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Americans Head into Holiday Weekend amid Fear, Concerns; Study Finds Hydroxychloroquine Linked to Higher Risk of Death; Brazil Passes Russia in Number of Cases, Now Second to U.S.; U.K. Announces 14-Day Quarantine for Incoming Travelers; Coronavirus Vaccine Reaches Advanced Stages of Human Trials; China Sends Message of Control at Annual Meeting; Georgia Authorities Arrest Man Who Shot Video of Arbery Killing; NFL Stars to Join Tiger, Phil for Charity Golf Match. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired May 23, 2020 - 04:00   ET

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


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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio 7 here at CNN Center in Atlanta. I am Michael Holmes.

Coming up here, President Trump touted an untested COVID-19 drug and he says that he has been taking it.

"What do you have to lose," he said?

New data shows, potentially, your life.

The White House warns China of sanctions as Beijing tightens its grip on Hong Kong.

And if you are traveling to the U.K., it will look like this, fly in a plane, land in the airport and sit at home for two weeks.

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HOLMES: Welcome, everyone.

The weekend marks the annual Memorial Day holiday in the United States. It is a time to remember those who gave their lives in battle. But this year, of course, it is different. It is happening in the middle of a global pandemic that continues to ravage communities around the world.

Since the first U.S. death was reported at the end of February just 12 weeks ago, COVID-19 has killed 96,000 people in the U.S. and U.S. health officials expect that it will climb to 100,000 by the first of June.

Even as new cases and deaths rise daily, the Trump administration is urging the states to reopen quickly so people can do the things they normally do as long as they practice social distancing. And now the U.S. president demanding that places of worship reopen

immediately, even threatening to force the issue if state governors resist. It was only a few weeks ago that President Trump said that he would leave those decisions up to the individual governors.

President Trump has claimed that he has been taking an anti-malaria drug to avoid catching the coronavirus but now there is evidence that that drug is ineffective and can even be deadly. More now from Kaitlan Collins at the White House.

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KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A new study shows that an anti-malaria drug championed by President Trump may harm coronavirus patients.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hydroxychloroquine.

COLLINS: This study is the largest analysis done to date. And it reveals that coronavirus patients who were seriously ill and given chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine were more likely to develop abnormal heart rhythms or even die.

DR. DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR: First, this -- I think the FDA has been very clear on their Web site about their concerns about hydroxychloroquine.

COLLINS: Trump has been taking the drug, in hopes of preventing himself from getting coronavirus, despite a warning from the FDA that it hasn't been proven to be safe or effective at treating the virus or preventing it.

TRUMP: Hydroxychloroquine, try it. If things don't go as planned, it's not going to kill anybody.

COLLINS: Trump didn't address the study today, but he did announce that the CDC will issue new guidance declaring places of worship as essential.

TRUMP: In America, we need more prayer, not less.

COLLINS: Trump says he wants churches and other places reopened immediately and claimed he will overrule governors who push back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential but have left out churches and other houses of worship. It's not right. If they don't do it, I will override the governors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The new guidelines encourage religious houses to promote good hygiene like handwashing, wear cloth face coverings, intensify cleanings and encourage social distancing, while minimizing the use of shared worship materials like prayer books or hymnals. He left questions about his statement to Dr. Deborah Birx and his press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany.

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Boy, it's interesting to be in a room that desperately wants to seem to see these churches and houses of worship stay closed.

QUESTION: I object to that. I mean, I go to church. I'm dying to go back to church.

BIRX: Maybe they wait another week.

COLLINS: Today marked Dr. Birx's first appearance in the Briefing Room since late April. Lately, she and other officials like Dr. Fauci have largely disappeared from the airwaves, something Dr. Fauci told CNN will change soon.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NIAID DIRECTOR: We have been talking with the communications people and they realize we need to get some of this information out.

COLLINS: has most traditional Memorial Day activities have been postponed or altered, Dr. Birx encouraged Americans to maintain distance, but spend time outside this weekend.

BIRX: You can play golf. You can play tennis with marked balls. You can go to the beaches.

COLLINS: The president ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff in honor of those who have lost their lives from the virus.

Now the White House hasn't clarified which authority it is that the president is citing when he says he can overrule these governors when it comes to opening up these houses of worship.

But we should note that the governor of New Hampshire was asked about the president's comments. He said, no, it's the governors who will make those decisions about when those places can reopen -- Kaitlan Collins, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: A grave new milestone for Brazil. It now has the second highest number of coronavirus cases in the world, only behind the U.S. On Friday, the country's health ministry reporting nearly 21,000 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to more than 330,000.

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HOLMES: More than 21,000 people have died from the virus there so far.

And in Peru, the nationwide lockdown there is being extended through the end of June. This coming as the number of people with coronavirus continues to climb. The government reporting more than 111,000 cases so far, an increase of almost 3,000 cases just on Friday. Peru has the second greatest number of COVID-19 cases in Latin America behind Brazil.

And in Mexico, that country is setting a grim record Friday, the most deaths it has seen in a single day. It reported 479 patients succumbed to the virus, the total number of cases in Mexico, more than 62,000, almost 7,000 deaths.

The U.K. is planning to enforce new quarantine rules starting June 8th and they are already coming under fire. The rules will require most travelers to self-isolate for two weeks upon arrival. There will be some expectations.

The British prime minister meanwhile might have to travel himself. Boris Johnson could be heading to the U.S. next month for a potential G7 meeting -- if it happens. Nic Robertson is joining me live from London.

Let's talk about this quarantine order.

How is it going to work, is there a sense that it is necessary?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: There are questions about how it's going to work. The government says that it is necessary. The government says that contrary to the anger and popular opinion, that the government should have put a quarantine in many months ago.

The government says that misses the point, that the reason to put the quarantine in place now is that the numbers are coming down in the U.K., that the infection rates are dropping and therefore there is a more significant threat coming from outside.

How is it going to work remains a question. There are questions whether the police force, who say they are stretched, or the border force should be doing the followup checks to make sure that people are actually abiding by the quarantine restrictions, which is to -- when you are coming to the country, to tell authorities where you will be for those 14 days and then not leave.

So there are questions about that. There are questions from the tourist industry about how this will affect tourism in the U.K. And people will want to go on holidays this summer, still a lot of pressure for that.

And perhaps the biggest question more broadly across the business sector is how is this going to impact Britain trying to restart its economy. These are all fundamental questions that every country is facing at the moment.

But one of the criticisms additional to those is why has the British government waited so long?

It announced this yesterday but it is waiting until the 8th of June to put in place something it says is very important. So there is a lot of questions being asked about it. HOLMES: Yes, you'd think very important, would be very important. I

want to ask you, too, about Boris Johnson, whether he will travel to the U.S. next month for what is really a potential G7. Trump hasn't made that decision yet.

Is there a sense that it would be a good idea for the British prime minister?

ROBERTSON: Certainly from Number 10 Downing Street the view is that this meeting, the G7 was always going to be beneficial to Boris Johnson. He is trying to push through negotiations with the European Union and part of Brexit.

And part of that is to be able to say that I have a good free trade agreement in the works with the United States. No coincidence that just yesterday the British government announced that the prime minister is considering and probably will scale down the involvement of the Chinese Huawei manufacturers involvement in the British 5G network, scale it down to zero by 2023.

The British government has been under huge pressure from the United States to do that and the British government wants to get the agreement with the United States done quickly. And 5G has been a speed bump in that road.

And Boris Johnson going to the United States at the beginning of June would perhaps be a cornerstone in his strategy to get, as he has said so many times, to get Brexit completely done, which is the final trade agreement with the E.U. and, of course, the United States, too.

HOLMES: Interesting days ahead.

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HOLMES: Thank you, Nic Robertson in London for us.

With us now is Clare Wenham, who teaches global health policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

And following on from our chat there, in the U.K. where you are, the U.K. government expected to announce the self-quarantine, 14 days.

Do you think it is an effective way of preventing a second wave?

Does it work?

DR. CLARE WENHAM, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE: We're seeing these quarantine measures work in other places, Hong Kong for example is doing it.

But my question is how are they going to enforce it, how do they track it?

So even if you do implement it, how do you make sure that it works?

And the second question, why weren't we doing this months ago? We know this could be a way of preventing further infection but it is

almost premature to do this until we have cases under control in the community. We're not clear that there will not be a second wave anyway. So I think that we need to think more carefully about why June is the time to implement this as opposed to any other time.

HOLMES: Yes, and you mentioned the stay alert message. And it is interesting that you talk about the U.K., that stay alert message is really just for England. The devolved governments didn't follow that message. They have sort of gone their own way.

I wonder whether you think that has created a politicized environment for these four different nations.

WENHAM: I think it has but I don't think that it was necessarily the intention. I don't think that the administration actively wanted to take a different route for political gain.

I think that it is just that they don't feel that we are in a position with community transmission. We haven't got the infrastructure set up. They didn't want to change the message and they wanted to make sure that people did continue to stay at home until we're in a position to open safely.

HOLMES: And the president here in the U.S. is saying go to church, open up and everybody go to church and that even he would override governors who said no to that, even though he can't do that legally. Churches have been hot spots of outbreaks already.

How risky is seeing the president basically telling states to allow churches to commence?

WENHAM: I think that it is really dangerous. As you highlighted, we've seen religious institutions be super spreading events for coronavirus. There was a big one in South Korea at the beginning of the outbreak, which led to many of the cases in South Korea in the initial months.

And so I think that it is really risky to try to do this. I think it is appealing maybe to his base and a lot of people do want to go to church. But I don't think that people realize that it is not a simple decision. And I also think that until there are clear CDC guidelines about how to introduce mass gatherings again, it is too early to try to contemplate it.

HOLMES: Yes, there have been a number of outbreaks from church gatherings in the U.S.

Hydroxychloroquine, another study released on Friday involved hospitalized patients. It showed people were more likely to die and between 2.4 and 5 times likely to have cardiac arrhythmia. And yet the president is still touting it by taking it himself, well, he says he is.

What are your thoughts on that given the science coming out?

WENHAM: I think it is very dangerous. I think that it is very reckless. In my understanding, is that the president wants to have a silver bullet to be able to manage this and that worked well, to show he's in control, that they have something that will work.

But fundamentally it is not working and if anyone follows his advice, they are putting themselves at risk doing that. It is a dangerous precedent for the president to be setting, going beyond medical guidance.

HOLMES: And Dr. Fauci, he said Friday that he thinks that it is conceivable that there could be a coronavirus vaccine by December. I'm wondering if you think that is possible.

Is that realistic, December, given the need for widespread trials?

There has been some criticism of a couple of these trials already.

Do you think there is a risk of a rush to a vaccine?

WENHAM: I think -- I think that there is a risk of a rush but I think that no one can put a date on it just yet. No one will release a vaccine until they know that it works to prevent coronavirus.

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WENHAM: But also that it is safe in all communities and that it is safe and there are proper clinical trials run to be sure that we know the adverse side effects of it.

There is no way anyone knows when that will happen because we don't know what the clinical trials will show, what might happen along the road here.

So while you can hope for it to be by December, you can't say for definite yet. And I think that it is dangerous to state a date. There is no way of guaranteeing it because it depends what is discovered along the way.

HOLMES: And it was interesting that the WHO felt the need to say that fighting the misinformation is just as important as fighting the virus itself.

Have you seen a lot of misinformation out there that worries you?

WENHAM: There is a lot of misinformation. We know that there are bots trading information. Some of the information is even getting up to the president of the United States and he's pushing out the information.

So I think it is just about making sure that all decisions are made by government and by the individual people and scientists with rigorous evidence.

HOLMES: Clare Wenham, appreciate it. Thank you.

And Spain was set to lift more coronavirus restrictions on Monday including strict rules in Madrid and Barcelona. Meanwhile right wing protesters are slamming the government's response. They could be on the streets in the next hour or two. We'll have a live report.

Also slowly, carefully, schools reopening. But the COVID crisis means changes in classrooms worldwide. We'll tell you about the various approaches after the break.

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HOLMES: Spain is further loosening coronavirus restrictions as the number of new cases continues to fall. Madrid and Barcelona will move from phase zero to phase one on Monday. And other areas that have already seen an easing of confinement rules will see them relaxed further.

And we're hearing that anti-government protests are set to begin soon. Al Goodman is in that with latest.

What is behind all the protests?

AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The far right party, Vox, the third largest party in Spanish parliament, has called the protests against the government at midday in Madrid and Barcelona and other cities, they will be in automobiles because authorities are not letting crowds of people get together.

But we can expect to see lines of cars waving Spanish flags. They are protesting what they say is the restriction on free circulation, on free movement during this now 10-week confinement order. The government says that the order is in place to reduce the infections, which it has, and that the right to public health and life is more important.

But the battle lines are clearly drawn. What we've seen now for weeks at 9 o'clock local time in the evening is Spaniards banging pots against the government and now, in the last couple weeks, they have come down from their windows and balconies to street level to protest in the streets, some hundreds. So clearly there is more anger now building against the government.

HOLMES: And this change for Madrid and Barcelona, they were kept back from the relaxation of restrictions but that is about to change. I'm sure there is a lot of relief.

GOODMAN: Indeed, they were kept back because they were the two hardest hit areas. But now as they move to phase one, for the first time in 10 weeks, people can go out and have meetings with friends, relatives that they don't live with.

They could go to outdoor cafes like this one, you can see these tables have been chained up here for the 10 weeks in this outdoor cafe, which has a little roof on it but windows open. So this is the kind of thing that just over half of the population now on Monday will enjoy.

And just under half of the population will move on to phase two. They are already there or moving there, that allows even more meetings, 15 people, larger stores to open, weddings for up to 100 people. And not just outdoor seating but also indoor seating at restaurants.

So clearly the government is trying to get the confinement order lifted by the end of June. So there might be a summer beach season and all sorts of things so that they don't lose the entire summer.

HOLMES: Al Goodman, good to see you.

And now around the world, schools are beginning to reopen and students hitting the books. But social distancing in the COVID age is a challenge. Masks are obligatory but not everywhere. And as Fred Pleitgen reports, the classroom is getting a makeover.

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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It looks almost like a normal school break at this school in Copenhagen, except for the police tape dividing the schoolyard, just one of many measures meant to keep kids from bunching up and prevent the spread of the coronavirus ahead of secondary education settings.

JIMMY ADETUNJI, HENDRIKSHOLM SCHOOL: If you follow the guidelines, if you keep distance, if you make sure to wash your hands, keep sanitizing, coughing in your sleeve and not in your hand, I think that we'll be safe.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Denmark started reopening schools more than a month ago and so far new cases haven't spiked, the government says. What is surprising, neither students nor teachers wear masks. Instead they keep distance and wash hands and sanitize very often.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is a bit challenging but you get used to it after a time.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): It is a different picture in South Korea. Children there not only wear masks, some are seated behind Plexiglas dividers. Still the country shut down dozens of schools after two kids tested positive.

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PLEITGEN (voice-over): Even the first major coronavirus epicenter, Wuhan, China, brought kids back two weeks ago. Year two, masks are mandatory and the school's president says other strict measures have been taken.

"We rearranged the facilities on the campus to ensure each class has its own restroom," he says, "its own boiled water room and its own alternative classroom."

France reopened schools last week but has already had to shut some down again after recording dozens of coronavirus cases. Still the education minister says that he believes the kids are doing their part.

"The pupils understand the social distancing rules," he says, "the wearing of masks and in some cases they show the way, including for adults because they understand what is at stake."

Denmark says it hopes to have all students back in school next week. But physical distancing rules means that they don't have space for them all. So they are getting creative, moving some classes into local churches and even the church graveyard, all to try to ensure children can have their lessons even in a time of pandemic -- Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And when we come back, China's National People's Congress proposing new laws for Hong Kong and they have already worsened frayed relations with the West. We'll go live to Hong Kong.

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HOLMES: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Michael Holmes. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

Investigators in Pakistan continue the grim task of identifying bodies after a passenger plane in Karachi crashed on Friday. Local health department officials say they have accounted for all 99 people on board the plane; 99 bodies recovered, two people did survive. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

China's announcement that it would implement new security laws in Hong Kong rattled markets. And as Hong Kong's leaders reacted, the Hang Seng index had its biggest daily drop in five years. The controversial legislation would ban what is called sedition and subversion of the central government.

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KEVIN HASSETT, WHITE HOUSE COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISERS: We're, absolutely, not going to give China a pass. You know, all the options are on the table. And I can say, as an economist, you know, if Hong Kong stops being Hong Kong, the open place that it is, then it's no longer going to be the financial center that it is.

And that's going to be very, very costly to China and to the people of Hong Kong. So, yes, I think it's a very difficult, scary move. And that it's something that people need to pay close attention to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Let's go to Hong Kong now. Kristie Lu Stout is standing by with the very latest.

Interesting that the U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo calling Beijing's plan a death knell for Hong Kong's freedoms. But without Donald Trump weighing in, it probably doesn't mean much. Tell us about the international reaction and Beijing's response.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: At the moment, we still have this war of words between the U.S. and China. But right now, during the pandemic, it is not about COVID, it is all about the fate and future of Hong Kong.

And now China's ambassador to the United Nations taking aim at his counterparts, including Mike Pompeo, who said that the legislation would be a death knell for Hong Kong's autonomy, we have this Twitter post just put up a few hours ago by China's mission to the U.N., condemning those statements from the U.S. Let's bring it up for you.

It reads, "No country in the world would tolerate any activities that undermine its national security. Any legislation for Hong Kong to safeguard national security is China's internal affairs U.S. attempt in interfering in Hong Kong affairs is doomed to fail."

Now Thursday, we know that China's parliament introduced the national security legislation that would give China more Congress over Hong Kong and right now the National People's Congress is under way in Beijing are and they are expected to rubber stamp that legislation.

We've also learned that the legislation if and when passed would also mean that China's ministry of state security would be able to establish themselves inside the territory here in Hong Kong and enforce the law.

As expected, there has been a lot of outrage here in Hong Kong, with one opposition lawmaker saying the end of Hong Kong. Chief exec Carrie Lam issued a statement yesterday expressing full support for the legislation.

But there is a lot of anger here in Hong Kong directed at Beijing, directed at the Hong Kong government especially after the recent arrest of hundreds of people during the pandemic for taking part in these unauthorized flash mob protests and that sweep of arrests in one day last month of 50 high profile democracy activists.

And those arrests and plus this legislation adding to a sense of unease and growing tension here.

HOLMES: And speak to the timing.

Why is Beijing doing this and why now?

STOUT: By doing this, they are taking aim at something that happened last year, the 2019 Hong Kong protests. Beijing was very alarmed by the violence, the clashes that took place, that tore apart the fabric of society, that undermined tourism and hammered the economy.

Beijing was dismayed at the elections last November which showed a very poor showing for pro Beijing candidates. But there were hints that this was going to happen.

Just in the last month or so, we heard from China's top official here in Hong Kong, saying that it was time for new security legislation. When you look at how China is handling the pandemic, it is under control, no new cases today, factories and schools are back open.

[04:35:00]

STOUT: So it feels that it is negotiating from a position of strength while the rest of the world is distracted.

HOLMES: Kristie Lu Stout, appreciate it, thanks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Samantha Vinograd is a CNN national security analyst. She joins me now from New York.

Always a pleasure, Sam. Let's, first, take a look at the broader issues at play when it comes to China and Donald Trump. I mean, you have got China emboldened really right across the board. Proposed South China Sea expansion a lot more.

Do you see China adopting a what are you going to do about it approach, feeling that President Trump won't cross President Xi outside of Twitter because he needs China?

SAMANTHA VINOGRAD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, the truth is that China has President Trump between a rock and a hard place. At this juncture, because of coronavirus and other pressures, it is no secret that the global economy is already under enormous strain.

And, if President Trump chooses to take actual steps to hold the Chinese Communist Party, the CCP, accountable for what is likely going to be what secretary of state Michael Pompeo called the death knell for Hong Kong's special status, that will likely have adverse reverberations for the global economy and for U.S. businesses.

I think about 1,300 U.S. businesses currently operate in Hong Kong. We trade with Hong Kong. And if President Trump does choose to revoke Hong Kong's special status, that would have serious implications for businesses operating in Hong Kong, as well as trade, more generally at a time when the global economy really can't come under more pressure.

HOLMES: Yes. Talk a little bit more about those -- those China moves. You know, these so-called security laws in Hong Kong. I mean, you got Hong Kong pro-democracy activists calling for mass protest, as you said, secretary Pompeo called it a death knell for the city's freedom. That's Pompeo.

But the key is, what about Donald Trump?

What will he say?

What does he need to say, especially given his constant praise of President Xi Jinping? VINOGRAD: Well, when the history books write the story of this administration's posture towards China, it's going to be a tale of two policies. We've had various parts of the executive branch take serious steps to punish China. They've taken steps to push China out of various markets here, in the United States.

They've issued sanctions to hold Chinese officials accountable for things like human rights abuses.

But while that is ongoing, President Trump has really undercut those efforts to try and foster a warm relationship with President Xi Jinping. You think back to the Hong Kong protest last summer. We ended up implementing legislation that had strong bipartisan backing to hold human rights abusers in Hong Kong and China accountable.

But President Trump waffled on whether he was going to allow that legislation to go forward. He continued to call President Xi Jinping a friend. And it is very clear to the Chinese and to everyone else for that matter, what President Trump's priorities have been.

His priority with China has been crystal clear. It has been to get China to agree to a trade deal. That would result in more agricultural purchases, by China, of U.S. products, the phase one trade deal.

He has been unwilling to hold China accountable for a host of other illegal and destabilizing actions because he hasn't wanted to upset the apple cart when it comes to trade.

And the broader context here is China's territorial ambitions have been longstanding. The training wheels, when it comes to China achieving those territorial ambitions, came off a long time ago.

Right now, China is taking advantage of various conditions associated with coronavirus to really move full steam ahead in trying to further a road to Hong Kong's autonomy.

HOLMES: Yes. I mean, that's interesting because, you know and that -- that relates directly to the election, of course.

I mean, do election realities leave the president, in a way, impotent because he wants his trade deal to work, even though many people think that the deal, itself, won't make up for the losses on the tariff war?

Is he -- is he sort of letting the country be vulnerable to China, just because he wants to have that deal in place for the election?

VINOGRAD: Well, there are a series of variables here. Let's remember that, right now, China has become a popular political football. President Trump is trying to rewrite his own history on China, his placating of President Xi Jinping, his parroting of Chinese propaganda on things like the pro-democracy protests.

He referred to them as riots last summer, really, a Chinese propaganda point. He is trying to rewrite that history and to look tough on China because he's been so criticized for his coronavirus response here, at home, he's been trying to scapegoat China and, again, to rewrite his own personal narrative.

So he has a political imperative to be tough on China, not to mention the geopolitical one.

[04:40:00]

VINOGRAD: Insofar as China is really forging ahead with degrading the one country, two systems, framework and feeling more emboldened more generally.

But there's a political issue here that Trump needs to look tough on China and the economic reality that doing something serious, like revoking Hong Kong's special status, would have economic implications at a time when he is really trying to point to economic recovery as a key campaign talking point.

HOLMES: Yes. It's one thing to criticize China on Twitter. It's another thing to actually do it. I mean, during the Obama administration, you were part of options discussions in the Sit Room.

What could be done for Hong Kong in terms of options in that Sit Room today?

Or could Congress act, perhaps, separately from the president?

VINOGRAD: Well, let's remember, the last time around, Congress did act when President Trump wouldn't. There was bipartisan legislation passed after the protest in Hong Kong last summer, when the executive branch did not take immediate action.

I can say, having been in the Situation Room, Michael, on these complex issues, there are no good options. Every option comes with costs. And, in these situations, you really need a president who, in the first instance, reading intelligence about how, in this case the Chinese Communist Party would respond to various U.S. steps.

The intelligence piece of this is key. And then, listening to his advisers about the associated cost with any option. What seems to be on the table is a revocation of Hong Kong's special status, which was statutorily implemented via domestic legislation here, in the United States, in 1992.

And it would likely take President Trump issuing an executive order or Congress passing superseding legislation to revoke that special status for Hong Kong. So right now, in the Situation Room, I would imagine that there is a lot of heavy economic analysis, geopolitical analysis about the short, medium and long game.

And I can't speak to the political side of this because I was never part of those discussions. But again, because of the campaign imperative to look tough on China, I would imagine that Trump is consulting with his campaign team, concurrently.

HOLMES: Yes. China, apparently, with the upper hand as it appears at the moment. Samantha Vinograd, thank you so much.

VINOGRAD: Thank you, Michael.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Do stay with us. When we come back --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you have a problem figuring out whether you are for me or Trump, then you ain't black.

HOLMES (voice-over): Well, it didn't take long for Joe Biden to wish that he could take those words back. We'll tell you what he said a short time later.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And the man who recorded the shooting death of a black jogger appears in court. The latest twist and turns in this case straight ahead.

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HOLMES: Recent polling shows African American voters overwhelmingly favor Joe Biden over Donald Trump. But Biden now says that he regrets making a flippant remark during a radio interview that seems to suggest that he takes those black voters for granted. Here's what he said on the radio program, "The Breakfast Club."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a long way until November, we got more questions.

BIDEN: You got more questions but if you have a problem figuring out whether you are for me or Trump, then you ain't black.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It don't have nothing to do with Trump, it has to do with the fact I want something for my community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now Biden probably knew right away he should have chosen his words a little more carefully because, a short time later, he made this mea culpa to members of the U.S. black Chamber of Commerce.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BIDEN: I shouldn't have been such a wise guy. I shouldn't have been so cavalier. No one, no one should have to vote for any party based on their race, religion, their background.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: The host of the radio show spoke to CNN about what he had been looking for in his interview with Biden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard him, you know, talking about things that he did for black people back in the day. But what have you done for me lately is my motto. I see black communities catching hell regardless who is in the White House.

It is not about Trump, it is about who is going to present the best deal for black people, who is going to finally give black people what they are owed for building this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: The man who recorded the fatal shooting of the Georgia jogger Ahmaud Arbery made his first court appearance on Friday. William Roddie Bryan now facing charges of felony murder. Martin Savidge has the latest developments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: William Roddie Bryan Jr. was taken into custody around 5:30 without incident in Glynn County yesterday evening. The authorities wouldn't say much about the timing of his arrest because that was the big question people had.

Why now, why two weeks after the original suspects were taken into custody?

The GBI would only say that they made their decision to arrest him on Wednesday. That is interesting timing because, on Tuesday, search warrants were conducted on the homes of the original suspects, Gregory and Travis McMichael.

So it leads to the question, was there something found inside of those homes that had authorities make up their final mind when it came to Roddie Bryan?

His attorney has maintained from the very beginning that Bryan was nothing but a witness, who just happened to roll on a critical piece of evidence with his cellphone. But it is clear that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation didn't see it that way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VIC REYNOLDS, GEORGIA BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: If we believed he was a witness, we wouldn't have arrested him. So I won't speak specifically about what we took from him but eventually that will come out in a court of law. But suffice it to say, there are a number of pieces of video that helped us get to that point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: That is the director of the GBI. And that last part he talked about whether or not there is additional video. Many speculated that the 36-second clip that was on Bryan's cellphone was maybe not the end of it, maybe there was more that showed the beginning of how this whole pursuit took place.

And it is also interesting to note that, in previous cases, where you've had a bystander collect critical video, they are often looked upon as being a hero. That was not the case with Bryan. He was always a suspect from the very beginning in the minds of many people, including the family of Ahmaud Arbery -- Martin Savidge, CNN, Decatur.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: When we come back, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, what do all those legends have in common?

All four will be teaming up for a $10 million prize. We'll have the details after the break.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:50:00]

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HOLMES: As sports slowly begin to return, four legends of their game will be teeing off in Florida on Sunday. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will be teaming up with NFL greats Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

The Match, as it being called, will raise $10 million for charities helping fight coronavirus. Patrick Snell looks ahead to the event produced by Turner Sports which means that you can see it right here on CNN International and TNT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you know --

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I know.

PHIL MICKELSON, PGA PRO: This is the trophy for the match. I don't know, actually, Tiger, if you know what this looks like. You might have caught a glimpse.

TIGER WOODS, PGA PRO: Hold on a second. I just got out of an ice bath. I'm a little bit chilly.

(CROSSTALK) PATRICK SNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Yes, the banter is most definitely, already, in full swing. The original match, in late 2018, saw longtime rivals Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods go head to head.

And just in case the current Masters champion, Tiger, needed reminding, it was Lefty who tramped on that occasion. Golf's PGA tour is set to resume next month. But this weekend, it's all eyes on Florida's Medalist Golf Club, Tiger's home course, for the record.

[04:55:00]

SNELL (voice-over): NFL superstars Tom Brady, who will team up with Mickelson, and Peyton Manning, another of the sport's legendary quarterbacks, playing with Woods in The Match Champions for Charity, helping those impacted by the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEYTON MANNING, 2X SUPER BOWL CHAMPION: A lots of people struggling. I mentioned New Orleans, my hometown, is once again being hit hard by this virus as are many communities around the country.

So you know, I don't think this event would happen if it wasn't going to benefit those people that are hurting and so I think that's why it's a double win.

TOM BRADY, 6X SUPER BOWL CHAMPION: Just a unique moment in time and I think the ability to do good and help others is at the core of what this was all about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNELL: Manning was an intense rival of Brady's during a storied career with the Colts and the Broncos before retirement. Brady himself left the New England Patriots after 20 seasons to join the Buccaneers.

MANNING: I'll be honest. I've never played Tom very well on his home turf. And so maybe this is considered a neutral site. I would have loved to have had this tournament in a place where they don't like Tom very much, Indianapolis, Denver, Boston, after he just betrayed them and broke their hearts.

BRADY: I think we're going to have a lot of fun. There's been a little trash talk. You know, as you've seen a little behind the scenes, I'm sure there will be a lot more of that.

MICKELSON: We might even let them win a hole or two and get up early and try to lull them to sleep and then finish strong.

SNELL: And a historic weekend for our parent company, Warner Media, as well, with CNN broadcasting a live sports event for the first time ever. This illustrious sporting quartet may well have 20 golf majors and eight Super Bowl championships between them.

But they are so focused down in Florida, it's going to help play their part in raising a minimum of $10 million, all in aid of COVID-19 relief -- back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Patrick, thanks very much.

Don't miss the match, it is airing right here on Sunday for our viewers all around the world. If you are watching us in the U.S., you can catch it on TNT. That is at 3:00 pm in New York, 8:00 pm in London. Should be fun. A lot of trash talking.

Thanks for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Michael Holmes. Another hour of news for you in just a minute.