he incited, only to be answered with the following. quote, well, kevin, i guess these people are more upset about the election than you are. that is according to a republican congresswoman, who memorialized the exchange in notes at the time. in its letter to mccarthy, the committee cites the exchange and says it is seeking insight into the former president's state of mind. but another passage in the letter suggests that the panel could also be seeking evidence the former president may have broken the law, by obstructing an official proceeding and they want to know what mccarthy knows about it. quoting now. for example, even after the riotous crowd ultimately dispersed late in the day january 6th, then president trump and his legal team continued to seek, delay, or otherwise impede the electoral count. the select committee wishes to question you regarding communications you may have had with president trump, president trump's legal team, representative jordan, and others at the time on that topic. letter also signals interest in a topic that got considerable play at several points in the former president's time in office. namely, his mental competence to hold office. quoting, again. it appears that you may also have discussed with president trump the potential he would face a censure resolution impeachment or removal under the 25th amendment. it also appears that you may have identified other possible options, including president trump's immediate resignation from so there is much more, of course, and we will talk about it shortly along with the likelihood or little likelihood he will cooperate. here is what he told cnn's manu raju about it in may. >> would you be willing to testify about your conversation with donald trump on january 6th if you were asked by an outside commission? >> sure. >> you would? >> next question. >> so that was then. as you know, he would later go on to torpedo a bipartisan commission, tell members to boycott the current one, and strip committee member liz cheney of her leadership post. as you also know, congressman mccarthy has said plenty in the past, and then shrunk away from it. >> the president bears responsibility for wednesday's attack on congress by mob rioters. he should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding. these facts require immediate action by president trump. accept his share of responsibility, quell the brewing unrest, and ensure president-elect biden is able to successfully begin his term. >> so, that was the kevin mccarthy of january 13th talking about the man who sicked a mob on him, his members, staff, and workplace. a man who then refused to call them off and here is kevin mccarthy two weeks later posing and grinning with the man who might have gotten him killed. the question is which version will the committee get, now that they have given him the opportunity to come clean? more now from cnn senior justice correspondent evan perez, who starts us off. what is the committee's most -- what are they most interested in learning from mccarthy you think? >> well, anderson, i think you read some of the parts of this letter, which really go to the committee's pursuit of, you know, the -- the -- the frame of mind that the former president had in those days leadling up to january 6th and thereafter. it's clear they have information and they make reference to the fact that they have information from other witnesses, including text messages, which shed some light on what appears to be a -- a -- a -- a collapse of -- of the -- the -- the president's perhaps, you know, wellness in -- in -- in office in those days. and so, one of the things that the letter says is that the -- the -- that -- that they know that mccarthy spoke to the president multiple times in not only january 6th but in those days. and would have information not only about his frame of mind, his wellbeing, and -- and whether or not, you know, people -- people around him were considering removing him from office because of concern that he was not well. and so, that's what you see in -- in this letter, and -- and as you pointed out, um, mccarthy has been extraordinarily close with the president, especially during those days he was calling for the president to intervene. and he clearly had some very vivid reactions to -- to what happened on january 6th, at least at the beginning. >> has mccarthy or his office had a response to any of this? >> they have not. he's the third republican member to be asked for voluntary cooperation by this committee. jim jordan and scott peterson are the others. both of those others have said that they are not likely to provide anything, and -- and -- and as you pointed out, i think mccarthy is probably going to take that same route, given the fact that he's already told the other republican members to ignore what this committee is doing. >> evan perez, appreciate it. thank you joining us now cn chief political analyst, gloria borger. also cnn contributor, and former ambassador to the czech republic, norm eisen. gloria, the letter, i mean, what do you make of it? it really did seem to lay out where the committee is headed with the investigation as we mentioned. the former president's state of mind and his intent. >> yeah. i think it really does provide a roadmap. it tells the story of where the committee is gonna go. i don't think it is a coincidence that the committee mentions in this letter the president's state of mind. three times. because they want to find out from mccarthy what the president's intent was before, during, and after the insurrection. and they believe, of course, that mccarthy, having had all these conversations with the president, with his staff, can shed some light on it. but there is another bread crumb in this letter that i don't think we should overlook, and that is over the question of obstruction. the letter asks, did president trump or his representatives discuss or suggest what you -- meaning mccarthy -- should say publicly, either, during impeachment or any investigation about january 6th? so, is that -- are they leading towards obstruction? are they leading towards witness tampering? you have a good lawyer right over here. maybe, we can ask him. but i think this is another important thing that the committee is investigating. intent and obstruction. >> norm, what jumped out to you? >> well, i -- i do think that the focus is on, um, 18 usc 1512, anderson. i agree with gloria, and that is obstruction of congress. look. it's already been charged against the lower-level insurrectionists. why shouldn't the insurrectionist in chief -- former-president donald trump -- get a very, very hard look at whether he intentionally obstructed congress in whipping the crowd into a frenzy on january 6th. and then, this is where kevin mccarthy comes in. in doing nothing to make an appropriate statement for 187 minutes, reportedly, he told mccarthy when mccarthy begged him in that period, anderson. he said well it looks like the rioters are more upset than you are, kevin. words to that effect. so, that could establish the grounds for criminal referral the committee has been talking about that against the president. and then, afterwards, as well. continued efforts. and mccarthy voted against certifying the legitimate -- uh -- electors chosen by the american people. so, there's plenty for the committee to learn from him. whether he cooperates is another question. >> yeah. i mean, gloria, i mean, do you see, under any circumstances, him cooperating? >> uh, no, i don't. you know, mccarthy has now led the charge against this committee because nancy pelosi did not put, for kbexample, jim jordan on the committee who has now been asked to testify, as we know. so he is going to call it partisan. he is going to say, you know, i ever already told you everything i have to say. there is nothing -- there's nothing left to say. i mean, we're obviously -- want to wait to hear from his office. also, politically, i might add, it wouldn't do him any favors if he wants to be the next speaker of the house if the republicans gain the majority to cooperate with this committee. so, donald trump wouldn't like that very much and i think, um, it's very, very, very unlikely that he would cooperate. >> so, norm, i mean, knowing that he is, you know, again, the chances of him cooperating are slim, why would the committee even ask? is it just to kind of have, on the record, that he declined? >> well, anderson, we -- we often go through this in congressional investigations. and -- and we did when i worked on the first impeachment of donald trump. there are some businesses that you must make an effort to get. and mccarthy is so central to this. we already have a lot of information and i'm sure the committee, in their letter, they have alluded to this, has more information corroborating what mccarthy knows about the president's possible intent to obstruct congress -- a federal crime. so, they have got to make an effort. whether they pursue him to the ends of the earth with criminal contempt, as they have done with steve bannon -- successfully so far, he is being prosecuted. we will see if he is convicted. well, i doubt they will go that far with mccarthy. >> but, norm, i mean, it is pretty stunning, you know, if the top-ranking republican in the house of representatives does not fully cooperate with a dually-impaneled investigative committee, we are also used to this. it is worth stepping back and just pointing out i mean that's really extraordinary. and the whole arguments about, well, it's -- it's politicized -- if -- even if it was politicized what's wrong with turning over information to a dually impaneled investigative committee? you can say you are not happy with what the panel did with it. but i -- it's kind of extraordinary. >> it's the rod of trumpism, anderson. it's extended beyond the trump administration. kevin mccarthy -- i didn't always agree with him on policies. but used to be a respectable figure. i worked with him when i was an ambassador. uh, this is reprehensible. anderson, think about it. this was an attack on the government, of which he is one of the most senior officials. on the actual building in which he works. and that is being investigated by the institution, in which he is the -- the house of representatives -- the highest-ranking republican. it's an utter contempt for the rule of law, for accountability, for his constitutional duty. and his silence, if he refuse -- refuses to cooperate, goes back on what he told manu raju. his silence will speak louder -- uh -- uh -- than words and that is, by itself, powerful. that's why they are going after him. >> yeah. gloria, i mean, the timetable on all this, obviously, there is a clock ticking. >> yeah. and look, the committee is insure much aware of this. i know, they ever interviewed hundreds of people. but they have to wait for a lot of things. they have to wait to see, does this justice department, for example, pursue contempt against mark meadows? does the supreme court -- what -- what does the supreme court say about privilege? the archival material they are seeking is in litigation. so they -- they also have a -- a bunch of outside forces that they have to deal with. i think they are working as fst as they can but i do think they are really aware of the clock. they want to get this done, which is why we see letters like this because they are letting us know where they are in their investigation, and i think we can expect some hearings somewhere down the line. >> gloria, appreciate it. gloria borger, norm eisen as well. thank you. no you more breaking news on how far team trump went to make it appeal they won the election. in any case, phony. cnn's sara murray has details so what are you learning about what trump allies did in the weeks after the election? >> reporter: essentially, they were trump allies in seven states donald trump lost -- places like michigan, pennsylvania, arizona, who decided they were just gonna come up with fake certificates, and they were going to submit those to the nation archives and those fake certificates say donald trump was actually the winner of those states that he lost. now, the watchdog group american oversight found these documents, and essentially what these folks were doing is they were trying to mimic an official process that is part of the electoral college. you know, what happens is the governor signs a letter, essentially saying joe biden won our state. they submit that letter to the national archives. the national archives later submits that letter to congress. so, they have it for the official count of the electoral votes on january 6th. apparently, the trump allies thought they could just submit their own certificates and that would be fine. >> and these fake certificates would serve no legitimate electoral purpose since they have no signatures? >> they did not. they were not signed by a governor, they are not signed by a secretary of state. the officials that are involved in the election process were not behind this these efforts. this was coming at a time, though, where you have to remember donald trump was trying to hold on to power. he was calling governors. he was saying don't certify the elections and he had people who were around him saying, you know, states could seat this alternate slate of elect. obviously, that is extremely constitutionally questionable. that is not what happened but seems to be what some trump allies were getting at. what they actually got was a public relation stunt. >> wow, like diplomas from trump university. >> like me writing on this paper anderson cooper is the president and won michigan. >> sara murray, thank you. coming up next with the country bracing for peak omicron and cdc still trying to get its message straight on what kind of mask people should wear, we will talk to senator bernie sanders about his plan. later, the former president's latest hang up. what he said in his latest interview about 2024 and why he dropped the line almost in the question. carl, say hi to nina, our schwab financial consultant. hm... i know how difficult these calls can be. not with schwab. nina made it easier to set up our financial plan. we can check in on it anytime. it changes when our goals change. planning can't be that easy. actually, it can be, carl. look forward to planning with schwab. schwab! ♪ every year we try to exercise more, to be more social, to just relax. and eating healthy every single meal? 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(music) ♪ i think to myself ♪ ♪ what a wonderful world ♪ despite early signs today that the omicron surge could be peaking in a number of states which got hit early with it, the country as a whole still getting hammered. late today, cdc predicted it is about to get worse. the agency's latest ensemble forecast now anticipates more than 62,000 more americans will die over the next four weeks. in other words, deaths now averaging about 1,700 a day, could hit more than 2,600 and hospitalizations already at a peak, are expected to climb even higher. meantime, in the face of a strain that is showing itself to be far easier to transmit than other variants, the cdc today said the expected updated advice on masks, while offering for now, at least more of the same. >> cdc continues to recommend that any mask is better than no mask. and we do encourage, um, all americans to wear a well-fitting mask to protect themselves and prevent the spread of covid-19. um, and the recommendation is not going to change. r we are preparing an update to the information on our mask website to best reflect the actions that are available to people. >> well, the white house is now said to be exploring options for districting higher quality masks to the public. joining us, vermont independent senator and budget committee chairman bernds bernie sanders. senator sanderss, thank force being with us. can you just lay out what you are proposing in this mask legislation? >> look. here is a simple fact. this is mask. this is mask. but these are very different masks in terms of their effectiveness. this is an n95 mask. this is just a -- a mask that most people use. the truth of the matter is, is a mask is not a mask. an n95 mask is far, far more effective in protecting the individual and also stopping the spread of the virus to other individuals. and we are going -- we have introduced legislation with 15 co-sponsors which would make sure that n95 masks are distributed to every household in america, free of charge. we can save lives, save money, if we make sure that all of our people have the best-quality masks available. that's what we are trying to do. >> there is usually -- you know, there is a limit on how long one mask should be worn even with n95 masks. how -- are you talking about sending one mask to each house? >> no, no, would be more than one mask. it would be at least half a dozen masks. but, you know, and then it -- it's also not only getting the masks into people's homes. it's to educating people about the need to wear good-quality masks. >> when you have republican colleagues, like senator rand paul, who is a medical doctor, uh, by all reports attacking dr. fauci and fundraising off it in the middle of a pandemic, what does that say about the hostility in the senate with regards to covid? >> well, it says that it is quite unbelievable that, at a time when we face one of the great public-health crises in modern times, that you have members of the senate, instead of trying to figure out how we priest the american people -- and masks are not the only thing that we can do -- they are attacking scientists and doctors who are working overtime trying to help us address this crisis. and to raise money off of those attacks is beyond the pail. >> do you think the administration and the cdc is being clear enough with the public when it comes to which type of mask people should be wearing right now? >> no, i don't and i disagree with what dr. walensky just said. of course, we want everybody to wear masks if people for whatever reason don't want to wear an n95 mask, fine. then, wear something else. but the simple fact is that a whole lot of people don't know that an n95 mask is far superior and more effective in protecting the individual and in spreading the virus than a common mask. so we have got to get that word out. we have to educate. people don't want to wear the n95, fine then don't. but we should at least educate people and make those masks available. it will save lives and save money. but, you know, anderson, it is not the only thing that we have got to do. we have got to continue to work on making sure that we have as many people vaccinated as possible. we have got to make sure that our schools are safe with the kind of ventilation systems that can keep classrooms healthy. we need to make sure that the new therapies that are out there so that when people come down with covid, they can get the treatment. perhaps in a pill form that they need. pfizer has done some good work on this. we got to distribute that as widely as possible. we need to do more research and development to develop something like a universal vaccine for whatever may come down the pike. we are facing a major, major crisis and instead of attacking scientists, what we have got to do is all work together to figure out how we can make the american people as safe as we possibly can. >> i mean, do you think there is anything that could happen to the united states that the -- the country would rally together, as it did during world war ii? as it did after 9/11? i mean, do you think there's something? i don't -- i mean, i am not wanting something bad to happen but i just -- i worry about our ability to pull together. >> well, anderson, i think that's a very important point. and what i would say -- look, if you are watching this and you are tired of covid, you are frustrated with covid, you are frightened about covid, people in your family are coming down with covid. you can't go to work, your kids can't go to school. your kids are not getting the education they need. hey, you are not alone. that is how the american people are feeling, in zwrernl. not only america. that's how people all over the world are feeling. but as you know i think you intimated, this terrible crisis that we are facing -- it is real. you know, people shouldn't think they are the only one or depressed or feeling anxious about the moment. this is a terrible, terrible time. but to throw our hands up into despair and to attack everybody is not going to solve the problem. got to -- all of us, i am just thinking world war ii and people should remember -- some people do -- that in 1942, hitler was on the march. japanese imperialism was on the march. two years later, the whole war was over. we turned it around. we can do the same with this and we got climate change out there. we got people attacking american democracy. we got a lot of problems but let us work together to get out of this very serious moment in american history. and if we do, i think we can. >> just want to ask you about some other senate business. minor leader mitch mcconnell railed today against president biden's speech in georgia. the president was pushing for the senate to change its filibuster rules to pass voting rights legislation. compared lawmakers to segregationists. just for viewers, i want to play some of what mcconnell said, and then ask you to respond. >> to demonize americans who disagree with them -- he compared -- listen to this -- a bipartisan majority of senators to literal traitors. how profoundly, profoundly un-presidential? the president's rant -- rant -- yesterday was incoherent, incorrect, and beneath his office. >> what do you make of that? i mean, given his silence during the trump administration. >> i tell you -- i tell you what is beneath one's office. and that is, to have senators like mcconnell -- apologists for republican governors and legislatures all over this country who are, with surgical precision, trying to suppress the vote, coming up with extreme gerrymandering. working on legislation, which will take away the rights of independent election officials and given to partisan republican majorities. there is a massive effort, right now, worst in modern-american history, to undermine the very foundations of american democracy and that's all built on the big lie that trump really won the election in 2020. absolutely fictitious. but that's what republicans are peddling right now, and it is absolutely imperative that every member of the democratic caucus -- all 50 of us, plus the vice president -- vote to pass the freedom to vote act to overturn this outrageous anti-democratic action that's taking place in numerous states all over this country. >> senator sanders, appreciate your time tonight. thank you very much. >> thank you. up next, what prompted the former president to hang up on a reporter durlg during an interview. didn't seem he didn't want to be asked about a particular question. we will see what exactly went on. plus new gemts on the grand jury investigation into alleged sex trafficking by florida republican congressman matt gaetz, who testified today, ahead. for your full financial picture. with the right balance of risk and reward. so you can enjoy more of...this. this is the planning effect. ...so at at&t everyone gets our best deals. aren't others doing that? 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we did have that statement by mike rounds. >> because mitch mcconnell is a loser, and frankly, mitch mcconnell, if he were on other side and if schumer were put in his position, he would have been fighting this like you have never seen before. he would have been fighting this because when you look at it and this is long -- is a long way from over, people have no idea how big this issue is and they don't want it to happen again. it shouldn't be allowed to happen and they don't want it to happen again. and the only way it is not going to happen again, is you have to solve the problem of the presidential rigged election of 2020. >> mr. president, if i -- whoa, whoa, one more question. i want to ask about a court hearing yesterday on january 6th. judge meta, he is gone. okay? >> joining us cnn political analyst, "new york times" washington correspondent, and longtime authority, i guess we could say, maggie haberman. thanks for joining us. you heard the interview this morning. i am wondering what your taik way was. >> my take away was and i think kaitlan collins made this point on last night's show. it was very familiar what we saw with press conferences and the campaign before that. he tries to set the agenda, he tries to say what he wants. in this days, he clearly wants to keep spreading lies about the 2020 election and name calling any republican who challenges him. what is interesting is he does not want to talk about january 6th. and you can see that. he wants to talk about the election. he doesn't want to talk about what happened that day. >> i want to play a portion of the interview with the former president's defends his focus on 2020. >> is it a disadvantage for republicans to keep talking about the 2020 election in 2022? >> no, i think it's an advantage because, otherwise, they are going to do it again in '22 and '24. >> i mean, what's remarkable when you think about it is, other than talking about spreading the lies about 2020, if he does plan to run again for president, i mean, what is the healthcare policy? what is his take on education policy? i mean, there's no policies being discussed. there is no issues being discussed, other than him talking to any diner who, you know, will listen in mar-a-lago about his lies about the election. >> yeah, that is kpaexactly rig anderson and look, this is similar to 2020 when he was running for re-election and couldn't articulate what he wanted to do with another term. he is not articulating anything not just about the future and about policy but about anything that connects with the american voter and what that he will be voting on. yes, there is a segment of his voters who will vote on this issue but they were probably going to vote for him anyway. this was his problem over the course of four years and it's part of why he lost is that he was never at all concerned about growing his base of support. he was concerned about retaining what he had. and to do that, all you do is shrink it. this is not -- 2020 is not a driving issue for the majority of voters and so he could almost certainly win a republican primary talking about this. it is hard to see how he casts this further. >> since republican senator mike round said he accepts the results of the 2020 election. we have seen others support him. why do you think they are willing to -- i mean, i don't know if they are really standing up to the former president or at least on this issue, at least, just stating a fact? >> i think in mike rounds' case, i think he is in a safe seat right now and doesn't have to worry about an election so he is able to say what i have to assume he believes. i think that in the case of other senators, there are some who are up for re-election. there are some who genuinely -- and don't want to talk about this. and then there are people as we have seen like senate minority leader mitch mcconnell who is clearly decided he is not going to give any attention to trump, negative or positive. the problem is ignoring trump doesn't work, either. so, you know, i think that rounds is maybe among a slow-growing chorus. but we are going to see how that plays ought because at the end of the day, many of knees senators still do fear him. >> i'm sure you are asked everywhere you go do you think the former president will run? what's your response? >> you know, my -- my personal, you know, i assume that he is going to run. he is certainly doing everything one would do to run. but what's interesting, anderson, is he is very focused on ron desantis -- the governor of florida, in particular. there are a bunch of republicans who have not told him they won't run if he does. they have just sort of left it open. in the case of desantis, trump has been complaining to people that desantis won't say that he is not going to challenge him. that really bothers him. desantis, you know, there is no question that desantis would not have won his race in 2018 without trump's help but desantis has been really unwilling to be the kind of subsidiary of trump that other candidates and -- and poll tigdstigzs have turned themselves into and so i think that's what that conversation is about. i don't see why he wouldn't run. but, you know, it's a while away. >> we played earlier another swipe from the former senate minority leader mitch mcconnell. there has been very little traction when it comes to demands to remove mcconnell from leadership. why would the former president keep -- i mean, i guess he just pushes this because what else is he going to talk about? >> i don't think it's strategic, anderson. i mean, i hear an enormous amount of frustration from a lot of people. um, in -- in conversations with trump. frequent conversations with him that he won't move off these attacks they consider counterproductive. even the people who, you know, share his antipathy of mcconnell, and there are some but they don't think this is helping him. they don't think this is a way to go forward. this isn't a strategy. this isn't a tactic. this is just something he wants to talk about. >> maggie haberman, appreciate it. thank you. in orlando, florida, an ex-girlfriend of congressman matt gaetz testified before a federal grand jury investigating him for alleged sex trafficking. the republican denies any wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crimes. cnn's paula reid joins us now with more. what does it tell us about the status of the investigation into the congressman? >> in the on going investigation into alleged sex trafficking by congressman gaetz, this is a reminder the investigation no matter what he says is active. it's ongoing. and it could be nearing a conclusion. now, today's witness as you noted was an ex-girlfriend of gaetz's and she is seen as a key witness. she testified before the grand jury hearing evidence in the case in orlando today. and, anderson, i want to be clear. this is not the woman who was just 17 when sources say she allegedly had sexual contact with the congressman and several of his associates. this woman is a former-capitol hill staffer, she was linked to gaetz as far back as the summer of 2017. and that is significant because investigators are interested in that time period because that is when he is accused of having sex with that underaged girl. now, investigators are not only looking at whether he may have engaged in sex with that girl. they are also looking at whether he was involved in sex trafficking and whether he or any of his associates have tried to interfere in the federal investigation into these alleged crimes. now, let's look at the timeline here. the investigation began into gaetz began in around the summer of 2020 under then-attorney general bill barr. and what started out as an investigation into these allegations of possible sex with a minor, expanded to include other potential crimes, including whether gaetz tried to obstruct the federal investigation. and cnn has, previously, reported federal investigators have evidence that gaetz and one of his associates wanted to talk to this ex-girlfriend in the fall of 2020. so, this is shortly after the investigation was opened, after gaetz had retained an attorney. so, investigators, anderson, they are likely gonna want to know what did gaetz and his associate want to talk to her about? was she pressured not to be truthful? did she pressure anyone else not to be truthful? and whether she has any other evidence of criminal activity. >> and how is the congressman responding? >> it's interesting to watch this shift in tone from his team today. obviously, he 's not been chargd with any wrongdoing but in a statement today, his lawyer said, quote, we have seen no credible basis for a charge against congressman gaetz. we remain steadfast in our commitment to challenge any allegations with the facts and the law and that is a real shift in tone from his camp, which has historically just dismissed or mocked this investigation. but the woman we saw today, having testified before the grand jury, anderson, based on what sources have told me, she could be a star witness in any potential trial. and legal experts say this is the kind of step that you take before you charge someone. and, look, it signals that the justice department could be moving closer to an indictment but, of course, any criminal charges against a sit member of done guess would have to be approved at the highest levels of the justice department and of course this is not an attorney general known for making decisions quickly without thorough review. >> paula reid, appreciate it. thank you. federal judge handed down a ruling today that could lead to a british royal standing trial here in the united states. cnn's max foster has the new details on prince andrew's sex abuse lawsuit, next. (birds chirping) ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ (phone beep) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (music quieter) ♪ (phone clicks) ♪ ♪ why does walgreens offer prescription copays as low as zero dollars? ♪ ♪ so you won't have a medicare in the world. ♪ ♪ plus, 90-day refills and same day delivery. larry? that's even less to medicare about. fill your medicare prescriptions with walgreens and save. ♪ ♪ prince andrew could now face a civil trial here in the united states after a judge refused to dismiss the sexual assault lawsuit against him today. the british royal, third child of queen elizabeth, is set to come up against a series of legal proceedings that could have major ramify kagdss for buckingham palace. cnn royal correspondent max foster has the story. >> reporter: prince andrew's accuser, virginia roberts giu giuffre says the british prince first raped her in 2001. she says andrew knew she was 17 at the time. and he was one of several men she was being trafficked to by now notorious late sex offender jeffrey epstein. giuffre alleges she met andrew at the london townhome that epstein's longtime girlfriend ghislaine maxwell, where he first abused her. the prince claims he took his daughter to a pizza party that night. denying any encounter with giuffre. >> i have no recollection of ever meeting this lady. >> reporter: then, in 2010, two years after epstein was convicted of two state prostitution charges in florida, the prince seen walking with a now registered sex offender in new york's central park. soon, negative publicity about the prince and epstein's relationship begin to circulate. the next year, another controversial image. this one, of andrew with his arm around his accuser -- virginia giuffre -- allegedly, taken at ghain max ghislaine maxwell's home in 2001. andrew has suggested the photo could be fake. >> nobody can prove whether or not, um, that photograph has been doctored but i don't know recollect that photograph ever being taken. >> reporter: between 2014 and 2015, giuffre alleges that in the past, andrew sexually abused her at epstein's private island, and epstein's mansion in new york, and at epstein's girlfriend ghislaine maxwell's home in london. buckingham palace responded that it has emphatically denied that the duke of york had any form of sexual contact or relationship with giuffre. in 2019, giuffre repeats her claims on television. >> he knows what happened. i know what happened. and there is only one of us telling the truth, and i know that's me. >> that same year, epstein dies by suicide in his jail cell as he awaits trial for federal sex trafficking charges. then in december, his former girlfriend was convicted of sex trafficking and other crimes related to epstein's abuse scheme. now, a judge says the civil suit can continue after the prince's lawyers had tried to get it thrown out. but the ruling doesn't determine the facts or validity of the case. if it's not settled, the british royal could face trial between september and december of this year. >> there are no good options here, andrew, for -- anderson, for prince andrew here. he either does nothing, goes to default guilty judgment potentially. leaving that stain on him and on the wider royal family. or engages with the process, and all that detail that embarrassing detail will come out during discovery and potentially depositions. long depositions involving the prince, drawing in other members of the royal family. again, that's not ideal a at all for the family. in a year when they are meant to be celebrating the queen's 70 years on the throne. so, the other option -- the least-worst option is trying to come up with some sort of sacrament with giuffre. but does he ask the queen to contribute? dragging her into it? also, does imply some sort of wrongdoing there and acceptance of it there. and who knows if he will even be able to reach a settlement with giuffre? this was her statement from her team today saying this was an important step in the genius, heroic, and determined pursuit of justice as a survivor of sex trafficking. and that doesn't sound like someone that wants to settle. that sounds like someone who wants her day in court. so, even that least-worst option of settlement might not be available to prince andrew. >> max foster, appreciate the reporting. thank you. just moments, we could learn the fate of tennis star novak djokovic as australia's immigration minister considers cancelling his visa. a live report from melbourne, next. with up to 50% more lotion, puffs bring soothing relief. a nose in need deserves puffs indeed. america's #1 lotion tissue. ♪"don't ya leave" by squeak e clean♪ [doorbell] ♪ [doorbell] ♪ [doorbell] all the delivery. no delivery fees. dashpass. at intra-cellular therapies, we're inspired by our circle. a circle that includes our researchers, driven by our award-winning science, who uncover new medicines to treat mental illness. it includes the compassionate healthcare professionals, the dedicated social workers, and the supportive peer counselors we work with to help improve - and even change - people's lives. moving from mental illness to mental wellness starts in our circle. this is intra-cellular therapies. i've always been running. to meetings. errands. now i'm running for me. i've always dreamed of seeing the world. but i'm not chasing my dream anymore. i made a financial plan to live it every day. ♪ at northwestern mutual, our version of financial planning helps you live your dreams today. find a northwestern mutual advisor at nm.com ♪ ♪ ♪ "how bizarre" by omc ♪ no annual fee on any discover card. ♪ ♪ it's been nearly two years since the pandemic started. our students and teachers tried their best, but as a parent, i can tell you that nearly 18 months of remote learning was really hard. i'm so angry that instead of helping our kids get back in the classroom, the school board focused on renaming schools schools that weren't even open . please recall all three school board members now. for the sake of our kids, we can't wait one more day, never mind a whole year for a fresh start. new year, new start. and now comcast business ne is making it easyear to get going with the ready. set. save. sale. get started with fast and reliable internet and voice for $64.99 a month with a 2-year price guarantee. it's easy... with flexible installation and backing from an expert team, 24/7. and for even more value, ask how to get up to a $500 prepaid card. get a great deal for your business with the ready. set. save. sale today. comcast business. powering possibilities. in just moments we're expecting a decision on whether novak djokovic can play in the australian open. a government minister is considering canceling his visa, saying having covid is not proper exemption from vaccination. the host of ben rothenberg joins us now. ben, could you lay out some of the timeline as we know it now, namely what was djokovic doing when he said he tested positive and on the days that followed? >> sure, anderson. december 16th, that was the day that he got a pcr test showing that he was positive for the coronavirus. he was administered the test and got the result back seven hours later. djokovic says he didn't know about the result until a day later, only after he appeared at an event giving trophies to a bunch of children but he says he did know about it when he decided to conduct a photo shoot with a french newspaper. he's saying he willingly, knowingly went to an engagement while knowing he was positive without informing the journalist and photographer about this. this is raising even more criticism, obviously, of his whole handling of the pandemic and safety concerns there. >> that's pretty stunning. what's the expecting of how immigration authorities might rule? is there any sense? >> they're certainly building a case against him. it seems like after losing this appeal after procedural grounds, they're taking their time a bit, they're not so worried about the impending australian open. there is a lot of evidence against djokovic now and he still doesn't meet the criteria that the federal government laid out for vaccination exemptions. this idea of a recent positive test is not enough to get into the country unvaccinated. >> we'll be watching. ben roth enberg, really appreciate it, thank you. we'll be right back. my daughter has type 2 diabetes and lately i've seen this change in her. once-weekly trulicity is proven to help lower a1c. it lowers blood sugar from the first dose. and you could lose up to ten pounds. trulicity is for type 2 diabetes. it isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. it's not approved for use in children. don't take trulicity if you're allergic to it, you or your family have medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. stop trulicity and call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction, a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, changes in vision, or diabetic retinopathy. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. taking trulicity with sulfonylurea or insulin raises low blood sugar risk. side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration and may worsen kidney problems. ask your doctor about once-weekly trulicity. narrator: on a faraway beach, the generation called "our greatest" saved the world from tyranny. in an office we know as "oval," a new-generation president faced down an imminent threat of nuclear war. on a bridge in selma, alabama, the preacher of his time marched us straight to passing voting rights for every american. at a gate in west berlin, a late-generation american president demanded an enemy superpower tear down a wall and liberate a continent. american generations answering the call of their time with american ideals. freedom. liberty. justice. for today's generation of leaders, the call has come again to protect our freedom to vote, to fortify our democracy by passing the freedom to vote act and the john lewis voting rights act because america - john lewis: we are not going back, we are going forward. we're carvana, the company who invented car vending machines and buying a car 100% online. now we've created a brand-new way for you to sell your car. whether it's a year old or a few years old. we wanna buy your car. so go to carvana and enter your license plate answer a few questions. and our techno wizardry calculates your car's value and gives you a real offer in seconds. when you're ready, we'll come to you, pay you on the spot and pick up your car, that's it. so ditch the old way of selling your car, and say hello to the new way at carvana. this is the planning effect from fidelity. ben isn't worried about retirement because his plan is backed by the team at fidelity. a group of investment professionals manages ben's ira for him, analyzing market conditions and helping him stay on target. he gets one-on-one coaching when he wants some advice, and can adjust his plan whenever he needs to. and now he's so prepared for retirement, ben is feeling totally zen. that's the planning effect from fidelity. don't misses "full circle," our digital news show that allows us to dig into topics in depth, mondays, wednesdays, and fridays at cnn.com/fullcircle or on our app any time on demand. let's hand it over to lawrence coates and "cnn tonight." >> thanks, anderson, nice to see you, thank you. i'm laura coates and this is "cnn tonight." anyone else tired of double standards? one rule for you and another one for everyone else. it's something house minority leader kevin mccarthy, of all people, recently railed about. >> it's an old definition of abuse of power. rules for thee but not for me. >> keep that in mind in a second, if you will, because we have some big breaking news tonight involving him and the january 6th committee.