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New Day
Twitter Flags Posts from GOP Officials About Biden; Naomi Osaka Wears Masks Honoring Breonna Taylor; Sixteen-Year-Old Coco Gauff Eliminated in First Round of U.S. Open. Aired 7:30-8a ET
Aired September 01, 2020 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[07:30:00]
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Developing this morning, the Trump campaign is posting several misleading and deceptive videos aimed at Vice President Joe Biden. They're getting millions of views before being flagged or completely removed from social media platforms.
Joining us now, CNN politics and technology reporter Donie O'Sullivan and CNN reporter and fact-checker Daniel Dale. I want to take a look at one example and I want to make clear here, I often find it's dangerous to even show these at all, but I'm doing it because I want people to know how they're being manipulated.
So, it's a video posted by White House Social Media Director Dan Scavino, appear to be an interview between Joe Biden and then local news anchor Leyla Santiago, who is now an awesome reporter here at CNN. And the video makes it appear -- it appears that Biden fell asleep. So, Donie, why is this so deceptive?
DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN POLITICS & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER: Hey, John. You know, well, that interview never actually happened. Leyla Santiago did not interview Joe Biden on that local news report. The interview that took place happened in 2011, and it was Leyla interviewing Harry Belafonte, and take a look at the original footage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN REPORTER: Hey, good morning, Harry! Harry, wake up. Harry?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'SULLIVAN: So, what happened there and then is that the Trump campaign took old footage of Biden and replaced that where you see Belafonte there. Belafonte responding overnight, telling Maggie Haberman that they keep stooping lower and lower. "A technical glitch in an interview I did nine years ago now becomes another one of their lies, more of their fake news. I beg every sane American, please vote them out."
Now, Twitter labeled that video as manipulated media, but these labels on these videos are tiny. The company eventually removed the video last night, not because it was false, but because of a copyright claim. But John, by the time it was removed, it had 2.4 million views.
BERMAN: It's like getting Al Capone for tax evasion. So, Daniel, your turn. Twitter flagged another video posted by the Trump campaign account as manipulated media in which Joe Biden's words are clearly taken out of context. So what happened here?
DANIEL DALE, CNN REPORTER: So, the Trump campaign has a so-called war room account that, like the White House itself, is determined to portray Biden as old or confused or senile. And to do so, they keep clipping his quotes, his coherent quotes in ways that make them seem incoherent or confused. So, first, take a look or listen at the version of the quote that the war room had Biden saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR 2020: You won't be safe in Joe Biden's America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DALE: So, that makes it sound like Biden confused himself with Donald Trump. In fact, he did not. What he was saying was that, although Trump and Pence argue that you won't be safe in Joe Biden's America, the images of violence you're seeing now are actually from Donald Trump's America. Listen to the actual quote.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: Says they have no agenda or a vision for a second term. Trump and Pence are running on this, and I find it fascinating -- quote, "you won't be safe in Joe Biden's America." And what's their proof? The violence we're seeing in Donald Trump's America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DALE: So, the snip by the war room which is wildly inaccurate, John. Now, what was interesting was when called on the dishonesty, the campaign war room account basically just said, lighten up, fools. They said, you know, we're joking. You need to be able to take a joke. And this is the game they play. They do something wildly dishonest, they get the dishonesty to many people, sometimes millions. And then when called on that dishonesty, they just say this is comedy and you should be able to take a joke better.
BERMAN: Yes, they don't care at all because they got everything they wanted out of this, Donie, and that's part of the issue. Facebook and Twitter, are they doing enough to prevent the same mistakes they made in 2016?
O'SULLIVAN: No, not at all, John. They're not doing anywhere near enough. They either don't act or they act too slowly, and they -- you know, they take action when something has been viewed and seen by millions of people.
We've seen Twitter try and take a harder stand on Trump, labeling a lot of his tweets. But Facebook, you know, their hands are tied in a lot of ways because Mark Zuckerberg, their CEO is adamant that politicians should not be fact-checked. Look, history judged these companies very poorly in 2016 for all the interference they left happen. And you know, we might see that happen again in 2020 based on decisions they're making now.
[07:35:00]
BERMAN: Daniel Dale, you're part human, part robotic fact-checker. I mean, you set the world on fire with this three and a half minute fact-check of the president's convention speech. We have about 45 seconds left, and I'm curious, as you've been watching the last few days and the president gave an event yesterday, where you think he's lying the most as we reach this new stretch of the campaign?
DALE: I think the number one category is what Joe Biden stands for. Trump is describing Biden's positions that are opposite of the positions that Biden actually holds. For example, he'll say that Biden is talking about tearing down the border wall. Biden has explicitly rejected that. He said the other day that Biden wants to take away your private health insurance, Biden specifically rejected that. So it's just up is down egregious dishonesty over and over about where his opponent is on policy issues.
BERMAN: Donie O'Sullivan, we thank you, and Daniel Dale, we appreciate you coming on NEW DAY. It's hard to get you on because I think the morning is when all the parts are replaced in the fact- checking machine at somehow eyes in your brain --
DALE: Stop it, stop it --
BERMAN: Stop it, stop it -- see, there was a glitch right there! There was something that went wrong in the circuits. I could see it. All right, Daniel, Donie, thank you very much. So an incredible report, a CNN exclusive. Why a powerful anesthesia that is used in the operating room is now used by law enforcement to restrain people, sometimes with deadly results. A CNN investigation, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:40:00]
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Growing questions this morning about the increased use of a powerful sedative used on people who police say are uncooperative. Are police officers pressuring paramedics to use ketamine on suspects? CNN's Sara Sidner has more on what's setting off alarm bells with doctors, lawyers and civil rights advocates. So, Sara, tell us what you found out.
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Alisyn, CNN has learned of several investigations across several states involving the use of ketamine, a very powerful sedative that you have to go to the hospital if it is injected into your veins. What we are looking at is the instance of two complete strangers with the same first name and their terrifying experience with ketamine during police calls.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How much have you had to drink?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm good.
SIDNER (voice-over): Elijah McKnight says what happened to him during this 2019 arrest outside Aurora, Colorado, should never happen to anyone again.
ELIJAH MCKNIGHT, SEDATED BY POLICE: Yes, I was out cold for three days on life support, pretty much.
SIDNER: McKnight admits he was drunk on the sidewalk when police arrived to check on him. He tells police there are warrants out for his arrest. All is calm until an officer attempts to cuff him. He resists and is cuffed and tased.
MCKNIGHT: Oh!
SIDNER: But he says what happened when paramedics showed up nearly killed him.
MCKNIGHT: They were acting like I was just the incredible hulk, and that I was tossing them around.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're a little too hyped up right now. You've got -- you've got to relax a little bit more --
(CROSSTALK)
MCKNIGHT: I am being cooperative.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are. You are, and I appreciate it, man.
SIDNER: Paramedics initially determined he doesn't need to be hospitalized.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He doesn't need to be hospitalized.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's alert and -- it's up to you guys --
MCKNIGHT: But just leave, man! Let them know!
SIDNER: But then, a police officer asks this --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You guys can't give him anything, can you? Unless he goes to the hospital --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, unless he goes to the hospital --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can give him ketamine, you know, where you sleep like a baby, but we'll have to take you to the hospital.
MCKNIGHT: Don't give me -- don't inject anything into my veins.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Still he'll fight the whole way.
MCKNIGHT: No! I will be still!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to the hospital?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, he's bucking the three of us. Just give it to him.
SIDNER: And they do, one shot of 500 milligrams of ketamine. The paramedics report says he's being wildly combative.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Calmed down at all?
SIDNER: But at this point, video shows him cuffed and lying still but yelling. They call a physician and get permission to inject him with 250 more milligrams.
MARY DALE PETERSON, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS: So, we can actually do surgery on patients with ketamine.
SIDNER: Dr. Mary Dale Peterson says ketamine is an extremely useful drug to treat pain or for general anesthesia. It's so powerful that in Colorado, first responders need a health department waiver to use it. It works fast, can leave a patient conscious but unable to move, unable to speak, and sometimes unable to breathe.
PETERSON: Depending on what study you look at, 30 percent to 57 percent of patients will require intubation, where you have to put a breathing tube in.
SIDNER: The controversy is over why and how it's being used by first responders.
MCKNIGHT: They definitely weren't going to give me ketamine until the police asked for it.
PETERSON: Ketamine or any other drug, you know, should not be given for purely law enforcement purposes. You know, we give drugs to treat medical problems.
SIDNER: In McKnight's case, though, the Colorado State Health Department recently determined medics' actions were independent of police requests and warranted. McKnight disagrees but says he's thankful he didn't die, unlike another Colorado man named Elijah that same month.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop.
SIDNER: Elijah McClain committed no crime, but he stopped on his way home after Aurora police are called about a man walking with a ski mask on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop --
ELIJAH MCCLAIN, SEDATED BY POLICE: Please respect the boundaries that I am speaking.
SIDNER: Officers confront him. They say he fought them. They put him in a choke hold, causing him to vomit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whatever he's on --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, all right --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He has an incredible strength.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, crazy strength.
SIDNER: McClain is already cuffed, face down, saying he can't breathe. An autopsy shows he has no illegal drugs in his system. But when paramedics arrive, they inject him with nearly double the recommended dose for someone of his weight.
PETERSON: I've been in practice 30 years, have never given a dose that high.
SIDNER: McClain died in the hospital three days later. The coroner report said McClain died of undetermined causes, but said intense physical exertion, narrow coronary artery and a negative drug reaction to ketamine could have contributed to his death.
[07:45:00]
His family has filed a civil lawsuit against Aurora police and the city.
MARI NEWMAN, ATTORNEY: This is an incredible tragedy. And this is an example of an innocent young man who is tortured and who is murdered by a combination of both law enforcement and so-called first responders.
SIDNER: But the district attorney determined no charges were warranted in the case. Now, a year after his death, the city, state and Health Department have all opened new investigations. But Aurora Fire Rescue determined last November that their paramedics' actions were consistent and aligned with our established protocol, and that McClain was showing signs of excited delirium, a dangerous and often inexplicable condition.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just relax.
SIDNER: McKnight was also diagnosed with excited delirium, which can cause a person to become so agitated, they exercise themselves to death. The condition is not recognized by any major medical association, but it is recognized by the American College of Emergency Physicians.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even clinicians would have a difficult time diagnosing an excited delirium. And when you play with ketamine, you'd better be darn sure that this is an excited delirium and not something else.
SIDNER: The Colorado Department of Health's Ketamine waiver guidelines says excited delirium is a rare syndrome, but data shows from 2018 to 2019, there was a 72 percent increase in ketamine waivers issued to treat it.
NEWMAN: The term excited delirium is being used by law enforcement to justify what is unjustifiable -- excessive force against civilians.
SIDNER (on camera): Why do you think police asked paramedics to give you something?
MCKNIGHT: They're being lazy and didn't want to do their jobs. I guess they didn't want to deal with a drunk -- it wasn't excited delirium, I could tell you that.
SIDNER (voice-over): Authorities won't comment, as there is an active case still pending against McKnight. An article in the "Journal of Emergency Medical Services" says ketamine is an effective drug in the field that can save lives, but there is no national database that tracks ketamine-use by EMS workers. Across the United States, we found several ongoing investigations into the use of ketamine by first responders.
MCKNIGHT: In my experience, I have been pressured by police to administer ketamine.
SIDNER: This paramedic in Minnesota says he's speaking out for the very first time about his concern over using ketamine as a policing tool. He is suing the city of Woodbury, saying he had to quit his paramedic job there because he was retaliated against for exposing falsified EMS training records in his department and for refusing to bow to pressure by police to use ketamine on a mental health call when he says it was not medically necessary.
JOSEPH BAKER, PARAMEDIC: Before we even arrived, we were receiving notes from dispatch, asking us to get our ketamine ready. I was met by multiple officers who asked, do you have your ketamine ready? Do you have it drawn up? And I said, no, I have it available, but I'd like to evaluate this patient first.
SIDNER (on camera): What was the reaction?
BAKER: They were angry. I don't think that they were expecting me to give the response that I did.
SIDNER: What happened ultimately?
BAKER: There wasn't any reason to give him any medications.
SIDNER (voice-over): Baker says talking was the best tool in the field that day in 2019, but he paid a price for it.
BAKER: I was placed on a performance improvement plan for being angry and insubordinate towards a police officer because I was advocating for a patient when --
SIDNER (on camera): Because you refused ketamine?
BAKER: Because I refused to administer ketamine.
SIDNER (voice-over): The city categorically denies all of Baker's allegations and says no records were falsified.
KENNETH UDOIBOK, ATTORNEY: It is a perfect crime.
SIDNER: Baker's attorney, Kenneth Udoibok says all Baker is doing is trying to protect citizens and the city knowing what happened in neighboring Minneapolis.
UDOIBOK: Ketamine should never be a law enforcement tool. It is a medical tool.
SIDNER: In 2018, the Minneapolis Office of Police Conduct Review found the appearance of ketamine in reports increased from two in 2010 to 62 in 2017, a 3,000 percent increase. Analysts observed eight cases where MPD officers participated in the decision to administer ketamine.
NEWMAN: We can't simply substitute injecting people involuntarily with a dangerous psychotropic drug instead of talking. It's not constitutional.
SIDNER: The McClain family and McKnight believe that is exactly what happened in their cases.
MCKNIGHT: Yes, it definitely wasn't to keep me or them safe because it almost killed me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: Sara Sidner, this reporting just blows me away. I mean, I knew about the Elijah McClain case, but I just had no idea --
SIDNER: Yes --
BERMAN: How widespread this practice is, and it really is important that people know this is going on. So, first things first, what's the latest on the investigation surrounding Elijah McClain, the death of Elijah McClain?
[07:50:00]
SIDNER: John, yes, so, John, you know, there are a couple of things going on here, obviously, they have reopened this case, so it is still under investigation. But just in August, the Colorado Department of Health has decided to review its ketamine waiver program, and that's the program that allows first responders to use ketamine in the field for excited delirium.
So, they are looking at that again, deciding whether or not that policy is a good policy -- a waiver program. And then you also have an Aurora City councilman -- and Aurora is where Elijah McClain ended up dying after his encounter with police. This city councilman has said, look, let's just put a moratorium on the use of ketamine for now while the investigation is ongoing, and when it's completed, we can look at it again.
So, that is out there as well. They're expected to vote on that on September 14th, John.
BERMAN: So, Sara, none of the specific agencies in the piece were able to speak, but what are --
SIDNER: Right --
BERMAN: You hearing from police groups about the use of ketamine?
SIDNER: Yes, so, we did get some information from the National Policing Agency, and of course they had nothing to do with these cases, but they said, look, our officers are trained on excited delirium, they have learned this -- you know, what this is. And basically, we do not have any feeling that they are trying to push paramedics to actually use this drug which is really another form of excessive force on people unless it's absolutely necessary.
And so she pushed back -- the National Fraternal Order of Police spokesman pushed back on the idea that somehow this was nefarious, and said, look, officers are trained, they have learned about excited delirium, when they see something like that that can be deadly, they are simply trying to get the help that everyone needs to make sure that everyone involved, both first responders and the subject that they're dealing with is safe, John.
BERMAN: Sara Sidner, important journalism. Thank you for shining a light on this. What a terrific report.
SIDNER: Sure.
BERMAN: So one of the top players in women's tennis making a big statement on the opening day of the U.S. Open. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:55:00]
BERMAN: The U.S. Open tennis tournament kicked off in New York, former champ Naomi Osaka standing up against racial injustice with her mask on opening day. Andy Scholes has more in the "BLEACHER REPORT". Hey Andy.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS REPORTER: Yes, good morning John. So Naomi Osaka, she's been very vocal in the fight for social justice. And in her opening match at the U.S. Open 2018 champ wearing a mask with Breonna Taylor's name on it.
Now, Taylor of course, 26-year-old black woman who was killed during a police raid in her home in March and in front of no fans, Osaka winning her opening match in three sets to advance to the second round. And afterwards, Osaka said she has seven different masks, sadly, that isn't enough for the amount of names, but she said hopefully, she makes the finals so we get to see all of them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NAOMI OSAKA, TENNIS PLAYER: For me, I just want to spread awareness, like I'm aware that tennis is watched all over the world, and maybe there's someone that doesn't know, you know, Breonna Taylor's story, so maybe they'll like Google it after or something. So, I just -- for me, just spreading awareness and like, I feel like the more the people know this story, then the more -- you know, interesting or interested they'll become in it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: All right, meanwhile, 16-year-old American Coco Gauff losing in her opening match. She had made it all the way to the third round last year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Daddy!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who's that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you, daddy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Oh, that sweet voice just melts your heart. That's Raptors guard Fred VanVleet in an awesome moment, reuniting with their kids as they arrived to the Bubble there in Disney. You know, John, as teams are leaving, the players are now allowed to have their families join them there. Now, I tell you what? It doesn't get any better than that, such a cool moment.
BERMAN: That was awesome. I want them to lose, I want the Raptors to lose the Celtics, but I'm glad that he can be with his family. We had Enes Kanter on yesterday, Andy, who was saying it's been 50 days and it just look like he needed to see a new face. So, I think it's been a while for --
SCHOLES: Yes --
BERMAN: For those guys.
SCHOLES: Yes, you can see the excitement in those kids' faces. It's awesome.
BERMAN: All right, thanks Andy, appreciate it.
SCHOLES: Yes --
BERMAN: NEW DAY continues right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: President Trump lavished praise on his supporters who clashed with protesters in Portland. DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They had large numbers
of people, but that was a peaceful protest. That's a defensive mechanism.
BIDEN: Fires are burning, and do we have a president who fans the flames rather than fighting the flames.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was growing concern, political pressure could be rushing the COVID-19 vaccine process.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Doctors are concerned that Americans aren't trusting the FDA.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will not make that decision on the basis of politics, that's a promise.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: Good morning everyone, welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world, this is NEW DAY. President Trump travels to Kenosha, Wisconsin, today, he says it's to increase enthusiasm -- we assume he means for his re-election.
He's focused on the pockets of unrest in the country instead of the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 183,000 Americans as of this morning. The president will not be meeting with the family of Jacob Blake who was shot by police seven times in the back at close range. Local officials are concerned the president's trip could trigger more violence.
Instead of condemning deadly violence, President Trump is defending Kyle Rittenhouse, that's the teenager accused of murdering two protesters in Kenosha.
