plus, president biden may be facing the first big defeat of his term. his nomination to head the omb neera tanden is now hanging by a thread. senators on both sides of the aisle are hesitant to confirm her because of some of her harsh tweets she wrote in the past while head of a progressive political group. so we'll talk about what this means moving forward for the biden administration. also today, cnn has new reporting that donald trump is already planning to run for president again in 2024. plotting revenge against his critics, he is preparing to deliver this nationally televised speech at cpac. that's the annual conservative conference. but how the republican majority, how will they handle this trump resurgence? that's a question we're asking. but first i want to begin with what we're about to see at the white house. our chief white house correspondent kaitlan collins is there. and, kaitlan, is this an event really to persuade people to get the vaccine? >> reporter: i think that that has kind of been what they've been highlighting all day. you saw the vice president earlier go into a pharmacy talking about the hesitancy that they've seen of people trying to get it. but they are also trying to highlight the fact that they are halfway to president biden's goal of 100 million shots in a hundred days. of course we're only on day 37. they are pretty much on track to meet that when they took office. they'll likely surpass what. what they were told about this event is that it's going to be less of a celebration, more of a somber moment. though they are trying to keep the focus on how they're ramping up vaccines, how they're becoming available when, they expect that time line to actually happen. so i think that's what you'll see from the president when you see him shortly. >> great. we'll look for that. let's talk about the confirmation clashes down the hill from you there up on capitol hill regarding neera tanden. where is she missing votes right now? >> well, so here's the issue. a key democratic senator joe manchin said he is not going to vote for her. so that means they have got to find at least one republican who will support her. but they're still waiting on democrats to say yes you've got our votes locked in so you can focus on getting that one republican. i don't think we've heard from bernie sanders say yes he is going on vote on neera tanden. we haven't heard another key member kyrsten sinema who will be on the committee. she has not said which way she'll vote. and the indication was that yesterday she wasn't ready to decide because they postponed that vote. basically the white house is kind of sitting back still trying to get that last republican they believe who could actually help pull her over the finish line. but they're not there yet. and the white house has been pretty clear that they're still pushing for her, they're not withdrawing her nomination yet. and you saw the chief of staff ron klain say they're fighting their guts out to get her confirmed. but it seems they are developing a backup plan. they are not going to try to put her in some kind of acting position. instead they will just put her in another position in the administration that does not require senate confirmation. >> kaitlan collins, thank you so much. we'll look for the president and this big moment momentarily. new on the point of vaccines here. vaccine distributions are trying to keep pace with concern of home-grown variants. they could ignite a mid-march case surge. new york and california are already detecting highly transmissible mutations. vaccinemakers fisa and moderner are trying to get ahead of that spread developing potential boosters. one of the city's large mass vaccination sites. how is it going there? >> reporter: hey there, brooke. i would say pretty steady. the lines have been steady throughout the day. although i'm told it's fridays into saturdays that are the busiest here. but on average the folsom county board of health has been vaccinating about a thousand people a day. and i just got to tell you speaking to some of the people who have been waiting in line to get their vaccines, they are so excited. a woman told me that she felt like she just won the lottery. more and more people are getting vaccinated. we're seeing downward trends in cases, deaths, and hospitalizations. but experts say there is one very big concern. and that would be the variants. in the battle against the spread of covid-19, new variants of the virus making the race to get americans vaccinated all the more urgent. >> today what we're seeing is a barrage of these new variants coming forward. >> reporter: experts are increasingly concerned about the rapid spread of covid-19 variants including new homegrown variants found in california, new york, and the northeast. >> while we need to be concerned about what we're seeing in new york and california or in other places around the world, we can't take our eye off to me what i think is the single most important variant right now in our headlights. that is this b.1.1.7 or the uk variant which is rapidly spreading throughout the united states. >> reporter: at least 45 states have confirmed cases of covid-19 variants according to the cdc. the seven-day daily average has ticked up to more than 72,000. in the last month there covid deaths dropped 30%. a new cdc forecast released wednesday projects the daily covid-19 death rate will continue to slow in the coming weeks. but they're also preparing for all scenarios including the possibility of another surge. >> what we don't know is a perfect view of how the vaccines will handle the variants. >> reporter: vaccinemakers pfizer and moderna are testing out new strategies to get ahead of these variants. pfizer and biontech announced they are testing how well a third test is combating covid-19 variants. and protecting against mutations found in the variant first identified in south africa. the company said the formula will be tested as a booster shot and a primary vaccine against the strain for individuals who have yet to be vaccinated. >> we might ask that you consider waiting so that others who don't have any immunity could get vaccinated before you. >> reporter: but if you've already had covid-19, the cdc director is also asking people who've already been exposed to wait for others to get the vaccine first, although it's not officially a cdc guideline. and with more than 20 million americans having been fully vaccinated against coronavirus, the u.s. is one step closer to having a third vaccine to distribute after a vaccination like pfizer and moderna do. the white house adding, you should get any vaccine that's available. >> the sooner we get vaccine into the arms of individuals, whatever that vaccine is, once it gets by the fda for an eua, if it's available to you, get it. >> reporter: the fda could sign off on emergency use of the johnson & johnson vaccine as early as friday. but getting shots in arms still moving slower than hoped. georgia this week opened four mass vaccination sites around the state. but they're not seeing the numbers they had planned on. >> don't think we're going to get quite there because we're just not getting the turnout in some of our places. >> reporter: and that georgia emergency management official referring to low turnout in albany, a mass vaccination site there about three hours southwest of georgia. he said the turnout was so low that they had to take most of the vaccine doses and redistribute them to the other three mass vaccination sites. it will be interesting, brooke, to see if and how the georgia governor brian kemp reacts to this low turnout and if that will change how vaccines will be administered in the state. he will be holding a news conference in about 20 minutes from now at the state capitol regarding vaccine distribution. we'll see if he does address that issue at all. back to you. >> talk about a clarion call for georgians. if you're in those top tiers, get out, roll up your sleeves and let's go. a cnn medical analyst and former cdc disease detective and the author of "viral bs: medical myths and why we fall for them." doctor, good to see you. i want to start with this new york covid variant. how worried should we be? >> we did see this new york variant back in november but not very much of it. fast forward to the middle of this month and 27% of cases in new york are people who are infected with this newer variant. and the reason that worries me, brooke, is because viruses evolve and mutate all the time. but many of those variants, they just kind of fizzle out because they didn't give the virus any advantage. when we see a variant start to become a lot more common even become dominant, that's usually a sign that this is a variant that has many advantages that might be more contagious. for example, and, in fact, what we learned last week from researchers at cal tech and columbia university is they found two specific mutations within this new york variant. one that could help the variant sidestep the vaccine and another mutation that could help the virus latch onto our cells a lot tighter. and of course neither of those are good news. it doesn't mean that vaccines will suddenly stop working or anything like that. but it does mean that we could be needing to develop more vaccines specifically to fight the variant. so we have to keep an eye on this. it could be that this new york variant is more transmissible, and that's definitely a cause for concern. >> let's talk about that. because i want to talk about those vaccines. and it almost feels to me almost like a chicken and egg situation. because you have these vaccines. you have moderna and pfizer. they're out there trying to get ahead of at least some of these new variants with their vaccines. how is that possible, and is this not just going to be this never-ending battle? because these variants just continue to emerge. >> so the reason the variants continue to emerge, though, this is a really important point, is the more a virus is allowed to transmit and replicate, that's when the virus is able to introduce mutations. you have a virus in a petri dish and it just can't make more copies of itself, it can't mutate. i get this question a lot, oh, should i even bother getting a vaccine? and i'm, like, no, this is more incentive to get vaccinated as soon as possible, especially as we learn that the vaccines could make you less contagious. that's amazing news because that really puts a stop to the vaccine -- sorry, to a virus replicating and mutating and kind of evolving to become bigger, faster, and stronger. so if you have the opportunity to get vaccinated, get vaccinated now. because that does help slow down the emergent of newer viral variants. >> listening to you very, very, very carefully. doctor, thank you so much as always for your expertise. good to see you. coming up, plotting his return and rerechdge. multiple sources are now telling cnn that former president trump's appearance appearance at cpac make it's crystal clear that he's not going anywhere. and tomorrow the u.s. house is finally set to vote on president biden's $1.9 trillion covid relief bill. but are democrats taking a big risk by including a lot of money for things that have nothing to do with the pandemic? 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well done. [ applause ] >> thank you . thank you. take care. >> all right. so we're going to stay on these pictures. but i also, i want one eye on these folks being vaccinated there at the white house and my other eye sanjay gupta on you our chief medical correspondent is watching history unfold under the biden administration officially marking now 50 million covid vaccinations under his watch, under his administration, that the president there standing by. how significant a moment is this? >> well, you know, it's a significant moment. i think one thing that is sort of lost sometimes in this is that no matter how you look at it, this is one of the largest sort of vaccination efforts sort of we've ever done as a country. i mean, people are talking about was 1 million shots a day an audacious enough goal? fair question given that we're in a public health emergency. but i think it is a good reminder, brooke, that it is a large undertaking no matter what. we're 35 days in, 50 million shots as you mentioned. so, well ahead of the goal. some will say that's great. others will say you're underpromising a little bit in terms of what is possible. so, i don't want to take away from the significance of this moment, 50 million shots is a big deal. but in order to get to some of these, you know, the herd immunity sort of statistics that people talk about, faster is better as long as you can do it safely and reach people who are the most vulnerable. >> so, you're in atlanta. i'm from atlanta. obviously i've been bugging my parents about getting vaccinated. i was just talking to amara walker who was at the mercedes-benz stadium saying, listen, the issue there has been is there are all these leftover vaccines. what is the issue? as we've been hearing you been saying and all these top docs saying half the battle is making sure the vaccine's manufacturer, the other issue is making sure it gets in arms. what's up? oh, hang on a second, sanjay. here's the president. >> okay. >> thanks for your leadership. thanks for being here. two weeks ago, i spent some time with you and dr. francis collins, the director of the national institute of health at nih. he gave me a tour of the vaccine research center in bethesda, maryland. it's the place where our top scientists spend years researching and developing vaccines and treatments of all kinds for all kinds of viruses. the brilliant team there made possible the rapid deployment and development of covid-19 vaccines. and they're truly remarkable. and this administration will follow the science to deliver more breakthroughs. you know, we are doing that to beat covid-19 and other diseases like cancer, which is something that is so personal to so many families including me and kamala's and many viewers. we've asked dr. eric glander, renowned harvard m.i.t. scientist to serve as my science adviser and head of the office and science and technology policy and co-lead the presidential council on advisory science and technology. these are the white house offices that bring together the country's top scientists to address our most pressing needs. and they will be part of the work to develop a darpa, like advance research effort on cancer and other diseases just like we do darpa and the defense departments which develops breakthrough projects to secure our national security. and relatedly, i'm delighted to see five of the nation's leading cancer centers are joining forces today to build on the work of the cancer moon shot i was able to do during the obama/biden administration to help break through silos and barriers in cancer research. we're making progress. there's so much we can do. so much progress within our reach. and that's why i'm thankful to the folks here today for getting their vaccine shots. gerald and cory, both d.c. firefighters. i said to cory, you know, a little expression. god made man. then he made a few firefighters. thank god we have them. and, linda busse is a manager at safeway grocery store in bethesda. and we also had a local school counselor. and a registered nurse who administered these shots. and the more people get vaccinated, the faster we're going to beat this pandemic. that's why one of my first goals in office just before i was sworn in, i indicated that my goal was to get 100 million covid vaccine shots in people's arms in my first hundred days as president. at first critics said that goal was too ambitious, no one could do that. then they said it was too small. but the bottom line is that america will be the first country, perhaps the only one, to get that done. and today i'm here to report we're halfway there. 50 million shots in just 37 days since i've become president. that's weeks ahead of schedule. even with the setbacks we faced during the recent winter storms which devastated millions of midwestern cities, towns, and also the same in the south. we're moving in the right direction though despite the mess we inherited from the previous administration, which left us with no real plan to vaccinate all americans. and every time we administer another 50 million shots, i'm going to use that milestone to report to the american people on our vaccination program and on our overall fight against this pandemic. the good and the bad, i'll tell you. success and the failures. and here's the deal. here's the deal. the story of this vaccination campaign is like the story of everything hard and new america does. some confusing setbacks at the start. and then if we do the right things, we have the right plan to get things moving. that's what we're seeing right now. weeks before i became president, the previous administration saw 6 million shots administered. this coming week, we will administer over 12 million shots. double the pace in just six weeks that we've been in office. other milestones. we've increased vaccination distribution to states by 70%. nearly 60% of people over the age of 75 have now received at least one shot. it was 14% six weeks ago. and close to 50% of people over the age of 65 have at least one shot now. it was 8% six weeks ago. it's important because people over 65 account for 80% of all the covid deaths. additionally, about 75% of the people who live in long-term facilities have gotten their first shot. and those cases are at the lowest levels since reporting began in may. here's how we've been doing it. it starts with increasing the supply. my team has worked very hard with vaccine manufacturers, pfizer and moderna to ensure we have enough supply for all adult americans by the end of july. when we discovered the vaccine manufacturers weren't being prioritized when it came to securing supplies they needed to make the vaccine, we fixed the problem. i used the defense production act to speed up the supply, chain for key equipment, which has already helped increase vaccine production. last week i toured the pfizer facility, manufacturing facility, in kalamazoo, michigan. it's incredible the precision, the safety, the pride, and the sense of purpose everyone involved in that process and project has. we've all seen the news about johnson & johnson's vaccine. the idea of a third safe and effective vaccine is very promising. the food and drug administration, the fda, is viewing the data and review recommendations from outside committee of experts that will be meeting tomorrow. now, let me be clear. we are going to do this the right way. the fda will decide on emergency use authorization of a vaccine based on science not due to any political pressure from me or anyone else. no outside factors. what i will say to the american people is this. if the fda approves the use of this new vaccine, we have a plan to roll it out as quickly as johnson & johnson can make it. we'll use every conceivable way to expand manufacturing of the vaccine, and we'll make even more rapid progress on overall vaccines in march. i'll have more to say about this in the days after the fda review. look, we've been laser focused on the greatest operational challenge this country has ever undertaken. administering shots in the arms of hundreds of millions of americans. we're increasing the number of vaccinators. one we found was you may have the vaccine but not enough people to put the vaccine in someone's arm like you just saw. we brought back retired doctors and nurses. we already deployed more than 1,500 medical personnel you see during national disasters from the federal emergency management agency, fema. and we commissioned our commission corps from the department of health and human services and the defense department including the national guard supplying vaccinators. we're lining up thousands more to do the vaccinations. we're also setting up more places for people to get vaccinated. as of today, we provided $3.8 billion to states, territories, and tribes to create hundreds of new vaccination centers and ramp up the existing ones that are there already. we're working with governors across the country to bolster their efforts to stand up hundreds of vaccination centers from stadiums to community centers, houses of worship, large parking lots. we're providing personnel and equipment and covering the cost for the states including for the use of their national guard, which they're incredible. today, jill and i, or i should say, tomorrow jill and i will travel to houston, texas, to tour one of the first federal mass vaccination centers and to thank everyone involved. this is an example of the kind of partnership between federal, state and local governments, and public and private partners that's going to get this job done. we also sent millions of vaccines to thousands of local pharmacies all across america to make it easier for folks to get the vaccine shot like they would their flu shot, going to a familiar place, familiar folks that they can trust and know to get the shot. and for folks who didn't live near, don't live near a vaccination center or pharmacy, we're deploying mobile units. these are special vehicles and pop-up clinics that meet folks where they live and where they don't have transportation to get the shots to get to the places to get the shots. we've also started to send vaccines directly to community health centers to help with the hard-to-reach folks in cities and small towns and rural communities in black, latino, native american communities that have higher rates of covid infections and deaths than any other groups. as a result of these round the clock efforts in five weeks america's administered the most shots of any country in the world, any country in the world. we're among the highest percentage of population fully vaccinated. that's progress we promised. it's also true that while covid-19 vaccinations are up, covid cases and hospitalizations are coming down. but i need to be honest with you. cases and hospitalizations could go back up with new variants as they emerge. so, i want to make something really very clear. this is not a time to relax. we must keep washing our hands, stay socially distanced, and for god's sake, wear a mask. some of our progress in this fight is because so many americans are stepping up and doing those things. the worst thing we could do now is let our guard down. of course, it's my hope to come back in the next report that after we've done another 50 million shots before the end of my first 100 days. but here's the critical point. as hard as it is now to believe, we're going to hit a phase in this effort maybe as late as april or may where many predict that instead of long lines of people waiting to get a shot, we'll face a very different scenario. we'll have the vaccine waiting, we'll have ramped-up vaccine supplies. we'll have folks to administer the shots to most of the people who aren't eager to get the shots. i don't think that's going to happen. i think when people see other people getting shots, it's going to build confidence. but at the same time there are people who live in hard-to-reach areas who can't get them. and there are folks who are hesitant to take the shot in the first place. we all know there's a history in this country of subjecting certain communities to terrible medical and scientific abuse. but if there is one message that needs to cut through, it's this. the vaccines are safe and effective. and i believe as you see your neighbor, your husband, your wife, your son, your daughter getting it, that you will be much more inclined to get it. listen to dr. fauci. listen to the scientists who develop these vaccines and the extensive and rigorous review that it went through. i did. i took my shots publicly to demonstrate to the american people that it's safe and effective. but the time is coming, maybe 60 to 90 days when the supply is adequate but not enough people can access the shots or don't want them. to address that challenge, we're going to launch a massive campaign to educate people about vaccines that they are safe and effective and where to go to get those shots in the first place. and we're going to bring together leaders of all segments of our society to educate and encourage all americans to get vaccinated. so i hope the senate will soon confirm a key leader to that effort. my nominee for the secretary of health and human services, xavier becerra, who did so well in this hearing this week. i hope congress passes the american rescue plan which i've been pushing, which provides funds for everything we need to do to beat this and to get the economy going. let me ask a rhetorical question. what would you have me cut? what would you have me cut out on vaccines alone if we don't invest $20 billion to vaccinate the nation, doesn't that make sense? or 160 billion in total towards the pandemic for testing to protective gear, to vaccine production, and distribution? i'm ready to hear any ideas on what would make the american rescue plan better, stronger, and effective. but we'll have to answer who will get helped and who will get hurt. i want to close with this. the question i'm asked most often is when will things get back to normal. my answer is always honest and straightforward. i can't give you a date. i can only promise that we'll work as hard as we can to make that day come as soon as possible. while things are improving and we're going from a mess we inherited to moving in the right direction at a significant speed, this is not a victory lap. everything is not fixed. we have a long way to go. and that day when everything is back to normal depends on all of us. it depends on congress passing the american recovery act, research plan, recovery plan. and also for us to remain vigilant to look out for one another. i've said it before. wash your hands, stay socially distanced. wear a mask. get the vaccine when it's your turn. when your friend or neighbor or loved one is eligible, encourage them to get vaccinated. and when all -- above all, remember we can do this. this is the united states of america. there's nothing we can't do when we do it together. so it's not over yet. but we're getting close. and god willing if we do all we know we have to do, we're going to beat this, beat it sooner than later. may god bless you all and may god protect our troops. thank you for your time. >> mr. president -- >> thank you. >> whatever happened seven weeks ago that if democrats flipped the senate, checks were going out the door? >> come on, peter, thank you . >> okay. grabbing his mask. dr. sanjay gupta, let's just dive right into the conversation. a couple of headlines there. but i just want to start with you more or less on a gut check. halfway through hearing the president saying, this is not a time to relax for god's sake, wear a mask. what did you think of that? >> you know, i think it's the right message, brooke. i feel like it's a message that we've been talking about, i think certainly in the media for a long time. but the idea that as much as we talk about the vaccines, and it's incredible really. the scientific achievement of the vaccines should never be minimized. it should be celebrated. but one can't help but think that had we worn masks diligently earlier on, and even now if we wore masks high filttration masks when we are out in high-risk areas with a lot of people around, that would probably be more effective more quickly than even the vaccines. just think about that. we've been beating the drum on that for so long. i feel like a broken record. but i'm glad he says it because i think the high-tech, you know, sort of victory with these vaccines needs to be coupled with basic public health measures that are still important, will remain important for some time to come. and if there's ever a pandemic again, that may be one of the biggest lessons of all. >> yep. i don't want to have that conversation. let's just get this thing done, right? the question i was actually asking about before we went to the president was just about the two-pronged battle that is any sort of global pandemic. number one, as you point out, the smart science and the manufacturing of the vaccines. and number two, it's getting the shots in arms. and i jotted down my note after touting all these vaccines and let's cross our fingers over johnson & johnson. 3.8 billion will go to states to create vaccination centers or they'll ramp up existing ones like houses of worship, like football stadiums, parking lots. so will that mean that the infrastructure will be in place, that there will be bodies available to, you know, inject these vaccines that really truly we can all be vaccinated by this summer? >> i really do think so, brooke. and i don't say that lightly. i mean, i've been reporting on this for a long time, talking to a lot of folks who are helping organize that. and i really think so. if you think about the numbers, obviously today, 50 million doses in 36 days, call it. we're not 1.5 million doses a day. we could get 100 million more doses in the next 64 days. and that's if we stay at this pace. that's not even counting on johnson & johnson and increasing the pace of vaccinations. i think the most interesting thing that really, you know, i think the point that the president was making, and i think is really important, is that greater than 60% of people over the age of 75 have now received the vaccine. 75% of people in long-term care facilities have received the vaccine. the reason that's important, brooke, is just basic math. who is most likely to get sick -- >> those folks. >> those folks. so they need to be at the front of the line. i mean, the herd immunity and getting to the 75, 80% that we keep hearing about is important. but remember, brooke, 35% of the deaths in this country came from people living in these closely clustered long-term care facilities. you'll have an outsized impact in terms of the effectiveness of the vaccine on our society by vaccinating people who are the most vulnerable. that is happening. there's other areas where people are vulnerable. they don't have access to the big chain pharmacies that we're talking about. and we got to make sure that those community centers and some of these other sorts of sites that you're describing are opened up to be able to access those people. but, brooke, for someone like you, i think for a lot of people who are watching right now, being able to call your pharmacy or your doctor's office, go get a vaccine, that is slowly becoming a reality. it's not there yet for a lot of places around the country, but it'll become a reality. but don't forget about the people that don't have that access. >> we take for granted that we have a cvs or a walgreens down the street. not everyone has that luxury. sanjay gupta, you are the best. thank you so much. >> talk to you soon. former president trump is preparing his return to the stage this weekend. and sources are telling cnn he is also plotting revenge. that's next. with 2 unlimited lines for less than $30 each. call 1-800-t-mobile or go to t-mobile.com/55. ♪ ♪ at wayfair... you can spend less on sofas that bring the whole family together. no matter what you need for your home you can spend less and get way more. some say this is my greatest challenge. governments in record debt; inflation rising, currencies falling. but i've seen centuries of this. with one companion that hedges the risks you choose and those that choose you. the physical seam of a digital world, traded with a touch. my strongest and closest asset. the gold standard, so to speak ;) people call my future uncertain. but there's one thing i am sure of... university of phoenix is awarding up to one million dollars in new scholarships through this month, because hope fuels opportunity. see what scholarship you qualify for at phoenix.edu research shows that people remember commercials with exciting stunts. so to help you remember that liberty mutual customizes your home insurance, here's something you shouldn't try at home. insurance is cool. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ want to save hundreds on your wireless bill? with xfinity mobile, you can. how about saving hundreds on the new samsung galaxy s21 ultra 5g? you can do that too. all on the most reliable network? sure thing! and with fast, nationwide 5g included - at no extra cost? we've got you covered. so join the carrier rated #1 in customer satisfaction... ...and learn how much you can save at xfinitymobile.com/mysavings. with just over five weeks since leaving his post as commander in chief, multiple sources have confirmed to cnn that former president trump is actively plotting his revenge and his return to the political stage. he is tracking who is with him and who is against him within his own party. and this is happening as the gop's biggest annual gathering the conservative political action conference known as cpac, it kicks off today with president trump set to give the marquee speech this sunday. and cnn's kate bennett worked so hard on getting this extraordinary scoop. and you've got to read her piece. go to cnn.com. kate, what have you discovered about the former president's 2024 ambitions? >> well, brooke, everyone i spoke to, and these are people who have talked directly to the president, indicate that he does want to run again in 2024 and that he intends to, whether that's kwixotic or not at this point, we don't know. there are investigations going on about tax returns. but in donald trump's mind and in donald trump's fan base, he will run again. he's going to drill down on midterms in 2022. his son don jr. is going to get out there on the campaign trail and help with that. but right now he's really sort of taking stock of where the republican party is. it's, quite frankly, not in a very solidified place. we saw this moment between house minority leader mccarthy and liz cheney there the other day saying i think it it's okay for trump to speak at cpac and liz cheney saying i don't think he should be part of this party. there's clearly division. and that's where donald trump sees that he still has a movement that he can sort of charge up and get going here. in the meantime, brooke, we know this is a man who keeps track of who's been loyal and who's been disloyal and whether or not it's a fair practice or a justified practice or even an efficient or workable practice. this is how he operates. it has always been the case. you owe me, i owe you. and this is how he plans to get back into politics, again, looking forward to 2024. a lot could happen in the meantime of course. but in terms of who he's talking to when he's out there on the golf course talking on the phone, he's thinking far ahead and he's thinking about the white house once again. >> how you described his golf cart as essentially his mobile office and all the various people golfing with him and his naughty and nice list, it is extraordinary reporting. kate bennett, we will stay tuned. president biden's $1.9 trillion covid relief bill is set to be voted on in the house tomorrow it. >> includes $1,400 stimulus checks, more unemployment benefits, childcare assistance, a boost to the federal minimum wage up to $15 an hour among other items. now critics are calling foul on the bill, arguing it's wasteful, poorly targeted, and packed with democratic wishes largely unrelated to covid. democratic representative of california jimmy gomez is with me now. congressman gomez, nice to have you on, sir, welcome. >> thank you for having me. >> so, full house vote tomorrow. it's a big day. at this point not a single house republican has signaled support for this bill. obviously sinking the president's hopes for a bipartisan agreement. is there any part of you that's worried that this bill goes too far and that it could hurt your party politically? >> uh, not at all. i'm not concerned about that one bit. and the reason why is that the american people are struggling. they're still hurting. my district has one of the highest infection rates in the country, also one of the highest employments. people are struggling to make ends meet. so this is something that they desperately want. they want to make sure they have additional weeks of unemployment, direct stimulus checks, making sure they have access to covid vaccine. so this is a big deal. and no bill is perfect. i will say that straight up. no bill is perfect. but i think that this is a good bill and we've got to pass it tomorrow and make sure what about the potential imperfection in the fact that the federal minimum wage hike is included in covid-19 relief bill, you don't even have support from everyone in your own party. why not take that piece of it out, and then you talk about your constituents who so badly need this money and the help, get the stimulus bill through. >> as someone who actually worked minimum wage jobs for early in my life, i graduated from high school and wasn't going to college and i worked at subway and target. i worked from not 9:00 to 5:00. and i worked at subway from 5:00 to 10:30 and then i worked at target. i was getting paid $5.50 at subway and $6.10 and i saved like $800. so it is not just having a job, it is having a good paying job that matters. and increasing the minimum wage will get that money up. so that people could make ends meet a little easier. i know there is concerns, but california, we passed an increase in the minimum wage. we scaled it up. we made sure that it was evened out. i think it is still doable. i wan to make sure that it is included and that is -- >> hang on, let me just jump in. because i hear you and what privilege purchases we both sit to have a conversation about ups the minimum wage. let me say that. but you've seen the cbo reporting. the cbo said does the good outweigh the bad. that a rise in the minimum wage up to $15 would lead to the loss of 1.4 million jobs by 2025. your response. >> my point is, if you're working three to four jobs a week, every single hour to make ends meet, is that worth it? right. my parents, i was never taken care of when my parents were working four jobs to make ends meet because they were always gone. so paying a high, liveable wage has profound benefits when it comes to the family and the stress and just the overall disposition of people in our communities. so i believe it is completely worth it in order to raise the minimum wage. a and oftentimes the job losses are replaced in the medium and long-term and that is what we saw in california. people said that the sky would fall in and that did not happen. and what happened is that people could work less jobs in order to make ends meet for their families. >> appreciate all of the hard work and it sounds like your family's hard work to get you where you are. kr congressman jimmy gomez. we'll see how this vote goes down tomorrow. appreciate you sir. >> thank you. how about this story, the search is on for lady ga ga's dogs after someone shot her dog walker and took two of her french bulldogs. she's now offering half a million dollars no questions asked for their safe return. we've got that for you next. voya doesn't just help me get to retirement... ...they're with me all the way through it. voya. be confident to and through retirement. did you know you can go to libertymutual.com to customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need? really? i didn't-- aah! ok. i'm on vibrate. aaah! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ this looks different. it is. epic hi-res photos. and 8k video, cinema quality. this is different. told you. doctors say tiger woods' recovery will be long and uncertain and riddled with challenges. he sustained injuries to his leg that requires rod and screws and pins and he said he doesn't remember the accident. he will not be charged. there was no evidence that he was intoxicated. they are calling it unfortunate accident but that speed may have been a factor. and a search is underway for someone that shot lady gaga's dog walker and stole three french bulldogs in hollywood last night. her dog walker is recovering in the hospital but he was shot with a semi-automatic handgun and now she's offering half a million dollars for her dog's safe return, no questions asked. a retired l.a. police department police sergeant and author of "black and blue." i know you spent two decades with lapd, is this a thing are celebrity dog kidnapping common. have you ever seen a case like this? >> everything is cyclical. i think right now, it is reported that this particular breed is the fourth most popular in the u.s. according to the american kennel club. and so, you know, people become complacent. i'm sure this dog walker does this every day at the same time, obviously the perpetrators knew. they came armed and prepared to hurt him in order to get the dogs. i'm certain that the dogs are chipped. it is only a matter of time before they find the perpetrators and while lady gaga may not have questions, i guarantee you robbery homicide might. someone was ser yusly injured and may have long-term repercussions as a result of this gunshot wound. >> because the dog walker probably does this all of the time around the same time, your guess just based upon your experience that this was premeditated, this wasn't some one-off, they knew what they were doing? >> and i don't know that news dogs belonged to lady gaga but she lives in a high rent district and they may not have nobody it was her dog, but it belonged to somebody with a little bit of coin in their pocket. so they target this person. they came with a weapon. they meant business. and so you have to be mindful. it is never a problem until it is a problem. you should guard everything and everything you care about with great care and caution. >> here is the piece that some folks are saying, is this really that smart. lady gaga, she wants her precious dogs back so she's offering this reward, you don't have to tell me anything, just give me my dogs, is that a good idea or does that set a dangerous precedent. >> she wants her animals back and it is no different than when a human is kidnapped and there is a ransom requested. i don't think it will encourage others to do that because great penalty comes but she's serious and i believe she will. who do you give them to? somebody knows. somebody participated in this and there are probably surveillance cameras and i believe the police know more than what they are letting on, rightfully so. >> good, as they look for these two dogs. this is what everybody is talking about today and we wish her dog walker well and hopefully they'll be okay and the dogs will be returned. sheryl dorsey, thank you so much. thank you all so much for being with me. i'm brooke baldwin in new york. let's go to washington. "the lead" with jake tapper starts right now. welcome to "the lead," i'm jake tapper and we begin with the politics lead. to major stories are grabbing the attention of the lawmakers today and both represent continued fallout from the donald trump presidency. the coronavirus pandemic and the january 6th insurrection at the u.s. capitol. today's trump's leadership failures an the lasting damage wrought upon the nation were on full display. the same trump team that one year ago today made this ill-fated claim. >> this president will always put america first. he will always protect american citizens. we'll not see diseases like the coronavirus come here and terrorism come here and isn't that refreshing. >> isn't that refreshing. and yet here we have