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U.S. & Europe: Putin Not Pulling Back, No Signs Of De- escalation; Ukrainian Intel Report: Russia Does Not Have Enough Troops Near Border To Carry Out Large-Scale Invasion; Russian Diplomat: There Will Be No Attack This Week; CDC: New Masking Guidance Coming Soon; Voters Oust 3 SF School Board Members Over COVID Frustration; Poll: 42 Percent Of Parents Say Kids' Educational Development Has Gotten Worse Since COVID; 1/6 Cmte Digs Into Fame Electors Plot, Issues 6 More Subpoenas. Aired 12-12:30p ET

Aired February 16, 2022 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:00:00]

JOHN KING, CNN HOST, INSIDE POLITICS: Hello, and welcome to Inside Politics. I'm John King in Washington. Thank you for sharing your day with us. Is Vladimir Putin lying? Russia says it is pulling back troops from Ukraine's border. United States and European allies though, say Moscow is doing nothing of the sort.

Plus, COVID backlash at the ballot box. In one of America's most liberal cities, San Francisco voters recall three school board members in a revolt fueled by pandemic decisions to keep kids home. And the January 6 committee hones in on Donald Trump's plan to steal the election. Six new subpoenas focus on the coup plot by Trump allies, use fake electors from states Trump lost.

We begin the hour though, in Ukraine where a government declared day of unity, clashes with a global conundrum. Does Vladimir Putin mean what he says? There is clear coordination this morning across the Russian government. Moscow is signaling to the world with its words and invasion is not coming. And that de-escalation is underway.

This video from the Russian defense ministry, Russia's so-called proof it plans to avert a hot war, a column of tanks. Russia says they are being pulled out of Crimea. But the United States and its European allies are simply not buying it. NATO's chief, telling reporters earlier today, Russia is actually ramping up its military presence, not pulling out. The American secretary of state echoes that and sees Putin propaganda at play.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANTONY BLINKEN, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: Unfortunately, there's a difference between Russia says and what it does. And what we're seeing is no meaningful pullback. On the contrary, we continue to see forces, especially forces that would be in the vanguard of any renewed aggression against Ukraine continuing to be at the border to mass at the border.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: We start our coverage in Kyiv, and with CNN senior international correspondent Matthew Chance. Matthew, what is the latest in the place that matters most?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, John. That's right here, because so, what Ukrainian intelligence officials are telling us this morning, is that there are assessing that there are now up to 148,000 Russian troops, including troops based on the air, in the sea and on the land, that are near Ukraine's borders, which is much more than the assessment we got, you know, just four weeks, just a month ago.

And it's much more in line as well with the kind of level of troops that the United States is assessing that Russia has placed around that border as well. And so, no real sign of de-escalation in that sense. And in fact, the Ukrainian foreign minister recently said, when confronted with this idea that Russia is de-escalating, saying they'll believe it when they see it.

In this video that's been put out by the Russian defense ministry is not doing it for them in terms of verification. There is also other interesting facts that came out in this intelligence assessment that were given exclusively, early on today from the Ukrainian military defense, military intelligence service. Basically, saying that look, despite the fact there are all those troops now on the border, or near the border, with Ukraine, in Russia and elsewhere, that's not sufficient.

The report said the assessment said for Russia to stage a largescale military attack in Ukraine. So, that's something that's slightly deviates from the U.S. assessment, which is continuing to warn. President Biden has said this just last night, that that could be and there is a strong possibility of an attack by Russian forces on Ukraine. And what the defense - military defense intelligence report says, here in Ukraine, is that in fact, the Russians are very aware of this.

And what they're emphasizing is applying pressure internally in Ukraine for some internal destabilization, using economic levers, using energy as a weapon, and using cyberattacks as well. And that tallies with some of the developments we've been reporting over the past 24 hours with a large scale cyberattack taking place in this country over the past 24 hours or so, which is denied service to the Ukrainian military defense websites into a large private commercial bank as well. And so, that's where the Ukrainian say the real threat is coming from at the moment, John. KING: Matthew Chance, grateful for the live report from Kyiv. We'll stay in touch throughout the hours and days ahead. With us now to share some important insights, retired Major General Dana Pittard. He is the author of "Hunting the Caliphate." General, grateful for your time today.

I want to just start with the idea that Russia puts out, you know, one defense ministry showing some troops pulling back perhaps, perhaps NATO has plenty of assets in the region to keep an eye on this. What is happening right now in from U.S. military command post, NATO military command post to essentially put Vladimir Putin towards to the test?

MAJ. GEN. DANA PITTARD, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Good afternoon, John. It's slightly encouraging that Russian military units may in fact, be moving away from Ukraine. But they're moving to positions where they can quickly return. One thing that certainly studied for decades is Russian military history as well as Russian military doctrine. A big part of that is deception operations at the tactical operational level.

So, I agree with what NATO commanders have said, what our security defenses said. And that's a wait and see. I would not believe that until the units have significantly moved away from Ukraine, and we're just not seeing that right now.

[12:05:00]

KING: Is it just an emphasis that's insignificant or do you see any significance in what Matthew Chance was just talking about, which has been - there been clear disagreements all along when the Biden White House was saying an invasion could be imminent, the Ukrainian government was saying we don't see it that way.

Now, the Biden administration says 150,000 troops, that would be enough to have a major incursion, and perhaps encircle Kyiv, the Ukrainian saying they don't view that as a big enough, large enough force for a significant incursion. Does that matter? Or is that just a disagreement that doesn't matter when it comes to the tactical decisions that have to be made?

PITTARD: Personally, I do think it matters because Russia has the capability with 150,000 troops now amassed around and really three sides of Ukraine, they have the capability to do some limited operations. Now, they can't take over all of Ukraine with that smaller force, but it's certainly enough to attack and encircle the capital of Kyiv, or take eastern portions, eastern provinces, or C's eastern provinces from Ukraine. So, I think that is significant.

However, the President Zelensky of Ukraine, he's got to keep calm with his populace. I think what he's doing today in celebrating unity is a good move. And what the Biden administration is doing as far as diplomacy, it is causing President Putin to pause. But he still has kept his forces close enough to where if he still decides to attack, he can. KING: To that point, I want to listen to a little bit of what President Biden said yesterday. He decided to hold a big event at the White House yesterday, original the initial U.S. intelligence suggested an invasion couldn't come actually on this day. So, the president wanted to get out ahead of things as the Kremlin started to say, it was open to diplomacy, essentially saying I need to see it, not just hear it. And then the president explained the stakes this way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PRESIDENT: Russia attacks Ukraine, it would be a war of choice, or a war without cause or reason. If Russia attacks Ukraine, it'd be met with overwhelming international condemnation. The world will not forget that Russia chose needless death and destruction. Invading Ukraine will prove to be a self- inflicted wound.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: We often ask the question, you know, how to read what Putin is thinking. Let me try to flip it. Can we read what Putin thinks of the American president at the moment? And as you noted, the apparent solidarity with NATO and with most of the European allies and with the smaller countries in the region, former members of the Soviet Union in the sense that, in the Obama administration, Putin thinks he got away with it, if you will, that Obama was not tough enough, after his incursion into Crimea.

In the Trump administration, then President Trump often made excuses for Vladimir Putin, even if his team was trying to be tough on Russia. What is Vladimir Putin thinking about President Biden at this moment?

PITTARD: It's hard to say. But what I believe at this point is that he may have miss game just a little bit, in thinking that, America was weakened by how we left Afghanistan. And by the fact that the American president was the vice president under President Obama. And so, we he was thinking, I believe that we would respond the same way.

What has happened though, is America has used our intelligence capability and assets to really tell the entire world what Russia is doing. And that has also caused NATO to come together, something that Vladimir Putin would not have wanted. So, now we have a more unified NATO, we have the world watching. So, I think that is caused him to pause, whether he'll pause for good or where that pause may lead to diplomacy which can defuse the crisis. We don't know.

KING: General, grateful for your insights at this important moment. We'll stay in touch as we watched to that very question. Putin perhaps a pause, but then what---

PITTARD: Thank you, John.

KING: Appreciate it. Thank you, sir. Up next, the CDC now says it will update its masking guidelines soon. Plus, a pandemic parent revolt in one of America's most liberal cities, San Francisco, voters overwhelmingly voting to recall three school board members.

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[12:10:00]

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KING: Just moments ago, the White House COVID task force signaling a change is coming on masks, and a change perhaps coming in the way the Biden COVID team looks at data to make big decisions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CDC DIRECTOR: As we consider future metrics, which will be updated soon. We recognize the importance of not just cases, which continue to result in substantial or hide community transmission, and over 97 percent of our counties in the country. But critically, medically severe disease that leads to hospitalizations. We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing. When these metrics are better, we are looking at an overview of much of our guidance in masking in, all settings will be a part of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Our senior medical correspond, Elizabeth Cohen, joins me now. Elizabeth, Dr. Walensky has to be cautious, but translate?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPOND: All right, I'm going to cut to the chase here, John. I think we are going to see changes in masks guidance in the coming days, maybe not this week, maybe next week. And that's because the very fact that she is saying, this is a possibility. I think it means that it's going to happen because when she talks that way or when Dr. Fauci talks that way, it means that they are planning on doing something.

[12:15:00]

So, let's take a look at some of the data that Dr. Walensky is referring to. Right now, nearly every county in the United States has high transmission. You'll see that red means high, which for the CDC means, you should be wearing masks indoors, certainly in schools and in indoor spaces. But take a look at this, cases are coming down so rapidly. And to Dr. Walensky's point, hospitalizations are coming down very rapidly.

So, it's going to be harder and harder to rationalize a masks mandate, when these metrics are coming down so, so dramatically. And John, we know that several states, several blue states have already announced that they're going to remove masks mandates. So, it's hard for the CDC to keep that mandate going, or to keep suggestions like that going right.

KING: Right. They're almost playing catch up at this point. Elizabeth Cohen, appreciate your explaining that in actual English. I understand the scientists have to be careful, but it's nice sometimes to try to cut through it. Appreciate it very much, Elizabeth. Now, proof from one of America's most liberal cities today, that COVID frustration among parents is a very powerful political force. The San Francisco school board president, vice president and commissioner ousted, CNN projects more than 70 percent of voters supporting recalling those board members. Those recall efforts born of frustration with a school board that many parents simply viewed as too happy to keep schools closed during the pandemic. Let's go live out to CNNs Nick Watt. Nick, this was a message.

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, it does appear that way. John. You know, they started gathering signatures for this recall about a year ago, and they needed to gather maybe 50,000. For each candidate. They gathered about 80,000. I spoke to one of the organizers the other day, he said what drove him was the fact that in February of last year, he says the school board still had no plans to open schools. They weren't even trying to open schools.

Meantime, he and others say the board was focusing on other things like trying to rename 44 schools in the district that were named for people they no longer wanted to honor, including Abraham Lincoln and Dianne Feinstein. Now. London Breed, who's the mayor of San Francisco also supported this recall. And she put out a statement this morning, which reads in part, the voters of the city have delivered a clear message that the school board must focus on the essentials of delivering a well-run school system above all else.

Now, this race brought a lot of attention from the national media, a lot of big donors, and people are looking to this and saying, OK, does this mean that COVID restrictions are going to be a big deal in the midterms? Is this also a move away from the progressive and one of the bluest cities in the country? Interestingly, there's one more recall coming up June 7, when San Francisco's progressive DA will face the voters as well. John?

KING: We'll watch that one as well. Nick Watt, appreciate the live update, very important story. With me here in studio to share their reporting and their insights, Margaret Talev of Axios, Zolan Kanno- Youngs, at New York Times, and CNN, Eva McKend. Let's just listen. This is from one of our affiliates out in California. Some of the parents who decided enough, enough, we're going to recall three school board members.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw a lot of kids struggling. We're doing school from home. And I saw the school board prioritize renaming schools over getting kids back into school.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They should have been focused on reopening schools, like most districts were thinking about and doing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: You just see right there. I think one of the potent political forces in this midterm election year, that it's going to manifest itself in different ways. But everybody's exhausted from COVID. Everybody has anxiety or stress, some people it's anger from COVID. These parents didn't think the school boards was paying any attention to what they wanted most. Just at least, we have a plan.

MARGARET TALEV, MANAGING EDITOR, AXIOS & CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. That's right. And look, I think, as you said, this is not going to be like a one size fits all. You can't just take what happened in San Francisco and drop it into another place. There were a lot of other factors at hand, including the rising power of Asian American parents in San Francisco, and how it played into some particular frustrations around a school lottery, as well as the renaming issue.

So, there are different details in every district. But here are things that we know about school board elections. They didn't used to be a big deal, and now they are. And they have typically been sort of low turnout draws, right? And so, in a midterm year, when you may have low turnout anyway, and even less attention paid on this. If there is a group of parents that can really be galvanized around something, they can drive the train on the outcome of those results.

KING: Right. And here's something for - whether you're running for school board, whether you're running for sheriff, whether you're running for Congress, whether you're running for Senate or higher. Just look at this, this from a CBS/YouGov poll, mental and emotional health. Do you think? Do you think your kids, are they better, worse or no change since COVID, more than a third, say worse? What about their educational development, more than four and 10, say worse?

So again, it will manifest itself in different ways. But you have an anxious exhausted electorate out there. And the subset of parents, are looking for people to talk to them in a way that's relevant to the stress they're going through whether it's, get my kid back in school. Can I get childcare options? What about work?

[12:20:00]

EVA MCKEND. CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes. And I think that what's so interesting about this outcome is, it didn't seem to fall so neatly on political line. It seemed like there was frustration from people across the political spectrum. I will say this, though, maybe not in this specific instance, but school board races have become so nationalized as a way for conservatives to really attack progressive politics as a whole.

And so, I think that, to the extent that that continues to be an issue, it's going to be interesting to see how Democrats effectively message against that, rather than run away from the issue. Congresswoman Cori Bush, recently said that she wanted to have this fight on issues like, like critical race theory, for instance, and your namesake, John King in Maryland, running for governor is very much right in the center of this issue in running on it.

KING: Right. The former Obama education secretary running there. We saw this in the Virginia governor's race. And again, it'll manifest itself in different ways. But you do see just in the exit polls in Virginia governor's race. One of the top issues, education at 24 percent, and COVID-19 right below to 15 percent. I would add those up together, and you could actually put in economy and jobs as well. It's just this confluence of two plus years of uncertainty, exhaustion, anxiety, and parents in particular worried about their kids.

ZOLAN KANNO-YOUNGS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Right. And the pandemic disrupting other aspects of society as well, right? And that very much connecting to the exhaustion, we're seeing amongst the spaces important base being the parents. And look, just to broaden this a bit. Yes, obviously, you can't take what happened in San Francisco and apply it everywhere. It's not one size fits all. But you are seeing a ripple effect politically, when it comes to Democrats also responding to this exhaustion. Right?

I mean, it was only last week that I believe we had governors at the White House that were also, you know, pressing the White House, when are we going to start seeing an easing of these restrictions? When are we going to start seeing a pandemic going from an endemic in terms of our messaging? You're already seeing some of these Democratic governors starting to respond to that, whether it be New Jersey whether it be Pennsylvania as well.

So, will be interesting to see as, look the exhaustion is not going to go away, the frustration obviously, that's there for this base. So how these leaders and Democratic leaders respond to this will be interesting going forward, especially ahead of the midterm.

KING: Right. February now, stick notes and other records in San Francisco. We learn from every little race, right? Sometimes you miss learned the lessons, but there are lessons in every race you see out there ahead for us. Important, six new subpoenas issued by the January 6 committee, all for individuals involved in that fake electors plot.

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[12:25:00]

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KING: The Biden administration today taking a big step toward making more Trump White House records available to the January 6 committee. White House council telling the National Archives, it will not assert privilege to shield Trump White House visitor logs from the committee. The archives then sending a letter to Donald Trump, saying unless a court orders it otherwise, it will turn those records over to the committee within 15 days.

The panel views those visitor logs is critical as it tries to build a minute-by-minute, day-by-day timeline of January 6, six new subpoenas by the committee also part of that effort. The subpoenas target to Trump campaign officials and Republicans in three battleground states Trump lost. All were involved in an effort to create slates of fake electors, that part of Trump's effort to throw Congress into chaos on January 6, and to block or delay certification of Joe Biden win.

Our reporters are back with us. And when you just see that graphic up there, the schematic on the screen. You know, there are some people who think, oh, so this Trump supporter in that state said I'm going to fight this, and this Trump supporter in that state said, I'm going to fight this. Listen to Katie Hobbs. She's the Secretary of State in Arizona, one of the states, she says no.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATIE HOBBS, (D) ARIZONA SECRETARY OF STATE: I think we've known from the beginning, that these seemingly chaotic and uncoordinated attacks actually were coordinated. And that, these folks were just trying everything they could, throwing everything against the wall to see what stuck.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: And that's what the committee is trying to do. So, January 6, was not an accident. That there was a plan to throw the proceedings into chaos that day. And when that didn't go well, the people who were there expecting that to happen turned violent.

HOBBS: Yes. That's why they move forward on these subpoenas because they believe they have credible evidence to really explore what happened with these fake electors. I will say this, though, the, you know, even though the, I'm wondering what exactly this will achieve, you know, because even though we keep learning more and more as the days go on.

I'm not certain that this will necessarily change any minds, right? Already half of the country does not believe this entire quest is legitimate. And so, even though they continue to learn more, it doesn't necessarily change any minds.

KING: But that's a fascinating point in the sense that there's still much of the Republican Party that continues to A, promote the big lie, and that B, continued to try to chip away state election laws. So, we could have politicians who get in the way of elections. The committee's trying to say, you know, no, this is what happens if you don't have these safeguards in place, but it does make a key point.

To what end is this, right? They're going to build a report. They're going to have public hearings, then what?

KANNO-YOUNGS: It's also about, I mean, you can see just by these actions, that the focus of the committee thus far, focusing on these two main ways to overturn the election. Both the full slate of electors, but also the seizing of voting machines there. And you can see that at least their intent, if there eventually are hearings that can be available to the public as well, with this information that they have now compiled, you can show look, it was not just especially in the wake of a statement from the RNC, you know, labeling this as legitimate political discourse. You can say no, no, there're actions that were taken in the days ahead of this and that to overturn the election, and as you said, on that day it did not happen and we saw--