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Don Lemon Tonight

Trump Asked SCOTUS To Invalidate Millions Of Votes; Trump At White House Hanukkah Party: We Are Going To Win This Election; U.S. Highest Single-Day Death Toll Tops 3,000; Around 2.9 Million Doses Of Pfizer Vaccine Ready To Go; Interview With Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist (D-MI); Biden Introduces First Black Defense Secretary Nominee, Urges Waiver For Retired General Austin; Trump's Conspiracies Theories Raise Concerns About Georgia Senate Runoffs; Source Says Melania Trump Just Wants To Go Home. Aired 11p-12a ET

Aired December 09, 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 (on camera): The coronavirus pandemic ravaging the U.S. More than 3,000 Americans reported dead from the virus just today, making this the single deadliest day since the pandemic began. And tonight a record number of Americans across the country are in the hospital fighting for their lives against the virus.

While most of the rest of us stay home trying to stay safe the president is ramping up his attacks on our democracy, holding a glittering party where he once again falsely declares victory and pushing bogus lawsuits attempting to overturn the election that he lost fair and square.

Joining me now to discuss, CNN's White House Correspondent, John Harwood, and CNN's Senior Political Analyst, Ron Brownstein.

Good evening, gentleman.

John, you first.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST, AND SENIOR EDITOR OF THE ATLANTIC (on camera): Hi, Don.

LEMON: We just got new video in, it's from the White House. A Hanukkah Party. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: All I ask for is people with wisdom and with courage. That's all. Because if people are here, very important people, if they have wisdom and if they have courage we're going to win this election.

(APPLAUSE)

(CHEERS) (END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, seems like the deeper the hole gets for the president, the more desperate he becomes. Now we are learning that the Texas Attorney General Paxton, he's going to be at a White House lunch tomorrow. What is this?

JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): It is the crazy situation, Don. Look, we've talked about this before. It is one thing for the president to go out in public and lie about the election if his purpose is to build a movement, extract money from his followers for future political endeavors. Create a cause for himself.

But for him to be saying things like that in private in the White House or in private in his consultations with various state officials in trying to get them to reverse the outcome, it honestly suggests if he believes those things that he is psychologically, emotionally and mentally ill. OK. These things are obviously untrue and any rational, reasonable person knows it.

And I think we need to step back and talk about what that says about where we are as a country politically. A few years ago, the political scientists Tom Man and Norm Moorsteen (ph) wrote a piece, this was during the Obama administration, before Donald Trump was a candidate for president and said, let's just say it. The Republican Party is the problem. They described it as extreme, as unable to compromise, as disconnected from facts and reason and science.

Donald Trump has turbocharged all of those characteristics of the Republican Party so that we are now left today with a president of the United States who's the leader of the Republican Party who is unwell, a elected core of Republican officials who are either in league and surfing on the way he behaves, or they're just scared of him.

[23:05:07]

And a mass rank and file Republican electorate that is angry about the way the country is changed and believes things that are not true. That's where we are, and it is -- this is not a situation where politics is broken and it's the two parties are quality at fault. This is a serious, corrosive problem within the Republican Party that Donald Trump is leading.

LEMON: Can't say that I disagree. Ron, you're shaking your head.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. No, I agree. Look, I think the fact that Trump has been losing in the courts so much has obscured the magnitude of what has been happening around that and the implications of that for the future. And what has been happening is that more and more of the Republican Party has enlisted in his open attempts to subvert the will of the voters and overturn the election.

In just the last few days, we've had over 60 Republican state legislatures in Pennsylvania write a letter to their Congressional delegation saying that they should throw out the results from their own state, disenfranchise their own voters, and look at a slate of electors to support Donald Trump.

We've had the Republican Party in Arizona tweet asking whether supporters are willing to die to overturn the election. In Georgia we've had a majority of the Republicans in the state Senate as well as the two Republicans running for Senate, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, endorse this Texas lawsuit now joined by 18 other Republican- led states to throw out the results of their own voters, to disenfranchise their own voters.

And one last point about this, Don. It's not only kind of this general attack on democracy that more and more Republicans are joining in on. They are using Trump's unfounded claims of fraud as a pretext to begin a new round of voter suppression.

The Georgia Republican majority in the state Senate there yesterday issued a statement of principles that said among other things that when they reconvene in January they want to ban all droboxes in the state and end the state's law, which is 15 years old, allowing any voter to have a ballot for an absentee ballot for any purpose. They want to end kind of no-fault absentee balloting.

That is their reaction to what happened in this election. That is the consequence of so many Republicans in Congress allowing these and elsewhere, allowing these unfounded claims to take root and not raising any objection.

And when you add it all up, you have to ask the question, is the Republican Party still a small d Democratic Party in the western tradition or is it morphing into something in which the ends justify the means even if that means subverting democracy.

LEMON: It's all their own making. And I agree that everyone tries to do this false equivalence. Well, it's both sides. Yes, both sides play politics. It's called politics, right? But there's a difference when you are in propaganda and unreality territory and trying to subvert the will of the people territory and then believing that its reality and getting people -- that is a whole other level of crazy. Thank you both. I appreciate it.

BROWNSTEIN: Or not caring if it's reality.

LEMON: And not caring if it's reality. And not caring about representing people and telling them the truth. That's a whole other level of -- I mean, it's just abhorrent. Thank you both. I appreciate it.

Now, I want to bring in CNN's senior legal analyst, Laura Coates. Laura, hello to you. Thank you. I was thinking about you yesterday.

LAURA COATES, CNN INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ANALYST (on camera): Hi, Don.

LEMON: And I was like I'm going to call Laura. And like -- she's probably asleep by now. Work late or do the 11:00 or 10, or whatever. But -- I mean, I wanted to ask you about this stuff. And if this Texas thing or Pennsylvania -- like what is going on? 17 red states now backing the Texas Attorney General's lawsuit asking the Supreme Court to invalidate results in four battleground states.

So, essentially a bunch of Republicans -- tell me if I'm wrong -- trying to throw out millions of votes in states where they don't live. How does that square with the constitution?

COATES: Well, first of all, thank you for assuming that I was asleep and had no life and wasn't at some wild party. I appreciate your confidence in my social life. But I understand why. It doesn't square with the constitution at all here. You technically are able as a state to bring a lawsuit against another state and hope to have what's called original jurisdiction in the Supreme Court to have them resolve an issue, a dispute, between two places.

The issue here is there's not really a dispute. What you have here is after you have waited to see what the election results are, after you've identified the states that went to Joe Biden, then you decide, you know what, I want to take issue with the electoral system by which voters relied on lawfully to cast their ballots.

Under argument called latches, the courts are already not likely to look at that because they don't want voters who have legitimately relied upon their legislatures to now be disenfranchised for any reason, let alone one, that has no evidentiary basis whatsoever.

[23:10:08]

And so, you've got this argument that's still going, because I think the president is trying to still be able to, you know, garner support in the form of dollars and financial donations. But you really don't have a leg to stand on legally here.

LEMON: OK. So, listen. I know that you are a legal expert, legal scholar. You don't have a crystal ball. But we are in it, Laura, and I'm serious. Because we're in a hyper partisan time. No one knows -- the president tried to stack the court with the Republicans, right? Is there any chance the Supreme Court agrees to take this up?

COATES: I don't think there is any chance Supreme Court is going to take this case up in any fashion that would have any impact on this particular election. If this Supreme Court were to take up this case, it would be looking perspectival at future elections, as in if there were to be some sort of a pandemic, God forbid, or some sort of unforeseen circumstances, what electoral changes could be made going forward that would satisfy the electorate and the constitution?

And so I think you'll have that. And one of the ironies here of course, as you are mentioning, is that the Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton, essentially saying, hey, these states are using their pandemic time powers to try to change the outcome of this election or try to put a thumb on things. Well, he should criticize perhaps than his own actions because he himself also extended certain deadlines because of the pandemic.

So, it's a wonder why he is not criticizing his own conduct. I guess that's because Trump won Texas. The only crystal ball here for me is whether he is looking towards perhaps the president of the United States to look into the charges that he has been alleged to have committed and maybe use his pardoning power in some way to alleviate his stress and concern.

LEMON: Yeah, there are pardons come one come all for pardons lately. The reason I'm reading this is because we have new information about the -- from the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Laura tonight, reporting that President Trump called Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr yesterday, on Tuesday, warning him not to rally other Republicans against the Texas lawsuit. Is that legal?

COATES: Well, the thing is you can always ask and make certain requests. But whether you're trying to do anything that is contrary to federal law and trying to undermine the certification process is quite another. The phone call alone, I don't know that that's going to implicate him in a sort of a federal crime.

But the notion here that he is trying to, not by virtue of the evidence but instead to exert political pressure for an election he's already lost, it might dumbfound the entire nation. But what it's going to do is have an impact potentially on the Electoral College result.

Well, this is normally a ceremonial reading in the Senate and in the House, they may have some impact on having at least there be a delay in the way in which it's certified officially come January.

LEMON: Laura, thank you. I appreciate it. I just want to read the information that we're going to continue to follow. Laura Coates. Thank you. I really appreciate it.

Well, the reporting says, the A.G. are saying that (inaudible), President Trump phoned Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr on Tuesday warning the A.G. not to rally other Republicans against the Texas lawsuit. The White House declined to comment on the report to the CNN White House unit. CNN has reached out to the Georgia Attorney General's office and the campaigns for Senators Loeffler and Perdue with no response.

We'll continue to update you on that. There you go. Still trying to exert more influence, put his finger on the scale and overturn an election that he already lost.

Tonight we reached the highest daily level of reported U.S. deaths since the pandemic began. And we -- we may be on the verge of the FDA's approval of Pfizer's vaccine, but are too many people letting their guards down right now? Dr. Fauci says this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE: We're seeing in some parts of the country what would be equivalent of almost denial, Katy, where people still don't think this is a big deal. They think it's kind of fake news or a little bit of a hoax or what have you. It's not. It's real.

(END VIDEO CLIP) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:15:00]

LEMON: Tonight, the pandemic is raging all across the U.S. with a record high of more than 3,000 deaths reported just today. Hospitalizations setting daily new records, close to 107,000 COVID patients across the U.S. The troubling numbers coming on the eve of an all-day FDA meeting tomorrow where they are expected to vote on authorization for Pfizer's vaccine.

Joining me now is Dr. Jonathan Reiner, the head of the Cardiac Catheterization Program at George Washington University Hospital. Doctor, good evening to you. Thanks for joining once again. So, the heads of Operation Warp Speed announcing 2.9 million doses of the vaccine to go out in the first shipment. Will that be enough to begin changing the course of this pandemic?

JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST (on camera): No, but it's the beginning. And it's thrilling. Tomorrow's going to be a great day in a really grim time. It's a big burst of sunshine. But no, it's not nearly enough. There are, you know, maybe 20 million health care workers in the United States and tomorrow we're going to see 2.9 million vaccines.

So, there's going to be a lot of sort of prioritizing. And we had a meeting at G.W. today to talk about it. It's going to take a while, a long while to vaccinate everyone who needs it.

LEMON: Yes. As we wait for widespread vaccine distribution. You said, this is where we began, so, you know, we'll take it, right. You've got to start somewhere.

REINER: Yes.

LEMON: As we wait for widespread distribution, we are having some of the deadliest days, doctor, in American history. More people died today than on 9/11. Are we just getting numb to all of this news?

[23:20:06]

REINER: Yeah, I mean, we really are. So, over 3,000 people died today. That's more than --

LEMON: Hold on, doctor. Hang on. I want people to look on the screen if you look at the deadliest days in American history. Most of them up on the screen have happened since December 1st. Look at that. Go on, sorry, doc.

REINER: Right. And -- but there's another milestone we passed today which is we basically passed the number of combat deaths in World War II. So, most people alive today would think about World War II and the carnage from that, you know, worldwide calamity. And more Americans have died in the battle against the coronavirus than died fighting the Nazis and Japan in World War II. And it's going to get worse. You know, our case counts are continuing

to rise. And if they continue to rise, you and I are going to have a conversation one night in about three weeks where you tell me, can you believe 4,000 people died today?

LEMON: Yeah. Listen, I don't know if there's -- put it up, just to clarify. I'm not sure. I don't think those are the deadliest, but they were deadly days. And most of them up on the screen had happened since December 1st. Where that up. It's really unbelievable. So, Dr. Fauci warning today that even after people begin getting vaccines that they're still going to need to wear masks and social distance. Is there a risk of people letting their guards down here? Well, I should -- there is. How big is that risk, is what I should say?

REINER: So, the reason to wear masks after you get vaccinated is that first of all, for the Pfizer vaccine, for instance, the first vaccine that we'll see basically starting after tomorrow, there are two doses. The second dose is at three week. You're probably not fully immunized until a week after that. So, you're not really immunized for about a month.

So, that's one reason to wear a mask. The second reason to wear a mask is we're not totally sure that you can't carry the virus in an asymptomatic way after being immunized and transmit it to somebody who is not yet been immunized. So, for many months until really the majority of this country has been vaccinated, we're all going to wear masks to protect each other.

LEMON: Doctor, always a pleasure. I'll see you soon. Thank you.

REINER: My pleasure, Don.

LEMON: So, now I want to bring Michigan Democratic Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist. He is also the newly named chair of the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association. Thank you so much, Lieutenant Governor. I appreciate you joining.

LT. GOV. GARLIN GILCHRIST (D-MI) (on camera): Don, always good to be with you.

LEMON: So, we're hearing from some state and local officials who say that they are going to be receiving fewer doses of the vaccine than they were originally expecting. Is that happening in Michigan?

GILCHRIST: Yes, we -- the number that we're looking to get in shipments is changing on a daily basis it's a moving target. And to call it that is really frankly an understatement. But nevertheless we have a plan to deploy them quickly to that first phase of people, those, you know, emergency room doctors and those folks who are going to be taking care of folks. But we are going to need more, a lot more. And as a doctor said in a previous segment, this is just the beginning and we need these flood gates to open quickly and safely.

LEMON: So, you know, I want to ask you about the fight that is unfolding in your state over the presidential election. Today the Michigan Supreme Court denying a request from two individuals to block certification there. All 50 states and D.C. have officially certified that Biden won Michigan. Can they change that? Or they can't change that, right?

GILCHRIST: Don, the election is over. Joe Biden won Michigan. Joe Biden won the presidency. And so this is all said. We're going to have our electors meeting this coming Monday. I will preside over that session. The election is over in Michigan and no matter how much thrashing Republicans want to do, no matter how many frivolous lawsuits, they will lose those lawsuits just like they lost this election.

And so we are ready to move forward, ready to work with the Biden- Harris transition team and the Biden/Harris administration to move forward on the pandemic, to move forward on our economy and to move forward for our people.

LEMON: I've got to ask you though. I mean, I know you say it's over. And listen, people are living in reality know it's over. OK. But 18 states and Trump are now asking the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate millions of votes in key states including Michigan. They're trying to disenfranchise these voters. But are you worried that Trump supporters in Michigan are buying this snake oil? I mean, what is this doing to their fate in your state's election process?

GILCHRIST: Well, I think that the president has been, you know, just a superspreader of lies about the electoral process all year. And unfortunately, this has sewn a lot of doubt amongst a lot of people. But I think the integrity of the system, we can withstand it if we stand strong and stand tall right now.

And so, by making it clear that this election has been safe -- people trust their local election officials. And the truth is local election officials have done a good job. And so we need to move forward and now build a system that people can trust going forward.

Look, I'm an engineer. I'm a system builder. I know how to build things that people trust. That's what we need to focus on it in the public sector and in public service. I think we can do that and I think folks will be able to come around in due time.

[23:25:09]

LEMON: Lieutenant Governor, thank you so much. See you soon. Be safe. I appreciate it.

GILCHRIST: Thanks, Don.

LEMON: Joe Biden introducing his historic pick for defense secretary. He says General Lloyd Austin is the right person for the job. But he is getting a lot of push back.

Plus, ahead of Georgia's run off, the misinformation is getting to some Trump supporters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: Who did you vote for if you don't mind me asking?

UNKNOWN: The greatest president we ever had, Donald J. Trump.

UNKNOWN: And he lost.

UNKNOWN: He didn't lose.

UNKNOWN: he's going to win.

UNKNOWN: Are you kidding me?

UNKNOWN: He ain't going to lose.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: President-Elect Joe Biden formally introducing a historic nominee for a top cabinet post, picking retired General Lloyd Austin as the first Black Defense Secretary.

[23:30:00]

LEMON: But Austin will need a waiver since the post has to go to someone who has been out of the military for at least seven years. Some lawmakers already raising concerns about the waiver, including members of Biden's own party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ELISSA SLOTKIN (D-MI): I need to hear from General Austin, from the Biden administration, what they're going to do to ensure that his recently retired status is going to -- you know, isn't going to keep him from really taking the advice and counsel of the civilian part of the Pentagon.

SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH (D-IL): I think he would be an excellent secretary of defense, but on principle, I cannot wait -- I cannot vote for the waiver.

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): I want to hear from the Biden team as to why they think that this selection and this individual is so important to the team that they need the waiver. I guess I'll need to be convinced.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON (on camera): Joining me now, CNN political analyst Astead Herndon and CNN national security analyst Shawn Turner. Good evening, gentleman. So, Astead, this is groundbreaking pick by any measure. How politically risky is it to go against such a historic and well- qualified nominee over a waiver issue?

ASTEAD HERNDON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST, NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES: We've only seen this a couple of times. I mean, the last time obviously is President Trump nominating Defense Secretary James Mattis.

But when you see the Biden campaign actually put out their reasoning in The Atlantic to say this is why we chose this person, it is because they know that there is a coming fight within the Democratic Party.

You have folks say that they don't really love the idea of having someone who just came from the military front going to that post. I think that is something the Biden Campaign is going to have to justify. This isn't an ideological difference. This isn't between moderates and progressives. This is more about process and this is more about folks saying that they think that this is an important civilian role that is a core to the mission and they want to be convinced.

That doesn't mean that there is an impossible climb for the Biden campaign. That just means that they're going to have to make a concerted effort on that front, and I think they know that.

Obviously, his nomination is also historic in the identity fashion because he would be the first black person to lead the Pentagon. I think that's also going to be part of the calculus for this -- for the lawmakers is confirming someone who would be historic pick even though the kind of civilian aspect would be controversial.

LEMON: Well, it is interesting, I must say, to see the party who is in power, who is going into power, actually have some dissension on process and what's right and what's not, because we didn't see that from the Republicans who were in lockstep with the president the entire time no matter what he did or who he picked. So, this is interesting to see, this degree, this level of governing happening once again in our country.

So, Shawn, listen, former Secretary of State Colin Powell said this. He said Congress should have no concern waiving the requirement. His civilian business experience in retirement expands his capability to manage the Defense Department. He knows troops and they know him. They know and respect him.

The waiver for Mattis passed the Senate 81-17, 16 of those no votes coming from Democrats. Do you think it's going to be a different time this time, different in this case?

SHAWN TURNER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, look, I think that Democrats are going to find this nomination hard to go against, although I know some will.

Look, I mean, we're talking about a candidate here who is or nominee who is imminently qualified in Lloyd Austin. So, when you've got a candidate who understands the department, who understands the troops, who understands how to lead, that's going to be difficult for them to go against.

I do think that the historic nature of this nomination is something that's certainly for Democrats. They're going to have to think long and hard about what side they want to be on with regard to Lloyd Austin.

Look, for the department, for the American people, and certainly for service members, what really matters here is the fact that Lloyd Austin is someone who is highly respected and really qualified who happens to be an African-American. But you can't separate those things if you're a member of Congress who's voting on this.

So, I think that what we will see is we will probably see some members of Congress take the position where they will vote against the waiver, but those very same members of Congress will vote for the nomination because they understand that not only do you have someone who can do the job as the right person who Joe Biden wants, but also someone who's going to be good for the country and good for the department.

LEMON (on camera): Astead, I want you to listen to what former Defense Secretary William Cullen told me just last hour. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM CULLEN, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY: The president, what he's doing, he's putting a knee on the neck of the American people, the democracy, and trying to squeeze the life out of it. And I see Joe Biden and his team saying we're going to restore confidence in our ability to govern ourselves. And I would like to just posit or posture, Lloyd Austin standing next to President Trump, and you tell me who the leader of this country would be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON (on camera): So, Astead, this is a man who grew up in deeply segregated Alabama, rose to a four-star general, and is now a top cabinet nominee.

[23:35:00]

LEMON: It's a complete rebuke of everything that Trump stands for.

HERNDON: Yeah, there's no question that this is a signal for the Biden administration. They've taken all their kind of nominations not only in a different direction than President Trump but embodying a kind of new vision of the Democratic Party.

This shows the kind of way that the establishment has changed even from the last democratic administration with President Obama until this one.

I think Lloyd Austin is a difficult candidate for Democrats to oppose. I also don't think that we see really from Democrats that they want to oppose that nomination. They want to show concern about the civilian role in the process. They don't want to normalize this waiver to be something that happens every single time. But they also want Joe Biden to get his nominees confirmed.

And so I think that we have to hold both of those things as true where the party both wants to show that the process is important and that they want the president to respect the process, that it won't be a rubber stamp in every single instance. But they also want to show the president-elect that they are going to listen and give him deference on those nominees.

So, I expect, as he said, that there would be some folks who vote against the waiver but then vote for the confirmation to be able to give them both sides of that coin.

LEMON: Got you. Shawn, listen, the military has really struggled with diversity. Nineteen percent of the enlisted force is black, but only about eight percent are officers. Does putting Austin in charge send a clear message that this is now going to change?

TURNER: Yeah, Don. Look, I think it's a really good move in the right direction. Look, as someone who served in the Marine Corps for 21 years both as an enlisted service member who then became an officer, I can tell you that our military is a reflection of our society. We see the same kinds of issues in the military that we see with regards to issues of race and gender and other issues of equality that we see across the country.

So, Lloyd Austin brings to this position sort of unique perspective on those issues. So I would certainly expect that with regard to a wide range of issues like the one you mentioned with regard to the underrepresentation of African-Americans and minority officers and senior ranks, certainly with regard to the roles that women can play in our military, I would expect that we would see some focus on those issues but focus from the perspective of someone who sits in that position of having been on the receiving end of some of the challenges that we face in the military.

So, I think that across the board, not only for African-Americans but I think the capacity of our service and our military to be the best it can possibly be, Lloyd Austin brings that unique perspective to this position.

So I think this is good not just for the African-American community, but this is really good for the country.

LEMON (on camera): All right. Thank you, gentleman. I appreciate it. I'll see you soon.

They are the runoffs that will determine who controls the Senate. But Trump's attacks on the election could cost his own party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: Give the Republican people and the base a reason to get up off our tails and go vote for you, because if you don't stop this fraud of an election, you don't have our backs, so why are we having yours?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON (on camera): So, we're just weeks away from the critical Georgia runoff elections that will determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the Senate. Both parties are trying to get out the vote. But there are concerns President Trump's baseless conspiracy theories about his election loss could hurt the Republican candidates.

CNN's Donie O'Sullvan spoke to Georgia voters about misinformation in their state. Look.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN REPORTER (on camera): Are you going to vote?

UNKNOWN: I don't know yet. If it's going to be the same counters and the same dominion machines, I may not. And if I don't see the Republicans thumping for Trump, I'm not voting for them.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Two critical runoff elections in Georgia next month will decide what party controls the U.S. Senate. But some Trump supporters here still falsely believe Trump didn't lose this state in the presidential election and they don't think Georgian Republican Senate candidates are standing up for Trump.

CROWD: (INAUDIBLE).

O'SULLIVAN (on camera): Some folks are saying they're not going to show up.

LUCRETIA HUGHES, TRUMP SUPPORTER AND YOU TUBER: I understand them because we're pissed.

O'SULLIVAN (on camera): Did you vote, sir, in the presidential election here in Georgia?

STEVE COATS, TRUMP SUPPORTER: I did.

O'SULLIVAN (on camera): Who did you vote for if you don't mind me asking?

COATS: The greatest president we've ever had, Donald J. Trump.

O'SULLIVAN (on camera): And he lost.

COATS: He didn't lose.

UNKNOWN: He's going to win.

COATS: Are you kidding me? He ain't gonna lose.

O'SULLIVAN (on camera): Do you plan on voting in the Senate runoff?

COATS: I do plan on voting in the Senate runoff.

O'SULLIVAN (on camera): For a Republican, I take it?

COATS: I don't know at this point.

O'SULLIVAN (on camera): So, you might not vote Republican in January?

COATS: I don't vote for a party, OK? As far as I'm concerned, the Democrats and Republicans can all go to hell.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Trump supporters are stuck in the murky, muddy world of misinformation.

Viral videos claiming the election here was rigged are circulating all over the internet. Lin Wood, a Trump supporter lawyer in Georgia who is now challenging the results of November's election, even told Republicans they shouldn't vote in January's run offs if the senators do not challenge the November results.

LIN WOOD, LAWYER AND TRUMP SUPPORTER: If Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue do not do it, they have not earned your vote. Don't you give it to them.

[23:44:57]

HUGHES: Give the Republican people and the base a reason to get up off our tails and go vote for you, because if you don't stop this fraud of an election, you don't have our backs, so why are we having yours?

If Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue do not do it, they have not earned your vote. Don't you give it to them.

O'SULLIVAN (on camera): If I were chair of the Republican Party and I hear you, a Georgia voter, a conservative, a Trump supporter, Republican, saying they might not vote, I would be freaking out. I would say, oh, my God, are we going to lose this to Democrats?

UNKNOWN: That's the point. That's the point. Those two Republican senators need to get their asses out of their office and start stumping on the street and demanding a real recount, not a fake recount.

O'SULLIVAN (on camera): Do you trust that next month's elections, the runoffs are going to be fair?

MARJORIE WOMACK, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Not 100 percent, but I'm still encouraging people to vote, because if they don't vote, there will absolutely be nothing to sort out, and we will have gifted the election to the Democrats.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Gabriel Sterling is a republican election official in Georgia who has called out Trump's bogus election claims.

(On camera): A lot of folks, look, just don't believe that there is a free and fair election here in Georgia for the presidential erase. And some of them don't think that what is going to happen here in January in the Senate runoffs is going to be fair either. What's your message to people who believe this?

GABRIEL STERLING, VOTING SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION MANAGER, GEORGIA: First of al, we've shown with math, we've shown with everything we can, I know in their heart of hearts and their gut, there is no evidence they would ever see that's going to make them believe this because everybody they know voted for Trump and they don't know anybody who voted for Biden. We have been talking about this for months. We had an entire ad campaign on disinformation that we did in the state to explain to people a lot of what you're going to hear is not going to be real. The problem is when you have to combat it from the president of the United States, which makes it much more difficult.

CROWD: We love you. We love you. We love you.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

O'SULLIVAN (on camera): And there you have it, Don. I mean, the lies and misinformation pedalled by a president who failed to get re- elected may now get in the way of the election of Senate candidates here in Georgia.

LEMON: So, Donie, you know, we have been doing these pieces together since before the election. Has anyone you've talked to ever accepted reality when you presented it to them?

O'SULLIVAN: No, essentially. You know, we've been having, as you mentioned, these conversations with Trump supporters since before the election, since the days after the election.

And you know, as you and I have been seeing proof that Joe Biden has won the election, whether it's count and recount and certification, people who live in this world, who live in this parallel universe, they're seeing what Trump is posting, they're seeing what Rudy Giuliani is posting, they're seeing what's going up on new sites like OANN and Newsmax, they're seeing all this BS that claims to be new evidence that shows that the election was rigged in some way.

And, of course, pretty much everything is being debunked, but because, you know, so many people now live in these online social media echo chambers, they never see those fact checks and all -- a lot of the Trump supporters have been seeing for the past few weeks is what they view as proof that Trump actually won the election.

LEMON: You know --

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: I sometimes think when I watch these stories that all the news organizations present like this if people are just somehow now discovering the south. I grew up in the south and lived there, you know, a big part of my adult life. None of what you presented surprises me. I know these people. I grew up with these people.

I -- you know, the Klan used to pass out literature in front of my high school on weekends. One of my best friends lived in the lot next door to the grand wizard of the KKK. And I've seen these people -- not to say these people are racist. I'm just saying that none of this surprises me.

The way they feel about the world and the election and who won and who lost and that there is -- it's not just social media, Donie. I hate to tell you. This has been going on since before social media. This is -- this happens -- this has been happening before. Maybe it's exacerbating it, but I'm not surprised by anything you're presenting there. Go on.

O'SULLIVAN: Yeah, and I mean, Don, look, I mean, I think you can hear the exasperation there in Gabriel Sterling, that Georgia election official who's a Republican, by the way, in his voice.

And he made a similar point, too. He said, look, I have lived here in Georgia all my life. You know, I know these people. People will never believe that Biden won the election.

LEMON: Never.

O'SULLIVAN: But, of course, it does come back to the fact that with social media, you know, it does exacerbate all of this, as you say.

LEMON: Never ever going to happen. Keep preaching to the choir. It ain't going to happen. Thank you, Donie. Appreciate your work. I'll see you soon. We'll be right back.

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[23:50:00]

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LEMON: So, take this. Despite President Trump's refusal to concede the election, the first lady, Melania Trump, is ready to leave the White House. A source familiar with the first lady's state of mind says she just wants to go home.

However, it seems like the first lady is not ready to give up the presidential perks. Not just yet. CNN is reporting that Melania Trump asked an adviser to inquire whether there were any taxpayer funds allocated to former first ladies.

Yep, the wife of the alleged billionaire wanted to know if some of your tax dollars are available for whatever cost the first lady may have after leaving the White House.

[23:55:01]

LEMON: Sorry to disappoint, but there is nothing allocated from the government for any first lady besides the $20,000 a year pension, which is paid out only if her husband dies.

So, word of no future budget has not deterred Melania Trump from turning her focus to post-D.C. life. In fact, a source tells CNN she is mulling the idea of keeping up her Be Best platform, aimed at helping children a fine use of time.

Meanwhile, Be Best merchandise, including backpacks, frisbees, water bottles were handed out to children at a state department holiday party. Just last night, according to The Washington Post, one official telling the Post, it's time to get rid of the leftovers.

Thank you for watching. Our coverage continues.

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