Return to Transcripts main page

The Situation Room

Trump Keen On Promise Of A Vaccine Before Election Day; Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Is Interviewed On Trump's Vaccine Promise And Stimulus Package; N.Y. Attorney General To Set Up Grand Jury For Probe Of Black Man's Death After Encounter With Rochester Police; Rochester Mayor Credits Peaceful Demonstration To "Smaller And More Restrained Posture" By Police; Alarming Surge In Cases Among Children As Schools Reopen; Trump Calls Biden 'Stupid', Says Former V.P. 'Spied' On His Campaign. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired September 07, 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]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Don't miss it tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. The CNN Special Report: Donald Trump's Presidency. And our coverage on CNN continues right now.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. This is a SITUATION ROOM special report and we're following breaking news.

A federal official familiar with the government's efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine has just told CNN there's hardly any chance at all that one will be available to Americans by Election Day.

But in a White House news conference earlier today President Trump politicized a possible vaccine tying it to the election predicting the country will have one, and I'm quoting him now, "before a special date. You know what date I'm talking about."

And as the country marks this Labor Day and the unofficial end of summer, a troubling new warning of what autumn may bring. The number of Americans dead in the coronavirus pandemic has now topped 189,000.

And the former head of the Food and Drug Administration now says the country is heading into a more difficult season of fall and then winter. And I'm quoting now, "with a lot of infection."

Let's go straight to the White House first this hour. Our chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta is joining us. Jim, the president, he spoke at length at a news conference earlier in the day where you are.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. President Trump was rambling and misleading as he lashed out at Kamala Harris accusing the Democratic vice presidential candidate of spreading fears about a coronavirus vaccine.

Harris told CNN that she does not trust the president as a credible source of COVID-19 information. Mr. Trump used the White House as a campaign backdrop on this Labor Day as he hinted once again that a vaccine could be available before Election Day even though his own administration health experts say don't bet on it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you, Happy Labor Day.

ACOSTA (voice-over): During a Labor Day news conference that sounded more like a rally from the White House grounds, President Trump was all but giving away his own October surprise, suggesting there will be a coronavirus vaccine ready by Election Day.

TRUMP: We're going to have a vaccine very soon. Maybe even before a very special date. You know what date I'm talking about. But let me just tell you, and what they're doing because they think it is going fast.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The president ripped into Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris who told CNN she doesn't believe Mr. Trump's vaccine promises.

KAMALA HARRIS (D) VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will say that I would not trust Donald Trump, and it would have to be a credible source of information that talks about the efficacy and the reliability of whatever he's talking about.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Mr. Trump, who has repeatedly spread false information about the virus since the pandemic began, accused Harris of what he called anti-vaccine rhetoric.

TRUMP: They'll politicalize it, they'll say anything, and it's so dangerous for our country what they say. But the vaccine will be very safe and very effective, and it'll be delivered very soon. You could have a very big surprise coming up.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The president's claims about an Election Day vaccine have been contradicted by his own health experts who say that's highly unlikely. Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN he'd call out any political interference in the vaccine process.

ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE: I'd report the science in an accurate way, and certainly if I saw interference, I would be very disturbed and would call it out.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Complaining about reporters wearing masks at the news conference.

TRUMP: You're going to have to take that off, please.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why? Is that better?

TRUMP: It's better, yes. It's better.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The president also angrily denied a report in "The Atlantic" magazine confirmed by CNN and other news outlets that he referred to fallen U.S. service members in crude terms during a trip to France in 2018. Mr. Trump pointed to a statement from ex-White House official Zach

Fuentes, an aide to former chief of staff and retired general, John Kelly, who said, "Honestly, do you think General Kelly would have stood by and let anyone call fallen Marines losers? Whoever the sources are, they are unlikely first hands accounts and they are conflating stories."

TRUMP: It's a disgrace. Who would say a thing like that? Only an animal.

ACOSTA (voice-over): But the president brushed off reminders that he's repeatedly disparaged the late Senator John McCain.

TRUMP: He's not a war hero.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a war hero.

TRUMP: He is a war hero --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five and a half years as a POW.

TRUMP: He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Mr. Trump's explanation for that?

TRUMP: I've always been on the opposite side of John McCain.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Joe Biden seized on the controversy in Pennsylvania.

TRUMP: Did you think most of those guys and women are suckers?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The president also responded to a report in "The Washington Post" finding that embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy reimbursed some employees for their political contributions when he was running his own company. Mr. Trump said he's open to an investigation into the allegations.

TRUMP: Sure. Sure. I think let the investigations go, but he's a very respected man.

[17:05:00]

I have to see it. He's a very respected man. He was approved very much by both parties, I guess. It was sort of an approval that took place by both parties.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (on camera): The president continues to claim he's receiving high marks for his response to COVID-19, but that's not true. The latest polling shows no notable shift in public attitudes when it comes to the administration's handling of the virus. By and large, Americans don't trust what the president says about the pandemic. And Mr. Trump is running out of time to change any minds on that. As for a vaccine, a source close to the coronavirus task force pegged the timing at around the end of the year after Election Day, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Jim, thank you. Jim Acosta reporting from the White House. Let's get some more on the coronavirus pandemic. Our CNN national correspondent Athena Jones is in New York for us. Athena, another federal official is raising serious questions now about President Trump's vaccine timeline. Update our viewers.

ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf. That's exactly right. This is because of all the happy talk coming from the White House, coming from the president himself who again today repeated his optimistic prediction that the vaccine could be ready in a very short period of time, maybe even during the month of October.

Well, another federal official who is familiar with the government's "Operation Warp Speed" vaccine program said today, "I don't know any scientist involved in this effort who thinks we'll be getting shots into arms any time before Election Day."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ASHISH JHA, DEAN, BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: I'm worried that any new surges will be potentially quite catastrophic.

JONES (voice-over): Labor Day weekend seems like this dance party in San Francisco raising concerns among health experts and public officials that a surge in COVID-19 cases could soon follow. Just like they did after previous holiday weekends.

FRANCIS SUAREZ (R), MAYOR OF MIAMI: We have seen, as you mentioned, spikes after long weekends, after spring break. And so that's certainly a concern.

JONES (voice-over): In fact, new coronavirus infections are averaging around 40,000 a day, double the daily average going into Memorial Day, with cases on the rise in the northeast and in Florida. While states like North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, and Tennessee lead the nation in a seven-day average of new cases per capita.

Also of concern, flu season is almost upon us, which combined with coronavirus could present new challenges as experts worry people maybe letting down their guard after months of restrictions.

SCOTT GOTTLIEB, FORMER FDA COMMISSIONER: People are exhausted. People have been social distancing and wearing masks and staying home for a long period of time right now. I think that people's willingness to comply with the simple things that we know can reduce spread is going to start to fray as we head into the fall and the winter.

ACOSTA (voice-over): With the federal government increasingly focused on the swift approval of a vaccine, two former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioners tell CNN that while they think it's very unlikely that President Trump could pressure scientists into approving a COVID-19 vaccine, it's possible. A third former commissioner, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, says he has faith in the agency's scientific staff.

GOTTLIEB: There is a very rigorous process around the development and approval of a vaccine. I don't think those people are going to be pushed around to make a decision that they're not absolutely confident in.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The "Wall Street Journal" reporting pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson are preparing an unusual joint pledge promising not to seek approval for their vaccines until they have been proven safe and effective. A move aimed at increasing public confidence in a vaccine if and when one becomes available.

ESTHER CHOO, EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN: Yes, that was a tremendously important statement. The vaccine manufacturers know that trust is such an important component of distributing vaccine.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Meanwhile, more than 33,000 COVID cases have been reported at colleges and universities in all 50 states, with some schools cracking down on students who violate safety protocols, including rules on congregating and mask wearing.

NYU tweeting over the weekend that it suspended more than 20 students days after Northeastern University suspended 11 students without refunding their tuition.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (on camera): Now, one thing that could slow down the vaccine approval process, experts warn that phase three clinical trials are still not enrolling enough minorities. This is something that's necessary to better reflect the population being most affected by COVID-19 and to make sure the vaccine works for everyone, Wolf.

BLITZER: Athena Jones, reporting from New York. Thank you. Joining us now from Vermont, Senator Bernie Sanders. Senator, thank you so much for joining us. And as you heard, the president is accusing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris of playing politics with the coronavirus vaccine. But he's also pushing a timeline that would benefit him politically. I want you to listen to precisely what the president said earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We're going to have it soon. Wait a minute. So now what they're saying is, oh, wow, this is bad news. President Trump is getting this vaccine in record time. By the way, if this were the Obama administration, you wouldn't have that vaccine for three years and you probably wouldn't have it at all. So we're going to have a vaccine very soon. Maybe even before a very special date. You know what date I'm talking about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[17:10:03]

BLITZER: That date of course would be November 3rd, Election Day. So what do you say to that, Senator?

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): Nothing. I mean, I think you got a president whose losing it and I think most people are sick and tired of the ranting and the ravings of Donald Trump.

Look, everybody wants a vaccine, but we want to make sure that that vaccine is safe. We don't want to see that vaccine put on the market for political reasons. And I would trust that our doctors, our scientists, and the drug companies will do the right thing and get it onto the market, get it into people's arms when it is ready, not when it suits the political purposes of this increasingly irrational president.

BLITZER: In response to the president, both beden and Harris are raising serious questions about the vaccine development process. Do you fear those comments from the Democratic ticket, senator, potentially could be detrimental to the American public having faith in this process and being willing to get a vaccine?

SANDERS: Wolf, I think -- Wolf, let's mot politicize this thing. I mean, we have developed vaccines for decade after decade after decade. We have to give the resources to the doctors and the scientists to do their work. We've got to make sure that vaccine undergoes the clinical trials that it is necessary to make sure that it is safe.

Then we got to figure out a way to get it into, you know, hundreds of millions of people. That's what we've got to do. And we don't want to be politicizing this thing.

BLITZER: You're absolutely right.

SANDERS: But we do want to move it as quickly as possible.

BLITZER: We want the American public and the people all around the world to have confidence that it's safe and effective. Let's move on, Senator. The president is pushing back on reports that he actually disparaged U.S. troops. You've seen "The Atlantic" magazine article, other articles confirmed by so many news organizations right now.

He says nobody has more respect for our military than he does and he thinks his former chief of staff, John Kelly, a retired four-star general knows that. We haven't yet heard specifically from General Kelly. Do you think that General Kelly should come forward and say whether or not these reported comments by the president are true?

SANDERS: Look, Wolf, you know, Kelly will do what he must. All that we can say is that we understand in terms of his attacks on John McCain that John McCain was a loser because he was captured. In fact, he was a very, very incredibly brave POW who refused to leave a prison camp earlier. He could have gotten out earlier. He refused to do that.

So, you know, I don't want to get into, you know, what John Kelly knows and doesn't know. But, by the way, it might be a good idea that today on Labor Day we acknowledge the thousands of workers in this country who have done, did do essential work, died on the job. And I think it's important for the American people to appreciate that

and to respect that incredible sacrifice. And it's also important to know that today on Labor Day, millions of people still do not have work as a result of the pandemic.

And that it is terribly important that in Congress, the Senate does what the House does and pass legislation, which provides that $600 a week in supplementary unemployment that previously existed, that we make sure that people are not evicted from their homes, and that in fact, we do not allow people in this country to go hungry. So, a lot of work that Congress has got to do. I hope the Senate follows what the House did.

BLITZER: Well, on this Labor Day, you make an important point, these workers are courageous, the front line workers especially and so many of them you correctly point out, unfortunately, have gotten very ill and have died from the coronavirus.

Why not accept a compromise, Senator, with the Republicans in the Senate, with the president, and not necessarily go for the whole package that the Democrats want except something -- get $1 trillion or $1.5 trillion right now to help those workers on this Labor Day. And some of the other things, the wish list that you want, you try to fight for that in a month or two.

SANDERS: I think that Schumer and Pelosi have both not only indicated their willingness to compromise. They have already made major compromises.

You know, we have a Republican administration and Republicans in the Senate who are okay with giving $1 trillion in tax breaks to the wealthiest people in this country and the largest corporations, prepared to spend $740 billion on the military, more than the next 10 nations combined.

You know what, a lot of workers are suffering in America. They can't feed their kids. They're worried about being evicted. Let's stand up for those workers. Will there be compromise? Should there be compromise? Fine. But let's not turn our backs on the working people of this country.

BLITZER: Well, let me ask you this, Senator. Would you vote for what's called a skinny version, a skinned down version, a little bit less in order to help those workers at least get through the next few months, this period where there's so much uncertainty?

[17:15:06]

SANDERS: Wolf, the devil is -- the devil is in the details. Of course, I would vote for a compromised bill, but it's got to be a good bill. And I think the Republicans -- you know, the problem the Republicans have is that probably half of the members of the Republicans in the Senate aren't going to vote for anything. But let's just hope that they get their act together and stand with working people.

BLITZER: I think between the Democrats and those Republicans who are willing to compromise, you get another $1 trillion or $1.5 trillion, a lot of it going for workers, that would be really beneficial to these people who are worried about paying their rent, who are worried about putting food on the table.

SANDERS: That's right.

BLITZER: They need the money now, Senator. So, why not go ahead --

SANDERS: They need the money yesterday.

BLITZER: -- and accept what the president --

SANDERS: There's a lot of suffering.

BLITZER: They need it obviously. There's a lot of suffering and it's hard to believe here in the United States of America people are going hungry right now the way they are. So, I ask the question once again, are you ready to take a $1 trillion that the Republicans are offering in order to help those people.

SANDERS: Look, we can't -- Wolf, it's not a $1 trillion. It's where that money goes and what it -- you can't -- you look at a grand total (inaudible)

BLITZER: But a big chunk of that will go for the workers. They'll go for the middle class. It will go for those people who are hungry.

SANDERS: Well, you don't know that. You don't know that. I'm willing to look at any bill that comes will help the working people. But, by the way, you got states and cities right now that are on the verge of laying off hundreds of thousands of teachers and police officers and firefighters and other public employees because they are in serious financial trouble.

So, if your question is should we compromise, I don't have a problem. But the devil will be in the details.

BLITZER: And they should get together, they should meet and they shouldn't be in recess right now because you correctly point out especially on this Labor Day there are so many Americans who are suffering right now, can't even get enough food for their kids. They need the help --

SANDERS: That's right.

BLITZER: -- from the federal government and they need it right away, or as you say they need it yesterday. Senator Sanders, thanks so much for joining us.

SANDERS: Thank you.

BLITZER: Our special report -- our special "Situation Room" special report, I should say, continues next with more and new concerns over the president's timeline for a coronavirus vaccine.

We also are live to Rochester, New York. It's bracing for a sixth night of protest over the police custody death of Daniel Prude.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:20:00]

BLITZER: More now of President Trump's controversial timeline for a coronavirus vaccine. Dr. Vivek Murthy is joining us right now. He is the former surgeon general of the United States. He's also an adviser to the Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Dr. Murthy, thanks so much for joining us. And as you heard, the president is teasing a vaccine, he says before a special date. By that he means Election Day, November 3rd. As the former surgeon general, does that raise red flags to you?

VIVEK MURTHY, FORER U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: Well, Wolf, it's good to be with you today. And like so many people in the medical community, I'm really hopeful that we will have a vaccine by year end or by early next year. And we need one because so many people have been affected by COVID, have lost their lives to COVID.

And if we had an effective vaccine, we may have been able to avoid many of these deaths. But the key thing about the process for getting a vaccine is that it has to be driven by science and scientists, not by political or, you know, figures or by political timelines.

And that's really important because right now we have about a third of people on surveys who are saying that if a vaccine was available today, they either would not take it or are unsure if they would take it. Despite how bad everything has been with COVID that means we've got to hold ourselves to a high standard of accountability in issuing an approval or an emergency authorization.

And there are three key requirements to keep in mind. The first is that we've got to have sufficient high-quality data that tells us that a vaccine meets the standards for safety and efficacy. Second, we have to have transparency in the data itself so that scientific authorities can actually look at this data themselves outside of government and evaluate it.

But third, we've got to also have a clear plan for distributing the vaccine quickly and fairly. And this is not easy to do. It requires having robust data systems for example to track who's gotten the vaccine to make sure it's not inequitably distributed. But what we cannot do in this process is rush an authorization without hearing directly from scientists or advisory groups. That would really set us back in terms of public faith in vaccines.

BLITZER: They have to -- the public has to be confident in the safety to be sure. Our Elizabeth Cohen spoke to a federal official, Dr. Murthy, who said and I'm quoting now, "I don't know any scientist involved in this effort who thinks we will be getting shots into arms any time before Election Day." What do you think is a more realistic timeline?

MURTHY: Well, I think it's more realistic to expect that we will start to see, you know, good news about a vaccine being approved either at the end of the calendar year or beginning of next year. And that would be an optimistic scenario.

And then you take some time after that to actually deliver the vaccine and get the shot in the arm so to speak because a shot in the arm is what matters at the end of the day. That's how we actually, you know, protect people and stop the spread of COVID-19.

BLITZER: How significant then is this draft of a pledge reported by the "Wall Street Journal" by Pfizer and Moderna, Johnson & Johnson not to go for approval of a vaccine until it's been proven totally safe and effective?

MURTHY: I think it's a good sign that these companies even though they have a vaccine candidate in the pipeline that they are stepping up to reassure the public that there are certain standards that they want to meet as well.

[17:24:56]

And I think they also probably realize what's at stake here, which is that if the public does not have faith in a vaccine, then everyone suffers.

The companies themselves will suffer. The government and our ability to push out effective vaccines in the future will suffer, and all of us will suffer because COVID will be with us for a much longer period of time.

But what matters in the end is what the FDA does, and they've got to avoid making the same mistakes they made with convalescent plasma, with hydroxychloroquine. They've got to really let the science and scientists guide them in their decision making here.

BLITZER: Dr. Vivek Murthy, thanks as usual for joining us.

MURTHY: Thank you, Wolf. Good to be with you.

BLITZER: Thank you. Coming up, the latest from Rochester, New York, after five straight nights of protests over the death of a black man in police custody.

And later, we'll have a closer look at a new study that found a dramatic rise in the number of children with the coronavirus disease. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:30:45]

BLITZER: We're monitoring developments in Rochester, New York where there have been five straight nights of protests over the death of a black man who died after an encounter with the police. The mayor suspended seven police officers last week. CNN's Polo Sandoval is on the scene for us in Rochester. So what's the latest, Polo? POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what the latest is that officials here in Rochester are hoping that last night will be the first of many nights where protests remain peaceful because even though the President, President Donald Trump took to Twitter earlier today, including Rochester in the list of cities that he said experience a bad night.

The reality is, that's not actually the case, especially when you hear from multiple individuals here, even from the Rochester police department that notes that last night, we did not see a repeat of those violent clashes that we did perhaps see during the first four nights where protesters clashed with police.

And a lot of that credit does go to local faith leaders here that put many of their church members, they volunteered to put themselves between police and protesters acting as a sort of peacekeeping buffer here. And it seemed to have worked here, according to the local Mayor Lovely Warren applauding those efforts saying because of them, things remained relatively calm but also because of Rochester police that last night approached this have a bit of a smaller, more restrained posture.

The Mayor also firing back at the President's comments on Twitter say that she hopes that people who participate in these protests will ignore those comments and specifically wrote, according to Mayor Lovely Warren, that the President's only desire is to bait people to act with hate and incite violence that he believes will benefit him politically.

So what you're getting here, Wolf, is top SIG leaders in Rochester basically asking the President that he leave their city out of this ongoing agenda that he describes this as law and order agenda password. The Daniel Prude investigation, it continues to press forward by the New York State Attorney General's office as we expect more protests in the days to come. Wolf?

BLITZER: Yes, let's hope they remain peaceful. Very, very important. Polo, thank you very, very much.

Joining us now, CNN Legal Analyst and Criminal Defense Attorney Joey Jackson, along with CNN Law Enforcement Analyst Charles Ramsey, he's the former Police Commissioner of Philadelphia, was the police chief here in Washington, D.C. as well. Joey, what do you make of this decision by the New York State Attorney General to set up a grand jury to consider this case?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: So, Wolf, it's a good first start. And as much as obviously what you need is you need a panel of grand juries to consider evidence. I think what you're seeing in -- thing and cities across this country are people who are very concerned. They're concerned about African American men were dying and women at the hand of police. Now, police are out there serving out many with the states. But when something goes wrong like this, people want accountability.

Grand Jury gets you that accountability. How? Because you impanel 23 members of the community, they're not there to decide (INAUDIBLE). They're there to decide whether there's probable cause to believe that a crime was committed here. And so, if we're looking at accountability, if we're looking at an examination of evidence, if we're looking at getting to the heart of the matter of why this happened and who's responsible, I think the New York State Attorney General's taking the appropriate steps.

Last one, Wolf, and that is this. By law, a law that was passed in New York State, the Attorney General investigates matters that involve deaths at the hands of police. That's done to ensure that it's independent. That's done to ensure that local prosecutors who are working with police to build their cases are not those who are having to decide on prosecution decision. And so, we'll see what she comes up with.

I notice James, she's very strong. She's a very, you know, a major advocate with regard to getting justice. And let's see where that leads in this. What we saw on that tape was highly problematic. Community wants answers. The nation wants answers.

BLITZER: You know, Chief Ramsey, there were no arrests or confrontations during the Rochester protests last night, the mayor says that's due to a smaller and more restrained posture by the police department. How much does the police response, Chief Ramsey, impact the overall situation?

CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: It has a huge impact. I mean, if you start off with a heavy hand and you're probably going to wind up getting a heavy response on the other side. And so, you know, I had a lot of protests in D.C. and in Philadelphia. You know, you try to start off as low a level as possible.

[17:35:04]

Now, if you need to escalate, then of course you escalate. But the crowd responds and reacts to what you do. So, I think that having a lower posture on the part of police. But just as important, my understanding, the clergy being involved having people there played a huge role as well. I mean, listen, the majority of people don't want any violence at all. I mean, that's the police, that's the protesters, that's everybody.

There's a few that may want to mix it up a little bit. But for the most part, people want a peaceful protest. And last night, they got it and I applaud all of them for that.

BLITZER: Yes, the key word peaceful.

You know, Joey, the President, he's been monitoring all of these. He tweeted today, I'll put it up on the screen, "Rochester, New York, Brooklyn, New York, Portland, all had bad nights, all weekly run by radical left Democrat governors and mayors. Get the picture'. What does that tell you, Joey, that the President continually is weighing in on these situations instead of urging calm?

JACKSON: Listen, I think that a president of the United States at times like this, where there's turmoil, at times like this where people are watching of all persuasions throughout the country. What I'm seeing in these marches are people who of diverse backgrounds coming together to say that is enough is enough.

When you put out a tweet talking about the radical left, talking about Democrats, talking about anything other than the issues, it's a lost opportunity for what, it's a lost opportunity to heal. It's a lost opportunity to bring people together. And it certainly is a lost opportunity, as the President of this county to demonstrate and understand and recognize this problem, and that you're going to do something about the problem.

I get, Wolf, we have an election coming up. I get politics creeps into everything that happens. But this is not going to be resolved by calling mayors fools. This is not going to be resolved by saying radical left, radical right. This is going to be resolved by action that has purpose and the purpose here is to demonstrate to understand that there's a disconnect with police and communities.

Until we solve that problem, we're going nowhere. So I don't think those tweets are particularly helpful. And I think if you go into tweet, you have to tweet about the underlying issues and not tweet about that. It's just shameful.

BLITZER: All right, Joey Jackson, thank you. Chief Ramsey, thanks to you as well.

Coming up, disturbing new study shows a dramatic rise in the numbers of children with coronavirus. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:42:01]

BLITZER: We're following a very disturbing spike of coronavirus cases among children here in the United States. CNN's Brian Todd is working the story for us. Brian, this comes as many children are now returning to school. What's the latest?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. You know, some of this might have been inevitable with so many American kids going back to school, back to college this month and last month. But the new numbers are still sobering and experts are now worried about the rates at which children will transmit the virus to others.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): Tonight, the University of West Virginia suspending more than two dozen students and shifting most classes to online only following a weekend of holiday parties, as many students from college age to kindergarten start classes in earnest following Labor Day. And alarming new report adds to the concern among top doctors about COVID cases among children. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association, COVID cases among children shot up more than 17 percent between August 13th, and 27th, with more than 70,000 new child cases in that time span across the U.S. DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CHIEF OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL: We know that there have been numerous outbreaks on those college campuses leading to hundreds of cases on even individual campuses. So I think that this is really in the context of kids acting a little bit less safe and as well as the college campuses and the K to 12's opening

TODD (voice-over): Video obtained by CNN shows a large outdoor gathering at Penn State University recently. Many students not wearing masks or distancing. It prompted a strong warning from the university's president bluntly asking students, "Do you want to be the person responsible for sending everyone home?"

ERIC BARRON, PRESIDENT, PENN STATE UNIVERSITY: Right now, the key to Penn State staying open is the behavior of every single one of us.

TODD (voice-over): At Ohio State University, more than 200 students were recently suspended for breaking the school's COVID-19 rules on socializing. And NC State University recently announced its reducing its on campus housing population because of a rising number of coronavirus cases there. In Georgia, Mississippi and Utah, thousands of students and hundreds of teachers have recently been asked to quarantine because of exposure to coronavirus.

Experts say the increase in child cases could also be a result of more children being tested in recent months. The new report says despite the climbing numbers, severe illness from the virus is still rare among children.

DR. SEEMA YASMIN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: The bad news is that when a child gets sick with COVID-19 and winds up in the hospital, one in three of those children needs the ICU because of how severely ill they get with the disease. Especially if they have a whole body inflammatory response, where their immune system just really goes out of control and causes widespread illness.

TODD (voice-over): Experts say even with this new information, they're still at least one crucial set of data that is unknown regarding children and the virus.

WALENSKY: What we still don't understand is how much kids are a vector for this and how much they are the index case in a given household. So, in fact, we don't know how much kids transmit this disease.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[17:45:07]

TODD: So given this new report is a time for school systems across the U.S. to start shutting down on mass. Well, the experts we spoke to say not really. They say in communities with low rates of the disease, schools can be kept open safely as long as they adhere to strict rules on mask wearing and social distancing. But they say in those communities with high rates of coronavirus, like some communities in the southern U.S. right now, it's simply not time to have kids back in class yet. Wolf? BLITZER: So worrisome indeed. All right, Brian Todd reporting, thanks very much.

Coming up, we're going to give you an update on the record setting wildfires out in California. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:50:39]

BLITZER: We're looking at live pictures, Senator Kamala Harris, the vice presidential nominee for the Democrats speaking to a black business owners roundtable there, we'll monitor that. If there's major news, we'll, of course, share with you. At the same time the President, has been lashing out at Kamala Harris and Joe Biden over at a rambling White House news conference earlier today calling the former vice president stupid.

Let's bring in our Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger. Gloria, in addition to calling Joe Biden stupid, the President repeated the claim that President Obama and Vice President Biden for that matter spied on his campaign and even went further he suggested they, in his words, deserve 50 years in prison for treason. When I spoke to the Attorney General Bill Barr last week here in "The Situation Room", he said the president uses that term, colloquially. Is calling for someone to be sent to prison for 50 years for committing treason, colloquia?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it doesn't sound that way to me, does it, Wolf? I mean, maybe we ought to ask the Attorney General whether he still thinks that it was colloquial. The Attorney General has spent an awful lot of time making up excuses for the President's language and the President's behavior. And I think this is just another example of it.

And what the President said today was pretty clear. He said they had committed treason. According to Barr's definition of treason, and that they ought to be in jail. I don't think there's any other way to look at it.

BLITZER: Yes, he's been saying that they committed treason for a while. I think today was the first time he actually said they deserved --

BORGER: Right.

BLITZER: -- 50 years --

BORGER: Exactly.

BLITZER: -- in prison.

BORGER: Exactly.

BLITZER: You put together a truly fascinating look at Joe Biden's long political career. I want to play a clip about Biden's role in the Clarence Thomas hearings, which so many of us, of course, vividly remember. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANITA HILL, TESTIFIED AGAINST CLARENCE THOMAS: It was terrifying.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Professor, do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

HILL: I do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

HILL: It was really scary because it was something that hadn't happened before. And the stakes were so high.

BORGER (voice-over): At stake, a seat on the Supreme Court for Clarence Thomas, the man in charge, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Joe Biden.

HILL: I expect that for Joe Biden to have a fair hearing, Joe Biden's leadership was very weak.

BORGER (voice-over): Almost 30 years later, Thomas sits on the Supreme Court. Biden is the Democratic nominee for president. And Anita Hill has made a decision.

HILL: And I think Joe Biden is a person who should be elected in November.

BORGER (on-camera): So you're going to vote for Joe Biden?

HILL: Yes.

BORGER (on-camera): Would you be willing to work with him?

HILL: My commitment is to finding solutions. I am more than willing to work with him.

BORGER (on-camera): Is it just about the fact that he's running against Donald Trump, or is it more about Joe Biden?

HILL: Actually, it's more about the survivors of gender violence. That's really what it's about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: We just heard Anita Hill say Biden's leadership was weak back in 1991 --

BORGER: Yes.

BLITZER: -- during those hearings, when he was Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. What is Biden say about those hearings today?

BORGER: Well, he and his people who were working with him admit that they weren't handled well. I mean, he said to me, and you'll see this in the documentary tonight, he said, I wish I could have done better for her. The truth is, I believed her. And I believed that he, meaning Clarence Thomas, should not be on the court.

But you can still feel a little bit of tension between these two people, Wolf, because she said that Biden's leadership was weak, as you point out, because her charges that even as the Democratic Chairman, he really let the Republicans take control of the hearing. And I asked him about that. And I said, some say you let the people, you know, you let Republicans take control. And he said, well, I don't think I did. I wish I could have done it differently under the rules, but there are only certain things you can do under the rules.

So he's still kind of holding to that. She has changed your mind though, because after an initial on satisfactory phone call from him when he declared his candidacy, she has seen him change in -- on television, accepting responsibility.

[17:55:07]

And so, when I spoke with her -- and, again, she wasn't -- she just wasn't eager to come out and say, I'm going to vote for this guy. She thought about it long and hard. But she thinks that she would be willing to work with him on issues, gender issues, sexual harassment issues, and I think she'd like to do it.

BLITZER: Really important stuff. And a lot of us, of course, remember those hearings as well.

BORGER: Yes.

BLITZER: Gloria, thank you very much.

And to our viewers, be sure to tune in later tonight, 8:00 p.m. Eastern for our CNN Special Report, Fight for the White House, Joe Biden's Long Journey. It's really important.

There's more breaking news here in THE SITUATION ROOM as President Trump politicizes a possible coronavirus vaccine by tying it to the presidential election. And official tells CNN there's hardly any chance of a vaccine that soon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)