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New Day Sunday

Trump Puts Giuliani In Charge Of Post-Election Legal Fight; U.S. Tops 100,000 New COVID-19 Cases For 12th Consecutive Day; Trump Continues Pushing False Fraud Claims, Refuses To Concede; One Stabbed, 20 Arrested Amid Pro-Trump Election Protest; Very Few Republicans Have Acknowledged Biden's Victory; President-Elect Considers Candidates For Key Cabinet Positions. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired November 15, 2020 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:21]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, live look at New York City. Beautiful at 6:00 Eastern. It is Sunday, November 15th. I'm Victor Blackwell.

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Abby Phillip in today for Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: It has been eight days since Joe Biden became president- elect and President Trump is still refusing to admit that he lost. Yesterday, thousands of the president's supporters, they were in Washington to protest the election results. And last night, there was violence. Police say that one person was stabbed, and at least 20 other people were arrested.

PHILLIP: The president is in denial despite having no path to victory, he continues to push baseless conspiracy theories and false claims. President Trump has now chosen his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to spearhead several long-shot legal challenges.

BLACKWELL: And while the president is focusing his effort on the election that will not be overturned, the coronavirus pandemic, it is getting worse in the United States. Yesterday there were more than 166 new coronavirus cases -- I should say 166,000 new cases. It's the 12th consecutive day that number has been above 100,000.

PHILLIP: The chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University Hospital predicts there will be an unprecedented surge in new cases after the thanksgiving holiday.

BLACKWELL: So, we're cover it all, politics, the coronavirus pandemic. We're going to start with CNN Sarah Westwood. She's at the White House. Sarah, good morning to you. Any sign at all that the president is moving closer to conceding this loss?

SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Good morning, Abby and Victor.

And there's really no sign that we're anywhere close to getting a concession from President Trump. Yesterday he hit the golf course, he's been really keeping out of public view otherwise, except for that Rose Garden event that we saw on Friday where the president just a fleeting moment sort of acknowledged the prospects that he won't be getting a second term.

By and large, all we really heard from the -- we really heard from this president since Election Day and since the networks projected that Joe Biden had secured enough electoral votes to become the president-elect, are these conspiracy theories from the president's Twitter feed. He's been continuing to push these baseless claims of voter fraud as his campaign pursues litigation in a handful of key states.

But keep in mind, that even if one or more of these legal challenges were to succeed, Joe Biden is leading by such large margins in these states that there is virtually no way that the results are going to be overturned. But, nonetheless, the president does remain in denial about that.

And beyond the uncomfortable politics that this is creating for President Trump because he is starting to face pressure from Republicans to acknowledge his defeat, it's also creating logistical and potential national security problems because Trump is also slow walking the transition with president-elect Joe Biden's team.

There are offices here in Washington, D.C., set aside for the transition team that are just sitting vacant. Federal agencies basically just twiddling their thumbs as they wait for signoff from the White House to start engaging with the Biden transition team, Victor and Abby.

PHILLIP: Yes, Sarah. And yesterday the president's supporters flooded into D.C., thousands of them. But there was also violence. We've heard that one person was stabbed during some of these pro-Trump protests yesterday. What do we know about that?

WESTWOOD: Yes, Abby. These are protests that started out earlier in the day, peaceful demonstrations from the president's supporters. Some of them claiming falsely that the election was stolen from President Trump, but all of them coming out to show their support.

It did turn violent as the day went on, and day turned into night. More than 20 people were arrested according to the city, and two police officers were injured in those skirmishes. There were counter- protesters who were there to protest against some of those who had showed up in the pro-Trump crowd. There were some far-right extremists, for example, who had joined with the everyday Trump supporters who were also out supporting the president.

And I want to read you the tweet that President Trump sent about the demonstrations yesterday. "Radical left Antifa scum was easily rebuffed today by the big D.C. MAGA rally crowd, only to return at night, after 99 percent of the crowd had left to assault elderly people and families. Police got there, but late. Mayor is not doing her job."

So a lot there from the president. He's obviously been critical of the way police have handled just about every confrontation with protesters throughout this year. So, the president there weighing in on the demonstrations in his favor here in D.C. yesterday, Abby and Victor.

PHILLIP: Yes, Sarah. Thank you. And as you noted, there were some far- right elements in that crowd including the Proud Boys who were among them. Thanks, Sarah.

BLACKWELL: Let's say good morning to Julian Zelizer, CNN political analyst, historian and professor at Princeton University and author of "Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party." Julian, put into some historical context what we saw yesterday in D.C. thousands of the president's supporters there contesting or complaining about the result of the election, expressing their disillusionment with a news network.

[06:05:14]

What does the historian see?

JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I see a time of turbulence instead of a time of transition. This is ordinarily a time where the person who loses has conceded, and then the transition to power begins. The administration should be working with the incoming administration to set up cabinets and to start discussing national security issues which in this case would also include the pandemic. But instead, it's more rallies, more loudness, and more Twitter chaos.

BLACKWELL: You know, this president really is doing so little in this period. He tweeted a lot. He spent six minutes at Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day, read a press release essentially from the Rose Garden, didn't take any questions. You've got 65 days give or take left in his administration. And you show us in your latest piece on CNN.com about the tragedy of this refusal to concede, that lame duck presidents can get a lot done. Give us some context and examples.

ZELIZER: Sure. President Jimmy Carter in 1980 after having lost to Ronald Reagan moves forward with legislation that protects large parts of Alaska's wilderness from any kind of development. President George H.W. Bush after losing to Bill Clinton in 1992 finishes negotiations with Russia over another arms agreement which will be quite important start, too.

And so this is a time when very often in recent decades the president who has lost uses the time effectively to push through something. And now we have a stimulus bill that's still out there, we have preparation for a vaccine rollout which very much needs to be done. And all the other ordinary efforts of government are things that the president could be working on instead of these rallies and instead of instigating this kind of division.

BLACKWELL: So as we said at top of the show, we're eight days out from last Saturday when this race was called by the networks for President- elect Joe Biden. I wonder, how will history look at this period, and will it be based on the length of this intransigence, or will the eight days that we've seen thus far be the -- the exclamation point on this period of transition? ZELIZER: Well, it will be about President Trump ending his term the same way he governed. It's the same kind of focus on stoking division over governance that has very much defined what he does, and that's how we'll remember what he did in the final days.

In terms of the election, it's pretty decisive. We're going to remember an election where a president became a one-term president, and the Democrat was able to amass a pretty substantial Electoral College and popular majority.

So I think those are the two stories we're going to tell when we look back at the period. Hopeful though there will be resolution so that for the nation there was a moment when the president-elect could set up to handle-- very important crisis that we now face.

BLACKWELL: So, the president tweeted out yesterday that he's proud to now bring in Rudy Giuliani to oversee the legal challenges to the races across several states, to try to overturn these elections and I guess throw out votes which is not going to happen. Rudy Giuliani has been the president's lawyer for 2.5 years now.

And I've not been able to find a single time he has argued anything in court, filed anything on the president's behalf, either a lawsuit or response to a lawsuit, had any interaction with the judicial system as the president's personal attorney.

What do you glean from the president's decision to bring in Giuliani to lead that effort? Is it exclusively PR now, or do you believe that this could still be a serious, in air quotes, "legal attempt"?

ZELIZER: Well, I think the air quotes are most significant. The legal attempts are being rebuffed. So, there's no reason if you're rationally looking at this from the administration's perspective that you're expecting any kind of turn in how the vote happened. It's just not happening. That's over.

So, I think Giuliani as always is more about being in the media and advancing President Trump's cause and saying the things other people aren't willing to say than it is about what he's going to do in court. So, I do think this is a PR move just to keep this going as long as they can to keep up this atmosphere of challenge even as the legal challenges actually fizzle.

[06:10:08]

BLACKWELL: Yes. Rudy Giuliani has done news interviews and press conferences, not so much legal work.

Last question here before we let you go. There's a small but growing group of Republicans in the Senate who say that it is now time to allow President-elect Joe Biden to get the presidential daily briefs so he can get the national intelligence information, also the COVID details from the administration. And Republican senator from Oklahoma, James Lankford, says that if this had not happened by the end of last week he would step in. We're starting a new week, and it has not happened. If not Lankford, do you see any group of Republicans, senators, who have enough influence over the president to make that happen?

ZELIZER: Well, if the last four years are predictive, I wouldn't be optimistic because sometimes we hear rumblings, but rarely do the Republicans step forward. But his is an important moment. They can end this. The Republicans can end this. They have more control than President Trump. A handful of them could threaten to vote with the Democrats next year. And I think a lot of Republicans would quickly follow through.

So words are fine, but let's see if Republicans actually break with the president for the first time in four years and put pressure on the administration. And really force this to come to an end. They can do it, and let's see if they break with their own precedent.

BLACKWELL: Yes. No signs that it's happening yet. Julian Zelizer, thank you.

ZELIZER: Thank you.

PHILLIP: President-elect Biden will meet later today with his transition team, and among the list of priorities is filling some key positions for his administration. That includes who will serve as his secretary of state and his next attorney general. Two of the most powerful cabinet positions. CNN's Jason Carroll joins now from Wilmington, Delaware. Jason, when can we expect some of these announcements? It sounds like the Biden camp it moving pretty quickly.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, look, the president-elect, Abby, was asked about that yesterday. He was for a bike ride and someone shouted out a question and said, where do you stand in terms of choosing your cabinet members? Are you close? And Biden said yes but he didn't really elaborate beyond that.

I mean, we do know that he is going to be continuing to have these meetings with his advisers over the weekend discussing cabinet choices. He's said in the past that his cabinet would look like America, that it would be diverse. Some of the names that are already starting to float out -- float around out there starting with secretary of state, Susan Rice. Former National Security advisor, former U.S./U.N. ambassador under the Obama administration. But of course there seems to be some questions about how successful that would be given that Rice is somewhat of a polarizing figure among Republicans.

Another name that's being floated out there Antony Blinken served as deputy secretary of state under the Obama administration, also served as deputy National Security adviser. And also Delaware's Senator Chris Coons. Coons also has a reputation of working across the aisle, something that would obviously come in handy given today's political climate.

Moving ahead to attorney general, Alabama Senator Doug Jones, that's a name that seems to be surfacing. He lost his re-election bid. And as you know, this is a man who had that legal victory prosecuting, successfully prosecuting the KKK over that terrorist bombing of the black church in 1963.

Another name coming up, Sally Yates. Former deputy attorney general appointed by Obama, fired then by Trump. Yates is already part of Biden's transition team. So that's another name that's being floated out there, as well.

And it bears worth repeating that whatever name is put forth, it's sure to come under intense scrutiny by senators, Republican senators, during the confirmation process. And this is something that is also being heavily considered in terms of any name that's being brought forth -- Abby?

BLACKWELL: I'll take it, Jason Carroll for us there. Jason, thanks so much.

Be sure to watch STATE OF THE UNION this morning at 9:00. CNN's Jake Tapper will be joined by Dr. Anthony Fauci, Senator Bernie Sanders, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, and Georgia's senate candidate Reverend Raphael Warnock. It's right here on CNN.

PHILLIP: And still to come, more than 100,000 new COVID cases reported in the U.S. on Saturday. The 12th day in a row the country saw new virus cases at that high level. It's a stark reminder ahead of the need to be careful this holiday season.

BLACKWELL: Plus, a victory for thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. Why a federal judge says the Trump administration's restrictions on the so-called DACA program are illegal.

[06:15:03]

PHILLIP: And later, it's SpaceX, but not as we've known it before. NASA is preparing for a historic new mission to the International Space Station.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: So, listen, we're closing in on almost 11 million coronavirus cases, and health departments across this country, they really want you to be safe heading into thanksgiving, as well. The governor of Colorado told Wolf Blitzer last night he's worried that the virus is spreading rapidly across his state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JARED POLIS (D-CO): If you have a family of 11 people for thanksgiving, there's a one in 10 chance that's why I use that Russian roulette analogy. I mean, it's like empty chamber, empty chamber, boom. You don't know if it's going to be you or not because the young nephew or niece or cousin could easily be asymptomatic.

(END VIDEO CLIP) PHILLIP: And Governor Jared Polis also added that for anyone who still wants to celebrate thanksgiving with extended family you should have started self-quarantining two days ago.

[06:20:05]

That is the 14-day period. CNN correspondent Polo Sandoval has a lot more of this. Polo, what can you tell us about the state of the virus in the U.S. today?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Abby, when you look at the numbers alone, they certainly are staggering here. A hundred and sixty-six thousand new cases yesterday, that according to Johns Hopkins University, making it the second highest number of new coronavirus cases within a 24-hour period since the start of pandemic. Certainly concerning for officials and really governors across the state as you just mentioned. They are issuing a warning to many of their residents especially that advice to keep wearing a mask.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL (voice-over): More than 100,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the U.S. on Saturday. The 12th day in a row the country saw at least 100,000 new cases of the virus. It's expected that cases in the U.S. will only spike after thanksgiving. Further stressing health care systems and prompting new restrictions an emergency physician told CNN on Saturday.

This as states continue reporting soaring numbers of new hospitalizations and deaths. Dr. James Phillips, chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University Hospital, told CNN he's terrified about what's going to happen this holiday season.

DR. JAMES PHILLIPS, CHIEF OF DISASTER MEDICINE, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: People are going to travel. People that would normally travel because they don't believe in the science and then those that are just fatigued who are willing to take some chances. And we're going to see an unprecedented surge of cases following thanksgiving this year. And if people don't learn from thanksgiving, we're going to see it after Christmas, as well.

SANDOVAL: Rising cases are forcing governors around the country to issue stringent new COVID-19 measures including most recently in New Mexico, Colorado, and Oregon. Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchison creating a winter COVID-19 task force. And New York Governor Andrew Cuomo convening an emergency meeting this weekend with the leaders of six northeastern states.

CNN medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner says the U.S. is headed toward an intolerable number of deaths, and warns hospitals risk reaching capacity.

DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: You can make more ICU beds, but what you can't make are more ICU nurses.

SANDOVAL: When the holiday season gets underway, it's even more important to wear masks, keep a safe distance, and wash hands regularly, say the experts.

MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, BIDEN COVID-19 ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER: Everyone should wear a mask. Wherever they're at. And in some cases, even in the home, when you have people coming in from, you know, newly arrived college students, et cetera. And how we best achieve that I think is really up to the states. But I think we've also seen where mandates have been in place, mask use is much higher.

SANDOVAL: When a COVID-19 vaccine is approved, it will be distributed across U.S. states and territories based on population. That's according to a top operation Warp Speed official.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: This morning, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont in the early days of a two-week quarantine. On Friday he announced that he's going to start that quarantine term after one of his senior members of his staff tested positive for the coronavirus. Abby, of course, we should mention that he's not tested positive himself, has not exhibited any symptoms, simply a precaution. But still, he is continuing with the -- communications with governors in surrounding states as they try to monitor the situation in the northeast -- Abby.

PHILLIP: Yes. And, Polo, where you are in New York, there is some uncertainty about what's happening with schools. Will they be switching to virtual learning tomorrow?

SANDOVAL: It is a critical weekend, as health officials here in New York City monitor the number, especially that seven-day rolling average. The number to remember is 3 percent. From the start since the schools reopened they said if that number reaches or exceeds 3 percent, then officials at the city level would potentially make a decision to close those schools and temporarily go back to remote learning.

But we should mention as of yesterday that number actually decreased down to about 2.4 percent from 2.8. So, that's certainly a promising sign, but nonetheless, teachers, parents, school officials have all been told to prepare for the idea of remote learning. They could find out potentially as early as tomorrow if that, in fact, will happen. If it does, that would be a significant step back.

BLACKWELL: All right. Polo Sandoval for us there in New York. Polo, thank you so much.

PHILLIP: Although the common flu and the coronavirus have many of the same symptoms, there is one that means that you've likely contracted COVID-19.

BLACKWELL: Yes. Surgeon General Jerome Adams says that it's the loss of smell or taste that you should look out for. And he stresses that you should get a COVID-19 test immediately if you're experiencing one of those symptoms.

PHILLIP: And Adams also encouraged everyone to get a flu shot this year and to take safety measures seriously this holiday season. We can't say that enough.

BLACKWELL: Absolutely. California has tested more than a million people for coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.

PHILLIP: But the state is working hard to ensure that even more people can get tested quickly and safely for COVID-19 ahead of the holiday season. CNN's Paul Vercammen has a lot more on this.

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in Los Angeles County and in the city of Los Angeles, they have dramatically ramped up testing, especially here at Dodger Stadium, by all accounts the most busy testing site in the country.

[06:25:04]

If you look behind me, you can see those are the six lines of cars that have filtered through here. Earlier this week, they had one day where they tested 8,000 people. Another day last night, about 7,800 from what we understand. They're able to move people through here rather quickly. About a 20-minute wait per average. And instrumental in getting this done for the city, Mayor Garcetti. This was an extraordinary measure you took, why?

MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI (D), LOS ANGELES, CA: We see the tsunami coming. But the good news is we can hear the alarm, as well. We stood this up as the biggest testing center in America together with our firefighters and core of volunteer groups. And it's been incredibly successful to help people know when they have the symptoms and when they don't have the symptoms whether or not they're positive.

And right now, this is right outside of Dodger Stadium. If this was a baseball game we're in the bottom of the sixth and this game will be decided in the next couple of innings.

VERCAMMEN: Given of what's happened here in Los Angeles with unemployment, there are a lot of people who are extremely concerned about how they're going to continue to make ends meet or really not meet given everything that's happened. Can you assure them that we are not headed for some sort of complete lockdown in Los Angeles if the numbers continue to get exponentially worse?

GARCETTI: Well, the good thing about where we are now is we're smarter than we were in March. We understand that this blanket kind of lockdown which did the trick then may not be the best way now. That in other words we've had the best numbers while these things have been closed, and we've had the worst numbers approaching them now while the same level of things are closed.

So it's not about whether a store is open or not, it's about your and my behavior. It's about whether we think, well, I know that person so I'm familiar with them, I can hang out with them and then three other people tomorrow, and then three others the next night, and three other people the next night. In my backyard or maybe we go indoors and we open a window. Those things are what's causing the spread.

So to me it's really getting people to realize cancel those vacation plans right now, do not sneak in other households for thanksgiving. Get a chicken instead of a turkey or a small turkey. Do those things. To me the mantra is two things don't share your air and don't do stupid things.

VERCAMMEN: Words to the wise, don't do anything stupid among his tips. And as you see behind me, his vision being carried out here as they are now testing more people at Dodger Stadium than ever before. Back to you now.

BLACKWELL: Important advice there. Paul, thanks so much.

PHILLIP: Absolutely. And a mountain of misinformation peaks on the streets of Washington, D.C., where thousands of protesters embracing blatant falsehoods laid out by the president and his highest-ranking allies.

[06:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: It was like a convention of alternative facts yesterday in Washington. Thousands of the President's supporters, they were embracing this narrative where the election was stolen from President Trump, this narrative that millions of ballots were fraudulently cast and where the President is preparing for this second term in office.

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. And they got it all the way from the top, tweet after tweet from President Trump flagged for misinformation about the election. He called it rigged stolen, a crime. It's a lie, and it's false, and it's been amplified by some of the highest ranking government officials and allies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER NAVARRO, ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT: And we're moving forward here at the White House. I knew the assumption that there will be a second Trump term.

STUART VARNEY, FOX BUSINESS HOST: Are you prepared to say that the President will, President Trump, will definitely attend the inauguration?

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Yes, I think the President will attend his own inauguration. He would have to be there in fact.

MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: I'd like to bring in Brigade Chief Media Correspondent, a host of "Reliable Sources" Brian Stelter. Stelter, I've seen those clips several times now where you've got Navarro and Pompeo, and McEnany saying, yes, we're moving on to the second term. You have to expect that they know that that is not the truth, and they're just trying to keep their supporters in the game, right?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And I think they will never live those words down. Those words should follow them for the rest of their careers, because it is so shocking. They're playing only to an audience of one President Trump, who seems to still be in denial.

You know, what a popular word of the Trump years has been? Grift, the word grift. The idea that this is all about money, and they're trying to profit off of this situation politically. Well, that's what I think we are seeing right now with these stop-the-steal rallies. These attendees may or may not know it yet, but they are a part of Trump's plan to commercialize, to capitalize on his loss and go off and launch something new, a streaming service, a subscription plan, something to that effect.

You know, when you listen to some of the supporters that Sara Sidner interviewed in DC yesterday, and they don't sound like they're in on it. Here's some of what these supporters told Sarah about their views of the election.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARA SIDNER CNN CORRESPONDENT: You don't believe anyone that says this is a free and fair election.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely not.

SIDNER: Do you think 2016 a free and fair election?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was probably fraud then too. This swamp is not --

SIDNER: You think that Donald Trump won it legitimately?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that the swamp is so deep that there's probably been fraud and cheating that have gone on for decades now.

SIDNER: So why weren't you out here in 2016? Why weren't you out here in 2016 if you thought there was fraud when Donald Trump won?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that there's been some fraud and all of the elections.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STELTER: Vague, general, is there a deep story? This is a deep emotional story that these supporters are telling, they are holding onto this idea that President is actually the winner and he's only been -- it's really being taken away from him.

It's rooted in a lie as you all said, but it's a deep emotional story. It's a version of what happens in sports when your team loses and you blame the ref for a bad call. The difference of course is this has global consequences.

PHILLIP: Yes. It's pretty amazing stuff, Brian.

[06:35:00]

You know, there's been some talk about President Trump may be wanting to start his own media company, and I've been curious about what's been going on at a usually friendly network or him, Fox News. What do you think is happening there? And is the President being successful at actually trying to sever his base from a network that he spent so much time promoting over these years?

STELTER: Right. It is complicated, definitely. The view with Fox News is, they are bigger than President Trump. They were highly rated before Trump and they'll be highly rated after Trump.

However, Trump has been the biggest star on Fox News in recent years. If he decides to go off and launch his own brand somewhere else, and try to compete with Fox News, I think he will be able to peel away a portion of the Fox audience.

What we're seeing right now in right wing media is a balkanization of the right wing media. It used to be dominated by Fox News, but right now rival brands like Newsmax are reaching an audience by going further to the right of Fox News, by claiming that Biden is not the president-elect. Again, rooted in lies, but those lies are finding an audience. And it all comes down to this issue of grift, I think.

BLACKWELL: Yes. What happens with the President and I want to stay on this Fox News line. Does the President still get to call into Fox and Friends post-presidency? Does he still get that treatment after he's out of the office?

STELTER: Right. That's interesting because he has not called in since losing. You would think he would head to one of his safe spaces for a friendly interview, and he hasn't even done that. I think the answer is yes, he would be afforded that treatment because it benefits Fox. The Murdochs seem to be supportive of that kind of treatment.

However, you know, there has been this talk out there that the Murdochs are ready to move on. One thing I learned in reporting my book "Hoax" all about Fox News is, the view at Fox is they do better when a Democrats in power, because it's easier to be against something or someone than it is to be for someone or something.

I've got a lot of sources that Fox are ready to move on from the Trump years. They're more interested in going after Biden and going after Kamala Harris. However, there is a big portion of the Fox audience that doesn't want to believe Biden won, that doesn't want to hear about Biden, that only wants to hear about Trump winning and these rallies in DC are, in some ways, a physical manifestation of that imagination right now.

PHILLIP: Really fascinating stuff. Brian Stelter, thank you so much. Be sure to watch "Reliable Sources" today at 11:00 am right here on CNN for all that and more.

BLACKWELL: So this is another type of giant leap, this latest NASA and SpaceX mission could actually help change the future of exploration and what we learn from our missions to space.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:40:00]

PHILLIP: A federal judge has ruled restrictions imposed by the Trump administration limiting applications and renewals for the DACA Program are invalid. That's because Chad Wolf, who was acting Homeland Security Secretary when the changes were made, was serving illegally in that post. Wolf still has not been confirmed by the United States Senate.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program protects undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children from being deported. And it allows them to work legally in the United States. Under the new rules, new applications would not have been considered and renewed, and renewals would have been limited to one year instead of two.

Previously, the Trump administration had tried to end the program altogether, but the US Supreme Court blocked it.

BLACKWELL: So 2020 is a tough year, right? Breaking News, right? But to stay resilient, it's not easy. We're all finding reasons and ways to do that. But we know that the rewards can be, as some are saying, astronomical.

PHILLIP: Maybe literally for that one. That's the message that the crew of the NASA and SpaceX's new mission to the International Space Station. They're hoping to carry that with them all the way up into outer space. With a weather delayed launch, that will be later today, it'll be historic in more ways than one. And Rachel Crane has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL CRANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This launch marks the dawn of a new era of US spaceflight. Now, more than five months after that historic test mission, four astronauts will take the next step.

MICHAEL HOPKINS, NASA ASTRONAUT: For the crew, we're ready.

CRANE: They're headed to the International Space Station for a six- month stay. It's the first fully operational mission for the Crew Dragon spacecraft.

JIM BRIDENSTINE, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: There's a lot of firsts on this flight, a lot of amazing discoveries that are going to happen by these four amazing astronauts over the next six months.

CRANE: Just like in May when astronauts lifted off from US soil for the first time in nine years, NASA isn't running the whole show. It partnered with Elon Musk's SpaceX, the private company that designed, built and operates the Crew Dragon.

ELON MUSK, CEO, SPACEX: It's been 18 years working towards this goal. So, it's hard to believe that it's happened.

CRANE: This time, NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Michael Hopkins, Shannon Walker, and Japan's Soichi Noguchi will be on board. The diverse foursome has been training together for months. Glover will be the first black astronaut to join a long duration crew on the Space Station

What does it mean to you to be a black man and an astronaut at this moment in our country's history?

VICTOR GLOVER, NASA ASTRONAUTS: You know, I'm not immune to the things going on in the world right now.

[06:45:00]

From physical insecurity that many people are feeling, to the economic insecurity. And I will say this, the overriding feeling that I have is that I want to go up there and do my job well

CRANE: The crew named their spacecraft Resilience in recognition of 2020's challenges.

HOPKINS: I think all of us can agree that 2020 has certainly been a challenging here, global pandemic, economic hardships, civil unrest isolation.

CRANE: To stay safe, astronauts have been in strict quarantine together, and NASA is begging tourists not to crowd Florida's beaches to watch the liftoff. After all, there will be more launches. NASA's plan is for more trips to the ISS, carrying new astronauts and perhaps one day private citizens.

BRIDENSTINE: This is a very exciting time for NASA, and these are again historic firsts.

CRANE: Rachel Crane, CNN, Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: First time we've said this in November, it's Sunday at the Masters. And Andy Scholes is breathing in that crisp autumn air in Augusta for us this morning. Hi, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Victor. It should be another beautiful day here in Augusta for the final round of the Masters. And at one point yesterday, we had nine guys with the share of the lead. But that's when one player took control this tournament. And coming up, we'll hear from that player about trying to secure his very first three deck (ph).

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[06:50:46]

BLACKWELL: Coming up on 10 minutes to the top of the hour now and Sunday at the Masters is a little different this year. PHILLIP: Andy Scholes is lucky enough to be in Augusta, Georgia for us. Andy, without fans today it's going to feel very different. But this is still got to be a special moment for all these players on the course, especially given all that the uncertainty that 2020 has given us this year, right?

SCHOLES: Yes. It is certainly will be special, Abby and Victor. You know, even with no fans here, the final round on Sunday at the Masters, it's always special. But make no mistake, this year's tournament is definitely Dustin Johnson's to lose, the world's number one player just coming out and really taking control of this tournament with a fantastic third round yesterday.

DJ, with an eagle and five birdies yesterday to finish the day at 16 under. That tied Jordan Spieth's 54-hole record here in Augusta. DJ looking to win his first green jacket after finishing tied for second last year. The 36-year-old grew up about an hour away in Columbia, South Carolina been dreaming since he was a kid of winning this tournament.

DJ, though, doesn't have a great track record when leading after three rounds at majors. He's over four in converting those leads to wins, but hopes this time will be different

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DUSTIN JOHNSON, SEEKING FIRST MASTERS WIN: If I can play like I did today, I think it'll break that streak. I'll put myself in the situation a lot of times. I know what it takes. I know, you know, how I respond in the situation. So I'm very comfortable, you know, with having the lead. It would mean a lot.

It's, you know, it's what a great event. I mean, it's the Masters. It's a major, I grew up right down the road, you know, so this one would be very special to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: All right. Tiger Woods, meanwhile, not able to vault himself towards the top of that leader board on Saturday. Tiger had to finish eight holes from his second round in the morning before starting his third round. Tiger is not able to get anything going, had some opportunities but finished his third round at 5 under for the tournament.

So barring a miracle, he's not going to be repeating as Masters' champion after playing 26 holes. Tiger said he was pretty beat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIGER WOOD, 5-TIME MASTERS CHAMPION: Just a part of the deal. If you have long days like this, I'm going to get a little bit sore and which I definitely am. I can walk all day. The hard part is bending and twisting. I think that's part of the game, though. And so, that's always been the challenge, you know, with my back issues and I guess will always continue to be. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: All right. So will Tiger be putting that green jacket on Dustin Johnson later today. DJ, a four shot lead and play get started at 7:50 Eastern this morning. DJ going to tee off at about at about 9:30 Eastern.

And, you know, guys, there's always that pressure when you have the lead going into that final round here at the Masters. But there might not be so much pressure this time around because there's no fans here, so Dustin Johnson's not going to have to hear the big roars from the crowd and wonder is someone catching up to me.

So that's something to look forward today. We'll see if Dustin Johnson's going to be able to close this one out.

BLACKWELL: All right. There's some advantage did not have the fans there. Andy Scholes, thank you.

PHILLIP: Good to see, Andy. And the votes have been cast and they have been counted, and the election has been called. President Trump has no path to victory. But despite all of that, he still won't concede. The latest on his long shot fight to overturn the election coming up next.

[06:54:27]

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BLACKWELL: This year's CNN Heroes is not just saluting everyday heroes, but including the larger moments that define the biggest stories of the year. Here's just a few of them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. This summer in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, people took to the streets demand justice for them and to highlight the centuries of systemic racism.

From coast to coast and big cities and small towns across the country and around the world, millions of people risk their lives in the middle of a pandemic to protest. They call for justice and equality. They walked off courts and took knees in stadiums. They held sit-ins, marches and vigils, communities rally. It was a movement of all ages, race religions and creeds.

(END VIDEO CLIP)