the cloak of tragedy. >> it drove him to try to do things no one else had ever achieved. >> he said to his aides, what the hell's the presidency for? if you're not going to do something bold, why be here? >> i think lyndon johnson would be seen today as one of our greatest presidents because of all he did. but he made one bad mistake. >> vietnam really pulled him apart. he couldn't make a win out of this no matter how hard he tried. >> lbj said, i wish they knew that i want peace as much as they do. >> it's important to reflect and look back and see what has been done because there's no better way to judge the future than by the past. >> lbj, triumph and tragedy, premieres sunday night at 9:00 on cnn. the news continues, so let's hand it over to laura coates and "cnn tonight." >> hey, john, nice to see you.

do you get to go to sleep now? it seems i see you never 12-15 hours. >> fingers crossed. have a great weekend. >> thank you so much. i'm laura coates. and this is "cnn tonight." at this hour, the situation on the ground in ukraine is fluid, and it's changing rapidly. joe biden speaking once again as commander in chief, saying vladimir putin has already chosen war. >> we have reason to believe the russian forces are planning to and intend to attack ukraine in the coming week, the coming days. we believe that they will target ukraine's capital, kyiv, a city of 2.8 million innocent people. as of this moment, i'm convinced he's made the decision. >> 2.8 million people. let's dive into what we know at least right now, and it is, again, very fluid. but russia is approximately 190,000 troops are poised on three sides of ukraine. and by the way, that's 90,000

more than just three weeks ago. every day this week, we've reported more and more numbers. and now new tonight, satellite images show a buildup of russia helicopters now near the border. that's in addition to medical equipment the pentagon says is in place to deal with casualties. it's images like these that make the military brass so confident. >> i don't believe it's a bluff. i think it's -- i think he's assembled the right kinds of things that you would need to conduct a successful invasion. >> it's not just what's in place. it's what's already and we're seeing take place on the ground and how it fits with frankly the russia playbook. i mean, first the white house now blames russia for a massive cyber attack. ukrainian banks were hit this week. finances were hit this week. it's a move the pentagon warn could actually be but a first step. >> it's a piece of the russian

playbook to -- to lay down a foundation for these military action with cyber operations. >> we also saw a vehicle explode in the city of deneks. the statement department calls it a false flag operation. the fear is something like this might be used as a pretext to invade. >> russia plans to manufacture a pretext for its attack. >> and we've seen renewed shelling in the donbas region. the area is technically under a ceasefire agreement and has been a key focus of the russian misinformation machine. >> russia relies on misinformation and disinformation. it could involve claims about ukrainian military activity in the donbas. >> now, we've seen forecast of military action by russia fail to pan out this week. that's true and at least so far.

it's important to keep track of where things actually stand on the ground, particularly with fluid occurrences like this. so, for, that we turn to matthew chance in kyiv, a city that's home to more people, by the way, than the city of chicago, and one the president of the united states now calls a target. matthew, how are you? and how are ukrainian officials now responding to president biden's comments? >> reporter: well, it's a good question, laura. and, you know, actually they're not responding as, you know, sort of, you know, starkly as you might expect them to because i think there's a sense in which even though -- i think they're a bit shocked, actually. even though, there are tens of thousands of troops that have gathered from the russian side close to ukraine's borders, the ukrainians still, even after president biden's latest remarks, which were pretty stunning, are still not entirely convinced that president putin of russia has made that decision to go in. president biden said that he's

convinced that putin has decided to invade. i suppose ukrainian officials earlier tonight, and they said this, it's impossible to say with certainty exactly what's going on in the thoughts of the russian leader. they said they wanted to concentrate on the other parts of joe biden's message, which is that diplomacy is still a possibility. and that's the option they say they intend to pursue. there's also been reaction tonight within the past few minutes, in fact, from the kremlin or at least from the russian foreign ministry because maria za har voiva saying the american president repeated this unsubstantiated thesis about russia attempting to attack ukraine and threatening moscow with sanctions in the event of escalation. the russian federation categorically denies such statements and escalation plans attributed to it. in other words, they're saying that we're not going to invade. and so, it is really from our point of view here and from the

ukrainian government's point of view quite extraordinary to see that president biden has gone really all-in at this point in saying that there will be a russian invasion within the next few days and appealing to russia really sort of not to take that final step. >> matthew, it's kind of a tale of from russia's perspective, us locking at russia, who are you going to believe? me or your lying eyes, right? you talk about the buildup, you see the presence, surely you're aware satly images confirm the amassing of troops. on the one hand i understand there is not the complete accord in terms of what is being presented by the ukrainian president and our own commander in chief, but it's almost like intimating that somehow perhaps the intelligence might be wrong. is that what they're suggesting? or are they just trying to essentially not stir panic? what do you think? >> i just think that no one ever said or believed that russia

didn't present a credible threat. obviously it has tens of thousands of troops on the border. >> right. >> it's made no credit about that. it's said they're there for drills. but it's always been the intent, what putin intends to do. and that's always been, up until tonight, something that the united states and others said, we just can't tell because he hasn't said what he intends to do. is he really going to invade, or does he just want some kind of diplomatic compromise that he can take and declare a victory? tonight the u.s. president, remember, said he was convinced that president putin had decided within the next few days to invade this country. you pointed to this city of 2.8 million people as the capital city that, according to his intelligence, will come under russian attack. >> it's very scary, the prospects. matthew chance in ukraine, thank you so much. the u.s. intel agencies have so-called russia's moved before

they even happened. well, as matthew just explained, the only thing we haven't been able to predict is, well, when the russians would cross the border. with that in mind, i'm joined by two men who know the situation better than just about anyone, former ambassador to the ukraine william taylor, and lieutenant colonel alexander vindman. gentlemen, i'm so glad you're both here. thank you. let me start with you lieutenant vindman, because so often as we hear about there seems to be a disconnect -- maybe that's not the right word. but there is a difference in perhaps opinion of the urgency or the threat that russia poses. you know this country quite well and the military tactics of it. do you think the united states is getting ahead of its skis in ringing the alarm? or do you think that putin is more than a provocateur at this point? >> well, it's interesting. i think there are actually three sides to this story.

there's the u.s. side and the massive, enormous amount of data and evidence that the president had to consume to make the judgment that the russians have made the decision, that vladimir putin has made a decision and an attack is coming in the next couple of days. that is not just coming from satellite intelligence. we have a powerful all source analysis capability. we have signal intelligence that has surely picked up erin burnett echelons of different communications. then you have the russian side, which says, look, there's nothing to see here. this is just another exercise, although they've never done something like this before, never assembled this much force on the border of ukraine, never incorporated an exercise that would incorporate all these assets. now they're building a case for it, these false flags emerging out of ukraine. and unfortunately you have a

third side. you have the ukrainian side. and i think, to me, it seems clear that vladimir -- volodymyr zelenski has his head in the sand. he's seen the same kind of intelligence. he's talked to numerous people about what's likely to unfold. he knows what kind of forces are right. but he chooses to interpret the information in they way that suggests the russians are merely bluffs. it's about a diplomatic origin. and that has been an enormous disservice to his country. for weeks now he should have been preparing his country. he should have been positioning. he should have been calling up the reserves. he should have been making sure his forces were digging in, preparing for combat against russians, digging in, obstacles, everything moving into place to prepare for what's going to be a withering attack. and unfortunately this might be the fact that president zelenski is -- his background is a comedian. he is untested.

and this is the biggest test of all. and he may -- he very well looks like he's failing to meet the challenges. >> ambassador, do you agree with that assessment. is his head in the sand, or is it a cooler head that's prevailing in terms of thinking about this strategically. you have spoken to that president recently and had a complimentary view of him. does it strike you that lieutenant colonel is more accurate now? >> it doesn't. i did meet with president zelenski a couple of weeks ago. we had a good conversation on this very topic, laura. and you're right. there are two messages that need to be presented. one is the urgency that president biden has made. and it suggests that there needs to be good preparation and accurate and full preparation. and that's going on. there's another message that needs to be presented, and that's what you hear from president zelenski, which is a calm determination, a resolute

force that is not going to give. president zelenski -- alex is right. president zelenski is not an experienced politician. he's had two years on the job. he's facing vladimir putin, who has 22 years on the job and a former kgb operative. and president zelenski is staring him down, laura. president zelenski is calm and resolute and is not giving in to the pressure that is on his border. and president biden is right with him. >> well -- >> so, there are two messages. and one is you need to get prepared and the other message is stay calm and stare him down. >> well, you know on that point, as you mentioned, the idea of the united states and of course you've got the backing of nato, even though they're not a member of nato, it strikes me as a bit of -- easier per se to stand your ground knowing that the american president and commander in chief is willing to carry the torch to some extent. on this point, lieutenant colonel, i wonder your assessment. i mean, the idea of being

critical of zelenski. i understand and you were articulate and thorough and clear in how you addressed it. but there's also the notion there has been a ubiquitous and constant force the idea they've been lulled into a false since of security or accurate sense of security. to the extent you were to extend the benefit of the doubt to zelenski, do you think ukraine now has the ability in time, if russia were to invade, to now no longer be flat footed in the way you described? >> definitely not. and frankly i have given president zelenski the benefit of the doubt. i've been, i guess, internally critical of the way he's managed this situation. i was concerned about the fact that he was -- i certainly good the need to keep calm, keep the population calm, keep the

markets from becoming skiddish. that all is completely valid. but then there should be commensurate preparations on the ground behind the scenes by the military. and the people that i'm speaking to, the people that would know about this, are saying that these preparations are not occurring. and that to me is deeply disturbing. that to me seems to suggest that he's arresting the kinds of preparations that his military believes are necessary to prepare for a russian invasion. and we are facing a situation where, you know, if and when rush attacks, now it's all but certain, but we'll just take president biden's word for it, he's probably not going to be the president for much longer. there's going to be a new leader that the russians are going to attempt to place, and then we're living in a whole different world. at this point, it's -- i think it's short sided to think about president zelenski beyond the horizon of a couple of weeks if this offensive occurs. >> ambassador bill taylor,

you've described about six different scenarios. i wonder what will actually occur. you know, obviously different of opinions, looking at the scenario, i guess it comes down to one opinion, that of vladimir putin. gentlemen, thank you so much. >> thank you. coming up, an explosive and tearful day as the former police officer who shot and killed daunte wright learned her fate. >> i am so sorry that i hurt you so badly. >> today the justice system murdered him all over again. >> is a two-year sentence justice served? even the judge grew emotional as she explained her own sentencing decision. we'll go through et. and minnesota attorney general keith ellison will join me live. that's ahead. get decision tech. for insightsts on when to buy and sell. and proaoactive alerts on market events. that's decision tech. only from fidelility.

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us. she took our baby boy with a sungal gunshot through his heart. how much time is my son's life worth? >> it was a final plea from daunte wright's mother, as she urged a judge to impose the maximum sentence against the officer who killed her 20-year-old son last year after mistaking her gun for a taser. kim potter was sentenced to just two years in prison, far less than the seven years and two months that prosecutors asked for. and in fact, even though that was the figure they asked for, even with the two-year sentence, she'll likely only spend two-thirds or 16 months of that sentence, assuming she demonstrates good behavior. now, the judge, who was notably emotional at times while she tried to explain her decision this way. >> this is not a cop found guilty of murder for using his knee to pin down a person for nine and a half minutes, as he

gasped for air. this is not a cop found guilty of manslaughter for intentionally drawing his firearm. officer potter made a mistake that ended tragically -- she never intended to hurt anyone. her conduct cries out for a sentence significantly below the guidelines. >> the judge was obviously talking about the trial of derek chauvin and another officer. and she's right. that was a significant departure from the sentencing guidelines in the downward direction. but under minnesota law, you know the maximum penalty for

that conviction on two counts of manslaughter, well, you're charged under the highest one, sentenced under the highest one, which was predicated under the reckless handling of a firearm, that notion of her using a gun instead of a taser. that maximum is 15 years in prison. the state's guidelines actually offer the judge the discretion to sentence someone like potter, who had no criminal history, which you would expect, of course, from a police officer. but that discretion was really roughly six to eight and a half years in prison. and, again, she gave two. now, before the sentenced was actually announced, potter actually stood before the court and even addressed daunte wright's mother directly. >> earlier when you said that i didn't look at you during the trial, i don't believe i had a right to. i didn't even have a right to be in the same room with you.

i am so sorry that i hurt you so badly. my heart is broken, devastated for all of you. >> daunte's mother, of course, it also mentioned the indignity that she felt hearing kim potter only refer to her son as "the driver" throughout the trial and excoriating her for that and not providing the dignity of her son's name. now, remember how we got to this moment. a traffic stop for an expired license plate tag and a dangling air freshener from a rear-view mirror. and of course there were the attempted arrest for an unrelated warrant that would lead potter, the 26-year-old police veteran to inadvertently, she says, draw her hand gun instead of her taser. now, the wright family, say they they feel cheated by today's

sentence. >> this is the problem with our justice system today. white women tears trump -- trumps justice. and i thought my white woman tears would be good enough because they're true and genuine. but when they're coached and taught by the defense attorney, i guess we didn't have a win in this at all. >> i feel cheated. i feel hurt because this lady got a slap on the wrist, and we still, every night, sitting around crying, waiting on my son to come home. i'm upset. >> we're going to bring in the attorney general of minnesota, who asked this judge to impose a stiffer sentence initially. but now he's urging everyone to accept the decision that she rendered. so, where does keith ellison

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16 months. that's how much time kim potter will likely spend in prison for the killing of daunte wright. it's nowhere near what minnesota attorney general keith ellison asked for. in fact, his sentenced by the judge requested the presumptive 86 months, or roughly six years, saying, quote, it must always be remembered first and foremost that this case is about the death of daunte wright, a living, breathing human being who loved and was loved. the presumptive sentence reflects the seriousness of the loss of his life. a.g. keith ellison joins us now. i have to say, you know, this is our home state.

we're both from minnesota. so, this hits particularly close to home. and i have to ask you, you know, it's one thing when you ask the people to trust in the process and the outcome of the conviction. there's that optimism, the sense of justice being served. and then when a sentence comes out that's quite distinct from what the families wanted, let alone from what the prosecution asked for, what do you say to the public to have them understand that the prosecess i still working? are you confident that it is? >> well, i think it's important to keep in mind that a jury of her peer did say convict kim potter of first degree and second degree manslaughter. it is important. i know we're talking about the sentencing tonight, but we could easily lose track of the fact that 12 objective minnesotans looked at the evidence and said that she was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. that's important. now, on the issue of the sentencing, you know, the fact

is -- i would say to everyone that despite how the family legitimately feels, that i think it is important that we accept the sentence, not that we agree with it, not that we endorse it, but that we understand that the court heard both sides, read everything, listened to the -- read the presentence investigation, and rendered a sentence. i don't think it's important that everybody agree with it. but i think that it was within the court's discretion to make that decision, and i would say that rather than look at this as a loss, i think it's important to remember that she will lose, you know, 24 months of her life. that is a substantial sentence. anyone who's ever been to prison or sent somebody there knows that it's nothing to sneeze at. is it what we wanted? no. is it what we thought was appropriate? no. i think to throw your hands up and to say this is a slap in the face and this is nothing is not

true. being confined for two solid years is a serious consequence. and i think that what we need to focus on now is how do we heal? what do we do next? the movement for justice is still ongoing. it doesn't stop us. it doesn't discourage us. it lets us just keep on marching forward, demanding that we have equal justice under the law. >> you've been quite consistent. i remember when the derek chauvin trial was rendered, you cautioned people that justice does not combine down to a single trial, that it cannot be confined at that moment. you and i are prosecutors. we know full well often times the community doesn't always agree with the decisions made or the charging decisions. and the process sometimes in justice can also occur. but in this instance, i note that the judge here, as you know well know, made reference to two other very high profile cases. so, i wonder what you made of

that moment. because on the one hand people really believed and had optimism that there was accountability, awe trend of accountability, an area that officers had often eluded. to compare and contrast two other high profile cases, did it undermine in your mind the way people could view the contextual success or pursuit of justice? >> in my view, you have to look at every case as unique because all of the facts are different. and to bring up those other matters, i'll put it like this. i would not have done it. i think that it is important to remember the unique facts of this case. and, you know, laura, i just want to point out that you should have seen the family at the sentencing hearing. you and i know what al cue shah is. that's when the victim and the victim's family gets to tell their story. and the wright family was brilliant. they really gave a true picture

of the young man that daunte wright was and could have been. that in and of itself is important. and i just want to let -- remind people that, you know, it is important to remember that we did earn a conviction. years ago officers weren't even held accountable for these kinds of things. nobody would have been charged at all. now, these cases, there's equal justice for everyone who does this kind of conduct. and, you know, two year ss a substantial sentence. it's not what we asked for, but it's not a slap on the wrist. it's a substantial amount of time, and she will never be a police officer. she will never be able to own a firearm. she will always carry the stigma of being a convicted felon. and, you know, i think that it's important to -- >> i'm sorry, general ellison, i want to -- if i could cut you off, but i hate to do so. >> go right ahead.

>> i keep hearing -- that word substantial sticks in my craw because two years, people are looking at the idea of somebody being killed. and the notion of substantial being attributed to two years is not a genuine statement. i understand it is still 24 months of time. but compared to the prospect of what the guidelines have required and the downward departure which you and i know does not happen every time. i've within a prosecutor and asked for upward or downward, judges are like here are the guidelines. i know people take issue with. that you were hoping that in the future that the substantial part of justice will be served by what steps can be taken next and even possibly having a role that kim potter could play in that. what do you mean by that? what role do you see her, electronegative though, again, under minnesota law, wouldn't she still be able to get her retirement benefits and there's a stigma, but there's still benefits under minnesota law as a public employee. what do you see her role in the

future to help people understand the gravity? >> she can come forward and say, i took the life of a young man who will never go home again, never pick up his son again. i did it because i confused a taser with a firearm. l laura, these kind of crimes happen about every other year. you may recall oscar grant was killed in a similar fashion. at least that's what the defendant said. another woman in st. louis was shot. the victim didn't die, but weapons confusion again. about every other year there's fatality at the hands of a law enforcement officer of this kind. you think if kim potter comes forward and says she's going to be a champion to prevent this so that another family does not suffer, that might be something that is valuable and important. and stepping up and being accountable and apologizing and trying to stignal to the entire community how much pain is associated with the loss of daunte wright or any other

family member that dies in similar circumstances. let me say this, laura, as we wrap up. the life and the worth of daunte wright cannot be measured simply by a number of months. the value of that young man's life is infinite. it is infinite. and i just think we ought to keep his memory in mind and then just keep on marching forward in pursuit of this justice that we are going to reach one day. >> attorney general keith ellison, i deeply understand the difficulties of your job. and somehow threading those needles and balancing so many interests. thank you for taking the time today. all of our thoughts are with that family. >> i know you know. >> thank you for reading it. i'm honored you would take the time. i really can understand and relate. i do hope that one day, imagine if we don't just pursue justice, we actually catch it attorney general ellison, what a country we'll be then. thank you so much. >> all right now, take good care. >> thank you. to some brand-new revelations now about how our

democracy was saved on january 6. there is much more to the pressure that was put on former vice president mike pence that frankly hasn't even been told, the tweets. the tweets that might have played a huge role in the coup attempt next. so you can “ahhhh” m more. - ahhhhh... - ahhhh... - ahhhhh!!!!!!!!! - ahhhhh!!!!!!! ahhhhh! ahhhhh! aaaaah... i'll see you at the hotel. priceline. every trip is a big deal. [sound of helicopter blades] ugh... they found me. ♪ ♪

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president trump said i had the right to overturn the election. president trump is wrong. i had no right to overturn the election. >> and of course we all knew that, but it took him more than a year to get to that point in time. and apparently it took pence so long he had to contemplate ways to get advice from other people. he sounds confident right there, right? but there were moments pence did not sound so upon the if i dent, looking for people to give him the confidence to say he could not do it. he asked for the former vice president dan quayle, asking him if there's anything he could do to act on the demand from trump

to stop the electoral vote certification. apparently he was torn about it. according to "peril," pence told quayle, you don't know the position i'm in. quayle said, i do know the position you're in. you have no power. the forces around him apparently had to then ask yet another person, someone else to give him the mojo and legal backing and backbone to reject a crack pot scheme. before we tell you about who this new person is that may have had a hand in saving our country, i want to remind people about the way we talk about democracy in peril. it might seem hyperbolic. it might be an understatement to some of you. but we're finding out day by day just how fragile this democracy was and how close we came to january 6 and the fact that frankly there may not have been

any guardrails in place. and to that end, the idea of in case of emergency break glass, what if there was truly, truly nothing there? well, listen, i'm going to tell you now about a story that happened, somebody who had a hand in trying to potentially rescue our republic. and guess what. it comes down to a tweet. not a tweet from, say, the former president trump, but instead somebody very different. i want you to listen right now and i urge you to listen very closely to a former conservative federal judge. his name was michael luttig on what he calls, well, one of the most significant moments in american history. the unfolding of what happened from this retired judge, well, it might just knock your socks off to know how fragile things are. cnn's jessica schneider has the story. >> reporter: vice president mike pence conveyed a calm demeanor,

but it had been a turbulent two days behind the scenes. and former judge michael luttig was at the center of that storm. >> i was first called by the vice president's outside counsel on the evening of january 4. >> cullen was calling for luttig's help since he is considered one of the top minds in the legal world. >> law is an institution separate and apart from politics. >> luttig learned his former law clerk, john eastman, was add viegz trump and pence that the vice president had the authority to overturn the election results. >> you can tell the vice president i said he has no authority at all. richard said, he knows that. you know, we need to do something publicly. get your voice out to the

country. >> judge luttig had just opened a twitter account, and two men agreed a message online would be the best way to show case luttig's legal anal sysis and provide the cover. >> i understood the gravity of the moment and the momentous task that i was being asked to help the vice president with. >> the 67-year-old luttig confirmed with his tech savvy son on how to use twitter to blast out his lengthy message. >> he says, dad, i don't have time for this. to which i said, you just tell me right now how to get this done or i'll cut you out of the will, okay? and on january 5th, luttig tweeted his legal analysis, which pence then cited in a letter he released saying the constitution does not empower the vice president to alter in any way the votes that have been

cast either by rejecting certain votes or otherwise. trump tweeted mike pence did not have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our country. trump pressured pence multiple times in private and public. >> mike pence is going to have to come through for us. and if he doesn't, that will be a sad day for our country. >> but pence held firm, returning to the capitol after the hours long siege, officially certifying the election result just before 4:00 a.m. on january 7th. >> the votes for president of the united states are as follows, joseph r. biden jr. of the state of delaware has received 306 votes. donald j. trump with the state of florida has received 232 votes. >> pence called luttig hours later to thank him. >> and said, judge, this is mike pence. i said to the vice president that it was the highest honor of my life that he had asked me,

and i will be grateful to him for the remainder of my life. >> and judge luttig is now looking to 2024. he's pushing congress to rewrite the electoral count act, to make it clear that the vice president cannot overturn the election results and to clarify that congress has no power at all to decide the validity of the state electors. laura? >> thank you, jessica. what an incredible story. someone who actually knows michael luttig well, well, guess what, i've got republican congressman ben gens berg and he's next. big boi housuse. big boi foyer!r! big boi marble. big boi quartz. word? realtor.com to each their hohome. my mental health was much better. my mind was in a good place. but my body was telling a different story. i feltll people saw were my uncontrolled movements. some mental health meds can cause tardive dyskinesia, or td,

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man, if a tweet could make a difference as to whether a legally elected president gets certified tell me what does that say about our democracy? cnn's legal analyst ben ginsburg joins us now. he has known judge ludig more than 30 years. he is a former federal judge, still a conservative. he was tapped in this way to be

able to give some counsel but this comes down to the idea of how are we in a situation where a vice president is scrambling at the last minute trying to figure out do i have the power to overturn this in some way or not? what needs to be done to really fortify this prospect and make sure it never happens again? >> these were unprecedented times that stress tested the whole system. the electoral count act this all operates under is a law from the 1880s. if you're watching the gilded age these days they talked back then and so it makes sense to modernize, streamline, make the law contemporary. >> in fact, senator susan collins has a piece out in "the washington post" today and she is spearheading the effort, bipartisan effort to try to reform or modernize away from the gilded age account act but this is interesting to have bipartisanship in washington, d.c., ben, is one of the reasons because no one quite knows how to game this in a way they will

secure a decisive advantage for their party? >> absolutely. look, this is a unique law in the sense that you are looking forward with a lot of unknowables. you don't know who the vice president will be, what the margins in congress will be, how great the differences will be between candidates in the states. this is an example, one of the rare examples where it makes sense for both parties to have clear rules in what is a really contentious situation. >> it makes sense for a democracy to have really clear rules here. the idea of everyone going forward, unprecedented at one time in 2020 but can happen again. in terms of how it is modernized what are we talking about? what are the things they are trying to change? taking it away completely or looking at who has power where and when? >> certainly the role of the vice president needs to be clarified. how many members you need to raise an objection to a state slate is one. but the real difficult issues

are how you balance the power between the states who run and decide, to tally up the votes in the election. congress which has what is really a ceremonial role of opening up the electoral college slates but suppose something is really wrong in the process and then the federal courts and how much can the courts jump in at that point to be the arbiters if there are bad state actors or sort of inconclusive -- >> it goes back to the idea of in case of an emergency break glass having something actually inside of it in case this happens but to be clear this is not the same thing as abolishing the electoral college, right? >> this is completely different. this is a procedural rule that, again, if there are tight contests in the states that result in not a clear winner of the electoral college how you judge who are the electors. >> the right man. thank you so much for clarifying. we'll be right back. in a n new dodge hellcat...

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thanks for watching everyone. don lemon starts right now. what a treat, don lemon, everyone. >> so i'm always excited to see you but don't be mad >> i have my guard up. what, don? >> there is another, talented, beautiful woman in my life this evening. >> oh. >> erin jackson who won olympic gold the speed skater. >> the speed skater? oh, my gosh. >> she is joining me in just a few minutes. >> she was phenomenal. i'm so glad you are profiling and featuring her. >> yes. >> she didn't get enough coverage with all of obviously the things that over shadowed the olympics. i am so excited to hear about her. she is phenomenal >> i ran into her in the green room and she let me hold the medal so there is her gold meda