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Interview with Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA); Biden Orders Flags at Half-Staff to Honor Spa Shooting Victims, Will Meet with Asian- American Leaders in Atlanta Tomorrow; New Study: Reinfections Rare, But Seen More Common in People 65 Plus. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired March 18, 2021 - 18:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[18:00:15]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM.

We have new developments in the deadly spa shootings in Georgia. Tonight, Atlanta police say they don't have a position on whether the mass killing of Asian women was a hate crime, while they continue their investigation. But they do say nothing is off the table, as many Asian Americans are on heightened alert right now. They're facing increased attacks across the country.

Here in Washington, a House Republican is being accused of -- quote -- "putting a bullseye" on the backs of Asians in the United States. Congressman Chip Roy stunned many of his colleagues by talking about lynching and slamming China during a hearing on anti-Asian hate.

This hour, I will get reaction from the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Representative Judy Chu.

Also, tonight, disturbing new video of the most violent assaults on officers during the Capitol riot, the FBI releasing the footage and asking the American public for help in identifying the attackers.

But, first let's go to CNN Amara Walker. She's in Atlanta for us.

Amara, Atlanta police say their investigation is now far from over. What's the latest?

AMARA WALKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first off, not too long ago, this crowd behind me near one of the crime scenes, Gold Spa, gathered to condemn anti-Asian hate, so that rally is under way right now.

But we did just hear from the Atlanta Police Department. And we learned that the suspect had frequented these two spas before. He was quite familiar with them. He had purchased the gun the day of the shooting.

And Atlanta police also emphasizing the fact that their investigation is slightly different from that of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department, saying that there were four Asian women killed at these two spas in Atlanta. And they're saying that they're looking at everything to determine whether or not this was racially motivated. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHARLES HAMPTON, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, POLICE DEPUTY CHIEF: Our investigation is looking at everything. So nothing is off the table.

WALKER (voice-over): As investigators take a hard look into what motivated the suspect to go out a mass shooting spree in the Atlanta area that left eight dead, including six Asian women, comments and actions from a captain with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department are creating backlash.

The spokesman, Captain Jay Baker, allegedly posted an image of this racist shirt last April on a Facebook page that has since been deleted, encouraging people to buy the shirt that reads "COVID-19: Imported Virus from Chy-na."

He also made these controversial remarks at a press conference Wednesday:

JAY BAKER, CHEROKEE COUNTY, GEORGIA, SHERIFF: He understood the gravity of it, and he was pretty much fed up and had been kind of at the end of his rope. And yesterday was a really bad day for him, and this is what he did.

HAMPTON: The Cherokee County Sheriff's Department releasing this statement, expressing regret and saying in part: "The captain did not intend to express empathy or sympathy for the suspect."

Baker has since been removed as a spokesperson in the case.

Some in the Asian community angry that a law enforcement official would diminish the depravity of a suspect's killing spree.

REP. ANDY KIM (D-NJ): He sounds more like a spokesperson for the killer. This is something where we should not be trying to try to downplay what happened. We should be speaking about it with the wrongness of which it is, which is a mass murder.

WALKER: At the same press conference, Baker saying the suspect, Robert Aaron Long, indicated he had a sex addiction, claiming the attacks were not racially motivated.

STATE REP. BEE NGUYEN (D-GA): The fact that he's even characterizing this as eliminating some sort of sex addiction problem is dehumanizing and directed at the women who work in this industry.

REP. GRACE MENG (D-NY): But we also need to look at these incidents and crimes with a wider lens and a wider perspective. We hope that law enforcement are doing due diligence.

WALKER: On Capitol Hill today, Republicans mostly silent on the wave of recent attacks against Asian Americans. At a previously scheduled hearing on anti-Asian hate today, Republican Chip Roy claimed members of Congress we're trying to police free speech.

REP. CHIP ROY (R-TX): I'm not going to be ashamed of saying I oppose the Chicoms, I oppose the Chinese Communist Party. We shouldn't be worried about having a committee of members of Congress policing our rhetoric, because some evildoers go engage in some evil activity, as occurred in Atlanta, Georgia.

WALKER: Meanwhile, the investigation continues. Authorities have not ruled out hate crime charges. Long remains behind bars without bond in a Cherokee County jail.

In a statement, his lawyer said the alleged shooter waived his right to a first court appearance. Still, the fear among those in the Asian community is palpable. Some U.S. cities have ramped up patrolling areas in New York and Seattle. The South Korean Consulate in Atlanta issuing warnings for Koreans to take extra caution due to the attacks.

[18:05:04]

MISEON, ATLANTA RESIDENT: I am very cautious, But I am more concerned about my niece and my nephew and, of course, my parents. They're elderly. I tell them, hey, don't go out unless you need to. Call me. I will run the errands for you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALKER: And that is a reality for so many Asians.

Now, we are learning that FBI director Christopher Wray has told NPR that the motive in these shootings does not appear to be racially motivated. But we do want to stress that there are investigations under way, as you heard from local authorities, and Atlanta police saying right now nothing is off the table -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, really important.

Amara, stand by, because we're going to continue this conversation in just a few minutes.

But, right now, I want to get some more on the truly explosive remarks by Republican Congressman Chip Roy about lynching, China and more.

Our chief congressional correspondent, Manu Raju, is joining us.

Manu, Roy's remarks seem to fan anti-Asian sentiment at a hearing aimed at trying to address the problem.

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and I just spoke to the House Judiciary Committee chairman, Jerry Nadler, who was at that hearing.

And he called Roy's remarks, in his words, disgusting. And he said that they would essentially fan those flames of hate. He said, clearly, those kinds of comments, in his words, led to a lot of prejudice and a lot of harm to Asian Americans.

This hearing was about all the rhetoric, all the violence that has occurred, the uptick that has occurred since the coronavirus pandemic began and what to do to combat that. But Roy pushed back on the hearing and argued against, in his view,

efforts to limit free speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROY: The victims of rioting and looting in the streets last week, businesses closed, burned -- I'm sorry -- last summer -- deserve justice. We believe in justice, right?

There's old sayings in Texas about find the all the rope in Texas and get a tall oak tree. You know, we take justice very seriously. And we ought to do that. Round up the bad guys.

MENG: I want to go back to something that Mr. Roy said earlier.

Your president and your party and your colleagues can talk about issues with any other country that you want, but you don't have to do it by putting a bullseye on the back of Asian Americans across this country, on our grandparents, on our kids.

This hearing was to address the hurt and pain of our community and to find solutions, and we will not let you take our voice away from us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: And other Democratic members of the committee I spoke to viewed it as a distraction from what they hoped that the message would be coming out of today's hearing.

But, today, Republicans for the most part didn't weigh in what we saw out of coming out of Atlanta, as well as the uptick in violence against Asian Americans. Kevin McCarthy, the House Republican leader, downplayed rhetoric such as saying things such as the China virus and other words, like kung-flu, that Donald Trump said as president.

He said of the Atlanta shootings, in particular, that essentially, that, in his words, the virus came from China, "And I think the knowledge we had at the time is exactly that."

And Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, Wolf, has not yet weighed in. We have asked him multiple times about this. He, too, of course, has an Asian American wife, the former secretary of transportation and labor, Elaine Chao, but he has also not weighed in.

So a lot of Republicans not weighing in on this topic yet, as Democrats say they want more increased focus on what we're seeing against the Asian American community -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, we spoke to congresswoman Grace Meng in the last hour.

Did this Republican congressman, Chip Roy, did he apologize? Did he explain why all of a sudden he's raising the issue of lynching, which has, as we all know, such a horrible history in our country?

RAJU: He has now fully weighed in on this yet, Wolf. There are House votes tonight. I hope to ask him about that exact same

question. But he did not view this hearing as a worthwhile endeavor, thought it was policing free speech. So it seems like he's digging in on this, Wolf.

BLITZER: Manu Raju up on Capitol Hill, we will check back with you. Thank you.

Joining us now, Representative Judy Chu. She's a Democrat of California. She's the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Congresswoman, thanks so much for joining us.

Let me get your reaction to those comments we just heard from your fellow member of Congress, Republican Chip Roy. Are comments like his part of the problem here?

REP. JUDY CHU (D-CA): It is exactly the problem.

And, in fact, Chip Roy is just following President Trump's rhetoric, the rhetoric that he started in March, calling this the China virus, Wuhan virus, and even kung-flu.

And despite the fact that the CDC and the World Health Organization has said not to use such terms, so it's not to state any disease with a geographical location or ethnicity, and that it will cause great harm, Donald Trump doubled down, and got his followers to even talk about it that way even more. And that's what Chip Roy is doing.

[18:10:13]

He's just talking about it that much more. And it is shocking, the way that they have treated this whole issue. When we had an anti-hate crime resolution the floor in the fall, and it was very, very important for us to present this issue and do something about it, 164 Republicans voted against it.

Kevin McCarthy made a point of saying this is a waste of time.

Well, waste of time? Now eight people are dead in Atlanta.

BLITZER: This mass murder, as you know, Congresswoman, comes as we're seeing this truly alarming rise in anti-Asian hate in our country. Have you, has your family felt the impact of this hate?

CHU: Well, let me tell you that I hear about this every day from my family, friends and community.

And it is just chilling to hear what's going on. For instance, a man in Rosemead, Chinese American man in Rosemead, who was sitting -- and this is in my district -- sitting at a bus stop, when he was assaulted with his own cane and lost part of his finger.

And others, a man who was walking his dog, and then somebody hit him from behind, and these are things that just have happened within the last few weeks. We are very concerned, because the elderly and the most vulnerable are now being attacked.

There's a spike in these anti-Asian hate crimes, but never did I dreamed that it would get as bad as eight people being murdered. This is the largest mass murder since the pandemic began.

BLITZER: Yes, it's an awful situation.

We have now learned, Congresswoman, that the official who yesterday said the shooter had -- quote -- "a really bad day" posted anti-Asian content about the pandemic last year.

Are you concerned the humanization of the white perpetrators is influencing this investigation?

CHU: I am deeply concerned about this.

It's kind of the attitude of, well, boys will be boys, he had a bad day. And, also, they're playing down the hate crime aspect of it.

Now, get this. This is a 21-year-old white male who picked as his first business to shoot something called Young's Asian Massage. Does that give a clue as to where his mind was at?

Then he drove 27 miles to a spot with two more Asian spas. I mean, if he had this problem with a sex addiction, he could have gone anywhere in the area. But all three businesses that he chose were Asian spas, where clearly you could murder Asian women.

So I think that there was a hate crime going on there.

BLITZER: Yes, a lot of people agree with you totally.

In addition to calling this killer in Georgia to be prosecuted, you say you want to see a whole-of-community response. Tell us what that means. Tell us what kind of action you hope to see.

CHU: Well, in this country, we do not have a cohesive hate crime strategy. And now we are paying the consequences for it.

We do not collect hate crime data, even though there was a 1990 law that said that the federal government was supposed to be collecting it. But they can only do it through the voluntary effort of local law enforcement, and hardly any of them actually submit such hate crime data.

So, we have to improve a whole system for reporting. But we also have to shore up the programs that law enforcement have to address hate crimes. They don't -- many of them don't have hate crime programs. They need actual law enforcement program and training.

And they need to be able to go into the community and be able to create a liaison with the community, so the community feels comfortable reporting such crimes. And, also, they have to have those resources translated into different languages.

BLITZER: Yes, they do. Representative Judy Chu, thanks so much for joining us. Good luck.

This is a huge problem our country is facing right now. Thanks for joining us.

CHU: Thank you.

BLITZER: Just ahead: a new firsthand account of the growing anxiety among Asian Americans, as reports of bias and violence are clearly on the rise.

[18:15:03]

And the FBI wants to know if you recognize any of these attackers in newly released videos of assaults on Capitol Police during the January 6 Capitol riot.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Tonight, the Atlanta Police Department isn't taking a position whether the deadly spa shootings were a hate crime. But many Americans do believe race was certainly a factor.

Let's bring back CNN's Amara Walker. She's in Atlanta for us. Also joining us, Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center.

To both of you, thanks for joining us.

Margaret, this mass murder in Georgia certainly comes as instances of anti-Asian bias and hate are, sadly, on the rise in our country. Can you help us better understand what Asian Americans are facing right now?

MARGARET HUANG, PRESIDENT, SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER: Thank you, Wolf.

The organization Stop AAPI Hate has just released a report that documents nearly 3,800 incidences of hate and discrimination against Asians and Asian Americans across the country. This is in the last year.

[18:20:00]

And this list of incidences is directly attributable to the former president's narrative and rhetoric around the COVID pandemic. There's no question that his hateful narrative has contributed to all of these different incidents, as we have seen, ranging from slurs and harassment to shunning and, sadly, this week to violence.

BLITZER: Yes, those are incidences that have actually been reported. But, sadly, there are probably so many more that have never been reported.

Amara, I know you have been very open about what you have personally experienced, as you have gone in your CNN reporting on this pandemic. Tell our viewers a little bit more about what you have gone through this past year, and, indeed, just this past week.

WALKER: Well, Wolf, I can tell you that I can't remember a time where I have ever been this concerned for my safety, my loved ones' safety, my family safety, simply because of the way we look.

But it's not all about me. It's about the Asians across the country who are all dealing with some form of racism. They're afraid for their lives. I mean, Ms. Huang Stop AAPI Hate. And if you read some of the reports, I mean, you're hearing people saying that they're getting spat on deliberately, coughed on.

I spoke with a lady yesterday. And she told me -- a Korean American woman, and she told me that she was at the grocery store not too long ago, here in Atlanta, she and her fiance, and a woman gave her the dirtiest look, and she grabbed her children and pulled them away as if she might be infectious or have the disease.

These are the kinds of things that Asians across the country are dealing with. On top of that, we're seeing our elderly getting accosted, violently assaulted, in some instances killed when they're being pushed down.

And the other point to bring across is that racism is not new against Asians. What's new is a surge that we're seeing of hate and violence against Asians.

And, Wolf, you would be hard-pressed not -- it would be difficult not to find someone who will tell you that they have not dealt with some kind of racism. I'm talking about anyone in the Asian community. You can just approach them and say, what's your experience been like this past year? And I'm pretty darn sure they will have a story.

BLITZER: Well, let's ask Margaret.

Margaret, what's been your experience?

HUANG: Well, absolutely. I share the concerns.

And I will tell you, I have been deeply concerned about my family members, my friends, others in my community. There's no question that the reports and the incidences that are documented in the Stop AAPI Hate report are common and familiar to all of us.

And you're right, Wolf. There's no question that this is an underreporting. These are the people who took the time to self-report their experiences to a nonprofit organization. If you look at the FBI report on hate crimes against Asian Americans, the number is vastly smaller, less than 200 in the last year.

So, clearly, people aren't feeling comfortable reporting their experiences when they elevate to the level of hate crime to local authorities.

BLITZER: And, Margaret, you're blaming the former president for a lot of this rise. Is that right? HUANG: There's no question, Wolf, that the narrative that he adopted

contributed so much to the kind of hate and the kind of violence that we have been seeing.

And we also believe it's critically important that the state of Georgia prosecute the crimes this week as hate crimes. The Georgia statute on hate crimes was only enacted last year, in 2020, as a response to some of the killings there, particularly killings of black men by local militias or local police.

And the hate crime statute in Georgia includes the hate crimes committed on the basis of gender and sex. So, there's no reason at all why this crime wouldn't be considered a hate crime. And we want the law enforcement officers in Georgia to investigate it and be prepared for that prosecution.

BLITZER: You know, Amara, what do you think? What role does all this rhetoric that we have heard, especially over the past year, what does that do to encourage this kind of hate?

WALKER: Well, it plays a huge role in fueling the flames of hate, Wolf.

You're hearing racist people use these terms that we have heard President Trump use, former President Trump use, China flew, kung-flu, when they attack people. I mean, just the other day, just last night, I should say, I was live on CNN, and five minutes before, someone drove by and called me the China virus.

So these are terms that, at the very top, they have been used over and over. And we have been covering that story about the San Antonio, Texas, restaurant owner. He had spoken out, the Asian man. He had spoken out against Governor Abbott's lifting of that mask mandate. He predicted that there would be some kind of backlash.

[18:25:00]

And what happened was, his restaurant, his Asian restaurant was vandalized by racists who, with graffiti, wrote in red "kung-flu."

So, these are the terms that we have heard used over and over again by many people, but, of course, from the top, from former President Trump.

So, absolutely, the rhetoric is emboldening people and thinking -- making people think that it's OK to scapegoat Asians and blame them for this pandemic.

BLITZER: You know, Margaret, Atlanta police officials, they're facing some criticism for the way at least one police spokesman humanized the white suspect, the 21-year-old in this particular case.

We saw similar humanization in response to the January 6 riot here in Washington up on Capitol Hill. What's the impact of disproportionately humanizing these white suspects?

HUANG: It's such an important question, Wolf.

There's no -- there's absolutely no question that the press conference yesterday had a huge impact on the Asian and Asian American community. Listening to Captain Baker give a narrative that lifted up the needs and experience of the perpetrator of this terrible crime, as opposed to lifting up the stories, the names and the faces of the victims of this crime, was really outrageous.

And what we need are law enforcement officials who understand that their obligation is to all of the communities of our American society, not just those that might be more familiar to them personally.

BLITZER: Yes, he's a spokesman for the police in Cherokee County, just outside of Atlanta.

All right, guys, thank you very, very much. We're clearly going to stay on top of the story for our viewers.

Meanwhile, President Biden is responding to the spa shootings by changing the agenda for his trip to Atlanta tomorrow.

And, right now, we're getting disturbing new videos of assaults on police during the Capitol riot. It's part of a new FBI appeal to the American public for help.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:00]

BLITZER: Tonight, President Biden is trying to demonstrate his concern about increased violence against Asian Americans. He's ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of the victims of the spa shootings in Georgia. And he's changed the agenda for his trip to Atlanta tomorrow.

Let's go to our Senior White House Correspondent Phil Mattingly. Phil, the president and vice president, they are planning to meet with Asian-American leaders. Tell us about this.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It's a dual-pronged response from the administration, it's on an issue, Asian-American discrimination. The White House and the president specifically have been talking about since the opening days of their administration. And, Wolf, it's not just here at the White House.

Also, on Capitol Hill, we're just now getting a statement from Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, whose wife Elaine Chao is Asian- Americans, condemned the shootings earlier today. McConnell saying, quote, committing a crime against anyone because of his or her national origin or race is deeply wrong and antithetical to our founding principles. Asian-Americans should not have to experience discrimination anywhere.

It's a similar sentiment to what we've heard from President Biden, one he plans to under underscore when he lands at Atlanta tomorrow. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: It is very, very troublesome.

MATTINGLY (voice over): Tonight, at a time of loss and fear, President Biden's scheduled trip to Atlanta taking on a whole new significance.

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president will also offer his support AAPI community in Georgia and across the country and talk about his commitment to combating xenophobia and tolerance and hate.

MATTINGLY: Biden plan to promote his $1.9 trillion COVID relief law, but scrapping that entirely, and now expected to meet with leaders in the Asian-American community.

BIDEN: I've been speaking about the brutality against Asian-Americans in the last couple months.

MATTINGLY: Just days after the murder of eight, six of whom were of Asian descent, and the surge in hate crimes against the community throughout the country. Biden, who used his primetime address last week to highlight the issue --

BIDEN: Vicious hate crimes against Asian-Americans who have been attacked, harassed blamed and scapegoated.

MATTINGLY: -- lowering flags to half-staff at the White House as he moves to marshal the resources of his administration, seeks to address the issue head on, all as Biden closes in on a long-stated goal.

BIDEN: God willing, not only do a hundred million. We're going to do more than that.

MATTINGLY: More than a month ahead of schedule.

BIDEN: Tomorrow, 58 days into our administration, we have will have met my goal of administering 100 million shots to our fellow Americans.

MATTINGLY: But underscoring the significant risks that remain.

BIDEN: This is a time for optimism, but it's not a time for relaxation.

MATTINGLY: Biden also moving to share vaccine with close allies, Canada and Mexico, with current talks to send 1.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Canada and 2.5 million doses to Mexico. The vaccines to Mexico a key component, quiet negotiations over the border, administration official say, as the White House continues to grapple with the surge in unaccompanied migrants.

REP. HENRY CUELLAR (D-TX): They still need to do a little bit more. They have to show some visuals to show that people are being returned.

MATTINGLY: A crisis that has threatened Biden's immigration agenda, with Republicans firm in opposition to his sweeping overhaul and the vast majority set to oppose two narrower Democratic immigration bills in the House today. It would create pathways to citizenship for certain undocumented farm workers and so call DREAMERs.

The administration also now facing rising tensions with a central geopolitical foe, this from Biden.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULUS, ABC NEWS HOST: Do you think he's a killer?

BIDEN: I do.

MATTINGLY: Drawing this from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT: In childhood, when we argued with each other, we would say, he who calls names is called that himself.

[18:35:05]

MATTINGLY: With Russian officials describing relations with the U.S. in a bad state and calling the Russian ambassador to the U.S. back to Moscow. Biden making clear the U.S. has and will continue to impose costs on Russia for election interference and hacking.

BIDEN: The price he's going to pay, well, you'll see shortly.

MATTINGLY: Putin, for his part, wishing this for his American counterpart.

PUTIN: I would tell him be healthy. I wish him good health. I say this without irony, without jokes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY (on camera): And, Wolf, just a few moments ago, the House did pass one of those immigration bills and create a pathway to citizenship for the so-called DREAMERs, young adults, undocumented immigrants brought to the country by their parents, as well as those with temporary protected status. It's the first vote to create any pathway to citizenship under the new administration with the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate that would apply to about 4.4 million undocumented immigrants.

However, it is very clear right now given the fact only nine Republicans supported that bill in the House, there's no clear pathway in the U.S. Senate, where it is still split 50-50, Democrats with the most narrow of majorities, still a lot of work to do on the issue for Democrats. You made clear it still high on their agenda. But right now, the pathway forward, unclear. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right, Phil, thank you very much, Phil Mattingly over at the White House.

Now, another important story we're watching, the investigation of the Capitol insurrection. The FBI right now ramping up its efforts to identify some of the most violent attackers who targeted Capitol Police with brutal force. Our Justice Correspondent Jessica Schneider reports on the release of new videos released by the FBI. We should warn all of our viewers the footage is disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It is up close violent video, showcasing ten more suspects the FBI is seeking, all accused of attacking police. The scenes show officers under siege. One suspect seen pushing through the police line, another lunging at officers with a stick, another man unleashing chemical spray on police.

There are ten videos in all and freeze frames of the suspects line the side of each screen. Some clips are particularly graphic and disturbing, like this suspect grabbing a police officer's helmet and face mask, bashing his head into the doorjamb. We now know that officer is Daniel Hodges, who was nearly crushed to death.

DANIEL HODGES, METROPOLITAN POLICE OFFICER: There was a guy ripping my mask off. And he was able to rip away my baton and beat me with it. And he was practically foaming at the mouth, so just these people were true believers in the worst way.

SCHNEIDER: This suspect was captured by police body cam throwing punches at police. Now more than two months after the January 6th insurrection, the FBI is pleading for the public's help. They have faces for these ten people they say attacked officers but no names.

STEVEN D'ANTUONO, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR IN CHARGE, FBI WASHINGTON FIELD OFFICE: We are coming to you again because we know someone out there somewhere will recognize these individuals. They are captured on video committing appalling crimes against officers who have devoted their lives to protecting the American people.

SCHNEIDER: The FBI has received more than 200,000 tips. Some have led to key arrests including earlier this week when Julian Khater and George Tanios were arrested and charged with assaulting three officers with chemical spray, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died a day later. The official cause of his death has still not been released.

More than 300 people have been arrested for the Capitol attack and so far 65 have been charged with assaulting law enforcement officers. But the FBI says some of these most violent still can't be identified.

D'ANTUONO: These individuals are responsible for assaults on law enforcement officers who are protecting the Capitol and our democratic process on January 6th.

SCHNEIDER: It is a chilling scene that has played out many times. But now with a spotlight on some of the perpetrators, the FBI is asking the public to help identify.

(END VIDEOTAPE) SCHNEIDER (on camera): And in addition to these ten suspects now being sought, the FBI says there are also still 250 unidentified individuals involved in the Capitol attack that they are also seeking. So the FBI is renewing its calls for the public's help and information and they're directing people to their website. That's tips.fbi.gov. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right, Jessica, thank you very much. A very important story again.

Just ahead, a heated exchange between Dr. Anthony Fauci and Senator Rand Paul over wearing masks after a person has been vaccinated.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:00]

BLITZER: We saw a rather heated new clash today over mask wearing during a Senate hearing here on Washington on the pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci pushing back as Senator Rand Paul slammed Dr. Fauci's guidance that people still need to wear masks even if they've had COVID-19 or have been fully vaccinated. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): And if we're not spreading the infection, isn't it just theater?

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: No, it's not.

PAUL: Now, you got the vaccine and you're wearing two masks. Isn't that theater?

FAUCI: No, here we go again with the theater. Let's get down to the facts.

When you talk about the infection and you don't keep in the concept of variants, that's an entirely different ball game. That's a good reason for a mask.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Now, let's discuss with our Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. That exchange between Dr. Fauci and Senator Rand Paul, he is a doctor himself, given all the new COVID variants currently circulating out there, why is it still so important for us to keep wearing masks in public, even those of us who have already been fully vaccinated?

[18:45:12]

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, I think there's a couple of points. You know, these discussions do get heated, as you're hearing there. First of all, I think it's worth reminding at the beginning that the vaccines are really effective against people becoming hospitalized and dying. Basically 100 percent effective against death, these vaccines are, which is -- which is pretty incredible.

I mean, I just think that's something worth repeating each time. You get this vaccine and you have that degree of confidence that you're not going to get sick or be hospitalized or die. That is true.

I think what keeps the discussion where it goes is the idea that the variants and mutations, they're of concern even if you're not likely to get sick or hospitalized and die if you're exposed to the variant if you've been vaccinated, you could -- maybe the concern is still carry it and could you then transit to somebody else. It's really as simple as that.

You know, I mean, I think as time goes on, if we ultimately bring the overall viral transmission very low, and I'm saying in the few thousand people per day as opposed to tens of thousands of people per day, then you can feel pretty confident that you're not going to be exposed to the virus if you're conducting your just normal life. But, right now, we're not at that point. There's just still too much virus out there.

And, again, while the vaccine is very protective against your getting sick, if you get exposed to a variant, might you then spread that to somebody else.

BLITZER: And wearing a mask is not all that complicated. You just put it on and you wear it.

GUPTA: Right.

BLITZER: We've all been doing it for a year, we got used to it.

New research from Denmark, Sanjay, indicates that reinfection with COVID is relatively uncommon, but it also finds that older people are more likely to be infected again. So, what does this mean for our vaccination strategy? What does it mean for people who think they might be protected with natural immunity?

GUPTA: I think the bottom line here, we can put the numbers up, but the bottom line is that even if you then infected and you likely have some antibodies because of that infection, you still need to get a vaccine. I think that's the bottom-line message.

But here's what the study really show. The good news was this, the reinfection rates were really low across the board. If you did the math, it was less than 1 percent across the board. What they did find was that people who are 65 and older, they tended to be less protected against reinfection compared to people under the age of 65.

Again, it's rare that you get reinfected. The variants may change that equation to some extent. This study was done in the spring and fall of that last year before the variants really started to emerge. But, Wolf, you know, if you are -- particularly if you're 65 and older, you think, well, I already had this, I don't need to worry about it again. What this study is making the case is you still need to get a vaccine.

BLITZER: Yeah, you still do, so, so critically important. Sanjay, thanks as usual for joining us.

Just ahead, we're going to tell you how Vladimir Putin is now responding to President Biden's comments calling the Russian leader a killer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:52:33]

BLITZER: Tensions right now between the United States and Russia are clearly escalating following stinging comments from President Biden about President Vladimir Putin.

Our senior international correspondent Matthew Chance is in Moscow, reporting on the reaction from the Kremlin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSEPH R. BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know you and you know me.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the moment U.S./Russian ties, fraught by fresh allegations of election meddling and the poisoning of a key Russian opposition figure plunged to a new low.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS ANCHOR: Do you think he's a killer?

BIDEN: Uh-huh. I do.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Just a few words, Joe Biden signaled his intolerance of Russian misdeeds, and unlike his predecessor who fawn over the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, a willingness to call out the Kremlin's strong man.

He looks relaxed, marking the seventh anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea. But Putin is clearly furious, facing the promise of more painful U.S. sanctions in the weeks ahead, he's recalling Russia's ambassador from Washington for consultations, first time that's happened in decades, and issuing a snide response to the "killer" insult.

I wish him well and good health. I mean that without any joking or irony, Putin said of Biden via a video conference. Some have casted it as a veiled threat from a leader who killed his critics.

But it looks more like a wink to rampant speculation on Russian state TV, alleging that Biden's mental health is faltering.

Maybe he just forgot to take his pills, one state anchor jokes about the Biden remarks.

It's age-related dementia, says another, the triumph of political insanity.

Putin also trolled Biden by citing an old Russian children's joke to deflect the killer's tag.

You are what you call others, he says. It takes one to know one, in other words, the playground retort that sums up the worst diplomatic spat between these nuclear rivals for years.

It was a falling out waiting to happen, when Biden first met Putin as U.S. vice president in 2011, he says he told him he didn't think he had a soul, and warned the Russian leader not to run for another Kremlin term.

[18:55:04]

Ten years on, with fewer than 100 days in office, President Biden has toughened his Russian stance even more.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE (on camera): Well, tonight, Vladimir Putin has challenged the U.S. leaders to an extraordinary online live debate. But in another apparent jab at Joe Biden's age and health, he said the U.S. leader shouldn't wait too long if he's going accept.

Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: Matthew Chance in the snowy Moscow, thank you, Matthew, for that report.

We'll have more news just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Finally tonight, we share more stories of people who died from the coronavirus.

Claudia Reyes Gonzalez of California was 44 years old. A wife and mother of two boys, who had overcome cancer and was passionate about social justice and animal rights. Her brother, David, says he could always count on her to listen and know what to say.

Abby Spitzer of New York was 78 of New York. She was a psychotherapist who joined with her husband in offering free counseling people impacted by the pandemic. Her daughter Jennifer says she was known for being witty, outspoken and generous.

May they rest in peace, and may their memories be a blessing.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.