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Cuomo Prime Time

Ignored Warning Turns into Giant Problem; Trump Administration Acts Late; Virus Hits Even the Toughest People; Coronavirus Pandemic, At Least 14 NBA Members Test Positive For Coronavirus; Coronavirus Kills Four Family Members, More Testing Positive; Coronavirus, On The Front Lines; Calling Out The Ameri-cans And Americ-can'ts. Aired 10- 11p ET

Aired March 20, 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]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: All right. That's all the time we have. Stay safe, everybody. We want to turn it over to Chris for Cuomo Prime Time. Chris?

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: All right, Anderson, thank you for doing the right thing there at home.

I am Chris Cuomo. You've got me for a special two-hour edition of Prime Time.

This has been one of the toughest weeks of our lives together. Everything has changed. And, now, we have breaking news. So, together as ever, as one, let's get after it.

All right. Now, we are taking a look at big reporting that just came out. All right? The story tonight from The Washington Post is about whether or not we could have been ready for the pandemic sooner.

Specifically, that back in January, intelligence officials were trying to get the attention of the White House. And they were not being taken seriously. That the White House and staff didn't want to listen to the information that a pandemic from China was likely.

Now, this is not about going backwards. Our focus is forwards. But we need to know how we got here. To understand what lessons must be learned going forward.

One of the reporters on this is Josh Dawsey from The Washington Post. Josh Dawsey, thank you very much for joining us. What do you know?

JOSH DAWSEY, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: So, in January and February, Chris, the intelligence community was presenting the president different global threat reports that showed ominous symbols of this pandemic.

So, the Chinese were not telling the truth about how many cases there were. They were not telling the truth about how bad it was and that it could be spreading precipitously and quickly across the world.

And they were trying to flag this to the White House to say, hey, this is something you need to be paying attention to. What our reporting indicates is that the president, at that time, was very skeptical of these reports.

He was saying that he wanted -- relationship with President xi of China. That he did not think it would affect the United States. He got to fight for China. He did not see it happening here.

And he was fairly dismissive of some of the concerns that the intelligence community and others were raising about the potential of a pandemic.

CUOMO: All right. So, let's unpack this a little bit. CNN has confirmed some of this. Some of this, we're relying on you. Look. There's no small irony that if this is accurate that the president went from not believing that this could happen in China to wanting to blame China to the extent he does now, would be really remarkable.

But what, exactly, did the intel officials try to communicate in January? That there was a virus spreading very quickly? Did they think China was trying to develop a virus? I mean, what was their risk analysis? How did they describe the threat?

DAWSEY: I don't think they're developing the virus. We don't know that that was in the report. What we do know is that it was spreading quickly in China and that they did not believe the Chinese were being completely transparent and honest about the risk assessment going forward.

What we also know, pass the intelligence community, in early January, Chris, January 3rd, Robert Redfield and Alex Azar, two of the top healthcare officials in the country start talking about this. It takes two weeks for Azar to get on the president's schedule.

On January 18th, Azar gives the president the first briefing about this. And as he is briefing the president about the coronavirus pandemic or the potential of it, the president interrupts him and begins talking about vaping. And talking about the controversies of vaping and why some of the flavors are on the shelves. And whether the administration made the right call or not.

And what we heard from multiple sources throughout our reporting, Chris, is that the president was just not that interested in this topic for a long time.

CUOMO: Right. So, let's take a step on that, Josh. Let's take a step on that, though. Just, you know, in the interest of abundance of fairness here.

DAWSEY: Sure.

CUOMO: Did the president have reason to believe, according to your reporting, that this was something worth taking seriously? Versus what? Versus one of the endless stacks of analysis and intelligence briefings and potential threats and potential terrorist organizations that a president is flooded with ordinarily.

DAWSEY: Right. I think that's a fair point but I think the end of January, the president goes to Davos. And there is a meeting in Mick Mulvaney's office who was the chief of staff at that time, right, when he gets back.

And a number of the president's top aides, including the head of the domestic policy council, which handles these issues says to the other aides in the White House, you know, if we don't start dealing with this seriously, the president is not going to get re-elected. We're going to have real problem on our hands.

[22:05:00]

So early on, you can -- you can make the shared argument that maybe the president is presented with, you know, lots of challenges every day. Lots of national security threats. Lots of public health threats. And maybe this is just one of many problems. And maybe fairly sees it as that.

But at the end of January, all of our reporting indicates inside the White House, from the president's top aides, intelligence officials, public health officials, myriad of people are sounding the alarm. And saying, you know, this is going to be different. We really have to focus on this.

And after that, Chris, you have all of February with the president essentially saying we don't have many cases here. Everything is fine. We're going to be OK. We don't have much to worry about.

CUOMO: Right.

DAWSEY: And only in the beginning of March is when you see the president's tone change.

CUOMO: Right.

DAWSEY: You see new statistical modeling. He hears from CEOs. He watches the markets drop. And then, all of a sudden, he says we really need to take this seriously.

CUOMO: OK. Josh Dawsey, thank you very much for the reporting. Again, Washington Post has this story. CNN has some of it confirmed. We are trying to understand this.

And to be honest with you, the picture of how much forewarning there was about this has always pretty clearly represented that there was reason to know.

They had done a test drill just a year ago for exactly this kind of outcome. There was an office set up to deal with this kind of stuff after what happened with Ebola that was closed.

We know mistakes were made. The question is how do we make fewer going forward? Let's talk to a former national health authority, Andy Slavitt. He led Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services in the Obama administration. He talks to the CDC. He is an advisor there. Great to have you, Andy. A pleasure. Just had you on the radio show the other day.

So, look, we have a clear understanding of the past. And that mistakes were made. Fine. Now, in real-time, how do you assess the urgency with which capacity is being addressed? Specifically, the president appearing to pull the trigger on his national powers of emergency to speed up production. But then saying not yet.

ANDY SLAVITT, ACTING ADMINISTRATOR, CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES: Chris, I worry that the same pattern exists, which is that, you know, he wants to call himself a wartime president and I would love him to be a wartime president. But for him to be a wartime president, he needs to be skeptical, he needs to be reading his maps, he needs to be arming his troops, he needs to be devastated at every loss. He needs to be strategically pulling the levers.

And not presenting rosy pictures. Not speculating on something that could happen in the future. And arguing over what -- what level of optimism there should be. He should be preparing for the worst.

Obviously, we're all hoping for the best. And I say this as someone who has criticized him plenty of times in the past. But desperately wants him to succeed, and would do anything I can to help him succeed.

CUOMO: So, style aside and tone, and I know messaging matters. I get it. But that's not what this president is known for in terms of optimism, bringing the country together and putting us all on the same page. In terms of the operational efficiency, efficacy, and moves by this administration, what's your sense?

SLAVITT: He's behind. I think he gets -- I think they get where the governors are, you know, a week or so too late. And so instead of being a week ahead and saying what's going to happen next week?

They're coming to realizations that are well known to people who are paying a lot of attention. Well known to the scientists. Well known to the governors. And it's not that difficult.

Just as he could have known more by watching China and listening to his intelligence officials. If he's watching Italy, he should know we're about 10 to 12 days, in New York City, from the same kind of horrific scenes that were just broadcast on -- out today and a number of new articles. And people in Italy are begging us and pleading with us to take this much more seriously than we are. And I think it goes with the president --

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: I've seen the videos. But, Andy, help me with the 10 to 12 days, Andy. Because, you know, people are getting so many numbers thrown at them about timing on this.

SLAVITT: Sure.

CUOMO: What's 10 to 12 days? Where do you get that from? SLAVITT: Sure. So, if you look at the caseload of new cases, they are

effectively doubling every three days. That's the pattern. That's called exponential growth. And that's what happened in Italy. And it happened in Italy about two weeks before it happened -- it started happening here in the U.S.

Now, we're a big country. And even in Italy, northern Italy and southern Italy are facing very different environments. So that doesn't mean that in the city you live in, that you're going to have that kind of scene in 10 to 12 days. But it means that if you go back to the 12 days and looked at northern Italy, that's what it looks like here, now. And we are seeing the same case --

[22:09:58]

CUOMO: But don't we have a much more sophisticated healthcare system than they do?

SLAVITT: I'm sorry?

CUOMO: Two things. One, we're not Italy in terms of our sophistication and our ability to move human capital in our healthcare system. And, secondly, how much of the doubling of the cases is us just catching up with the reality because of the testing lag? Versus knowing that the virus itself is spreading at that rate.

SLAVITT: Well, we're -- we're doing more than doubling of the cases as we're doing more testing. So, there's a number of undiagnosed cases, and you're right, we're seeing -- but we're seeing -- we are seeing a steeper curve of growth than Italy did because we were behind in testing.

So, I suspect that that steeper curve is exactly what you are talking about, Chris. It is -- that's due to the fact that we're just doing more cases and discovering them. Or testing.

CUOMO: So, because, I mean, isn't that a little less scary for people that the cases are here. It's not like, you know, to use the war analogy, it's not like the enemy is moving among us at a faster rate than we expected. It's here. It's been here. It may have been here longer than we've expected. And we're just discovering its presence, as opposed to it moving in real time. Is that a distinction?

SLAVITT: Yes. So, I -- I'm going to just emphasize a different point, which is that if you take a number and double it every three days, it's not long before tens become hundreds and hundreds become thousands. And thousands become tens of thousands. And tens of thousands become hundreds of thousands, et cetera.

And, you know, now, we're talking about 6,000 and we're talking about death tolls that are expanding very, very rapidly. So, whether or not it -- we're catching up with the backlog or not, we are going to see that continuation in all likelihood. Unless -- and, look, the future is not -- that's not destined to happen.

That's what's going to happen unless we dramatically change and improve things. A lot of the problems are overwhelmed care providers --

CUOMO: Right.

SLAVITT: -- and people who are just mingling too much socially, still. If we are doing that here in the U.S., we can expect the same result.

CUOMO: So, Andy, let's do this. Let me get in a quick break here because we've thrown a lot of information at the audience. Stay with me. Let's come back and talk about the kinds of things that need to be done and in order what and what you know about the government's ability to do it because of your background. OK? We are going to handle all that. Stay with CNN.

[22:15:00]

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CUOMO: I never wanted people to watch us more than I do right now because it means that, you're home. And I know our job is so important to you right now, and we're taking it deadly seriously. More than I've ever seen in the business.

Hopefully, you are going to encourage others to do the same. Especially you, my young brothers and sisters. We need you to step up. I know this hits you in specific ways. No prom. No spring break for some. Not enough of you. Maybe no graduation.

So many the things that you believe are the pinnacle of your life but they aren't. Life is long. You'll get to celebrate those things, in time. Have a long life and help others do the same.

What you are doing right now is not hiding. It is starving the virus. It is not a show of fear. It's a show of force. America is strong because it does what it needs to do when things are tough. That time is now.

Now, to understand what we have to do, let's get back with Andy Slavitt, who led the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services in the Obama administration.

So, Andy, thank you for helping me talk through people's misgivings about rate and growth and numbers and weeks and everything that's being thrown at them. Now, let's deal with the operational. What needs to be happening right now to prepare for what's next?

SLAVITT: So, let me answer that on two levels. Today, we released a comprehensive set of recommendations for Congress that's a five-point plan. That we think is what needs to be done for dealing with this current situation.

And its support for states, for people who are working on the front lines of healthcare and for individuals. It's really, number one, committing to make sure we support the front-line workforce in the health care system with a $5,000 a month stipend.

Number two, making sure that we give the Americans the financial security and wherewithal to stay home. And hash tag stay home is the big initiative that you just talked about.

Number three is making sure the healthcare costs are taken care of. Number four it's focusing on the most vulnerable population. If we're going to have a high death toll, we know where it's going to come from. It's going to come from nursing homes and low income and people with chronic conditions. So, there is a piece in there for that.

And the fifth piece is how we need to mobilize the full resources of this country the energy, the manufacturing capability, the innovation, and the ingenuity on behalf of this country. It's expensive but so is the depression. And so are a lot of deaths. And so, we take this plan which is at usfcare.org is really the kind of infrastructure we need to really start focusing on.

CUOMO: So, some of that stuff is legislative and that will take some time for them to figure out how to do it. I have to tell you I am hearing stories of people getting hit with hospital bills, which I have to tell you shocks me a little bit.

I really am surprised to hear that hospitals would have the gull to bill people right now when they know that every politician on both sides of the aisle have been saying not to do that. That's question number one. How can that still be happening?

SLAVITT: So right now, the administration is working on I guess what you might colloquially a bailout package for hospitals. And the truth is, this is the system that we have in this country. Where your ability to get care depends on a large degree, on your ability to pay.

I think we're now seeing the price of that. So, along with this, I've been working with the administration on what we should be asking for. Including, very obviously, making sure that nobody has to worry about the payment of these service -- for these services.

[22:19:57]

But the hospitals are going to get big checks pretty soon. And when they get with those big checks, that all has to stop. So, I would tell you, if you need to use the hospital and you only need to use the hospital if you're really sick, you don't need to use it just if you have a fever.

If you need to use the hospital, do not worry about the payment. Your health is more important. And a bunch of us are going to fight like hell to make sure that you never have to pay that bill.

CUOMO: Well, that fight has to be won. And it has to be won in the early round. Like, first-round knockout for a couple of reasons. One, so many hospitals now -- I don't want too deep in the weeds but you are going to know exactly what I'm talking about.

They're charitable hospitals now. A lot of them are, you know, 501C-3 they're charities. And so, for them to be charging at all right now is a little curious.

But secondly, it's easy to say people don't have to worry about paying as long as the hospital doesn't try to bankrupt them. And go after their credit rating and everything else that hospitals do. So, we need that fix. OK.

So now, on another side, Andy, the manufacturing side. Totally with you. Full "Rosie the Riveter." Why are we trying to source masks from all over the world if people can make them here? Is anything happening on that front? Other than that, one initial statement about it by the president?

SLAVITT: So, look, I want to answer both pieces. First -- first of all, Mitch McConnell introduced a first volley and a third piece of legislation. That legislation provides income support. Supposed to provide income support for Americans.

Guess what? It excludes low-income Americans. It excludes anybody who makes, I think, under $50,000 a year. They don't get any relief. Also, no snap benefits. No insurance benefits. No housing benefits. It is not going to cut it. So, they need to get serious about that right away.

Secondly, on a manufacturing front, you know, I think where we're going to probably develop some formula, which is like a month after Trump announces something, things will finally start to happen. And this is because we don't have the control, infrastructure, and oversight at the federal level that I wish we had.

I think what -- what we've proposed is that the federal government guarantee that they will pay for 500,000 ventilators and a billion masks. Once the federal government makes that guarantee, everybody and their brother's going to start manufacturing up.

But sending those strong signals. Again, this is where we need to work with the president -- to be working with the president. Make a definitive statement. Say, I'm going to pay for 500,000 ventilators if you make them and a billion masks, and they're going to get made.

CUOMO: Andy Slavitt, I appreciate it. Thank you very much for the insight. As this situation goes around, you know I will continue to call on you for some perspective on what's going on and what needs to happen. Be well.

SLAVITT: Great.

CUOMO: Stay healthy. All right.

Now, this situation is new for all of us. It is the new normal. And you got to say normal, not abnormal, because this is what happens in life. Societies face challenges. Easy to say, remotely.

But when you know someone who's sick or it's a familiar face, it takes on a whole new shape. It's not something you're just watching along and kind of mystified by. You're terrified.

We have a full-fledged NBA star here who just tested positive and he has a message for you. Thank God he is young and as strong as they come in our country. But what has he learned? How did he get it? And what he wants you to know about how to live your life. Ahead.

[22:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Coronavirus hitting the world. Hitting the sports world. The NBA, in particular, seeing the most reported cases. Fourteen members have tested positive for coronavirus. Ten of them are players. Stars like Rudy Gobert, Kevin Durant, and the latest announcement coming from the Boston Celtics. Guard Marcus Smart joins me on the phone now. Marcus, can you hear me?

MARCUS SMART, BASKETBALL PLAYER, BOSTON CELTICS: Yes, I can, Chris.

CUOMO: God bless you and anybody around you. How are you feeling?

SMART: I feel great. I feel fine, you know, I feel like I can go play a game right now.

CUOMO: Nope. When did they tell you that you have the virus? And how did it hit you when you heard that?

SMART: I found out yesterday evening sometime. And for me, it was just like a surprise, you know, because like I said, I feel fine. I haven't had any symptoms. So, for me, like when they told me I had it, I was just like, wow. You know, and it definitely really makes you alert to what's going on in the situation at hand.

CUOMO: Now, had you been playing it fast and loose before this? Were you not like really taking the isolation thing seriously? I mean, how do you think you got it?

SMART: No, I've actually been taken isolation -- the quarantine very, very seriously. I've been quarantined for a while now. Ever since we got back from our road trip and decided to get, you know, the team tested. I have been quarantined ever since. So, I'm doing everything I'm supposed to. Washing my hands. And germ-x and everything.

CUOMO: Do you hear what (Inaudible) just said, since he came back and they told him to quarantine, he's been doing it. If anybody has a reason to believe they can beat the virus, just Google who Marcus Smart is. What he looks like and what he's capable of, physically. You would feel you could beat it, too. He did the right thing. So, should everybody else.

Now, you're only a few days into it. How worried are you, and the doctors around you, that you may develop something worse? How concerned are you about that?

SMART: Actually, I'm not -- I'm not that concerned at all. You know, like I said, I feel fine. No symptoms. And, you know, I talked to my doctors and they feel the exact same way with me. And they just told me, you know, you haven't really experienced any symptoms yet.

So, you know, you should be -- I mean, you already being quarantined. So, you should be, you know, on that last curve of the ball. And so, we -- we -- everybody in my -- my corner feels great on this end. And we -- we just ready to finally get this behind us. And move on, like I said.

[22:29:57]

But we're taking the steps to make sure we keep, you know, everybody else safe around me. My loved ones. And just, you know, people, you know, out in the streets and making sure, you know, we keep the contact limitless and just quarantine. That's the biggest key really isolating yourself.

CUOMO: Boy, I have to tell you that is such an important message. And I hope everybody at home is absorbing it. Not just that it's Marcus Smart, he's a big star. But he feels fine. He is asymptomatic. By the way, about 80 percent of people who get this virus will make it through, thank God, and a lot of them are asymptomatic. But he's still not going outside. What do you want people to know, Marcus?

SMART: And that's the key. That's the key right there. Because, you know, people that contract the virus can be asymptomatic and not show any symptoms is really hard for anyone to know that, you know, they have the virus. And being around a group of people, being around friends and family, and, you know, really not isolating yourself, you are a carrier and you've become -- you become spreading the virus around with not even knowing.

And that's the biggest key because you can't tell just by looking at somebody whether they have it or not because they can still look healthy and normal. And still have it and spread it. And then that's where we get the problem where we have now.

I advise, especially, you know, around my generation, I'm 26. Take it seriously. You know, be positive. I'm OK. I'm going to be OK. But definitely, be alert to what's going on and take the precautions to not only protect yourself. By protecting yourself, you protect others.

CUOMO: God bless you, Marcus Smart. Thank you very much for taking the time to talk to me. I've always been a fan of your talent. But now, I'm a bigger fan than I would have ever imagined, especially as a Knicks fan. Thank you for giving that message to people about protecting themselves and protecting everybody else. God willing you don't have any symptoms. I look forward to seeing you on the court. Thank you for giving this message to people.

SMART: Thank you, Chris.

CUOMO: Be well. Good luck with everything.

All right. Marcus Smart. He feels fine. OK? The man is a machine. In terms of his physical capabilities. He's still staying home, preserving the protocols. He's got all the money, all the access. He can do whatever he wants. He's an NBA star. He's doing the right thing. How can any of us not? When we come back, we have more on a story that we told you about last night. That really shook a lot of people. Everybody feels like they were a Fusco after hearing about the family where four people have been lost to coronavirus in New Jersey already. The story is very far from over. An update next.

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[22:35:00]

CUOMO: We're going to hear about a lot of tough things together. But I hope we never hear about something else like we did last night. Do you remember the Fusco family? How can you forget? We met them together last night. The matriarch, grace, and three of her children. All of them gone in less than a week from coronavirus. Grace's daughter Elizabeth explained the heartbreak and the fear in her family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH FUSCO, LOST FOUR FAMILY MEMBERS TO CORONAVIRUS: I woke up Tuesday morning. The baby of 11. My mom called me and said, Lizzy, I don't feel good. Rita don't feel good. Tony don't feel good. Can you come -- can you come help us?

I said, absolutely, ma. To know that two of those women I sat with on Tuesday and -- and nourished and promised everything's going to be OK to is gone. They were the root of our life. And my two oldest brothers. Like, they were the core of our family since my dad's been gone. They have held us together like no other.

And it's like the second we start to grieve about one, the phone rings and there is another person gone, taken from us forever. It -- it's not like it was one. Like time we got over my first sister, not over, by the time it settled in our brains, we got the next call.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: It's just heartbreaking. There were others who are in the ICU from the family, 20 are quarantined. They were all waiting on test results and we couldn't understand why. We promised to follow up and we did. We called the New Jersey governor's office. He and his office responded quickly. And got a bunch of test results to the hospital and the family. They contacted the family. They're taking up the cause to get more information, and to figure out how this virus could take so many in just one family. They're like their own cluster.

So, this was supposed to be a good update. But it turns out that Elizabeth, the person you just met, was one of the people waiting on the test. And she has tested positive. And she says and her daughter has, too, and her daughter is compromised. I just can't believe this is happening to this family.

And I know they're watching. You're in our prayers. Everybody wants to see the best outcome for you. And we promise, whatever we can do to get you the information, to get you the help you need, we will. Because there but for the grace, any of us could be in the same position as the Fusco family.

To have so much love lost in such a short amount of time, it is heartbreaking. So we'll keep in touch with them. I'll let you know what's happening. They have a long way to go. And by extension, so do the rest of us. And so, now, I hope you're hearing what sounded so obvious in the beginning, a little differently. Wash your hands. Stay home if you are sick. Stay alone as much as you can. Isolation doesn't mean you're alone. You can be in touch without touching. Please, take it seriously. It could make all the difference. Just think of what the Fusco's are dealing with.

[22:40:10]

I want to now go to someone on the front lines. Risking their life to save as many as they can. And they need your help. Dr. Amy Compton- Phillips. She treated the first coronavirus patient in the U.S. She treated a lot more and it's going to keep going for months. How can she keep going? How can her fellow workers keep going? If we can't keep them safe. PPE. You're going to hear that acronym again and again and again. They need masks, gloves, gowns. She started an effort to help ramp it up. We have an update. Back with the doc. Good to see you right now. So, where are we in getting you what you need?

DR. AMY COMPTON-PHILLIPS CHRIS, TREATED FIRST U.S. CORONAVIRUS PATIENT: you have been incredible in getting us what we need. We put out the 100 million mask challenge, and since that time, we have been drowning in love. And so thank you to everybody in the community that responded astoundingly. And so what we're hoping now is that other organizations, other hospitals, can work with their community to do the same thing because they really stepped up.

CUOMO: I don't want love. I want masks. How many did you get, doc? And how many do you still need?

COMPTON-PHILLIPS: We are now getting 25,000 masks a day being produced for us, which is unbelievable. Yeah. The community pitched in.

CUOMO: So, you're good in the mask. Well, look.

COMPTON-PHILLIPS: We're good on the masks.

CUOMO: Gowns? Gloves?

COMPTON-PHILLIPS: We're going to go up and down, though, with other things. Gowns, gloves, at the moment, we're OK. But we -- we will hit -- because exactly like you just said, we are at -- and I've been describing it to people as the beginning of the middle, right? So we've had the little bit -- the low rate of transmission. And that's why people have thought, you know, why are you crazy? You're shutting down the community over two or three or eight infections.

But we're now at the point that you're starting to see the steep ramp up in the curve. And so all that social distancing, everything people are doing, it's because we can stop the brushfires, stop the transmission, put an end to the rapid uptick, so that we don't need as much PPE. If we can stop it, we don't put everybody in the community at risk, including healthcare workers.

CUOMO: So you are good for now. People should not go to providence.org and check out the site for now? For now, you're good? COMPTON-PHILLIPS: We are good. But other healthcare organizations that

we've spoken to are not. And so, absolutely, the 100 million mask challenge isn't just for providence. It's for every healthcare organization in the country. And lots of colleagues of mine are not good at the moment.

CUOMO: All right. Good. So they still go to the site. You will show them other places where they can help. I'll put that message out there. We'll put it on social media. We'll do it consistently. We will check back with you at least every week.

COMPTON-PHILLIPS: Thank you.

CUOMO: Let me ask you a clinical question while I have you. You know, all politics aside and, you know, you can criticize the chief executive. But we need him. We need them all safe and healthy. This idea -- not this idea -- this discovery that one of the V.P.'s staff members tested positive. It makes me worried about them all being bunched up. I know they have to do the job. I know they can't isolate the way the rest of us can. But what is kind of like the operating understanding of what standard operating procedure should be for them when someone's tested positive who is part of the V.P.'s team?

COMPTON-PHILLIPS: They -- the challenge is, you know, coughing, sneezing, close proximity. Shaking the hand of somebody who's touched their face previously and has it on their hand. Its puts everybody at risk being that close proximity.

And so I would, definitely, ask all of our leaders to model what we know is the right thing to do. And that's to maintain appropriate distance. To not shake hands. To not be in close contact. To not touch your face when you're talking, which I know it's really hard not to do, but we need to do it.

And so I really think we need our leaders to model what we're asking. We also need our leaders to model being open, honest, and forthright with the risk and the potential that's coming.

CUOMO: I mean, I love the show of force of seeing the people behind the president, especially in this atmosphere where it helps the country's confidence to know that there are a lot of other people working on this. But having them all up there, they're all tight like that, this seems exactly like what you guys are telling us not to do. Couldn't they just have, like, a few of them up there at a time or something like that? Would that make a meaningful difference?

COMPTON-PHILLIPS: If I were the stage set designer behind the president, I would probably would design it differently, yes.

CUOMO: And if you were tested once and you don't have it, it doesn't mean that you don't have to keep being tested, right? If you are in that same kind of situation when you're in proximity to people getting sick.

COMPTON-PHILLIPS: It does not and we don't know the actual numbers yet of how good this actual test is. But there's several reasons that the test can be false negative. That can actually show that you're negative but it turns out later that you're positive.

[22:45:10]

One is that the test collection itself isn't comfortable. People don't like it. And if you don't really get in there with a swab, in the nose, you can actually miss getting the virus. Because you're actually testing for the RNA of the virus. The other thing is that many of the tests have to stay cold. And so if you break that cold chain, you can -- you cannot get a positive test even though you are positive. So, a negative isn't a negative isn't a negative.

CUOMO: What's your level of confidence right now about how we're going to do?

COMPTON-PHILLIPS: I am very confident that, for the next two weeks, we're going to continue to see an uptick in cases because even if -- even with being perfect at social isolation, the people we're seeing coming to the hospital right now are people who were exposed to the virus two, three weeks ago. And they've actually started getting the symptoms and they started getting worse, to the point they need to get to the hospital.

So even with everybody doing exactly perfect social isolation, we will see continued increases in cases. After that, I am hoping that we will level off and we'll be much -- we'll be able to keep up with the continuous, ongoing demand after that.

CUOMO: That's the part that scares me the most is that it's like two, three weeks later, you can get sick from something that happened, you know, that long ago. That's just one of the freak factors that we're all dealing with getting comfortable with, and negotiating in our daily behavior and our expectations. We got to get our minds right about what we're worried about and what risk really is.

Dr. Amy Compton-Phillips. One thing I know for sure is we will follow up with you on a regular basis to tell us what it's like on the front lines. What you need and how we can help.

COMPTON-PHILLIPS: Thank you so much, Chris.

CUOMO: Doc, be safe. Be well, and send our love to your colleagues. All right. This is the time that everybody's telling us to stand together as the United States of America. We've got it on our money what we're about. e pluribus unum, out of many, one. One out of many. Say it anyway you like. But right now is we got to step up and you know what? You are. It fills my heart to see all the Americans out there. And you need to see them, too. To remind you what we're about when times are worst, we're at our best.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[22:50:00]

CUOMO: Ameri-cans and American'ts, celebrate what we can be and call out what we cannot be right now. First, Ameri-can'ts, we need leaders to be honest and transparent. Senators Richard Burr and Kelly Loeffler are under scrutiny, because they sold stocks ahead of the economic downturn. Burr is the chairman of the Intelligence Committee. I don't care if they sell. That's not my issue. The problem is they were both privately warned in closed doors briefings about the dire impacts of the pandemic last month, before they sold.

So, they knew things the public didn't. I don't know if this is a legal issue. But it's about leadership. My problem is Burr, telling people we were prepared. That it would be OK. Loeffler doing the same thing. Downplaying the threat. And Burr dumps $1.7 million in stocks ahead of the market crash. Loeffler and her husband sells millions in stocks in January and February. Then buy into Teleconference giants Citrix. A company by the way -- her husband by the way, is the chairman of the New York stock exchange.

Now, again, I'm not saying they broke any laws or even any Senate rules. But it just doesn't smell right. Burr is asking the Senate Ethics Committee to investigation. And Loeffler says she's happy to answer any questions. Yes, I'm sure. When your party is in power and they don't punish anything by anyone.

But right now let's just see it for what it is. All right? Another spectacle that unfolded on live television today. We can't have this from our main leader. President Trump lashing out at a reporter. I know it's not shocking. But here the question that brought such incredible and unwarranted fury. At NBC's Peter Alexander, who I know he's a good reporter. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER ALEXANDER, NBC NEWS WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: What do you say to Americans that are scared? I guess nearly 200 dead, 14,000 who are sick. Millions as you witness who are scared right now. What do you say to Americans who are watching you right now, who are scared?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I say that you're a terrible reporter. That's what I say. I think it's a very nasty question and I think it's a very bad signal that you're putting out to the American people. The American people are looking for answers and they are looking for hope. And you're doing sensationalism and the same with NBC and Con-cast. I don't call it Comcast, I call it Con- cast.

Let me just ask from whom you work? Let me just tell you something. That's really bad reporting. And you ought to get back to reporting instead of sensationalism. Let's see if it works. It might and it might not. I happen to feel good about it. But who knows? I have been right a lot. Let's see what happens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Trump supporters, is it an unfair question to ask what he says to people who are afraid right now? When you know damn well, some of them are afraid, because they can't trust the information that comes out of our president's mouth and they're getting mixed messages and let's be honest, we really don't know a damn thing about what's going to happen. You really think it's wrong to ask about fear? Or do you think what's wrong is not taking the opportunity to address people's fear. Come on, man. This is the time that everybody has to step up.

It's not a time for this petty grievance. You know that wasn't a bad question. Everybody who watches those briefing know that Alexander is a top-rated guy. He's a straight legit guy. I know him. I know his sister. He's not trying to cause trouble, man. He's probably afraid for his kids and his family.

[22:55:10]

Like I am for mine. Like you are for yours. We don't need that out of the president right now. We need him at his best. You understand? All right, so, look, those are the can'ts. All right? We are going to get our nation healthy again. It's going to take time. The big question is how? When the president is not on the same page with some of his top health officials. We've got a doctor here to sort it out. Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Hi everybody. I hope you're home. I hope you're doing well. And I hope you know we are going to get through this together. I'm Chris Cuomo, welcome to another special hour of Primetime. America hunkered down in ways like we've never experienced before in our lives. As the numbers of cases go up, they are going to use the word exponentially now.