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The Situation Room
Boycotts Disrupt Pro Sports for a Second Night; NBA to Resume Playoffs, Possibly this Weekend; Trump Slams NBA as a "Political Organization" as Pence Aide Calls League's Boycott "Absurd and Silly"; Biden: Trump and Allies "Rooting for Violence"; U.S. Death Toll Tops 180,000 With 5.8 Million Plus Million Cases; W.H. Admits Change In CDC Guidance Was Due To Backlog In Testing; Hurricane Laura Kills At Least Four People, 800,000 Plus Without Power In Texas & Louisiana; Boycotting Players Follow In Footsteps Of Decades Of Black Athletes Leading Charge Toward Racial Justice. Aired 5-6p ET
Aired August 27, 2020 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[17:00:00]
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: The NBA playoffs postponed for a second night, though they are now expected to resume possibly as early as tomorrow or over the weekend.
Also tonight as President Trump is about to give his big Republican convention speech, he's accusing the NBA of being political. And a top aide to Vice President Pence is dismissing the boycott as absurd and silly. And Mr. Trump is refusing to talk about Jacob Blake or say if he's even seen the video of him being shot multiple times in the back.
Also braking tonight, the hurricane disaster in Louisiana and Texas leaving widespread damage after the storm hit with historic force. At least four people are now reported dead and more than 800,000 without power.
Let's check in with CNN's Omar Jimenez first. He's a Kenosha for us.
Omar, the shooting of Jacob Blake, it's making a huge impact far beyond where you are.
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really is, Wolf. And it's part of why Governor Tony Evers here in Wisconsin is requesting additional National Guard from other states, including from Alabama, Michigan, and Arizona that are set to be here and could assist as early as tomorrow night. And that actually comes on the backside of what was a very peaceful night last night, which of course, was in stark contrast what we saw in three nights prior to that where things did get violent, including at least two deaths and I want to warn some of what you're about to see may be considered graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIMENEZ (voice-over): There are seven shots now heard throughout the world as people from politicians to athletes are fed up of what's now become an all too familiar story. The NBA is now set to resume play later this week after postponing their playoffs for days in solidarity with Jacob Blake. The WNBA joining the NBA and postponing games that were set to be played tonight, and several NFL teams canceling their practices today to show support.
CHRIS WEBBER, FORMER NBA STAR: They kind of felt helpless. They felt like they wanted to do something. They felt like they weren't a part of, like, they were being protected from what everyone else in the world is seeing.
And so, I think the fact that you had everyone on the campus. You know, it has to be the perfect storm is the pandemic, it's a bubble.
JIMENEZ: But in Kenosha, a community has been dealing with pain and even violence on an almost nightly basis since Blake was shot.
Wednesday, police arrested 17 year old Kyle Rittenhouse and charged him with first degree intentional homicide after a night where two people were killed, and the third person was injured. His social media portrays him as someone who loves guns, police and the President.
Even posting a TikTok from one of President Trump's Iowa rallies in January. It's not clear if that or support for Blue Lives Matter played into his alleged actions, opposed to a Snapchat account believed to belong to Rittenhouse appears to show him on Tuesday with a rifle near the scene of the protests.
While law enforcement hasn't confirmed, the man seen here in this video is actually Rittenhouse within a minute of this man firing his weapon in Kenosha. He's seen walking toward police with his hands up as onlookers continue to yell. But law enforcement moves on.
Thursday, nearly all of the local leadership held the press conference, but didn't add any major new details and shuffled out without taking single question.
That shooting came three nights after Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by Kenosha police officer Rustin Sheskey, a seven-year veteran with the department.
JOSH KAUL, WISCONSIN ATTORNEY GENERAL: All involved law enforcement officers are fully cooperating with DCI during the investigation and the involved officers have been placed on administrative leave.
As I said, this is an ongoing investigation.
JIMENEZ: The Wisconsin Department of Justice releasing new details about the initial call for officers Sunday that a woman claimed her boyfriend was there when he wasn't supposed to be and wouldn't leave.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Complainant says Jacob Blake isn't supposed to be there and he took the complainant's keys and is refusing to get them back.
JIMENEZ: Not long after that is when officers arrived on the scene. Investigators say Jacob Blake admitted to having a knife in his possession, but would not say when exactly he had it. A knife was recovered from the floorboard on the driver's side of the vehicle, but it was unclear if officers were aware of it at the time.
Previously, attorneys for the Blake family said he had no weapon in the car and pose no threat.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JIMENEZ: And the ACLU is now calling for the resignation of the police chief and the sheriff citing a failed response to the shooting of Jacob Blake.
And it's also worth noting that overall we've seen nights in a row of protests. We have seen two people killed, the third person injured. We've seen officers appear on video offering water to armed men even saying we appreciate you.
[17:05:00]
And officials had a press conference today where we hope to get some answers, but didn't take a single question as the world watched looking for answers from the leaders in charge here in Kenosha. Wolf.
BLITZER: Yes, that was disappointing. They didn't answer reporters' questions. Omar, thank you very much. Omar Jimenez on the scene for us.
Now to President Trump and his response to the Kenosha unrest just hours before his Republican convention speech, the big speech later tonight.
Let's go to our Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta.
Jim, the President is offering no sympathy, at least not yet for Jacob Blake, or for the NBA for that matter.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. President Trump, he will make at his case for a second term later on tonight. But earlier today, as you said the President weighed in on the recent unrest in Wisconsin after the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Mr. Trump was asked what he thought of the NBA players who were protesting police brutality by refusing to play basketball. The President responded by slamming the players saying their ratings in their games have been bad. Another sign Mr. Trump is once again looking to divide the nation to win reelection.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(Crosstalk)
ACOSTA (voice-over): Ignoring questions about whether he had seen the video of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, President Trump vowed to strike back against violent protesters in places like Wisconsin, offering up more deployments of the National Guard to U.S. cities. DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will put out the fire, we will put out the flame, we will put out the vandalism because the vandalism and the looting is ridiculous to allow this to happen.
ACOSTA: White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway appear to say the quiet part out loud, revealing the President's advisors see the unrest as a boost to Mr. Trump's reelection chances.
KELLYANNE CONWAY, WHITE HOUSE COUNSELOR: The more chaos and anarchy and vandalism and violence reigns, the better it is for the very clear choice on who's best on public safety and law and order.
ACOSTA: Democrat Joe Biden pounced on that.
JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: All the video being played is being played in Donald Trump's America. These guys are rooting for violence. That's what it's all about.
ACOSTA: The heart nose strategy isn't working everywhere in Wisconsin where Lutheran college just disinvited Vice President Mike Pence from giving a commencement speech at the school, citing the escalating events in Kenosha. Pence came down on the side of the police in his GOP convention speech.
MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: President Trump and I know that the men and women that put on the uniform of law enforcement are the best of us.
ACOSTA: The President took a jab at NBA players city out games in protest of police brutality, knocking of all things, their ratings. Calling the league a political organization.
TRUMP: I don't know much about the NBA protests. I know their ratings have been very bad because I think people are a little tired of the NBA, frankly.
ACOSTA: Other White House officials mock the players.
JARED KUSHNER, SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT: I think that the NBA players are very fortunate that they have the financial position where they're able to take a night off from work.
JARED KUSHNER, WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISER: If they want to protest. I don't think we care.
ACOSTA: President is expected to continue his divisive rhetoric in his convention speech planning to say tonight, "At no time before have voters faced a clearer choice between two parties, two visions, two philosophies or two agendas."
Even after more than 180,000 deaths and more than 5.8 million cases from the coronavirus --
TRUMP: We have vaccines coming very soon. We have therapeutics. It's been incredible what's taking place. But I have to say they should open up the States. ACOSTA: The President is still pushing states in schools to quickly reopen in the middle of the pandemic. Despite the public health risks Trump campaign officials plan to pack in more than 1,500 supporters on the White House South Lawn for the President speech.
There were a few masks inside at Pence's address on the third night of the convention. The White House is offering conflicting statements on safety precautions with some official saying people in close proximity to the President would be tested while other aides say all attendees will be screened for COVID-19.
CONWAY: Everybody will be tested tonight.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: As it turns out, not everybody will be tested tonight. We're hearing that from officials over here at the White House. But this evening, the White House is announcing the administration will purchase 150 million rapid test to help boost the nation's screening for the coronavirus.
Clearly the administered is trying to improve perceptions about the President's handling of the coronavirus.
Heading into tonight's speech the President has referred to testing in the past as "overrated."
As for Hurricane Laura, the President said he was prepared to postpone his speech tonight. But now the President says he will travel down to the Gulf Coast this weekend to have a look at the damage left by the storm. Wolf.
BLITZER: Yes. I understand that there's going to be between 1,500 and 2,000 people who have been invited to the South Lawn to hear the President's speech tonight. And it's expected his speech will go for about one hour later tonight. We'll of course have live coverage.
Jim Acosta, the White House for us, thank you very much.
Joining us now Elizabeth Williams. She's an Atlanta Dream All-Star and Secretary of the Women's National Basketball Players Association. Also with us our Political Commentator, Van Jones. He's the CEO of reform Alliance.
Elizabeth, we just saw the entire WNBA league lock arms, there you see the picture in this powerful display. You actually made the announcement on behalf of the teams yesterday that you would not be playing.
[17:10:01]
How did you and your teammates and the other players come to that decision? What are the conversations, Elizabeth, been like around this protest?
ELIZABETH WILLIAMS, ATLANTA DREAM ALL-STAR: Yes, I think it was important for us to, no matter what our decision was going to be, to make sure we communicated it and make sure we're all in solidarity. And after seeing the Bucks' decision and seeing what our NBA counterparts had done, we thought it was important to stand in solidarity with them, and to not play the games yesterday and today.
BLITZER: Well, it was a powerful statement indeed.
And Van, the President, he's disparaging the players calling the NBA, in his words, a "political organization." And he says, as he often does, when he disagrees with some organization or individual with bad ratings. Jared Kushner essentially said players are lucky that they get paid so much so they don't have to worry about taking a night off. What's your reaction to that?
WILLIAMS: Well, I mean, I think --
VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think --
BLITZER: Elizabeth, why don't you go first and then I'll let Van respond.
WILLIAMS: Oh, yes, I was just going to say I think from the beginning in our decision to play this season in the bubble, our focus was going to be on social justice. And we thought, especially for the WNBA, we were in a unique position having so many televised games that we would be able to show our activism, to have Brionna Taylor's name on the back of our jerseys and be activists and be vocal in that sense.
BLITZER: And you've made an important statement. Van go ahead.
JONES: Well, I just think that we're seeing better leadership coming from athletes, better leadership coming from people like, you know, Doc Rivers, front than we are seeing right now coming from the entire Republican National Convention. You would think in a moment like this, where you have this issue front and center, you have lawlessness in a police department followed by peaceful protests, which then became lawless. Now you have lawless vigilantes.
Trump is supposed to be this law and order president. He's not speaking to the issue of the vigilante violence. He's not speaking to the issue of the lawlessness in the police department. And so, you would think this would be a golden moment.
You've got your convention, you've got the whole world watch and get a chance to say something. You would say something to call out all of the lawlessness and bring us together. Instead, you're picking on athletes who are at least trying to use their platform for good and to lift up the issues.
And so this is, again, I actually agree with the President, you -- this is a clear choice. It's becoming a clear choice between two visions. One I think, which is willing to deal with all of the issues affecting the country and others who are just seemed to be, at this point, just picking and choosing based on politics.
BLITZER: Elizabeth, how does it feel to see so many other athletes not just in the WNBA, or the NBA but in Major League Baseball or NHL, hockey, soccer, tennis stars, following in effect your lead?
WILLIAMS: I mean, it's huge. I think we're fortunate that the WNBA has been doing this work for a very long time. And we're fortunate to see other athletes are understanding not only the importance of this work, but how influential we can be.
I think we're seeing voter registrations increase. We're seeing fans actually going out and filling in their census. And so, people are starting to understand the actionable items that are going along with the social justice work that we've been talking about.
BLITZER: You know, Van, the tennis Naomi Osaka is protesting. She was supposed to have a semifinals match today, but let me read a part of her statement. I'll put it up on the screen.
"I don't expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing. But if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport I consider that a step in the right direction."
She's raising a very important point. Athletes don't need to have all the solutions to spark a conversation on racial justice do that.
JONES: No, they don't. And but I think that she setting an extraordinary example.
Everybody can influence somebody. You can influence, you know, your loved ones, you can influence your family members on Facebook, you can influence the people you work with. Everybody can influence somebody. And these are not simple -- questions are not simple -- I'd say they're not simple answers.
But the basic question, how can we live together? The most diverse country in the history of the world, every kind of human being ever born in one country, and some consistently being mistreated, what do you do? How do you fix it? Everybody can be a part of that conversation.
And I am very, very proud that these athletes that we have, you know, LeBron James, these are people our global superstars, saying they care about what's happening to the folks at the grassroots level enough to do what they're doing. We should all be proud of that's. That's a good thing.
[17:15:00]
BLITZER: Elizabeth, what do you make of that statement from Naomi Osaka? And what are your goals going forward?
WILLIAMS: It's absolutely huge, you know, starting the conversation is where a lot of the starts. You know, moving forward, again, it's making sure that people understand the action items associated with what we've been saying.
And so, for us, a big focus has been, say her name and the African- American policy forum, and making sure that we're seeing changes at local level. So people are not only voting on a national level, but locally as well. And those are ways that people will start to see big changes.
BLITZER: Elizabeth Williams, thanks so much. Good luck to you. Van Jones, thanks for you as well.
Later here in the Situation Room I'll speak live with sportscaster Kenny Smith, his first interview since he walked off the set of "Inside the NBA" to show his solidarity with those protesting NBA players.
And the coronavirus death toll here in the United States passes another very grim milestone as the controversy over the CDC revised testing guidelines grows. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:20:26]
BLITZER: There's breaking news we're following in a new interview with CNN, the Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said President Trump will be center stage tonight, and he's suggesting that President Trump and his allies are "rooting for violence."
Let's discuss this and more with our Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash, and our CNN political reporter Nia-Malika Henderson.
Nia, the vice president -- the former vice president I should say, he was very firm, very precise. He said President Trump once again and his allies are rooting for violence in American streets because, he says, that allows the Trump folks to drive fear into the American public for political gain. What do you make of that?
NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: And listen, when he said that he was quoting something that Kellyanne Conway said in an interview suggesting that the chaos that we see in some of these cities across the country actually helps Donald Trump. And Joe Biden in an interview also said, well, this is Donald Trump's America. So you know, how does that help him if the violence is going on, on, on his watch? It's certainly an argument.
I think you've seen them try to lay out over the course of these last couple of days. I'm sure it'll be an argument that they will try to go at, again, this idea of law and order, this idea that in Joe Biden's America you won't be safe. The counter argument of that, of course, is well this is going on in Trump's America right now.
And what solution would be if he's given a second term is unclear because he's the president right now. So, they clearly think that they need to add their voices to the conversation given that Donald Trump is really trying to sort of reinvent himself and reinvent his record over these last couple of days. So that I think is why you saw not only Joe Biden come out pretty strongly and then also Kamala Harris as well.
BLITZER: Well, on that point, Dana, let me play something that Kamala Harris said today, in a pre-battle to the President's speech later tonight, listen to this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS, (D) VICE PRESIDENT NOMINEE: As Vice President Biden put it, the shots fired at Mr. Blake pierced the soul of our nation. It's sickening to watch. It's all too familiar. And it must end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The Biden campaign clearly trying, Dana, to shine a light on Jacob Blake racial injustice here in the United States just ahead of the President's remarks tonight.
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, the President's remarks and the lead up to what we're going to hear from the President. We're going to hear from Rudy Giuliani, who lately has been known as the President's biggest defender, a member of his impeachment legal team. But of course, he was the mayor of New York City and he is going to, our understanding, is going to talk a lot about the cities run by Democrats, and that is what the Republicans and the Trump campaign in particular, they're trying to really nuance that argument.
Nia was talking about the fact that wait, this is Trump's America and they argue, no, no, the cities are run by Democrats. Both are true. But the question is, who do the voters really hold accountable?
The other thing I just want to say about the fear is, you know, so much of what we saw over the last 24 hours, Wolf, and you know, this better than we do as a huge NBA fan is coming from there sort of tutorials coming from a players and coaches.
And when we heard Doc Rivers talk about fear and say, well, the Republicans -- I'm watching the Republicans and they're talking about all this fear in America, and that's going to help them. Well, what about the fear among black people like me? That's an open question still about this playing, again, both ways about African Americans looking at what's going on and going out and voting in bigger numbers than they certainly did in 2016. And that is another caveat. And that is another factor that the Democrats are trying to make. So turn this into action with voting.
BLITZER: Yes, that Doc Rivers' statement yesterday was so, so powerful.
BASH: Remarkable.
HENDERSON: Powerful.
BLITZER: Nia, the President is expected to address the unrest in Kenosha in his speech later tonight, but we don't know whether he will specifically address the shooting of Jacob Blake. When asked today he wouldn't even say if he's actually seen the video of him being shot seven times in the back by that police officer. Should we expect him to address it in any substantial way later tonight?
[17:25:00]
HENDERSON: It's hard Imagine he hasn't seen that video. The President spends a lot of time watching television and it's gotten a lot of airtime. So that's a strange thing for him to say.
We also know that he has tried to reach out to the family. We don't know yet if he's actually talked to that family. So we'll see.
What we've also seen, I think over these last couple of days, as well, as the President's statement today, really dismissing the NBA players protest and boycott and strike up a couple of games is that this is a president that doesn't really acknowledge systemic racism. He wants to pretend that it doesn't exist.
The kind of black people he wants to hear from, and we saw this are black people who say, listen, racism isn't really a problem, that the President himself doesn't have a race problem. So it's hard to know what he'll do tonight. Maybe he'll talk about Jacob, but we know that he likes to talk about the looting and the violence, or rather than focusing on the underlying causes of those protests, which is this racial caste system that black Americans have been living under for 400 years.
BLITZER: Nia and Dana, guys standby, you're going to be with us throughout the night for our special coverage of the Republican National Convention.
Coming up, the U.S. coronavirus death toll surpasses yet another grim milestone.
Later, in his first interview since walking off the set on our sister network TNT, the NBA's Kenny Smith -- the NBA T.V.'s Kenny Smith talks about why he did it, the NBA boycott and more.
Kenny Smith of TNT. There you see him walking off the set yesterday inside the NBA.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:31:33]
BLITZER: We're back with the breaking news on the coronavirus pandemic. The death toll here in the United States now surpassing 180,000 with more than 5.8 million cases. CNN's Nick Watt has the latest from Los Angeles.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than 180,000 lives now lost in America to this coronavirus. Multiple times the estimated death toll of our last flu season. And the economic hurt. Another 1 million Americans filed for first time unemployment last week.
Meanwhile, growing outrage after apparent White House pressure led to the CDC no longer saying asymptomatic people need a test after close contact with an infected person. The federal testing chief denies there was pressure.
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D), NEW YORK: That is really bad advice. I believed there was political propaganda rather than public health advice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Often it's those silence spreaders that have done the most damage.
WATT (voice-over): Today, this explanation from the White House.
MARC SHORT, CHIEF OF STAFF TO VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: The guidance that was updated is because there continue to be backlogs in the system with the testing particularly for people getting tested asymptomatic.
DR. DANIEL MCQUILLEN, SENIOR PHYSICIAN, BETH ISRAEL LAHEY HEALTH, LAHEY HOSPITAL & MEDICAL CENTER: What it speaks to, is that something that's not a secret to anyone, we don't really have enough testing at this point.
WATT (voice-over): It's a secret President Trump continually tries to keep.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have the best testing in the world.
WATT (voice-over): We might be about to actually get better testing. The FDA just granted emergency authorization for a $5 15-minute test, could be used by tens of millions, say, its makers. Nationally, we are doing better in this battle, major metrics moving in the right direction for now. But on the state level, right now, record average new cases in Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas and North Dakota, which is leading the nation in new cases per capita, and past 10,000 total.
GOV. DOUG BURGUM /(R), NORTH DAKOTA: 56 percent of those have been asymptomatic. People who do not have symptoms can still be contagious in the sense that they can transmit this disease.
WATT (voice-over): At least 21 new cases in North Dakota alone linked to that defiantly undistinguished Sturgis motorcycle rally in neighboring South Dakota.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WATT: And some of those new cases in North Dakota also among college students. Meanwhile, down here in Los Angeles, USC reporting more than 100 new cases in just the past three days. And authorities warning students that even something as simple as a bunch of people playing a board game can become super spreader events. Wolf?
BLITZER: People have to be very, very careful. All right, Nick Watt, thank you very much.
Let's get some more in all of these. Joining us now, our Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Sanjay, the White House official Marc Short, the Chief of Staff for the Vice President said flat out as you heard, the CDC guidance on who should get tested was narrowed because, in his words, of backlogs in the system, is that an admission that months into this crisis? They still don't have enough testing capacity?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's what that answer would suggest, right? Wolf, if you have a backlog, it means, you know, so mid late August and we still haven't really kept up with the demand for testing.
[17:35:01]
But as it turns out, Wolf, we dug into this today and there really isn't a backlog. I mean, there was a backlog back in mid-July, as you remember. We talked to the two big commercial labs. And they say that, you know, they're actually having pretty quick turnaround right now. So it does then raise this question. He was sort of pointing to one particular problem, which is a problem that doesn't exist right now. Why are they making these recommendations that asymptomatic people may not need to get tested, especially at a time when we're starting to go back to school, Wolf.
I mean, lots of kids, faculty members in these schools are wanting to get tested, even if they're asymptomatic to make sure that they're not going to spread the virus. And now it's left this very confusing picture. I think every public health official we've talked to say asymptomatic testing has been important and remains important. It's going to be important going forward.
BLITZER: Certainly is. You know, the Association of American Medical Colleges issued a statement saying the revised guides will result, in their way, words in less testing and exactly the time when we need more testing in order to control the pandemic, that's a direct quote. But it sounds like more governors are saying they won't follow these new CDC guidelines, is that right?
GUPTA: Yes, that's what we're hearing as well, Wolf. And, you know, we look at these guidelines very carefully. And at the bottom, it does say that public health officials can help determine, you know, who should be tested in their local area. So, I can tell you, when I go to a lot of public health officials, they do rely on the CDC website to make these decisions. So, you know, it's a little -- becomes a little bit of a loop there.
But you're absolutely right. A lot of people are saying, look, we recognize how much of an impact people who are asymptomatic have no symptoms, how much of an impact they can have on spreading this virus. 40 percent of people, Wolf, who get infected are going to have no symptoms, and they account for about 50 percent of the spread.
BLITZER: Because even if they have no symptoms, they can clearly transmit this virus. There is some good news, a possible breakthrough on testing, Sanjay, the FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization for this new test that can deliver results in only about 15 minutes and the administration is going to be buying 150 million of these tests. Tell us about this.
GUPTA: Yes, this is -- potential, as you say, very good news. I mean, this is a type of test that I think a lot of people have been thinking about wanting for some time. Let me show you some specifics about it. This comes from Abbott Laboratories, and we've heard Abbott before because they're the ones who also made the test that is being used at the White House, the ID NOW test.
That is a genetic test. This is what's known as an antigen test. Here's some of the specific. Cost 5 bucks, 15-minute test. It doesn't rely on any kind of machine. It doesn't need to be sent to a lab 97 percent sensitivity. And I think the big thing is the number you see at the bottom, Wolf, which you alluded to 50 million tests a month can be, you know, made by October.
I talked to Admiral Giroir. He says by November 1st, 100 million tests, and then 12 million tests a week after that.
BLITZER: Yes, that'll be excellent, excellent news. All right, Sanjay, thank you very, very much.
We're gone have more in the breaking news coming up, including the very latest from Louisiana where Hurricane Laura caused tremendous devastation, and left more than three quarters of a million people without electricity. And later, President Trump lashes out at NBA players for boycotting games, but U.S. athletes have a very long history of using their star power to try to bring about social change.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:43:07]
BLITZER: There's more breaking news coming into "The Situation Room". There's still very dangerous remnants of Hurricane Laura are now moving into Arkansas after causing horrific, horrific devastation across much of Louisiana. CNN's Martin Savidge has more from Lake Charles.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look, look, look, look, there's roof. The roof there that's a foam roof coming down and you can see it some on the ground there. Just raining down here in Lake Charles.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Roaring ashore., it's a category 4 storm with sustained winds of 150 miles per hour. Hurricane Laura was the strongest storm to hit this portion of Louisiana and Far Eastern Texas in over a century. Laura's powerful winds tearing across Lake Charles, Louisiana some 35 miles inland, causing widespread destruction. Homes and buildings torn apart. Roofs completely sheared off. Huge trees snapped in half. And lampposts and street signs bent in half or completely torn from the ground.
This video captured by one man who spoke to CNN after riding out Laura in his condo in Lake Charles.
TOLOR WHITE JR., LAKE CHARLES HOME DAMAGED: I heard a big bang and that woke me up and I decided to go out and see what it is and the roof was gone. This was a lot worse than Rita. SAVIDGE (voice-over): Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards saying at least four storm related deaths have been reported, including a 14- year-old girl.
GOV. JOHN BEL EDWARDS (D), LOUISIANA: All were related to trees falling on residences, which is in line with this being a major wind event.
SAVIDGE (voice-over): A scary situation near Lake Charles, where a chemical fire at a plant sent huge plumes of smoke into the air, forcing officials to issue a shelter in place order to people living nearby. Meanwhile, rising waters continue to be a concern for many.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Water still rising right now, but at a very slow pace compared to Rita and Ike.
SAVIDGE (voice-over): The storms knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people in Louisiana in Texas.
[17:45:03]
The Red Cross says more than 400 volunteers are now on the ground in both states and the National Guard has been deployed to help with cleanup in Lake Charles. In Texas, tornadoes are a major concern.
GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R), TEXAS: There's powerful winds knocking down very tall trees in East Texas as well as potential tornado activity. So people in northeast Texas still need to remain very vigilant right now.
SAVIDGE (voice-over): One Texas meteorologist had a scary encounter with an electrical wire that was captured on video by CNN affiliate KSAT in Orange, Texas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's not good.
SAVIDGE (voice-over): Luckily, he wasn't hurt. But the potential for dangerous even deadly conditions is far from over.
KEN GRAHAM, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: We're not done yet. So anybody well inland, if you think this is just a coastal event, that's not true. We're going to see even at 1:00 a.m. on Friday. So, tomorrow morning still a tropical storm in Arkansas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: Wolf, we were out in it all last night. This was in a especially brutal storm. You could tell that and daylight revealed it to be true. If you stayed, you're probably never going to forget it. If you left, consider yourself lucky. But know this. It is not the same Lake Charles that you will be returning to. Wolf?
BLITZER: Yes. So sad. All right, Martin, thank you. Martin Savidge reporting for us.
Coming up, boycotts will disrupt a second night of pro-sports here in the United States. But this isn't the first time U.S. athletes have taken drastic action to try to bring about social change in this country.
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[17:51:32]
BLITZER: While boycotts will disrupt professional sports for a second straight night here in the United States, NBA players decided to resume their playoff games possibly this weekend ending their protests over violence against black people in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake. It's the latest chapter in a long history of U.S. athletes taking action to try to bring about social change.
CNN's Brian Todd has details.
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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As LeBron James put it in a tweet, "Change doesn't happen with just talk". The Los Angeles Lakers star and members of the Milwaukee Bucks take the lead in refusing to participate in the NBA's playoff games. Making a powerful statement about the shooting of Jacob Blake.
STERLING BROWN, MILWAUKEE BUCKS PLAYERS: Despite the overwhelming need for change, there has been no action. So, our focus today cannot be on basketball.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're calling for justice for Jacob Blake and demand the officer be held accountable.
TODD (voice-over): This comes four years after 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick first took a knee to protest against the oppression of African Americans. But for many decades, black athletes in America have taken some of the most powerful and the riskiest measures to call attention to racial injustice.
MIKE FREEMAN, AUTHOR, "FOOTBALL'S FEARLESS ACTIVISTS": They come from a place of sincerity that most people can look at them and go, all right, they sort of automatically kind of get it.
TODD (voice-over): In the 1960s, as the Vietnam War raged, boxing's electrifying Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali refused to be inducted into the U.S. military. His impassioned arguments became legendary, like when he spoke of why he didn't want to kill Viet Cong soldiers.
MUHAMMAD ALI, AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL BOXER: Shooting for work, they never call me near the naval HP (ph).
TODD (voice-over): In the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who'd won golden bronze medals, wore black gloves and socks and raise their fists on the metal stand to call attention to injustice and poverty. Arthur Ashe, the first black American man to win the U.S. Open and Wimbledon tennis titles, was arrested, protesting against apartheid. In all those cases, those athletes paid a steep price for taking a stand. JERRY BREWER, SPORTS COLUMNIST, THE WASHINGTON POST: The costs were tremendous. John Carlos and Tommie Smith, come home and their lives and their families' lives in a lot of ways were ruin, you know, irreparable damage. Muhammad Ali says his career and his freedom in some ways damaged. Colin Kaepernick loses his NFL career because of it. The stakes in going all in are tremendous.
TODD (voice-over): One columnist believes this latest protest by NBA players could end up being the most powerful statement of them all.
FREEMAN: They set out postseason games, which no NFL player, NBA player, athlete of any kind ever wants to do. They work their whole lives to get to the postseason to get to the playoffs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: That was our Brian Todd reporting for us an important, important piece indeed.
Coming up, I'll speak live to the sportscaster Kenny Smith, his first interview since he walked off the set of inside the NBA to show solidarity with protesting players. Much more right after this.
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[17:59:19]
BLITZER: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in "The Situation Room". We're following multiple breaking stories this evening.
First, the growing outrage over the shooting of Jacob Blake as players on several professional sports teams latest strike in protest of racial injustice here in the United States. Games and practices across the NBA, NHL, WNBA, some games and Major League Baseball, other leagues, they've been postponed or cancelled. President Trump is slamming the strike just ahead of his Republican National Convention speech later tonight. And a top eight in his administration is attacking that movement as absurd and silly. But the President has remained silent on the shooting of Jake Blake even as he vows to crackdown on violence in Kenosha.
We're also tracking the devastating fallout from Hurricane Laura.
