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New Day

Trump Peddles Baseless Conspiracies; Portland's Mayor Condemns Violence; Jill Biden on School Reopening. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired September 02, 2020 - 06:30   ET

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

[06:30:00]

MARGARET TALEV, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Is under water with suburban voters, suburban women especially, white college-educated men. But if you look at Kenosha County, in 2016, the president just barely beat Hillary Clinton in that country. I'm talking about literally hundreds of votes. And when you're in a race with those sort of polling and those sort of numbers, those margins, a few hundred votes here, a couple thousand votes there, can absolutely make the difference in the Electoral College, which is still how presidents are elected.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Astead, I want your sense of how this has played out, because you cover this and I think you often also take a 30,000 foot view of not just the information that's coming out but how it is being perceived here.

So how do you see this?

ASTEAD HERNDON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. I want to offer a kind of different suggestion, that maybe the president isn't doing something for a particular strategy or a kind of political gain here. This is someone who is a -- is -- is oftentimes just responding to the news in which he read that he wants to believe that he feels that he has an incentive to believe because it insulates him from the kind of political questions here.

Now, no, I think it's not an accident that the White House can't produce a shred of evidence here because we do not have a shred of evidence here. This is a president that has not dealt in that kind of level of fact.

But what we don't know is if this is even working. I think, as Margaret said, this is an intentional kind of play for -- for a kind of suburban voter. The president has been under water with and we have seen that kind of reflected throughout the campaign, even outside of these moments.

But we do not have real evidence that that is what these folks are looking for. We have not seen necessarily a convention bounce that we would typically see coming out of last week and the RNC. But even more so than that, things like the virus are not things that he can just wish away.

Whether it is in the suburbs of Wisconsin, or in different swing states, that has been the overarching priority of voters. And since they have rejected his response and rejected his response largely to the protests, that kind of minor, smaller, more marginal votes he's able to win back maybe by driving this division is not something that we have seen really change the broader landscape of this election.

BERMAN: Just one thing, and I'll cede the floor to you completely. He was in Wisconsin yesterday. And if you look at a map, Wisconsin happens to be in the Midwest, where you also --

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: I'll take your word for it.

BERMAN: You also find Iowa, which we just reported has seen this incredible spike in coronavirus cases. One place where the president might have influence. He didn't talk about it at all. Not at all. I mean he went to the Midwest and didn't talk about the rise in cases there.

Sorry.

CAMEROTA: Well, also, one more thing I'll say is that -- stick around, because you are going to hear from some Trump voters who are white suburban women in swing states about how they feel about all of this. That's coming up.

Now, Jemar, next mysterious story, but this one really happened. The visit -- President Trump's visit to Walter Reed November -- this -- just this past November, ten months ago, we're still trying to figure out why he had to make an unscheduled visit there. So, as you know, there's this new reporting that something happened that was so serious that the vice president of the United States had to be put on standby to assume the powers of the presidency if, during that visit, President Trump were to be under anesthesia.

So that's the reporting. The White House is denying that. And here is how Vice President Pence explained it yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It was nothing out of the ordinary about that moment or -- or that day. And I just refer any other questions to the White House physician.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But as far as being on standby?

PENCE: I -- I don't -- I don't recall being told to be on standby. I -- I was informed that the president had a doctor's appointment and I'm -- but I must tell you, I --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want to speculate on it, but I just want to (INAUDIBLE) --

PENCE: Yes, I got to -- I got to tell you, part of this job is you're always on standby, as you're vice president of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Jemar, what did you think of that response?

JEMAR TISBY, AUTHOR, "THE COLOR OF COMPROMISE": Vice President Mike Pence had to do a whole lot of explaining to answer a simple question about the president's health and whether the vice president was on standby. He could have simply said, no. That's what one would expect if that is, in fact, what happened.

Obviously, we don't know for sure, but what happens is this administration, particularly the president and vice president, have painted themselves into a corner because the president portrays himself as almost this superhuman kind of person, this savior. He said, I alone can save us, which means he can't have any vulnerabilities, politically or physically. So he has to work extremely hard to portray this image of a strong man who is tough and can take on any challenges when the reality is all of us are human and especially in older years we have physical vulnerabilities, but he can't ever admit that. And then anyone who is in his orbit, like Vice President Mike Pence, has to figure out a way to dance around what seems easily verifiable and true for a lot of people.

[06:35:10]

BERMAN: Look, those of us who were alive for Watergate would call what Mike Pence did just there a non-denial denial. He denied nothing. And if he genuinely can't recall whether or not he was told to be on standby to be president of the United States, which, by the way, is like more than half his entire job, than maybe he needs the Montreal Acuity Test. Maybe he needs to be tested for recall issues there.

And, Margaret, the other aspect of this is, the president's been obsessed with this. I mean obsessed over the last 24 hours. He's been tweeting constantly. I don't think I heard the phrase "mini stroke" from anybody until President Trump repeatedly said, I didn't is a mini stroke.

TALEV: Yes. Well -- and that invites, you know, the obvious line of questioning.

I think, in terms of the politics of this, because we don't know about the health details of this -- although if anyone in the White House knows, there's a good chance it will come out in someone's forthcoming book -- that a big part of the president's messaging on Biden has been, yes, we're about the same age, but look how much older Joe Biden seems. And that's President Trump's messaging.

And this undercuts or disrupts that message. So I think, as President Trump is again looking at all of these -- at the polls ahead, at the trends ahead, he needs -- he feels that he needs to project an invincibility, a strength on his own part so that he can continue the comparison as he seeks to depress turnout and enthusiasm for Biden.

CAMEROTA: OK. Astead, Margaret, Jemar, thank you all very much for the perspective.

We have a quick programming note for you. Be sure to join Wolf Blitzer for an exclusive hour-long interview with

Attorney General William Barr. You can watch it on "THE SITUATION ROOM" today at 5:00 p.m., only on CNN.

BERMAN: Maybe the attorney general has some information on the number of flights apparently carrying large numbers of people, either coming to or going from Washington. One of them, maybe.

CAMEROTA: I'm sure Wolf will ask.

BERMAN: Yes.

CAMEROTA: All right, a political earthquake in Massachusetts. For the first time ever, a Kennedy loses a statewide primary. Is this the end of a political dynasty? What happened there?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:41:15]

CAMEROTA: OK, some breaking political news.

For the first time in Massachusetts history, a Kennedy lost a race. Incumbent Senator Ed Markey defeated a challenge from Congressman Joe Kennedy to win the Democratic Senate primary. The 39-year-old Kennedy conceded last night, pledging to support Markey in his campaign. The storied Kennedy name not enough to overcome Markey's incumbency advantage and progressive credentials. The longtime legislator is virtually assured re-election in November. Only two Republicans have won a seat -- a Senate seat in Massachusetts in the last 50 years.

BERMAN: You can see Markey wearing those sneakers right there. That was a sign that he was with it and hip. And he really ran to the left of Joe Kennedy and I think, in a way, came across as the more progressive, which ultimately, I think, won him that race.

CAMEROTA: Really interesting strategy.

BERMAN: All right, developing overnight, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler condemning violence on the streets of that city following a night of demonstrations that included arson at the condo building where he lives. Some protesters are calling on Wheeler to resign.

CNN's Josh Campbell live in Portland with the very latest.

Good morning, Josh.

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning to you, John.

As you mentioned, the mayor coming out, calling for an end to some of the nightly unrest that we've periodically seen here, including an incident on Monday outside of his condo where people lit a fire, threw projectiles. That was declared a riot.

Now, he is not alone in trying to quell some of the violence here. His colleague, Governor Kate Brown, issued a plan to try to bring residents together. She also called upon local law enforcement in neighboring jurisdictions here in Portland to come in and support. Interestingly enough, we're hearing that three of those law enforcement agencies are telling her no, that they're not sending resources, they're not going to get involved in what's happening here.

It's also worth noting that as the local officials try to quell the violence, President Trump, as he's want to do, continues to use this city for political fodder. We know that he's described this city as just in an endless state of chaos. It's important to fact check that because all it takes is a stroll around the city to realize that Portland is anything but a raging inferno.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAMPBELL: I'm standing in the middle of a place that President Donald Trump says is entirely ablaze all the time. As you can see around me, that's simply not the case.

In fact, Portland, Oregon, in the daylight hours, seems just like any other city in the United States that's dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. The city is starting to open up. We now see people doing business, running errands, biking, jogging, enjoying this city's beautiful landscape. It's anything but a raging inferno.

Now, to be sure, the situation at night has often looked much different than the daylight hours, especially in this four square block area behind me outside of a federal courthouse. For well over 90 nights, since the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis, there have been protests here, often turning violent at night, as some rioters have squared off with law enforcement. Police tell us that several officers were injured and countless arrests were made.

In time, with the pullback of federal forces, the violence around the courthouse has waned. Now nightly protests tend to pop up in different parts of the city. There seems to be no end in sight to the protests. President Trump is slamming local officials for not doing enough to stop some of the violence. City officials tell us that it's the president's caustic rhetoric that is fueling much of the anger.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMPBELL: So we can hold two ideas in our head at the same time, and that is Portland during the daytime is just like any other city. At night, as I mentioned, for well over 90 days, there have been protests, some of them turning violent. But this city is not endlessly ablaze, as the president says. But we're in an election year, so he continues to describe this and -- as an inferno. He continues to slam the city's Democratic leadership.

[06:45:00]

But, again, the fact check tells a different story.

For the people of Portland, rather than being in the middle of a city that is endlessly on fire, it seems that they're caught in a war of words between politicians.

John.

BERMAN: Yes. Look, there's a way to condemn the violence. There's a way to say it's gone on too long without saying the entire city is on fire, which, as you just pointed out, it's not.

Josh Campbell, thanks so much for being with us.

So we have an exclusive CNN interview with Jill Biden about how kids can get back to school safely.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JILL BIDEN, JOE BIDEN'S WIFE: Trump didn't have a strategy.

There's so many things that Joe already has planned to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: What she says her husband would do that the president hasn't. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: Many students heading back to some version of school this week. But different schools are taking different approaches, causing confusion for parents, teachers, and students alike.

CNN's Bianna Golodryga talks exclusively with Jill Biden, a former teacher, to get her take on all of this. And Bianna joins us now.

Good morning.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN SENIOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Hey, good morning.

[06:50:00]

Good to see you, Alisyn.

Well, thus far, Jill Biden hasn't really taken a leading role on an issue. But given that education is her area of expertise, she has taken the initiative in launching a two-week back-to-school tour. Now, needless to say, she hasn't been a fan of how the Trump administration has handled this crisis. So I began this interview by asking her, as a teacher, how she feels about other teachers and parents being so nervous about going back to school.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL BIDEN, JOE BIDEN'S WIFE: As a -- as a teacher and as a mother and as a grandmother, I mean, I just -- I just feel that, you know, we are in Donald Trump's America and there's just so much chaos. And I feel that, you know, educators don't know what to do. Students don't know what to do. GOLODRYGA: The education secretary has been asked time and time again

whether there's a plan. What is the plan about reopening schools?

BIDEN: Yes, what is the plan?

GOLODRYGA: And there doesn't seem to be one.

BIDEN: No.

GOLODRYGA: Does that surprise you? And what would a plan look like in a Biden administration?

BIDEN: You know, no, it doesn't surprise me from -- coming from Betsy DeVos. I mean, I don't think she ever felt invested in America's public schools. She didn't have a strategy. Trump didn't have a strategy.

There's so many things that Joe already has planned to do. And that includes replacing the secretary of education with somebody who has been in the public schools, knows what it's like to be a public school educator, as I was, and listens to the teachers. Joe Biden will listen to the educators.

So he's already planning to give funds to schools so that they have enough supplies. He's already talking about handling some of the broadband issues and investing in broadband so that every child across America will have access to the Internet.

GOLODRYGA: We know the downsides of children not being in school. What is your response to those who argue that those repercussions aren't weighed as much as coronavirus is?

BIDEN: Oh, I hear it from educators all the time. Jill, we need more mental health support, across the board, because just like you're saying, now children are at home. Domestic violence has increased. Child abuse has increased. Children are dealing with anxiety. And then, now, when children come back into the schools, you know, they're bringing all of that with them.

GOLODRYGA: This picture went viral of a five-year-old boy in Georgia who was just broken down into tears while he was learning online.

BIDEN: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: What is your message to boys like this one, his mother, and, of course, he speaks for millions.

BIDEN: My message is, when Joe Biden is elected, that he won't be sitting there crying. He will be sitting there with a laptop with a smile on his face. Joe has empathy. He understands what families are going through.

GOLODRYGA: Teachers are now having to focus on a syllabus that not only has to deal with talking to children about a pandemic, but also racial inequality and injustice in this country. What is your message to the black children in a classroom, to remind them that their lives matter?

BIDEN: I think that people, especially today, need to have hope that things are going to get better. Joe Biden will heal this country. And Bianna, like you heard in my speech that I made at Brandywine High School, I said, Joe brought our family together and healed our family. And he will do the same for this nation. And that's who Joe Biden is.

GOLODRYGA: My final question is just your response to his powerful speech yesterday denouncing violence. And I was struck by what he said. You know me. Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters? Which is, I guess, a label the president and the administration's trying to put on him.

BIDEN: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: You know him better than anyone else. Why was that important for him to say? And what should America's children take from that?

BIDEN: Because I think he's -- the administration is trying to paint Joe in that way. But what he was saying is that, you know, protesting, yes, that's -- that's an American right, but not violence, not violence. And you could see Jacob Blake's parents led that peaceful protest through the streets. And that's what it should be, peaceful, not violent. And I think that was Joe's message.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: Alisyn, I asked Dr. Biden how often she speaks to her husband on the issue of education. She said, on a daily basis. So, of course, I asked if he's going to be president, would she have a bigger role in that field. And she said he's got enough experts around him. She, perhaps, it will be a first, wants to continue teaching if she does become first lady. She says that's her passion. That's her career.

And the best part of the interview, believe it or not, Alisyn, was, we were interrupted -- I know we hate that during live shots -- we were interrupted in -- during the interview by the loud speaker and somebody saying somebody needed to move a car.

[06:55:05]

And it was just a reminder of what it was like to be back in school and having the loud speaker interrupt a classroom. And there was some form of normalcy that both -- that made us smile and reminded us of what -- what we all miss now.

CAMEROTA: Lunch in five minutes. Get in single file.

GOLODRYGA: Exactly!

CAMEROTA: Head to the lunch room.

GOLODRYGA: Brian Smith, your mom's here. Right.

CAMEROTA: That's right.

BERMAN: More likely, Alisyn Camerota, please come to the office. Alisyn Camerota, what have you done this time?

CAMEROTA: That is ringing a weird bell.

BERMAN: Alisyn Camerota, detention, again.

CAMEROTA: You know me too well, John Berman.

BERMAN: Yes.

CAMEROTA: Bianna, thank you very much.

GOLODRYGA: Good to see you.

CAMEROTA: OK, big concern in the Midwest as coronavirus cases there rage. One state in particular is causing a lot of concern. We have the details, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The White House Coronavirus Task Force just warned Iowa it has the highest rate of cases in the nation.

[07:00:02]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You need to assume that until you get tested you could have the virus.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's great to talk about this utopian kind.