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President Trump Snubbed Three Key Officials in Dallas; General Mark Milley Apologize for Joining President Trump in a Photo-Op; Early Lifting of Restrictions Have Consequences; Stock Markets Fears the Uptick in COVID Cases; Re-opening of Economy Putting More People at Risk in Latin America; Africa Not Prepared for Surge in Cases; America In Crisis; United States Cities Prepare For 18th Straight Day Of Protest; Minneapolis City Council To Discuss Dismantling Police Department; What Defund the Police Really Means To Protesters; U.S. Cities Struggling With Budget Crises; Republican Platform Hurts City Budgets; Protesters Demand Confederate Memorials Come Down; Black Lives Matter Movement Spreads Across U.K.; Crowds In London March For Covid Victim; French Police Lay Down Handcuffs To Protest Chokehold Ban; Police Show Under Fire; Coronavirus Pandemic; Recent Spikes Reported In More Than A Dozen U.S. States; Spain Reported No Covid Related Deaths For 4th Day; Covid 19 Fuels Financial Stress Across U.K.; Spain's La Liga Returns To The Pitch After Three Months; Backlash Grows With Cop Shows On TV; Museum Curators Begin Collecting Black Lives Matter Signs. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired June 12, 2020 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome everyone to CNN newsroom. I'm Michael Holmes. Welcome, everyone.
We begin with more protests across the United States in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in police custody. In New York, protesters shutting down one of the main arteries out of the city. The Holland Tunnel for a little while. They soon left that area, and march through other areas of lower Manhattan. Those protest noisy, but always peaceful.
On the opposite side of the nation, large crowds and Portland, Oregon carrying signs reading, "black lives matter, speak truth to power, and enough is enough."
It did lead to confrontation with police who fired a few flash bang devices a short time ago as they tried to clear those demonstrators.
And in Dallas, Texas, more protests, chants of no justice, no peace. Those protests in Dallas took place as the U.S. President, Donald Trump, was in the city, speaking of, quote "dominating the streets with compassion." Yes, compassion.
He hosted a discussion with faith leaders and law enforcement representatives, but not all law enforcement representatives, the area's top law enforcement officials, all of them black, we're not even invited. Sheriff Marian Brown was one of them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIAN BROWN, SHERIFF, DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS: When you initiate a conversation and you purport that conversation to be about racism and policing in America, and you fail to include the top three law enforcement officials in an area where you are speaking, I think that that says a lot, and that causes one to raise the brow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now amid the nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, Mr. Trump praised police, describing officers using excessive force as bad apples. Instead of addressing racism, he focused on our officers targeted in a line of duty, and describe using force to clear protesters as, quote, "like a knife cutting butter."
President Trump also vowing to take back the city of Seattle from protesters we have occupied some streets in front of a police precinct. The police protesters called it an autonomous zone and Mr. Trump says he will use force if he has to.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We are not going to let this happen in Seattle. If we have to go in, we are going to go in. The governors either going to do it, but the governor going to do. He's got great National Guard troops. He can do it. One way or the other it's going to get done. These people are not going to occupy a major portion of a great city.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: As you can see though, the streets have been peaceful. Seattle's mayor says it's a block party atmosphere, not an arm takeover, or a threat to public safety. She said the president should return to his bunker. She also spoke to CNN's Chris Como about why the president's aggressive approach is wrong.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR JENNY DURKAN (D) SEATTLE: It shows a complete lack of understanding of why people are in the street. They're in the street fighting a system of domination, and he doesn't understand that. His response is always one that's bellicose and militaristic, but he doesn't honor the military in that way either, as you've seen from the line of generals that have disputed him.
So, I think he says dominate because he is totally does not understand what is happening in America, and he is desperately trying to start the old fights and the old divisions that put him in power in the first place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And the top military official in the U.S. apologizing for his role in that infamous presidential photo-up near the White House last week. And he joins a growing list of officials at odds with Mr. Trump's handling of the protests.
CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your reaction to Milley?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump left Washington today without commenting on the remarkable apology from the nation's top military official for participating in his photo-up at St. John's church near the White House.
In his first public remarks since authorities cleared peaceful protesters from the area using chemical gas and rubber projectiles, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Mark Milley, said he made a mistake.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK MILLEY, U.S. CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Senior leaders, everything you do will be closely watched. And I am not immune. As many of you saw, the result of the photograph of me at Lafayette Square last week had sparked a national debate about the role of the military in civil society. I should not have been there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[03:05:03]
COLLINS: In a prerecorded addressed to graduates, Milley said he was angry about the murder of George Floyd, and offered this praise for peaceful protesters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MILLEY: Peaceful protest means that American freedom is working.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: The apology capped off an extraordinary week showcasing a deep divide between the president and the Pentagon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK ESPER, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: His current defense secretary pushed back on his demand to use active duty troops to crack down on protests, his former defensive secretary condemned him in a rare statement, and Colin Powell, the first black chairman of the joint chiefs accused Trump of drifting away from the Constitution.
That divide was deepened yesterday when Trump flatly rejected a suggestion under consideration at the Pentagon to rename military bases that are named for confederate leaders.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president will not stand for that, these names are associated with the heroes within them, not the name on the fort.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Sources say the president remains convinced that these racially tensed culture wars that he emerged himself in, in 2016 remain a winning strategy, and his latest salvo comes as he's preparing a return to the campaign trail.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Do we have a great time at a Trump rally?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: The date and location of his first rally since he suspended them amid the coronavirus is coming under scrutiny. Trump will be in Tulsa next Friday on Juneteenth, the annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery, it's the site of a race massacre 99 years ago when a white mob killed hundreds of black citizens, and was recently portrayed in the beginning of the popular HBO show, "The Watchman."
And the president hosted that roundtable in Dallas, those supposed to be focused on justice disparities according to the White House.
We should note that while they had some law enforcement officials there, some small business owners, some church leaders, what they were missing were three key law enforcement officials from the city of Dallas, that would be the Dallas police chief, the Dallas district attorney, and the Dallas county sheriff's office, representative all of who are black leaders that were not invited to the president's roundtable on justice disparities.
Kaitlan Collins, CNN, the White House.
HOLMES: And the White House also under fire for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Task force briefings have practically disappeared you might have noticed, and that pandemic unit dissolved back in 2018 still hasn't been reinstated.
But the fight against the virus is far from over, with more than two million cases in the U.S., and the threat of a second wave.
CNN's Nick Watt explains.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LINDA BELL, EPIDEMIOLOGIST, SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL: I am more concerned about COVID-19 in South Carolina than I have ever been before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: She's not alone. In South Carolina, where the average daily case count just doubled inside of a week is also not alone. In Texas, 2,100 were hospitalized yesterday. The highest number since this pandemic began.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We are seeing the appearance of additional infections, particularly in the areas that are opening. If we handle them well, we could be OK. If not, then we really have a significant problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATT: In Maricopa County, Arizona, a quarter of all of their COVID cases have come in just this past week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR KATE GALLEGO (D), PHOENIX, ARIZONA: We have hit so many of the records you don't want to be hitting for COVID-19. From my perspective, we opened too much too early, and so our hospitals are really struggling.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATT: A reminder of how bad this virus can be? A woman in her 20s with COVID just had a double lung transplant first.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANKIT BHARAT, CHIEF OF THORACIC SURGERY, NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE: She smiled and told me just one sentence, she said, doc, thank you for not giving up on me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATT: Those well-known University of Washington modelers now say the daily death toll across the country will drop in June in July, stabilize in August, then rise sharply. By October 1 they now project that nearly 170,000 Americans will be dead, killed by COVID.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHISH JHA, DIRECTOR, HARVARD GLOBAL HEALTH INSTITUTE: And we won't be done. We'll have many, many more months to go. It's really stunning to me that we have this much suffering and death and we are just not doing enough about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP) WATT: But what can we do as individuals?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDY SLAVITT, FORMER ACTING ADMINISTRATOR, CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES: If you have the majority people wearing masks, the virus really has no place to go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATT: Take this hair salon in Missouri where six (Ph) stylists is potentially exposed 140 people to the virus, but none of them has since tested positive. Officials think that might be because everyone wore masks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SLAVITT: If President Trump did one thing, if he wore a mask and encourage his supporters to wear a mask for three weeks straight, he would be -- we would be sitting here four weeks from now, five weeks from now, six weeks from now with much of this virus behind us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[03:10:02]
WATT: Here in L.A. County, we have seen the case count nearly double in this past month, but on Friday, zoos, gyms, movie theaters, movie production will reopen again, but masks were, are, and will continue to be mandatory in L.A. County whenever you leave your house.
Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
HOLMES: Joining me now is Dr. Rob Davidson, he's an emergency room physician and the executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare. Great to see you again, doctor. First of all, I wanted to ask what you make of what seem to be some pretty alarming spikes of the virus in a number of states. What do you make of that?
ROB DAVIDSON, EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN: Well, I think it's emblematic of the fact that we are still in the first wave of coronavirus in this country, and we still have a president who has refused to accept responsibility to ensure that we have enough testing.
We are still testing about half or less of the number of patients we need to test every day. So we can adequately test and trace and isolate individuals to try to put out hotspots and we are seeing now states that didn't previously have significant numbers showing up with significant numbers as this country is reopening, you know, under the guise of a president who just hasn't taken ownership of this crisis.
HOLMES: Yes. And part of that is we'll talk about now. Quite apart from the racial imagery of Trump rally in Tulsa Oklahoma. Quite apart from that. What do you think about a rally at all now and to your point you are just making, Tulsa's own seven-day infection curve is soaring right now? DAVIDSON: Yes. I think this, you know, this president is very
concerned about his standing in political polls, and I think he is tired of dealing with the coronavirus, tired of the fallout from his lack of meaningful response to the protests over racial injustice. And so, I think he just wants to get back out on the road and stoke his own ego, and I think that the consequences of that could be disastrous.
HOLMES: I was just going to say, I mean, I you've seen these rallies on television, wouldn't you want to be anywhere near one?
DAVIDSON: No. I mean, simply, I've been at several of the black lives matter protests, and everybody is wearing masks, and we are outside. These are going to be indoor rallies. The president himself will not wear a mask. I doubt that wearing mask will be mandatory or even recommended at these rallies. I guess we'll have to see. And I think it could just be a breeding ground.
And again, black lives matters' protest are about racial inequity and a public health crisis in of itself. These are simply political rallies to stoke the ego of a president who is worried about his chances in November.
HOLMES: Yes. Political rather than medical in the narrative. I want to ask you about this. Some of the modeling designers are suggesting that, you know, even given the spikes, there is still at the moment an aspect of what they call, I think seasonal protection. In effect, until, perhaps August, but once that goes away, the risks of excellent growth returns. Do you agree with that?
DAVIDSON: I think there is likely something to it. In the case of droplets spread of the virus, we know when it is more humid those droplets end up being bigger, and perhaps they don't spread quite as far, perhaps three feet instead of six feet.
The other aspect is that more people are outside, rather than inside and we know that the virus can potentially aerosolize and indoors could be a motive transmission, whereby outdoors one would be relatively protected. But again, this president having these indoor rallies is highly concerning.
HOLMES: Are you seeing, just generally, a sense of complacency around the country? I mean, you know, there are, you know, a lot of people wearing masks and taking care, but you know, I know in my own life seeing and interacting with people who seem to have become numb to this whole -- you know, they feel that the danger is perhaps overblown, that it's somehow gone away. And there is still 1,000 people a day dying. Are you seeing that sort of complacency?
DAVIDSON: Yes. When I go to the grocery store, it sure seems like less than half of people are wearing masks. You see people gathering in parks. We see people gathering together pretty much everywhere in this country.
And I think a lot of that is because of all the hard work we did as Americans staying at home socially distancing, we didn't see these massive spikes in places outside of New York, outside of Detroit and New Orleans. And so, I think people think it was perhaps overblown.
But what they don't recognize is that because of this staying at home, because of the social distancing, that is why we are able to flatten that curve and not see hospital systems overwhelmed in many places. But, you know, we are seeing it now in Arizona and Florida and Texas, you said in Tulsa these numbers are starting to go up, and I worry we are going to see more of the spikes coming on -- coming online soon.
HOLMES: Yes. And just quickly, one thing, I know that you are concerned about too, and it certainly bothers me.
[03:14:58]
There has been studies as well showing that the people who are uninsured or underinsured are less likely to seek out treatment and so suffer from COVID a lot worse than others.
They say they are less likely to seek treatment. They are more likely to have underlying factors because of lack of access to good medical practices as well. How does lack of insurance play into what we are seeing as well?
DAVIDSON: As a 20-year emergency physician, I see that played out every single day when it comes to people having chest pain or stroke symptoms. And certainly, with coronavirus, we see people who haven't been able to afford their insulin or their blood pressure medications or afford to see their doctor and have these underlying conditions, putting them at much higher risk.
We also know that COVID-19 is a disease where you can feel fine one day, and within 24 hours, you can be severely hypoxic possibly requiring a ventilator. We don't know how people stay at home and ignore their symptoms and end up being just another statistic, if someone who died, you know, without a known cause. That is a huge concern for me in this country.
HOLMES: Dr. Rob Davidson, always great to have you on and your expertise. And thanks for the work you're doing. I appreciate it.
DAVIDSON: Thank you.
HOLMES: Stunning economic news out of London. The U.K. economy fell more than 20 percent in April. The worst drop on record. Wall Street plummeted on Thursday as well, as investors reacted to a rise in coronavirus cases in the U.S. and renewed fears of a possible second wave. The Dow sinking more than 1,800 points, that is its largest sell-off since mid-March.
Also comes on the heels of course of a dire outlook from the Federal Reserve, the chairman warning that the U.S. economy has a long road to recovery.
For more, CNN's John Defterios joins me now from Abu Dhabi. I guess, let's start with the U.S., the sell-off on the stock markets. Has that had any contagion effect in Asia and what do you see behind it? JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN BUSINESS EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: I think there's
a realization, Michael, that because of the number of cases rising above two million and the death toll in the United States is so high that the road to recovery that J. Powell was talking about from the U.S. Federal Reserve is going to be a long one.
And then you go back to Alan Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve board chairman back in 1996 talking about a rational exuberance, that's what we had since March with a gain of better than 40 percent.
So, we are due for a correction and I think that COVID-19 challenge kind of knocked that on the head. Let's take a look at Asia. We are off the lows for the days, so that is the good news, if you want to see the silver lining here.
Tokyo is down better than 2 percent. Hong Kong didn't move from that loss, better than 1 percent. Seoul had a very good run as of late, devaluations were high, and it had the steepest fall. Shanghai was pretty stable.
So, I would say, overall, not bad. U.S. futures were much higher in the range of one to one in the third percent. You can see the fall here so this is not boding well for the European market open, and what may happen on Wall Street later in the day.
Now, the economic advisers to the White House, Larry Kudlow, senior adviser said this was a bad day in the markets, the health care systems can manage this flow and this test going forward. We learned a lot. Steve Mnuchin, the treasury secretary said this is no time to go back. Let's listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVEN MNUCHIN, U.S. SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY: We can't shut down the economy again. I think we've learned that if you shut down the economy you are going to create more damage, and not just economic damage, but there are other areas. And we've talked about this, of medical problems and everything else that get put on hold.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEFTERIOS: So, Steve Mnuchin, basically saying there is more spill out to beyond COVID-19 for the healthcare system, other cases need to be taken care of.
But this realization or re-evaluation, Michael, I think came from Jerome Powell, as I was suggesting, who is saying that if you don't think the COVID challenge is going to be something that we have to contend with all the way through 2020 too, you are kidding yourselves. Particularly with this contraction of six and a half percent this year.
HOLMES: Yes. Larry Kudlow, always the optimist. I wanted to ask you, though, these figures out of the U.K. the April GDP numbers, absolutely stunning. I think -- I think in two months they've lost 18 years of growth. Just put that into context. DEFTERIOS: Yes. So, we saw on March it was a loss of nearly 6
percent. This is 20.4, as you said in your lead in here. And they pulled, and this is a big pull, 15,000 businesses. So, they said, look, pubs, the education shut down, the health care sector are getting decimated, retail sales are not there, and then this added layer, that exports are the worst since they started doing the survey back in 1997. There is no bright spot on the U.K. economy.
[03:19:56]
Now, if you're looking for a silver lining going forward, this was April at the worth of -- worst of the crisis as they begin to open up, they'll restore growth.
But I have to say, the second leg is coming. And you know this, Michael, they are in negotiations for Brexit and the talks with the European Union and a market on its own are better than 450 million consumers they are not going well.
The U.K. is playing hardball and Brussels is really not listening. So you don't just have the COVID recovery crisis, but probably a potential shock coming in Brexit in the early part of next year.
HOLMES: Yes. The E.U. feeling its got the upper hand, that's for sure. John, good to see you, my friend. Thanks for that. John Defterios there in Abu Dhabi.
DEFTERIOS: Thanks.
HOLMES: We'll check in with you next hour.
Now, we've all heard a lot about the impact of the coronavirus on the economy, but in Latin America, it is the economy making the pandemic worse. We'll explain that when we come back.
Also, the number of cases accelerating across Africa. We are live in Johannesburg with David McKenzie to find out why South Africa is seeing the worst of it. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Welcome back. Once the epicenter of coronavirus in Europe, Italy taking careful steps towards normalcy. Professional sporting events resume Friday and Koper Italia football match will take place behind closed doors. Officials say they are expanding use of a contact tracing app that's been tested in several regions and it will go nationwide on Monday.
Cuba's communist run government announcing a lengthy multifaced plan to reopen on Thursday, declaring the coronavirus outbreak to be under control. But according to Johns Hopkins University, Latin American and Caribbean countries have recorded more than one and a half million cases of coronavirus.
Brazil leading the way with more than 800,000 cases and almost 41,000 deaths. Matt Rivers with the story.
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, for the first time since this outbreak began, the region of Latin America and the Caribbean is now reporting more than 1.5 million confirmed cases of this virus.
Roughly, more than 1.3 million of those cases come from just four countries. Brazil with the most cases in this region by far, followed up by Peru, then Chile, and then here in Mexico.
But part of the reason that cases continue to spike in this part of the world is because of the way many countries around here have their economy structured.
By some estimates, more than 50 percent of all workers in this region are forced to participate in what's called the informal economy. These are people that don't get a regular paycheck from some company. They have to go out and work to earn a living. They have to go out, because they don't have savings to fall back on. They don't have government subsidies to fall back on.
Certainly, no sick leave or paid vacation to talk about. And so that's why they have to go out and expose themselves to more risk. And then also consider the way cities are structured in Latin America. This is one of the regions with the highest rates of urbanization in the world.
[03:24:57]
Many, many people live in very tightly packed corners where social distancing simply is not an option. And despite the fact though that many people are back at working, they have to do so in order to survive. The United Nations is predicting a 5.3 percent regionwide contraction in the GDP as a result of this outbreak. That would be the worst such contraction since records began, in 1900.
Matt Rivers, CNN, Mexico City.
HOLMES: Countries in Africa now reporting more than 200,000 coronavirus cases, and health experts say the rate of infections is accelerating in some places. A quarter of those cases are in South Africa.
That's where we find out David McKenzie in Johannesburg. Two hundred thousand sounds a lot for a continent of more than a billion, not so much. Why is that?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think the scientists are still saying, Michael, that one of the big reasons is that this virus hit parts of the continent significantly later than Europe and the Americas.
But also, modelers suggest that I've spoken to just this week, that part of the continent might see a smoldering epidemic because of the relative youth of the continent, and also a lack of some of those comorbidities that have hammered places like Italy, for example. But as you say, South Africa is seeing exhilarating cases,
particularly in the western Cape, and eastern Cape province. And that is the worry. They believe that in the next few weeks or months or so will be really hitting the worst of this here in South Africa. Michael?
HOLMES: I guess, you know, when you look, you know, Africa is a big place, it's made up of many different countries and many different circumstances. Some of them though are pretty dire when it comes to, you know, health infrastructure. Things like things, you know, the things they need to treat this virus.
MCKENZIE: Well, that's right. There are a lack of ICU beds in many countries in Africa, certainly sub-Saharan Africa. Now I spoke to a leading African data scientist this week who came up with some of those models with his colleagues. He said even if there will be less infection rates and fewer deaths on the continent, because of the nature of the health infrastructure it could be very serious. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUMPHREY KARAMAGI, LIAISON OFFICER, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: I think what is more critical in the African countries is that even if we are saying the cases and deaths will be fewer, the fragility of the systems means that their capacity to handle those few cases, or few people who need to be -- who need services, that capacity is much lower than you have in other countries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: One of the key aspects he said the African CDC will be the mobilizing of community health workers to contact trace and test people in communities across the continent. That's been happening in South Africa to a large degree, but even then, in this country at least we are preparing for a surge in the coming weeks.
HOLMES: All right. David, thank you. David McKenzie in Johannesburg for us.
We'll take a quick break. When we come back, protests over the death of George Floyd have reach much further than Minnesota or even the United States. And in cities like London, people have their own cases they want answered. We'll tell you about one, after the break.
[03:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to viewers all around the world. I'm Michael Holmes you're watching CNN Newsroom. Let's check the headlines for you this hour. The message, black lives matter, now heading into its 18th straight day of protests in the U.S., all in the name of justice for George Floyd.
A short time ago, this scene of protesters and police squaring off in Portland, Oregon. Police have declared it an unlawful assembly and they are threatening to use force if necessary. Trying to get everyone to go home.
Now in Seattle, Washington, demonstrators have actually taken over several city blocks after police temporarily withdrew from the local precinct. The mayor said the area resembles a block party, and poses no threat to public safety. Earlier, demonstrators in New York City, briefly blocked access to the hall and tunnel, one of the main arteries between Manhattan and New Jersey. And in Dallas, Texas, where President Trump spent much of Thursday, protesters chanting no justice, no peace, as police officers looked on.
A few hours from now, the Minneapolis city council is set to discuss the future of its police department. It is talking about radical reforms, like maybe defunding or dismantling and rebuilding the current system. That is a rallying cry among protesters around the country. But the U.S. President Donald Trump, says it is not happening.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We'll take care of our police, we will take without defunding police, if anything we are going the other route. We are going to make sure that our police are well-trained, perfectly trained, have the best equipment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Peter Beinart, contributing editor to the Atlantic magazine, and a CNN political commentator, joins me now. Always good to see you sir. Let's start with this defund the police. The things is it's an unfortunate hashtag in many ways, because it is not as blanket as the name suggests. It's not about abolishing police, it's about diverting budget money to social programs, right? About structural reform?
PETER BEINART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. That's right. I mean, there are some people who want to abolish the police, but by and large, the focus is on the fact that police budgets have gone up, year after year, while many programs for social services have gone down. And particularly during this budgetary crisis, I think many people are saying that actually it would be safer, particularly for communities of color, if the cities and states were to invest in those communities, to create opportunity, rather than spend it on police.
HOLMES: Yes. And then, have police not go to some things better handled perhaps by social services. Police would probably be happy with that as well. I think -- I want to get to your article in the Atlantic, and you write about how cities may have no choice but to defund the police, and not in the way we are talking about, because covid related issues. Tell us more about that.
BEINART: So, cities across the country are facing a major budget crisis because revenue, for various kinds of taxes is down. The money they get from the states is down. And they were hoping that the federal government would pass a new set piece of legislation to aid them, some federal money, but the Republicans seem to be standing in the way of that. And in many cities, their budget year starts July 1st.
So, one of the reasons that I think we are starting to see some defunding of the police is because there are major budget cuts in many cities across the board, and given the severity of the budget cuts in general, it's just impossible to kind of -- to shield the police from those.
HOLMES: Yes. As I say, it's not the redirection of funds, that's just a cut. I mean, you are also write about the role of the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. You're right, that he is, quote, enabling budgetary crisis in cities after cities. These crises, in turn are making well-funded police departments an easier target. Explain more about that and his role, because he seems to, you know, at least, pretty much literally he said to the states, you can be on your own.
[03:35:00]
BEINART: Right. So, the Republicans have always been more skeptical of giving money to state and local governments, as opposed to giving it to businesses, in keeping with their general kind of anti- government view. They also seem to have this kind of view that cities, which are often in Democratic areas, in Democratic state governors, had been profligate, and since the last jobs report was surprisingly strong, they have also taken that as evidence that perhaps, we don't need another big infusion of government aid, which would increase the deficit.
And so, by stopping the Democrats in Washington who want to pass another tranche on aid, they are creating budgetary crises in cities. Remember, cities in the states, in United States cannot run budget deficits. So, if their tax revenue is down, they have to cut spending, often by quite a lot. And in this environment with these mass protests, it is just very difficult for mayors to cut funding for social services, and education, while shielding the police.
HOLMES: Before I let you go, just quickly, I want to sort of tap your thoughts on what is going on in this country at the moment, particularly when you look at the race situation. But also, this argument about military bases named after confederate generals. I think, it seems to be a remarkable that we are in an age where you know, banning chokeholds, and getting confederate traders off of military bases, is considered progress.
BEINART: Right. I mean, the United States has never fully reckoned with its racist past, in the way that many other countries have, certainly in the way like Germany had to, because we were not defeated by a foreign power. And what happened is that the south lost the civil war, after a very brief period in the 19th century, after the civil war where African Americans had a chance to have some political representation that was quickly squashed. And so, the south never really had to reckon in a kind of profound way with the legacy of slavery.
And so still, you know, more than 100 years later, those struggles are still happening in the United States. The good news I think is that younger Americans of all raced are more inclined to want to kind a see the symbols of white supremacy overturned. And we even find that although Donald Trump is standing against this. We are seeing that even among Congressional Republicans, they are some folks who are breaking ranks, and saying, after all, why should people who fought a war for slavery and were traders to the United States, those who are in the confederate army, have forts named after them?
HOLMES: Yes. Even a lot of the members of the military saying the same thing. It could end up standing on his own on this. Peter Beinart, always a pleasure, good to see you.
BEINART: Thank you very much.
HOLMES: The protests that followed George Floyd's death did not just sweep across America, they swept across the globe. And in those other countries they don't just have George Floyd's name to chant, they have their own cases as well. Salma Abdelaziz joins me now from London with one such example. Salma?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER: That's right Michael. And one of the names here is Belly Mujinga. That's a 47-year-old transport work. She was a ticket collector at London Victoria 2 station, while on the job, it is alleged that she was spat at and coughed at by member of the public. She ended up contracting coronavirus, and unfortunately lost her life. Now an investigation by police found no, not enough evidence rather to press charges, but of course, as anti-racist protests takeover here in London and across the world, it came under a different lengths. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ABDELAZIZ: Here, they chant George Floyd's name, but they also call out to say, her name.
(CROWD CHANTING): Belly Mujinga.
ABDELAZIZ: Belly Mujinga. A 47-year-old London rail worker who died of covid-19 after allegedly being spat on by a man who claimed to have the virus. Police closed her case in May, after their investigation found insufficient evidence. But as events in America sparked protest in the U.K., the story of a black female essential worker, killed by covid-19, hit a nerve.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While everyone else is locked in their houses, while everybody else is protecting themselves, she still had a duty to deliver to the public. She still had to wake up early, and leave her one daughter, to go to work.
ABDELAZIZ: Mujinga's case resonated in part because of the work of this group, justice for black lives, which is foreign literally overnight via social media. Rachel Mallam, one of its organizers, says she has never protested before this. But she was tired of seeing black lives, lost without accountability.
[03:40:09] RACHEL MALLAM, JUSTICE FOR BLACK LIVES: I think Bell died because she
was not protected the way she was meant to be protected by the British government, by TFL, by the health sector, by literally everyone in charge of the workers in the United Kingdom. So, her death is on their hands.
ABDELAZIZ: In a matter of less than a week, Mujinga's case went from a call to action on Instagram, to a massive demonstration, where star wars actor John Boyega spoke alongside Belly Mujinga's family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Remember this face. Remember this face.
ABDELAZIZ: To an actual result. Authorities agreed to re-examine Mujinga's death due to wider public interest. All this, in a matter of days.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The NHS to be able to acknowledge their racism, medical racism.
ABDELAZIZ: With black people in the U.K., four times more likely to die from coronavirus than whites and other ethnic groups. These newly meant activists feel fighting racism is a matter of life and death.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've had so many people die in the United Kingdom, because they're not listening to us. When we go out, were protesting, we know what our risks, we know we are putting ourselves out there. I have a little 2-year-old at home, and potentially put and risk by going out in protest. But I'm protesting because of her. That's literally why I participate. I don't want her to go over the same things that we are going through on a daily basis.
ABDELAZIZ: Throughout this pandemic, Britain's black community has suffered disproportionately in isolation. Now, as lockdown eases, their stories, and their grief, are pouring out into the streets.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ABDELAZIZ: And Michael, you can just hear how emotionally charged this issue is, as it is, everywhere across the world. And it is only amplified through the lens of coronavirus, through the lens of this pandemic, where historic inequalities across all institutions. Whether that be health care, social care, poverty are exacerbating the issue of the pandemic. So coming out of this lockdown, it is now or never, these activists say, to fight these issues of systemic racism and correct the system now, Michael.
HOLMES: All right. Salma, thanks. Salma Abdelaziz there in London for us.
Well, the black lives matter movement is also spreading to France, the family of a black Frenchman who died in police custody, calling a nationwide protest. That man was celebrating his 24th birthday in 2016, when three police officers use their weigh to restrain him. When he was brought to the police station, he was unconscious and couldn't be resuscitated. His family has refused an officer offered to meet with the justice minister, and they are demanding that the officers involved be held accountable. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): A black person, or an Arab, is 20 times more likely to be checked. And these are checks that unfortunately finish in violence and sometimes, in death. My brother died because of this check. My brother did not have his I.D. card within that day. And in France, when young people see the police, they are frightened, and they run. The violence we need to condemn first and foremost is that of the police. Obviously, my brother died because he was black.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Meanwhile, French police officers laid their equipment on the ground in protest over recent reforms. Reforms that included a ban on those controversial chokeholds, the call for the technique to be banned during arrest and growing, especially after George Floyd's killing in the U.S. More police protest against the change are expected there in France in the hours ahead.
The coronavirus pandemic has been a public health crisis, also, an economic, one of course, we'll talk to some people who had lost their livelihood amid the outbreak. Also is the black lives matter movement, grows popular, police shows might be falling short. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:45:00]
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The coronavirus pandemic, of course, far from over. Johns Hopkins University reporting 7.5 million cases around the world, 2 million of those in the United States. And, at least a dozen U.S. states, reporting spikes, new cases, or hospitalizations.
Hard hit Spain meanwhile has reported no covid related deaths for the 4th straight day. La Liga games resumed, no fans in the stands though, and there are now more than 1.5 million coronavirus cases across Latin America, in the Caribbean, according to Johns Hopkins.
Brazil with the most cases in the region. More than 800,000 second in the world in fact behind the U.S. The coronavirus has taken not only hundreds of thousands of lives around the world, but has also robbed many people of their livelihoods. CNN's Phil Black has a look at how many in the U.K. are grappling with the economic and emotional strain.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tourists don't come to Trafalgar Square anymore, but there is still crowds. The vast space is now being used to feed the homeless, while ensuring social distancing. Most of the people who stayed on London's streets, through the pandemic our long term rough sleepers, but the charity still working here reports a recent trend, there are many new faces. People suddenly homeless because of covid-19. Through the obvious
economic causes, London's lockdown made lots of already in secure casual work, quickly disappear. But vulnerable families have also splinted under the emotional strain of living through this pandemic. Right up until lockdown, Colin Reynolds lived with his elderly parents.
What did they say to you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They asked me to leave. So I left. Because my parents are high-risk. It wasn't a good idea for me to say that, so, I left, and came to London, because there's more help here.
BLACK: Life that Colin and his family was never easy. He has a long history of crippling depression and anxiety. Now, the further pressures of this crisis have torn him from support he desperately needs. On Weymouth Beach, along England southern coast, there is no obvious sign people in this community are struggling, but any price knows the truth. This community cafe set up to help traumatized military veterans, as quickly embrace a new purpose.
He is feeding people, the isolated, the pork, the suddenly jobless, owners of what were recently thriving businesses, anyone who needs it. And the need is great. As he hits home across Weymouth, Andy knows many of those he now helps are actually resilient against the idea of receiving charity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You think you are going to fail. You're failing as a parent, your failing as an individual. I'm really like, it's like we're kind of discovering now, you're only one paycheck away from needing support.
BLACK: Carrie Watts and her husband Michael are grateful for Andy's help, but accepting it is hard.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I should be earning, providing for my family. But, I'm just not. I just sat, doing nothing, pretty much, just sat here wondering, if one day I'm ever going to be able to go back to what I love doing. And, generally, that upset me.
BLACK: Soon after lockdown, people stop bringing Michael to fix their cars, and carry needed hospital treatment for covid-19. They almost lost everything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just to see what we can do, to see how long things can go, before maybe just hitting rock-bottom.
[03:50:03]
BLACK: In the northern city of Sheffield we find the same pain. People who just a few months ago had independent lives and plans for the future, now patiently waiting in the rain for handouts. Phil Barret is a self-employed electrician.
PHIL BARRET, ELECTRICIAN: In the initial start of the lockdown, we were selling food up here, for people. We never expected we would be on the receiving end of some of it towards the end of this.
BLACK: Back in central London, Collin Reynolds walks back to his sleep spot. At the entrance of one of the city's iconic theaters. He doesn't know when he will sleep in a bed again. When or how, he will see his parents.
Have you ever been the chapter of your life this uncertain before?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Never this bad.
BLACK: One day at a time?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's all I can do.
BLACK: Covid-19 has killed more than 40,000 people in the U.K. It stolen the emotional and financial security of many more. Phil Black, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Football fans in Spain who have long for some normalcy in the coronavirus pandemic, got some good news on Thursday, when La Liga returned. Before the match, in (inaudible) players gathered at midfield for a moment to honor the victims of the pandemic. So they celebrated their victory in front of the sea of virtual fans, because in-person fans are not allowed in the stadium. La Liga is the second of the major European leagues to return. Some good, some fresh sport for people to watch at their place.
Coming up after the break, from law and order, to NCIS, to even the kids show Paw Patrol, police shows can be pretty high rating, but now many of these popular shows are under fire. We will discuss when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHEERS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George Floyd was raw.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to be with you all for real.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: A clear and tangibles sign that protesters are having an impact, a powerful message there from the Dallas police department, we hear you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RENE HALL, CHIEF DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT: I'm Chief Rene Hall, with the Dallas police department. Let's work together to end racism.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HOLMES: Well, as the calls for police reform continue, the
entertainment world is also feeling the effect, some hugely popular police TV shows now being scrutinized as never before. Shows like Cops, have already been canceled. So, will it lead to even more cancellations? CNN's Tom Foreman with a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From the law on order franchise, to NCIS, to Blue Bloods. Police dramas are iconic hugely popular and now under intense fire. From activists who say these shows far to readily portray cops is good and trustworthy. While undermining real life claims of systemic racism and abuse.
RASHAD ROBINSON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COLOR OF CHANGE: These shows for years have normalized injustice.
[03:55:00]
FOREMAN: Rashad Robinson is the Executive Director of Color of Change, an activist group which is leading the charge. When he points out the TV dramas routinely buy into the trope of the bad apple cop, but almost never actually go further.
ROBINSON: They oftentimes show a world where black and brown people exist but racism and particularly structural racism doesn't exist at all.
FOREMAN: Reality shows have so far been the easiest targets. Cops have been canceled after three decades of wild success. And the furious complains about glorification of police violence. Now, Live P.D. has also pulled off the air to the surprise and dismay of the host.
DAN ABRAMS, FORMER HOST LIVE P.D.: I'm disappointed, frustrated, I fought very hard to try to keep the show on the air. I thought there was a way to have a national discussion on the show about policing.
FOREMAN: Not likely according to Color of Change, which says, crime television encourages the public to accept the norms of over policing and excessive force and reject reform while supporting the exact behavior that destroys the lives of black people. And in the highly popular and lucrative world of police shows, they suggest that goes all the way down to kids programs, like Paw Patrol.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't trust you right now.
FOREMAN: But do these made up stories really make a difference? Consider this. A 2015 study found, viewers of crime dramas or more likely to believe that police are successful at lowering crime, use force only when necessary, and that misconduct does not typically lead to false confessions.
Once more, that study found when TV cops use excessive force or violate civil rights and they do that a lot, it is most often portrayed as not only effective, but also, justified. Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: The world is watching as mass demonstrations grip the United States from coast to coast. And now, museum curators, are taking it upon themselves to capture this moment in history. In Washington, staff and volunteers from the Smithsonian museum are collecting signs and artwork from the fences surrounding the White House. The museum says, George Floyd's death has spurred a transformative time in U.S. History, and they want to ensure they are able to accurately document this for years to come.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AARON BRYANT, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE CURATOR: We have been thinking about it from the very beginning of the protest happening across the country. You know, how do we collect and tell the story? It's really not just about today, but collecting so that people can tell the story 50, 100, 200 years from now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Thanks for spending part of your day with me, I'm Michael Holmes. You've been watching CNN Newsroom. I'll be back with more news in just a moment.
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