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Don Lemon Tonight

President Trump Mentions Victims' Families; The Trump Campaign Amidst A Pandemic; Coronavirus Task Force Head With His Own Predictions; President Trump And VP Mike Pence Fail To Wear Masks At Events; MLB Players Release Video In Support Of Black Lives Matter; Man Confronted By White Couple For Stenciling "Black Lives Matter" On His Own Property. Aired 11p-12a ET

Aired June 16, 2020 - 23:00   ET

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

[23:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: This is CNN TONIGHT. I'm Don Lemon.

Eleven p.m. here on the East Coast.

After weeks of protesters calling for action following the death of George Floyd, President Trump signed an executive order on police reform. But instead of addressing systemic racism or police brutality against countless black Americans the president seemed to be focused on defending the police.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Without police, there is chaos. Law and order must be further restored nationwide. In many cases, local law enforcement is underfunded, understaffed, and under supported.

Americans want and demand law and order. They demand law and order. They may not say it, they may not be talking about it, but that's what they want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Also, tonight, the head of the Coronavirus Task Force Vice President Pence trying to make it out like the pandemic is over, but unfortunately, he couldn't be more wrong. Cases are climbing in 18 states with many states reporting record high hospitalization rates.

Lots to talk about with CNN White House Correspondent, John Harwood, also April Ryan, White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks, and Astead Herndon, national political reporter for the New York Times. Good evening, one and all. Good to have all of you here.

John, you're up first. Let's talk about this executive order. It's more like a list of guidelines and it really leaves the heavy lifting up to Congress. Why is it there isn't more details in this if this is a law and order president, why it just seem to be suggestions? JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Because, Don, Donald Trump conception of law and order is much different than what the protesters we've seen across the country is. Donald thinks of law and order as get tough, don't get things get out of control.

We've all seen the clips of him saying, you know, don't protect their heads when you put them in the police van. Even though we've seen these episodes of horrific pictures, he goes with the few bad apples conception of the problem. And if that's your conception of the problem you are going to have a minimal solution. That's what he has here.

Encouragement for governments to do things but not mandates for them to do things, governments and police departments. The question is going to be, is this all that is done or is Congress going to act? And we'll find that out in the next week or two.

LEMON: Let's talk about this executive order more here, April. It doesn't mention or use the words racism or bias. How do you fix a problem when you won't call it by its name?

APRIL RYAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Because you don't want to fix the problem. And John is absolutely right. When the president said don't be too nice when you put them in the car, as you don't want to hit their heads, that was sending the signal early on in this administration.

And you know, Don, thousands, maybe even millions of people marched across this land for 20-plus days looking for justice. People, black, white, Jew, gentile, protestant and Catholic, looking for justice, equity, as well as stopping the police brutality, the fatal police brutality.

And at the people's house, just looking at unscientific poll from all social media people did not get the justice, the equity that they were looking for at the people's house today with this president and his recommendations in this executive order.

LEMON: Why is it, April, why is this administration incapable of admitting systemic racism is a real problem in this country?

RYAN: Why I think incapable? Maybe because the president does not see racism because he does not necessarily like the grounding of America. We have seen this president say over and over again that he doesn't like certain issues, he doesn't like -- well, he was talking about, what was it, s-hole nations.

[23:05:02]

He has talked about both sides in Charlottesville. This president has not been the friend that he claims to be to black America if you look at the stats, if you dig in the weeds.

He says the black economy, but what about the economic gap by, but what about the economic gap between black and white? What about housing issues? Yes, he has done prison reform, and he says he's worked with HBCUs but the HBCUs are still looking for money, help for their college campuses particularly now.

Black people are out here asking for you to save their lives and he's not, he's turning a blind eye. But when it comes to people like Stephen Miller and white nationalists this president is more open to listening to them than he is to a community that still suffers from the highest numbers of negatives and almost every category in 2020.

LEMON: Astead, let's bring you in here. Because the president's order also says that chokeholds will be banned unless an officer's life is at risk. Can you say that's like saying I'm banning seconds unless I'm hungry? Right? What's the point?

ASTEAD HERNDON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: yes, I mean -- I mean, if the officer gets to choose the moment when chokeholds are being used that's the same situation in which we have now. The problem in which -- with police brutality is that there is officer discretion and the moment that they feel kind of threatened then use of force is validated.

If the White House wanted to go and meet the protester's demand the White House went in to address issues of systemic racism, they would go -- the would go beyond the officer's feelings of the problem. They would address the root at its core, and they would cut police departments kind of off at the root and kind of force them to be able to make kind of deep-rooted changes.

That is not something that they are willing to do frankly because that is not the political incentive of this White House. They have looked only to their overwhelmingly white base and they are looking to appease them at the baseline.

I would say that this executive is one that allows particularly his base to say that he did something but not to address the specific issues and polices at the root of the problem which means he is kind of not hearing the protester demands.

LEMON: It's always, John, it's -- most of the time it's a bait and switch with this administration. They -- with this president. They hold a press conference to something and then it turns out to be something else or diluted than what you thought it was going to be, watered down.

And this, it's not -- it's not always the truth. Because he is claiming, this president, that the former President Barack Obama, the former Vice President Joe Biden never even tried to address these problems during their eight years in office. You covered the White House, right? Give us the truth here, the Obama White House meaning.

HARWOOD: I did. And not only did he say they didn't try to address the problem. He said the reason they didn't try to address the problem was that it was too complex for them.

Let's be real for a second. Donald Trump came into office knowing next to nothing about public policy. He does not read. He has a minimal attention span. He thinks countries paid dues to NATO. He thinks that coronavirus goes away if you don't test for it. There is no issue on which Barack Obama's command for public policy is

not superior to Donald Trump. For a second, what said was the opposite of the truth. President Obama did, especially in his second term take a number of actions design to address the issues that we are dealing with now with this protest.

He issued an executive order preventing the transfer of some military equipment to police officers. The issue of militarization of force was one that became front and center in his terms.

Secondly, he negotiated, his Justice department consent decrees with a whole bunch of police departments to try to force them to change their practices along the very lines of protesters are talking about now.

President Trump reversed the executive order on militarization, and basically his Justice Department through Jeff Sessions quashed the consent decree. So, it -- what he said about President Obama was the opposite of what is true.

LEMON: I want to take another listen now part of the president's speech. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We must build upon our heritage, not tear it down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: OK. So, Astead, what was that? Was that a wink and a nod to supporters that he may be working on reform but don't worry, he won't remove symbols of America's racist history? What was that?

HERNDON: Listen, the good faith reading here is that the 'our heritage' here is about American heritage which obviously even in itself disrespects the legacy of black people in this country who are just as American as everyone else and who clearly do not see that heritage as one as which is equally shared.

[23:09:57]

The bad faith reading there and one that challenge the president has encouraged because of his previous actions is that it is about race. That he means 'our' as in white. And I think that that is something that we cannot ignore. And that's a shared experience between white people that hat heritage is leaning to. And that is something that --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: He's from New York City, Astead. What -- I mean, come on, now.

HERNDON: Listen, I see what you are saying and I think that that is the reason in which people see it that way.

LEMON: Yes.

HERNDON: And I think that like, he does not have a real reason to say our heritage, meaning confederacy in southern. That's the reason why people see it as whiteness.

LEMON: April, we didn't see much social distancing today at the White House. The president and the people close to him weren't even wearing masks. So, the rules that Trump's own officials are setting to -- they apply to us, but not necessarily to the White House?

RYAN: Do as I say, and not as I do. You know, people -- people were in close proximity of one another. I watch as the attorney general happened to be talking to a group of people. There were little cliques of groups around with no masks. There were very few people. You saw the marines, the escorts wearing the masks, but very few people wore masks.

But I tell you this. We have to wait for the next couple of days and to see what happens. We are in the midst of a deadly pandemic. And I hate to see what happens this weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma where he deals with the issue of race and everyone is giving him all these cheers and all of these little particles are coming out of their mouths.

And then a couple of days later when they are cheering the president on matters of race for their founding fathers and for who built this country, what have you. The next couple of days let's see what happens.

This is not a death wish. This is not -- this is just reality speaking. We are in a pandemic. This president is trying to show strength in the midst of something where people are dying. He's saying we are opening up economies, but he is not being smart, he's not following the CDC guidelines, trying to show that we are opening but we are also dying still at the same time.

LEMON: Yes.

RYAN: So, the president says do as I say, but not as I do.

LEMON: Before I go, I just want to say, John, I mean this is everyone. But John, when you were speaking about having covered the Obama administration. This is Mitch Landrieu, you know, he works on criminal justice reform. He's the former mayor of New Orleans.

And he said it's fine for me to say this. He said, the Obama administration in partnership with mine enacted the most comprehensive police consent decree in the country in New Orleans. We worked on it the entire eight years -- years I was in office. Complete overhaul. That's what he says. So, facts first.

HARWOOD: Exactly.

LEMON: Thank you. Thank you, all. I appreciate it.

The president listing off names of families that he says he met with today, families of victims of police and racial violence including my next guest, except she didn't meet with the president. Antwon Rose's mother is here next.

[23:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: President Trump highlighting his meeting today with family members of police and racial violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I've just concluded a meeting with incredible families, just incredible families that have been through so much. The families of Ahmaud Arbery. Botham Jean, Antwon Rose, Jemel Roberson, Atatiana Jefferson, Michael Dean, Darius Tarver, Cameron Lamb, and Everrett Palmer. These are incredible people. Incredible people. And it's so sad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: He's right. They are incredible people and it's sad. But one problem though, the family of Antwon Rose II wasn't at that meeting.

Joining me now is Michelle Kenney, she is the mother of Antwon Rose II. Thank you, Ms. Kenney for joining us.

MICHELLE KENNEY, ANTWON ROSE'S MOTHER: Good evening. Thanks for inviting me.

LEMON: So, the president mentioned your son's name, but you weren't at the meeting with the president. Why didn't you go?

KENNEY: Well, first, I'm grateful that the president actually mentioned my son's name and now there's more people in the world that actually can go look up and find out what happened to Antwon. So, if everybody going to read his story, kudos to the president.

LEMON: Why didn't you go there?

KENNEY: Why didn't -- for personal reasons. They were strictly my own personal reasons and I chose to stand in my truth.

LEMON: And what do you mean by your truth? Stand in your truth?

KENNEY: The president has actually made some statements and has taken some actions that I strongly disagree with and I just wasn't willing to sit down with an individual who I don't think we can change.

LEMON: I spoke with Ja'Ron Smith, one of the people who led the effort on today's executive order. I spoke with him earlier. And I asked him why the president mentioned your son's name despite you attending -- not attending the White House meeting. And this is what he said. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Talk to me about the private meeting the president had with Ahmaud Arbery's family and other families.

JA'RON SMITH, DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT: Sure.

LEMON: And I want to know if that had an impact on the president. And there was also a family that we heard from the mother of Antwon Rose, she said contrary to the reports that she did not attend this meeting in the White House.

SMITH: Yes.

LEMON: And wondered why the president mentioned the Rose family by name if she was not there.

SMITH: So, the president mentioned all the families that Lee Merritt represents because we really want to be helpful to those families who are pained. And we were able to listen to the pain of those families.

[23:19:57]

We had a private meeting so I don't want to go into the details, but it was very emotional and I think what came out of it was a commitment from the president to help bring those families justice.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: So how does that make you feel, and do you think the president really does have a commitment to justice in these kinds of cases?

KENNEY: I would hope that as the President of the United States and also William Barr being the overseer of every law enforcement entity in the United States that he would be more familiar with these acts of violence against black males and black females. I would hope that when these stories hit the media that you would know who their parents are, know what their mother looks like and be aware that we do not all look alike.

LEMON: Your son was shot three times while he was running away from police, a police officer after a traffic stop. He was unarmed. And the officer who shot him was found not guilty. So, base on your own experience, what do you think is necessary to hold police officers to account for families like yours to get justice?

KENNEY: I think the law has to change. This giving them basic and blanket immunity to any actions that they commit has to change and that's where we have to start. We have to start with the fact that the use of force law in every state needs to be rewritten.

And we cannot continue to just grant them some sort of blank immunity every time they commit a violent crime.

LEMON: And --

KENNEY: The database history, you know, that they're all great things. But if you don't change the law to begin with, none of those other things, especially with no accountability, are even going to matter.

LEMON: Ms. Kenney, you have a strong voice and I thank you for using it here. You stay strong. And you're welcome back any time. Thank you so much.

KENNEY: Thank you so much. Good evening.

LEMON: Be safe. Thank you.

KENNEY: Thank you.

LEMON: U.S. coronavirus cases nearing 117,000. Eighteen states seeing a rise in cases. And the president still planning on holding rally in one of those states on Saturday. What you need to know, next.

[23:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Alarming new trends indicating major spread of the coronavirus after parts of the U.S. Florida, Texas, and Arizona showing a record of daily new cases today.

So, a top health expert at Harvard is warning we may be done, we may be done with the pandemic, but the pandemic is not done with us.

Here is CNN's Erica Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROCHELLE WALENSKY, INFECTIOUS DISEASE PHYSICIAN, MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL: States are not opening gently. They are opening with lots of crowds. They're opening with lack of facemasks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Those behaviors could lead to more than 200,000 deaths in the U.S. by mid-October according to a key model.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEANA WEN, PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSOR, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: Our actions today have a huge effect on what happens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Eighteen states reporting an uptick in new cases over the past week. Florida one of eight shown in deep red, numbers there up more than 50 percent. Governor Ron DeSantis says his state is testing more but that's not the whole story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CRAIG SPENCER, DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL HEALTH IN EMERGENCY MEDICINE, NEW YORK-PRESBYTERIAN/COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER: In some places the positive percentage or the likelihood that a swab is coming back positive is growing which means that there is greater community spread.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HILL: The science is clear. Wide use of face coverings helped to slow the spread. Airlines taking note. United warning refusal to wear one could land you on a restricted travel list.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi might make them mandatory on the House as the Trump campaign says masks are not required at this weekend's indoor rally in Tulsa.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We're also looking at another venue. We're also looking at outside activities.

ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: The bottom line is, you've got to protect yourself. You cannot depend on, quote, "this herd immunity." Avoid crowds, wear masks, wash your hands.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Athletes at Indiana University and Ohio State must now sign a pledge acknowledging the risk of the virus and health safety measures.

A new study finds those under 20 are half as susceptible to the virus as those 20 and over. Raising new questions about school this fall especially for younger children.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEN: Younger people are less likely to become symptomatic, but young people could still get it, could still become very ill. Even if they are asymptomatic, they could still transmit COVID-19.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Major League Baseball still in limbo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just a disaster for our game.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: The league and the player's union at an impasse as USA Today reports several players and staff have tested positive.

America's tennis major, the U.S. Open will be played later this summer in New York.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): It will be held without fans, but we can watch it on TV and I'll take that.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HILL: Just two months ago, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

had been transformed into a field hospital.

Erica Hill, CNN, New York.

LEMON: Erica, thank you so much.

I want to bring in now Dr. Jonathan Reiner, the director of the cardiac catherization program at George Washington University Hospital, and former Vice President Dick Cheney's cardiologist. Good evening, doctor. Good to see you.

JONATHAN REINER, DIRECTOR OF CARDIAC CATHERIZATION PROGRAM, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: Hi, Don.

LEMON: Vice President Pence, the Coronavirus Task Force leader writing an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal today titled "there isn't a coronavirus second wave." Blaming the media for sounding an alarm of overblown panic. Can we just agree that it is fact that the coronavirus doesn't care what the media says?

[23:30:06]

REINER: Right. And I agree with the vice president because the first wave is burning hotly in large parts of this country. The administration and the vice president are peddling an alternative reality that just doesn't jive with what is truly happening in this country.

Some parts of the United States did an amazing job at beating back the virus, places like New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Illinois, where the new cases have really dropped dramatically. But other parts of the country, particularly in the south and southwest, places like Florida, Texas, Arizona, the virus is ascendant, and new cases and hospitalizations are increasing dramatically.

And this is why the number of daily cases in the United States as a whole refuses to come down. We plateaued at about 20,000 cases a day because despite advances that we have made in some parts of the country, you know, the virus is really burning very hotly in other parts.

LEMON: Both the president and the vice president are not wearing masks in public today, yet the White House has said before that anyone in close proximity to them gets tested. How dangerous are the optics of trying to show that nothing is wrong when the danger is still real?

REINER: It is beyond optics. Probably the most powerful tool that we have to put this virus away is to wear masks. That is how we contain, how we contain the virus. If the virus doesn't spread, the pandemic dies. And the most powerful tool we have to prevent the virus from spreading is social distancing and wearing a mask.

But it interferes with the primary motivation for this administration right now, which is to be re-elected. And to be re-elected, you have to pretend that we are not in a pandemic. You have to pretend that 120,000 people almost haven't died. You have to pretend that 40 million people aren't out of work.

And the way you do that is by not wearing masks in public. But it has a direct negative consequence on the public health of this country. It's disgraceful.

LEMON: This is happening tonight, a Tulsa judge denying a lawsuit to stop President Trump from holding his rally there on Saturday. The campaign is requiring people to sign a waiver that says it can't be held liable if someone gets coronavirus, yet masks are not required. You say this is criminal endangerment?

REINER: Yes, criminal endangerment.

(LAUGHTER)

REINER: I mean, imagine if you had a bunch of underage kids to your house and you serve booze. You didn't tell the kids to drink, but the alcohol was available and the kids drank, and then the horrible consequences ensued. So what is happening here is you're having people get together against the advice of the CDC. This is a high-risk event.

LEMON: Against the advice of the own -- the White House's own guidelines. Go on.

REINER: Exactly, against their own task force guidelines, right? This is a crowded event in a place where the virus is, again, very hot right now, in a venue packed with people that can't social distance, you're not requiring masks. Why would you endanger people that are your supporters? It's very simple. He wants the photo-op.

We saw this last week. He endangered protesters for a photo-op. He is willing to endanger his supporters now for a massive photo-op and ego boost. It's craven. I have to say, you are nuts if you go to this. The president doesn't care about the health of his supporters.

LEMON: Dr. Reiner, thank you so much, sir. I will see you soon.

REINER: Have a good night.

LEMON: A group of major league baseball players getting together, trying to figure out what they can do about systemic racism in the country, and they came out with something pretty cool. Chicago Cubs's Jason Heyward and former MLB player Curtis Granderson, they're here. They are going to tell me about it. They're next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Professional athletes from NASCAR to the NBA to the NFL and now MLB are speaking out about racial injustice in this country. Listen to what Major League Baseball players have to say about Black Lives Matter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been told that our peaceful police --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- were not made at the right time --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- at the right place --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- and the right way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been told to 'wait.'

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But we remember when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. warned us --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- that the word 'wait' --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- has almost always meant 'never.'

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will wait no longer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will make our voices louder.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For all of us who can --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- and for all of those who could not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eight minutes and 46 seconds is enough time to lift a knee --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- to do what is right --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- to say something --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- to acknowledge the pain of the black community.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have cheered for us --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- but we need you to cheer with us now --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- when we need you most.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter.

[23:40:02]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's our cheer for change.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's your cheer for us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's these cheers that will unite us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One team.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One dream.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Be the change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: What do you say we talk to some of the people in that video? Two of the players in that video, Chicago Cubs' Jason Heyward and former MLB player Curtis Granderson, they are both here now. Thank you, gentlemen. Good to see you. I really appreciate it.

JASON HEYWARD, MLB PLAYER, CHICAGO CUBS: Thank you.

CURTIS GRANDERSON, FORMER MLB PLAYER: Thank you, Don.

LEMON: Curtis, this video started because you and a bunch of your friends were on a group text, trying to figure out what to do. You felt like you just wanted to do something, and then this came about.

GRANDERSON: The crazy part is that this isn't the first time these things have happened, and Jason can attest to this. Baseball players in this game have had these conversations and stories about these situations that have happened to people they know themselves and others, in the locker room, on the bus rides, on the plane.

But Cameron Maybin, Dee Gordon, and Edwin Jackson say, hey, let's come together, let's get all these guys together, even though we are the minority in this sport, let's do something about it. So that's how we came up with the idea of the video. We got 61 guys to come in to be a part of this, which is a great thing.

LEMON: You are talking about Black Lives Matter. As a black athlete in baseball, Jason, what made you want to be a part of this?

HEYWARD: I think it is something that we just had to do. We all wanted to come together right now during this time. We got a pandemic going on. There is a crisis in the country. We just realize that we have to speak up for our community and we can no longer be afraid, right, to come together and just think about something positive. We have to do that. We got to be a part of our own change.

LEMON: Good for you. You guys, I really appreciate you using your voice, just the megaphone you have, and to speak out about this. It is really important. I have to say, the MLB did put out a statement earlier this month. It says -- we will put it up on the screen. They said, "Actions required within both baseball and society to address systemic racism, and they are committed to change." Have you heard any action plan that they are taking?

GRANDERSON: At the moment, not yet. At the same time, there is a lot of stuff that's been happening and unfolding. Hopefully, we will hear something, hear soon. There are so many players that have families and friends throughout the world. This isn't just affecting us. It is affecting all the millions of fans that come and watch the games that are part of the baseball community.

We just want to continue to shine a light on it because these things, like I said, aren't new. These are topics that we discuss constantly year in and year out. There is so much stuff that happens to be focused on right now.

So hopefully, Major League Baseball does come out with a way to do a lot more to help, not only the players that you saw in that video, but the union and everybody else to try and bring this together and bring change.

LEMON: Jason, I lived in Chicago. I can't tell you how much time I spent at Wriggly Field --

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: The Cubs posted a sign during protests outside Wrigley Stadium saying "end racism." Have you heard anything else from the team or from your teammates?

HEYWARD: I wouldn't be able to do any justice without saying to reach out to me personally when a lot of these things were going on. I had a lot of teammates reaching out to me. Staff talking about doctors, PR people, people that are just part of our every day game day staff, just letting me know that their thoughts are with me, their thoughts are with my family, hope we're doing well.

When it comes to the organization, they let me know they want to do a lot of positive things and they want to take action. So, those things I felt like they are on the way. But right now, I know I will come down to this season.

LEMON: Do you feel supported by them?

HEYWARD: I do definitely feel supported by them.

LEMON: Good.

HEYWARD: I'm sorry if I missed that.

LEMON: No.

HEYWARD: I definitely feel supported. I definitely feel the love. I know we have all had that conversation in our group and that is something that we want to make sure we are spreading, that we feel that from other people but let them know where we stand on it and let them know we just want to be positive.

LEMON: I have to talk to you, guys, about this. Curtis, I am going to start with you first because I want to talk about coronavirus. Dr. Anthony Fauci is telling the L.A. Times that he thinks that the MLB should consider not playing in October over coronavirus concerns. Do you think he is right? What do you think of that?

GRANDERSON: I am not a doctor or a scientist in this whole thing. But at the same time, you know, we have to listen to some of the medical advice here and at least pay attention to it. Maybe make some decisions accordingly. First, you got to get baseball back on the field. I know everybody wants to see it. Once you do that, try to get it done in a safe manner. And not just keep the players safe, but to keep all the employees, the people that you don't see.

[23:44:59]

GRANDERSON: The scoreboard operator, the grounds crew, the person keeping, just making sure everybody is healthy and safe. All those people need to be considered as well, just like all the other workers that are out there putting their lives on the line right now so that we can have food and gas and all these different things. Make sure things are in order to keep them safe, so we don't continue to see huge spikes that we are starting to see right now.

LEMON: I want you to weigh in on this, Jason, because there has been a lot of back and forth over whether the MLB will have a season this year. The commissioner said yesterday that he is confident that there will be a season. Do you expect to be back on the field?

HEYWARD: I think it's our job. We expect that. I think as players, we expect to be playing baseball at some point this year. If you stay ready, you don't have to get ready. I think that's our mindset. We know what we hope for on our end.

But like Curtis said, we do want everyone to be safe, right? We want our families to be safe, we want employees to be safe, staff to be safe. But we are doing everything we can in our power to make a season happen. I am going to do just that, just be ready whenever we can.

LEMON: I see it in the future. I am seeing a show called Jason and Curtis or Curtis and Jason coming to a screen near you, maybe ESPN, who knows, maybe Warner Sports, who knows, but I see it. I see it coming. And when it happens --

GRANDERSON: You can be a guest on our show.

LEMON: Of course! I would love that!

HEYWARD: Any time. I appreciate you leading the way for us.

LEMON: Thank you very much. I appreciate you coming on. Come back any time. Be safe, please.

HEYWARD: Thank you.

GRANDERSON: Thank you, Don.

LEMON: A man in San Francisco confronted by a white couple for stencilling Black Lives Matter on a home. The thing is, though, the home was his. He is going to join me live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: It's happened again. A person of color was accused by white people of committing a crime when in fact the man was not. James Juanillo called out for writing Black Lives Matter on a home in San Francisco, his home. He recorded the incident and here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's private property.

JAMES JUANILLO, CONFRONTED BY WHITE COUPLE FOR STENCILLING BLACK LIVES MATTER ON HIS OWN HOME (voice-over): If I did live here and it was my property, it would be absolutely fine. And you don't know if I live here or this is my property.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We actually do know and that's why we are asking.

JUANILLO (voice-over): Oh, really? Because you live here, right?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, because we know the person who does live here.

JUANILLO (voice-over): Oh, OK. Then I suggest you call them or call the police or --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not disagreeing with you. I am not (ph) going to call the police --

JUANILLO (voice-over): Because you're accusing me of a crime, correct?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What I'm asking you is why are --

JUANILLO (voice-over): And I'm not answering you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, that's fair. That's fair.

JUANILLO (voice-over): So your choices are to call the cops if you believe I'm calling a crime, and I will be more than happy to talk to them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, thank you.

JUANILLO (voice-over): What is your name again?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm Lisa.

JUANILLO (voice-over): Lisa, what is your last name?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is your name?

JUANILLO (voice-over): What is your name? What's your name, sir?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Robert.

JUANILLO (voice-over): What is your last name, sir?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is your first name, sir? JUANILLO (voice-over): I'm not answering -- I'm not talking to you. You're talking to me. I'm asking you the questions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are not doing anything illegal.

JUANILLO (voice-over): Neither am I.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, you are --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are actually --

JUANILLO (voice-over): Really? OK, call the cops.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We will do.

JUANILLO (voice-over): Lisa and Robert. I will be right here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Bye. People, that is why black lives matter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: James Juanillo joins me now.

Hi, James.

JUANILLO: Thank you. Hi, Don. I just want to say, thank you for giving me the opportunity to express myself, you know, in this turning point in the nation in our fight against racism. Thank you so much.

LEMON: I appreciate you coming on. Thank you. Listen, you were stencilling Black Lives Matter, a message on your own home when this couple confronted you. Why do you think they assume that this wasn't your home and they had the right to question you?

JUANILLO: Well, I'm really not going to assume their motivation. That's for them to answer. But I believe that it was because of the color of my skin. I believe that it was because I was a person of color standing and applying chalk art to the facade of a house that is in a great neighborhood, it's historic and is very expensive. I think it didn't add up to them.

LEMON: It's interesting because I can see looking out for your neighbor, right? But not only --

JUANILLO: Absolutely.

LEMON: -- not only did this woman lie and say that she knew who lived in your home. She actually went so far as to call the cops on you for some chalk art, right? She did call the cops?

JUANILLO: She did. She did.

LEMON: Yeah. When they arrived, they didn't even stop? What happened?

JUANILLO: Well, they --

LEMON: They didn't get out?

JUANILLO: They stopped and they made a response, right. But they didn't get out because they recognize me. And I recognize the police officer. He waved at me very friendly. I pointed out the Black Lives Matter very proudly. And he complimented me on my stencil work. He didn't ask for my I.D. He didn't have the sirens on. They drove off in about a minute.

LEMON: You say that you are a proud gay Filipino who knows what discrimination feels like. Why does Black Lives Matter resonate with you so much?

JUANILLO: Well, Black Lives Matter, it should resonate with every American because Black Lives Matter is about equality.

[23:55:02]

JUANILLO: And as a first generation Filipino-American, you know, you have to fight for that. You know, my family fought for that. When my mom and dad immigrated here in 1972, you have to fight for that, for all your success.

And as a gay man, we fight every day for recognition, for visibility, for equality. So the reason it resonates with me is because I have been fighting for equality my entire life.

LEMON: Yeah.

JUANILLO: I wear a lot of little hats, minority hats.

LEMON: Listen, Lisa Alexander issued an apology in a statement. She said, "I want to apologize directly to Mr. Juanillo. There are not enough words to describe how truly sorry I am for being disrespectful to him last Tuesday when I made the decision.

I should have minded my own business. I did not realize at the time that my actions were racist and I have learned a painful lesson. I am taking a hard look at the meaning behind white privilege and I am committed to growing from this experience."

She said that she would love to have coffee with you so she can apologize in person and share a dialogue. Would you be open to that?

JUANILLO: I think -- well, you know, I absolutely wanting to move forward and find resolution and empathy and understanding. But the fact of the matter is that this can be a really teachable moment for all of us. And if we can find a way to redeem what is really an ugly situation, maybe it might be an example for the rest of America.

So I'm hoping that if she proffers an apology that is backed with action, that is backed with fighting for the right side versus fighting --

LEMON: Yeah.

JUANILLO: -- for the wrong side, if she uses her platform now to recognize that she is racist and wrong --

LEMON: I got to go.

JUANILLO: -- that would be powerful.

LEMON: I got to run, James. Thank you so much. Listen, this happens all the time, just about almost every single day to a lot of people, including me. So, I'm glad you stood up for yourself, and I thank you for being so gracious about it. Have a good night.

JUANILLO: Thank you so much, Don Lemon.

LEMON: Thank you so much. Thanks for watching, everyone. Our coverage continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)