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Biden Announces U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan; Testimony Continues In Derek Chauvin Trial; Ex-Cop Who Killed Daunte Wright Arrested; Biden's Afghanistan Plan Sparks Bipartisan Backlash; CDC Advisers End Emergency Meeting Without Voting On J&J Vaccine; Women Detail Drug Use, Sex And Payments After Late-Night Parties With Rep. Matt Gaetz, Others; Justice Department Clears Officer Who Shot Rioter During Capitol Attack. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired April 14, 2021 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:12]

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.

Tonight, the mayor of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, is extending a curfew and urging protesters to remain peaceful after the police killing of Daunte Wright. He says he plans to meet with Wright's family tonight, this as now former police officer Kim Potter is now under arrest and charged with second-degree manslaughter, three days after she fired the shot that killed Wright during a traffic stop.

We're also following the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. A new defense witness blamed George Floyd's death on a sudden cardiac event. That contradicted multiple experts, who cited a lack of oxygen while Chauvin's knee was on Floyd's neck for nine-and-a-half minutes.

The defense floating a new theory that Floyd may have gotten carbon monoxide poisoning while restrained near the squad car's exhaust.

Let's start our coverage this hour in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.

CNN senior national correspondent Miguel Marquez is on the scene for us.

Miguel, more than 3,000 National Guard troops have now been activated in the Minneapolis area, in part because of the serious tensions over the death of Daunte Wright. So, what's happening on the ground up behind you right now, because we're hearing a lot of noise?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the plan that was in place for the end of the Chauvin trial has now been bumped up to now because of what's happened to Daunte Wright.

I want to give you an idea of what's going on here in front of the Brooklyn Center police station. Several dozen protesters, they bought in music and very big speakers on cars now. They brought in food, protesters saying they are not leaving this area. They will be here every night until that inequal system of justice is rectified. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Daunte Wright, "Ah, he shot me," according to the county attorney in Washington County, Minnesota.

BENJAMIN CRUMP, ATTORNEY FOR FAMILY OF DAUNTE WRIGHT: They just charged the policewoman in -- for second-degree manslaughter.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

CRUMP: We continue to fight. We continue to fight.

MARQUEZ: The lawyer for the Wright family got news of the charges as he was meeting with the mothers of other African-American men whose deaths now represent a call for justice.

CRUMP: The reason why we are able to get an opportunity at due process so quickly in the state of Minnesota for the killing of Daunte Wright is because of the blood of their children.

MARQUEZ: The complaint against Kim Potter, a 26-year veteran of the Brooklyn Center Minnesota Police Department, says her handgun was on her right side, the Taser on her left, both handles facing the rear. The Taser is yellow with a black grip. Also, the Taser is set in a straight draw position, meaning Potter would have to use her left hand to pull the Taser out of its holster.

In other words, investigators say Potter should have noticed that she had an all-black Glock .9-millimeter handgun on the right side of her body and a yellow Taser on the left side.

The death of Daunte Wright brought a third night of protest, mourning and anger to the now barricaded Brooklyn Center Police Department. What started as a vigil and rally turned into taunts, bottles thrown and fireworks shot at police.

Police responded in a massive show of force, clearing protesters with flashbang grenades, pepper balls, tear gas canisters, and an overwhelming number of security personnel from the National Guard and across all state, county and local law enforcement agencies.

MIKE ELLIOTT, MAYOR OF BROOKLYN CENTER, MINNESOTA: I share our community's anger and sadness and shock. And my message to all who are demanding justice for him and for his family is this: Your voices have been heard.

Now the eyes of the world are watching Brooklyn Center. And I urge you to protest peacefully and without violence.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ: Now, there are a lot of moving parts here.

The protest is starting to gather again here in front of the police department. The mayor, who just spoke, who you just saw in the story there, he is going to meet the family for a vigil, a family vigil, a somewhat private vigil at the place where Daunte Wright was killed.

And, tomorrow, the former Officer Kim Potter will be in court for the first time on these -- on this manslaughter charge -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Miguel, we will stay in very close touch with you.

Let's get to the Derek Chauvin murder trial now. The defense put its own medical expert on the stand to push alternative theories about the cause of George Floyd's death.

[18:05:08]

CNN's Omar Jimenez is in Minneapolis covering the trial for us.

Omar, court has ended for the day after this new defense testimony emerged. Update our viewers.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf.

This was really the defense's chance to try and counter medical witness after medical witness prosecutors brought to the standard over the course of last week and into this one. And it comes at a critical time for the defense to try and make an impression jurors in the final lead-up to closing arguments just days away now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Day two of defense witnesses in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, and the topic shifted from use of force to cause of death for George Floyd.

ERIC NELSON, ATTORNEY FOR DEREK CHAUVIN: Did you form, in your opinion, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, what you thought was the principal cause of Mr. Floyd's death?

DR. DAVID FOWLER, FORMER MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER: Yes.

NELSON: And what is that?

FOWLER: Cardiac arrhythmia, due to his hypertensive, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease during restraint.

JIMENEZ: In other words, a bad heart while being restrained by police, no mention of asphyxiation, as other doctors have testified, or low levels of oxygen brought on by being chest down on the street handcuffed with the weight of three officers.

Dr. David Fowler went on to testify about several possible contributing factors to George Floyd's death.

FOWLER: So, we have a heart that's vulnerable because it's too big. There are certain drugs that are present in his system that make it -- put it at risk of an arrhythmia.

JIMENEZ: He added the potential for carbon monoxide from the squad car's exhaust.

FOWLER: It is an extremely toxic gas.

JIMENEZ: Fowler also testified that the force applied by the knee of Chauvin would not have directly impacted George Floyd's ability to survive.

NELSON: Is it your opinion that Mr. Chauvin's knee in any way impacted the structures of Mr. Floyd neck?

FOWLER: No, it did not. None of the vital structures were in the area where the knee appeared to be from the videos.

JIMENEZ: But outside of this trial, Dr. David Fowler faces his own legal issues, among others, accused in a federal lawsuit filed of covering up police responsibility and the 2018 death of 19-year-old Anton Black in Maryland and falsely attributing the cause of death to a heart condition, bipolar disorder and/or other natural causes, thereby blaming the victim for his own death and obscuring official responsibility, according to the complaint.

A representative from Fowler's legal team told CNN: "Our case is in litigation and we cannot comment."

Back in this trial, during cross-examination, prosecutors pushed back on the doctor's assertions.

JERRY BLACKWELL, MINNESOTA PROSECUTOR: And so Mr. Floyd then is sandwiched, in a way, between Mr. Chauvin on top and the asphalt pavement beneath him, right?

FOWLER: Yes, if you...

BLACKWELL: It's a yes-or-no question.

FOWLER: Yes.

JIMENEZ: They specifically focused on the cause of death, the central argument in this trial.

BLACKWELL: If that person dies as a result of low oxygen, that person's also going to die, ultimately, of a fatal arrhythmia, right?

FOWLER: Correct. Every one of us in this room will have a fatal arrhythmia at some point.

BLACKWELL: Right, because that's kind of how you go.

FOWLER: Yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: And on that witness, Dr. Fowler, jurors did not hear in court today about his prior controversy. But what they did here is prosecutors eventually pushed him to a familiar bottom line that -- and he agreed with -- that George Floyd should have received immediate medical assistance in that moment.

Now, the defense did not rest its case today, which means, tomorrow, we will likely hear from another expert witness. Once they do rest their case, the prosecution will have a chance for rebuttal. And right now, as things stand, closing arguments are scheduled for Monday.

And, at that point, we will await a verdict from a sequestered jury -- Wolf.

BLITZER: We will see what happens.

Omar Jimenez, on the scene for us, thank you very much.

Let's bring in CNN political commentator the attorney Bakari Sellers, CNN legal analyst Paul Callan, and Ron Johnson, a former captain with the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Captain Johnson, let me first get your thoughts on Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, now extending their curfew, 10:00 p.m. tonight until 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, after the police shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright.

They are calling for protesters to be peaceful. You dealt with the unrest in Ferguson after Michael Brown's killing. How hard is it to calm tensions in a situation like this?

RON JOHNSON, FORMER MISSOURI HIGHWAY STATE PATROL CAPTAIN: It is tough, but I think you have to communicate with the protesters that are there.

And I have not seen that interaction from the police department as of yet. I would like to see the chief and other police department leaders out in the crowd and talking with the protesters and trying to create some conversation, some dialogue, and some understanding, some common ground here.

[18:10:16]

And so I think they're going to have to do that. Curfew last night seemed to work. But I think we have to make sure we're not trying to stifle the voice of those that are out there to create change in their frustration.

BLITZER: Bakari, the officer who killed Daunte Wright has been now charged with second-degree manslaughter. What does that charge say about the officer's behavior? And is that enough for this community?

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: That last question is a really important question. Is it enough for the community? I'm not sure.

There's a great deal of concern and consternation in the question of how. After we had Fruitvale Station, where you had a -- quote, unquote -- accidental shooting in that incident, where someone thought they were pulling out a Taser, but pulled out a gun, and now you have protocols that have been changed and measures that have been put in place so that it wouldn't happen again.

And here you have a case where you know the weight difference between a Taser and a gun. You know the color difference between a Taser and a gun. And you have been on the force 26 years, and you still make this mistake, and it's -- quote, unquote -- "an accident."

That's a hard pill for many in the community to swallow. Legally, though, involuntary manslaughter is something that happens in the heat of the moment, in the heat of passion. And I think that, when you try to get the intent of a murder charge with it, which in this case would require some depraved mind-set, that's extremely hard to do.

So I think that the charge is appropriate. But is the charge enough for the people? I'm not sure about that, Wolf.

BLITZER: That's a very important point.

Paul, amid all of this, what's going on in Brooklyn Center, 10 miles away, there's the Chauvin trial in Minneapolis. It continued of course, today. The defense is now arguing that Floyd should have rested comfortably on the pavement, that Chauvin didn't even use force, and that maybe carbon monoxide poisoning played a role.

The defense is throwing, in effect, the kitchen sink at jurors. But you think they will buy it?

PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, I thought he really got destroyed on cross-examination by prosecutor Blackwell today.

I mean, the expert, he's a pathologist, first of all, and he's really not used to dealing with living people. He does autopsies and looks at tissue. And he's come to this conclusion that Floyd -- that Mr. Floyd was a walking disaster, he had hypertension, he had a bad heart, he had narrowed arteries, and he was using fentanyl and methamphetamine.

And he's put all that on the plate. Now, of course, we have heard it before. But that's where this case is going to be fought in the end. What I see here, Wolf, is that they're struggling to find one or two jurors to vote for not guilty, which will mean a hung jury in the case.

Remember, they don't have to convince everybody. If they can just get a couple of jurors to say, hey, Chauvin may be a bad guy, but he didn't kill Floyd, all of these other conditions did kill Floyd, that's, I think, what they're aiming at. And who knows?

I mean, he certainly put enough on the plate that, if you had a juror who just didn't want to vote guilty, he could come up with some arguments in the jury room.

But, I mean, he was outgunned, obviously, by the prosecutors' witnesses, if you want to evaluate it on an objective basis.

BLITZER: Yes. Well, that's an important point.

Bakari, as Paul says, in cross-examination, the prosecution revealed serious flaws in the testimony from the defense's medical examiner. He never included Chauvin's equipment in his calculations. He never saw any data on carbon monoxide.

How damaging, potentially, is that to the defense?

SELLERS: I think it's very damaging, Wolf.

And if you break down the composition of the jury, and you look at some of the diversity that's there, I mean, I can just imagine the four black folk on that jury looking at each other and just being like, man, that dude crazy. Like, this doesn't add up. Like, nothing about this makes sense.

And I think that he was steadily losing jury -- jurors throughout. I mean, it wasn't that, but there -- none of the witnesses for -- and I think Paul stated this a couple of days ago when we were together. It's a difference in resources. And you can tell that difference between the state's case and the defense case.

None of the defense witnesses have any star power. None of them have any of that element, any of that wow factor in front of a jury. In fact, a lot of them look as if they're overmatched, especially when the prosecution comes with cross-examination.

But, personally, just on a one-by-one basis, I can't imagine that they are going after any of the more diverse jurors in that -- in this case, because I know those four black jurors -- I just wish that we could see their faces -- because I know they thought he was full of it.

[18:15:11]

BLITZER: Yes. Well, let's see what happens. The defense will continue their arguments tomorrow. Everybody, thank you very, very much.

Just ahead, take a look at this. We're getting some live pictures of a vigil being held for 20-year-old Daunte Wright, who was killed by that police officer earlier in the week.

I'm going to get reaction to all the late-breaking developments in Minnesota from a lawyer representing the families of both Daunte Wright and George Floyd.

And we will also have the inside story on President Biden's decision to bring all U.S. troops home from Afghanistan by September 11, after 20 years, the longest war in U.S. history.

We will have much more right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We're keeping a close eye on a vigil that's taking place right now in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, a vigil honoring Daunte Wright, the 20-year-old who was killed after a traffic stop, killed by a police officer, there not far from Minneapolis.

We're watching what's going on. We're watching everything that's going on. A curfew was just extended in Brooklyn Center, as the city now races for yet another night, a fourth night of protests over the police killing of Daunte Wright.

[18:20:05]

The officer who shot him now has formally been charged, officially been charged with second-degree manslaughter.

Joining us now, Antonio Romanucci, an attorney for the families of both Daunte Wright and George Floyd.

Tony, thanks very much for joining us.

Does this charge of second-degree manslaughter, from your perspective, go far enough? Does it go far enough in the eyes of the Wright family?

ANTONIO ROMANUCCI, ATTORNEY FOR FAMILY OF DAUNTE WRIGHT: Well, Wolf, you have to make no mistake that what happened here was an intentional act.

She made a conscious choice in reaching for her gun. The way the Taser was positioned on her body, on her duty belt, there was no way that she could have grabbed the Taser. So, whether or not the charge is going to go far enough, I think what the community needs to appreciate is that there is a charge right now.

There can always be another charge added on. I know that some people are saying it's too quick to charge. It is not too quick to charge. We have videotape. We see what she did. This is intentional. This was a conscious decision that she made in reaching for her gun.

BLITZER: The former police chief says it was an accident and cited the fact she kept screaming out "Taser, Taser Taser," which you're supposed to do if you're going to use a Taser, the argument being she thought she was using the Taser.

ROMANUCCI: Well, she may have yelled "Taser," but she reached for her gun. So, there's certainly a large discrepancy there. And she could not have reached for her Taser with her right hand.

This is a serious deficiency and training, first of all, on the department. And, number two, she made that conscious choice with her right hand in reaching for her gun. And when you look at the tape, there was enough time for her to correct her decision to use her index finger in pulling the trigger, squeezing it, and shooting that bullet out of the gun.

She had time to react.

BLITZER: The Brooklyn Center mayor made a promise to Daunte Wright's family tonight -- we had live coverage here on THE SITUATION ROOM -- that Daunte Wright's death won't be in vain. What will that look like from the family's perspective? How can the

mayor make good, from your perspective and the family's perspective, on that promise?

ROMANUCCI: Well, I think the first thing he's going to have to do is just completely revamp that police department.

As I said earlier, this is a serious deficiency in training. How does a 26-year officer, even if it was a mistake, which we don't contend it was, how does she reach for her gun, when she wanted her Taser? That means that she didn't have enough muscle memory to know that she was reaching for the wrong weapon.

She didn't have the feel for the right weapon. She didn't have the perception to see that the color of the weapon was different. So, there needs to be a serious overhaul in this department, because the goal here is never, ever to have confusion of weapon again. You don't want any sort of weapon confusion, no slip-ups, ever again.

How will this be prevented? That's one way to start.

BLITZER: All right, Tony, thank you very much.

Tony Romanucci joining us. We will stay in close touch with you.

Coming up: A CDC panel ends a critical meeting on the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine without -- repeat -- without any action. We're going to tell you what it means for the vaccine pause and the concerns about blood clots.

And women are speaking out to CNN about Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz, detailing sex, drugs and payments after late-night parties.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:28:06]

BLITZER: Tonight, President Biden is vowing to be the last U.S. president to preside over America's longest war. He formally announced his decision to withdraw all remaining U.S. troops from Afghanistan two decades after the 9/11 attacks.

CNN senior White House correspondent Phil Mattingly has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's time for American troops to come home.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight. America's longest war is finally coming to an end, President Joe Biden, standing in the same exact spot where President George W. Bush launched operations in Afghanistan nearly two decades ago.

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: On my orders, the United States military has begun strikes against al Qaeda terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

MATTINGLY: Biden tonight announcing to the world he will bring U.S. combat troops home by the 20th anniversary of the worst terror attack on U.S. soil.

BIDEN: We went to Afghanistan because of a horrific attack that happened 20 years ago. That cannot explain why we should remain there in 2021.

MATTINGLY: A decision officials described as months in the making, with Biden soliciting views from across his administration and global allies, and coming to this conclusion:

BIDEN: I'm now the fourth United States President to preside over American troop presence in Afghanistan, two Republicans, two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility on to a fifth.

MATTINGLY: A momentous decision fraught with potential pitfalls. the U.S. intelligence community just this week explicitly stating the -- quote -- "Afghan government will struggle to hold the Taliban at bay if the coalition withdraws support."

Biden making clear the U.S. will continue diplomatic and humanitarian support, but breaking sharply from the driving force of past withdrawal timelines.

BIDEN: We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan, hoping to create ideal conditions for the withdrawal, and expecting a different result.

[18:30:08]

MATTINGLY (voice over): Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell sharply criticizing the move.

MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): Apparently, we are going to help our adversaries ring in the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by gift- wrapping the country and handing it right back to them.

MATTINGLY: And issued a warning from similar decision in the not so distant past.

MCCONNELL: Our president should remember what happened when the Obama administration let political considerations rush a retreat from Iraq, total chaos and bloodshed, and ISIS.

MATTINGLY: Biden's decision went beyond just bringing troops home, instead, officials say it is reevaluation of U.S. defense priorities, one with a central focus on China. The stakes underscored at a hearing today with top intelligence officials.

AVRIL HAINES, DIRECTORE OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: China increasingly is a near peer competitor challenging the United States in multiple areas while pushing to revise global norms in ways that favor the authoritarian Chinese system. MATTINGLY: With intelligence officials highlighting North Korea, Iran, terror groups in an increasingly aggressive Russia as major issues. It's a daunting picture for a team still inside its first 100 days in office.

But as Biden walked slowly through Arlington cemetery, section 60, the resting place of many of those killed in America's wars at Iraq and Afghanistan, He showed no hesitation or discomfort in his decision.

REPORTER: Was it a hard decision to make, sir?

BIDEN: No, it wasn't.

MATTINGLY: For a president who was press to leave Afghanistan for more than a decade it was one a long time coming.

BIDEN: To me it was absolutely clear.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY (on camera): And Wolf, those troop withdrawals will start May 1st, and may actually be done, according to administration officials, well before September 11th. There are, however, still questions that need answers, most notably, about the diplomatic presence of U.S. officials on the ground in Afghanistan. There is expected to be robust presence, but those exact numbers still to be worked out in the weeks and months ahead.

One thing is certain though, the timeline, September 11th, that is a hard deadline administration officials say that will not change no matter what happens on the ground in the weeks ahead, Wolf.

BLITZER: Phil Mattingly, at the White House, thanks very much. Let's discuss this and more with Senator and Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders.

Senator Sanders, thanks as usual, for joining us.

You've been calling for the U.S. to withdraw from Afghanistan for a very, very long time. But CNN has learned President Biden made this decision against the advice of some of his top Pentagon and State Department advisers. Does that at all give you pause?

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): No. I think the president is right. Wolf, I think 20 years of war, the longest war in the history of this country in Afghanistan is enough. I think 2,500 brave men and women who gave their lives in that war is enough. I think the expenditure of $2 trillion is enough. In other words, enough is enough.

So I applaud what the president has done, and in truth, despite what Mitch McConnell was just saying, what President Biden is doing is picking up on the negotiated agreement that President Trump put together. I am not a great fan of Donald Trump and his administration but he was right in trying to end endless wars. These wars cannot continue to go on forever. And we've got to learn that, in many respects, diplomacy, various types of educational aid, health care aid is much more important and much more effective than an occupying force on the ground.

BLITZER: In a formal statement, the U.S. intelligence community put it rather bluntly. And I will read it to you. They said the Taliban is likely to make gains on the battlefield and the Afghan government will struggle to hold the Taliban at bay if the coalition withdraws support. What do you see as the U.S. role to try to make sure that doesn't happen? What will the U.S. role be, because, as you know, there's a lot of concern what's going to happen to Afghan women and girls, for example?

SANDERS: There's a lot of legitimate concerns about the future of Afghanistan, a lot of concerns about a lot of things. If we do not act in Yemen, some 400,000 children will die of starvation or disease in the worst humanitarian disaster on earth. There are concerns all over the world and I share those concerns.

But the bottom line is that what we need to do is understand that in Afghanistan today, you have the Taliban. They've been there for a long, long time. This is an extremely reactionary organization, terribly anti-woman. You've got the Afghan government, which is corrupt. And what we have got to do is do the best that we can in supporting the government, supporting the Afghan military. But we do not need to spend huge amounts of money doing that, we do not need to put American lives at stake.

[18:35:07]

BLITZER: All right. Let's talk about a different issue while I have you, a couple different issues I want to get to. Let's talk, first of all, about the latest police shooting outside of Minneapolis. Your fellow progressive congresswoman, Rashida Tlaib, reacted by saying this, and I'll put it up on the screen. I am done with those who condone government-funded murder. No more policing, incarceration and militarization. It can't be reformed. Do you agree with her on that?

SANDERS: I' m sorry, who said that?

BLITZER: That was said by Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.

SANDERS: No, I don't. I think that what we need to do is to understand that there needs to be major, major police reform all across this country. We are tired of seeing the same thing week after week and year after year. We do not want to see innocent African-Americans shot in cold blood. So I think that's an area that needs significant amount of work and I hope that Congress begins work on that immediately.

BLITZER: Quickly, let's talk about infrastructure while you're the chairman of the budget committee, this is a subject very close to your heart. Do you see some sort of compromise in the works with, for example, yellow fellow Democratic Senator Joe Manchin? He's got a lot of different views than you do, but you will need him if you are going to try to do this with simply 50 votes. There's a 50/50 split, of course, in the Senate. SANDERS: Well Wolf, look, at the end of the day everybody in America understands that our infrastructure, our roads, and our bridges, and our water systems, and wastewater plants are falling apart, they need repair, they need to be rebuilt. And in the process, we create millions of good paying jobs in doing that. I think every Democrat understands that, I suspect every Republican understands that.

And on top of that, we can create millions more jobs by transforming our energy system away from fossil fuel to energy efficiency and sustainable energy and lead the world in fighting climate change.

Furthermore, I happen to believe that when you talk about infrastructure, Wolf, you've got to be talking about human infrastructure. You have millions of Americans today who cannot afford to send their kids to college, who cannot afford health care, who are working at starvation wages, who cannot afford child care. We are the wealthiest nation in the history of the world. And we've got to rebuild not only our physical infrastructure but a human infrastructure.

And one way that I think we have to got to go forward is we have got to strengthen and expand Medicare. Today, Medicare does not cover dental care, it does not cover hearing aids, does not cover eyeglasses. And in my view we have got to understand those are health care needs for seniors and we've got to expand Medicare to do that.

And the way we pay for that, Wolf, is by demanding that Medicare negotiate prescription drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry, who are ripping us off outrageously. We pay by far the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. Government can save $450 billion by negotiating drug prices for Medicare and that's what we've got to do. And with that money, we have to expand Medicare to cover dental, eyeglasses and hearing.

BLITZER: And are you talking to Senator Manchin directly?

SANDERS: I talk to Senator Manchin all the time. But Senator Manchin is one senator. And would you -- you know, people have got to understand that when you have 50 senators, Democratic senators, any one of those can say no. But I am confident that at the end of the day, we're going to come together and address the infrastructure crisis, human physical climate change, and that we're going to create many, many, many millions of good paying jobs.

That, by the way, is what the American people want us to do, I'm confident that we are going to do that.

BLITZER: All right. Senator Sanders as usual, thanks very much for joining us.

SANDERS: Thank you.

BLITZER: Just ahead, CDC advisers hold off on making any decision about the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine and a potential, potential but very rare link to blood clots.

And a new fuel for the scandal surrounding Congressman Matt Gaetz as women open up about drugs, sex and late-night parties.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:00]

BLITZER: The future of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine remains up in the air right now after CDC advisers left an emergency meeting just a little while ago without taking a vote. Let's break all this down with Dr. Paul Offit. He's a Member of the FDA Vaccine Advisory Committee. He is the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia. Doctor Offit, thanks for joining us.

Does the CDC Vaccine Advisory Board's refusal to make recommendations about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine today, does that make sense to you?

DR. PAUL OFFIT, MEMBER, FDA VACCINE ADVISORY COMMITTEE: No. I think it was an unfortunate non-decision. I think that the reason that they did that was they wanted more information. But I think there is enough information now to make a decision, to help clinicians move forward or not with this vaccine.

I mean, you know that this vaccine is a so-called replication defective adenovirus, human adenovirus. It's very similar actually to the U.K. AstraZeneca vaccine, which is also a replication defective adenoviral no vector.

[18:45:04]

We know that the AstraZeneca vaccine has a very similar problem, and identical problem to this vaccine the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. And that AstraZeneca vaccine has been given to over 20 million people in Europe. It has this very rare problem of so-called, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, a blood clot in the brain, which is serious.

I think it's real. But it is rare. For the J&J vaccine it's about one per million. So, I just think it would've helped to have given some direction to people, in terms of how to move forward. One thing they could've said was, just explain to people that there is this very rare but very real side effect, remembering that with every million person that get COVID, 1,850 will die.

There are no risk-free choices. There are just different risks. And I think that there may be people out there now, because this J.J. vaccine is at least suspended if you will, who then will get a vaccine. They will risk the very real problems associated with COVID.

BLITZER: Yeah, which obviously, potentially, are very, very deadly.

Dr. Fauci was very clear on CNN earlier today, that this is a pause not a cancellation of that single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. He says, we are likely talking about maybe days or weeks, not months before a final decision is made.

What, in fact do you think this will have overall? And I'm concerned, I know you are, about vaccine hesitancy in our country. OFFIT: That's right. Well, I think it has a chilling effect actually.

I think people may wrongly think, well, if it is true with this J.J. vaccine, may be it's true with all vaccines.

And the other thing that worries me with this, I mean, to AstraZeneca to their credit, call themselves as the world's vaccine maker. They're going to distribute that vaccine to the world and do it cheaply. These two vaccines are similar.

I think but our doing something that really the European Medicines Agency didn't do, which is to halt this vaccine, which is really what a pause is, I think that may cast sort of a negative effect on this type of vaccine, across the world, which I think could be awful, because, you know, our country is only as strong as the weakest countries out there, we need to have a worldwide vaccine.

BLITZER: Yeah, that's absolutely true, as usual. But, Dr. Offit, thanks for your expertise. We are grateful to you. Appreciate it very much.

Let's turn now to the scandal surrounding Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida. Two women sharing salacious new allegations about his conduct, as Gaetz is under scrutiny in a sex trafficking investigation.

CNN congressional correspondent Ryan Nobles has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Embattled congressman is back on Capitol Hill. But he refused to answer direct questions about the federal investigation into his misconduct and his looming legal trouble. This, as more details continue to emerge about his past.

Two women telling CNN about parties and Florida, attended by both Gaetz and his friend and political ally to Joel Greenberg. The parties were boozy. Some had sex, others including drugs like ecstasy and cocaine.

One of the woman describing Gaetz asking like a frat boy at these events, taking would appear to be recreational drugs. In some cases, money was exchanged afterwards. Receipts reviewed by CNN show payments in 2018 and 2019 of hundreds of dollars by Gaetz and Greenberg using payment apps to at least one woman who attended the parties.

Another woman said, she received money from Greenberg after some parties. She said, she never got money from Gaetz directly.

Greenberg's knowledge of what Gaetz did, apparently of interest to investigators.

FRITZ SCHELLER, JOEL GREENBERG'S ATTORNEY: He is uniquely situated.

NOBLES: Greenberg, the former Florida tax collector, facing 3 federal charges is now cooperating with investigators. CNN has learned he is specifically talking about his interactions with Gaetz. That includes encounters that you had, which allegedly involve giving cash or gifts to women in exchange for sex.

And as his legal troubles mount, Gaetz is fending off political pressure as well.

REP. STEVE SCALISE (R-LA): You know, right now it is hard to speculate on rumors. But you know, if something really happened from justice we would, of course, react and take action.

NOBLES: Only one Republican, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, has called on Gaetz to resign. And both Republicans and Democrats appear content to let the legal process play out, while Gaetz continues to serve in Congress.

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): It is an issue for the Republicans to work out. The rules require that someone who is indicted stand down and be removed for -- from their committees, until the judicial process works itself out. He has not been indicted yet. So, let's see what happens.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBLES (on camera): I just ran into Matt Gaetz just off the floor of House of Representatives today. He refuses to continue to answer any questions about the allegations against him while he is use other forms to deny these claims, including saying specifically, he has never paid for sex or that he has ever had sex with a 17-year-old as an adult.

[18:50:06]

He continues to show signs that he is not going anywhere, releasing a new campaign ad in his home district -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Ryan. Thanks very much. Ryan Nobles reporting.

Coming up, we'll have the latest of the investigation into the Capitol insurrection, including a decision on whether the officer involved in the shooting of the rioter will face charges. We'll be right back.

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BLITZER: Tonight, the U.S. Justice Department is announcing the outcome of its investigation into the shooting death of one of the rioters during the January 6th Capitol insurrection.

CNN's Brian Todd is working the story for us.

[18:55:01]

Brian, tell us more.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Wolf. This is the case of Ashli Babbitt, the woman who was shot as she climbed through a broken door window inside the Capitol. Just a short time ago, the Justice Department announced the officer who shot her will not be charged.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's got it done. He's got it done.

TODD (voice-over): It was one of the most horrific moments of the violent afternoon. Rioter Ashli Babbitt tried to climb through a shattered door window by the speakers lobby of the Capitol on January 6th.

The doorway barricaded by chairs and guarded by police.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It sounded like a gunshot.

TODD: Babbitt was shot in the shoulder by U.S. Capitol police officer. She later died at D.C. hospital.

The Justice Department issued a statement, saying that one the officer fired the single shot quote, the investigation revealed no evidence to establish that the officer did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self-defense or in defense of members of Congress.

JENNIFER RODGERS, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: They have to prove a deprivation of Ms. Babbitt's constitutional rights. They would have to prove that the officer who was firing willfully violated those rights, that he acted wrongfully, in violation of a law. And not just that he was afraid, or that he was panicked or made a mistake.

TODD: Ashley Babbitt's husband had previously told a San Diego TV station she was doing which she thought was right.

Meanwhile, more details of scathing criticism of the U.S. Capitol Police regarding its actions before January 6th from that department's own inspector general.

The IG, Michael Bolton, testifies before Congress tomorrow. CNN has obtained documents from Bolton's second preliminary report indicating the Capitol Police had warnings of a threat earlier than was previously known, including one from the Department of Homeland Security on December 21st of last year, detailing comments on a pro Trump website, which also referenced tunnels congressman used under the Capitol complex. The IG's preliminary report says intelligence like that, simply wasn't shared widely enough within the Capitol Police Department.

TIM CLEMENTE, FORMER FBI COUNTERTERRORISM AGENT: The problem is that intelligence is only worthwhile if it gets to the people who need it. And so, that means of the officers that were actually patrolling the Capitol on the day of the protest and rally that turned violent and it means that the people that needed it most didn't have it.

TODD: The inspector general's preliminary report also says that prior to January 6, some of the Capitol Police riot shields were not effective because they had not been stored at the right temperatures. And it says leaders of the Capital Police ordered their civil disturbance unit, not to use powerful but less lethal tools like stained ball grenades to quell the mob.

CLEMENTE: How do those officers defend themselves and defend the Capitol without all the tools that they need to do so?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (on camera): The current and former chiefs of the U.S. Capitol police have repeatedly defended their actions, before January 6th, saying it was a lack of accurate and complete intelligence that led to the failures that day, and not for planning on their part -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Brian Todd reporting. Thank you.

More news right after this.

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BLITZER: I'm Wolf Blitzer. Thanks for watching. You can always follow me on Twitter and Instagram @WolfBlitzer. Tweet the show @CNNSitRoom.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.