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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Helping Children Cope With Coronavirus; Pandemic Crisis Escalating in Spain; Some Latin American Leaders Downplaying Coronavirus Threat?. Aired 4:30-5p ET

Aired March 25, 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: Romney is 73 and was particularly concerned, since his wife, Ann, who is 70, has multiple sclerosis, which makes Ann particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus.

In response to the news that Romney was OK, the president tweeted, seemingly sarcastically: "This is really great news. I am so happy, I can barely speak. He may have been a terrible presidential candidate and an even worse U.S. senator, but he is a RINO" -- Republican in name only -- "and I like him a lot" -- unquote.

For those who are suffering from coronavirus or whose loved ones are suffering from coronavirus, and who find nothing funny about any of it, the president barely speaking might seem like a really good idea.

The tweet comes as President Trump has been musing to aides when life will get back to normal, as CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports now from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president isn't backing off his prediction that the country could reopen by Easter, though public health experts and economists are warning it's unlikely and advisable.

(on camera): Who suggested Easter?

(CROSSTALK)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I just thought it was a beautiful time.

COLLINS (voice-over): The country still doesn't have widespread testing for the coronavirus. And confirmed cases are increasing by the hour.

It's also not clear that Trump informed his task force beforehand about the date he had picked.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know how well-informed they were. COLLINS: Deciding when people go back to work may not be up to the president. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy says he hopes that Trump is right, but his state will stay the course until he decides it's ready.

GOV. PHIL MURPHY (D-NJ): My fear, based on the meetings we're having constantly, would suggest that we're not going to be out of the woods by that. I hope I'm wrong. I hope they're wrong. My fear is, they're not.

COLLINS: For now, the president is telling Americans to continue social distancing.

TRUMP: Keep following our guidelines on social distancing.

COLLINS: But sources tell CNN he's growing antsy at being sealed off from the outside world. Without lunches with foreign leaders or arenas filled with supporters, Trump has wondered aloud when life will return to normal for the nation and for himself.

Outside of necessarily governing, day-to-day operations at the White House have also been scaled back. Public tours have been canceled. The yearly Easter egg roll was called off, and the state dinner with the king and queen of Spain has been postponed.

The slowdown in the president's own life has led in part his desire to lift guidelines that are keeping many at home. The president has been working the phones, speaking with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo several times a day.

Yesterday, the White House advised that anyone who left New York City in recent days should self-quarantine for two weeks.

DR. DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR: You may have been exposed before you left New York.

COLLINS: But New York state is shrugging off that suggestion.

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): I don't know medicine. I would turn to the doctor.

COLLINS: After Trump didn't say whether he gave Cuomo a heads-up, the New York state health commissioner pushed back on the White House's advice.

DR. HOWARD ZUCKER, NEW YORK STATE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH: I wouldn't follow that. I believe that you should follow the guidelines in general that you should social-distance.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Now, Jake, the president's top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, was just on television, and he's predicting a large increase in those unemployment numbers that we're going to see come out tomorrow morning.

And that comes as the president himself is tweeting, saying that the media wants him to keep the country closed because they want it to be detrimental to his success in the November election.

TAPPER: That, of course, is nonsense. The media is listening to health officials, who say, if the country opens up before it's ready, it will cost hundreds, thousands, maybe even more, lives.

COLLINS: Yes.

TAPPER: Kaitlan Collins, thank you so much.

A sad note. We just found out there have been 185 deaths due to coronavirus reported today, just today, in the United States. That makes today the deadliest day so far in the U.S. due to the coronavirus.

The pandemic has crippled Asia, Europe and the United States. So why are three Latin American leaders downplaying the warning signs? And could that spells disaster?

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:38:31]

TAPPER: Today, we learned Prince Charles has tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently self-isolating with his wife, Camilla, the duchess of Cornwall, at their Scotland estate.

In Spain, deaths climbed by more than 700 over just the past 24 hours, making it the country with the second highest death toll, behind Italy and ahead of China.

Four more doctors in Italy died since yesterday due to a lack of protective medical equipment. But the overall death rate in that country is declining. And in India, 1.3 billion residents are currently under a mandatory 21 lockdown period to prevent the further spread of the virus.

There are now more than 600 confirmed cases in India.

We have a team of correspondents covering the global pandemic.

We're going to start with CNN's Max Foster, who's tracking the latest on Prince Charles' condition from Windsor, England.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The 71-year-old next in line to the throne started displaying mild symptoms at the weekend, and was tested on Monday, and received his positive result on Tuesday, according to a royal source.

He's in good health, the source told CNN, and self-isolating on the family estate in Scotland, as his wife, Camilla, separately from Charles, though her test came back negative. According to a royal source, Charles has been advised by medics that he became contagious on March the 13th, at the earliest.

The day before, he was at Buckingham Palace with the queen. She remains in good health, according to her office, though they wouldn't confirm if she had been tested too.

[16:40:02]

The queen's canceled all her public engagements and withdrew to Windsor Castle outside London with husband Prince Philip last week. It's not clear where the prince of Wales caught the virus, due to the high number of public engagements he attended in recent weeks, his office said. He didn't stop working, in accordance with government advice at the time.

The royal source says the prince has been advised his case is unlikely to escalate into anything more serious, and efforts are under way to track down anyone he's been in contact with over the last two weeks, and possibly exposed to the virus.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: I have been told that, before this was announced, Prince Charles rang both Prince Harry and Prince William to inform them of his diagnosis, Prince Harry at a safe distance, of course, with his family in Canada.

We're waiting on an update, though, on the Cambridges. Were they in touch with Prince Charles in this critical period? Have they been tested? We will bring you that as soon as we have it, Jake.

TAPPER: All right, Max, stay safe.

Spanish officials are warning that the worst may be yet to come, as that country's health care system is being completely overwhelmed.

Scott McLean joins me from the capital of Spain, Madrid.

And, Scott, a grim milestone, as the death toll in Spain is now surpassing the death toll in China. You spoke today with Spain's foreign minister about the shortage they're having of medical supplies.

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. Jake.

The shortage is so severe here, that the Spanish military has actually asked NATO for help. Spain has also made a deal with China to secure about half-a-billion dollars' worth of supplies. But the full order won't actually come through until June.

The reality in the hospitals is that there are not enough ventilators for patients and not enough protective equipment for health care workers, and they're getting ill as a result. More than 5,400 across the country, at last count, have been infected already.

In fact, three unions representing health care workers have gone to the courts to demand that the government provide them with enough protective equipment. The government says it's trying to secure this, these materials, as quickly as they can.

But like in the United States with the Defense Production Act, Spain also has the power to compel companies, to force them to produce these things. But they haven't used that power yet. I asked the foreign minister why. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARANCHA GONZALEZ LAYA, SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTER: In ways the market, that is organizing itself. We have got Inditex, the mother company of Zara, that has decided to start producing gowns and masks.

We didn't have to mandate them, because they realize that they had -- now they had to play their part in helping the country and the government respond to the virus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLEAN: So, if that answer sounds familiar, it's because that's essentially what President Trump is saying as well, that he hasn't had to use his powers under the Defense Production Act because, so far, companies haven't said no.

In other words, they're doing it already.

TAPPER: Scott, when do health officials there in Spain expect to hit the peak of the virus?

MCLEAN: They hope soon.

A couple of days ago, a regional health official had predicted that the peak would actually come today, because today marks two weeks since schools closed across Spain. And, obviously, 14 days is the maximum incubation period.

But, today, one of the top health officials in Spain predicted that the death toll would continue to climb and the number of deaths would continue to increase over the coming days, though. But in terms of the number of cases, he said, look, if we haven't reached the peak already, we are getting pretty close.

TAPPER: All right, Scott, stay safe.

Leaders in Mexico, Brazil and Nicaragua are downplaying the significance and severity of the coronavirus outbreak, sparking fears of the consequences of them not taking this seriously, and how it could be disastrous units.

CNN's Matt Rivers joins me now from Mexico City.

Matt, Mexico's President Lopez Obrador recently said that family should continue their lives as normal. Is he still saying that?

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's changed his tone slightly, Jake, but I fear that the damage has already been done. Take a look at this video. This is just from five days ago, when

everybody knew how bad this outbreak could be, and yet there is Mexico's president standing in the middle of a group of children playing instruments.

And just a few days earlier, he was at a press conference, he was asked about the virus, and he held up to amulets, and he said, those, along with his ability to be honest and his inability to become corrupt, would help protect him from the virus.

Now, over the last few days, Mexico has seen its number of positive cases nearly double. The federal government has taken some action, closing schools, telling people to stay at home. But the fact is, there's a lot of people out on the streets.

And, Jake, with one of the worst country outbreaks just across Mexico's border in the United States, there's a lot of people here in Mexico who are saying that the actions of Mexico's president over the last few days, last few weeks, has been nothing short of irresponsible.

TAPPER: Well, exactly.

I mean, just look at the United States. President Trump was downplaying this a month ago, and now look at how it's exploded.

Man, the press secretary for the Brazilian president, Bolsonaro, he tested positive for the virus, but even after that Bolsonaro has reiterated his skepticism, calling the virus a -- quote -- "little flu" this week.

[16:45:10]

RIVERS: Yes, he's doubled down on it.

He gave an address to the nation last night, a four-and-a-half-minute speech, in which he blamed the media for the crisis, saying it was the media creating fear and hysteria. And he also blamed regional governors down there for actually taking preventative measures, like enforcing stay-at-home protocols, like closing down schools.

The Brazilian president actually said, in his words, that because the threat of this virus was greatest to those over 60, schools should stay open.

I think nearly all, if not every single epidemiologist, around the world will tell you, that is a terrible idea. And ,Jake, this all comes as Brazil leads Latin America in the number of cases, some 2,500 confirmed so far. And yet Brazil's president wants you to believe that this is the media's fault.

TAPPER: Yes, blaming the media and attacking governors, sounds familiar.

Thanks so much. Appreciate it, Matt. If you're looking for ways to help those in need due to the

coronavirus pandemic, visit CNN's Impact Your World page. It's at CNN.com/impact.

Working from home with kids, parents trying to adjust to the new normal, while filling in as teachers for their children. Some tips on how to cope and how to help your children cope, that's next.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:50:30]

TAPPER: For many of us, working from home means taking on the role of teacher and physical education instructor, activities director for our kids, as we try to navigate this new world of virtual learning.

Understandably, juggling work and the kids, while being stuck under one roof, can add to the anxiety around this pandemic.

Here to discuss some tips for how to stay calm and sane is Andrea Bonior. She's a clinical psychologist and author of "Detox Your Thoughts."

OK, Andrea, I'm speaking not just for my viewers, but for my family too. What can parents do to alleviate some of the stress and anxiety around the situation?

ANDREA BONIOR, PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Yes. And I'm speaking for myself as well, to be quite honest. I'm sure we might hear yelling in the background any moment now.

But I think the first step really is for us to adjust our expectations. This is not about completely replicating an academic environment in the classic way, while simultaneously holding down a full-time job.

Both of those standards need to be reduced. And I think we need to understand that growth can happen for children, even when we're not doing it in the traditional ways, that this is not a time to be making sure that every single second is filled up with the equivalent math, the equivalent science that they would have been getting, that this is also an opportunity for them to learn in other ways, to learn how a household runs, to learn conflict resolution, to learn, hey, how to cut each other's hair in my family's case.

It's been an interesting way to sort of listen to what's on the kids minds and just try to relax expectations and say, this isn't going to look exactly like school. But that doesn't have to be a negative thing.

TAPPER: So, I mean, there are a lot of parents out there who feel guilty about the fact that their kids are not having school, the way that we all have school. They want to keep their kids stimulated all day. BONIOR: Yes.

TAPPER: And the parents are feeling overwhelmed. What do you say to those parents?

BONIOR: Yes, to these parents, that it's a matter of the kids picking up on how you're handling this situation.

And so a kid is going to emerge from this much better off if they see you being realistic, managing your own anxiety, communicating well, being empathetic to their needs, and being flexible as things come up.

That's going to be a growth experience, a learning experience for your kids, whereas, if you go into this really, really rigid and feeling guilty and making it seem like you're a failure, they're going to pick up on that and it's going to lead to negativity.

This is such an uncertain time, that this is an opportunity for you to teach your kids how we deal with stress and how we deal with uncertainty and how we can be compassionate to ourselves and our family members, even though things aren't perfect, even though we feel like we're not doing a good enough job.

Sometimes, a good enough job is in the eye of the beholder, and we can support each other and be compassionate about it.

TAPPER: So, my kids are young enough that I do not go home and talk to them about every horrible thing going on in the world.

If they ask me about it, I will talk to them, but, otherwise, I'm not going to bring it up.

There's no hiding the coronavirus pandemic from them. How can we help our children process this, understand it?

BONIOR: Yes.

Yes, I think the first step is really to listen to where they are, because I think so many of us want to say the exact perfect thing, have the right script to exactly get a certain point across. And we actually don't know what's on their mind about it.

We have to listen to what they're bringing to the table, because it could be that they're worried about our possible deaths, or it could be they're sad that they're not seeing their friends. Those are vastly different conversations to have. So meet them where they are.

Ask them, what's on your mind? What do you understand of this? What do you make of this? What have you seen about this when we have had the news on? And then meet them in age-appropriate ways, but the understanding that we are doing what we can to keep our family safe, that it's up to mom and dad or whatever parents or guardians there are to take on the stress of this, that it's not your job to worry about keeping us safe.

We are going to keep you safe. We're going to talk to each other and listen to each other. And we're going to help each other manage this. And then you can explain. A teenager, it's a much different conversation that might involve the ramifications of the economy and what's going to look like social -- what his social life or her social life is going to look like, whereas, a young child, it can be a simple conversation about keeping grandparents safe and washing our hands and doing our part.

[16:55:01]

But I think that's the most important thing too, is helping kids feel like they are doing their part, that this isn't just time off from school. It's actually a time for them to make a difference by staying home and keeping people safe.

TAPPER: With the message that we're all going to get through this, we're all going to get out of this together.

Andrea Bonior, thank you so much. I appreciate it.

We're watching the White House, where the Coronavirus Task Force is going to hold a briefing in minutes. We're going to bring that to you live.

In the meantime, the death rate in the United States, I regret to tell you, has reached 898.

Stay with us.

[17:00:00]