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Don Lemon Tonight
President Trump Complains About Approval Ratings; Interview With Mayor Quinton Lucas (D), Kansas City, MO; Interview With Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA); A.G. Barr Admits He Misspoke About FBI Arrest In Kansas City Under Operation Legend; Joe Biden Says He Will Pick Running Mate Next Week; Big Crowds And Parties Cause Concern Across The U.S. Aired 11p-12a ET
Aired July 28, 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, 11:00 p.m. on the nose (ph) here on the East Coast. Coronavirus cases are on the rise in 22 states. More than 4.3 million Americans have now been infected and the number of deaths getting closer and closer to 150,000. So, why didn't we hear this from the president today?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are seeing improvements across the major metro areas and most hot spots. You can look portions of our country, its corona free. But we are watching very carefully California, Arizona, Texas, and most of Florida.
It's starting to head down in the right direction and I think you will see it rapidly head down very soon, but if you look, California, Arizona, Texas and for the most part, most of Florida starting to head down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: This is simply not true. Every single state, he says its corona free. Every single state is reporting new coronavirus cases in just the past week. But instead of focusing on this deadly crisis, the president is complaining about his approval numbers and pushing a drug that the FDA says doesn't work on the coronavirus.
And defending a doctor who believes some medical issues are caused by demons. The hydroxychloroquine is a cure and that you don't need to wear a mask. Maybe if the president actually listened to that medical experts instead of being jealous of their popularity, this country would be in a better place.
Let's discuss. Jonathan Reiner is here, he's the director of the Cardiac Catheterization Program at George Washington University Hospital. Doctor, good evening. More than 149,000 Americans have died from this virus, but instead focusing on the crisis this president is complaining about doctor Fauci's popularity. Winding that no one likes him. He cannot help himself and he just won't pay attention to the science and the experts.
JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Right, and the problem with this kind of dysfunction is that it is coming from the president of the United States, not from some low level, you know, functionary. You know, where to start here? You know, we are desperate for leadership. We have gotten it from, you know, many, not all, but you know, many of the governors around the country. You know, there is a glimmer of hope.
If you look at the nationwide totals as of tonight, you are starting to see perhaps the beginning of a downward trend. Some of the northeast states which have had great success in suppressing the virus look like they are keeping that success, New York State has 1.1 percent positivity rate. I say only in quotes, only 11 deaths, I mean, 11 is still too many but that is a dramatic decline.
You know, Florida is still a big problem. Florida had a record number of deaths today, about 190 deaths. Maybe we are starting to see that crest. You know, I am hopeful about that. But in order for us to move forward, we need leadership.
I think the president has done himself a disservice by trying to be the ringmaster at these briefings. It would be better for him to step aside and let the scientist speak, maybe without any politicians there. I think, I think the public would gain confidence if maybe just Doctors Birx and Fauci came out to the microphone.
LEMON: Well, he can't help himself, because he is complaining about their, you know, their ratings, their likeability. Listen, I don't know. This is beyond my pay grade. I have no idea why and I don't understand it. So, the president defending this controversial doctor in the video that she re-tweeted last night about hydroxychloroquine. Kaitlan Collins asked him about it. Let's play it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The woman that you said was a great doctor in that video that you re-tweeted last night that said that masks don't work and there's a cure for COVID-19, both of which health experts say is not true. She has also made video saying that doctors make medicine using DNA from aliens and that they are trying to create a vaccine to make you immune from becoming religious?
TRUMP: Maybe it is a sign. Maybe it is not, but I can tell you this, she was on air along with many other doctors and there were big fans of hydroxychloroquine. And I thought she was very impressive in the sense that where she came, I don't know which country she comes from, but she said that she's had tremendous success with hundreds of different patients. And I thought her voice was an important voice. But I know nothing about her. Go ahead Nicolle. Go Ahead.
COLLINS: Last week (inaudible).
TRUMP: OK. Thank you very much everybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[23:05:25]
LEMON: OK, Doctor, the president is listening to someone who talks about demon sperm and alien DNA instead of Dr. Fauci?
REINER: Yes. Let's talk about the science for just a second. So, we know that in people who have either been infected with the virus or had been exposed to the virus, the drug hydroxychloroquine, with or without azithromycin doesn't help.
I would love it to help. But it doesn't help. We know that from randomize clinical trials and so that is not in doubt. You know, the president is desperate for good news and he always seems to gravitate towards magical thinking. And I think part of the problem is he does know research. And he gets no intelligence.
So that he saw a clip online of some white coated people validating what he's been saying for a long time, or seemingly to validate it, and he just went with that. Having no idea who these people were. These people have no credibility, the drug doesn't work. Those same people are also doubting the usefulness of masks. And y, you reported on some of the crazy stuff that one physician has been recorded saying.
Look, the president needs credible people to speak with him and for him. The problem is that if he speaks at one of these press briefings, he can't have any scientists with him because they can immediately refute some of this nonsense that he says. It would be best again, deep politicize this, let the professionals come out. Let the politicians step to the side and I think he would find that the confidence that the public has in this administration would rise rather than where it is now. Now it is a sort of a freak show. It is embarrassing. I actually felt bad for him today.
LEMON: You did? Well, I mean --
REINER: I did.
LEMON: After hearing him and being so desperate where he has to point to, let's just say these unusual doctors and with their perspectives, you know, I just wonder why is he so obsessed with hydroxychloroquine? I think you said it initially in your first answer.
It would be great if hydroxychloroquine did work. Everyone would be like, wow, this works. You should take it. Do it. Doctors would be saying it, the economy would be back. People you know, would not maybe not be dying and getting a sick.
So, I'm wondering, how did this become so political? The Washington Post reported, Laura Ingraham, the Fox News personality, visited the White House just a few months ago, with two doctors to promote the use of this drug. So, this is where the president is getting medical information?
REINER: Yes, and from people like Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani actually deleted a tweet today where he basically said that this was 100 percent effective. You know, he is not relying on the experts. He is relying on his sort of, tight knit group of loyalists. It is a giant mistake. And you wonder, who in the West Wing now is willing to tell the president that he is wrong. Anybody? I don't know. I don't think so.
LEMON: Yes. I said it earlier, I never thought that I would say demon sperm and alien DNA in relation to the president of the United States and the pandemic on television with a very respected doctor who I am speaking to now. Thank you, doctor. I appreciate it.
REINER: Have a good night.
LEMON: You too.
I want to go to CNN's Nick Watt now with the latest on the corona situation in the hotspots. Here's Nick.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is a glass half full kind of guy. Today touting --
REP. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): It's a positive development in the last few months which is, you know, generating improved outcomes and in patient recoveries.
WATT: OK, but today there were 9,210 new coronavirus cases reported in the state, 11 times the number reported the day Florida began to reopen. Today also, the state's highest daily death toll to date.
DESANTIS: When you see those reports, those are probably reflective of infections and hospitalizations that have happened in the past. And that is just -- so it's more of a lagging indicator.
WATT: Meanwhile the city of Miami mow offering free tests for kids across the state. Cases in children and teens have climbed.
[23:10:05]
MAYOR DAN GELBER (D), MIAMI BEACH, FL: We have to get the virus down. We have to get our contact tracing in place. We've learned that we did not have enough people at all to sort of even call people up and say, you need to quarantine. Who else are you with?
WATT: Along with that Sun Belt surge concern now moving a little north. Average daily case counts now higher than ever in Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee, where despite this plea from Dr. Deborah Birx, --
DEBORAH BIRX, CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE: Stop going to bars, and indeed close the bars.
WATT: The Governor just won't.
Meanwhile four more Miami Marlins have tested positive according to ESPN, all their games this week now postponed. The Yankees Phillies series also postponed.
ROB MANFRED, MLB COMMISIONER: A team losing a number of players that rendered it completely noncompetitive would be an issue that we would have to address. Whether that was shutting down a part of the season, the whole season.
WATT: Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Nick, thank you so much. Joining me now is the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, Quinton Lucas. Mayor, thank you so much, I appreciate you joining us. Kansas City dealing with a spike in coronavirus cases, your state are seeing a rise in deaths and hospitalizations. How do you explain the surge?
MAYOR QUINTON LUCAS (D), KANSAS CITY, MO: I think that we are seeing a similar trend to what happened in the southwest. Frankly, when we opened we started to have all of the same kind of bad activities that were some of our challenges. And so we are seeing the results of it. Folks that were out for memorial weekend, we are seeing more cases now. We are seeing asymptomatic spread in bars and for folks who are under 30. And it is presenting a real challenge for us.
LEMON: And so -- Memorial Weekend, you are seeing those now?
LUCAS: We are seeing those now.
LEMON: The Fourth of Judy.
LUCAS: Right. We have seen Memorial Day weekend, they started to expand into the month of June then through July and we are seeing the impacts now. We are basically having records not just in Kansas City area every day but also in Missouri and Kansas, it is a rural thing, cities, suburbs everyone is being impacted and that's even seen into the metro.
LEMON: You are on a call yesterday, I understand with Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force, and other Midwestern mayors who are seeing a rise in cases. What was -- did she have any advice for you?
LUCAS: She did. And frankly it was a little surprising. Because throughout this crisis we have not necessarily got a clear advice from the White House. But I heard loud and clear from Dr. Birx, the mayors of St. Lois, Kansas City. Cities in Oklahoma that the recommendation was to shut down bar activity, to reduce restaurant capacity back to 25 percent.
If we don't closed bars then at least closed them at 10:00 p.m. so you are going to have fewer people that are out on patios in that sort of thing. And then to institute max requirements at all times. Not just inside as we currently have in Kansas City, but outdoor spaces, where social distancing is not maintained.
That would be different. All right currently -- our state isn't under a mask order but I think that we are saying right no, we don't want to become one of the challenging areas like you're seeing in Texas, Arizona the Sun Belt. And so we are trying to work ahead and listen to frankly Dr. Birx on her advice, because she has not called us every day of this crisis. I'm taking it seriously.
LEMON: Well, considering that bars are super spreader, so, I can't believe that they are even open. You know, anyway, you are with a group of mayors who are calling on Congress to block the Trump administration from sending unwanted federal agents to your cities. The president said that this is about fighting crime. Who is (inaudible) tell me how do you see this?
LUCAS: You know, I think if it was about fighting crime then it would be an all cases a cooperative collaborative process. My city for example work with the federal government and the Department of Justice on probably a six-month process to help support another federal operation of some months ago.
This one was basically, you get called one day, the next day it is announced at the White House, I think that was the experience in Chicago, Albuquerque, a number of places and godless Portland and Seattle where there has been this activity foisted on them. Which it had the effect of escalating everything that is going on.
I see this as election year type of issue. It is not the sort of thing where they are just trying to have us find help to solve murders. Instead and I think you saw this with Attorney General statement about 200 arrests in Kansas City, when at that point we have one, this is more about getting some numbers and making it look like they are tough on crime. And not finding long term solutions to real challenge, here on a lot of Midwestern cities like Kansas City and Chicago.
LEMON: Yes. Let's talk about today the hearings, right. The House Judiciary Chairman, Jerry Nadler press the Attorney General William Barr on federal agents coming into your city as part of what they are calling operation legend. Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JERRY NADLER (D-NY): I am confused however as to the purpose of launching operation legend, at this moment in time. You initially claimed that over 200 arrests had been made under operation legend. Correct?
WILLIAM BARR, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Correct.
NADLER: But you misspoke.
BARR: Correct.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[23:15:07]
LEMON: So as of last week, authorities said there had been one arrest. Do you think the Attorney General was intentionally inflating the arrest numbers?
LUCAS: You know, I think the issue was even if it was an honest mistake, it kind of shows the spirit of what they're trying to accomplish, where it has been sold to a lot of mayors, myself and others, of an operation that is about solving murders, hoping to get the most serious crimes.
The Attorney General speech over a week suggests that it was really about getting some numbers. Being able to say at the end of the operation we have arrested 300, 400 people. This is an area where your city has failed. Your local police department has failed, your local mayor has failed.
And so, I do think that this is telling us kind of what we are trying to do. Instead, it's putting accomplishments up rather than actually fundamentally changing the dynamics on the ground. And I say this, we are going to still to be living here three months from now, two months from now.
We want long term, systematic solutions to violent crime like tracking illegal firearms distributed into our city. Because none are produce in Kansas City. That's the help I want from the ATF. We do want to solve murders, but we want them to match the numbers, not just numbers on a board so that we can turn them into a campaign issues.
LEMON: Mayor, thank you so much. Please be safe, and next time I speak to you, I hope it's better news that the numbers have gone down so much that we have to have you on TV to talk about it as it relates to the coronavirus and crime as well and guns. Thank you so, much I appreciate it.
LUCAS: Thank you.
LEMON: Thank you. The Attorney General William Barr denying under oath and against the evidence that there are systemic racism in police departments, and Congressman Cedric Richmond calling him on it. He's here and he's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:20:00]
LEMON: The Attorney General, Bill Barr, denying systemic racism exists in law enforcement. Barr even pushing back against numbers that show black people are more frequently killed by police than whites when adjusted for a population. So, listen to this exchange with the Democratic Congressman Cedric Richmond.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. CEDRIC RICHMOND (D-LA): You mentioned the number that there were eight African Americans killed by the police and 11 white people killed by the police.
BARR: So far (inaudible). RICHMOND: If you use those numbers, that's 85 percent of that
population is white, 15 percent of that population is black, but if actually look at the deaths according to the numbers you just gave, 42 percent of the deaths are African American, and 58 are white. That is a glaring disparity in terms of population. And I just give you those numbers --
BARR: Not necessarily, you have to adjust it by the, you know, the race of the criminal perpetrator.
RICHMOND: No, I just did that for you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Congressman Richmond joins me now.
Congressman, good to see you. Thank you so much. Barr denying their systemic racism, dodging the fact that is own numbers show black people are more likely to die from police killings than whites. Is he refusing to accept the evidence? What's going on with him?
RICHMOND: He knows the evidence. He just like the president, he's in denial. They will say whatever they need to say so that fits their narrative. So that they can run a reelection campaign. He knows clear that if eight African Americans have been killed, and we only make up 12 percent of the population, and 11 why people were killed and they make up 70 percent of the population, that it's a disproportionate impact.
And so, you can't argue with somebody who is not going to accept knowledge. I can read it to him, I can explain it to him, but I can understand it for him. And so, you know, at some point, you have to stop arguing, especially when someone doesn't want to deal with facts.
LEMON: And those thing -- even when you adjust for population and when you adjust it for interactions with law enforcement. Still, they show African Americans, especially men, are more likely. You asked Barr to send you any data that shows black people are less likely to die at the hands of police. Did you get anything? Do expect to get anything?
RICHMOND: Absolutely not. I also asked him -- he's the third Attorney General under Trump to come speak in front of the judiciary committee. Not one of them brought a black staffer with them. So --
LEMON: There are no black staffers with any of them? You didn't see anybody?
RICHMOND: Not one, not Sessions, Sessions did not bring a black, Whitaker did not bring a black, and Barr did not bring a black. So how do you come testify before us and not bring one black staffer? And so, he invoked the name of John Lewis, and that is what rally set me disturbed me, because don't talk about John Lewis and systemic racism, when you don't have any blacks in your leadership team.
That's what John Lewis was fighting for. Don't talk about John Lewis in a great vein when John Lewis fought to protect the right to vote, when you are following Trump's lead down a rabbit hole to prevent people from having the right to vote.
And look, I know that African Americans will come out to vote in great numbers because they want a piece of Trump and they want to let him know their displeasure. And this is not the first time that African Americans will risk their life to vote. Not a physical violence, but this time it is a pandemic. But you know, Barr is taking his marching orders from President Trump, and we saw that today. It was not rational but we saw it.
LEMON: You pressed Barr on the president false claim that voting by mail leads to widespread fraud, here's the exchange.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHMOND: Do you believe, as the Attorney General of the United States that mail-in voting will lead to massive voter fraud?
BARR: I think that's there's a high risk that it will.
[23:25:02]
RICHMOND: Do you ever vote by mail-in ballot?
BARR: Currently, I did once at least.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So, he's hardly the only administration official to vote absentee. President Trump has done it himself, now we're in the middle of a pandemic, a health crisis. Are they playing politics with people's lives?
RICHMOND: That's exactly what they are doing, and they're spreading a false narrative because they blindly follow Trump, and at some point they're going to realize that the emperor wears no clothes. The American people have caught on to who Donald Trump really is. He talks about a rigged election, he talks about voting by mail as voter fraud when a number of people in his administration do that.
It is an acceptable way to vote. His real fear is that the American people will get a chance to voice their displeasure and as immature, incompetent leadership, he's in over his heads. And so, you saw Barr trying to reconcile that but there's no reconciliation of the fact that the Attorney General of the United States voted by mail, but he also says that it could lead to voter fraud. I think it is nonsense.
LEMON: Yes. So we have to say transparency -- obviously that you are the co-chair of the Joe Biden campaign for president and it has been mocking -- this president has been mocking Joe Biden for not campaigning aggressively, but today he gave a speech in Delaware, really went after the president, meaning Biden did. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 2020 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To change the tone over the last few days as Trump has doesn't change the facts of the last four years, Donald Trump faces a real test and he has failed it, the basic threshold of being president, the duty to care for the entire country, not just his reelection prospects.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So, Biden took questions from reporters today, Congressman. Is that a sign that he's going to put himself out there more as this race heats up?
RICHMOND: Well, he will. But part of this, Don, and I hate to be flippant about it is, if you see your opponent in quicksand, don't go jumping quicksand with them. Just let them have their way. I mean Vice President Biden is an honorable person, he's authentic, everybody knows who he is, the good, the bad, the ugly and people respect his leadership. And so to get into an argument or for a tit-for-tat with a guy who doesn't know the truth, because the truth is not in him, just makes no sense.
So, I think that Vice President Biden is doing the right thing, articulating his agenda, but not engaging with Trump because Trump just does not tell the truth. He is on lie over 17,000 since he's been in office.
So, I just don't think that it makes sense to engage with the president. I think Vice President Biden is right in engaging him with the people and talking about his plan and how this pandemic is disproportionately hurting black people both physically and economically and emotionally.
So, look, we have a bigger goal and that is to unite the country, bring back the middle class, this time bring everybody with us, and so we are going to continue to advocate and talk about our plan and leave the chatter and the noise to Trump and his noise machine.
LEMON: I can hear that you're a coach here, because you were on it, the campaign there. This is what we are going to do. This is what we are going to do. It has become a talking point on the right that Joe Biden is not doing enough, but whatever he is doing, and listen, I'm not judging any of it, it seems to be working for him, because the polls are showing that he is ahead of this president.
You know, Biden says that he is going to choose his running mate next week, under pressure to pick a woman of color. Do you think Democrats will be disappointed if he doesn't consider how critical this moment is in pushing for racial justice? And the other thing I want to ask you is, keep that one in mind, but on his notes he had notes about Kamala Harris, Senator Kamala Harris. Go, your turn.
RICHMOND: Well, which part of that would you like me to focus on?
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: I'm not going to let you dodge, but go on, they are related. What do you say? What say you? RICHMOND: Look. I think that he is in his mind narrowing down. He has
not told me that, but he did mention to me that the process is coming to an end, and he has to choose a running mate. And the good thing is, as a vice president, he knows exactly what he's looking for in a running mate because he was there before.
And he was a great vice president to President Obama. And President Obama said that is one of his best choice. So, I think he knows what he's looking for. And look, if you are asking me whether Kamala Harris is in the mix, I would have to say yes, but there are a number of people in the mix.
LEMON: Is she on the top of his notes list there? I think maybe -
RICHMOND: Because that's who you will ask -- that's because that's who you will ask about the most.
LEMON: OK.
RICHMOND: And the press asks about Kamala Harris. So --
LEMON: Congressman, if you had -- if you had -- I don't know, anybody. If you had Tammy Duckworth, if you had Michelle Obama, who a lot of people would like, if you had anybody up at the top of the list, you had notes, as Joe Biden is giving a speech, you don't think I'm going to ask you about that? There it is right there at the top.
RICHMOND: Well, yeah, but it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. The reason he had her at the top of his notes list is because he knew that you would ask about her, and he wanted to make sure that there were notes, at least (INAUDIBLE).
LEMON: I didn't ask (ph).
RICHMOND: Look, I will be completely honest with you. I will be completely honest with you. That is the name that comes up the most that people ask the most questions about. Maybe it was the debate performance, maybe it was because of her performance in the polls, or that she is the leading African American contender.
But there are still people that are out there that are getting serious consideration, and the number one consideration is who helps this ticket beat President Trump. And so that has a lot of nuances and data that goes into that.
And as though we may all have picks and preferences, the one thing that I wanted when I started this campaign process was to beat Donald Trump. And I knew that Vice President Biden would get that done, and I knew that he had the character to create the country that I want it to be. But the vice presidential process is one that is unique to him.
LEMON: OK.
RICHMOND: It's his choice. And I think that he is going to pick the person that helps beat Donald Trump.
LEMON: I got to go. I know you're from Louisiana because --
(LAUGHTER)
RICHMOND: You are, too.
LEMON: I know, but you just -- you just danced all around that like you were second lining on CNN, all around that question. OK. Thank you, Congressman. See you soon.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: A house party in New Jersey drawing over 700 people and it took police five hours to break it up. And that is not the only incident of huge crowds and big parties causing major concerns about the spreading of the virus.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:35:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Not everybody is getting the social distancing memo. Big parties across the country have people worried that their communities will be hit with a surge of coronavirus cases. Here is Athena Jones with the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATHENA JONES, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Illegal and reckless. That's what New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in announcing a Department of Health investigation into a concert in South Hampton over the weekend that he said violated social distancing regulations.
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): To young people, this is not the time to fight for your right to party.
JONES (voice-over): Headlined by the chain smokers and build as a socially distanced drive-in concert to benefit charities like No Kid Hungry, the event was just the latest to draw large crowds that have raised the ire and concern of local leaders, who are demanding better enforcement.
In a statement issued Monday, the organizers said they made best efforts to ensure New York's social distancing guidelines were properly maintained throughout the event, and collaborated with all state and local health officials to keep everyone safe.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
JONES (voice-over): Then there was this street party in Queens a couple of weeks ago.
CUOMO: It is a problem in New York City. It is a problem in places on Long Island. It is a problem in places upstate.
JONES (voice-over): And it's not just a problem here. Witnesses say a recent house party outside Philadelphia drew hundreds, some arriving in shuttle buses.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would say a good 300. And it is a small -- it is a small backyard.
JONES (voice-over): (INAUDIBLE) in New Jersey also raising COVID concerns.
GOV. PHIL MURPHY (D-NJ): We are seeing it in indoor again, lack of ventilation, not wearing masks, more young people than not. We are seeing the virus flare-up there and that's a concern for us.
JONES (voice-over): One party in Middletown in early July may have been responsible for at least 20 new infections, according to the governor. And it took police nearly five hours to break up a house party of 700 people in Jackson recently.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I looked out the front door and all I saw were droves and droves of cars just coming down and packs of kids, young adults just walking all along our sidewalk.
JONES (voice-over): Crowds at beaches, bars, and other public places, as well as private homes are a problem from coast to coast.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): It looks like there are two separate crowds.
JONES (voice-over): In states that have brought COVID infection rate down and hope to keep them there and in others that haven't, like Florida, where the Osceola County Sheriff's Office captured this scene.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): People just dancing on the road.
JONES (voice-over): And in Mississippi.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we look at how the people get it, pretty clearly there are some common threads that we have identified, and the most common thing that we have seen, about 80 percent of the time, it was a social gathering where people let their guard down.
JONES (voice-over): A concert and rodeo in a private ranch in Weld County, Colorado shut down Sunday after 100 showed up, prompting worried neighbors to call authorities.
THERESA BARRUTIA, NEIGHBOR: So we are not social distancing. You know, they were shoulder-to-shoulder.
JONES (voice-over): Holiday weekend festivities bringing out the masses like 4th of July in Michigan. Earlier this month, health officials in Jackson County, Missouri called for up to 200 teenagers to quarantine immediately after they attended a party linked to at least five COVID infections. A nationwide trend showing little sign of abating as coronavirus continues to spread and health officials and leaders hammer home stern warnings.
ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: This is something we have got to get under better control.
[23:40:01]
MURPHY: This is about public health and preventing a lethal virus from spreading even further.
JONES (voice-over): Athena Jones, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Athena, thank you so much for that.
A picture of Joe Biden's notes has a lot of people wondering, just talked about if he has already picked his VP. You see that? Kamala Harris is written right at the top.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:45:00]
LEMON: Former Vice President Biden is in the final stretch of his search for a running mate. But a picture taken today by an A.P. photographer may have given us a hint. Take a look at this. These are handwritten notes and at the top, you can see the name Kamala Harris.
Here is what the five bullet points below her name say: Do not hold grudges, campaigned with me and Jill, talented, great help to campaign, great respect for her.
CNN' Jessica Dean is here. She spoke to Biden earlier today, and she joins me now. Hi, Jessica. So the whole world -- you heard me talking to Congressman Cedric Richmond, who is the co-chair of the Biden campaign. You know, he had his answer. The whole world wants to know --
JESSICA DEAN, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Right.
LEMON: -- who Biden is going to pick. So give us the latest on his search and the significance of this name being at the top of his note card.
DEAN: Yeah. Well, you know, it's interesting, Don. Like so many of these VP searches, this one has been done in a lot of secrecy, a light of tight lips when it comes to really nailing down exactly who is left in the running.
But what we do know, what our reporting has told us, is that Kamala Harris is right there as the top prospect, and that the Biden campaign is certainly looking at her and looking at her very, very closely. We know that the vet has gone through what is typical, so they have individual lawyers, separate lawyers, looking at separate candidates, going all through all the records. We know that that piece of it has been completed.
So then we get to the more personal part in terms of does Biden have a good relationship, what is the rapport, and what makes this even more interesting in the time of COVID is how much time they can actually spend together.
So the thing about Kamala Harris that is interesting to note is that they do have a relationship. They have known each other for a long time. She was good friends with his late son, Beau Biden, who also served as an attorney general like Kamala Harris did.
And some of the things that Kamala Harris has in her column, Don, she has already ran for president, so she has kind of been through the wringer in terms of what that experience is like. She has been debating in the last year. She is going to be able to jump right in on a lot of those things.
But is she the one? We just don't know. I did ask him today, Don. He put a time frame in place for himself. He said early August. And he committed again today. He said the first week of August.
So, if you look at the calendar, that's next week. So, we will see if they have a final choice for next week. But that's what the vice president told me today.
LEMON: That would be next week. Yes, you are correct. So, we will see.
DEAN: Correct.
LEMON: Jessica Dean, thank you so much. We appreciate you joining us.
DEAN: Yeah.
LEMON: Major League Baseball and the NFL forced to postpone or cancel games over the virus, but leagues putting their teams in bubbles are successful so far. What does this say about stopping the spread while trying to reopen?
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LEMON: The coronavirus outbreak on the Miami Marlins prompting Major League Baseball to postpone the team's game through Sunday. Seventy cases on the Marlins now.
According to ESPN and The Athletic, Miami's next six games are now on hold as the team quarantines and receive care. Series between the Yankees and Phillies was also been postponed. So let's discuss now. Dr. Michael Chang is here, a professor of infectious diseases at UTHealth's McGovern Medical School. Doctor, good evening. Thank you so much.
This Marlins outbreak, happening after just one weekend of games, now spread to 17 players and coaches. The season, it really looks like it could be in jeopardy. What do you think? Is it in jeopardy?
MICHAEL CHANG, PROFESSOR OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, UTHEALTH'S MCGOVERN MEDICAL SCHOOL: Well, not yet, but it's definitely kind of an important opening moment for MLB. You know, luckily, so far, as I have heard, no Phillies players have tested positive where, you know, the Miami Marlins are playing.
So, there's some evidence that some of the policies and procedures that MLB has in place can, you know, protect some of the clubhouses. But, you know, clearly the Miami Marlins must have had, you know, some sort of lapse in their procedure and then developed this outbreak.
So, I think if we start to see more tests, then yeah, definitely MLB will need to kind of reconsider how they are enforcing some of their policies and procedures.
LEMON: Baseball was thought to be one of the safer team sports with limited contact, especially compared to football and basketball. If professional baseball can't get through a season safely, what does it tell us about outdoor youth sports or backyard barbecues?
CHANG: Yeah. I think, you know, it's an interesting question. The Miami Marlins are kind of in a unique situation in that, you know, their home base is kind of in a hot spot. So, you know, I think there's a lot of community spread in Florida. And so it's possible that, you know, the players are becoming exposed out in their communities.
So, with respect to youth sports, you know, first, I think you have to look at each community's situation. So, you know, for example, where I am, you know, we had a lot of cases recently. Luckily that stabilized a little bit. And I would say that given our current situation, you know, having youth sports and gatherings, probably isn't the best idea.
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CHANG: And then as far as outdoor barbecues, though, you know, that is a little bit more of a controlled environment. You probably know who you are gathering with. You know, I probably wouldn't do like, in your earlier segment, and have like 300 people driving in.
But I think, you know, if it's within your circle of friends and you kind of have an idea of what is going on with them and where they have been and what they're doing, you know, I think some outdoor activities are going to be relatively safe.
LEMON: OK. I want to ask you this before we run out of time, because there is this bench clearing brawl between the Dodgers and the Astros tonight. All the players rush on the field and they are all excited. So that's not social distancing. Talk to me about that.
CHANG: Yeah, that's exactly right. So, you know, I think it's -- this opening weekend in MLB has had some examples of that, right? So, there's supposed to be no spitting and no high fives. There's supposed to be a lot of things in place that MLB tried to ensure the safety of everybody involved.
But, you know, when you are in the heat of the moment of a game and you get excited and you are really putting some passion into your play, these things are going to happen. So I think that's definitely not social distancing. I hope, you know, nothing comes of that. Luckily, I think both those teams are negative. But yeah, it's a problem.
LEMON: Yeah. And we are going to continue to report it. I think we will see more of this. Thank you, doctor. Have a good evening. Appreciate it.
CHANG: Absolutely.
LEMON: And thank you for watching, everyone. Our coverage continues.
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