Skip to main content

tv   Anderson Cooper 360  CNN  January 28, 2022 9:00pm-10:00pm PST

9:00 pm
on a busy night that includes a massive snow storm about to hit the eastern sea board, we begin with breaking news on the january ev6th investigation. the house select committee now taking direct aim with the former president's scheme of losing the heck torl college by putting forth his own bogus electors. listen to stephen miller at the time heying out the game plan. >> as we speak today, an alternate slate of electors in the contested states is going to vote and we are going to send those results up to congress. this will ensure that all of our legal remedies remain open. >> well, that was december 14th, 2020, and sure enough that same day in michigan some of those phony electors tried to gain attendance to the state capitol as legitimate electors were inside. they were bhoked by police. so, as comical as this might have looked on the surface, it was part of a serious and openly stated plan. now, the committee has issued subpoenas for the two top republican figures on each of the phony elector slates.
9:01 pm
there they are. not household names perhaps. merely junior officers in the failed assault on democracy. we will have to provide documents to the select committee by the 11th of next month in addition to appearing for depositions. attorney general in one of the states -- new mexico in which republicans fielded a slate of bo bogus electors. i am wondering what your reaction is to the news that select admit committee seems to be on a parallel track with the justice-department investigation into this fake elector scam? >> well, i think it's prudent -- thank you for having me, first of all, this evening -- i think it's prudent there are multiple investigations in multiple states both at the state or federal level. but i also think law enforcement is paying close attention to the select committee. we are watching very closely because we are trying to determine what the intent was of these electors, and conspiracy seems to be the greatest risk at this point but at this point we are just gathering information,
9:02 pm
evidence, and we are thinking about how best to mapply the rue of law in a very unconventional situation. >> new mexico was one of the states targeted with fake electors. you were one of the state attorneys general who referred the case to the justice department. what -- what do you think will actually come of it? do you suspect the people involve will be charged? and what would charges actually be? >> well, i want to be clear, these investigations are not targeting lawful auditing free speech. every american has a right to protest, challenge, litigate, and sue in a court of law. what is brazen is that there might have been some type of coordinated effort by the small group of individuals, and we really believed when we confirmed some of this conduct in each respective state, that the doj was the best positioned to gather the evidence because of the multistate,
9:03 pm
multi-jurisdictional challenges in gathering all of this information just to determine what happened. >> is it clear to you -- i mean, who is on top of this pyramid? i mean, was it -- was -- i assume -- i mean, can we assume that the president of the united states at the time was in the loop on this scheme? >> well, first, i want to remind, you know, all americans, we have a very unique electoral system. it's a combination of state law and federal law. and ultimately, it's intended to bring voters together with poll workers, and ultimately to certify a president at the federal level in front of congress. and so, it's a multifaceted process and if americans were just acting freely and chal henh challenging within their own state elections, i believe that would be appropriate. but there was a coordinated
9:04 pm
effort by an elite group and they took subvert actions to commit fraud on the united states, that would be a serious risk to our government and our democracy and that is worth being -- that is why we need to investigate and we are monitoring the select committee as they produce information and evidence. >> and if that were the case -- if it was, you know, an orchestrated thing from an elite group, not just a thing people were doing in individual states, that would be illegal? >> would be illegal because what we are trying to review now is were these independent electors acting on their own fruition, independent within their rights? or were they being coerced, forced, pressured into taking action they wouldn't take otherwise? and i will remind the -- our country -- um, the electors and the rules engaging electors is rather simple. we have winner take all states, and these electors take an oath to certify the elections that is
9:05 pm
a reflection of the will of the people. and so, for some reason, these seven states took a different route. and it's important right now to get to the bottom of it to see if there was a conspiracy behind some of this questionable conduct. >> but that conduct, in order -- from the wording you are using, i just wanted to drill down on a little bit. that conduct that these individuals in the states took -- it would be illegal only if they were coerced by others? or -- or pressured? i mean, if they were just asked by others and, you know, jumped at the chance to -- to do this, would that -- does there have to be a level of coercion? >> doesn't have to be coercion. in order for it to be a federal crime, there has to be an overt act and there has to be an agreement or coordinated effort. i think right now -- and this is why i am being very cautious with our investigation -- >> sure. >> -- we are supportive right now of state investigative authorities getting involved and
9:06 pm
completing their investigation. we have already turned over information to the u.s. attorney's office but that -- at the end of the conclusion of all the gathering of facts, there absolutely needs to be an application of federal law to make that determination whether we do think there was a conspiracy or not. and yes, we are kind of already sparsing out facts between you and i but criminal intent would be required. but what might appear as a -- just a normal factual, you know, nothing important could be turned into a conspiracy later on. so it's really important for us to drill down but it's too premature to -- to determine what level of criminal culpability could exist. >> if there are not charges or legal repercussions, is there anything to prevent something like this from happening again? >> well, that's -- that's the -- the -- both the beauty and the weakness of our electoral system. um, the will of the people is a
9:07 pm
guarantee and this is why we have the rules and that new mexico we had well over 100,000 votes cast for the presidential victor. and yet, we had these submissions that were an alternative process. but the -- the subversion of the will of the people, which is just an accounting, really could threaten our democracy. and so, it's very important. now, we are looking at penalties both in state and federal statutes and, you know, they are not very clear. i think that congress will at least learn from this incident and if there is any direct correlation to some of the riots and some of the violence, the -- the other election guarantee is the peaceful transition of power. and clearly, that was under duress. so, we are probably going to have recommendations to strengthen these statutes and make these penalties much more clear. >> attorney general, appreciate it, thank you. there is late word as well tonight of another subpoena.
9:08 pm
this one, very high profile and very close to the former president january 6th. cnn chief political analyst gloria borger joins us along with cnn chief legal analyst jeffrey toobin. gloria, what have you learned? >> well, judd deer who is former deputy white house press sec re hair has been subpoenaed by the committee because he was in the white house january 5th and january 6th. and they believe that he can shed an awful lot of light about the president's state of mind during those two days. he was involved in issuing, say, releases from the white house. also, about -- about the violence, about the insurrection. i think there is a question about whether he was there when the president taped his infamous video to the american public. but specifically, one thing they point out that is so telling is a meeting inside the white house on january 5th. -let president called in his staff, and you could hear the
9:09 pm
crowds outside and, um, the president said to his staff, you know, there is a lot of anger out there right now. and then, he also said and asked them what are your ideas for getting the rinos -- that's republican in name only -- what are your ideas for getting the rinos to do the right thing tomorrow? how do we convince congress? so, this is what he is telling his staff and that speaks directly to what the president was thinking at that moment, which is asking everyone how can we turn this election around after it had already been had. >> jeff, what is the significance of this? how important are these, you know, smaller actors in terms of not known perhaps widely but obviously in the room when things were happening. >> well -- well, what makes someone like deer very important is that this congressional investigation is fundamentally, i think, about donald trump and what did donald trump do to
9:10 pm
initiate the riot in the capitol? what did he do to stop it, if anything? and what did he know about how violent it would become? so, the critical evidence will be people who had some access to him. and deere is someone who had access to him. um, the -- it's important to remember, also, there are going to be hearings. and the congress is going to need -- the committee is going to need witnesses who can tell a story that will be compelling to the american people. i don't know if deere is going to be one of those people, but he is certainly a candidate. and we'll see if he agrees to testify and if he does, he could tell a story that's very important. >> gloria, i mean, you know, we heard earlier that mark meadows is, you know, right hand was -- had -- had given or was being sought. it seems like people who --
9:11 pm
smaller players, in terms of where they are in their careers, not well known names, they don't have the same resources of attorneys and willingness to fight a prolonged battle that steve bannon has or even a mark meadows may have. it's interesting because, you know, that sort of a weak link in terms if the white house hopes to have a wall of silence, that's kind of some weak bricks in that wall. >> sure. and, you know, you talk to people on the committee and what they tell you is that people have just come in over the trasnsom. voluntarily saying i want to tell you what i saw at the white house. i want to tell you what i heard at the white house. and it's not just, you know, the bright, shiny objects. it's not just mark meadows. although, obviously, his documents have been very important. but it is the people who work for mark meadows. it is the people who were in and out of the oval office. it -- it is the people who stand in the back of the room when the
9:12 pm
president is saying something. and the place was insane that day, as one person said. so, you can just imagine the kind of testimony they are getting and what they are trying to do is piece it together. so, they subpoenaed judd deere because he had perhaps didn't want to come in voluntarily. but he could provide an awful h lot of information about what the president himself, as jeffrey's saying, was saying and thinking. and this president thinks out loud a lot. and that's what he was doing with the staff that day. >> yeah. gloria borger, jeff toobin, thank you. coming up next, we get the very latest on the dangerous storm about to hit as many as 75 million people through the carolinas up through maine. also breaking news in ukraine. president biden talking about sending american troops to eastern europe as the joint chiefs chairman paints a stark picture of the death and destruction russian forces could
9:13 pm
bring should they invade. hater, elon musk aiming for the stars, this time he is about to hit the moon with hun one of his rockets. we will talk about it with neil degrasse tyson.
9:14 pm
my family's been devastated by covid-19. and we're not alone. we've all had to find new ways to keep going. and cue has made that easier. with cue, you get lab-quality covid-19 test results in just 20 minutes. speed and accuracy. it's just for the nba; it's for you too. cue health. the official covid-19 home test of the nba. go cue. go you. king c. gillette is a complete lineup of tools and facial hair care products. this is the style master. designed to style your stubble in one stroke, a pivoting metal head that defines every edge, and three comb lengths for added versatility. one tool that helps you choose, change, and master your style. king c. gillette with our unique tub over tub installation in just a day, bath fitter doesn't just fit your bath, it fits your busy schedule. why have over two million people welcomed bath fitter into their homes? it just fits. bath fitter. call now or visit bathfitter.com to book your free consultation.
9:15 pm
get help managing your money for the life -- and years -- ahead. with fidelity income planning, we'll look at what you've saved, what you'll need, and build a straightforward plan to generate income, even when you're not working. a plan that gives you the chance to grow your savings and create cash flow that lasts. along the way, we'll give you ways to be tax efficient. and you can start, stop or adjust your plan at any time without the unnecessary fees. we'll help you go from saving... to living. ♪ play all day ♪ your shipping manager left to “find themself.” leaving you lost. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. indeed instant match instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description. visit indeed.com/hire cough cough sneeze sneeze... [ sneezing ] needs, plop plop fizz fizz. alka seltzer plus cold relief. dissolves quickly. instantly ready to start working. so you can bounce back fast with alka-seltzer plus. now available for fast sinus relief.
9:16 pm
no ink! uccch! i need you to print, i need you. please don't do this, i love you so much, i hate you. you think you're empty. i'm empty. do you suffer from cartridge conniptions? ucccccch! be conniption free. thanks to the cartridge-free epson ecotank printer. a ridiculous amount of ink! up to 2 years of ink comes in the box. the ecotank is the perfect cure for-- i'm sorry, i didn't mean any of that. i meant it!!!! you're mocking me! the epson ecotank. just fill & chill. does anybody have more cartridges?! available at. it's time for sleep number's january sale on the sleep number 360 smart bed. what if i sleep hot? ...or cold? no problem, the sleep number 360 smart bed is temperature balancing so you both sleep just right. and it senses your movements and automatically adjusts to keep you both effortlessly comfortable. so, you can really promise better sleep? yes! you'll know exactly how well you slept, night after night. we take care of the science. all you have to do is sleep. and now, save $1,000 on the sleep number 360 special edition smart bed, queen now $1,999. plus, 0% interest for 48 months on all smart beds. only for a limited time.
9:17 pm
winter storm about to hit a big part of the country. just cancelled because of how bad things could get tonight and through the weekend, national weather service is talking about feet of snow near zero visibility, extremely high winds and flooding. all of this in a massive area feekting about potentially 75 million people. here with the late ebts is tom's sater. so let's talk about what is ahead. >> well, for days now, about almost five days we knew a storm was coming. but anderson, we really didn't know how much snow we were going to get. now, that the storm is formed on the southeastern coast of the u.s., we know it is going to be historic and we have got high confidence. but let's take look at boston. when you look at two-day snow events, the greatest snowfall, 1978. that held a record for decades and then we beat it in 2003. this is a one-day snow event. so let's look at one-day totals
9:18 pm
for boston. and again, it is at 2003. everybody talks about global warming, how can we have all this snowfall coming? well, that's just global warming. a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, which falls to the ground as heavier rain or snowfall. look at these years. 2015, 2003. i mean, this is gonna be an event that is going to be crippling for many. but extremely dangerous and life threatening. we weren't sure what path it was going to take, hug the coast and push all that snow to i-95 or hang out to sea and really not provide much at all? it is heading right for the sweet spot. historically speaking, gives the heaviest snowfall for new england. here are some totals. ocean city, you are going to get several inches. philadelphia, 4 to 8 inches but it's atlantic city, 12 to 18. new york that is a hefty total for you but it's eastern long island. boston, that is the heart of the storm. we could see easily 2, 3 feet of snowfall. rhode island as well. coastal main mainment cold front's moving in, bringing the
9:19 pm
cold air, that is going to play a role later on as well. light snow with this. this is all you are going to get in areas of del mar. the sleet and freezing rain will not fall with this storm on the coast. that is all out to sea. that means, anderson, this is all snowfall. so overnight tonight, it moves north and starts to crank. tomorrow, it really feeds off these warm waters in the gulf stream. warmer than they should be so it is going to create this bombing effect. have that pressure drop almost like a hurricane. in fact, it will drop to category 2 hurricane pressure. with that, it is all snowfall and again a one-day event but we are going to see bands of snowfall that are more than 1 to 2 inch ans hour, we are talking possibly 5 inches an hour. that is staggering. so it really depends where these snow bands kind of form. and they are convective snow bands. that means you are going to see lightning, hear thunder, thundersnow. it's these ten states with blizzard warnings. winds up to at least 35 miles
9:20 pm
per hour. they are going to be even stronger than that that is going to cause a lot of issues, anderson. >> we have breaking news to report on the u.s.' response to the threat of another russian invasion of ukraine hours after the pentagon warned a potential invasion would be quote horrific, president biden briefly spoke to reporters about when, not if, u.s. troops would be moved into eastern europe. >> have you decided how soon you would be moving u.s. troops to eastern europe? >> i will be moving u.s. troops to eastern europe and the nato countries in the near term. >> again, president saying u.s. troops will be moving to nato countries in eastern europe quote in the near terl, no specific time table given. the president's comments came the same day he and his ukrainian counterpart now appear to be at least publicly at odds about how imminent the threat may be. ukraine president today pushed back on the idea. there is a feeling abroad there is war here. that is not the case. a senior ukrainian official tells cnn a call last night
9:21 pm
between him and president biden quote did not go well. white house disputes that account and also sees events differently. the president's top military adviser said today, comparing -- compared to a previous russian troop movement, this time quote does feel different. and he laid out in stark terms what an invasion would look like. >> given the type of forces that are arrayed, the ground maneuver forces, the artillery, ballistic missiles, the air forces, all of it packaged together -- if this was unleashed on ukraine, it would be significant, very significant. and it would result in a significant amount of casualties and -- and you can imagine what that might look like in dense-urban areas, long roads and so on and so forth. it would be horrific. it would be terrible. >> lot of seemingly conflicting information try to get a handle on, joined now by mark hurtly, former commanding general of the u.s. army in europe. also, steve hall, retired cia
9:22 pm
chief of russia operations. so general, i am wondering your reaction to the president saying he will send american troops to eastern europe, to nato countries we should point out in the near term. how significant is that? >> i don't think it's very significant at all, anderson. in fact, i suspected that it would happen. when the early discussions were ongoing, the president and -- and the national security apparatus were talking about waiting for a nato call forward for the nato response force. we don't need that. united states does not need that. we have alliances and partnerships in many of the eastern european countries, and what i would say is, for the last six years -- in fact, even when i was there as commander in europe, we were beginning to build bases in many of the eastern european countries, hike romania, bulgaria, poland, the -- the baltics. so yeah, you can move forces to those locations without having them go under nato control. and we've been practicing that for the last six years. >> steve, we have been reporting today or seen reports of -- of
9:23 pm
friction between washington and kyiv. the biden administration describing a russian invasion as, quote, imminent. while the president of ukraine, kind of trying to portray the situation as dangerous but not as dire. i mean, how much of this do you think is actually a disagreement? and how much is just sort of different emphasis? ukraine, obviously, has been living with the threat. they have had, you know, russian forces in crimea for quite some time now. they have lost thousands of -- of troops over the last several years. um, and they also don't want the economy ruined as they are waiting for whatever russia's gonna do. >> yeah, anderson, to a certain extent, it might be a bit of how many angels dance on the head of a pin. some semantics involved but i think another factor is sort of internal to ukrainian politics. um, you know, ukraine is still a new democracy and there is a lot of political maneuvering that is going on behind the scenes. you may recall, a number of days ago, the former president
9:24 pm
returned. he is a very nationalistic type of guy. i think the current ukrainian president, zelensky, is probably aware of that and aware that there are others who are eager to criticize, you know, how he is handling the situation. so, there's some domestic-internal politics in ukraine. and of course, you know, he is walking a -- it's a fine line he is walking. his -- his country is under threat of invasion. i mean, our military leadership says you don't mass over 100,000 troops, you know, for no reason. so, ze helensz ki's not correctf he says everything's going to be fine. we just don't know yet. but he doesn't want people panicking in the streets, max exodus, that sort of thing. so he is in a bit of a difficult -- a difficult circumstance. >> and -- and how could -- steve, how could vladimir putin -- i mean, clearly, he is interested in exploiting any wedges that exist between ukraine and the united states, between nato countries, between, you know, politicians in the united states. >> yeah, any opportunity that putin has to point out even the
9:25 pm
smallest of differences, you know, he will milk for everything because, of course, you know, from the 30,000 foot level right down to in the weeds, that has always been vladimir putin's primary plan is to divide the west. divide western democracies, so as to weaken them and that's what he is trying to -- he will take every opportunity, no matter how small. whether it's, you know, a difference between -- between allies or whether it's something -- something larger. he will try to -- he will try to stick something in that wedge to make it as wide as he possibly -- as he possibly can. and i think he will use this opportunity as well. it'd surprise me if he didn't. >> i want to talk about the russian troops that are stationed at the ukrainian border. we got a troop map there. about 130,000, more arriving every day. there is a lot of focus on obviously the troops at the border. and when they start or if they started to move. i have heard you say, though, that that's not where entirely the focus should be in terms of signs of an invasion.
9:26 pm
>> yeah, anderson, what i would say is when you are looking at the russian way of war, they are not going to roll a shock army across the border in one fell swoop. that's something they used to do back in the '70s and '80s, they had various echelons of forces. they had a huge army that the resources were strong but the capabilities were not that good. but russia has changed their way of war. they have learned a lot from us in desert storm and in the early days of iraqi freedom and afghanistan. they know they have to prep the battlefield in a very different way. and i think what you will see is certainly the use of cyber, if it hasn't already occurred and i am banking that some of it already has. but in a growing nature. the potential for other things going on in various cities throughout ukraine before that army moves. so, anyone that is showing overhead pictures of large tank motorpools and saying look how much stuff they got on the ground. and nothing's going to happen
9:27 pm
until those start moving. that's not the case. they know they have to prep the battlefield and they also could potentially even do it kinetically with long-range fires and with air forces. so, you know, when you are talking about how they wage war, it isn't sort of the world war ii approach of sending everyone into the beaches and across the borders to try and kill as many as possible. they are going to try and disrupt the society of ukraine. they have already started doing that with not only cyber, but with also misinformation. so, i think that's what we have really got to take a look at. and by the way, if i can mention this on -- on cyber. you know, we have seen in the past small elements of cyberwarfare. and what i mean by that is it's limited use of cyber, against one type of industry or one part of the government. when you start unleashing cyber in a very big way, it almost becomes like a nuclear weapon. it can get out of control between countries very quickly. and i think we have got to be
9:28 pm
very careful in terms of how we address that, and what the russians might do in terms of cyberactivity in the near future. >> interesting. general hurtly, steve hall, really appreciate it. thank you coming up next. president biden coming under increasing criticism for openly pledging to name a black woman to the supreme court. the question, does it amount to a litmus test or just him making a promise and keeping it? also, are his critics open to charges of hypocrisy? we will talk about it when we continue. allergies don't have to be scary. spraying flonase daily stops your body from overreacting to allergens all season long. psst! psst! flonase all good.
9:29 pm
♪"don't ya leave" by squeak e clean♪ [doorbell] ♪ [doorbell] ♪ [doorbell] all the delivery. no delivery fees. dashpass. some of my best memories growing up were cooking with mom. so when she moved in with us, a new kitchen became part of our financial plan. ♪ ♪ find a northwestern mutual advisor at nm.com ♪ baby got back by sir mix-a-lot ♪ unlimited cashback match... only from discover. one of my favorite supplements is qunol turmeric. turmeric helps with healthy joints and inflammation support. unlike regular turmeric supplements
9:30 pm
qunol's superior absorption helps me get the full benefits of turmeric. the brand i trust is qunol.
9:31 pm
9:32 pm
senate democrats falling in line today on the notion of quickly confirming a successor to supreme court justice stephen breyer. a number of senate republicans are continuing to criticize president biden for limiting his choice to a black woman. missouri senator josh hawley, who serves on the judiciary committee, typifies this objection. >> here is what i am going to do. i am going to do my duty, which is i swore to up demhold the constitution and i am going to ask whomever joe biden sends to the committee, i am going to see if they actually believe in the constitution and are willing to follow it. that ought to be the litmus test, not race, not religion, not gender, not anything else but are are you willing to follow the constitution of the united states? >> president biden as you know made a campaign promise to name the first black woman to the high court and appears to be keeping it. so does that amount to a litmus test? are republicans open to criticism for hypocrisy on the
9:33 pm
subject? a column for "the wall street journal," law professor jonathan turley seems to suggest the president's decision would have been fine if he had only been less forth right about it. m yet, it is also unnecessary. mr. biden could have selected a black woman for the court while maintaining, as ufrtds do, that he would consider all possible candidates on the totality of their records. in other words, do it just don't be entirely honest about what you are doing. so plenty to talk about. also senate minority leader mcconnell's suggestion that the president might, in his words, quote outsource this important decision to the radical left. joining us to discuss all of it, two cnn political commentators, bakari sellers, author of the really fun and beautiful children's book "who are your people?" also, scott jennings, former special assistant to president george w. bush. scott, i want to play something former-president trump said at a rally in september 2020 about nominating a woman to fill
9:34 pm
justice ruth bader ginsburg's seat on the court. >> it will be a woman. a very talented, very brilliant woman. who i excehaven't chosen yet bu have numerous women on the list. >> so, what is the difference between that and what biden said? >> no difference. but i happen to agree with professor turley in his op-ed you referenced. i think biden is actually doing a disservice to whoever he picks because the list i have seen is full of highly qualified, highly experienced people who could stand on their own without biden having backed into this the way he did but i have to tell you i don't think republicans should focus on this. what they really ought to focus on is having full hearts. my heart is full that an african-american woman is gonna be on the supreme court because there is not been anybody in washington over the last 36 years who has fought harder
9:35 pm
against putting african-americans and hispanics on the befnch than joe biden. hook what he did to clarence thomas. he used the jim crow filibuster. joe biden has an atrocious record and i think our hearts out to be full that an african-american female can finally get past joe biden's record. he is, after 36 years, he has finally found religion on this issue. so we ought to question them vigorously, look at their qualifications, look at their experience. and that is perfectly fine. but we ought to rejoice -- rejoice that joe biden's decided to stop trying to prevent minorities from making high federal office in this country. >> bakari, what is your response to that? also keep in mind former gop south carolina governor, nikki haley, recently tweeted quote would be nice if president biden chose the supreme court nominee who is best qualified, without a race, gender, or litmus test. that's what i did when i picked tim scott as senator of south carolina. >> my republican colleagues, respectfully, are just full of
9:36 pm
it tonight. i am actually glad that -- that scott, his heart is full. it warms me to hear him say that. however, turley's reasoning was rooted, um, in a -- in a white-male privilege that many times you don't acknowledge you have. before thurgood marshall, it was a given that every justice nominated to the supreme court was going to be a white male. do we look back at that as saying that is some affirmative action? that is some quota? given that every president prior to thurgood marshall, we knew they were going to select, um, a white male. we didn't look at that as discrimination. the fact is you played that trump chip but the republican savior ronald reagan in 1980 even said that he was running on the fact he was going to appoint a woman to the bench. the fact is now, we have joe biden saying -- and let me just clarify joe biden's record for scott and others. he has actually appointed the most diverse federal judges this country's ever seen, and included in that has been the
9:37 pm
most african-american women to the bench at this rate. and so, joe biden's record on that -- it needs not even being said. the fact is i mean the front-runners, michelle childs, ketanji brown jackson, leondra kruger, i mean they are the best of the best. you are talking about the sentencing commission. you are talking about an expert in lab laor law. you are talking about a chief justice or justice in the california supreme court who clerked for justice stevens. these black women have it all, and so i don't want to get into games about discrimination or quotas or affirmative action just because it's black women. these black women are are bad as hell, regardless of hawley, nikki haley, or anybody else. the fact is they need to have their voices heard and of the 115 justices ever to the united states supreme court, all but seven are white men. so tonight, you can save me white-men tears. i don't need to hear that. >> scott, why wouldn't minority
9:38 pm
leader mcconnell's initial reaction be the first nomination of a black woman to the court is somehow going to be tied to the quote radical left? is that -- i mean, is that sort of a line that they are testing out to see if that's kind of what they're gonna just repeat from now on? i mean, like why automatically would it be -- >> yeah. great question. look, i think -- i think the republicans are going to focus on this person's record and experience, and stated views. i think there is little doubt that the people joe biden is hooking at are all highly qualified, highly experienced, and highly liberal and some you might call radical in some views so that's how the republicans are going to go after this. they are going to put mark kelly and senator warnock, some of these senators up in tough re-election fights this year, they are going to put them on the spot and say do the voters in your state want you to vote for somebody who is far outside the mainstream of where most voters are in your state? and frankly, they are going to put joe biden on the spot saying he campaigned as a moderate but
9:39 pm
you are sending up highly liberal judges. that's how they are going to set up this debate. it is not going to be over race. i think everybody is going to be very, very pleased that an african-american woman is going to be on the supreme court. i am. lot of republicans i know are. i am not going to agree probably with most any decision this person will ever make because i think joe biden's highly unlikely to choose a very liberal person. but that doesn't mean you can't be happy about it but it also doesn't mean we can't have a real conversation here about their views, about biden's views, and about what that means for the voters in some of these senate states this fall. >> bakari sells, scott jennings, thanks very much. up next, which republican might face president biden in two years. cnn harry enten has in you data about what the presidential election could look like and how some of the potential candidates would fare against the president.
9:40 pm
...so at at&t everyone gets our best deals. aren't others doing that? others say that, but not everyone gets the best deal. like what if i give you a lollipop... then i give you our best lollipop. that's not fair. at at&t we think it's only fair that all customers get our best deals... ...and you get a choice of plans. she said everyone? it's not complicated. only at&t gives both new & existing customers our same best deals, like up to $800 off our most popular smartphones.
9:41 pm
feel stuck with credit card debt? move to sofi and feel what it's like to get your money right. ♪ move your high-interest debt to a sofi personal loan. you could save with low rates and no fees. earn $10 just for viewing your rate and get your money right. ♪
9:42 pm
9:43 pm
with more than two years to go until the next presidential election, it is a little early to talk about potential presidential matchups but since it is with harry enten, we thought it would be smart and fun. so some new reporting shows president biden's approval rate has declined while also revealing some of the people entertaining a run for his job
9:44 pm
would fare in a head to head matchup against the president. joining us now, senior data reporter harry enten. by the way, is it data or data? >> i really don't know and i don't know why i have a title. you can just call me dude or something. >> i like senior data -- i am going to senior data reporter. harry, the former president is leading the gop field obviously in early 2024 polling. are this any danger signs for him? >> i do think there are. you know, ron desantis who obviously at this point seen as his main opponent. you can look at favorable ratings, right, among republicans and what do you see? you see trump's rating is at 72%. desantis is among republicans with just 52 but among those who have opinion of both of them, look at that. ron desantis has about 83% approval rating versus just trump at 73. and more than that, are you more of a supporter of trump or the republican party? if you go back to the 2020 election, you see most republicans said trump but now, in fact, most republicans say supporter of the republican party.
9:45 pm
so the ground is sort of shifting beneath him. >> as for the 2024 general election, where do you see the former president's numbers in that context? >> right now he is tied with joe biden. they are both tied around 43%. i think that is actually quite weak for the former president. the reason why is if you look at generic candidates -- right? you look at a generic democrat versus generic republican, what do you see? you see the generic republican is actually leading the generic democrat at this .47% to 43% and i think that really just getting at the dear unpopularity of president trump, former-president trump at this point. republicans would be better off nominating someone else at least according to these polls. >> also, now that i have you i am supposed to ask you about football odds this weekend even though i don't really know what -- who is playing. >> yeah. so we -- we have a slide up here. and it -- what's so interesting about it is we actually have the logos for the teams and i am wondering if you actually know who these teams are? you know, kc. that -- that's kansas city.
9:46 pm
>> kansas city chiefs. are they still called the chiefs? >> yes, they are still called the chiefs. >> those are the bengals. >> very good. chiefs are favored over the bengals by 9. >> giants? san francisco giants? >> no, san francisco 49ers. >> oh, i should know that. of course, that's obvious. yeah. yeah. yeah. i don't know the la swirl. the la swirl? the la yell low swirl? >> that is a ram. that is supposed to be a ram. you know, like a ram. >> have they always been the la chargers? >> no. >> the rams? >> these are the rams. there is also another team called the charges but these are the rans. the rams used to play in st. louis. before they played in los angeles, before that they played in cleveland. chargers layed in san diego, now play again in los angeles. but you can see in los angeles is favored over the 49ers by four. >> fell asleep for a second. good to know. thank you. i will lay down those odds. i don't know what that means, either. harry enten -- >> do whatever you want, man. football is fun. it's like talking to you, it is a fun time. >> thanks very much. coming up. out of control space rocket is
9:47 pm
on a collision course with the moon. world-renowned astrophysicist neil degrasse tyson tells us what to expect next. or an intene burning sensation. what is this nightmare? it's how some people describe... shingles. a painful, blistering rash that could interrupt your life for weeks. forget social events and weekend getaways. if you've had chickenpox, the virus that causes shingles is already inside of you. if you're 50 years or older ask your doctor or pharmacist about shingles. are you taking a statin drug to reduce cholesterol? it can also deplete your coq10 levels. i recommend considering qunol coq10 along with your statin medication. the brand i trust is qunol. this is the planning effect. if you ask suzie about the future, she'll say she's got goals. and since she's got goals, she might need help reaching them,
9:48 pm
and so she'll get some help from fidelity, and at fidelity, someone will help her create a plan for all her goals, which means suzie will be feeling so good about that plan, she can just enjoy right now. that's the planning effect, from fidelity. such tree-mendous views. i'm at a moss for words. when a cough tries to steal dad's punchlines, he takes robitussin naturals powered by 100% drug-free ingredients. are you gonna leaf me hanging? soothe your cough naturally. (children giggling) hey, i was, uh, thinking about going back to school to get my masters. i just saw something that said you could do it in a year for, like, $11k. hmm. barista: order eleven!
9:49 pm
yeah, see you at 11. 1111 masters boulevard, please. gonna be eleven even, buddy. really? the clues are all around us! some things are too obvious to be a coincidence.
9:50 pm
9:51 pm
a rocket launched into space by spacex corporation may soon crash into the moon. launched the u.s. deep space climate observatory in 2015 and it's been floating around the last seven years. reports say the three to four ton booster could create a 65 foot crater on the far side of the moon when it potentially crashes in march. joinings now, astrophysicist and author of a brief welcome to the universe, a pocket-sized tour, kneel degrasse tyson. for some reason, my eyes were starting to water because i got something in my eyes, so excuse me while i wipe my eyes but how high are the odds of this rocket book booster crashing into the moon? >> i thought you were getting emotional about the universe. >> what is going on? >> i have no reason to doubt the -- the calculations done by others about the trajectory of this booster. and just so that people understand, um, this satellite that was originally put into
9:52 pm
orbit by this booster, um, is one of the more important satellites that we have monitoring not only earth but also space weather. if there is any explosions on the sun, how we might have to warn the world for what consequences it would have for our -- how -- how dependent we are on electronics. so turns out that orbital trajectory, that second stage did not -- it lost fuel and could not come back to earth. and so, it was just adrift in space and it turns out that there are these sort of fuzzy boundaries between gravitational retractors out there, where something can float for a long time. and be tugged slowly in one direction or another. and in this particular case, it drifted towards the moon. and it -- in -- in an arc that will take it to collide with the moon on the backside of the moon so we are not going to be able to see this. but um, i did a fast calculation and it'll impact with about the energy of 2% of a stick of
9:53 pm
dynamite if you want to get a sense of what that would be. >> oh, wow. that's very small. >> yeah. yeah. so, don't think the moon is gonna break apart or anything. the moon's been hit by much worse. >> there is craters on the moon. it's been hit -- >> yeah, take a look. >> so -- >> shrug this off, not a problem. >> wow. i mean, as we -- the rocket booster. i mean, it's -- is it still possible that it might not crash into the moon? >> well, these -- these orbital trajectories, you know, as a matter of fact, it is rocket science. so, these calculations, you know, we know what we're doing when we do that. it's gravity. it's what makes it a little more interesting is that it's a multibody problem. so there is sort of chaotic pathways within there but as we get closer to the march 4th expected collision date, the precise time and the precise arc
9:54 pm
that takes it there will be known. but right now, even with the uncertainties being this far in advance, the moon is a large enough target it's not going to miss. and by the way, there is a whole industry in my field of people observing the unlit side of the moon to see if i can see a flash from meteors that strike it. so, this -- you got to go the unlit side so that you can notice when the flash occurs. from the lit side, it is happening all the time. you would never notice it. so -- so it's too bad we are not going to be around the other side of the moon to check it out. >> yeah. neil degrasse tyson, really appreciate it. thank you. just ahead. >> san francisco giants are baseball. by the way. >> yes, thank you. i appreciate it. just ahead, new york -- extraordinary day in new york. look at this scene. new york and the nation remember fall upon police officer jason rivera, next. (wife) hi, honey! (man) like what? (burke) well, you'd get a discount for insuring your jet skis... and boat...rv...life... ...home and more.
9:55 pm
you could save up to forty-five percent. (man) that's a whole lot of discounts. (burke) well, we offer coverage for a whole lot of things, and you could save a whole lot of something with farmers policy perks. (kid) sup, dad! (burke) seventeen-car garage you got there? ♪we are farmers♪ ♪bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum♪ i always dreamed of having kids of my own. ♪ ♪ now i'm ready for someone to call me mom. at northwestern mutual, our version of financial planning helps you live your dreams today. your record label is taking off. but so is your sound engineer. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. indeed instant match instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description. visit indeed.com/hire at carvana, we treat every customer like we would treat our own moms, with care and respect. to us, the little things are the big things.
9:56 pm
which is why we do everything in our power to make buying a car an unforgettable experience. happy birthday. thank you. we treat every customer like we would treat our own moms. because that's what they deserve.
9:57 pm
9:58 pm
9:59 pm
today, the city of new york and the country paid their respects to a fallen police officer, jason rivera. thousands of his fellow officers tuned out -- turned out today for a service to honor officer rivera. just want to pause on that scene for a moment. a sea of blue, all in appreciation of a man who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. officer rivera and wilbert mora were killed a week ago whether a suspected gunman opened fire after the officers responded to a 911 call at a harlem apartment. his wife who he married in october also spoke saying she would be lost without him. that is it for us. the news continues here on cnn with jim akos it and democracy
10:00 pm
in peril. jim. >> i am jim akos it and this is democracy in peril. and all week, we have been shining light on what's being done overtly and covertly to un undermine our democracy since the birth of the big lie with the crucial midterm elections fast approaching, there is great concern not only about voter suppression but wheels being put into motion to clear a path for the potential subversion of a future election. we ignore the threats at our own peril. so tonight, we have someone who can take us inside the mind of an insurrectionist. how did the people who attacked the capitol get to that point? how did they kmcompletely lose faith in our political institutions to try to make us an autocracy and violence and bloodshed? there are still people out there who are thinking like this. the fbi's still rounding up those responsible for january 6th to this day. so we are going to turn to the wife of the most high-profile suspect charged yet. she is actually the estranged wife of oath keepers' founder stuart rhodes who was ordered to remain jailed on wednesday while