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Lawmakers Demand Full Briefing On Russian Bounty Intel; Dr. Anne Rimoin Discusses 72 Percent Of California's Population On Coronavirus "Watch List"; Dr. Mirtha Macri Discusses New Netflix Documentary, "Lenox Hill," On Frontline Fight Against Coronavirus. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired June 30, 2020 - 14:30   ET

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

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[14:33:55]

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: Today, several House Democrats were briefed on intelligence that Russia offered bounties to the Taliban for killing American troops. Republican lawmakers did get their briefing yesterday.

And all of this is coming amid growing outrage over who knew what and when. The Trump administration insists this intelligence was never verified and, therefore, the president was never personally briefed.

And we just heard from former Vice President Joe Biden saying, quote, "The idea that somehow he didn't know or isn't being briefed is a dereliction of duty."

Joining me now, former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers. He's a CNN national security commentator. And was the head of the National Intel Committee for a bit.

Mike, nice to have you on.

CNN has confirmed that this intelligence was, in fact, included in a written version of the president's daily brief at some point this spring. What do you make of the fact that the White House is claiming that the president knew nothing about it?

MIKE ROGERS, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY COMMENTATOR: Well, I mean, obviously, that's concerning. The Intelligence Community thought enough of the information to brief our British allies, who also have troops in Afghanistan that are exposed. And so, I don't know. Is it lack of curiosity?

[14:35:04]

All of the elements of the national security team should have sprung into action, to look either deeper into the intelligence or try to find some options to push back on the Russians, even if we weren't 100 percent sure, which, by the way, never happens in intelligence. But they had some degree of confidence that this was accurate. So, you know, something broke down there. I don't know if it's

dysfunction or they were so absorbed with the Taliban peace process negotiation or releasing the 2,000 Taliban prisoners.

Can you imagine, Brooke, that the day they get released they go get a Russian weapon and cash to kill an American?

BALDWIN: No. No.

ROGERS: I mean, this is really concerning to me. And it should be concerning to the national security team around the president as well.

BALDWIN: To your point a second ago, too, about pushing back on the Russians, the president has had ample opportunity. Take a look at the calendar. We'll throw it up on the screen. He, President Trump, had spoken with Vladimir Putin multiple times, since it was in the -- March 10th, May 7th, June 1st.

Mike, according to the readouts of any of these calls, the president never brought it up, not once.

ROGERS: Yes. You know, he could be -- other diplomatic efforts. The problem is, what are you doing about it?

There are other things you can do. You can have classified confrontations with the Russians over this information. You could do covert action authorities to take more serious steps against the Russian activity, against U.S. troops operating in Afghanistan. So, there are other things to do.

My concern here is that they spent the last four days not saying we're working on plans, we're working to push back, we did push back. It's just, I just didn't know, or somebody else knew, or gosh, it wasn't all that great of intelligence.

This is exactly the kind of intelligence that should, be with all of the policymakers, by the way, so that you have an understanding.

Again, you don't have to say that's for sure and for certain, but you need to know that if you're going to make that calculus of making a decision, like, say, inviting Putin to the G-7 or releasing 2,000 Taliban fighters back out into the battlefield while the Russians are participating and paying the Taliban to attack U.S. troops.

All of those should have been fully discussed with that information. It's clear that just wasn't happening. That's what worries me.

BALDWIN: We do know now that certain members of Congress, both on the left and the right, have been briefed on this, and a number of them are calling for much more robust briefing.

You know, all about how Congress works and this kind of thing. What can Congress do? What kind of -- you know, to throw this into center stage? And what kind of repercussions need to come from this?

ROGERS: It I were chairman again, A, I wouldn't have done it in a partisan way. You have to get everybody that has this responsibility in the room, that has the clearances for this information. So, likely the Senate and the House Intelligence Committees in a bipartisan way.

Again, this isn't a Republican or Democrat issue. Something broke down in the way that this valuable piece of information was not passed along to policymakers.

And, again, it's a reminder, it was important enough to tell our British allies, but not important enough to brief all the policymakers here.

BALDWIN: Exactly. Exactly.

ROGERS: There's something wrong with that.

So they should get into that room, fix it, figure out what went wrong.

I'm not saying they should run automatically run to the microphones and scream whatever partisan drip they want to do. That's not helpful. They do have the responsibility of working their way through this.

Again, I would have been better -- I would have been happier if the president would have said, you know, it didn't really trigger anything for me.

OK, I've got that. That's why you have a team of national security people around you. I'm going to get to the bottom of it.

I would have felt a lot better about that, other than this, well, I didn't know. He knew. Blame somebody else.

I mean, all of that worried me more than anything that this wasn't going to be done appropriately, or the right policy options to push back against the Russians aren't being developed.

BALDWIN: Right, exactly. It's like, OK, now that it's out there, what is the White House's response? What do we do about it?

Congressman, a pleasure. Thank you.

ROGERS: Thanks, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Americans didn't make the cut. The European Union says travelers from the U.S. are not allowed in.

Plus, the Los Angeles mayor is warning the coronavirus spread's pace could put hospitals at capacity in a couple of weeks.

[14:39:50]

Stay here.

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BALDWIN: Unprecedented decision today from the E.U. Americans will not be allowed to travel to parts of Europe because of surging coronavirus cases in the USA. The European Union just released its list of 15 countries it considers face for travel to member states and, guess what, the U.S. did not make the cut.

The decision comes as U.S. records -- the U.S. records the highest number of coronavirus deaths and infections in the world. Just take a look at this comparison of the curves in the U.S. versus the E.U.

The State Department responded saying it, quote, "appreciates the transparency," end quote, of its European partners and is looking forward to coordinating with them as they look forward to easing restrictions.

In California, 72 percent of the population is now on a coronavirus watch list as the state reports its second-highest daily total with more than 6,300 cases.

And L.A. is emerging as a hot spot, with 100,000 total cases confirmed.

L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti says his city is facing a test in what he called "an increasingly dangerous time."

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MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI (D), LOS ANGELES, CA: It's time for us to take control of this moment, because I feel that COVID-19 is beginning to take control from us. But we can do things to take control back from COVID-19.

[14:45:11]

And the next few weeks will be critical weeks in defining whether we can do just that.

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BALDWIN: Dr. Anne Rimoin is a professor of epidemiology at UCLA.

Dr. Rimoin, welcome back.

When you listen to the L.A. mayor, he's urging folks to stay home for the next couple of weeks. L.A. County officials say the area could run out of its existing beds for COVID patients in the next couple of weeks.

So, how concerned are you?

DR. ANNE RIMOIN, PROFESSOR OF EPIDEMIOLOGY, UCLA: Brooke, I'm very concerned. We are at a very critical moment here in California, and in Los Angeles county to be sure.

We are now seeing the effects of reopening, of Memorial Day weekend, of Father's Day weekend, of all of these events, the protests. All of this has likely contributed to see this big rise in cases.

And it's something that is fairly predictable based on what we know about how this virus spreads. We are all here in California now really preparing for the results of these openings.

BALDWIN: I'm curious. You had a birthday recently. Happy belated birthday.

RIMOIN: Thank you.

BALDWIN: This is something a lot of people would be wondering about themselves, right, because the one thing you said you wanted to do was see your mom on your birthday who, because of her age, is in a vulnerable population when it comes to COVID.

How did you prepare -- here is a sweet picture with your mom. How did you prepare to be able to hang with your mom?

And if other people watching have family or friends who are vulnerable, who they really want to see, what can they do?

RIMOIN: Well, here is the thing. Everything has a cost. So, you have to decide what you're willing to pay. This is true of life in general, right?

So here in the time of COVID, this is really and truly where we stand. So for me, what was most important was to be able to spend an important birthday with my mom, who is in her late 70s and in a vulnerable -- one of the vulnerable populations.

So what I did was I made sure to really quarantine for the two weeks beforehand. I'm careful, in general, but I made sure to be very careful so I could spend the time with my mom without the concern of spreading virus to her.

You know, the thing we know about this virus is that, even if you think you're well, you could be asymptomatically infected. And if you are asymptomatically infected or pre-symptomatic, before you start showing symptoms, which is the time right before you start showing symptoms, is when you are most contagious.

Then you can unwittingly spread it to other people. This is probably why we're seeing the spikes everywhere, and what I wanted to avoid to be able to see my mom.

I use this as a perfect example. We have people who are near and dear to us, that we want to spend time with. We need to be careful. And you need to do your best to prevent spread to people who are vulnerable.

So I quarantined for two weeks. This is something that I think should give people hope. There are things you can do to limit your potential for getting the virus and for spreading the virus.

BALDWIN: I appreciate you explaining that.

What are we, like four or five months into this thing? And we want to see our moms and our dads and other folks in our family, and friends. So, it's possible but you have to self-quarantine two weeks and be so safe.

Anne Rimoin, thank you so much for sharing that. I appreciate it.

Primaries are being held in three states today. And in Oklahoma, there's a measure on the ballot to force the state to expand Medicare -- excuse me, Medicaid.

Here is a look at what to watch for.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a place where a man born on another planet meets a singer born to be a star, where a big bang meets a bada bing, meets a guy named Bing --

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Can I ask you a sarcastic comment?

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- and who meets a crew and meets a --

FRED FLINTSTONE CARTOON: Yabadabadoo.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It' where all HBO meets the greatest collection of movies, shows and new Max originals for everyone in the family. HBO Max, where HBO meets so much more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:50:26]

BALDWIN: Coming up for us, one of the New York doctors who has been on the front lines of this pandemic has been sharing her day-to-day struggles in this extraordinary Netflix documentary series, "Lenox Hill." If you haven't seen it, my next conversation will make you want to. We'll talk to this doctor coming up next.

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BALDWIN: Once the epicenter of coronavirus, New York has managed to flatten it's curve. But the battle was emotionally and brutal for those on the front lines.

And the emergency room doctors in Lenox Hill, in New York, know all about that. They are the focus of the new Netflix documentary series.

And a bonus episode reveals the heart-wrenching struggles during the height of the pandemic.

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DR. MIRTHA MACRI, E.R. PHYSICIAN, LENOX HILL HOSPITAL: Many of us have go through very personal and emotional changes. All of us have family. All of us have a loved one.

I've had to send my son and my husband to live with my parents. Because I can't risk exposing them, if I were to get exposed and they get exposed. That is been a lot to deal with. I haven't seen them in two weeks and

I probably won't see them for another month. It's completely life- changing. I'm sure this whole experience will change our lives forever.

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[14:55:06]

BALDWIN: And that doctor, Dr. Mirtha Macri, is with me now. She's an emergency room physician from New York, Lenox Hill. And the series is called "Lenox Hill."

And, Dr. Macri, first, thank you, thank you, thank you for everything that you have done, especially in the last couple of months. And there you were and still are pregnant doing it.

The series followed your time in the E.R. And there wasn't supposed to be a ninth episode but this pandemic hit and took everyone by surprise and put you and your colleagues through this brutal emotional time.

What were some of the hardest parts early on?

MACRI: Early on, I think some of the hardest were we knew very little about the virus. And I still think we're learning.

And really, the other hard thing was that the situation was changing on a daily, even weekly basis. So we had to roll through the punches, roll through the changes.

And that was what was really the scariest thing early on, was the uncertainty of managing this virus.

BALDWIN: And seeing colleagues get sick, right? Having them be on the other side of the curtain. I can't imagine what that was like for you.

And in the clip, you mentioned that you had to send off your son to your parents while you were in the thick of it. How hard was that for you and have you been able to see them since?

MACRI: So, initially, it was a very drastic measure. It was extremely hard. Something I never expected to do, especially while pregnant with a young child. So it was extremely hard. It produced a lot of fear, anxiety.

And since then, we have all been reunited again. But that was probably one of the hardest things I had to do during this whole entire time.

BALDWIN: What are we like, a couple of months later, just how are you doing now?

MACRI: Doing better. Even though I felt at first like this was a drastic measure, I'm going to be honest, I thought I wouldn't be able to do it.

It definitely helped me feel safer and helped me focus on work because at work things got really intense. And we wanted to focus on patient care and how to protect ourselves, how to manage this virus.

So in the end, it turned out to be a very positive thing because it helped me feel more in control and more prepared for the situation at hand.

BALDWIN: As someone who has seen some of the worst of this, right, through the ugliest parts of this pandemic in New York City, as someone who has had to physically remove yourself from the family because of it, for the people right now who are not social distancing, not choosing to wear masks, believe that this is basically over, what would you like to say to them?

MACRI: Definitely not over. I think this virus is around to stay. I'm no expert in the field of virology or epidemiology but I think it is here to stay.

I think being conservative now about protecting yourself and protecting others is going to better prepare you because I do think there's another surge coming. We're seeing it evolve right now.

And it's necessary. It's necessary to protect yourself. But at the same time, there are so many vulnerable populations out there.

And I think the docuseries shows those vulnerable populations right there in New York City. People not just old, but young as well, who are affected in underserved community that are going to, essentially, suffer the effects of people not protecting themselves.

And secondly, I think it is as simple as wearing a mask. I don't think it's that difficult to wear a mask or wash your hands and be conscience of our social distancing.

BALDWIN: Say it again, wear a mask.

Dr. Mirtha Macri, thank you so much.

And been out there banging the pots and pans at 7:00. Just so grateful for you and the doctors and the nurses and just the staff and everyone.

Thank you very much.

Again, the docu-series is on Netflix. It's called "Lenox Hill." And this is the bonus ninth episode on coronavirus. And it is compelling throughout.

So thank you very much. And eight days away from having the baby so good luck. Good luck. Congratulations.

MACRI: Thank you. Thank you very much.

[15:00:56]

BALDWIN: And before I say good-bye to you, just a quick programming note. With many traditional Fourth of July events canceled across country, CNN is hosting a star-studded "FOURTH IN AMERICA" special. So, of course, do not miss these two amazing humans, Don Lemon and Dana Bash, hosting that.

So, I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thanks for being with me.

Our coverage continues now on "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER."