so jeff zeleny said, mr. president-elect, will you have a honeymoon with congress?said absolutely i won't have a honeymoon. this has been a nightmare for democrats and republicans with covid, and he said i'm not going to villainize the opposition obviously, the counter president. what do you think bipartisanship looks like? >> a lot of it will be determined by that election in georgia which will determine if they keep their senate majority or not. in either case, the senate is going to be very closely divided between republic conditions and democrats, and to get anything done, biden is going to have to peel off at least a handful of republicans and i think that should be possible with republicans like mitt romney and susan collins and lisa murkowski. i think there is a possibility of doing deals. i think he understands that most republicans will do anything possible to oppose him and have the interest of their party first and foremost, not the interests of their country. he understands that, but he also understands that there is a handful that is more pragmatic and

covering the biden campaign there in atlanta, jeff zeleny. nt, president-elect is and chief political analyst gloria borger from washington. jeff what more can you tell us about this pick? >> reporter: we know president-elect biden as he continues rounding out his cabinet settled on pete buttigieg add transportation secretary. an appointment made in wilmington, delaware. he wants to fill out the domestic side. perhaps commerce, transportation. this is key. the first rival of joe biden's from the 2020 primary who would be nominated to join the cabinet. that, of course, is significant. you know, if you think back to the early part of last year and this year, pete buttigieg, he tramps j ben

want to go straight to jeff zeleny in wilmington, delaware. jeff, millions of jobs have been lost during the pandemic. what are you hearing from sources inside the biden team about their plans to dig out of the recession? >> reporter: well, dana, there's no question that the economy really is at the center of the successes or failures that will be to come of the biden administration. he knows that better than anyone. that's why this afternoon here in wilmington he is going to introduce the first part of the economic team here, led by janet yellen. she will be the first woman nominated as treasury secretary. she of course comes from a history of the federal reserve. has a history. we have seen what she has done before and her economic views are to jump start the economy by focusing on workers, by focusing on how to gainful employment, focusing on raising the minimum wage. we're going to see a much more labor oriented economic team. you saw the rest of the team. neera tanden, this is the first part of the president-elect's economic team. but dana

jeff zeleny brought that up as well. and biden acknowledged that they are weighing, having enough diversity in his cabinet. ed something they are looking at. what do you think ron that it says that this decision still has not been made. as jeff pointed out normally we would know by now. >>. yeah look, you know, they have had to deal with kind of a rubik's cube here of trying to both ensure ideological diversity, generational diversity, racial and ethnic diversity, gender diversity. and on some fronts they have done better than others. and adding to that, layering over that particularly the justice department is this question the feeling that the trump administration has politicized the justice department to an unprecedented degree, which is probably historically accurate, and their desire to send a message of independence and putting it back on track. but again that is a --. so they are weighing a lot of things. they are erred on the side of experience and familiarity. it is a cabinet whose strengths are its weaknesses k

cnn's jeff zeleny has more. >> christine, and laura. one week before christmas, and president-elect biden is still trying to make good on that goal of filling all or most of his cabinet before the holidays. now he's getting closer but still has several key positioningpositions. on saturday, he's going to roll out his chilimate team. interior secretary nominee, new mexico congresswoman deb holland. if confirmed by the senate she would be the first native american to serve in a u.s. president's cabinet. also naming the epa administrator, michael reagan, from north carolina, heads the environmental agency there. with those two positions, as well as the energy secretary, of course former michigan governor granholm, and former epa administrator, gina mccarthy, those are going to be announce instead wilmington on saturday. that leads heading into next week big questions about key spots like attorney general. we are told that mr. biden is still working through this. two of the leading contenders, judge merrick garland of course was president o

jeff zeleny, over to you.his nation now is in need of leadership, and case in point, that is a leader. >> reporter: well, president-elect joe biden, as you saw, getting the shot, but really this is coming on the heels of vice president mike pence and the second lady karen pence receiving their shot on friday. one of the reasons you didn't receive jill biden receiving her shot there, brooke, we're told she actually received her vaccine earlier today, so this was designed to be a photo op with a purpose for the president-elect. we also heard him say something we've not heard him say a lot. he said he believes this administration deserves a lot of credit for the rollout of this vaccine. and he also was giving some words of wisdom and advice and guidance to people across the country not to travel if they do not have to, and, of course, social distance and wear masks. he was wearing two masks we could see right there. one of the reasons, you can see this here again, this is just outside wilmington in newark, delawa

we get more from cnn's jeff zeleny. >> christine and laura. president-elect joe biden keeping his focus on the economy, after forming his economic team earlier this week, nee meeting with front line workers and business owners. business owners out of customers in the wake of the recession and pandemic. but we did hear from mr. biden calling on congress to act before he takes office. he did tell americans that help is on the way. >> i promise you, hang on. we're going to get through this, you're going to get through this. it's going to be hard as hell for the next 50 to 70 days, unless the house acts in some way the senate acts and passes some of this material. >> reporter: of course it is an open question if the house and senate will act in the last days of december, but even if they do, president-elect biden says there will still be a need for a large economy relief package that he will present in the first days of his administration. it is, indeed, a top priority for his first 100 days, but the question is what will the size or scope be that

joining us, now, to discuss these challenges, cnn's jeff zeleny, and julie pace, washington bureau chiefant to start with you because you have new reporting about one of the biggest jobs, attorney general, in charge of federal law in a time of racial reckoning. may get across his or her desk questions whether to investigate or prosecute the president of the united states, donald trump, former president, by then. or his family. you have some new reporting today, that we're getting closer? >> we are getting closer, john, and -- and nomination or announcement of a nomination is not expected this week, we're told. but it is expected before the christmas holiday. so, that leaves about next week for when they might make this announcement. and we're told that at least the final, leading contenders are the current senator from alabama, doug jones, who, of course, lost his race last month. and he is heading out. he is, you know, has a long, civil rights history. he was a veteran prosecutor from alabama. and most importantly, he has a deep connection to joe biden. that's what we are seeing in all

said they could be filled by democrats and traveling to the state to make his pitch to voters is jeff zeleny now reports. jeff? >> president-elect joe biden is back on the campaign trail a day after the electoral college affirmed his victory. >> thank you for standing strong to make sure your votes were counted, and counted and counted again. i'm starting to feel like i won three times. >> he's reminding voters many republicans voted to undermine the election. >> the lives still depend on your votes. >> reporter: it comes down to two runoff votes on january 5th. with early voting already underway across the state, biden took part in a drive-in rally in atlanta with jon ossoff and raphael warnock. >> it's georgia voters who have the power to write the next chapter in american history. >> i'm ready. i'm ready to be one of your next two united states senators from the great state of florida. >> they fell short of the 50% law. this will answer the big question in washington, whether mitch mcconnell will remain the majority leaders. he finally acknowledged president-elect biden. >> i called him a

jeff zeleny, thank you for that. let's discuss with our political panel.tititititititl l l. >> the electoral college has spoken. so, today, i want to congratulate president-elect joe biden. >> laura, has the fever broken? are republican officials in washington finally going to acknowledge the reality that we have all -- >> i don't know if we can say the fever is broken just yet, jake. even though the senate majority leader mcconnell, as well as a number of senate republicans are starting to acknowledge the reality that biden is the winner of the election, majority of house republicans are still not acknowledging that. their state gop apparatuses across the country are not acknowledging it. there are still these futile attempts to try to overturn the election and no mask -- rebuttal of that from the majority of the republican leaders. >> it's quite something. it's not about recognizing that biden won or 80 plus million americans voted for him. it's also about the fact that donald trump has been trying to stage nonviolent coup. senate majority leader mcconne

cnn's jeff zeleny now with the latest on two more picks. jeff, what can you tell us? >> john, we are learning, tonight, as president-elect biden continues filling the cabinet. there are two more history-making picks. first, the interior secretary. he is tapping new mexico congresswoman deb holland. she will be the first native american to serve as interior secretary, and to serve as cabinet secretary if confirmed if the prszesident's cabinet. this is the interior department. and of course, the long history with the interior department and native american lands across the country make this a very interesting pick, indeed. so, this is someone that, yes, is going to take away from the democratic majority in the house, if she is confirmed. but we are told, speaker nancy pelosi gave the biden-transition team her blessing for this. now, democratic majority will be just down to three votes. so razor thin but certainly an important pick. also, head of the epa. michael reagan from north carolina. he heads approximanorth carolin department of environmental quality. he would be

jeff zeleny is in atlanta. hey, jeff. what do we expect to hear from biden today?reporter: well, dana, president-elect biden is clearly hitting the campaign trail, first time since election day. yes, he is going to the white house in 36 days regardless. boy, it makes every difference in the world who is coming with him. that's why he is here in atlanta, campaigning for democrats. expecting to hear continuation of his message from last night when the electoral college affirmed his victory. talking about a time to heal, unite, he also needs to fire up democrats. part of the reason he was talking more directly and confrontationly, calling out republicans that tried to attack democracy. and certainly tried to question the will of the voters. nowhere does it resonate as much as here in georgia. we do expect president-elect biden to keep that message up. they're trying to keep democratic voters energized. they need democrats to vote, everyone that came out to support him. he won in georgia by about 12,000 vote margin. first democratic presidential candidate to do so sinc

our thanks very much, jeff zeleny.ith us for more on today's breaking news across the united states. right now, people are receiving the first shots of the newly authorized moderna coronavirus vaccine. in a land not so far away, people are saving hundreds on the most reliable network with xfinity mobile. they can choose from the latest phones or bring their own. and because they get nationwide 5g at no extra cost, they live happily ever after. again! again! your wireless. your rules. your way to stay closer together this holiday season. switch and save up to $400 a year on your wireless bill. and get $150 off when you buy a samsung a series phone. learn more at xfinitymobile.com. >>> this is cnn breaking news. >> welcome to our viewers hereby in the united states and around the world, i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." we're following multiple breaking stories including new steps toward critical votes in congress tonight on that huge new covid-19 relief package. both the house and senate, they're expected to app

i want to bring in cnn's jeff zeleny covering the biden transition in wilmington, delaware. mcdonough are experienced washington hands. but certainly, these nominations or inclusions make it more difficult for biden to push back on the idea that this feels like an obama third term. >> well, jake, the faces and the names absolutely do. and yes, they are in different positions, in many cases working in different buildings, but they are a lot of the same folks that you and i both covered during the obama administration. when joe biden is asked about this, he says the biggest difference are the circumstances under which he's governing. that's what differentiates his administration from the obama administration. when you look across the board from susan rise to denis mcdonough, tom vilsack, tony blinken. john kerry, janet yellen, on and on, these are really the same faces from that administration. we're going to see the announcement of tom vilsack as secretary of agriculture. marsha judge. and ambassador susan rice. they may be the most interesting one, jake, he had long sought-af

i want to bring in our cnn washington correspondent jeff zeleny. thank you so much for joining us. jeff, by the way, you are in wilmington with the president-elect about his choice for defense secretary what do you know? >> reporter: we are learning tonight president-elect biden has picked his defense secretary and he is going to announce it as early as tomorrow. and perhaps have an event here later this week but it is lloyd austin. lloyd austin if confirmed by the senate would be the first african-american defense secretary. the pentagon has many issues with race over the years. this would be a barrier breaking move. no question. we are told mr. biden has a long standing relationship with this retired four star general the leader of cent command retired in 2016. we've seen pictures of joe biden as vice president in iraq where he was leading the command. they're having strong conversations there. so they go back more than a decade. this is one in a series of biden nominees we're seeing who he's comfortable with. he has a relationship with. but it is also a barrier breaking nominatio

let's get some more from our senior washington correspondent jeff zeleny right now, he's covering the biden transition. jeff, president-elect biden covered a wide range of topics in his speech and news conference a little while ago. >> reporter: wolf, a remarkably dramatic stark leadership difference between what we've seen from president trump and president-elect joe biden, particularly on coronavirus, with mr. biden warning the darkest days of the winter are yet to come. he called on americans to be patient and persistent as they work through this problem. but wolf, we also heard mr. biden do something he has not yet done. he directly called out president trump for downplaying and ignoring the cyber threats facing the u.s., likely from russia. all of this came as he thanked congress for doing their part on the covid relief bill. but he says they're just getting started. >> after a year of pain and loss, it's time to unite, to heal, to rebuild. >> reporter: president-elect joe biden delivering a holiday message tonight and stealing americans for a punishing winter season of the pande

cnn's jeff zeleny is following all of this from wilmington, delaware. , tell us what you're learning. >> wolf, we're learning that louisiana congressman cedric richmond, who will be an incoming senior adviser to the white house has tested positive for coronavirus. the transition released this just a few moments ago. we know the congressman was traveling to atlanta on tuesday where mr. biden was campaigning for the critical runoff senate races. they did not have extended close contact. they were outside. they're saying mr. biden was in no danger here. he will be quarantining. all this is coming as the cabinet still remains to be fully filled here. one big question mark is attorney general. >> battle tested, qualified, experienced, creative, innovative and forward looking. >> reporter: it's also a cabinet with key vacancies that president-elect joe biden is still scrambling to fill. none bigger than attorney general. and deliberations over who he'll nominate have emerged as some of the most complicated of the transmission. cnn learned top contenders of jud

. >>> i want to bring in, now, cnn senior washington correspondent, that's jeff zeleny. so, thank you so much for -- for joining us. jeff, by the way, you're in wilmington with the president-elect about his choice for the defense secretary, what do you know? >> well, don, we are learning tonight that president-elect biden has picked his defense secretary. and he is going to announce it as early as tomorrow and perhaps have an event here, later this week. but it is lloyd austin. and lloyd austin, if confirmed by the senate, would be the first african-american defense secretary. of course, you know, the -- the pentagon has, you know, had many issues with the race over the years. this would be a barrier-breaking move, no question at all. but we are being told that mr. biden really has a longstanding relationship with this retired four-star general. but we have seen pictures, tonight, as joe biden as vice president in iraq, where he was leading the command. they're having, you know, strong conversations there. so, they go back more than a decade. and they have, you know, this

i want to bring in our senior washington correspondent jeff zeleny. jeff, any reaction from team biden to the breaking news on the investigation of hunter biden? >> reporter: wolf, reading a bit of reaction to this. this is coming in a statement from a transition official. not giving much about the substance of this investigation. but they are saying this. they said, "president-elect biden is deeply proud of his son, who has fought through difficult challenges including the vicious personal attacks of recent months, only to emerge stronger." so very much a statement from a father about a son. but wolf, really not shedding any light at all about what the specifics are in this investigation. all of this of course is hanging over the president-elect, who is not implicated in this in any way, we're told, but it's continuing as he is building this cabinet here in wilmington. >> he's the definition of duty, honor, country. >> reporter: president-elect joe biden making one of his first commander in chief decisions, introducing retired army general lloyd austi

jeff zeleny, thank you very much. >>> just ahead, is the push to vaccinate americans on track? we'll tell you what we're learning about the timetable as more than 1 million shots have already been administered here in the united states. more dire predictions about the misery ahead as americans insist on traveling for the holidays, as the pandemic worsens. ♪ upbeat tempo ♪ sanctuary music it's the final days of the wish list sales event sign and drive off in a new lincoln with zero down, zero due at signing, and a complimentary first month's payment. or psoriatic arthritis, little things can become your big moment. that's why there's otezla. otezla is not an injection or a cream. it's a pill that treats differently. for psoriasis, 75% clearer skin is achievable, with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. for psoriatic arthritis, otezla is proven to reduce joint swelling, tenderness, and pain. and the otezla prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiti

let me go to jeff zeleny covering the biden transition in wilmington, delaware. jeff? >> jake, president-elect biden is watching all of this unfold i am told after he received his classified daily briefing this morning, he is preparing to be president as he has been doing since the 7th of november when he delivered the first victory speech in wilmington. he will deliver another one this evening i am told. so much else is going on. he is doing a variety of things today, also keeping an eye on vaccine rollout and vaccine distribution here. the question hanging over all of this, when is he going to get the vaccination. he has long said when it is deemed safe, when dr. anthony fauci says it is safe, he will get it. jake, that could come as soon as this week. his advisers are saying look, they're waiting to see when that will happen. certainly could happen as early as this week. this evening, we are told the president-elect is preparing to give a prime time address. he is going to talk optimistically about the way forward because of the vaccine we are told. he is also going

jeff zeleny, cnn, wilmington, delaware. >>> on friday, our jake tapper will sit down with u.s.esident-elect joe biden and vice president-elect kamala harris. it will be their first joint interview since they won the white house. viewers in the united states can watch at 9:00 p.m. eastern on thursday. 7:00 a.m. friday in london, and 10 in the morning in the hong kong. only here on cnn. >>> and still to come, covid vooe voo vaccines are facing a powerful misinformation campaign on social media. how health experts are trying to counter that. [ whispering ] what's this? oh, are we kicking karly out? we live with at&t. it was a lapse in judgment. at&t, we called this house meeting because you advertise gig-speed internet, but we can't sign up for that here. yeah, but i'm just like warming up to those speeds. you've lived here two years. the personal attacks aren't helping, karly. don't you have like a hot pilates class to get to or something? [ muffled scream ] stop living with at&t. xfinity can deliver gig to the most homes. ♪ hark for the pets, ♪sweet little pets, ♪ ♪ cute faces s

again, a big night, i want to start with jeff zeleny, what did the president-elect hope to accomplish and the electoral college? >> first and foremost was to set the record straight. look, democracy worked in america. this is the most force full we have heard president-elect biden talk in this way since winning the election. we have never seen someone delivering a speech never and never again. we never heard him talk about president trump like this and kr correcting the record list by list and talking about the supreme court's unanimous decision on friday night. he didn't have to go through all this. he wanted clearly and show some anger here. democracy was under assault and was under attack. he put it into context. this is a short speech on purpose. he can deliver a long speech as we all know. he was coughing a bit throughout. he clearly wanted to put a bow on that and say democracy worked and move on. to correct the record of what has been and just of the disinformation sort of confusing the results. he want 81 million votes, 306 electoral votes, if he's judging by the measure of wh

ere in atlanta, jeff zeleny. the former vice president, president-elect is and chief political analyst gloria borger from washington. jeff what more can you tell us about this pick? >> reporter: we know president-elect biden as he continues rounding out his cabinet settled on pete buttigieg add transportation secretary. an appointment made in wilmington, delaware. he wants to fill out the domestic side. perhaps commerce, transportation. this is key. the first rival of joe biden's from the 2020 primary who would be nominated to join the cabinet. that, of course, is significant. you know, if you think back to the early part of last year and this year, pete buttigieg, he tramps joe biden in iowa and new hampshire, and then dropped out of the race, after that south carolina primary and quickly endorsed joe biden. a key moment to consolidating support among democrats and it was a key moment that joe biden has not forgotten and went on during the general election campaign to aggressively campaign for mr. biden and was a

cnn's jeff zeleny is live in atlanta. ff, you know this, but joe biden is the first electoral college candidate to win georgia since 1992. given that, how is he expected to be received? >> reporter: brooke, there's no doubt democrats here in georgia are excited, because as you said, electing joe biden was the first time since bill clinton. now they have this runoff race that is not only determining the senate race here in georgia but also the control of the u.s. senate. you can see behind me here one of the democratic candidates, jon ossoff, is taking the stage. joe biden will be on stage here momentarily to campaign for both of these democratic candidates. president trump, of course, has already been in georgia about ten days ago or so campaigning for senator kelly loeffler as well as david perdue, but this race will determine one of the biggest questions, brooke, and that is, is mitch mcconnell going to remain in the senate? a lot of democrats here believe they have the power to change that. it certainly will change the

jeff zeleny is live for us in wilmington, delaware. the president-elect just laid out three steps he hopes to take in the first 100 days. tell us what they are. >> reporter: he did. he called on americans to be patriotic and wear masks for 100 days, essentially asking them to do what the federal government cannot do by law. but he said he would sign an executive order on his first day to require masks to be worn in all federal buildings. he also said he would hope to achieve 100 million vaccinations in those first 100 days, but he also stipulated that depends on what happens now in the next 30 days in the trump administration. he also said the priority was opening schools. those were the three main provisions of his first 100 days, masking, vaccines and opening schools. he also spoke very bluntly. he said his team of advisers would be honest with the american people, they would not sugarcoat who lies ahead, so he introduced his new health and human services secretary, and, of course, a familiar face from the trump administration, dr. a

cnn's senior correspondent jeff zeleny is live in wilmington, delaware, and, jeff, another moving partinistration to deal with. >> reporter: brooke, it absolutely is. i mean, the relationship between the incoming president and this congress was already very much potentially a tumultuous one, but it couldn't be as rocky as this one. what we've seen in the last 24 hours is pretty significant. we knew he might carry through on this veto due to his threats, but this occurs just a couple days from christmas as he leaves to mar-a-lago as he continues to say he won't sign the spending bill. he repeatedly said help is on the way. that is what he means by that. he's still working to fill his cabinet, of course, naming the education secretary, miguel cardona, here today in wilmington, but also focusing on those unfilled seats. we talk about the attorney general a lot, but also cia director. we're learning an update of what is going on with the cia director position. we're learning that the acting cia director is out of the picture, so now there are at least three contenders. david cohen was a fo

and going hungry and said it's essential to move with urgency to jump-start the economy as cnn's jeff zelenyow reports. >> our message to everybody struggling right now is this -- help is on the way. >> reporter: with a pandemic deepening and economic pain intensifying, president-elect joe biden presented his economic team today as a new life line for struggling americans. >> we can build a new american economy that works for all americans, not just some, all. >> reporter: biden formally introduced janet yellen to be the first woman to serve as treasury secretary. >> no one is better prepared to deal with these crises. >> reporter: a former chair of the federal reserve who also led the council of economic advisers in the clinton administration, yellen pledged to help rescue families from a one-two punch of coronavirus and unemployment. >> out of our collective pain as a nation, we will find collective purpose to control the pandemic and build our economy back better than before. >> reporter: yellen offered a stark policy contrast from the trump era saying addressing the widen economic and in

cnn's jeff zeleny reports on the team biden just unveiled to help rebuild the economy. >> our message to everybody struggling right now is this, help is on the way. >> reporter: with a pandemic deepening and financial pain intensifying, president-elect joe biden presenting his economic team as a new life line for struggling americans. >> from the most unequal job crisis, we can build a new american economy that works for all-americans, not just some, all. >> reporter: biden formally introduced janet yellen to be the first woman to serve as treasury secretary. >> no one is better prepared to deal with this crisis. >> reporter: a former chair of the federal reserve who also led the council of economic advisers in the clinton administration, yellen promised to help families. >> the pandemic and economic fallout together have caused so much damage for so many and have had a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable among us. >> reporter: yellen offered a stark policy contrast from the trump era saying structural changes to the economy are needed. >> it's a convergence of tragedies th

jeff zeleny, cnn, wilmington, delaware. >>> while joe biden moves full speed ahead to build his white house team. president trump still insisting he won the election. now he and his loyalists are backing a supreme court challenge from texas demanding that millions of voters or votes in four key states that biden won be tossed out. cnn chief white house correspondent jim acosta with the details. >> reporter: surfacing at a white house holiday party, the president made it clear he wants the supreme court to gift wrap the election for him by siding with a group of pro trump state attorneys general, out to overturn the will of the people. >> we're going to win this election. >> filing the lawsuit with the support of 18 republican led states, texas gop attorney general ken paxton who's under federal indictment, and accused by democrats of seeking a presidential pardon wants the supreme court to consider the case before the electoral college finalizes joe biden's victory next monday. >> it's a state on state action. the only place we can go is the u.s. supreme court. >> reporter: pitting hi

i want to get straight to cnn's jeff zeleny, with the news. jeff. >> dana.learning that new mexico governor, michelle grisham, is one of the final contenders, perhaps the final contender, for that critical rule to be leader of health and human services. and also, has so many other credentials. she, of course, is governor, but served in congress and also is state health secretary. so she brings more to this than most any other contenders being considered. there, also, has been a push by members of the hispanic congress. 32 lawmakers signed a letter to the biden transition saying they were urging him, imploring him, to nominate her for this post. but i am told by a biden-transition official, that she and her credentials meet this criteria, on their own. she's already been a final ikt f finalist for this post. and we do believe she is expected to be named in the coming weeks. this is one of the big, cabinet positions we are still waiting for. of course, attorney general is one. defense sec are retary is one. and health and human services. so, for right now, we

let's go to jeff zeleny who was at the announcement in wilmington, delaware.us more about biden's picks and how he plans to leverage this team to tackle climate issues. >> this issy is the latest in of cabinet picks. of course the nominee for interior secretary deb haaland. she'd be the first native american to serve as interior secretary, if confirmed by the senate, but also to serve in a president's cabinet. certainly she is one of the historic picks but president-elect biden talked about how climate change will be at the center of his agenda. he called it an existential threat. of course, they want to undo some of the actions of the trump administration. more than that, they want to put a priority on fighting climate change. but also the energy secretary nominee, a familiar face, former michigan governor jennifer granholm. she talked about clean energy and how it can drive the economy. >> so we can stand on the sidelines and let other countries beat us to these opportunities or we can get in the game. and i am so ready and honored, coach, that you are putti

is that by design, jeff zeleny, or just the result so far?d it is the senate. you cannot pluck senators from the senate because the majority is just very fragile. that's what that is about. i promise you, john, if kamala harris is the running contender in 2024, regardless what happens, people are going to feel free to jump in that race if they were in the cabinet or not. i don't put much stock in that. >> we know harris is the last person in the room often, laura. do you get the sense she's personally thinking nope, nope. >> it is hard to say if she's trying to clear the decks for herself. i agree. if she's the one running in 2024, there are going to be other democrats jumping in that race. i heard grumbling about the fact they're saying where is the next generation, where is the bridge biden talked about. insanely angry about the decision. >> appreciate the reporting and insights. guess who know, it is complicated. >>> up next for us, how does the school system or employer determine how much testing to minimize covid risk. thanks to a govern

jeff zeleny has more on biden's critical nominations. >> reporter: president-elect joe biden is filling in another piece of his new administration, announcing his health experts who will drive the nation's fight against coronavirus. >> during covid, the last thing we need is to have americans left biden. >> reporter: bacerra, the california attorney general and former member of congress is not a medical effort but led the charge defending the affordable care act. >> at a time when we're going through this covid-19 pandemic, this is not the time to take away people's health care. >> reporter: the rest of the team, also taking shape. with biden unveiling nominations for surgeon, head of the cdc, and a chief medical adviser on covid-19. that post goes to dr. anthony fauci who's become a household name as the nation's top infectious disease doctor. >> i worked with all of them before. they're excellent choices. >> reporter: dr. vivek murthy will return to the position, a top covid adviser to biden all year. >> we not only can do better, we must do better. >> reporter: dr. rochelle walensky

jeff zeleny in wilmington, delaware. so, jeff, what did the president hope to accomplish with this speech? >> anderson, i think, first and foremost, was just to set the record straight and say, look, democracy worked in america. this was, you know, the most forceful we have heard president-elect biden talking this way, since winning the election. we've never seen someone deliver a winning speech again and again, but we've never heard him talk about president trump, by name, like this so many times. and really correct the record, you know, going list by list, defeat by defeat, talking about that supreme-court unanimous decision, on friday night. he did not have to go through all this. but he wanted, clearly, you know, to show some anger here. democracy was under assault, was under attack. he put it, of course, into context. and he -- this was a short speech, on purpose. he can deliver a very long speech, as we all know. he was coughing throughout, so perhaps that was why as well. but he clearly wanted to put a bow on that

cnn's jeff zeleny has more from wilmington, delaware. >> reporter: president-elect joe biden continuingcabinet here in wilmington, introducing his climate team. clearly a front and center focus of his new agenda, recognizing climate change and doing something about it. introducing interior secretary nominee congresswoman deb holland from new mexico. if confirmed by the senate, she'll be the first native american to serve in a president's cabinet. also former michigan governor jennifer granholm as energy secretary. putting clean energy front and center, she believes it can create new jobs. both were announced here on saturday. >> growing up in my mother's pueblo household made me fierce. my life has not been easy. i struggled with homelessness, i relied on food stamps, and raised my child as a single mom. these struggles give me perspectives, though, so that i can help people to succeed. this moment is profound when we consider the fact that a former secretary of the interior once proclaimed his goal to, quote, civilize or exterminate us. i'm a living testament to the failure of that hor

cnn's jeff zeleny is covering president-elect biden who is to speak tonight once the electoral college vote has concluded. jeff, what is he going to say? >> reporter: we are hear that president-elect biden will not be gloating tonight and he is not going to really be reveling in his victory as much as he is going to, i am told, directly confront what has been this assault on democracy over the last five weeks or so. he is not going to say it's added any ambition of his cut short but try to subvert the will of the people. one of the themes of the speech we will hear tonight. we are getting other excerpts that fits this speech. take a look at those. that is the big challenge that president-elect biden has here at the end of all of this. he is hoping more republicans in the senate will step forward as they have pledged to do and acknowledge he is the winner and they will start working together with everything. how much of that happens is an open question. what happens between now and january 20th at noon when he is inaugurated. biden is focused on georgia. the control of the senate is goi

let's go to jeff zeleny covering the biden transition for us. jeff, the pandemic was again at the top of the mind for the president-elect as he introduced more top members of his incoming team. >> reporter: wolf, there were more cabinet members here today, and president-elect biden does take office in just 40 days, but he says that presidential leadership is needed right now as is a national court-ended strategy to fight covid-19. he did mark the grim milestone of more than 3,000 deaths in a single day. he also moved to reassure americans about the safety of that vaccine. all of this is coming as he is shaping his government, a stark contrast from washington. >> as tough as things are now, i firmly believe better days are ahead. >> reporter: president-elect joe biden hearding the vaccine for covid-19 as a bright light during a time of dark sorrow and said politics should be set aside to guide america through the coronavirus crisis. he reassured the nation the vaccine was scientifically sound, soon to be fully authorized. >> we are just as gratefu

jeff zeleny is with the president-elect in wilmington, delaware. kaitlan collins is outside near the white house at this hour. kaitlan, let's just start with you. the facts are the facts. they've been the facts for 37 days. but now the electoral college has done its formal duty. joe biden will be the next president. is there going to be any change in how trump handles this? >> reporter: based on what i've heard from people who've spoken to president the last several days nopt president this weekend was saying we've just started to fight even though they've faced a series of losses in courts. and of course the supreme court rejection that came late friday night saying they weren't going to take that up lawsuit from the texas attorney general. but that's not how the president is viewing this. and i'm told he he is refusing to talk about the idea that he's going to be leaving the white house and is instead focused on what they're doing right now, talking about these legal fights. but erin, where this is going to get interesting is where republicans en

. >> joining us now, cnn's senior washington correspondent, jeff zele zeleny. also with us, toluse olorunnipa, a white house reporter for "the washington post". jeff, alisyn and i are watching this. we have the same reaction, which is that, look, we knew that president-elect biden wanted to require masks in federal buildings. we hadn't heard him say that i'm going to ask america to wear masks for the first hundred days of his administration. that sounds so simple, but it's such a big difference. and it is such a new kind of way of approaching this pandemic than we've seen. >> it's called a plan. it's called a plan. you don't recognize it. you've actually lost the word for it! you don't know how to describe it anymore. it's called a plan! will it work? that's what our medical experts tell us, it will. but it has a start and a finish, a hundred days of a plan from a leader. >> and it's also asking for collective action, jeff. it's saying, we're all in this. it's somewhat -- i hesitate to say -- churchillian. we talk about wartime presidents. this is saying, we're

cnn senior washington correspondent jeff zeleny is in delaware where biden is spending the day. jeff, talk to me more about the health team, who else will be on it. >> reporter: brooke, we're getting a deeper look at the health care team seven weeks before the biden administration takes over. really coronavirus and fight against that is front and center in their efforts. xavier becerra, california attorney general, long time member of congress. he led the fight against the affordable care act, defending the affordable care act in the supreme court and elsewhere. he is going to be leading the health and human services department, he will be nominated for that. other top members, dr. murphy, nominated to be the surgeon general. he served that post three years during the obama administration. he is a top adviser to the president-elect and has been. and newer leader of the cdc, centers for disease control, dr. rochelle walensky. she has been on cnn and elsewhere during the covid crisis, a leader in the field, and dr. anthony fauci. he will be the president's chief medical adviser, fo

jeff zeleny is our senior washington correspondent in wilmington, delaware. bout it announce, and do any of them face a challenge in getting them confirmed? >> reporter: brooke, that is the question that will be determined in part by which party controls the senate. of course, we'll find that out in january if democrats win those georgia runoffs. when you look at the names of these individuals, we're going to see the va secretary here. such an important job given just the level of veterans and what they are going through in this country. tom vilsack, of course, he'll be the ag secretary. marcia fudge will be the secretary of hud development. katherine tai and susan rice. she is the only one without any controversy. she will be threading together the policy agenda for this senate. really, with the exception of tom vilsack, they're in different roles. katherine tai, for example, she's in charge -- >> jeff, we got him. >> he's walking into the room here now, brooke. >> i'm being told. is he there or almost there? >> we'll see in a second. >> keep talking, keep ta

. >> jeff zeleny, thank you, we'll be standing by for the biden vaccinations soon. thank you. >>> coming up next, outrage out republican senators had downplayed the coronavirus are some of the first to receive the vaccine. when you shop with wayfair, you spend less and get way more. so you can bring your vision to life. for small prices, you can build big dreams. spend less, get way more. shop everything home at wayfair today. just between us, cleaning with a mop and bucket is such a hassle. well i switched to swiffer wet jet and it's awesome. it's an all-in-one that absorbs dirt and grime deep inside. and it helps prevent streaks and haze. stop cleaning. start swiffering fighting cancer starts with you. covid has devastated our funding for lifesaving research. help us help patients. donate today. that selling carsarvana, 100% online wouldn't work. help us help patients. but we went to work. building an experience that lets you shop over 17,000 cars from home. creating a coast to coast network to deliver your car as soon as tomorrow. recruiting an army of customer a

this time yesterday we were listening to the president-elect, and he was being asked by our own jeff zelenys ag will be, and he didn't knowius, but roughly paraphrasing, he will not be the personal attorney of the president of the united states. last question, what do you see as barr's most memorable decisions or actions? >> where to start? he has quite a rap sheet. he lied to the american public about the mueller report. i think in so doing, he saved trump's presidency if we had seen the truth, i think there would have been a different outcome back in 2018. he intervened in political charged cases to rescues michael flynn, roger stone. he fired the head of the sdny where i used to work and lied to the public about that. he used tear gas on protesters outside the white house to clear the way for a photo op, and then he lied to the american public about the threat for massive voters fraud. he made a bit of turn here at the end when he showed a bit of i said, when he realized it was over, about you my answer to that is good, you did the right thing, but way too little, way too late. it certai

jeff zeleny joins us from wilmington, delaware. , we're seeing in all picks, general austin is a textbook example of it, joe biden, diversity matters to him, and he promised a cabinet that looks like america. he is trying to make history at every move. also has a comfort zone he wants to keep as well. >> reporter: john, he absolutely does. you can look through the names of most cabinet nominees, his role. who he is comfortable with. he certainly fits the bill. it is the barrier breaking nature of the historically nature that really i am told drew the president-elect to make this choice. it will be official later today. we may see the two of them this week. it is the idea of breaking the glass ceiling inside the pentagon. it is made via u.s. military, army in particular, made up of minorities. african americans certainly. having an african-american man as defense secretary is something that joe biden said he wants and this is his choice. john, the issue here is some senate democrats are going to have to decide if they want to grant t

i want to bring in jeff zeleny, who has been covering the biden transition. jeff, you're always available, always so helpful to break this down. president-elect biden, he offered a sober look at the tough days ahead, and he didn't mince words. what did you hear at that news conference? >> the contrast couldn't have been more stark between what we've seen all day at the white house and here with president-elect joe biden. he said, i'm going to tell it to you straight, and the darker days are ahead in the wintertime of the pandemic. the rising hospitalizations and sds deaths. but he said the promise of the vaccine will bring good news. but it was a leadership moment at one point, but also some very direct talk we've not heard from our leaders in a while. but we also pressed him on what congress can do next year. he said this is just a down payment, this $900 billion covid relief package. he said they're going to have to do so much more. so we asked him, how? given the narrow majorities in the house and senate, you've watched many administrations come and go. do

jeff zeleny is covering all this from wilmington, delaware. jeff, biden introduced his nominee for education secretary today. update our viewers, yef, on the very latest. >> he did introduce miguel cardona. he is the head of the school system of the state of connecticut. he has been a proponent of reopening schools in the wake of pandemic. he is a former elementary schoolteacher himself turned principal. he grew up speaking spanish as a first language, grew up talking about how public schools helped him. he was also talking about how he will play a central role in the biden's plan to reopen schools. take a listen to the president-elect. >> there's mixed signals from the white house that have left more confusion than calm and they've left so many parents and schools feeling like they're on their own. but we also need someone who knows what it's like, what it takes to get through this crisis. re-opening schools safely will be a national priority for the biden-harris administration. >> with education secretary in the books, there are about five mo

let me bring in cnn's jeff zeleny. he's been standing by in wilmington, delaware, joining me once again. jeff, another historic pick added to the president-elect's cabinet. >> reporter: kate, it certainly is. miguel cardona, whose parents are from puerto rico, he said he was a product of public schools in connecticut, grew up in public housing in connecticut, described himself like this. he said, i'm as american as apple pie and rice and beans. he, of course, has been the leader of the education system in connecticut. really a post he's only had for the last year or so, but it certainly fits the commitment and the pledge that president-elect biden made to nominate a schoolteacher for this role. of course, jill biden, the future first lady, is a community college educator. she is a teacher. she delivered her speech at the convention from a classroom. education very important to the bidens. so that, of course, front and center here. and it does continue in the series of diverse choices to the biden cabinet. so certainly a

cnn correspondent jeff zeleny has details on the leading contender. >> reporter: brianna, as president-electng out his cabinet, we're learning that one of the leading contenders for the key role of health and human services secretary is mexican governor michelle lewin grish hgrisham. shefls the health secretary in mexico and is now on the front lines for the coronavirus fight. attorn attorney general and general secretary so critical in the fight against the coronavirus. right now michelle lewin grisham is the leading contender for secretary. >>> the cdc director raising the warning that the next three months will be the most difficult in u.s. health history. try the new subway buffalo chicken or bbq chicken. some things are good to know. like where to find the cheapest gas in town and which supermarket gives you the most bang for your buck. something else that's good to know. if you have medicare you may be able to get more benefits without paying more through a medicare advantage plan. call now to request this free guide. learn about plans that could give you more benefits from humana. a c