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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers Confirms He's Unvaccinated; Back In August He Said He Was "Immunized"; Andy Cohen On His New Book "Glitter Every Day"; House Expected To Vote On Infrastructure Bill Between 9:30 And 10PM ET; Pelosi Vows Vote Tonight on Infrastructure Bill, Sources Say 20 Progressives will Vote No; Interview with Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA); DA Case against Former Governor Cuomo Potentially Defective. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired November 05, 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: According to "The Washington Post," the precinct head said that Youngkin's son thought he could vote because he had a friend who was also 17 who had been allowed to cast a ballot.
Now, it's unclear exactly what happened. Obviously, you can't be 17 in a gubernatorial election casting a vote, but you can in special elections if you're turning 18.
At any rate, the top election official in the county says there was not an apparent criminal offense.
Thanks for joining us. Anderson starts now.
[20:00:24]
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Good evening. Anybody wanting to see the circular firing squad in action need only visit the Capitol tonight. There, you'll find House Democrats doing what they themselves acknowledge did not endear their party to voters on Tuesday, yet here they are doing it anyway.
They are once again, yet again at loggerheads over the same two potentially legacy defining bills that nearly every single Democrat says they want to pass, the same two bills they've been trying to pass for months. It is still not passing either one so far tonight, even though this afternoon, Speaker Pelosi said in a letter they would hold a vote on the infrastructure bill, quote, "now." They have yet to do that.
What is billed as the President's Build Back Bill is hung up because moderates said at the last moment, they want to wait for more research on the budget impact. There are roadblocks in front of the Senate approved hard infrastructure bill because progressives apparently do not trust House Speaker Pelosi's maneuvering to get at least one bill passed today. They wanted to do both.
The President started his day with some especially good news on job growth and who wanted to cap the day with two big legislative victories, instead has what is technically known as bupkis. He has been spending the evening twisting arms and phoning into a meeting of progressive Democrats and in touch with Speaker Pelosi. His earlier message, this one now seems almost quaint in its optimism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm asking every House member -- members of the House of Representatives to vote yes on both these bills right now. Send the infrastructure bill to my desk, send the Build Back Better to the Senate.
Let's show the world and America's democracy can deliver and propel our economy forward, and let's get this done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, they're not. Not yet. As for Speaker Pelosi, she was optimistic even in the face of reports her Majority Whip Congressman Jim Clyburn had yet to round up enough votes to bring anything to the floor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): Now, Mr. Clyburn has the official whip count. I have the Speaker's secret with count. I don't tell anything that people tell me. Not even you, my dear good friends. But I have a pretty good feel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, quite a night. Let's start with CNN's Phil Mattingly at the White House, and because he is also one of our best Capitol Hill reporters, perhaps he can tell us just what on earth is going on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue tonight. So Phil, what's up?
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Anderson, we've been trying to figure out a way to distill this in some way, shape, or form that a normal person would understand. I am totally sure I have come up with it yet, but the best way you can put it -- to put it most simply is they don't have the votes.
And that was the case this morning, when the President and Speaker Pelosi were trying to pursue both bills of his $3 trillion agenda and it is the same now after they pivoted to only trying to move one of those bills, just the infrastructure proposal.
This morning, as you noted, Anderson, it was the moderates. Right now, it is progressives and that is where the real work is happening behind the scenes. Over the course of the last several hours, there has been an effort from the President to the Speaker, both of their teams trying to figure out what it will take to get nearly 20, maybe 20 to 23 progressives to come on board and support that infrastructure proposal. They are not there yet. They still have a lot of work to do.
Sources tell me and my colleague, Manu Raju, one thing they are considering at the moment is trying to draft a statement signed by the moderate members and President Biden. It gives explicit assurances related to that second economic and climate package, which could come up for a vote in a couple of weeks. That's something that's being considered right now. Whether it will work, though, sources say is still an open question -- Anderson.
COOPER: I mean, this started out as a good day for the Biden administration with the jobs numbers, but with all the back and forth between Democrats on Capitol Hill, I'm wondering what are things like in the White House tonight?
MATTINGLY: I mean, it's remarkable how the message was stepped on, right? You think about where things were at 8:30 this morning, you had 531,000 jobs added, beating estimates. Unemployment rate down to 4.6 percent and the very real possibility that the President's long stalled agenda, both bills have a transformative $3 trillion agenda could get through the House today. The infrastructure bill would be headed to the President's desk; instead, once again, Democrats are fighting with one another to try and find the path forward.
What's interesting when you talk to White House officials, they have made clear the President is unequivocal now and this is a shift from President Biden based on discussions I've had with members of the House and Senate over the course of the last several months. He is being explicit in conversations.
He had a phone call with Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, where he made clear he wanted a vote tonight. He called in to a meeting of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He was put on speakerphone and made clear to the members of the CPC that he wanted a vote tonight, asked them what will it take -- what will it take to get this across the finish line?
That's where the drafting of the statement came up. The President and his team closely coordinating with Speaker Pelosi and her team, trying to find the path forward, but unlike past deadlines or past weeks, they are not leaving open the possibility of this moving forward a couple of weeks or setting a new deadline. They want this done tonight. How they get there, they just haven't figured out yet.
[20:05:14]
COOPER: Phil Mattingly, I appreciate it.
Joining us now is Congressman Jared Huffman, Democrat of California, member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Congressman, I appreciate you being with us. So, are these votes happening tonight?
REP. JARED HUFFMAN (D-CA): Well, it's good to see you, Anderson. I think there's a good chance that we could get two votes tonight. Of course, we began this day, not only expecting to put up all three votes, the rule, the Build Back Better Act, and the bipartisan Senate bill, but we were enthusiastic and the goalposts moved.
So what we've been spending the last few hours on is trying to get it back on track with the help of the President.
COOPER: So when you say the goalposts moved, you're saying, what -- from moderate Democrats who wanted more financial figures? HUFFMAN: Yes, a small cohort of our caucus, a cohort that had been eager for us to cast a final vote on the piece of this package that actually does add to the deficit surprised us, blindsided us, frankly, by demanding the CBO score before they would put up their votes today, and we've been trying to come up with something that can provide everyone the assurance and the certainty they need to still move forward as the President has asked us to do.
COOPER: Just to be clear, are you willing to sink the bipartisan infrastructure vote if that happens first? I mean, will you only vote yes if these bills are together.
HUFFMAN: Many of my colleagues and I agree with them have been unwilling to put up a vote for that Senate Bill in the absence of more than just that, because it's a final vote, it becomes law at that point. That's why we've asked that both bills move together.
Now, what we're exploring tonight is something -- whether something short of an actual final vote on the Build Back Better Act can give us the certainty and the assurance we need to go ahead and put up that difficult vote and move forward.
COOPER: I mean, just for those of us who are watching this from the outside, is it that you -- I mean, do you just not trust your own moderate Democrats to do what they say they'll do?
HUFFMAN: Well, I think you're casting a little too broad a brush there, 96 percent of Democrats are in complete sync in both the House and the Senate on what needs to happen and how it needs to happen frankly. A very small cohort of our colleagues went off, frankly, on a tangent, demanding the CBO score on a bill that has been thoroughly scrutinized and assessed for fiscal concerns.
And again, I say that they were willing and eager to put up a vote on a bill that actually does induce the deficit, the Senate bipartisan bill. So, if it's fiscal concern, it's kind of hard to understand, it is kind of hard to square that circle. But we need to work it out. We've got to get there because we all want to put up a win tonight for the country and for the President.
COOPER: When you look at what happened on Tuesday in Virginia and New Jersey, there is certainly some warning signs I would imagine for your party. I would imagine, you probably agree with that. A lot of people are saying Democrats are more concerned with infighting right now than getting things done. How critical is this for your party?
HUFFMAN: We desperately want to get things done, Anderson. Again, we began this day enthusiastic about delivering a win for the Congress, for the President, and for the country. We were thrown a curveball today and we were trying to regroup and at the urging of the President, with the help of the President, get this back on track and still get it done.
COOPER: When he called into the Progressive Caucus meeting tonight, what was his message to you and your fellow caucus members? HUFFMAN: Well, his message is that he is determined to bring everyone together on something we can all count on, and move forward together on that basis. And he urged us to work with him in good faith, not to trust him blindly, but to give him a chance to deliver that deal, frankly, between the two sides who were disagreeing on this.
COOPER: Congressman Huffman, I really appreciate your time. Thank you.
HUFFMAN: Thanks for having me.
COOPER: Perspective now from CNN senior political commentator, former top Obama White House adviser, David Axelrod; also CNN political analyst and "New York Times" Washington correspondent, Maggie Haberman.
Maggie, how much trouble are Democrats making for themselves tonight?
MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I mean, this is problematic, and to Phil's point, I don't know how the average voter understands any of this and can pay any attention to this. All they can see is that something is not getting done and what we saw as part of the results, you know, there are mixed results.
You can read into what you want in different states and different races from Tuesday, but it was very clear that the fact that nothing has gotten done is having a competency message for this White House.
And so you now have the President phoning in, you had Pelosi said there is going to be a vote. It's now almost 8:15. There is no vote. There's clearly not a sign of a vote. So, they do need to get something done at some point.
But I have to say at this point, they have really hurt themselves, getting something done a couple of months ago, even if it was a different slimmer package would have helped them more I think politically than this will.
COOPER: David, Speaker Pelosi was asked this afternoon whether she worries it looks like Democrats can't get their own way she said no. What's your view?
[20:10:10]
DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I mean, I think the answer is yes, this is not a good look. This is not a good look for the party in power. And I do think that was -- she did say she thought that was part of the issue on Tuesday. I think so as well.
You know, the country is restive right now, Anderson. The country is anxious. We are still sort of in the grips of this virus. The economic news today was encouraging. But, you know, people to the degree, we're out of it, they still have PTSD, things feel a little out of control; prices, you know, supply chain, all of that stuff, gas prices.
And you know, it would be very good for the President, for the country, and certainly for the Democratic Party if they were able to advance these bills, and then begin to explain what's in them. The more they haggle about procedure and have intramural spats, the longer it will be before they can actually get to talking about what's in the bill and what they've done for the American people.
And so, you know, I think this is the sense of urgency that the President probably feels and that the Speaker feels. What's stunning is that the President of the United States could ask members of the House of his own party for this vote, and ask them to place their trust in Him, and there are members who are unwilling to do that right now.
COOPER: Yes, I mean, Maggie, certainly, it is incredibly damaging for the President, not only for, you know, political capital, but just that members of his own party are kind of ignoring him.
HABERMAN: It looks ineffective. And it's interesting, I was thinking, as David was talking, one of the things that was often said, when President Obama was in power, was that, you know, some members of his party, were not afraid of him. Now, more -- definitely more and more recognized him as the leader of the party, and were willing to do what he wanted to do.
That's the opposite of what we're seeing right now, and there is just this sort of disconnect in terms of how the White House, at least from what they're saying, a disconnect from what the current White House is saying about their understanding of this situation and where they see it headed, versus this perception that as you said, you have a President, you know, literally asking members of his party do this, I need this and we're drifting on several hours now.
COOPER: David, I mean --
AXELROD: Anderson here is the thing. Anyone who believes -- any Democrat who believes that they can somehow separate themselves out from a President of their own party and be successful if he is not viewed as successful hasn't studied history.
You know, one of the problems on Tuesday was that Joe Biden's approval rating was down 40 to 43 percent and that's a significant headwind for candidates of his own party. If that is the case a year from now, and it may not be, the economy could improve. We could be through the virus, things can change. But certainly passing these bills would be part of making that change.
If we are in a year where we were on Tuesday, a lot of these members are not going to be coming back to Congress, or at least some of these members are not going to be coming back to Congress. So you know, there is something to the -- you either hang together or hang separately.
COOPER: You know, Maggie some Democrats will say, well, look, this is -- you know, on Capitol Hill, they'll say at least, this is going to be watching how the sausage is being made. Once this is passed, all this stuff won't matter. Does that still hold true?
HABERMAN: We'll have to see. I mean, we'll have to see what's actually in the bill once it is done. We don't know, it has changed many times. Part of the problem that the White House and congressional Democrats have had in explaining this package is that it keeps changing and there isn't an agreement. So, there is all this sausage making talk.
I don't know how many of these programs are going to be in place before the midterms. So, that's also another question. I do think that there is going to be some residue from this. How much remains to be seen.
COOPER: Maggie Haberman, thank you. David Axelrod as well.
Coming up next, signs there could be cracks in the sexual misconduct case against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Also a tearful day in court for the mother of Ahmaud Arbery as testimony begins in the trial of three men accused of killing her son.
And later, packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers misleading the public and the NFL about his vaccination status. Details ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:18:24]
COOPER: A surprise in the sexual misconduct case against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. His arraignment on a misdemeanor forcible touching charge has been postponed at the request of the District Attorney in the State Capital of Albany because the charges are, in the DA's words, potentially defective.
CNN's M.J. Lee joins me now with the latest on why.
So the District Attorney released a new letter. What did it say?
M.J. LEE, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. This is a significant development. Basically the DA's Office says that in a new letter to a judge when the Albany Sheriff's Office filed this complaint last week accusing Cuomo of a sex crime, this was forcible touching, that this is potentially defective and there are a number of issues that the DA's Office has listed in this letter.
For one, it says that the complaint did not include a sworn testimony from the alleged victim. This is, as you recall, Brittany Commisso, a former aide to the former Governor. It also says that the complaint left out some testimony from her that could be exculpatory. It also says quote, "It misstates relevant law."
So a number of issues that the DA is now raising. And the result is now that Cuomo's arraignment has been postponed until January. Remember, initially, it was supposed to be later this month. But presumably this would give the DA more time to complete his investigation. And I think just in the big picture, there are now serious questions and even doubt about whether this can move forward. But he says, he is going to move forward with this investigation and that's why more time is necessary.
COOPER: And it is up to that District Attorney. Did the District Attorney know that the Sheriff was going to file?
LEE: No in fact, it's clear now that the DA had no idea hear that this complaint was coming. In this letter, he actually writes that the Sheriff's complaint last week was unilaterally and inexplicably filed.
[20:20:08]
In other words, there was no heads up, there was no coordination. And remember, last week, when we were covering this complaint, we noted how unusual it was especially for such a high profile case that there was this lack of coordination, that the Sheriff's Office would not have told the DA's office, and I think it's worth, you know, telling the viewers and reminding everyone, Cuomo's team has been consistent from the beginning. They have denied some of these sexual misconduct allegations against him.
They have said that, you know, he resigned because he didn't want to be a distraction to the state, but they deny these charges. And I think it's -- you know, as you say, it's up to the DA to decide whether to move forward. But again, this letter just highlights a lot of potential issues going forward and just raises a lot of questions about why the Sheriff acted in the way that he did.
COOPER: M.J. Lee, appreciate it. Thank you.
Now, the trial of three white men charged with the killing of the jogger, Ahmaud Arbery, a black man. During opening statements today, prosecutors argued the defendants tracked down the 25-year-old, cornered him, and shot him without any knowledge that Arbery had done anything wrong even though they claim they were making a citizen's arrest.
Also today, an emotional moment for Arbery's mom who saw the video of her son's death in its entirety for the first time as it was played in the courtroom.
CNN's Martin Savidge is in Brunswick, Georgia with the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The State of Georgia versus Travis McMichael, Greg McMichael, and William R. Bryan --
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In a trial where race and racism take center stage, the nearly all white jury heard two very different accounts of how a 25-year-old black man, Ahmaud Arbery was chased and killed by three white men as he was running in a coastal Georgia neighborhood.
LINDA DUNIKOSKI, SENIOR ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY, COBB COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE: And so, he takes off running and a pickup truck goes to follow him.
SAVIDGE (voice over): In their opening statement, the lead prosecutor described Arbery is under attack by the three defendants who say they believe that he had committed a crime. DUNIKOSKI: In this case, all three of these defendants did everything they did based on assumptions, not on facts, not on evidence -- on assumptions -- and they made decisions in their driveways based on those assumptions that took a young man's life.
SAVIDGE (voice over): Travis McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael and a neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan, Jr. are facing life in prison on murder and other charges if convicted.
It was Bryan who captured the killing in his cell phone.
[GUNSHOT]
SAVIDGE (voice over): In their opening statement, prosecutors played the cell phone video. Among those watching and listening in the courtroom is Arbery's mother who said she had never seen it in its entirety and was clearly emotionally overwhelmed.
WANDA COOPER JONES, AHMAUD ARBERY'S MOTHER: I decided to remain in so I can get familiar with what happened to Ahmaud the last minutes of his life.
SAVIDGE (voice over): At no time during the five-minute chase the prosecutor says did the defendants tell Arbery they were performing as Citizen's Arrest. Instead, prosecutors say Gregory McMichael shouted threats.
DUNIKOSKI: So how do we know Mr. Ahmaud Arbery was under attack by strangers with intent to kill him? Because Greg McMichael told the police this, "Stop or blow your [bleep] head off."
SAVIDGE (voice over): In the defense's opening statements, Travis McMichael's attorney portrays a very different story.
ROBERT RUBIN, TRAVIS MCMICHAEL'S DEFENSE ATTORNEY: This case is about duty and responsibility --
SAVIDGE (voice over): Describing Travis McMichael none as a vigilante, but as a 10-year veteran of the Coast Guard who felt a duty and responsibility to protect his neighborhood using his training.
RUBIN: It is scenario based training, you're relying on muscle memory.
SAVIDGE (voice over): The defense maintains Arbery was seen on video on multiple different occasions inside a neighborhood home under construction without permission, including the day that Arbery was killed.
RUBIN: The evidence shows overwhelmingly that Travis McMichael honestly and lawfully attempted to detain Ahmaud Arbery according to the law, and shot, and killed him in self-defense.
SAVIDGE (voice over): Gregory McMichael's attorney also argued his client's actions were well within the law. FRANK HOGUE, GREGORY MCMICHAEL'S DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Greg McMichael was absolutely sure this was the guy. The same guy he had seen on surveillance videos inside a house multiple times where Greg had sound reasons to believe theft had occurred.
SAVIDGE (voice over): The state's first witness was the second police officer on the scene the day Arbery was killed. His body cam video shows such a gruesome scene. Judge Timothy Walmsley delivered a warning to the courtroom when it was played.
DUNIKOSKI: And what did that man covered in blood seated over there say to you and you asked him, "Are you okay?"
[20:25:01]
OFFICER WILLIAM DUGAN, GLYNN COUNTY POLICE: He -- it was a quick reply of basically no, I'm not okay. I just -- I think killed somebody.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Martin Savidge joins us now. On the issue of evidence, did the Judge rule on the issue of the Confederate flag image that was on the pickup truck?
SAVIDGE: Yes. That is, you know, really a key piece of evidence, at least from the point of view of the prosecution. On the day that Ahmaud Arbery was killed, the pickup truck that Travis McMichael was driving, it had what they call a vanity plate. It's on the front of the vehicle, and on that plate is an image of the Confederate flag. The prosecution wants to show that to the jury. The problem is the defense was vehemently against it because they know what that could potentially imply.
The Judge listened to all the arguments, but this morning before it all began with testimony. He said, yes, that flag can be shown to the jurors and they will just simply have to make up their own minds as to what it means about Travis McMichael.
COOPER: I mean, I cannot imagine what it was like for Ahmaud Arbery's mom to watch that entire tape in the courthouse. Did they say anything after they left?
SAVIDGE: They did. You know, and it wasn't so much what she had to say, it was how she looked, and she was there with Marcus Arbery who was of course, Ahmaud's father. But Wanda Cooper Jones looked emotionally drained.
I mean, she looked to a point that I had never seen it before and I've seen her many, many times. It wasn't just of course, that she witnessed the killing of her son this time in its entirety. But that body cam video that I was just talking about there from the second officer that arrived on the scene.
The officer turns her son's body over and the wounds are horrific. You could see that she just buried her face into her hands. She couldn't bear to see that part.
This was an extremely difficult day. It was a very emotional day, and it's only the first day.
COOPER: Martin Savidge, appreciate it. Thank you.
Coming up next, what happens when a role model for so many people misleads them and his league about getting vaccinated against COVID and explains it by basically veering into junk science at times, the strange new chapter in the life of Aaron Rodgers, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:31:04]
COOPER: Today began with word of what could be a remarkable next step in the fight against COVID. Pfizer announcing interim test results showing its experimental antiviral pill reduce the risk of hospitalization or death and COVID by 89%. That was by any measure incredibly encouraging. This, on the other hand, is not, a huge role model Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers today trying to explain why he was misleading when asked back in August if he was vaccinated. As you know, he was recently diagnosed with COVID. So this is what he said back in August.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you vaccinated and what's your stance on vaccinations?
AARON RODGERS, QUARTERBACK, GREEN BAY PACKERS: Yes, I'm in immunized.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Actually, no. He wasn't today on a sports radio show, he said he wasn't lying back in August. But best he was misleading. He also said today that he is currently in quote, the crosshairs of the woke mob and accused the NFL of being on a, quote, witch hunt is worried about vaccination status and justified his decision this way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: I'm not, you know, some sort of anti-vaxx, flat Earther. I am somebody who's a critical thinker. You guys know me, I march to the beat of my own drum. I believe strongly in bodily autonomy, and the ability to make choices for your body, not to have to acquiesce to some woke culture, or crazed, you know, group of individuals who say you have to do something.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Rodgers said a lot of study went into his decision not to get vaccinated, much like and I'm quoting him again here, the study I put into hosting Jeopardy, unquote. He also said he had concerns about vaccines and sterility and that he couldn't get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine because of allergies to an ingredient in it. That's for not completely following all the NFL guidelines for unvaccinated players. He quoted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: As an aside, but the great MLK said, do you have a moral obligation to object to unjust rules and rules that make no sense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: I'm joined now by Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital, author of Preventing The Next Pandemic Vaccine Diplomacy In A Time Of Anti Science.
So Dr. Hotez, you've been very outspoken about misinformation. I'm wondering when you hear Aaron Rodgers who obviously a lot of kids and a lot of adults look up to and admire. What goes through your mind?
PETER HOTEZ, CO-DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR VACCINE DEVELOPMENT AT TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: You know, Anderson is the context of this. Let's remember what's happened this past summer into the fall 100,000 Americans, 100,000 unvaccinated Americans lost their lives to COVID- 19. Despite the widespread availability of safe and effective vaccines, these are individuals 100,000 Americans who unnecessarily lost their lives because of what some called misinformation others called disinformation, I call anti-science aggression.
So it's, you know, for Aaron Rodgers to dismiss that as wokeness is absolutely outrageous and to then try to invoke Martin Luther King in order to bolster his argument, when in fact, you know, Martin Luther King said, we must learn to live together or perish together as fools or that life's most persistent urgent question is what you're doing for others is well disingenuous, I guess is the polite way of saying it, but it was a some terrible things that he said today.
COOPER: So he said he's allergic to one of the ingredients in mRNA vaccines that the Moderna and the Pfizer. As for the J&J vaccine he said that he referenced that some people have had bad reactions to it. From my memory, the vast majority, first of all, a very small number, but most of it was in women, was it not?
HOTEZ: Yes, and that was a little puzzled by that. I mean, there are rare, rare anaphylactic ways to the to mRNA vaccines primarily to the peg component which is, you know, peg allergy occurs in 0.4% of the population, I mean, four in 10,000. So, maybe that's the case, but it's exceedingly rare. And the J&J vaccine is a good vaccine. It's a safe vaccine. And you're absolutely right, that rare, rare side effect is or predominantly seen in, in young women.
[20:35:28]
And so, you know, he's just making excuses. And by the way, he also cited some studies out of Israel and others claiming that vaccines that if you're infected and recovered, it's better than getting vaccinated when --
COOPER: Right, he said -- he's now going to have the quote the best immunity possible.
HOTEZ: Yes, he's wrong. And both the study in Israel that he quoted and another study out of Kentucky from the CDC, show that if you've been infected and recovered, and then you get vaccinated, you have a far less likelihood of getting infected by half. So, he's clearly getting his facts wrong. And, and then he says he's consulted with Joe Rogan. And I know Joe, and you know why you would get your health advice from Joe Rogan when areas in the state of Wisconsin home to two of the greatest medical schools in the world, the University of Wisconsin and Medical College of Wisconsin, is the best people that his disposal.
So the, the whole thing was, you know, you know, as I listen to this, Anderson, I said to me, you know, what would have Roberto Clemente have said, what would have Walter Payton have said, what has Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said. And this is what great individuals do when we're in a time of horrible crisis as we are they step up.
COOPER: It's also interestingly he talked the body autonomy, of course, this isn't just about the individual. It's about the individual's effect on other people, not so much what's going to happen there to any one individual.
Dr. Peter Hotez, I appreciate you being with us. Thank you.
Up next --
HOTEZ: Thank you.
COOPER: -- watch what happens when my good friend and best selling author Andy Cohen joins us live right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:40:49]
COOPER: As you may know, Andy Cohen and I are only contractually obligated to see each other once a year on our CNN New Year's Rockin Eve show. But --
ANDY COHEN, HOST: That's mean.
COOPER: When I've just been contractually obligated that we see each other many other times.
COHEN: All right.
COOPER: But I invited Andy here tonight because I have a bone to pick with him because one of his books from his publishing empire is currently higher on the New York Times bestseller list than my book, Vanderbilt The Rise And Fall Of An American Dynasty, available now. And if that weren't bad enough --
COHEN: That's a reverse plug.
COOPER: He's got -- COHEN: I'm not here to plug my book. You just plug another book.
COOPER: Out today. So potentially to his new book called Glitter Every Day 365 Quotes From Women I Love, features words of wisdom from everyone from the Kardashians to Ruth Bader Ginsburg to my mom. Andy joins me now.
COHEN: I mean, look at this two shot.
COOPER: Is that a two shot.
COHEN: (INAUDIBLE) America's voice of news right here.
COOPER: We have Steven Ed for the hour. So, the -- so this is, boy, how long did this a lot of work went into this say.
COHEN: Yes.
COOPER: Yes. So --
COHEN: You pick to find the quotes --
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: It's 365 quotes from women I love. I've been shaped by --
COOPER: Is this, I mean --
COHEN: -- women from my mom to divas that I've loved to mentors I've had to the housewives, they're all in here.
COOPER: I spent a good five minutes reading so far, just because I just got it. So I've just -- but I did I picked out a couple that I particularly like because first of all, this is the one of the greatest question last year, were you silent or were you silence. But what's you know what's missing? What Oprah the fingers --
COHEN: Yes.
COOPER: -- what she did is she says, were you silent or were you silence?
COHEN: Yes. We all study. I love that, that had to go into book. I have another quote from Oprah about her love of bread in the book. Yes, yes. I got into that, yes.
COOPER: There was another one from -- OK, this I also learned some new things about you I didn't know.
COHEN: OK.
COOPER: You have a quote from Lucille Ball who saying, I don't know anything about luck. But you also then right at it, you add your two cents.
COHEN: Yes, that's where the work in it. COOPER: That's what -- that's for the (INAUDIBLE).
COHEN: Yes.
COOPER: You said that when you were a kid you every time you went to the public library --
COHEN: Yes.
COOPER: -- you would check out the same book about the history of I Love Lucy.
COHEN: Yes. I love this book. It was called Lucy Fred -- Lucy, Ricky, Fred And Ethel, The Inside Story Of I Love Lucy. And my mom would get so mad at me when I brought this, she's like you check that Lucy book out again.
COOPER: Was every librarian was like, here comes the gay kid again.
COHEN: Yes, well, yes.
COOPER: Yes. I mean --
COHEN: (INAUDIBLE).
COOPER: What other kids --
COHEN: She was like you're going to grow up to be an airhead and here I am on CNN.
COOPER: Yes. No comment there.
COHEN: With a big desk.
COOPER: And the big desk.
COHEN: Yes.
COOPER: So there was an -- oh from your mom. I love this quote. What did your -- this is what your mom said to you after you told her you were gay?
COHEN: Yes. She said I probably would have hated your wife any way. And you know what she probably would have.
COOPER: But I love it.
COHEN: It brought the house down.
COOPER: But literally, you told her you're gay --
COHEN: Literally, I'm going to say two minutes after she sat in reflection.
COOPER: There you go.
COHEN: Thank you. Little Schmidt (ph).
COOPER: (INAUDIBLE).
COHEN: And she sat in reflection. Yes, that's what she came up with. I mean, today's quote is Shirley Chisholm the great, services the rent that you pay for room on this earth. And then tomorrow is Tamra Judge from the Orange County Housewives, why would you trust a girl that has bigger -- that has boobs bigger than her head?
COOPER: So --
COHEN: And it's true, why would you?
COOPER: June 3rd, on my birthday.
COHEN: Yes.
COOPER: The quote is from my mom, which I mean, clearly you put a lot of work into figuring out when to put the quotes. I was very impressed with this. My mom's quote, is I'm always in love, if it's not with a man. It's something else. I love beauty. I love the sky. See outside the window. There's so much beauty in the world.
COHEN: Which is --
COOPER: Very sweet.
COHEN: -- your mother was the great optimist.
COOPER: Yes, she was.
COHEN: You are the great pessimists.
COOPER: No, no, I'm not an pessimists.
COHEN: It's the yin-yang.
COOPER: I'm a catastrophist.
COHEN: You are a catastrophist.
COOPER: Yes.
COHEN: Yes.
COOPER: Because they're big difference.
COHEN: By the way, you haven't had a lot of traffic at CNN I think in a long time.
COOPER: Well there's been no one here.
COHEN: Well, I was in the green room. There's a Hollywood reporter from January of 2020 in there.
COOPER: (INAUDIBLE) you could hear, you're probably the first person to be --
COHEN: I know, (INAUDIBLE) to be in the studio.
COOPER: I'm surprised they let you in the front door. It's like four knocks there.
[20:45:00]
COHEN: Unlike the football player, I'm fully vaccinated.
COOPER: Is that right.
COHEN: Yes.
COOPER: That's good to know. That is good and as am I. That was all the quotes I really picked out. Oh you Kirsten Wiig, but --
COHEN: I love Kirsten.
COOPER: -- yes, yes. So what else? What else should we know?
COHEN: Well, you should know that --
COOPER: (INAUDIBLE) --
COHEN: That's a broad question.
COOPER: What is the pitch? Because you probably how many TV shows have you done today?
COHEN: No, I've done no TV shows. I have been a quiet day. I watch Frozen --
COOPER: Yesterday, how many TV shows have you do?
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: So yes, I've been schlepping around now.
COOPER: So what's your -- what's your just give me this (INAUDIBLE) --
COHEN: This is the pinnacle.
COOPER: No, just give me your pattern that you do everyone?
COHEN: No, it's just about these, these as high and low as I am.
COOPER: Right.
COHEN: This is a little piece of glitter to sprinkle on you every day.
COOPER: No, I got to say --
COHEN: At the beginning of the day.
COOPER: (INAUDIBLE) glitter, it's the most annoying thing. COHEN: I know because you can't get it off.
COOPER: I can't get it off.
COHEN: When you open a gift and there's glitter everywhere.
COOPER: Right.
COHEN: This is metaphorical glitter. You don't have to wipe the smudge (ph) off. It's just in the air. You're like, wow, you know, even for a catastrophist like you, it could maybe cause you to be a little upbeat at the (INAUDIBLE).
COOPER: Well, I actually do that --
COHEN: Or laugh.
COOPER: I did think that. So what's the plan for New Year's Eve?
COHEN: What's our plan?
COOPER: Yes.
COHEN: We're going to be drinking to keep --
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: (INAUDIBLE) back this year?
COHEN: I think so.
COOPER: OK, well it's --
COHEN: If I haven't screwed it up tonight, but I'm going to break. I have the alcohol figured out.
COOPER: Oh, yes.
COHEN: And then we just have to figure out the rest. Yes.
COOPER: OK.
COHEN: Yes, yes.
COOPER: Wow.
COHEN: It's a good place to start.
COOPER: Yes.
COHEN: Yes.
COOPER: So what else it was -- what else is going on in your life?
COHEN: Well, I was -- COOPER: (INAUDIBLE) so what I am saying, it is. I do. I mean, I was
kidding. But I am not really kidding. It's startling to me that you potentially if this book becomes a bestseller, you could potentially have two books on the bestseller.
COHEN: We did.
COOPER: We do it right, the other book.
COHEN: Right.
COOPER: But it's from your imprint.
COHEN: It's from my imprint, Andy Cohen book.
COOPER: How do you get an imprint? How does Andy Cohen get an imprint? Like go -- who (INAUDIBLE).
COHEN: I have a great relationship with Holt and --
COOPER: Your publisher.
COHEN: -- my publisher and they said, you've got to really good eyes.
COOPER: So as for an imprint --
COHEN: (INAUDIBLE) fifth book, be imprint.
COOPER: All right. So, you just go look around for who's write --
COHEN: It's things that I'm interested.
COOPER: Your recruit others to write books.
COHEN: Yes, absolutely.
COOPER: And I say OK, that's great.
COHEN: Yes. Absolutely. And by the way --
COOPER: That's a book about the housewives and it's doing gang bus.
COOPER: Yes, it is. And it's causing lots of mishegoss in trouble.
COHEN: It is. I like your use of Yiddish. The Vanderbilt boy knows Yiddish. Here's some breaking news, by the way, since we are at the newsstand.
COOPER: Yes.
COHEN: Coxsackie is going around like wildfire amongst all the kids in my --
COOPER: A big party?
COHEN: It is hand, foot and mouth. COOPER: Oh, I did hear a terrible name.
COHEN: I know what --
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: Let's be real. But it's --
COOPER: I know a couple kids who have gotten that.
COHEN: Yes, including my son. Yes.
COOPER: Well, I didn't want to say --
COHEN: He has -- it's like chicken pox. It's terrible.
COOPER: So what do you do for it? What is it --
COHEN: Oh yes. There's almost nothing that you can do. It's called Coxsackie. And this one, by the way, is like this, you know, I bring my son over to play at his house.
COOPER: Right.
COHEN: And we're not since --
COOPER: The Coxsackie happen.
COHEN: No, of course not.
COOPER: I don't want to do that.
COHEN: But Anderson will be like, I think he might have the sniffles a little bit. Like just be prepared. When you unleash your child into the world that's going to have a colon for --
COOPER: (INAUDIBLE).
COHEN: I know you are. Yes. Glitter Every Day 365 Quotes --
COOPER: You know, the irony is in my mom's apartment, my mom, you know, was used a lot of glitter and artwork, and there was always glitter -- like so whenever I visit her I would come out with glitter.
COHEN: Well.
COOPER: Yes.
COHEN: Now we understand. If you, you know -- if you if you're lucky, if you're in Midtown, if you're in Manhattan.
COOPER: Yes.
COHEN: Late, late at night, you can see Anderson Cooper stumbling around with a little glitter on it. You don't know where it came from.
COOPER: Andy, thank you very much. Once again --
COHEN: Thanks.
COOPER: -- the book is Glitter Every Day 365 Quotes From Women I Love. Congratulations. I am really proud of you.
COHEN: It's fixing (ph). Thank you.
COOPER: Coming up next, back to the serious stuff. Breaking news. We just got signs that yes tonight in fact less than an hour from now House Democrats are actually going to vote on a big piece of their and the President's agenda --
COHEN: I should stay to talk about.
COOPER: No, no, you can go now. You can get --
COHEN: If you want to know what I have to say.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:53:06]
COOPER: Coming up at the top of the hour, trumping democracy and American coup especial to our must see report from my colleague Jake Tapper. Before we get to that there's breaking news in our top story, which was about Democratic dysfunction. Now it seems we may be about to see action on one of the two big bills they've been trying to pass for months, preliminary step toward passing the second.
We're going to go to Phil Mattingly at the White House where the President's been working all evening and push this forward. What's the latest, Phil?
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Anderson and President Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats are on the cusp of a major breakthrough right now. If you take a look at the House floor, the House floor is officially in the middle of a debate over the rule to guide the consideration of the $1.9 trillion economic and climate package, kind of the centerpiece of President Biden's domestic agenda. That bill will not pass tonight.
But they have to have this debate in order to consider the $1.2 trillion infrastructure proposal. What is happening right now on the House floor means that things are moving, things are very close to a final agreement, they are starting this debate with full intent to have votes on both that rule and the infrastructure proposal, and roughly about 45 minutes to an hour. That's how close they feel like they are to an agreement that they were willing to start this debate. Anderson, the President could just be about two hours away from a significant victory in that infrastructure bill.
COOPER: So, I understand there's a statement being finalized by group of moderate and progressive Democrats on the so called Build Back Better Act. MATTINGLY: Yes, that's right. We talked about this interesting, but 45 minutes ago, and we thought that -- I thought I told you based on what sources were telling me that they definitely felt like there was progress, but this was probably going to take some time because details mattered. Things have moved up in a major, major way over the course of the last 45 minutes. The crux of this statement would be commitments and assurances. The six moderate holdouts would commit to progressives that they will support the Build Back Better Act, $1.9 trillion proposal.
If the Congressional Budget Office score we expect in the next week or two, both says that the proposal is paid for matches up with White House estimates. We don't have the specific language yet but moderates have made clear they are happy with where things are headed progressives have made clear, they are happy with where things are headed.
[20:55:09]
And Anderson a key element here, President Biden will sign off and give his personal assurances as well. White House officials have been deeply engaged throughout this entire process. In fact, the genesis of this idea came up in part during a phone call between President Biden and the entire Congressional Progressive Caucus, where he was asking him, what do you need to be able to move this forward? This statement idea started getting kicked around that started the process.
And I think, to the surprise of many, this move extremely fast over the course of the last 30 to 45 minutes to the point where they are ready to start. They've started debate, they are ready to have the votes. We will wait to see the final language on this but every expectation from every Democrat I'm talking to you about the Capitol Hill and the White House is that votes on the rule and perhaps most importantly, the President's $1.2 trillion infrastructure proposal will happen tonight. And they will pass, Anderson.
COOPER: All right. Phil Mattingly, appreciate it.
As we mentioned, joined Jake Tapper just a few minutes for his new special with interviews and never before heard details from key Republican officials on just how close the nation came to losing our democracy. The "CNN SPECIAL REPORT TRUMPING DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA COUP," is next right after this break.
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