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Don Lemon Tonight
COVID-19 Penetrates The Elite And Sports World; Travel From Europe Banned For 30 Days; President Addresses The Nation On Coronavirus, Cancels All Travel From Europe To The U.S. For 30 Days; Interview With Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), Who Is Under Self-Quarantine After Contact With A Friend Who Has Tested Positive For Coronavirus; NBA Suspends Season Due To Coronavirus; President Trump Implements Tough Measures To Fight Coronavirus. Aired 10-11p ET
Aired March 11, 2020 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[22:00:00]
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: But remember, why? If we do the right things now, I know we got a late start, I know there's blame for that. You got to put it to the side because you've got to get better now. If you do it now, you won't be Italy. You will get better faster. That's the hope.
"CNN TONIGHT," D. Lemon right now.
DON LEMON, CNN HOST: Hey, listen, I think my producer, my executive producer puts it in perspective for us. Exact same time, Chris, that the president is trying to calm the American people, we find out that a global superstar and two of them really, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, and then a basketball, an NBA star, have all tested positive for coronavirus. So really --
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: Now, Hanks and Rita are in Australia. So, he put --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: He did. But let me just say this. I was watching you. And I think you got it right. But what I think that -- that you missed, and I'm not -- this is not a criticism of you. This is just so people could know. Is that, the president has said that he believes it's going to be like the flu. That when temperatures get warm, that this thing will go away.
It is summer in Australia right now. Temperatures are warm there. So, this goes against what the president is saying. We don't know if this is going to go away --
CUOMO: Right.
LEMON: -- when temperatures are warm. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are down there shooting a movie about Elvis. They are on the set of a movie. It is warm in Australia. So, this whole idea about, well, the coronavirus is just going to go away. It's just going to be zero whenever the temperatures get warm, that is out the door. This is a case that shows you not so much.
CUOMO: Well, look. What do we all know now? People are waking up to the realities in this country. So is the president. And one of them is, he doesn't tell you the truth. He underplayed it because he thought that was better for him and the economy.
Well, the stock market's given back the gains that have come in since he came in. Who knows if they even allow regular trading going forward? Normal is going to change. And if we get on the same page fast and we do the best things we can, this will end sooner rather than later.
But I have to tell you, Don, you and I have been friends for a long time. You and I have never seen anything like this in our lifetimes.
LEMON: Not at all. I think your brother was right when he said this is what happens when you govern. This is what governing is all about. So, it's time to get serious. And he is learning this is what governing is all about. Thank you, Chris, I appreciate it. I'll see you tomorrow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.
LEMON: Here is our breaking news on CNN.
On multiple fronts tonight, within the last hour, President Trump banning all travel from Europe for the next 30 days.
And just moments ago, after one of their all-star players tested positive for coronavirus, the NBA suspending its season, and they are doing it indefinitely.
That came on the heels of the NCAA banning fans from its March madness tournament that begins next week. And we have just learned that actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson have both tested positive for coronavirus down in Australia.
And all of this. All of this as the death toll, the number of known cases here in the United States, continues to balloon. We are now at 37 deaths and at least 1,250 known cases in the U.S.
We are going to get through all of this for you tonight. We have got a lot to get to. So, make sure you stay tuned. And the numbers keep changing. So, again, you need to pay attention.
We are going to start at the White House where President Trump addressed the nation just an hour ago and made the dramatic announcement about travel from Europe.
Our Kaitlan Collins is our correspondent at the White House. She joins us now. Kaitlan, good evening to you. I understand that the Department of Homeland Security has had to clarify what the president said about the ban on travel to Europe.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Don, the president appears to have left out the fine print in that speech tonight. When it was the first thing, essentially, out of his mouth talking about these restrictions here and how they are going to bar all travel -- travelers coming in from Europe for the next 30 days.
Now, we are getting a statement from the Department of Homeland Security and the acting secretary clarifying that. And I want to read a little bit of this to you, Don, because it's important. And it's really notable in light of what the president just said, which seemed like this pretty stark restriction that he was putting down.
But now, DHS says that what he announced suspends the entry of most foreign nationals who have been in certain European countries at any point during the 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival to the United States.
They then go on to list the countries. And, Don, this is probably the most important line. It says this does not apply to legal permanent residents, generally, immediate family members of U.S. citizens, and other individuals who are identified in the proclamation.
So, the president made it seem like no travelers were going to be allowed back to the United States coming from Europe, with the exception of the United Kingdom, for the next 30 days. Starting effective midnight on Friday. But when you read this statement from DHS, it really allows a lot of leeway there, Don.
So, there are going to be a lot of questions for the White House coming out of that, because that was one of the biggest restrictions we saw in the president's announcement tonight.
[22:05:00]
LEMON: All right. Kaitlan, stand by. We may have some more questions for you. But I want to bring in now our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Doctor, thank you for joining us. I appreciate it. You have been a very busy man. Life is changing in America right now. Tremendous amount of change in our society.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: We -- we -- you know, just a week ago, we were told that there would be 15 cases and it would go to zero. And now, you are hearing about all these types of what they call nonpharmaceutical interventions. These social distancing mechanisms that we thought were really things that we would see in other countries but not here in the United States.
It's -- it's -- it's changing rapidly here. And I think the public health community has been -- has been predicting this for some time. We haven't probably, you know, heard from them as much as we would have liked I think over the last couple days.
Tony Fauci, Anthony Fauci, Dr. Fauci, has been I think a little bit more clear with the language in saying that, look, no matter where you live, if you have one case there now, zero cases, it doesn't matter. This is coming. So, he's sort of -- I think there's been a distinct phase shift and you are seeing all the different mechanisms that are sort of catching up with that.
LEMON: Listen, doctor, I think that you -- your -- your tone and tenor, you've been perfect. Pitch perfect on this. And even when you, on the air I think it was yesterday or the day before, when you said we're in the middle of a pandemic right now. And then the World Health Organization came out today and said this is a pandemic.
You weren't surprised by that. It is a big deal. But I think if folks have been following your reporting on this, you have been right on about this. And, you know, maybe it's not a time to be critical. Maybe it is. But we have not been getting 100 percent accurate information from the administration. I think the vice president has been doing his darndest to do a good job about it but, you know.
GUPTA: Yes. No. I mean, look, it's surprising a little bit because I think there is some incredibly talented people in the public health department. People who have been through similar things. Although I will say this is unusual, this pandemic we're going through now. For lots of different reasons which we can talk about.
But there have been people sounding the alarm on this for some time, you know. I have been talking to my sources, many of them off the record for some time, who have been very, very worried about this. And let me just be more specific here.
Look at what's happening in Italy right now. There is a virus. We know this. We know some idea of how lethal it is. But what's more concerning right now in Italy is the tax on the hospital system there.
LEMON: Right.
GUPTA: They don't have the resources to take care of people. We could run into that same situation here, Don. We may be 100,000 ICU beds short. We may be tens of thousands of breathing machines, ventilators short. Can you imagine, Don, the decisions that might have to be made in hospitals?
We could save both these patients but we don't have the resources to take care of both of them.
LEMON: Yes.
GUPTA: I mean, this is what we should have been preparing for the last six weeks.
LEMON: And you're right. We are going to talk more. We're going to have more -- I have more breaking news here. Massive breaking news in the sports world to tell you about.
Carolyn Manno joins us now. Frank Bruni is here as well. Carolyn, first, fill us in on what's happening in the sports world.
CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Just breaking right now the NBA has suspended its season, which is a decision that many people maybe saw coming with the way that the tip of the iceberg started. With the Warriors earlier today and has trickled down to really envelop the entire sports world.
The sentiment right now within the league is that they don't know what's going to happen from here. They don't know if, or when, the season is going to be able to start again. The playoffs are supposed to begin the middle of April. The finals are in June.
And everybody making decisions at the very top is scrambling to figure out what the right decision is. And the thing about athletes is, and this applies with the big news with the NCAA as well is that when players are in such close physical contact, sharing bodily fluids when they are traveling, when their immune systems are broken down, they're tired.
And so, a lot of times, not just in basketball because, but across the entire sports landscape, when one athlete gets sick, so many others get sick. You see it sweep through tournament and big events and that's because they are susceptible to illness.
And so the fact that Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz, the two-time defensive player of the year has now been preliminary diagnosed with this is an indication to the league that ultimately forced their hand and said, you know what, no, we need to stop down and figure out what we are doing here. And quite frankly, there is no time table right now for when it's going to pick back up.
LEMON: You have this NBA superstar, Dr. Gupta. Now, you have Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson now testing positive for the virus down in Australia filming a movie.
GUPTA: Yes.
LEMON: You know, it's important when anyone gets this virus. But when you start to see, you know, these sort of superstars, people pay attention. They say, well, anybody can be affected by it.
GUPTA: I think it's been really interesting, sort of, you know, just being out there talking to people. There is a group of people, I think mostly people in the public health world that have been very concerned about this for some time.
There is a large segment of the population who still, you know, maybe up until the president's speech tonight, thought this was just not that big a deal, you know. So, whatever it takes. The NBA season being suspended. Tom Hanks. Whatever it might be. To make it real. I think, you know, that's clearly starting to happen.
[22:09:55]
I think for a lot of people, they got a call today and said their kid's schools are going to be closed the rest of the week or whatever.
LEMON: Right.
GUPTA: And what am I going to do? Do I have to take work off now? Do I have everything I need to be able to take care of my kids? Should I be worried about their health? Those are -- those are the real decisions and thoughts that I think are coming into people's heads over the last couple of days.
LEMON: Co-producers and writers who work with me said my kids are going to be off at least for the next two days. I said what are you going to about. We don't know.
GUPTA: Right.
LEMON: We are trying to figure it out right now.
GUPTA: Yes.
LEMON: As I said to Chris, Frank, the president tried to calm people tonight. At the same time, we had these other massive stories that are breaking right now. Things are different.
FRANK BRUNI, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: We're talking about extraordinary developments, extraordinary changes in American life. And I think in the context of that, people need more than they got from the president tonight.
I mean, let's be grateful he did not flat out minimize the crisis, which he's done before. He did not bash the media or bash Democrats. It was pretty low bar for him to clear. He didn't do those things. But I didn't hear, in that speech tonight, I didn't hear real empathy for what Americans and for the rest of the world is going through.
I mean, I heard a lot of jingoism about how great America is and hey, we're doing better than Europe. I heard a ridiculous plea for no partisanship from the president who has done nothing but exercise partisanship since this began. And he had the aspect of a third grader doing a homework assignment that he was doing under duress. You know?
LEMON: Do you think, though, do you think it was because of nerves? Do you think that maybe he all of a sudden --
BRUNI: No.
LEMON: -- realizes the gravity of the moment? Because we've realized the gravity for, you know, since for a week or two now. We -- you know, that this is serious. Maybe he, all of a sudden, realizes it when he is sitting there in the chair giving this address from the Oval Office. No?
BRUNI: This --
LEMON: I'm trying here.
BRUNI: No. This is going to sound really, really harsh. I would like to think it's nerves and any one of us could sympathize with nerves. I think it's annoyance. This pandemic is reigning on his parade. And I know that's a really harsh judgment but I think if you really look carefully at the character of this president, as revealed over the three year plus of his presidency, there's no other conclusion to reach.
LEMON: Let's go to the White House, back to the White House. Kaitlan, have you noticed a shift at the White House?
COLLINS: Well, here's the thing that was something we can say about tonight is this is the president's most public acknowledgment yet that this is real and this is happening. And they are going now to take action.
Because this is a far cry from what he had been saying about downplaying this. You know, saying it was likely going to end soon. And now, he's laying out these travel restrictions which we're still reading through this proclamation to see exactly what this is because it doesn't sound as extensive as the president made it out to be.
In this address that we should note sides spent hours working on, so it's not like they put this together at the last minute and didn't know exactly what it was that the president was going to say.
But he also lays out other measures in here because they are trying to blunt the economic impact of this. And that's why they talked about those loans from the small business administration. He talked about how he is going to take emergency action so people who miss work can still get paychecks. Though, it's not exactly clear what he is going to do on that. And he did still say he wants something like a payroll tax cut.
But, Don, then he made other comments that still said or implied that he believes this is going to end soon. Like saying this is not a financial crisis. He said this is just a moment in time that we are going to overcome as a nation. And that is something that is that still really remains to be seen. What exactly the impact of this is going to be.
But one thing we did hear is essentially the president had been in a sort of denial about this where he wasn't just ignoring it. He was saying it wasn't happening in the same manner that his health experts and his advisers were saying.
But it is really hard when basketball games are being scrapped. Audiences aren't allowed at events. Parades are being cancelled. People are having to cancel their vacations for the president to act like nothing is happening. So, it simply is at the part where the president can no longer ignore it and it seems to be something that has registered inside the White House today.
LEMON: You make a good point. Which leads me to, Sanjay, Dr. Gupta, the president has said that this testing is rapidly expanding. And that's -- we need to know exactly how many people, who is affected and who's not. Is that true? Is the testing rapidly expanding?
GUPTA: Not yet. Not yet. I mean, I can't believe I'm saying that because we have been talking about getting millions and millions as Dr. Anthony Fauci put it out there several days ago. Millions and millions of tests are what are needed.
Look. I'll show you, Don, because I was just looking this up on my phone and I want to show you this because this is from the CDC site now. As of yesterday, Don, you can take a look here. That's how many tests were done at the CDC.
LEMON: The middle one?
GUPTA: Right there. That number. LEMON: Zero.
GUPTA: And this is how many tests were done at public health departments yesterday.
LEMON: Eight.
GUPTA: Eight tests total between the CDC and the public health departments in this country yesterday. Now, there may be some that were done at commercial labs. Although, those are still up and, you know, getting up and running.
But, you know, we're talking thousands and thousands of tests that were being done a day in these other places. This is their own web site. We have been monitoring this. First, we had to call these public health laboratories ourselves to get the real numbers because we couldn't get them off the CDC site.
As of yesterday, we know zero test were done on the day yesterday, eight tests in the public health laboratories.
[22:14:59]
Are we ramping up? No. We don't have sight on this right now. We don't have clear vision on exactly how widespread this is in the country.
LEMON: And as we talked about, Sanjay, previously, Sanjay, the reason this is called COVI-19 is because this happened in the fall --
(CROSSTALK)
GUPTA: The winter of '19.
LEMON: -- the winter of '19. And our government has known about this at least since the end of December.
GUPTA: Yes.
LEMON: And so, we would -- listen. Anyway, let's move on. I want to talk -- I want to talk about March madness right now because you have some news as well with that.
MANNO: Yes. So very big decision earlier this afternoon. The NCAA was asked what they were really going to do about the situation. Hundreds of millions of dollars, as you all know, poured into March madness.
I just got a glimpse at the back at Dr. Gupta's phone. Everybody seems to love the college that they're from. It is a huge part of what we celebrate domestically. But they've decided that they're going to move forward without having fans in the stands. Not only is this going to be incredibly awkward.
But more importantly than that, and I think, Dr. Gupta, you could probably speak to this more than me. It protects the fans. I'm not sure that it necessarily protects the players. And then when the players are having contact with each other, and they take a potential spread of this virus back to their universities then you are talking about a more major spread. That's the point that hasn't been made.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Is it for the players infected they're infecting other players.
MANNO: Well, so they're -- right. They are trimming everything down to immediate family. Do -- doing everything they can. And that being said, this is not me saying how could the NCAA do this? This is not something anybody anticipated. This is a very serious virus that is spreading rapidly and we don't have enough testing. And we don't know how far spread it actually is.
Everybody is trying to do everything that they can. The NCAA, the NBA, every single league is trying to make the right decisions for the fans. All the money that's involved and the players themselves.
But when you have a situation where players are coming in such close physical contact with each other and then leaving these arenas, you would have to think that maybe there would be a possibility of them spreading through the rest of the student body at major universities.
GUPTA: Yes. Yes. I mean, that's the concern, also, with the fans. I mean, people come from all over. And then they go back to where they -- where they came from. And, you know, you can't socially distance at a sporting event. I think that's part of the calculus for a lot of these events.
LEMON: I was actually surprised last night. I had ESPN on in my office last night. I forget one of the games had, it was the NBA game and it was a little kid went up to one of the players and hid and says, hey. The player looked at him and he -- the guy shook his hand and they took a selfie. And I was surprised that they actually had that much access to the player while this is all going on.
MANNO: Yes. And there is going to be, I think you'll see a distinction between indoor and outdoor sporting events.
LEMON: Yes.
MANNO: A lot of golfers have said, hey, we're not going to shake hands. We're not going to sign autographs. We're not going to do anything that will put us in close physical contact with another human being.
But what you are seeing now is the leagues that have really confined spaces where a lot of fans pack in, that's where there is more of a concern maybe moving forward than, say, you know, baseball or golf or some of these other areas where there's a little bit more air.
LEMON: And, Kaitlan, all of this plays into economy and politics as well.
COLLINS: Yes, it does. And Don, I just want to point out something that the president just tweeted which seems to be another clarification of his remarks tonight. OK. I'm looking at these things side by side. I'm going to read you the short line from what the president said in his address and then I'm going to tell you what he just tweeted a few moments ago.
But he was talking about those travel restrictions from Europe which we've already said that DHS has clarified. But during his speech, the president said that these prohibitions will not only apply to the tremendous amount of trade and cargo but various other things as we get approval. Anything coming from Europe to the United States is what we are discussing.
Now, let me show you what the president just tweeted a few minutes ago where he was talking about his payroll tax cut. But then going back to trade, he goes please remember it's very important for all countries and businesses to know that trade, in no way, will be affected by the 30-day restriction on travel from Europe.
These restrictions stop people, not goods. That seems to directly be a cleanup of what the president said in his message in the Oval Office tonight. We are asking the White House to give us some clarification on how the president would say one thing in his address, and now he's tweeting something else, Don. We'll let you know what we hear.
But I mean, it's kind of stunning that he would have to say that just a few moments after the address was given.
LEMON: He had a whole lot of people concerned. Especially those who follow the markets. Kaitlan, thank you. Everyone, thank you. Dr. Gupta is going to stay with us.
Tomorrow, the Vice President Mike Pence is talking to CNN. Make sure you tune in to New Day, 7 a.m., to hear the vice president answering questions and he is going to do it live.
So, again, I want everybody to stay. Thank you. And I want Sanjay to stay with me. And we've got a lot more questions from viewers tonight, like how big is a safe-size crowd? And how can you get tested without putting people around you in danger? That's next.
[22:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: So our breaking news tonight. The spread of coronavirus changing the shape of everyday life in this country. The NBA suspending its season indefinitely. Fans banned from March madness. And actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, announcing they have tested positive for coronavirus.
Back with me now, our very own Dr. Sanjay Gupta to answer some questions. Your questions on this virus. So, let's get right to it, doctor. OK.
GUPTA: Yes.
LEMON: I want to go to this viewer on social media. Some of the social media questions, viewer questions as well. Here's one. It says, I am 60 years old. Do I avoid going to the gym? What about crowds at grocery stores? Not sure what a safe-sized -- a safe-sized crowd -- what is a safe-sized crowd?
GUPTA: Well, it depends who -- who's -- what the crowd is made up of in terms of the types of people. You know, an elderly crowd is going -- you know, a smaller crowd is going to be of concern. People who are younger, 250 to a thousand.
I talked to the CDC about that. That would be OK. But if it's all elderly people, you know, over 100 might be of concern because they're more vulnerable. So, if a virus starts to circulate in a crowd like that, you know, people are more likely to get sick.
By the way, there's still -- they're still more likely to not get sick than get sick. But compared to younger, healthier people, they are definitely more vulnerable.
[22:24:56]
So as far as going to the gym, I think, you know, you've got to think about it this way. This is spread through respiratory droplets, primarily. People cough and sneeze, you want to stay away from sick people. If you are sick, you stay home yourself.
Surface disinfecting. Cleaning at gyms and anyplace like that where you are touching high-touch areas, you've got to be really careful. So, I'd make sure, you know, and you're well within your right if you go into the gym to ask about how this is getting disinfected. And every day someone coughs or sneezes that morning, you got to disinfect again.
LEMON: You've seen some of these gyms, though, right? My god. You take of your own --
(CROSSTALK)
GUPTA: You take your own stuff.
LEMON: Yes. OK. This one is from Facebook. It says how bad is it? Should people stop traveling even to places that haven't had positive tests?
GUPTA: I don't think that we are saying that yet. I think if you're an elderly person, again, I think the guidance has been pretty clear. That you probably shouldn't travel right now. Try and stay home, really, as much as possible. Avoid places where you are a he not going not going to be able to keep social distance. Two meters, like we are now roughly. That's sort of been the guidance.
For younger healthy people, again, think of this like you would during flu season. Most people may not be thinking of these precautions typically because we sort of got used to the flu. But the same sort of precautions I think that you would think of there, you think of here.
It is really -- I mean, you know, we talk about the handwashing and all that and maybe it sounds silly in the midst of an outbreak or a pandemic now to talk about it. But it does make a difference because you are less likely to transmit the virus. Less likely to touch your face with a virus and contaminate yourself.
LEMON: All right. This is we know Dr. Fauci today said this will get worse. One Facebook viewer is asking this. As regular citizens, what should we do to prepare for the worst?
GUPTA: Yes. You know, it's interesting. I think for an individual level, and again it depends if you are part of the vulnerable population or not. If you are a part of the vulnerable population, I really do think that for the time being, you want to minimize potential exposures for yourself.
So, you -- you are avoiding going to the movies. Going to places of worship where you can't keep social distance. The games. You know, the sporting events, things like that.
For younger people, I think -- I think one of the things that you really have to think about is that you, yourself, as a healthy person, could potentially be a source of infection for someone who is vulnerable. OK? You feel fine. You have no problems. You're out and about.
But if you are carrying the virus and you subsequently infect somebody who is vulnerable. That -- that's a real problem for that person.
Don, we are all in this together. I don't think probably ever you and I have been more dependent on each other, you to keep me healthy, me to keep you healthy, us to keep everyone in this room healthy. That's true right now, as individuals, and I think as societies right now, I don't know that we've ever been more dependent on each other for the other person to do the right thing.
LEMON: All right. This is one from Twitter. Says what are the early symptoms? How do I get tested without putting people around me in danger? That goes off of what you were just saying.
GUPTA: Yes. I mean, you know, look. First things first. If you are sick, don't get other people sick. Stay home. Isolate yourself. I'm not saying you have to isolate yourself completely. You can find a room within your house to isolate yourself. You can still live in your house. But disinfect. Be in your room. Don't get within two meters of people if you are sick.
If you go get tested, and not everyone needs to get tested. If your symptoms are minimal, I wouldn't necessarily go to the hospital right now. Because those are -- that's where the people who have the infection are going to be. And where you're more likely to get infected and the hospitals are going to get full.
If you are getting to the point where you think your symptoms are getting worse, call the hospital ahead of time. Let them know you are coming. You're probably going to go into an isolation room so that they can test you without getting other people sick.
And by the way, they'll probably test you for flu first because that is still more common. There's millions and millions of cases of flu in this country. They'll test you for flu. If that comes back negative, that may be the trigger for you to get a coronavirus test.
LEMON: You know the biggest question I get lately? I've got a number of them. But the latest one is well there's coronavirus on the back of my disinfectant.
GUPTA: Yes.
LEMON: And I saw them, well, that is the old -- well, SARS is coronavirus. This is a new strain that has not --
GUPTA: Correct. And there was a lot of people saying if it was on the back of these disinfectants, we've known about it.
LEMON: Right.
GUPTA: This is a novel coronavirus. Having said that and, you know, we are going to have to research this a little bit more. Those disinfectants are still probably very effective against this coronavirus as well.
It's a thin enveloped virus. It's not a very stable virus thankfully. When it's out in the environment, it can be deactivated even by significant U.V. light. So, use those disinfectants. Use soap and water, too, on your hands. That really does make a difference.
LEMON: Two meters.
GUPTA: There you go.
LEMON: Yes.
GUPTA: Arm length and a half.
LEMON: Arm and a half. Arm length and a half. Right? So, that's good. That's good. Thank you, doctor, I appreciate it.
GUPTA: Coming back. Yes.
LEMON: And be sure to tune in tomorrow. I'm very happy to give up my time slot for Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Anderson Cooper. They are going to hold a second CNN global town hall coronavirus fact and fears, tomorrow night at 10 p.m. They'll be on at this time. They'd be taking some of your questions and giving you great information. They are going to be right here tomorrow night.
I will be back at 11 p.m. after they do their thing. Plus, Sanjay has a new podcast. Coronavirus fact versus fiction. Listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
[22:30:01]
And the president urging the country tonight to put politics aside when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic after weeks of politicizing it. John Kasich weighs in on how much American life is going to change.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: So here's' the breaking news. President Trump addressing the nation from the Oval Office as the coronavirus is spreading -- sweeping across this country. Saying that he is banning travel from Europe to the U.S. for the next 30 days. That is everyday life in this country is changing in ways none of us could have imagine.
So, let's bring in now CNN Senior Commentator, John Kasich, the former governor of Ohio. John, thank you so much, listen, President Trump announced that he was suspending travel from Europe to the U.S. CNN then got clarification that it was about most foreign nationals, not U.S. residents. The president misrepresented the travel ban during his primetime address. And we're getting all of these mixed messages. So, give me your thoughts.
FMR. GOV. JOHN KASICH (R-OH), CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, look, I watched the address tonight. And I thought it was fine. I thought he did -- he did fine. And, you know, what I saw tonight is what I anticipated before he delivered the address.
[22:35:03]
Mr. President, you've got to be serious. You got to warn the country. We have to move forward. And just be -- stick to the script and read what's on there. And that's exactly what he did. And, you know, I know that recently -- and look, I was on with you -- I don't know a week or so ago. And I was sharply critical. Then I was on again and I said, I think they're getting their sea legs. They're doing better. I'm glad he did the address tonight. And I think that was important.
But I also believe, Don that, what is really going to -- where the action really is going to happen, in many respects in our country, is going to be at the states. And it's going to be up to governors to really -- look, I was on earlier today. I've had conversations about this. What they have to decide is they got to be serious about everything. And sometimes you have to overreact.
It's almost like a hurricane. People say, well, why did they warn so much? Well, you know, sometimes it's better to do more than to do less. And so, to me, cooperation from the federal government, it gets to the states and governors have to make choices. And they cannot make choices based on making people happy or political considerations.
LEMON: Well, listen. The governors can't, John, the governors can't make choices if there are no test kits. If the test kits that the federal government has promised aren't out there, then those governors can't make choices.
KASICH: I understand.
LEMON: And you said -- listen, you said the president should stick to the script. I don't know if he stuck to the script or not. But whatever script he read was wrong, because they've had to clarify it several times. And I just got to say. If the president came out to calm people's fears, he didn't do a good job of it because they've had to come back and clarify it several times. And this has been going on long enough for them to get it straight.
KASICH: You know what, Don.
LEMON: We need straight, accurate information from this president. And this administration. And we're not getting it. And I don't understand why you are tiptoeing around it. He came out. Gave an address that usually -- that happens very rarely. And he doesn't get it right?
KASICH: I'm going to tell you -- first of all, he read it. And somebody that wrote this -- look, I don't want to get into that. He --
LEMON: Why not? That's why you're here. To talk about the president.
KASICH: Can I finish now? Let me talk. Let me talk.
LEMON: No, you can't John, because we are here to talk about the president's --
KASICH: I can't talk?
LEMON: Wait. We are here -- I don't want you to go on and deflect and talk about something else, because we are here to talk about the president's address. And you said that someone else wrote it. He's the president. Even if someone else wrote it, it should be right.
KASICH: I know he did and he has to be -- Don. Don. He put -- he put this thing out because there was some confusion out there. OK?
LEMON: Now, there's more confusion, John.
KASICH: And what I -- look. Look. I'm trying to say to you, Don, we got to move down the road. Looking back doesn't get things fixed.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: We're not looking back. The president's address -- the president's address was tonight. That is the newest information.
KASICH: I think his address tonight, I think it was fine. I think it was fine. That's what I think.
LEMON: You think the wrong -- you think inaccurate information that you have to come back and clarify two or three times, you think that's fine?
KASICH: Look. I thought he did fine. That's what I thought. I thought he had the right tone. And he no longer played around with we're going to blame Democrats or we're -- forget this stuff. He -- I hope he's trying to move forward because he understands the seriousness of this situation.
Now, the fact that they clarify, it isn't unusual in a speech for somebody to clarify something. OK? But I don't think that the tone he showed tonight takes away from some clarification. I think he set a serious tone. That's what I wanted out of him for a long time. And I think we got it. LEMON: John.
KASICH: That's what I think. And I think we need to move forward.
LEMON: I can be serious and sit here and tell you four plus four equals 85. I am serious. That doesn't mean that I'm right. The information he gave was not right. You have to come back and clarify several times, information that you gave. Listen. I tried to cut him a break at the top of the show.
KASICH: You mean, like, who's going to get back into the country? You mean -- what is it the clarification that you thought was so terrible? Tell me what you thought about that you took away from the seriousness of the speech.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: I didn't say I thought it was terrible. I'm telling you that we are in the middle of a pandemic right now. We're in the middle of a pandemic.
KASICH: I know.
LEMON: And every time this president comes out, he gives inaccurate information. So, I don't understand why he would even come out and do it at all if he is going to confuse the American people even more. You don't understand that? You're a governor. I'm surprised that you don't understand that. If you're not going to help --
KASICH: Don, I do -- no, I do understand it.
LEMON: If you're not going to be accurate, why do it?
KASICH: Look. I'm just trying to tell you that I thought his tone tonight was good. So he had to clarify something. OK. 98 percent of what he did was good. And what we wanted was a seriousness out of the president, to tell people that things are not good and they're probably going to get worse. And I'm not saying this is going to disappear or go away. This is very serious stuff.
[22:40:00]
Now, if you got to clarify, are you still going to let products come into the country? OK, I wish it didn't have to do it. But it doesn't take away from what I thought was the seriousness of the matter. Because we all have to understand how serious it is.
And I'm not deflecting or running away. What I am telling you is, there is so much time spent on what we haven't done, and we can go back and do that. And I'm glad to come on here and talk about what we didn't do. But what I want to talk about now is what are we going to do in the --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: OK. John. I'll let you talk about that from the -- OK. OK. I thought we had another block. Sorry. I'll let you finish. I thought we had another block. Sorry. So go ahead. Well, tell me --
KASICH: I understand what you're saying.
LEMON: I thought we had another block. But listen. Tell me then what -- all I'm saying is, John, is that I think I've made my case here. If the president is going to come out and he's going to confuse people more, then don't say anything.
KASICH: I don't think, at the end, that people walked away saying I'm confused because they had to put out some kind of a correction. I think people heard what he said tonight. And they went, you know, this is really serious. But I must also tell you, Don, and I'm not deflecting, that governors today are also giving a message to people, where they live, with schools and, you know, universities, and basketball games and everything else, it should fit together. It's got to be federal, state, and local, together. That's kind of the way I see it. But look. Sometimes we agree. Sometimes we don't.
LEMON: OK. I agree with that, John. But here's what --
KASICH: But I still love you even when you don't agree with me.
LEMON: I understand that. Here's what I got. Can I travel? Can I not? That's what people are asking me. Because the president -- I don't know from the president, can I travel or not?
KASICH: I understand.
LEMON: Are goods going to be able to come in from Europe? Are they not? Every producer was running around here scrambling and saying, did the president say we need to know? We can't report it. We don't know what to report. The president said this, we don't know.
That is serious business because, guess what, we don't know what the president said. We had to clarify it. And guess what? The White House did give us a clarification, eventually. But the president, originally, no one knew -- that -- that has implications for the futures, the DOW futures?
KASICH: Here's what I kind of know. Look. OK. Here's what I kind of know. What I do know is, you shouldn't be going to Europe unless it's an emergency. And he made it clear that it's going to be much more difficult to get back in here. That he's going to watch everybody that's coming.
The fact that he didn't say, OK, if you're an American, you can get back in. I watched the thing. I was talking to the guy in my office and I said, look, here's what I heard him say. That if you are an American, you can come back in, but you're going to have to go through something in order to get back in. That's what I heard.
Now, look, I understand what you are saying about -- in terms of goods, shipping goods in. Now who's that stirred it up? He said that because he is worried about the reaction with the stock market. That's why he talked about trade. And, OK, so they didn't get it right. They came out. They clarified it. Is it settled down? I think it is. I was worried he
was going to continue to say this is not a serious problem. I don't think that's what I heard out of him tonight. But, look, I listen to certain things. You listen to certain things. That's my conclusion. Maybe we just have to disagree every once in a while.
LEMON: Thank you, John. I appreciate it. We'll be back.
KASICH: All right, Don Lemon. Thank you.
LEMON: Bye.
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[22:45:00]
LEMON: President Trump addressing the nation tonight from the Oval Office, announcing travel restrictions from Europe. Proposing plans to sure up the economy and advising nursing homes for the elderly to suspend all medically unnecessary visits.
Joining me now to discuss, Congressman Don Beyer Democrat from Virginia who is under self-quarantine after contact with a friend who has tested positive for the virus. Congressman, I'm so glad that you are here. Sorry that your friend and you are having to deal with this. Tell us the situation. What's going on?
REP. DON BEYER (D-VA): Well, we're fine. We have another couple of days in self-quarantine. But I tell you. It's really taught my wife and me a lot about how the spread of the disease can be stopped. If those who have any exposure to it will stay home.
LEMON: You watched the president's address tonight. He came out. He did, you know, put on a serious face. He was serious about it. What did you think? You think it is helpful?
BEYER: Yes. It is helpful. But I wish he had done this weeks ago. We had all this speech where he was saying this is a Democratic or a liberal hoax. That people who are sick can go to work. Don't worry about it. We see how seriously the universities are taking this now.
How Italy's in a total lockdown. It's not clear what a travel ban will do when we already have a thousand Americans sick. And that number could double in the next day or two, and double every couple of days. Right now, we have to really focus on making sure that we don't have the community spread within the United States.
LEMON: Let's talk about that because testing is an issue. There's still, clearly, not enough tests for people. Has the Trump administration done enough to -- to work on the testing? Have they mishandled this crisis? What are your thoughts?
BEYER: Well, I don't know who to blame. But somebody in the executive branch, in January, deferred and rejected the World Health Organization tests that were made available to us. Germany offered to help us, too. Somehow we decided we could do it on our own and so we're weeks behind.
The CDC chief Dr. Redfield said this morning, there are only 75,000 kits in the hands of doctors and state hospitals. Now, I know the president said there is another million on their way. That will help a lot. But right now, the only people that can afford to get tested are people with active symptoms, which means if you think you've been exposed and you might well be contagious, you can't know whether you have it or not.
LEMON: Yes. Congressman, much more to talk to you about. But I want to get a break in and we'll come back and talk to you on the other side. Please stay with us. We'll be right back.
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[22:50:00]
LEMON: I'm back now with Congressman Don Beyer, who is under self- quarantine after contact with a friend who has tested positive for coronavirus. We really appreciate him joining us. So, again, Congressman, thank you. A lot of fears in the public now. What are you hearing from your constituents, and what are you advising them?
BEYER: Well, we had a town hall meeting last night. I think all but one question was about the coronavirus. People are really worried. So, we're trying to direct them to the CDC website, all the important things about washing your hands, about social distancing. We -- you know -- everyone has banned handshaking and kissing on the cheek. But also the really important part I think is the self-quarantining.
You know, my wife and I weren't required to do it although we were advised by the Department of Health. But if you've been exposed to somebody who actively symptomatic, you really need to stay away from everybody else, because you don't know for eight, 10, 14 days whether you have it or not.
And if we can just make sure -- and I look, there's a great chart on the internet this afternoon that showed that Singapore and Hong Kong had very strict quarantine problems and had many, many less cases, much smaller dissemination of disease than places where people have been taking it more casually. Our growth curve has been very steep and that's a dangerous thing for us.
[22:55:17]
LEMON: Yes, listen, you said at the beginning of the interview -- and we started this in the block before -- you said it's been a real learning experience for you and your wife. What are you most worried about in terms of the threat to the public?
BEYER: The greatest concern for me are the people that are 80 and older and 70 and older. You know, it looks like almost no young people have died from this, and many of them just had mild symptoms. But we've got to be very careful as one of the Italian doctors said that we don't actually go out and inadvertent way encourage the extermination of the older part of our population. So, they're a source of wisdom and we love them.
LEMON: Congressman, thank you. We wish you the best and your friend. You guys be well. Thank you so much.
BEYER: Thank you, Don, very much.
LEMON: Tonight President Trump announcing new travel restrictions over the coronavirus pandemic. The NBA is suspending their season, and there's a whole lot more news breaking.
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