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New York Sues to Dissolve NRA Alleging Widespread Fraud; White House Sets Friday Stimulus Deadline, Sides "Trillions" Apart; Updates on Coronavirus Response Around the Country; Deutsche Bank Gives Up Trump's Financial Records to New York Prosecutors; Facebook & Twitter Penalize Trump Campaign Video for "Misinformation" on Pandemic; Michelle Obama: I'm Depressed over Injustice, Trump's Hypocrisy; Ohio Governor Tests Positive Hours Before Scheduled to Meet Trump. Aired 1:30-2p ET
Aired August 06, 2020 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[13:30:00]
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: They say this is all tied to the 2020 election cycle, that this is a political vendetta. And of course, they will fight this, fight it for their members. And they'll file their answer in court. So we should be seeing that shortly -- Brianna?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: All right. Shimon, thank you for following that for us. We'll check in with you as things develop here.
Friday or bust. That is the deadline that the White House has self- imposed for an agreement on coronavirus relief funds. And while Congress is fighting, millions of Americans are left to exist on less than half of the support they were given for months.
I want to go to White House correspondent, Jeremy Diamond, who is following these talks.
Is it a possibility that there is no deal?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Look, we have heard both sides, so far, talk about being trillions of dollars apart and a deal doesn't seem in sight.
And now, the latest from the White House saying, essentially, if they're not close to a deal by tomorrow, the president will act unilaterally.
The president was talking on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews before leaving for Ohio saying that he could sign executive orders as early as tomorrow or possibly on Saturday, essentially, to extend those enhanced unemployment benefits and that eviction moratorium.
It's not clear exactly what legal authority the president has to actually do that.
But listen to the White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, talking about that very idea just yesterday. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK MEADOWS, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: By Friday, if we haven't made significant progress and we're just too far apart, the president's prepared to take executive action, and on those two items to talk about, making sure that eviction protection is done.
He will do that with -- through executive action. Making sure that those enhance unemployment payments that stopped because Democrats refused to say yes just a few days ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAMOND: Now, the White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, also said yesterday that the White House Office of the Legal Counsel is looking at options of these executive orders.
But I reached out a few minutes before coming on air here, Brianna, and the White House, so far, is not outlining what mechanism or what authority the president has to get this done unilaterally without Congress.
As for the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, he has -- the Senate was expected to adjourn today. He said the Senate will stay in session until there's either a deal or until it's clear that a deal is not possible.
But these next 24 hours are going to be crucial, Brianna, as we wait to see whether a deal can be achieved and how and whether the White House will act on its own.
KEILAR: All right. Jeremy, thank you for the update.
There's some disturbing video of a woman who is attacked inside a Staples store in a dispute over masks.
Also, actress, Alyssa Milano, saying she feels like she is dying after she tests positive for antibodies but negative repeatedly for coronavirus.
A significant turn in the investigation of the president's company after his bank cooperates with a subpoena. We'll have that ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:37:53]
KEILAR: The latest example of violence stemming from the war on masks, this one coming from video surveillance at a Staples store in New Jersey. A woman has been charged with aggravated assault after attacking another woman who allegedly asked her to properly wear a face mask.
Let's check in with the CNN reporters for the biggest headlines across the country.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I'm Alison Kosik, in New York. It is not your imagination. The cost of groceries has gone higher since the pandemic hit. Data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis finds beef and veal had the biggest jump, followed by eggs, poultry and pork.
Federal Reserve chief, Jay Powell, last week acknowledged the issue, saying, for some goods, including food, supply constraints led to notably higher prices.
Now the higher food prices are adding to the burden for those struggling with lost income, plus the loss of the extra $600 unemployment benefit.
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Alexandra Field, in New York. A COVID-19 outbreak in Ohio is linked to a church service. And 91 people became infected, 53 had been at the church service with a 56- year-old man who tested positive for COVID.
Ohio's Governor DeWine is again stressing the importance of wearing masks at religious services.
The governor has ordered masks for people ages 10 and up. He has also ordered masks for children in schools with just some exceptions. The state of Ohio has now had more than 96,000 COVID-19 cases.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Stephanie Elam, in Los Angeles. Mayor Eric Garcetti said he is ready to take action against businesses and homes that continue to ignore the health guidelines to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
He says he has authorized the Los Angeles' Department of Water and Power to begin cutting services to repeat offenders beginning Friday evening.
This, as the Health Department is saying that younger people are driving the virus here. Looking at the statistics of the new cases that they have announced, they're saying 76 percent of the new cases belong to people under 50. And 54 percent belong to people 30 and younger.
[13:40:13]
CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: I'm Chloe Melas, in New York. Actress, Alyssa Milano, said she is positive for coronavirus antibodies after being sick for nearly four months. She said is speaking out to call attention to the testing system that she says is, quote, "flawed."
Milano said she became ill at the end of the March but tested negative for the virus, despite having, quote, "every COVID symptom."
She says, in an Instagram post alongside a photo of her using a breathing machine, that, quote, "everything hurt, loss of smell. It felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest." Adding, "This illness is not a hoax. I thought I was dying." She also
says the symptoms still linger, like vertigo and heart palpitations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: All right, everyone, thank you so much for that.
A new global town hall on the mask debate and the push to reopen schools months in. Join Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta for "CORONAVIRUS, FACT AND FEARS," live tonight at 8:00 p.m.
Deutsche Bank just gave up President Trump's financial records to New York prosecutors but what are the chances that they'll be made public?
And I'll talk to a former school nurse in Georgia so scared of passing on the virus or catching it from students that she quit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:45:52]
KEILAR: In a remarkable turn of events, the New York prosecutors who are investigating President Trump's business practices are now subpoenaing his long-time lender, Deutsche Bank, and the bank is cooperating. All of this according to the "New York Times."
The takeaway from this report is that the criminal inquiry into Trump's finances, it spans far deeper than previously known.
I want to bring in David Cay Johnston. He is an investigative reporter and author of, "The Making of Donald Trump."
David, thank you for being with us.
You know, initially, this investigation centered around the hush money payments made during the 2016 election to an adult film star and director.
But in the "The Times" piece, it reads, quote, "In a court filing this week, prosecutors with the district attorney's office cited public reports of possible extensive and protracted criminal conduct at the Trump Organization and suggested that they are also investigating possible crimes involving bank and insurance fraud."
Tell us why that's significant.
DAVID CAY JOHNSTON, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST & AUTHOR: Prosecutors already have the basic tax information on Donald Trump. In New York State, your state tax return is virtually identical to the federal return. And the IRS shares tax information with the state.
What they don't have are the business records of the Trump Organization, the accounting records that they've been fighting for from Mazars USA, Trump's accounting firm, including drafts of tax returns and instructions by Trump and the banking records.
Once they have all of those records and present them to a grand jury, I would anticipate you'll see Donald Trump indicted.
KEILAR: And so, where would it go from there?
JOHNSTON: Once the grand jury hands up an indictment, there will be a specification of charges. So we won't actually see, for example, the banking records.
But the indictment will contain specific information: It is alleged that the defendant did the following act on the following date or time period. And so we'll see some outline of what's involved.
The next thing we're most likely to see is something leaked from the defense.
In all my years, 50 years of doing this, I never had a prosecutor leak a prosecution. But defense lawyers and secondary parties leak all the time, particularly if there's a very bad piece of news they want to get out and get covered and then forgotten about.
KEILAR: That's very interesting.
I want to turn to Twitter and Facebook. Both social media giants penalized the president - they penalized his team yesterday after his campaign posted videos that contain misinformation about the pandemic.
I guess the question is, what kind of constitutes going too far these days. I wonder what you think as you look at all of this and you try to make sense of where the lines are and if they're consistent.
JOHNSTON: Yes. I'm from the general school that the solution to bad speech is more speech. And William O. Douglas' observations in the 1950s about laws against people being Communists, that who are they, they are beggars of unwanted goods in the streets.
But putting a flag on things by Twitter or Facebook saying, "This tweet is factually false," seems to me a much better solution than blocking things or taking them down.
KEILAR: All right. David, thank you so much. I really appreciate your joining us. David Cay Johnston.
JOHNSTON: Thank you, Brianna.
KEILAR: And former first lady, Michelle Obama, opening up about how the Trump administration, in part, has caused her to suffer low-grade depression she says.
[13:50:35]
Plus, the concern from Dr. Fauci that has prompted the White House Coronavirus Task Force to take a closer look at how air droplets spread the virus.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: Former first lady, Michelle Obama, said on her podcast Wednesday that she's suffering from low-grade depression and singled out what she called the Trump administration's hypocrisy to be partly to blame.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES (voice-over): These are not -- they are not fulfilling times, spiritually. You know? So, I know that I am dealing with some form of low-grade depression.
Not just because of the quarantine, but because of the racial strife. And just seeing this administration, watching the hypocrisy of it day in and day out is dispiriting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[13:55:04]
KEILAR: I want to discuss this with CNN's Abby Phillip.
Abby, I think this is so important to listen to it because you can hear her tone of voice. She's being blunt. And it is rare to hear a first lady be so blunt like this. What inspired her to share this?
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: This is all part of Michelle Obama's coming out in the post presidency, where she's taking control of her own narrative.
Brianna, what we see in this conversation is Michelle sitting down with Michele Norris, one of her closest friends. And they're really getting candid on how they are coping with the pandemic.
And she talks about how she has, at certain points, stopped being able to go to the gym to work out. And that was the point where Michele Norris said, wow, you haven't been going to the gym. Because, as we know, Michelle Obama is known for her physical fitness. When she was in the White House, was a regular in the gym.
And she said, yes, this is part of how it's been a struggle for me to deal with racial injustice, to deal with the pandemic, the physical isolation of it all, and the weight of all of these things happening.
So, they get very candid on all these different issues. And you can hear it in her voice the way in which it is, as she said, it has been difficult.
But she said there's been times when she's had allowed herself to have a week where things are not normal. And she sort of gives in to it and be forgiving of herself for that.
I think it's something perhaps all of us, during this pandemic, can identify with.
KEILAR: That week where you phone it in, I think we're aware of that kind of week.
PHILLIP: For most of us, it's more than a week. (LAUGHTER)
KEILAR: I don't know who you're talking about, Abby.
(LAUGHTER)
KEILAR: But also, when you listen to this podcast, I think it goes to the point of just how personal the Obamas must be taking the Trump presidency, right?
Long before President Trump was ever a candidate, he was questioning whether President Obama was American. So you get a sense of how personal this is for the former first lady.
PHILLIP: No question about it. There are not that many times when we've seen Michelle Obama candidly critique the Trump administration. The other time was in her book, talking about how she would, quote, "Never forgive President Trump for putting her family in danger by peddling the racist Birther conspiracy theory."
And here again, you hear her talking about the hypocrisy of the administration, her frustration with its handling of the pandemic, but also her frustration with how the administration has and has not responded to the protests in the wake of George Floyd's killing. This is Michelle Obama being willing to say it.
And I think we've also heard President Obama being way more outspoken in the last few months about what they're seeing happening in the country and how they're really dissatisfied with it.
It's not something you often hear her do because I think she's been pretty circumspect in when she speaks out about her disagreements with the administration.
KEILAR: Abby, it's great to see you. I would never know that you, of all people, phone anything in. So it gives me comfort that you say -- you indicate that you do a little bit.
PHILLIP: Absolutely. And sometimes I haven't seen a gym in more than a week. Let's put it that way.
KEILAR: Abby Phillip, amen. Thank you so much.
Hi, there. I'm Brianna Keilar. It is the top of the hour.
And we're starting with breaking news out of Ohio. The president arrived in Cleveland moments ago. And he was supposed to be greeted by Ohio's governor but that didn't happen because Governor Mike DeWine tested positive for the coronavirus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The governor oh Ohio, DeWine, just tested positive, just here. And we want to wish him the best. He'll be fine. I guess he's going for a secondary test. I just said I look forward to seeing the governor. They said, sir, he just tested positive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: So a president who says testing is overrated, that maybe the U.S. tests too much, is now, it appears, saved from possible infection by one of those same tests.
CNN's Ryan Nobles is in Cedarville, Ohio.
Ryan, tell us, what more do we know?
RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna this came as a surprise. This is something that is done for anyone that comes in close contact with the president of the United States. They're giving one of these rapid COVID tests to make sure they don't have the infection before they come in close contact with the president.
[13:59:51]
Governor DeWine was with a group of dignitaries from Ohio scheduled to meet the president on the tarmac in Cleveland and his test came back positive. So he immediately went back to his home in Cedarville, Ohio. He said he's going to quarantine for 14 days.
And as President Trump mentioned, he is going to get a second test to confirm this was, indeed, a true positive.
