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Don Lemon Tonight

Virus With More Names Than Any Disease in History?; Protesters Toppling Andrew Jackson's Statue; COVID-19 Cases Surging In States; Coronavirus Pandemic, Rate Of New Cases Up In 23 States; Department Of Justice Looking Into Noose Found In NASCAR Star Bubba Wallace's Garage Stall; Baton Rouge Activist Rips School Board Member For Defending Robert E. Lee. Aired 10-11p ET

Aired June 22, 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]

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: You're about to look at now a live shot of that area. And in few minutes, we're going to go live to our reporters there on the ground. There you can see Lafayette Park and our Kaitlan Collins getting into place for a report for us.

Reporters told by the Secret Service to immediately leave the White House property. All that happening in the wake of protests that began with confederate statues and are now spreading across this country. It is a fast-moving situation. We're going to have a lot more tonight live from the scene.

But in nation that has been tone deaf really about why these statues were erected and why many want them taken down it is no surprise today that even in Washington at the White House, that kind of attitude still persists.

I want you to see what happened during the White House briefing today when the Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany dodged the truth about again and again refusing to admit that the president's use of the phrase kung flu is racist. You really need to hear this whole thing as CBS White House correspondent Weijia Jiang questions her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEIJIA JIANG, CORRESPONDENT, CBS NEWS: Last year President Trump declared himself the least racist person there is anywhere in the world. Why does he use racist phrases like the kung flu?

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president doesn't. What the president does do is point to the fact that the origin of the virus is China. It's a fair thing to point out as China tries to ridiculously rewrite history, ridiculously blame the coronavirus on American soldiers.

This is what China is trying to do. And what President Trump is saying no, China, I will label this virus for its place of origin.

JIANG: That's what he's saying by using the racist phrase kung flu?

MCENANY: He is linking it to its place of origin.

JIANG: What does he have to say to Asian-Americans who are deeply offended and worry that his use will lead to further attacks and discriminations.

MCENANY: So, the president has said very clearly, it's important that we totally protect our Asian community in the U.S. and all round the world. They are amazing people and the spreading of the virus is not their fault in any way, shape or form.

They were working closely with us to get rid of it. We will prevail together. It's very important. So, it's not a discussion about Asian- Americans who the president values and prizes as citizens of this great country. It is an indictment of China for letting this virus get here.

And I would also point out that the media blames President Trump for using the term China virus and Wuhan virus when they themselves have used these very terms. The New York Times called it the Chinese coronavirus. Reuters the Chinese virus. CNN the Chinese coronavirus on January 20th. Washington Post January 21st Chinese coronavirus. And I have more than a dozen other examples.

JIANG: Category, Kayleigh, kung flu is extremely offensive to many people in the Asian-American community. To be clear, are you saying the White House believe it is racist?

MCENANY: To be clear, I think the media is trying to play games with the terminology of this virus where the focus should be on the fact that China let this out of their country. The same phrase that the media roundly now condemns has been used by the media.

I can go more examples. Wuhan virus CNN said on January 22. I mean, we can go on and on. So, while the media wants to focus on nomenclature the president is going to focus on action.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Not really an answer. Just a deflection to blame other people. And it's shameful. Really.

Kayleigh McEnany who I would like to think knows better pretending over and over that saying Chinese coronavirus is the same thing as saying kung flu. It's not. She should know that. I would hope so.

Kung flu is racist. Plain and simple. And just in case you missed what the president said on Saturday night about the coronavirus, which as of today, by the way, it shouldn't be a by the way, has killed more than 120,000 Americans. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: By the way, it's a disease without question has more names than any disease in history.

(APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: I can name kung flu. I can name 19 different versions of names.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And they cheered. And they cheered. You know and I know, I'm sure he knows, and his representative. There's no reason for him to say that other than the obvious one. He wanted to get a reaction. From what turned out to be a very small crowd so he went right to something racist. Shameful.

Kayleigh McEnany can't actually defend what the president said. So, she claim the media said the same thing which is a lie. And Kaitlan Collins of CNN called her on that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The media has never called it the kung flu. Calling it the Chinese coronavirus and calling it the kung flu are very different.

[22:05:01]

MCENANY: The media -- the media and your network specifically --

(CROSSTALK)

COLLINS: CNN called it the kung flu?

MCENANY: The media and your network specifically have repeatedly used the term China virus and Wuhan virus and then gone onto derive the president as somehow using a term that they had themselves have never used.

So, we can go through CNN's history.

(CROSSTALK)

COLLINS: It's not a medical term, Kayleigh.

MCENANY: I'd be more than happy to go through CNN's history. On February 9 you guys talked about the Wuhan coronavirus. On January 23 you guys talked about the Wuhan coronavirus. On January 22 the Wuhan virus. I can write it all up for you and detail it for you in an e- mail.

(CROSSTALK)

COLLINS: But the president is call it the kung flu, though, Kayleigh.

MCENANY: Yes, Justin.

COLLINS: You got to admit that. It's not the same thing as calling it the kung flu.

MCENANY: Yes, Justin. (END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Again, didn't answer. Listen to Kellyanne Conway's reaction to reports that a senior official had used the phrase kung flu back in March.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: That's highly offensive. So you should tell us who it is. I'd like to know who it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, Mr. President, she wanted to know who said kung flu. Well, now we know at least one person who has said it. The person who told me this back in 2015.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Are you racist?

TRUMP: I'm the least racist person that you have ever met. I am the least racist person?

LEMON: Are you bigoted in any way you think?

TRUMP: I don't think so. No, I don't think so.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Is it, is anybody really surprised that this president's first instinct is to say something racist? This president who launched his political career with the racist birther lie that Barack Obama was not born in this country. Who said there were -- his words -- very fine people on both sides of the deadly white supremacist violence in Charlottesville?

Who called NFL players peacefully protesting police brutality and racial injustice -- his words -- sons of bitches. And on and on, and on and on. Central Park Five, housing trying to get black people not to be in his -- he and his father's housing. Buildings.

Is anybody really surprised when he says something like this? Something racist? but kung flu is hardly the only shocker from the president's unhinged Tulsa rally. He also said he told his people to slow down testing for the coronavirus because they keep finding more cases which is exactly what the testing is for, to find as many cases as you can. Given the chance today to walk back that completely ridiculous statement. The president did not.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you ask to slow it down?

TRUMP: If it did slow down, frankly, I think we're way ahead of ourselves if you want to know the truth. We've done too good a job because every time we go with 25 million tests, you're going to find more people. So, then they, we have more cases in the United States. The reason we have more cases because we do more testing than any other country by far.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, with more than 120,000 people dead, the White House wants you to think it was all just a big joke. Kidding. He was kidding.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: On testing is you said the president made that comment just about having people slow down the testing. The vice president just said that it was made in passing. Peter Navarro said it was tongue and cheek.

But when the president himself was just asked by our reporter like an hour ago, he did not say that he was just joking when he said that he told officials to slow down the testing.

MCENANY: The president said he used that opportunity to stall the fact that we've done more than 25 million tests. That we're finding more people because we're doing more testing. And I would not that what the vice president said and Peter Navarro whether it's in jest in passing or tongue and cheek, those are all synonymous.

COLLINS: But why is that funny?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: In jest and passing, tongue and cheek all synonymous. It's not funny. Not even a little bit. As I said, not with more than 120,000 Americans dead. But it is not the first time that this president has said something completely outrageous about this virus and then tried to tell you that he was just joking. Who can forget this?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I was asking the sarcastic, a very sarcastic question to the reporters in the room about disinfectant on the inside. But it does kill it. And it would kill it on the hands. And that would make things much better. That was done in the form of a sarcastic question to the reporters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Sarcastic, huh? Have a seat everyone, pay close attention. Roll tape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I said supposing it brought the light inside the body in which you can do either through the skin or in some other way. And I think you said you're going to test that too? Sounds interesting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll get the right folks who could.

TRUMP: Right. And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute.

[22:10:03]

And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning. Because you see it gets in the lungs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Yes. That's the defense this president, this White House is using. He's just kidding around. Being sarcastic about a virus that is killing more and more Americans every single day. A virus the Vice President Mike Pence said back in April could be in the rearview mirror by early June.

(BEGIN VOICE CLIP)

MICHAEL PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: By early June we could -- we could be at a place where this coronavirus epidemic is largely in the past. And then we can move, begin to move our nation forward.

(END VOICE CLIP)

LEMON: Not even close. And that is from the head of the Coronavirus Task Force. Wonder where he got that rosy prediction from?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We have it under control. It's going to be just fine.

We think we have it very well under control. We have very little problem in this country at this moment. Five. And those people are all recuperating successfully.

By April, you know, in theory when it gets a little warmer it miraculously goes away.

The coronavirus which is 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 days is going to be down to close to zero. That's a pretty good job we've done.

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 and will flow through. very accurate. I think you're going to find in a number of weeks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, none of that was true. None of it. None of this is a joke. Not with more than 120,000 Americans lives lost. None of it is a joke. We got to get you live to Lafayette Park where protestors are trying

to pull down the statue of Andrew Jackson. They have been pushed back by police. And reporters have been told to leave the White House grounds.

CNN's Kaitlan Collins, Boris Sanchez live on the scene for us right after this break.

[22:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: So, I told you about the breaking news at the top of the show. And a highly unusual move. The Secret Service telling reporters to leave the White House grounds tonight, the same time protestors were trying to topple a statue of former president Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Park across from the White House.

Let's bring in our White House Correspondents Kaitlan Collins and Boris Sanchez. They're live for us on the scene. Good evening to both. Kaitlan, reporters were told to leave the White House grounds earlier tonight. What happened?

COLLLINS: Yes, Don, it's something that has not been ever since I've been covering the White House. But reporters were told to leave the White House grounds earlier by Secret Service officers immediately at that time. Now that typically doesn't happen when there is a protest, when there is some kind of security threat even. If someone jumped over a barricade.

Typically, they just have their reporters go into the briefing room, they'll lock the doors so they figure out what's going on. And then everything goes on as normal. But tonight, they were asked to leave the White House, to clear the White House.

And that came of course as you saw those protestors inside Lafayette Square trying to put on that statue with those ropes. And now these protesters have been pushed cast out of the park where they were earlier. And now they're right here on 8th and 16th Street. Pushed out by park police but they've also got the metropolitan the D.C. police here as well, Don.

LEMON: Boris, I want to bring you in. You talked to a protestor on the ground. What are people saying about this?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Don. So, this all sort of culminated right around 6.30 p.m. I was actually walking away from this area and I saw a group of protestors grab a fence that was part of a construction site that's adjacent to Lafayette Park. And they started moving it to the middle of the intersection trying to block out police.

I left the area, and when I came back a short time later, they had blocked off several more intersections. They were stopping not only police but also civilians. Just people walking their dogs and neighbors that were out. I effectively tried to argue that I should be allowed inside. I'm

press. I want to cover what was going on. They let me in. And I spoke to one of the organizers of what they're calling the black house autonomous zone.

Clearly, an attempt to recreate the Capitol Hill autonomous zone that we are seeing over the last several weeks in Seattle where protestors there blocked off police.

I spoke to a young man who goes by D. He didn't want to give me his real name. He didn't want his picture taken. He told me that he's 28 years old, that he's from D.C. And that this spontaneous move was not planned. This is something that protestors just started doing spontaneously from one moment to the next. He told me that most of them don't actually know each other.

And I want you to take a look at this. This is actually St. John's Episcopal Church. This is right across the street from the White House. You might recognize it. This is where President Trump held this photo-op on June 1st after law enforcement officials cleared peaceful protestors from Lafayette Park using pepper balls.

The night before that took place protestors got into the church and set fire to the basement. It appears it's been defaced again with that BHAZ, the black house autonomous zone, Don.

LEMON: Kaitlan, how does the crowd tonight compared to the crowds that we have seen near the White House in recent weeks?

COLLINS: It's coming and going. Earlier, I saw 200 people or so. What we're seeing now is we've got this cement block barriers in between here and the front straight actually 8th Street which leads to Lafayette Park and that statue.

[22:20:08]

We've seen several protestors just now walking off saying they were going to go march. That they -- there was talk earlier about what was going on. You also had some protesters come up with their own shields earlier, Don. They have walked off briefly and they came back and they were telling those protestors who are in shields to get to the front of the line as they were face to face with the officers.

So now we just saw a large group walk off. It's not clear where they are headed to go protest. We've seen them over the last several nights go to Capitol Hill, walk the streets of Washington, D.C.

And so, I do want to note that as things were getting pretty tense between the officers and the protestors earlier, Don, when they had those ropes around the Andrew Jackson statue. We did -- we were told by several people they had been some kind of chemical irritant on them.

We did see a helicopter flying overhead. We were told that some of the protestors were throwing things at the police. And so, certainly one of the more tense nights that we have seen over here as they were unsuccessful in pulling that statue down. But certainly, doing their best to do so.

And of course, Don, it's notable that, you know, that statue is not too far in front of the White House. And the president has come out against removing any of these statues that people say should be removed, bases should be renamed. The president has said that he does not believe that should happen.

though, we should note he has not commented on what's been going on right in front of the White House yet tonight.

LEMON: All right. Kaitlan, Boris, thank you very much. We'll get back to you as the situation worn this evening. That is our breaking news this evening.

Nearly half of states seeing a rise in confirmed cases of coronavirus right now. And the president blames an increased testing on that. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta here with the facts. He's next.

[22:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: It is very important that you know the surge of coronavirus cases in parts of the U.S. showing no signs of slowing down as the death toll surpasses 120,000 people. Florida, Texas, and Arizona showing frightening spikes. But Florida and Texas reporting more than 4,000 cases in a single day over the weekend.

Arizona's average new case count has quadrupled in just three weeks. While New York once the epicenter in the U.S. is now the state with the lowest rate of transmission according to the governor.

Let's discuss now. CNN's very own Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us. Doctor, thank you so much. Serious business. Cases are up in 23 states compared to this time last week. The president's former FDA commissioner is saying some states could see an exponential growth this week. Is this virus on the brink of getting out of control again?

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I worry that it is, Don. I mean, it was 18 states that were seeing significant growth on Monday of last week. So, you know, a week later you're start -- you see five more states added to the list.

And look, Don, that map that we've been showing over and over again is slowly changing color. That's the concern. If you look at how low we got, what was the best we could do. It was around 20,000 new infections a day still. That was sort of, you know, the best that we could get.

Several hundred people still dying every single day. And as you know, Don, we've started to open up again. And as a result, we're going to see an uptick.

The question is this, this is what everyone is keeping an eye on, Don. Do you go sort of from here to here? We know it's going to go up. Is it going to plateau from one plateau to another plateau? Or you are going to get behind the curve and all of a sudden, the thing takes off and to exponential like you mentioned.

If that happens, Don, it's very hard to catch up. It's start -- all of a sudden you wake up one morning and the numbers you have to -- you have to look at the numbers over and over again to believe what you are seeing because they've just taken off within a 24, 48-hour period.

So that's what everyone is trying to avoid. It's had right now because of what's happening right now in the country.

LEMON: Yes. You've heard what the Trump administration is saying about this. Once again claiming that the case -- the case surge is all about an increase in testing. But there's alarming data from several states that show that that is -- that's simply not true, is it, doctor?

GUPTA: I mean, it's not true. And this is frustrating. You know, this many months into this, the only thing really that other countries have been able to use to be able to bring their case counts low into the teens or hundreds, not the tens of thousands, has been robust testing.

I mean, finding people who have the virus, isolating them and breaking the cycle of transmission. But if that's not enough, Don, let me show you this. OK? Let's say you don't believe. You say testing is the only reason these numbers are going up then how do you explain hospitalizations.

If you look at hospitalization and all the states that you mentioned they are also going up. OK? There's Arizona. They've been going up. They should be going down. Two thousand hospitalizations? I mean at this point in the pandemic that is not we should be seeing.

Same thing you'd see in Texas. Same thing you'd see in Florida as well. And Don, you know, I'm particularly worried about Florida. My parents live in Florida. This is a state where 20 percent of the population is over the age of 65.

We know that the virus has, you know, there's a vulnerable population. People who are elderly, people who have preexisting conditions. Seventy-five percent of the ICU beds are already occupied in Florida, Don. We kept talking about flattening the curve so let's not tax the hospital system. We are back to square one in terms of that discussion again. Flattening the curve.

That was March. We should be having a new discussion which is bring this down to near zero. Instead, we're talking about how to keep hospitals from red lining once again.

LEMON: I just wonder how much growth in this the infections that it has to be before the White House, you know, gets an honest statement about this. I don't know. You know, considering how many people are dying and the infection rate and the hospitalizations as you say.

GUPTA: No, I mean, that is the question.

LEMON: Yes.

GUPTA: I mean, we -- it is worth pointing out, Don, as well, and I hate to draw these comparisons to other countries. In South Korea, Don, you realize they never really went into lockdown. Right? They didn't have to lock down. All this talk about I don't want to lockdown again but I'm not going to do anything to keep that from happening is incredibly frustrating for public health officials around this country.

[22:30:09]

I talked to several of them on a regular basis. South Korea never went into lockdown. How many people have died there? A country of 50 million people, fewer than 300. Fewer than 300, not 3,000. Not 30,000. Not in the hundreds of thousands. So, it can be done. So, maybe we should draw some inspiration from that. Because we are going to have a few chances to get this right including right now.

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: Yes. And big concern, Doctor, I have to go, young people are now starting to become getting infected and Dr. Fauci is warning that they are going to bring this home. Possibly infecting other people and infect older people who are more vulnerable. We'll continue to discuss. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you very much. I appreciate it.

GUPTA: Yes.

LEMON: Have goodnight, sir.

GUPTA: You too.

LEMON: Bubba Wallace got NASCAR to ban confederate flags from their races. Well, he repainted his car to read black lives matter. And then a noose showed up in his garage. And the FBI is involved. The very latest on that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[22:35:00]

LEMON: A major show of support for Bubba Wallace. NASCAR's only black driver in the top circuit. A day after someone left a noose in his garage. A fellow drivers pushed his car down pit road as others followed to the front of the line. Here's how Bubba Wallace described that moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUBBA WALLACE, NASCAR DRIVER: This is probably the most bad ass moment right here. The sport is changing. The deal that happened yesterday sorry I'm not wearing a mask. But I want to show whoever it was that you're not going to taking away my smile. And I'm going to keep ongoing. All in all we won today. The prerace deal was probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to witness in my life. It's truly incredible. And I'm proud to be part of the sport.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: CNN's Dianne Gallagher was at Talladega super-speed way earlier today and she joins me now. As we used to say when I live in Birmingham. Talladega, Dianne. The noose was found in a restricted area there. Has that helped narrow down who was responsible?

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, it does. And to be honest, Don, you look at that moment that was full of emotion while all of those people -- the garage was there walking behind Bubba and his car. While, in all likelihood the person who placed that noose in the garage could have been there on the track today. Because this was a restricted area that required credentials. Only essential personnel could be in that garage sole area where they found the noose.

We are talking, NASCAR team members, officials, security. Medical personnel, people like that. Now NASCAR acknowledged that it is possible someone may have breached security, but highly unlikely. Look, Don, I have been at NASCAR races across the country at many tracks. And that is a tight secure area when we're not in a pandemic. During a pandemic NASCAR is taking this very seriously.

And so, the potential is this could have been one of their own who did something like this. And that is what most is concerning to officials here. They have been pretty frank about the fact that once they find out the person or persons who did this, they will be banned from the sport for life.

But, you know, you showed that moment that with Bubba Wallace, Don, to start with, I have never seen anything quite like that after the race. You saw that diverse crowd of people up there at the fence. With their black lives matter t-shirts. So, that's not something that I think I would have seen at a race a year ago. Even a month ago, two months ago.

LEMON: Yes. Certainly is. Dianne Gallagher, thank you very much. I appreciate your reporting.

I want to discuss this further now with former NASCAR driver. Willy T. Ribbs. First black driver to race in the Indy 500. Thank you Mr. Ribbs. I appreciate you joining us. May I call you Willy?

WILLY T. RIBBS, FORMER NASCAR DRIVER: May I call you D.L.

LEMON: Yes. You can call me whatever you like, just don't call me late for dinner, but thank you so much. Listen. What was your reaction when you heard about this noose in Bubba Wallace's garage?

RIBBS: Well, you know, I was there 30 years before him. And I didn't get that kind of support. And you know, I was raised on a ranch and my grandfather used to tell me if a rattlesnake bites you. Bite him back. That's how I always dealt with everything. And you know, it didn't shock me, but you know, that's what happens in that environment sometimes. I was getting death threats. So, a rope would have been a piece of cake for me.

LEMON: Interesting. This is what I want you to hear what Bubba's mom, who named is Desiree Wallace what she had to say earlier today about her son and NASCAR. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DESIREE WALLACE, BUBBA WALLACE'S MOTHER: This is not his first incident. I mean, he's been involved with you know, incidents on the track. If he gets into it with another driver, you know, they quickly to throw out the n word. And you know, he's been told he doesn't belong here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Did you experience similar as a black man on the racing circuit?

RIBBS: Oh, yeah. I had -- you know, Don, actually it was a turn on for me. I needed that. That was energy. And no one went to my face and used the n word. You know, they were some dumb. But they weren't plum dumb. So, but I got the letters and written on the bathroom stalls. In the restrooms inside the track. But Don, that was all just -- actually it was fun. Actually.

[22:40:05]

LEMON: Yes. So, you know, I spoke to Bubba Wallace just a few weeks ago. And I asked a question that I barely got the words confederate flag -- I didn't even finish the g in flag, when asking about this stuff. And he reveals something to me about what he wanted to do with the flag. This was just a few weeks ago. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race. So, it starts with the confederate flag. Get them out of here. They have no place for them. It's going to be a lot of angry people that carry those flags proudly. But it's time for change. We have to change that. And I encourage NASCAR. We'll have those conversation to remove those flags.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: We saw the confederate flag fly over Talladega with a defund NASCAR banner. It's no coincidence that this happened just days after NASCAR banned the confederate flag. And had black lives matter scheme when -- when he had black lives matter scheme on his car.

RIBBS: There's going to be plenty push back, Don. And this is not the only one. It's going to continue for a long time. And you know, for African-Americans the confederate flags means the same to African- Americans as a swastika does to Jewish people. It's demeaning, it's more than demeaning. It represents the support of slavery. It represents treason. It's -- for this country to survive socially, we have to get through this. Or we're not going to make it until 2050. We'll be done.

LEMON: Why do you think people are so defiant then about this symbol of racism as you compared it to a swastika? Why so defiant and why is it allowed to fester in this way? RIBBS: Well, you know, NASCAR is taking a step. Its 50 years a little

late. But they have taken a step. You never see this in any other major sporting event. But, you know the question is, if George Floyd was still alive now, would that flag be still flying inside the race course? So, there's going to be some people that are going to push back.

You know, and it's not everyone. It's that element. It's that small element that is going to be kicking and screaming. As everything changes. They are going to kick and scream. And but the good thing is the good people in all colors are going to push for the right thing. They are going to keep doing it.

In my career, I had a lot of people, Paul Newman, Jim Truman, can go down the line. Dan (inaudible). They weren't African-American, but they pushed my career along even when there's opposition. And when you see the film and you watch uppity, you'll see it.

LEMON: Well, I want to thank you -- I appreciate what you went through. I want to thank you for paving the way for a lot of folks. Bubba Wallace and a lot of folks in NASCAR and beyond. Thank you. Willy T. Ribbs from D.L. Thank you, sir.

RIBBS: Thank you, Don.

LEMON: Thank you. Bubba Wallace first called on NASCAR to ban confederate flags on this show and he's going to react to the noose found in his garage right here too. Bubba Wallace, see him live on this show tomorrow night. Make sure you tune in.

And next, you have to see this. A school board member defending naming a Baton Rouge high school after Robert E. Lee. Well, that school board member gets called out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That's activist Gary Chambers calling on the board to resign. He joins me right after this.

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[22:45:00]

LEMON: So for people who are -- who have been asking what do you do? Why are we in this position? How did we get here? This next story encapsulates exactly where we are in this country. How different people feel about taking names and statues down. This is not just about Baton Rouge Louisiana. OK? That's where this took place.

He's an activist sharply criticizing a Baton Rouge Louisiana school board member who defended naming a school after Robert E. Lee and who then appeared to be online shopping during a hearing on the topic. That school board member, her name is Connie Bernard said that she wanted to keep the name to honor the schools legacy. She also encouraged people to do more research into Lee's history.

Well, it is important to remember that Robert E. Lee was a confederate general. A traitor to the United States. Lee personally owned enslaved people. And he had a history of brutally punishing those who attempted to escape with whipping. OK? Gary Chambers is his name. Gary is a local activist who supports changing the schools name said this at that meeting last week. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY CHAMBERS, ACTIVIST: So, I had intended to get up here and talk about how racist Robert E. Lee is. But I'm going to talk about you Connie, you shouldn't be over there shopping while we're talking about Robert E. Lee.

[22:50:02]

Here's a picture of you shopping while we are talking about racism and history in this country. Only white man who was in this board got up while we were up here talking too. Because you don't give a damn. And it is clear.

But I'm going to tell you what the slaves, my ancestor said about Robert E. Lee, since you don't know history sister. Let me tell you that they said when he got the plantation, after he got off the field with 27,000 people dying, at Gettysburg, Connie, Robert E. Lee was a brutal slave master.

Not only did when he whoop the slaves, he said lay it on them hard. After he said lay it on them hard, he said, put (inaudible) sort of burn them. That's what Robert E. Lee did. And you sit your arrogant self in here and sit on here shopping while the pain and the hurt of the people of these community is on display, because you don't give a damn and you should resign.

When do we as Baton Rouge start being in 1856? If you want to name the building after somebody? How about PBS Pinchback, the first black governor of the state of Louisiana, when he was governor during reconstruction. You want another name? Oscar Dunn, who was the lieutenant governor of the state of Louisiana, in the 1860s that gave the rights for (inaudible) land and Don Palace (ph) and Evelyn (inaudible), and (Inaudible) to get here.

You want to name it after somebody from reconstruction. Name it after the people who fought for (inaudible). If you want to name it after somebody, name it after the right people. The people who won the right side of history. But it's your ancestor that the school is named after. So you holding on to your heritage. But we built this joint for free.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

CHAMBERS: We are done begging you to do what is right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, he had much more to say, even after that, ultimately the school board resolution to change the school's name was unanimously approved with all nine members including Connie Bernard voting in favor. Connie Bernard was invited to come on this show tonight. She did not respond, but Gary Chambers did and he joins me now. Mr. Chambers, so good to see you. Thank you for joining us.

CHAMBERS: How are you doing, brother?

LEMON: I'm doing OK.

CHAMBERS: Thank you, brother. Thank you for having me.

LEMON: Absolutely. I should say, Baton Rouge was my hometown. And when I saw the story, I was particularly interested in it. Before we get to this Connie Bernard thing. The school board member allegedly seen online shopping at the meeting. I have to ask you about your passionate plea to rename the school. You even suggested that two other names of prominent black leaders from the state, why is this so important to do right now, you think?

CHAMBERS: I think as long as we have monuments to white supremacy we are walking backwards as a country. It's not enough to wake up and know that Barack Obama and Michelle Obama lived in the White House. We need to know that there were people centuries ago that were advocating for us, that are doing things. And the truth is, Oscar Dunn and PBS Pinchback on the folks who got elected in the 1800s, are got impetus of Jim Crow laws.

Because they saw the power of the black folks. They saw the power of black unity and progress. And so they immediately put laws in place that prevented that progress for 150 years. And then they began to honor those people by naming buildings and in Baton Rouge, we have entire streets and subdivisions named after these people.

And you know, we are either going to be progressive and we are going to move forward as a country or are we going to be like Connie, Don and scroll on the internet and pretend that this things aren't happening while people are expressing their hearts.

LEMON: Yeah, the neighborhood Tara and on and on. Listen, I had friends that went to Robert E. Lee high school. I didn't go to Robert E. Lee, but I had friends who went. And it's just, I think this story encapsulates, as I said, what is happening in America. People who are ignorant about what these statues means.

What the naming of the schools, confederate imagery and then African- Americans who are really hurt and disgusted by having to walk in to a school that is named from a traitor or a slave owner or someone who was treasonous against America and did not see them as full human beings. How can anyone not understand that, Gary?

CHAMBERS: So, I think they understand it, Don. And I'm just going to kick some facts about Baton Rouge, a city that is 56 percent black. We have parishes and not counties and we are 47 percent black and 47 percent -- white -- last year, you broke a black face story that we put out about the police department, the history of racism and bigotry exists here. We have the longest lasting desegregation case.

We have a community like I said that is 56 percent black. But (inaudible) black minority owned businesses get less than 5 percent of city Parish contracts. So, upholding these institutions allows them to do the systemic work through government can discriminate against us.

And so, as long you can keep Robert E. Lee, as long as you can keep John Baylehood (ph), as long as you can keep General Stewart and all bigot, and Floyd on streets in Baton Rouge and in other places in Mississippi and Alabama, you can send a dog whistle message to black people, that no matter how far you come, we will never going to recognize you equally. And it's time now for all of that.

[22:55:17]

We have had tremendous contributions to America. And in the words of Angela Rye, I know those words are going around, we built this joint for free. But I got to give that sister her props that is Angela's line that I just happens to adopt that night.

But we -- it was built on our backs and what we are saying now is we demand that you give us respect. Connie Menard came out today and said she is not going to resign. Any elected official (inaudible) completely disregards the citizens on such a critical issue of race in our community when viewed -- and police are killing people in this community, -- shot somebody else a year later. Shot at someone else a year later. We have real systemic issues that must be addressed and the symbols are the beginning of doing the work of changing the images in our community.

LEMON: Well, Gary, thank you so much. And we are out of time, but I have to get to the top of the hour. I really appreciate you coming on the show.

CHAMBERS: All good.

LEMON: And we want to invite you back. And I do have to say though to our viewers that Connie Bernard apologized but again, as Gary said, she is not going to resign. She said my comments last week about naming a Lee. High School were insensitive, have caused pain for others, and had led

people to believe that I'm an enemy of people of color and I'm deeply sorry and again, she did not respond to our request to come on the show. Thank you, Gary Chambers, I appreciate it. You be well and safe down there, everyone down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

More Trump staffers and secret service test positive for coronavirus after his Tulsa rally, were he called it quote, Kong flu and said more testing was to blame for the rise in cases, stay with us.

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