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Don Lemon Tonight
Donald Trump Calling On Americans To Continue Social Distancing Until April 30th. Aired 10-11p ET
Aired March 29, 2020 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[22:00:25]
DON LEMON, CNN HOST: Welcome to this special Sunday edition of CNN TONIGHT. I'm Don Lemon.
Here's our breaking news for you. The latest numbers, just in for the coronavirus, more than 139,000 cases all across this country, more than 2,400 deaths. And the President of the United States in this evening's briefing in the Rose Garden, admitting the truth that we could all see for ourselves that this is no time to declare victory.
This is no time to say that we won. No mission accomplished, not with a number of cases soaring across the country and calling on Americans to keep up the social distancing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The peak, the highest point of death rates, -- remember this -- is likely to hit in two weeks. Nothing would be worse than declaring victory before the victory is won. That would be the greatest loss of all.
Therefore, the next two weeks, and during this period, it's very important that everyone strongly follow the guidelines -- have to follow the guidelines.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The President has changed his mind since last week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: So I think Easter Sunday, and you'll have packed churches all over our country, I think it would be a beautiful time.
And it's just about the timeline that I think is right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So here is the big headline tonight -- everyone listening? The President extending the slow the spread guidelines until April 30th, and now saying that he thinks that we'll be on the way to recovery by June 1st, not Easter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: We will be extending our guidelines to April 30th to slow the
spread.
On Tuesday, we will be finalizing these plans and providing a summary of our findings, supporting data and strategy to the American people. So we'll be having lots of meetings in between, but we'll be having a very important statement made on Tuesday, probably Tuesday evening on all of the findings, all of the data and the reasons we're doing things the way we're doing them.
We can expect that by June 1st, we will be well on our way to recovery we think by June 1st.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And another moment you should pay attention to, listen to what happened when Yamiche Alcindor of PBS asked the President about his own statement, his own words, saying that he thought governors like New York's Andrew Cuomo are asking for equipment they don't actually need.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YAMICHE ALCINDOR, PBS: You said repeatedly that you think that some of the equipment that governors are requesting they don't actually need. You said New York might need might -- they might not need 30,000.
TRUMP: I didn't say that. I didn't say that.
ALCINDOR: You said it on Sean Hannity's Fox News. He said that you might --
TRUMP: Come on. Come on. You know, why don't you act -- let me ask you.
ALCINDOR: You said some states --
TRUMP: Why don't you act in a little more positive? It's always trying to get you.
ALCINDOR: My question to you --
TRUMP: Get you, get you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, this has nothing to do with being positive. It really doesn't. This is about facts. The President denying that he ever questioned the need for 30,000 ventilators. But he did. He said it to Sean Hannity just last week.
The evidence. We can roll it. It's right there on tape. Here it is.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP) TRUMP: I don't believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. You
know, you go into major hospitals, sometimes, they'll have two ventilators.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
LEMON: In his own words, and it happened again, just a few minutes later to CNN's Jeremy Diamond when the President tried to deny what he said just Friday about governors not being appreciative enough of his administration. Roll it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'd also like to ask you about some comments you made on Friday. You were talking about governors of different states and you said I want them to be appreciative. You also said if they don't treat you right, I don't call.
TRUMP: But I didn't say that.
DIAMOND: These are direct quotes, sir.
TRUMP: Excuse me. Are you ready? Ready? Ready? Take a look at what I said. I want them to be appreciative of me. Okay. And then you cut it off --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Okay. So he said take a look at what I said. He said that Jeremy cut it off. Okay. Here is what the President said on Friday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I think they should be appreciative because you know what? When they are not appreciative to me, they are not appreciative to the Army Corps, they are not appreciative to F.E.M.A. It's not right.
These people are -- they are working 24 hours a day. Mike Pence -- I mean, Mike Pence, I don't think he sleeps anymore. These are people that should be appreciated.
He calls all the governors. I tell him, I mean, I'm a different type of person. I say, Mike, don't call the Governor of Washington, you're wasting your time with him. Don't call the woman in Michigan. It doesn't make any difference what happens.
QUESTION: The Governor of Washington?
TRUMP: No, you know what I say? If they don't treat you right, I don't call.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Again, his own words. But I want you to listen to what Dr. Anthony Fauci told Jake Tapper just today warning of the possibility of millions of cases and 100,000 to 200,000 deaths.
[22:05:45]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAUCI: Looking at what we're seeing now, you know, I would say between 100,000 and 200,000 cases, but I don't want to be held to that. Because it's -- excuse me -- deaths. I mean, we're going to have millions of cases.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, it sounds like the President got the message that Dr. Fauci was sending. Here is what he said this evening.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: If we could hold that down, as we are saying to a hundred thousand, it's a horrible number, maybe even less, but to a hundred thousand, so we have between 100,000 and 200,000. We all together have done a very good job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, the President is right about that -- 100,000 or 200,000 deaths would be horrible. But the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was not mincing any words today saying the President's delay cost lives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): His denial at the beginning was deadly. His delaying of getting equipment where it continues is delaying getting equipment to where it's needed, is deadly.
As the President fiddles, people are dying.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Are you saying that his downplaying ultimately cost American lives?
PELOSI: Yes, I am.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Each day brings new things. Here's what we're learning tonight. That 911 calls are skyrocketing across New York City as 68- bed field hospital is being constructed in Central Park, the pictures are up on your screen right now. The city reporting well over 32,000 cases so far.
That as this administration has made promise after promise and not delivered.
More than three weeks ago, in his visit to the C.D.C., the President said anybody who needs a test gets a test.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: I think importantly, anybody right now and yesterday, anybody
that needs a test gets a test. They are there. They have the test and the tests are beautiful.
Anybody that needs a test gets a test.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Facts first. That is still not true tonight, 23 days later after he said that.
The COVID tracking project says tonight that 831,351 tests have been done. The President promised that a vaccine would be available soon. Dr. Fauci saying there's an ambitious plan to start producing a vaccine before researchers know it will work, which would mean it would be ready if the virus comes back next year.
The President said Friday, his administration would obtain 100,000 ventilators in the next 100 days. Tonight, he accused hospitals of hoarding them and in the face of all that, in the face of the facts about a virus that's already killed more than 2,400 people across this country. This is almost unbelievable.
As people of faith across this country do the right thing. They're closing their houses of worship and live streaming services to protect the lives of worshippers and of people in their community.
A church in Tampa, also live streamed its services today. But I want you to take a look at this scene. Look at that. Can you believe it? That's at the River Church. All those people crowded together, apparently not taking the slightest precaution.
Pastor Rodney Howard Browne, who prayed over the President in the Oval Office, by the way back in 2017, downplaying the danger from coronavirus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PASTOR RODNEY HOWARD BROWNE, PASTOR OF THE RIVER AT TAMPA BAY: They're already talking about this COVID-19 coming again in another wave in the fall, you know, so, I mean, it's like -- it's almost like, let's just plunge America into nothingness. Are you with me? When more people have actually died from the flu.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: We reached out to the church for comment. Haven't heard back. I hope you're listening.
Whether you attend that church or not, everyone around this country, I want you to listen to the sound of my voice. Hear my words? Remember this.
[22:10:05]
LEMON: This virus does not care what you believe. It does not care where you worship. It does not care if you worship at all. It doesn't care if you're a person of faith or not. You don't get immunity because of your beliefs.
Take precautions. Do what the experts say. God and science and Medicine can all coexist at the same time.
We're covering every single aspect of this life and death story with CNN's best people and some of the best medical experts out there. So let's bring in now CNN's chief political correspondent, Dana Bash, and our White House correspondent, Jeremy Diamond.
Before I get to any of this, Jeremy, you're a gentleman and a scholar today for what you did for Yamiche. Thank you very much for standing up for the code of journalism and ethics in this country. I appreciate that.
Dana, I'm going to start with you, however, the major headline coming out of the coronavirus briefing, the President is extending the social distancing guidelines through the end of April. You have new reporting on how he came to that decision. What do you know?
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'm told tonight that the President was given a very strong presentation today by Doctors Fauci and Birx that very specifically, in a very cogent way, talked about what Dr. Fauci said publicly on with Jake Tapper this morning, which is that 100,000 to 200,000 people could die if they don't continue to push the guidelines that are in existence right now and keep everybody locked down as much as possible. And that the President really didn't have much of a choice given how strong the presentation was.
You know, I'm told that there are some skeptics about the modeling that leads to the 100,000 or 200,000 -- skeptics in the White House. These are political and policy advisers, not necessarily medical professionals. But again, the President didn't feel he had any choice.
Another aide told me that if he was going to do it, and he had made the decision today, it was better to do it tonight, Sunday night, before the start of the week, rather than on Tuesday, as the President had thought maybe earlier he would.
LEMON: Yes, that was a total 180 what he said today. Listen, he also made Dana, some unsubstantiated claims about masks and ventilators. What was your takeaway from what was that times a combative briefing?
BASH: You know, I mean, listen, when we talk about what Jeremy did today, and my hat's off to him not only for the -- to use the term that the President has used recently esprit de corps, that this is what reporters -- I have been a reporter covering the White House in the Rose Garden. It is not easy in any situation.
It is especially not easy given the anxiety that we all feel right now and we have a President basically shouting you down. But the way Jeremy and Yamiche kept going in a very calm, fact based way is critical -- and that is my takeaway. My takeaway is that the leaders that we saw today were reporters who
are acting on behalf of the American public who just want to know the answers. They're not "gotcha."
They want to know the answers. In the case of Yamiche, does the President now believe that hospitals need these ventilators? In the case of Jeremy, does the President now believe it is important to talk to Governor's no matter who they are or what their political you know, ideology is or whether or not they he feels that they're nice to them?
And that is what matters. And that is why those questions were so important. And you know, again, how hard it is to stand up to somebody in the face of that and how important it is.
LEMON: Yes. And he keeps making this false claim about New York not knowing about ventilators being sent and stored in New Jersey when the governor has addressed it.
And also the New York Health Commissioner, Howard Zucker has addressed it as well, saying they know that they're there, they're stockpiling them. They don't need them at the moment, and when they do, they will get them.
Jeremy, I want to get to you now you pressed the President about the comments he made on Friday about not calling unappreciative governors. Let's play it and then we'll talk about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIAMOND: I'd also like to ask you about some comments you made on Friday. You were talking about governors of different states and you said I want them to be appreciative. You also said if they don't treat you right, I don't call.
TRUMP: But I didn't say that.
DIAMOND: These are direct quotes, sir.
TRUMP: Excuse me. Are you ready? Ready? Ready? Take a look at what I said. I want them to be appreciative of me. Okay. And then you cut it off because it's fake news.
DIAMOND: You and of your administration --
TRUMP: Just please, let me just finish it. You just said it again. And you know, the answer is a lie.
DIAMOND: You know, I could read you your full comments, sir, if that would be easier.
[22:15:02]
TRUMP: Let me just say. Look, your statement and your response and your answer is a lie. Because here's the story. Are you ready? I said, I want you to be appreciative of me, and then you go on -- and then I go on and you cut it off. DIAMOND: Referring to the Vice President.
TRUMP: No, I don't call -- no, I don't call the Governor of Washington now.
DIAMOND: But why in this time --
TRUMP: But Mike Pence calls and the head of F.E.M.A. calls, I don't stop them. Did I ever ask you to do anything negative Mike, to Washington -- to the State of Washington? Michigan, I love that state. That's one of my favorite places in the whole world, Michigan. And I'm so proud of what's happened with the auto industry. It's coming back to Michigan.
No, I don't have to call because I'm probably better off not because we don't get -- he's a failed presidential candidate. He's a nasty person. I don't like the Governor of Washington. So you know who calls? I get Mike Pence to call. I get the head of F.E.M.A. to call. I get the Admiral to call.
When they disrespect me, they are disrespecting our government. And you know what? I don't mind if I'm disrespected, but they can't disrespect the Army Corps of Engineers and F.E.M.A.
QUESTION: Why is the lack of --
TRUMP: Please, go ahead.
QUESTION: ... it's something that is important in the midst of --
TRUMP: I want them to appreciate the incredible job we're doing. We are doing a job the likes of which has never been done before. And there are a couple of people that know that.
But for political reasons, let's say they are Democrats, they don't want to give this administration credit, and that's okay. But I don't have to deal with them. But our Vice President does deal with them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: I think he went on there and said, I don't care if they're appreciative at all, which is a complete contradiction of what he just said.
But my question to you, Jeremy, is can governors feel confident that their requests are being treated fairly when the President of United States is making statements like that?
DIAMOND: Look, there's a couple ways to look at this. One of them is that there is the rhetoric from the President and then there is the Federal response.
A number of these governors, even those who have been criticized, like Jay Inslee, the governor of Washington, you know, he was on "State of Union" with our colleague Jake Tapper earlier today, and he was saying that ultimately he does get the calls from F.E.M.A. He does hear from the Vice President, and they are fulfilling some of the requests.
At the same time, that doesn't mean that they're getting everything that they need. And many of these governors, including Gretchen Whitmer, the Governor of Michigan, whom the President repeatedly criticized over the last several days, she said she was grateful that the Vice President called her yesterday despite the President's comments on Friday.
And that the Vice President promised her that there were going to be 112,000 N-95 masks headed to the State of Michigan. But she said that's going to hold me over until next weekend.
So again, there's a lot of questions still to be answered here about whether these states are getting enough. And, frankly, given the President's comments today about hospitals hoarding ventilators or hospitals either stealing or somehow losing surgical masks, and why are they ordering so many surgical masks. It does seem like there is a disconnect between what the Federal government is trying to do and the President's understanding of what these states actually need.
And one of the things that the states are also calling for is for the Federal government to coordinate the supply chain so you aren't seeing one state bidding against the other and that is something that we haven't heard a really full and cogent answer on from the President.
So again, still some things that the states aren't getting. It's not clear if there is a direct connection between the President's rhetoric and him singling out some of those states who have been more critical or not, "appreciative" enough of his response.
LEMON: I guess the answer to my next question is in your last -- I guess it's in there somewhere -- but there was a question about Florida and I've got to get to Richard Quest next.
But, Jeremy, if you can just clarify for me, there's a question about why Florida has gotten 100 percent of what they've asked for and some states have not gotten what they've asked for.
The President didn't really seem to answer that question, except to go on to say about, well, we're doing really great, you know, for I think the governors are happy about what I'm saying, which is not really an answer to the question. Did you get any -- did anybody get any clarification about that?
DIAMOND: No. No clarity on that. The comparison that was made was between Florida and the State of Massachusetts, which wasn't getting a hundred percent of its requests met as far as the national stockpile and getting protective equipment from there.
So it's not clear if there's political considerations at play. That being said, we do know that the Florida Governor Ron deSantis is a close ally of the President's, and he's been in his ear over the last couple of days.
In fact, there was this conversation between Trump and between the Governor of Florida that prompted the President yesterday to suggest this quarantine order for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut because of complaints about New Yorkers going down to Florida.
So we certainly know that deSantis has some influence, not clear if it's tied in that instance.
LEMON: Thank you both. Appreciate your time. Now, I want to bring in CNN Business anchor, Richard Quest. Richard, good evening to you, sir.
So let's talk about this. The President wanted to reopen the country by Easter. We had that conversation a number of times here on this program, but he is now extending this social distancing guidelines through the end of April.
It is the right move for public health. But talk to me about the economic implications here, please.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS ANCHOR AND EDITOR-AT-LARGE: There are no immediate economic implications by tonight's decision, because everybody pretty much knew this was what it was going to have to be.
The reality to anybody who has looked at this is that the economy was going to need to be shuttered for longer. It is only the President in his comments earlier that raised it.
[22:20:12]
QUEST: If you listened to what the two doctors at the briefings said tonight, they were talking about desperate. They were talking about urgent. They had an element of urgency that we have not really heard before, and I think you can see this. It is not only on an economic front, but if you look at the number of people who've died so far.
To put it in cold callous terms, if you look at the population, let's take Italy for example. Italy has a population of about 60 million, and it is the worst in Europe and it has about so far 10,000 deaths.
The United States has a population five times the size, and its current level of fatalities is at a fifth. So it's where it would be so to speak.
However, the U.S. is a long way from having the apex. New York for example, will get the apex in two or three weeks, according to the governor.
So if you start to extrapolate where you are now and where you're going to be, you can understand, firstly, why the two doctors at the press conference had such an air of seriousness about them today, desperation almost.
And secondly, why the President decided to change his decision and change his mind. The numbers, if they continue, as they are going are truly frightening.
LEMON: They certainly are. But the President isn't ruling out -- I don't think that this may not be a big surprise, not ruling out another economic relief package, correct?
QUEST: I don't -- well, he hasn't as much said so. But Stephen Mnuchin has pretty much said so.
Look, again, let's ignore what the politicians are saying. Let's look at the reality of this. This package will keep people going up for up to four months, but it won't keep everybody going and it won't be sufficient if it looks to go longer than say, for example, May or June.
And remember, June is when you're talking about getting things going again. You're looking at economic assistance being needed, right the way through until the autumn, some might suggest up until Christmas.
My back of envelope numbers suggest that the package put forward so far is about 30 percent, 40 percent of what will be needed.
At an optimistic guess, you're looking at $5 trillion to $6 trillion, a pessimistic guess you're looking at towards $8 trillion to $9 trillion.
LEMON: Richard Quest. Thank you, sir. Appreciate it. Joining me now is Dr. Esther Choo, Associate Professor at Oregon Health and Science University, and Dr. Amy Compton-Phillips, Chief Clinical Officer at Providence St. Joseph Health. Good to see both of you.
Man, we spoke at the very beginning of this, Doctor, wow. I mean, that was what a month ago and here we are. It's still going, as you so rightly predicted.
But Dr. Choo, I'm going to start with you. The F.D.A. tonight issuing a limited emergency use authorization for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for use in clinical trials. What do you think of this move considering the enthusiasm we've heard from the President over these drugs?
DR. ESTHER CHOO, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, OREGON HEALTH AND SCIENCE UNIVERSITY: Yes, I mean, this is where we start to get information. We've heard some really outrageous confidence in these medications.
I mean, I saw on social media estimates that these were 100 percent effective drugs, which was a kind of damaging message to put out because we don't know the efficacy of these drugs or the effectiveness of these drugs for this disease.
Now, we are able to push them out and put them through clinical trials and we will have information on which to base decisions as we move forward.
LEMON: And Dr. Compton-Phillips, the President made a stunning assertion during his briefing about masks. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It's a New York hospital. Very -- it's packed all the time. How do you go from 10,000 to 20,000 to 300,000 -- 10,000 to 20,000 masks to 300,000. Even though this is different, something is going on. And you ought to look into it as reporters. Where are the masks going?
Are they going out the back door? How do you go from 10,000 to 300,000?
And we have that in a lot of different places. So somebody should probably look into that because I just don't see from a practical standpoint how that's possible to go from that to that and we have that happening in numerous places. And not to that extent, that was the highest number I've heard.
So I think people should check that because there's something going on. Well, it's not -- I don't think it's hoarding. I think it's maybe worse than hording, but check it out. Check it out.
I don't know. I don't know. I think that's for other people to figure out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[22:25:07]
LEMON: Okay, so he says, I don't think it's hoarding. I think it's worse than hoarding. It seems like he is accusing hospitals or someone of taking masks or mishandling them in some way.
As a medical professional, this must -- it has to anger you, no?
DR. AMY COMPTON-PHILLIPS, CHIEF CLINICAL OFFICER AT PROVIDENCE ST. JOSEPH HEALTH: I would invite the President at any point to tour one of our hospitals and see how our healthcare workers have to protect themselves to be able to care for patients with this germ.
In one of -- we have 51 hospitals. We have a lot of hospitals around and last year, in 2019, we used 250,000 surgical masks across all of our hospitals. In three months this year at the first hospital where we had a patient, we used 250,000 masks at one hospital. Fifty one hospitals last year, one hospital this year in three months.
The amount of PPE we need to care for patients is incredible. Before we went to the conservation measures that we have right now, which means reusing masks, we were using six changes of PPE per nurse, per day, taking care of patients with COVID in the floor, in the ICU 22 changes of PPE per day. You burn through a lot of masks that way.
LEMON: Wow. Dr. Choo -- that really brings it home, Dr. Compton- Phillips, thank you for that answer.
Listen, Dr. Choo, the President called his initial goal of easing up on social distancing guidelines by Easter. He said it was aspirational. I mean, that's what he's saying now. He didn't say it initially.
He is now extending those guidelines through April 30th. Is the new goal more realistic, do you think? Or still you think that's aspirational, too? CHOO: Well, I like that the goal moved. I like that there are clearly
influential voices in that room that are presenting data to the President and making it clear that that early date was not in the realm of possibility if we want to control this disease.
I think also we can expect that some of the things that he throws out will be reconsidered as more information is put in front of him. And I can't really make a call on that April 30th date.
I do -- my gut feeling is that is also aspirational, but it's better than the 15th.
LEMON: We also heard, Dr. Compton-Phillips that tonight that the F.D.A. approved the use of the self-swab testing for the coronavirus and it's going to be implemented this week. How vital do you think that'll be if it happens on a large scale?
COMPTON-PHILLIPS: I think increasing testing is incredibly important. So while we have this longer stay at home period, what we can do on healthcare is continue to advance the science because what's going to break the back of this epidemic is the ability to test everybody and isolate people with the infection, not have to isolate every single person assuming they all have it and do the social distancing, but be able to test and isolate contact tracing the tools that we've used in previous epidemics.
And so as we start to dramatically escalate our ability to test, we can start understanding what the real epidemiology is and be able to start narrowing who it is we have to keep isolated.
LEMON: All right, Doctors, I appreciate your input from any expertise from both of you. Thank you so much.
We've got some breaking news ahead for you, a CNN exclusive. Sources telling CNN, the Justice Department is investigating a series of stock transactions made by lawmakers ahead of the sharp market downturn stemming from the spread of coronavirus.
Plus, the truth about testing. Why are we so far behind when it comes to testing for this deadly virus?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[22:30:00]
DON LEMON, CNN HOST: Okay, so here's our breaking news I told you about before we went into the break and it's a CNN exclusive.
Here's what sources are telling CNN. They're saying that the Department of Justice is investigating a series of stock transactions, transactions made by a number of lawmakers.
Evan Perez is our reporter who is breaking this story for us and he joins me now. Evan, we have been reporting on this. This is certainly a new development here, a number of lawmakers have come under scrutiny for selling stock before the market went into a nosedive over the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, the F.B.I. has gotten involved. What can you tell us about this investigation?
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR U.S. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, Don. Look, the question here is that any of these lawmakers try to profit from any of the information that they got in some of the briefings that we know some of them were getting in the weeks and the months before the stock market took a nosedive as a result of this pandemic?
Did any of them try to use that information and trade stock as a result of that? That is the big question that has brought all of the scrutiny.
So now, as you mentioned, the F.B.I., the Justice Department, as well as the Securities and Exchange Commission are now investigating this taking a look to see whether or not there's any legal violation here.
We know that in at least one case -- one case -- Senator Richard Burr, the F.B.I. has actually reached out to that Member of Congress, to that Senator to try to inquire about his stock trades.
I'll tell you real quick. He reported that he sold between $628,000.00 and $1.7 million in stock on February 13th. And so the question is whether or not there's anything wrong with that.
We also know that there are a number of other senators who have come under scrutiny for similar stock trades. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, Dianne Feinstein of California, and Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma.
LEMON: Is Senator Burr saying anything about this as he responded -- Evan.
PEREZ: He is and he has been very upfront to saying he brought in some -- the Ethics Committee of the Senate to take a look at this and said that he wanted to make sure that people know that he was not benefiting or trying to profit from any private information. He was using public information at the time he made these trades.
I'll read you a statement from Alice Fisher who is his attorney, "The law is clear that any American including a senator may participate in the stock market based on public information as Senator Burr did."
[22:35:10]
PEREZ: "When this issue arose, Senator Burr immediately asked the Senate Ethics Committee to conduct a complete review and he will cooperate with that review, as well as with any appropriate inquiry."
LEMON: And listen, a lot of people are surprised that Members of Congress are buying and selling stock while they're getting private or even classified briefings. There's -- what's the law here? Is that even legal?
PEREZ: Well, it is, you know, depending on what the circumstances are, you know, you cannot -- you know, you cannot trade on material information, nonpublic information, that you have a fiduciary duty to keep private.
So, that is the big thing that the prosecutors at the Justice Department and the investigators at the SEC are going to be looking at whether or not these lawmakers actually had nonpublic material information that they had a duty to keep private.
And so that's going to be where this turns. And again, Don, we don't know how many other lawmakers certainly may have been trading stock and who had received briefings.
So this probably will go beyond just these lawmakers that we've mentioned on the air today.
LEMON: Evan Perez with the exclusive reporting. Evan, thank you. Appreciate that.
President Trump's point man for testing saying more than 894,000 coronavirus tests have been conducted in the U.S.
So here to break down the truth about testing, CNN's Drew Griffin. Drew, good evening to you.
The Assistant Secretary for Health at the H.H.S. Department discussing ramp up -- the ramp up in testing that the administration had promised way more than that weeks ago.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: And we've been hearing about this ramp up for weeks now, Don, and if you just listen to the number 194,000 sounds like a lot, but this is what Brett Giroir said tonight and listen to what the Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said three weeks ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADMIRAL BRETT GIROIR, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF HEALTH: As of close of business yesterday, we have been able to perform in the United States over 894,000 tests.
ALEX AZAR, HUMAN AND HEALTH SERVICES SECRETARY: Up to four million tests available in the United States by the end of next week.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: End of next week, Don. End of next week, Don. That was weeks ago. Where are these tests? That is the big question.
We are just nowhere near the amount of tests that were promised weeks ago, and we are nowhere near the amount of tests that we needed to head off this crisis before it even started.
LEMON: The obvious question, Drew, why are we so far behind? Why is the U.S. so far behind in testing?
GRIFFIN: You know, we're behind in just about everything -- supplies -- we're behind in preparedness, but in testing, we had that trouble with the C.D.C. test set us back weeks, then they rolled out these tests and not only did we not have the capacity to test these tests at the labs, we couldn't process them.
But then they started running out of the material for the test, those very little nose swabs that states needed, we didn't have.
So all along the way, we are running out of these tests without capacity. And even tonight, even tonight, we are being told we are prioritizing tests in this country to the sickest of people, not to sick people, to the sickest people, those who are hospitalized, those who are in ICU.
So why are we so far behind on this test? Multiple reasons. But the end result, it's like surfing and trying to catch a wave that is past you. You just can't paddle fast enough to catch a wave. Now, we can't see how big the wave is. We can't see where the wave is going, and it's all because of this lack of testing.
LEMON: Yes, and that is a good distinction that you pointed earlier. Not sick, but the sickest. Drew, another question for you. The President is now praising General Motors for the production of ventilators after harshly criticizing them and invoking the Defense Production Act or the DPA as it is called.
Are states getting what they need with regard to ventilators?
GRIFFIN: No. You either are going to need ventilators right now or you're going to be needing ventilators very soon and we're in a very similar position as we are we're in testing, where we were in supplies for testing, where we were in supplies and still are in supplies just for PPE.
Listen to what the most crucial need is now for New York City.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D), NEW YORK CITY: We have enough supplies to get to a week from today with the exception of ventilators, we're going to need at least several hundred more ventilators.
GOV. PHIL MURPHY (D-NJ): The big headline for us right now are ventilators. We had a very specific conversation with the White House last night about ventilators.
GOV. JOHN BEL EDWARDS (D-LA): We think the first real issue is going to be ventilators and we think it's about the fourth or fifth of April before down in the New Orleans area, we're unable to put people on ventilators who need them.
We've had orders in for more than 12,000 ventilators, some through the National Stockpile, and others through profit vendors. Thus far over the last several weeks, we've been able to get only 192.
[22:40:09]
GRIFFIN: Governor Bel Edwards, he lost a member of his staff this week. The ventilators are needed to keep people alive. I've talked to doctors and nurses all this week, they are having discussions about what to do when we don't have enough ventilators, do we take them off from somebody that's older than a person who is younger? Do we swap these out? Do we try to get two working on one patient?
All of these discussions are being -- are taking place because we don't have enough ventilators.
LEMON: Yes, Governor John Bel Edwards knows Louisiana getting hit hard. New Orleans in particular and as you said, a member of his staff. Wow.
Drew, let's move on. The President now praising -- well, he was -- excuse me, he was asked tonight about supply requests from states. Listen in and I'll get an answer from you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: Mr. President, states like Florida have reportedly had 100 percent of their request for supplies from the National Strategic Stockpile filled, but other states like Massachusetts have not. So how is that assessment being made? And why has Florida gotten its request fulfilled?
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I think you're going to find that most -- almost all states -- look, I was on the call yesterday with the governors and they were happy with the job we're doing.
They were happy. It was falsely reported by a couple of people that, well, gee, they weren't. They were happy. They were thrilled.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So that wasn't, Drew, really a direct answer to the question. But I digress. That's not true. Even the answer that he gave, some governors have expressed that they aren't satisfied with the Federal response.
GRIFFIN: No, they aren't in some are, you know, very public, like Michigan's governor, New Jersey's governor. Some are getting the supplies like in Florida, but I'll tell you, this argument that President Trump is having with himself slapping himself on the back and whether or not somebody on a phone call is, you know, praising him is just irrelevant.
I'm talking to the doctors and nurses who don't have their supplies. One of them I talked to tonight is in Florida, Don. She is a nurse manager. She's down in Broward County. She was livid watching the press conference tonight.
She told me she'd never been so angry as to watch a President tonight basically accusing hospital staff of stealing or selling masks.
She was just so angry and she probably -- she made me promise that I would tell this to the nation. They do not have masks, okay. Broward County in Florida does not have masks. They are running out of masks. They have to ration masks. They have to reuse masks, something that she says all her career, they've been taught not to do -- do not reuse a mask. They are reusing masks because they don't have them.
So this idea about whether a truck pulls into Michigan with you know, a couple of hundred thousand masks that gets them through two days or not, is really irrelevant.
This is a nationwide supply problem, a global supply problem. We don't have it and what's being done to correct it and they're just not seeing it in these hospitals.
LEMON: Drew Griffin. Mission accomplished. You've got it across to the national audience. Thank you so much, sir. Appreciate it.
First responders as we've said, risking their own safety to take on coronavirus head on. The toll is taking on -- it is taking on the paramedics, the police, the firefighters and others on the frontlines. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[22:47:12]
LEMON: President Trump says that tons of much needed medical supplies were flown into New York City this morning. CNN has contacted both the Mayor of New York City's Office and the Governor's Office to confirm the supplies have arrived. We haven't heard back yet.
But supplies like that would not only help medical workers in hospitals but help protect first responders. They put their lives on the line every day and they're facing even more danger with the coronavirus pandemic.
Here's CNN, Jason Carroll.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): To see the toll the pandemic is taking on first responders in New York City. One need only to look at these police officers standing at full attention in the rain as one of their own detective, Cedric Dixon, takes his final journey.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DERMOT SHEA, NYPD COMMISSIONER: He is going to be so sorely missed. And it is just a very, very difficult time for the 32nd Precinct and for the Department as a whole.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL (voice over): Dixon had been on the force for 23 years. He is the first sworn member of the NYPD to die from COVID-19 and the third member of the department to die within a little more than 48 hours. The first two were civilian employees.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHEA: As I stand here, I cannot begin to describe what we are feeling, what the families of these three heroes are feeling.
We are hurting. We are crying, and we continue to fight. We simply have no other choice.
It is in our heart and it is in our soul to sacrifice, to serve, to fight for you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL (voice over): Nearly 5,000 of the department's uniformed employees have called out sick. That's about 12 percent of the NYPD, the largest police force in the country.
The Department says there would be nearly 900 positive coronavirus cases by morning, at least 29 are hospitalized, one in critical condition.
New York's Governor acknowledging the department and the risk all first responders are facing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): You think these police officers are not afraid to leave their house? Do you think these nurses are not afraid to go into the hospital? They're afraid.
But there is something that is more important than their fear, which is their passion, their commitment for public service and helping others.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL (voice over): The impact of the pandemic being felt across the country. On Friday, more than 400 members of the Detroit Police Department in quarantine, 39 tested positive including the Chief.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR MIKE DUGGAN (D), DETROIT: We going to continue to ramp up the protection of our police officers. It is right now our highest priority.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[22:40:08]
CARROLL (voice over): In Chicago, at least 21 Police Department employees infected, the LAPD now reporting a total of at least 24 employees with confirmed cases of COVID-19.
While in Racine County, Wisconsin, officers there, like in many cities, adopting new ways to protect themselves.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF CHRISTOPHER SCHMALING, RACINE COUNTY, WISCONSIN: We may ask you to step out of the car. We may ask you to step out of your home on a routine call. It's an effort for us to stay safe. It's an effort to keep you safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL (voice over): It is the same in Hartford, Connecticut. Police they're giving patrol cars added wipe downs and sending a clear message to the public.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Reduce your contracts with others.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL (on camera): Back in New York City's Fire Department says 235 of its members tested positive for COVID-19. The department also says EMS had its busiest four days in history last week.
Again the Governor praising all first responders saying their ability to overcome fear makes them great human beings --Don.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Jason Carroll, thank you so much, Jason.
Life in America is looking really different these days. Dan Rather weighs in on how the country will get through this crisis. He is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[22:55:01]
LEMON: Our breaking news tonight, President Trump acknowledging that the death toll from the coronavirus could hit 100,000 or more. It's clear this is going to be one of the most difficult times in the nation's history.
Joining me now, the legendary journalist Dan Rather, the host of AXS TV's "The Big Interview." Dan, good to see you. Thank you so much for joining me, sir. Are you doing okay?
DAN RATHER, HOST, AXS TV'S "THE BIG INTERVIEW": Doing great. Thank you for everything on, Don. That's such an important thing you just said that, you know, in war as in basketball games and chess, there are certain moments that are decisive.
And we as a country must realize, this is a decisive moment in the war against this virus. We're going to look back on late March, early April of 2020 as a turning point, one way or the other in the war.
We're going to have a lot of casualties, but we're in the process of setting right now every person in this country, how many casualties are we eventually going to have, by whether we have the discipline, and the resolve and the courage to do what the doctors and scientists tell us we need to do during this period. LEMON: Well, listen, so many Americans are hurting tonight, Dan. I
mean, they're scared whether, you know, to the virus, or they might, you know, lose their job or may have already lost their jobs.
They don't know how they're going to pay their rent or their mortgage or how it's going to impact their children. How are we going to -- how are we going to get through this? And I guess we will -- you know, we're going to get through it as Americans.
And also, it's going to be tough. But have you ever dealt with anything like this in your long and storied career? Have you ever seen anything like this?
RATHER: No. No, and neither is any other American alive today, with probably the exception of people 110 years old.
The closest we've come to this in our history was the great Spanish Flu disaster of 1918. I was born in 1931. I haven't seen anything like this, neither has anybody else.
But to your question -- how do we get through it? I fully understand that people are anxious, they're worried. They're fearful. The way we get through it is to remember in this land of the pilgrims' pride, land where our fathers died. We are not descended from people who had any cowardice whatsoever.
So what's needed now of each one of us is a little bit of resolve and a little bit of courage, keeping in mind that courage is being afraid, but going ahead and do what you have to do anyway.
We're at the decisive moment. What we need is each and every one of us to muster at least a little bit of courage, and we'll get through it.
LEMON: I've been wanting to ask you this, Dan, for quite some time, especially since it has gotten to this point. We talked early on, but since this has gotten to this point, you know, I thought that it would -- it has changed somewhat, but then there are still a lot of people who believe still, that coronavirus is a hoax.
You saw at the top of the show, I'm not sure if you saw the church where people are still going to church today and the guy saying, you know, this is still sort of a hoax or a ploy to bring down the -- you know, the President or something about the media.
They think that they shouldn't take the warnings to stay-at-home seriously and that the media is exaggerating this story. The President wants this to be about him versus the media. But this virus doesn't care about that.
RATHER: Well, that the virus does not care about that. And what you've just said, Don, is all the more reason to do what you and I have talked about before, and we've talked about some tonight, which is listen to the doctors and other scientists.
Keep in mind that doctors are of course scientists. Listen to the doctors and scientists. Try to dial out all of this other from politicians high and low.
As for those people who say it's a hoax and it is a creation of the media. There's not much we can do except to continue to concentrate on the facts.
I'm not employed by CNN as you know, but I like the new campaign that CNN has about emphasizing facts matter. And we get the facts from the doctors and the scientists.
Let the politicians and the conspiracy theorists and the various people have at it. Just don't pay attention to them because this is an hour of decision at a critical moment.
LEMON: I want to ask you about one of your colleagues or someone who worked at CBS. CBS News announced earlier today that Maria Mercader who is a longtime CBS News producer passed away due to coronavirus and you of course worked at CBS for years and said on Twitter that she was a friend.
There will be many people and families who are going to feel the pain of this kind of loss, Dan, in the coming weeks, aren't there?
RATHER: No question about it. I knew Maria very well. She was a great help to me when I was at CBS. She was loyal, a great lady, but you make a really important point, Don.
When someone who is close to you as Maria was to all of us at CBS passes on, it drives home the point that this is serious.
[23:00:10]
