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Don Lemon Tonight
States Reopen Their Economy Through Shortcuts; President Trump Touted Millions Have Been Tested; IHME Model Seen A Spike In Coronavirus Deaths; White House Releases Blueprints For Increased Coronavirus Testing As States Move To Reopen; Texas Governor To Allow Some Businesses To Reopen Friday At 25 Percent Capacity; New Test Shows University Of Oxford Vaccine For Coronavirus To Be Effective In Monkeys; California Governor Frustrated By Crowded Beaches. Aired 10- 11p ET
Aired April 27, 2020 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[22:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: But you know what Trump and Pence and too many others know? You know what sells in politics? Fiction, telling you what you want to hear. You want to re-open? Yes. So, duck the fact that you had plenty of early warning to do something about this.
And you'll duck it and say, well, it was all China's fault. And now the testing you've been knowing about it forever. And you haven't done anything until today, so you'll duck it and say it's the governors' fault. I'm telling you, this is the end of the argument, OK?
The reason these governors are doing well in the polls is because they're being straight with you, even when the information is not good. Leadership is not telling people what they want to know. It's convincing them to do what they don't want to do. That's real leadership, especially in a time of need. That's what we need right now.
That's my argument. Thank you for watching. All right. "CNN TONIGHT" with D. Lemon starts right now. I had a special viewer today. A 2- year-old girl named Grace. I promised I'd give her a wink. Can you believe a 2-year-old watches this show?
DON LEMON, CNN HOST: I can. I can. Right up your alley.
CUOMO: I know. That's who connects with me.
LEMON: That's who -- you took the words right out of my mouth. You like to say -- what you said? It's politicians. I like to say it's the media and I don't even say -- you said state TV. I just call them the media because they're the media. They like to pretend that they're not part of the media, you know, they like to call us the liberal media.
They are the media as well and they spread that propaganda about, it's nobody -- the liberal media doesn't want you open and the Democrats. Everybody wants to open. Everybody wants to open again. CUOMO: Everybody wants to open.
LEMON: Everybody wants the economy to do well. Everyone wants their kids to go back to school. You have kids. You want to go -- they want -- everyone wants their kids to learn. And especially, most people want their kids out of the house, let's be honest.
CUOMO: You're telling me.
LEMON: You're tired of doing homework.
CUOMO: I'd send my kids out now just to pass test kits. I don't even care if they go to school. I'd be -- I'd be -- they can stop grocery shelves, as long as they're gone for six, seven hours a day, I'm good.
LEMON: Hey, I saw your mask that Sanjay's kids gave you.
CUOMO: Solei.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: Solei made this beautiful mask I posted on Instagram for.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: What a beautiful gesture. She made me cry.
LEMON: Yes. I got this. I told you I got this one is from the Sickle Cell Center, and it's a -- they have this rich kids camp that they raise money for, and there is a site where you can go. It's handmadesafemask.com. And they, you know, all the money goes to this. But anyway, it's a really cool mask and it's got the American flag on it, so you can be patriotic and help out with Sickle Cell.
CUOMO: I love it. And a lot of people are finding out creative ways to help and raise awareness. You know, I'm feeling a little better. I got the antibody test back. I have the antibodies. Mario flew through the virus, I guess young and strong. Cristina, too. Negative, flew through the virus way faster than I did.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: You know she had some struggles. But I'm feeling. Because I actually disagree with you about something tonight. I think that when you intentionally distort reality to create division and you do things like paint homeless people as vermin and pestilence and you take the word of people you know can't be trusted and you promote lies, in order to promote a president's agenda, even when you know it's malignant. You're not the media anymore, you're something else. You're a mouthpiece.
The media works for the governed, not for the governors. And you surrender your right to be part of the free press when you act like you are neither free and you press nothing but someone's agenda.
LEMON: You mean the media works for the people? We work for the people.
CUOMO: Yes, man.
LEMON: Well.
CUOMO: That's right. We report for them and we report to them.
LEMON: Yes. Can't say that I disagree with that. Now go get some rest.
CUOMO: I like it.
LEMON: I'll see you back here soon.
CUOMO: I will. I love you. D. Lemon, my man.
LEMON: All right. You as well, Christopher Cuomo, now get out of that basement and come back to work. We're raring to see you here in the building.
CUOMO: Next week.
LEMON: All right. I'll see you next week here in the building and I'll see you tomorrow night here on TV.
This is CNN TONIGHT. I'm Don Lemon.
And here is our breaking news. Now, stay with me. Listen, every night, I know I seem like a broken record, but we have to report these things. We have to report the information, the accurate information every single night because there is so much misinformation. That comes especially from the administration. That we have to give you the information, and if it sounds like a broken record, I'm sorry, we have to do it over and over and over to fight the disinformation, the misinformation, the wrong information, OK?
So, follow with me tonight because I have a lot that I need to tell you.
More than 987,000 cases of coronavirus in this country. Getting closer and closer every day to 1 million cases. More than 56,000 Americans have died and this crisis has our economy in free-fall.
[22:05:04]
That is the truth. I'm not going to tell you anything that is false, OK? This -- these are all facts. Twenty-six million Americans filing for unemployment in five weeks. More and more states across this country beginning to reopen their economies. Even if they haven't met the president's own guidelines. Remember those?
And with all of that, the president holding a hastily-arranged news conference in the Rose Garden today, days after claiming that briefings were not worth the time and effort. That's a quote from him. Not worth the time and effort.
Looks like the president just couldn't resist the spotlight for more than a few days. Tonight, taking a victory lap on testing, claiming that the governors are as thrilled as they can be over the administration's coronavirus response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We've launched the most ambitious testing effort likewise on earth. The United States has now conducted more than 5.4 million tests, nearly double the number tested in any other country. More than twice as much as any other country. Think of that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Five-point-four million tests. Total through this entire crisis. Experts say we need to do half a million tests a day. And we're not nearly there yet. Again, these are all facts.
The president, who almost two months ago said anybody who needs a test gets a test, shifting the burden to the states and calling the federal government a supplier of last resort. While urging governors to reopen their states as quickly as possible.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Grapple with when and how to open their states. What's the best advice from you on how quickly on what they should do --
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Well, we want them to do it. We recommend they do it as quickly as possible, but safely. We want everyone to be safe. And I think you're seeing that. You're seeing a lot of governors get out and they want to open it up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: But it's clear that what governors decide will not just affect their own residents. It's going affect their neighbors, too.
I want you to take a look at this. Look at your screen now. Texas reopen businesses May -- it's going to happen on May 1st. That's on Friday. Neighboring Louisiana, which is my home state, Louisiana is extending the stay-at-home order until May 15th.
There's no border wall between them. What's going to -- what's going to happen when Texans cross over into Louisiana and vice versa? What -- what'll happen?
The president asked tonight whether he takes any responsibility for an increase in calls to states' hotlines about disinfectants. Disinfectant after his comments last week, asking whether injecting disinfectant could fight the virus.
OK. What we're learning tonight the poison control center in Kansas is reporting a 40 percent increase in cleaning chemical cases, that is according to the Washington Post. But I want you to listen to what the president says.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maryland and other states -- Governor Larry Hogan said specifically they've seen a spike in people using disinfectant after your comments last week. I know you said they were sarcastic.
TRUMP: I can't imagine why. I can't imagine why. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you take any responsibility?
TRUMP: No, I don't. No, I can't imagine -- I can't imagine that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Can't imagine it. It's not the first time in this crisis the president has refused to take responsibility. Remember this? This was back in March.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dr. Fauci said earlier this week that the lag in testing was, in fact, a failing. Do you take responsibility for that? And when can you guarantee that every single American who needs a test will be able to have a test? What's the date of that?
TRUMP: Yes, no, I don't take responsibility at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Don't take responsibility. The president promised anybody who wants a test could have a test. He said that on March 6th, March 6th was 52 days ago. Sure, wasn't true when he said it. Still not the case now.
Again, these are facts. Pretty clear there's a lot of revisionist history going on at the president's briefings. And some of his supporters are following his lead. Take a look at what Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said about the coronavirus at his own briefing today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): At first it seemed like in February a lot of folks in the media downplayed it. They said it was less than the flu. Don't worry about it. As we got intol ate February, early March, it became different, and I think a lot of people were really, really scared.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: A lot of folks in the media. Maybe he was talking -- watching his interviews in the media. I don't know. A lot of folks in the media downplayed the coronavirus? The media? OK, I'm going to tell you who downplayed the virus, all right? Again, facts. Not just in February, but for weeks after.
[22:10:03] On second thought, why don't I just let him tell you himself?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: By April, you know in theory when it gets a little warmer it miraculously goes away.
The coronavirus, which is, you know, very well under control in our country.
We're going down, not up. We're going very substantially down, not up.
When you have 15 people and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero. That's a pretty good job we've done.
Anybody that needs a test gets a test. They're there. They have the tests. And the tests are beautiful.
We're doing a great job with it, and it will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away.
Some of the doctors say it will wash through, it will flow through.
Very accurate, think you're going to find, in a number of weeks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Wash through. Flow through. And that's where the governors claim that the people in the media said that the coronavirus was less serious than the seasonal flu, it was the president who did that. Maybe he was watching the president in the media. Tweeting on March 9th that tens of thousands of Americans die from the common flu and the economy was not shut down. He was at it again two weeks later.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We've had horrible flus. I mean, think of it. We average 36,000 people, death, death. I'm not talking about cases. I'm talking about death. Thirty-six thousand deaths a year. People die, 36 -- from the flu. But we've never closed down the country for the flu. So, you say to yourself, what is this all about?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: What is this all about? Well, it's about facts, again, as I tell you. Not even taken out of context. This is just -- this is his own words.
What is this all about? It's about a president downplaying a deadly virus for months. The truth. Washington Post reporting tonight that this president had more than a dozen classified briefings warning about the coronavirus from early January through February. A dozen. While he continued to downplay the danger.
Repeated warnings in the president's daily brief, raising the possibility of dire consequences. Warnings the president did not heed or maybe didn't bother to read.
An official in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which manages the briefing, told the Post that the detail of this is not true but didn't explain how.
CNN has reached out to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for comment but we haven't heard back.
This is about months of delay when we could have been preparing. Ramping up testing, getting hospitals the supplies that they need. Social distancing. And wearing masks. It's about a president downplaying while now know the virus was spreading. It's about more than 56,000 American lives. It's about the truth.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta is here, our White House Correspondent, Kaitlan Collins joins us as well. Good evening to you both. Kaitlan, the message from the White House seems to be we have done a great job, we have all the tests that we need. So how does this match reality?
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the testing capacity is not where the president says it is. We know that. A lot of it has to do with the -- what's needed to actually conduct these tests.
Number one, the reagents. The chemicals needed to make them. That's really been something that has been a new struggle that we've seen play out over the last several weeks for governors to come by, as they are trying to ramp up testing so they can reopen.
But also, the other physical component of doing a test like this. The swabs, the vials, things of that nature. They say they are still struggling with. So, what the White House putting out this blueprint today, it did seem to be them acknowledging that they are hearing these complaints from governors.
But really, Don, the question is going to be, you know, what specifically is going to happen here? Because a lot of what you saw in that document and what the president said today, is this is still going to be up to states to have, shoulder a lot of this responsibility and they said, really, the federal government is just going to be seen as a last resort to them.
And they noted that they want to get to a point where every state can test 2 percent of its population per month, but what they didn't say was exactly how they are going to get there. And it the notable, that is something that officials were telling reporters. That is not something that was in this document that the White House put out.
So, there are still a lot of questions about whether or not this is actually going to be something that can happen and soon.
LEMON: Dr. Gupta, a White House source says that the goal is to help each state reach the ability to test at least 2 percent, as Kaitlan said, of its residents, so the question is, is that enough.
[22:15:00] SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I don't think that's enough. I mean, really by any way that you look at that, I think, you know, if you look at the Harvard study they said, you know, you're talking maybe 500,000 people a day, right? So that's a percent of people a week, really, in the country.
But I think even that number is probably low. One way to think about this, Don, and I think maybe this is a good way. We keep focusing on the absolute number of tests, which isn't maybe necessarily that helpful. Doesn't have context. Or we compare it to other countries which also doesn't really have context.
What you really want to figure out is in the United States, are we testing enough? And the way to get there really from a testing standpoint, to look at the numbers, is to say when you start to get 10 percent of the tests coming back as positive, that means you're probably doing adequate surveillance, OK?
So, most of them should come back negative because you're doing enough surveillance. Ten percent coming back positive. For example, where I am in Georgia, the positive rate is around 19 percent. I think in New York where you are, it's closer to 30 percent.
LEMON: Wow.
GUPTA: So, none of these states are doing enough testing to really get to the point where we got good vision on exactly how many people out there likely have this.
If you do the numbers backwards, the people really want to have numbers on that. That's probably one million or so tests per day, Don, not six million per month, which would be roughly 2 percent of the country. So, it's nowhere near enough, 2 percent.
LEMON: Sanjay, so I was listening to the president's comments today, and he was -- he was suggesting that some schools could open up soon. Listen -- listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I think you'll see a lot of schools open up, even if it's for a very short period of time. I think it would be a good thing, because as you see in terms of what this vicious virus goes after, young people seem to do very well. Young people seem to do very well.
So, I know that there are some governors that aren't necessarily ready to open up their states, but they may be ready to open up their school systems. We'll see. But that's their choice. But the word is safety, OK? Rapid but safety.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So, Doctor, as of Friday, 43 states in Washington, D.C. have announced school closures through the end of this academic year. What would the public health impact be if schools opened back up?
GUPTA: Well, see, the issue really is it is true that younger people aren't as affected by this virus as people who are older.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: You heard Chris say his son flew through the -- I'm just using a random example.
GUPTA: Right. Mario -- yes, but there -- I think there are two caveats here. One is that we've learned a lot, right? And one of the big things that we've learned is that people who carry the virus may not have any symptoms at all, asymptomatic or maybe pre-symptomatic can still spread this.
So, kids, you know, may not be as likely to get ill, although they can get ill, and then they carry the virus, they bring it home and then they potentially get someone in their home sick. That's the concern here, really.
I mean, I think there's going be some logic as we move forward to say, hey, look, is there a way to get kids back in school. I don't know if it's going to be for this year. I mean, we're already, you know, close to the end of April. But if kids go back to school next year, how do we do it in a way that's safe, that, a, they're not getting people within the school system sick because teachers or other people who are actually working within the school system and how do we create a system where they're not going to then bring the virus home and infect their parents or grandparents or something like that.
You know what that's going to involve? Something we've all been talking about for three or four months, testing. We have to make sure we have rapid testing available so that people have confidence.
One is that it's psychological. I don't have the virus, that's good. The other part is that psychological. I now have confidence to go into places like schools, come back home because I know that I'm not harboring the virus and people around me aren't harboring the virus either. That's just going to take testing, Don.
LEMON: Doctor, Kaitlan, thank you both. I appreciate it.
GUPTA: You got it.
LEMON: The model the White House uses to track the coronavirus is from the University of Washington. Well, there is a brand-new projection tonight, and we're going to have that breaking news for you right after this break.
[22:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Breaking news that I was telling you about a bit earlier. It's on a key scientific modeling from the University of Washington. The model used by the White House which forecasts the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. They have some new forecast information for us tonight. So, let's get right to that for. It's Dr. Chris Murray, the director
of the University's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Doctor, thank you so much. I appreciate it.
The current number of coronavirus deaths in the U.S. topped 56,000 today. States are starting to lift their stay-at-home orders. As a result, I think, that's part of it. You've adjusted your model. What's your forecast?
CHRISTOPHER MURRAY, DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH METRICS AND EVALUATION: Our forecast now is for 74,000 deaths. That's our best estimate. The range is pretty wide because there's a lot of unknown factors there, but our best estimate is going up, and we see these protracted, long peaks in some states. We're also seeing signs of a mobility data that people are getting more active, and that's also feeding into our assessment.
LEMON: Yes, the -- it was for -- I think it was 60,000, right? That was a low. Right? And now it's up to 74,000. I mean, just in my -- in the limited time that I am out on the way to work in the car, I notice -- or if I'm going to the supermarket in a limited time, I do see more people out. More family members. I even see people out picnicking and social gatherings. Friends out hanging out together. People in parks and what have you.
So, did the White House and the task force have this information before today's briefing? Because we heard the president say that we're probably heading to a death toll of 60,000 or 70,000. You know, last week he said it could end up at 50 to 60. So, what's going on?
MURRAY: Well, we just put out literally as this show is going live, we just put out today's update. So, we do talk to the task force pretty much every day. But we hadn't yet seen the final numbers.
[22:25:04]
But Monday's numbers were also up. They were up toward 69,000, but we're just seeing this steady rise. You're seeing it in the case numbers as well. There's a lot of signs that we're sort of trending down, but there are some signs here that things are not quite on the same trajectory that they were a week or 10 days ago.
LEMON: OK. So, what is the lesson here? What is the takeaway from these numbers going up from 54,000 to 74,000?
MURRAY: We were trying to give some evidence some scientific basis for thinking about when social distancing might be relaxed. There's always going to be a risk. But obviously people also need to -- or just really want to get back to their lives.
So, we made some suggestions on state by state when that might take place. Those are dates, you know, in mid-May out until towards the end of June, but as we're seeing the epidemic now not going away as quickly as we thought, even our recommendations for those dates will probably shift out farther. And given that we're seeing relaxation of some of the Band-Aids coming
as we speak, are forecasts likely are going to have to be revised upwards to take that into account.
LEMON: Do you think that these states are opening too early, too soon?
MURRAY: I certainly do. If you're focused on trying to protect people's health, then the answer is absolutely. It's a safer strategy to get the number of infectiousness in the community down to a really low level and then testing and contact tracing and isolation can work.
But, you know, our role is to give the evidence on the public health effects, and it's certainly not our job to make decisions for state governments or the federal government.
LEMON: I completely understand. That's why I'm asking you forecasting questions. But I don't think, you know, it's not your call. It's not a political question as well.
But as states start to open up and, and even as they're doing it before -- or whatever it is. They're opening up, places start to open up. Will you continually have to update your models to -- do you understand what I'm saying? Right.
MURRAY: Right. You know, our --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Will they have to indicate -- will you increase the number of people who will possibly die from this if they continue to open up at an earlier date than you suggest?
MURRAY: Yes. Absolutely. I mean, our -- we see our job is to help hospitals and help health systems plan to give people high-quality care in the setting of the pandemic. So if we see in the changes in social mandates and the mobility data evidence that things are going to start to go back up, we're certainly going to revise our forecast, because we always want to be giving the best information both to, you know, doctors and hospitals and other health professionals, but also to the public so that they can be, you know, anticipate what might be coming.
LEMON: Yes. And as it gets warmer, it's harder to tell people to stay at home. Got your work cut out for you, Dr. Murray. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Thanks so much.
MURRAY: Thanks.
LEMON: We just heard Dr. Murray's new analysis that states shouldn't start easing restrictions until May. But up next, two former health officials who have worked for Republicans and Democrats about what needs to be done to balance the ongoing public health crisis and the economic crisis.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[22:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: The White House tonight releasing a blueprint for increased coronavirus testing saying the federal government is a test supplier of last resort. The announcement coming as several states move to reopen. Let's discuss now. Ron Klain is here, he is a former White House Ebola response coordinator under President Barack Obama and adviser to Joe Biden.
And also the Director Mark McClellan, the -- back that up, please. Dr. Mark McClellan, the former FDA commissioner during George W. Bush administration. Gentlemen, thank you. Good to see both of you. Ron, I'm going to start with you. The president claiming testing, who said, skyrocketing, and said that while talking about the testing blueprint for the states. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are continuing to rapidly expand our capacity and confident that we have enough testing to begin reopening, and the reopening process. We want to get our country open. And the testing is not going to be a problem at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Are we anywhere near enough testing to reopen now, Ron?
RON KLAIN, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF TO VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: No, we aren't. I mean, you know, what the president talked about today was going from roughly 150,000 tests a day to about 225,000 tests a day. That's nowhere near enough. It the not what any expert, Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, has nothing to do with politics. And I think almost everyone thinks you need at least 500,000, 700,000 tests a day.
Dr. McClellan and others have called to many, many more than that. But what we know certainly if you are talking about the kind of numbers we're talking about, you're nowhere in the ballpark of what you need really to know where the disease is, where it is and who has it, who doesn't have it. We're just still going to be flying blind at the kind of levels the president was talking about today.
LEMON: Dr. McClellan, you advised Governor Abbot, Texas governor on his medical advisers on his plan to reopen, correct? So, testing and contact tracing, it needs to be robust before reopening. Experts say that we're behind in both of those, and yet states like Texas, they're already easing restrictions. Any of this make sense to you?
DR. MARK MCCLELLAN, FORMER FDA COMMISSIONER: Well, Don, governors are in a tough spot between the importance of controlling the further spread of the pandemic, keeping those numbers down, keeping the decline in the curves on the one hand, but this very serious economic pressure and health consequences on the other. The testing in Texas is up. The governor's plan includes a plan for substantial further increases in testing in the days and weeks ahead. [22:35:08]
And it also includes -- and I want to follow up on Dr. Murray's comments earlier about just how important it is to keep deaths and hospitalizations from rising, too. It also includes some extra protections for older Americans. People who are most at risk of hospitalizations. This is an example of the difficult choices that many governors are facing today.
I hope we can get the test capacity up further, faster, also tracing contacts. We had a proposal out today on that issue. For some federal help to make it easier for the governors to deal with these tough decisions they're facing.
LEMON: So when do you suggest, though, when would you think that they should start relaxing these restrictions?
MCCLELLAN: I think the -- the kinds of steps that Texas is taking are intended to relax restrictions without having a significant increase in cases. As Governor Abbot talked about today, he is going to be watching closely as these incremental opening steps happen to see what the consequences are. I would much rather -- we're living in an ideal world where testing capacity and tracing capacity would be fully up and fully in place first, but this is a difficult situation (inaudible) Texas.
LEMON: But you don't have a date?
MCCLELLAN: Where they have not got the health care system that -- the burdens on the health care system are down, but we don't have as much testing as we'd like.
LEMON: So you're not giving a specific date, right?
MCCLELLAN: I think it depends on getting the tests up and in the governor's plan he will get --
LEMON: All right. I got you. I got you.
MCCLELLAN: -- that Mr. Klain was talking about.
LEMON: I got you. So, Ron, listen, scientists at the University of Oxford have jumped ahead in the race for a vaccine. Today The New York Times is reporting that new tests show that their vaccine is effective in monkeys. Does this sound promising to you?
KLAIN: Look, I think there are a lot of promising things going on. I think this result from Oxford with -- is promising, but it is only six monkeys. Its monkeys, not people, and it's only been going for 28 days. The question is going to be, how long does this vaccine provide immunity?
It's only been tested for 28 days so it's not a criticism of the test. The point is, there's just a lot of unanswered questions. Will this Oxford vaccine be the most successful vaccine? There are other projects going on in our country around the world. I think there's a lot of reasons to be hopeful about the science, but
I think whatever happens here in terms of which of these vaccines is the most successful and the most protective, it's going to be months, at least months, before we have enough of it to protect enough people. So in the meantime we are reliant on testing and contact tracing. And I disagree with the Dr. (inaudible) on the idea that we should open first and let the tests catch up.
You know, President Trump says the (inaudible) is the tester of last resort. Folks, this is the last resort. We have 50,000 people die this month. If this isn't the last resort, I don't know what is.
It's time for the federal government to ramp up, to do more, and to help the states like Texas, like these other states that I think are trying to get there, but there's just no question the federal government is the only entity with the reach and the power and the tools to really get us to where we need to be before we open, not catch up to it, you know, like a train in motion. That's not going to work.
LEMON: All right. Well, thank you both. And Dr. McClellan, let us know what happens with Texas. Come back, please.
MCCLELLAN: It is time for more federal support. Thank you.
LEMON: Thank you both. I appreciate it.
Thousands of people crowding California beaches despite the ongoing pandemic, and the governor has some tough talk for them. Look at that. That's next.
[22:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: So, I want you to take a look at this. I had a little reaction before the break, but look at this. These are crowds packing at reopen beaches in Ventura and Orange County and counties in Southern California. Over the weekend. In a press conference today, the Governor, Gavin Newsom let people know that it's not time to forget about social distancing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): Those images are an example of what not to see. People, what not to do. This virus doesn't take the weekends off. This virus doesn't go home because it's a beautiful sunny day around our coasts. And that's why I cannot impress upon you more to those Californians watching that we can't see the images like we saw, particularly on Saturday in Newport Beach and elsewhere in the state of California.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Joining me now, CNN's Senior National Correspondent, Kyung Lah. Kyung, I'm shocked by those images. The governors as well fired up that video. I mean, has to be frustrating for him after how much progress California has been making.
KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Weeks of progress. Millions of jobs. Lost millions of dollars lost in this state. Let's put it into context. In the most populous state in the United States, 40 million people here. Governor Newsom was the very first governor to shut down the state's economy. Because that's how dire the situation was. So, he took a significant political risk. He did it for public health and safety.
And so then to see people crowd a beach like that? Enjoy themselves in the sun? Yes, he is absolutely irritated. Most of the beaches have these signs up. You can see that there is this white and red sign. They're posted all over the place. There's fencing. But people are still violating these signs. And as we saw in Newport Beach, packing the beaches, being selfish instead of paying attention to public health, so, yeah, Governor Newsom plenty mad.
[22:45:06]
LEMON: Yes, there were some folks right behind you, I'm not sure what the specific orders are for that beach, but there were some folks behind you just when you were on the other side.
LAH: They're not supposed to be there.
LEMON: They're not supposed to be there. Listen, Newsom also hinting that changes could be coming to California's stay at home restrictions in a period of weeks, not months. That would be huge. What's going on?
LAH: OK, as a resident of this state, that would be enormous. The notion of it just being weeks away, there are small businesses that are having to fold every single day across this entire state. It is an economic lifeline if you think about not having to completely shut down for months upon months.
And that's really the fear here. If you talk to people who need to make money driving an Uber or they have a cafe where they need people to come in and sit and eat. Even if they have to adjust to the new normal, they need that business, and so the idea of it being just weeks away, that could be a -- the difference between life or death for a lot of sectors of this economy, Don.
LEMON: All right. Kyung Lah, good luck out there. Thank you very much. We'll be right back.
LAH: Thanks, Don.
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[22:50:00]
LEMON: Now to a CNN exclusive. Imagine being a target of a false accusation of bringing the coronavirus to China. It's happening to a U.S. Army reservist who is a wife and mother. Conspiracy theorists have made her life a living hell. Here's CNN Donnie O'Sullivan has the story. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's like waking up from a bad dream. Going into a nightmare, like day after day.
DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER: This is (Inaudible), she and her husband are at the center of an elaborate conspiracy theory promoted by George Webb.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This goes back to our story here. Which is patient zero, which is Maatje Benassi.
O'SULLIVAN: He's a conspiracy theorist who has nearly 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. He falsely claims without any evidence that Maatje brought the virus to China during a cycling competition. Maatje is in the U.S. Army reserve. And last October she competed in the military world games in Wuhan, China. Six months later, comments under Webb's YouTube videos about Benassi's have become the stuff of nightmares.
MATT BENASSI, VICTIM OF CONSPIRACY THEORY: Execute them by firing squad. We need to be killing these key people. These people will get a bullet to the skull.
O'SULLIVAN: The conspiracy theory has even reached China. Webb has been featured in media controlled by the Chinese Communist Party which is sought to deflect blame for the coronavirus.
BENASSI: We talked to law enforcement, because they are not direct threats, there's not a lot that they can actually do. For folks like us it's just too expensive to litigate something like this.
O'SULLIVAN: Could you talk me through the specific evidence you have that she is as you described a coronavirus patient zero?
GEORGE WEBB, CONSPIRACY THEORIST: Yeah. Well, I have to there's a lot of circumstantial evidence and then there's a source here that I cannot reveal.
O'SULLIVAN: So, specifically on Maatje Benassi, how do you know that she has the coronavirus or has antibodies or how do you know that for sure?
WEBB: Well, I have a source at the Fort Belford Community Hospital. And she actually works at where I have someone saying that she works at the Fort Belford Community Hospital. And she tested positive for the coronavirus.
O'SULLIVAN: She denies that.
WEBB: She denies that? Did she deny that she works at the Fort Belford Community Hospital?
O'SULLIVAN: She denies that she's had the coronavirus. That she's had a symptoms of the coronavirus. A YouTube's spokesperson told CNN, the company is committed to
promoting accurate information about the coronavirus and taking down misinformation when it's blogged by users. YouTube took down some trending comments under Webb's videos after CNN asked about them.
BENASSI: Couple years ago, I was diagnosed with a rare cancer. Dealing with that situation is way easier than trying to deal with this George Webb situation.
MAATJE BENASSI, VICTIM OF CONSPIRACY THEORY: It's getting out of hand and it needs to stop.
O'SULLIVAN: Don, you can see this has clearly up ended their lives. The allegations about the Benassi's maybe wildly untrue, the treks they face and the fear they feel is very real. Clearly YouTube has a lot of questions to answer here, but the Benassi's say they tried to keep track of all the false videos about them, but it became overwhelming.
I should mention also in response to the wider conspiracy theory, pushed by China that is the United States is in some way responsible for the outbreak of the coronavirus. The government here is USADOT is categorically false. Don?
LEMON: All right. Donnie, thank you so much for that report. The U.S. is nearing a million confirmed coronavirus cases. As scientist predict another increase in projected death. Stay with us for the latest.
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[22:55:00]
LEMON: This is CNN TONIGHT. I'm Don Lemon, 11:00 p.m. on the East Coast. We've got the latest on the coronavirus for you. There are now more or nearly 1 million confirmed cases in the United States and more than 56,000 deaths. Worldwide, more than 3 million cases and more than 210,000 deaths.
As many states move to begin reopening their economies the White House is releasing what is calling the blueprint to ramp up testing. But it's primarily pushing responsibility for testing onto the state. Saying the federal government should act as quote the supplier of last resort for coronavirus tests.
Also tonight with the death toll from the virus rising the U.S. Medical experts warn there are significant risks from states reopening too soon? A key scientific model from the University of Washington which is used by the White House coronavirus task force now projects the death toll in this country could surpass 74,000.
Joining me now is White House correspondent John Harwood. And senior CNN senior investigative correspondent, Drew Griffin. Good evening to both of you. John Harwood, I'm going to start with you, the president said this weekend that briefings were not worth the time and effort. That is a quote from him. That didn't really last long, because he was back rewriting history and shifting the blame tonight.
