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The Situation Room
President Biden To Pay Tribute To The 500,000 Americans Who Died From COVID-19; Merrick Garland's Senate Confirmation Hearing; Interview With Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE); Garland: Probe Of Capitol Riot Will Be Top Priority As Attorney General; Biden's Pick For Budget Chief On Brink Of Collapse After Key Senators Say They Won't Support Her; Supreme Court Allows Release Of Trump Tax Returns To N.Y. Prosecutor; Trump's D.C. Hotel Falls On Hard Times. Aired 5-6p ET
Aired February 22, 2021 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[17:00:00]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: All right, Pete Muntean in Denver, Colorado, thanks so much. And a reminder, don't forget to join me and the CNN family as we mourn the half million Americans who have died as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. That's at tonight at 11:00 p.m. on CNN, 11:00 p.m. Eastern. Thanks for watching. The news on CNN continues now.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM. We're following breaking news.
The United States only moments ago surpassing the horrible milestone of half a million Americans dead from COVID-19. We're standing by for remarks from President Biden who will lead a candle lighting ceremony and a moment of silence to mark this truly terrible toll the country has endured.
Earlier, President Biden's stimulus relief package cleared yet another critical hurdle in the House with a full floor vote expected later this week. We're also following a key confirmation hearing up on Capitol Hill. President Biden's attorney general nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, just wrapped up his first day of testimony, making clear that if confirmed, he's "not the president's lawyer."
First let's get the very latest on this truly heart-wrenching pandemic news. Our national correspondent Ryan Young is working the story for us. Ryan, half a million Americans killed by the coronavirus just this past year. Tell us the latest, tell us what's going on where you are.
RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Wolf, so devastating the news about this. Of course, all of us heartbroken by the news that so many Americans have lost their lives. And of course, right now you can see all the number of cars here that are lined up for the vaccine. People want this desperately. They want to get away from the devastation they faced over the last year.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
YOUNG (voice-over): An unthinkable marker.
ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: People decades from now are going to be talking about this as a terribly historic milestone, you know, in the history of this country.
YOUNG (voice-over): Half a million Americans dead from the COVID-19 pandemic. More than a number of Americans who died in battle and World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War combined.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: Rise for a moment of silence --
YOUNG (voice-over): The House paused Monday morning in honor of those who died. President Joe Biden plans to commemorate the 500,000 lives lost during a ceremony at the White House.
ANDY SLAVITT, SENIOR ADVISER TO WHITE HOUSE COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM: The occasion makes us more determined to turn the tide on COVID-19 so the losses can subside and the healing can begin.
YOUNG (voice-over): The grim milestone comes with signs of hope and news that the new COVID-19 cases are on the decline. New average daily cases are below 70,000 for the first time since October. Hospitalizations had declined sharply and COVID deaths are down 24 percent from last week. But with hope comes caution from medical experts.
PETER HOTEZ, DEAN, NATIONAL SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: I am worried about this variant, the B117 variant from the United Kingdom. If that takes over, the numbers are going to start to spiral up again.
YOUNG (voice-over): There are questions still about the impact of COVID-19 variants and whether they could cause another surge before Americans are vaccinated.
ASISH JHA, DEAN, BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: The more we can suppress it, the fewer mutations it has. So, I'm optimistic we're going to get there.
YOUNG (voice-over): Vaccines are on the move again after a week of severe weather caused delays. The Biden administration expects the backlog to be gone by mid-week saying at least 2 million out of the 6 million delayed vaccine doses have already been delivered. Helping to clear the backlog, the opening of new mass vaccination sites this week in New York, Texas, and Georgia.
LINDA HOLDEN, RECEIVED FIRST COVID-19 VACCINATION: Getting the shot today is just the first step. It may be starting the beginning of return of normalcy.
YOUNG (voice-over): More than 44 million people have been able to receive at least one dose while demand for doses continues to outpace supply. For those able to get the vaccine, it's a relief. DON HOLDEN, RECEIVED FIRST COVID-19 VACCINATION: But it's so easy to
fall in to not doing anything, you know. And I'm definitely hoping that that is going to get a lot better. We're really glad to have the shots.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
YOUNG (on camera): Wolf, as you can understand, this has been so difficult for so many people. We all seem to know someone who's lost someone due to COVID-19. I can tell you there are people who were almost in tears today as they were receiving their shots. This long line has been like this since 8:00 this morning.
There are four mega sites like this throughout the state. They really are trying to get out to the black and brown community as well. They are hoping to do 22,000 shots per month now with these mass vaccination sites.
But as you understand, this has been a terrible toll for our country, one that no one will ever forget. It's getting tougher for some people as they understand the people they've lost, but some people see a ray of hope because of this vaccine. Wolf?
[17:05:06]
BLITZER (on camera): All right, Ryan Young on the scene for us as he always is. Thank you very much. Let's go to the White House right now. Our senior White House correspondent Phil Mattingly is joining us. Phil, President Biden has made the pandemic his top priority and he is honoring those lost in a way the previous president clearly did not.
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It's a sharp contrast from his predecessor. The president not just willing to acknowledge the staggering death toll but willing to take time, pause the entire country and almost trying to lead it in mourning.
If you look just over my shoulder, the flags at the top of the White House have just been dropped to half-staff, something that will occur over the course of the next five days, as President Biden makes clear remembering is just important as moving forward. And moving forward is what his administration is trying to do on their efforts to get enough aid to wrap up and conclude this horrific pandemic, Wolf.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We need Congress to pass my American Rescue Plan
MATTINGLY (voice-over): Tonight, crunch time for President Joe Biden's cornerstone legislative priority.
BIDEN: Now critics say the plan is too big. Let me ask a rhetorical question. What would you have me cut? What would you leave out?
MATTINGLY (voice-over): House Democrats moving this week to vote and pass Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID relief proposal. Biden keeping the door open to bipartisan talks.
BIDEN: I'm prepared to hear ideas about how to make the American Rescue Plan better and cheaper.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): But his stern refusal to back off the size and scale of the package amid GOP concerns has left the onus entirely on congressional Democrats to pass the plan with zero margin for error in the 50/50 Senate where a fight over the $15 minimum wage is looming, with two moderate Democrats opposed and progressive Democrats ready to fight.
REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA): I know there are questions about whether or not the Senate can get it through, but I can tell you, Dana, this $15 minimum wage increase would mean 30 million Americans would get a raise.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): White House officials tells CNN they believe the provision will run afoul of Senate rules and be stripped, but the high wire act Biden and his team face on full display on another front.
NEERA TANDEN, OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET DIRECTOR NOMINEE: I deeply regret and apologize for my language and some of my past language.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): The nomination of Neera Tanden to lead Biden's Office of Management and Budget officially on the ropes with Democratic Senator Joe Manchin opposed in part due to "overtly partisan statements made on Twitter."
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president nominated her because he believes she'd be a stellar OMB director. She has two committee votes this week and we're working toward that and we'll continue to work and supporting her nomination.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): The White House sticking with Tanden, for now. But two key Republican moderates, Senators Susan Collins and Mitt Romney are also no votes, and the pathways to confirmation are quickly disappearing. For one Biden nominee though, what appears to be a clear road to the cabinet.
MERRICK GARLAND, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINEE: I am honored to appear before you today.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): Merrick Garland, Biden's pick for attorney general, doing well enough in the first day of his confirmation hearing, to have one Democrat willing to say this --
SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D-VT): You're going to be confirmed. I'll bet my farm in Vermont on that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MATTINGLY (on camera): And Wolf, it was just a little over a month ago, the day before President Biden's inauguration that he held a remembrance for the 400,000 lives lost due to the pandemic. Just think, over the course of just more than a month, another 100,000 have died.
In just next hour, you will see President Biden. He will give remarks, Vice President Kamala Harris, and then he will hold a candle light vigil, lighting the candle and also bringing back something he said on January 19th, which is essentially, in order to heal, we must remember. President Biden trying to stick to that tonight, Wolf.
BLITZER: And the president has lowered the flags at half-staff for the next five days in honor of the half million Americans who have died over the past year. Phil Mattingly, thank you very much. Let's get some more on all of this.
It's an important heartbreaking news that we're following. Let's start with our chief national correspondent John King. John, first of all, give us your thought right now, more than 100,000 Americans have died over the past month or so alone. We're now at half a million.
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It just staggers you, Wolf. It's such a sad number. The death count starting to trend down because cases and hospitalizations are down, but we have lived through this horrific last year.
And we all know, we all just know it's just a fact, that had the government taken this more seriously a year ago, had the president not run afoul of science and run afoul of common sense, the number would simply not be that high.
These are our friends, these are our neighbors, and these are our fellow Americans. We may not know them all 500,000 of them, as Ryan noted, I think so well, we all know somebody who has lost somebody, and it's just a staggering statement of a horrific response by what is supposed to be the world's leading nation.
[17:09:49]
BLITZER: You know, Gloria, it's really important because as John correctly points out, you know, these are numbers we're talking about, half a million, but these are mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friend of ours who have died, and many of them have died unnecessarily because of failures on the part of the government.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: And the more we can talk about them and remember them as CNN is doing tonight and as Brianna Keilar did really movingly this afternoon -- I was on air with her, and she just ran some video of people who are remembering those in their family that they lost so we can understand that these are our neighbors.
And I think, you know, what's so stunning to me is that we have moved to a president who says -- and he'll say this tonight -- we can never forget this, from a president who told us we have just had to move on, it is what it is. Just move on from it. The economy has got to get back going, don't let it dominate your life, the president said after he recovered from COVID. And I think we're in such a different phase right now where we have a
leader now who says to us, stop and understand what we've lost as we struggle in what he called the dark winter, to get through this.
And so we all have to understand that just because we have the vaccine doesn't mean that it's in everyone's arms and doesn't mean that we don't have to mask or socially distance and that we have to continue doing what we're doing in order to see the light signing at the end of that proverbial tunnel.
BLITZER: John, and really in stark contrast what the current president is doing as compared to the former president. President Biden, he's making a point of memorializing the dead, certainly during his first few weeks as president of the United States. What does it tell us about his approach to this horrible, horrible crisis as compared to Trump's approach?
KING: Well, the former president simply ran from science, ran from common sense, rejected the advice of his advisers like Dr. Fauci, who now is the right-hand man to Joe Biden for this. You have a president who has shaped -- Joe Biden, whether you're a Democrat or Republican or independent out there watching, he's been shaped by the personal tragedy in his home life.
He understands what it is like for a family to suffer, for a family to lose, and for a family to have to get up and recover. And that's why this is his MO in his DNA, Wolf, to be an empathetic president and to not try to hide from these numbers.
He inherited a mess from the Trump administration, but he is now accountable for the vaccine rollout, for the reopening of schools, for everything that we have to deal with this pandemic going forward. So, he wants to tell Americans, please stop and reflect. Please understand the challenge.
You add up those numbers, Wolf, that's Kansas City, Missouri. We're approaching the size of Atlanta, Georgia, wiped off the map by this pandemic. People need to think about that. A, just to have some sympathy for the families who have lost loved ones, and B, to understand that we better learn the lessons of what went wrong last year and not repeat them.
BLITZER: You know, and Gloria, right now this is obviously now President Biden's crisis. We have already seen his administration (inaudible) get some of the realities of being held accountable for what is going on right now. Yes, the numbers of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths they're going down, but if you look at the big picture, this is still a pandemic that's unfolding here in the United States.
BORGER: Well, and that's what the head of the CDC said today. She said, look, you know, the numbers seem to be heading in the right direction, but there's still a lot of work left to do. So, they are not saying, as Donald Trump said, we are turning the corner. They are not saying that. Even with miraculous vaccines out there. What they are saying is, continue to be vigilant. The vaccines are not
there are for everyone yet. You need to continue doing what you're doing. So I think in the sort of messaging of this, if you will, it is not, you know, yes, you should have hope, things will get better.
President Biden has said hopefully by sometime this summer you'll have most people vaccinated. We will see if that actually occurs. But they have the problems of what do you do about getting all kids back in school, for example?
They understand that these problems are complex. As John was saying, you have to abide by the science, but they're -- you know, they're hitting some difficulties here because there is no unanimity about how to get kids back in school, so about how to get everybody vaccinated quickly.
So they're pushing up against the reality, but they're not trying to say to everyone, don't worry. Things are great and it will only get better. Be vigilant.
BLITZER: Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is joining us on the phone right now. Sanjay, half a million Americans dead, 100,000 have died over the past month or so alone. Give us your thoughts on this awful milestone.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, Wolf, I mean, I've been reporting on this with -- we've all been reporting on this for, you know, over a year now, and I don't know, Wolf.
[17:15:00]
It's one of those things where in the beginning it's a little bit -- it feels backwards because in the beginning there was so much, you know, concern over, you know, a single life being lost, obviously. And then the idea that, you know, projection shows 10,000 to 20,000 people would die. I mean, it was, obviously, very worrisome.
I worry sometimes now you see 500,000, and it's such an enormous number people can't get their heads around it. And as a result, may lose some of its significance and it shouldn't. As everyone has said, I mean, there are -- I've known people who have died. Everyone probably has known somebody in some way dramatically affected by this virus.
And yet, 500,000 now feels like a number. There's this concept that people talk about known as compassion fade or empathy fatigue where if I tell you that one person is going to die of something and I tell you their story, you care a lot.
If I repeat that story 10 times, the overall amount of compassion you have total starts to go down -- 500,000 times, it's not that everybody gets one 500,000 of the empathy you have. Such an overall level of empathy goes down, it's crazy. And unfortunately, I think we suffer from that in this country and frankly in other places around the world. I think that we've got to keep, as a person, we got to keep making
sure that doesn't happen, that people don't suffer from compassion fade or empathy fatigue. Five-hundred thousand is an atrocious number. It can never feel (ph) like that. That was normal (inaudible) preordained.
BLITZER: Yes, the Johns Hopkins University, as you know, Sanjay, reported the first death from COVID-19 here in the United States on February 29, 2020, almost exactly a year ago now. It's more than half a million. And as brutal, Sanjay, as this milestone is right now, should Americans have faith that there is in fact light at the end of the tunnel?
GUPTA: Yes, I think so, Wolf. I mean, I think it's still a long tunnel and there are some, you know, we've all learned to be humble when trying to make any projections about the virus. These variants are of concern, I mean, because they are more contagious and people who are still at risk because they haven't been vaccinated, you know, they're vulnerable.
I mean, it's kind of like the situation where a peace treaty has been signed and everyone accepts the terms and then the people who die after that are in some ways the most tragic death of all because they absolutely didn't need to happen.
I mean, we've got to combat this virus. There is now vaccines that we need to obviously distribute more widely, but if people let their guard down, in some ways the people who are projected to die over the next few months in some ways, those are the most tragic because of that.
So, don't let your guard down, you know. I mean, the thing is that even outside of the vaccine, which will increase distribution, we have evidence now about the other things that work -- the masks, physical distancing, all the things we've talked about.
In the beginning, we were still gathering that evidence. We wanted to err on the side of caution, but now the evidence says it works and so, we absolutely cannot let the guard down now.
BLITZER: Yes. Don't let the guard down at all. Wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands. Just be safe out there. This is by no means over. We're looking right now, 1,174 Americans so far just today are reported dead from COVID-19.
All right guys, everybody stand by. And an important note to our viewers, pleases join Jake Tapper later tonight as CNN pauses to honor the lives of the half million Americans lost to COVID-19. "We Remember 500,000: A National Memorial Service for COVID-19." That airs tonight, 11:00 p.m. eastern only here on CNN.
Up next, day one of attorney general nominee Merrick Garland's confirmation hearing up on Capitol Hill. Details of his dig at the previous administration and what made him grow emotional. We're going to talk about it with Democratic Senator Chris Coons. Plus, details of a major U.S. Supreme Court setback for former
President Trump as the justices clear the way for prosecutors to see eight years of his tax returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:20:00]
BLITZER: President Biden's nominee for attorney general vowing to keep politics out of the Justice Department and making strong remarks about the Capitol siege during day one of his confirmation hearing. Our chief congressional correspondent, Manu Raju, is joining us. Manu, how do Judge Merrick Garland's chances look after this first day?
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Pretty strong at the moment, Wolf. I just talked to two key Republican senators who both are indicating they will support Merrick Garland. One, John Cornyn, member of Republican leadership (inaudible) told me that he will in fact vote for Merrick Garland.
Another one, the ranking Republican of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley, signaling he is a likely yes. Garland today did -- indicated where he comes down on some of the key issues here. He did not have many contentious exchanges with Republicans and there's expectation there will be more than just a couple who will ultimately vote for him on this committee.
But he made clear, Wolf, that his top priority, assuming he is confirmed, will be investigating what happened in that January 6th riot. How far up it went? Who was involved? He said he will get briefed on that immediately. And he also made it clear that he will look into others, some key issues that even Republicans pressed him on and said that he would get a clearer sense of how to proceed once he becomes attorney general assuming he's confirmed. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARLAND: I think this was the most heinous attack on the democratic processes that I have ever seen and one that I never expected to see in my lifetime. One of the very first things I will do is get a briefing on the progress of this investigation. I intend to give the career prosecutors who are working on this matter 24/7 all the resources they could possibly require.
[17:24:50]
I'm not the president's lawyer. I am the United States' lawyer, and I will do everything in my power, which I believe is considerable, to fend off any effort by anyone to make prosecutions or investigations partisan or political in any way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU (on camera): And that last comment, Wolf, a key theme throughout today's hearing, making clear that he would not be pressured one way or the other by the White House to pursue investigations, trying to make clear that this is different from the approach in past administrations.
He was also pushed by Republicans repeatedly about the investigation, the John Durham investigation who is a special counsel looking into the origins of Trump/Russia probe.
He did not commit fully to keeping that investigation going, but he indicated that he has no reason of discontinuing that investigation. He says he wants to meet with Durham to get all the facts. Some Republicans still concerned about that, but Chuck Grassley who asked the questions about that told me he seemed satisfy with that answer as of now, Wolf.
BLITZER (on camera): You know, Manu, there was really a very emotional moment. He was near tears when he discussed his family background, his commitment to combatting hate and discrimination. Tell our viewers about that.
RAJU: Yes, it was a very emotional moment. He talked about how his grandparents fled persecution and anti-Semitic attacks and he was grateful and thankful for this country for giving his country -- his family an opportunity to succeed. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARLAND: I come from a family -- where my grandparents fled anti- Semitism and persecution. The country took us in. And protected us. And I feel an obligation to the country to pay back and this is the highest best use of my own set of skills to pay back.
And so I want very much to be the kind of attorney general that you're saying I could become. And I'll do my best to try to be that kind of attorney general.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU (on camera): And Wolf, that was under questioning from Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey. And I was watching that from this room, Wolf, and it was -- you could hear a pin drop. The members were silent. They were listening to him intently. A very emotional moment.
BLITZER: Certainly, it was so powerful, so emotional, and so meaningful, especially for those of us who are like him, are children or grandchildren of immigrants who fled persecution, came to this country and were given enormous opportunity. It's the greatest country in the world. Manu Raju, thank you very much for that.
We're joined by Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware. He's a member of both the Judiciary and Foreign Relations Committee. Senator, thank you so much for joining us. And I want to get to Merrick Garland's hearing in just a moment, but let me get your thoughts.
I know you're reflecting as all of us are right now on this horrible milestone -- half a million 500,000 American deaths from the pandemic over the past year. What do you think?
SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): Well, later this evening, President Biden, Vice President Harris, their spouses, will join for a national moment of remembrance and reflection at sundown at dusk. This is a horrific milestone, Wolf, and all of us should take a moment to reach out to and to comfort and to engage those who have lost loved ones.
Just this past weekend, I heard from my mother that someone who had been close with her for 50 years died on Valentine's Day of COVID-19. Her husband trying to comfort her in her last moments. All of us know people who have lost a loved one or have lost loved ones ourselves. This is a reminder of just how broad and how deep this needless tragedy is and how much it's impacted the American people.
Around the world, COVID continues to be a dangerous and a deadly pandemic, and it's my hope that anyone who's watching, anyone who tunes in for this evening's event that CNN is putting on, this memoriam for the 500,000 who died, realizes that we need to continue social distancing, washing our hands, mask wearing, and when we have an opportunity to get vaccinated.
There are 60 million Americans who have gotten their initial vaccines so far, and the Biden administration is ramping up quickly their partnership with governors and mayors and with public health systems to deliver those vaccines. But we are far from being out of the woods, and this tragic milestone today is just one more reminder that this is an unnecessary loss but one that is still ongoing.
BLITZER: Yes. And we'll have live coverage at the top of the next hour of President Biden's memorial remembering the half million Americans who have died and his candle lighting ceremony. We'll have live coverage of that coming up from the White House.
Getting back to Merrick Garland, the attorney general nominee, he spoke forcefully today about prosecuting white supremacists and others involved in the deadly January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. What do you see as the most urgent priorities right now facing the attorney general nominee and the Department of Justice for that matter?
COONS: Well, first is restoring confidence that the attorney general understands that he's the people's lawyer.
[17:29:59]
That his job is to defend the Constitution, and to ensure that the 115,000 career employees of the Department of Justice, the prosecutors, the administrators are able to do so without any unwarranted or improper political influence. The Department of Justice under his predecessor, Bill Barr, strayed very far from that tradition.
And so, I think it's important that Merrick Garland, a well-regarded, seasoned capable member of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, and then before that a federal prosecutor that he is able to run the Department of Justice free from any interference, I think he will do an outstanding job.
His passionate and focused testimony today before the Senate Judiciary Committee was just a reminder of how experienced and seasoned he is, but also with a deep heart he has, that moment that you just played near the end where he talked about his deep gratitude to this nation for taking in his grandparents. And the importance of standing up to hate to investigating domestic violent extremists like those who assaulted our Capitol on January 6th, lays out what I think will be the first chapter of his service once confirmed on a bipartisan basis as our next Attorney General.
BLITZER: Yes, I suspect he's going to get a very lopsided confirmation. Democrats and Republicans working together to confirm him. On the other hand, another President Biden's nominees is in deep trouble right now. We've done some counting five key senators say they won't vote to confirm Neera Tanden, as Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Is it time, do you believe Senator Coons, for the President to withdraw her nomination?
COONS: Well, I know Neera Tanden well. I think she'd be a very capable OMB Director. I've spoken to a number of my colleagues about her over the weekend. It is still my hope that she can be confirmed. But ultimately, that is a decision for the administration. And I'll keep reaching out to my colleagues this evening. We're about to have a vote on the floor of the Senate, telling them what I know about her capabilities, her balanced approach. So, I'm still hopeful going forward she'll get confirmed.
BLITZER: We'll see if she does. It looks doubtful right now, but we shall see.
Let's get to President Biden's COVID relief bill, the $1.9 trillion package. The White House says that if the $15 minimum wage stays, members of Congress will have to, quote, make a decision. But Democrats like Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema, they've made it clear they won't support the $15 minimum wage if that's included in this bill. What do you think, is the bill dead on arrival if they reject it?
COONS: Well, Wolf, it is a bill that will likely pass if it does with just 50 votes. So, it's important for the Democratic caucus to hold together on this one. Whether or not that $15 an hour minimum wage provision is even in the bill is a decision that's going to be made Wednesday by the parliamentarian of the Senate. So, once we get to that point, there will be a more urgent conversation if it is ruled to be something that's eligible to be in the bill. If not, then it'll have to be pursued by other means.
Let's be clear, the minimum wage should be raised the working people of this country, particularly the essential workers, who've been on the frontlines during this pandemic, need and deserve a raise. But this $1.9 trillion package, which is urgent, which is important, shouldn't be allowed to founder (ph) on the rocks of that minor policy disagreement in the context of this much larger bill. My hope is that we'll be able to work this out within the Democratic Caucus.
BLITZER: Yes. And I keep pointing this out. It's at $7.25 an hour right now and it's been like that since 2009, $7.25. You can make a living 7.25. If it is passed, it goes up immediately after it's passed a dime 50, it won't get to $15 an hour until 2025. So it's gradually phased in. I think that's an important point to remember. Senator Coons, thanks so much for joining us.
COONS: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Coming up, the U.S. Supreme Court clears the way for the Manhattan prosecutor to get former President Trump's tax returns, eight years of his tax returns as he investigates alleged hush money payments and other potential crimes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:38:35]
BLITZER: We're going to show you some live pictures from Capitol Hill right now. They've lowered the flags to half staff up on Capitol Hill right now as well just like they did a little while ago over at the White House to honor the half a million Americans who have died, who have died from the coronavirus over the past year. We're standing by for a memorial service over at the White House.
The President Biden will lead. There'll be a candle lighting ceremony live coverage coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM. Standby for that. Other news we're following, President -- former President Donald Trump is denouncing in extremely strong words today's U.S. Supreme Court decision that he must, must release eight years of his tax returns to a New York City prosecutor.
Let's go to our Chief Domestic Correspondent Jim Acosta. Jim, this ruling is a major blow to Trump by so many details, so much information are in those eight years of tax returns.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: No question, Wolf. This is a huge defeat for former President Trump. He's been trying to years for years to keep these records secret. But the Supreme Court ruled earlier today in a decision that his accounting firm has to turn over these documents, eight years of tax records, other financial documents over to the Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance. The former President was not pleased about this.
He released a statement essentially saying that he's the victim of political persecution. We can put some of that statement up on screen that says, "The Supreme Court never should have let this fishing expedition happen but they did".
[17:40:01]
And then he goes on to say, "The new phenomenon of headhunting prosecutors and A.G.s, who try to take down their political opponents using the law as a weapon, is a threat to the very foundation of our liberty. Wolf, the former President goes on to tout the big lie that he won the election of 2021. That is not the case. And if you read through the statement from the former President, it basically reads like a series of tweets that he dictated to his staff to put out in the statement.
One of the things we should point out, Wolf, in all of these is that much of what is known about President Trump's tax returns -- it's already been made public, much of it's been made public -- the New York Times you'll recall, last fall, had details on a lot of what the President has been up to in terms of his financial dealings over the last several years showing that he was paying very little in federal income taxes, Wolf.
BLITZER: Yes. And we'll see what happens with these eight years, the Cy Vance -- the District Attorney Manhattan's about to get. Trump also, as you know, will make his first public appearance since leaving the White House at the Conservative Political Action Conference this coming Sunday. What does that say about his hold on the Republican Party?
ACOSTA: Well, it shows, Wolf, that he is still the head of the Republican Party. He wants to continue to lead this party even though as a one-term president. You don't typically see one-term presidents continue to have this kind of grip over the Republican Party. But Donald Trump certainly has that at this point. One thing that we should note is that his Vice President Mike Pence is not going to be appearing at CPAC.
But if you just look through who is going to be appearing at the CPAC conference at the end of the week, Wolf, it is a who's who of Trump world figures. And if you look at that, Wolf, there's just no doubt right now. This is still Donald Trump's Republican Party. And so, somebody can pull it away from them. Wolf?
BLITZER: Yes, you're absolutely right. All right, Jim Acosta reporting for us. Thank you very much.
Let's discuss what's going on with CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst Andrew McCabe. He's a former Deputy Director of the FBI. Andrew, thanks for joining us. How big of a blow is this for Trump, the fact that eight years of his tax returns are now going to be handed over to the Manhattan District Attorney?
ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: It's a huge blow to Trump, Wolf. And it's also a major boon to the investigators and the prosecutors who are investigating this case. And it's for two reasons really. First, it's a massive trove of information, eight years of tax returns, not just on President Trump, but on all of the myriad of companies that are intertwined into his financial life.
And secondly, this information will allow prosecutors to identify individuals who they may wish then to call in front of the grand jury to testify about specific representations or decisions that went into the process of putting these things together. So, it really opens the door to potentially many other witnesses who might provide damaging testimony against the former President.
BLITZER: Yes, all of his tax returns from 2011 until 2019, eight years, they're going to be handed over at the Cy Vance. How does this fit into the other legal challenges, Andrew, that are facing the former President? Will these investigations pick up speed now that he is no longer a sitting President? He's out of office?
MCCABE: There's really nothing to hold the investigations back now, Wolf. So I think you can expect that we'll actually see some progress here and the investigations rather than just fighting litigation around these subpoenas, they'll actually be able to do some substantive work. That would, of course, initially be there.
What started them down this road was looking into the potential hush money payments to Stormy Daniels and others that were testified to by Michael Cohen. But the records that they now have literally open the book on any other criminal activity related to the finances that that the former President may have been involved in. So this could really go in many different directions.
BLITZER: Meanwhile, Andrew, Democrats are moving pretty quickly ahead with a potential commission to investigate the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. And they're suggesting 11 members, with Democrats choosing seven Republicans deciding the remaining four. How will the decisions at this stage impact the credibility of the commission and its final report?
MCCABE: Well, it's absolutely essential that they put this commission together in as bipartisan manner as is possible, right? And so that's the big question. If you think back to the 911 Commission, it was an entirely different issue. It was easy for Republicans and Democrats to come together to fight a very common and easily identifiable enemy, that being foreign terrorist organization, Al Qaeda.
In this case, the concern, the threat, the enemy that you're investigating, happens to compose a large part of the Republican voting base. So, that's a very sticky issue for them, the Republicans run the risk of, of course, alienating voters in the process of investigating these issues. So, you can imagine that they might come into this investigation in a less than fully participatory way which will hurt the ultimate result of the Commission.
[17:45:12]
BLITZER: That's a good point. Andrew McCabe, thank you very much for joining us.
And to our viewers, stay with us. We're waiting for President Biden to hold a candlelight vigil as the U.S. coronavirus death film has now surpassed half a million. Plus, it was once a bustling with top administration officials, lobbyists, people whose last name is Trump. We're going to show you what's changed at the Trump International Hotel here in Washington, D.C. now that Trump is no longer president.
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BLITZER: We're looking at live pictures coming in from the White House. The flag there has been lowered to half-staff and honor the half million Americans who have died from COVID over the past year. We're standing by to hear from President Biden. He's going to be speaking and then having a candlelight ceremony to honor those Americans. We'll have live coverage coming up right at the top of the hour.
[17:50:05] Meanwhile, the Trump International Hotel here in Washington, D.C. has fallen at some hard times in the wake of its namesake's tumultuous presidency. Let's go to CNN's Brian Todd, he's working the story for us. He's over outside the hotel. Brian, the pandemic hit the hotel industry hard all across the country, but the Trump hotel is facing separate challenges.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really is, Wolf. You know, really wasn't all that long ago that the Trump International Hotel was buzzing, VIPs and others clamoring to get inside. But tonight, there are serious questions about its future.
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TODD (voice-over): With Donald Trump out of office, there now seems to be little to attract guests to his gilded hotel just a few blocks from the White House. Despite its ornate lobby and other impressive features, the Trump International Hotel like other high end locations has been ravaged by COVID's hit on the travel industry.
On a recent weekend evening, a CNN employee who shot this video and took still pictures. So a decent crowds at the Benjamin Bar & Lounge and the steakhouse in the lobby BLT Prime, but also observed very few people actually staying at the hotel. Hallways elegant but empty. Elevators running up and down only a handful of times indicating a lack of traffic to and from the rooms.
The next day, during a weekend brunch period, our employee observed the lobby area was lifeless. Scenes consistent with the view of Zach Everson, the editor of a newsletter, which has kept a close track of Trump's hotel through social media for the past couple of years.
ZACH EVERSON, EDITOR, "1100 PENNSYLVANIA" NEWSLETTER: Right now I'm not seeing many people in the rooms. One of the things we have seen since post-presidency is that there haven't been many organizations that have scheduled big events there.
TODD (voice-over): CNN is not able to independently verify ever since information. But during our recent visit, a staffer of the hotel noted that it's normal to have a slow down at this time of year. But also said, quote, because of everything going on, it kind of really had a different time. A different time indeed from the exhilarating days when just before Donald Trump was elected president, the Trump International Hotel open. Touted as a crown jewel in his real estate Empire.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: With the notable exception of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, this is the most coveted piece of real estate in Washington, D.C., he best location.
TODD (voice-over): It boasted luxurious suites, a Himalayan Salt Chamber in the spa. Foreign officials, business elites, political power brokers likely trying to curry favor with Trump constantly shuttling through the lobby.
SHAWN MATIJEVICH, FORMER EXECUTIVE CHIEF AT STEAK RESTAURANT TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTEL: With so many every day it was, you know, it almost got overwhelming at times how many VIPs and members of our government that, you know, are making headlines, are all together in the same place.
TODD (voice-over): But like other high-end hotels, Trump's Washington hotels revenue plummeted more than 60 percent in 2020 as coronavirus shut down travel and conferences.
JAN FREITAG, ANALYST, COSTAR GROUP AND STR: In 2019, for that set of hotels, high-end luxury hotels in the downtown D.C. area, the occupancy was 73 percent. So, basically, one in four rooms was empty. Today, four and five rooms are empty.
TODD (voice-over): But the Trump hotels occupancy was already expected to lag behind competitors before the coronavirus hit. According to sales materials showing projected 2020 occupancy rates, the Trump Organization tried to sell the least for the hotel in 2019. And according to The Wall Street Journal, asked a staggering $500 million for it. But that listing expired, and the real estate firm hired for that sale no longer works for the Trump Organization.
(on-camera): If he sells the hotel, does it lose its cachet?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It shouldn't lose its cachet at all. There are other hotel companies that have loyal followers. And if the Trump brand is to come off the hotel and another brand goes on the hotel, those followers will be more than happy to stay in a hotel with this location with the recent renovation.
TODD (voice-over): Is the Trump hotel now trying to salvage some revenue from Trump's own supporters who follow the false and bizarre QAnon belief that Trump will return to power on March 4th? The hotel could be counting on many of those followers to stream into Washington around that time.
CNN check the room rates at the Trump International Hotel for March 4th and the days immediately before and after. The Trump hotel is raising its price per room more than double its normal amount for those nights. We checked other similar high-end hotels in the same area of town. Most showed no change in room rates that week. Some show only a moderate increase.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: We tried several times to get the Trump Organization in the hotels management to answer our questions about the drops in room bookings and revenues about the hikes in room rates surrounding that QAnon conspiracy date, and whether the hotel's lease might go up for sale again.
They didn't answer any of our questions, but they did send us a statement from Donald Trump's son Eric, saying that the Trump International Hotel ranks among the finest properties anywhere in the world and they're incredibly proud to have what he termed the best hotel in the nation's Capitol, Wolf?
[17:55:15]
BLITZER: All right, Brian, thank you very much. Good reporting. There's more breaking news we're following here in THE SITUATION ROOM. We're about to see President Biden lead a candlelight ceremony and hold a moment of silence over at the White House as the U.S. mourns half a million Americans now dead in the coronavirus pandemic.
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BLITZER: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world.
