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Cuomo Prime Time
Spokesman: Former President Bill Clinton Admitted To Hospital With Non-COVID Related Infection, "On The Mend"; Attendees At Rally For VA's GOP Governor Candidate Pledge Allegiance To Flag Used On January 6; "Star Trek" Icon William Shatner Reflects On Historic Space Trip. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired October 14, 2021 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[21:00:00]
DAVID AXELROD, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: "Yes, we think there was something wrong with the last election."
So, this "Big lie," this conspiracy theory, has spread. And these politicians are cowering.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Yes. I mean, he's been a public servant, for a long time. And he's going to run again. And maybe he'll get reelected. But he's no longer a public servant. He's just serving himself, at this point. And it's sad.
David Axelrod, I appreciate it. Thank you.
News continues. Let's hand it over to Chris for "CUOMO PRIME TIME." Chris?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.
TEXT: BREAKING NEWS.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: I am Chris Cuomo. Welcome to PRIME TIME.
We have some breaking news tonight on former President Clinton. We just learned he was hospitalized, on Tuesday.
His spokesman says he was admitted to UCI Medical Center, that's in California, Irvine, to receive treatment for a non-COVID related infection. He is on the mend, in good spirits, and is incredibly thankful, to the doctors, nurses and staff providing him with excellent care.
For more now, let's go to our Chief Medical Correspondent, Sanjay Gupta.
He is still in the hospital, we understand, Sanjay. What are we supposed to make of this?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So, he went in on Tuesday, as you mentioned. I've just spoken to members of his staff, and also to his doctors.
Apparently, he was not feeling well, all day Tuesday. He was out in California, for an event, related to his foundation. Was not feeling well, and was taken to the hospital, University of California Irvine.
At that point, was tested, as you mentioned, not COVID related, and also seemingly not related to his heart. He's had heart surgery, as you know, in the past, Chris, including a heart operation, in 2004, and a stent in 2010.
What they think is going on with the president, the former president, now, is a blood infection, sometimes known as sepsis. This is an infection that is now being treated with IV antibiotics.
And what they are saying is that he is responding well, to those antibiotics. He's actually been increasingly mobile, able to get up and around, said they were - he was even joking around, with the hospital staff. So, seems to be in good spirits.
They say they're going to continue those antibiotics, at least for another day. He'll remain in the hospital, at least for another day. And, at that point, they're going to reassess.
But it is possible, again, just talking to his doctors just now, that he could be released from the hospital tomorrow.
So, there's still some details that are coming in. But that's sort of the gist of it. Non-COVID related, seemingly non-heart related, a blood infection, they called it, often known as sepsis, but responding well to antibiotics.
CUOMO: Now, sepsis is something you hear about people getting in the hospital, more often than they go to the hospital for it. How is that something that can occur?
GUPTA: Well, it can come from different routes in the body. Sometimes, it can start as an infection elsewhere, and then that infection will spread to the bloodstream.
What happens is a person's not feeling well, they'll just check the blood, and find if there's the presence of an infection. At that point, sometimes they'll trace the source.
What the doctors have said is that he did have a episode. It was actually sepsis, meaning that, it was clear that the infection was actually in his blood, as opposed to localized in one area of the body.
But that is something that's responding, again, according to his doctors, to IV antibiotics. So, you treat. You put the antibiotics, into the bloodstream. And it usually can be treated, if it's caught early enough. And from what we're hearing, it sounds like it was. So, the President is in the intensive care unit. They say he's there, primarily because, trying to give him some privacy in the hospital.
CUOMO: Right.
GUPTA: Not necessarily that he's in critical condition. He's not on a breathing machine or anything like that. And they say that he could potentially get out of the hospital tomorrow.
CUOMO: Is this one of those things, where you think, like he had an open wound? How we're always looking on our kids, to see if there's a red line, going up their arm or something like that? Or, is this something that could have been a viral illness that then turns into this type of infection?
GUPTA: It could be, or it could be a bacterial infection, elsewhere in the body. It could be in the urine that goes there first. It could be somewhere else in the body.
But this is, you know, it's not uncommon. He's 75-years-old. So, it's not unusual to develop an infection somewhere that then might potentially spread into the blood.
It can be a serious diagnosis. I don't want to minimize this. But it does sound like he is responding well to antibiotics. And he's been in a good mood. I was just talking to some members of his staff. They say that he's been on the phone with them, talking to them.
The former first lady, the Secretary, Clinton, was also in California. She was already there, I'm told, for the same event that the former president was going to be attending. So, she is there with him as well. I don't know if she's in the hospital. But she's also in Southern California.
CUOMO: And you said - just in, people joining us right now, former President Clinton was admitted, into the hospital, on Tuesday. They say it's a blood infection called sepsis.
Now, sometimes you hear about people getting that in hospitals. But Sanjay has been explaining to us that it could be from an infection, somewhere else, in the body, made it into the bloodstream.
GUPTA: Right.
CUOMO: The hospital says he's doing well.
[21:05:00]
And also Sanjay, just tell the audience again, in case they're joining us now, people are going to worry that this is his heart again. What have you been told?
GUPTA: Well, I just - I did speak to his doctors, just now, including the Chief of Medicine, at University of California Irvine, and his primary care physician. And those were the first questions. "Was this related to his heart?" Because he had a heart operation back in 2004, bypass operation. He had a stent placed in 2010.
They said this is not related to this heart. They also say this is not COVID. He was tested for COVID. And he, in fact, has been vaccinated and also received his booster shot. They say that this is - seems to be sepsis, specifically unrelated to those two things, and responding well to antibiotics.
They call it an infection. But it's an infection in the blood, which is known as sepsis, because when you get an infection in the blood, that essentially means that it is systemic. And that is why it is so necessary, to treat those, with antibiotics, aggressively, which he's receiving, and sounds like he's responding.
How do they know that? Well, typically people feel better, but also their fever may start to decrease. Their white blood cell count, which is usually an indication of infection, they said that was also trending downward, as well, they said. So, the laboratory values, as well as his, overall sort of wellbeing sounds like it's going in the right direction.
But he is in the ICU. And he's going to be there, at least another day, at which point they may be able to put him on oral antibiotics, because he wouldn't be able to get out of the hospital still, if he had the IV antibiotics. So, they're going to be making those decisions, it sounds like, over the next 24 hours or so.
CUOMO: All right, ICU, that's always scary. But again, this is a former president. It keeps him isolated. It gives him more privacy there.
GUPTA: That's right.
CUOMO: All right, we'll stay on it. Sanjay, thank you very much. Appreciate this.
GUPTA: You got it.
CUOMO: Again, former President Bill Clinton was admitted into the hospital, on Tuesday. He's in the University of California Irvine.
He was out there in California, an event for his foundation, said he wasn't feeling well. Not COVID related, not heart related, his doctors tell, our doctor, Sanjay Gupta. They say it is a blood infection, also known as sepsis. How did he get that? Sanjay wasn't told.
He is responding well to antibiotics. They are IV. He is in the ICU. But he may be out of the hospital, as soon as tomorrow, or the next day.
Obviously, any developments, we'll bring them to you right away.
All right, let's start PRIME TIME now, and go to our next big story.
Contempt proceedings now, on the calendar, against, Steve Bannon, who, of course is bucking the January 6 committee. Now, will this make him talk, or will make him a martyr? The Chair of the panel did not hold back, today.
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REP. BENNIE THOMPSON (D-MS): Steve Bannon and his advice, former President Trump leaves us no choice. And so, the committee will do what we are required to do.
We are left with no other choice than to ask the Justice Department, lock him up, and hold him in contempt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: Congressman Adam Schiff, tweeting earlier, "We're not messing around." Can they back up the talk? And if so who wins?
Look, here's the process. The House is now going to have to vote on charges. They have the numbers in the House, the Democrats. So then, if they get the vote, it then goes to the DOJ, and this becomes their problem.
Now, the law is pretty clear. Bannon refusing to cooperate on the grounds that Trump has exercised executive privilege is bogus.
A former president has no privilege. We have never seen a case of a former president exercising executive privilege themselves. It has been exercised, for them, by current presidents, but never by a former president.
That's maybe why Bannon's lawyer keeps referring to Trump, as "President Trump," as opposed to former President Trump, tipping his hand that he would know it doesn't make any sense legally.
Now, Bannon, even if brought on charges of contempt, he can always plead the Fifth. He can always just offer to comply, at some point, along the process. The question becomes, how late can he do that, before it just triggers the prosecution?
But what is this about? It's not about the law. It's certainly about defiance, and also delay, for Bannon and the others. They're hoping the committee runs out of gas, or that the midterms put Trumpers back in control. And there is also the risk here that contempt charges do make Bannon a martyr, to his corrosive cause.
The committee is hoping Bannon gets an orange jumpsuit, for his defiance, Trumpers will think twice before they refuse to comply. And why do they want them? Well, this group has to know what Trump was doing, on January 6, and the days leading up to it, that is fundamental to what this committee wants to learn.
[21:10:00]
Let's get some predictions here, from much better legal minds, CNN Legal Analyst, and Republican election lawyer, Ben Ginsberg, and former Trump White House lawyer, Jim Schultz.
Good to see you both, Gentlemen.
Counselor Ginsberg, let me start with you. What do you think of the move?
BEN GINSBERG, CNN LEGAL ANALYST, REPUBLICAN ELECTION LAWYER: Well, I think they've got a good cause. They'll be pounding the table a lot. The short-term's chances of success are really, really small.
I don't think Steve Bannon's legal case is particularly sound. But you hit the key. And that's delay. And once, if the Justice Department decides to get in the game, and prosecute it, there is still a long time before the House Committee will ever get Steve Bannon's testimony.
CUOMO: In truth, Congress is just not well-equipped to make things happen quickly, when someone doesn't want to comply. They go to the DOJ. It gets litigated. It is a protracted process.
GINSBERG: Yes, very. I mean, the dirty little secret is, is when the Founding Fathers were creating the "Separation of powers," they didn't give Congress, tools, to actually enforce their contempt findings.
CUOMO: Right.
GINSBERG: So, the reality is the House doesn't - people from both political parties have managed to play rope-a-dope, for a long time, with congressional subpoenas in contempt. And so, this is the show, Chris.
CUOMO: Jimmy Schultz disappeared for a second. But he's back now.
I thought you tried to duck out, so you didn't have to defend this idea of executive privilege.
JIM SCHULTZ, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE LAWYER: No way!
CUOMO: Why do you - do you believe that Bannon's lawyer's claim that he can't comply because Trump exercised executive privilege, do you believe that has any teeth?
SCHULTZ: So, the big question is, is whether that privilege carries, beyond the end of the presidency, after the president has left? That hasn't been tested, Chris. And I didn't hear what Ben had to say about it. But I have to say that that's a tough - that's a tough argument to make.
The other question is beyond whether it's the issue of this - whether this president, the current President, Biden, is the only person that can waive that privilege, is whether or not someone, who's outside the administration, can claim that privilege, as well as an adviser to the President. And that's another big question that hasn't been answered.
DOJ, in a memo, from Paul Clement, a number of years ago, Deputy Attorney General Clement, had indicated that he believed that this was something that the privilege, the executive privilege, did cover folks, who weren't in the administration, advising the President. So, there's a lot of legal issues here that are going to end up making their way through the process. Whether you think they're bogus, whether I think they're bogus, the bottom line is they have a colorable claim that they're going to make, and they're going to wind up in court over it--
CUOMO: Well?
SCHULTZ: --when DOJ tries to enforce that, if DOJ seeks to enforce it.
The other question is, does the Biden administration want to curtail their own executive powers, that they may want to exercise, down the road, which is also a big question that DOJ White House Counsel are going to have to take into consideration.
CUOMO: Hold on a second. Ben? Colorable claim, how? No former president has ever exercised executive--
SCHULTZ: It's never happened.
CUOMO: Well hold on, hold on.
SCHULTZ: No, it's never happened.
CUOMO: No, no. Not only has it never happened. It's never happened because it can't happen. The privilege goes with the office, not the person. And that's why past presidents, ask current presidents, to exercise the privilege, Jimmy.
Ben, what do we know about this?
SCHULTZ: And that's only happened as it relates to the documents.
GINSBERG: Jim, I mean?
SCHULTZ: It hasn't happened as it relates to testimony. And I agree, this is something--
CUOMO: But it doesn't mean you have a colorable claim, just because something hasn't happened.
GINSBERG: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: Let's let Ben, get in.
SCHULTZ: But they're going to have an - they're going to have an ability to make an argument. That's all.
CUOMO: But that doesn't mean you get a case.
Ben, go ahead.
GINSBERG: It does not mean it's a colorable claim.
CUOMO: Right.
GINSBERG: Does not mean it's a colorable claim.
And besides, let's remember what we're talking about here. The Trump argument is going to have to be, and the Biden administration would have to sign off on this, that the official acts that are being covered by executive privilege are breaking into the Capitol, and trying to stop the peaceful transfer of power, by certifying the Electoral College.
How that fits into the notion of what executive privilege is supposed to cover, I really don't know.
CUOMO: I mean, look, your better argument here, Jimmy--
SCHULTZ: And I think that's the - that's the point here.
CUOMO: --isn't legal.
SCHULTZ: I think that's the - I think that's the better argument, though, if I'm on the other side of this, and I'm sitting there saying, "OK, what was the privilege intended to cover?" Like, so let's--
CUOMO: He doesn't have a privilege.
SCHULTZ: Let's - let's - what was its privilege intended to cover?
GINSBERG: But even if he did.
SCHULTZ: I agree with Ben, in that, in this instance, it's going to be very hard to argue that it's in the national interests, to protect that privilege, right?
CUOMO: But you don't even have - you don't have a privilege to exercise.
SCHULTZ: To protect--
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: And there's a reason that this has only happened, when former presidents have asked current ones, Jim.
SCHULTZ: Right. They ask current presidents. And it's traditionally been the current presidents drape that privilege. It'll be interesting to see, because Biden hasn't said one way or the other on this. Jen Psaki said the other day that--
CUOMO: The White House said "No."
[21:15:00]
SCHULTZ: The White House said "No," in a press, but then they said, "We're going to take it on a case-by-case basis." I don't--
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: Yes, and this is the first case, and they said, "No." Come on, Jimmy!
GINSBERG: They said, "The proof is in pudding," Chris.
CUOMO: Jimmy?
GINSBERG: It's going to be whether Merrick Garland--
CUOMO: Yes.
GINSBERG: --in the Justice Department sort of get off--
(CROSSTALK)
SCHULTZ: Correct.
GINSBERG: --to begin.
CUOMO: Right.
SCHULTZ: That's right.
CUOMO: I totally agree with that.
SCHULTZ: It's really going to be up to DOJ on this.
CUOMO: Yes.
SCHULTZ: A 100 percent of it is.
CUOMO: Look, it is, which is why, Congress couldn't wait to get it to them. That's why they're going to have their vote.
SCHULTZ: Right.
CUOMO: But Jimmy, the only reason that this doesn't go bad, is because the optics, are bad.
When you started mentioning Biden, I thought you were going to say, "Does Biden really want to make Bannon a martyr? Does he really want to have this guy sitting out there, as someone, who seems like he was unfairly punished," although I don't think that's true under the facts.
Anyway, Gentlemen, I got to jump. I appreciate it.
Ben, thank you very much.
GINSBERG: Thank you, Chris.
CUOMO: Jimmy, appreciate you. Thank you for not running away when your picture went out. I know you had second thoughts. No, I'm kidding!
SCHULTZ: No way! CUOMO: Thank you very much, both.
All right, look, we're going to keep an eye on tonight's breaking news. I don't know if you watched, at the top of the show. But we have learned that former President Bill Clinton was hospitalized, Tuesday.
He's still in the hospital now. Not about his heart. Does not sound serious, according to what Sanjay Gupta learned, from his doctors. They believe it's a blood infection. It's not, nothing, OK? It's not COVID related.
But somehow he got sepsis. Now, you hear about people getting that in hospitals. He did not get it in the hospital. But he was brought to the hospital for it. It means he had an infection somewhere else in his body, and it got into his blood, and it requires IV antibiotics that the doctors say he's responding well to, all right?
And we'll stay on that. If we learn anything else, I'll come right to you, all right?
Now, January 6, don't get caught thinking that that is just about the past. January 6 is also very much a concern because of what is still going on.
Have you heard the story behind this flag that has become a rallying symbol, on the Right? Wait until you see where our flag was displayed, and why that flag, not the American flag, that specific American flag was chosen?
And it's about Trump. But he may now be an enemy to both parties. Why? This guy will answer it.
Philip Bump, "Washington Post," next.
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TEXT: CUOMO PRIME TIME.
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[21:20:00]
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TEXT: LET'S GET AFTER IT.
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CUOMO: President Joe Biden won Virginia by more than 10 points. But now, supporters, of the Republican candidate for governor, there, are pledging allegiance to a flag that was flown at Trump's rally, in D.C., on January 6.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I also want to invite Kim from Chesapeake. She's carrying an American flag that was carried, at the peaceful rally, with Donald J. Trump, on January 6.
(CROWD CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I ask you all - I ask you all to rise, and join us, as Mark Lloyd leads us, in the pledge.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: How do you smile and applaud somebody telling you that this was part of the Capitol insurrection? And then you want to hear the Pledge of Allegiance?
What is the Pledge of Allegiance? What is the Pledge of Allegiance to you, if you applaud what happened on January 6? I mean, is anybody thinking anymore, when they take these kinds of positions, to support this kind of ugliness?
Now, the GOP candidate that that event was for, Glenn Youngkin, he wasn't at the rally. It was on his behalf. And he is calling what happened there, "Weird and wrong."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GLENN YOUNGKIN, (R) VIRGINIA GOVERNOR NOMINEE: So, to be clear, I don't think of - if that - I wasn't involved. And so, I don't know. But if that is the case then, then we shouldn't pledge allegiance to that flag.
And - and, oh, by the way, I've been so clear, there is no place for violence, none, none, in America today. We have our right to assemble in protest, protected in this great country, and in this great commonwealth. But there is no room for violence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: Well, there's plenty of room for violence. There's plenty. And it's because of accommodation that is made by people in his party. That's why we had January 6, when too many of them were too quiet about the Capitol attack.
And you know who was just fine with the attack, and the flag ceremony? Trump, who called into the rally and, of course, revved up the crowd.
And Youngkin can say, "Look, I wasn't there. I wasn't there." It's a rally for you. And you accepted Trump's endorsement.
Can he have it both ways? Let's discuss with Philip Bump.
What did you think of that?
PHILIP BUMP, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, WASHINGTON POST: I mean it's definitely odd, right? I mean, it is strange to have a particular flag that is associated with that day that is the one that has been the center of, the Pledge of Allegiance, which is, to the flag, but obviously more broadly about the United States.
But it really exemplifies how Donald Trump is trying to turn the Republican Party, not only into something, which he has control over, but something which is really focused on his core desires, and fetishizes things, like January 6, and his false claims of election fraud.
He really wants it to be centered on him. And that event and that pledge to that flag was a way of manifesting exactly that behavior.
CUOMO: So, what does it tell us? He wins, Biden wins, Virginia.
BUMP: Right.
CUOMO: You got McAuliffe in there, in a tough race with Youngkin. McAuliffe expected right now, is likely is not to win.
But that this is the avenue for the Republican cause, what does it mean?
[21:25:00]
BUMP: Well, I think it is a reinforcement of the fact that the Republican Party is really torn in half. I mean, I say that, I use that expression. Obviously, the tear, it has some stitches and threads holding it together. But there are two different parties.
There is the party that Glenn Youngkin wants to be the face of, as he's campaigning in Virginia. He wants to be the "You know, I'm the moderate regular old Virginia Republican that you're used to, from years gone by."
But at the same time, he has to turn out Donald Trump's base of support. He has to do things like quietly go on Seb Gorka's radio program, and sort of kiss up to the more MAGA-ey side of the Republican Party. He's tried very hard to walk that line.
I'm sure he's very frustrated by the fact this event happened yesterday, because it really forces him to pick a side. He can't just quietly reach out to the MAGA folks, while at the same time trying to appeal to mainstream Republicans and moderates.
It just you can't do that. At some point, that tension actually breaks. And that broadly is the tension the party is facing, with the key question of, will Trump's people come out and vote for Republicans anyway, which I think is the real test in Virginia.
CUOMO: Absolutely. And that is a great place to end, for now, because we'll end on this suggestion.
Donald Trump has been telling people, now this may have hurt him in his last election, he's saying, "If they don't fix that fraud, from 2020, you shouldn't vote!" Is that party going to get hoisted on his petard? We will see.
Philip Bump, thank you very much. I'll check with you again soon.
How do we get to a better place? It's all so ugly. How do we travel beyond the ugliness? How do we find a new frontier? I know who we need. The Captain, who, just did exactly that!
Shatner is here, to tell us why going into space, help him really get what life is about, on Earth. There he is! Next.
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TEXT: CUOMO PRIME TIME.
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[21:30:00]
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TEXT: LET'S GET AFTER IT.
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CUOMO: William Shatner, back on Earth, after hitching a ride, aboard Blue Origin, the rocket company, owned by Jeff Bezos.
This is the moment that the "Star Trek" legend, the original "Captain Kirk," experienced zero gravity, after setting a new record, as the oldest person in space, at 90-years-young.
And it is what he said, when he came back down that made me want to invite him on the show. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM SHATNER, ACTOR, OLDEST PERSON TO REACH SPACE: What you have given me is the most profound experience I can imagine. I'm so filled with emotion about what just happened. I just - it's extraordinary, extraordinary.
This is life. And that's death. And it's in - in an instant, you go "Wow, that's death!" That's what I saw.
JEFF BEZOS, BLUE ORIGIN FOUNDER, AMAZON FOUNDER AND FORMER CEO: That's amazing. That's amazing. And wow!
SHATNER: I am - I am overwhelmed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: All these years, as an actor, and maybe his most powerful moment, on screen, came, when he wasn't acting at all.
William Shatner joins us on PRIME TIME.
Congratulations. And it's good to have you.
SHATNER: Thank you. I watch you all the time. You're a wonderful, wonderful commentator. And it's a joy to hear you. And I'm so glad to be on your program.
But first, you need to - talk about the dark things that are happening, the dramatic things that can affect us all. Here I am, adding, actually adding to your darkness. I wish I could bring a sense of lightness to leaven the terrible news you keep announcing, because it is terrible news, the way the country has been torn asunder.
And there's another even more important fact that moved me to tears is when I saw the bright blue covering of Earth that's only 50 miles wide, and we plunged through to 2,500 miles an hour, broke through it, and then, all of a sudden, like it's punch in the face.
There was the blackness of space, and none of the mystery of the twinkling stars, and the galaxies, just pure blackness, because the sun was in my face, and the window, and whatever the reasons were.
Space is cold, and ominous and ugly, and it really threatens death. There's death there. And you look down. And there's this warm, nurturing planet. We've all heard it's cliche, now, vulnerable and fragile, and all that kind of thing. But it's even more than that.
That's death up there, and life down here. And between the two, ruining this planet, as we are, we're on the verge, to bring you the good news that we're at the tipping point. We haven't got time to wait 30 years and argue about a few billion dollars which, we should, what, how much should we invest in, in global warming. We're there.
And so, all these terrible things happening, in the body politic, is really a hesitation before people - I mean, it's just terrible. And I wish I had better news, and more entertainment, and jokes, to tell you.
But I was moved to tears by what I saw. And I come back filled with - overwhelmed by sadness and empathy for this beautiful thing we call Earth.
CUOMO: But I think that there is a promise in the truth of that for you, which I think, it lets people know what really matters, and that once you're up above it all, literally.
And it - one of the members of my team found something that is so cool to me, because it's from "Star Trek." And it's something that you were saying, as a line, as an actor. And I want to ask you what the line means to you now that you've actually lived it.
I'll play it for everybody. You'll remember the scene when you see it.
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CAPTAIN JAMES T. KIRK, FICTIONAL CHARACTER PLAYED BY WILLIAM SHATNER, "STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES": You know the greatest danger facing us is ourselves, an irrational fear of the unknown. But there's no such thing as the unknown. Only things temporarily hidden, temporarily not understood.
All decks stand by. Captain out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: "We are the enemy. There is no unknown. Only what is not understood in the moment." What does that line mean to you now?
[21:35:00]
SHATNER: Well, all these things are true, and they're not true, and they're cliches, they're not cliches, what is true is this. It is the human tendency.
And no matter, whether it's your personal life, your business life, your love life, if it's not going well, it's better, "I won't - I won't talk. I won't. I just, I won't come home," or "I'll be quiet," or "I won't say anything," it's so much easier.
Burying your head in the sand, another instant, about global warming, and the destruction of the planet, is suicide for all of us. "Ah, you know, I'm ready to" - not ready to go, but I've experienced the Earth a lot longer than most people.
What is tragic is if our children are, especially our children's children, don't have a chance to be part of this beautiful thing we call Earth. And it's just sad.
So, it doesn't leaven the terrible things that are happening in Washington, and the stupidity of the human beings, who put themselves first, and not mankind, let alone their country. It is irrational.
CUOMO: Are you surprised by how impacted you were?
SHATNER: Flabbergasted! I was sobbing. And I couldn't control it, because I was overwhelmed. It was like a death and the life. It was - I couldn't control it for several minutes afterwards.
And although I've been speaking about it today, because everybody's interested, it apparently went - went--
CUOMO: Viral.
SHATNER: --it hit the news all over, viral, all over the world.
I wrote a song in my album that I've gotten out now, called "Bill," which is so far from the moon, when I was at my death, loss and everything. And I'm starting to just - walked on the moon. And I was, literally and figuratively, so far from the moon. Brad Paisley accompanies me on it.
And the irony of me going closer to the moon, and having this kind of success, is ironic, because things are falling apart. And I wanted - and that's why I was overwhelmed. I wanted to - I didn't think consciously bringing back the message.
But I was wondering "What, why am I crying? What has - what has - what has overwhelmed me with emotion, to the point that I could hardly speak? I'm an actor. I should be able to control it." I was unable to.
I - it was like hearing the death of someone you love, and suddenly, the world no longer exists, but this blinding, emotional moment.
CUOMO: Well look, I wouldn't shy away from it, because I think the authenticity of it is what is so impressive, to so many.
You mentioned the song in the new album. You mind if I play a little bit of it?
SHATNER: No. Please?
CUOMO: Here we go.
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VOICE OF WILLIAM SHATNER: The Apollo mission took off.
The Planet watched enthralled.
But man's greatest achievement made this man feel so small.
I stared up at the sky, stars like little pins.
Armstrong took a giant leap, while I fell down again.
Well it was 4 in the morning, dawn was coming soon.
But I was bound by gravity, so far from the moon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: What a very cool multimedia presentation that is, by the way!
SHATNER: And the whole album--
CUOMO: Good for you!
SHATNER: --the whole album is like that. And Brad Paisley, among many other wonderful musicians, are part of that album. And it's getting great reviews.
But what I bring back from all that is we have to work and we have to work quickly at this. We have to unite, among many things that we have to unite on.
It's all just human beings. I don't understand the inability to see what's coming our way, and how we have to stand up to it, with everything that this incredibly strong country has, and we can lead, and we can provide.
And Bezos' philosophy of getting rid of the polluting industries up there is a very practical one. The technology exists now. But we have to do something about global warming now, before we all are affected by it.
CUOMO: Well, I'll tell you this, Captain. I don't think the gift was the trip.
I think the gift is what you brought back, because you have a conviction, about what matters, and why that, even with your time, on Earth, I'm sure, has never been equaled, as it is in your head, in your heart, right now.
William Shatner, I'm not just a fan of your work. I'm a fan of what you've been able to make people think about, in your real life. And I wish you good luck with your new album, "Bill."
Thank you for joining us, sir.
SHATNER: Thank you for having me.
[21:40:00]
CUOMO: All right. We'll take a break. When we, come back, breaking news on our watch. Former President Bill Clinton, 75-years-old, in the hospital, tonight. We have more information.
Sanjay is here. And we'll give you the update, right after this.
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CUOMO: If you're just tuning in, we have breaking news, tonight, on former President Clinton. We've learned, on our watch, that he is in the hospital, in Orange County, California.
He has been there since Tuesday. But things seem OK. This is about a urinary tract infection. However, that infection spread to his bloodstream, a condition known as sepsis.
Now, Sanjay is told, by his doctors, and staff, that things seem to be going well, at this point.
A spokesman says he is "On the mend." But here's more.
"President Clinton was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center, diagnosed with an infection. He was admitted to the ICU for close monitoring and administered IV antibiotics and fluids.
[21:45:00]
He remains at the hospital for continuous monitoring. After two days of treatment, his white blood cell count is trending down and he is responding well to antibiotics.
The California-based medical team has been in constant communication with the President's New York-based medical team, including his cardiologist. We hope to have him go home soon."
Let's check with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, right now.
You guessed right. When we were speaking at the top of the show, you said, these usually originates somewhere else, maybe in the kidneys, or urinary tract. And sure enough, that's what they say it is.
So, what does it mean?
GUPTA: Yes, so it sounds like this was a urinary tract infection that became something known as urosepsis, as you point out, Chris, spread, this urinary tract infection, to his bloodstream.
He wasn't feeling well, on Tuesday. He was out in California for a foundation-related event. Fatigue is what I was told. That was - it was sort of vague symptoms.
He went to the hospital, at UC Irvine, got tested for COVID, as everyone does, when they go to the hospital nowadays. Not COVID. They also determined that was not related to his heart.
And then they started zeroing in on the fact that he had infection in his blood. And, as you point out, his doctor is now saying that the infection originated in his urinary tract.
They say he's responding well to these antibiotics. They say that he's feeling better, but also that his fever, and his white blood cell count, a marker of infection, are also going in the right direction, that he might even leave the hospital, tomorrow.
Spoke to Dr. Lisa Bardack, who's his physician, primary physician, in New York, and Dr. Alpesh Amin, who is the Chief of Medicine, at UC Irvine.
And they said, he's in the ICU, but it's primarily for safety and privacy, more than anything else, not sort of an indication of the level of care necessary. He's not on a breathing machine. He is getting these IV antibiotics.
It sounds like Chris, what they - what they've told me, if things continue to go in the right direction, possibly leaving tomorrow, and staying on oral antibiotics, for a period of time.
Should also point out, the former Secretary, Hillary Clinton, his wife, is also in Southern California. She was there already. She didn't fly out because of his illness. She was already there, and may be in and out of the hospital, depending on COVID protocols.
So, that's the news, as we know it right now. I had conversation with his staff, Chris, but also his doctors, as I mentioned, and that's sort of how they're laying things out. They think he's doing OK.
He was joking around, apparently, with the staff, complaining about the hospital food. They were telling me these anecdotes, as a little bit of color, just to give you a sense of how he's feeling overall, Chris.
CUOMO: Well, look, it's indicative, obviously, because it's a little spooky, that he's been in there for several days. People aren't that familiar with a blood infection. But they do take the time to treat, in anybody, let alone a 75-year-old.
But really, does anything worry you at all about this? Or do you think it all sounds like this is the way it goes?
GUPTA: Well, first, when I heard, they - it was first talking to them, and you described sepsis, in a 75-year-old, I was worried, and I really wanted to speak to his doctors, which they allowed us to do.
So, when I spoke to them, and definitively said, "Look, he's had heart surgery, back in 2004, stents in 2010, any relationship here?"
And they said, "No, definitively not related to his heart."
CUOMO: Good.
GUPTA: Obviously, you hear about COVID, and you think, is this something that has gotten worse, pneumonia that has turned into sepsis?
They say "No, this is not at all related to COVID."
CUOMO: Good.
GUPTA: So, people are going to worry about sepsis, when they hear that term. That's why I want to give you the context. It sounds like it was caught pretty early.
Sometimes with urinary tract infections, they're caught late, and people can have significant spread, to the bloodstream, before it's really caught. It sounds like, in his case, they got there early enough. And he's responding to these antibiotics.
You always got to be cautious. He's 75. He's not that old. But you got to be cautious. They may keep him in the hospital another day, maybe even longer. But that wouldn't necessarily indicate a higher level of concern. Just making sure he's getting enough of the IV antibiotics.
So overall, I pressed them on this, but it sounds like he's on the mend. And that was their language, "On the mend."
CUOMO: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you very much. Appreciate you.
We'll be right back.
GUPTA: You got it.
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CUOMO: A quick BOLO, Be On the Look-Out, about the supply chain situation.
"Fair" is a four-letter word in capitalism. People only get paid as much as the market will bear. It's not about fair. Well, the market has changed. And there may be collective will for a better standard. And in the midst of the supply chain breakdown, labor has the leverage.
There are 10.4 million unfilled jobs in this country. That shortage of workers creates something workers have not had for a long time. Leverage! And this is what leverage looks like, what's being called "Striketober," workers on strike, among stagnant pay, and record profits.
More than 10,000 John Deere workers are now on strike. From Hollywood, to hospitals, more than 100,000 workers are preparing to pick it. Thousands more already are.
Unions, making a comeback. As of last year, the rate of unionized workers was half of what it was in 1983. But now, public support, at a 60-year high, even among Republicans, why? Because Right and Left is reasonable, when it comes to pay. They want better pay and something new.
The pandemic is another reason for this. COVID may have caused a reevaluation of the status quo. John Deere proves the point. Made big labor cuts during the pandemic. Those who stayed were hailed as heroes, for keeping this American icon moving. How did they treat the heroes?
[21:55:00]
Demand for equipment was up. They managed it. They handled it. Profits are up, 60-plus percent. The CEO's salary went up 160 percent, during the worst of the pandemic, when the workers were let go. And yet, the latest offer from the company is for an extra $1.20 an hour. That's not 60 percent. That was seen as more of an insult than an offer.
And now, as the economy is desperate, for makers and doers, of all kinds, workers seem poised to push back for a better deal. Now, companies may argue "This isn't fair." But remember, it's not about fair. It's about what the market will bear.
We'll be right back with the handoff.
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CUOMO: All right, if you're looking at your phones, and you saw an alert that President Clinton is in the hospital, he is. But they say it's a urinary tract infection. It turned into a blood infection. They're treating it with IV antibiotics. They're optimistic about it.
But he is still in there. And he's in the ICU, they say, mainly, to keep him, in a private setting, and keep him monitored, give him a higher level of care. And they're hoping he gets out soon.
