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Pence Says More Cases May Be Due To More Testing But Health Officials Say Some States See Fewer Cases With More Testing; Florida Reports 2,600 New Coronavirus Cases; Republicans Unveil Police Reform Proposal; Possible Charges Soon Against Fired Officer In Brooks' Killing; U.S. Ambassador Warns Against Travel To Mexico. Aired 12- 12:30p ET

Aired June 17, 2020 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:00:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you John.

JOHN KING, CNN HOST: Thank you sir. Top of the hour, hello everybody. I'm John King in Washington. Thanks for sharing your day with us. Some big developments on the two crises reshaping American life the coronavirus pandemic and of course the protests of a police brutality.

Both parties in Congress advancing competing police reform proposals today the top Senate Republican promising to put the GOP plan on a fast track for action. The urgency is remarkable but it's an important but there are big differences between the Democratic and the Republican proposals. And big questions about whether a reform plan will actually get to the President's desk?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC): Too often were having a discussion in this nation about are you supporting the law enforcement community? Are you supporting communities of color? This is a false binary choice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: We are now also 6 months into the Coronavirus pandemic. The virus has killed 117,000 Americans and infected now north of 2.1 million. In 21 states we can show you the map the infection rate is trending upward that's the orange and the red. Experts warn if that trend keeps going up what follows is a spike in hospitalizations and sadly deaths as well.

Vice President later today meets with the White House Coronavirus Task Force in private. Full speed ahead as the President's Coronavirus Task Force as he hopes to get the economy back on track before the November election.

In an op-ed piece today in "The Wall Street Journal" Vice President Pence says there is a success story to celebrate. And then any talk of trouble is alarmist he also writes there is no second Coronavirus wave. On that latter point he's technically correct the nation's top expert says we are still in the middle of the first Coronavirus wave. 1000 Americans continue to die daily that is a fact not as the Vice President suggests some media conspiracy designed to sow fear. Let's get straight to CNN's Jeremy diamond at the White House for us. Jeremy a Coronavirus Task Force meeting but we do not expect to hear from the Task Force members in public I assume because the President and the Vice President decided its best that they take control of the message?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRRESPONDENT: That's right John. And what we have increasingly seen from this White House is a focus really on reopening the economy for these last several weeks. And even more recently as we are seeing some of these concerning spikes 21 states around the country seeing increases in Coronavirus cases.

And what we're hearing from the White House beyond that focus on reopening the economy is also this misleading message both trying to say that the testing is the cause of those increases in many of these states which is not true in particular in some of those states where you've actually seen testing either stay the same or decreased.

You have still seen increases in Coronavirus cases and what you're also hearing is this message from the Vice President which is arguing that we in the media who are talking about these increases are fear mongering in being alarmist.

The Vice President writing the media has taken to sounding the alarm bells over a second wave of Coronavirus infections such panic is overblown. But what we have also heard from John is from Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's Top Infectious Disease Expert and what he is saying is that we are very much still in that first wave and that's not cause for celebration it's cause for concern.

Doctor Anthony Fauci writing people keep talking about a second wave. We are still in a first wave. So John this administration is certainly trying to navigate what we are seeing and hearing with our own eyes and ears which is these concerning increases in several states around the country with at least 3 states reporting record increases in cases over the last day or so versus also what this administration wants to focus on which is reopening the country returning to that sense of normalcy and driving all of that John.

We have been told by numerous sources is the President's concerns about his reelection. He believes and his political advisers have told him that a recovering economy, reopening economy is his surest ticket to reelection and that's where the President's focus is, John.

KING: Jeremy Diamond at the White House. I would just note that it is facts not fear mongering. Even if you support the reopening you want the facts as you go through it. Jeremy I appreciate the reporting there. As Jeremy know it's all 50 states now state by state experiments of reopening.

Florida among those to turn its economy back on early its Republican Governor says his state will not shut down again. The cases there though are on the uptick state reporting 2600 new confirmed cases just this morning. Here with me to share his expertise and insights Dr. Michael Mina from the Harvard School of Public Health. Doctor Mina it's good to see you again. The Vice President says we should be having a celebration that we have tamed the Coronavirus and not at all as well but that is all better.

When you look at the map and you look at states training up and we all knew this is not fear mongering. We all knew this was inevitable. You reopen the economy the case counts are going to go up the question is, is it manageable? Does it turn into spikes? What is the hospitalization infection rate? Are we in a moment of celebration?

DR. MICHAEL MINA, HARVARD EPIDEMIOLOGIST: I think we're far from a moment of celebration overall. We have seen encouraging results from states that have really worked hard to keep the rates down and have continued social distancing and have been opening back up more slowly.

We've seen cases actually continue to drop in those states but then there are a large number of states in the U. S. where cases are unfortunately continuing to increase.

Even after some of them are decreasing they opened back up and we have seen increases. So those are concerning. And we have to - I think any state that is celebrating is probably into it really we should be concerned about this. And planning to have contingency plans in place in the event that these cases become out of control and that is something that is a real possibility with a virus like this.

KING: And help people. We've been at this for a few months now but there are medical terms that think it's used in late conversations and I think sometimes things get confused. Here that Vice President saying that you know people in my business trying to fear monger about a possible second wave.

I'm certainly not tried to do any such thing. I trust when Dr. Fauci says we're still in the first wave. So what we worry about the here and now? Define what that means for a medical perspective this is if we are still in the first wave how long does it last and let's leave whether the second one for later?

MINA: Yes, so it depends a little bit on what scale you're looking and certainly Dr. Fauci is looking at the nation. And what we see is that there is of course on a daily basis for at the beginning of this epidemic in the U. S. cases increase and increased exponentially.

And have since plateau off but that means we have never gone off of this first wave of the epidemic. We essentially stopped the epidemic from growing exponentially across the U. S. But that shouldn't be a satisfying task. We should be working to get off of the waves you know before we can really be celebrating.

And so until we do that we really can't see much of a second wave at a national level though we couldn't see of course this first wave really continue to grow which in some states that could be a second waves. And so we're very concerned in the fall for that. KING: Very concerned in the fall for that. Sorry to interrupt. I just also want to show people what that looks like - United States side by side with Italy? And I want to be very clear Italy is a smaller country. Italy has more national control. We have 50 states here in the United States. So things are going to be different.

So this is not apples to apples however the trend line is what you want to look at? You see the new cases in the United States in the left of your screen there was still a 20000 new cases a day. Italy again the numbers are different it's a small country but it's that trajectory of the red line dropping down.

That Dr. Mina is if it comes back in Italy they will say this is a second wave because we tame the first wave. We are still at a plateau when it comes here in United States in wave one.

MINA: That's exactly right. And we want to get that curves down as much as possible. But as long as we continue to see increases in many states in the U. S. it's going to be very difficult.

KING: And so to get it down to get it down please corrects me if you think I'm wrong are you need communication all the time. And again this is 50 states it's complicated in United States but the President of the United States doesn't like to wear a mask. The Vice President doesn't like to wear a mask in public.

The President of the United States has a rally planned 19,000, 20,000 people in - this weekend. This is his Top Infectious Disease Expert who said yesterday and spoken to the President and briefed him in 2 weeks, I here's - I think why in the sense the President doesn't want to hear this.

Would you personally attend the President's rally Dr. Fauci told "The Daily Beast" no I'm in a high risk category? Personally I would not of course not he said. Adding that when it came to Trump's rallies outside is better than inside. No crowd is better than crowd. And crowd is better than big crowd.

That is the Top Infectious Disease Expert of the United States of America but it is advised not being accepted by the President of the United States of America.

MINA: Now and that's it's - I think it's a terrible idea. It sends the wrong message to the United States. It puts people at risk. There is a very you know people could die as a result of going to these rallies. And you know and that's not an exaggeration.

These are places where super spreading events can happen. Many people could get sick and it's just its sending the wrong tone from the highest office in our country.

KING: Dr. Michael Mina, as always appreciate your expertise and insights sir, thank you.

MINA: Absolutely. KING: Thank you very much. Now to the race and policing crisis and the urgent efforts on Capitol Hill this morning to make some big changes. Senate Republicans unveiling their 106 page plan and the GOP leader says when he brings it to the floor next week he hopes Democrats will help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL, MAJORITY LEADER: And our Democratic friends, if they want to make a law. And not just try to make a point. I'll hope they'll join us in getting on the bill and trying to move forward in the way the Senate does move forward when it's trying to actually get an outcome rather than just sparring back and forth.

(END VIDOE CLIP)

KING: Let's go straight up to Capitol Hill CNN's Phil Mattingly. Phil, we just know from recent experience they are much better at the just pouring back and forth as the leader put it as to saying, you know what let's start a debate. Let's have a mammoth. Let's try to get to the finish line which it will be this time.

[12:10:00]

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, look it's an open question right now. Obviously the Senate Republicans are moving quickly. The Majority Leader making clear that the bill will be on the floor at least motion proceed to the bill will be on the floor next week. And now Senate Democrats have to decide whether or not they want to agree to that.

Look there are stark differences on some of the key components of the Senate Republican bill versus what Democrats in the House and Senate Democrats agree with those with that House proposal kind of where those 2 issues lay? Issues that would have to be worked out on the floor may never be able to be worked out on the floor.

I think the big question right now is whether or not Democrats will block moving on to this bill? I was just talking to a Democratic Senator on my way over here and my point to that Senator was why not get on to the bill have an amendment process work through it and see where things end up?

And that Senator said look, there's no trust with Majority Leader McConnell. They don't believe necessarily they'll get amendments to the bill and that would short circuit the entire process. So right now there's an internal Senate Democratic debate on whether to move forward on this without talks with Republicans beforehand or commitments on amendments.

I will say though, why this feels somewhat different? And again there's still a long road here to reconcile 2 proposals to even pass something throughout the Senate is on Monday afternoon Senate Republicans were talking to said there's no chance this bill was going to be taken up before the July 4 recess. Now it's coming up next week. Things have shifted inside this chamber. They've shifted inside the House chamber in terms of the dynamics about how these issues are approached in terms of the willingness and the need to actually address these issues now?

I think the big question now is will the lack of trust it is really kind of become concrete over the course of the last several years maybe even last decade short circuit this before it starts or will they actually have a fulsome debate with amendments on the Senate floor?

I will note though the one kind of big red line issue right now between Democrats and Republicans besides how this process might work is on qualified immunity? Democrats making very clear that have to be something that would have to be in a bill for to pass. Republicans did not include in the proposal led by Senator Tim Scott. The President has said that is a red line for him to try to figure out that on the policy.

There's also the politics. There's a procedure so still a lot going on here but clearly a move towards something at least at the moment John.

KING: A big shift. The question is big enough. I'd love to see an old fashioned Senate debate where they have speeches. They do manage. They take this thing called votes and we see who wins? Would not be something else. Phil Mattingly, live on Capitol Hill for us. I appreciate it. That might be too much to ask for but just maybe, maybe they'll notice this time.

Up next, the prosecutor promises the decision today on possible charges against 2 Atlanta police officers involved in the deadly Rayshard Brooks' shooting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:15:00]

KING: We'll learn a bit later today whether charges will be filed in the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks? The District Attorney in Fulton County that's Atlanta Paul Howard says he will hold a press briefing at 3:00 pm eastern. He's previously said he's weighing murder, felony murder and voluntary manslaughter charges.

The Former Officer who shot and killed Brooks' is Garrett Rolfe. He was fired immediately the other officer at the scene Officer Devin Brosnan now on administrative leave. Joining me now to discuss the Former Federal Prosecutor Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Elliot Williams.

Elliot thank you for being with us today.

It's a very important both legally and politically moment for this prosecutor. He has said he is publicly weighing those charges. He has a news conference he said he's made a decision now and will announce them today. What do you anticipate? ELLIOT WILLIAMS, FORMER FEEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, again the questions that the prosecutor really is weighing at the heart of this stripped down all but the statutes and all that is did you know Mr. Brooks present imminent harm of death or serious injury to the officer at the time he died?

You know once this shot fired to save someone's life or prevent serious injury. Now look we've watched a video of the individual Mr. Brooks was fleeing. He was holding a weapon but it was a non lethal weapon as we know it was a taser.

But I want to be clear you know in this national conversation we're having on policing and force we got ask two very different questions right? What should the role police be and what should the role of force from the please be? And what can you prove to a jury in this case? And to be candid this is just a much more complicated legal case than what we saw in Minnesota.

KING: To that point this is Fulton County, Atlanta but I want to listen here to a Police Union Leader from nearby Cobb County saying that under Georgia law because there was a scuffle because Rayshard Brooks had that taser this Police Union Leader says this police officer you might question his judgment but he had the right, listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVEN GAYNOR, PRESIDENT, COBB COUNTY FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE: I think you can justify this case by Georgia law. It specifically gives him the right based on the aggravated assaults and the threat he poses to the public and to the officers there is specifically give them by law the right to shoot him. He chose to make those actions. He chose to do what he did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: So you can - as you said you can watch the video and you can say come on give me a break. He was running away. He had your taser let him run. You have his name. You have his car. He's a little intoxicated probably.

He's not going to get very far. Call for backup. You can fix this. That's what a common sense look at the video is but may judge have to instruct the jury in Georgia if it gets that far about that law?

WILLIAMS: Absolutely. And again it's going to depend what he's charged with? At a minimum you know I wouldn't go as far as I mean he's a Police Union Leader and he has a constituency to represent. And so I'm not going to fight with him there. At a minimum it's complicated and so yes, there was a struggle.

Now the thing that cuts against that is that prior to this struggle there was 20 minutes of field sobriety tests and calm conversation for Mister Brooks consents to being patted down and the officers know that he's not armed with a lethal weapon. So right, so there was a scuffle.

Now the question is what are - how are we to treat scuffles between individuals in the police and that's part of this bigger question of how the world ought to be today or what we these questions that we're thinking about as a nation?

So at a minimum it's complicated but again it's just hard to watch a video where you know there's been 20 minutes leading up to 20 plus minutes leading up to it. You know the weapon in his hand is not a lethal one.

[12:20:00]

WILLIAMS: You know he's not armed. Frankly the fact that he's intoxicated we knew he was intoxicated cuts against his ability to be dangerous or a threat to anyone - get away because it probably slowed him down. So all of these factors create this jumble this sort of legal myths that the prosecutor's office, the DA's office has to wait.

So and again you know the 3 crimes that we're talking about here murder which would have been sort of a malice aforethought where the officer planned to kill him prior, felony murder which would be the commission of an aggravated assault that killed him discharging a weapon or manslaughter which is sort of this crime of passion.

So any of these as you can see just the way I describe them. Any of them could work or not work depending on what the prosecutor has at his disposal and is able to get past the jury? That's what it comes down to.

KING: I will hear the prosecutor a little more than 2.5 hours from now lay out his case and his decision. Elliot Williams, really appreciate your insights today. One thing we do know watch that video was needless. It didn't have to happen, should not have happened. Coming up the FAA weighs in on passengers should they wear a mask when flying on a plane?

(COMMECIAL BREAK)

[12:25:00]

KING: No input from the FAA today as airlines wrestle with this question. If you fly on a plane should you be required to wear a mask? Several airlines now say they won't let passengers on board without a face covering. CNN's Pete Muntean joins us now with the new information Pete?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: John, the FAA Administrator continues to defy calls for mask granulation instead saying that he supports moves that the industry is already making. FAA Administrator Steve Dickson just spoke to a Capitol Hill Committee.

He calls it a challenging time for airline workers. Flight attendants are now tasked with enforcing rules enacted by the airlines United, American and Delta now all say that they will ban passengers who refused to wear a mask.

United's policy says in part that it will warn passengers multiple times if they're not wearing a mask. Offer to give them the mask and then place them on an internal travel restriction list pending a review.

FAA Administrator Dickson says he supports the CDC guidelines of the FAA is offering aviation specific expertise but stop short of enacting any new regulations. Here is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE DICKSON, FAA ADMINISTRATOR: Secretary Chao in the Department of Transportation have been clear that air passengers should wear face coverings to protect themselves and those around them and that we expect the traveling public to follow your crew directions and airline public health policies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: Now airline worker unions are calling on Congress to act. They think that more regulations are key to proving that airlines are safe to fly on and healthy for passengers. They want passengers to come back the numbers are trending up but still very, very low. The largest Airline Pilots Union says it is time to renew Cares Act funding that bailout package for airlines which runs out September 30th, John.

KING: Pete Muntean, I appreciate the latest. It's a big issue for the entire economy including the airline industry. And to that point it's a global issue as well. The German Airline Lufthansa announcing massive job cuts as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Lufthansa will cut 22,000 jobs including 3000 pilots and flight attendants. Our International Correspondents now with more on the big global developments.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU SENIOR PRODUCER: Here in China the authorities have imposed a soft lockdown on the entire City of Beijing strongly discouraging all non essential travel. If you have to leave town you must present a negative results from a test done within 7 days of departure.

And if you happen to live in a community where they have reported recent cases then your entire neighborhood will be placed under a strict lockdown no in and no out. There are dozens such neighborhoods throughout Beijing and the number keeps growing. For now though their focus remains to be this now closed wholesale food market where all the recent 137 cases have been traced back to.

That place used to house thousands of vendors and saw huge crowds on a daily basis. So the authorities have been trying to track down anyone who had been there since May 30th. So far they have found more than 350,000 people in this category.

Now the government says all of them will have been tested for the virus by the end of Wednesday with Beijing officials acknowledging their city's new case numbers may still be trending up for sometimes to come. Stephen Jiang, CNN, Beijing.

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in Mexico there are 2 things happening right now. One we are in the worst days of this outbreak so far. But two the government is beginning to slowly reopen parts of the economy here and in some places that means tourism.

Like on the Yucatan Peninsula that is where you find famous resort towns like Cancun and like Playa Del Carmen and some resorts in those places have already begun to reopen under strict capacity limits.

Now the land border between the United States and Mexico remains closed all non essential travel but Americans can still fly to Mexico and can go to those resorts if they want to. The Mexican government says it is safe for them to do so.

They're trying to jumpstart an industry that is worth billions of dollars each year to the Mexican economy but the American government disagrees.