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The Lead with Jake Tapper

U.S. Aircraft Carrier Moving Back Into Persian Gulf for Cover as Troops are Moved Out of Afghanistan and Iraq; Iran Warns of "Severe Revenge" After Top Nuclear Scientist is Assassinated; Without Evidence, Trump Warns of Fraud in Georgia Races; Supreme Court Sides 5-4 With Religious Groups on COVID Restrictions; CDC Committee to Vote Next Week on Who Gets Vaccine First. Aired 4:30-5p ET

Aired November 27, 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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[16:30:31]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Breaking news in our world lead. A U.S. aircraft carrier is moved back into the Persian Gulf to provide combat support and air cover as troops are moved out of Afghanistan and Iraq by January 15th under orders by the Trump administration.

CNN's Barbara Starr joins me now.

So, what is the significance of this move?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, good afternoon, Pamela.

The USS Nimitz, dozens of fighter jets on board and its associated warships, cruisers, destroyers moving back into the Persian Gulf. They will cover the withdrawal of those troops from Iraq and Afghanistan that President Trump ordered to be completed by January 15th, five days before he leaves office.

Pentagon officials says this is not tied to the assassination today of an Iran nuclear scientist, but consider this -- nonetheless, it leaves thousands of additional U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf region right up until the end of the Trump administration and basically puts it on the plate of President-elect Biden once he takes off to decide what he wants to do about these forces.

A lot of the effort at the Pentagon is to demonstrate deterrence against Iran to try to keep things calm by showing that U.S. military power is there and able to respond. As one general said, we are not looking for war with Iran -- Pamela.

BROWN: OK. Barbara Starr, thanks so much for that.

And also in our world lead, the U.S. government is closely monitoring the assassination of Iran's top nuclear scientist, largely seen as a driving force behind Iran's nuclear program. One U.S. official tells CNN that the situation is highly sensitive given the man's close ties to Iran's potential nuclear arsenal, and now, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces is warning of, quote, severe revenge for the killer.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh joins me now -- Nick.

Do you have any idea --

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Pamela, on the outskirts of Tehran -- sorry, no, go ahead, please?

BROWN: No. Go ahead. What's the latest there?

WALSH: On the outskirts of Tehran in broad daylight today, one of Iran's prominent nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was it seems killed by a combination attack using an explosion that seems to have taken out his security and then gunfire which seems to have left most of the people there injured and they died in hospital of their wounds. Remarkable penetration, probably the most secure parts of Iran's infrastructure here and many immediately pointing towards Israeli.

And among them, the Iran's foreign minister called this act of cowardice and said that there were indications potentially of Israeli's involvement here. Well, yes, in the past, Israel had done similar things. It's been accused.

Today, they were completely silent, no comment at all. That is no atypical for a situation like this and many point to them having this potential capability. Certainly, they have the political will. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned Fakhrizadeh a number of time, particularly when he was giving a lengthy speech essentially advocating using the evidence of Iran's nuclear archive that he says that Israeli agents had obtained to suggest a hard line policy against Iran was a good idea.

Why this now? I think most analysts here think it's unlikely to tip the scales and already volatile region has seen a messy year into any kind of broader conflict. This is most likely a bid to try to derail any potential diplomacy down the line.

As you well know, President-elect Joe Biden has suggested that he wants to get back into the nuclear deal with Iran. The Trump administration tore up quite so fervently and put new sanctions back in. They adopted a policy called maximum pressure. That has created great tension in the region.

And the thought perhaps is Joe Biden wants to get back to the negotiating table. Tough, frankly, for both sides to ignore the hawks and get back into a deal that was frankly imperfect, but an attack like this gives hawks essentially on all sides more ammunition that maybe it's impossible to talk peace. Maybe the way forward is further confrontation.

But I have to say, it's extraordinary I think for Iran for now the second time in a year to see a high profile figure so important to them taking out in such a -- what should be a secure circumstances, Pamela.

BROOWN: OK. Nick Paton Walsh, thanks for laying out why this is so significant. Appreciate it.

And turning to our 2020 lead now, President Trump will campaign in Georgia for the Senate runoffs and he still is saying, without proof, that Georgia elections are riddled with fraud.

[16:35:00]

Except he had to backtrack a bit this morning after conservative news outlet Newsmax reported that his supporters are considering boycotting the Georgia runoff. The president tweeted in response, urging his supporters to vote anyway.

CNN's Ryan Nobles joins me live from Atlanta.

So, tell us why and what is behind this shift in his message?

RYAN NOBLES, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pam, there was no doubt that were some angst among Republicans here on the ground that President Trump wasn't really spending that much time at all talking about these very important runoffs here in Georgia. If Republicans are able to win one of these two races, that means that Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans will retain control of that chamber.

But President Trump has spent almost all of his time after the election complaining about the election that he had just lost, claiming this it was fraudulent, even suggesting that here in Georgia, the election which was won by Republicans, was not run appropriately.

So the fact that the president is going to make a trip here next Saturday and the fact that he tweeted today encouraging his supporters to come out and vote for David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, the two Republicans in this race, is going to be very important, that is because Republicans here in Georgia still very much support President Trump, and their passion and energy are a key to helping those Republicans cross the finish line.

Meanwhile, Democrats are taking advantage of this interparty civil war, pointing out the president's continued refusal to concede the election, talking about how it's preventing the Biden administration for preparing a coronavirus relief moving forward. This is a very important set of races ahead of us, Pam. As we mentioned before, if Democrats are able to sweep that along with Kamala Harris and the VP slot would give them control of the Senate majority.

The Republicans pitch here, if Joe Biden is going to be president, you're going to need that Republican stop, a block of the United States Senate and that is why you need to get out and vote for Perdue and Loeffler. Long way to go, though, Pam.

BROWN: A long way to go. Ryan Nobles, thanks so much for that.

Well, a clash between religious beliefs and pandemic safety revealing a rift in Supreme Court and showing President Trump's impact on the bench.

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BROWN: Welcome back.

Turning on our politics lead now. We are getting our first real glimpse into how Supreme Court has changed with its first major split decision since the addition of new Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett. The court ruled 5-4 in favor of religious organizations in a dispute over COVID-19 restrictions in New York state limiting attendance at religious services.

The ruling also exposed tensions between the justices that make it seem like things aren't all hunky-dory in Supreme Court land.

Joining me now to discuss this, CNN Supreme Court analyst Joan Biskupic, and Kim Wehle, law professor and former U.S. assistant attorney.

Thank you both for coming on, ladies. Appreciate it.

Joan, first, just walk us through the breakdown of this ruling and the justices' willingness to go after each other in their opinions.

JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN SUPREME COURT ANALYST: Thanks, Pam. Good to see you.

And you know how in June, Pam, when we covered the court? We have seen, you know, tensions fray at the end of the term? This felt like June. And this is November.

So, you can tell that they are -- I don't know if it's because of their own isolation, newest Justice Amy Coney Barrett or what it was that not only did we have a deep 5-4 split, the hard right conservatives versus the liberals and Chief Justice John Robert a very unfamiliar position for him in dissent.

We also had so much writing. There was one main opinion unsigned by the five justices who prevailed but then separately, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote, the chief justice responded to their writing, especially to Neil Gorsuch's. Justice Breyer wrote, Justice Sotomayor wrote. It would -- and so it went.

And the most striking thing, Pamela, was than concurring opinion by Justice Neil Gorsuch, President Trump's first appointee, that essentially wanted to relitigate the chief justice's opinion back in May when he disallowed a challenge from religious groups to California restrictions, you know? Here, of course, we had New York limits that were invalidated but the chief justice back in May had written an opinion that explained why the court with then Justice Ginsburg casting an important vote, would defer to local officials on these kinds of COVID-related restrictions, occupancy limits.

And Justice Gorsuch and the chief went after it -- after each other on this. Although the chief, even as he took some shots at Neil Gorsuch, you know, essentially said can we just lower the temperature here and play nice? The response from the hard right, no, not right now.

BROWN: Not right now. Among the group there on the hard right is Amy Coney Barrett.

Kim, what kind of influence did she play in all of this?

KIM WEHLE, LAW PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE: Well, as Joan indicated, this issue came up twice before, both from Nevada and from California. The issue being states are trying to -- the pandemic. They are doing their best by implementing orders that have different levels of restrictions and religious groups have come forward and said, the restrictions on us are unconstitutional under the First Amendment.

And the leading authority, an opinion authored by conservative Justice Scalia essentially held is there no violation of the Constitution unless religious institutions are somehow singled out by virtue of their being religious institution.

[16:45:06]

So those cases didn't go anywhere.

The difference now, of course, is Amy Coney Barrett and a couple of elements that make this decision extraordinary in addition to departing from the First Amendment jurisprudence. One is that, as Chief Justice Roberts indicated, Governor Cuomo basically rescinded the other. So, this is technically a moot issue. And the conservative judges issued extraordinary relief, a preliminary injunction on the theory that this could come back.

You could make the argument, frankly, that they didn't have jurisdiction to do what they did as a matter of Article 3 cases in controversy because it's moot. The other piece, of course, is traditionally conservative justices have been very deferential to states on this concept of federalism. Here we have the justices really reaching out as some supreme authority around public health, which is traditionally left to the states.

BROWN: That's so interesting. And Sotomayor kind of hit on that in her dissent.

And I want to ask you this, Joan, a federal appeals court in Pennsylvania today ruled that the president's voter fraud claims there have no merit. The president's legal team has promised to take this to Supreme Court even with a solid conservative majority in place. Does this seem like something the Supreme Court would take on?

BISKUPIC: It doesn't, Pamela, not if they're being true to where they've been in prior cases on this, and if they read carefully what that ruling said today. In fact, it was written by Judge Bibas, who's a -- was one of Donald Trump's first appointees, someone who is very respects as a conservative and I think it would be an incredible departure from Supreme Court jurisprudence to suddenly take on this case. Now, that's not saying that an individual justice or two might want to

write something. But I do not see the Supreme Court getting involved in the Pennsylvania voting dispute at this point, Pamela.

BROWN: Yeah, and that judge, the Trump appointee said that the case had, quote, no merit. Strong words there.

All right. Joan Biskupic and Kim Wehle, thank you so much for coming on.

WEHLE: Thank you.

BISKUPIC: Thank you.

BROWN: Breaking today: more on the CDC scheduling an emergency meeting on COVID vaccines. What it could mean for the timeline.

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BROWN: Breaking news, the U.S. just went over 13 million cases of coronavirus. As you see there on your screen right there. This as COVID pandemic really surges right now across the company.

And now, we're learning that CDC advisers are just days away from voting who gets the vaccine first. The group will vote on vaccine distribution during an emergency meeting just scheduled for this Tuesday. That's according to a document obtained by CNN.

CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins me live.

So, the big question, who will get this vaccine first? I know that this was a big talker in my family and I'm sure families across the country right now.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right.

And, you know what, Pamela? It is up to the CDC, actually an advisory committee of independent experts who advised the CDC, it's up to them to decide who is going to get it first. CNN has learned that this meeting will take place on Tuesday.

Now, what's expected is that this advisory committee is going to say, you know what? The first two groups are going to be front line health care workers and people in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes. And that's because it has spread so rapidly through nursing homes and other kinds of places like that.

However, there are other groups to consider. For example, elderly people who are not in nursing homes or essential workers like police officers or firefighters. But again, it is expected that those first two groups will be front line health care workers and people in long- term care facilities such as nursing homes.

It doesn't mean the rest of us won't get it. It just means that it will be coming out and unfolding over the next couple of months -- Pamela.

BROWN: Well, the rest will have to practice some patients.

All right. And you also have some new reporting --

COHEN: Yes.

BROWN: -- on the FDA's timeline for approving the Pfizer's vaccine?

COHEN: That's right. So, we -- President Trump actually talked about this. He talked yesterday in a Thanksgiving presentation to the troops about when a vaccine might be delivered around the country.

So, let's take a listen to what the president had to say and then on the other side of it, I'll explain why he is probably not right. So, let's listen to President Trump.

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TRUMP: We are rounding the curve. The vaccines are being delivered literally and it will start next week and the week after. It will hit the front line workers and seniors and doctors, nurses, a lot of people.

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COHEN: So it's very, very unlikely the vaccines will be delivered next week or the week after. Let's take a look at a calendar to explain why.

The FDA is going to meet with its advisory committee of independent experts on December 10th to discuss the Pfizer vaccine and whether or not it should get a green light, whether or not it should be allowed on the market. And then we've been told by the head of the vaccine branch of the FDA that they need days, if not weeks, to sort through the data and think about these recommendations. So, it's not going to be delivered next week or the week after mostly likely but the weeks after take.

It looks like it will end up being what Tony Fauci has been saying quite sometime now, that the first shots will go into arms in the second half of December -- Pamela.

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BROWN: All right. Elizabeth, thank you so much for that.

Well, the duchess of Cambridge just released a new research exploring in part how COVID-19 has impacted parents and caregivers of young children in the United Kingdom. One alarming statistic, parental loneliness has jumped from 38 percent to 63 percent during the pandemic. More than a third of parents say they think the pandemic will have a negative impact on their long-term mental health.

Andrea Bonior joins me live. She is a clinical psychologist and psychology professor. She's also the author of the book, "Detox Your Thoughts."

So, that is sobering just the amount of loneliness that has gone up during this pandemic in the U.K. How can parents fight isolation in the middle of all of this?

ANDREA BONIOR, PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Yeah. That's right. What we are really missing is the naturally occurring communities that typically we have. We have proximity to other people in our normal daily lives.

So, we really need to create that. When I work with parents, I tell them, you know, create a regular check-in, a regular zoom coffee hour on a Saturday, a book club. Something that creates continuity time and time again because otherwise you're just starting from scratch and people end up dropping the ball and in the bothering to put forth the effort of getting together.

BROWN: And also, you wonder how much strain this pandemic has put on relationships, on couples, on marriages and how much that impacts loneliness.

BONIOR: Yeah, yeah. And I think a lot of people think, well, if you have a partner, you're not lonely. But what we are really seeing is a lot of relationships are fraying which just increases loneliness. Another piece of that research that you mentioned that was disturbing is that people actually feel a little less comfortable reaching out for professional help during this time.

So, what we really can be doing for each other is trying to de- stigmatize that and talk about how this is difficult and some of us may very well need professional support.

BROWN: Why do you think there is still that stigma of reaching out for professional support, because that is one of the best techniques to help people especially during a difficult time like this?

BONIOR: It is and it's surprising that stigma seemed increased lately. My guess is that people are comparing themselves to others a lot and saying, well, everybody is going through tough stuff, I don't have a right, I don't have any worse than anybody else, I don't have a right to get help. And there is a lot of comparison going on.

But just because a lot of us are struggling doesn't mean that help isn't going to be helpful and I think we really need to keep that in mind.

BROWN: Right. I mean, we only have one life to live and no shame for reaching out for help at all.

And, look, this is a time of year that can be stressful and difficult. What are some coping techniques to get us through this double whammy of holidays plus this pandemic?

BONIOR: Yeah. We really need to focus on the big picture. Think about this difficulty but how it plays into your larger values. What is important to you during this time? Helping other people? Even in small ways really shows a mood boost.

We also have to keep track of our sleep and moving our bodies just a little bit of sunlight per day. I'm always talking about that on here, but it really does show to be very helpful in terms of our mood. And, finally, thinking about the ways that we can start new traditions instead of just mourning what we're losing, also thinking about a brighter path ahead and maybe doing something a little differently.

BROWN: Very quickly. You talked about relationships fraying right now. Why is that? What can people do if they feel like they are in a frayed relationship?

BONIOR: Yeah. People really need to think about how to create some personal space within their own homes because one of the reasons they are fraying is that we're just not necessarily meant to be spending 24 hours a day seven days a week, even with people we love dearly.

So, look for patterns, look where you need to create a little bit more independence for yourself. You know, think about the times you're feeling at your worst and most frustrated and what you can do on to personally, even just getting out of the house safely to be able to cope with that.

BROWN: Just getting some fresh air.

All right. Andrea Bonior, thank you so much.

BONIOR: Thank you, Pamela.

BROWN: Well, finally, this year, the holidays are especially tough on families who have lost loved ones to coronavirus.

Sergeant First Class Calvin Ogletree III (ph) was a 45-year-old army reservist. He served in Iraq and Bosnia. His fellow soldiers called him affectionately "Tree". His mom remembers how much he loved doing push-ups. He was the 10th military service member to fall victim to the virus according to the Pentagon, 11 have in total.

We thank him for his service and send our deepest condolences to the Ogletree family.

And be sure to tune in to CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" this Sunday morning. The guests include COVID testing czar Admiral Brett Giroir and Republican Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, plus Congresswomen-elect Nicole Malliotakis and Nancy Mace and Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff. It's at 9:00 a.m. and noon Eastern on Sunday.

Well, I'm Pamela Brown, in for Jake Tapper. Our coverage on CNN continues right now. Thanks for watching.