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CNN Live Event/Special
U.S. Capitol Mayhem Cost Four Lives; January 6 Stains U.S. History; Trump Allies Changed Their Tune; Congress Certify Electoral Votes; Joint Session of Congress Reconvenes to Certify Biden's Win; Biden Reaches 270 Electoral Votes as One Republican House Member Objects; Joe Biden's Electoral College Victory; Trump Saying There Will Be an Orderly Transition on January 20th. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired January 07, 2021 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST (on camera): Welcome. Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon here for CNN's continuing coverage. I don't know why I'm tired. It's 3 a.m. in the east.
DON LEMON, CNN HOST (on camera): Wow.
CUOMO: -- but to be frank, we are stuck in a moment in time.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: Today was a day that will live in infamy. It must live in infamy, because we must remember how ugly it has gotten in our democracy. Now the Congress is supposed to be certifying the electoral vote, allowing Joe Biden to be president of the United States and Kamala Harris to be vice president.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: It should be perfunctory.
LEMON: It should have been 25 to maybe 35 minutes.
CUOMO: Their role is to just make sure that the electoral votes that were sent in from the states are the ones that are counted. But they have turned it to something else that is ugly and obvious and is a big reason we had an insurrection today at the capitol.
LEMON: Well, then that was, that would have happened, but we had a domestic terrorist event happen in the nation's capital. And we're still dealing with the consequences tonight in the wee hours of the morning, overnight word of a third resignation right that we want to tell you about coming out of the White House.
The resignations coming out of the White House, do they mean anything? We're not sure, because this one is a deputy national security adviser. The former White House press secretary among those who apparently had enough of this. After four years, though? After the bloodshed and all of this? This is their enough time? I don't know. Judge that for yourself.
CUOMO: Yes. I look, we'll let the historians deal with that. What we do know is --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Four people died.
CUOMO: -- four people lost their lives. It will be a big part of Trump's legacy. What happened today was not a surprise. It was inevitable, because this is what he has been motivating all along.
But there is good news. Despite all of the challenges and the ugliness, history will be made tonight, and we will move forward. We will have the vice president, currently, Mike Pence certify the election results that ensure the inauguration of Joe Biden.
LEMON: Well, yes. And we will have that. But, again, it took way too long, and there was way too much rigmaroles they say around all of this. This should have been over by now.
CUOMO: For a minute it looked like it wasn't going to happen, though.
LEMON: There is no question this was a free and fair election. This was the most secure election that we have had in our history. But you would not know that from the shenanigans that have happened since November 3rd of 2020. Here we are January 6 or January 7 -- well, depending where you are, it's January-- yes, it is, depending where you are in the country. I had to look, 3 a.m., you know the math.
And so here we are, trying to deal with all of this. I cannot believe the week that we have had. Consider just on Sunday, Chris we got the word about the phone call, right? And then we heard what was going to happen with even before that Josh Hawley, and so on and so forth, and then we get to an insurrection that happens in the nation's capital and then the delay in the electoral process, certifying the electoral process in the Congress.
It's really an amazing place to be in, to watch this from our perch, but just to be an American today and watch this.
CUOMO: Yes. I think it is sobering for a lot of people. Us, not so much, because we have been living it so acutely. I am not surprised that this happened today. I was surprised at the lack of response to it, but to me, there seems to be no bottom for the re-Trumplicans. They accept anything that he does and anything that comes about because of him, and yet they are so quick to attack anything else that anybody else does outside of Trump land. And I just don't know how we get to a better place.
LEMON: But they -- here is the thing that you have talked about. There -- well, the Trump apologists are trying to spin it, right, into something that it is not. The folks who were there feel like they had no other -- we had no choice. You stole our election. This is --
CUOMO: And they were told to do this.
LEMON: Yes. They were told. This is our capitol. You work for us. That is the oddest sense of entitlement that you are allowed to break the law because you feel that something is yours and that it is your right to have it.
CUOMO: But they had the president of the United States telling them --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Encouraging them.
[03:04:58]
CUOMO: -- to be strong, don't let this happen. I'll walk you down to the capitol. And everybody says that's his style. It's just hyperbole. You take it too seriously. Well, what do you say now? What do you say now?
LEMON: What do you say now?
CUOMO: Yes, what do you say now? You still think we take it too seriously?
LEMON: You mean us?
CUOMO: Yes. That's what they'll say. You take Trump too seriously.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: He lives in your head rent-free. It's just talks.
LEMON: You should take him literally and not seriously --
CUOMO: Whatever, whatever --
LEMON: -- all that stuff. And you've got Trump derangement syndrome.
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: You broke into the U.S. Capitol.
LEMON: And you as kook, you are all these things. You broke into the U.S. Capitol. And the very same thing -- you always talk about this. You always say you cannot become what you fight against or what you preach against. There was so much hatred from the Trump folks and so much criticism from what happened in the country over the summer regarding police reform and George Floyd and black lives matter. The behavior was worse.
CUOMO: They were everything they say they oppose.
LEMON: Everything that they say they oppose. CUOMO: And they literally took over the United States Capitol --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Took over the capitol and defied the Constitution. Our government, our lawmakers were in the middle --
CUOMO: They tried to stymie democracy. They chased them out.
LEMON: In the middle of doing something that was --
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: They ran for their lives.
LEMON: -- was supposed to be something constitutional.
CUOMO: People died today.
LEMON: People died today. Four people died today. A woman died, was shot today. Look at the inside -- look at this. This is the capitol. Are you proud of this? Is this what you mean by being an American patriot? Is this what Ivanka Trump says when she said American patriots, don't do this. These are American patriots? This isn't a patriot to me.
CUOMO: And by the way, we got lucky today.
LEMON: This is, this is a you know what person --
CUOMO: Whoever made that flag is going to have a hard time when they find him and prosecute him.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: In terms of proving they didn't have --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: But it's going to be -- it's going to be very easy. And law enforcement, look, the FBI is asking for help now. It's not going to be hard for law enforcement. They say it isn't. That's B.S. These people sat there. It's all on videotape. They took pictures. They're posting them on social media.
CUOMO: Yes.
LEMON: And so, and they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: It will be a really interesting -- it will be a really interesting moment for us to see if there is a scintilla of hope that people can find common cause because if the right, the re-Trumplicans, whatever they evolve or devolve into, if they don't own those efforts, if they're quiet on that, if they think it's wrong to go after these people. We are on a bad place for that.
LEMON: They are not going to own that. And we always say --
CUOMO: They have to.
LEMON: -- Chris, we do it every time. Surely, this is it. Learn their lesson. Surely this is the thing. This is the --
CUOMO: I don't do that anymore. I haven't done that in years.
LEMON: But we should have --
CUOMO: My hair was brown when I used to do that.
LEMON: -- learned that when he said, when he said the Mexicans are rapists. We should have learned that when he says I prefer heroes who aren't captured. We should have learned that when the Access Hollywood tape came out. And this is all before he became president.
When you're 77 years old, you don't change. And if you fell for that, you are the mark. So, for people who are saying, well, this is going to be the time. Maybe this time will be the one. I don't believe this is the one.
And listen, Joe Lockhart said he doesn't, he does -- he thinks that Trumpism is not over. By me saying this is the end of the Trump era, it doesn't mean that Trumpism is over.
CUOMO: Right. He didn't even create Trumpism.
LEMON: It just means that his heyday is over. The political power that he has.
CUOMO: He'll have power. he'll have power.
LEMON: It will be a different type of power.
CUOMO: Yes. But he didn't create this. He just harnessed it. You know, when he won and learned from Steve King and Tom Tancredo --
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: -- out there about white nationalism and how it was motivating and how people were afraid of culture shift, he saw a con.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: He saw a cell. He didn't started --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: White grievance when you're doing your panel earlier, you're talking about it. It's white grievance that he built a campaign --
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: It's very real.
LEMON: -- and a political platform around white grievance. Barack Obama, not born in this country. He's not one of you. Therefore, he should not be your leader. He shouldn't be president of the United States. He is -- that is -- that is all white grievance. Making people believe that they have the right to do certain things because they're entitled to it. Because that's the way it's always been. Because they have been the preeminent voice. That this country is changing.
You don't want them changing your country. You don't want them changing your history, your heritage. What is that? That's all coup for. What is heritage? What does that mean? Much of the history that's been taught, that has been improperly and wrongly taught. That the history that leaves out people like me.
And speaking of that, imagine if the people in the capitol today look like me, Chris. Where do you think we would have been today?
CUOMO: It would have been a bloodbath.
LEMON: And that is the truth.
CUOMO: Now, when we say, that you can feel the keyboards moving right now of righty fringe people saying, listen to what Cuomo and Lemon are saying.
LEMON: Yes. But you know what screw them. You know why? Because we have the proof. We saw the proof this summer. We saw the proof when there were peaceful protests and you don't believe it. We have the video of people marching on the capital because they wanted prison reform.
[03:10:06]
They wanted police reform. They wanted criminal justice reform. And they were marching. And guess what? They were gassed because the president wanted to march across --
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: They were gassed routinely.
LEMON: -- and with the bible.
CUOMO: And look, here's what we know for sure.
LEMON: Stand there with a bible for a photo op.
CUOMO: It's not about right and wrong. We're just talking about response. And response was quick and severe all summer long. And I'm not judging it one way or the other. I'm saying we did not see it today. We did not see that today.
LEMON: People who live in Washington will tell you cannot get through Washington without getting by, going through a barricade, police officers looking at you, trying to figure out where you are going. There were barricades put up in front of the White House.
CUOMO: Trump didn't want to send in the National Guard today. Luckily it wasn't his call, so eventually they were. But he couldn't call them fast enough.
Nancy Pelosi is gaveling in for a vote. Let's listen.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), UNITED STATES SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Excuse me, 282. The no's have it. The no's have it. The objection is not agreed to. And with that objection, a motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. The clerk will now notify the Senate of the action of the House informing that body that the House is now ready to proceed in joint session with the further counting of the electoral vote for the president and the vice president.
CUOMO: All right. Right now, we're listening to Nancy Pelosi, who is motivating the reality that they have their votes in. And again, you had a big chunk of Republicans, 130 plus say, yes, I'm OK with this lie that Pennsylvania wasn't a fair election, even after the insurrection attempt. It has to be pounded because they must be held to account in a shameful way.
Now we get one step closer to finality when V.P. Mike Pence gavels back in the Senate, which has been on recess, waiting for the House to get their votes done, which is obviously more protracted process because there are more people and there are more people who are going to vote this way.
So, we are waiting on that. But we do believe that the people's business will be done within, let's say, an hour. And that's why the coverage is continuing and rolling. Would you like to bring in the panel as we wait?
LEMON: And Joe Biden will be -- will officially be --
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: He will be certified as having won the election.
LEMON: -- certified until inauguration.
CUOMO: And then comes the inauguration.
LEMON: The next step is the inauguration.
CUOMO: Yes. John Avlon -- we'll wait as we listen to what is happening on the floor.
UNKNOWN: But it may be the last time that we're in session before the new administration comes in. We are losing an extraordinary young woman who has been with us and with me for over a decade, and who is --
CUOMO: All right. This is a formality that's going on. I'm sure it's well-intentioned, but it is not relevant to the movement of the process. So, let's bring in John Avlon, Ryan Lizza, and Sabrina Siddiqui.
Thank you, each and all, especially at this time. I'm sure that you have been with different measures of interest and frustration listening to me and D. Lemon. Sabrina, what it comes to is --
CUOMO: Speak for yourself, Chris.
LEMON: -- what this -- well, you know, he can be tough to listen to. But the idea, Sabrina, of what this means what happened today. Any idea that it was a bottom, it is an end after this, no more, enough seems to be belied by the fact that you've got buckets of Republicans gladly voting for what they know is a fraud right after it.
SABRINA SIDDIQUI, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Right. Despite everything we saw today at the capitol with a mob overtaking the capitol and members of Congress and their staff, journalists at the scene fearing for their lives, you have a number of Republicans who are still backing this false notion that the election was fraudulent, which is the exact conspiracy theory that gave way to the kind of chaos that we saw today. And it's because of that chaos did not materialize out of thin air.
It is part of a months' long campaign by the president and his allies to challenge the integrity of the Democratic process here in the United States. And it is really in essence the culmination of four years in which we have seen this president shatter norms, erode faith in our institutions, and Republicans essentially with him every step of the way.
So, you know, even if the images were jarring and striking, it was not in the least bit surprising. And so now as you see some Republicans trying to jump ship and say enough is enough, it's time to move on. Well, they were very much part of the climate that brought us to this point.
CUOMO: Sure.
[03:14:57]
SIDDIQUI: And so that is something that I think we will continue to examine, because it's going to have ramifications for years to come. The end result of that is that a significant faction of the Republican Party does not believe that President-elect Joe Biden is a legitimate president. And that's not going to change overnight. You can't just put those worms back in the can.
CUOMO: Right. John Avlon, 25th amendment talk. Do you see it as in any way viable?
JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST & ANCHOR: No, as a matter of process. Look, 25th amendment was basically written up for physical incapacitation. The way it would work as a practical matter, even though it's enormously significant that apparently cabinet officials are discussing invoking it, you would have to have the cabinet, work effectively with the vice president. But because it would be alleging the president is mentally unfit, he
could contest that. And then the process would go over to Congress. So, it is not sort of a one and done quick cabinet meeting that you can do. And there are two weeks left. You know, impeachment could theoretically move faster because the president would have a less direct role.
But these are clearly things that are being discussed, even from some Republicans, because there is concern about the president's mental state, his stability, and clearly his judgment, because he incited a riot, an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
CUOMO: And would also rely on a strength that is actually a weakness, right? Because the reason you'd want to do it is to kind of use it as a stopgap to keep him from doing any more damage. But the reason you would need it as a stopgap is because those around him aren't strong enough to keep him in check. And those are the same people you would be asking to launch the 25th amendment --
AVLON: Yes.
CUOMO: -- which means maybe you get nowhere. Ryan Lizza, what is our understanding of how Republicans are comfortable with even after a coup attempt where people took over the U.S. Capitol, still going along with the canard. What is the politics play here?
RYAN LIZZA, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I think the main problem is that we have a president who has created an alternative information bubble that created an alternate reality for millions of Americans, and then Republican politicians had to live as if that reality was true, or at least the ones who know better. Maybe some members --
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: Well, they chose to.
LIZZA: -- I think there are few.
CUOMO: They chose to. None of them had to.
LIZZA: Or in the same alternate reality in believing this stuff. You know, you talk to some of the people at these protests. I wasn't down there today, but you talk to this type of Trump supporter, and they -- you know, there was reporting the other night, for instance, when the entire media world, our world was talking about the phone call and whether Trump was going to be impeached over it. Right?
Monday night he goes to a rally. People streaming out of that rally hadn't even heard about the phone call. So this is a, you know, one of the problems here is a massive misinformation/disinformation problem with a cult-like leader in Trump who has the ability over the last few weeks to create a narrative about election fraud that gets people extremely angry and then Republicans like Josh -- Ivy League -- Ivy League educated Republicans like Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz who really don't care if it's true or not are just looking at political positioning. And we can talk about how cynical that is. But put that aside. They're then responding to this insane alternative
-- alternative reality that's been created. So, you have Ted Cruz on the Senate floor saying well, 39 percent of the public believes this is true. So, I have got to do something about it.
CUOMO: So, Sabrina, at the opposite end of the calculation spectrum, you have Mitch McConnell, who came before and after the insurrection saying nope, it's over. Got to do the right thing now. A complete 180. And what is your take on what motivated McConnell's change?
SIDDIQUI: Well, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did come out and acknowledge President-elect Joe Biden's victory, but it was more than a month after Biden was projected as the winner of the November election.
And so, during that time, there was a period where Senate -- Senator McConnell, Leader McConnell was very much alongside those other Republicans who were saying that President Trump has a right to bring legal challenges to the court.
And obviously, the overwhelming majority of those legal challenges, all of them really were tossed out by the courts. And that some -- and when states started to certify their results, that is really when you saw that change in Mitch McConnell's tune.
But the impact I think more broadly of that time period, where Republican leaders in Congress were very much with the president saying well, what's the harm in humoring him or letting him litigate these claims. The impact of that has been what we saw today.
CUOMO: Yes. Insurrection.
SIDDIQUI: It's very --
CUOMO: That was the downside.
[22:20:02]
SIDDIQUI: -- within the party the direction that this election was fraudulent. And so, look, there is an about-face. And I saw S.E. Cupp, you know, she made the great point several times earlier tonight that a lot of these Republicans are not trying to right this redemption ark, but that does not absolve them of their role in how we got here.
CUOMO: So what does that look like, John Avlon? This none redemption, or some other people will say that there has to be a consequence, a reckoning, and accounting. What would that look like?
AVLON: There absolutely needs to be accountability for all of this. I think the political accountability for the 120-plus House Republicans who followed through on their threats to basically deny the validity of the election for political purposes, and the senators who, their numbers shank from a dozen to around six in the wake of this attack on the capitol.
Those folks, their names should live in infamy. They need to -- this action by them I think should neither be forgotten nor forgiven. And those that come from swing states, those that come from, you know, places where they could be politically vulnerable, they should not be allowed to be forgotten about this vote. Because many of them did it because they believe it was politically the easier thing to do.
They were afraid of the primary challenge on the right. And they made a calculation that was easier to go along with Trump's lies than to do what many of them know to be true. We'll put people like Paul Gosar and Louie Gohmert in a separate category for a moment.
There needs to be real political accountability that is sustained. These people voted to overturn democracy, even after an attack on our capitol. And there is absolutely no excuse for it, no matter how much you try to dress up your arguments as Hawley and Cruz did as Ivy League populist as they are.
CUOMO: Right. So, D. Lemon and I are here taking you through the events of our democracy here. We are watching the House floor. Nancy Pelosi is up there. We are getting ready for them to complete the process of their vote, which will then allow the Senate to gavel back in the form of V.P. mike pence. And then we will get the completion there. Her gaveling it back in. That will then drive the completion of this event.
UNKNOWN: Madam Speaker, the Vice President and the United States Senate.
(APPLAUSE)
LEMON: Well, this is a moment when the vice president comes in and then makes the announcement. And the votes are in those boxes.
CUOMO: Right.
LEMON: Right.
CUOMO: And you know, that's part of the story.
LEMON: Right.
CUOMO: Is that, the parliamentarians have the presence of mind to have people -- there is the vice president coming back in -- to take the votes out as they evacuated. Imagine if they hadn't.
LEMON: Right. There you go. We, as we're doing this, we'll continue to watch. But you -- we have both agreed that we've really in some way -- I hate to use this terminology, but it could have been much worse. I want to say dodge anything, but today could have been much worse considering what happened at the capitol.
CUOMO: Absolutely. God forbid, people who had gone in there had planned for what they could do once they got in. All right. Now --
LEMON: Here we go.
CUOMO: Here is the V.P. and the speaker. Let's see how the process unfolds.
You know, ordinarily we don't like to have dead space like this. We fill it. We talk to experts and all that. But I have to say, after today --
LEMON: We'll take it.
CUOMO: Right. Because this moment, for a moment --
LEMON: It's very important.
CUOMO: -- it was uncertain.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: It was uncertain.
LEMON: And it's more important than any time before I believe considering the circumstances. And as you sit -- you know, as we sit here and watch, Nancy Pelosi is explaining to the vice president and others how to do this. She has no doubt done this before. This is his first time as vice president --
CUOMO: Right.
LEMON: -- having to certify the electoral win.
CUOMO: And they have two levels of experts in there to help them through the different processes.
LEMON: Yes.
[03:24:57]
CUOMO: You know, it was really interesting. For a couple of hours today, we were a banana republic. Our president was absent or stoking flames of hostility.
LEMON: Watching TV and --
CUOMO: Whatever he was doing.
LEMON: -- enjoying the scene reportedly.
CUOMO: We weren't responding to a menace. Now it's gaveled in. Let it begin.
(BEGIN LIVE VIDEO FEED)
PENCE: We'll resume. Tellers having taken their seats. Two Houses retired to consider simply and decide upon the vote, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to which objection has been filed. The secretary of the Senate will report the action of the Senate.
UNKNOWN: In the Senate of the United States, ordered that the Senate by a vote of 7 ayes to 92 nays reject to the objection to the electoral votes cast in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for Joseph R. Biden for president, and Kamala D. Harris for vice president.
PENCE: The clerk of the House will report the action of the House.
UNKNOWN: Order. That the House of Representatives rejects the objection to the electoral vote of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
PENCE: Pursuant to the law, chapter 1 of title 3, United States Code, because the two Houses have not sustained the objection, the original certificates submitted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will be counted as provided therein.
Tellers will now record and announce the vote of the state of Rhode Island for president and vice president in accordance with the action of the two Houses.
This certificate from Rhode Island, the parliamentarians advise me is the only certificate of vote from the state that purports to be a return from the state and has annexed a certificate of authority from the state purporting to appoint and ascertain electors.
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of Rhode Island seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden Jr. of the state of Delaware received four votes for president and Kamala D. Harris of the state of California received four votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote for the state of Rhode Island that the teller has verified as it appears to be regular and authentic?
The certificate from South Carolina, the parliamentarians advise me is the only certificate of vote from that state that purports to be returned from the state and has annexed to it a certificate of authority of the state purporting to appoint and ascertain electors.
UNKNOWN: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of South Carolina seems to be regular in form and authentic. And it appears therefrom that Donald j. Trump from the state of Florida received nine votes for president and Michael R. Pence of the state of Indiana received nine votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote of the state of South Carolina that the teller has verified, appears to be regular and authentic?
Hearing none. This certificate from South Dakota the parliamentarians advise is the only certificate of vote from that state that purports to be returned from the state and that is annexed to it a certificate of authority from the state purporting to appoint and ascertain electors.
UNKNOWN: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of South Dakota seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears there from that Donald J. Trump of the state of Florida received three votes for president, and Michael R. Pence of the state of Indiana received three votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote of state of south Dakota that the tellers verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
This certificate from Tennessee the parliamentarians advise me is the only certificate of vote from the state and purports to be a return from the state as annexed to it a certificate of authority of that state purporting to appoint and ascertain electors.
UNKNOWN: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of Tennessee seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears there from that Donald J. Trump of the state of Florida received 11 votes for president and Michael R. Pence of the state of Indiana received 11 votes for vice president.
[03:30:02]
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote for the state of Tennessee that the teller has verified as regular in form and authentic?
This certificate from Texas the parliamentarians advise me is the only certificate of vote from the state. It purports to be a return from the state as annexed a certificate of authority of that state, and purports to appoint, ascertain electors.
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of Texas seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears there from that Donald J. Trump from the state of Florida received 38 votes for president and Michael R. Pence of the state of Indiana received 38 votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote of the state of Texas? That the teller has verified and appears to be regular in form and authentic? Hearing none, this certificate from Utah the parliamentarians advise me is the only certificate of vote from that state that purports to be return from the state as annexed a certificate of authority from the state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
UNKNOWN: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of Utah seems to be regular in form and authentic. And it appears therefrom that Donald J. Trump from the state of Florida received six votes for president and Michael R. Pence of the state of Indiana received six votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote of the state of Utah that the tellers verify to be regular in form and authentic? Hearing none, this certificate from Vermont the parliamentarians advise me is the only certificate of vote from the state purports to be a return from the state, has annexed a certificate of authority from that state, purports to appoint or ascertain electors.
UNKNOWN: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of Vermont seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden Jr. from the state of Delaware received three votes for president and Kamala D. Harris of the state of California received three votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote of the state of Vermont? That the teller has verified as regular in form and authentic? This certificate from the commonwealth of Virginia the parliamentarians advise --
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST (voice over): All right. This is a very big moment. Don Lemon, tell people what just happened.
DON LEMON, CNN HOST (voice over): Joe Biden officially is president, or will be when he is inaugurated on January 20th. It's all over but the shouting, basically is what it's saying. All the rigmarole that happened today, this is what it's culminated into.
CUOMO: But very important because this is what Donald Trump swore he would not let happen. And I have to tell you, he came close.
LEMON: Yeah.
CUOMO: Today. He stalled this process. And if you say oh, it wasn't him, yes, it was. This is a time for truth and a reconciliation of the same. This is a moment in our history that will be remembered for a long time. And Joe Biden has now been certified 270 electoral votes. He is your next president of the -- this United States.
LEMON: Yeah. Let's listen.
PENCE: This certificate from Washington, the parliamentarians advise is the only certificate of vote from that state, purports to be a return, the state has a certificate of authority from the same state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
KLOBUCHAR: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of Washington seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden Jr. of the state of Delaware received 12 votes for president and Kamala D. Harris of the state of California received 12 votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote of the state of Washington that the teller has verified and appears to be regular in form and authentic? Hearing none. This certificate from West Virginia the parliamentarians advise is the only certificate of vote from that state, purports to be a return from the state, has annexed a certificate of authority from the state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
UNKNOWN: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of West Virginia seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Donald J. Trump of the state of Florida received five votes for president, and Michael R. Pence of the state of Indiana received five votes for vice president.
[03:35:09] PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the
vote for the state of West Virginia that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic? This certificate from Wisconsin, the parliamentarians advice is the only certificate from that state, purports to be a return from the state, and has annexed to it a certificate of authority from the state purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
UNKNOWN: Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of Wisconsin seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden Jr. of the state of Delaware received 10 votes for president and Kamala D. Harris of the state of California received 10 votes for vice president.
PENCE: For what reason does the gentleman from Texas rise?
UNKNOWN: Mr. President, I object to the electoral votes of the state of Wisconsin because 71 House members, all of them condemn violence as we witnessed today are firmly committed to the resolution of disagreements in civil, lawful, peaceful institutions with full and fair debate free of violence, and though not a single court has allowed an evidentiary hearing to listen to the significant body of evidence of fraud and some seize on the court's payers to misrepresent that no court would listen to the evidence as saying evidence did not exist.
While Democrat leaders in Milwaukee illegally and unconstitutionally created more than 200 illegal polling places, tens of thousands of votes were changed by workers despite election workers' objections, plus so many other illegalities to fraudulently create a 20,000 vote lead. We object along with a Senator who now has withdrawn his objection.
PENCE: Sections 15 and 17 of title 3 of the United States code require that any objection be presented in writing, signed by a member of the House of Representatives and a Senator. Is the objection in writing and signed by a member and a Senator?
UNKNOWN: It is in writing. It's signed by a member but it is not signed and objected to by Senator, Mr. President.
PENCE: In that case, the objection cannot be entertained.
LEMON: How embarrassing. How embarrassing for Louie Gohmert. What was that all about?
CUOMO: The reality. It is the reality, OK. They're continuing with process right now. But I have to tell you --
LEMON: None of what he said was true, by the way.
CUOMO: All right, fine. We'll go back and listen, but I have to tell you, everything you're about to hear is something you really shouldn't listen to. But here's what Gohmert wanted to make.
UNKNOWN: And it appears therefrom that Donald J. Trump of the state of Florida received three votes for president, and Michael R. Pence of the state of Indiana received three votes for vice president.
PENCE: Are there any objections to counting the certificate of the vote of the state of Wyoming that the teller has verified and appears to be regular in form and authentic? Hearing none. The chair advises members of Congress the certificates having been read, the tellers will ascertain and deliver the result to the president of the Senate.
KLOBUCHAR: The undersigned Roy Blunt and Amy Klobuchar, tellers on the part of the Senate, Zoe Lofgren and Rodney Davis, tellers on the part of the House of Representatives report the following as a result of the ascertainment and counting of the electoral vote for president and vice president of the United States for the term beginning on the 20th day of January, 2021.
The report we make is that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be the president and the vice president according to the ballots that have been given to us.
(APPLAUSE)
[03:40:00]
PENCE: The whole number of electors appointed to vote for president of the United States is 538. Within that whole number of majority is 270. The votes for president of the United States are as follows. Joseph R. Biden Jr. of the state of Delaware has received 306 votes. Donald J. Trump with the state of Florida has received 232 votes.
The whole number of electors appointed to vote for vice president of the United States is 538. Within that whole number, a majority is 270. The votes for vice president of the United States are as follows. Kamala D. Harris of the state of California has received 306 votes. Michael R. Pence of the state of Indiana has received 232 votes.
The announcement of the state of the vote by the president of the Senate shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of the persons elected president and vice president of the United States. Each for the term beginning on the 20th day of January 2021 and shall be entered together with the list of the votes on the journals of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The chair now recognizes for the purpose of closing prayer the 62nd chaplain of the United States Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black.
CHAPLAIN BARRY C. BLACK, 62ND CHAPLAIN OF THE UNITED STATES: Let us pray. Lord of our lives and sovereign of our beloved nation, we deplore the desecration of the United States capitol building, the shedding of innocent blood, the loss of life, and the quagmire of dysfunction that threaten our democracy. These tragedies have reminded us that words matter and that the power of life and death is in the tongue. We have been warned that eternal vigilance continues to be freedom's price.
Lord, you have helped us remember that we need to see in each other a common humanity that reflects your image. You have strengthened our resolve to protect and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies domestic as well as foreign. Use us to bring healing and unity to our hurting and divided nation and world.
Thank you for what you have blessed our lawmakers to accomplish in spite of threats to liberty. Bless and keep us. Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to do your will and guide our feet on the path of peace. And God bless America. We pray in your sovereign name, amen.
UNKNOWN: Amen.
PENCE: The purpose of the joint session having concluded pursuant to Senate concurrent resolution 1, 117th Congress, the chair declares the joint session dissolved.
(APPLAUSE)
LEMON: I say amen with the chaplain for more ways than one. There you have it. The 117th Congress dissolved the special session, meaning Joe Biden, Kamala Harris's electoral win has been certified by the Congress.
CUOMO: And good for them for doing the people's business as a message to those who would try to destroy that duty. It is very important, not unlike in other terroristic situations, you have to show people who believe they win that way that they lost.
[03:45:15]
LEMON: You're talking about what happened at the capitol today?
CUOMO: Of course I am.
LEMON: Many people were in the chamber, the people who actually belong in the chamber. They tried to subvert the will of the people as well.
CUOMO: They did.
LEMON: Undermine the will of the people.
CUOMO: And that must also be dealt with. However, as a body, they did what their duty tells them to do, which is they certified this vote. President didn't want them to do it.
LEMON: Oh, not at all.
CUOMO: A lot of people in that room were trying to defy it. And that is the other takeaway. The Reverend was beautiful in his summoning of prayerfulness as a body. And they all said amen. And we do have to ask ourselves this.
Without getting caught in any type of religiosity or any kind of animus, how do you say amen to a prayer about that, that is about harnessing the truth of belief right after you willingly and willfully participated in a lie under oath with your hand to God and then you say amen? And you wonder why people think there's hypocrisy in faith when it comes to politics. LEMON: The people who need to really think about their faith. And we
need to pray for everyone, including ourselves. Well, tonight we're going pray for Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, Cindy Hyde-Smith and Cynthia Lummis.
CUOMO: What is your prayer them?
LEMON: That they see the light. We are going to pray for Roger Marshal. We are going to pray for Rick Scott. We are going to pray for Tommy Tuberville, we're going to pray that they see the light. We're going to pray that they realize that they work for the American people.
CUOMO: Preach.
LEMON: That the people don't work for them. That in order to honor the American people, you have to be straight with them. You have to give them the truth.
CUOMO: Pick up the energy. Bring the energy.
LEMON: It's 3:46 in the morning.
CUOMO: Keep that same energy playboy.
LEMON: I'm not. You want me to keep going? Is that what you want me to do?
CUOMO: Yes, sir.
LEMON: Because I can do that.
CUOMO: I hear you.
LEMON: Because they do need it.
CUOMO: How does it feel?
LEMON: They do need it.
CUOMO: What must they know?
LEMON: Can I get an, amen.
CUOMO: Yes, you may, amen.
LEMON: It's true. We're joking, but they do need prayer.
CUOMO: I am not joking.
LEMON: Because what they're doing is their ambition, right, selfishness is what they're doing. Two of them we know law school scholars, right? Juris doctorates, smart people, went to great schools. They know better, as you have been saying. But they also know that if they side with this Trump faction, let's put it that way, that in the future there is more of a chance that they will keep political office, because --
CUOMO: That's what they thought.
LEMON: That's what they thought. A lot of them are out there.
CUOMO: But here is the reality. You know, in this same room that we're watching right now, there was a fat guy sitting with his feet up this afternoon who had broken in there. There were confederate flags running around in this sacred citadel of democracy.
LEMON: No, no -- not even the real confederate flag. The battle flag. That's not even the real flag. The real confederate flag is --
CUOMO: It was their war colors. So, you know, this was really ugly. Going through the offices. These people were hiding on the ground in the middle of this afternoon, 12 hours ago. People were scrambling. And now the completion of duty. I have to say, we looked bad today. It was embarrassing today.
LEMON: But this looks good.
CUOMO: This looks good.
LEMON: This is what democracy looks like.
CUOMO: This is what America looks like.
LEMON: You think so?
CUOMO: This is the kind of resilience. This is what we can be. But we can also be what we saw today. And you know, it was interesting. To play with this idea of the religiosity and the hypocrisy of it, there are seven Senators. And very interestingly, what else are there seven of before the pope extended it?
LEMON: What? Seven deadly sins?
CUOMO: Pride, wrath, envy, greed, gluttony, lust and (inaudible).
LEMON: Pride comes before what --
CUOMO: The fall.
(END VIDEO LIVE FEED)
LEMON (on camera): -- the fall. Yes, they're not talking about the fall with a capital f this season. We're talking about the fall. And we stood a chance today that our democracy was going to fall. I think the Republicans hanging by a string. And think about it. We have said this. Today could have -- listen, it was a disaster today. But it could have been an unmitigated disaster if you know what I mean, there could have been more lives lost.
CUOMO (on camera): There could have been god forbid. If people had gone in there with deadly purpose and the weapons to do it, it could have been horrible, thank God it wasn't. LEMON: Look at these pictures.
CUOMO: But also, also, think of what was much more likely, OK, by the circumstances as they stood, which was, they leave things around. They left a pipe bomb at the RNC headquarters, right, and you couldn't go back into session today because it wasn't deemed safe.
LEMON: That's the fat guy with his feet up that we just saw there.
CUOMO: Well, no, because the other guy I was talking about was in the actual chamber sitting there.
LEMON: Yes, sitting there.
CUOMO: He was in is the Senate chamber.
LEMON: There was one standing at the lectern too.
CUOMO: This cat.
LEMON: There you go.
CUOMO: Look at this guy.
LEMON: There you go. Right there. Are you proud of yourself? Would you be proud of that if you saw that? I have to tell whatever relative or whoever I knew. Like, I'm embarrassed for you.
[03:50:04]
CUOMO: I'll tell you what is going to be interesting, OK? That is a federal felony. What we're seeing there right now. And you can't let people do this. This isn't taking over a bank. It's not, you know, taking over an empty school. This is the citadel of our democracy. How do you not prosecute these people? I don't know what the punishment is. But it will be very interesting. These law and order cat, if they do not get behind going after these people for what they did --
LEMON: Look at this fool. Look at this fool.
CUOMO: Who is the fool if he doesn't get punished?
LEMON: Well, he is a fool. But here is the thing that people are saying. And they've been saying all day. I have to be straight with you, right? I got to be straight with you. That, OK, we're going stand by.
CUOMO: Kaitlan Collins has news. Kaitlan Collins, thank you for being on watch here at these hours. What do we know?
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, we have got a statement from President Trump. This is the first time we've heard from him since earlier when he put out several tweets, and the president is now saying even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election and the facts bear me out, nevertheless, there will be an orderly transition on January 20th. He said, I've always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. And while this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it's only the beginning of our fight to make America great again.
Of course, only the -- if the president had said that before, a mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol building today, and of course the chaos that ensued from that, and we should note this statement is coming as there is talk of the 25th amendment happening amongst staff at the White House. There is talk of mass resignations. The president is now saying in a new statement tonight that there will be an orderly transition of power in 13 days from now, and that is something that he has refused to commit to so far.
LEMON: Kaitlan, this has to be pulled out of him, I'm sure. I'm sure there was a lot of convincing and cajoling for him to finally come to this. I'm sure he didn't do this of his own free will.
COLLINS: Well, I mean, the president would barely put out a statement earlier saying that people needed to leave the Capitol. Those people that you were just showing in those pictures, he was resistant to even doing that. And so, I think what the president realized is how his allies were abandoning him left and right in the hours since then.
You saw Mitch McConnell on Capitol Hill. You saw Lindsey Graham, the Vice President Mike Pence. You saw Robert O'Brien, his national security adviser was talking about potentially resigning and putting out statements in support of the vice president. And we found ourselves with a president who is increasingly isolated today basically walled off, only meeting with a few advisers.
And there is this talk of 25th amendment, of potentially censuring the president. People saying they did not know what to do over the next 13 days while he was still in power given the grave events that happened today. And I think that is what drove the president to put this statement out. Because of course he is always looking out for himself before he has refused to commit to this, or would not commit to a peaceful transition of power. And now he is doing so in this statement tonight after of course they have certified Biden's win.
CUOMO: So interestingly, you see, he had to be forced to do this. I think the statement is signature him, right? Kaitlan saying that this was the greatest first term ever. It's not just about being tone deaf. It's about being really delusional at this point to say that you had the greatest first term on one of the worse days in American history is a very signature Trump thing to say. Now, any whispers, any insight at all into what comes next in terms of his disposition between now and the inauguration?
COLLINS: Well, that's the big question, because the president is not saying in this statement that he will go to Joe Biden's inauguration. He has refused to say that so far. And we have seen the president before many times put out a statement at the urging of aides and those around him who were saying, you know, you're getting all those criticism. You've got to say this. And then the president would make that statement and then later
backtrack or complain about it or lash out at aides who would urge him to do so. It happened with Charlottesville, it happened in several other occasions, since including after that press conference in Helsinki with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, of course, when he questioned U.S. Intelligence Agencies.
So, walk away to see how the president does respond in the coming of days. And what is his relationship like with the Vice President, because we were told basically today, the president was angry with Mike Pence. He couldn't see straight. He was lashing out saying that he was responsible for Mike Pence's success. And so what does that look like when Mike Pence goes back to the White House tomorrow?
Because today, of course, he has been mainly on Capitol Hill the entire time, and he has been the one who has been in contact with the Justice Department, with the Pentagon, with Capitol Hill leadership while the president has been lashing out from the Oval Office. Before, of course, he was suspended from Twitter for the statements that he made about what you saw happen on Capitol Hill.
[03:55:09]
So, it remains to be seen if the president is going to stand by this statement, and of course, as you noted, the president makes some false claims in here, including saying that the facts bear him out when it comes to the election, because they don't -- and he did lose this election, but he is acknowledging there will be an orderly transition of power come 13 days from now.
LEMON: Well, that's why I asked you if he -- you know, who -- if someone had to strong arm him into putting this message out. Or statement out. But what I have to ask is considering everything that's happened, and I really do believe, I do believe this. I do believe the president has underestimated the reaction from what happened today. I think initially he did, and now I think he is starting to see the light. I'm sure he's been sitting there watching television all day after the initial uproar.
But do these words really mean anything, Kaitlan? I mean, what do they mean? Does he really believe them after everything that has happened, not only just the last four years, but everything that happened today? He incited that violence today. These words will ring hollow I think with most people, most of America.
CUOMO: I mean, he is being charged by a lot of legal thinkers with seditious conspiracy for what happened today. He said in public statements written and spoken that he would lead people down the avenue to the Capitol and to be strong and to not let this happen because you are being robbed, even when it then went ugly, and he was begged to say something to stop it, he validated their intentions and said but now go home.
We love you, you're very special. To the people who were carrying confederate battle colors and creating all kinds of violence and chaos, he said he loved them and you're special. LEMON: And a death.
CUOMO: Yes.
COLLINS: And not even just that --
CUOMO: -- to a veteran.
COLLINS: It's more than just -- sometimes people say ignore what the president says, look at what he does. Well, today he was resistant to sending the National Guard to Capitol Hill.
When you were seeing people climbing the walls, breaking windows, breaking into doors in the parliamentarian's office, all over Capitol Hill and places that, of course, where no one can go right now because of the pandemic, the president was resistant to sending the National Guard. And it took the acting defense secretary and the vice president to get involved.
So, I do think that speaks more to where the president's mind-set is than this statement. But you're right, Don. It does show that the president -- someone got to the president to get him to put this statement out tonight, because this is not where his mind-set was several hours ago when he still wanted Josh Hawley to object to certifying the votes, even after everything that happened and people, other GOP Senators were backtracking and reversing on this.
CUOMO: Right.
COLLINS: The president still wanted them to push forward. And so I do think it is a notable change just in that sends a lot.
LEMON: Do you remember when he got the question, Chris, where he said, you know, he would not commit to the peaceful transfer of power?
CUOMO: Yes.
LEMON: And now all of the sudden he is changing his tune when it comes to that.
CUOMO: It's a little late. He has already done enough to make it not peaceful. But also, look. Let's also be cognizant of the obvious. It's 3:57 and counting a.m. in the east. He is awake, watching this, and immediately wanted a piece of the action so we could put his name back in our mouths. And we have done that, of course, because he is still president of the United States and was largely responsible for almost derailing --
LEMON: Why don't we give a little truth serum here, because what he says in that statement, since he is watching and he wants us to put as you say his name in our mouths. Kaitlan, let's walk through the last four years that he said were the greatest first term of any presidency where he did not get his wall built, where he had kids in cages, he separated families, where he had a Muslim ban that was struck down, that he had the worst health crisis that we have had since the pandemic a 100 years ago. Where he -- I mean, so this is the best? That he can do? Where there
was an insurrection that was carried out on live television for his presidency? So, how is that the greatest presidency or first term of any president? I would say it's the worst, and he is the worst and he will no doubt go down in history as the worst president ever.
COLLINS: Well, and I think what the question and what a lot of people in the White House are looking at is how this -- you know, today has alone shaped really so much of his legacy. All of those other things were going to be part of it. But then you had Trump supporters who argued about tax cuts and his foreign policy and Middle East involvement, highlighting those things as the positives compared to everything else that happened in his time in office.
But I think now when people look back, they are going to look back at today and the fact that the president did fuel that mob that went to Capitol Hill. Not only just by today saying let's march down there multiple times, implying that he himself was going to go, but of course he went back to the White House after where he is safe and protected, but also everything that he has been laying the groundwork.
