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The Situation Room
Biden Touts COVID Stimulus Says, "Help is Here" After Revealing Bold New Timeline in First Prime-Time Address; Wolf one-on-one with Ohio's Republican Governor; N.Y. Gov. Cuomo Says "I'm Not Going To Resign" As Majority Of N.Y. Congressional Dems Call For Him To Step Down; Senators Schumer, Gillibrand Joint Statement Says Cuomo Should Resign; Prosecutors Focusing On "Oath Keepers" In One Of Largest Investigations In U.S. History; Federal Judge Orders Alleged "Oath Keeper" Charged In Attack On Capitol To Be Released. Aired 5-6p ET
Aired March 12, 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: Our coverage right now continues on CNN. I will see you Sunday morning.
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 new developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. President Biden declaring and importing them now help is here, as he touted his COVID stimulus package over at the White House Rose Garden just a short time ago, that comes on the heels of the bold new timeline for recovery revealed last night in his first primetime address to the nation. But the President is warning of challenges in implementing the plan saying and once again, I'm quoting him, it's going to require a fastidious oversight to make sure there's no waste or fraud.
Meanwhile, the CDC is now saying more than 100 million COVID vaccine doses have been administered in the United States since the first shots late last year. We're also following the growing crisis confronting the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. He's digging in and refusing to resign, even as a majority of the state's congressional Democrats are now calling for him to step down following multiple allegations of sexual harassment.
Let's begin this hour over at the White House. Our Chief National Affairs Correspondent Jeff Zeleny is on the scene for us. Jeff, a very cautious victory lap by the President?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, President Biden is taking a cautious victory lap but a celebratory one as well, even as the $1.9 trillion spending bill is starting to make its way through the government bureaucracy with some of those first checks arriving in the bank accounts of Americans this weekend. But the President also said this is a moment to show the country that government can work.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Help is here, and we will not stop working for you.
ZELENY: President Biden celebrating his first legislative success tonight, hailing the American rescue plan as a triumph to lift the nation from crisis.
BIDEN: Together with you, we are showing it's possible to get big, important things done. That's an American does.
ZELENY: It was a rose garden victory lap, with Biden soaking in his first official event there as president to tout a law now part of his legacy.
BIDEN: It changes the paradigm, for the first time in a long time, this bill puts working people in this nation first. It's not hyperbole, it's a fact.
ZELENY: But he made clear the jubilation over the $1.9 trillion law that will touch the lives of millions of Americans who've endured economic pain and hardship from the coronavirus pandemic came with deep responsibility for his new administration.
BIDEN: We have to get this right. Details matter because we have to continue to build confidence in the American people that their government can function for them and deliver.
ZELENY: Vice President Kamala Harris praised Biden's commitment just seeing the historic bill become reality, noting its focus on helping America's poor and middle class.
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Help has arrived America. This landmark legislation will get relief to families, get support to communities and make sure more shots get in arms.
ZELENY: The President's often repeated campaign montra --
BIDEN: Help is on the way.
ZELENY: -- will now be put to the test as the first stimulus checks start arriving in Americans bank accounts as soon as this weekend. For the White House, it's something of an audacious gamble, effectively circling dates on the calendar when normalcy may start returning, a year after the pandemic changed everything.
March 21, 100 million shots in arms since taking office, May 1, all adults eligible for the vaccine, and by July 4 Americans can safely celebrate in small gatherings like backyard cookouts, when asked Press Secretary Jen Psaki trying to set expectations for that optimism.
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We're not talking about a July 4 celebration on the Mall. We're not quite there yet. This is a step more toward the kind of socialization and engagement with friends and family that he knows as a human being people have been missing over the last year.
ZELENY: The White House is launching an extensive sales pitch next week with the President and First Lady, Vice President and members of the Cabinet traveling to points across the country to explain how the law can help Americans.
BIDEN: We're going to be traveling the country to speak directly to the American people about how this law is going to make a real difference in their lives.
ZELENY: The campaign is the first step in the administration's efforts to try and make permanent some provisions of the law, particularly aid to working families and others left behind.
BIDEN: This law is not the end of our efforts, though. I view it is only beginning.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZELENY: Now there were only Democrats on enter the Rose Garden for that bill celebration today. Of course that is why that's because Democrats only voted for this bill but it is notable. The Democrats did stay together on this as the Biden administration begins his time an officer that could be key on other legislative matters as well.
[17:05:16]
Now, Wolf, 85 percent of the spending is going to touch 85 percent of American families. So that is something that White House is still trying to make its case. They'll be traveling next week. The President will be going to a Pennsylvania and Georgia, the Vice President going out west to Nevada and Colorado making this case that this is indeed a good deal for Americans. But we have to point out, Wolf, if so much of this is also dependent on how the coronavirus proceeds they are banking on the fact that the vaccines still coming and the variants do not. Wolf.
BLITZER: Yeah, that's an important point and distributing those billions and billions of dollars is clearly no simple matter. It's going to be difficult. There's -- they still got a lot of work ahead of them.
All right, Jeff Zeleny at the White House, thank you very much.
We're also following a major milestone in the fight against the pandemic. The CDC now saying that more than 100 million COVID vaccine doses have been administered in the United States, and that's allowing some people to partially resume lives that suddenly came to a halt one year ago this week. CNN National Correspondent Erica Hill has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERICA HILL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Her first hug in a year.
EVELYN SHAW, HUGGED GRANDDAUGHTER FOR FIRST TIME IN A YEAR: It was blissful. It was wonderful. And it was something I'm going to remember for the rest of my life.
HILL: Across the country, families were united, offering hope for what lies ahead. To get there, the White House promising every adult will be eligible for a vaccine by May 1 with a new website and call center to find available doses by zip code and war vaccination sites.
DR. MARCELLA NUNEZ-SMITH, CHAIR, COVID-19 HEALTH TASK FORCE: Up to 700 new community health centers coming online, a doubling of pharmacy locations and a surge in vaccinators. We're ensuring that equity remains at the center of our response.
HILL: Though experts stress we can't rely on vaccines alone.
DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED, EPIDEMIOLOGIST AND FORMER DETROIT HEALTH DIRECTOR: We've always needed vaccines in the context of tried and true basic public health blocking and tackling.
HILL: And yet, more of those public health measures are being phased out. As of 5 p.m. today, most Maryland businesses can operate at full capacity, masks still require but quarantines for out of state travelers are not. New York State will eliminate them for domestic travelers starting April 1.
MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D-NY), NEW YORK CITY: I don't know if that's the state's idea of an April fool's joke. But it's absolutely the wrong thing to do it.
HILL: Nearly 1.3 million people passing through TSA checkpoints on Thursday, the third busiest day, since the start of the pandemic.
DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CDC DIRECTOR: Every single time we have escalations in travel right after that we have a surge.
DR. LEANA WEN, FORMER BALTIMORE CITY HEALTH COMMISSIONER: Travel itself is not the problem. It's more about what happens when people get to their destination.
HILL: The seven-day average of new cases is at its lowest levels since mid-October, down 47 percent in just the last month. Average daily reported deaths down 48 percent in the last month, gains no one wants to lose.
DR. ASHISH JHA, DEAN BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: I think May and June are going to be really good months and July is going to be terrific. But we do have to get through the next six weeks.
HILL: A well-known model now predicting U.S. COVID deaths could approach 600,000 by July 1. That's an increase of more than 22,000 since its last estimate, less than a week ago, due to increased mobility and a drop in masking.
WALENSKY: We need every individual to do their part. We can provide the guidance, but if people are not doing their part to keep the infection rates down and to get themselves vaccinated, we are, you know, this isn't in our control.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Wolf, we also learned a little bit more about plans from the administration to get more shots in arms. They plan to double the number of federally run mass vaccination sites. And some of those a number of them actually were told will include mobile operations to make sure, Wolf, that they are reaching more of the underserved communities. Wolf.
BLITZER: Erica Hill reporting for us. Thank you very much. Let's get some more in all of this. Our Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is joining us.
Sanjay, as you're heard more than 100 million total doses of coronavirus vaccines have now been given in this country. This is a pretty remarkable milestone, isn't it?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Wolf, it really is. I mean, you know, it's worth taking a step back and just reminding people that this is the largest vaccination effort in U.S. history. I mean, so what we're experiencing right now is something that's never been done at this scale. We know there was all sorts of logistical challenges. Some of these vaccines had to be kept at super cold temperatures. So yeah, it's it is a remarkable milestone. We got to a slow start. We thought there'd be 40 million doses administered by the end of last year. You remember, Wolf, that didn't happen. So, there's been this, you know, persistence sort of ramp up. So it's incredible.
Also, Wolf, a third of people now over the age of 65 have been vaccinated. People are at the highest risk of getting sick and it's that's important as well.
[17:10:05]
BLITZER: Very important because they're the most vulnerable. The President, President Biden says all American adults will be eligible to get the coronavirus vaccine by May 1, everyone over 18 years old, will dropping the complex eligibility guidelines that have been in place all these weeks and months been states can get vaccines into arms more quickly?
GUPTA: Yeah, I think that that's the goal. I mean, you have a lot of people right now who aren't eligible that really want the vaccine and probably some people who are eligible who aren't getting the vaccine. So, this will sort of even that out. And I think there's going to be enough vaccine, which has been a big question. It's not guaranteed, but you know that we know that there's 200 million doses of both Moderna and Pfizer, that's going to be 200 million people total, because those are two dose vaccines. But now the 100 million additional doses from Johnson & Johnson, we thought we weren't going to see that till the end of June, beginning of July. Now, they said that's also going to be available by the by the end of May. So when you do the math, it's enough doses.
But, you know, it's interesting, Wolf, I think the point that you're raising is an interesting one. Things are looking better. There is a concern about vaccine hesitancy out there. But there may also be a concern about sort of vaccine fade, meaning people who aren't necessarily hesitant, but they say, hey, look, the numbers are all getting better. Do I really need this? Maybe I won't bother. I think that's part of what's driving this as well. Open up the eligibility, you know, sort of requirements and make the vaccine available as quickly as possible to as many people as possible.
BLITZER: Yeah, I totally agree. Sanjay, stand by for a moment. I want to bring in our Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash, and CNN Contributor Evan Osnos, a staff writer over at the New Yorker Magazine.
You know, Dana, President Biden just held this event over the White House Rose Garden, before heading out to sell this legislation, which he's going to be doing in the coming week. How important is it that he solidify the support of the American people right now behind this legislation?
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's incredibly important, first and foremost, so that people on the vaccine a notion as Sanjay was just talking about, understand that it is going to be available to them. And when it is that they are encouraged to take it when eligible.
And on the other, you know, public health note he is continuing to, along with his top doctors and public health experts, encourage people to wear masks and other mitigation efforts. But on the politics and the now law, the huge piece of legislation that he signed into law yesterday, it already has the backing across public opinion polls have a cross section of Americans. What he clearly feels that he needs to do along with his top aides is solidify that support both for political reasons, but also for, again, public health reasons and for bringing the economy back up and running, making people understand here's the information about your earned income tax credit, here's the information about the new benefits that you will get for the for the ACA for Obamacare, and so on and so forth. So, there is an education effort going on, with regard to that, in addition to trying to bolster public support.
BLITZER: Evan, you wrote a really excellent book about Joe Biden. When you look at this pivotal moment for him, and the challenges that clearly lie ahead in terms of implementing this enormous relief and recovery package, what do you think goes through his mind?
EVAN OSNOS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, you know, what you're hearing from him and, and his advisors right now. He's sort of optimism but with terms and conditions apply, meaning it's going to take a lot of hard work to make this a sustained recovery, hard work on the part of individuals, all of us to do our part, wear our masks, get the vaccine. And then also really for the government to demonstrate that it can get moving again, I'm reminded of something Ron Klain said to me not too long ago, now chief of staff at the White House, he said they take a lot of inspiration from Lyndon Johnson, of course, who came in 1964, '65, was able to pass a tremendous amount of really ambitious legislation. And he did it partly because he knew how to run the Senate, how to use the rules of the Senate. And he also had Democrats behind him.
You've seen this administration now use the rules of the Senate to get this big bill through reconciliation. And now they need to marshal the political energy, both within government and also across the country. And that's the moment that they're in now. They've not just sort of, it's one thing to sort of deliver the bill and now they need to go out and ring the bell a little bit. Tell people we're in motion, so stay with us, stay on the team and help make it happen.
BLITZER: Yeah, that's it's an enormous challenge right now. All right, guys, stick around. Don't go too far away. There's more news we're following here in the Situation Room.
Coming up, the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo digs in as a majority of the state's congressional Democrats call for him to resign over harassment allegations. Plus, new details have a huge settlement just approved by Minneapolis for the family of George Floyd.
[17:15:05]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: This afternoon over at the White House, President Biden touted the benefits of his $1.9 trillion rescue plan. He set an ambitious national goal of making all adults, everyone over 18 years- old eligible for coronavirus vaccines by May 1 and held out the prospect that we could have small gatherings with friends and family on the fourth of July. Let's discuss all of this with Ohio's Republican Governor Mike DeWine.
Governor, thank you so much for joining us. I know you got a lot going on. I appreciate it very much. As you know, the President he's calling on states to make all adults eligible for this vaccine by May 1. Does Ohio, your state have the resources to meet this pretty ambitious new timeline?
GOV. MIKE DEWINE (R-OH): I think so, Wolf, you know, we're on target to do that maybe even a little bit before that. We've opened it to this week to 50 years old and over. We vaccinated yesterday as it was our high day, 84,000 first doses, I think another 50,000 second doses. So you know as long as this vaccine keeps coming in and they're projecting, the government's telling us, Biden the administration is going to go up sometime in the next few weeks. So as long as that vaccine comes in, I think we can do that.
BLITZER: We check. You join me here in the Situation Room virtually, of course, exactly one year ago today at the start of this horrible pandemic. And this is what you were dealing with. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEWINE: This was through dramatic and drastic action, click shutting all the schools down the state of Ohio, going to, you know, shutting down the theater, shutting down movie theaters, not something we want to do. But as I told the people, the State of Ohio today, look, we're going to get through this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: You were among the governors, were ahead of the curve on this. It was a daunting time, as all of us remember, where do things stand now, Governor? Do you share President Biden's optimism that the fourth of July could signal the return sort of to a new normal?
DEWINE: Wolf, I'm very optimistic. You know, our schools are now open 98 percent of our kids are back in school physically. So we're very happy about that we set a goal of March 1 and vaccinated teachers to do it. And it's working very well.
You know, our cases are remained down, positivity is low. We have some worry about this variant out there that we know is multiplying, we don't really know exactly the full impact of that. But each day, as we vaccinate more and more people, you know, we're making it harder for this virus to, you know, to spread. So, I'm optimistic about the future. I've told our fair managers and fair boards around the state, we're a big county fair state, I said, we're going to have fairs this year, they're going to be full fairs, it might be the first, some of them will continue to have to wear masks.
You know, I think we're in a very crucial six-week period of time. We have to continue to wear masks. We have to continue to be on defense. But now we're on offense, Wolf. And having this vaccine is great.
Fran and I have had the chance to go around. We got our second shot two weeks ago. And so now we're traveling around the state and go into some of the vaccination sites. And they're the happiest places that you can imagine when you go into a vaccination site, and you talk to people who've been vaccinated or about to get vaccinated. It's just a sense of relief. Many of them have told us, I'm mostly my grandkids for the first time. I get to hug my grandkids. And, you know, for Fran, and for me, that's really the biggest thing for us. We have a lot of grandkids and to be able to get back very close with them and be with them. It's just great.
BLITZER: It certainly is. On the other hand, what are your Republican colleagues, Governor Kemp of Georgia, he noted today that they're running into this vaccine hesitancy to specifically citing white Republicans? That's reflected by the way in our brand new CNN poll 46 percent. Listen to this, Governor, 46 percent of Republicans are saying they won't even try to get a vaccine. Is that something you're seeing in Ohio, as well?
DEWINE: Well, it's interesting, Wolf, some of our rural counties are doing exceedingly well, and our rural counties in Ohio, predominantly Republican. It's really kind of kind of mixed. What we're seeing is that it's taking longer, you know, as we open up by age, it's taking longer the lower an age we get. So, I think that is going to be a bigger factor. And it won't be too many weeks, until our challenge, no longer will be we don't have enough vaccine, our challenge will be, you know, to get people to finish this thing up and to take it work. You know, I like the football analogies, baseball analogies, we're, you know, on the five-yard line, we're driving for a touchdown. But we got to get across that line.
BLITZER: Yeah -
DEWINE: And we have to continue to vaccinate people that at a high rate. BLITZER: You know, and the vaccine hesitancy is such a big problem. Don't you wish the former president would have done a public service announcement publicly noted that he got a vaccine days before leaving the White House to reassure his fellow Republicans that this is safe, this is critically important, didn't miss a major opportunity to save lives.
DEWINE: Well, we had the other ex-presidents do it. I enjoyed watching it last night on the news. I thought it was great. And I tell you what we're seeing. And I'm -- just as I talked to people get out and talk to people, you know, people who maybe a week ago or two weeks ago wouldn't get it. We're now seeing people moving more towards that. And I think it's knowing someone who's got it, and it's turned out great. I think it's consulting. We have found that the most persuasive person is your own doctor if you have a doctor, and you know my advice if anyone's watching this and they don't think they want to get a vaccine, talk to your own doctor, get the advice from that person who you trust.
[17:20:14]
And I think if people will do that, we're going to see it continue to spread out. And we're going to get to that herd immunity that we know, so much desire to get to.
BLITZER: How much credit you give President Biden right now for this vaccine distribution, 10.2 percent, more than 10.2 percent of the American population right now is fully vaccinated.
DEWINE: Now, it's good, it's good. Look, we've put out over 3 million shots in the state of Ohio. And look, let me be honest, Wolf, had a good relationship with the Trump administration. We work with them. We're working very closely, as well with the Biden administration. So it's, I think it's going well, they're going to open up a mass vaccination site in Cleveland. Fran, I will be up there on Tuesday. And I was just talking to the theme of folks just a few minutes ago about it. And you know, it's not just getting people in. One of the goals that we have in Ohio, and I know the President has is to reach the hardest to reach people, people who may not have a medical home, people who may be in a situation where they cannot get out. You know, we have a moral obligation to reach them. And so it's a shared mission, and we're going to get it done.
BLITZER: And your life could open up a bit right now, since you got both shots of the vaccine. Good luck Governor. Thank you so much for joining us.
DEWINE: Thanks Wolf.
BLITZER: I appreciate it very, very much.
DEWINE: Thank you.
BLITZER: Coming up, the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo defiant in the face of growing calls for his resignation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:31:11]
BLITZER: Tonight, a majority of New York's Congressional Democrats are now calling for Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign after allegations by multiple women of sexual harassment. CNN National Correspondent Brynn Gingras is following the story for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): I did not do what has been alleged. Period. I have not had a sexual relationship that was inappropriate. Period.
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo digging in his heels, reiterating he's innocent amid mounting allegations and ongoing investigations into his alleged misconduct.
CUOMO: Look, it's very simple. I never harassed anyone. I never abused anyone. I never assaulted anyone. Now, and I never would, right? My statement could not be clearer.
GINGRAS (voice-over): Even as a majority of the New York Democratic Congressional Delegation are calling on Cuomo to resign. Congressman Jerry Nadler saying in a statement, "The repeated accusations against the Governor and the manner in which he has responded to them have made it impossible for him to continue to govern at this point". The Governor making it clear in an afternoon press briefing, he isn't going anywhere.
CUOMO: People know the difference between playing politics, bowing to cancel culture and the truth. Let the review proceed. I'm not going to resign. Part of this is that I am not part of the political club. And you know what? I'm proud of it.
GINGRAS (voice-over): Cuomo now facing three separate ongoing probes, the latest one from state lawmakers who launched an impeachment investigation.
ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY: In a time when our state and New Yorkers need us the most, we are unable to focus on the issues at hand because we have a Governor who is lying to the public and a Governor who is refusing to face up to what he has done.
GINGRAS (voice-over): The judiciary committee's investigation is the first step toward possibly removing the Governor from office. Lawmakers will be able to subpoena documents, request records and conduct interviews. The attorney for Charlotte Bennett, a former aide who accuses Cuomo of sexual harassment says she would testify in those proceedings.
CHARLOTTE BENNETT, FORMER AIDE OF CUOMO: He said he was lonely.
GINGRAS (voice-over): Bennett is one of several women who, in the last month, have publicly made allegations of inappropriate behavior or sexual harassment against Cuomo. The New York Attorney General's office is leading that probe and has set up a website calling for tips to help with its investigation. Cuomo maintains he didn't do anything wrong and apologized, saying he didn't know he was making anyone feel uncomfortable.
CUOMO: There are often many motivations for making an allegation. And that is why you need to know the facts before you make a decision. There are now two reviews underway. No one wants them to happen more quickly and more thoroughly than I do. Let them do it.
GINGRAS (voice-over): And in a separate probe, CNN reports federal prosecutors in Brooklyn and the FBI are scrutinizing the handling of data surrounding COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes. A senior adviser to Cuomo said in February, the administration has been cooperating with that inquiry, which started last year.
CUOMO: We are talking about a public health emergency.
GINGRAS (voice-over): Three investigations proof of what a difference a year makes when this time last year Cuomo star was on the rise as one of the nation's leading voices in the early days of the pandemic.
CUOMO: I have a job to do. I've been doing it for 11 years. This is probably the most critical time in the state's history.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[17:35:01]
GINGRAS: And Cuomo says he is going to focus on that job saying he's got to worry about the vaccine rollout and the state budget which is happening in the next couple of weeks. Of course, we know those investigations, Wolf, are just in the early stages. He says he and his administration are going to cooperate with investigators and both of them. Wolf?
BLITZER: All right, Brynn, standby. I want to bring in also CNN Political Commentator, Errol Louis, he's a political anchor for Spectrum News. Errol, the Governor remaining, obviously, you just heard very defiant not showing much contrition at all. What does that say to you?
ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, what it says to me is that the Governor believes that he did nothing wrong and he has said it over and over and over again. The problem, Wolf, is that that doesn't necessarily line up with the facts. There are six different accusers.
And when the Governor says that there are lots of motivations for bringing an allegation, that sounds to some like victim blaming. And these are six different women who are in very different circumstances, at least one of them is a candidate for public office, so she's arguably a public figure. But some of the others are definitely not public figures, some work for him, some did not to cast that blanket, sort of a suggestion that they've got multiple motives and none of these things ever happened, it's just too much for some people to swallow. I think that's why he's getting so much opposition from the political class.
BLITZER: And Errol, I know you've been following this so, so closely. The Governor now has lost the support of so much of the top New York congressional delegation. We're talking about fellow Democrats. Do you think, Errol, he can survive this politically speaking?
LOUIS: Politically speaking, it's a fascinating kind of political science experiment, Wolf, because the congressional delegations against them, they're all Democrats. The state legislature moving against him, the Speaker of the State Senate, who was a Democrat, has called for him to resign. And then down at the local level, the mayor of New York City, and a lot of other local officials are saying that he should step down. So, I don't know that it makes it impossible for him to govern. But we're going to see, and it'll be a fascinating experiment to see, can you govern New York without the cooperation at the federal, state or local level that we're accustomed to seeing?
I suspect he'll be able to do more than we might think, even without cooperation from his partners in government. Governor -- any governor of New York is a very powerful figure with a lot of levers and a lot of power.
BLITZER: Yes. And when you got the Mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio saying you should resign, you got Jerry Nadler, a veteran lawmaker saying you should resign, you know, you've got serious problems.
You know, Brynn, Governor Cuomo continues to point to the ongoing investigations, into these allegations, as he asked New Yorkers to withhold judgment. Seems he's trying to buy some time. And at this point, he's getting some time, at least, for the time being, right?
GINGRAS: Yes, and he keeps saying, Wolf, that the people that are calling for those resignations, the ones that you just mentioned with Errol there, they're just playing politics when, of course, in the past, we have seen him do somewhat of the same thing, right? We've seen him actually come forward and say that someone should resigned when there was investigations that were still needing to be played out. So, he's certainly asking for the public's patience and any lawmakers that are remaining, which we know there's some big ones including the top two senators here in New York. But yes, I think buying (ph) time until he can figure out what his next step is, be is, is a good way, you know, characterize it.
BLITZER: You know, Errol, this is important news that we're just getting in. We're just getting a joint statement from the two Democratic senators from New York, Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, also now finally, they're calling on the Governor to resign. Let me read to you part of that statement, confronting and overcoming the COVID crisis requires sure and steady leadership, we commend the brave actions of the individuals who have come forward with serious allegations of abuse and misconduct due to the multiple credible sexual harassment and misconduct allegations. The statement goes on to say, it is clear that the Governor Cuomo has lost the confidence of his governing partners and the people of New York. They end their statement, the two senators, Errol, by saying Governor Cuomo should resign. How significant is this?
LOUIS: That is very significant. That is enormously significant. Because, you know, Chuck Schumer is not just our senior Senator here in New York, he's also the Majority Leader of the Senate. Major legislation goes through him and there's no getting around that. It's also significant that our junior Senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, used to work for Andrew Cuomo back when they were all at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
So these are people who have been reliable, solid leaders. They're not bomb throwers. They don't speak recklessly. They don't go out on a limb. They know him, again, in the case of Senator Gillibrand, and they're all saying, I guess, unanimously now it's time for a change in leadership, not trying to litigate the specific charges so much but as to say that the kind of slowdown in government that you alluded to a minute ago, is too much in their opinion for New York to go through as we try and come out of the pandemic. Very, very significant statement.
[17:40:20]
BLITZER: And Errol, we just got a statement from Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, obviously, a man you know well, Democratic Congressman from New York. He concludes his statement by saying, under these extraordinary circumstances, the Governor must consider, must seriously consider whether he can continue to effectively lead the state. And then he adds these words, no one is above the law. How significant is that?
LOUIS: That last line is something that Congressman Jeffries, who's in the House leadership, said over and over again about Donald Trump. That really speaks to the fact that this latest allegation has been referred to the police, that it goes beyond workplace harassment and might involve a criminal conduct. That, I think is what has made the difference for so many of these lawmakers that for the first time, we've got a charge of actual illegal, criminally illegal conduct potentially.
And while the woman in question is not known, the Albany Times Union broke this and their reporting has not been verified by us, at least not yet, it seems to be enough for these lawmakers to say that, look, if we can't have somebody who breaks the law, as the Governor of New York, a very harsh judgment, perhaps in early judgment, I think the Governor would say, but that that's where they've arrived.
BLITZER: Yes. CNN has not verified that unknown woman's allegations either in the Albany Times Union, and we don't know who she is. You know, Brynn, I thought it was curious today, and you're covering this on a minute by minute basis for us. The Governor spoke out but he didn't do it on camera. We just heard his voice. What was all that about?
GINGRAS: Yes. You know, that's how he's lately been conducting his news conferences for the most part. We haven't seen him in a couple of weeks other than going to, you know, press avail -- or rather availabilities with vaccine rollouts, but not taking any questions at those availabilities. So this is how we've been able to ask questions. And, you know, we did speculate is this because he doesn't want his face to say something big, some big news, of course, as we mentioned, you know, he said, he's not going anywhere. But I mean, I'm sitting here listening too, Wolf, and getting my news from you that these new, you know, with Gillibrand rather and Schumer saying now that he should resign. We are all curious to see what's going to happen next because those are some big -- that's big news.
BLITZER: Let me bring Joey Jackson into this conversation as well. He's in New York. He's one of our Legal Analyst. Joey, so from a legal perspective, give us your thoughts. These developments, they are very dramatic, and things are moving clearly very rapidly.
JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: They certainly are, Wolf. I think there's a number of things to consider, right? From my legal hat, in that perspective is something we call due process, right? And so the Governor's point, the fact is, is that there needs to be a full fair and thorough investigation. And to the extent that that investigation would reveal something untoward, something inappropriate, something illegal, then certainly I think that would provide a more greater basis and more of a foundation for him to resign.
So, if we want to talk just about the law, right, the foundation of our democracy is predicated upon due process, and that has to play out. Now, of course, you have the other side, you need to be able to govern with confidence. You need to have the confidence certainly of the people of your state, I can tell you that in large magic (ph) throughout his tenure he has, I'm here, I see what he does, I witness along with so many other New Yorkers what he does. But you certainly need to have the confidence of your local officials who are moving forward in agenda, your state officials, certainly that are doing that, and the people in Washington who are bringing back the bacon.
So to the extent that you lose that support, based upon these allegations, that of course, there needs to be consideration to, can I do my job? At the end of the day, you need to govern the state, you need to govern it effectively. And if you can't do that, then it's a political consideration whether to move. But on the legal front, you should have, of course, the tools that are necessary to provide everyone with -- you know, the allegations, absolutely, you know, presumably credible, but what are the specific findings. And I think for that, we need to wait until that process plays itself out.
BLITZER: You know, Errol, it looks like almost every major Democratic leader in the state of New York is now coming out against Governor Cuomo saying he must step down, he must resign. And we put up on the screen, the New York Congressional Democrats, who are now calling for his resignation, that's from the House of Representatives. Now we have both New York State Senators Schumer and Gillibrand also calling for his resignation, the mayor of New York City calling for his resignation. Is there anyone in a serious leadership position, Errol, who's standing by the Governor right now?
[17:45:08]
LOUIS: Not that we have seen. And it's important to keep in mind, you know, there's a pretty wide spectrum among members of the Democratic delegation in New York. There are moderates, there are conservatives, there are ultra-liberals, and they're all on the same page. So, yes, the Governor does not have any visible support of any significant size within the political class.
There were 20 women in the state legislature who did sign a letter saying that they want this process to play out, going back to the due process concerns that Joey Jackson just raised. But other than that, there's been no one, even as a sort of a character witness, Wolf, saying, we don't know what the truth of these allegations are but we know the Governor is a good guy. Nobody has stepped forward to say even that, which is very telling and very damaging.
BLITZER: From a legal perspective, Joey, what's more of a serious potential problem for the Governor right now, the sexual harassment allegations from a legal perspective, or the allegations involving how he dealt with the nursing home deaths?
JACKSON: I think both are, Wolf, quite frankly, right? And that's not a pun, it's just to say what the realities are, to the extent that you're dealing with women in a way that it appears based upon the facts as we know them, again, they have to be vetted and that process needs to play out. That is serious, and it is concerning, particularly in our day and age. We are in the day of MeToo, Time's Up accountability.
And if you're going to be, you know, governing to the extent that we have, you know, New York has gone through massive reform, as it relates to, you know, women sexual harassment, the ability for women to come forward and to state their piece (ph) employers and what employers need to do, that's a problem. You sign the law. You are the chief law enforcement officer of the state.
Pivoting quickly, Wolf, to the issue of the nursing homes, was there a cover up? Did you, in fact, give any direction as it related to what should be reported, what should not be reported, how it should be reported, what should be held? And so you have concerns here. But I think the dual concern is what really leads to a credibility gap and is leading to why people are calling for his resignation.
BLITZER: Yes, lots of news unfolding right now. Dramatic news, even as we're speaking. Errol, Brynn, Joey, guys, thank you very, very much. Don't go too far away.
There's other important news we're following here in The Situation Room. The latest on the investigation into the Capitol Riot with more than 400 possible defendants now it's being called one of the largest investigations in U.S. history.
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[17:51:47]
BLITZER: The U.S. Justice Department now says the number of people charged in the Capitol siege back on January 6 could easily top 400 and the first plea deals are possible within a matter of a few weeks. Our Justice Correspondent Jessica Schneider is working the story for us. I understand, Jessica, this is now one of the largest investigations in American history.
JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right, Wolf, it is a probe that touches almost all 50 states and it's so far netted nearly 300 defendants. Now, while most of them are individuals not connected to any organization, the extremist group, The Oath Keepers, is coming under increasingly intense scrutiny from prosecutors and their ties to a key Trump ally are gradually being exposed.
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SCHNEIDER (voice-over): In what's shaping up to be the largest and most complex criminal probe in American history, tonight, prosecutors are zeroing in on members of the extremist anti-government group, The Oath Keepers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over the Capitol, overran the Capitol.
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): They're gradually building out a major Capitol riot conspiracy case against nine members. A federal prosecutor telling a judge Thursday that new charges are coming against more members, all while the group's connections to Trump ally Roger Stone are becoming apparent.
ROGER STONE, LONGTIME POLITICAL ADVISER TO PRES. TRUMP: This is nothing less than an epic struggle for the future of this country between dark and light.
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): An FBI agent telling a judge in Alabama that a member of the Oath Keepers named Joshua James chauffeured Roger Stone as part of his security detail surrounding the stop the steal rally on January 5th, one day before the insurrection. James's wife testified that her husband was paid around $1,500 by the Oath Keepers for his security work at at least two events, including that rally.
Prosecutors say Oath Keeper Robert Minuta was seen screaming at police on the steps of the Capitol just hours after he appeared to stand guard by Roger Stone side outside the Willard Hotel in Washington. Minuta wore a VIP guest credential to the Trump rally before the attack, along with an Oath Keepers hat and patch. He was identified by the FBI inside the Capitol wearing ballistic goggles or radio with an earpiece and possibly carrying bear spray. According to an FBI affidavit, Stone has denied having advanced knowledge of the Capitol breach and said he only accepted security from the Oath Keepers because of death threats.
And prosecutors are now revealing a new court filings the vast scope of the insurrection investigation, a criminal probe unlike any other in American history. Federal investigators are pouring through a mountain of evidence. They're reviewing more than 15,000 hours of surveillance tapes and police body camera footage, about 1,600 electronic devices, and they've conducted hundreds of searches of electronic communications like e-mails and text messages. More than 900 search warrants have been executed in almost every state around the country. And prosecutors expect at least 100 more people will eventually be charged adding to the nearly 300 people already publicly identified and charged.
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SCHNEIDER: And we've just got word tonight that a judge has ordered the release of one of the alleged Oath Keepers charge in the Capitol riot, that 65-year-old Thomas Caldwell. He's a military vet. He was charged with conspiracy.
[17:55:06]
But Judge Amit Mehta now says there is no direct evidence that Caldwell ever planned to storm the Capitol. And that in addition to Caldwell's declining health is what prompted this Judge to release him. Caldwell now will have to wear a GPS monitor at home, and he is barred from communicating with any of those Oath Keeper members. Wolf?
BLITZER: All right, Jessica, thanks for that report. Jessica Schneider reporting.
Coming up, President Biden takes of a cautious victory lap as he and the Vice President Kamala Harris prepared to hit the road and tout the COVID stimulus package to the American people.
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