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Connect the World
Committee Highlights Actions of Two Extremist Groups; Biden Struggling for Proper Support on Migrant Issue; Putin Justifies Ukraine Invasion by Invoking Peter the Great; U.S. House Panel Lays Out Case Against Donald Trump; Arwa Damon's Incredible 18-Year Career at CNN; Marriage Proposal Interrupted. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired June 10, 2022 - 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)
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN, London. This is "Connect the World" with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, this hour historic hearings the January 6th Committee has made its primetime case to the
public with new evidence but one of the worst attacks in American history was in fact, no accident. I'm Becky Anderson. Hello and welcome back to
"Connect the World".
And the case against Donald Trump laid out in stark terms at times excruciating detail in the first U.S. House hearing, looking into the
horrors of January 6th, 2021. The Committee's Chairman calling that day last year the culmination of an attempted coup and Trump's "Last stand".
The Vice Chair a member of the Former President's own party, accusing him of summoning and assembling the mob, and then lighting the flame that sent
them storming into the Capitol building.
Just reflect on some of that for a moment. All of this backed up by startling never before shown video of the violence that day. Let's start
this part of the show with Pamela Brown, who takes us through what the Committee is calling Trump's seven point plans to subvert democracy and
remain in power.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAMELA BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Chilling new aerial footage showing the moment protesters breached the Capitol grounds on January 6th.
The new video part of the debut primetime hearing of the Select Committee investigating the January 6th Capital attack.
REP. BENNIE THOMPSON (D-MS): Donald Trump, the President of the United States, spurred a mob of domestic enemies of the Constitution to march down
the Capitol and subvert American democracy.
BROWN (voice over): The focus immediately turned into the role of the former president in those crucial hours when a mob descended on the
Capitol.
REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): President Trump's summoned of the mob, assembled the mob and lit the flame of this attack.
BROWN (voice over): Committee Vice Chair Republican Representative Liz Cheney referencing then President Trump's alleged seven points plans to
overturn the 2020 election. Well, a committee source that included possibly replacing the Acting Attorney General and instructing state officials to
create false electors.
CHENEY: Aware of the rioters' chance to hang Mike Pence, the President responded with this sentiment, "Maybe our supporters have the right idea".
Mike Pence "Deserves it".
BROWN (voice over): Testimony also revealed that it was Pence who called Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley, demanding that the
National Guard defend the Capitol.
Milley had further testified that the President's Chief of Staff called him to say that they needed to dispel the narrative that the President was not
taking action.
GEN. MARK MILLEY, CHAIRMAN, U.S. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: We need to establish the American that the President is still in charge. Things are
steady or stable. I immediately interpret that as politics, politics and politics. Red flags for me personally no action. But I remember distinctly.
BROWN (voice over): Previously recorded testimony from Former Attorney General Bill Barr disputed the President's claims of election fraud was
played.
BILL BARR, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: I made it clear I did not agree with the idea of saying the election was stolen and putting out this stuff
which I told the President was bullshit.
BROWN (voice over): That was enough to convince the president's daughter and Former Adviser Ivanka Trump.
IVANKA TRUMP, DAUGHTER OF DONALD TRUMP: I respect Attorney General Barr. So I accepted what he was saying.
BROWN (voice over): The Committee says the President had been told by at least four close aides that he had lost reelection testimony played reveals
that at least one individual associated with the campaign even told him he was likely to lose the election.
JASON MILLER, FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISER: At some point in the conversation - who was the lead data person was brought on and I remember
he delivered to the President pretty blunt terms that he was going to lose.
BROWN (voice over): The Committee placed a huge emphasis on the role of two extremist groups, the Proud Boys and the Oathkeepers. Both groups were
visibly present at the Capitol on January 6th, and were some of the first to break into the Capitol building.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am not allowed to say what's going to happen today. Because everyone's just going to have to watch for themselves but it's
going to happen.
BROWN (voice over): Never before seen security footage from inside Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's Office shows the moment
everyone fled the scene. A GOP source with direct knowledge says McCarthy's staff was scared that day and Cheney stated that McCarthy was calling
Trump's allies and family members to try to persuade the president to intervene.
[11:05:00]
BROWN (voice over): Now McCarthy along with several other GOP members of Congress, have refused to comply with requests to testify before the
Committee.
REP. ELAINE LURIA (D-VA): He's patently embarrassing himself. If he were truly a leader within the House, he would want to get to the truth in the
facts, which is where he started, but somewhere he went off the rails on that.
BROWN (voice over): The Committee also claims that multiple Republican lawmakers, including Representative Scott Perry, were advocating for
pardons in the final weeks of the administration. The Committee also heard live testimony from Documentarian Nick Quested and Capitol Police Officer
Caroline Edwards, who were both on the ground.
Many Capitol Officers were in attendance, watching on as one of their own testified about the extensive injuries she sustained as one of the first
officers on the scene.
CAROLINE EDWARDS, U.S. CAPITOL POLICE OFFICER: What I saw was just a war scene. I saw friends with blood all over their faces. I was slipping in
people's blood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, that was Pamela Brown reporting. Jessica Schneider is joining us from Washington. This was day one, Jessica? What are the
Committee's ultimate goals here?
JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well Becky, they've been clear about this. They're really aimed at laying out this case against the
Former President Trump and potentially issuing criminal referrals from the Justice Department that will decide the officials there will decide whether
to prosecute Trump for conspiracy or maybe obstruction of Congress, or even possibly whether to charge any of the officials around him who played any
sort of role?
But that is a big if at this point; we don't know what justice will do, if anything. So for now, what the Committee is trying to do, they're looking
to lay out all the evidence they've collected over the past year of their investigation, and they're putting it forward now in almost episodic form.
We saw the first episode yesterday.
New details will come in the hearings next week. We'll start Monday and continue on Wednesday. They've started here with the broad themes. Their
contention is that Trump knew his election fraud claims are false. He was the one who organized these violent plans to take shape, if not explicitly
than by the messages that he sent to these extremist groups.
And in the coming hearings, the Committee has teased, they'll unveil even more evidence showing how Trump did not do anything to stop this violence.
In fact, the Vice Chair Liz Cheney, there she teased last night that they'll detail how Trump did - how he "Lit the fuse" for the riot with his
lie of that stolen election?
And they've really also started laying the groundwork here for how top officials repeatedly told Trump there was no evidence of widespread
election fraud. We saw it in a clip last night from the Former Attorney General Bill Barr. We also saw Trump aides who told the President he just
didn't have the votes to win.
And even the President's Daughter Ivanka said she believed what her father was being told that there was no election fraud. You know, Trump fired back
actually, just a little while ago on his social media channel. He said that Ivanka was as he called it totally checked out, didn't know what was going
on as sort of way to push back and some of her testimony that was released last night.
And Becky, the Committee here is also focusing on extremist groups. They stormed the Capitol first, these people from the Oathkeepers and Proud
Boys. And in the coming hearings, it's likely they'll look to answer really that broad question that hasn't been answered in full yet. How planned was
their attack from these extremist group groups? And was Trump even linked to these extremists?
So Becky, a lot of outstanding questions here, and the Committee will do all they can to try to answer these questions and put forward even more
evidence to the American people and beyond in the hearings to come. We continue next week on Monday at 10 am Becky.
ANDERSON: You talked about how Donald Trump has responded to the hearing on his social media platform? He went on to say our country is in such
trouble. Let's be absolutely clear. There was no evidence of systematic voter fraud in the 2020 election. Let's be quite clear about that. What
further can we expect to hear if anything from those who oppose these hearings?
SCHNEIDER: From Republicans? I mean, Republicans have actually been really outspoken it was kind of a split screen scenario last night, when
Republicans in Congress, also former aides to President Trump, they went on Fox News, mostly to kind of blast these hearings.
I think some Republicans were spouting off that while they're having all these hearings on something that happened 18 months ago, why aren't they
having hearings on inflation and gas prices that have skyrocketed? So that's their message.
Their message is why are we focusing on something that happened 18 months ago, that really wasn't a big deal in their words? Where the Democrats on
the Committee and by the way there are two Republicans on this Committee their messages we need to expose what happened. [11:10:00]
SCHNEIDER: We need to examine it. We need to take a hard look at it and let the American people know in full what happened? So we can prevent anything
like this from happening in the future in future elections to come, Becky.
ANDERSON: Jessica Schneider is on the story. And as Jess was suggesting this continues Monday next week. Thank you. Well in meantime current U.S.
President carrying on with the business of leading hosting the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. It hasn't been without controversy.
Mr. Biden said he hadn't had time to watch Thursday's hearing. But before the hearing started, he did offer some thoughts about the events of January
6th, here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I think, clear, flagrant violation of the Constitution. I think these guys who - broke the
law tried to turn around and result in an election. And there are a lot of questions who's responsible? Who's involved?
I'm not going to make a judgment on that. But I just want to know that, don't you know that we're going to probably be a lot of Americans are going
to be saved for the first time some of the detail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That's Joe Biden ahead of what were the first of these congressional hearings. At that Summit, Mr. Biden, dealing with the fallout
from excluding several nations, the Argentine President joined believes in criticizing the U.S. for leaving out Cuba and Venezuela. The U.S. had
declined to invite those countries along with Nicaragua because of their human rights records and autocratic governments.
Meanwhile, one of the major topics on the agenda for Mr. Biden, if not, the major topic is the migration crisis gripping the region. He says he'll
speak more about that today. CNN White House Correspondent Arlette Saenz joining me now live from Los Angeles.
And this is - this is front and center, isn't it as far as the U.S. President is concerned? And we expect to hear him lay out more about how
the U.S. suggests the migration issue might be tackled? What sort of substance can we expect at this point?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well Becky, migration continues to be one of those issues the administration is grappling with as
large numbers of migrants continue to come through the U.S./Mexico border, including a caravan traveling this very week around the Summit of the
Americas from Southern Mexico up towards the Northern part of the country of up to 5000 people.
Now the Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told our colleague Priscilla Alvarez, that they are engaging in an unprecedented campaign to
try to tackle these issues of migrations that DHS has pointed to nearly 20,000 "Disruption Actions" that includes arrests and prosecutions as well
as seizure of property and other criminal investigation.
And in fact, over the course of the past eight weeks, the U.S. has arrested nearly 2000 smugglers that is a 600 percent increase of similar actions
taken against similar individuals over the course of the past few years.
Now, in addition to the steps that the U.S. is taking at the Summit of the Americas later today, the U.S. and other countries are expected to sign on
to a regional partnership dealing with the issue of migration, they will be signing a declaration which will include a calling for establishing and
stepping up the asylum process in various countries as well as expanding temporary worker programs.
But one thing that a senior administration official, who was previewing this declaration, was unable to do was name how many countries exactly will
be signing on to this migration declaration? The U.S. is hoping that this will be one of the symbols of unity coming out of this summit, which at
times has appeared fractured as you had spoken about earlier several leaders criticized the U.S. for excluding autocratic leaders from Cuba,
Nicaragua and Venezuela from attending the summit.
The U.S. has been trying to put forth some deliverables when it comes to climate migration and economic issues to try to show that the substance of
the summit has not been affected. But that exclusion of those countries has really loomed large over the summit as countries like Mexico decided not to
attend.
And as President Biden sat in a room with those very leader, several of them who were criticizing him for excluding those countries from the summit
here in Los Angeles.
ANDERSON: Arlette, good to have you thank you! Well, to tackle the influx of people arriving at the U.S. southern border Mr. Biden needs the
cooperation of regional leaders, of course, but as we've been discussing, some have not been invited to the summit, while others like the Mexican
President have refused to attend.
And that makes this humanitarian crisis all the more difficult to address. CNN's Matt Rivers says this report from the border.
[11:15:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT RIVERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): So this is the entrance to one of the busiest migrant shelters along the entire
U.S./Mexico border. This place is called the - shelter it's in Tijuana, Mexico, and it is jam packed with people more than 400 people are staying
here at the moment.
It certainly is not designed to house that many people. They're all over the place. Migrants - people are, you know, crowding this entire area, this
building to your left has two floors; people are staying in both sides there. There are basically kitchens that are set up in various parts.
Everyone's trying to help each other out to really just survive here in Tijuana, Mexico.
This kind of a scene, overcrowded migrant shelters is something that we've been seeing a lot over the past couple of years but specifically in the
last few months, the number of people arriving all across the U.S./Mexico border from other parts of the world. Those numbers have been staggering as
of late.
I mean, we can show you down here, you know, this is a permanent fixed facility. And yet these tents were just put up over the past couple of
months to accommodate some of the overflow. People have come here from all over the world, everywhere from Haiti to Venezuela, and then to countries
in Central America.
For example, people have come here from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, even other parts of Mexico and I specifically mentioned those four
countries because the Biden Administration had really hoped that the presidents of those four countries El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and
Mexico would all be attending the currently ongoing Summit of the Americas in California right now.
And yet the presidents of all four of those countries declined to attend. The Biden Administration and hope those leaders would show up to try and
tackle issues like immigration without those presidents there it gives you some sense of how much more difficult it will be for the Biden
Administration for President Biden and his staff to comprehensively discuss issues surrounding immigration at this summit, a real challenge for the
administration Matt Rivers, CNN Tijuana, Mexico.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, coming up on "Connect the World" with me Becky Anderson, the U.S. House panel made the American people relive painful memories of
the attack on the U.S. Capitol last year. They make their case against Donald Trump; a legal analysis is just ahead. And Vladimir Putin comparing
himself to Peter the Great, I'll be talking to an expert about what appears to be the Russian Presidents all conquering imperial mentality that is up
next.
(COMMERCIAL BRAEK)
ANDERSON: Well, no sign of a let up. Ukrainian officials say the brutal street by street battle for the City of Severodonetsk is raging on they are
calling the situation in the eastern city very tense. But they say that even though the Russians are heavily using artillery Moscow isn't it having
any real success there.
[11:20:00]
ANDERSON: And as Ukraine fights to hold on to key frontline cities the Kremlin struggling to provide basic public services in where are these
occupied territories that is according to the British intelligence, which also says that Mariupol runs the risk of a Cholera outbreak.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is coming under more scrutiny than ever after he likened himself to Peter the Great. Putin comparing his unprovoked
war in Ukraine to the Russian Monet's 18th century war with Sweden, he argues that in both conflicts, Russia was recovering its own territory.
Well, my next guest is the Author of the Book, "The Romanovs Obviously: The story of Russia and its empire 1613 through 1918" making him just the right
person to speak about all of this Simon Sebag Montefiore joins me here in CNN's, London studio.
President Putin invoking Peter the Great as he draws parallels to the Ukraine war, which has many concerned about his ambitions, let's just
explore who Peter the Great was?
SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE, AUTHOR. THE ROMANOVS: Peter, the Great was Russia as great as Czar. He was the first Emperor of Russia, he really invented
modern Russia, he reformed it, and he made it into a modern country.
And he won really the kind of key victory that created what became the Russian Empire, or he made the Russian Empire which was it pulled together
defeating the Swedish invaders, taking the whole Baltic, suborning, suppressing Poland into a client state, and then found in St. Petersburg.
So he's really the Czar that every Russian ruler wants to be, you know, he was possessed the three key things for any politician, you know, he had the
vision, he had the acumen, and he had the resources to do it. And so, everybody from Nicolas I Nicolas II and of course, Putin wants to be Peter
the Great.
ANDERSON: Which does seem remarkable, because Romanov family, of course, was the last Imperial Dynasty to rule Russia? Does Putin invoking Peter the
Great square with the man who grew up in the USSR?
MONTEFIORE: Well, I think it very much does, because Stalin, for example, really compared himself to these Czars figures Ivan the Terrible, and above
all, Peter the Great, who was a sort of revolutionary character.
So he was there was a cult of Peter the Great even under Stalin and the Soviet Union. And of course, the Soviet Union was just another version in
some ways of the Russian Empire, the same space, the same territories. And in fact, Starling expanded it to an even greater extent than Peter the
Great did.
ANDERSON: Peter the Great, Russian rule, what happened in Russia during that time?
MONTEFIORE: Well, Peter the Great was incredibly ruthless character and because he was a reformer, we slightly naive in the West, and he's a rather
attractive character. In fact, he was terrifying.
You know, he was six foot six, and twitching face he had epileptic fits, and he was quite happy to talk to anybody. He tortured his own son to
death, which is quite an inconvenient thing to do in an absolute monarchy, because no one there was anyone to succeed him.
But he regularly took part in torture of his opponents. He regularly beat his own henchmen with his stick. I mean, he was all together terrifying
dictator, but incredibly efficient, really an extraordinarily talented statesman.
ANDERSON: So when you heard President Putin invoking Peter the Great in his speech last night, what did you think? What's your assessment of what he
meant and what his ambitions might be at this point?
MONTEFIORE: Well, I wasn't surprised. But I think this is the gloves are off. And this is the real thing now we're getting which is that, you know a
lot of the complaints. Yes, there are complaints about America about the expansion of NATO.
But this is really ultra-nationalism. Based on history, Putin has spent a lot of time reading these history books, clearly in lockdown. And of
course, any Russian leader identifies channels and sort of worships Peter the Great, the most successful.
Now Peter the Great, you know, as I said, in expanded Russia enormously, one of the things he did was, he crushed Ukraine as well. He destroyed
Marzipan, the Ukrainian Hetman. So he has Ukrainian form as well. He lost his first battle.
It took him 20 years to win the war against Sweden finally. So you know, there's also - there's also that and I'm sure that Putin is that's one
another reason Putin is studying Peter the Great. So, the real essence of it, though, is that no one is safe.
Anything that's been under Russian power, Putin, you know, dreams of retaking and that includes the Baltic's that includes Poland. I don't think
Sweden and Finland should be too terrified but for the other ex-Soviet territories this is a wakeup call and this is what he really thinks.
[11:25:00]
ANDERSON: He has form so should we be surprised that this - what we're hearing now may inform our thinking about what his ambitions might be?
MONTEFIORE: I don't think we should be surprised for the reason that every Russian Leader just studies Peter the Great. And it's just a sign that
Putin no longer regard himself a mere temporary director of Russia.
I mean, first of all, he regards himself as a Czar. And actually, when you talk to people around Putin, when you talk to his ministers, when you talk
to people that know him; for example, in the West we're always kind of thinking like.
You know, we used to argue endlessly how rich was Putin? And I remember asking one of his top ministers about that, and he just said, like, you're
crazier than the West are arguing and stuff. He's bizarre. He owns everything. And of course, Putin has regularly talked in private about -
about, you know, identifying with these great figures from Russian history.
Nicholas I particularly Alexander III, and above all, Stalin and Peter the Great because those are the two most successful, ruthless but successful
empire builders of Russian history.
ANDERSON: Super to have you on. Simon, thank you.
MONTEFIORE: Thank you very much.
ANDERSON: British media reporting, the UK's home off it says five asylum seekers fighting their deportation from the UK to Rwanda will now not be
sent to the African country. Those flights are set to begin next week.
A group of UK human rights groups in a Civil Service Trade Union filed for an injunction to stop deportation of these asylum seekers. Britain is
hoping that these deportations will deter others from making what is a dangerous crossing by boat.
You're watching "Connect the World" with me Becky Anderson out of London today with the time is just before half past four. Still ahead, police
officers who experienced the storming of the U.S. Capitol last year forced to relive those traumatic moments. And for American consumers that is 1981
all over again and that is not a good thing, more on rising inflation, a steep jump in prices, and falling stocks after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: All right record gas prices in the U.S. mean that Americans are paying more for almost everything a new government report there shows
consumer prices rose even more than expected last month 8.6 percent for the 12 months that ended May and that is among the biggest spikes in more than
40 years.
[11:30:00]
ANDERSON: Believe me investors on Wall Street are not happy with the news U.S. stock indices have been falling sharply since the markets opened this
morning. Down where you can see the NASDAQ down there more than 3.5 percent the other two are more than two.
CNN's Rahel Solomon is in New York with the detail. We shouldn't be surprised that these numbers are high. We know gasoline prices have been
driving these spikes, but just by how much? We were considering until we got these numbers which are higher than expected Rahel?
RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Higher than expected for sure, Becky? Yes. You know, here in the U.S. gas prices is among the top stories
practically every day, as it appeared at least for the last month or so that we hit pretty much new records every day.
And so no surprise that in today's inflation report that was reflected energy prices coming in 3.9 percent higher than a month ago, 34.6 percent
higher than a year ago, and gasoline higher by 48.7 percent.
Take a look at this tweet Becky, as we try to understand truly the impact of energy prices on inflation. So the Council of Economic Affairs,
essentially saying that energy prices rose by 3.9 percent. As I just said, adding around 32 basis points to monthly inflation in May food added
another 16 basis points IE 0.32 percent to monthly inflation. And point 0.16 percent, giving you about half a percent.
Becky, inflation rose about 1 percent monthly. So that's the point that the White House is trying to make that month-over-month, prices rose about 1
percent and as we just explained food and energy responsible for about half of that.
So the impact to energy commodities, the impact of food prices really being felt, and inflation and really just sort of top line inflation. 8.6
percent, much higher than many were expected some saying today, this is just downright ugly.
ANDERSON: And so we have Central Banks, not just in the U.S. of course, but around the world. Let me just bring up some of the global inflation numbers
for our viewers. 7.8 percent India 7.8 percent UK 8.1 percent in the Euro Zone.
Look 73.5 percent Turkey is actually a sort of, you know, unique outlier to a certain extent. But the picture overall is pretty lousy everywhere. And
it's got the Central bankers wondering what they should or can do with monetary policy?
And government around the world working out what they can do with fiscal policy at this point, because as we can see, from the reaction on these
markets, investors are wondering what happens next? And what we are facing down the road? Is it clear at this point?
SOLOMON: Well, it's becoming clearer that the Fed may have to do more, right? As it tries to cool inflation and cool the economy that's sort of
the way it's going to have to do it. And the way it does that is by raising rates.
We're going to hear, by the way from the Federal Reserve next week on Thursday, I believe is when we hear from Chairman Jerome Powell. But the
expectation Becky had already been that we were going to see rate hikes of about half a percent in the next two meetings.
And the June meeting and the July meeting, but there was some hope, perhaps amongst some at least that the September meeting, we would see interest
rate hikes of maybe 0.25 percent after today's report, it's becoming increasingly clearer the Fed may have to raise rates by another half a
percent.
And so the concern that we're seeing here in the market, Becky, is that the Fed is going to have to do more, it's going to have to be more aggressive
and the concern that may tip us into a recession.
ANDERSON: Because they would normally do this to avoid the overheating of an economy. But of course, we are looking at these economic challenges both
in the U.S. and in places - yes, around the world around world.
Rahel, it's good to have you on. Thank you very much indeed couldn't be a more important story out there at present. Well, from economic challenges
to the challenge of finding out what led to the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last year. Today we've been bringing you the major
takeaways from the opening hearing held by the House Committee investigating the events of that day.
Now dramatic video of the riot and heart wrenching testimony from Capitol Police captivated audiences watching the primetime broadcast from home.
Capitol police officers attending the hearing got emotional as they relived those chaotic and devastating moments all over again.
The leaders of the panel laid out their case that Former President Donald Trump started at all with his desperation to hold on to power summoning the
mob that stormed the building.
Well, CNN legal analyst Carrie Cordero Joining us now live from Washington. I just want to have a look at the way this investigation is going? So far
over 300 rioters have pleaded guilty 59 had pled to felony charges. Seven cases have gone to trial and all but one has received a guilty verdict.
The Justice Department says they're still searching for more than 350 rioters involved in the attack, which does beg the question what can we
expect to happen next at this point?
CARRIE CORDERO, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, there are two different investigations going on here, Becky. So on one hand, we have the January
6th Committee investigation, which is what the hearings began last night.
[11:35:00]
CORDERO: Which is the political process to investigate the events leading up to January 6, and lay out the events that happened that day? And then
separately, as you described, there's the Justice Department investigation.
And the Justice Department investigation, I think probably will go down as the largest investigation in the department's history. It is nationwide,
there are, as you mentioned, hundreds of defendants, hundreds of people being prosecuted, many more that still have not been identified.
And we continue to see the leadership in terms of the far right violent extremist groups being charged with more serious charges like seditious
conspiracy, including new charges that were announced this week.
So the Justice Department investigation will continue to roll on and continue to bring those cases to trial. And we may also see additional
charges, and then we have these hearings going on concurrently.
ANDERSON: And what does the committee investigating these, these key moments hope to achieve?
CORDERO: So, great question. So going into these hearings, it appeared to me that there were three main objectives of the committee's inquiry. One
would be to establish a factual definitive historical record of what transpired that day and what led up to it two to establish whether or not
there are legislative changes that Congress can make to perhaps change the electoral laws or make other legislative changes so that the questions
surrounding the certification of the election could not happen again in American history?
And then third, to come up with recommendations to improve the security of the Capitol building itself and understand why there was not a more
efficient law enforcement response? But the first hearing last night really indicates that a major goal of the Chairman and the vice chair is to
establish potential culpability of the Former President himself and his inner circle. And that is really the arguments that they laid out last
night.
ANDERSON: So let's go through some of the key moments here. Let's have a listen to Liz Cheney, the Vice Chair?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHENEY: President Trump demanded that Mike Pence do wasn't just wrong. It was illegal. And it was unconstitutional. That President Trump's efforts to
pressure Vice President Pence to act illegally by refusing to count electoral votes likely violated two federal criminal statutes.
You will hear how President Trump summoned a violent mob and directed them illegally to march on the United States Capitol.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: This is Liz Cheney, of course, Republican. She is essentially laying out the case for charges against Donald Trump. And it was almost
like she was addressing the Attorney General directly wasn't it?
CORDERO: Well, she really was her portion of the hearing last night really was establishing and previewing what the committee is going to lay over the
next couple of weeks and further hearings, establishing that in fact, there was no fraud in the election, and that there was a conspiracy.
I think one of the potential charges could be conspiracy to defraud the United States. So what she is laying out his arguments that could
potentially the groundwork for that type of criminal referral from the committee.
That this was part of a grand political conspiracy to defraud the United States of the rightful outcome of the election. There also are potential
violations of election loss that took place. And then there is the question as to whether or not the committee's investigation will reveal.
Evidence connecting the political leadership, the former president and his associates to the actual violence that occurred and so we're waiting to see
whether or not the committee has evidence that establishes those links.
ANDERSON: We were just discussing the state of our global economy, particularly what is going on in the U.S. with inflation through the roof
and it's not looking like it's going to get better anytime soon.
I just want to get your assessment of what you think Americans are thinking when they watch these hearings. These hearings have been made for TV there
was them embarrassed the committee members about saying that they haven't hidden behind that they want this to be prime time viewing. Do Americans
really care?
CORDERO: I think what the committee is trying to do is the committee is trying to communicate to Americans why they should care. I don't know if I
can answer the question of whether they do. But they're the committee is making its best case for why Americans should care. Because have things
done differently on January 6, American Constitutional democracy as we know it would not exist.
[11:40:00]
CORDERO: Liz Cheney said last night that the Former President had, "The intent to stay in office" that is fundamentally at odds with the proper
functioning of the American constitution. So this is from those of us who care about American democracy.
An important exercise that the committee is going through that said, I hear you on when it comes to the financial considerations that Americans are
currently playing. We all pay a lot of the gas tank, and that's something that affects Americans and its daily life.
And I would also add that the timing of these hearings coming after major mass shooting events, including the terrible tragedies in Buffalo, and
Uvalde, Texas. Does raise a question as to these are the types of things that Americans are really concerned about at home in their communities?
People need to be able to send their kids to school safely. People need to be able to go to the grocery store. And so there is, I think, within
American culture and public dialogue, a little bit of this cognitive dissonance between the long term historical story that the committee is
trying to communicate to the American public and these daily things that we are experiencing in our communities at home.
ANDERSON: Yes, your insight and analysis is really important. As we continue to watch this from the international perspective. Thank you very
much indeed! Well, the U.S. set to lift the requirement that air travelers must test negative before for COVID-19 before entering the country.
This change set to take effect midnight on Sunday. Now the travel industry and some members from both parties of Congress had been pushing for months
to lift this requirement. An official with the Biden Administration says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is making the change
though based on science and data.
Coming up, she's reported on conflict and refugees with compassion around the world, we're going to say farewell to a beloved member of the CNN
family as she tackles her next chapter.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, for regular viewers of CNN and this show specifically you will recognize a familiar face reporting from conflict zones in some of the
most remote corners of the world live. For the past 18 years Arwa Damon has set the standard for courageous journalism with a heart.
And today sadly is her last day as a CNN Senior International Correspondent. Arwa is best known for her compassionate storytelling for
treating her subjects with humanity and sensitivity and every television package and every digital piece.
She's had a remarkable and quite frankly wild ride. She admits that herself. She started her career in 2003 at the Baghdad Bureau reporting
through some of the darkest days of the war in Iraq.
[11:45:00]
ANDERSON: In 2012 she was one of the first journalists to arrive in Benghazi, Libya, following the attack on the U.S. Embassy there. And she
extensively covered the war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Even getting trapped for 28 hours in Mosul after her team's convoy was ambushed and
attacked by the terrorist group.
But no matter where she went, the human side of the story remained a cornerstone of Arwa's reporting. And it was her personal experience in war
zones that led her to launch a nonprofit called in Ireland that provides medical care to children who need life-saving treatment.
Well, in her goodbye note to the network, her colleagues, she wrote, and I quote, I'm getting emotional now. So we'll end this by saying, it's a
privilege to have a life where I have been able to have ideas and actually pursue them. This is another of those junctions in life. And it's time for
me to see where that crazy path goes? It's unnerving. But I'm excited. And after all, if you know me, you know that I am more afraid of living with
whatever for if only, and I am of taking a chance and failing.
And Arwa joins me now for one last live hit. People thought you were crazy. Arwa you took up that job at CNN, you though did enjoy ended up reporting
through some of the darkest days of the Iraq war, and others. Just reflect on some of what you've experienced with CNN, if you will?
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I mean, first of all, Becky, I have to say I've been absolutely floored by the kind and generous
and supportive response that I've gotten. And yes, you know, those years that I spent in Iraq, formed who I am, they defined who I am.
But it wasn't necessarily the moments of darkness that we experienced as a Baghdad Bureau, whether it was the explosions or the killings, or how
deeply and profoundly you know, what was happening in the streets of Iraq was impacting our friends, our CNN Baghdad family, our Iraqi staff.
What really stands out for me when I look back on those years is this intense camaraderie that we had at the Bureau the way that we constantly
supported each other. And there is one story in particular that just thinking about talking about gives me Goosebumps.
And that is, you know, the story of this little boy named Yusuf, who was five years old when CNN met him, and he had gasoline dumped on his face, he
was set on fire by unknown masked men. And the time that that happened, it wasn't just that people weren't paying attention to Iraq at the time.
It was that this depression had really permeated Iraqis permeated the Bureau and when we reported Yusuf's story for CNN the response to that was
just so over whelming and resulted in Yusuf of going to America and getting medical care and the joy of his parents.
We adopted that joy, their joy became our joy and it backed us together in a way that's, inextricable, we're back together now and it's beautiful.
ANDERSON: It was your reporting, of course, that helped Yusuf, eventually reach the U.S. and get treatment. And you were able to go and visit him and
I just want our viewers to have a look back at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAMON (on camera): The outpour of support for Yusuf has truly been overwhelming from viewers, to NGOs, to medical institutions, everybody
wanting to help this five year old child somehow. The family is utterly overjoyed beside themselves truly overwhelmed by all of those outside of
Iraq that want to help their five year old child.
YUSUF: I'm doing like soccer games and practice. I have never did that in my country?
DAMON (on camera): Why didn't you do it in your country?
YUSUF: Because it was kind of dangerous there.
DAMON (on camera): Do you remember that day when those guys attacked?
YUSUF: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, a decade on that story is directly related to what you are doing now, which is focusing on your charity INARA. Just tell us about some
of the work that that charity has been able to achieve and what happens next?
DAMON: Yes, so basically, INARA is founded on my experiences through CNN and all of these various warzones where we come across all these children
like Yusuf who weren't able to access the medical care that they need.
And so I built up INARA, which now is providing not just medical treatment, but also simultaneously mental health treatment. And the thing that
differentiates us, I think from everybody else is we literally doing take on the cases that others don't.
[11:50:00]
DAMON: Like our whole premise is not to compete with other NGOs that are out there, but rather specifically look for the gaps that exist in access
to medical care and figure out how we can build on fill those gaps?
And right now we've been able to help more than 500 children, we put them through surgeries, we put them through intensive mental health treatment.
We have around 200 on our waiting list. And, yes, there's a lot of work to be done in that arena.
And you know, Becky, a lot of the responses and getting to me leaving has also been sort of concern being expressed that I'm leaving journalism
behind. And I just want to reassure everybody that I am definitely not done storytelling.
But there are a lot of ideas bouncing around this little head. And, you know, I do hope to keep pursuing storytelling and in a very intense and
invigorating way and figuring out new and different ways to help people but also help connect people. I think that's really what I would want to strive
to be doing right now. Whether it's through INARA or through a form of storytelling is really kind of reminding people of the ways that we're
connected.
ANDERSON: Arwa, stay in touch from our team here at "Connect the World" we wish you the absolute best.
DAMON: Thank you and so much love to all of you.
ANDERSON: We'll be back right after this. Thanks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, it has been another week of intense news and so I wanted to leave you with something a little lighter. A video of a Disneyland employee
crashing a marriage proposal in front of Cinderella's Castle has gone viral. Disney is trying to make amends but that is well it's not going to
well. Jeanne Moos explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN AMERICAN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Disneyland in Paris the guy about to propose sure thought it would be romantic as he dropped to
his knee. But suddenly a Disney employee and Mickey Mouse ears barged in and snatch the ring. Millions of people have watched the video online as
the man from Germany who proposed exchanged words with mouse ears.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's great, but over here is going to be even better.
MOOSE (voice over): But it was not better for the employee who got incinerated online. Disneyland calls itself the happiest place on earth
unless this loser is on duty. The man proposing told The New York Times Disneyland stands for dreams our moment was destroyed. A couple gave only
their first names Ante (ph) and Rosa (ph).
Disney had figured large in their relationship early Ante gave Rosa a rose in glass similar to the one in Beauty and the Beast. Now the Disney
employee was being portrayed as a beast. Online critics demanded he be punished. But those familiar with a park say that fenced off platform is
used for multiple live shows daily.
EDITH GERVIN, REPORTS ON DISNEY: This particular platform this couple was standing on is surrounded by expensive speaker's lights and most
importantly pyrotechnic equipment on tasers.
MOOS (voice over): Ante says he asked another employee if it was OK to use the platform for a proposal and she said Go for it but - was not as
easygoing. Disney did apologize and Ante told "The Times" they were offered a free weekend hotel include did at any Disney park.
[11:55:00]
MOOS (voice over): But he said I don't want to visit Disneyland anymore. They can't give us the moment back and that's the only thing I want. She
may have said yes. But now they're telling Disney.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's right - is going to be even better.
MOOS (voice over): Jeanne Moos, CNN, and New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: What to do? I hope that isn't the memory that kids have when they go to Disney World. Have a lovely evening. Have a good weekend. It is a
very good night from the team working with me here in London and around the world particularly those back at home base in Abu Dhabi, we will see you
next week.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
