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The Lead with Jake Tapper
Trump Economic Plan For Outbreak?; Coronavirus Crisis Escalating; Interview With San Francisco, California, Mayor London Breed. Aired 4:30-5p ET
Aired March 17, 2020 - 16:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:30:00]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: How is it going so far for the general population there?
LONDON BREED, MAYOR OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: I think what we're seeing in kind of looking out in the streets, they're pretty empty. You see people going to the work, to the hospitals and some essential city services, like our fire stations, our police stations. Muni is -- still is working.
There are people who are headed out to the grocery stores and other places like that. For the most part, people are complying. They understand the severity of the situation, and they are being really great citizens in our city.
Everyone wants to help. We're providing meals and support to our seniors and our kids and trying to help people get through this.
I think, ultimately, they understand that social distancing is really the key to making sure that the least number of people are impacted by this coronavirus. And that's really where we are. Every step of the way, we have been clear and explaining the facts to people. And they are -- they have been very understanding and they have been complying.
TAPPER: We have a live shot on one of the busiest streets of San Francisco right now. Here's what it looks like right now under your order to shelter in place, far less busy than normal, but, to be honest, it's not empty. There are still people walking around.
I mean, do you think that all those people are doing essential activities?
BREED: Well, to be clear, we have not basically limited anyone's ability to go outside and take a walk and get some fresh air.
We made it clear that, in doing this, we should exercise social distancing. So, we want people to not feel like they're prisoners in their home, but to also, as much as reasonably possible, to stay indoors, and, if you are not in your home, to exercise social distancing when you are out walking your dog, or basically maybe going to the grocery store or getting gas or running errands for maybe someone who's sick or elderly. So, we know that there are things that people are going to need to do
to get through this. And so part of what we want people to do is use common sense and take our orders seriously and be responsible citizens.
TAPPER: Mayor Breed in San Francisco, thanks so much. And good luck, and best wishes to all the people of San Francisco and the surrounding area.
BREED: Thank you.
TAPPER: She's a mother of three, including a newborn. Her husband's an E.R. doctor helping coronavirus patients every day.
Next, I'm going to talk to her about how she's trying to keep her family safe and the message that former President Barack Obama had for her.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:37:00]
TAPPER: Former President Obama is urging Americans to show their thanks to the medical professionals who are putting their lives on the line to fight the coronavirus.
The former president tweeting -- quote -- "We owe a profound debt of gratitude to all our health professionals and everybody who will be on the front lines of this pandemic for a long while. They're giving everything. May we all model our own behavior on their selflessness and sacrifice, as we help each other through this" -- unquote.
President Obama was responding to a series of tweets from an epidemiologist who is also a mother of a 3-week-old and whose husband has to isolate himself from the family because he is treating coronavirus patients.
Joining me now is that new mother and epidemiologist, Dr. Rachel Patzer, director for the Center for Health Services Research at the Emory University School of Medicine.
Doctor, thanks so much for joining us.
You're on maternity leave. As everyone who's watching can see, you have a 3-week-old. You also have two other young children.
DR. RACHEL PATZER, EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: That's right.
TAPPER: What's life like for you right now?
PATZER: That's right.
Well, it's a new normal for me. So I have the baby that is keeping me up all night, and I'm feeding her every two to three hours, and trying to homeschool my pre-K and first-grader, and trying to do this by myself, while my husband isolates himself in a separate area of our house.
TAPPER: Your husband, as you mentioned, is an emergency room doctor. He's treating coronavirus patients. He's isolating himself in the garage to protect your family.
That must have been a difficult decision, especially with such a precious angel, only 3 weeks old, not to mention your other two little munchkins.
PATZER: Right.
Yes, I think it was a difficult decision. But my husband and I are really very privileged and fortunate to have a place in our house where he can move and separate himself, for us to really do our part in social distancing.
And we recognize not everyone has that luxury to do that, but really trying to listen to the public health advice have to do this social distancing is really important. Health care workers, of course, can't really fully participate in that, since they're, of course, going to the hospital and helping to reduce the spread of this virus.
TAPPER: They're doing the opposite of social distancing.
Does he have enough supplies? Does he have enough masks? Does he have enough protective equipment?
PATZER: Yes. So, so far, yes. And in terms of supplies, I try to leave him some food at the -- outside of his door and other supplies that he might need. He's got his computer.
TAPPER: I don't mean that. I meant at the E.R. I'm sure you're a wonderful -- wonderfully taking care of him.
(LAUGHTER)
TAPPER: But I meant, like, at work, does he have enough supplies?
PATZER: So, at work, so far, they do.
But I think that there -- and I can't speak exactly to what's going on at Emory in particular, but I think that there are -- there's a risk that we could have supply issues at some points. So, I think it's really important to -- for people to stay home to reduce the spread of this virus.
[16:40:03]
TAPPER: You described it as difficult to see pictures of people not following social distancing recommendations because of what you and your husband and your family are going through.
We have seen these horrific -- in my view, horrific images of people in spring break in Florida and the beach, as if nothing's going on, crowds at Disney World Sunday night, bars and restaurants packed.
What's your message to the people who are not listening to the social distancing guidelines?
PATZER: Yes, I think this is really tough for me. This isn't how I imagined my maternity leave.
And there are a lot of other people who are also suffering. And I think that we're all in this together. The message would be, we really need to do our part to decrease the impact, flatten the curve and support our health care workers.
And I think the best way we can really support our health care workers and people like my husband, who are making these sacrifices, is really to listen to public health guidance and to stay home.
So it's great for those that are doing that. And it's harder for someone like me to see those -- I have seen pictures of people over the weekend out celebrating in very close quarters.
It's harder for me because of that sacrifice. So I think we don't know how long this outbreak will go on. Health care providers and first responders already have a difficult job. I think this outbreak will really test their resilience.
And we need to do what we can, given that this could go on for some time, to really do our part to thank our health care workers, our first responders, and listen to the public health guidance, and stay home, if we can.
TAPPER: All right.
Well, thank you so much, Rachel. We really appreciate it. And please thank your husband for what he does.
PATZER: Sure. Thank you for having me.
TAPPER: President Trump being, well, presidential, but is he also trying to rewrite history?
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:45:49]
TAPPER: It's been a different tone from President Trump in the last two days.
He's been acknowledging the grave crisis in which we find ourselves. He's also trying to rewrite history a bit, claiming that he knew that coronavirus was a pandemic long before it was declared one, though we all know that President Trump has been belittling the threat of this virus for months.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: By April, in theory, when it gets a little warmer, it miraculously goes away. When you have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, that's a pretty good job we've done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Boris Sanchez reports on the president's new tone from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Trump today denying an obvious shift in tone from previous statements,, saying he has always seen the coronavirus outbreak as a grave problem.
QUESTION: Was there a shift in tone?
TRUMP: I didn't think -- I mean, I have seen that, where people actually liked it.
But I didn't feel different. I've always known this is a -- this is a real -- this is a pandemic. I've felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic. All you had to do is look at other countries. I think now it's in almost 120 countries all over the world.
No, I've always viewed it as very serious. There was no difference yesterday from days before. I feel the tone is similar.
SANCHEZ: Though Trump only admitting the situation was out of control yesterday. For weeks, he downplayed the threat.
QUESTION: Are there worries about a pandemic at this point?
TRUMP: No, not at all. And we're -- we have it totally under control. It's one person coming in from China. And we have it under control. It's going to be just fine.
SANCHEZ: Sources telling CNN the change in tone spurred by new projections, indicating that, without drastic action, the United States could face a catastrophic loss of life from coronavirus, a death toll topping one million.
DR. DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR: We have been working on models on day and night around the globe.
SANCHEZ: Behind the scenes, Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci prodding Trump for more aggressive action in recent days, as other officials warned imposing major restrictions on Americans could further hinder the economy.
Sources say Trump was initially worried about volatility in markets, but the rising number of coronavirus cases ultimately pushed him into a stronger response. Trump today admitting a recession is possible, but adding, he is not worried.
TRUMP: I don't think in terms of recession. I think in terms of getting it out, because, when we're finished with the virus, we will win. We will win.
And when that victory takes place, our economy is going to go through the roof. It is so pent up. It is so built up. It is so ready to go in an upward direction. But we have to knock out this enemy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: And, Jake, the president again today giving himself stellar ratings, saying the White House has done a fantastic job in responding to this crisis, though he did point out one area of improvement, his relationship with the press -- Jake.
TAPPER: All right, Boris Sanchez at the White House, thanks so much.
Joining me now is Mark Zandi. He's chief economist at Moody's Analytics.
Mark, thanks for joining us.
The Dow closed more than 1,000 points today, after the president laid out a plan to shore up the economy, including direct payments of money to Americans within the next couple weeks. Is that going to be enough to solve the economic issues going on?
MARK ZANDI, CHIEF ECONOMIST, MOODY'S ANALYTICS: No, but it's a good start. They were talking about $850 billion, probably end up at a trillion dollars.
That's a very large package. Jake, it's not only about the dollars and cents, which obviously matter a lot here to people and to small businesses. But it's about sending a signal, shoring up confidence, letting everyone know that the government has their back, because, at this point, I think people are very, very nervous about what's going to happen.
And they need to feel comfortable that government, federal, state, and local, is going to be there to help them. And so a big package, trillion dollars, cash sent to them, I think, would go a long way. But, again, it's not going to be enough.
TAPPER: Sources telling CNN, as you note, that the price tag for the response package will ultimately be about a trillion dollars.
For context, the 2008 bank bailout, just the bank bailout, not the other parts of this, was $700 billion. How high do you think the number needs to be, ultimately, to calm the economy and to provide the investment to keep it afloat?
[16:50:13]
ZANDI: Well, the Recovery Act, that was a fiscal stimulus package back in February of '09 that jump-started the economy and ended that recession, was $800 billion, and that was 4.5 percent of GDP.
So if it's a trillion dollars this go-around, that's 4.5 percent of GDP. So that's about the same size. So that is a very, very large package. But how much is needed? I don't know. That's going to depend on the trajectory of the virus, how widespread, how virulent, how many hospitalizations, how long it lasts, when we get a vaccine.
So I think it'd be prudent for policy-makers, the Trump administration and Congress, to say, OK, this is -- this is -- we're doing this, but let's immediately begin work on what we're going to do next if, in fact, the virus becomes more of an issue down the road.
TAPPER: And you see that some businesses, especially -- I was thinking -- I'm thinking right now of businesses down in Florida during spring break, Walt Disney World staying open Sunday night, with the huge crowds, they're making decisions obviously to keep money coming in, although, ultimately, Disney World shut down.
Is that something that investors think is wise? Why are they doing that?
ZANDI: Well, I mean, it's -- part of the problem here is there's no guidance from the federal government. This is being made up on the fly by state and local government officials. So there is no consistency across the board.
That's got to change. I mean, the federal government has to weigh in here and make sure that everyone's following the same script, the same guidebook.
But, at the end of the day, if the state of Florida or the Orlando city officials aren't telling the -- Disneyland to shut down -- Disney World to shut down, they will they will continue to operate because they think it's OK. And they're in business. That's what they're supposed to do.
And, of course, they have responsibilities, right? I mean, they have got many, many employees. They have got many, many suppliers and stakeholders. And there -- they have to consider all of those things, but they're looking for guidance from government.
And we need better guidance and clearer guidance and consistent guidance from the federal government.
TAPPER: All right, Disneyland, I think, is shut down. I think Disney World and Disney parks have also shut down since then, but this Sunday night, pretty stark pictures of Disney World in Florida.
Mark Zandi, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
Coming up next: the governor of New York taking charge in these uncertain times, and not afraid to take on President Trump when he thinks he needs to.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:57:02] TAPPER: New York state, with more cases than any other state in the United States ,is anticipating an even bigger surge in hospital visits in the coming weeks.
The state is not ruling out using New York City's Javits Convention Center, a three-story-tall complex that spans six city blocks, as a temporary hospital.
And, as CNN's M.J. Lee reports, this is just one of several strong proposals coming from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): This is an extraordinary time in this nation's history.
M.J. LEE, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: (voice-over): Governor Andrew Cuomo in full crisis mode, overseeing New York state's response to the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak, as the virus continues to spread across the country, New York attracting national attention, with one of the highest numbers of confirmed cases in a single state.
CUOMO: The numbers, total people tested today, we're up to 10,000 people.
LEE: Cuomo announcing Tuesday morning there are more than 1,300 confirmed positive cases of the virus across the state, and this week new enforcement measures announced in other parts of New York, schools closed in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County, and restaurants and bars in New York City also required to shut down, except for food delivery and takeout.
Cuomo also calling on the federal government to use the Army Corps of Engineers to build temporary medical facilities, and issuing an executive order to increase hospital capacity across New York.
The governor pleading with every New Yorker to stay calm and do their part.
CUOMO: I remember the fear and the panic that existed in 9/11, where, a single moment, your whole concept of life and society can be shaken, where you need to see government perform at its best.
LEE: In the midst of the crisis. Cuomo at times publicly clashing with one fellow New Yorker, President Trump.
CUOMO: That is the role of the federal government and national leadership. And it is lacking.
LEE: Trump tweeting about a conference call with the country's governors on Monday, and singling out one governor in particular
"Cuomo of New York has to do more," Trump wrote.
Cuomo firing back, writing: "I have to do more? No, you have to do something. You're supposed to be the president." But on Tuesday, both men changing their tunes.
CUOMO: I said to the president, who is a New Yorker, who I have known for many, many years, I put my hand out in partnership. I want to work together 100 percent.
TRUMP: With respect to Governor Cuomo, we had a great talk this morning. We're both doing a really good job, and we're coordinating it. And we agree -- you know, different states need different things. And we agree on that 100 percent.
LEE: M.J. Lee, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TAPPER: Thanks for joining us.
You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @JakeTapper. You can tweet the show @THELEADCNN.
Stay safe out there. Stay healthy. Follow these social distancing guidelines.
