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Don Lemon Tonight

Trump Lashing Out And Throwing Temper Tantrums; White House Inundated With Pardon Requests; Trump Pushing For Appointment Of Special Counsel; U.S. Reports Record-High Number Of COVID-19 Deaths Today; Emergency Use Authorization For Moderna Vaccine; Former Houston Police Charged For Believing A Man Was A Voter Fraud Mastermind; Married Texas Teachers Die Of COVID-19 While Holding Hands; Major Snowstorm Hitting Northeast. Aired 11p-12a ET

Aired December 16, 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]

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DON LEMON, CNN HOST (on camera): United States reporting a record high number of COVID-19 deaths in a single day today, more than 3,500 Americans. President Trump holed up inside the White House ignoring the worsening pandemic. Sources say he is lashing out and throwing temper tantrums, calling for two special councils, one to investigate Joe Biden's son Hunter and another to look into the president's false claims of massive voter election, or voter fraud, or election fraud.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Trump's allies have inundated the White House with requests for pardons, as Trump's presidency comes to an end. I want to bring in now CNN's White House correspondent, John Harwood, and senior political analyst John Avlon, good evening to both of you.

JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST (on camera): Good evening.

LEMON: John Harwood, President Trump lashing out, he's not, you know, that's not new at all, but one Trump advisor says he's throwing an f-- ing tantrum, temper tantrum. How deep do you think does his denial go?

JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I think, Don at some level, he understand that he lost the election. But psychologically he cannot acknowledge that, by his upbringing, by the way his ego ort of dominates his life. He's got to think that he's on top of every situation. So, he can't say to himself that I lost.

He's got to come up with this notion that it's rigged. He's done that in the past, every time he's had a setback he said, it's rigged against me. I didn't get an Emmy award, if I didn't get the Iowa caucus, I lost to Ted Cruz or if I didn't make the CNBC list of most influential businessmen, it's rigged. That's how he reacts to those situation.

The second thing he has to do is to figure out how to take advantage of it, going forward. And so by repeating this lie that he had the election stolen from him, he was able to raise money, a couple hundred million dollars so far from followers and try to set himself up for whatever he's going to do politically or otherwise, after the election. That's what I think propels him and I think it's' going to propel him in that direction, all the way through to January 20th.

LEMON: So, John Avlon, Joe Biden is just rolling along, rolling out his cabinet behind the scenes. The Washington Post is reporting he's trying to forge alliances with key Republican Senators, while still trying to win the Senate seats in Georgia. The future of the Biden presidency, depends a lot on that runoff race, don't you think?

AVLON: I mean for sure, I'm in control of the Senate is about as big as it gets. But Joe Biden is trying to work a parallel path, he's trying to make a case obviously campaigning in Georgia, saying that this is a case, wherever he needs to get out, he need levels of turnout that approach a presidential, which is almost unheard of when it comes to a runoff election, particularly in the south.

At the same time, he is trying to build bridges to Republicans. And he only needs a handful of reasonable Republicans, who are committed to trying to solve problems on behalf of the American people. That seems a tall order in a time where bad faith has been basically table stakes in Washington.

LEMON: Yes, right on. Go on.

AVLON: That's the kind of leadership he campaign on, uniting the nation for saying that you know, in the Senate he learned, you questioned somebody's judgment not their motives. So, this is really a time for him to try to build those bridges even as he campaigns hard to win those two Georgia seats.

Either way it's going to be tight, either way this is not going to be some ideological mandate for the Democratic Party, or the Republican Party for that matter.

[23:05:04]

LEMON: John Harwood, meantime, Congress is still working, they are trying to pass a stimulus deal, but I mean, we don't hear a thing from the president about that or even the COVID crisis?

HARWOOD: The president doesn't care about anything or anyone, other than himself. On the other hand, to the extent that they get this deal and he signs it, people welcome it. He will hear the applause of the crowd. This potentially is the most constructive thing that will happen, between his defeat in November and the time that Joe Biden takes office.

So, it's to the good, that Congress is moving in that direction and that the president is not particularly involved in it. He's got all the things on his mind that we are talking about a few minutes ago. But all they need in the situation is for him to affix his signature, and it would provide help for a lot of people.

LEMON: Yes. John Avlon, I want to talk to you about which Trump is trying to do. I think he wants to saddle the incoming President-Elect Biden, with special counsel appointments on Hunter Biden and on the 2020 election bogus claims, about the 2020 election. How much impact would that have on the future president's administration, do you think?

AVLON: Well, it's one of the situations where Joe Biden's commitment to trying to return to a degree of normalization to the Justice Department and to government, could hem him in. But we shouldn't pearl clutch about, you know, contradictions with some of that aspirational rhetoric. Let's not get distracted. If they are bad (inaudible), you know, at things that Trump has put in place from trying to restock Pentagon boards to this suggestions of special counsel, for things that do not deserve special counsels.

At the end of the day, Joe Biden should be hemmed in, if the independent investigators are looking at his son (inaudible) allowed to perceive, but it does not allow for (inaudible) level of a special prosecutor. We cannot normalize in same behavior.

The fact that the president is in deep aggressive denial and delusion about the outcome of the election, let's not normalize just because it's Trump, it's incompatible with someone having nuclear codes. And we need to chronicle this and confront it clearly and not be hemmed in by bad faith efforts to set obstacles for incoming administration.

LEMON: Thank you gentlemen, I appreciate it. You know this president may refused to acknowledge that he lost the election, but in the waning days of his administration, the White House is being inundated with requests for pardons. I want to discuss that now, with CNN senior White House correspondent, and that is Pamela Brown and CNN's legal analyst Elie Honig, a former federal prosecutor.

Good to see both of you. Thank you so much, Pamela your first. The White House is so inundated with his pardon request that they need a spreadsheet, tell us what you're learning.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Yes, there has basically been this pardon frenzy in President Trump's final few weeks in the White House. And I'm told by multiple sources that hundreds of people have been reaching out to the White House, since the election. Trying to get their pardon requests in front of the president, they've got around the formal process, we should be to put in a formal application, go through DOJ.

And they're reaching out directly to senior White House officials like Jared Kushner, or the Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, White House counsel even the vice president's office to put their request in. These are allies of the president. These are friends of friends of the president.

So basically, what you're seeing is this mad rush to get their request in, because they know that the president, he likes to flex his muscles with this pardon power. And he is been known to push the boundaries with his pardon power. And he's also transactional. He is a deal maker.

And so, what you are seeing is some people hoping cash in on what they believe has been the loyalty they've shown to Trump, over the last four years. Now they're hoping to take advantage of that in their minds, by getting a pardon for a client, if their lobbyist or lawyer or for themselves, or for a family member or a friend. So, that's a dynamic at play, and there has been so much -- such a frenzy, Don that like you said, they've even created this spreadsheet to keep track of it all, because it's been so much.

And it's much more than what you would normally see at the end of an administration, whether there is typically is more of a rush for pardon requests, now you're just seeing that where it is coming in from all over the place. In an informal way, and they're just trying to keep track of it every day.

LEMON: Elie, you can hear -- can you hear me?

ELIE HONIG, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes.

LEMON: OK, good. I just want to make sure, I thought maybe you're having some trouble there.

HONIG: No.

LEMON: Listen, Elie, Trump is concerning, how many pardons, I think like a dozen -- two dozen people? Who do you think he's going to pardon?

HONIG: Well, look, I think it's obvious, it's going to be a combination of the crooks and cronies that he surrounded himself with. It's really not surprising that the picture that pam has painted, is emerging. This is a president who has quit on the job, yet he is busy as a b when it comes to pardons. This is his business, you repay people who have had your back and will have your back. It is as Pam said, it is transactional.

[23:10:04]

The people I'm looking at, most in particular is family members, other people who are in the Trump organization around him. We've had reporting about Allen Weiselberg, who is a key person at the Trump organization. Here's what I want to say if he does that it will be not only as he doing favors for cronies, but it will be self-dealing as well.

Because when you pardon someone who may have been involved in wrongdoing with you, you're taking somebody who could be charged with a crime and might flip back on you. So, if he pardons people around him like that, he's taking care of them but really in the end, he's taking care of himself.

LEMON: Are these people, any of the folks on the potential self-pardon list that you were just talking about? These preemptive pardons, excuse me, not the self, but the preemptive pardons, you know, of course, self-pardoning himself or any of the folks you just mentioned and who else?

HONIG: Yes, look, I mean, it could be anyone who had to do with the Trump organization. I mean, you know, I think it's basically a witches brew of whoever he's had dealings with. I think also there's something to what Mary Trump said in the prior hour, he's doing this just to make people nuts.

Look, someone like Paul Manafort, right? People who were involved, Steve Bannon is on that list that we've reported on. These people have done nothing to deserve a pardon, but I think the president understands if he pardons these people, who haven't even been particularly loyal to him, it will make people nuts. Because he's undoing legitimate convictions.

And I just want to say this Don, the pardon power is not inherently unjust or evil, if used properly. Prior presidents have used pardons to undo unjust sentences. Very long sentences for nonviolent drug offenders as President Obama did. And here we have Donald Trump and he has no interest in any justice, anything to do with the pardon power. It's all about self-dealing.

LEMON: Yes, listen, other presidents have used it and Pamela it's not uncommon to see some controversial pardons at the end of a presidency, but I mean is it a test of admission from President Trump, that, you know, his term is unending? You know, because he says I'm still winning but he is issuing all these pardons, so now maybe he's thinking, hey, my terms ending I better do it.

BROWN: Yes that's a really interesting point, Don, because the fact that we're seeing this frenzy of pardon request is certainly a big booming sign for the president that hey, all these pardon request are flooding in right now because you lost the election. And you're going to be out of office, soon. So, everyone's trying to get in it now.

And what's interesting is that the president has been engaging with this, he's been reviewing the cases, he's been talking to aides and allies about it, he's been asking who he should pardon, but then at the same time he has been focusing most of his energy on the election results and the delusion that he won and it was stolen from him and trying to spread that disinformation.

But it doesn't really square, because what's clear is his term is about to come to an end, he lost this election and the pardon frenzy is a sign of that, but yet he continues to make claims like he's not going to leave the White House on election day and that he actually won this election. Even though as we know, that's completely unfounded and baseless.

LEMON (on camera): Thank you both, I'll see you soon, be safe. This is our breaking news tonight, record numbers of COVID deaths, cases and hospitalizations as we're on the eve of what could be authorization for a second vaccine. So why do some people still not understand this virus is real?

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ADM. BRETT GIROIR, HHS ASSISTANT SECRETARY: We have hundreds of thousands of dead Americans, we'll have millions of people around the world. This is not phony, this is not fake, it is serious. We are still in a dangerous and critical time. (END VIDEO CLIP)

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LEMON (on camera): Three terrible new record set in our fight against the coronavirus, more than 242,000 new cases reported today. The 11th straight day of record hospitalizations and more than 3,500 deaths reported just today. Remember last week when the CDC Director Robert Redfield said this.

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ROBERT REDFIELD, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL: We are in the timeframe now that probably for the next 60 to 90 days, we're going to have more deaths per day than we had in 9/11.

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LEMON (on camera): Well, that's exactly where we are right now. Hundreds more American died today than during the September 11th attacks. But more help could be on the way. Tomorrow an FDA advisory committee will discuss emergency use authorization for Moderna's vaccine.

HHS Secretary Azar saying, if the FDA grants Moderna's vaccine emergency use, the FDA, excuse me, the U.S. Government has authorized nearly six million doses for next week. Dr. Anthony Fauci saying today that between Pfizer's and Moderna's vaccine, there could be doses for 20 million people by the end of December.

So, joining me now to discuss, CNN's medical analyst, Dr. Jonathan Reiner and Dr. Celine Gounder, COVID advisory board member for the Biden transition team. Good to see both of you, a very important time and positive news to talk about.

So, Dr. Reiner, we need all the help we can get right now. Do you think will see the FDA authorization for Moderna's vaccine tomorrow?

JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST (on camera): Well if it's not, tomorrow it'll be sometime over the weekend, the data for the Moderna vaccine is fabulous. Just about the same as the Pfizer vaccine, about a 95 percent efficacy almost 100 percent efficacy in preventing severe disease, like needing to be in an ICU, or receives supplemental oxygen or being on a ventilator.

So, the vaccine is terrifically effective at preventing COVID disease. So I do expect that will see approval, either tomorrow or the next day absolutely.

LEMON: I've been wanting to talk to one of you about this, Dr. Gounder, let's talk about the FDA saying that it is OK for those who administering the Pfizer vaccine, to squeeze out extra doses from the vials, if there is leftover solution. Meaning we could already have more doses a vaccine than we thought. What do you make of this? Is this game changing?

[23:20:15]

CELINE GOUNDER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST, INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST AND EPIDEMIOLOGIST (on camera): Well, if you can get five doses versus six doses out of a vial, I mean, that really does increase the supply.

LEMON: You mean six doses, versus five out of --

GOUNDER: Sorry, yes so, right now it's five doses, we would be going up to six doses.

LEMON: Right.

GOUNDER: So, you know, it does certainly increase the supply, doesn't mean that you go from the vaccinating 50 million people, to 330 million people. So, it certainly extends the supply, but I wouldn't call that game changing.

LEMON: Yes, isn't it kind of normal for that to happen, because people won't always use the exact dosage, right? There is left over, that's normal correct.

GOUNDER: Yes. It's normal. It's normal to have a little bit left over in a vial that you dispensed, that you throwaway afterwards. But I think understanding that we may actually have enough left over in a vial, for a full dose, that is, you know, a significant.

LEMON: Yes great, OK so listen, a difference between the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines is the time needed between first and second doses. Dr. Reiner, are you worried that this could create confusion for those administrating this vaccine?

REINER: No, not at all. You know, in medicine every day, we give different drugs with different dosing schedules. You know, we don't just say, oh, I'm giving the blood pressure medicine today and that's twice a day, mix it up. Every drug has some dosing schedule and I have full confidence that the thousands of providers that will distribute vaccines in the coming months we'll get the dosage right.

So, the Moderna vaccine is given 28 days apart and the Pfizer vaccine is given 21 days apart. We will be able to keep that straight, there should not be a concern.

LEMON: Dr. Gounder, you know, we now have the first recorded allergic reaction to Pfizer's vaccine in the U.S., a health care worker in Alaska. Doctors treated her right away, but does that just go to show you that we still have a lot to learn about these vaccines?

GOUNDER: There is a lot to learn, and that's the least of it. One of the key questions we have is whether these vaccines will block transmission. We know these vaccines will prevent disease, but that's very different from saying it will prevent you from getting infected and passing it on to others.

And that matters because when we talk about this whole idea of herd immunity you're never going to get there if the vaccine does not block transmission. And so at least for the near future, even if you've been vaccinated, you really do need to be wearing a mask in the meantime.

LEMON: Dr. Gounder, you know, how often would this adverse reactions need to happen for administration of Pfizer's vaccine to be halted?

GOUNDER: Well, I mean, these are still quite rare reactions. And I think you have to remember, we are going to be vaccinating 330 million people in this country, so even if this is a one and 1 million allergic reaction, you're going to hear about hundreds more of these reactions.

So I think the key is the advice has been given to people, when they're being vaccinated right now, which is that you should wait at the vaccination facility for 15 minutes. Where you are under supervision by health care providers, so that if you do have an allergic reaction, somebody can administer epinephrine, an Epipen reverse that reaction and for people who have had such serious reactions, to wait a bit longer up to 30 minutes, just to make sure that that does not happen.

LEMON: Doctors, thank you both, I appreciate it.

The lies about voter fraud leading to dangerous consequences, what happened when an ex police captain in Texas try to take matters into his own hands, by holding an A/C repairman at gunpoint?

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[23:25:00]

LEMON: You've got to listen to this, tonight a police captain in Houston is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Harris County prosecutor said the incident stems from a baseless voter fraud conspiracy theory and that it's lucky, no one was killed. Here's CNN's Ed Lavandera.

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ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Two weeks before the presidential election, prosecutors say Mark Anthony Aguirre drove a man off the road and held him at gunpoint. The former Houston police captain, suspected the man driving a box truck was the mastermind of a voter fraud conspiracy.

Investigator say that mastermind was actually David Lopez Zuniga, an air conditioning repairman who says he was blindsided by the attack, he said help me, help me with his hand inside his coat. Then when I tried to help him he pulls out a gun that was when I told to get on the ground. When I saw him unlock to safety, I thought he was going to shoot me. He thought he was about to die. Former Harris County election clerk Chris Hollins says it's a dangerous example of when conspiracy theories go too far.

CHRIS HOLLINS, FORMER HARRIS COUNTY CLERK: An innocent man, a working man, a family man who was accosted at gunpoint for no reason whatsoever, it's extremely unfortunate, it's dangerous. This man deserves to be prosecuted.

LAVANDERA: Prosecutors allege Aguirre and a team of investigators worked for a group called Liberty Center for God and Country. A group tracked the repairman for four days, suspecting the man was carrying 750,000 fraudulent ballots in his work truck. Police say there were no ballots in the truck, just air conditioning repair parts, and tools.

Prosecutors say Aguirre crossed the line from dirty politics to commission of a violent crime, and we are lucky no one was killed. Aguirre's attorney disagrees.

[23:30:00]

LAVANDERA (voice-over): -- disagrees.

TERRY YATES, MARK ANTHONY AGUIRRE'S ATTORNEY: I believe it's a political prosecution. He was working and investigating voter fraud. It was an accident. They were surveilling a vehicle. There was an accident. And then a member of the car got out and rushed toward him, and that's where the confrontation took place.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Prosecutors say Aguirre was paid $266,000 by the Liberty Center. The group is run by Republican activist Steve Hotze. A wealthy Republican donor pushed controversial lawsuits against Harris County to throw out nearly 130,000 presidential election ballots cast at drive-through polling locations.

After a judge voted against the republican lawsuit the day before the election, Hotze acknowledged he had a team of investigators hunting what was really a phantom voting menace.

Do you think the Democrats are stealing the election in Texas?

STEVE HOTZE, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Yes. I know that. I have had investigators on the ground. The Democrats have committed massive voter election fraud in Harris County.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): No reports of massive widespread fraud in voting. That is a fact no matter how many times you say it.

HOTZE: You're totally wrong.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Houston police say, when Lopez Zuniga got out of his truck, Aguirre pointed a gun to him, forced him to ground, and put a knee on his back. Houston police say part of the incident was captured on police body camera footage.

Court documents say that Aguirre demanded that the responding officer arrest the AC repairman. Aguirre told the officer that he can -- quote -- "be a hero or part of the problem. I just hope you're a patriot."

(On camera): The wealthy Republican activist who bankrolled this team of investigators says that the charge against the former Houston police officer is bogus and that he had actually hired at least 20 different investigators to look into widespread voter fraud, including a former FBI surveillance specialist. But despite all of that, Houston police and prosecutors say they have not seen a single shred of evidence to support those claims. Don?

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LEMON (on camera): Ed, thank you so much for that.

I want to talk about this case with CNN political commentator Ana Navarro. I mean -- hey, Anna. It is nuts. Someone could have seriously been hurt here with these crazy conspiracies. They have real consequences.

ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Absolutely, Don. It reminded be -- you'll remember some years ago, there was conspiracy theory where people thought, people believed that Bill and Hillary Clinton were running a sex ring out of the basement of a pizza shop that did not have a basement, and some guys showed up with a gun to save the non-existent victims.

Look, you know, most people know that all of this talk about voter fraud, that all of this rhetoric that's being promoted and multiplied and amplified by Donald Trump and his minions, most people know what it's about. It is a grift and it is a scam. But there are some people who actually believe it and who take action because of that.

And there is -- when I heard the story last night, I thought, how insane can it be. But when you start peeling the layers off the onion and hearing that it's a Republican donor bankrolling this to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars, this is a guy who was carrying a gun, driving somebody else off the road. Everything that has been reported is beyond insane. It is scary and it needs to stop.

We heard the pleas of the election official in Georgia. We heard the pleas of a legislator in Michigan. You know, time and time again, election officials and people are having their lives threatened, are being harassed, are being bullied, are having their families harassed and bullied.

This needs to stop. This is not just a funny fundraising scam that Donald Trump is pulling. It got real life and maybe death consequences.

LEMON: Yeah. As you said, there are potentially millions of people out there who believe this and there are elected Republicans who are feeding into this.

But I got to ask you. Aguirre is a former Houston Police Department captain, was paid over $266,000 by an organization run by a Republican activist to conduct this bogus investigation of the air conditioning repairman. There's a lot of money and determined people behind these conspiracy theories, isn't there?

NAVARRO: Yeah. I mean, it's just -- you know, it's not -- there are all sorts of people who believe conspiracy theories. There are rich people and there are poor people. There are people who can afford to go on wild rabbit chases and bankroll things like that. Listen, remember, Donald Trump his PAC have raised over $200 million from donors, from small donations and big donations, you know, that are going to Donald Trump's political committee and political organizations.

[23:35:03]

NAVARRO: So there are people who believe this and who keep giving it oxygen and giving it air and giving it money.

LEMON: Mm-hmm. Ana Navarro, it is always good to see you. Be safe, OK? Thank you so much.

NAVARRO: You, too. It is warm here. The guest room is ready for whenever you need it.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: If you saw --

NAVARRO: It is 80 degrees here, brother.

LEMON: Look at the pictures of New York. You know I need it right now. If I had a private plane, I would be down there right after the show. Thank you, Ana.

NAVARRO: I got to tell you, I don't even know how to spell nor or say nor'easter.

LEMON: Nor'easter, yeah.

NAVARRO: It's very confusing for an immigrant. You know, for a person who speaks English as a second language, when you all take away letters, I mean, it is very confusing.

(LAUGHTER)

NAVARRO: Anyways --

LEMON: Thanks, Ana.

NAVARRO: -- the palm trees are swaying and it's 85 degrees here, so come on down.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Thank you so much. I appreciate it. The coronavirus is leaving scars on hundreds of thousands of families in this country. One of those families lost two parents at the same time.

Rosemary and Paul Blackwell died holding hands. Their children say they were the best parents in the world. They're here to share their stories.

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[23:40:00]

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LEMON: I need to tell you a story tonight. I wish I had never heard of this one. I wish that Paul and Rosemary Blackwell were still alive and well with their family. And when you hear about them and meet their family, I know you're going to feel the same way.

Paul was a middle school P.E. teacher and a football coach. Rosemary taught second graders and had recently celebrated 20 years at her elementary school.

Like over 307,000 other Americans, they died because of the coronavirus. When they died on Sunday, they were in the ICU. But unlike so many others, they didn't die alone. Paul and Rosemary were together in death as they were in life, and they died holding each other's hands, leaving behind five sons, 20 grandchildren, and town of Grand Prairie, Texas to mourn them.

Two of their sons join me now, Shawn and Brandon Blackwell. I thank both of you for joining me this evening. Thank you so much. Shawn, I'm going to start with you. I'm sorry for your loss. How are you and the rest of the family doing tonight?

SHAWN BLACKWELL, LOST BOTH PARENTS TO COVID-19: We're doing all right, you know. We are just leaning on each other. Lots of phone calls are going around. You know, everyone is just kind of relying on each other and we are all helping each other to get through it for sure. That's my take on it.

LEMON: Mm-hmm. I see her there. It is her holding her grandbabies and your dad, as well. Brandon, I understand your mother had a cough before Thanksgiving, but you told us that she had an autoimmune problem and the cough wasn't that unusual. When did it become clear that she and your dad had to go to the hospital?

BRANDON BLACKWELL, LOST BOTH PARENTS TO COVID-19: It was clear the day -- it was clear obviously before Thanksgiving. They went to the hospital the day after Thanksgiving. And that's when my brother and my aunt were insisting, like, you need to go to the hospital, go to the hospital.

They didn't want to go because -- like I said, the cough just progressively got worse. My mom wasn't sleeping at night. She had to get a prescription for the cough. And so did my dad. He had to get inhaler, as well. So, again, like I said, it progressively got worse and they went to the hospital.

LEMON: They were still teaching, right, but you don't know where they got the virus.

B. BLACKWELL: No. I mean, you could have got it from anywhere, just being out and about, going to the store, putting gas in your car. I mean anywhere, anything. You could have got it from anywhere. So we just -- t is unclear to us, as well.

LEMON: Oh, boy. Shawn, you made sure that they didn't die alone. Tell me about that.

S. BLACKWELL: After us going up to the hospital, after they granted us the ability to see them, we were consulting with the hospital staff and they were talking to us about where mom and dad were at. And, you know, through my own personal note keeping, I mean, it just -- I kind of knew where it was headed, I just didn't want to believe it.

But they told us our options and where mom and dad were at and just -- at the rate that they're going, they're not going to make it anytime soon, and so that was pretty hard to hear. But, I mean, it wasn't an easy thing to do by any means. But, you know, me and Brandon had each other's backs on that.

LEMON: What were you saying, Brandon?

B. BLACKWELL: No, that was just saying like my brother said, that was like the hardest decision that a child has ever had to make, to say goodbye to a parent.

[23:45:00]

B. BLACKWELL: You know, still just seems unreal. Me and my brother were talking earlier, like, my mom and dad are just going to walk through the door any second. But we know that they're not. It's just the hardest decision any child has to make for their parents. I'm just glad that my brother was there with me. I was able to lean on him as he was able to lean on me because that was just a crazy experience.

LEMON: But they allowed your parents to be together?

B. BLACKWELL: Yes.

S. BLACKWELL: Yeah, they did.

B. BLACKWELL: Yes, they allowed the opportunity to do that. They were able to be together in their last moments. We all were in the same room. They were in the bed together, holding hands, as we all were, as they took their last breaths.

LEMON: I want to put up this photo and it's of your mother holding the two of you during Christmastime when you were little. The first holiday after losing someone can be really tough, we know, but can you share with us any happy memories that you'll be thinking about this Christmas?

S. BLACKWELL: All the Christmas. All the Christmas. Mom made Christmas happen. I mean, there's nothing -- there's nothing that me or Brandon have that we are not going to continue to do that my mom did each and every year. And it's crazy -- it is just crazy that she's not here in her favorite time of year. But everything about Christmas reminds me of my mom, period.

LEMON: Brandon?

B. BLACKWELL: Like my brother said, all the memories, just my mom made Christmas happen. My mom and dad, they both made Christmas happen. They made every holiday happen. My kids -- it's crazy. Like I said, it doesn't seem real.

I remember this one time, I know my dad when we were younger, he used to put fake giant bunny print footprints through the house like the Easter bunny came through, when Easter came around, and that was one of the many things I'm always going to remember.

I would wake up in the morning, me and Shawn, I would be like -- we have a home video of that.

(LAUGHTER)

B. BLACKWELL: And look, the Easter bunny came! Look!

(LAUGHTER)

B. BLACKWELL: Man, I'm always going to remember that, and that's one of the memories I'm always going to remember. But Christmas is always going to be just about family and my mom because my mom was family. That's what she was all about.

LEMON: You guys are making me think of my -- the tables have turned. Now, my mom, like, decorates her entire house, every bush, everything. Before, she used to hate it. My dad would stand out like Clark Griswold with a glass of scotch and I'd be on the house stapling my finger to the roof or whatever. More lights, more lights, more lights. My dad is no longer with us but just having those memories --

B. BLACKWELL: Sorry to hear that.

LEMON: No, that's all right. My dad died a while ago and it's not as fresh. But having those memories, you can hold on to them at least. I'm not sure what kind of comfort it will give you now, but in time, I think that it's going to help you, guys. I'm so sorry for your loss. Hang on to those stories and talk to each other. You are very lucky to have each other.

B. BLACKWELL: Absolutely.

S. BLACKWELL: Hundred percent.

LEMON: Yeah. Are you guys going to get together at all for Christmas?

B. BLACKWELL: We are actually having Christmas --

S. BLACKWELL: Oh yeah, definitely.

LEMON: Say again?

B. BLACKWELL: We're actually having Christmas at my mom's house.

LEMON: Shawn, you have set up a GoFundMe to help cover funeral arrangements, and we have the link up on the screen. What do your family need most right now?

S. BLACKWELL: Just prayers and everything that's been set up for, I mean, it's just all going to go to my mom and my dad's funeral funds and whatever they need that we can utilize to celebrate mom and dad.

You know, it's been amazing how much of an increase it's gotten in this amount of time, but, I mean, it's all just very, very much of a blessing because my parents are great people and unfortunately, they're not here with us.

LEMON: Yeah. Thank you, guys. Brandon, before we go, can you show us some of the things your mom gave you? Some stuff you showed me before? He has it up on his mantle. You can put the camera up there.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: I told him I like the tree and the stuff on his mantle and some of the things that your mom gave you over the years, right?

B. BLACKWELL: Yes, sir.

LEMON: Yeah. Hang on to those. Shawn, I'm sure you have some, as well. It was a pleasure --

S. BLACKWELL: I actually have tons of stuff, pictures, I got them all. I got them all.

LEMON: It was a pleasure meeting you, guys.

[23:50:00]

LEMON: I wish it was under better circumstances. You guys take care of yourself, OK? Thank you.

S. BLACKWELL: You, as well.

B. BLACKWELL: Thank you.

LEMON: Thank you. So, we are remembering the Blackwell family tonight and all the families affected by this terrible virus. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: A major snowstorm, a nor'easter hitting parts of the northeast tonight. Let's check in now with CNN's meteorologist Derek Van Dam, who is up in Boston. Hey, Derek, this is a massive nor'easter. What are you seeing in Boston?

[23:55:00]

LEMON: What are we in for?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN WEATHER ANCHOR: Yeah, Don. You know, this has the potential to be the top 10 largest December snowfall in the past decade here for Boston and in the north. And we already know what this storm has the potential of producing.

In New York and Philadelphia, they've already had more snow from this storm than they did all of last season. The mayor here, Marty Walsh, he declared a snow emergency, preventing streets from being parked on, so they can be plowed properly. COVID testing sites have been closed down and city as well as public buildings have been closed.

The threats here, 50 mile per hour winds, bringing power outages, flash freeze, potentially. You see this? This is slush. That is going to freeze once the cold air starts to stream in behind this nor'easter, dropping temperatures, get this, 10 degrees Fahrenheit in the matter of two to three hours.

But look at this beautiful sight behind me. I think people need to just get outside and enjoy it because it is very, very serene, a winter wonderland.

LEMON: Yeah. Enjoy it and be safe. But it is interesting, though, as you said, it's going to stop some of the distribution of the vaccine. But Derek is going to keep us informed, as well as the rest of our correspondents and producers who are out there. Derek, thank you very much. I appreciate your reporting.

And thank you, everyone, for watching. Our coverage continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)