has been criticism by the Ugandan government of the U.S. meddling in Uganda's internal politics, what
do you say to that?
[11:30:00]
WINE: Well, General Museveni does not want any international scrutiny. He does not want any human rights claims. When the United States is sponsoring
the military, that is OK, but when they're calling to account of human right, then he does not want to hear that.
I must also use this opportunity to mention that there is every effort by the armed forces and the police to block us from challenging this election
in court that is why they are going around objecting and arresting all our agents.
And that is why they are keeping me under house arrest to make sure that they provide the time where we are not where we are supposed to challenge
this fraudulent election in court that's why they're holding me under house arrest. They don't want me to challenge this court. They don't want me to
raise any challenge until the time is out.
ANDERSON: Bobi Wine, live on the phone from what he describes as house arrest in Uganda. You are watching CNN and we will be right back after
this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: We are breaking injustice last hour, the U.S. congress is now on track to begin the impeachment trial of Former President Donald Trump, and
that is early next week. I just want to give you the most detailed outline of what we have at this point, and what could happen next in the trial
according to multiple Democratic sources talking to CNN.
As we broke view on Monday, the article will be read in the Senate by the House impeachment managers come Tuesday afternoon, and the presiding
officers possibly including Supreme Court Justice Roberts and members of the jury will be sworn in, and then on Wednesday arguments could begin.
It is possible that the trial could be delayed if there is a deal between Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell. They are the Majority and the Minority
Leaders of course in the House of the two respective parties. Well, how long will all of this last?
That is an open question that many believe it will be shorter than Mr. Trump's first trial, and you remember that one back a year ago which took
21 days. It all depends on the questions asked and whether or not witnesses are called?
But as the impeachment proceedings are move along some conservatives are concerned about the damage done to their party by Former President Trump.
May include my next guest who wrote in the Chicago Tribute almost everything Trump did in four years, tax cuts, restrictions on Obama -- can
be undone either immediately or over time, what can't be undone is his stain on the party.
[11:35:00]
ANDERSON: S.E. Cupp is a CNN Political Commentator and a conservative she joins us from Darien in Connecticut. A stain on the party and on the
country no less, S.E., how does the GOP move forwards at this point, and surely the impeachment trial now scheduled to begin next week might be an
opportunity to show that it does actually work as a party?
S.E. CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well Becky, I think that the first step for Republicans would be to acknowledge that Trump was very bad for
the party, and you can do that just by looking at pretty easy metrics. For example, he lost the White House.
Republicans lost the Senate and the House in this past election cycle, but you can also look at his record. A lot of the things that he promised to
do, he didn't. As I pointed out in the column, a lot of the things that he did can be undone very quickly by Joe Biden to the Democrats' delight.
You can also go back and look at any number of hideous, immoral, unethical and corrupt acts he committed while president, and ask yourself were
Republicans right to get in bed with him and defend him as long as they did? But Becky, there is no indication yet, that the Republicans feel
chastened by Trump's legacy and that might take some time.
But I have absolutely no sense of, you know, expectations that Republicans in enough number will vote to convict Donald Trump, you know, over the
course of this impeachment.
ANDERSON: Well, it would as far as the Democrats are concerned it would help if Mitch McConnell who is now of course the Minority Senate Leader
chooses to vote to convict. Democrats hoping that should he do that and he has made some noise about certainly considering that, that might help to
bring along the other 16 Republican Senators that are needed for a 2/3 majority.
Have a listen though to what now Minority Senate Leader Mitch McConnell had to say, and I want you and our viewers just too sort of consider the tone
here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): On the Biden Administration's very first day, it took several big steps in the wrong direction. There is still plenty of
time for President Biden to remember that he does not owe his election to the far left.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Biden has been calling for unity, and he says that this country needs to heal. When you listen to Mitch McConnell there, it certainly
doesn't suggest that the Republican leaders are ready to answer that call, does it? CUPP: No. I mean, some of this is Republican posturing, and I
wouldn't expect anything different. I would not expect the Republicans to come in and say, what a great first week it has been for Joe Biden and the
Democrats.
But on the other hand, yes, you would think considering there's only a 50/50 split in congress, that there would be some opportunities to come
together in a desire by Republicans to be seen as good government and facilitating good government.
But there is such tribalism in this country right now, and the parties are so intractably committed to their extremes that Joe Biden might want to
unite the country, but that feeling might not be mutual.
ANDERSON: So, I guess it does beg this question, doesn't it, now that we know that this trial will begin next week. Do you think that there is a
chance for Senators in the party to distance themselves from the former president?
CUPP: To me, I mean that would be a little too little too late, but certainly important. While I'm pretty cynical as I said about the courage
in the Republican Party right now, you know, the legacy of Senators is not written in pencil. They are written in ink, and Senators understand the
weight of history's eye on them right now.
You know, it is painful for me to say, but Republicans are on the wrong side of history when it comes to Donald Trump. They have been since 2015
when they nominated him, and 2016 when they elected him, and over the course of the course of the past four years when they defended him.
And so, to defend him while he is out of office would seem a pretty deleterious thing to do both for the party and the country. But again, I
have no expectations that they will do anything less.
ANDERSON: S.E. Cupp in the house, we appreciate it thank you.
CUPP: Thank you.
[11:40:00]
ANDERSON: I'm going to get you some sad news from the world of sports. Just in, baseball legend Henry Hank Aaron has died at the age of 86. Hammering
Hank rose to fame by breaking more than a dozen baseball records. The biggest one was his 715th home run which broke Babe Ruth's record.
He faced racism in what was his phenomenal career, but that did not stop him from becoming one of the game's most enthusiastic ambassadors. No word
yet on the cause of death. You are watching CNN I'll be back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, the International Olympic Committee or the IOC confirms to CNN reports that the Tokyo Olympic games will have to be canceled are
categorically untrue. This Saturday marks just six months until the games begin.
They had been of course postponed since last year over the pandemic, and a little over two weeks ago, Tokyo entered the state of emergency as the
COVID-19 cases soared to their highest levels since the pandemic began. Well, as our Selina Wang reports a lot is at stake for Japan including
billions of dollars and national pride.
SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Six months until the Tokyo Olympics, the outlook is grim. The host city in a state of emergency, Japan is struggling
with the severe surge in COVID-19 cases. Speculation grows around whether the games can be held in the middle of a pandemic?
"The Times of London" reports the Japanese government has privately concluded that the Tokyo Olympics will have to be canceled citing an
unnamed senior government official that international and Japanese Olympics committees called the report preposterous and categorically untrue. Earlier
on Friday Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga reaffirmed his commitment to hold the games as scheduled.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YOSHIHIDE SUGA, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER: It will be a symbol of humanity overcoming the novel Coronavirus. We will be well prepared on the measures
for the infection.
WANG (voice-over): But Dick Pound the longest serving member of the International Olympic Committee is not 100 percent sure.
DICK POUND, INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE MEMBER: --confident not -- it is not a guarantee of course and everyone understands that.
WANG (voice-over): Cancellation would be a crippling scenario for Japan; more than $25 billion spent in national pride are on the line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WANG (on camera): I am at the top of Shibuya Scramble Square a new state- of-the-art skyscraper built in anticipation for the Olympics, and in fact, this entire Shibuya district has been getting a complete makeover. New
buildings, landscaping and even new subway lines for years Tokyo has been redeveloping waiting to show all of this off to an influx of tourists for
the Olympics.
[11:45:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WANG (voice-over): This is a souvenir shop in this tower, and he said without the Olympics and the tourists, it would dramatically hurt our
business. It is clear the games will not bring the economic boost Japan was hoping for. Do you think athletes should be required to get vaccinated?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I certainly would recommend it. I mean, you have to be crazy not to take whatever mitigation steps you can.
WANG (voice-over): Meanwhile, public support has fallen dramatically. 77 percent of people in Japan think that games should be cancelled or further
postponed. According to a poll my national broadcaster NHK -- a member of an anti-Olympics group argues that games are a wasteful spectacle.
She said the government is obsessed with hosting the Olympics and it is becoming clear during this Coronavirus disaster that the Olympics would
sacrifice people's lives. Japan's Prime Minister says that the summer games will bring hope and courage to the world. A lot of that courage will be
needed as each day the July 23rd opening day grows closer and each day more fall sick with COVID-19. Salina Wang, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, my next guest she thinks we should all be playing our part, and that all elite sports need to reassess if we are making the safest
decisions. Joining me now is Olympic Gymnast Becky Downie, great choice by the way from your parents on your name. And you say that the games should
not go ahead in their current format, explain what you mean?
BECKY DOWNIE, OLYMPIC GYMNAST: I just think that people's health and safety should really be the priority and for me I've always put my fans sporting
career above anything. These times are just very, very unprecedented and very different.
And for us, personally, as well, we have had a family member be really, really unwell with COVID, and I think it really puts into perspective what
is important? And I would love more than anything for the games to go ahead. I mean, it is what I put my heart and soul into for the last four
years especially well, five now, as long as it is done in the safest possible way, I think.
ANDERSON: Which means what? I am just wondering, what you mean by safest possible way? Can you conceive at the moment of games for example with an
audience?
DOWNIE: Right now, I can't to be honest. I don't think it would be smart to bring the whole world together. It is difficult as well, because it is not
just a one-sport event the Olympic is, but it is multi-sport, and as I said, it is the whole world.
So it is really difficult as an athlete to kind of see what the games could even really look like right now especially as every country is handling it
all so differently. And for now, I am just trying to be hopeful that maybe it can, but I feel like I'm also really trying to prepare myself in case
the worst happens as well and it can't go ahead.
ANDERSON: Yes, I want to talk about how this has affected your training? But Saturday, tomorrow, marks six months until the games are meant to
start. What communication if any are you and other athletes getting from the IOC out of interest?
DOWNIE: In times of like personal contact not really very much, for us it is more dealing well at least for me as a gymnast, the governing body and
kind of going through the direction of them of how we continue to keep preparing and -- we're just trying to keep preparing as best we can, until
any type of decision is made.
And we have the good days and we have our bad days, like it is very hard to keep training at such a high and maximal capacity for something that is a
little bit up in the air. And for us, we can always prepare for a competition, and knowing that, you know, you could potentially get injured
and you could not make it.
But you never expect the date to change, whereas, right now, we have been just trying to prepare for games like we have trials that we are looking at
doing, and the European Championships and its like that they are going to happen or not, and it is really hard, but we are just trying to take it one
day at a time, and enjoy it while it was -- we are able to train as well, and we are really grateful that we actually still can do that at the
moment.
ANDERSON: And I do want to talk about how you're keeping up with this training and how it has been affected by COVID-19? I know your dad
experienced COVID-19, and I just wonder what his experience was like and how that has had an impact on you and what you are trying to do every day
to get yourself fit and ready?
DOWNIE: Yes, so the biggest impact probably for training-wise is last summer we had three months completely at home training. For me, I would
never ever take more than once two weeks off in a year. So that was definitely a challenge.
[11:50:00]
DOWNIE: But I think I also used my experience of my career of having different periods of being out injured and not being able to do a lot of
gymnastics. And I kind of used all of that knowledge and skill to replicate my strength and conditioning as best I could at home, and I was quite
confident in that being able to come back and come back well.
And I managed to do that over the last summer, so I was -- that work, but at the end of last year, my dad did come back down Coronavirus and he was
in the hospital for a week. But we had a full weekend where it was like two to three days where he was not showing any signs of improvement, and he
ticked a lot of high-risk boxes.
He also caught pneumonia when it really kind of put into perspective that this number that kind of we keep seeing on the TV it is not just around a
number its people are losing loved ones and I think can tell -- you really go through the worst of it.
You can get quite complacent with the virus and I think even myself, I probably was before thinking if I got it, it might not be that bad and just
kind of happy that I could still go into the gym, and my life didn't change that much.
But you have to appreciate that some people's lives really have been incredibly affected by this virus, and there are people that have not and
aren't still surviving it, so we have got to be really mindful of that.
And I think if the games can happen, as I said, if they can find a way to safely do it, I am 100 percent all in and very excited if that can happen,
but I think it has just got to be people's safety has got to be prioritized before any kind of sport and competition takes place I think.
ANDERSON: Yes. Well, it is good to hear you saying this, and it makes a lot of sense. Our love to your dad I hope he is doing all right. And listen,
let's keep in touch. At present, the organizing committee says that it is complete nonsense effectively; they categorically deny that these games
will be postponed again the Japanese saying that these games will go ahead let's see. Thank you for joining us and keep up the good work. Up next--
DOWNIE: Thank you very much.
ANDERSON: We are looking ahead to the British Prime Minister's live COVID briefing set for the top of the hour as the U.K. talks the about its next
move to stop the COVID variant. Details on that are just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, COVID restrictions across Europe are getting tougher from stricter mask mandates in France to a tighter lockdown in Portugal aimed at
keeping what is this small contagious variant or variants of the virus from spreading.
New strains have emerged in South Africa, Brazil, and in the U.K. Well, that is also got Britain talking about taking tougher action as its COVID
death toll n ears a staggering 95,000. The U.K. Environment Secretary says that government is now considering fully closing the border. Prime Minister
Boris Johnson expected to give a COVID update at the top of the hours that we will bring to you live.
Well, before we close out this hour, I just want to close on a pair of mittens that left everyone smitten. Jeanne Moos shows Bernie Sanders'
grumpy chic fashion statement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): People gushed about Michelle Obama's outfit.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I just remark of how flawless Michelle Obama, is?
MOOS (voice-over): Some even gushed about the $2000 sneakers worn by an in law of Vice President Kamala Harris.
[11:55:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rocking some do your, air Jordan's, it amazing, amazing.
MOOS (voice-over): But none of that gushing came close to the gushers of memes inspired by Bernie Sanders for what was dubbed his grumpy chic look.
It was just something about the pose, the mittens, and the social distance.
One company is already rushing to turn Bernie into a bubble head. His image is on a set of birch coasters, selling for a night 11.99 on ETSY. He's been
transferred to Forrest Gump's bench behind the resolute desk seated in the "Game of Thrones", thrown. Appropriately dressed for crossing the Delaware
or less heroically--
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An old man on his way to the post office. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As if he had an appointment at the DMV.
JEN ELLIS, MADE MITTENS FOR SENATOR SANDERS: I gave those mittens to Bernie as a gift just expecting nothing in return. And I think it's beautiful that
they've gone so far.
MOOS (voice-over): They are made out of old wool sweaters with fleece from recycled plastic. Sadly, I have no more mittens for sale Jen Ellis tweeted
after a flood of requests. Maybe the look isn't everyone's cup of tea. Maybe he'll never be described as--
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely flawless.
MOOS (voice-over): But Bernie saw no flaws in his inaugural look. Coming from Vermont--
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): We know something about the cold. We're not so concerned about good fashioned. We want to keep warm.
MOOS (voice-over): Bernie is in just warm, he's hot, capable of making pottery and love mittens. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We're waiting for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to speak about the COVID situation in the U.K. continues to get worst we'll bring
you that as it happens. Do stay with us here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
