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Don Lemon Tonight
Biden: Trump Administration "Far Behind" On COVID Vaccine Distribution, Vows 100 Million Shots Will Be Given In First 100 Days Of New Administration; Colorado Identifies First Known Case Of U.K. Coronavirus Variant In U.S.; Alex Padilla Appointed To Fill VP-Elect Kamala Harris' U.S. Senate Seat. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired December 29, 2020 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: According to the letter, received by the lawyers, a police hearing on the matter is scheduled for Thursday. CNN has reached out to the Louisville Metro Police Department and the Louisville Police Union for comment.
And the news continues. "CNN TONIGHT" starts right now.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.
TEXT: BREAKING NEWS.
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DON LEMON, CNN HOST: And this is CNN TONIGHT. I am Don Lemon, in for Chris, who is off tonight. He's off this week, as a matter of fact.
We've got a lot of breaking news to get to tonight. We're going to start with the COVID, that variant, right, the first one that appeared in the U.K., now in the U.S., for the first time. A Colorado man, in his 20s, with no travel history is in isolation right now.
Meanwhile, there is a COVID cliffhanger on Capitol Hill to tell you about.
Less than 48 hours after President Trump caved to allow $600 relief checks, well his demand for a $2,000 payment is now being wrapped just like he wants it, into what Democrats consider a "Poison pill," because it's only important to this President that he -- that you get real financial relief if you can get to others things, if he can get to other items into the bill that has nothing to do with Coronavirus.
So, Senate Leader Mitch McConnell appears happy to oblige him with that. But time could run out before it even gets to a vote.
And just a week from now, Georgia is going to decide if it wants to keep both its Republican senators. If both those seats go Democratic, the GOP loses the Senate.
And tonight, President-elect Biden is blasting the Trump White House over the slow rollout for the vaccines.
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JOE BIDEN (D) PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: The Trump administration's plan to distribute vaccines is falling behind, far behind.
And the pace the vaccination program is moving now, as it -- if it continues to move, as it is now, it's going to take years, not months, to vaccinate the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, as can you imagine, that put the President on the defensive. After Biden spoke, Trump tried to shift blame to the states.
But remember that many states got far less vaccine than they had been promised. And Trump's own Chief Operations Officer, for the Operation Warp Speed, already took responsibility for the miscommunication.
But maybe the outgoing Commander-in-Chief missed that because he was too busy complaining about the renovations to his Mar-a-Lago resort and, of course, golfing.
We have reporting on all of this tonight, and we're going to get straight it. I want to bring in now CNN's White House Correspondent, Kaitlan Collins. She's in West Palm Beach, traveling with the President.
MJ Lee is with us as well. She's covering the Biden transition, from Wilmington, Delaware, and our Congressional Correspondent, Phil Mattingly, here as well, joining us from Washington D.C.
Good evening to one and all.
Kaitlin, you first. President Trump tonight shifting blame to the states for a slow vaccine rollout, but the states have not gotten the supply that they were promised.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And also, they're under an immense amount of pressure right now already, Don, because they don't have a lot of funding, and they are already in charge of contact tracing, and rolling out testing as well. And so now they've got distribution of the vaccine thrown at them as well.
And so, you can see why it's becoming such an issue. And that's why it's raising questions about what the kind of planning was for this, given the big numbers that we've seen, coming from federal officials, about the vaccinations they said we could expect at the end of December, just a few days away and, of course, we're nowhere near that.
And so, you see the President taking a pretty similar tactic to one he used earlier on, in the pandemic, when it came to testing, saying it's the states' responsibility, it's the states' fault that testing had such a botched rollout.
But also, he did the same thing, Don, with PPE. So, I think, it is raising concerns, right now, that the vaccines, is going to face a similar fate.
And so, we do expect to get questions answered by administration officials, tomorrow, from the Pentagon and from HHS. So, we'll see what their explanation is for why they haven't met the goals that they set so far.
LEMON: Such -- it's far less windy where MJ joins us. MJ? Kaitlan looks like she's about to blow away there. So, let me ask you a question. President-elect Biden --
COLLINS: I'm holding on.
LEMON: --blasted the administration's handling of this, and set the bar at 1 million vaccines a day. Tell me about that.
MJ LEE, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, set a really high bar. This is a really ambitious goal.
He's essentially talking about speeding things up, in terms of the vaccine distribution, by five times to six times of what we are seeing currently. That's at least 1 million shots administered a day. That's 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office.
And then there are a couple of other things that he talked about, whether it is setting up vaccine sites, or sending in mobile units that go into hard-to-reach communities, talking about a national public campaign, to try to convince people, who have a lot of concerns, about the vaccine being safe, of course, particularly in communities of color, and then this mandate to require everybody to wear a mask in his first 100 days in office.
I will tell you though, Don, we have been spending a lot of time here, in Wilmington, covering this transition process.
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And every time the President-elect talks about the Coronavirus, you really get a sense of how daunting he finds this task ahead is for him. He's not ever really underselling what a big challenge this is going to be, and certainly that was the tone that he struck tonight as well.
LEMON: On direct relief payments, Kaitlan, for Americans, the President is saying Republicans have a death wish, if they -- if they don't increase the size of these relief checks. He's really at war with his Party in these final days.
COLLINS: Yes. It's fascinating to see what is happening in this split.
We have seen the President at odds, of course, with Republicans before, especially Senate Republicans, and especially when it comes to something like a financial agreement like this, that the President is making, or when it comes to foreign policy, the other thing that we are also watching right now.
But this is fascinating to see this is the last few days of the Donald Trump presidency. And there is this massive split within his own Party that Democrats are eager to try to take advantage of, and highlight the fact that the President is more in agreement with them, on this, than he is with the leadership of his own Party, including the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
And so, he's still pushing for these $2,000 checks. Whether or not that's actually going to happen, I'll leave that up to Phil, to try to explain. But this is something the President has pushed for, even though he did not make a similar effort back during negotiations.
So, it's not only frustrated Senate Republicans. It's also frustrated his own staffers, who were in charge of negotiating that, and now are in the middle of this, where the President, of course, is now lashing out, at Republicans, over the size of these payments.
LEMON: Phil, she invoked your name. Is it possible?
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Is it possible?
I'd frame it this way, Don. If you want those $2,000 stimulus checks, if you qualify for this $2,000 stimulus checks, today was a day that moved you further away from actually getting them, than the alternative to it.
And look, I think the reality is this. Kaitlan hits a key point.
It's a fascinating moment, in the Republican Party, right now, particularly in the United States Senate, as you watch Republican senators, try and navigate a President, who is still very powerful, inside their Party, still very powerful, inside their base, but is losing power by the day, in terms of what he can actually do.
And there's a reality of here in the United States Senate things need to get done, whether that's the National Defense Authorization Act, or the stimulus deal, the COVID relief package, and how Mitch McConnell has operated here is the most fascinating part, because loyalty tests don't matter to Mitch McConnell.
President Trump doesn't necessarily matter that much to Mitch McConnell, so long as President Trump can't offer anything to Mitch McConnell anymore. Mitch McConnell's focus is on getting the policy issues that he cares about, and on protecting his 52-member Conference, on winning those two seats in Georgia right now.
In Mitch McConnell's Conference, Don, I think, this is really important, you've had five Republicans come out and say they support the $2,000 checks. That leaves 47 Republicans, who are not coming out and saying they support those checks.
If you want to know where Mitch McConnell is going to go, on this issue, if you want to know why he's presenting an alternative piece of legislation, that Democrats call a "Poison pill," it's because he's trying to protect the majority of his Conference. Now, that could change. But, right now, it looks more than likely no stimulus checks, at least at the $2,000 level, are coming any time soon.
LEMON: Yes. But still, I mean, it's still not an enviable position for Mitch McConnell to be in right now, because he's fighting his President, who's leaving office.
But then, he has to garner -- he has to figure out how much support the President still has, even though he's leaving. There's a -- there's a lot of calculation that he has to do before he figures out what his strategy is going to be.
MATTINGLY: No question. Look, it's complicated.
You're dealing with the President, who is the President. Everybody has watched him, and operated, under his leadership, in the Republican Party, over the course of the last four years.
He's dealing with two runoff races that will determine whether or not he's still the Majority Leader. He's dealing with a Conference that's uneasy about policy issue, and uneasy about the presidency here.
But this is also his job. This is what he got himself into. You get in bed with President Trump, I don't know, how anybody thought this was going to end any differently, when he lost.
And I think the interesting element, or elements, over the course of the next couple of weeks, and Kaitlan has obviously got very keen insight, on this as well, from the White House perspective, is you're seeing Senate Republicans, in particular, not as much House Republicans, but Senate Republicans, in particular, trying to inch away, inch away.
President Trump has claimed, after the COVID relief agreement that he signed that he got a litany of items in that agreement, as kind of the payment for his willingness to sign that.
Mitch McConnell didn't mention any of those in his statement, right? He has moved on, to some degree. And that underscores why they don't really have a relationship right now. The President has attacked him publicly. He has attacked him privately.
And while Mitch McConnell, over the course of the last three years, has been one of the people that could always get on the phone, privately with the President, and kind of walk him through specific issues, trying to get him in line with where the Senate Republican Conference was, that, at least my understanding, at this moment, is all but gone, kind of underscoring where their relationship is, as President Trump's term comes to an end.
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LEMON: Well speaking of Senate Republicans, let's talk about what's happening in Georgia, because Georgia senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, they had backed these check increases. Where do they and their runoff contests fit into all of this, Phil?
MATTINGLY: They're essential. And I think they were central to the fact that COVID relief got done in the first place.
There is the behind-the-scenes moment where McConnell told his colleagues, that, and this is a quote, David and Kelly are getting killed right now, because there was no COVID relief deal. All of a sudden there's a COVID relief deal.
Keep in mind, this isn't just two seats. This is the control of the United States Senate. This is whether or not Mitch McConnell maintains his position as Majority Leader. And that's why it's interesting why McConnell is doing what he's doing today.
I think, look, it's obvious that this polls very well, the idea of expanded checks. It's obvious that this has resonated nationally, particularly given the really dire economic times so many people are facing.
However, it doesn't appear, at least based on numbers that some Republicans I'm talking to are looking at that it is going to be the clinching issue in terms of who wins or who doesn't win.
It's more of a base issue. It's more of a turnout of your own people issue. And so, they matter. They obviously backed the idea of the $2,000 checks because that lines them up with President Trump.
But one question that they did not answer today, according to DJ Judd, our colleague, who's on the ground there, Kyung Lah as well, they did not answer whether or not they were going to try and force Mitch McConnell to put a straight up or down $2,000 payment vote on the floor.
That's the difference right now. They're willing to back it because the President is, but they're not willing to try and force the action right there. And so, these seats are extremely important.
But how they play, if they wanted it done, if they wanted it, and they said "This is crucial to us winning these two seats," Mitch McConnell would have to act. They haven't done that yet.
LEMON: That's going to make a huge difference on how this goes for Biden, right, MJ?
LEE: Absolutely. I mean, there's no question that the Biden team is watching all of this carefully. And every time that he talks about this, he has been critical. And when I say this, just the Coronavirus issue in general, he has been deeply critical of Trump.
But it was noteworthy that one thing that he did congratulate the bipartisan team, in Congress, and President Trump on, in recent days, is getting this COVID relief bill actually signed.
But he has always also said, too, this is just the beginning that this is simply not going to be enough. And you also heard yesterday, when he was asked by a reporter, "What
do you think about the $2,000 direct payments for COVID-19 relief, do you support it," and he gave a one word answer "Yes" before he walked offstage.
He is very, very keenly aware that all of the activities that are going on in Congress right now, that is going to have a huge impact, on his own legacy, and sort of what he ends up inheriting, at the beginning of his administration.
But regardless of what actually gets done, between now, and by the time that he takes office, he also has emphasized, over and over again, there is going to be a lot more on his plate, that whatever gets done, between now and between, you know, when he becomes actually President, at the White House, that there's just going to be so much more work that he has to do with the Senate Republicans and with everybody else in the House.
And, of course, whatever ends up happening in Georgia in the senate runoff races, is going to be so, so critical, to what he's able to get done, and what the political dynamics are, and what kind of working relationship he's going to have to have with Mitch McConnell next year.
LEMON: All right, I appreciate it.
Kaitlan, just remember, you got the wind, but we had to deal with -- we're wearing overcoats, everybody else on the screen but you. You got the wind. But we got overcoats. I would take the wind.
COLLINS: I'll take it.
LEMON: Yes, absolutely.
COLLINS: I'll take the wind over 40 degrees.
LEMON: Thank you all. Be safe. I'll see you soon. And if I don't, happy New Year's, OK?
OK, so breaking news tonight, the first known case of the highly infectious COVID-19 variant in the United States, the same variant that's locked down Southern England, is it a sign of things to come?
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BIDEN: As I've said all along, I'll tell you like it is when it comes to COVID.
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LEMON: Here's the breaking news tonight. Colorado reporting the first- known case of the U.K. COVID-19 variant that experts believe to be more contagious, that, as President-elect Biden is calling out the disastrously slow pace of COVID-19 vaccinations.
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BIDEN: A few weeks ago, Trump administration suggested that 20 million Americans could be vaccinated by the end of December. With only a few days, left in December, we've only vaccinated a few million so far.
And the pace the vaccination program is moving now, as it -- if it continues to move, as it is now, it's going to take years, not months, to vaccinate the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: But the reality is that we can't afford to wait years for Americans to get vaccinated. Tonight, we set a record for COVID-19 hospitalizations with over 124,000 Americans in the hospital.
Let's discuss now. Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency room physician, and the former Health Commissioner, for Baltimore, and an expert that we love having on, because she gives us everything we need to know.
Thank you, Doctor, for joining us. We appreciate it.
So, let's talk about the U.K. Coronavirus variant, now confirmed to be here in the U.S. How worried should we be? Should we be worried at all?
DR. LEANA WEN, FORMER BALTIMORE CITY HEALTH COMMISSIONER, EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN: We should be worried, but not surprised, Don. And that's because we've known that this variant has existed since September. And there has been a lot of back-and-forth travel between here and the U.K.
And this case in Colorado is in someone who has no travel history, which means that this individual got it from somewhere in the community. And so, it's almost certainly not the only case. There would probably be many other cases.
And even though this strain doesn't appear to be more virulent, so it doesn't cause greater chance of hospitalization or death, than somebody with the regular strain, if it's more transmissible, it means by definition that it's going to spread more, and there are going to be more hospitalizations and more death that result.
LEMON: OK. So then you said that it's -- if it's more contagious, right, if it's going to spread more, isn't it even more likely to overwhelm health care workers and hospitals then?
WEN: That's right. And that's what I'm really concerned about.
We know that at least one in five hospitals in the U.S. are already reporting that their ICUs are at or over capacity. And if we have a strain that may be contributing to this, then of course, we are further in a place that we just cannot even fathom.
I'd say to that finding the strain has also just shown us how our surveillance system is lacking, that we just have not had the surveillance to pick up on. Maybe there are other strains that are even more contagious, and we haven't been doing the type of testing we need.
LEMON: Well that's pretty frightening, Doctor.
So, let's talk about the vaccine. We need the vaccine, right? The distribution coming up short now, 11 million vaccines already delivered, only 2.1 million doses had actually been administered. What's gone wrong?
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WEN: This is the question. I think, actually, that a lot has gone wrong. I think part of it is overpromising because, initially, President Trump had promised 100 million vaccines that were supposed to be delivered by the end of this year.
And then it became 40 million, and then 20 million. And then it wasn't 20 million administered. It was 20 million delivered, and then it became 20 million allocated, but not delivered. And so, that's a big problem.
But then another is diffusion of responsibility. In a way, that sounds a lot like the testing debacle, that there is no national strategy. States are supposed to figure it out on their own, but without the resources and the guidance that they need.
And I'm really concerned here because we thought that vaccines were going to be how we get out of where we are. And it just pains me, and I'm sure so many of us, so much, that there are millions of vaccines sitting in warehouses, when there are thousands of people dying every single day.
LEMON: Can we dig in a little more on what you said? Because I want our viewers to be able to see it what you just talked about.
In September, President Trump promised 100 million doses by the end of the year. Dr. Wen just told us that. But look at this. This is the variation of what was promised and what's actually being delivered.
In November, the administration said 40 million, before dropping to 20 million, just a few weeks back. So, instead of fixing the problem, Doctor, the Trump administration is backpedaling on the promises, and they're playing semantics, yet people are dying.
Americans don't know what to believe. They don't know when things are going to start to get back to normal, if the vaccine -- if they're ever going to get this vaccine within the next couple of months or even within the next year. What do you say to them?
WEN: Well, I'd say that we need a lot more transparency from our federal government. And I hope that it begins now with the Trump administration. I certainly hope that it will begin with the Biden team. We need a public accounting of exactly what's happening. And I would
want to see a lot more humility and introspection as well. Look, we know that this is a very complex operation that we're undertaking here.
And I think the American people would have a lot of sympathy, if the federal government had said "We recognize there are missteps. Here is what went wrong. Here are the steps that we're going to take, in order to fix the mistakes, and here is how we're going to move forward together."
But, right now, at a pace of 1 million a week, vaccines being administered, it will take us 10 years for to us vaccinate 80 percent of Americans.
LEMON: Wow!
WEN: So, 2030, we cannot wait that long to get back to normal.
LEMON: But the goal for the President-elect is 1 million vaccines a day. This is what he said.
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BIDEN: It would take ramping up five to six times the current pace to 1 million shots a day. But even with that improvement, even if we boost the speed of vaccinations, to 1 million shots a day, it will still take months to have the majority of the United States population vaccinated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So, 1 million vaccinations a day. Is it possible? And would that be enough to get the virus under control?
WEN: So, I think it's possible, although, with all due respect, to the President-elect, it's not enough.
Because if we do the simple math here, at 1 million a day, which, I admit, is going to be a lot better than 1 million a week, but at that rate, it will take a year and a half to vaccinate 80 percent of the American public, for a two-dose vaccine, and that would be middle of 2022.
I don't think that that's what the American people expect. And so, either we need to reset our expectations completely, or we need to say 1 million per day is a great goal for us to aim for, for the next several months, but then, with the expectation that we have to ramp up dramatically, after that too.
LEMON: We got our work cut out, right? I mean everyone said "Oh, by July, we'll be back to normal." But if things -- if they don't, start, getting this vaccine out faster, that's not, at all true. Am I wrong?
WEN: That's exactly right. And I think we just -- we have had this really rosy picture that's painted for us. And maybe we should have learned our lessons sooner with testing, with
PPE that the numbers that are being given to us are not reflective of reality because so much work also had to be put in. And now we're finding out that that work just has not been done.
LEMON: Straight talk, Dr. Leana Wen, thank you so much. We really appreciate you joining us. Be safe. And I'll see you soon.
WEN: Thank you.
LEMON: Southern California's ICU capacity is at zero percent. Hospitals reporting that they're running out of beds, oxygen tanks and even space in the morgue. To weigh in on this crisis, California's Secretary of State, who is taking over Senator Kamala Harris' seat, Alex Padilla, next.
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LEMON: So tonight, the Coronavirus is ripping through California.
Stay-at-home orders are being extended, for millions, in Southern California, in the Joaquin Valley. They were set to end this week. But there are no ICU beds left there because of the explosion in cases, after the Thanksgiving holiday.
California's top health official is warning that some hospitals will need to get ready for what he calls crisis care and hard choices. And an epidemiologist, at UCLA, says this is no longer a matter of waves or surges but a viral tsunami.
With Kamala Harris now preparing to become Vice President, Alex Padilla will become the next United States Senator from California. He will be making history himself, in these historic times, and he joins me now.
Good evening, Sir. Thank you, Senate-Designate Padilla, thank you for joining, Sir, I appreciate it.
SEN.-DESIGNATE ALEX PADILLA (D-CA): Good evening, Don. Good to be with you tonight.
LEMON: The situation in your state is nothing less than dire. Some ICUs, as I said, in Southern California at zero capacity. Other hospitals are preparing to ration care. Could people who truly need help be turned away?
PADILLA: So, I mean, you hit the nail on the head, Don.
The situation truly is dire. We can't emphasize that enough. You look at too many regions of the state with zero percent ICU capacity. You look at the long, long lines, not just at COVID testing sites, but at food banks, food pantries.
It's why this discussion over the survival checks in Congress is so frustrating, because there's literally people's lives on the line. We don't have time for the politics that have been played in the Capitol in recent days.
So, our message is going to continue to be, anybody listening, please stay at home as much as possible. Do what's necessary to protect yourself, and your loved ones and your community. When you're out and about, wear your mask.
This is not a partisan issue. It's a matter of life and death for far too many. Respect the physical distancing, and all the other public health protocols that we've been hearing since March.
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LEMON: So, having said all that, you talked about the people in line and all the -- what it -- it takes resources right, to deal with this. What does your State need right now to deal with this worsening crisis?
PADILLA: Look, we need help. And this most recent package that was finally signed, after unnecessary delays, while it's helpful for now, nowhere near enough, and certainly nowhere not enough to get us to the end of the pandemic, which is still nowhere in sight.
So, we need to continue to support struggling families. We need to continue to support small business owners. We're not going to be able to rebuild our economy until we get to the other side of the pandemic.
And look, in your prior segment, you talked about, even with the big uptick in manufacturing, distribution, administration of vaccines, for sufficient penetration, of our national population, it's going to be a while.
So, we need to continue to hang tight, but federal resources to sustain the economy, federal resources to sustain our hospital and health care infrastructure, and the essential workers, front line workers behind it.
Again, this is not a partisan issue. This is impacting Blue states, Red states, Purple states, everybody in between, and can't wait for the true national leadership that will begin on January 20th.
LEMON: I've got to ask you, because New York City, in New York State, we were dealing with, in the beginning of the pandemic a lot, right, because of the people coming into this country, especially from Asia and from Europe, and we have such a big hub, and people come in here.
California, for the most part, spared, right, except, you know, you have some of the most restrictive shutdowns there, restaurants and that sort of things. Why are you dealing with such -- why are there so many cases now in California? Have people not been taking it seriously? What's going on in California right now?
PADILLA: Yes look, I think if you look at the numbers, and the charts for the better part of the year, Governor Newsom's quick, bold action paid dividends. Our curve was relatively flat, especially on a per capita basis for a good chunk of the year.
But, again, as you said, we've been hearing about whether it's COVID fatigue, and people may be taking it a little -- getting a little too comfortable, thinking they would be immune, or that the worst of it was over, when it wasn't true.
Second, California can do all the things it needs to do, if you have people still coming in and out from other states that have been less restrictive, right?
Arizona is just right next door, for example, or all the people that flew throughout Thanksgiving weekend, all that is now coming home to roost. So, once again, we got to tighten the belt in terms of mobility, in terms of public health, and minimizing exposure, to try to flatten the curve down once again.
LEMON: Well we hope you guys get it under control.
I want to talk now about the moment where Governor Gavin Newsom asked you to represent California in the Senate. You were talking about all that your immigrant parents' sacrifice for you.
Here it is. Listen.
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GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): Can you imagine what they -- Mom would be thinking now as I ask you if you want to be the next U.S. Senator of the United States, the great state of California.
PADILLA: Are you serious?
NEWSOM: This is the official -- this is the ask, brother.
PADILLA: I'm honored, man. And I'm humbled. Because of them. Can't tell you how many pancakes my dad flipped or eggs he scrambled trying to provide for us, or the many, many years of my mom cleaning houses, doing the same thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: What is the -- I mean, it's very moving. What is the most important thing that you want to accomplish in the Senate?
PADILLA: I think it's bringing that perspective. It's not unique to my family. But my family is one of the many, many -- I think you could tell in that video, my journey of being raised by proud immigrant parents, who worked hard, sacrificed, struggled in their pursuit of the American Dream.
And in one generation, that short-order cook, that housecleaner raised three children to be public servants, all three of us. I'm on this -- the verge of joining the United States Senate.
The American Dream is alive. But it's a lot harder to reach for far too many families. The struggle, to realize that, American Dream, was too tough, for too many, even prior to the pandemic.
And now, as we've been discussing, the pandemic has only exacerbated so many of the gaps and divides, in the nation, whether it's our -- the income inequality, whether it's access to education, even fundamental access to health care.
Access to health care is important not just during a pandemic. It is a fundamental right for everybody at all times.
LEMON: Listen, I have to run. But I've got to ask you about this. Listen, I think that everyone congratulates you, and they're very happy for you.
[21:35:00]
But with Kamala Harris, the Vice President -- becoming Vice President- elect and becoming the Vice President, there won't be any Black women in the Senate. This is an issue of diversity, when it comes to our electors, especially in the Senate.
PADILLA: Yes. No, look, I agree. And it shouldn't be an either/or.
I'm proud to be the first Latino representing California, in the United States Senate, in our 170-year history. That's an important voice to include, in all the deliberations and decision-making that will take place once I get there. But so is the Black -- the voice of Black women. I agree.
And so, it just reminds us that if you look at California's entire leadership, the constitutional officers, our senate representatives, it does reflect the population of California. You can't say the same for every states.
We have lot of work to do to make sure that all perspectives are included, at every level of leadership, at the federal government, state government, and local government, across the country.
LEMON: Senate-Designate Padilla, thank you so much. Happy New Year to you. Congratulations.
PADILLA: Thank you, Don. You, too, please stay safe.
LEMON: Thank you. You, as well.
So, one week to the election that will decide who controls the Senate. We're going to live -- we're going to go live to Georgia, for the latest on the high-stakes runoffs. That's right after this.
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[21:40:00]
LEMON: So tonight, we are learning nearly 2.5 million people have now voted early in Georgia's crucial senate runoffs. But this is a race still very much up for grabs. The nation is watching because Election Day is only one week away. Results will decide who controls the Senate.
But Republican incumbents, Kelly Loeffler, David Perdue, are now in a race to keep up, not only with their Democratic rivals, but also with the -- also the roadblocks to COVID financial recovery, first laid down by President Trump and now, Mitch McConnell.
The chaos, in Capitol Hill, overshadowing the race, CNN's Kyung Lah, and our team on the ground, in Georgia, spent today, trying to get some answers from the candidates. And Kyung joins me now.
Kyung, good evening to you. Thank you so much. It's always a pleasure to see you. It's just one week to go until this runoff, right? But Republicans Senators Loeffler and Perdue --
KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Just one week.
LEMON: Just one week. They are siding with President Trump in favor of this $2,000 stimulus, these payments. What are you hearing down there in Georgia?
LAH: Yes. It's really interesting, because this has been such a point of contention among the candidates, here in Georgia, on the Democratic side as well as the Republican side.
What we are seeing in the actions of the Republican incumbent senators today, is the influence of President Donald Trump and his strength with the base here.
They now agree that it should be higher, that these payments, that they had certainly indicated that they were not in favor of raising, should now be higher, because of what the President wants.
I want you to listen to Senator David Perdue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. DAVID PERDUE (R-GA): I want to thank the President openly, for signing that COVID bill, on Sunday night, to bring more aid to the state of Georgia.
(AUDIENCE CLAPS)
PERDUE: We brought $47 billion in the first round of CARES that helped 174,000 businesses and saved 1.5 million jobs.
And I've talked to the President repeatedly over the weekend. His heart was, "We've got to do this. We've got to do this now. And we don't want to wait. We don't trust the other side that will do it right." And so, that's why he signed it into law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAH: And you heard that applause as the Senator was mentioning the President's name. Well he's very popular with the base here. They need the base in order to win. That's why you heard the other Republican Senator, Kelly Loeffler, say this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. KELLY LOEFFLER (R-GA): Well, I've said I'd support it. I support it. Look, we have to provide relief to Americans because Democrats have locked our country down. They've played politics, with this moment, and refused to pass relief, month after month after month.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So, you also spoke with voters. How do they feel about these stimulus payments?
LAH: Now, we want to make real clear, Don, that the people who show up, at the Perdue and Loeffler events, and that's where we focused our energy today, going to the events, talking to their supporters, to see how they feel, these are the Republican-faithful.
They are the Republican base. They show up waving Trump flags. They show up wearing red hats. They're not wearing Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue shirts. And that's important to note. And you see it in what they tell us.
They're not as concerned that suddenly the senators want to vote for $2,000 versus $600, or that there's a nuance of policy that's shifted. What they're most concerned with is that these senators align themselves with Trump.
That's why you're seeing the senators, at times, twist themselves into a pretzel, in order to make sure that they keep the President happy, and also try to encourage people to vote.
LEMON: Yes, giving Trump a big old bear hug as often as they can. Thank you, Kyung. I appreciate that.
LAH: You bet.
LEMON: I want to bring in now CNN's Senior Political Analyst, Kirsten Powers, also CNN Political Commentators, Alice Stewart, and Bakari Sellers.
There you guys are. I was wondering where you've been. Good evening to all of you.
ALICE STEWART, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Hi, Don.
LEMON: Alice, the President said "Jump," on the $2,000 relief checks and Loeffler and Perdue said "How high?" What's the impact of the last-minute chaos on the race down there?
STEWART: Yes, well they said "How high?" And he said "$2,000 high." And they said "Sure, OK, we'll do that."
Look, the reality is, what the President did, in terms of having them flip-flop on this, not only put them in an awkward predicament, but also served up a pretty solid talking point for the Democratic challengers, in this final week.
But the reality is people on the ground are going to vote for these Republican candidates, because they truly want to see a check and balance on the Biden administration.
The people of Georgia, while it has made great strides, to turn more Blue, it is still a conservative state. They do not want to have the Biden policies go without being checked, and they do want to have the Republican control in the Senate.
And I want to add on to what Kyung Lah said. When I was there last week, doing "Get out of the vote" efforts, in Georgia, on the ground, these were not just at Loeffler and Perdue rallies.
[21:45:00]
All across the state of Georgia, random places, random people, random street corners, people waving Trump flags, because they do support President Trump. And while he might not have won, he does have a lot of support. The key is harnessing that energy, and getting them out to vote next week.
LEMON: Bakari, I want to know what you think about this, especially now with Loeffler and Perdue talking fatter checks? Are Democrats at a disadvantage now?
BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I mean it's tough. I mean Georgia is a tough state. But let's not forget that Joe Biden won this state by more than 10,000 votes. I mean it was an extremely close race but Joe Biden still won the state of Georgia.
If anybody would have told you that Joe Biden was going to win Georgia, before this election happened, then we would have all said that they were fools. But that's not the case. And Stacey Abrams and many others laid the groundwork, so that this was possible.
I mean I just want to use the language that was used earlier. You have two United States senators that who are scared to death of the President of the United States, who have contorted themselves into pretzels.
I mean that's simply what we're seeing. And I think that it gives great talking points for Raphael Warnock, gives great talking points for Jon Ossoff.
But, look guys, let's not fool ourselves. This isn't a persuasion election. There's nobody sitting at home, trying to make a decision about whether or not they're going to vote for Ossoff, Warnock, Loeffler or Perdue. This isn't that type of race.
You have to go get the truck drivers, you have to go get the individuals, who haven't voted in a long time, you have to go get the individuals, who work 9:00 to 5:00, or who works sporadically, or who work part-time, or who work at Waffle House.
Look, you got to go get those people who do not show up, who are not the super-voters, to come out, and vote for you, if you are going to win this election. So, it takes voter contact. And we'll see who has the best voter operation, whether or not it's Stacey Abrams or whether or not it's the bully pulpit of Donald Trump.
LEMON: Well he does have the Party-faithful. I mean he's got the -- he's got ride or die. We'll see if that happens with Warnock and Ossoff.
Kirsten, this puts Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in a really tight spot. He says that the Senate will consider the $2,000 but maybe with some poison pills Democrats can't vote for.
How do you see this playing out? Is there a chance Americans see bigger checks?
KIRSTEN POWERS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST, COLUMNIST, USA TODAY: Well I don't know because Mitch McConnell is concerned about -- obviously, the senators in Georgia have their cover because they've been able to say that they support this.
But, at the same time, a lot of people in the conservative base don't like it. A lot of the senators don't support it. And so, he seems more inclined in the direction of not wanting a vote to come up on this.
So, if I had to guess, my guess would be no, they probably aren't going to see these checks, which I think is a real travesty.
And I have to say, I am just very -- I don't even know what the word is. Mesmerized? Something about what these voters, that you're describing, Alice, who are so consumed with this person, who just lost an election?
I can't think of any time in history where a losing candidate has this kind of cultish support behind them that the only thing that they care about is whether or not these senators are aligned with the President that is not going to be in office anymore, and is not really technically in control of the Republican Party any more.
LEMON: Well it's going to be interesting.
Alice, I'll get your response, because I want to know how these voters are feeling, how these people are feeling, knowing that their checks were held up. Maybe they're going to get some more now -- more money. When? Not sure. But the President, out playing golf. I wonder about the optics of all of this.
We'll talk about it, right after this break.
[21:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Back with the CNN Political Dream Team now.
So, President Trump, back on the golf course, today, lashing out, at Republican lawmakers, as Congress deals with the mess, that the President actually made. Kirsten is back. Alice is back, Bakari as well.
So, Alice, Trump is resentful to the end, stirring the pot, calling Republicans "Weak" and "Tired," and still trying to convince people that he won. It is bizarre. Why all the arrows, especially targeting Mitch McConnell, and the GOP, why target his own Party, especially when they're in such a precarious position now with the Senate?
STEWART: Well, the main reason is because he's pissed that he lost, right?
And so, he's just taking it out on everyone. And it really -- it makes no sense whatsoever. And the reality is there are certainly more important things to be worried about than the fact that he is putting a new name for lame-duck presidency.
And look, I commend Members of Congress, Republicans as well as the Democrats, for coming to an agreement with regard to the NDAA, as well as COVID relief. And I think they should be commended.
They should not be insulted. They do not have a death wish. They do not -- they're not lame. They are not cowards. They're doing the work of the American people, and making sure that COVID relief gets in the pockets of the American people.
And if the President really wanted $2,000 for COVID relief, he should have said that a long time ago. So, all of this is really confusing.
I know a lot of Republican congressmen, who are frustrated, because they feel as though they've walked the plank, for this President, and he pushed them over the edge, but they're going to do the right thing.
Their loyalty pledge, the President might think it is to him. Their loyalty is to their constituents. And I think they will be commended for, in the end, doing the right thing, for their voters.
LEMON: Hmm! Interesting! Took them a long time -- long time to do it, but we'll see, Alice.
It's hard to imagine, Bakari, worse circumstances for Biden, when he enters office. Hospitals are full all over this country. People are dying. If Republicans win the Senate, how much harder does that make getting things done for the Biden administration?
SELLERS: Well, let's not -- I mean, why are you asking me this question today? I mean, let's at least get through next Tuesday night. Let's have some hope, as we go into the New Year.
There are many of us who, you know, this is my biggest problem with Democrats. And not only are we proverbial bedwetters. I say that all the time. But we're, like, sitting around recapping and rehashing whether or not "Defund the police!" was the right slogan.
No, the slogan sucked, but it's also not the reason we lost races. Like, go get your asses down, to Georgia, and knock on some doors, like, there's a lot of time left. Go knock on some doors, and let's win this election that is ripe for our victory. You have two people running for office, right now, incumbents, who are twisting themselves in pretzels, who don't really stand for anything that can be knocked off by two solid candidates.
But if that does not happen, then everything that you wish, your progressive wish list, the things that you think will allow this country, and all of us to put our shoulder to the wheel, to get us out this ditch, over the last four years, will not happen.
LEMON: Yes.
SELLERS: And it's going to be extremely hard if Mitch McConnell is still President of the Senate.
The only thing we had is executive action, hopes and dreams, and just praying that one day Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can do stuff that's unimaginable, and the Supreme Court will approve it, which none of that's going to happen. So, go out and vote January 5th.
LEMON: Bakari, no, listen, I don't want to get into a thing with you on "Defund the police!"
Listen, I know that most people did not run on it, right, but a lot of people were tarred with that, and even though they didn't run on it, and they didn't even believe in it, but I think Republicans used it in a way that was effective.
SELLERS: There's no --
LEMON: To make people think that even though this person is not running on it, that they believe -- that they believe Democrats, all Democrats, wanted to defund the police. That -- that's just --
SELLERS: That's no -- there's no doubt -- there's no doubt that Democrats suck at messaging. There's no doubt that "Defund the police!" was like a horrible slogan, right? However --
LEMON: You're going to have a lot of people that --
SELLERS: --that's not the reason -- that is not --
LEMON: --goodbye to your -- your Twitter feed tonight, but go on.
SELLERS: There is not -- that is not the reason that Democrats lost these races. I mean, if Doug Jones and AOC both agree, we lost races because we've run out-of-date campaigns.
LEMON: Yes.
SELLERS: That's the reason we lost races. And Cal Cunningham couldn't stop texting.
LEMON: Yes.
SELLERS: But I digress. So, we lost these races for a lot of reasons.
LEMON: Yes.
SELLERS: But it wasn't just because of "Defund the police!"
LEMON: It wasn't just because -- we put it all --
SELLERS: We got to do it --
LEMON: --it all adds up. Messaging was bad. All right, I got -- I feel you, I feel you.
Kirsten?
SELLERS: OK.
[21:55:00]
LEMON: President Trump still shows no interest in being president, out golfing again today. Sources say that he is angry about renovations in his Mar-a-Lago resort. What can you -- what do you even say to that? I mean it's just --
POWERS: It can't be -- oh no, you always ask me this, you know?
LEMON: --it's sad.
POWERS: I mean it's disgusting, you know?
It's disgusting that any person that has any control or power, right now, in this country, would not be using every little piece of it to be helping all the people, around this country, who are suffering. I just -- I don't understand it.
I mean, so many people feel so hopeless and helpless right now. And here, you have a person who actually could be doing something, actually could be contributing to the country, actually could be encouraging people to wear masks, encouraging people to be careful, all these other things. And he's not doing that. He's golfing.
LEMON: Yes. Thank you, Kirsten. Thank you, Alice.
And thank you, Teddy. This is Teddy before Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. This is --
SELLERS: Young -- the young Teddy Pendergrass.
LEMON: --this is Teddy.
SELLERS: I like it.
LEMON: Solo Teddy.
SELLERS: You see, he's glowing. It's glowing. It's glowing.
LEMON: Leaning on the -- is he on the car with a fur coat Teddy, right?
SELLERS: There you go.
LEMON: We're talking about Teddy Pendergrass, anyway. It's an homage. Thank you, guys. I appreciate it. Happy New Year to all of you.
STEWART: Happy New Year.
POWERS: Happy New Year.
LEMON: If I don't see you tomorrow --
SELLERS: Happy New Year.
LEMON: --I may not see you tomorrow. Happy New Year.
One's currently President, the other isn't, so why is Trump playing golf while Biden's the one focused on getting the vaccine out to the American people? My take is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: This is CNN TONIGHT. I am Don Lemon. Our breaking news, the first --
