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Interview With Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL); Florida Reports 9,500 Plus Cases, A New Single Day High; The Lone Star State's Reopening Plan Is In Limbo. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired June 27, 2020 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:09 ]

ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. Thanks for being here. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York. We begin in Florida this hour in what some believe could be the next epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic.

The state hitting another new peak today, reporting more than 9,500 new cases. The Mayor of Miami-Dade County announcing he will close beaches ahead of the Fourth of July weekend.

Yet even with the surging numbers, Governor Ron DeSantis is doubling down on his decision not to mandate everyone wear a mask in public, saying he trusts people to make good decisions.

California is dealing with its own spike. The state reporting a single day increase of nearly 6,000 cases. As a public health expert in Los Angeles County warns, the hospital system could be overwhelmed without immediate action to slow the spread of the virus.

Texas is also in trouble. The state just today reporting more than 5,700 new infections. It comes as Governor Greg Abbott acknowledges he allowed bars there to reopen too soon.

Meanwhile, if you had any plans to travel to Europe this summer, you might be forced to reschedule. Diplomats from the E.U. say travelers from the U.S. and other countries with severe coronavirus outbreaks are, quote, "unlikely to be allowed in" when it opens its borders on July 1st.

Let's start in Florida where the Republican Governor, Ron DeSantis is refusing to mandate masks despite surging number of cases. CNN's Miguel Marquez reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The Sunshine State in a state of crisis. The number of coronavirus infections climbing at alarming rates with Florida reporting nearly 9,000 new cases, its highest single day to date.

Cities like Hollywood now mandating masks be worn in public, even outdoors, except when exercising.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LISA FEINTUCH, WEARS MASK EXCEPT WHEN EXERCISING: I do think for the safety of everybody, especially with the numbers rising here, just do it. You know, it's selfish not to.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it should be up to you, honestly.

MARQUEZ: No matter the circumstances?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No matter the circumstances. It should be up to you. It's your right to wear it or not wear it.

MARQUEZ: Except you could give it to someone and it could kill them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's horrible. That's -- I mean, that's life. At this point, I mean, I can also give someone the common cold. I can also give someone the flu. Right?

MARQUEZ: Except those maybe don't have as high a death rate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's a little overrated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ (voice over): While some see government mask orders as infringing on their rights, officials here once confident they had beat the virus are now scrambling to contain it.

New infections skyrocketing. Thursday statewide 13 percent of those tested came back positive. In Osceola County near Orlando, 23 percent positive for the virus. In Lee County, Fort Myers, nearly 20 percent positive. In Miami-Dade County, 14 percent positive, and here in Broward, nearly 12 percent positive. All way too high.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now in Florida, we're doing this. You know, the gating criteria and it really is supposed to be going downward. So as long as you go downward, sure you can keep reopening, but for now it's a pause.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ (voice over): Hollywood paused at the first stage of reopening. Look, the mask order is a good thing, she says, because it protects me, my employees and my customers.

As wearing a mask has become increasingly political, driven largely by the President and his handling of the crisis, even some supporters are beginning to question his judgment and their vote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OZIEL ELIAD, VOTED FOR TRUMP: If you asked me that five months ago, I'm going to say to you, definitely Trump because he handled everything right. But now with all -- MARQUEZ: Because of the pandemic?

ELIAD: The pandemic and also the climate and those that happened now, it's complicated now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ (voice over): Miguel Marquez, CNN, Hollywood, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: Joining us now, Democratic Congressman and former Governor of Florida, Charlie Crist. Congressman, the State of Florida reporting more than 9,500 cases, new cases for a single day, just today. This is a new high. Yesterday it was nearly 9,000. The Governor said he is now stopping alcohol consumption in bars statewide, but he is still not mandating masks. Here's his explanation as to why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): The idea that you're just going to mandate and selectively prosecute people, I don't think that that's necessarily going to work.

I do think what will work is consistent messaging, letting people know what they can do to help protect themselves and to protect others. Then you obviously can have local folks if they want to do different ordinances, quite frankly there's parts of Florida where it just wouldn't make sense, I mean, because you don't have the same cases.

It's not something where the incidence is as high. And I think it would present some problems.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[18:05:15]

CABRERA: What's your reaction to that?

REP. CHARLIE CRIST, (D-FL): I'm disappointed, and I think the Governor is trying to do what he thinks is right. I don't want to really Monday morning quarterback the situation, but I also understand that leadership matters.

And look, I'm not wearing a mask right now because I'm in a studio in Washington, D.C. and nobody is within six feet of me. But if you're out in Florida and you're going to a restaurant or you're going to a park or any place that is public, the idea and the notion of not requiring people to wear a mask is foreign to me.

I don't really understand that, especially when we've hit record highs -- what -- three days in a row now in the Sunshine State. Listen, I love Florida and I think God loves Florida, and I think we need to do everything we can to have safety first.

It's important to try to understand, Ana, that we want to open the economy. Listen, we live on tourism in the Sunshine State and it's because it's beautiful. But we have to also balance safety is the number one -- safety first.

CABRERA: Wouldn't wearing a mask help Florida be able to be more open?

CRIST: Well, that's correct, you're exactly right, Ana, it does. Because if we have lower cases, more people are going to be inclined to come and visit the Sunshine State. That's important to our economy, it's crucial, clearly.

But leadership has to say, and I mean in the Governor's Office -- look, I was Governor, and I understand that people pay attention to what you do and how you comport yourself, and I think that the Governor can do better here.

I know he is trying. Listen, this is a difficult situation for everybody. We're kind of trying to build a plane as we're flying it as many have said in the past, so I understand that, but I think the Governor would be well-advised to say, you know, we ought to use these things everywhere we go when we're in public. It's just smart, it's commonsense, it's the right thing to do. Why not get about the business of doing that.

CABRERA: Wen you see the cases going up almost exponentially, last weekend, we were reporting breaking news, Florida had more than 4,000 new cases reported in a single day. Now, we're at 9,500. It was almost 9,000 yesterday, it was 5,000 back-to-back days earlier this week, so you see where the trend is going.

Florida is being called the new epicenter of the crisis in the U.S., and to give more perspective, compare the numbers in Florida to Italy, which used to be the epicenter in Europe.

Italy never had a single day record close to 9,000, even though it has triple the population, and the numbers today are on par with New York's highest daily case number back at the height of the pandemic here in April.

So when you consider all of that and the drastic measures that we all took here in the U.S. And that other countries have taken in order to bring it down, do you think it's time to go there in the State of Florida? I hate to say it, but is it time for a new stay-at-home order?

CRIST: Well, it probably is. I mean let's face the facts. We're at the highest level we've ever been, right? We had a stay-at-home order back in May when the numbers weren't what we're seeing and witnessing today. So what do you want to do, ignore the facts? I mean, they are what they are.

Facts are stubborn things, and it says to me that you've got to pay attention to what's happening, adapt, adjust and do what's right. That's what needs to be done in Florida.

I mean, listen, my mom and dad are in St. Petersburg where I grew up. My dad is 88, my mom is not a whole lot further behind, and you don't want to put these people at risk. But what we've seen lately too, Ana, the numbers are going down in terms of what segment of the population is being hit.

It used to be what? Forty eight was the average age of Floridians testing positive. Now it's 38. So it's -- this virus does not discriminate. It's going after anybody and everybody in its path. And I don't mean to be an alarmist, I just want to advocate commonsense.

So, let's do what we can about what we do know. there's a lot we don't know about this thing. It is novel. It is new. We get that. But one thing we know is the mask helps. The other thing is stay at home. Let's exercise commonsense, do what's right.

What's right for Florida is right for America and right for the world. God bless those who put those things into action and put that kind of leadership front and center.

CABRERA: There was a hearing in the House yesterday on coronavirus, and Republican members of the panel were not wearing masks, despite the capital's physician's guidance to do so and that deeply upset the House Majority Whip, James Clyburn, who threatened to cancel in-person meetings if the rules weren't going to be followed. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D-SC): I grew up believing that the first sign of a good education is good manners. I think it's good manners to look out for your fellowmen. I see all the staff wearing masks. I don't know what this is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[18:10:11]

CABRERA: Some Members of Congress still won't wear a mask. The President won't wear a mask. What example is that setting?

CRIST: It's a bad example. That's the wrong thing to do. Representative Clyburn has it right. Basically what he is saying is, do unto others as you would have done unto you. Listen, I wear this yellow wristband every day. And Ana, what it says is practice the golden rule every day, and that's what Representative Clyburn was talking about, and he is spot on.

Treat others as you want to be treated. Wear a mask if you're in public because it shows respect for your fellow man and your fellow woman. That's what we all need to be doing. In two minutes or whatever it is when we finish this interview, I'll put this mask on because I'm going back out in public again. It's what we ought to be doing and it shows respect -- mutual respect and decency towards each other. It's the right thing to do.

CABRERA: The Vice President was asked twice why the campaign continues to hold rallies in hot spots, indoors, no masks, despite the growing problem. Here's what he said. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Can you tell me why you continue to do this? Why the campaign continues to hold these rallies?

MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, the freedom of speech, the right to peaceably assemble is enshrined in the Constitution of the United States.

QUESTION: And in Arizona, one of the hardest-hit states, you packed a church with young people who weren't wearing masks. So, how can you say that the campaign is not part of the problem that Dr. Fauci laid out?

PENCE: Well, I want to remind you again that the freedom of speech and right to peaceably assemble is enshrined in the Constitution of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: congressman, it's hard to imagine the President won't eventually hold a rally in Florida. We know he wants a packed room for his acceptance of the Republican nomination, which will happen in Jacksonville. How concerned are you?

CRIST: Well, I'm very concerned. The Vice President, I think, is coming to Sarasota next week. So are they going to come there with this policy that we don't need to be cautious, we don't need to be bright about what we're dealing with here?

I mean something is enshrined in the Constitution, that's great. But we're dealing with something that we've never dealt with before. So leadership needs to get into the 21st Century. Joe Biden wears a mask, he gets it. He understands it.

I just did a zoom video with Dr. Jill Biden this past week. She understands it. I mean, let's get with the program and understand what's right for the people of this country. You want to lead this country? You've got to start by doing at home what you know is right for America.

The Bidens are doing it. Unfortunately, the President and the Vice President are not doing it. And it hurts me to say that, it pains me to say that, but it is what it is. And the people deserve the truth, and that's the truth.

We've got to do what's right for everybody. We've got to do the right thing, get beyond this pandemic, get rid of racial strife, do what's right for the country and lead us to a better, more hopeful future. That's what this race is about, that's what this moment is about.

CABRERA: Congressman Charlie Crist, good to have you with us. Thank you.

CRIST: Thank you, Ana. Good to be with you. CABRERA: Four-alarm fire, a catastrophe on the verge of being

apocalyptic. Public health train wreck in slow motion. Those are all direct quotes from doctors this week describing the current situation here in the U.S., so just how dire is it? We'll talk to a doctor, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:17:31]

CABRERA: Now to an alarming new estimate from the Centers for Disease Control. According to a recent antibody survey, the C.D.C. estimates the total number of coronavirus cases may actually be six to 24 times greater than what's been reported.

It reached this conclusion after examining blood samples from six locations. They looked at all blood samples, not just blood being tested for COVID-19, and in each location, the number of samples testing positive for COVID was much higher than was being reported.

Dr. F. Perry Wilson is an Associating Professor of Medicine at Yale University. Good to have you here, Doctor, and as we try to understand this survey, is this potentially good news in the sense that it means the fatality rate could be a lot less than previously thought?

DR. F. PERRY WILSON, ASSOCIATING PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE, YALE UNIVERSITY: Thanks, Ana. I wish I could color this as good news. I actually think this is quite bad news.

The overall prevalence of antibody positivity was about five percent and, yes, that does suggest that there are a lot of cases we're missing with testing. But one thing to put that in context is that all the studies estimate that about 50 percent to 60 percent of the population of the United States needs to become immune to this virus either through a vaccine or through becoming infected before the epidemic really starts to slow down. That's this herd immunity number.

Now, if we're at five percent right now, we're a 12th of the way there. In the absence of a vaccine, that puts us in the first inning and there have been 125,000 deaths so far in the U.S. So, it's not too hard to do the math. This is concerning data.

CABRERA: We've heard doctors this week describe the current coronavirus situation as a four-alarm fire, a catastrophe, the verge of being apocalyptic, public health train wreck in slow motion. How would you describe the situation?

WILSON: I think it is a disaster. We had -- we all got together and we went into lockdown and quarantine. Our goal there was to just buy time. And that wasn't just to stock up on PPE and to learn new protocols in the hospitals, we've done that to some extent. It was to ramp up testing, contact tracing and isolation practices, which were largely abandoned by the Federal government during that period.

And so it is no wonder that as we open up, we find ourselves unprepared. This is an incredibly infectious disease. We knew that from the beginning. And so it is to be expected that without really robust measures we're going to go right back to where we started, and it feels like the past few months where we've all been stuck inside in some sense was wasted.

[18:20:10]

CABRERA: And we have surpassed, in fact, the highest number of cases in one day that we had back in April this week. You know, our curve is going straight up. We're no longer flat even. At least 32 states are seeing a rise in cases compared to last week, 13 of those states are reporting a 50 percent increase or greater.

Cases are rising rapidly in places like Arizona, Texas, Florida, and California. If you're in one of those states, what should these leaders do to stop the increase at this point? Is there something they can do today to at least flatten, if not diminish the direction of the curve?

WILSON: I think one of the real challenges here is realizing that because of the length of time it takes between when you're infected and when people show symptoms and come up with testing, there's often a delay before you start to see these upswings.

This has been going on for a while. Probably, honestly, since Memorial Day. In a lot of these states are in a situation where it's going to be very hard to dial that back. I think a lot of these leaders are going to seriously need to consider going back into lockdown, at least for a period of time, in order to get their ducks in a row, in order to get the public health apparatus there to do that robust testing that's needed, which is still inadequate.

CABRERA: In Florida, the Mayor of Miami-Dade County closed the beaches ahead of Fourth of July. We know in Texas, the Governor closed bars, reduced restaurant capacity after initially reopening.

Several cities have been passing mandatory mask requirements even if it's not mandated at the state level. But is it enough just to have a scatter shot approach like this or does there need to be a more cohesive national plan to combat the growing number of cases?

WILSON: I think this is one of the major problems in the response to coronavirus. The coronavirus has no respect for state borders. It doesn't respond to the Governor. This is a national crisis. Honestly, it's an international crisis.

And we continue to hear from the likes of Vice President Pence even at the press briefing yesterday that, you know, they're deferring to the governors and local authorities for things like this.

We need a national response because this affects us all. It goes right across the state borders and that's been highly ineffectual.

CABRERA: Dr. F. Perry Wilson, good to have you. Thank you.

WILSON: Thank you. CABRERA: Texas is rolling back its reopening as cases there surge.

The number of hospitalizations set new records. We'll have a live report from that state next.

Stay with us, you're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:27:05]

CABRERA: The Lone Star State's reopening plan is in limbo. Texas Governor, Greg Abbott ordering new restrictions on businesses, including bars, because the COVID positive infection rate in that state soared above 10 percent and today, Texas has now reported more than 5,000 new cases.

Houston alone is seeing more than 1,000 new cases per day. Some perspective on this rapid increase, Texas is the nation's second most populous state, and Houston is America's fourth most populous city.

CNN's Alexandra Field is in Houston and joins us now. Tell us what you're learning, Alexandra.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Ana. Houston clearly a hot spot now. Officials are warning that the hospitals could be just a week to three weeks away from being entirely overwhelmed. Texas Medical Center just behind me often billed as the largest medical center in the world saw their ICU beds hit 100 percent capacity earlier this week with about 28 percent of those beds filled by COVID patients.

The Governor seemingly trying to put the genie back in the bottle, but tonight, there are big concerns that those actions aren't nearly enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD (voice over): Major turn-around in Texas as COVID cases soar. Governor Greg Abbott, one of the first governors to reopen his state, now taking steps to walk it back.

Bars must close but can still serve takeout or delivery. There are new restrictions on restaurant capacity and additional limits on outdoor crowds. Houston is now a hot spot. Some local officials want the Governor to do more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE LINA HIDALGO, HARRIS COUNTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE: There is no evidence out there to show that anything short of a stay-home order will do. We have between barely weeks between 10 and 30 days before we hit capacity if we keep going at these rates.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD: Here in Harris County, the country's third largest county, the local COVID warning system is being raised to its highest level, severe, indicating an uncontrolled outbreak, a strain on testing and tracing and a recommendation for people to stay home.

It comes as Texas continues to smash its daily record of new confirmed COVID-19 cases. Hospitalizations have been climbing since the middle of June.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. UMAIR SHAH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH: We're seeing a trend towards a younger population both in our community testing as well as who is being admitted to our hospitals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD (voice over): Some health officials blame the state's early reopening.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAH: It is a layering effect. It layered on top of each other. So first you had restaurants at some percentage and then gyms and hair salons and then, on top of that, you had bars and then restaurants at a higher percentage. Mother's Day. And then top of that, you had Memorial Day. Then you had the marches. You turn around and you've had other graduations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD (voice over): A pop-up hospital that opened in a Houston parking lot early in the pandemic could soon reopen inside the NRG Center, home to the Houston Texans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARVIN ODUM, HOUSTON COVID CZAR: This virus is out of control in Houston. If we don't act to get it under control, very bad, extremely bad things will happen. Sickness, death, our economy progressively getting shut in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD (voice over): A city that thought the worst was behind them now facing an even greater challenge.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[18:30:00]

FIELD: And, Ana, as we see these cases skyrocket in Texas, we are also seeing the pattern emerge that has emerged in so many other states around the nation. The new cases largely affecting people in their 20s and 30s, that's one of the reasons that you see the governor going after these gatherings that are happening inside of bars.

Also, again, as we've seen throughout the course of this pandemic has ravaged this country, we are seeing that these cases are predominantly affecting black people and Hispanic people. Ana.

ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: OK. Thank you for all that information, Alexandra Field. We are staying on top of breaking news this hour, what we're learning about Russia and an apparent plot to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM. Stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:34:55]

CABRERA: Breaking news, CNN has learned that Russian military intelligence recently offered cash payments to Taliban militants in Afghanistan in a plot to kill U.S. troops. I want to get right to CNN's Jeremy Diamond at the White House. And Jeremy, what is the White House now saying about all this?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ana, a European intelligence official told CNN earlier today that this Russian military unit known as the GRU did indeed offer cash rewards to Taliban militants to carry out attacks and kill American or other coalition forces in Afghanistan.

Now, The New York Times is also reporting that U.S. officials reached this conclusion several months ago and that President Trump was indeed briefed on these conclusions. The White House, Ana, is denying that the President was briefed on this, but they are not denying the validity of the intelligence itself.

Let me read you the statement from the White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany. She writes, "The United States receives thousands of intelligence reports a day and they are subject to strict scrutiny. While the White House does not routinely comment on alleged intelligence or internal deliberations, the CIA Director, the National Security Advisor and the Chief of Staff can all confirm that neither the President nor the Vice President were briefed on the alleged Russian bounty intelligence. This does not speak to the merit of the alleged intelligence but to the inaccuracy of The New York Times story erroneously suggesting that President Trump was briefed on the matter."

So, again, you can see there the White House very careful in its wording there, denying that the President was briefed on this but not attacking the credibility of the report as it relates to the intelligence here, which is startling, that Russia, a strategic adversary of the United States would offer cash rewards to Taliban militants to take out American soldiers in Afghanistan.

Now, the question, Ana, if the White House's explanation is to be believed is why, why was the President not briefed on something so significant as this. That is a question that the President and the White House will have to answer in the coming days. Ana.

CABRERA: OK. Jeremy Diamond, thank you.

For more, I want to bring in CNN Senior Political Analyst and former advisor to Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton, David Gergen and also with us CNN Political Analyst and White House Correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks, April Ryan.

So former Vice President Biden has now responded to The New York Times report that alleges Russia offered these bounties to Afghan militants to kill U.S. troops. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He had has this information according to The Times and yet he offered to host Putin in the United States and sought to invite Russia to rejoin the G7. His entire presidency has been a gift to Putin. It's a betrayal of every single American family with a love one serving in Afghanistan or anywhere overseas and I'm quite frankly outraged by the report.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Again, the White House is now denying the President was briefed on this. But if The New York Times reporting is accurate, this would mean the President was briefed on this in late March, in early May, he announced the U.S. had a great friendship with Russia. And later that same month, he reiterated his desire to invite Russia into the G7.

David, you have worked in four White Houses, why wouldn't a president have been briefed on intelligence like this?

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: He would have been in every single White House that I've ever worked in and every single White House I know anything about it. This is a very, very important information that does affect the relationship with Russia. He would have been briefed instantaneously, it would have been in a material sent into him and it would have been discussed with him.

And I think that Vice President Biden makes a very good point and he's raising somebody affections on Capitol Hill is that just within the same timeframe the President has extended an olive branch to Putin, inviting him to this G7 meeting over the objections of Chancellor Merkel and others who do not want that to happen. The President stood up for him and so all of that suggests that this is a much more complicated story that what we're possibly facing is that the President was briefed, but he has reasons relating to his re-election and his relationship with Russia that he's being dovish about this.

Mike Pompeo, I would imagine, remains hawkish on Russia.

CABRERA: April, this is a familiar pattern. The President hits back at everyone, it seems, but Vladimir Putin, why?

APRIL RYAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I'm going to piggyback off of what David said. This is a very complicated story and the devil is in the details and in the weeds. And if this New York Times reporting is true, it shows that this President does not understand what's in the best interest of the American public, particularly the national interest. It also says that those in the national security community that are

close to the President that circulate and surround him, they don't have the power to go tell him this is wrong, let's move, let's act.

We also find that if this reporting is true, that Russia was dominate the west they want to dominate.

[18:40:02]

But the key issue here is the fact that Russia continues to do this. If this is true, Russia continues to do this, because they are not being punished. So this is very complicated and if this president does have a relationship with Putin, and all of this is happening, something is deadly wrong. This is deadly. This is a National Security issue.

CABRERA: I want to turn to the coronavirus pandemic because, of course, on that other issue there's a lot more to learn, but right now our country is facing a serious crisis. And David, The Washington Post reporting this hour that the Trump campaign ordered staffers at his Tulsa rally to remove social distancing stickers. We have video of it.

These stickers have been placed on every other seat. This is the same rally where multiple staffers and Secret Service members ended up testing positive. David what is the calculus here?

GERGEN: The one thing that's common is between the Russian story and this stories in both cases at the White House, there seems to be a disregard for protecting American lives. That other things seemed more important. Removing the sticker, putting more people on the ground, having a bigger rallying cry, being able to go to the press and say, look, how wonderful we are seems to be more important than the danger of inviting people into what would be hospitalization, what could be on the death for some people and we've seen this spike mass, spike occurring in state after state mostly in the south and the southeast.

That says there's something we're opening up. We opened way too early on the coronavirus, we're paying the price for it. But where is the regard for life, for protecting people? One other thing, Ana, it's just sort of like dumbfounding.

You know the Vice President's staff has been worried for the last few days about whether you make these trips to campaign trips this coming week to the west. The Vice President, they sent him out yesterday to proclaim how wonderful everything is and today they canceled his trips to these places because obviously it's too dangerous to go and have the kind of rally they would like. Those two things are in direct contradiction to each other.

CABRERA: Well, my understanding is just to be clear that they canceled the campaign portion of the trip, so there won't be like those special (inaudible) events.

GERGEN: Yes. I'm sorry, yes.

CABRERA: But he's supposed to be actually meeting with health officials in those states regarding the pandemic. I do want you guys to take a listen though to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell at a town hall just earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): Until we find a vaccine, these are really important. This is a way to indicate that you want to protect others.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: You see him holding a mask there. Then you have Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney tweeting this picture of her father wearing a mask with the hashtag real men wear masks. And now listen to the Vice President just yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We would just encourage every American to follow the guidelines for all the phases. Continue to practice good hygiene, wash your hands, avoid touching your face, disinfect frequently. People who feel sick should stay home and when it comes to businesses of social distancing, protective equipment, temperature checks, testing and isolation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: He doesn't even say you should wear a face covering. April, these are now top Republicans urging Americans to wear masks and yet the Vice President can't bring himself to do it. What is the administration's issue with masks?

RYAN: It's a political thing, Ana. But you're supposed to lead by example and at this point, this supports my title of spreader and chief. At the end of the day, the White House right now is trying to protect the President sanitizing and doing all that they can to keep the President safe. But what about the President keeping us safe, that's the issue.

If the Dick Cheney, a staunch supporter of Donald Trump is wearing a mask, they are trying to send a message to not only the American people, but particularly to the party who is supporting President Trump's non-mask wearing self. At the end of the day, this virus, this deadly virus does not pay attention to politics, death knows no politics.

But when you get to Mitch McConnell and Dick Cheney wearing a mask, it's saying this is beyond your Amendment rights. This is about your life.

CABRERA: Right. And so David, you've seen this no mask attitude trickle down to the state level with multiple Republican governors not mandating them despite cases surging, is this a decision purely based on politics instead of science and I have to wonder in what world would this be good politics? GERGEN: Well, I think it's not good politics. That's one of the

reasons that President's polls have been dropping so sharply here in the last few weeks.

[18:45:08]

People can see what's going on. The American public is a lot smarter than people in Washington thing and what they can see is that the administration has a scientist who tried that one story and then they bring out others like the Vice President and the President himself who sabotage, they sabotage what the scientists are saying, and we've now had this roaring big spikes coming back.

Thank goodness for Mitch McConnell did speak up. Thank goodness that Dick Cheney did speak up. But now where's the rest of the Republican Party? Where's the leadership in the party? They do bear responsibility as a party for how this unfolds, especially starting at the top in the White House.

CABRERA: David Gergen and April Ryan, thank you as always.

GERGEN: Thank you, Ana.

CABRERA: Coming up, 2020 was supposed to be the year we saw Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. But the Trump administration has other plans. A look at what's behind the delay next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:50:45]

CABRERA: We saw weeks of mass protests across the U.S. after the video of an officer with his knee on George Floyd's neck shocked the world. But the reason police confronted Floyd in the first place was because he was suspected of using a counterfeit $20 bill. A bill that was supposed to feature abolitionist Harriet Tubman this year, until that release was pushed back by the Trump administration. CNN's Laura Coates' reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAURA COATES, CNN LEGAL ANALYST(voice over): It's a name the President often invokes when talking about American heroes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Harriet Tubman.

Harriet Tubman.

Harriet Tubman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES(voice over): But the President has stopped short of memorializing her heroism by replacing Andrew Jackson on the front of one of our most widely circulated currency notes, the $20 bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I think it's pure political correctness. Andrew Jackson had a great history and I think it's very rough when you take somebody off the bill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES(voice over): First, speaking of history, President Andrew Jackson was a slaveholder and signed legislation removing Native Americans from their land. Nevertheless, Trump has long admired Jackson visiting his home in Nashville.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I'm a fan. I'm a big fan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES(voice over): And moving his portrait to the Oval Office where he even hosted a group of Navajo veterans right in front of that painting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You were here long before any of us were here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES(voice over): Second, no one sought to remove Andrew Jackson from the bill entirely. A redesigned bill simply moves him to the back of the bill and features Harriet Tubman on the front. This decision came during the Obama administration, a decision that was also voted on by Americans.

Initiating a timeline to unveil the bills redesign in 2020, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to vote.

Four years later, the plans for release had been pushed back a decade. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin telling reporters earlier this month, "This is something that is in the distant future." That the new bill wouldn't be released until 2030.

So what accounts for the delay? Mnuchin claims it's security concerns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVEN MNUCHIN, TREASURY SECRETARY: This is a non political situation where the primary objective of changing the currency is to stop counterfeiting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES(voice over): But when pressed, Mnuchin couldn't explain why the imagery would still be delayed. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. AYANNA PRESSLEY (D-MA): So yes or no, will you meet what was originally the 2020 redesign deadline?

MNUCHIN: We will meet the security feature redesign in 2020. The imagery feature will not be an issue that comes up until most likely 2026.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES(voice over): Protesters have accelerated the discussion, making clear which images they believe fully represent America's heritage and which do not. In Richmond, Virginia, the former capital of the Confederacy, Robert E. Lee's statue was covered with the projected image of Harriet Tubman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: But here at Lafayette Park across from the White House, Andrew Jackson's remains protected. Protests tried to topple it, but then the expenses went up. The President now saying they're going to increase protection of the statue saying we shouldn't erase our heritage, but whose heritage and why shouldn't Harriet Tubman be included in it?

ELIZABETH COBBS, HISTORY PROFESSOR, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY: She is our most outstanding female patriot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES(voice over): And symbolically, what does it say when there is a reluctance for now, to even allow her to share the bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COBBS: It is so sad this idea that by even sharing a little bit of that historical real estate that somehow the insecure folks will feel that their story is lost.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES(voice over): At a time when the nation is searching for its moral compass, the image of one woman guided by the north star would speak volumes and in a language all Americans understand. After all, money talks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: That was Laura Coates, 2020 is becoming a year of historic change in the racial equality in America.

[18:55:01]

For some it is reminiscent of another year. Don't miss this special CNN Original Series event, 1968, featuring back to back episodes starting tonight at 10 Eastern.

That does it for me tonight. I'm Ana Cabrera. My colleague, Wolf Blitzer, picks up our coverage after a quick break. Thanks for being here. Have a good night.