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Biden and Harris to Appear in Delaware Today; Florida and Georgia Report Record One-Day Death Tolls; Trump Claims without Evidence that China and Russia will Grab Plenty of Mail-In Ballots. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired August 12, 2020 - 10:00   ET

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

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[10:00:00]

POPPY HARLOW, CNN NEWSROOM: Top of the hour. Good morning, everyone. I'm Poppy Harlow.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN NEWSROOM: And I'm Jim Sciutto.

History in the making, you really want to take stock of moments like this. Hours from now, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will appear for the first time together as running mates for the highest offices in the land. Senator Harris will join Biden for a speech this afternoon in his home State of Delaware, and she will do so as the first black and South Asian woman to be on a major party's presidential ticket. Two just released their first joint political ad. Have a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE: All right.

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA): Hi. Hi. Hi. Sorry to keep you.

BIDEN: No, that's all right. Are you ready to go to work?

HARRIS: Oh, my God, I am so ready to go to work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Well, this morning we are learning new details about why Biden decided to pick Senator Harris. We are also seeing new attacks on her by the president. More on that, all in a moment.

Let's go first to our Arlette Saenz who is in Wilmington, Delaware, this morning. Good morning, Arlette. What are we going to see today?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Poppy, we're going to see Joe Biden and Kamala Harris standing together for the first time as the Democratic ticket. This caps off months of deliberations as Biden was searching for his running mate.

And we are told that Biden actually interviewed 11 women who were under consideration for This job, but some of those interviews done remotely in a virtual format, others in person. But, ultimately, Biden decided to go with Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate.

They had faced off during the Democratic primary and so he's seen what she is like out on the campaign trail. They even had their own heated debate moments which you could view that as a possible strength when you think about Harris willing to take other candidates on, thinking about that debate against Vice President Mike Pence in just a few months.

And as you saw in that video, he actually informed her over a video call that he had selected her as his running mate. This running mate selection process has been so different from previous years due to the coronavirus pandemic. And today, we will see Biden and Harris together for the first time.

There are lots of questions about what this event is going to look like. Typically, these vice presidential rollouts can consist of a large rally with thousands of people trying to energize their supporters. This is going to be different. It's going to be a smaller. Biden's events in the age of coronavirus, he has walked in wearing a mask. So that's one question. Are they going to wear masks as they appear together for the first time? After that event here in Wilmington, Delaware, later today, they will participate in a grassroots virtual fundraiser, as they're trying to generate some excitement among their supporters.

But as you also mentioned this is quite the historic ticket. Kamala Harris is the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants. Biden, of course, was part of a historic administration himself when he served alongside President Obama, who was the first black president. Biden is hoping to make history a second time with a first woman of color as vice president if he is elected.

SCIUTTO: Arlette Saenz, thanks very much.

Joining us now, Nia-Malika Henderson, CNN Senior Political Reporter, Dana Bash, CNN Chief Political Correspondent, David Swerdlick, he is the Assistant Editor for The Washington Post.

Nia-Malika, if I could begin with you, we are just two and a half months away from the election here. What do folks in the campaign and others think, believe -- what difference do they believe this will make in the election campaign? Do they think that this is something they could swing it either way or less likely to?

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, listen, I think in Kamala Harris, they believe, A, that they have somebody who could be president, right? That's primarily what the job of the vice president is. That's about governing. In terms of the campaign, they believe they have somebody who can energize all sectors of the Democratic Party, African-American voters, women, suburban white women, as well.

[10:05:00] And they also think that Kamala Harris is somebody who can attract some of those disaffected Republican voters, particularly college- educated white women who didn't vote for Hillary Clinton and voted for Donald Trump.

And so that's how they see her fitting into this ticket. They are obviously ready for the attacks that they're going to see from Donald Trump. We saw some of those yesterday with him calling her a nasty -- saying she was a horrible person and really mean and all the kinds of things and the sort of ways he often refers to women in particular.

Kamala Harris is ready for this fight. She is somebody who was able to work her way up in California politics, the rough-and-tumble world of politics there with many stars, and she was able to obviously emerge as a star on her own and got here as a result. And we've seen already people are enthusiastic about this. She brings a kind of energy that, frankly, Joe Biden didn't have on his own.

HARLOW: Dana Bash, to you. I'd like to talk about how historic this is obviously for many reasons, being a woman on the ticket, one of the few to see that, being the first black woman and the first South Asian woman on the ticket, both of her parents being immigrants. But last night, hearing Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee quote the late Dr. Martin Luther King and saying, she is taking us to the mountaintop, in that famous speech he gave the day before he was killed. Talk about this for black women across the country that have done so much for the Democratic Party.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: So much for the Democratic Party. And we saw that start to be expressed in a very vocal way, as in the days leading up to the announcement yesterday. More than 700 elected African-American women, people who were activists in and around the country signed a letter saying, it is our time. We have made sure that Democrats have been elected over and over again in modern history and it is our time to be represented.

And we saw the same from some African-American men, some very prominent African-American men in the Democratic Party. But it's not as if Joe Biden needed that to be reminded. The only reason why Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic nominee is because of the robust African-American vote and support that he got. He was, you know, going nowhere. He was finishing fourth, fifth, sixth until he got to South Carolina and he was brought back to life politically by African- Americans. And he fully understands that and it is also obviously a sign of the times.

Having said all that, I find it very fascinating to look at the history of this. And to listen to what Nia has been saying to us, which is that she's actually not a safe pick because, as a woman of color, that is still a -- you know, a little bit of -- a lot of an unknown about how that's going to play. But the fact that she is considered safe politically for so many reasons in the times that we are in, I think, is very telling.

SCIUTTO: David Swerdlick, Kamala Harris, among black voters, actually underperformed when she was a candidate in the primaries, finished behind Biden, Sanders, sometimes Elizabeth Warren. I asked James Clyburn about that just a few moments ago on this broadcast. And he said that in his conversations with many black voters, yes, they were not excited about her at the top of the ticket, but more excited at her as the right-hand man, as it were.

I just wonder what the data shows in terms of actual enthusiasm, voter enthusiasm for having Kamala Harris on the ticket.

DAVID SWERDLICK, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. Good morning, Jim. So, black voters vote strategically and vote defensively. And at the start of this whole process, there was a lot of consensus. And it was borne out by polling and research and different people weighed in on this that black voters, top-line issue, was picking someone who was seemed to be able to beat President Trump and unseat President Trump because that was the top line issue for black voters in 2020. And I'm sorry, I live downtown, you may hear a siren.

As we got into this race, that coalesced around Biden, and as Dana said, and as Congressman Clyburn said, you have a situation where South Carolina voters, the majority of who the Democratic voters are African-American put Biden at the top of and he never looked back. Senator Harris didn't benefit from that.

But now that you have Democrats wanting to coalesce and come together around a ticket, I agree with Nia that, in some ways, she is not as safe as a South Asian-American, African-American, and fourth woman on the ticket, Biden would only be the second catholic as president if he were elected.

[10:10:00]

But at the same time, what is safe about her is that she's seen as a main line Democrat who the vast majority of the figures and the party and the constituencies in the party can get behind. Yes, it will take a little bit to get those under 40 and voters of colors and further progressives to come into the fold, but the big part of the party is behind the ticket.

HARLOW: Nia, to you. So, Senator Harris told The New York Times in June, this is after the killing of George Floyd, that it is a mistake for people to believe that having more police on the streets creates more safety.

But she wrote in her in 2009, quote, if we take a show of hands of who would like to see more police officers on the street, mine would shoot up virtually all law-abiding citizens feel safer when they see officers on the beat. And I understand people evolve. They do. You're not human if you don't. But what do you think the biggest question is she needs to answer as her record as a prosecutor in California and about her stance on policing?

HENDERSON: You know, I think she is going to have to get in line with Joe Biden, who has come out against calls to defund the police. He wants more funding. He wants better training. And so that, I think, is the ultimate goal for her. And, yes, she is going to have to explain this evolution. What is interesting though is the party itself has evolved on this issue and she's right in line with a lot of this evolution. Democrats, years ago, very much wanted to get away from the idea that they were the mommy party. And so part of what Joe Biden himself was doing in 1994 with that crime bill, he was eyeing a run for the presidency was to be tough on crime, was to kind of rebrand the Democratic Party.

So that is where the party was. Kamala Harris, obviously, years later, as A.G. and a district attorney, kind of framed herself as smart on crime, but clearly had to deal with all of these different competing constituencies, including cops, including obviously voters in the Democratic Party writ large.

And so you do see this record that I think some people will find problematic. I think her challenge is going to be kind of reconciling where she was and how she got to where she is now and being in line with Joe Biden in stitching together this constituency.

Because I do think the constituency that they are looking to build, it isn't just defund the police, people. It is also made up of people who may say, yes, we do need more cops on the street that are trained cops, but more cops on the street depending on where you live. And so it's an issue she is going to have to address and address with some candor.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Well, thank you, guys. We're going to have to leave it there. So much to talk, but it is a continuing conversation. Of course, we have got two and a half months before the election. Nia- Malika Henderson, Dana Bash, David Swerlick.

HENDERSON: Thanks, Jim, Poppy.

HARLOW: Russia has a plan to begin mass coronavirus vaccination for its citizens in October, but the country only started phase three clinical trials today, right? How does that work.

Also, with passenger traffic way down, we're going to talk about the future of the airline industry. The CEO of Southwest is here.

SCIUTTO: And as new coronavirus infections are reported among students and staff in school districts in many places around the country, Dr. Sanjay Gupta says he will not be sending his own children back to the classroom. Why is that? He's going to join us next.

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[10:15:00]

SCIUTTO: Well, the toll, it just keeps rising. Right now, more than half a million confirmed coronavirus infections in Texas, this as both Florida and Georgia reported record breaking number of deaths in a single day yesterday.

HARLOW: That is so tragic to see, looking at those charts. This as Dr. Anthony Fauci says he's got serious doubts about Russia's vaccine, questioning its safety and its effectiveness. Let's go to our Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. We've got a lot to talk to you about, Sanjay, this morning, but let's begin there.

What should we take from this Russia statement that they've got the answer?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: There's really not a lot to even evaluate or look at. In fact, there's really nothing.

I spoke to Mr. Dmitriev yesterday, who is sort of the spokesperson that's been out there on behalf of this vaccine just trying to understand. I mean, they basically came out yesterday saying, we have an approved vaccine. Well, that's not the case. That much we can establish. Perhaps they've gone through a couple of phases of vaccine trials, as have many places around the world, but that's not obviously an approved vaccine. That is a vaccine candidate.

What it sounds like is happening, and, again, I'll preface by saying, absolutely, no data has been shared on any of this so we don't know what to actually evaluate here. But what it sounds like what Mr. Dmitriev was saying was that they've gone through the first two phases of trials on what is called an adenovirus-type vaccine. It basically means you take a common adenovirus, you scrape out the genetic machinery of that virus and you place the coronavirus genetics inside this existing virus and then you give it to people and hope that the body creates antibodies in response to that.

They now need phase three trials, which many people will now probably recognize is quite a process, involves really in giving this to tens of thousands of people and evaluating whether it works as compared to people who don't get receive the vaccine. And it wasn't even clear to me that they were going to be doing that, even giving it to the tens of thousands of people.

And I will just say quickly, there were strange things as well that he shared. He himself had given it to his parents, for example, an unapproved vaccine that you are not even sure is safe to your own parents.

[10:20:04]

People within the lab have been taking the vaccine. It sounds like a real sort of process that doesn't follow any kind of scientific order over there.

SCIUTTO: Yes, science still matters, we hope.

You wrote an op-ed yesterday about something very personal to you, and that is that you decided not to send your own kids to school. Tell us why. Because I know a lot of parents, Poppy and I included, are trying to make a decision like this ourselves. Tell us why you came to that decision.

GUPTA: Well, you know, I'll preface by saying it's not an easy decision. I mean, this is an emotional decision as well. My kids very much want to go back to school. I got three teen and pre-teen girls and they crave the immersion in humanity. I think they need it certainly at this age. But I think we really have to respect the science here. I think our schools have done a reasonably good job following the CDC's recommendations, mask mandate, hand hygiene stations, trying to create the physical distancing as much as possible, which is probably the biggest challenge. They've even gone through the process of getting kids and faculty tested.

The real problem for us is where we live at this point. We live in an area where there is considerable viral spread. As I've looked at the data from around the world in terms of how kids transmit the virus, I have become increasingly convinced that kids really of any age can spread this virus. And if you live in an area where there's already a lot of viral spread and it is increasing, this is just going to amplify that problem and perhaps significantly.

So if you look at the criteria at the city, at the county, at the state, at the national level, we really didn't meet any of those criteria for going back to school.

I'll say, as well, look, we think a lot about the students, and I think it is true that kids are far less likely to get sick. The risk is low, but it's not zero. But I also, you know, think a lot about the teachers and faculty. We have a quarter of teachers and faculty who say they are vulnerable either because of their age or preexisting conditions.

You guys you have heard the stories about teachers writing out their wills during these summer months in anticipation of going back to school in the fall. I just think we have to be mindful of all of that. Just think about this, when we decided to shut down schools in this country, there were about 5,000 infections in this country and 97 people had died. As we're thinking about going back to school, 5 million people, more than that have been infected and more than 164,000 have died. What have we done differently in order to allow this to happen? Just think about that.

So, again, this is not an easy decision. I don't mean to make it sound like that and I don't want to be dogmatic because this is an intensely personal decision for families. And we have the luxury of being able to do virtual learning where we live. A lot of people don't have that luxury because they've got to go to work, and that means their kids have got to go to school. So it's hard. I'm hearing from a lot of people on this.

But that is the decision that we made and we think it's one that best respects the science. So that's why I decided to put it all down on paper and write it out for people.

SCIUTTO: An amazing thing, 5,000 cases when they schools were first closed, now, 5 million cases, a thousand times more.

Sanjay, always good to have you on. I know that was a tough one for you to write, a tough decision for everyone.

Well, President Trump again, and we have to note this because it's true, without evidence, is attacking mail-in ballots, claiming that China and Russia will grab plenty of them come November, although he has allowed for it in states run by Republican governors.

Congressman Eric Swalwell, who has been briefed on the intelligence about Russian threats to the election, he's going to join me next to discuss.

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[10:25:00]

SCIUTTO: Just 83 days until Election Day and we now know who will represent the Democratic Party, Joe Biden making his historic pick, selecting Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. On the very same day, President Trump, once again, attacked America's voting process, claiming that though the evidence contradicts that China and Russia will somehow grab plenty of mail-in ballots come November.

Well, let's speak to someone who has been briefed on the intelligence surrounding the threat to this election, California congressman, former 2020 president candidate, Eric Swalwell. He is also the author of a book relevant to this discussion, and that is Endgame, Inside the Impeachment of Donald J. Trump. And Congressman Swalwell will have an inside view of that.

Congressman, thanks for taking the time this morning.

REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): Of course, good morning, Jim and Poppy.

SCIUTTO: So, first, let's take this presidential claim head-on, and I'm not going to play the sound again because it's a claim made without evidence. But you're familiar with what the president says that China and Russia are just going to grab batches of mail-in ballots, fake them, et cetera.

Based on the evidence you've seen, is that true or false?

SWALWELL: False, absolutely false, but that won't stop him from saying it. There is overwhelming evidence that, just like 2016, Russia has a preferred candidate in this race, that's Donald Trump and they're seeking to help him, and that they have a candidate that they would like to tear down just as they did in 2016, and that's Joe Biden.

[10:30:06]

END