good evening. a lot happening, tonight, including a new warning about another, very rare, but serious, condition now associated with the johnson & johnson one-shot covid vaccine. also, there is new word on whether a booster shot is called for given the spread of the delta variant. later, the former president going all in on the insurrection, a day in which he says there was -- and these are his exact words this weekend --

love in the air. we begin, though, right now. with the lengths that texas democratic state lawmakers have just gone to try to block republicans there from passi restrictive new voting law. they have left the state entirely, and are just minutes away from touching down at washington's dulles airport. we're expecting to hear from them, shortly, and talk to one of the top-democratic lawmakers as well. cnn's dianne gallagher is there for us now. what is the latest on this flight to d.c. and what texas lawmakers hope to accomplish? >> well, anderson, the first of those two private planes that's carrying the democrats who are breaking quorum, by leaving the state, just landed about-two minutes ago. and the second one should be landing, before i finish talking to you tonight. they are on those flights because they feel the only way that they can prevent legislation that they think will restrict voting rights and be harmful to their citizens is to break quorum. because they told me that they simply don't think that the republicans are playing fair.

there are two, separate bills that were introduced in the special session. that's h.b. 3 and s.b. 1 and both do contain a whole slew of restrictions to the voting processes. and -- and different kinds of criminal penalties added to the voting process. specifically, for election officials. now, the decision to break quorum is not an easy one because it does come with a great risk. by law, they have to respond and have to be there, at the capitol. meaning, that the department of public safety could have been ordered to come and, essentially, bring them back to the capitol. much of this was kept very secret up until they began leaving. here's the key. this is a 30-day special session. they are going to have to wait it out, most likely, outside of the state, until that ends. and then, anderson, the governor can simply call another 30-day special session, and another 30-day special session. i asked one of those lawmakers, who was on the plane, representative trey martinez fisher, how long they're going to wait this out. anderson, he told me that they

have every ounce of fight in them. they are going to put into this. and that it's going to be one session or ten sessions but in his words, democracy is in jeopardy and we must do whatever we can to save it. they are going to lean, heavily, on speaking to democrats, here, in washington, d.c. one of the democratic lawmakers told me we're in the minority and we are taking great, personal risk and doing everything we can to stop voting rights restrictions. and stop voting rights from being taken away from citizens. the democrats in d.c. are in the majority and we want to see them do the same thing that we are trying to do in texas. >> is it clear, who is footing the bill for all of this? >> so, anderson, i'm told that right now it's the house democratic caucus who is funding this trip. but they were already soliciting donations. many of the members, former congressman beto o'rourke has been doing the same to try and extend the trip out because like i said, this is a 30-day special session. it ends the 8th 6 august. 8th of august. so they are going to have to

stretch it out and that's just that one session. if they truly are committed to doing this potentially all summer into the fall, bell that's going to take a lot of money. and being up here in washington is not going to help. they have, already, got some support from democrats, including vice president kamala harris. saying that they support what they are trying to do to protect voting rights. now, here's the other key, anderson. we saw them do this in late may. this is how the democrats ended the regular session. they killed s.b. 7. of course, then, they just walked out of the building. now, they are flying to the nation's capital and they don't know when they are going to be able to go back home, to the lone star state. >> dianne gallagher, thanks very much. we are going to be joined, in a moment, by cnn's paul begala. political commentator and democratic strategist. and also, texan, not necessarily in that order. but first, we are going to be talking to one of the lawmakers who has just fled the state. actually, let's go to paul, first. and then, we will go to the lawmaker.

paul, so fleeing the state when you don't like the bills the republican majority is pushing through, is that what -- i mean, that's what these -- i mean, isn't that what these democratic lawmakers were elected to do to actually, you know, argue their cases? to be in the -- the statehouse? but i mean, is fleeing what their job is? >> it -- it seems like it's the only option that they have. they have argued it. they've debated it. they just don't have the numbers. they contested the election and lost. by the way, there was no fraud in that election. even though the republicans want it. the democrats aren't alleging fraud. this is the one weapon they have. and it is a bit of a texas two step, if you will. if they can hold off passage of this bill, until congress restores the voting rights act. there's john lewis voting rights advancement about that congress is debating. if they can hold that off, then they believe that the justice department reviewing this new, texas law, if it becomes a law, under a voting rights act, would find that it's racially discriminatory. and maybe, it wouldn't. but that's their argument is that just give us a chance to let this be reviewed the way the voting rights act reviewed -- was used to review

racially-discriminatory laws for generations. >> but i mean, you -- you said they had no choice. they do have a choice. they could, you know, i mean, whatever you think of -- of what the republicans are doing. and the bills they've put forward. i mean, does our system work, if the losing side just decides, you know what? we're not gonna stick around. we're going to -- we're going to just leave, every time we don't like something? i mean, is that -- does that -- our system work that way? >> it literally does in texas. the constitution says if there's not two-thirds of the body there, they can't vote on things. >> i know. i know it's legal. but i mean, is it just -- is it the right thing to do? >> i -- i think it's the only thing to do. if you believe, as they do, as i do, that voting rights are foundational. if you believe, as they do and i do, that this bill is racially discriminatory. then, they've got to do everything they can. i -- i think the -- the reverse argument is the more powerful one. what if they just sat there and let the republicans steamroll through a law that discriminates

against black and brown texans, and didn't do every single thing they could do to try to stop that? i think that, that's the more compelling argument. and i know that they -- they are gating paid to be in austin. it's not very much money but they -- they should be there voting on bills. i get that. but this is the only way that they can try to save their democracy is what they view and i -- i have to say, i'm completely onboard with that. it's the only option they've got. >> right. but generally, every side argues that, you know, what they believe is the absolute truth. and there's -- you know, this is a question of democracy hanging in the balance. i mean, voters, in the end, are the ones who decide. and elections do have consequences. now, one of those consequences is that the majority controls the legislative process. whether you agree with it. whether i agree with it. whether, you know, people agree with the policies, or not. don't lawmakers, of both parties, have to respect that process? >> well, i think so. and that's why i -- i'm so frustrated by the big lie, which is what is the predicate for

this texas bill. the elections in texas were won by the republicans, and by all accounts, they were fair and accurate and honest. and yet, the republicans have put forward this big lie. that, somehow, there is all this fraud. if you -- if you talk to texas politicians, and i -- i have. they can't cite a single example of fraud, in the very actions that they are going to outlaw. in other words, houston did 24-hour voting and it worked great. they did drive-by voting. where you could drop off your ballot in a -- in a drop box. it worked great. no fraud, whatsoever. none even alleged. the texas attorney general spent 22,000 staff hours, 22,000 hours, chasing down allegations of voting fraud. found 16 cases. every one of which, was a case where somebody used a fraudulent address. when they filled out their form. and those 16 people, not a one of them got a day of jail time. so what they are trying to do is divide black and brown texans, against white texans, so they can distract from the fact that they can't keep the lights on,

they can't keep the hospitals open. they can't keep people on their healthcare. >> paul begala, appreciate it. we are going to update viewers on all of this when we hear from those lawmakers once they land, get off the plane. we also have breaking news from the fda about a johnson & johnson vaccine about a rare neurological disorder that could be triggered in some rare cases by the injection. a late-afternoon meeting with officials from pfizer about the possibility of a booster for its vaccine in the wake of the company's announcement about such a shot being needed perhaps in the next few months. cnn's chief medical correspondent, dr. sanjay gupta, joins us -- oh we just lost sanjay. we will try to get him back. we are going to take a short break. we're going to continue our coverage, as we said, we're expecting to hear from some of the democratic lawmakers from texas. who have charted two private jets and are landing in dulles airport, in -- just outside washington to -- and you can see the -- a lot of reporters there waiting to talk to them. we will hear from them, coming up, as well.

also, the former president's tightening embrace of the attack on democracy and what it means for preserving democracy. attorney george conway joins me. keeping 'em honest. and later, one of the president's most outspoken liars facing sanctions, though, as a lawyer for spreading conspiracy theories in michigan. remember that whole kraken thing? well, we'll talk to the state's attorney general.

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and peerless design... their only competition is each other. the incomparable mercedes-benz suvs. extraordinary runs in the family. visit your local mercedes-benz dealer today for exceptional lease and financing offers. again, we are waiting to hear from one of the texas democratic lawmakers who has fled the state to stop a voting bill. right now, the breaking news that the johnson & johnson covid shot and a meeting on boosters. cnn's chief medical correspondent, sanjay gupta, joins me now. so let's start with johnson & johnson warning. i understand, there have been about 100 preliminary reports of this rare-neurological complication out of the 12.5 million doses of the johnson & johnson shot that's been given. so, what do we know about this? >> well, so that's about ten in a million people. so just to give you some context here. this is a safety signal that they noticed. you know, what happens is you

get millions of people, 12.5 million people, receiving the shots. and they're monitoring, very closely, to see are there any problems? that's how they found those clots, you might remember, anderson, a few months ago. this sort of thing came up, as well. what we are talking about here is something known as guillain-barre syndrome. and what that is, is it's a neurological disorder. it's an inflammatory disorder where essentially the coating around the nerves becomes inflamed and you're not conducting the nerves -- you're not conducting the -- the activity as well. so people may develop weakness, may develop numbness. almost always, gets better over time. over weeks. but that's the condition they've noticed. again, about a hundred people out of, you know, over 10 million. they now have a warning. basically, saying this is something that can happen. little bit more context. it's more likely to happen, for example, just from getting the flu or getting other types of infections. so this is part of the reason you vaccinate. but this is something they are going to be keeping an eye on.

>> that's interesting. that -- that actually, not getting vaccinated, for the flu, you have a higher chance getting this thing than getting this one shot from johnson & johnson. it's an important point. so, pfizer called its meeting with federal officials this evening productive. while another source told cnn, quote, nothing has changed. can you just explain where -- where you think things are, with pfizer? because it -- i mean, the pfizer ceo, as i remember, was saying from -- for a long time, now, that it would, ultimately, be necessary to get a third -- you know, to get a booster. what's -- what's changed, if anything? >> no, nothing has really changed. that's the thing. i mean, you know, ultimately, you know, you want to have data to show that you -- you need to have something, like this. what kind of data are we talking about? well, we know that the vaccine is really good at preventing people from getting severely ill and being hospitalized. we don't really have upticks in people who have been vaccinated, who are then getting severely ill and being hospitalized. so the vaccine is continuing to do its job.

i received my vaccine middle of december, last year. you've had people who've had this now for months. they still have good protection. so if there's evidence, data, that shows that people who have been vaccinated are no longer getting the protection that they, once, got. that would be a signal. that would be an important signal. and you want to stay ahead of that so people who are coming to the hospital with covid. checking their vaccine status. seeing, did their antibodies wane, over time? might they be a candidate for a booster? that's what's going to be necessary. one thing i will point out is that there are people, anderson, who, because their immune systems are weakened, in the first place, they don't generate the same sort of antibodies to the vaccine. so, in those cases, there's been some data, recently, saying those people may benefit from a third shot. just to, basically, give them another, sort of, stimulus to their -- to their immune system to create more of those antibodies. when i was talking to dr. walensky about that, she said maybe that's not even really a

booster, as much as it is another priming sort of shot. of the vaccine. >> right. >> but there's just -- there are just not data that we need these boosters as of right now. >> so with the rising cases in the u.s., particularly in a couple areas, what -- what precautions do you think -- i mean, is there something different vaccinated people should be -- should be doing? >> you know, i -- i -- i don't think so. i mean, this is -- this is one of those things where it's a little bit of science meets art. and what i mean by that is, you know, if you look at the data. and now, you have lots of data because the vaccines have been given to hundreds of millions of people all around the world. they remain very protective. so, the idea that you're not likely to get severely ill or require hospitalization. the idea that you're not likely to develop an infection. and that, even if you do develop an infection, you're not likely to be contagious. that, all, holds up. again, when i was talking to dr. walensky, the head of the cdc about this, she made this point that look, she lives in boston. very high vaccination rates.

very low viral transmission rates. feeling very comfortable there. if you go to places where you don't have as many vaccinated people and you have higher-viral transmission, even though you're not likely to be a source of spread as a vaccinated person. you know, the -- the statistics are, still, very much, in your favor. but in those cases, people may start wearing masks, more often. >> sanjay, appreciate it. thanks. more now on other breaking news. texas democrats just landed in d.c. leaving their home state joining a special legislative session to try to prevent passage of a republican voting bill. joining us now by phone, chris turner. chairman turner, appreciate it. can you tell us what your objective is? and how long -- i mean, how long are you going to stay away from your state from? >> good evening, anderson. just landed at -- in the washington, d.c. area. i hope you can hear me. it's a little loud here. >> yeah, we got you. >> but -- good. okay. but 50 democrats have left the

state to block passage of the anti-voter legislation that republicans are -- are trying to pass in texas. they are rushing through the process. late night, all night, weekend hearings, this past weekend. and our objective is very simple. is to kill this bill for this session, for this 30-day special session. and use that time to deliver a very clear message to the u.s. congress. you have to act, squuand you hao act now. there's no more waiting. there's -- there's no more -- there's no more chances here. we need congress to enact strong federal voting rights legislation to save our democracy because these republican attacks will continue to occur over and over in texas and across the country. so that's why we are here and that's why we're doing what we're doing. and i would tell you, these -- these democratic members are so courageous. they have uprooted their lives to do this. and -- and they are in it for all the right reasons. and in it to -- to save our democracy. >> how much of this, though, i mean, is -- is for publicity?

and i ask that, not to be disrespectful, in any way. but what you are saying is essentially you are sending a message to members of congress that they need to act because that's the only thing that can really stop this in texas is federal legislation. member -- democratic members of congress. they know that. there's just the filibuster. they passed it in the house. they can't get it passed in the senate, unless they change the filibuster. so i mean, you're not going to be able to change the folks who need to be changed, on the filibuster, are you? >> well, that's our goal. the filibuster is the obstacle, right now. you clearly have 50 democratic senators who -- who are in favor and the john lewis voting rights act, which will be filed soon. but if -- if mitch mcconnell and senate republicans are going to block those measures to allow greg abbott, republicans in texas, to continue passing vote suppression laws. then, what our message to the

senate democrats is, we need you to do everything you can to pass federal voting rights legislation. texas house democrats can do everything we can, which is what we're doing. republican efforts in texas. we need senate democrats to respond, in kind, and help save our democracy. >> so have you -- have you booked hotel rooms for 30 days? because the -- there's -- i think, there's 27 days left in the session. >> so, you know, our -- our plan is to -- to stay out until the end of the session. the 30-day session. so august 7th will be the last day. and, you know, we -- we're going to take a few days at a time but we plan to spend a week here, in washington, working on capitol hill. and pressing the case with our -- our federal leaders that we need their help and we need their help now. and we'll stay flexible. and -- and continue to develop

our -- our plans, as we go here. >> all right. chairman turner, appreciate your time. thank you. >> thank you. coming up next. attorney george conway on the former president's new-entire embrace of the january attack on democracy. keeping him honest. ♪ ♪ oh, focaccia! ah, there's no place like panera. enjoy the toasty, saucy chipotle chicken avocado melt on freshly baked bread. panera. order on the app today.

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we are keeping 'em honest tonight in a place we'd, frankly, rather not be reporting on thins the former president said. it is familiar territory and a

familiar dilemma. debunk it and risk amplifying his lies. or ignore him, and risk letting them spread. tonight, due to the nature of his remarks, we are giving them some scrutiny. even at the time -- even at the risk, i should say, of giving him the attention that he so desperately craves. that's because, in what he said at a gathering of conservatives and on fox news over the weekend. he's opened a new and dangerous chapter in our post-insurrection world. it's one in which he fully embraces not just lying about it or downplaying it or fighting any investigation of it. he is, now, openly, affectionately almost, embracing the worst attack on democracy, by americans, since the civil war. and the incident that made him the first president, ever, to be impeached twice. >> you had over a million people there. they were there for one reason. the rigged election. they felt the election was rigged. that's why they were there. and they were peaceful people. these were great people, and they're military people. and they're police officers and they're construction workers.

and they're -- >> yep. >> -- tremendous, in many cases, tremendous people. tremendous people. >> former president, yesterday, on fox news. tremendous people, he says. not on both sides, as he said about charlottesville, in which he offered praise for those who marched with neo-nazis as well as those who marched against them. nope, now, he is only praising one side. this side. the people. some of whom went to his rally. heard him give what he now describes as a quote mild-mannered speech. then, there's something else. lying about the size of a crowd there, that day. because he has to lie about the crowd size, of course. this is what he's always done. not noting the irony, of course, that bragging about or lying about the number of people trying to undermine democracy. that's not really a great look. but there's another place he took it, that you have to hear, for yourself, to believer. believe. >> you had over a million people there, which the press doesn't like to report, at all, because it shows too much -- too much activity. too much -- too much spirit and

faith and love. there was such love at that rally. the crowd was unbelievable. and i mentioned the word love. the love. the love in the air. i've never seen anything like it. >> again, the idea that there were a million people is not true. and it's hard to articulate how depraved it is to describe a day that ended with more than 140 members of law enforcement hurt, wounded, some maimed. the love. the love, he says, as if he is serenading himself and maybe he is. as you consider that so-called love, just take a look at this new video we got today of the attack and we are playing it in its violent, profane entirety because that's precisely the way it was .

>> so loving. patriots. that's what he calls those people. 27 seconds of what must have been the longest day of those officers' lives. one, as you know, died the next day, and many, many others, now living with debilitating injuries, not to mention the memories. the former president only sees love. he also repeated the lie, that no one was armed. several weapons charges have been filed. a lot of folks just were allowed to leave, without being searched or arrested. functional pipe bombs were, of course, discovered at several locations as was an alleged-weapons cache at a nearby hotel. and also, people made weapons out of things you wouldn't, ordinarily, think of as weapons. flagpoles. they took batons. they had stun guns. they used whatever they could to attack law enforcement. to attack democracy. it's what else, though, the former president said that -- that pushes this beyond his typical dishonesty, that we all are used to. he's now, fully, invested in making a martyr out of a qanon

fanatic, who was part of a mob trying to break into a secure part of the capitol. >> and by the way, while you're at it, who shot ashli babbitt? why are they keeping that secret? who is the person that shot an -- an innocent, wonderful, incredible woman, a military woman, right in the head? and there's no repercussions. >> that's not the first time he's misattributed where ms. babbitt was fatally wounded. according to the coroner's report, she was hit in the left shoulder and it's a tragedy that her life was taken. the disrespect, though, for the -- this person's family is stunning. to be so in love with the way that last line sounds. shot in the head. that he just keeps saying it, regardless. do you think he actually cares about ashli babbitt? do you think he actually knows about her life? i don't think so. as you know, the mob she was part of was trying to batter their way into the speaker's lobby of the house.

on the other side of that door, are members of congress being evacuated. what would have happened, if the -- she had gotten through and the mob had gotten through? you can figure it out. in other words, the mob was a direct and immediate threat to their lives or at least that's what the officer thought, who was trying to protect them. then, after praising her, almost as a martyr, calling for the officer who shot her to be named. even though he's already, allegedly, gotten death threats. the president -- former president went on to suggest the officer was assigned to protect a specific-democratic official. well, today, a law enforcement source said otherwise. the former president, also, neglects to say the shooting was investigated and the officer, cleared of legal wrongdoing. which, to him, i mean, it's hardly the point. he wants a martyr, not a rioter. he wants the outburst of rage to be seen, as the summer of love. just as he want a free and fair election to be sullied. a free and fair election, in which there was massive turnout

on both sides. it was actually a remarkable election and republicans did very well. he didn't. the form -- the president, at that time, did not do well. he lost. we have seen all the threads. we, now, are seeing them all come together. and that is what is different, tonight. joining us now, conservative attorney george conway. george, does this feel like an escalation from the former president? or part of, i guess, the next kind of the next stage in rewriting history? um, not just, you know, the lies themselves but the danger of it, now? >> i think there's an escalation but there is also a coming of -- a coming of full circle. trump, amidst the blizzard of lies that we've seen from him over the past few days, both, on that fox inter -- interview and the cpac speech. he actually is uttering one, fundamental truth. he is telling the truth, in one, fundamental way. which is, about how he feels about january 6th. he did say how he felt, on january 6th, when he said we love you, i love you.

and he said that -- remember this day forever, he tweeted. and he -- he said that -- he said that these -- that -- that these people were wonderful people. he said all of that, on january 6th. and as mitch mcconnell said, in his floor speech on february 13th, trump loved this. he loved what happened on january 6th because it was all about him. these people were fighting for him. they were fighting against democracy and against free elections, to be sure. but they were fighting for him. and that's what he cares about. and he's gone right back to that. and by claiming that -- that ashli babbitt was innocent when, in fact, she was in the middle of committing a bunch of federal felonies when she was shot in the shoulder, and not in the head. she -- he -- he's continuing to lie about the election. lying about the crowd size. he's, now, back, you know, there's no remorse and was never any remorse. he held it back, a little bit, after he -- after the criticism

that -- that -- the torrent of criticism that fell upon him on january 6th and 7th and his social-media de-platforming. but he -- he's out there on the loose, now. >> and, you know, because he is shameless. i mean, a shameless figure and willing to say anything. and to repeat it, endlessly. i mean, he's been repeating it, you know, in the dining room at mar-a-lago. by the pool at mar-a-lago. anywhere he wanders in mar-a-lago or anywhere else, he's been repeating it to anybody who will listen and probably boring people silly with it over time. but because he's willing to repeat it, much longer than anyone else is willing to even want to think about it. i -- in the end, he's able to convince people because he just repeats the lie, over and over, and is so shameless, he kind of exhausts everybody. >> right. shameless, remorseless. i mean, call it any number of things. and the problem is, at this point, is even if he shut up tomorrow. even if -- even if he went away

tomorrow and -- and never -- never spoke about this, again, which is not gonna happen. it's all out there, now. he's created, basically, this cultish ad -- you know, adherence to the big lie. that's going to be almost -- could -- could almost be kind of a generational thing. like, the stab-in-the-back theory that -- that prevailed in ger germany. it's a dangerous, dangerous, scary thing. >> also, that he has turned what was -- and tom friedman has written about this -- what -- what he has turned, you know, a remarkable election day, in which, in the midst of a pandemic, you know, at great risk themselves, people came out and voted. and yeah, states around the country made it easier for people to get to the polls. to mail in ballots. to have, in some cases, 24-hour poll opens. to have drive-in -- drive-in voting. and there wasn't widespread-voter fraud. and that's actually -- it's

actually -- and there was huge-republican turnout and huge-democratic turnout, in the midst of a pandemic. the idea that he managed to turn that, into this election that, in the minds of his supporters, was rigged and with widespread-voter fraud. and now that republicans in statehouses across the country are actually passing restrictive, you know, changes based on that lie. is -- it is -- it's a -- it's just stunning, that he has done this. >> right. this should be the -- the aftermath of last year's election should have been a celebration of democracy. that so many people chose to participate. and that they chose to participate, as you say, in the middle of a pandemic. and they -- and that they had so many ways to cast their votes, and did vote. and there was, basically, it went rather smoothly, except for the fact that the -- we had these -- these baseless challenges that were made in congress on january 6th.

and then, the attack on congress on january 6th. the fact of the matter is there were -- you know, he brought 60-odd lawsuits, and he only won a piece of one of them on narrow grounds that didn't involve fraud. it was just a handful of absentee ballots and the question was, you know, how many days do people get to cure mistakes that they -- from -- on things that they wrote on the -- on the envelopes? and, you know, all these courts, including many republican judges, judges appointed to the united states courts of appeals, for example, and the united states district courts by donald john trump. they rejected these claims and said, hey, where's the evidence? and the fact that -- that -- that -- that -- that there was no evidence of fraud should have been something that hwas celebrated and instead, they have chosen to lie. rudy rygiuliani's probably goin to lose his license to practice law because he told so many lies about the election and lies that trump continues to repeat. and today in -- in michigan, a hearing was held by a federal

judge where other lawyers are probably going to get into trouble. lin wood and -- and sidney powell for -- for -- for filing baseless claims. >> george conway, appreciate you being on. thank you. coming up next. we are going to talk more about what george was just mentioning. sidney powell, lin wood, and the legal kraken they promised to unleash to overturn election results in michigan. what happened to that kraken? somebody said to donie o'sullivan this weekend at cpac, the only republican, actually, he talked to, i think, who actually believes that biden is the legitimate president said, where is the frigging kraken? we will talk about the court sanctions they are now facing with michigan's attorney general. we match all the cash back new card members earn at the end of their first year automatically woo! i got my mo-ney! it's hard to contain yourself isn't it? uh- huh! well let it go! woooo! get a dollar for dollar match at the end of your first year. only from discover.

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get started with internet and voice for just $64.90 a month. plus, for a limited time, ask how to get a $500 prepaid card when you upgrade. call today. so, lawyers are not supposed to file groundless lawsuits. when they do, the worst that usually happens is the case gets dismissed and the losing side has to pay court costs. now, in rare instances, though, when a civil action is frivolous enough or filed in sufficiently bad faith or under false premises, the court can sanction the attorneys involved. well, today, sidney powell, lin wood, and other lawyers who sued to get election results thrown

out in michigan fatced a federa judge. by most accounts, it did not go well for them. judge linda parker asking attorneys if some of their assertions, quote, should have obviously been questionable. just to remind you, here is a small sampling of sidney powell's statements about the 2020 election. >> what we are really dealing with here and uncovering more, by the day, is the massive influence of communists' money through venezuela, cuba, and likely china. i think the justice department has known about this issue for a long time and turned a blind eye to it. >> the software that goes in other computerized-voting systems here, as well, not just dominion, were created in venezuela, at the direction of hugo chavez. >> as far as i know, this is the first case of abject fraud and obtaining a coup of the united states of america. >> i wonder how much the cia, actually, had a role in -- in starting this kind of program,

to begin with. >> president trump won by a landslide. we are going to prove it. >> it should be that he can simply be reinstated. that a new-inauguration date is set, and biden is told to move out of the white house. and -- and -- and -- and president trump should be moved back in. >> i was trying to read the patches on her motorcycle vest. joining us now, michigan's attorney general, dana nessel. attorney general nessel, thanks for being with us. what was your reaction to what went on in court today? >> well, let's just say that i don't think the legal futures are very bright for any of the attorneys that were the plaintiff's lawyers on -- on the case in michigan. and i think they face a similar fate, in various, other states, as well. >> in addition to -- to several other michigan officials. you asked the judge in this case to levy sanction, including financial penalties against the

attorneys who filed this baseless lawsuit. based on the comments from the judge today, do you have a sense of where you think it's headed? >> i think that we're likely to be successful. but i -- i think the takeaway, for me, from today is this. you know, you heard each and every one of those attorneys double down on their assertions, right? there was no contrition. there was no recalcitrants. there was no apology. they were unrepentant about the -- the same lies that they had, initially, told during the course of this case. all the which, have been wholly and entirely debunked. so, what i think is important is not just that these attorneys be sanctioned because they've, already, made god knows how much money off of disseminating these lies. but that they be disbarred. that they be stripped of their law licenses because what they have learned, if anything, is that, you know, profiteering off of election-conspiracy theories can be very rewarding. and that's why these lawyers

need to know that, if they try to do this again, that they are going to be unable to. because otherwise, if they're not -- if they're not disbarred, they'll do it again in 2022, in 2024. and soon, we'll have no faith in the integrity of our electoral system anywhere in america. >> it also -- i mean, if they are not disbarred, it emboldens who knows how many other, you know, attorneys who want to get on television. and want to make a name for themselves. to figure, you know what? i'll roll the dice on -- on it, the next time. and i'll -- i'll, you know, get on the bandwagon. >> yeah. i mean, if anything, what we need to be able to say is this. even if these attorneys can go on television and say what they'd like. or go on social media and lie. or even, you know, go to cpac or some other, friendly audience, they cannot go into a court of law and make these flagrant misrepresentations. and if they do, they are going

to suffer consequences. and that if there is one place, where facts and truth, still, matter, it is in our system of justice. >> in february, michigan attorney working with the republican plaintiffs argued that your office had attempted to, and i quote, chill free speech in your push for sanctions. the argument has obviously been a common refrain for anyone -- from anyone, really, shilling the big lie. do you think people truly don't understand that a court of law has higher standards than, you know, say, a group of conspiracy theorists protesting on a public sidewalk? >> well, that's the thing about being an attorney. you know, you take an oath. and that's why, when you go into court, you say to the judge, your honor, as an officer of the court, i make the following representations. and you don't have to be sworn, the way that other witnesses do that are laypeople because you have, already, taken an oath when you become an attorney. and that oath is not to make misrepresentations to the court. not to mislead the court.

to make certain that any representations you've made, you have adequately vetted to ensure that they are accurate and that you're not just making ridiculous statements. and that's what you're relying upon. and it was clear, during the course of the proceedings today, that none of these attorneys made even a minimal effort, in order to ensure the accuracy of the affidavits that they submitted. or any of the other claims that were made, in the course of this complaint or these briefs. and it was pointed out that, even in some cases, you know, a 30-second inquiry onto a website would have disproven some of the allegations that they were making. >> yeah. and -- and again, continue to make. as you said, unrepentant. dana nessel, appreciate your time. thank you. >> thanks for having me. more now on the election lies that's playing out in arizona. by now, you know about this, you know, so-called audit. the one we have been covering. by now, you have seen reporting on ballot data being flown out

of state and all the other unexplainable rituals being performed on the ballots, themselves. in the name of ferreting out fraud in an election that has long been certified, not to mention litigated. well, it's not over. more now from cnn's kyung lah. >> reporter: the so-called arizona audit was supposedly over. but really, it just moved. to this un-air conditioned storage facility. not recommended for use, in arizona's summer. cooled by fans and a network of portable coolers, the white hoses hanging all over the facility. this is now home to maricopa county, arizona's, 2020 ballots. a handful of workers began the day with the "star-spangled banner" and god bless america with some ymca dancing. the song donald trump used at his rallies leading up to the 2020 vote. why is all of this happening?

the arizona audit spokesman says the numbers they have, after a hand count, don't match with maricopa county's. >> sometimes, we counted more. you know, so it's -- but there's variations in the -- the count. and we are just trying to get to a number that's -- we believe is accurate. >> reporter: whatever they do find, it won't impact the 2020 election because arizona's vote was, already, certified. also, two previous audits by maricopa county didn't find any widespread fraud, but he maintains they could find gaps to continue the question the election. >> i'm saying that's the possible. i'm not saying it did. just a risk raises questions and that's why you have to do an audit to see what's been done. >> it was dangerous to begin with. the fact that it's dragging out continues to make it even more dangerous. >> reporter: jennifer is a former elections official and now expert in elections audits. she was brought in by arizona's secretary of state as an observer when the audit was on the floor of the coliseum. she says a machine count is a

part of an audit, but it should be the first not the last step. i showed her the warehouse from my laptop. >> it's hard the say. from day one, every day was concerning. every day we saw new things or heard new claims, and we thought, this is absurd. this is just so bizarre. it's so unprecedented. it's hard to know at this point. >> reporter: so, the machine count that was supposed to start today, two of the machines didn't show up, so all of this is going to have to wait until tomorrow. anderson? >> kyung lah, appreciate the reporting. just ahead, eric adams was at a white house event today on curbing gun violence what he says he and president biden discussed next.

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amid a stark increase in gun violence across the country, president biden met with state and local leader at the white house today as he began outlining his strategy to try to overcome the surge.

although he did say there's no one solution, he said he had a lot of things in mind. >> it means cracking down on holding rogue gun dealers accountable for violating the federal law. it includes the justice department creating five new strike forces to crack down on illegal gun trafficking and -- supplying weapons to the city of new york from the bay area. >> among those in attendance was brooklyn borough president eric adams, who's heavily favored to win the election this fall. i spoke with him shortly before air time. mr. adams, thanks so much for joining us. you met with the president. how did that go? >> it went well, and i was really excited with just his energy. as you know, anderson, this is something i have been talking about for so long.

just to see the commander in chief realize how important it is we deal with the issues of gun violence, handgun violence that's saturating the cities. >> you had a long and fascinating career inside the new york police department. you ran on being tough on crime. you did very well in part of new york that are less affluent and known more for crime than you did in liberal and affluent part of manhattan. what does it say to you about priorities of democratic voters? >> so true. when you communicate with people who are closest to the problem, they know when they hear someone that's closest to the solutions. and an analysis of those votes show you, those areas who are dealing with poverty, high crime, lack of adequate education, high unemployment, it's clear that they heard something in my voice and in my tone. and then they looked at my life.

a person who was arrested and beat by police officers, who lost friends to gun violence during the mid '80s, going on to become a police officer, fighting for reform. they heard and saw i lived a life that many new yorkers are living, and they said, this is the person we want to lead us into the next four years. >> do you think there's a lesson in your primary victory for democrats nationwide? i mean, you don't hear a lot of progressive democrats, you know, talking about policing in the way that you did. >> well, you know what it is? we've allowed, i believe, the knew numericle -- of the party to hijack the conversation. when you talk with new yorkers, you'll find what people are saying the loudest is not what the majority of democrats want. it doesn't mean we don't want to hear voices from all ends aft

party so we can come to a real solution to the problems we are facing, but to not deal with those issues i like the say the kitchen table, the bread and butter issues is a big mistake. people want safe streets, want children educated, want issues around housing and want us to be pragmatic. i consider myself to be a progressive, but i don't want to only close rikers island, i want to close the pipeline to rikers island. by being a more proactsive and not just reactive. >> you say you're the face of a new democratic party. what does that party to you look like, and what is your message out there to other democrats? >> well, there's a party where we embrace proper policing, where we talk about making sure that we redefine the ecosystem of public safety. define the role of police officers in that system, and then make sure our officers are