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Don Lemon Tonight

President Trump Returns To White House Despite Still Having Virus, Downplays COVID-19 And Takes Off Mask For Photo-op; President Trump Back At The White House As His Doctors Say He's Not Out Of The Woods Yet; President Trump's Timeline Of Coronavirus; Coronavirus Cases Rising In Parts Of The U.S.; Sen. Lindsey Graham Tied With Challenger Jaime Harrison For SC Senate Seat. Aired 11p-12a ET

Aired October 05, 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: You're watching CNN TONIGHT. I'm Don Lemon. Twenty-nine days, can you believe it, until Election Day? And we are following multiple breaking news stories that could impact the way you cast your vote. President Trump back at the White House tonight after spending three days at Walter Reed being treated for COVID-19 even though his own doctors warned he is not out of the woods yet.

This president making a big show of taking off his mask as he enters the White House where he walked around maskless shooting retakes of Twitter videos. Hard at work tonight, right, as more than 20 states reporting an increase in new cases. As the U.S. death toll from COVID- 19 surpasses 210,000 -- 210,000 dead Americans.

CNN's White House correspondent is John Harwood and he joins me now. Our CNN medical analyst is Dr. Jonathan Reiner. He is here as well. David Axelrod former senior adviser to President Obama and Frank Bruni, columnist for The New York Times all join me.

So, good evening one and all. John, first up. Once again everything we heard from the president about his understanding of the virus better was all a complete farce. The entire thing is a farce. And now a man who is actively infected with the deadly virus has left the hospital, returned to the White House without proper precautions, a complete and utter total dereliction of duty. Now what?

JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well a couple things, Don. First of all, we are going to watch over the next couple of days to see the course of the president's disease. If he really was only infected over the last few days, he has got a significant danger zone left.

And given the fact that his doctor wouldn't answer the question as to whether he had pneumonia and the doctor has shown to be not credible over the last few days, we have to assume that the president does have pneumonia.

If he was infected a week earlier then maybe he, his odds are better. Dr. Reiner can speak to that. Second thing we have to do is monitor the trail of wreckage around the president. So many people associated with the president now, campaign manager, press secretary, multiple Republican Senators, debate adviser Chris Christie, have now come down with coronavirus. See what happens to them. See how many more are added to that list.

And the third thing is to see whether there is any political effect of the situation. I know the president was hoping for a triumphal video and they immediately, along with his allies, tweeted out the images of the president walking up the stairs and pumping his fist and that sort of thing.

But the more likely scenario, given how his poll numbers have been going backward lately, is people are going to look at that Supreme Court event and people don't want that Supreme Court nomination rushed and to have that event turn into a super spreader event that sort of merges two things that the public doesn't like about Donald Trump and help explain why he may be making his political problems worse rather than better.

LEMON: Dr. Reiner, the threat of the president infecting others is still something that is very real. His own doctor said this about it yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why is the president not wearing a mask in the videos that have been released?

SEAN CONLEY, WHITE HOUSE PHYSICIAN: Well, the president wears a mask any time he's around us and we're all wearing our n95s, full PPE. He's the patient. And when we can, when he'll move out into the public, move him about and out around other people that aren't in full PPE, I assure you as long as he is still under my care we'll talk about him wearing a mask.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[23:05:05]

LEMON: Yes. We will talk about him wearing a mask. So much for that.

JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Right. Well, Dr. Conley had a bad weekend. I think that was a disastrous performance in which he demonstrated his willingness to both overtly lie and just omit key data from the American public, really shameful.

Look, the big question is, when did the president last test negative? We were told in July, right, by the press secretary, that the president is tested, quote, "multiple times a day," unquote. So, what they should be able to say is earlier on Thursday he was tested negative or late on Wednesday he tested negative. But they can't say that. My guess is that the president is infrequently tested.

So, now the question is the White House signed a certificate certifying that the delegation to the debate, the entire delegation including the president, tested negative within 72 hours of the debate. Was that true? It is very important because the president becoming ill on Thursday is not consistent with someone who just tested positive a day or so before. Something is wrong.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: That last line sums up everything. Something is wrong. That's all we needed to say the entire show. And good night everyone. Thank you.

REINER: I'm going to make a t-shirt.

LEMON: Something is wrong.

REINER: Something is wrong.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Thank you. I needed that. Frank, something is wrong. I mean, we still don't even know how many people the White House and the president exposed to this virus by holding their unsafe maskless non socially distanced events even after they knew they had that positive test in their midst.

FRANK BRUNI, CNN CONTRIBUTOR, NEW YORK TIMES OP-ED COLUMNIST: You know, but Don, it is not just that event. I mean, the funny thing is when you go back over the last week it is one potential super spreader event after another, right. I mean, it is just mind boggling to think about it. And here we are and the thing that I can't get out of my mind, Don, it upsets me so much is what a lost squandered opportunity these last couple of days have been for the president.

Now, I am a realist. Unlike him I don't live in fantasy land. I would never expect President Trump being who he is to come out and say I made some mistakes. I'm paying the price. Learn from me. Bit he could have at least said, hey, this is a reminder to us all that we are all vulnerable. It is a summons to caution for all of us. I mean, he could have left all that other stuff under the surface implicit.

The power of that message coming under these circumstances would have been immeasurable. Instead, he is continuing to model not wearing a mask. He is telling people that COVID is no big deal.

Well, you know, it is a big deal. Maybe it is a less big deal if you've got the kind of physicians he does and if you can just check yourself out of the hospital and go from one hospital to the White House because there is a mini hospital there. But that is not the reality for most Americans and the message Donald Trump is putting out to them, you know, he is risking their lives. He is going to get people killed.

LEMON: What you were saying that he has to do requires a sense of decency and even intelligence, growth. David, the president saying don't be afraid of the virus while he is being treated for severe coronavirus disease. Don't be afraid of the virus that has killed more than 210,000 Americans. Don't be afraid of the virus when he is said to have two experimental treatments. That he had to basically be medevacked to a hospital. Don't be afraid of it.

Again, I am not surprised. I knew that he would use all of it. And I'm not saying that he doesn't have COVID but, you know, there is a lot of milking it going on. If nothing else has done it, doesn't this raise questions about his fitness for office?

DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, look. This is -- he is a super spreader of lies about the coronavirus and that has been true from the beginning. He sat with Bob Woodward on February 7th on the phone and told him this thing is deadly. It is highly contagious. It is really bad.

And then he told the country that it was just a cold or a common flu. And that has been his posture from the beginning. I've said this many times here and elsewhere, Don. He thought from the beginning that he could spin the virus and he still thinks it.

But I want to speak to, you know, when the doctor said something is wrong you never want to hear a doctor say something is wrong. But let me tell you what was wrong. What was wrong was that that I think that they were trying to cover up this that he had the virus much sooner and, you know, they sent him off to the fundraiser on Thursday knowing that Hope Hicks had been -- that Hope Hicks probably had, she may have been tested by then, the virus.

And I think if he hadn't gotten symptoms and if Bloomberg hadn't broken the story that Hope Hicks had the virus I think they really thought they could sort of bogart their way through this. And he would just go out there with the virus. He exposed all a room full of his donors on Thursday. And, you know, there is a reckless disregard for human life. Donald Trump cares about Donald Trump.

But as for the larger issue I disagree slightly with John. I think the real point here is he has been decimated by his handling of this virus politically and he has only reinforced why he was decimated by it, because he misled the American people from the start and now he is flagrantly and flamboyantly misleading the American people even in his own case. And I think he is going to pay a terrible price for that.

LEMON: You know, John, 13 people who have been close to the president. Everyone look on your screen. OK? Thirteen people tested positive including the press secretary Kayleigh Mcenany. Is there concern inside the White House about his return?

HARWOOD: Absolutely there is. The White House was a ghost town today. Let me just add, maybe I didn't express it clearly enough but I don't disagree with David's description of the politics at all.

The American people, a large majority of them don't like the way the president has handled the coronavirus. We just had a new poll that came out today, 60 percent of the American people disapprove of his handling, 72 percent of women, 66 percent of senior citizens. That's killing the president politically. He is trying to get a bump from his core supporters and three-fourth of Republicans like what he is doing.

LEMON: He is trying to get a sympathy vote. HARWOOD: Nom this is --

LEMON: He is trying to get a sympathy vote.

HARWOOD: Yes, right. But this was a --

LEMON: And the -- I am a strong man vote. I conquered the virus. I mean that was obvious from the beginning. Go on, sorry.

HARWOOD: Right. That is going to work about as well as law and order worked for him or the Supreme Court fight worked for him. They haven't worked for him. The public is pretty locked in against it. But no, within the White House's tremendous concern, there is anger that the president has been so heedless with their safety as well as his own.

You know, it will be interesting to have a conversation with somebody over the next week like Chris Christie who is in the hospital. We haven't heard anything about his condition since he checked himself into the hospital the other day.

LEMON: You're reading my mind.

HARWOOD: But there has got to be a lot of people who very embittered about the fact that the president has put their safety and lives in danger.

LEMON: Well, since he brings up Chris Christie and that is why I said he is reading my mind. So, Dr. Reiner, listen, Chris Christie tested positive, said he had mild, right symptoms. If his mild symptoms, then why is he checking in himself into a hospital? Aren't those beds needed for people who have beyond mild symptoms? Is that normal, doctor?

REINER: Well, one wouldn't be admitted to a hospital with mild symptoms. So either the former Governor is sicker and I hope he is not and I hope he gets better quickly or he is nervous about a potential outcome. You know, he has obviously struggled with his weight over the last many years and obesity particularly that level of obesity is a very strong risk factor for a bad outcome.

So I am concerned about him. I don't fault him for going to the hospital. I'm sure he is nervous. But he's either, you know, doing this because he has connections, he is the former Governor and can do this, something that the average American cannot do, or he is sicker. Frankly I hope he is not sicker. I hope he is just doing this because he can.

AXELROD: Don, can I ask Dr. Reiner a question?

LEMON: Sure.

AXELROD: Doc, I saw that, I watched the president tonight and the thing that occurred to me was this is unhinged. This is unhinged. And it makes me wonder with all the drugs that he has on board, do we have any assurance that he is, you know, of sound mind or at least sound mind for whatever his baseline is? And if not, you know, are there, should there be questions about whether he should be functioning in that role during these days when he's on these medications?

REINER: Yes. Absolutely. To give you a sense of a different administration, the last time the 25th amendment was instituted during the administration of George W. Bush for his colonoscopy before it, the third section would be reversed, General Tub, his physician gave the president a mini mental exam to make sure that he was in possession of his faculties before returning the power of the office to him.

[23:15:24]

Now look at this current administration. The president does appear to be unhinged but who in this administration is willing to challenge him toward the 25th amendment? Dr. Conley? I think not. The vice president? I think not. So a legitimate question could be made about the president's competence on steroids with pneumonia. We heard last week periodically with low blood oxygen levels. Yes, absolutely. Actively (inaudible) -- high temperature.

LEMON: As you said, something is wrong.

REINER: Something is wrong.

LEMON: Thank you all. I appreciate it. The president's doctors and his staff keep dodging the question of when he last tested negative for the virus. And it matters because this president has been traveling and he has been traveling a lot including to New Jersey last week. Was he spreading the virus along the way? Governor Phil Murphy is saying this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. PHIL MURPHY (D-NJ): Some number of the folks there were from jersey. But there were folks also from around the country. So, we got on it the first thing Friday morning contact tracing, but we can't do this alone. We need more federal help. And it is a concern. It should be a concern. But it was a reckless decision to go ahead with that event.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:20:00]

LEMON: This is really important and we'll add some substance and background to everything that we're talking about. OK? So, take this, the White House and the president's doctors not disclosing when the president, his last negative coronavirus test was. Why is that important? Well, in the past 10 days the president and his staff have been all over the country not social distancing not wearing masks.

If they don't know when the president was last negative for COVID that means he was possibly infecting people at every stop along the way. His doctor refused to answer this question multiple times today saying that he doesn't want to look backwards. So we will. Because it is important to identify anyone who may have

been exposed and who could be spreading the virus more. So here is a timeline for you. OK? So I want you to pay attention to this.

So starting September 25th Trump had events in Florida, Georgia, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. The New York Times is reporting that the GOP chairwoman Ronna McDaniel was with the president that day. She tests positive the following Wednesday.

On September 26th the now infamous Rose Garden event to announce Trump's Supreme Court pick. Several attendees including two Republican Senators have since tested positive. The president also had a packed rally in Pennsylvania that night.

The next day September 27th the president played golf at his Virginia golf course. Attended debate prep sessions with advisers including Kellyanne Conway and Chris Christie. Both later testing positive for the virus.

And then that same day the president spoke at a White House press conference inside and maskless. He then hosted an event in the east room inside the White House for gold star families.

Monday, September 28th. Events to promote electric vehicles and new COVID testing initiatives with groups of people gathered at the White House. At the testing event look how far the president, President Trump and Vice President Pence's podiums were placed. OK? Look at that. Wow. That's curious. That event don't you think? Never been placed that far apart before. That event was followed by more debate prep without masks according to Chris Christie.

Up next debate day. On Tuesday. The president attends a presidential debate in Ohio. Chris Wallace, the debate moderator said the president arrived late and was not tested. There was an honor system for the candidates who had been previously tested and cleared to be previously tested and cleared. Well tonight the Cleveland clinic says Trump's name is on a list of negative COVID-19 tests submitted by his own campaign before the debate.

So again, if that is true, why can't the campaign tell us what day he was tested? The next day is Wednesday. OK? The president attends a fundraiser and a rally in Minnesota. Officials say Hope Hicks began displaying coronavirus symptoms while on the trip. She isolated on Air Force One on the way home and at some point after tests positive for coronavirus.

On Thursday the opportunity to do the right thing comes and it goes. Despite being exposed to someone who tested positive for coronavirus the president leaves the White House, travels to his New Jersey club for an indoor fundraiser and then sometime after and I'll say again after returning to the White House Trump receives a positive rapid test result for coronavirus.

The virus has clearly been swirling around the White House and wherever the president went for about a week. OK? And what is important here is to prevent more people from getting sick and to figure out how far the White House coronavirus outbreak extends we need to know when the president last tested negative for the virus. And no one will answer.

[23:25:00]

Let's bring in now CNN Political Analyst, Carl Bernstein and CNN Political Commentator, Amanda Carpenter. Good evening to both of you and thank you so much for joining.

CARL BERNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good to be with you.

LEMON: So, Carl, enough about the president. You want to talk about his Republican enablers. And you have been making calls to some of them. Tell me about that.

BERNSTEIN: Well, there is real fury among Republican particularly in the Senate in what they see in Trump's behavior both in this cover-up which they are well aware is a cover-up, but also to go back to David Axelrod's term he is unhinged. And there is great awareness among leaders of the Republican Party, in the Senate and on Capitol Hill that right now this president of the United States is unhinged. He is not acting like a sane person.

And so this is really a time that one person I talked to tonight said it's time for some courageous Republicans to call for the 25th amendment of the constitution to be invoked and that the vice president exercise the duties of the president until it's clear that Trump is capable of sane governance and shows us that he is not just jacked up on steroids.

Will they do it? Will they continue with the same kind of craven attitude and cowardice that they've shown Republicans on the Hill particularly in the Senate toward President Trump throughout his presidency? No they probably won't.

But are there one or two or three Republicans on the Hill who are thinking about the need to call for the 25th amendment of the constitution? Yes because there is recognition.

What we saw today on the south lawn, that performance, both acts before the cameras to get it right for his campaign video, the cynicism, the craziness of it. Let's not pretend that the people no matter how craven they might be the Republicans on the Hill don't see it for being as crazy as it is.

So, there really is a question that all of us need to be looking at. You know, David Gergen served four presidents three of them Republicans said today, he the president of the United States is acting like a mad man.

My colleague Bob Woodward said to Wolf Blitzer tonight, where are the Republicans? Calling for some, something to restore sanity to our governance in a moment of grave, grave damage and danger to our national security. I'm not saying it's going to happen.

LEMON: Listen, Carl, I was going to say, don't hold your breath on that.

BERNSTEIN: I'm not holding my breath.

LEMON: Because for the past five years they've done nothing but enable this president. I got to get more time. I got to get Amanda in.

BERNSTEIN: Absolutely.

AMANDA CARPENTER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR SENATOR TED CRUZ AND THE AUTHOR OF GASLIGHTING AMERICA: Here's what needs to happen.

LEMON: Let me bring your book up, Amanda, because you wrote the book on Gaslighting the American people. So, go on.

(CROSSTALK)

CARPENTER: I agree with you both the Republican enablers are the problem. But lucky for everyone the biggest enabler of Donald Trump is going to be put in the hot seat on Wednesday night and that is Vice President Mike Pence who also happens to be head of the coronavirus task force.

The entire debate should be spent on the White House's mishandling of this pandemic. The first question needs to be to him Vice President Mike Pence, do you want to apologize to the American people for your gross mishandling of this pandemic? Because he is responsible.

Don, you were right. We don't need to keep paying attention to Donald Trump because he is not the sole problem. All of the other Republicans are. Mike Pence can't get away from this. We can't get other Republicans on the Hill to stand up but he has nowhere to hide on Wednesday night.

And if the moderators don't do it, Kamala Harris must. Joe Biden has run a great campaign. There's been a lot of -- you know, people are upset. He is not going negative. No one has to go negative. You just have to state the obvious facts.

If they ran a public service announcement saying please wear your mask, social distance, and avoid crowds that would be taken as a negative ad. They just have to state the facts. Vice President Mike Pence. Why in God's name did you hold the Republican National Convention at the White House? People standing shoulder to shoulder sweating and spitting on each other? It is not shocking that the president got coronavirus. It is shocking it took so long to happen.

They've been on a COVID tour since Tulsa when Herman Cain died. God rest his soul. I mean, this is sad, but our sympathy must not make us soft on these facts and I want to hear what Mike Pence had to say on Wednesday. I can't wait.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Yes. Hang on, Carl. I don't have time for it but I want to put this up. I want to put this up, because just despite all the theatrics, put this poll up, the American people aren't buying it.

[23:30:00]

Sixty-three percent say it is irresponsible. Carl, I'm sorry. We'll have you back soon but for time I got to run.

BERNSTEIN: No problem.

LEMON: Thank you both. I'll see you guys soon.

With only weeks until the election, Mike Pence and Kamala Harris are about to face off. The only vice presidential debate of 2020 will air on Wednesday night on CNN with special coverage starting at 7:00 Eastern.

So the president is telling Americans to get out there and not let coronavirus dominate their lives. That is his message, as the death toll in this country passes 210,000 people. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: There are hundreds of thousands of coronavirus patients out there tonight, who aren't President Trump. So, let's talk about them.

I want to bring in now Andy Slavitt, the former acting administrator of the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services. Thank you so much, sir. It is good to see you.

[23:35:00]

LEMON: So, Andy-

ANDY SLAVITT, FORMER ACTING ADMINISTRATOR, CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES: Good to see you.

LEMON: -- there were nearly 30,000 hospitalizations reported yesterday and cases are on the rise. We have the information up on our screen. So the president's message does not match reality. Not shocking, though, but go on.

SLAVITT: Yes, it's 11th day in a row of increased hospitalizations week over week. This is not a good trend. You know, the difference between the 45,000 people who got COVID the same day President Trump tested positive and everyone else, as I think Dr. Harlan Levine at City of Hope said, is that they weren't getting a regimen of drugs that were not approved for the public, they were not getting 11 doctors from Walter Reed Medical Center standing around at every moment.

You know, they were in some degree of whether they were even able to get admitted to the hospital, some level of illness, but basically ignored.

And so I think we need to focus on how do we stop that from happening and the sort of the spectacle of President Trump saying that all of those other people ought to just live with COVID and not worry about it. That is a campaign stunt but it is a bad public health message.

LEMON: Yeah. So, Andy, Dr. Fauci was on with Chris earlier saying that he suspects the antibody treatment from Regeneron the president is on may well have made a difference. At least that is encouraging, right?

SLAVITT: Absolutely. I think there is a really promising study. I think what is unfortunate about the Regeneron cocktail is that they haven't been able to complete their clinical trial because everybody and their brother is starting a clinical trial to raise their stock price and the things that are really promising.

We've known all along -- I mean, when the chips are down and the president is in the hospital, we learned it ain't hydroxychloroquine that he cares about. He didn't take hydroxychloroquine. That's good enough for other people. He took the drug that is the most promising and that we haven't been able to get enough people into clinical trials for yet.

So we need to prioritize the things that will save other people not just these things will save Trump. But I do agree it is good news that that is -- monoclonal antibodies seem to be something that is going to be a very strong candidate to make our lives better.

LEMON: While all this is happening and this administration is trying to get rid of the Affordable Care Act during a pandemic, and now there will be many, many millions more people who could potentially be considered to have a pre-existing condition as a result of COVID.

SLAVITT: Well, COVID is the ultimate pre-existing condition, Don, because, as you know from some of your colleagues at CNN --

LEMON: So the president now has a pre-existing condition along with obesity, so even if he were to somehow manage to string together a health care plan that did not include pre-existing conditions, he wouldn't be covered on his own plan, but go on.

SLAVITT: Yeah. I mean, look, here is the problem. We know that with viruses like this, this affects every potential organ system, you gut, you liver, your kidney. It affects your limbs, it affects your nervous system, and it can affect obviously your blood clotting and immunology system.

So what happens 10 years from now when all these 24-year-old kids at college who had no symptoms has asthma, and the Affordable Care Act is gone and the insurance company is going to say, no, we're not covering that, or you have a heart arrhythmia, because anything will be able to be traced to COVID.

It is the ultimate pre-existing condition and it is the ultimate irony that it is Trump's last act -- last gasping breath is the fact we try to take health care away from everybody else while he enjoyed, of course, the best medical treatment known to man.

LEMON: Do people not see that? It is just weird. Andy, thank you. I appreciate it. I'm sure I'll see you soon.

SLAVITT: Thank you, Don.

LEMON: Thank you.

SLAVITT: OK.

LEMON: Cases are rising in parts of the country that have been doing pretty well for the past few months. Well, we are going to tell you where hot spots are popping up again. Plus, will Senator Lindsey Graham lose his Senate seat? The race is all tied up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Tonight as the death toll in the United States from coronavirus passes 210,000 people, more than 20 states are seeing an uptick in the number of new cases. More now from CNN's Nick Watt.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In nine New York City zip codes, schools are closing down again.

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D), NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: It's time for us to rewind.

WATT (voice-over): In the same zip codes, the mayor also wants nonessential stores, gyms, indoor dining closed again as test positivity rates rise now too high for comfort. The governor won't go for that. Not yet.

What do you say?

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): We expect to move forward about this than we go beyond.

WATT (voice-over): Also concern over in New Jersey after the fundraiser Thursday hosted by a likely infectious president.

DE BLASIO: The actions leading up to and during this event have put lives at risk.

WATT (voice-over): Case counts are now rising again across the northeast which was so recently a success story. These five states saw at least 50 percent more cases this past week compared to the week before.

[23:44:59]

DE BLASIO: This is a wakeup call to everyone in New York City to tighten up again to do the things that work. Look, we overcame the worst problem in the entire country.

WATT (voice-over): New York State's governor says a lack of local enforcement is a big part of the problem.

CUOMO: You will see people die if we don't do more enforcement. The state is going to take over the enforcement oversight in all the hot spot clusters.

WATT: Meanwhile, this morning, down in Miami Dade County, another former hot spot, more than 22,000 kids returned to the classroom.

ALBERTO CARVALHO, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT: Here to report happily that I see nothing but happy faces.

WATT (voice-over): At one North Carolina school, all third grades now quarantined after a teacher, Julie Davis, tested positive. She later died. There will be plenty more pain ahead.

ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I am actually disturbed and concerned about the fact that our baseline of infections is still stuck at around 40,000 per day.

WATT (voice-over): He's been saying that for weeks and we've only gotten worse, back-to-back days of 50,000 plus new cases nationwide Friday and Saturday. First time we've seen that since mid-August.

Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right. Nick, thank you so much. Jaime Harrison is telling Senator Lindsey Graham to -- quote -- "be a man." We are going to go inside the neck-and-neck race for a South Carolina Senate seat, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Senator Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, planning to hold a confirmation hearing for Amy Coney Barrett beginning next Monday. Graham is hoping a prominent role is getting President Trump's Supreme Court nominee confirmed. He is hoping that it will play well back in South Carolina, where he is in a tough re-election battle. Here's CNN's Manu Raju.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He's gone from outspoken Trump critic to a staunch Trump defender.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Thank you for being the best commander in chief.

RAJU (voice-over): And now, Lindsey Graham is battling to keep his Senate seat in South Carolina and trying to convince voters he should be rewarded for his loyalty to the president.

GRAHAM: Here's what I'm going to tell to all the liberals talking about South Carolina. We're going to kick your ass.

RAJU (voice-over): Despite attacking Trump five years ago --

GRAHAM: He's a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot.

RAJU (voice-over): He now says this.

GRAHAM: I think we are a team.

RAJU (voice-over): And Graham is betting that his vigorous defense of Trump Supreme Court nominee and push to confirm his choice of Amy Coney Barrett by month's end will win over voters in this conservative state, despite what he said in the past.

GRAHAM: I have been helping Trump and I currently pissed every local (INAUDIBLE) but we will be fine.

RAJU (voice-over): But Graham is being swamped by a deluge of attack ads painting him as a craven politician, suddenly making him among the most endangered Republican.

Democrat Jaime Harrison, a former congressional aide, state party chair and lobbyist, is raising a staggering amount of money and bombarding the airwaves with ads like this one.

JAIME HARRISON, FORMER CONGRESSIONAL AIDE (voice-over): One of the reasons our political system is broken is politicians who have been in Washington so long.

RAJU (voice-over): Harrison has already spent $40 million in advertising, compared to roughly 14 million by Graham. Harrison has let his ads do the talking, doing little public campaigning, and speaking sparingly to the media.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They have been blitzing us with ads, back to back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have seen a lot of Jaime Harrison ads.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I haven't seen much more than just that on the internet.

RAJU (voice-over): As a father of two young sons and pre-diabetic, Harrison has been cautious in the age of coronavirus, even insisting a large plexiglass be placed beside him during Saturday's debate. Harrison's campaign says his schedule has been packed, but his aides would not provide a list of his virtual events despite many requests by CNN.

(On camera): Mr. Harrison. Hi. Manu Raju at CNN. Do you have a quick minute to talk before the debate?

HARRISON: Nope. I'm talking to --

RAJU (on camera): Yeah. We've been trying to talk to you for this -- your campaign hasn't been responding to our questions. Mr. Harrison, do you have a quick second to talk about the debate? How it went? Sir, any questions from CNN, will you take them?

(Voice-over): At the debate, Harrison attacked Graham over his repeated promises in 2016 and 2018 not to advance a Supreme Court pick in a presidential election year.

GRAHAM: You could use my words against me.

HARRISON: You took an oath to serve and that's what you have done. Now, just be a man of it and stand up and say, you know what, I changed my mind.

RAJU (voice-over): Graham was unapologetic about his reversal.

GRAHAM: Amy Barrett will be a buffer to liberalism. If you want conservative judges, I'm your only bet in this race.

RAJU (voice-over): Yet, it's that kind of shift that may cost Graham this voter in Myrtle Beach.

DOUG ORTH, SOUTH CAROLINA VOTER: I kind of liked him, until he flip flopped on the Supreme Court thing. And that kind of turned me off.

RAJU (voice-over): But Graham thinks most voters will ultimately reward him in his quest to keep the court and the Senate conservative.

(On camera): You worry that voters may lose trust in you?

GRAHAM: No, not at all. I think people can trust me to be fair.

RAJU (on camera): And Don, in my interview with Lindsey Graham, I asked him if he had any concerns with the president's handling of the coronavirus, whether the president should not have downplayed the virus, the president did by his own admission, Graham said the president was right to not create a panic or in the words of Graham, not say that the country was going to -- quote -- "blow up."

And I asked him, though, what about having packed rallies, for instance, crowded White House events? He sidestepped that question, but he ultimately said that this virus came from China, not from Trump Tower. Don?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[23:55:03]

LEMON: All right. Manu, thank you very much.

So, there's only weeks left until the election. Mike Pence, Kamala Harris, they are going to face off so make sure you watch. The only vice presidential debate of 2020 will air on Wednesday night right here on CNN with special coverage starting at 7:00 Eastern.

I am so glad that you can join us this evening. Thank you so much for watching. I am Don Lemon. Our coverage continues.

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