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Bob Woodward: We Have a Constitutional Problem; World Leader React to U.S. Presidential Debate; Alexey Navalny Blames Putin for His Poisoning; Rising Infections Prompt New Restrictions in Some Countries; Paris Cases Rise, Could Become Maximum Alert Zone; Boris Johnson: U.K. at Critical Moment; West Coast Fires Have Killed At Least 41 People. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired October 01, 2020 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:30:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB WOODWARD, AUTHOR, "RAGE": The debate commission is not in the constitution. We now have a constitutional problem. The executive branch is the President. He clearly cannot stabilize the electoral process. In fact, he's stoking let's make it unstable. The Supreme Court really has no power at this moment, but the Congress does and it seems to me it's reached a boiling point. I mean, we are teetering here and the Congress needs to step up.
Maybe McConnell and Schumer from the Senate, Pelosi and McCarthy from the House getting together and I mean, they can't get together on a relief bill, but this now is important and they need to sit down and say what -- the ball is in their court. They have to do something to stabilize this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR: There was strong reaction to the debate from leaders around the world from shock to dismay, to even some questioning the state of American democracy. Here's Nic Robertson with more on all of that -- Nic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS DEBATE MODERATOR: The answer to the question is no.
TRUMP: Ukraine --
WALLACE: No.
TRUMP: With a billion dollars of --
WALLACE: Sir, sir --
JOE BIDEN, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: That is absolutely not true. NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over):
Europeans woke yesterday to what Americans already knew.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: It was the worst debate I have ever seen. In fact, it wasn't even a debate.
ROBERTSON: This German official calling it bad entertainment and with an eye to upcoming German elections declared, we don't want this kind of bad tone here.
A leading member of Germany's Parliament tweeted his concerns.
Those vying for the U.S. presidency, don't manage to discuss the country's problems in a factual way.
In France TV commentators describe the exchanges as particularly violent where no one was the winner. Ill-mannered, bad tempered, a brawl, a spectacle was how British journalists interpreted the hour and a half no break debate. Unlike the French, they said Biden came out ahead.
(on camera): No one I've talked to here in the U.K. was particularly surprised at the tone of the debate. Most people say this is what they expected from President Trump and Biden while being a two-term VP is still a relative unknown here. People have given him some respect, however, for the fact he didn't rise to too much of President Trump's bait.
BIDEN: The first thing I will do, I will rejoin the Paris Accord.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Where Biden soothed international concerns, Trump amplified fears appearing to praise right wing thugs, the Proud Boys for their confrontation.
TRUMP: Proud Boys, stand back and stand by.
ROBERTSON: Even Putin spokesman feigned concern over a new trend in political culture in the U.S. But after this comment added the Kremlin wouldn't be commenting on the elections.
TRUMP: It's China's fault. It should have never happened. They stopped it from going in but it was China's fault.
ROBERTSON: China on the other hand did comment forcefully.
WANG WEIBIN, CHINA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN (through translator): We resolutely oppose U.S. personnel dragging China into this election. Facts have proven that the U.S. accusations against China have no basis and are untenable.
ROBERTSON: Iran's President also bashing Trump. Saying our enemies have been unsuccessful in the past three years, God willing they will be in these final months.
But on the issue of greatest import to the American allies, upholding America as a beacon of democracy. TRUMP: If I see tens of thousands of ballots being manipulated, I
can't go along with that.
ROBERTSON: Trump signaled. He doused the light in favor of darkness preferred by America's enemies.
Nic Robertson, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: Joining me now from New York is Jamie Metzl. He's a senior fellow at the Atlantic Counsel and a former U.S. congressional candidate. Jamie, hi, great to see you. Americans know that last night was a mess, but what are the international implications for such a display, I suppose, of chaos?
JAMIE METZL, VICE-CHAIR, PARTNERSHIP FOR A SECURE AMERICA: It was worse than a display of chaos. It was a national disgrace. And it would be bad enough if we in the United States had to experience this just terrible spectacle and watch our democracy decline in front of our eyes because of the behavior of President Trump.
But the stakes are so much bigger for our allies around the world who depended on America for the security and well-being for so many decades, this was terrifying. And for our adversaries in places like China and Russia and Iran, this was a cause for celebration because after so many years of the United States being the backbone of the West and a model for how we can all aspire to a better life, it's now become just a sad spectacle for everybody to watch.
CURNOW: In many ways though was that the Trump White House's foreign policy on display?
[04:35:00]
I mean, diplomatic world leaders and each in their own way, allies and adversaries, like you say, being talked over, ignored, mocked, sidelined. How much of a surprise really was yesterday's debate stirred in the global community? At least have engaged with the Trump administration on some levels.
METZL: I can't say it was a surprise. I think all of us over these past years have grown accustomed to not imagining what the lowest point of low is for President Trump. Just when we think that there's a floor, it turns out there's a basement and subbasement. It just goes lower and lower and lower. The issue though isn't whether it was a surprise, the issue is what does it mean for not just America, but for a world that has depended on America for so many years.
If this ends up just being a temporary spectacle and we have some restitution, some re-creation of something that feels at least normal to Americans and the world, maybe, maybe, maybe this can pass.
CURNOW: The election is not very far away and you got the sense last night that there wasn't going to be an ending and a beginning, whether it was the beginning of a Trump second term or the beginning of a Biden first term come November or inauguration in January? What did last night tell you about America and about the world either way, even if Mr. Biden wins?
METZL: Well, it depends how Vice President Biden wins. If it is decisive, if there is a real transfer of power, then I think we are in a much better situation. If there's anything that's remotely close what President Trump foreshadowed is all of the shenanigans, that he is likely to pull, and we saw that last night. There wasn't the remotest effort to try to woo any additional voters, to win over the hearts of swing voters. Clearly the Trump strategy is to mobilize his base, disenfranchise everybody else and pack the Supreme Court so that if there are legal challenges, which is their strategy, when it gets to the Supreme Court there's some level of insulation.
CURNOW: One commentator, I met many commentators have said last night's debate performance was a national security disaster. And I know you've touched on that a least from the politics as well and the perception but how does that 90 minutes threaten America security?
METZL: In so many ways the reason why the United States has been able to keep the peace globally for many years in spite of all of our many shortcomings is not because we have a 10 million person army. It's because the word of the President of the United States, the credibility of the United States actually means something.
If we are entering into a place where nobody can trust the President of the United States, where the president is seen as a clown not just by Joe Biden but by lots of people around the world. If we see that kind of instability that we saw last night, that undermines in many ways the super structure that's kept so many of us safe for so many years. It's given our allies the assurance that they don't need to build their own nuclear weapons or maybe that they don't need to compromise with powers like China and Russia.
If the United States is out of the game, we're going to see a reshuffling of worlds power and it's not going to be in favor not just of the United States but of our allies and friends.
Jamie Metzl, always good to get your perspective and your expertise. Thank you so much for joining us. Thanks, Jamie.
METZL: Thank you, Robyn.
CURNOW: Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny blames President Vladimir Putin for his poisoning. In his first interview since she became ill, Navalny told the German magazine, "Der Spiegel," he has no other theory than Mr. Putin was behind it.
Let's take you live to Berlin. Fred Pleitgen is there and has more and this fascinating insight coming from Alexey Navalny. What else did he say? Hi, Fred.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Robyn. Yes, fascinating insight. Also a little bit of an insight as to how Alexey Navalny is actually doing. One of the things that the journalist said that when he came into their offices very early yesterday morning, is that at times they didn't even or he didn't appear to them as someone who had gone through that severe poisoning with the chemical weapon. They said that he was at times joking around. That he was very energetic.
But at the same time they did noticed he didn't have all of his motor skills back. For instance, when he tried to pour himself a glass of water, they said that he has extreme difficulties doing that.
Now some of the insights from this interview really offer a lot of harrowing details as to what exactly happened there on August 20th. He describes in detail the moment when he started feeling ill on that aircraft flying from Tomsk to Moscow. But then obviously had to make an emergency landing in Omsk. And he says from the moment that he started feeling bad to the moment that he passed out, it was about 30 minutes. Now he also said that at no time did he feel any sort of pain and he said but he did realize that he was dying. So certainly some harrowing details that came.
[04:40:00]
And you're absolutely right, Robyn, he did say that he believes that Vladimir Putin is responsible -- Robyn.
CURNOW: So with that in mind, is there an expectation that he'll go back to Russia? If so when?
PLEITGEN: Yes. Well, that's one of the interesting things, we've just gotten details from the interview, which was just published in full just a couple of minutes ago. And there he does, indeed, say he wants to go back to Moscow as soon as he possibly can. Of course, right now he's still very much in the phase of rehabilitation where he's trying to get his motor skills back. He says that right now he believes it's his main task to try and remain, as he calls it, a fearless person and he says he feels no fear.
One of the other things he also says is that he believes that if he did not return to Russia and continue to work there, that it would be a gift to Vladimir Putin and that's a gift that he says he doesn't want to make the Russian President. Another interesting nugget that I sort of picked up reading through this interview, is that he also said that he very much wants to continue his political work. He says that, yes, he is going to continue to stay in hotels in the Russian federation. Of course, Navalny's organization believes that he was poisoned inside the hotel he was staying in. He would also continue to drink the water inside those hotels. Of course, some of that substance Novichok was apparently found on one of the water bottles that was retrieved from his room -- Robyn.
CURNOW: OK, thanks for all those updates and insights, appreciate it. Fred Pleitgen there in Berlin. Thanks, Fred.
So just ahead, some countries are reopening as others report record numbers of infections. We'll take you live to Paris where new cases threaten to raise the city's alert status. Stay with us for that. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CURNOW: It's 44 minutes past the hour. I'm Robyn Curnow. Thanks for joining me.
And a technical glitch is being blamed for an all-day halt in trading at the Tokyo stock exchange. So the problem was race to what officials say is the distribution of market information, smaller stock exchanges in the world's third-largest economy have also been impacted. And it's unclear when trading will resume.
[04:45:00]
Parts of Europe are seeing sharp, sharp rises in COVID-19 infections prompting new restrictions to slow its spread. So Spain's government is limiting gatherings to groups of six and decreasing capacity at restaurants and businesses.
In the U.K., a Welsh hospital suspended all planned surgeries after an outbreak on site. And if conditions don't improve in Paris, the city could be declared a zone of maximum alert. Well, Melissa Bell joins me now from Paris with more on all of that. So what does it mean for ordinary Parisians for the area to be declared maximum alert?
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: Well, it would mean further restrictions. Already we saw from Monday, Robyn, that restaurants and bars were meant to close -- made to close from 10 p.m. But what that moving up into that category would mean would be what's happening in Marseilles, where restaurants and bars have closed altogether. It is the first French city in mainland France to have reach that maximum alert category.
Today the French Prime Minister is meeting with the leaders, the local representatives of Paris, of Lille, Lyon, Rouen, other cities that have now reached, according to all of those objective criteria, the possibility now of being put up into that category. It will mean further restrictions. We wait to hear from the French health minister later today about whether or not it will be the case. But it could mean that we're edging towards a tightening down, a further limiting. That has, of course, (INAUDIBLE) for business and for people's ability to live once again. It is this time -- there are decisions that are going down much less well than the first round did with all the kind of considerations economically, what it will mean for cities like Paris. For the time though, Robyn, clearly the figures are getting worse and they're getting worse fast.
CURNOW: OK, thanks for that update there. Melissa Bell there in Paris. Thanks, Melissa.
So I want to cross over to London now where Scott McLean is standing by. Hi, Scott, what can you tell us?
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Robyn. U.K. reported 71 coronavirus deaths each of the last two days. And government scientists say that this country is following a similar pattern seeing elsewhere. Where the virus gets into younger parts of the population, spreads quickly, then jumps into older segments, more vulnerable segments of the population before inevitably leading to more hospitalizations, ICU visits and ultimately deaths.
The Prime Minister over the past couple of weeks has brought in a host of new restrictions. Limiting social gatherings, closing bars early, strengthening mask restrictions and also making even tougher restrictions for parts of the country where the virus is really out of control. The problem at this stage though, Robyn, is that it's not actually clear whether these measures are having a big impact or not. The Prime Minister says it'll take time for the results to show up in the data. Which often make some people nervous considering that the government's top health advisor said yesterday, at this country really is at a critical stage. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS WHITTY, U.K. CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: This small number of deaths now shouldn't reassure us that we won't be in relatively short order in quite difficult places. Certainly in the regions where we're seeing significant growth at the moment, where pressure on NHS could happen sooner rather than later if we don't get on top of it really quite fast.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCLEAN: The NHS, of course, is the national health service in this country. The government's goal through this pandemic has been to get the economy going again and keep schools open really at all costs. And you can see from this graphic here, those three lines at the bottom, those are school-aged kids. And thankfully those rates are actually not going up which really bolsters the government's case for keeping schools open. And saying that, look, they're not at big risk for spreading the virus.
If there's one other piece of good news is that last week the government said the virus was doubling about every seven days from their own data. It seems that it's doubling a lot slower than that -- Robyn.
CURNOW: That is good news. Thanks so much from a chilly day in London, Scott McLean, always good to see you. Thanks, Scott.
So, Pro basketball in the U.S. is being played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic. So Barack Obama made a surprise virtual appearance at the finals game between the L.A. Lakers and Miami Heat to talk up the job the poll workers would be doing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am obviously not the main event tonight but I wanted to come in to give a shout out to all of the folks who are volunteering as poll workers in this upcoming election.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
OBAMA: You know, it can be a thankless job. It's not one of those things you think about, but it is absolutely vital for our democracy and I appreciate you. Hopefully, all NBA fans will appreciate you when they see those shorter lines at the polling places.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: A number of first-time poll workers were among the fans watching the match virtually on Wednesday night according to "The New York Times."
Still ahead here on CNN, wildfires have killed dozens across the U.S. West Coast. Will firefighters get any help from the weather as they struggle to contain the blazes? That's next.
[04:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CURNOW: We have news now of a devastating loss for a popular Hollywood couple. The model Chrissy Teigen and singer John Legend say they have lost their baby boy due to pregnancy complications. Teigen posted this picture of herself in a hospital where she had been treated for excessive bleeding. This is so hard to watch. Just look at these images. She said despite blood transfusions they were never able to stop the bleeding and gave the baby the fluids he needed.
The couple have two children but they've struggled to conceive in the past and used in vitro fertilization for the other pregnancies. But this one happened naturally, something Teigen didn't think was possible. There they are cradling the little boy. In a statement she said her and her husband are on this darkest of days. We will grieve. We will cry our eyes out but we will hug and love each other harder and get through it. And they named the little boy Jack. All our love.
So another story they're following here -- and that's a hard one, isn't it, for all parents, even if you're not a parent. Wow.
Wildfires burning on the U.S. West Coast have killed at least 41 people.
[04:55:00]
The highest number of deaths come from the state of California where there are at least 30 people we know who have died since August. One pilot was killed while fighting wildfires in Idaho. The National Interagency Fire Center reports at least 70 active large fires still burning along the West Coast. Well, let's go to Pedram Javaheri for all of that -- Pedram.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Robyn. Yes, the story across California here as dire as it gets when it comes to the wildfire activity. And the excessive heat that is been in place here, in fact about 30 million Americans across the state of California dealing with the extreme temperatures.
Once again, heat advisories were as high as 108 degrees on Thursday afternoon across this region. And of course, there's the Zogg Fire, there's the Glass Fire and little to no containment across the northern tier of the state. And then you break down the top ten most active fires, as far as the wildfire coverage. The land consumed across the state of California, you'll notice five of the top ten have occurred in the past 30 or so days. That includes of course, the August Complex, SCU and LNU fires that have all occurred there from the latter portion of August through now into early October.
But notice this -- when it comes to the temperatures, an incredible run of autumn heat here with Los Angeles climbing up to 98 degrees on Wednesday afternoon. Sacramento, 102, 112 degrees in Thermal, California. And this sort of extreme temperature once again continues for at least another couple of days. And notice Redding, you should be around 86 degrees for this time of year, but still climbing up to record territory of 104.
Now it is bone dry. The winds are going to be gusty at times again Thursday into Friday. And that's the concern for the firefighting efforts here with some 17,000 firefighters on the ground. And frankly, they've been on the ground working since the middle of July.
Now smoke and haze still in the forecast across this region. And unfortunately, Robyn, conditions are as such that will expand some this evening into the northern portion into the states of Oregon and Washington over the next couple of days.
CURNOW: OK, thanks, Pedram. Folks need to stay safe.
So thanks for watching. I'm Robyn Curnow. "EARLY START" is next.
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