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Don Lemon Tonight

Vice President Mike Pence Encourages People To Wear Masks; Mayor Dean Trantalis (D), Fort Lauderdale Is Interviewed About Whether Reopening The Business In Florida Is Right; States Pause And Roll Back Their Reopening of Businesses; President Trump Retweets Video Of Couple Pointing Guns At Protesters And A Video With A Man Yelling White Power; Mississippi State Legislature Passes Bill To Remove Confederate Symbol From State Flag In Historic Vote. Aired 10-11p ET

Aired June 29, 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)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: Thank you for watching. Favorite part of my night, introducing you to "CNN TONIGHT" with the upgrade, Laura Coates.

It's good to have you. You know, you were -- you were developing some insight with me before we came out of the commercial.

LAURA COATES, CNN HOST: Yes.

CUOMO: We're supposed to do what we're told to do by the police. True. Period. However, Antonio Smith is not unique. The idea that there are people of color in this country who get afraid that the more they comply the worse it's going to get. In a process where they think the cops are out to get them.

Right or wrong, it can be in the minds of many. And it was certainly in his mind. And look what they did to him.

COATES: I mean, are you kidding, when he said I didn't get in the car. They offered me a ride to the hospital. I thought to myself, why. Know why you wouldn't get into the car. I mean, look what's happened up to this point in time. Wrist broken. Just come into the car, I mean, the idea of that and the statement that he's forgiven them. I mean, just the idea.

I hope people realize that this idea of fear of the police is not because there's some, you know, boogeyman under the bed. This is learned behavior over interactions over multi-generations. This is the vestiges of the 13th Amendment. This is all of things coming into mind. And we can't look at these things in a vacuum at all.

And when you look at it in a vacuum if you say something like all you had to do was comply. I mean, Chris, we've seen in the past what, month and a half, George Floyd was complying. And Rayshard Brooks spent what was it, 40 minutes of his time talking to officers. Complying and having this conversational tone. And then everything took, you know, went left.

I mean, it really is just minimizing what the experience with police has been in this country. People are seeing it for the first time it seems like.

CUOMO: And also, look, it's also about training.

COATES: Yes.

CUOMO: I mean, if you're telling me that a group of officers, you need to have somebody pick this guy up and throw him on the ground. That's the only way to get him cuffed? If you are going to cuff him and I don't know for what, you know. And the police chief said, you know, he used this technique.

That's not -- body slamming somebody is not the best you can do in a situation like that where you have multiple cops. But the idea of, you know, what you grew up seeing in the movies even, why did you run? Why did you run when I came up? Why did you run if you didn't do anything wrong? Why did you run? Because people are afraid.

COATES: Yes.

CUOMO: And by exposing the cases hopefully we help get us to a place where people don't have to be afraid.

COATES: Well, I certainly hope so. I think it's a -- I think it's a time and frankly, it's way past time for people to no longer be afraid of the people they are supposed to protect them. Right? That's what it comes down to.

I got a lot to cover. I'm glad you had him on the show. I had not heard his perspective until now and I'm glad he's with you. I appreciate it.

This is CNN TONIGHT. I'm Laura Coates in for Don Lemon.

This country is at war against the coronavirus. And the situation is dire. The map is a sea of red. Like a picture of disaster. Cases are rising in 31 states. And a least 16 states pausing, even rolling back their pre-reopening plans, and so far, at least 32 states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico have some kind of mask order. Even Vice President Mike Pence says people should wear masks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Wearing a mask is just a good idea. And it will, we know from experience will slow the spread of the coronavirus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: I've heard this somewhere before. Well, you know, the vice president is absolutely right. Wearing a mask is a really good idea. It does slow the spread of this deadly virus. All of that is true. So why the do as I say, not as I do attitude from this administration?

Yes, the vice president wore a mask at that Dallas church yesterday. At least he wore it until he got up to speak.

[22:05:03]

But you think if he were really taking this virus seriously, he would have objected to the sight of a choir of more than 100 people singing without masks.

And then, there's a Trump campaign. Reportedly directing the removal of thousands of do not sit here please stickers. From seats at the president's rally in Tulsa earlier this month. The Washington Post reporting a source says the campaign ordered the stickers removed before the event began.

And with coronavirus cases soaring, with the death toll passing 126,000. What does the president care about? Dividing us. At a time when it's more important than ever for us to be united. When it's literally a matter of life and death. The president sewing division. Retweeting a video of a man driving a golf cart with Trump campaign posters and screaming white power.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: White power.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go, white power.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: The president thanked what he called the great people shown in that video. About three hours later, his retweet was taken down. Three hours. The White House claiming the president just didn't hear the white power chant.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We did not hear the particular phrase when he tweeted out the video.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Really? Well, the president also retweeting at another divisive video. And this he hasn't taken down. It's showing a white couple in a St. Louis neighborhood brandishing weapons as protestors heading to the mayor's home marched by.

The couple say they feared for their lives. Their attorney says the agitators they feared were white. We got more to come on this story. But doesn't it seem that now the president should be focusing on the coronavirus that's killing more and more Americans every single day. After all, he's the one who said this more than three months ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I look at it I view it as a in a sense, a wartime president. I mean, that's what we're fighting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: The fact is, President Trump is a wartime president. It's time for him to act like one. This country is at war. We're at war against COVID-19. And we need to take this deadly seriously because that's exactly what it is. Deadly serious.

More than 126,000 -- more than 126,000 Americans have died from this virus, 4,431 Americans have died in Iraq. We are fighting a war. And one of the best weapons we have is wearing a mask. And the fact is, wearing a mask isn't giving up your liberty. It's choosing to do something that protects your fellow Americans. And it's such a small sacrifice.

It's nothing compared to what our parents and grandparents did during World War II when food, cars, gas and even shoes were all rationed. And frankly, there are more recent examples.

Restrictions that we accept as a part of the daily lives. We don't think about them. You get in a car, you put on a seatbelt. You don't worry or talk about it impinging on your personal freedom. You put on a seatbelt because you know it makes you safer. You put one on your kids it makes them safer.

You get on a plane, well, at some point in the future you may get on an airplane again and you'll go through security. And your bag will be X-rayed. You put your liquids in little three-ounce bottles and on and on. You don't worry about that impinging on your personal freedom. You make the sacrifice. That's how you win the war.

[22:09:54]

And what did another wartime president -- I mean, by wartime, I mean one that actually served in a war. What did he say? Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.

Wear a mask. Wear a mask.

Lots to talk about with CNN Senior Political Commentator, David Axelrod.

I'm glad you're here, David. You're the man to talk about this and so much else. You know, David, early on in this pandemic the president was likening himself to a wartime president that was fighting this virus. So why does he seem to be MIA in his tweets in his commentaries in his focus when the coronavirus is surging to record levels now?

DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, look, I think that we have gone through phases, right, Laura? He's started with six weeks of denial that were very costly in trying to contain this virus. And then he was forced to acknowledge the severity of it. And declared himself a wartime president. Was enthused for six weeks for, you know, to have the opportunity to

command the platform and talk to the nation. But that turned out to be costly six weeks for him. And, you know, it was very clear that he was going to do this for a while. But that there was going to come a point where he was just going to declare victory and move on. And that's what happened.

It would be as if you mention wartime presidents, it would be as if Roosevelt in 1943 said, OK, that's it. We've done it. We've won. And let's move on. You know, the Nazis didn't get the message. And in this case the virus didn't get the message.

And you know, the thing that is stunning about it is, you know, Trump is very sensitive to his own standing. He is killing himself politically here. Not just lending energy to a virus that is killing Americans, but, you know, this is deleterious to his own political health.

A third of the country now approves of the way he's handling the virus. His ratings have plummeted and with it, his standings in the polls in his race against Vice President Biden. So, you would think that he if nothing else got his attention this would get his attention. But he seems -- he seems completely detached from the reality of where we are as a country. And that's scary.

COATES: I mean, in many -- in many ways, David, we've seen this sort of this self-inflicted wound being the highlight of this presidency. And so many fashions and so many facets. But, you know, he's also essentially losing one key ally in messaging.

Because what does it tell you that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says that there should be no stigma about wearing a mask. And now you got Vice President Pence saying that surprise, surprise with the epiphany of a lifetime, wearing a mask is a good thing.

AXELROD: Well, and we've also seen today the city of Jacksonville where the president has moved his convention in August announcing that they are making masks mandatory in that city. You remember he said that he doesn't want people wearing masks at his convention.

One of the most stunning scenes in the last couple of weeks was his visit to Phoenix last week to a church in Phoenix where a bunch of young supporters, 3,000 or so supporters were packed together cheek to jowl without a mask. The president himself of course not wearing one.

In contravention of his own administration's guidance and the regulations that have been set up by the city of Phoenix. So, you have a president who is at the same time as he provides over the -- presides the government that is supposed to be fighting the virus he is leading the resistance to the guidance that his own government is putting out. And it's creating a tremendous dissident that is hurting him and worse than that, it's hurting the country.

COATES: I mean, when the president shoots himself in the foot the entire country bleeds. David Axelrod, thank you so much for your time. You know, south -- (CROSSTALK)

AXELROD: Great to see you, my friend.

COATES: Great to see you too. South Florida is closing beaches for the Fourth of July weekend. That is of course cases are soaring. And I'll ask the mayor of Fort Lauderdale if those beaches should have been ever reopened in the very first place.

[22:15:00]

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COATES: The coronavirus surging across the U.S. as at least 16 states pause or even roll back their reopening plans. Florida among them. The state reporting more than 5,000 cases today and more than 30,000, get this, just since Friday.

Here to discuss, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis. Mayor Trantalis, thank you for being here today. I appreciate it so much. You know, Mayor, South Florida counties are closing as we know their beaches for the Fourth of July weekend as cases are spiking across the state. You know, I have to wonder, should they have been reopened in the first place, Mayor?

MAYOR DEAN TRANTALIS (D), FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA: Well, first of all, Laura. thank you so much for inviting me on your program tonight. And I appreciate the opportunity to really talk about this issue.

Yes, we decided to close our beaches this weekend mainly because holiday weekends especially are known for attracting large numbers of people. So, when you ask the question should we have ever opened the beaches? The beaches themselves are not the cause of the spread of the virus.

In fact, you know, as I listen to your program and most nights, we hear from the medical experts that being in the open air and the humidity and the heat, the breeziness, those are the least likely environments in which the virus will be contagious.

In fact, what happens during the holiday weekend the people congregate. They close together. More people are in smaller spaces. Not just on the beach. But off the beach in the various restaurants and so forth. That was what we're looking to avoid. And that's the goal we try to achieve.

[22:20:03]

So, it was smart to open the beaches but we had them -- we had them open with certain protocol, distancing requirements. Masks in some cases. So, we're protective of our people and we thought this was the best step forward when we came out of phase one.

COATES: Well, I wonder, Mayor, if others were protected. Because, you know, the idea of them being quite an attraction. I mean, they lure and almost invite bad behavior. We have to rely on people to do the right thing. And so, I always wonder if altruism and believing in others being selfless is the right way.

But several cities in Miami-Dade County have made wearing masks in public mandatory. But neither Fort Lauderdale or Broward County is requiring them in public for all settings. Is that what you're going to consider now? Or have you ever considered that?

TRANTALIS: We have considered it. In fact, April 11th was the date in which the county imposed wearing masks in public. Especially when you're going indoors, when you're going to a grocery store, drugstore. When you go have your hair done or whatever.

These are the opportunities in which you are in close proximity to people. You know, walking down the sidewalk or running, jogging down the street, you know, that's not appropriate. And I don't think any doctor really recommends that.

It's when you're in close proximity to with one another that's when you need to wear a mask. And you can't go into a grocery store in our city without being told to wear a mask. They will -- the will not let you in.

So, we've had the -- we've had that mandatory mask order since the middle of April. And getting back to the beaches, you know, we close down the beaches on March 15. Why? Because of the spring break. Spring break was that, you know, one moment in our year in which a lot of people come, a lot of people congregate. And it's not just what was happening on the beach, what's happening off the beach.

So, we're very much aware. We're watching the science. We're listening to the national medical experts, as well as our local experts. We're trying to define, you know, the pattern of contagious here in our community. And to try to keep people healthy not just physically but mentally. To be able to get out and do things so that you don't feel cooped up and they don't get -- they don't feel that they are going to be suffering from any mental illness as well. So, we're trying to creating that balance.

COATES: Well, I appreciate that, Mayor Dean Trantalis, thank you for your time.

I want to bring in one of those such experts right now. And I understand of course the focus on we have to balance physical with mental health care as well.

But CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. I'm glad you're here. I'm sure you were listening in.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

COATES: And one of the things that gives me pause is this idea it reminded me that old phrase well, guns don't kill people. People kill people. Beaches aren't the problem at all. Do you feel that same way?

GUPTA: Well, you know, we're obviously seeing a problem in Florida. And I think part of it is because the state sort of closed late and they opened early. I think that, you know, the general rule outdoor spaces are going to be better than indoor spaces. But the problem I think as you were pointing out, Laura, is that you get lots of people then congregating together.

You know, you can address some of these concerns of people feeling that they've just been inside for too long. I think the mayor was referring to this idea that he wants to address mental illness. And I understand that. I get it. I'm dealing it with it in my household to be perfectly frank.

But the idea is not to inadvertently cause other problems by letting people congregate. We talk about distance of six feet but also duration. If you're in proximity of somebody for longer than 10 to 15 minutes you are now a close contact.

What they are saying at these beaches in Florida also in South Carolina and many places, is that if you are at these beaches over, you know, over Memorial Day over these holiday weekends you likely then came in contact with somebody who had coronavirus. You may need to get tested. You may need to get quarantined.

That is the reality that we're dealing with. If you're able to be outside and not congregate, you know, not be near somebody for more than a few minutes. Then yes, it can potentially be a safe situation. But the unfortunate thing, Laura, is that's not what was happening there.

So, and part of the problem is that it was minimized. Right? It was like the switch. It's now open. Go back to normal. And that's never how it should have been.

COATES: Well, you know, 16 states as you know are now pausing or rolling back the reopening plans including places like Arizona where the governor is now ordering bars and gyms and theaters to shut down.

And the HHS Secretary Azar says that the window is closing to get this under control, which is a really foreboding thought. It's really scary to think about that window closing. So, Sanjay, are the states doing enough right now?

GUPTA: Yes, that's a great question, right? So, the status quo is obviously not enough in many states. So, the idea that we're going to put the pause on reopening that's great but that's the baseline at this point, Laura.

[22:25:00]

Because in those states where they are saying they are putting the pause on this you are seeing the real concerns about exponential growth. If I see greater than 50 percent growth for a few days in a row in places like Florida, Texas and Arizona.

I mean, at some point you're just going to have it's like a big ship. It gains a ton of momentum and inertia. It becomes really hard to slow down. That's the concern. You know, I don't enjoy having to say this sort of stuff, it's kind of like, you know, you put your lawyer hat on oftentimes I see you and I got to put my doctor hat on and sometimes you got to give bad news. But it's honest news.

And the news is that an aggressive treatment is necessary. It may mean in order to really slow down this fire that is starting to burn, which is what I think the secretary was referring to. We may need to actually go down into a stay at home shut down mode in some of these places.

When I look at the map from Memorial Day and I compare to now, I see that what was otherwise localized disease in various parts of the country has become much more widespread. If you want to extend the metaphor it's like the cancer became metastatic. And it's going to -- it's going to require more aggressive therapy.

I'm not giving up. I don't think anybody should give up. I don't think the window will close. But it's an idea of the longer you wait the more aggressive the therapy is going to have to be.

COATES: You know, you and I both have kids at home, so we know how anxious we all are to get back to some sense of normalcy.

GUPTA: Yes.

COATES: But we don't ever want to let cabin fever be the guide. It's got to be the science. It's got to be the science. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you as always.

GUPTA: You got it, Laura. Thank you.

COATES: The president retweeted a video and thanked the, quote, "great people in it." The problem is, there's a man chanting white power in that video. Stay with us.

[22:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COATES: President Trump stoking division with his retweets. He shared this video today of a white couple pointing guns at a group of protestors in St. Louis. And yesterday the president retweeted a video of a man shouting white power at anti-Trump protestors in Florida. Don't believe me? Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: White power. There you go. White power did you hear that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Note at the end he said, did you hear that? And repeated it again. Now, that tweet came down after a few hours. A few hours. But the White House claims the president didn't hear the words white power.

Joining me now, Toluse Olorunnipa, White House reporter for the Washington Post. And Adam Serwer, he's a staff writer for the Atlantic. I'm so glad that both of you are here. Toluse, I'll begin with you. You know, you have new reporting about the White House response to the video. The president retweeted as we know. And a man in it -- I mean, it's clearly saying white power. What can you tell us?

TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA, CNN POLITICAL ANALSYT, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, BLOOMBERG NEWS: Well, the White House is sticking by their story. Essentially saying the president didn't hear this. There was this mad scramble after the tweet went out by top officials within the White House including the press secretary Kayleigh Mcenany and President Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, they try to get to the president to convince him to take down this tweet.

And when Senator Tim Scott, the Republican of South Carolina went on television and said that the president should take this down, the president finally decided that, yes this was too much of a problem. And he decided to take it down. Now, I think there's no more dog whistles. This is pretty blatant at this point with the president tweeting out people -- shouting out white power.

And it's part of a long pattern or in practice of this president putting out racist and incendiary commentary from his supporters from his own rhetoric. And it really rings hollow for a lot of people that the president eventually decided to take this tweet down. Especially since he didn't condemn the language. No one in the White House actually said that they disavow or condemn this language. They just point into fact that this tweet was only up for three hours and that it was taken down eventually.

COATES: I mean, it was kind of hearing, I thought of Katy Bates in misery saying, he didn't get out of the cocky-dude-car. You didn't hear the person saying it repeatedly? It seems like it's just so convenient. A really (inaudible), sort of moment and at that moment in time, well, Adam, I'll bring you in here because, these people -- remember you see people in Charlottesville. Remember this moment?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: Jews will not replace us! Jews will not replace us! Jews will not replace us!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Here's what the president said about these people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You also had people that were very fine people on both sides. You had people in that group -- excuse me. Excuse me, I saw the same pictures as you did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: And we did see those same pictures. And according to the president, the neo-Nazis who marched in Charlottesville are very fine people. And those screaming white power at him in the video he retweeted are great people. And remember, protestors are terrorists. What's your thought?

ADAM SERWER, SENIOR EDITOR, THE ATLANTIC: Well, look, you don't need a code book to break the code here. That the president ran a campaign in 2016 on administering discriminatory state violence against religious and ethnic minorities. He has pursued those things as policy objectives from encouraging police brutality vocally to the travel ban, targeting Muslim countries. To a policy of child torture intended to deter a poor Central American migrants.

There's no need to go deep to decipher what the president believes. He has said repeatedly what he believes. He has said repeatedly has expressed as a matter of both policy and verbal rhetoric when he told the members of the Democratic Congresswomen to go back where they came from.

[22:35:09]

He's expressed as a matter of both policy and rhetoric that he believes only white American citizenship is unconditional. And so when his supporters derive the idea that he believes the same thing that they believe. His most extreme supporters. The kind of people who protested in Charlottesville or who would scream white power at protestors against police brutality. There's a reason why they think that he's on their side. And he has never given them any indication to think that he is not.

COATES: I mean, the irony Toluse, is that the idea that the president saying he couldn't hear, yet the messaging seems to be as Adam is talking about extraordinarily loud and extraordinarily clear here. I mean, here's the man pointing the rifle at protestors in the other video, Trump retweeted told our affiliate KMOV.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's like the storming of a bastille deal. A gate came down and a large crowd of very angry shouting aggressive people poured through. I was terrified that we would be murdered within seconds. That our house would be burned down. That our pets would be killed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: The storming of the bastille or the company's attorney said the incident was not race related. And the agitators responsible were actually white. Now the video seems to tell a different story here. What do you think, Toluse?

OLORUNNIPA: Well, I think it's clear from the president's decision to retweet this video. That he tends to glorify in these clashes, these racial clashes, these idea that his supporters are largely white base, those supporters would be taking on these protestors who he has called agitators, and vandals, and hoodlums, and thugs. He likes the idea of armed white supporters taking on protestors who in this case and then the large majority of protests have been peaceful protesters who had gathered on mass to talk about police brutality and their gripes over racial inequality. The president has not really addressed the issue of racial inequality.

He's more of been willing to say that he's the president of law and order and he likes the idea of armed citizens taking on what he believes are protestors who are protesting in effect against his presidency.

So, the fact the president retweeted this picture of this couple both brandishing weapons against a group of unarmed protestors is just a sign that the president doesn't see himself as traditional president who would calm tensions. He sees someone -- he sees himself as someone who can glorify in the clashes and sort of the civil fight that are taking place across the country that happen to come along racial lines in a large number of cases.

COATES: Toluse, Adam, I'm so glad you're both here. I wish I had more time and I shout out Adam to the cat behind you giving a very Dr. Evil vibe. I love it, I know you're not evil. I love it, but the cat is everything right now. Thank you both. And thank you. Mississippi state legislature voting to remove confederate symbols from their state flag. We'll have that story, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[22:40:00]

COATES: Mississippi is set to become the latest, as Governor Tate reveals he's sign -- he'll sign a bill passed by the state legislature over the weekend to remove the confederate emblem from the state flag. Which by the way has been in place since 1894. I want to discuss it with former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. I'm glad you're here mayor. Nice to see you.

MAYOR MITCH LANDRIEU, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Hi, Laura. Nice to see you too.

COATES: You know, what do you think of this move? Thank you. What do you think of this move? It's pretty much a longtime coming. I mean, it's the last state to actually do this.

LANDRIEU: Well, it's a very good and a positive move. It's a very small step. It is a long time coming. But I'm thankful that the legislature in Mississippi did it and the governor is going to sign it.

I will hasten to say however as we think in this moment and remember Emmett Till, Medgar Evers, James Meredith, Ida B. Wells, Fannie Lou Hamer so many people that have fought so hard to help the south move into the 21st century that if you just take the flag down and you don't begin to dismantle the system that have allowed that flag to stand. Then you really have not done much.

And of course, the president's latest actions and latest words on top of all of the things that he said that have become president, demonstrate just how very far this country has to go to eradicate this evil of racism that continues to hold us down and keep us separate. And stop us from really becoming the country that we all know that we can become.

COATES: You know, I'm so glad you said that. Because the idea of symbolism as some way to placate people and then still not to do any structural changes. I mean, it is just going to be a pat on the head without more. It's still a problem. But the Mississippi Governor, Tate Reeves has said that he'll sign the bill once passed. But he actually to your point posted this on Facebook.

He said we should not be under any illusion that a vote in the capitol is the end of what must be done. The job before us is to bring the state together. You mention this. So, ow do we change hearts and minds to actually get that progress and realize the accomplishment?

LANDRIEU: Well, it's really a great question. I think the governor for his invitation and I think the people of Mississippi should take him up on that. The first thing you can do is expand Medicaid to make sure that everybody in that state has access to healthcare. So that we don't have (inaudible) outcomes from covid and just living.

The second thing he can do is make sure that everybody has access to the ballot. That everybody can show up and vote and voice their opinion. The third thing they can do is make sure that you have an equity built into your system. There's so much more that needs to be done.

Now, listen. Symbols really do matter. The symbols of the confederacy that were designed, as a matter of propaganda to tell African- Americans citizens that they were less then and not welcome is really an important step.

[22:45:09]

However it is the ideology that has allowed that to stand. And of course the person who is spewing that ideology from that most powerful office in the world is the president of the United States himself. And shame on him. It is absolutely clear and some brilliant person once said, when a person tells you who they are, and they show you who they are, you should believe them.

So, this election that's coming up is really not so much about Donald Trump. We know who he is. Generally when his lips are moving he's lying. And he is doing something that white politicians who have tried to separate us before in the south have done from Bill Connor, all the way through the years. It's an old play from the playbook to separate us based on race.

But the people of America (inaudible) had decided that they want a future that is together. That we believe that diversity is a strength not a weakness. And that is what we have to move towards in policy of healthcare, of education, of infrastructure, of banking, of finance. All of those kinds of things that lift people up rather than separate them. Things we have to move aggressively to. In order for us to actually find hope in unity.

COATES: Mitch Landrieu, I mean, I know (inaudible), Michelangelo, Meghan Trainer, Bull Connor, leave an uplifting note at the end. I appreciate you. Thank you. We'll be right back.

LANDRIEU: Sure. I hear you.

COATES: We'll be right back.

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[22:50:00]

COATES: Tonight, an exclusive new report from Carl Bernstein. Sources say a senior Trump officials conclude the president posed a danger to national security after being repeatedly unprepared and outplayed in calls with foreign leaders. Carl Bernstein joins me now. Carl, this reporting is alarming, can you walk us through these calls and how the president may have actually risks national security?

CARL BERNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, it became the conclusion of his closest national security advisers, including James Mattis, the former Secretary of Defense, his own Chief of Staff, Secretary of State (inaudible), others that he was so reckless in his dealings particularly with Vladimir Putin, with Erdogan of Turkey. That he was abusive to our allies, particularly women heads of state. He was absolutely sadistic as one source said in terms of dealing with Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany. With Theresa May, United Kingdom Prime Minister.

And what these calls show, hundreds of them is that a president of the United States attacking his allies, cozying up to our adversaries and having no command of foreign policy. To the point where these sources who are very high level decided and called his conduct that he was delusional, was the word that they used, in the conversations. Thinking he was acting in a responsible manner.

COATES: Well, Carl, tell me, I mean, tell me more about the president's bullying and his demeaning our allies. What was the specific -- I mean, on the women leaders, particularly Angela Merkel?

BERNSTEIN: He is called Merkel stupid. That she lacked courage. He attack her for playing into the hands of the Russians, which is --

COATES: Ironic?

BERNSTEIN: Maybe -- ironic. Let's google with that word. And as you'll see in the story that the German government in response to my story said yes, that he was abusive and aggressive towards the Chancellor. Look, this report, what we finally see in these phone calls and why national security advisers for the president of United States decide that he is unfit to be president.

Unfit because he himself is a danger to the national security, because he cannot conduct the affairs of the United States in a responsible, competent, even handed manner. He is out of control the same way that you saw him in the coronavirus press briefings and the way he attacked the governors.

COATES: Yes, we have seen that. But you know, speaking of Russia, Carl, we all witnessed in what we now call what the heck happened in Helsinki. We all witness in Helsinki when President Trump standing next to Putin, sided with Russia, over the United States on intelligence and that deference to Putin that was also heard on these calls as well, right?

BERNSTEIN: What you hear on the calls. According to those who heard them, who read the transcripts of them, is a kind of slavish buttering up to Putin, and Trump is trying to build himself up in the maximum leader of Russia's eyes, talking Trump he is about what a great businessman he is, talking about how much money he has, talking about what terrible people his predecessors George Bush and Barack Obama were saying that they were full of B.S

And that now that he and Putin are were talking to each other that the relations between Russia and the United States can proceed through this personal relationship. Well, as one of the people who heard the calls said, This is a chess grand master, Putin, dealing with a Sunday afternoon checker's player, and he takes them to the cleaners, and the result is, as we've seen, that the United States has suffering grievously in terms of our allies and he's constantly attacking our ally in these calls. All the major western allies, Macron, Trudeau abuses him.

[22:55:08]

COATES: And Carl, quickly, I hear you. Carl, quickly, what was the role of Jared and Ivanka in this telephone calls? I'm hearing that Dr. Fiona Hill was a part of it, but she wasn't listen to?

BERNSTEIN: Well, what happened is, in his calls with Putin particularly early on, in the presidency, the Trump presidency, Jared and Ivanka were called into the room to listen, along with McMaster, the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Staff, to the president of the United States, the Secretary of State was also in the room, and the one person that Trump wanted to hear from evaluating the call was Jared and Ivanka, who thought the call with Putin was just great.

When in fact all of the others in the room were horrified about the nature of the call. And a lot of the calls, somebody said, it sounds like with Putin, it sounds like two guys in a steam bath.

COATES: Remarkable. I mean, I can't imagine all the people in the room and you want to hear from Jared and Ivanka. Well, thank you for you reporting. Thanks for watching. Our coverage continues.

BERNSTEIN: Good to be with you.

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