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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Some Senators Leave Town With No Relief Deal for Struggling Americans; Another 1.2 Million Americans File for Unemployment Benefits; Ohio Governor Speaks After Positive COVID-19 Test; Germany Sees 1,000 New Cases In a Day for First Time in 2+ Months. Aired 4:30- 5p ET

Aired August 06, 2020 - 16:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: In our politics lead, some senators are leaving town for the weekend as millions of Americans are hanging in the balance. The White House warns if an economic stimulus deal doesn't happen by tomorrow, it won't happen at all. And President Trump says he's considering an executive order if negotiations fail.

I'm going to bring in CNN's Phil Mattingly, our reporter on Capitol Hill.

You've been tracking all of this. I have the age old question for you, Phil, is there any progress?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No. The short answer is no. One person involved with these talks, I asked him a short while ago, there is another meeting between the top four negotiators at 5:00 p.m. tonight. It will be the ninth meeting in the course of 11 days, over 16 hours of negotiations up to this point.

Did this person think this meeting would be the breakthrough? The person responded this is not a moment for miracles, so no. That's basically where things stand right now.

And, Pamela, I think what you need to understand about what's gone on over the course of these last eight or nine meetings, the course of the last two weeks, is there's a fundamental difference of opinion on what is needed right now. When you talk to Democrats they want to go big, even bigger than $2.2 trillion package that was signed into law back in March. Republicans want to be more targeted. Republicans have assumed that Democrats would, over the course of these negotiations, come off their top line numbers, more than $3 trillion, $600 flat rate for extended unemployment insurance.

All of these issues and Democrats have not moved. So, up to this point, it has mostly been frustration, Democrats who feel like they are in a good place, assuming it will be Republicans who come their way. Right now, no one is going either way and that has led to pretty much a stalemate. BROWN: Then you have the president saying he may sign an executive

order if negotiations fail. But how practical is that? Is that used as a leverage or legally could he actually do that?

MATTINGLY: So, the way it's viewed up here on Capitol Hill, this isn't just Democrats but Republicans as well, this has been a leverage play to this point, threatened going after this unilaterally in the hopes of spurring Democrats to maybe give a little bit more. Right now with Democrats not moving, it becomes the point where this is becoming more realistic, perhaps executive action on unemployment, perhaps on payroll tax, perhaps on eviction moratorium.

The eviction moratorium people believe he has the grounds to pursue that based on federal policy. The other two, there is questionable action on the legal side of things. Even Republicans not totally sure it's legal at this point in time. But I think the bigger issue is does it meet the scope and scale at this moment given where the economy stands and given what we've seen with the resurgence to the virus.

And I think the answer to that from both sides is no. However, the White House holding it out there, hoping the jar things loose and certainly willing to pursue it if it doesn't, Pamela.

BROWN: All right. Phil Mattingly on Capitol Hill, thanks so much, Phil.

And while Republicans and Democrats battle over the relief bill, we learned today, another 1.2 million Americans filed for unemployment last week.

CNN business anchor Julia Chatterley joins me to discuss.

So, Julia, the number of claims is lower than expected and down from the week before but this is still a massive amount of Americans out of work right now?

JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN BUSINESS ANCHOR, FIRST MOVE: You're absolutely right. These are still eye-watering numbers. I think one of the big questions we have to ask is, what does this mean for the payroll's report tomorrow? And I can tell you, it's a really wild card right now.

We're expecting in some cases to see a net 1.5 million jobs added. Other people are saying the jobs recovery now has stalled, it may have reversed. We can see job losses for the month of July. It's anyone's guess.

The challenge as Phil was alluding to, it's moving quicker than we can get data to get a sense of how people are reacting here. Yes, we saw less bad numbers than expected. I refuse to say better today when we're talking about over 1 million people asking for help.

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BROWN: Yeah, nothing to celebrate. CHATTERLEY: Yeah, nothing to celebrate here. We did see the number of

people collecting benefits continuing to collect drop, but, Pamela, here's the bottom line. This report today said 32 million people are collecting some form of benefit.

Millions of people have now lost that extra $600 worth of support. In some cases, that's 90 percent less cash to spend on a weekly basis. It's catastrophic for families across America here.

There's nothing we hear in the next two days that justifies Congress reducing the support people are getting.

BROWN: Yeah, I spoke to a woman yesterday who relied on that money to help pay her rent, and has two children, worried what to do, she's a single mom. I mean, that is the story of so many Americans right now across the country and they are also struggling to make ends meet as they are dealing with skyrocketing prices at the grocery store.

How much money are we talking?

CHATTERLEY: Too much. This is sticker shock on steroids.

Let me give you a sense of prices between February and June of this year. We've got meat prices rising 11 percent, egg prices 10 percent, beef and veal, 20 percent.

What happened here was the supply chains were upended because we're eating more at home, we also saw people getting sick in meat production plants. That impacted prices there, too.

The good news is some of this is moderated. But again, 30 million Americans in the third week of July said they simply didn't have enough to eat this week. It's just not a time to reduce support in the face of all these challenges -- Pamela.

BROWN: Yeah, that's just unacceptable.

Julia Chatterley, thank you so much.

And up next, the one airline is saying that it may be years before air travel returns to normal as TSA puts in place new security precautions.

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BROWN: Ohio Governor Mike DeWine speaking right now. He just tested positive at coronavirus ahead of a meeting with President Trump.

And this is what he said moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. MIKE DEWINE (R-OH): I feel fine. I have a headache. But you know, I get a lot of headaches throughout my life, so a headache is not anything that unusual. So, besides that, I feel well. So, a big surprise to me, certainly a big surprise to our family.

When I found out, I called Fran and I called each of our seven children, because I figured the news would be out quickly, so I wanted them to hear that directly from me. I was able to reach all of them, so here we are. Fran and I just got back here in Cedarville I guess about a half an hour or so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: All right. So, in the wake of hearing from doctor -- from the governor there in Ohio, I want to bring back in Dr. Peter Hotez to discuss.

And you just heard him saying there that this was a big surprise. The reason it was a big surprise was because this was a routine test he took, called an assurance test, before he was to be in contact with the president today, and it came back positive.

What does this tell you about the importance of widespread testing?

DR. PETER HOTEZ, CO-DIRECTOR CENTER FOR VACCINE DEVELOPMENT AT TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: Yeah. Well, first of all, let me say the governor looks pretty good on the video there. So I wish -- I wish him all the best and his family, and I hope he does well with it and looking like he probably will. So that's great news.

You know, a third of patients can just present with headaches. So, they can present with cough, headache, or they can be completely asymptomatic. And up to half the people can be without symptoms at all. So, there's not really any (AUDIO GAP) for public figure out and about interacting with a lot of (AUDIO GAP).

BROWN: All right. Dr. Peter Hotez, thanks so much for giving us that perspective on the situation unfolding there in Ohio, with the governor testing positive today before he was to meet with President Trump. Thanks so much.

HOTEZ: Thank you.

BROWN: And turning now to our world lead, in Europe, countries are experiencing a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Germany recording more than 1,000 new cases in one day for the first time in nearly three months.

CNN senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen is in Berlin for us.

So, Fred, why is this happening and what steps are being taken to slow this outbreak?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Pamela.

Well, the German government is saying they believe there's two reasons why this is happening. On the one hand, they say they believer people have simply gotten a little bit lax with some of the coronavirus rules that are out there, like for instance physical distancing, like wearing masks when you're indoors and sanitizing as well.

They also say travelers arriving from other countries might be bringing coronavirus with them. And so, what the Germany says they want to do is they want to take drastic action very quickly. One of the things that you hear from political leaders here all the time is they don't want a situation here like in the United States where, all of a sudden, they take their eyes off the ball and have tens of thousands of cases every day.

So, one of the things they are doing, they are putting in place free coronavirus tests for all travelers who come to this country. And on top of that, starting Saturday, they're also going to have mandatory tests, that means people need to take a test who come in from so- called high-risk countries.

Now, of course, here in Germany and in the rest of Europe. United States does count as high-risk country.

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And we were at one these test centers today. It basically takes about half-an-hour for people to get their turn. And, usually, they get the results of their tests within a day, Pamela.

BROWN: All right. Thanks so much. We appreciate it, Fred Pleitgen.

And I want to turn now to our national lead. TSA is adding new safety measures at airports after more than 1,500 workers tested positive for coronavirus.

But does that mean airports and flying will return to normal anytime soon?

CNN aviation correspondent Pete Muntean joins me live from Washington's Reagan National Airport.

And, Pete, walk us through these new safety precautions.

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, the TSA first tested prototype acrylic screens here at Reagan National Airport, and now it's ordering an additional 1,200 individual screens to go in 37 airports it considers its busiest hubs across the country, the price tag $2.5 million.

They will go into places like along the conveyor belt and a document check-in. This is really to protect passengers, but also protect employees. This announcement is being made as the number of TSA employees who have tested positive for coronavirus just crested at 1,500. About 1,000 have recovered and six have died.

The most recent cases, unsurprisingly, at airports in Florida, but also in New Orleans, in Denver, and San Francisco. The help cannot come soon enough for these employees. The order just placed, but the screens will not be installed until the fall.

BROWN: And what are airlines warning in terms of how long it could take before air travel fully recovers?

MUNTEAN: Well, maybe the most dire warning coming out of Germany.

Airline Lufthansa says it will not see a full recovery until 2024. Here, domestically, the head of Delta, CEO Ed Bastian says it will take two years of a choppy recovery in a new memo to employees. He says the airline will really not start to see its full recovery until there's a widely available vaccine.

You know, what's so interesting here is, the demand is simply not there for airlines. As coronavirus cases started to surge across the country, demand for travel, they say, started to level off. There is a bit of a glimmer of hope. The number of passengers who passed through TSA security checkpoints across the country reached a new pandemic high on Sunday, nearly 800,000.

But to put that in perspective, it's only about 30 percent of a year ago -- Pamela.

BROWN: That is quite the perspective.

Pete, thanks so much.

Well, a historic moment expected any day now, as Joe Biden weighs a diverse field of V.P. contenders -- what sources are now telling us about Biden's thinking up next.

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BROWN: And we're back with our 2020 lead.

Any day now, Joe Biden will name his running mate, a critical choice that's likely to make history, with Senator Kamala Harris, former National Security Adviser Susan Rice and Congresswoman Karen Bass believed to be among the more serious contenders out of the 11 women who have been vetted.

CNN's Jeff Zeleny digs into what's driving Biden's decision.

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BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The best vice president America's ever had, Mr. Joe Biden.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a roll Joe Biden loved playing.

OBAMA: He's been unafraid to give it to me straight, even if we disagree, in fact, especially when we disagree.

ZELENY: As the former vice president enters the final stages of finding a running mate of his own, it's the relationship with Barack Obama that is enlightening and complicating his search.

When they left the White House, Obama and Biden were friends and trusted allies, but it didn't start out that way. It was a surprisingly easy bond, even to them.

JOSEPH BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: About six months in, the president looked at me, and he said: "You know, Joe, you know what surprised me? That we have become such good friends."

(LAUGHTER)

BIDEN: I said, "Surprised you?"

ZELENY: Friends of Biden tell CNN his partnership with Obama offers one of the most instructive guides for how he's making his decision.

BIDEN: It's been very orderly. There's a -- every one of the women I have -- we have interviewed is qualified. And I have narrowed it down. You will find out shortly.

ZELENY: Five months ago, Biden set the parameters of his search during the final primary debate with Bernie Sanders.

BIDEN: I would pick a woman to be my vice president.

ZELENY: Since, then aides tells CNN, 11 women have undergone vetting of financial records, personal backgrounds and medical histories.

People close to the search believe California Senator Kamala Harris and former Obama National Security Adviser Susan Rice are among those he's most seriously considering.

With steep challenges from coronavirus to the economy awaiting the next president, friends of Biden tell CNN he's intent on finding a governing partner, not simply a campaign one. Yet one moment from the campaign trail still reverberates loudly, when Harris questioned his Senate record and fight against federally mandated busing to desegregate schools.

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA): You know, there was a little girl in California, who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day. And that little girl was me.

ZELENY: Privately, Biden's friends and family, including his wife, Jill, were furious. Publicly, Biden has brushed it aside, including in an interview released today.

BIDEN: I don't hold grudges, and I made it really clear that I don't hold grudges. I think it was a debate. It's as simple as that. And she's very much in contention.

ZELENY: And that's another lesson from this time with Obama, who, in 2007, Biden once referred to as "clean and articulate." He apologized and went on to serve alongside the nation's first black president.

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As Biden searches for his own Biden, the dynamic is different. She will be a history-making choice. But, above all, his friends say, he's looking for someone who can ultimately say this:

OBAMA: That's why my family is so proud to call ourselves honorary Bidens.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZELENY: Now, there is no question that Biden is looking for someone who can replicate the rapport that he had with President Obama, a governing partner with whose loyalty is unquestioned, but, Pamela, so important to remember that, 12 years ago this week, when Obama first sat down with his interview with Biden, the two barely knew each other at all.

They had a frosty relationship. So this is a relationship and partnership that can grow. We will have an answer, we believe, early to mid next week -- Pamela.

BROWN: And we will see what that answer is then. All right, thanks so much, Jeff Zeleny, for bringing us that report.

And joining me now to discuss the veepstakes, CNN senior national correspondent Kyung Lah and CNN political embed producer Jasmine Wright. They are both also featured in the new film on HBO Max "On the Trail." I cannot wait to watch that.

Before we get to the HBO show, though, I want to go to, Kyung.

You covered Kamala Harris, and now she is top of the list, as we heard, as a potential Biden running mate. What does she bring to the table for Biden?

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, she brings, first of all, some raw political talent.

We saw it in her presidential run, especially at the beginning, and we're seeing it now, as the country discusses criminal justice reform. Certainly, she brings a lot of excitement, again, something we saw a lot in the early parts of her presidential campaign.

And in the social media space, a new generation excited about her run. That also brings some negatives, because, especially in social media, we saw a lot of bots, a lot of criticism about her past as a prosecutor. But the most important thing, Pamela, is that she brings the fact of her identity that she is a black woman, she's a biracial woman.

She has said it on the national stage, that black women are the spine of this party and the future of the Democratic Party -- Pam.

BROWN: All right, and I want to play a clip from the documentary. It's Iowa primary night, when we were all anxiously awaiting some very

delayed results.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: We want the results.

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN POLITICAL EMBED PRODUCER: I will keep walking around.

LAH: OK.

WRIGHT: Kyung and I work very well together. I figure out the information that we need to get and then get that information.

We call it finessing.

What do you have on the delay?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got nothing.

WRIGHT: Nothing?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Don't we all remember that? I remember I was actually in the hospital in labor, and I was, like, thinking, oh, my gosh, what's going on in Iowa?

(LAUGHTER)

BROWN: But you guys worked as a team throughout the primary finessing and using your intuition.

Jasmine, do you think there may be a moment where that intuition kicks in, and we feel the V.P. announcement is imminent? What do you think?

WRIGHT: Look, Pam, thank you so much for having me on.

BROWN: Of course.

WRIGHT: But there is no good intuition without good reporting, right?

In that moment -- in another clip, where you see Kyung kind of tracking Klobuchar's pulling out of the race, that I'm texting her because I'm noticing that we're off-schedule. I'm noticing that she did not do a radio interview that morning, which is out of the ordinary for her.

I'm noticing all of these things. So those -- that good reporting led to the good intuition to know that things were awry, and she ultimately dropped out that day.

And, so when we talk about vice president, you know, it certainly seems as though a decision is imminent. As Jeff Zeleny said, we can expect it sometime between early to mid next week. But we're not going to know that without that good reporting.

And that's one of the reasons why CNN has me here in D.C. tracking the V.P. candidates and looking forward to that upcoming announcement.

BROWN: It's so true. You have to be a good detective and look at all the little details and put it together. And you both are so great at that. We're going to see it play out in the documentary.

You both also speak in the film about being women of color and how that informs your coverage. Why do you think that that's important, particularly in these historic times with a very diverse group of contenders, Kyung?

LAH: Especially in this year, Pam.

BROWN: Yes.

LAH: If you look at the latest data from the Center for American Women and Politics, there are nearly 300 women of color running for Congress, running for Congress right now in 2020.

So it is -- we thought of 2018 as the year of the woman. 2020 is the year of the women of color in many ways trying to go to Washington. It is three times the number of what it was in 2016.

So, the reporting ranks reflecting what's happening in the diversification of this country.

BROWN: Absolutely.

Great to have you both on, Kyung and Jasmine. Thank you both.

And be sure to catch them and many of our talented colleagues in this new documentary, "On the Trail: Inside the 2020 Primaries," streaming now on HBO Max.

And be sure to follow me on Twitter @PamelaBrownCNN or tweet the show @THELEADCNN.

I'm Pamela Brown, in for Jake Tapper.

And our coverage on CNN continues right now.

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