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Don Lemon Tonight

Coronavirus Penetrated Trump's Inner Circle; Another Unreasonable Killing Caught in Camera; Economy Worse than the Great Depression; Coronavirus Pandemic, Record 20.5 Million American Jobs Lost In April, Unemployment Rate Soars To 14.7 Percent; Nobel Laurette In Economics Lays Out His Roadmap To Responsibly Reopen America; Father And Son Arrested In Killing Of Ahmaud Arbery; Arrest Made After Video Ignites Demands For Action In Shooting Death Of Black Jogger; The Color Of Covid; The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Exacerbating Issues Facing The Black Community. Aired 10-11p ET

Aired May 08, 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]

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: I was so pumped up the whole block, everybody was at their windows. It was such a cool thing to see and be part of it. I was terribly at shooting it, but what an amazing thing to witness firsthand. How, you know, I'm on the upper east side there and the whole place came alive for them because there are so many hospitals in the area.

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: It's amazing to be there at seven o'clock. And I'm glad that there are no -- there were no reflective surfaces to see you jumping out of the shower.

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: I know. I actually said that -- I actually said that to Rosily when we were looking at it. You don't see anything, do you? Hey, speaking of cheers. From cheers to jeers. Did you hear us in the truck the other day?

LEMON: No, I didn't.

CUOMO: When you were jogging across the street, somebody said --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: I didn't. You drove by the house?

CUOMO: -- keep running, fat boy. And you turned around. That was Bella driving my truck.

LEMON: I figured it was -- you know, I'm used to people yelling at me.

CUOMO: You had the mask on but you had some angry eyes when you turned around.

LEMON: I think you got me -- if I was running across the bridge, it was right when my hat fell off. So, I had a hat on and I had the mask on because you know people are -- people are looking for us to making sure we're -- to make sure we're doing the right thing. And I'm always trying to run with a mask on --

CUOMO: It's not easy.

LEMON: I tried to do it with gloves on. It's just impossible. It's not easy. It's not easy. But you know what, we're doing --

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: You were about 50 yards behind your fiance. And Bella was like, I think that's Don Lemon. And I said, keep running, fat boy. And you went like this.

LEMON: Listen, on a serious note, I do it for people like you who have had the virus so that others don't get it, and I do it for those people that you were cheering in your shower. And I want to do the right thing. I don't care if it's hard for me because I can only imagine how tough it is when your lungs were giving you, you know, the business when you were going through it.

So, a little -- a little jog with a mask on, every once in a while, I take it down to catch my breath where I get a little open area where there aren't a lot of people. And when I see folks, I put it right back on. So that's -- we're doing it. But you're right, this quarantine, put on a couple extra pounds. I got to get them off, Chris.

CUOMO: You look good.

LEMON: And you're going to -- you're going to help me --

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: You look good, D. Lemon.

LEMON: -- once we -- once we get some time off.

CUOMO: You're a handsome man. You can thank your mom for that.

LEMON: Thank you, brother. I love you. Have a great weekend. I'll see you soon, OK.

CUOMO: I love you. I hope to see you soon, brother. We'll be watching.

LEMON: This is CNN Tonight. I'm Don Lemon. Thank you so much for joining us.

We've got a lot of breaking news for you tonight on what the coronavirus is doing to the American people and to our economy. On the day the death toll in this country passes 77,000, the day we're learning a record 20.5 million people lost their jobs in the past month.

Imagine that, the virus is hitting closer to home now. With a potential hotspot on the White House grounds. For the second day in a row a confirmed case of the coronavirus.

This time it is the vice president, Mike Pence's press secretary, Katie Miller, who happens to be married to the president's senior adviser, Stephen Miller, and coming one day after one of the president's Oval Office valets tested positive.

A source telling CNN everyone in the West Wing is nervous. We're also learning that Ivanka Trump's personal assistant has tested positive for the virus, though she has been working from home and hasn't been around the president's daughter for several weeks now. Both Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner tested negative today. The president saying this about Katie Miller.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: So, she tested positive out of the blue. This is why the whole concept of tests aren't necessarily great. The tests are perfect, but something can happen between a test where it's good and then something happens and all of a sudden, she was tested very recently and tested negative. And then today I guess for some reason she tested positive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: For some reason? The reason Katie Miller tested positive for the virus is because she has the virus. There are more and more cases every single day, nearly 1.3 million so far.

And you heard the president say, this is why the concept of tests isn't necessarily great. Because you can test negative one day and the next day test positive. Which is exactly why we need more testing.

It's not a problem with the concept of testing. That's exactly what testing is for. To tell you if you're carrying the virus and potentially spreading it. It's the only way we have -- we've got right now to try to stop the spread. The president acknowledging today the death toll could go higher.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We may be talking about 95,000 people ultimately. We may be talking about something more than that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And in the very next breath, upping that number again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[22:05:00]

TRUMP: One person isn't acceptable, let alone perhaps 100,000.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Let's remember the model often cited by the White House from the University of Washington. This week forecasting 134,475 total deaths in the United States by August 4th. That's nearly double its previous prediction.

And with the virus spreading in this country with more and more Americans dying, our economy is cratering. Twenty-point-five million jobs lost last month. And the most sudden and largest decline since 1939.

The president who is pinning his re-election hopes on a booming economy cheering on states that are reopening without meeting his own guidelines. And incredibly claiming that some states may be stalling reopening to hurt his re-election chances.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: People want to come back. You see what's going on at statehouses all over the country. They want to come back. I think some people don't want it really to come back for political reasons. Which is sick. But the people, the real people, the people that want this country to be great and great again, we can say, they want to get back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: It is sick. It's sick that the president would claim that states would keep their own economies closed for political reasons. How does that make sense? Especially when people are elected. It makes absolutely no sense.

It's sick that the president would claim that the real people, real people are the people who want to reopen right away. The latest Pew poll finds more than two-thirds of Americans are worried about opening up too soon. That's a lot of real people.

But the president just keeps making this all about himself. His grievances. His re-election. We've talked about how one way this president could be showing leadership at a time when the country so desperately needs it, is by publicly wearing a mask. Showing Americans that he is on board with the restrictions all of us face. But the president has repeatedly refused. He did it again today during a ceremony with elderly World War II veterans.

And as we all know by now, wearing a mask is not about protecting yourself from the virus, it's about protecting other people, and those elderly veterans are in an age group that is especially at risk, yet the president says this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I was very far away from them, as you know. I would have loved to have got up and hugged them because they're great. I had a conversation with everyone, but we were very far away, you saw. Plus, the wind was blowing so hard at such a direction that if the plague ever reached them, I'd be very surprised. Could have reached me, too. You don't worry about me. You only worry about them and that's OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: OK. So, the president seemed to be joking with that last part. But seriously? Seriously? How hard is it to put on a mask? Millions of Americans are putting on masks every single day to protect vulnerable people just like those veterans. But the president just won't do it.

And let's remember what the president said the day the CDC recommended all Americans wear masks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Somehow sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful Resolute desk, the great Resolute desk. I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens, I don't know, somehow, I don't see it for myself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Let's face it, this president really, really doesn't want to be seen wearing a mask. That's just not the message that he wants to send with re-election day only six months away. Why is that?

He doesn't want you thinking about how the coronavirus is spreading. He doesn't want you thinking about how much it's damaged our economy. Maybe doesn't want you thinking that he's vulnerable as well. He not like the rest of us. Doesn't want you thinking about how much America is suffering.

It's not just the coronavirus. There are a lot of reasons a lot of Americans are suffering right now. We've got to talk about another story that we have been covering here, one that is getting more and more attention.

[22:10:06]

One that, quite frankly, I'm glad we brought to you earlier than most. I wish we could have brought it to you earlier. But we didn't do it. Even in the middle of a pandemic, the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a then 25-year-old African-American man who police say was chased down, shot and killed while he was jogging near Brunswick, Georgia on February 23rd.

Police don't have to say it. We saw it on videotape. He was chased down like an animal. Gunned down.

Two white men are in custody tonight. A video, it shows his killing. It was released earlier this week. The video shows him jogging in a neighborhood outside Brunswick, Georgia. Sandwiched between two pickup trucks. Two armed men. We don't know if the other person who shot the video -- I think they may have been armed, too. Not sure. Check on that.

A physical confrontation between Arbery and one of the men ensues. Three gunshots are heard. Some of them are seen on camera before Arbery falls to the ground. The video is disturbing. Watch.

Gun down. In the middle of the street. Imagine if that was your loved one, your grandson, your brother, your cousin. Just imagine.

This network has not independently verified who filmed that video. Finally, the president commented today on this. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: So, I saw the tape. And it's very, very disturbing, the tape. I got to see it. It's very disturbing. I looked at a picture of that young man. He was in a tuxedo, and, in fact, you put it up. And I will say that that looks like a really good young guy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: He could have stopped there, but the president went on to say this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You know, it could be something that we didn't see on tape. There could be a lot, you know, if you saw things went off tape and then back on tape, but it was a troubling -- I mean to anybody that watched it.

Certainly, it was a disturbing or troubling video. No question about that. But they have very good law enforcement in the State of Georgia and I'm sure they're going to come up with exactly what happened. It's a sad -- it's a sad thing. Very sad thing. Hate to see that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That's what happens -- it's troubling all right. I'm troubled by it. The whole thing is troubling. A young black man shot to death in broad daylight.

But that is what happens -- that is why people are so upset. With very fine people on both sides. That's the kind of attitude that feels empowered in this country. With those types of comments.

That is why African-Americans in this country are so tired right now. We're so vexed. That is why we're so upset. We're at the bottom of the wrung when it comes to -- we're working the jobs in this -- you know -- you know when you say immigrants in jobs that no one wants to work, being infected by the coronavirus.

[22:15:02]

Our kids being killed, gunned down. And an administration that says very fine people on both sides. We are tired. We are tired, exhausted from this.

I'm going to talk to Ahmaud Arbery's grieving mother tonight. But the fact is, communities of color feel like we are under siege in this country. How many videos have we seen like this video? Of Ahmaud Arbery's last moments.

How many people of color have been attacked and killed in broad daylight? How many people would never, ever have heard about them if it had not been for videos like this? And the toll of the coronavirus, killing more people of color.

The fact is counties with higher black populations account for more than half of all the COVID-19 cases. Almost 60 percent of the deaths. Even though black Americans represent 13.4 percent of the American population.

Scientists say it is clear that things like healthcare access, unemployment and discrimination are behind the disparities. Are you listening, America?

We are tired of jumping on everyone else's bandwagon to help everybody else. To help women who are fighting discrimination in the work place. To help the Me Too movement. To help everybody else. LGBTQ communities. When are people going to care us too? Us too. When are people going to -- hash tag, us too, when are people going to care about our issues?

Why should African-Americans care about opening up this country and rebuilding the economy if you're going to rebuild the economy on our backs when we are the people who are dying?

There's even a stark difference when it comes to tickets for social distancing violations. This is what we learned today, that more than 80 percent of summons for social distancing violations in this country, in New York City, the most diverse city in the country, issued to people of color, and on and on and on.

Is it any wonder that African-American communities, my communities, my people, that we are exhausted, that we are full of dread and sadness? Wondering how much more can we take. That's the question. Not what have you to lose? The question is, how much more can we take? Think about that. Answer that question for me. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Got a lot to talk about this hour. Kaitlan Collins has the breaking news. Dr. Ashish Jha ahead as well.

[22:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We've got some breaking news tonight. More concern about coronavirus exposure in the administration.

Here to discuss, our White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins, and Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute.

Kaitlan, I understand that you have some breaking news about the FDA commissioner quarantining, self-quarantining. What is that about?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Don, we're learning from the FDA spokesperson that the FDA commissioner, Stephen Hahn, is going to self-quarantine for the next 14 days after they say he came into contact with someone who has since tested positive for coronavirus.

Now, he sent a note to staff earlier telling him -- telling them that he was going to follow the CDC guidance about quarantining for the next 14 days. He didn't say which staffer it was that he came in contact with or which person it was that he came in contact with that had the coronavirus.

But, Don, of course, we learned today it's Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary Katie Miller who tested positive. She tested negative yesterday. Was not showing any symptoms. And then came to work today and underwent a daily test, which they've now since implemented since yesterday, and now that is why he is going to be self-quarantining for the next 14 days.

Now, of course, this is standard guidance, and I feel like most people have learned that if you've been around someone who has tested positive, most people have realized that the CDC says you do go into self-quarantine for 14 days.

But, Don, it's notable because there are several other people that obviously came into contact with the vice president's press secretary, who has been heavily involved with the Coronavirus Task Force. And so far, we are only learning of the FDA commissioner who is going to be self-quarantining.

LEMON: Kaitlan, I understand that these cases are mounting within the president's inner circle. I talked a bit about it in my opening statement tonight, but just how concerned is everyone in the West Wing tonight?

COLLINS: I think it's hitting a lot closer to home for people after this week because not only did you see the president's personal valet test positive for coronavirus. Someone who everyone in the West Wing knows. But now you've seen the vice president's press secretary.

And we're also learning tonight that Ivanka Trump's personal assistant has also tested positive for coronavirus. Now, she's not a White House staffer. She works for Ivanka Trump in a personal capacity, and we are told that she has not been around Ivanka Trump for several weeks. She's actually been teleworking for the last several weeks instead. And we are told that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner tested negative today. So, we should note that for the audience.

[22:25:03]

But, Don, what it really shows you is just how widespread this coronavirus truly is. And that's what seems to be hitting home for West Wing staffers. And now the questions that we're going to see over the weekend and going into next week is whether or not this changes any of that protocol that we've been seeing inside the West Wing.

Because while they've been doing daily tests for senior staffers, for those meeting with the president, and temperature checks for everyone coming on the grounds. We haven't seen a widespread amount of staffers wearing masks or anything like that. So that's the question now that we've seen, you know, three people in

this realm test positive this week. You know, what do they do going forward?

LEMON: Doctor, and that's where you come in. The president didn't wear a mask today when meeting with World War II veterans. The vice president was out yesterday delivering PPE but no mask. Katie Miller yesterday also not wearing a mask. Is now the time that the White House needs to be following its own guidelines? Is this a wake-up call for them?

ASHISH JHA, DIRECTOR, HARVARD GLOBAL HEALTH INSTITUTE: So, Don, thank you for having me on.

I sure hope it is. You know, the tests are really important, and I'm glad that folks in the White House are getting tested on a regular basis. I think I said before, it would be great if the rest of America could also get tested on a regular basis, but that's OK, we don't have those tests for the rest of the country.

But, you know, in terms of the White House, it is really important that people start wearing masks because the tests alone are not perfect. And especially the World War II veterans thing, that really hit home for me because the bottom line is, you know, I take care of veterans in the V.A. and I know how vulnerable those people are.

And the president should realize that he can test negative, he can still have the virus and wearing a mask would be very helpful in protecting those veterans.

LEMON: Yes. Doctor, CNN was told that Miller tested negative on Thursday, positive on Friday morning. Could she have been contiguous before testing positive? Is this a testing issue?

JHA: Yes, so the test is not perfect, and there is somewhere between a 20 and a 30 percent false negative rate. That means 20 percent to 30 percent of the time you can have the virus and not test positive for it.

So, she's probably had it for a couple of days. She might have been spreading the virus during that time. That would be very typical what happens with this virus. And this is why even when you test negative it's really important to be wearing a mask, especially if you're around high-risk people.

LEMON: Doctor, thank you. Kaitlan, as well.

A record 20.5 million Americans lost their jobs in April, and now the country's face unemployment numbers not seen since the Great Depression. The economic toll of this crisis is next.

[22:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: The economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic continues to worsen. The United States lost more than 20 million jobs in the month of April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It was the worst jobs report ever. And with an unemployment rate of 14.7 percent, we're looking at the worst economic crisis since the great depression.

Joining me now is Paul Romer. Paul Romer is a professor of economics at New York University and a 2018 Nobel laureate in economics sciences. Thank you, Mr. Romer, appreciate you joining us.

PAUL ROMER, PROFESSOR, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, 2018 NOBEL LAUREATE, ECONOMICS SCIENCES: Thank you.

LEMON: We haven't seen economic damage like this in generations. So many people are out of work. Struggling to pay their bills. Any hope that the 20.5 million jobs lost in April come back any time soon?

ROMER: Unfortunately, I think it's very unlikely that this problem goes away quickly. It's like after a tragedy happens in a family and you can't believe that the person you lost won't be coming back, especially when it was something that was avoidable. You get caught up in, you know, if just we -- if we had just done this then we could have avoided it, but you can't -- you can't bring the person back. I think people are having trouble coming to terms --

LEMON: It's like the stages of grief?

ROMER: -- with how serious this is.

LEMON: Yes. I said it's like the stages of grief, and I think now --

ROMER: Oh, yes.

LEMON: I don't think we're at the acceptance stage yet. Listen, the president --

ROMER: No, we're still in denial.

LEMON: Yes. The president and many state leaders are focused on reopening of the economy, but as you can see, we're going to put this map of only 15 states, and this is states that -- there they are in the green. They have declining cases. All the rest are seeing an increase in cases over the past week or are steady. What happens to the economy if there are -- if there's a significant second wave coming here?

ROMER: Well, I think what we're going to see is a kind of a gradual increase that will be patchy, bigger increases in a few places, and then we're going to pull back from opening up and so we're going to go in this jerky stop/start, stop/start way, I think for months. There is just no plan for moving forward other than the one that, you know, take some time and some investment to spend about $100 billion, get the tests we need, figure out who's infected. Then there is a clear plan to move forward. Everybody's trying to just get a quick fix now.

LEMON: Yes.

ROMER: It's not going to work. LEMON: You -- you have a plan out, and it's the road map to

responsibility, reopen America. And you're calling for 25 million tests a day. Basically a system where every American would be tested every two weeks. So walk us through the plan and why you think it is the best way to get the economy going.

ROMER: Yes, I think the easiest way to understand this is think about it at the personal level. Like, think about what's it going to take for me to go back and see my dentist and just get my teeth checked? I'm going to need to be able to see a test result from the dentist that's recent, the last few days, that says the dentist doesn't have the virus.

[22:35:14]

The dentist is going to want a test result from me to show that I don't have the virus before he gets into my mouth and starts working around. So, until we have those kind of tests, nobody's like going to have the confidence to go back to simple things like going to the dentist, taking your kids to the doctor, going to a restaurant, for heaven's sake. All of those things require a confidence we don't have right now and we can't have.

LEMON: Yes, and maybe like the restaurant rating signs with a, b, c, d or whatever it is. It's going to have to have a coronavirus rating test or a sign there that shows when it was given and what the test -- it's a whole new normal that we're headed towards. Thank you, Paul Romer. I appreciate you joining us on this Friday.

ROMER: OK. Thanks a lot.

LEMON: Today on Ahmaud Arbery's birthday, two men are being charged with murder and aggravated assault for his shooting death. He would have been 26. I'm going to speak to his mother, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[22:40:00]

LEMON: Well, today would have been Ahmaud Arbery's 26th birthday. He is a Georgia man chased, shot and killed while out jogging. In his memory, runners around the world jogged 2.23 miles today. Symbolizing the day he was killed, February 23rd. I bring in now Wanda Cooper, Ms. Wanda Cooper, I should say, Ahmaud Arbery's mother and attorney Lee Merritt. Ms. Wanda, thank you for joining us. I appreciate it. Lee, thank you as well. Ms. Wanda, thank you for being here tonight again and I know today is Ahmaud's birthday. He would have been 26 years old. Sunday is mother's day. How are you doing?

WANDA COOPER, AHMAUD ARBERY'S MOTHER: I'm managing. The day was a very emotional day because it was his birthday. It was -- I felt better after they arrested them last evening, but this weekend's going to be extremely hard because I had Ahmaud back in 1994 on mother's day.

LEMON: On mother's day.

COOPER: Yes.

LEMON: So -- I've got to ask you -- I hate to ask you about this, but -- because I know your focus is on your son, and I'm going to have more for Lee in just a little bit. But Michael and his adult son -- Gregory Michael and his adult son Travis were taken into custody last night, 74 days after the shooting. Only two days after that video surfaced online. In your view, what do you think took so long, Ms. Wanda?

COOPER: I think that they were actually taking the words from the actual murderers. They took their word. They believed what they said. And they had not planned to make an arrest.

LEMON: Lee, I want to bring you in because -- to talk about this. Stand by, Ms. Wanda. The McMichael's made their first court appearance today remotely via video. No bond was set yet. Do you think there would have been arrest without this video -- if this video hadn't surfaced?

LEE MERRITT, ATTORNEY FOR FAMILY OF AHMAUD ARBERY: No, I think the video, as you know, already existed. It was a part of the investigation file. It went into detail by the district attorney who declined to prosecute the case. It was the public seeing the video and allowing us to apply our common sense to it and raise our voices in one demand that these men be arrested. So, I'm glad -- Don, I have to tell you I appreciate you being one of the first national voices to talk to us even before there was a video. You helped us discover that video eventually.

LEMON: I did?

MERRITT: Yes.

LEMON: How did that happen? I had no idea about that. How did that happen?

MERRITT: Yes, well, as you recall, you took -- you heard about this case. You became personally upset about it without ever having to see the video, just by listening to the -- the evidence that was made available to the public, and you brought us on. That started a national sort of wave of people asking and inquiring about this case and talking about this case.

In order to resolve that inquiry, an attorney who had a copy of the video uploaded it anonymously online, and that's how we all got to see it for the first time. We had been asking the district attorney's office for this video for months since this happened, and we were not given a copy of it.

LEMON: Boy. Well, I'm glad -- I wish -- listen, we were all -- we've all been so preoccupied, Lee, by this pandemic. And I just wish that I could have brought attention to this sooner. So, Ms. Wanda, I apologize because I -- listen, I just wish that I could have brought attention sooner, and I just -- I did not know. And I have been -- honestly, I've been talking to my friend Bakari Sellers, who is also a co-worker, and he said, Don, you've got to talk about this case. [22:45:03]

And I said, Bakari, I'm going to get this case on. I had no idea. And we started talking about it and then that's when -- that's when, you know, I put it on the air. Ms. Wanda, before I go, I just, you know, I just said that the whole country is tired. But nobody at this moment I think is as tired as you are.

COOPER: Yes.

LEMON: What are your last words for -- for everybody who is watching and for your son?

COOPER: I'm just hoping, first of all, I want to tell everyone thank you for the support that we've been given. Once it made national, I mean, we gained lots and lots of support. I want to say thank you to each and every one of you. And what I'm seeking is those guys, all guys that were involved in the murder of my son, to go to prison, possibly for the rest of their lives.

LEMON: Yes. I got to say, listen, the whole country is rooting for you. I mean, you know, I'm sure -- I don't know if you've seen what's happening online. You have so much support. I don't know if that helps at all. But you have so much support. And I hope that gives you at least a little bit of comfort.

And, Lee, I cannot believe when I talked to you that you -- that the person -- that they thought that there may not be an indictment in this case, because they thought that these people were acting within their rights to stand their ground. Or as a citizen's arrest. It is United Nations (inaudible) that if there was a video and anything that surfaced that it might be exculpatory. It's unbelievable that in 2020 that circumstances like that might even be thinkable. I just cannot believe it. Please keep us posted on all of this.

MERRITT: Will do. And we have to get those D.A.s out who did make the decision not to prosecute this case. We have to go after them.

LEMON: Thank you, Lee. Thank you, Ms. Wanda. God bless you. We love you. We're rooting for you. Thank you.

COOPER: Thank you.

LEMON: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[22:50:00]

LEMON: The coronavirus pandemic exacerbating issues facing the black community in the U.S. Issues like basic access to healthcare. Economic security and fair policing. I want to bring in now CNN's Van Jones and Dr. Camara Jones, an epidemiologist and family physician. Thank you both. Good to see both of you again.

Van, I can't wait to see you for our special on Friday coming. So, Van, I'm going to start with you. Another black man shot dead broad daylight, another video. A family seeking justice at the same time, black Americans are getting pummeled by the coronavirus. Again, how much of this -- how much more of this can we take all at once?

VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, it's just horrible. You ask the question, what is it OK for us to do? What is it OK for a black man to do? You say, well, you know, we have poor underlying health conditions, it's our fault. You know, we should be in better health. OK, fine. Go jogging. Get in better health and then get killed.

You say you have to wear a mask now. I have two teenage boys, they put on a mask, they take the mask off. I'm more afraid of somebody shooting them or arresting them for looking like quote and quote gang members than I'm afraid of this virus. What is it OK for us to do? What is allowed? We're crushed between police violence, vigilante violence. This virus. And anyway we move we feel trapped and nobody has an answer.

You know, the last segment I just appreciate you, Don, for being able to hold that space. And for really starting this movement in the way you did. But is it very, very tough right now to be African-American in this situation.

LEMON: Yes. Dr. Jones. You know, you have seen that disturbing video as a mom, what goes through your mind when you see a young black man out there jogging? I mean, today it would have been his 26th birthday.

DR. CAMARA JONES, EPIDEMIOLOGIST AND FAMILY PHYSICIAN: Yes, he's just two years older than my son. And every time I see one of those videos then my first impulse is to call my son and say again, be careful. I worry about my husband going out in our neighborhood which is a predominantly white neighborhood at night to take the trash down to the street. And I say, well, let me do it. You know, it is our lives are not valued in this country. And our stories are not believed in this country. Our reality is not believed. Our voices are not heard. It's an invisibilization of our full humanity.

JONES: I was talking to a --

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LEMON: That plus -- hang on the one second. Let me get this in and you are going to -- that plus the pandemic. What is the impact to the African-American community aside from the sheer exhaustion of having to deal with these things?

[22:55:00]

C. JONES: Well, I think that the impact is that we realize that our lives aren't valued by the meat packing plants. You know, our lives aren't valued or don't seem to be valued by these governors that are opening prematurely. That are essential roles have not been fully recognized or valued. Because we still don't have the PPE. We still don't have hazard pay. We still are not -- it's as if we are really, really, really seen as dispensable as animals. And what it reflects is white supremacist ideology. I'm just going to

say one thing about that. White supremacist ideology is the idea that there's a hierarchy of human value with white folks at the top. And what we have in this country right now is that people at the top have said these are very fine people. These are good people. You know, encouraging people to bring out their -- I don't know if I want to say this. But I will just say that many of our leaders at the top are surrounding themselves with other people who have a vowed public white supremacist ideas. And so it's a signal to us that white supremacist flags has been waved is being heeded.

LEMON: Yes. Van, I have to run. But I'll give you the last word. Quickly please, you have been in the seat. You know how that works, can you.

JONES: Yes. I'll just say I was talking to a very prominent rapper today who said, he lives in a very wealthy neighborhood and he's afraid to leave his own house. He's spent all his money to live in a very wealthy neighborhood. But as an African-American young man he's afraid to leave his own house in that neighborhood for these reasons.

LEMON: Thank you both. We are going to talk more and make sure you watch next Friday, when Van and I will host another special on the color of covid. That will be here at 10:00 p.m. on Friday. So make sure you tune in. We'll be right back.

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