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Source: Doctors Considered Putting Trump On Ventilator During COVID Battle; Biden: "Some Minds May Have Been Changed" By Prosecutors' Case; CDC To Release Guidance On Safely Reopening Schools Today. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired February 12, 2021 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:30:00]
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Public at the time. Sources indicate that Donald Trump had such difficulty breathing that there were discussions about putting him on a ventilator.
Meantime, "The New York Times" is reporting that Trump also had lung infiltrates. That's one of the hallmark symptoms of the COVID-19 virus when there's bacteria and substance buildup inside the lungs. Further, the "Times" is reporting that Trump's oxygen levels went down into the 80s. For context, a blood oxygen level that's in the 90s is considered dangerous.
You'll recall at the time, journalists asked his doctors about this. Dr. Sean Conley specifically had to tap dance around this issue, refusing to answer reporters' questions or, as you noted, outright lying about the president's condition.
We're also learning that first lady Melania Trump had a difficult time getting rid of the coronavirus. She was not given some of the more extreme treatments that President Trump received but she did ultimately get over the virus with natural remedies.
Ultimately, though, this underscores this disconnect between the Trump White House and the truth. And the president, again, downplaying this virus not only to the American public but also with himself.
Remember, he exposed Secret Service agents to the virus because he wanted a motorcade -- this little parade outside of Walter Reed Medical Center -- so he could wave at his supporters gathered there, John.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, it's important to get the truth out here.
Boris Sanchez, thanks very much for that.
New this morning, two Buffalo police officers who pushed an elderly protester to the ground last summer will not face felony assault charges. The grand jury decided not to indict the officers seen in this video pushing 75-year-old Martin Gugino to the ground during a protest against police violence. Gugino fractured his skull in the fall.
Both officers do remain suspended from the force pending an internal investigation.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: New developments this morning in Britney Spears' battle to remove her father's conservatorship over her estate. On Thursday, Britney Spears' father went to court to try to retain full control of managing her investments and finances. A judge ruled against him but he is still the co-conservator of his daughter's estate.
Spears has been under this conservatorship since 2008 after, we remember, she struggled with mental health issues.
The legal battle is the subject of a newly-released documentary that raises questions about whether this conservatorship is just and fair. Fans advocating for Britney Spears used the hashtag #FreeBritney.
OK, now I want to watch the documentary. Now I'm going to.
BERMAN: A lot of people are talking about it and it's I think forcing a lot of people to reevaluate the treatment of Britney Spears in the media and by a lot of people -- by those who've surrounded her for decades and decades.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
BERMAN: There are real legitimate questions about this.
CAMEROTA: Absolutely, and it seems like there's a much more full story than what we just saw in tabloid shots and the bits of video where it seemed like she was losing it. And it seems like now there's a full story about what was happening to her.
BERMAN: Yes. It's also a cautionary tale, I think, for anyone who wants to be a stage parent or a film parent, you know. It's a challenging world, to say the least.
So, the president has weighed in now on his predecessor's impeachment trial. We'll tell you what he said about the prosecutors' case, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:37:48]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I, like other Americans, watched the news. I didn't watch any of the hearing live because I was going straight through last night until a little after 9:00, but I watched some this morning.
I think the Senate has a very important job to complete and I think -- my guess is some minds may be changed, but I don't know.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BERMAN: That is President Joe Biden weighing in on his president's impeachment -- the former president's impeachment trial, praising the case presented by the House impeachment managers.
Joining us now, CNN political commentators and former congressmen Charlie Dent and Joe Kennedy.
Congressman Kennedy, I want to start with you mostly because I promised we weren't going to wake you up so early every day this week and we've done --
CAMEROTA: I hope you don't believe that.
BERMAN: -- exactly that.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
JOE KENNEDY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, (D) FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE (via Cisco Webex): You did. Yes, you did.
BERMAN: I am turning into a politician, breaking promises left, right, and center here.
KENNEDY: Yes.
BERMAN: Look, we've been talking -- we talked about witnesses a little while ago but I'm not satisfied with the answer here. I'm not sure -- I'm not convinced that witnesses aren't good for the historical record here in this case. I'm equally not convinced that it necessarily is a bad thing for the Biden administration. We just heard from the president right there, talking about the trial.
What do you think? Do you think it's necessarily bad for the Biden agenda if they try to hear witnesses in this case?
KENNEDY: Good morning, guys, first off.
I think -- I don't think that the presence or lack of witnesses in this case is going to be what turns it because every single juror was also a witness. There's no doubt -- there's no debate as to what actually happened. That's not actually what these hearings and this process have been about. Everybody knows exactly what happened. The facts aren't in dispute.
It's literally a question as to whether you have Republican senators that are willing to try to come up with an argument as to why this process is 100 percent unconstitutional and therefore, we don't have to dive into the facts. We don't have to understand the emotion behind what we're seeing because I just have a constitutional duty not to ignore it, and that's what this is about. I don't think any witnesses change that.
[05:40:00]
It's heartbreaking to watch. And look, I was on with a couple of my former colleagues last night who said -- one of them told me that at least one Republican senator was in tears yesterday while they were going through those proceedings.
CAMEROTA: Do we know who that is? Do we know who that was?
KENNEDY: What?
CAMEROTA: Do we know who that was?
KENNEDY: He didn't share.
But they -- I don't think the factual aspect of this is -- the factfinder's job here is up for question. The question is whether Republican senators are going to do the hard part and stick up for their country.
CAMEROTA: And yet, Congressman Dent, I think that they also at least appear to be confused or not able -- the Republicans -- to connect Donald Trump's rhetoric to the violence. They say that they are not seeing that connection.
And what's very peculiar is that in 2016, Senators Cruz and Rubio, running against Trump, saw it very clearly. Back then they warned the country about Donald Trump's rhetoric and I just want to remind people of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): When you have a campaign that affirmatively encourages violence you create an environment that only encourages this sort of nasty discord.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL): You have a candidate in Donald Trump who clearly has used language that appeals to anger and in some instances has actually said to the crowd, well, let's beat this person up or let's do this or let's do that. There's only one presidential candidate who has violence at their events.
And I do think Donald needs to realize and take responsibility for the fact that some of the rhetoric he has used could potentially be contributing to this environment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: They knew he encouraged violence then. And now, after it culminated in a deadly attack on the Capitol, why don't they see it that way, Charlie?
CHARLIE DENT, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, (R) FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ASPEN INSTITUTE CONGRESSIONAL PROGRAM: I can't speak to that, but I do know they were right back then. They were absolutely right that Donald Trump has used incendiary and inflammatory rhetoric that has led to violent outcomes, and no more so than during the insurrection. And Donald Trump is behind held to account for that.
And I should also note, too, I agree with John Berman when he's talking about witnesses. Of course, there should be witnesses. A year ago, we were -- we had a big debate about whether there should be witnesses at an impeachment trial. There should be witnesses right now, too.
But again, Donald Trump must be held to account for this rhetoric. He has been using this inciteful rhetoric since he came down that elevator. And now, people are shocked that there's a consequence?
Of course, we should be connecting the dots, and people who are -- there must be -- you know, they must be willing to suspend this belief if they somehow think that his rhetoric is disconnected from the events of January the sixth.
BERMAN: What a great guest that Charlie Dent is, you know?
CAMEROTA: Because he thinks you're right.
BERMAN: He had me at I agree with John Berman.
Congressman Kennedy, not only am I making you wake up early but I'm going to ask you sort of a big think question here.
So, on Monday, if this all finishes this weekend the way we think it might finish, where is America? I mean, what does that tell us about our country and what does that tell us about our political institutions?
KENNEDY: I think it's a tougher question for the institutions part than the country. John,
I don't think that there's much debate within the American public as to what happened. And I think you're, in fact, seeing polling that's coming out over the course of the week understanding that connection that -- as Charlie just indicated, that Republican senators might struggle to make or now, (INAUDIBLE) and people understood before. And I think you'd have to have your head in the sand not to understand it now.
And so, I think it's a -- as I've said before, it's not just Donald Trump that is on trial this week and being held to account, it is the United States Senate as well.
And the question as to whether the occupants -- the holders of those seats -- some of our highest and most respected politicians in this nation are going to be willing to put the health and strength of that institution and our democracy first, or whether they look at this as political survival and some tortured argument that says that I don't actually have to engage in the substance of this question.
And that is a choice that they have. They have this enormous opportunity to live in this incredibly consequential moment and to be in that seat of power to do so. I hope -- I hope they take it.
BERMAN: Congressman Kennedy, Congressman Dent, we appreciate you joining us all week. Really, it's been great to have you both on. Thank you very much.
KENNEDY: Thank you.
BERMAN: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo under fire after one of his top aides admitted to hiding data about nursing home deaths. We have new reporting on this, next.
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[05:49:00]
CAMEROTA: Developing this morning, a top aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is apologizing to state lawmakers after misleading them for months about the number of coronavirus deaths at long-term care facilities.
A source tells CNN that Sec. Melissa DeRosa said the administration, quote, "froze" after the Department of Justice launched a preliminary investigation last summer. After recent pressure from the state's attorney general, it was disclosed that as many as 15,000 people died in nursing homes and other adult care facilities.
BERMAN: The CDC will release new guidance today on how to safely reopen schools. The Biden administration is facing scrutiny for shifting its goalpost on the plan to reopen the majority of schools in the president's first 100 days in office.
CNN's Bianna Golodryga with the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now, the children should be able to log in --
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN SENIOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST (voice-over): Educators across the country are eagerly waiting for details from the CDC today on how to safely reopen schools after promising headlines from its director.
[05:50:01]
DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, DIRECTOR, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: The data from schools suggests that there is very little transmission that is happening within the schools, especially when there's masking and distancing occurring.
GOLODRYGA: Nearly half of the 20 largest school districts in the country are still fully online. Among the setbacks, funding and tensions over safety guidelines.
The Biden administration says funding included in the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill will allow more districts to reopen, a goal for its first 100 days in office.
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president believes schools should be open but he doesn't want them to be open for a month. That's disruptive for teachers, for students, for families. So he wants the proper steps to be taken so that they can reopen and stay open. GOLODRYGA: In Los Angeles, the district superintendent says money for classroom mitigation isn't what's keeping his schools closed -- but rather, vaccines for staff.
AUSTIN BEUTNER, SUPERINTENDENT, LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT: Let's get our teachers, let's get our bus drivers and cafeteria workers vaccinated as soon as possible, then get students back in the classroom.
GOLODRYGA: Students in San Francisco may finally begin returning to the classroom next month after the school board reached a tentative deal with the teachers' union.
A similar situation in Chicago where after a tense standoff, the city and teachers' union reached an agreement to start welcoming students through eighth grade back into the classroom. The first wave of kids returned Thursday.
MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT (D), CHICAGO: We need to do this for our city, for our communities, for our families, and most importantly, for our children.
GOLODRYGA: As of last week, schools in the nation's capital welcomed back more than 9,000 school students. Ohio, Maryland, and Virginia all pushing to bring their students back by next month.
GOV. MIKE DEWINE (R), OHIO: Every kid back in school by March one.
GOV. LARRY HOGAN (R), MARYLAND: Hybrid in-person instruction no later than March one.
GOV. RALPH NORTHAM (D), VIRGINIA: It needs to start by March the 15th.
GOLODRYGA: The consequences from the greatest modern-day disruption to childhood education are already painfully clear. Academic performance has dropped nationwide. Fewer students are logging into classes, while public school enrollment has fallen -- a culmination of crises education officials say can only fully be addressed in a classroom.
BIDEN: I think about the price so many of my grandkids and your kids are going to pay for not having had the chance to finish whatever it was.
GOLODRYGA: Bianna Golodryga, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: So many kids missing out on so much right now.
So coming up, shortly, we will hear from the former president's lawyers and his defense over the impeachment charges of the insurrection at the Capitol. We have new reporting on what that defense, such as it is, will be.
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[05:57:33]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The managers showed several examples of rioters shouting Trump's name and proclaiming they were doing his bidding.
DAVID SCHOEN, TRUMP ATTORNEY: This is what you get when you make a professional product that takes things out of context.
REP. JOE BIDEN NEGUSE (D-CO), HOUSE MANAGER: If we pretend this didn't happen -- or worse, if we let it go unanswered, who's to say it won't happen again?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If this were a Little League game, the mercy rule would have been invoked. It was such a powerful argument.
CRUZ: There is no coherent basis for concluding President Trump's comments were incitement.
REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD), LEAD HOUSE MANAGER: He knew that egged on by his tweets, his most extreme followers would show up ready to fight like hell for their hero.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.
CAMEROTA: We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY. It is Friday, February 12th, 6:00 here in New York.
And today, Donald Trump's lawyers make their defense of him. CNN has learned that Trump's legal team will use only a fraction of their allotted 16 hours. And since many Republican jurors seem to be distracted or even absent from the room, it leaves the impression that their vote is a foregone conclusion.
Three Republican senators -- Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, and Mike Lee -- who are supposed to be impartial jurors, met with Trump's defense team during the trial to talk strategy. According to one Trump lawyer, those senators are quote "just very friendly guys" end quote, who wanted to make sure the Trump team was quote "familiar with procedure."
OK, that does not inspire confidence in the Trump legal team or these senators.
BERMAN: Why? Because of the claim that Ted Cruz was a very friendly guy?
CAMEROTA: No. Because they think they need to tell the lawyers how to do this.
BERMAN: I was hung up on the very friendly guy part.
All right, so here's a question for you. What do Thailand and Turkmenistan have in common? The answer, the U.S. Capitol is in neither. The U.S. Capitol that was invaded -- an invasion that led to the death of five Americans -- not in Turkmenistan or Thailand. So why, then, was Republican Sen. Rick Scott reportedly looking at a blank map of Asia during the trial yesterday?
At one point during yesterday's proceedings, CNN observed at least 15 empty seats on the Republican side of the chamber.
We're going to begin with new information about what we expect to hear today. CNN's Lauren Fox live on Capitol Hill with that -- Lauren.
LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, the House managers took two days. We expect that Trump's defense team is just going to take a couple of hours. And that is, in part, because they do not feel like they are in danger of losing their case despite the fact that many Republicans were telling CNN.
