Transcripts For CNN CNN Newsroom With Brooke Baldwin 20240711

All this matters to Foreign Policy. Because when we host the summit of democracy early in my administration to rally the nations of the world to defend democracy globally, to push back the authoritarianisms advance, well be much more incredible partner because of these efforts to shore up our own foundations. Theres no longer a bright line between foreign and domestic policy. Every action we take in our conduct abroad, we must take with american Working Families in mind. Advancing a Foreign Policy for the middle class demands urgent focus on our domestic economic renewal. And thats why i immediately put forth the American Rescue plan to pull us out of this economic crisis. Thats why i signed an Executive Order strengthening our buy american policies last week. And thats also why i worked with congress to make farreaching investments in research and development of transformital technologies. These investments are going to create jobs, maintain americas Competitive Edge globally, and ensure all americans share in the dividends. If we invest in ourselves and our people, if we fight to ensure that american businesses are positioned to compete and win on a global stage. If the rules of International Trade arent stacked against us, if our workers and Intellectual Property are protected, then theres no country on earth, not china or any other country on earth, that can match us. Investing in our diplomacy isnt something we do just because its the right thing to do for the world. We do it in order to live in peace, security, prosperity. We do it because its in our own naked selfinterest. We strengthen our alliances, we amplify our power, as well as our ability to disrupt threats before they can reach our shores. When we invest in Economic Development of countries, we create new markets for our products and reduce the likelihood of instability, violence, and mass migrations. When we strengthen Health Systems in far regions of the world, we reduce the risk of future pandemics that can threaten our people on our economy. When we defend equal rights of people the world over of women and girls, lgbtq individuals, indigenous communities, and people with disabilities, the people of every ethnic background and religion, we will also ensure that those rights are protected for our own children here in america. America cannot afford to be absent any longer on The World Stage. I come today to the State Department an agency as old as the nation itself, as to how america writes its own destiny for the diplomacy of ben franklin helped assure the success of our revolution, the vision of the marshall plan, help prevent the world from foundering on the wreckage of war, and the passions of Eleanor Roosevelt declared the audacious idea of universal rights that belong to all. The leadership of diplomats of every stripe doing the daily work of engagement, created the very idea of a free and interconnected world. We are a country that does big things. American diplomacy makes it happen. And our administration is ready to take up the mantel and lead once again. Thank you all, and may god bless you, and protect our troops, our diplomats, and our Development Experts and all americans serving in harms way. Thank you all. President joe biden there, his first big trip to the State Department, first huge really Foreign Policy speech addressing, you know, a couple of things. Let me just read the headlines that i have for you. First of all just really being tough on russia, saying the days of the u. S. Rolling over in the face of russias aggressive actions and Cyber Attacks and poisoning people, obviously referring to Alexey Navalny there are over he says. Called for Alexey Navalny to be released immediately and without condition. Said that the new Defense Secretary will be leading a Global Posture of all of our forces worldwide. Specifically called for an end to all american support for offensive operations in yemen. And hes appointed this envoy to oversee a diplomatic solution there, he says. He will start increasing the number of refugees allowed in the u. S. Of course after the historically low numbers under the trump administration. So those are the points that he hit on. Ive got a lot of really smart people standing by to be able to talk through all of what we just heard. And, max, i want to start with you. Just also contextwise, President Trump went to foggy bottom once in his four years. And here we have, what, within the first couple of weeks President Biden there today. Starting with you on russia. Just your impressions of the tone he took, specifically on Vladimir Putin and also the calls on Alexey Navalny saying that hes entitled to his rights, and he should be released. What do you think . Well, it was a strong message, but it was very general. It was short on specifics. I mean, he very clearly signaled that this was going to be a departure from the Previous Administration. He said the days of rolling over for russia, those days are over. And he called on putin to respect human rights and to free navalny, which is not something you would have ever heard donald trump say. But there was no or else clause. Are they actually going to carry out the suggestion that navalny and his allies have made, which i think is a good one, which is to target the financial accounts of putin and the oligarchs that are in the west. He did not announce that action. But something announcing that this is a priority for the united states, i think thats important, that marks a change. And like so much of his speech, these are things that we would have been used to hearing in a Previous Administration that would have sounded like platitudes or banalities. But now they sound fresh and important because you would never imagine trump saying them. Yes, he says america is back. You hear max saying, though, he thought this was short on specifics. What was the biggest headline for you, and what was missing . Well, max is right. This was a bit short on specifics. But this was President Bidens first Foreign Policy speech of his presidency. He came to the State Department to do it, and that sends a signal. And he said quite directly that america really needs to work on its muscle of diplomacy. He said that that had been abused over the last few years. And that is something that he is committing to renewing. Weve heard this message from him time and time again. But hes reiterating it here today. And as you have pointed out, he did make a very, very strong statement on navalny, again calling for russia to release him. As this review of the u. S. Russia Policy is underway, the administration hasnt actually done anything to follow up on what are those, you know, strong rhetorical comments right now. So were waiting to see that. But we should note that there was some policy that he did roll out here today. He announced that there is going to be a new refugee cap for the Biden Administration. He is raising it to 125,000 refugees. Now, thats significant because when President Trump left, it was left at 15,000. This is a dramatic increase. And he says that this whole program really needs a lot of love because it has atrophied over the last few years. The other thing is on yemen. The u. S. Is no longer going to be supporting Offensive Measures in yemen. And what that really means is that the u. S. Is not going to be selling certain types of weapons to saudi arabia and the United Arab Emirates that are used to take on the fight in yemen right now. And he is putting diplomacy back on the table, announcing a state Department Official that is going to be taking up this baton. So really focusing on diplomacy as hes making these announcements. Also reviewing u. S. Force posture globally and putting a hold on withdrawing u. S. Troops from germany at this time while that review is underway. So there were a lot of specifics even though Broad Strokes where people are really looking, russia, china, and the like were still waiting for some details. Dana, bigger picture, too, how much of this and i know weve talked about this in terms of Congress Versus actual legislation. But im sitting here thinking how much of this is the Biden Administration saying weve got this huge list of what we need to do, Foreign Policywise, xyz, abc versus really taking time to just undo so much of, as they would say, damage that was done these last few years . Its the latter right now. Kylie is of course right on some of the specifics with yemen and others. But on Foreign Policy, when you are an american president and you make a statement, that statement is supposed to mean something. And the fact is we havent had anything this deliberate and sweeping, maybe Broad Strokes, fine, but deliberate. Its very clear to anybody in the world who is watching that a new american president goes to the seat of diplomacy, the State Department, and utters these words. That is very intentional, and it is made very clear by where he is and by what he said. One other point that i want to make as somebody who has traveled with president s with some of his predecessors, abroad, that we are used to hearing president s talk about a free press, not just domestically but on The World Stage intentionally in order to encourage democracy. We heard him say that very clearly. And that was a real obviously a very big departure from a guy who called us the enemy of the state. But it is also because for the past four years, the rhetoric that people who were looking for excuses around the world to be more of a demagogue, what they heard from the previous president , they could take advantage of, and thats another message that he was trying to send, and another episode of what i guess were continuing to see back to the future, which is what the Biden Administration is trying to telegraph. And, yes, and, laura also as i was sitting here listening to him talking about some of the substance regarding yemen and Refugee Admissions Programs and Global Posture of view of our forces and freezing any Troop Redeployments from germany. He said hes firmly rooted in being an american president obviously with looking at this through the lens of a pandemic, thousands of people dying every day, the economy, millions of americans are struggling. And he said every action we take abroad, we must keep american middle class families in mind. Why make that point standing there at the State Department . Thats a point biden has been making throughout his campaign into the general election from the primary to the general, and even now into the office. One of the core elements of his president ial campaign was talking about the middle class, was talking about americans that he feels as though have been left behind, and that are particularly struggling during this pandemic. And so he mentioned that to show that no matter what agency hes talking about has them in mind. He also mentioned, brooke, that Racial Equity is at the core of everything that hes doing as well. And so he mentioned that. It may sound like a Throwaway Line in this large speech about diplomacy and about how hes redirecting the State Department, but the fact that he still said it there, the fact that hes saying its going to apply to agencies that people wouldnt typically expect it to apply to, that hes looking at everything through a Racial Equity lens, thats another thing that i dont think we would have heard from a president maybe ever before, but certainly not in recent history. Im glad you pointed that out, a Racial Equity lens. And also he reiterated protecting lights of lgbtqi individuals worldwide, looking at the world through that lens as well. I want to thank all of you for going through the first real Foreign Policy speech, the president at the State Department, thank you, thank you. Were going to move along. More Breaking News this afternoon. Soon, the u. S. House will vote to punish congresswoman Marjorie Taylor greene for promoting Conspiracy Theories and expressing support for the assassination of democratic leaders. The Congress Woman today just tried to walk back some of her comments, but she also blamed cancel culture for the backlash against her. We have those new details ahead. And the house Impeachment Managers today are asking former President Donald Trump to show up and testify under oath in the very same place he incited his supporters to attack. Also ahead, a Voting Technology Company Filing a massive 2. 7 billion lawsuit against fox news, Rudy Giuliani, and sydney powell over what it calls a Disinformation Campaign that has threatened its very survival. Youre watching cnn. Im Brooke Baldwin. Well be right back. Shell say shes got goals. 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We are also watching capitol hill this afternoon where the house is gearing up to vote on whether to strip congresswoman Marjorie Taylor greene of her committee assignments. As they debate the motion, the Georgia Republican is attempting a mea culpa or shes maybe showing some regrets. A lastditch attempt to whitewash her controversial past. School shootings are absolutely real. And every child that is lost those families mourn it. And 9 11 absolutely happened. I remember that day crying all day long watching it on the news. And its a tragedy for anyone to say it didnt happen. And so that i definitely want to tell you i do not believe that its fake. Big Media Companies can take teeny tiny pieces of words that ive said that you have said any of us and can portray us into someone that were not. And that is wrong. Cancel culture is a real thing. It is very real. Shes calling this vote cancel culture, and that is not what this is. This is a vote to decide if someone who has been a promoter of qanon, a pedlar of dangerous Conspiracy Theories and endorser of violence against democrats should be held accountable. So, lets start on capitol hill with cnn Congressional Correspondent jessica dean. And, jessica, just give me the State Of Play right now. Whats happening right now is that the house is going through all of the procedure to get to the ultimate full house vote on this resolution to remove her from her committee. So right now theyre working their way through the rule to then get to that vote. Were expecting that to come later this evening around 5 30. But things remain fluid. What were keeping an eye on now is of course democrats are moving forward with this. This is a democratic resolution that they chose to bring to the floor because they said republicans would not act to do what needed to be done. And they have really made a point of saying this isnt about a difference of opinion or we dont like her. This is about, in Nancy Pelosis words, about Marjorie Taylor greene threatening the lives of other Members Of Congress. So they feel like even though this is going to be breaking with precedent in terms of bringing this to the floor, they dont feel like that there is anything wrong with that, and they feel that it is the correct thing to do. Now, remember, Marjorie Taylor greene met with the house leadership, house gop leadership. They have decided not as of right now to do anything. They are going to keep her on their committee. So now it goes to this vote. The question is will any republicans join democrats in this, and we saw her, as you played that clip right there, go to the house floor and talk a little bit about her views. Some republicans said earlier they were looking for an apology, looking for her to renounce these views publicly. Is this enough what she did to persuade republicans to stay with her on this issue . That remains to be seen if any republicans will be joining democrats in this. But, brooke, the important thing to keep in mind as were watching all of this play out is that this resolution needs a simple majority, and House Democrats do hold the majority right now. Jessica, thank you. We want to have a conversation about all of this with me now. Former republican congressman, charlie dent. Gentlemen, welcome. Charlie, this one is for you first. Another assertion made by Greene On The House Floor Today is that she says she never mentioned qanon since she started campaigning for congress. But here she was in july. The video you say, quote, q is a patriot. Do you believe that . Is that what you believe . Ive only ever seen patriotic sentiment coming out of that source and other sources. I think twitter has Just Announced recently last week that itll be removing anyone that associates themselves with qanon. But yet theres never been any dangerous rhetoric coming out of people like that. Okay. We all heard that, right . We heard that, charlie. Another the fact that also watching her today that a member of congress had to go out on the floor and actually say out loud, yes 9 11 absolutely happened or, yes School Shootings are real. What did you think . My reaction remains the same. I said last summer when it became clear she was going to become the republican nominee in that georgia Congressional District that the leadership at that time shouldve told her that should she become the nominee and elected to congress that they will not welcome her into the republican conference or seat her on any committees and that they would work with the georgia gop to defeat her in a primary in 2022, enjoy her time in congress. Thats how you need to deal. Thats how they should be dealing with these radical members or people who have these radical ideologies, antisemitism, antiislamic, Conspiracy Theories, 9 11 didnt happen, the plane didnt crash into the pentagon, whatever she said, the ins sensitive comment she made about the shootings up in connecticut at sandy hook. How much more do we need . She shouldve been removed from the committees. Is its that simple. And the Republican Leadership shouldve done it. Now theyre going to have the sp spectacle today where theyre going to have to vote on it and set a precedent that theyd rather not. Axios was reporting the last week about how her primary opposition flagged this twoparty leadership. They had this oppo research, and yet we see what the result was. Bill, to you, was what she said today effective in any way . Do you think it changes the dynamic at all with regard to this vote in her Committee Spots . It was awfully disingenuous. She made it seem as if she were the victim of social media and got sort of forced to believe these things and accept these things when she propagated them. And as recently as two, three days ago was tweeting things about how critics of President Trump were pedophiles and so forth. So, its a little ridiculous. But if you are a republican member looking to stick with your party, looking to find a reason not to vote with the democrats to kick off the committees, maybe slightly genuinely concerned, youre going to take this as enough. So maybe itll help reduce the number of republican votes, republicans joining the democrats today. Bill, let me stay with you because as for the party itself, as for the gop, this is something some of us were texting about last night, just the fact that there was this Standing Ovation last night. Its one thing for her to say all of these wild and crazy things out loud. Its another for Kevin Mccarthy to do absolutely nothing about it. But to have members of Congress Stand up and applaud Marjorie Taylor greene. My question is this. Do republicans truly share her beliefs . Or is this really just all about winning elections and staying in trumps good graces . You mentioned a key name there, trump. This didnt happen on its own, and the republican Members Of Congress would be a lot more willing to take on Marjorie Taylor greene if she werent embraced by the most powerful republican of the country right now who remains donald j. Trump. Its about trump really fundamentally. So you think they applauded her knowing that details of the Committee Hearing would be leaked and they knew trump would ultimately know and they want to be on the, quote, unquote, right side . I think some of them believe shes being unfairly persecuted and some of them agree with her. And some of them just think we have to have a big tent there from crazy people all the way over to normal conservatives. So who knows exactly whats going through their minds. But the less that they have internalized unfortunately over the last several years is no enemies to the right, never take on trump or anyone trump supports, try to pretend that these problems dont exist, accept a fake apology if there is one, just as with trump after charlottes have ill and many, many other times. Maybe theres a tiny concession. That is the Republican Party we have in the house. Ten people voted for impeachment after january 6th. Its not clear, well see what happens in the senate. But that is the way it is. What about Kevin Mccarthy, charlie . A source told cnns Gloria Borger that mccarthy actions were a real, quote, abdication of and, quote, potentially careerending mistake. I mean, he wants to obviously be speaker in 2022. Do you see it that way . I do think he made a mistake. But you have to understand what his calculation is. I think Kevin Mccarthy wants to be speaker. And remember what happened to him in 2015 after john boehner stepped down. Mccarthy trial to elevate and the Freedom Caucus would not provide the votes to help him. Since then, Kevin Mccarthy tried to coopt the Freedom Caucus. If he punishes Marjorie Taylor greene, he will likely lose their votes again going forward. But the flip side of that is by not condemning Marjorie Taylor greene, i think he makes it harder for his caucus to get back into the majority. Because members in the Swing Districts are going to be tagged with Marjorie Taylor greene. Remember, republicans also, you know, will hit democrats for being tied to the squad and aoc. Well, now theyre going to try to attack republican members making it harder to get the majority. Kevin mccarthy is really in a bit of a pickle here. I think hes kind of twisted up. We wait to see what happens, whether or not they strip her of her committee assignments, the democrats do have the simple majority which is all they need. To be continued, gentlemen. Thank you both very much for talking that through with me. Well talk about it tomorrow, im sure. Still ahead here, Democrats Ask former President Trump to testify under oath in his second Impeachment Trial. Can they actually force him to comply . Plus, a Voting Technology Company Filing a 2. 7 billion lawsuit against trump allies, fox news, Rudy Giuliani, and Sidney Powell over what it calls a Disinformation Campaign against its products. Customer and i want your best new smartphone deal. Well im an existing customer and id like your best new smartphone deal. Oh do ya . Actually its for both new and existing customers. I feel silly. But i do want the fastest 5g network. Oh i want the fastest 5g network. Are we actually doing this again . Its not complicated. Only at t gives everyone the same great deal. Like the Samsung Galaxy s21 5g for free when you trade in. Hey dak. What if i sleep hot. And i sleep cold . No problem. 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So you can finally give john some attention. Trusted experts. Guaranteed accurate books. Intuit quickbooks live. Say hello to way more quality finds youll love on wayfair. Way more brands you trust. And way more dependability. So with wayfair youll always find your perfect match. Go pro at subway® for double the protein on Footlong Subs and new protein bowls. And if you want to go pro like marshawn, you got to feed virtual marshawn, too. Thanks for the footlong, irl marshawn go pro and get double the protein for just 2 more. We continue to follow some Breaking News. House Impeachment Managers are asking former President Trump to testify under oath before or during his Upcoming Senate Impeachment Trial. And that trial is expected to begin next tuesday. So far we have yet to hear from the former president himself. The article of impeachment accuses trump of inciting that deadly january 6th insurrection on the u. S. Capitol. Cnn legal analyst and former u. S. Ambassador norm isen is with me. And The One And Only dana bash is back. So, dana, let me start with you. What are the chances he actually shows up and testifies . I wouldnt say theyre very high, brooke. But this is and norm can speak to this as a strategic idea. But this is a point that the House Managers are trying to make. Theyre trying to make and they say in the letter that what the former president s attorneys gave them was a lot of the facts that they played out dont comply with reality. What they are trying to show in asking the former president to come testify that that is the case. Theres no threat of a subpoena in this letter, and even if they did threaten to subpoena him, and even if they did send a subpoena, it would quickly go to or at least it would ultimately go to the Supreme Court, and that would be a decision, a precedentsetting decision that the Supreme Court would have to make. It seems to me that theyre trying to make a point, but im curious what yeah, you read my mind. Let me read the point in the letter. The Impeachment Managers, mr. Ambassador, for you, in the letter they say that if trump refuses to testify, that they can argue that his refusal, quote, supports a strong adverse inference regarding his actions and inaction on january 6th, 2021. So, if trump refuses to testify, they then can fold that into their prosecution against him. And when he does show up, well, we know that trump struggles with the truth. Is this an effective strategy for the prosecution . Brooke, thanks for having me back. It is an effective strategy for the House Managers. Trump put in an answer that was chalk full of lies. He claims that there are legitimate suspicions about the election and that that was the basis for his statements. Over 60 courts have thrown those out. He denies that his plain fighting words on january 6th that if you dont fight for your country he said to this angry mob, itll be taken away from you, that that was about election security. So his answer that he filed is chalk full of falsehoods. Why not put him on the spot say, hey, you put all these things in issue, come on down and tell us about it. And when he doesnt point to the empty chair, thats what an adverse inference is in the law. If somebody should and can show up to defend themselves and they dont, then we know the conclusion to draw from that silenced. So i think its smart. So, to that point, dana, do you think thatll change hearts and minds for republican senators . No. Its unlikely that this particular move or, more specifically, the way that the managers are going to play the move the way that theyre going to describe it, i dont think that thats going to change very much. One thing that i do want to note, though, is the part of the attorneys statement for the trial that the ambassador was just talking about questioning whether or not the election had problems in it and so on and so forth, which of course is the whole basis for the insurrection to begin with, the big lie. The fact that the president continues to push that and did so up until or actually continues to do that right now. That is a big reason why he lost his first legal team over the weekend. Because there were some money issues, too, but that was also a big, big reason because he was pushing them to argue not just that he shouldnt be convicted of anything having to do with the insurrection. He wanted them to argue The Big Picture that caused the insurrection to begin with. And they were saying no thats not what were doing. Right. Can you imagine him coming back to what would be the scene of the crime, you know, and repeating those same lies which led to the insurrection . Mr. Ambassador, if the House Managers are signaling that they want one witness, might this also signal that there could be other witnesses at the trial . It might. I know these House Managers and their team of lawyers, they are some of the most brilliant litigators both in the house and in the country. And part of litigation is the art of surprise. So they have fired, shot across the witness bow asking for trump. I expect more surprises from them. Remember also, to danas last point. It is a tough slog with these republican senators. I think that is shameful cowardice on their part. They were the ones who were held hostage by the mob trump knowingly incited. But the managers and their lawyers are not just arguing to those 17 republicans that they need to pick up in the senate. They are taking their case to the American People. And i think were going to see an Extravaganza Next week. I worked side by side with these folks. Full story has not been told. So i look forward to seeing what other surprises what do you mean by that, the full story hasnt been told . Nobody has put together, its going to be like an hbo mini series, brooke. Nobody has put together all the video, all the stories, all the horror, tied it to trumps behavior, not just on january 6th. He incited this mob for months. Of course if you tell people you lie to them that their democracy has been stolen, that the election has been stolen, their patriotic impulses are going to be excited. He tricked people. He inflamed the mob, put that whole story together. Theyve done it on paper, the House Managers have done it on paper in their brief. Now theyre going to bring it to life. And that will be an eyeopener. The senators are tough, but the American People are going to see just how bad trumps conduct was. And that is the ultimate jury for this Impeachment Trial. Well be watching all the special coverage all next week. Dana, im sure youll be up there front and center. Whats the one thing youll really be watching for . Just how these senators, and i know were probably not going to see their reaction, but talking to them in the breaks, you know, how they react to what the ambassador was just talking about, a reminder that theyre not just jurors, that they are victims of this, and they are going to be doing this as we have said on your show before, brooke, on the scene of the crime, at the scene of the crime. And so just The Big Picture of all of that, how rich and horrifying it all is all at the same time will be really remarkable. It all starts next tuesday. Dana, ambassador eisen, thank you both. More break news now. A Voting Technology company says enough, filing a 2. 7 billion Lawsuit Naming fox news and trump allies. We have those details next. [ Engines Revving ] its amazing to see them in the wild like th shhh. [ engine revs ] for those who were born to ride, theres progressive. University of phoenix is awarding [ engine revs ] up to one Million Dollars in new scholarships through this month, because hope fuels opportunity. See what scholarship you qualify for at phoenix. Edu smartomatic. Its this Voting Technology company, they have filed a 2. 7 billion lawsuit against fox news and protrump attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell. At the heart of this suit is this. The allegation that the network and these two lawyers waged a campaign of disinformation that has jeopardized the companys survival. Cnns center media reporter oliver darcy is following all the details today. And, oliver, just walk us through the lawsuit and what it would mean for fox. This is a big, big lawsuit, 2. 7 billion big. As you mentioned smartomatic, which is this Voting Technology company. Its identified some of its hosts lou dobbs, Jeannine Piro and its also serving Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell. And the lawsuits allege that they all worked together on a Disinformation Campaign that targeted this business and has now endangered its very survival according to the lawsuit. So theyre seeking damages. They say that they are forecasted to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in the next few years because their name has been tainted. According to the lawsuit, they argue that fox had a financial interest to pursue protrump Conspiracy Theories, falsely saying that the election was stolen. And the lawsuit argues that to do this they needed a villain. Ill read from part of the lawsuit right now. It says they needed a villain. They needed someone to blame. They needed someone who they could get others to hate. A story of good versus evil, the type that would incite an angry mob only works if the storyteller provides the audience with someone who personifies evil. We have reached out to fox, and they are saying they are going to defend this lawsuit. Theyre calling it meritless. Sidney powell is calling it a political maneuver. And, strangely enough, Rudy Giuliani is saying he looks forward to discovery in this case. Interesting. We do know that fox did run some corrections on their network about the smartomatic claims. Will that help them in their defense . Smart matic, a couple months ago they issued a legal notice to fox news saying basically please retract your claims right now. And after that legal notice fox ran this really surreal segment on some of the programs basically debunking everything that their hosts had been telling viewers for weeks and weeks and weeks. Smartomatic has been pointing to that segment saying, look, the Voting Technology expert you interviewed in that segment who debunked your claims was also available to you. These experts were not hiding out there. And told your viewers the truth, but because you didnt, it basically shows you were not interested in telling the truth. You were interested in feeding this audience something it wanted. These protrump Conspiracy Theories. So theyre actually using foxs fact check, interestingly enough, against the network in this lawsuit. How about that. Oliver darcy, thank you. Thank you. A new warning from a top health official. The uk variant is like a category 5 Hurricane Brewing off the u. S. Coast. The race to vaccinate more americans next. At tmobile, we have a plan built just for customers 55 and up. Saving 50 vs. Other carriers with 2 unlimited lines for less than 30 each. Call 1800tmobile or go to tmobile. Com 55. At jackson hewitt, we offer safe and easy ways to file with a skilled tax pro. Securely drop off your documents, have them picked up, or upload them, and work with a tax pro online from home. Safe and easy ways to file that work around you. Did you know you can go to libertymutual. Com and work with a tax pro online from home. To customizes your Car Insurance so you only pay for what you need . Really . I didnt aah ok. Im on vibrate. Aaah only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. New Coronavirus Infections are still dropping across the country, but the number of people getting sick remains high. More than 450,000 have died, and now that variant out of the uk thats spreading across the u. S. Turns out it may be deadlier than first thought. President bidens plan to partner with Retail Pharmacies to mass vaccinate millions of americans begins next week. As the battle over reopening schools intensifies. Amid a new study that says Rapid Testing can cut infections in schools by 50 . The white house says getting students back in the classroom is high on the president s list. The president believes schools should be open. Teachers want schools to be open. Families want schools to be open. But we want to do it safely. And im not sure that any parent in this country would disagree with wanting their kids to go to school in a safe environment, where theres ventilation, where proper precautions are taken, whether its masks or social dis distancing, and thats his priority. Cnns Lucy Cavanaugh has more on todays headlines. High oxygen reporter across the nation a story of worry and also hope. First, growing fears about a new covid19 surge. With new questions about the fasterspreading variant first identified in the uk. Is it more deadly . Theres increasing data that suggests that some of the variants, b117 variant, may actually be increase lead to increased mortality and the jury is still out with regard to how these vaccines are going to work with regard against these variants. Reporter and could it become the dominant variant in hot spots like florida and california . The new strains could cause a major surge in new cases. We want to get as many people vaccinated as possible, yes, thats important, but the bottom line its going to take much more than vaccine to keep this variant at bay and not to have potentially a major surge in just the weeks ahead. Reporter now is not the time to ditch your mask. I think this game is at halftime. Got off of the deficit. We tied the game at halftime. And we need to keep pushing and not give this virus a chance to play well the second half. Reporter after months of darkness, finally a glimmer of light. New cases continuing to decline across the nation. 41 states showing downward trends. Eight holding steady. The pace of vaccinations on the rise since midjanuary. The u. S. Now administering an average of 1. 32 million vaccine doses a day, but that still might not be fast enough. We do need to make it go faster, though, to stay ahead of those variant strains and to really help contain the pandemic. Reporter the pandemic remains as deadly as ever. The u. S. Averaging more than 3,000 deaths a day. The cdc predicting more than half a million could die of covid19end of the month. That would amount to one death for every minute of the pandemic. The Biden Administration is looking to open 100 federal vaccination sites across the country, the first expected to serve underprivileged communities in california. California will be launching not just this site in oakland but also a site in los angeles in cal state l. A. Reporter though shots of hope could soon be coming to your local pharmacy, the white house partnering with 21 National Chains to ship vaccines directly to stores. Schools are safe reporter meanwhile, the fight over reopening schools continues. What we believe is exactly what the cdc, dr. Fauci, what the Biden Administration believes, that we can safely reopen schools. Open schools now reporter californias governor pushing for students to return to inperson learning before all teachers are vaccinated. The city of San Francisco suing its School District and board to force schools to reopen. While the new study found that weekly rapid tests for teachers, students, and staff, Cowuld Cut Infection rates by 50 . It doesnt matter how much the data suggests that they can be made safe. They dont feel safe. We have the ability to vaccinate them so lets just vaccinate them. Reporter so, masks are going to continue to play a Critical Role in curbing the spread of covid19. Especially with those deadlier strains out there. We learned today that the white house is reportedly looking at coordinating direct shipments of masks to americans. Thats according to sources familiar with a Biden Administrations Coronavirus Response plan. But in a briefing earlier today, the white house spokeswoman said those plans have not been finalized. The costs and the logistics would certainly be complicated. Brooke . Lucy kafafov in denver, lucy, thank you so much. Im Brooke Baldwin here in new york. Thank you for being with me. Well see you back here tomorrow. In the meantime, to washington we go. The lead with jake tapper starts right now. This is cnn Breaking News. Welcome to the lead. Im jake tapper. Were following two big breaking stories in our politics lead today. One, a former trump adviser just told cnn that former President Trump will not testify after Democratic House Impeachment Managers this afternoon requested that he do so, testify either before or during his Senate Impeachment trial set to begin tuesday. In addition, we expect to see a vote on the floor of the house of representatives soon to determine whether or not congresswoman Marjorie Taylor greene, the republican whos been in the news lately for her bigoted and deranged Conspiracy Theories, whether she should keep her committee assignments. This afternoon, congresswoman