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The Lead with Jake Tapper

FDA Won't Release Critical Details on J&J Vaccine Trail Pause; Stimulus Deadline Is Tomorrow And Still No Bipartisan Agreement; Fox Host And Senator Float Disgusting Claim About Hunter Biden; Interview With Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL) About QAnon Involvement Leveled at the Bidens; More Than 28 Million Votes Cast in Presidential Election. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired October 19, 2020 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The J&J trials started to September 23rd and paused October 12th. So, they also did not go on for very long. So, there are two out of the four are on pause, so what public health advocates are telling me is we need to have more transparency about the nature of these pauses given that half of the trials are on pause -- Jake.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: And the public needs to have confidence in these vaccines before we're going to inject this stuff into our arms. J&J is behaving in the exact opposite way it needs to. New York's Andrew Cuomo, the governor, says he and the government has sent a letter to the White House regarding the distribution of any future vaccine. What are their concerns?

COHEN: Their concern is, you're asking us to vaccinate essentially our entire population. We need more details from the federal government about how we're going to do that and how we're going to get paid to do that? They say they need more information.

What financial help are you going to give us? What about people who are uninsured? Who is going to pay for that? And you say -- you, meaning the federal government -- say that this is going to be free, but hey, the drug Remdesivir which is on the market right now, an antiviral drug for COVID, that was supposed to be free and was free at the beginning, but then people did to pay for it.

So, there are a lot of questions about how to execute this kind of an effort to vaccine the entire population or nearly the entire population, and governors feel like they're not getting the answers they need.

TAPPER: And Elizabeth, in an interview over the weekend with "60 Minutes," Dr. Fauci called the virus' cardiovascular impact on people who suffer from it, disturbing. And this afternoon there's some new research on how COVID effects the heart. What does this study show? COHEN: So, Jake, one thing that doctors have learned about COVID over

past eight or nine months, is that this is a disease that causes a great deal of inflammation, and that's really problematic for the heart.

So, let's take a look at a study that came out today that looked at other studies and sort of assessed the cardiovascular injury. What they found is that one-quarter of hospitalized patients with COVID have myocardial injury. That's a fancy way of saying a certain type of heart injury.

Those patients tend to be older, have high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease. One quarter is a lot. Those patients have a higher risk of being put on a ventilator. They have a higher risk of dying before they get out of the hospital. There are concerns that they're at a higher risk for long-term heart problems.

This virus is very different from the flu and other viruses in that it does seem to cause this inflammation that is problematic not just the heart, for the pulmonary system and other bodily systems as well -- Jake.

TAPPER: Yes, it's not just the 220,000 deaths, which are obviously horrible, but millions of people whose health is going to be bad for the rest of their lives. So, Elizabeth Cohen, thank you so much.

In our MONEY LEAD, the Dow is dropping about 400 points right now with pressure on Washington, D.C. to strike another stimulus bill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi setting a deadline for tomorrow for her and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to come to some sort of an agreement after months of stalled negotiations in order to get something passed by election day.

And astounding 8 million Americans have entered poverty since May, according to a study by Columbia University. The 8 million, making a deal all the more urgent.

CNN's Manu Raju joins me now. Manu, what are you hearing on Capitol Hill. Is there confidence that Pelosi and Mnuchin are going to be able to come up with an agreement by tomorrow?

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There's not much confidence about that, Jake. At the moment, at this very moment, Nancy Pelosi is speaking with Treasury Secretary Mnuchin by phone.

They have a lot of differences and Nancy Pelosi last hour spoke to her caucus, the Democratic Caucus on a private conference call. And I'm told by multiple sources on that call she laid out the vast differences that continued to exist between the administration and her position.

And while she said that she's optimistic, something she's been saying for days, it's a realization that a lot needs to change over the next day for them to get a deal before the election. The reason why Nancy Pelosi has set Tuesday evening as a deadline is because it needs to go through the legislative process of both the House and the Senate, and to get that done in just over two weeks -- or just under two weeks just before the election, that would be very difficult to do unless they get that deal tomorrow night.

So, a lot of skepticism, Jake, not just on the price tag but the policy differences, a lot of them, and can they bridge it? Most people don't believe they can -- Jake.

TAPPER: And Manu, in the Senate, Mitch McConnell keeps pushing this bill that's a nonstarter that Senate Democrats voted against, it doesn't even attempt to meet Nancy Pelosi halfway. It includes all sorts of poison pill including liability protection for businesses if people are exposed to the virus unfairly in their workplace.

What's the thinking there, and is there any talk of him possibly even just allowing a vote on the Mnuchin-Pelosi compromise if there is one?

RAJU: Well, he hasn't said explicitly if would allow a vote on Mnuchin-Pelosi deal if there is one.

[15:35:00]

He did say the statement on Saturday, Mitch McConnell did, that he would consider, the Senate would consider a bill -- any deal that is reached. But the the Republicans made clear, Jake, that they are opposed going anywhere near the price tag that Nancy Pelosi's talking about around $2 trillion.

What we've heard from the President in recent days, he's willing to go that high. So even if they cut a deal, most Senate Republicans are strongly opposed

which explains part of the problems in getting something done by election day -- Jake.

TAPPER: Well, President Trump can use his bully pulpit when he wants to, we haven't really seen him do that. Manu Raju, thank you so much.

One of the President Trump's Senate allies and one of his chief minions at Fox News are trying to QAnon the race with a disgusting baseless attack on the

Bidens. I'll ask a GOP lawmaker whether this is the Republican Party now?

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TAPPER: In our POLITICS LEAD today with parts of the Republican Party embracing the untethered, deranged conspiracy theory of QAnon that Democrats are running a secret cabal of Satan worshipping, cannibalistic pedophiles in the government. It seemed likely that it would only be a matter of time before someone from the Republican Party and someone from Fox would try to spread that slime all over the Bidens.

And that happened yesterday with a deranged segment from Fox host Maria Bartiromo and Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. The clip is so gross and irresponsible, I'm not actually going to air

it for you. But suffice it to say, it involves allegations about the most hideous of crimes and zero evidence, none at all, just tons of wildly irresponsible, pathetic and groundless speculation.

That segment has not been a assailed by Senate Republicans and Bartiromo's colleagues -- is frankly complicity. I do not know how these people sleep at night or what they think they're doing to the nation or the Republican Party. Joining me now, an honorable Republican, retiring Congressman Francis Rooney of Florida.

Congressman, you're a man of honor, of decency. It must disturb you when a Republican Senator goes on Fox and makes an abhorrent suggestion like that on national TV with zero evidence.

REP. FRANCIS ROONEY (R-FL): Yes, I just watched the clip and I felt it was, as you said, long on allegations and short on facts. And a little bit disturbing that they would be doing that. It's better to speak from facts. If they have something to say that's based on reality, say it. There's no evidence that the Vice President is weak on China. He's been plenty strong on China. I think everybody's plenty strong on China.

TAPPER: Yes, and this obviously, the allegation is of a more personal nature involving illegal child pornography and a member of the Biden family. Again, no evidence, no facts, just wild speculation.

ROONEY: I had to turn it off at that part. I couldn't take that part anymore. I stayed through the China part and the ridiculous Burisma stuff, trying to imply that a meeting happened that the Vice President has said did not happen.

TAPPER: So, I haven't seen Senate Republicans come out and say, Senator Ron Johnson's comments were wildly inappropriate. Well, first of all, it's a U.S. Senator but beyond that he's the chairman of Senate Homeland Security Committee.

Is this just the GOP now? Are we just supposed to accept that people in the Republican Party are going to embrace QAnon and just level the most wild irresponsible allegations and there's no accountability?

ROONEY: This is a very strange time, Jake. Certainly, nobody ever gave this blind loyalty to George Bush. If they had, we would have had to work so hard to try to get immigration reform and (INAUDIBLE). They would have just rolled over for him. But they didn't. And I don't think it's good when people just roll over for one elected official versus another. That's not what our democracy is built on.

And I think it's important that people speak up about this stuff. I heard that tape and was disturbed by it. I mean obviously Hunter Biden was used by the Ukrainians. I mean you don't make 600,000 a year on a board unless they have an agenda. But --

TAPPER: Sure.

ROONEY: -- nothing came of -- and nothing came of it. You say something came of it all day long until you have some facts, but there are no facts.

TAPPER: Yes, well look, I mean if members of Congress want to pass a law saying that their relatives are not allowed to cash in on their connections to powerful people, I'm all for it. I don't think that members of Congress are going to passing any laws like that for obvious reasons.

Let me tell you --

ROONEY: No, I only have 17 cosponsors on my term limits bill that doesn't require a Constitutional amendment.

TAPPER: Right, well, there you go.

President Trump has repeatedly refused to condemn this QAnon group. Even as recently as last week at the debate.

The FBI says it's a potential domestic terrorist group. The National Republican Congressional Committee is openly embracing QAnon candidates and attacking Democrats using similar themes about child porn, child molestation. Why? At what point does -- is there just, like, is power not worth it?

ROONEY: Well, the ends aren't supposed to justify the means, right? That's the Judeo-Christian ethic. But we seem to be in the mode now of whatever happens is OK as long as it gets us where we want to get. And I don't think that's good at all.

This QAnon thing is just like this business with the poor Michigan governor. I mean we should be deflating these extremists' outbursts, not embracing them.

[15:45:02]

TAPPER: So in an interview with the "Ft. Worth Star Telegram," Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas who has been very loyal to President Trump, but I'm guessing President Trump is not polling particularly well in Texas, and certainly Senator Cornyn, who is up for re-election, could be hurt by that.

Cornyn described his relationship with the President as, quote, maybe like a lot of women who get married and they're going to change their spouse and that doesn't usually work out very well.

Cornyn's also claiming that he has privately expressed disagreements with President Trump on various issues such as using money meant for the defense to build the border wall, et cetera.

If Republicans lose the White House and Senate in a few weeks, do you think it's President Trump's fault?

ROONEY: Well, I remember talking to Paul Ryan in 2018 about how are we going to win an election with nobody that went to school, nobody that lives in a suburb, and no women?

And so, I think the narrowing of the base, Republican base that we've seen is a very scary thing to me, because I do believe our free enterprise economics are the better solution to that thing. And I believe the Republican Party has historically had a lot to offer in that. Including in the environment, but we don't seem to have it right now. And so yes, I think that the narrowing of the base could really continue to undermine the Republican Party's ability to have part of the government.

TAPPER: And I guess the last question I have for you, sir, is, was it worth it? The Republican Party is a great party. America needs a strong, vibrant Republican Party based on facts and truth and principle. Has it been worth it for the judges and the tax cuts?

ROONEY: That's a really good question. When you look at the undermining of our base and the threats to our future, and you look at some of the things that have happened -- like, I felt that the tax cuts were a little bit too one-sided and they could have done a better job on being more balanced with individual and corporate tax cuts and few things like that.

But there's been a lot of damage. There's a lot of scar tissue there. And I don't know what we're going to do going forward. I mean, I've waged a 4-year campaign with the leadership to try to urge them to broaden our base.

TAPPER: Yes.

ROONEY: You know, George Bush tried to make the assault weapon ban permanent. He expanded the Clean Air Act as did his father. He got the comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan done. We used to have a foot in the environment world and in the gun world. And now we don't have a foot in any of those worlds and those are very important to young people.

TAPPER: Retiring Republican Congressman Francis Rooney, thank you so much and thanks for your decency as always. We always appreciate it.

Extraordinarily early voting numbers -- I'm sorry, extraordinary early voting numbers, 28 million ballots already cast with two weeks to go. 28 million. And it's a game on today in a state that's decided it all before. Stay with us.

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TAPPER: With 15 days to go until election day, already more than 28 million ballots have been cast. Early voting kicked off in five more states today, Florida, lines started forming before sunrise as CNN's Abby Phillip reports in our latest installment of our series, "MAKING IT COUNT."

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ODALYS PEREZ, FLORIDA VOTER: There's a chance that your voice is not going to be counted, why risk it? ABBY PHILLIP, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER (voice-over): Just 15 days to go

and many voters are taking no chances. Already more than 28 million votes have been cast nationwide, that number representing almost 20 percent of the more than 136 million total ballots cast four years ago.

As of Friday, ballots are now available in all 50 states and D.C. with in-person voting beginning in several key swing states in the coming days.

Today it's getting under way in 52 of Florida's 60 counties including the large ones like Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach. Not even rainy weather this morning in South Florida could stop voters from lining up before sunrise. As of midday Monday more than 2.4 million ballots have been cast in the sunshine state. That's only about 260,000 ballots fewer than all of the mail-in ballots tallied in 2016.

PEREZ: I did have an absentee ballot, but I wasn't comfortable with everything you hear on the news. So I just decided to come in myself for this election specifically.

PHILLIPS: So far, 30 percent of ballots coming from Republicans, 49 percent Democrats, and 20 percent with no party affiliation. Which political experts say is a growing trend in Florida as more voters turn their backs on both parties.

In Georgia, early voting continues to shatter records a week in.

BRAD RAFFENSPERGER, GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE: Over the last seven days plus so far today, we have seen over 1.5 million voters.

[15:55:00]

PHILLIPS: Georgia has seen a massive 653 percent increase in absentee ballots cast by mail over 2016. Over the weekend, early voting kicked off in Nevada as well.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, NEVADA VOTER: My wait time was less than a minute. I just walked in and did what I had to do.

PHILLIPS: Today in Colorado, vote counting begins as does in-person voting.

Meanwhile, President Trump continues to give Democrats every reason to be concerned about a potential peaceful transfer of power if he were to lose to Joe Biden.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Then they say if you lose, will you have a friendly transition? I say I want a fair election.

PHILLIPS: CNN now learning that Congressional Democrats, the Biden campaign and outside groups are working on contingency plans behind the scenes. Coming up with a two-part strategy in anticipation of that very scenario.

Preparing for a post-election legal battle and messaging war aimed at combating misinformation about voting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And Jake, we are so close to election day but several states are still in limbo about how long voters will have to receive their ballots after election day.

Among them, Pennsylvania and now North Carolina's board of elections has said they will be accepting ballots up to November 12th by 5:00 p.m. as long as they are postmarked by election day -- Jake.

TAPPER: All right, Abby Phillip, thanks so much.

President Trump today unloading on the nation's top infectious disease expert as the President continues to ignore science and hold more rallies. Stay with us.

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