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Don Lemon Tonight
Trump's Lawyer Calls A Governor To Be Locked Up; Sidney Powell Back To Team Trump; A.G. Bill Barr Could Be Fired By Trump; Republicans Still Don't Acknowledge Biden's Win; Health Care Worker's Whole Family Contracted The Virus. Aired 10-11p ET
Aired December 02, 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]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST (on camera): All right. Thank you for watching. It's time for the big show "CNN TONIGHT" with its big star, D. Lemon.
DON LEMON, CNN HOST: How are you doing? Yes.
CUOMO: Doing well. Why not?
LEMON: I'm so glad you said that. If you have that stock answer.
CUOMO: Why?
LEMON: Because you have that stock answer that --
CUOMO: Better than I deserve?
LEMON: My gosh. Every time. Every time.
CUOMO: What? I didn't say it.
LEMON: I know.
CUOMO: Don't haunt me for my past.
LEMON: So, I heard you talking during the break, with Katie Porter. She is talking about the need.
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: Katie Porter is no joke.
LEMON: No.
CUOMO: That Secretary Mnuchin asked her if she was a lawyer today. Like as a snugly come back. And Congresswoman Porter said to me in the break without, you know, violating any confidence. She said I did not hear him say that.
LEMON: Luckily, she didn't hear him.
CUOMO: But I'll tell you. Talk about boneheaded things to say, but look, here's my concern. With what you see with Mnuchin --
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: -- does that leave when Trump does?
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: See, that's why freaks me out about Mary Trump, her take.
LEMON: Well, he will leave when Trump does.
CUOMO: No. Of course, nobody wants him around.
LEMON: Well, I mean, all those folks are leaving but Trump is not going to leave the party.
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: What I'm saying that disposition.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: That disposition of I'm strong and wrong. You know, I'm not wrong, you suck.
LEMON: Yes. Let me tell you it will, because the person of the top is not backing them up. And they don't have to speak to an audience of one, they don't have to mirror the person.
Now out on the streets where people feel like it was rigged, where he's lying to those folks, it may not go away there. But I think the people in power, they won't have that. I mean, Mnuchin is only doing that because he has Barr and he's got Trump. Otherwise, he wouldn't do it.
I mean, do you see how we looked? He looked like a petulant child. Just answer the question. You don't have to be smart ass.
CUOMO: Worked well for him for four years.
LEMON: Again, my point, look who's at the top.
CUOMO: Right. But then again, what happens if he like goes and makes MAGA max's and some other TV station? And it's Trump just bashing everything all the time, you don't think that there is a chance that the elected and the Trump looking will stay and appoint a fealty to him? Because they don't want to alienate the base?
LEMON: Well, good luck, let's see if that plays out. Some would say as a president -- many would say that's better than the alternative.
CUOMO: Yes.
LEMON: As I said last night, at the end of my take was, he won't have the stage of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, which is the biggest stage in the world. CUOMO: True.
LEMON: And so, we won't have that. I don't care how many MAGA max -- or many max or info max or whatever it is. It doesn't match when you have the power of that podium, the biggest podium in the world, it does things. It's not going to have that anymore, it's not going to have the same weight, it will be in some quarters him just screaming in the wind. It will be sour grapes, and to some it will be the righteous leader. But it will fade, because he won't have the White House.
CUOMO: I hear you. But it's just scary, that with the CDC guy finally opening up and speaking the truth, and saying we got the worst days ahead, and still Congress does nothing about it? And we're seeing hunger like we've never seen since my parents were kids in the depression, and still they do nothing and they're playing with numbers.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: That's scary, man. We've never seen crisis like this.
LEMON: It is.
CUOMO: And they are still sitting on their hands.
LEMON: It is, but we're still here. We're still here to call it out and to help people who are in crisis. When I was referring to as Katie Porter, and I don't think I've given away any confidence, she says she spends most of her time now helping to load food in cars at food banks. And that's what I was talking about when I heard you.
And so now we got to help those people. And I got to continue to give some truth right now, like you just did for an hour.
CUOMO: Make your witness, D. Lemon, I love you.
LEMON: Thank you, sir. I love you back.
This is CNN TONIGHT. I'm Don Lemon.
With that said, everyone. Did you know -- well, you know, it's not like digging ditches, right? But it's not easy for the last five years. It has not been easy. But we're here. And we are going to continue to call it out.
So, this is what we have to decide though. Are you ready? We have to decide what kind of country we want to live in? We got to decide that. Do we want to live in a country of laws? Do we want to live in a country of truth? Of facts? Do we want to live in that kind of country, I do want to live in a country where the voters speak and the government listens? Or do we want to live in a country of lies?
A country where anything is fair game as long as it serves the interests of the people in power. A country where might makes right. Yes. Do we want to live in that kind of country? What country do we want?
Now I know we were supposed to have decided all this, this is supposed to be decided a month ago on election day. By the way, November was like that fast, right? It started, and then it is gone. This was all supposed to be decided on election day. That is what elections are for, to determine the will of the people.
[22:05:02]
And the people voted for Joe Biden fair and square. That's what happened. Unless you are living on earth two, that's what happened here in reality on earth one.
But that is not stopping the current president's minions from pushing outrageous and thoroughly discredited claims of voter fraud. And the more they push, the more anger they encourage, the more dangerous it is for the real patriots in this country.
Local election officials who are being targeted just for doing their jobs. Local officials, like Georgia's Gabriel Sterling, Gabriel Sterling who was hit with a crazy baseless accusation today by pro- Trump lawyer Lin Wood.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIN WOOD, TRUMP ATTORNEY: You listen up Gabriel. You are not going to sell our votes to China.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): This is just a fever dream of crazy. Nobody is selling votes. Not to China. Now to anywhere else. Gabriel Sterling reacting tonight on Erin Burnett show a little earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GABRIEL STERLING, Georgia VOTING SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION MANAGER: Somebody told me that Mr. Wood mentioned me by name. Crazy. It's insanity. It's just so baseless from any sense of reality, detached from reality. And, yes, I'm Republican and I'm going to stay Republican. I'm going to fight for the sanctity and sanity of the party. That is a big part of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): He deserves to be heard. Show this if you will far and wide. OK? And we think that you need to hear it, so I want to pay more. He goes on to talk on a personal level about why all this is actually dangerous to him and other officials just trying to do their jobs and protect our elections.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STERLING: The problem is, there are people who believe it. And we know that there are nuts out there who are going to think, the president called Brad Raffensperger is the enemy of the people. You know, we should go after him maybe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): And then there is the return of Sidney Powell. You remember Sidney Powell? She is the attorney who claim that Venezuela's long dead Hugo Chavez, somehow was mixed up in fraud involving voting machines. Now she's telling the people of Georgia that they shouldn't, they should not vote in the Senate runoff election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNEY POWELL, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S LAWYER: I think I would encourage all Georgians to make it known, that you will not vote at all until your vote is secure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): What kind of strategy is that? What kind of strategy is that? Don't vote. I'm sure Democrats that's going to-- if they haven't made the ads, they are not worth their salt as politicians. That is a pretty made ad for you right there, just run that.
Why would you want to discourage people in Georgia from voting in a runoff election that could decide the control of the Senate for years to come? Why won't you? Why would you encourage people to do that? Not vote?
Shoot -- that -- shooting -- you're shooting yourself in the foot. That's what's happening. I want you to listen to Lin Wood. Lin Wood here telling the crowd that the Republican Governor Brian Kemp should be locked up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOOD: I want you to go to the governor's mansion, I want you to circle it. I want you to blow your horns until Brian Kemp comes out and orders a special session of the Georgia legislature. And then he can resign.
(CROWD CHEERING)
WOOD: And then as far as I'm concerned, lock him up.
CROWD: Lock him up! Lock him up! Lock him up! Lock him up!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): Some of the people -- Ellie, can you just play that. Don't play the sound. But some of the people on that stage looked a little bit uncomfortable. I don't know if they are but if you look at the -- their faces, look at the two guys. Look at the two black guys. They're like, the ones on the left. The one scratching his head -- well he is applauding, but.
Well, threatening to lock up a Republican governor, thank you, Ellie, by the way. Republican governor telling governors, Georgians, excuse me, not to vote. If this is a road the president is going to drag the GOP down, it is a road to ruin. Why are they going along with it? Why? Why can't this White House just say that it's wrong to threaten election officials?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Georgia officials have said election workers there are facing threats because of the president's false claims about winning the state and his rhetoric throughout the election. Does the president condemn the threats against election workers, or does he take any responsibility for those threats?
[22:10:00]
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We condemn any threats against anyone. There is no place for violence. What I will say though too is that, the president's lawyers, they were doxed by a left organization. Their private information put out so we are seeing that happen to people on both sides of the arguments. There is no place for that ever anywhere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): There it is, both sides, always both sides, very fine people. It's always both sides, the favorite argument of this administration, this president.
This White House is always playing games when it comes to condemning what's clearly wrong, what does it say about you, when you can't even condemn death threats in Georgia. What does that say about you? When you immediately default to blaming both sides?
But Kayleigh McEnany just doesn't just blame both sides, she also wants to have it both ways. She's a White House press secretary who also happens to be a senior adviser for the Trump reelection campaign. So, she is working to get the president reelected, and also, being paid by you. She's supposed to be working for you. But listen to what happens when she doesn't want to answer questions. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: You heard these comments last night. It sounds like he's planning to run again. Do you know if that's a fact?
MCENANY: I haven't spoken to him about that again, his campaign is pursuing litigation I would redirect you to the campaign.
And again, I point you to campaign for specific questions on this.
I'll leave it to the campaign to pontificate on the president's strategy.
That would be a question more for the White House.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON (on camera): Yes, well. She works for both, right? It's her job to answer questions, her taxpayer funded job. Not to bob and weave. That is a fact. But this is a White House where facts just really don't count. It doesn't matter.
The fact that the pandemic is raging, ravaging our country right now. A record number, a record number of deaths reported today 2,658 so far today. The fact that our economy is in shambles and the fact that Joe Biden won, he is the president-elect, he met today with small business owners slammed by the pandemic and he said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I promise you. Hang on. We are going to get through this. You are going to get through this. It's going to be hard as hell for the next 50 to 70 days. Unless the House acts in some way, and the Senate acts, and passes some of those material.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): Your future president. Your current president seems to be focused on getting revenge on anybody who doesn't support his delusional voter fraud claims.
Now it's Bill Barr getting targeted right now. Two sources tell CNN the president is so frustrated and so disappointed with the attorney general after his comments to the A.P. breaking from those bogus claims of voter fraud. That he's, you know, could be out.
But say officials are discouraged -- discouraging Trump from firing any top leaders so close to the end of his term. But let's face it. Anytime anybody crosses this president, there is a chance that they're going to get fired. But if you do his bidding, the sky is the limit.
A source close to the White House telling CNN, the country should expect a flurry of pardons before Trump leaves office. The source is saying that some of the president's inner circle, well, they're telling him that it would be perfectly fine to pardon his family and other associates preemptively even though they haven't been charged with any crimes.
Some allies have even said that he should pardon himself, which may not actually be constitutional. But with less than 50 days to go until the inauguration, until inauguration day, and the end of Trump's term, the question is, how much power he'll have over his party, a party that so far, anyway, mostly still in lockstep with the defeated lame duck President Trump, one-term, impeached.
That as he is sinking to what maybe a new low, an all new low, using our troops as pawns because of all things, he thinks he is being censored on Twitter, threatening to veto funding for the military unless Congress removes legal protections for social media companies.
He is holding up a bill that would give troops a raise. Just because he is mad at Twitter, stunning, stunning, for the commander-in-chief. But it's part and parcel of this president's disrespect for the military.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[22:15:00]
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I don't like losers. But, Frank, let me get through it.
UNKNOWN: He's a war hero.
TRUMP: He hit me. He's not a war hero.
UNKNOWN: He is a war hero.
TRUMP: He is a war hero --
UNKNOWN: Five and a half years in the military camp.
TRUMP: He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured, OK? I hate to tell you that.
His wife, if you look at his wife, she was standing there she had nothing to say. She probably maybe she wasn't allowed to have anything to say, you tell me.
UNKNOWN: The president said that he knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyways. And I was, it made me cry because I was very angry at the tone in his voice and how he said he couldn't remember my husband's name. If my husband is out here fighting for our country and he risked his life for our country, why can't you remember his name?
UNKNOWN: You said repeatedly to Americans that after Iran retaliated for the Soleimani strike, no Americans were injured. We now know about this 11 U.S. service members air lifted from Iraq. Can you explain the discrepancy?
TRUMP: No. I heard they had headaches and a couple of other things, but I would say and I can report, it is not very serious.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): The commander-in-chief right there, downplaying service members injuries. Like I said in the beginning, the very beginning, we have got to decide what kind of country we want to live in. Your choice.
What will this president do in the last days of his term, fire the attorney general, pardon his own family, pardon himself? Just how much damage could be done to this country, can he do to this country on his way out? And with the pandemic raging at a record number of deaths reported today, the CDC director, Trump's CDC director, warns the next few months could be even worse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT REDFIELD, DIRECTOR, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: The reality is December and January and February are going to be rough times. I actually believe they're going to be the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[22:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON (on camera): Here is our breaking news. Sources say President Trump is frustrated after Attorney General William Barr said there is no evidence of a widespread fraud in the election as Trump continues to falsely claim, aides discouraging him from firing Barr. But the Washington Post is reporting, Trump is so livid, that he may sack the A.G.
And a source saying that we can expect Trump to grant a flurry of pardons before he leaves office including pardons for his family members and for himself.
I want to bring in now two of CNN's political analysts, best in the business, John Avlon and Kirsten Powers. Good evening to both. Kirsten --
KIRSTEN POWERS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good evening.
LEMON: -- I want to begin with you. So, the Washington Post reports that Barr could be fired. CNN is reporting officials are discouraging -- his aides are saying that he's discouraging him from firing anyone including Barr. Do you think Trump will do it?
POWERS: It's, I mean, nothing is out of the question with Donald Trump. What's the point really in firing somebody when you have about a month and a half left? It doesn't really make sense. But he is somebody who is obviously --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: They're not going along with your delusions maybe? I don't know.
POWERS: Right. But I'm just saying at this point, you know, his administration is over. I mean, he can go ahead and fire him but it doesn't really, you know, it's sending the message I guess that he's not welcome in Trump land. And so, Trump supporters won't like him, but he's, you know, I wouldn't put it past him.
Again, it doesn't really make sense to do something like that but he's vindictive and he doesn't like the fact that he's not going along with the charade, that he claims that the election was stolen.
LEMON: But Kirstjen, after those comments yesterday, William Barr, do you think Trump supporters like him. They already don't like him now.
POWERS: Right.
LEMON: After all, they are doing his bidding for so many years.
POWERS: I know, but like you're playing reason and the rationality and, you know, I don't know that any of that really comes into play.
LEMON: I feel you. John, Trump is frustrated that Barr said that he hadn't seen evidence of widespread election fraud, right? That's why he's mad. The Post reports that he's also angry that John Durham didn't really release his report before the election.
Is he forgetting how much Barr actually played interference for him, you know, the Mueller report backing him on mail-in voting claims? And on that Mueller report, I mean, just shaping a narrative that wasn't true and getting people to buy it. I mean, did Trump forget all of that? He should be praising the man.
JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST & ANCHOR: Don, this is all about what have you done for me lately? And it illustrates the danger of trying to appease someone who's fundamentally on principled and out of control. You know, that line we've talked about, Winston Churchill said, appeasement was like feeding a crocodile hoping it eats you last.
That's the situation that Bill Barr is in. Anybody who doesn't have 100 percent unquestioning fealty, even when the president is insisting on it on reality is at risk of being attacked by both the president and the mob. That's a sign of a situation you shouldn't put yourself in out of principle. Some of these people have done that out of a search for power.
But you can't appease this man. He demand it's a call to personality and that's a warning to us all, not only now but going forward. We can't allow this kind of Democratic norms to be shattered.
LEMON: Yes. But, John, I mean you're, right. But this man stepped in front of there at least in the things, no, give me the Mueller report, let me tell you what it says.
AVLON: Sure.
LEMON: This is not what you see in front of your eyes is not what it says, I'm going to tell you.
AVLON: But he didn't help him win the election by leaking false information. He's not backing him up by saying that the sky is actually purple. I mean, he's not buying into the delusions, because you actually can't do that even if you want to. If you run the Justice Department, because facts and evidence and laws exist no matter what Donald Trump wants.
LEMON: Kirsten, you know, we could also see it as we've been reporting a flurry of pardons before Trump leaves office, that sources telling CNN, why does it feel like it's only a matter of time before the president pardons his kids.
AVLON: Everyone?
LEMON: Everyone. And his cronies? And himself? Do you need a pardon? Anybody need a pardon, you know? Why?
[22:24:59]
POWERS: Yes, it does feel inevitable. The idea that the President of the United States even though it isn't explicitly barred that they could pardon themselves, but the idea that the President of the United States could pardon themselves would mean that the president could come in and just commit crimes for four years.
AVLON: Yes.
LEMON: Well --
POWERS: And then just pardon himself. It's just obviously was not the intention, right? But it was a failure of imagination, I guess on the part of the framers to imagine that somebody, you know, would hold that off and would even contemplate something like that, let alone do it.
AVLON: Here's the thing actually. The framers did. I was nerving out on this earlier. George Mason had a debate at the constitutional convention about this. He said, look, if you give the pardon power too broadly, he could pardon people for crimes that he ordered.
And the idea by the way, of self-pardon is self-evidently absurd on its face, because a fundamental principle of laws that no man can sit in judgment on his own case. But the idea that it's going to be, you know, you get a pardon, you get a pardon, it's open with (Inaudible) except President Trump with the pardons, speaks to the underlying ethical immorality of this administration. You don't ask for preemptive pardons if you're innocent. And apparently, everyone is lining up to get one.
LEMON: John, well, I'm going to borrow from Kirsten. But you are speaking rationally.
AVLON: Yes.
LEMON: And you're speaking for people who are not the President of the United States. Because normal people can't just pardon, or just say hey, look, I pardon you, don't have to go to jail. I mean.
AVLON: No, that's, yes. I mean.
LEMON: All right.
AVLON: And that's by the way to your point, that's why no matter how few days he's got, he's still the most powerful person in the world.
LEMON: There you go.
AVLON: And if someone is unprincipled with that kind of power, it's always dangerous.
LEMON: That's why when people say, why are you guys still talking about him, because he is still the president, he still can do a lot of damage, Kirsten, I'm sure you'll agree with me. But how much of this pardon talk, is because he and his family that they're afraid that they're going to be prosecuted after he leaves office, Kirsten?
POWERS: I don't know. Because it sems like if there were any prosecutions of them, these pardons wouldn't necessarily protect them because they would be happening at the state level. So, I'm not sure what, you know, what they think would be happening.
I think their argument would probably be that, you know, the Democrats are out to get them, that they are going to, you know, whatever kind of conspiracy theory that that they've drummed up. But there really isn't any clear reason that they would need to have the pardons that we know of --
LEMON: Yes.
POWERS: -- you know, unless there is something, they want to tell us.
LEMON: So, John, don't get me in trouble because I'm out of time. But I have to -- I just want to talk to you, obviously not going to show you, but this rambling video. I've been saying for the last couple of weeks like if you watch state media and then you watch the president it just wreaks of desperation, this video that he put together it's just propaganda. None of it is true.
AVLON: Yes. You know, another video for a 46-minute video is Castro- esque (Ph) (Ph). But you know, this was just the president acting like a petulant child venting his grievances.
LEMON: It's embarrassing.
AVLON: And it's a disgrace to the office.
LEMON: Yes. It's just embarrassing to watch.
Thank you both. I appreciate it. Good to see you both.
AVLON: Take good care.
LEMON: Is the president using the military as pawns all because of his own personal vendetta. Spoiler alert, yes. And we're going to tell you how.
Former Defense Secretary William Cohen weighs in on that. And the iron grip President Trump has on the Republican Party, that's next.
[22:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON (on camera): And we're back. Top Republicans holding firm over President Trump's refusal to concede the election, the most senior Senate Republican Chuck Grassley saying that he will consider Joe Biden the president-elect in two weeks, he says, which is when the Electoral College votes.
And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also among those who were not referring to Biden as the winner.
Joining me now is the former defense secretary and Republican Senator from Maine, William Cohen. Always a pleasure. Good to see you. Thanks for joining.
WILLIAM COHEN, FORMER U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: Thank you, Don.
LEMON: So, you and I have talked about this before. I know how much you thought was writing on this election. So, when you look at the GOP senators standing by Trump refusing to acknowledge Biden as the new president, what do you think?
COHEN: I think where are you, Joe DiMaggio? Where have all the heroes gone? When I look at what is taking place in the Senate today and I think back, where? That's the same Senate that honored John McCain just a couple of years ago in the head of state service on Capitol Hill in the cathedral and here in Washington?
This is the same Senate that once had Howard Baker, Jack Dent, Warren Rudman, Alan Simpson, Dan Coats, Slate Gorton, I could go on in the list of people who once were in to that Senate who would not for a moment cave in to listen to Trump. They had courage, they had willingness to defend our institutions. And not in any way contribute to undermining them by their silence. And so, it's disappointing.
I had hope that the Senate with senators individually would rise up and say Joe Biden, you are the president-elect. Until we see evidence otherwise, we have one senator saying, show me the evidence that you have, that there is no evidence of fraud. Which was quite stunning.
And so, it's easier for me to understand why the American people hold elected officials in such low esteem today, when they can look and see what is obvious that all of these states have had their ballots counted. And some of them recounted, and recounted. And still, the president is going around and saying that it's been stolen from me.
And so, the question is, Mr. President, where is your evidence? And he goes to court, and the court say we don't see anything.
LEMON: There is no evidence. That's the thing. I mean, listen, are there irregularities that happened? Yes. Is it enough to change here, is it massive irregularities? No. Is there widespread voter fraud? No.
[22:35:05]
Is it enough to change the outcome of the election? No. But he would rather because of his selfishness, he can't admit it and just drag the country through this.
I have to ask you, though. But, you know, on a personal level, you and Biden served in the Senate together. You know many of these Republicans. Do you have any hope that they are going to be able to work together after this, and who is the burden on to do that?
COHEN: Well, Joe Biden has the best chance to try to heal the great divisions in this country, the racial divisions, the economic divisions, the class divisions, the cultural differences that have been exacerbated by this president. So, he is willing to reach across, whether there's going to be a hand on the other side that's willing to shake it remains to be seen. But I remember reading way back in 1976, this is before your time even, Don.
LEMON: No, I was around. I wasn't on TV yet but I was around.
COHEN: There was a book written called America by Alistair -- Alistair Cooke. And he said, in America I see the most persistent idealism and the blandness of cynicism and the races on between its vitality and its (Inaudible). And then he quoted the traditional Franklin quote. We have given you a republic, if you care to keep it.
And that's what this race has been about. The majority of the American people said we care to keep our republic. We are unwilling to turn this over to a demagogue. We are unwilling to sacrifice all that has happened before our heroes who have stormed the beaches in Normandy who have done extraordinary things to build an institution that we are the United States.
And what this president has done is say we are no longer united, we are going to divide this country along racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural lines. So, it's up to us and you asked a great question, where are we going?
LEMON: OK. Two things, quickly if you can because I want to get both of them in. You mention our heroes, I'm going to get to that in a second. But listen, I think it's a very good question as well, because it's a very good question. And some people get various upset with me when I asked.
But for the last 12 years, the Republicans who are in Congress and who are in the Senate have obstructed anything that Joe Biden and Barack Obama tried to do. They tried to undo their legacy, undo health care. Said he wasn't, you know, born in this country. Joe Biden is feeble, on, and actually now, saying that he is not a legitimate president as they did with Barack Obama.
And not living in reality, one plus one does not equal two. Why would Joe Biden, why would Joe Biden or anyone want to work with people who don't live in reality, and who basically say that they are not legitimate and they shouldn't exist in the position that they are in? Why would he want to work with them? Why should he even make the effort? It seems nonsensical to me, but you can explain.
COHEN: Yes, I think the effort has to be made. I think that, if the economy can be turned around, I believe that Joe Biden will be in a position to take advantage of the developments we are seeing at the medical side. That will allow him to do some really great things on the economic side.
And once people see the economy improving, and that Joe is reaching across to the working people of this country and not in it for himself, he's not grifter, he's somebody who is concerned about the welfare of this country, then I think you may see one of those blue- collar workers that have been lost to the Republican Party come back over to the Democrats.
LEMON: Because you're talking about the actual citizens. You're not talking about the folks in Washington.
COHEN: No.
LEMON: Is that what you're saying?
COHEN: I'm talking about the folks in Washington will response to the folks in rebuilding.
LEMON: But how are they -- but Secretary, with all due respect, how, all of a sudden, how are they all going to become sane again? How is that --
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: There all will be a number of them that will, hopefully millions of them that will. There's always going to be a core base of 25, 30 million people who will do whatever Trump suggests they do.
And by the way, one thing I want to plea to you, you have to follow the president now. Everything he does you have to follow it because he is the president.
LEMON: Right.
COHEN: Once June 21 come; I beg of you --
LEMON: January you mean.
COHEN: -- turn off the klieg lights, and let him be an ex-president and fade into obscurity as much as possible. Don't give him the platform that he desires needs and feeds off at our expense. Let him pay for it by himself, go to new network, create a network. Go nurse all the grievances that he has, let him deal with the scorpions that is still scuttling around inside his skull.
LEMON: Right.
COHEN: Let him do that all of that on his time on his money. And don't give him any more attention that you would ordinarily give to an ex- president.
LEMON: I'll just say one thing, because I think you met January 21st and not -- you said June. So, you're right on all account.
COHEN: it's not June. January.
[22:40:00]
LEMON: January. I knew what you meant. I just want to make sure that we get it straight. So, I have to ask you about this, because you mentioned our heroes.
The president is threatening to veto a $740-billion-dollar defense bill because it doesn't remove legal protections for social media. Simply put, he's mad at twitter for censoring his lies, for calling out his lies. I can't imagine that you think that this is worth using American troops as pawns in a feud, in this feud he has.
COHEN: He has used American troops for political purposes when he sends the troops to our square in Washington in order to have a photo op taken. He has used the troops, our federal agents to shoot innocent protesters in the head with rubber bullets. He has and jeopardized -- he jeopardized our troops in Syria when he called impetuously to pull them out. We're not even talking to our allies.
So, this is just another example where he is going to put his own grievances ahead of dealing with the people who are risking life and limb on our behalf. Their pay increases, the weapons they need to protect themselves and us because he's upset with Twitter.
That tells you with this commander-in-chief has been like and why he has been such a great relief, the world over that he has been defeated. And that Joe Biden has been elected president of the United States.
LEMON: You are a patriot, and I thank you. I enjoy having you on every single time, so we will see you soon. Be safe, Secretary.
COHEN: Thank you.
LEMON: Thank you.
A record high number of U.S. COVID deaths reported today. Next, a nurse who normally treats coronavirus patients comes to us from the hospital where she herself is now being treated after nearly every member of her family got the virus.
[22:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: So please, watch this next segment. Tell everybody you know to watch, OK?
This is our breaking news. There's a record number of coronavirus deaths reported today 2,658 so far, and a record 100,000 people hospitalized as Americans wait for a vaccine, the virus is taking a very heavy toll on families all across the country like the family of nurse Sofia Burke in New Jersey.
Burke treated coronavirus patients in the early days of this pandemic, but it wasn't until November that COVID made it into her home. Seven of the eight members of her household testing positive, from her 2- year-old daughter to her 93-year-old father Otto, who was killed by the virus.
Sofia Burke joins me now from the hospital. Sofia, thank you so much for doing this.
SOFIA BURKE, NURSE, HOSPITALIZED WITH CORONAVIRUS: Thank you, Don. LEMON: So, it's awful what's happened to you and your family, but I've
got to ask you. And by the way Sofia is on oxygen, obviously you can see. How are you feeling right now?
BURKE: Right now, I feel like everything has been swept from under my feet, literally. I'm fighting to breathe every day, to fight, to do the minimal activities with so much difficulty to take deep breath. Something so simple as breathing has become so difficult.
LEMON: What do you say to people now, because there are people who are running as if it does not exist, and as if it's not real, and go on, Sofia.
BURKE: What I say to everyone is this, it's such a selfless act. My mother giving an elderly person a ride home to get this virus. My mother let her guard down for one moment, one moment and in that quick moment, my entire family was affected.
My father died last Tuesday on a ventilator. My mother is home with oxygen, unable to breathe on her own after being in the hospital for six days. My child, my 2-year-old with diabetes contracted the virus although she had no respiratory issues, he had to endure a high fever and the sign is also of having COVID.
My son got sick, my older daughter this time. This thing is so real. I am sitting in a bed completely feeling useless. I'm able to do the bare minimum, because we let our guard down for one second.
LEMON: You --
BURKE: Go ahead.
LEMON: I want to just explain, because you think that your mom may have gotten the virus through an act of kindness, as she gave a sick friend a ride. Right? She said she tested negative on the ride --
BURKE: yes.
LEMON: -- but then you don't believe that was so, right?
BURKE: No, we later found out that she was positive.
LEMON: Yes.
BURKE: She claimed that she had a cold, a simple cold. She was in her 80s, and so now that she had COVID, she was a super spreader, you know?
LEMON: You worked with COVID patients from the very beginning and you took every single precaution.
BURKE: Yes, I did.
LEMON: And then now you believe that it came in some way, that, listen, it can happen to anyone, right?
[22:50:04]
BURKE: Right.
LEMON: Right.
BURKE: Exactly.
LEMON: And so, listen I'm sure you've seen the folks out there, Sofia, now who are they are upset, they want their businesses open, they want their restaurants open, and so on and so forth.
Obviously, we feel for those people, but someone who is working with these patients and you are really on the front lines of this in a way that most people are not. What do we do? Where do we go from here?
BURKE: What I think is this, I think I understand that everybody needs to survive, and I understand that financial hardship is real too, and painful. And it actually ruins families. But then what I say is this, yes, it's true. If you want to walk away with your family alive and healthy, without nerve damage, without being unable to breathe, you don't want to spend the money you have on funerals and burying your loved ones.
Yes, we have to survive, but right now we're fighting, we're fighting a virus during a pandemic that will kill us. We're not immune to it, and the numbers are climbing, it's so scary, you know.
LEMON: Sofia, I just want to put this up. Because I know it's tough for you to be speaking while you're on oxygen, but your cousin set up a GoFundMe to help cover the funeral and medical costs and we have that up on the screen right now, let is set up for a minute.
But I just want everyone to know how grateful I am that you are here and that you are giving your story to people, so that we can all be safe and we can all learn from this. So, Sofia, Sofia Burke, thank you. You are very brave person. And keep fighting, OK?
BURKE: Thank you so much, Don. Can I say one last thing? I want one everyone to know that we are a family, the whole world we are family. We need to love each other and let down our differences, we need to fight together to save all our individual families. I want to say thank you to all the frontlines and all, everyone in (Inaudible) for the love and the care that you give to all the patients. Thank you, Don.
LEMON: Thank you. Be well.
BURKE: Thank you, Don.
LEMON: We'll be right back.
[22:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON (on camera): So, get this. After an immense cost in human lives on a day with over 2,600 reported deaths, and 195,000 new cases, the focus at the White House was giving credit for the vaccine to this president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCENANY: With what, 40 million doses by the end of the year which is a tremendous achievement not just to have gotten a vaccine in this time, but to have produce 40 million in advance. It's having businessman as president, the Trump vaccine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Sounds kind of similar to this idea.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GERALDO RIVERA, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT-AT-LARGE: Look, I had an idea, you know, with the world so divided and everybody tell him he's got to give up in time to leave and time to transition and all the rest of it. Why not name the vaccine, the Trump. You know, make it like have you gotten your Trump yet? It would be a nice gesture to him, and years from now it would become just kind of a generic name. Have you got your Trump yet? Yes, I got my Trump, I'm fine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): No, I'm not even. The other coronavirus related focus at the White House today defending the administration's full schedule of indoor holiday parties, the president's work schedule meanwhile has been practically empty. We'll be taking -- talking about that, I should say, next. So, stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
