Return to Transcripts main page
Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
CDC Issues New Guidance For Those Fully Vaccinated; House Prepares To Vote On $1.9 Trillion COVID Relief Bill; Interview With Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT); U.K. Tabloids Hit Back At Harry & Meghan's Explosive Interview; Palace Silent About Harry And Meghan's Bombshell Interview; Jury Selection Expected To Begin Tomorrow In Death Of George Floyd; Retired Lt. Gen. Honore Recommends More Officers And Security Upgrades After Capitol Attack; State Dept. Completes Review For Trump's Muslim Ban, Officially Ending It. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired March 08, 2021 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OK, that's the last time the world changed this seismically. There may not be an opportunity like this again for women and men for all workers out there.
So on International Women's Day, let's commit to making the changes at the end of this pandemic that will make many, many millions of women and men and children more successful, more fulfilled and more productive. It's on us.
"AC360" starts now.
[20:00:23]
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Good evening. We're at the start of what could be a defining week for this country's battle against COVID and the final financial collapse that occurred because of it, and for President Biden, who captured the White House promising to bring relief on both fronts.
Today, the C.D.C. unveiled highly anticipated new guidance for those who are fully vaccinated. This is more than 2.1 million Americans a day who are now being vaccinated, promising more freedoms to meet other vaccinated people indoors even at restaurants, as well as an end to the need to quarantine which means that grandparents who have been vaccinated can hug grandkids who have not.
The rules do not go far enough for some. Case in point, the airline industry which today pushed back on C.D.C. guidance that continues to recommend even the vaccinated avoid travel. This was the C.D.C. Director's explanation for why.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, C.D.C. DIRECTOR: Every time that there's a surge in travel, we have a surge in cases in this country. We know that many of our variants have emerged from international places and we know that the travel corridor is a place where people are mixing a lot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, the guidelines also stated that people including those fully vaccinated should continue to wear masks. Today, Wyoming's Governor joined those in Texas and Mississippi, announcing an end to the state's mask mandate and that bars, gyms and other businesses can fully reopen.
In an interview with POLITICO, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he could see the mask mandate for those who have been vaccinated pulled off gradually, quote, "pretty soon, but not yet," he said.
All of this coming two days before the House is expected to pass that nearly $2 trillion COVID Relief Bill that contains money for vaccinations and schools, but also money for low-income Americans with children, the unemployed, and to make healthcare coverage more affordable. Senator Bernie Sanders will join us to talk about all of that.
On Thursday, President Biden is expected to deliver his first time primetime address commemorating the year that's passed since COVID was declared a pandemic.
That is where we begin tonight with our senior White House correspondent, Phil Mattingly. So what is the confidence of the White House tonight both on the public health front and the economic front?
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I think cautious optimism, Anderson, is probably the best way to frame it.
Look, on the public health front, there's no question about it. They look at all of the metrics that they've been paying attention to over the course of their first 48 days in office and they clearly feel like things are headed in the right direction.
You mentioned 2.1 million to 2.2 million doses being delivered per day based on the last week. That's well above what it was. They know hundreds of millions of doses are coming online over the course of the next several months. They know that the numbers particularly on the death side have been trending downward.
But there's also a very clear possibility that things could get worse. I think when you talk to White House advisors, they are very concerned about a new surge. They're obviously concerned about the variants.
Some advisors I've spoken to are furious about the states that have been pulling down their mask mandates, one called the equivalent of spiking the football at the 20-yard line, you don't get any points for that is what this advisor said.
And so they recognize, things can go wrong, and things likely will go wrong, but based on both the public health side of things, and particularly with this COVID Relief Bill, on the economic side of things, they feel like they are accomplishing the goals that they laid out when they took office.
COOPER: And if the Relief Bill does indeed win final passage and signed into law by the President this week, do we know how soon Americans will start getting those stimulus payments?
MATTINGLY: So what we know right now is they want them out the door, at least millions of them out the door by the end of the month. Obviously, these payments have gone out and the Treasury Department in the last administration worked together a pretty good system to kick direct payments out rather quickly via direct deposits in many cases.
I think one of the key things to pay attention to over the course of the next couple of weeks is yes, the administration getting to this point where the President is going to sign his cornerstone legislative proposal into law is a huge accomplishment.
But advisors I'm talking to make very clear, they know this isn't the end of the ballgame. They actually need to implement this law, not just getting the direct payments out, but all of the different elements of the economic relief here, some of which is transformative, short term, but transformative when you're talking about things like the child tax credit. It needs to actually work. They need to be able to put it into place.
So the popularity of the bill, which has been maintained over the course of the last several weeks, actually sticks in the weeks ahead -- Anderson.
COOPER: And what more do we know about this address by President Biden Thursday night?
MATTINGLY: Look, it's one year to the day that President Trump -- former President Trump -- gave his own primetime address and I think you're going to hear the President hit on a couple of notes. One obviously in that year, more than 525,000 people have died.
President Biden has made very clear that keeping those individuals, keeping those families in mind is something that he always wants to do when he talks about the pandemic, but also, I think you're going to hear him talk about that bill, which he hopes to have signed into law by Thursday.
And one thing I've heard repeatedly from administration officials is the idea that if he talks about that bill when he talks about that bill in this primetime address, it won't be the end of the ballgame for this bill. It will be the start of a process.
Administration officials know that they need to keep talking about the bill. They need to keep selling the proposal. They need to keep informing Americans what they believe are the merits of this proposal.
[20:05:07]
MATTINGLY: Something I hear a lot is members of the administration that were on the team back in 2009, when that stimulus bill was passed into law, they don't feel like they did a good enough job letting people know what was in it. They want to change that this time around -- Anderson.
COOPER: Phil Mattingly, appreciate it, from Washington tonight. Perspective now on the new guidance from the C.D.C. and just where we
are in the fight against COVID is our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta; also with us, Dr. Chris Murray, the Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in the University of Washington, which publishes a key model that tracks the spread of the virus.
So Sanjay, we talked about the new C.D.C. guidelines, what fully vaccinated people are able to do now. Can you just walk us through it again? What stands out to you?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, sure. Well, first of all, fully vaccinated, I think a lot of people know this, but that basically means two weeks after your second shot, if you received the Pfizer or the Moderna vaccine or two weeks after your first shot, your only shot with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
But the key is that people have been sort of waiting for the sort of guidance for some time is, what does that mean in terms of what you can do? And the bottom line is, you can do a little bit more, maybe not as much as some people would like.
But for example, if you are fully vaccinated, you're hanging out with another group of people who are fully vaccinated, you can have a basically normal gathering indoors, don't need to wear masks don't need to maintain physical distance, can shake hands, hug, and things like that.
If you're hanging out -- if you're vaccinated, you're hanging out with people who are unvaccinated, but they are low risk. They are one household and they are low risk, sort of the same sort of, you know, recommendations apply. You can have a pretty normal gathering. That's pretty much what we're hearing now.
You know, Anderson, quickly, I talked to Andy Slavitt, who is with the Taskforce and he said a couple of things that I thought were interesting.
First of all, he really emphasized, this as a first step and that future recommendations would be coming and they would be tied directly to the percentage of people vaccinated.
So right now, 10 percent of the country roughly vaccinated. When we get the 20 percent, which could be in you know, 10 to 14 days or so, you probably are going to hear another set of recommendations. So this is a first step, as he emphasized over and over again.
COOPER: Dr. Murray, Dr. Fauci continues to warn the case levels are plateauing at unacceptable levels. Is that what your models are finding? I mean, I am wondering when you hear, you know, now Wyoming has joined the list of people who are going to open up, no mask mandate, you know, businesses at full capacity along with Texas and Mississippi.
DR. CHRIS MURRAY, DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH METRICS AND EVALUATION, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON: You know, I think this is a very risky time. I share Dr. Fauci's opinion that this is not the time for us to be being less cautious, because we have B.1.1.7, that U.K. variant circulating. We can see what it's doing in Europe right now. It's leading to big increases, and that can happen here easily if people become to -- you know, lose their vigilance against transmission.
COOPER: So, reason -- when is an acceptable time then to -- I mean, what is the metric you use, an acceptable time to have business at full capacity or no mask mandate?
MURRAY: Well, I think we would want to see the case rates in the community to be really low, so that we can really have a serious prospect that testing, and you know, following up and convincing people to self-quarantine would be an effective strategy.
So what were a good ways away from that, because I think there's a real risk that transmission can plateau for quite a while. It can even go back up if people become increasingly -- you know, stop wearing masks and have large gatherings. So it's a ways away from our point of view, although the signs do look good.
COOPER: Sanjay, I know you've got questions.
GUPTA: Yes. So along those lines, Dr. Murray, if you made this model back on March 6th. Since then, we've heard about you know, Texas and Mississippi, sort of, you know, taking away their mask mandates. How much of an impact do you think that will have now?
MURRAY: You know, it can have a lot of impact. It just depends if people actually follow that mandate. We're expecting that a lot of people will still be cautious that they're not going to just -- everybody in Texas is going to start wearing a mask, if that happened, that combined with a lot of the U.K. variant circulating in the U.S., we can very easily look like Central and Eastern Europe where cases are shooting up again.
COOPER: And it's been almost a year since, you know, life as we knew it changed. How many lives do you think will be saved if people continue to follow C.D.C. guidelines, wear masks for a while longer? I mean, what is the difference here we're talking about?
MURRAY: Well, you know, we're already at a good level with masks. So if we keep going with masks and you know, keep scaling up vaccination, which is what we all expect is going to happen, then we expect, you know about 65,000 deaths between now and July 1st, but the daily deaths should be steadily going down.
[20:10:08]
MURRAY: If people stop wearing masks, then you can get much higher numbers of deaths over that timeframe.
COOPER: What percentage of Americans right now do you estimate are wearing masks?
MURRAY: You know, we're actually not yet seeing any decline. So we're still holding at about three quarters of Americans wearing a mask when they leave the home, and we've been waiting for those numbers to start dropping.
They've started to drop in Europe, but fortunately, they've held steady so far until the beginning of this week, which is our latest data. And we're going to have to see what these new mandates coming off in Texas and Mississippi, and elsewhere, what impact that's going to have.
COOPER: Sanjay, where do you think we are in in this?
GUPTA: Well, you know, I mean, everyone sort of talks about this idea of herd immunity having enough immunity out there. And, you know, I know there's a little discrepancy in terms of how many people have likely been infected. But even if you say, 20 to 30 percent plus 10 percent of the country vaccinated, so far, that's 30 percent.
And, you know, if we kept at the same pace of two million vaccines roughly a day, 60 million people a month, then you start to think, you know, May or so timeframe is when you're starting to get to that that possible herd immunity, where, you know, you have enough people vaccinated where the virus just has a hard time finding a home.
So where are we? You know, I mean, potentially, and Dr. Murray and I have had long conversations about this, but potentially a few months away from herd immunity.
But one thing to keep in mind, I think, is that it's not necessarily a linear thing, herd immunity all said and done, as Dr. Murray has taught me, you can bounce back out of herd immunity, again, going into the fall.
So, you know, there's going to be vigilance that is still going to be necessary for some time, but I think summer vacations, things like that, that may be planned this summer, I think people are going to have a much better chance of actually doing those things.
COOPER: And Dr. Murray, you know, epidemiologist, Michael Osterholm says that we're in the eye of the hurricane, he says, there's going to be another surge because the U.K. variant in the next six to 14 weeks, do your projection show that?
MURRAY: No, our projections -- you know, maybe we're being optimistic, but our projections say that most likely, things will slowly, but steadily get better.
But in our worst scenario, where people, you know, stop wearing masks faster, start having gatherings faster, then you can see a surge in April.
And you know, what's happening in the northern states of Brazil right now is really scary. They are having an enormous surge, and that's in a place where 60 or 70, or even 80 percent have already been infected in the past.
So it does make us, you know, concerned that the risk is out there. COOPER: And just quickly on Brazil, I mean, that Brazil variant or the
Brazil strain comes here. What does that mean? I mean, I know it's already here to some degree, but if that becomes really widespread?
MURRAY: It's very rare here, thank goodness. But if it starts to spread a lot, then sort of all bets are off, because not only does all of that 20 to 25 percent of people who have been infected in the past, they are now susceptible, but the vaccines we have currently are less effective.
Put those two together, we really want to try to keep the Brazilian variant from spreading too far. But it's likely going to spread and that's why we think in the fall, we'll see more of it.
COOPER: Dr. Chris Murray, Sanjay, thank you. We're going to continue the conversation in a moment with more than that, the nearly $2 trillion dollar COVID Relief Bill the Senate passed over the weekend. Senator Bernie Sanders will join us in a moment to talk about the negotiations, what else Democrats hope to achieve with their narrow 50/50 majority.
Also tonight, a story that's commanded attention on both sides of the Atlantic, the startling allegations involving racism and the accusations against the U.K. tabloids from that interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and Oprah.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:18:01]
COOPER: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today told reporters that a final vote on the COVID Relief Bill the Senate passed over the weekend would come quote, "Wednesday morning at the latest," unquote.
Speaker Pelosi also said she does not expect more Democrats in the House to vote against the bill because of changes made to the Senate Bill.
Let's get perspective now on this legislation from Senate Budget Committee Chairman Senator Bernie Sanders. Chairman Sanders, thanks for being with us.
So you hear what Speaker Pelosi says. It looks as though the bill is on track to be signed by President Biden this week. Obviously, it doesn't include a Federal minimum wage hike, something you were very determined I know to include. Despite that, are you satisfied with what the bill ended up with?
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): Anderson, in my view, this is the most significant legislation for working people that has been passed in decades, and what this legislation is about is looking out around our country in the midst of this terrible pandemic, the economic decline, the fact that the education of our kids has been disrupted, that people are facing eviction, families are facing hunger.
We've looked at all of these issues. And we said: what can we do? And I think what shocks many in the establishment, and certainly my Republican colleagues is that we wrote a bill to address the crisis facing working families and the middle class and low-income people, and not the wealthy and large corporations and their lobbyists.
So this bill is enormously significant and at the top of our list is the understanding that the American people know to be true, is that we're not going to get our kids back to school safely.
We're not going to get our economy humming the way it should be, and create the millions of jobs we need to create unless we crush the pandemic, and we are putting billions of dollars into making sure that we are producing the amount of vaccines that we need, and we're developing a mechanism to get those vaccines into the arms of the American people.
[20:20:03]
SANDERS: The Biden administration, I think in the last month has made real progress, but we have a long, long way to go because every day that somebody is not getting a vaccine is the day that that person may get the COVID virus and die.
COOPER: In terms of the $15.00 an hour minimum wage, how do you want to proceed with that? Clearly, that's still something on your agenda.
SANDERS: Oh, it is absolutely on my agenda, Anderson. If you would have asked me what the great crisis in the American economy is today, we can talk about a lot of things.
But to my mind, the fact that half of our people are living paycheck to paycheck and that many millions of people are working for starvation wages, that eight, nine, ten bucks an hour, you can't live on that. Minimum wage has not been raised by Congress since 2007, and it stands today at $7.25 an hour.
So we are developing a strategy, and if anybody thinks that the vote that we had the other day on the minimum wage is the last vote that is taking place this session, they're going to be there very, very wrong. I am going to pass that bill.
COOPER: There are some Democrats who did not want that.
SANDERS: Now, I know. Believe me, I know. But at the end of the day, the American people want it, overwhelmingly large numbers of people support raising the minimum wage to 15 bucks an hour, eight states have already voted to raise the minimum wage to $15.00 an hour. Many communities and cities have done the same.
So we're going to do what the American people want one way or another, we are going to pass the $15.00 an hour minimum wage.
COOPER: I just want to go back to something you said at the beginning that you think this is the most significant piece of legislation in decades. Can you just talk more about why you think that is? And what does it say that, you know, the first relief in the beginning, this pandemic got overwhelming Republican support as well. This got no Republican support. What does that say to you?
SANDERS: Well, it says to me that the Republicans are have turned their back on the needs of working families. They used the reconciliation process a few years ago to give a trillion dollars in tax breaks for the top one percent and large corporations. They used the reconciliation process to try to repeal the Affordable Care Act and throw 30 million people off of their healthcare that they had.
What we are using reconciliation for is to address the crises facing working families. What does that mean? It means that hopefully within a couple of weeks, some 85 percent of American households will receive a direct payment check.
Now, that direct payment will be $1,400.00 for every working-class adult, individuals $75,000.00 or less, couples, $150,000.00 or less, plus your children. Family of four gets help of $5,600.00.
And in the midst of this crisis, God only knows that millions and millions of families desperately need that boost. What this legislation does, Anderson, is it addresses a crisis that this country has ignored for too long.
We have one of the highest rates of childhood poverty of any major country on Earth. This legislation will expand the child tax credit and lower childhood poverty in America by up to 50 percent.
Yes, we're going to pay attention to the kids in America, many of whom are struggling for a variety of reasons. This legislation says that in the richest country in the history of the world, people should not be going hungry.
In my community, Burlington, Vermont, a few months ago, hundreds of cars lined up for emergency food packages taking place all over this country. This legislation provides help so that when the moratorium on evictions end, people will get assistance to stay in their homes, whether it's a rental unit or your own home.
This legislation more than doubles funding for community health centers. In my state, about 25 percent of people get their medical care. They've got their dental care. They've got low-cost prescription drugs, mental health counseling through community health centers. We have more than doubled funding it.
We're putting money into getting doctors into underserved areas. We're putting money into making sure that millions of workers do not lose the pensions that they were promised.
So this legislation is quite comprehensive in attempting to address the needs of working families. And obviously, the next reconciliation bill will deal with our structural problems, not just the emergency problems of how we can create millions of good paying jobs, rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, and transforming our energy system to protect us from climate change.
[20:25:16]
COOPER: Senator Sanders, I appreciate your time. Thank you.
SANDERS: Thank you very much.
COOPER: Coming up Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, her allegations against the U.K. tabloids, the attacks she faced in the papers that she said drove her to thoughts of suicide. What those tabloids are saying in response to her and Prince Harry's stunning interview with Oprah Winfrey when we continue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Well, tonight, for the first time, the explosive interview with Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle aired in the United Kingdom. Now the public there has finally seen the Duchess of Sussex reveal her thoughts of suicide during her first pregnancy and the couple's allegations of racism within the Royal Family.
They also repeatedly claimed that the Royal Family did not support them through some very difficult times. They just really blamed the U.K. tabloids and those tabloids are hammering back. More on the Royals now from CNN's Royal correspondent, Max Foster.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Fights, camera, action. Harry the hostage, Kate made me cry. Flashy headlines filling U.K. newsstands as British tabloids hit back after an explosive Royal interview.
PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: It's been really hard --
FOSTER: In a two-hour tell-all, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex level bombshell accusations against two of Britain's most recognized institutions, the Royal Family and the press.
But in the aftermath, a deluge of stories focused on Meghan revealing she had had thoughts of suicide and their allegations of dysfunction and racism in the Palace.
[20:30:15]
One paper calls the interview self-serving, another nicknames the couple's rift with the royal family Megxile. Whilst American outlets often appeared somewhat sympathetic, some UK tabloids seem to be venting their anger.
In the morning, news reactions ranged from shock to dismay.
PIERS MORGAN, ANCHOR, GOOD MORNING BRITAN: I'm sickened by what I've just said to watch.
This is a two-hour trashathon of our royal family, of the monarchy, of everything the Queen has worked so hard for.
FOSTER (voice-over): Such media scrutiny is one of the key reasons the couple said they moved to the U.S. Prince Harry going as far as saying the royal family was scared of press turning on them.
PRINCE HARRY: Back control and the fear by the UK tabloids, it's a really, it's a toxic environment.
FOSTER (voice-over): Meghan spoke of the tabloids unchecked racism, comparing headlines about herself with those about her sister-in-law, Kate. But she laid blame for media pressure firmly on the royal family.
MEGHAN MARKLE, DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: We haven't created this Monster Machine around us in terms of clickbait and tabloid fodder. You've allowed that to happen.
I think there's a reason that these tabloids have holiday parties at the palace, they're hosted by the palace. The tabloids are. You know, there is a construct that's at play there.
FOSTER (voice-over): She also spoke of outlets working with her estranged father to publish private information, which has led to a lawsuit that she recently one. Now Harry and Meghan's tumultuous relationship with UK tabloids seems to be continuing as the fallout of their explosive interview, ricochets worldwide.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: And Max Foster joins us now from Windsor, England.
So Max, one of the things that came up in the interview was an alleged conversation between some members of the royal -- a member or members of the royal family and Prince Harry about the possible skin tone of his children with Meghan Markle. Oprah Winfrey provided additional information about that.
FOSTER: Yes, she said that Harry discounted the Queen and Prince Philip from those conversations about the skin color of Archie. So, we're pretty sure it's a member of a family that was involved in those conversations from everything that Harry intimated that interview and the subsequent conversations with Oprah Winfrey. The question is, who was it? That's a big question in the British media today? Everyone's talking about it.
They're also talking about the fact that we haven't heard anything from the palace on this. Why has there been no statement? Why are they not addressing these massive criticisms, around a lack of duty of care for vulnerable women, institutional racism effectively, that's one of the charges she pointed towards the palace as well?
Huge allegations, of course, they need time to think about that. The Queen will have to give ultimate sign off on it. Are they thinking they can sleep on it and address it tomorrow. It's not clear. But everyone is waiting now huge amounts of pressure on the palace to say something about these allegations.
And they can't address all of the smaller things, the petty things perhaps in relation to these larger issues that got to adjust those large issues. So, we're awaiting a response. COOPER: Yes, Max Foster, appreciate it. Thank you.
Let's get perspective now from Bonnie Greer, who was -- I was able to be with covering Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 2018 wedding,
BONNIE GREER, COLUMNIST, THE NEW EUROPEAN: It was good.
COOPER: It was. There was quite a day. She's an American foreign author.
GREER: It was a great day.
COOPER: Yes. Playwright, she lives in the UK, she gives her opinion on the royal family much more as a columnist for The New European newspaper.
So Bonnie, first of all, just I'm wondering what you thought about, certainly the alleged conversation around the skin tone of any royal children between Harry and Meghan, when you heard that, what did you think?
GREER: Well, first of all, that it was true. Second of all, what are -- the things that you learn when you live here I lived your half my life is that the British tend to have a different tone, when they're speaking about things that we as Americans are much more direct about. There's no question that this was brought up. But what did they mean? And that's always the question, I think when you are a foreigner here, and especially American, because we think we speak the same language, and we don't.
And so, who knows what the world family met, it was outrageous, whatever they meant. And it just added to her trauma, which the tabloid newspapers and Piers Morgan's breakfast show really helped her to feel that she didn't belong here.
[20:35:02]
COOPER: You know I couldn't help but while I was watching the interview I couldn't help but thinking about you and the day we spent covering, you know, the really kind of glorious wedding that took place and the excitement that I think all of us had.
And I think so many people in the crowd seemed to have over the potential what this might mean for the royal family moving forward, you know, just the ceremony itself was unlike any, you know, we've seen it a royal wedding. And we really thought a weird, there was a lot of discussion about, you know, her Meghan Markle's potential impact on the royal family. You know, what she was going to face.
It just found, I just found it so sad that it has all come to this. I mean, from that -- and even that day, obviously, we now know more about that day about what was happening behind the scenes that, you know, there at the trouble had already started, frankly.
GREER: Well, we were up in a tower in a beautiful spring day in Windsor, which added to it. But I don't know if you remember that Don Lemon, and I got into a kind of tiff, because he was saying that this was going to be a big change. And I said it wasn't going to be a big change. Because everything that happened that day was allowed.
And I think that's what Meghan began to discover, is that the synergy between the royal family and the British people is deeply unconscious, and is deep. They've always been royalty in these islands, just about from the almost the dawn of history. They like kings, they like queens here, they have a love hate relationship with them.
But it's something that is so -- I mean, I met the Queen a few times, and you know, they're things you you're supposed to do. You never look her in the eye. You're never supposed to approach her. And if you're living in her house, and you're told that and you're an American woman, especially from L.A., you think well what, you know, what's up? What's this about? I'm sure it added to a lot of her trauma.
People here -- I mean, Britain, I love this country has been very good to me. And very kind to me, it's no more racist than France or the Netherlands or the United States for heaven's sake. But there's a very strange, very strong masculine code here.
So there's a there's a streak of people being outraged and embarrassed by the fact that the Harry, who was in the military on top of it, loves this woman and followed her. And so all of these tropes come together besides color to make the situations it's horrible, actually.
COOPER: Bonnie Greer, it's lovely to see you again. Thank you.
GREER: It's good to see you.
COOPER: I'm sorry, under these circumstances, but I will see you again soon.
To our viewers -- yes, if you or anyone you know has thoughts of suicide, like Meghan Markle said she did years ago. There are certainly people who can help. You're not alone here in the United States called the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273- 8255. Again, that's 1-800-273-8255. Overseas, you can reach out to the International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide. You can see those websites on your screen iasp.info and befrienders.org.
Up next, the unexpected delays in the start of the trial, the former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd, ahead.
(COMMERICAL BREAK)
[20:41:17]
COOPER: There was confusion today in a Minneapolis courtroom what was supposed to be the beginning of the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer in the death of George Floyd last spring. Prosecutors had wanted to halt that jury selection until an appeal could be heard over reinstatement of another charged third degree murder. Thus far an appeals court hasn't issued a ruling on that request and
the judge ruled the jury selection would begin tomorrow while that appeal is ongoing. The former officer Derek Chauvin is charged with second degree unintentional murder and second degree manslaughter, charges to which he's pleaded not guilty. Three other former officers were also on scene as, you know, and are charged with aiding and abetting second degree murder and aiding and abetting secondary manslaughter. They pleaded not guilty.
Now, I'm going to speak with an attorney for the family of George Floyd in just a moment. But first, our Randi Kaye has a look at what took place last May and its impact. We want to warn you obviously some of the video you're going to see as graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE FLOYD, VICTIM: Please, please, I can't breathe. Please man, please I'm dying.
RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You're watching the last few minutes of George Floyd's life May 25th, 2020 in Minneapolis. A police officers neon his neck. Listen as Floyd struggles to breathe.
FLOYD: I can't breathe, please leave my neck, I can't breathe.
KAYE (voice-over): Police officers had responded to a call about someone passing a fake $20 bill and found 46-year-old George Floyd sitting in his car. Police would later say he physically resisted arrest. Those surveillance video from a nearby restaurant appears to contradict police claims. Prosecutors say Floyd told police he was claustrophobic as they tried to put him in the police car. Soon, Floyd is on the ground, handcuffed with an officer's knee forcing his face into the pavement.
FLOYD: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Relax.
FLOYD: I can't breathe, my face. Just get up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you want?
FLOYD: I can't breathe. Please leave my neck. I can't breathe here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well get them get in the car man.
FLOYD: I will.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get up and get in the car.
FLOYD: I can't move.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE). Just get on, get in the car.
FLOYD: Mama. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get up, you're getting the car right.
FLOYD: Mama.
KAYE (voice-over): Officer Derek Chauvin does not remove his knee from Floyd's neck. Soon George Floyd is motionless on the ground, his eyes closed. He's pronounced dead at the hospital.
MAYOR JACOB FREY, MINNEAPOLIS: When you hear someone calling for help you are supposed to help.
KAYE (voice-over): An independent autopsy ordered by the family's attorney concluded Floyd died of asphyxiation from sustained pressure when his neck and back were compressed during the arrest. The autopsy noted the pressure cut off blood flow to his brain.
But the County Medical Examiner concluded Floyd's heart failed, making no mention of asphyxiation. The county also noted heart disease and the use of drugs fentanyl and methamphetamines as significant factors. Both autopsies ruled Floyd's death a homicide. After Floyd's killing the Minneapolis police chief fired Chauvin and the other officers involved.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In my mind this was a violation of humanity.
KAYE (voice-over): Floyd's death ignited a movement protesters took to the streets in Minneapolis and around the country. Most were peaceful, but there was also looting and clashes with police. Protesters echo George Floyd's final words.
Now, his family is hoping justice will be served not only for George Floyd, but for the young daughter he left behind.
[20:45:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want justice for him because he was good. No matter what anybody thinks, he was good and this is the proof that he was a good man.
KAYE (voice-over): Randi Kaye, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Well, needless to say the trial is going to be fraught with emotions for the George Floyd family. Joining me now is Antonio Romanucci, the attorney for the family -- for the family.
Mr. Romanucci. Thanks so much. Can you explain just in layman's terms, how you see this dispute over the possible third degree murder charge? I mean, there's obviously confusion about this, particularly among people who aren't lawyers about exactly what's happening.
ANTONIO ROMANUCCI, ATTORNEY FOR GEORGE FLOYD'S FAMILY: Well, I see that third degree murder charge kind of is like the gap charge here. We know that Attorney General Ellison has charged Derek Chauvin with second degree murder and also second degree manslaughter. But that's a big jump in between, there's a big jump in between as to what those charges are. So, the third degree murder fills the hole just like mortar between two bricks. And what he's doing is ensuring that the jury has options in holding Derek Chauvin accountable.
Now, certainly I have opinions about what was what happened that night, you know, it doesn't get any easier to watch the video. But that's what that third degree murder charges.
COOPER: And prosecutors, as you know, want to wait to proceed until the Court of Appeals resolves the dispute over the charges. They say there's no need for this kind of uncertainty in any case, let alone a case of this magnitude. At least part of their concern is apparently that without a clear resolution, it could give the former Officer Chauvin grounds for appeal if convicted. Does the Floyd family could share that concern?
ROMANUCCI: Well, I think what the Floyd family wants first and foremost is justice. They want justice, whether it's in that courtroom, whether it's out of Washington, D.C. or whether it's in a civil courtroom, they're looking for justice.
So clearly, I don't think anybody wants the opportunity for Derek Chauvin to have an appealable issue after this trial, because the third degree murder charge was included or was not included. So, we're just hoping to ensure that there is a clean trial and making sure that justice is achieved.
COOPER: Beyond the dispute of the charges, how does the Floyd family feel about the overall strength of the case?
ROMANUCCI: Well, I think they feel extremely strong. I mean, look, when that video as I said, it doesn't get easier to listen to or watch. This is somebody who was kneeling on someone's neck for over eight minutes, almost nine minutes, knowing that at a certain point in time, that knee on the neck was going to kill.
I mean, there's only so much time that somebody can go before you lose oxygen to your brain and your heart stops. This officer was there to protect, he was there to serve, he's a he's a police officer. He's supposed to be a reasonable police officer and a reasonable police officers should know when he could or might be causing death.
COOPER: Gwen the mother of Eric Garner, who was killed in 2014, when a New York police department officer put him in a chokehold said today she's worn the Floyd family to be prepared for this trial because quote, once in court, they try to assassinate the victim again, first they murder him on the street, then they assassinate his character. Do you believe that'll happen in this trial?
ROMANUCCI: Well, I think her words are wise. Her words are wise, because I don't know what else the defense can do but attack George. Because if we've freeze frame George in May 25th 2020, in that police encounter, we know that he was unarmed. He wasn't violent. Once he was handcuffed.
He wasn't resisting anymore. What else is there? There isn't much else there. So, her words ring true, because they're going to have to attack character in order to divert attention away from Derek Chauvin. That would be the strategy that I would anticipate.
COOPER: Obviously, there's going to be a lot of attention for this. We saw protests, you know, take to the streets. Many protesters taking the streets of Minneapolis today. What's the Floyd family message to demonstrators both tonight and throughout the course of the case?
ROMANUCCI: Well, I don't think there's question that the Floyd family wants George's name to continue to be stated. They want George to be heard not only during this trial, but afterwards. And we're fortunate to have George Floyd's name hopefully memorialized in the House Bill named after him. So, they're expecting people to be out there to demonstrate saying George's name, but certainly we want the City of Minneapolis to be at peace.
Nobody is looking for any sort of, you know, injury or harm to people or property. But there's no question that that the exercise of free speech should be there.
COOPER: Antonio Romanucci, appreciate your time. Thank you very much.
ROMANUCCI: Thank you so much Anderson. Good night.
[20:50:03]
COOPER: That initial investigation headed by a retired Army General on what happened during the Capitol riots runs into some political headwinds. That is next.
(COMMERICAL BREAK)
COOPER: Members of a security review team led by retired Army Lieutenant General Russel Honore faced some tough questioning from Republican members of the House today in the wake of the investigation ordered by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after the January 6 riots.
Ryan Nobles joins us now with more. So, what do we know about how lawmakers responded to General Honore's report?
RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's definitely a partisan breakdown about this process, Anderson. Republican members are unhappy with the fact that Russel Honore is the person that speaker Nancy Pelosi tasked with leading this task force into looking into what happened on January 6, they believe that he is a partisan actor and that would not look at it fairly. But what's interesting is when you actually begin to press them on his findings in this report that he issued, they tend to agree with most of it.
[20:55:05]
For instance, Congressman Rodney Davis of Illinois who is on one of the committees, that is a part of all this process, and that he agreed in large part with many of the recommendations that Honore handed down. So, it'll be interesting to see how this whole process plays out. They didn't like the fact that he was in charge of it. But they seem to be happy with what he ended up finding out.
COOPER: And is it clear what security recommendations seemed likely to be implemented?
NOBLES: Well, it is going to be a long process till we get to some finality here, Anderson, but there does seem to be some agreement on some key things that need to change. For instance, both sides seem to agree that there needs to be more Capitol Police officers that they need to be better trained, and how to gather intelligence and how to interpret that intelligence.
They also believe that there needs to be more funding for security for these members when they go home to their districts. But perhaps the biggest controversy right now is what to do with the security perimeter around the Capitol Complex.
Both Republicans and Democrats aren't in favor of some sort of permanent fencing. But the security recommendation strongly recommends that something like that be in place, whether it be a retractable fence, something that can be easily moved in and out. Republican and Democratic lawmakers want the Capitol Complex to be as accessible as possible. But there is a big divide is how to get to that ultimate goal. And that's probably a big part of the debate as we move forward.
COOPER: All right, Ryan Nobles. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
Up next, the findings of a State Department review the former president's executive orders that restricted immigration from certain Muslim countries.
(COMMERICAL BREAK)
COOPER: Breaking News, the Biden's State Department has completed its 45-day review of the former president's executive orders that restricted immigration from certain countries often referred to as the Muslim ban, and it is officially ending those restrictions.
The Biden administration says applicants from the affected countries may no longer be denied on the basis of nationality. And the department has taken a number of steps to ensure that applicants previously refuse visas will not have future visa applications prejudiced in any way.
The State Department official tells CNN that those applicants may now re-enter the diversity visa lottery. Also under current regulations those whose visa applications were denied prior to January 20th, 2020 may also be reconsidered but those individuals must submit new applications and pay a new application fee.
A reminder, don't miss "Full Circle". It's our digital news show. You can catch it streaming live 6:00 p.m. Eastern at cnn.com/full circle. Watch it there on the CNN app anytime On Demand.
[21:00:00]
Right now the news continues. Let's hand over Chris for "CUOMO PRIME TIME". Chris.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: Thank you very much, Anderson. I am Chris Cuomo and welcome to PRIME TIME.
A year ago this week, everything changed.
