Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Democrats Kicks Off Their Unconventional Convention; John Kasich Won't Leave His Party; Something Fishy Going on in USPS; Father's Death Blamed on Trump; Disobedience Have Ramifications; Opening Night Of Democratic Convention Is A Call For Unity; Democrats Take Aim At Trump In Convention Opener; Democrats Hold Moment Of Silence For George Floyd; New Zealand Reports 13 New Cases After Election Delayed; European Countries Tighten Restrictions As Cases Rise; The Battle For Belarus; Naval Tensions In The South China Sea. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired August 18, 2020 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. You are watching CNN Newsroom. And I'm Rosemary Church.
Just ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT): We must come together, defeat Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: The Democratic convention opens with urgent appeals for the party to unify and save American Americas from four more years of the Trump presidency.
And the pandemic a key thing. We will have the strong words from a grieving daughter laying blame for her father's death from COVID-19 on the U.S. president.
Good to have you with us.
So, Democrats are making their case for Joe Biden presidency. On the first night of their unconventional national convention former first lady, Michelle Obama came out swinging against Donald Trump, criticizing his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and his divisive character.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) OBAMA: I know Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has
had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is.
So, if you take one thing from my words tonight, it is this, if you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can, and they will if we don't make a change in this election. If we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for Joe Biden, like our lives depend on it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Four Republicans cross party lines to endorse Joe Biden. Former Ohio Governor John Kasich said they might disagree on policy but he believes that Biden can bring the country together.
Senator Bernie Sanders made his appeal to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, highlighting Biden's move to the left on a number of issues he said are now mainstream.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDERS: Joe Biden will end the hate and division that Trump has created. He will stop the demonization of immigrants, the coddling of white nationalists, the racist dog whistling, the religious bigotry, and the ugly attacks on women.
The future of our democracy is at stake. The future of our economy is at stake. The future of our planet is at stake. We must come together defeat Donald Trump and elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as our next president and vice president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: CNN senior political analyst Mark Preston joins me now from Washington, D.C. Good to see you, Mark.
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Good to see you, Rosemary.
CHURCH: All right. So, let's look at what all these speeches on the first night of this virtual DNC convention, what they are trying to achieve. Former first lady Michelle Obama warned voters that thing could get worse if voters don't make a change in this election. Really telling them to get out and vote. How likely is it that her words will resonate and encourage Americans to do just that?
PRESTON: Well, she is an interesting messenger for the Biden campaign, to put it on the first day in many ways. It could be their secret weapon. And when I say that is that Michelle Obama is very reserved about how she uses her time, how she uses her likeness, she is very careful only to weighed into the political waters when she really, really wants to. I think tonight we saw her do that, and she did that in a way that most politicians can't do it. She delivered her thoughts in a very sincere way, her request in a
very sincere way. And you have to wonder our folks who are on the fence, or other mothers, are there other young women out there that perhaps who wouldn't be considering voting, who wouldn't want to take the time, wouldn't think that their vote would count. I think that's who Michelle Obama was trying to reach out to tonight, and she did so very effectively. Now we'll see if in fact people will go to the polls and will she be more involved, Rosemary, in the coming months.
[03:05:00]
But the fact is, Michelle Obama was a good highlight for the Democrats to kick off this very bizarre convention week.
CHURCH: Yes, I mean, she was the main voice of the night, wasn't she? And of course, the latest CNN poll shows this is going to be a very tight race. And it will require all of Bernie Sanders supporters voting this time around rather than staying at home as they did back in 2016.
Did Sanders go far enough in his address appealing to the far-left progressives who don't think the Biden-Harris ticket represents them in any way? Do you think he achieved that, talking about authoritarianism -- authoritarianism?
PRESTON: I think so. It was interesting too that if you really listen to his speech tonight. I talked to one of Bernie Sanders advisors right before the speech. And the adviser told me, he said, listen to what Bernie Sanders says when he talks about authoritarianism, and he talks about his own family. You know, he doesn't often talk about how Jewish heritage or about the fact of how his family had to flee Europe because of the Nazis, but in fact that happened.
So, Bernie Sanders, I think, took a note from the Obama book tonight, and that note is the sincerity note. You compared about how he was endorsing Joe Biden tonight, compared to the bitterness of the 2016 race, when a lot of people who supported Hillary Clinton didn't think that he did enough, I think you'll see night and day.
And I do think that you will see Bernie Sanders do whatever he can do in these very difficult in these campaigning days, whatever he can do to try to help elect Joe Biden. He doesn't necessarily agree with him, Rosemary, on every issue, health care, for instance, but he looks at him and he thinks that Joe Biden can at least help preserve these real liberal progressive policies that, you know, Democrats have pushed for and have been successful over the past couple of years pushing more to the left since Joe Biden is somebody who keep on championing that.
And if Donald Trump wins another term, Bernie Sanders tonight very starkly said to his followers, everything we've worked for is going to be lost. Whether that's true or not, we don't know, but still, it's a message that he tried to get across.
CHURCH: Yes. He was certainly making a clear message, there're a choice of two guys here, you have to work out which one it will suit you but that is your choice. So, Republican John Kasich, his -- his address of course was designed to convince other Republicans that country comes before party. How did he do with that? And is he the guy to let other Republicans know, that it's OK to vote for Biden?
PRESTON: He is certainly the guy for some Republicans. John Kasich is a very interesting fellow, very conservative, extremely smart, but somebody that you either like John Kasich or you don't like John Kasich. But tonight, what you saw from John Kasich was, again, I go back to this one word sincerity, this level of sincerity.
This is somebody who ran for the Republican presidential nomination himself and lost. This is somebody who I remember when I first came to Washington, was considered one of the most fiscally conservative and smartest individuals on Capitol Hill.
But this is somebody obviously that doesn't share the same Republican philosophy, that grounded Republican philosophy that Donald Trump shares. And I think he was making that distinction tonight and trying to tell folks that if don't necessarily support Donald Trump, if you are a Republican it's OK to come over to Joe Biden.
I don't necessarily think you are going to see a lot of Republicans jump ship, but you could see a lot of people in the middle and you could see folks like John Kasich who say themselves, you know, at this point I can't be loyal to my party because of who the nominee is. We'll see what happens in November.
CHURCH: We certainly shall, we'll be counting down, Mark Preston, always a pleasure. Thanks so much.
PRESTON: Thank you, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Well, a former senior Trump administration official and long- term Republican is endorsing Joe Biden's presidential campaign. Miles Taylor served as chief of staff to homeland security secretary, Kirsten Nielsen, and it's one of the highest-ranking former officials from the Trump administration to back Biden.
In video message Taylor accused Mr. Trump of using his office for political purposes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MILES TAYLOR, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY: He told us to stop giving money to people whose houses had burned down because from a wildfire, because he was so rageful that e people in the state of California didn't support him and that politically it wasn't a base for him.
The policies at the border, he said he wanted to go further, and have a deliberate policy of ripping children away from their parents, to show those parents that they shouldn't come to the border in the first place. And even though I'm not a Democrat, even though I disagree on key issues, I'm confident that Joe Biden will protect the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And while Joe Biden is enjoying the support of a former Trump administration official, new polling results show he is also maintaining a lead over President Trump, though it has narrowed.
[03:10:01]
CNN's poll of polls, which combined six nonpartisan surveys, found Biden now leading by a nine-point margin nationally. On July 20th, Biden had a 12-point lead. And while the president is making up some ground, he is still warning about the potential for election fraud even though there is no evidence of it. Some of his starkest language yet came Monday on the campaign trail in Wisconsin. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We have to win the election, we can't play games, get out and vote, do those beautiful absentee ballots, or just make sure your vote gets counted. Make sure because the only way that we're going to lose this election is if the election is rigged. Remember that. That's the only way we're going to lose this election.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Well, U.S. House Democrats are making the postal service crisis a top priority. The postmaster general will testify next week amid accusations the Trump administration is sabotaging the service to prevent mail-in voting for the November election.
CNN's Kristen Holmes has more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: No, we're not tampering.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Trump today, insisting he is not behind recent delays in U.S. mail.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It's been run horribly, and we're going to make it good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And denying he is using the postal service to meddle in November's election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I wouldn't do that. Now I have encouraged everybody speed up the mail, not slow the mail.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HOLMES: That's not stopping Speaker Nancy Pelosi who called the House
back early from summer recess and planned the weekend vote to stop the administration from implementing any changes ahead of November.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK MEADOWS, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: I'm all about piecemeal. If we can agree on postal, let's do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Outrage sparked by postal workers who sounded the alarm that recent changes by Trump's postmaster general like cutting overtime and post office hours have slowed delivery time. Something the postmaster called, quote, "unintended consequences in a recent letter."
Documents obtained by CNN also show a plan has been underway to remove nearly 700 high volume mail sorters from postal facilities across the country this year, but the White House chief of staff telling Jake Tapper on the State of the Union that no more processing machines would be removed before the election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEADOWS: That's something that my Democrat friends are trying to stoke fear out there. That's not happening.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Are you saying that sorting machines have not been taken off line and removed? Are you asserting that that did not happen?
MEADOWS: I'm saying -- I'm saying that sorting machines between now and the election will not be taken off line.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have a mail --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The president today once again attacking the mail-in ballot process with false information on drop boxes. Tweeting, who is going to collect the ballots? And what might be done to them prior to tabulation, a rigged election? State officials have pushed back on these claims.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENISE MERRILL, CONNECTICUT SECRETARY OF STATE: The clerks empty these things a couple of times a day actually, and they usually aren't very prominent places. It's going to be very difficult vandalized one of these boxes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: In Colorado, where mail-in voting has been running smoothly for more than a decade, 75 percent of voters return ballots in drop boxes but the rest rely on the postal service. Now multiple states are considering legal action against the administration and President Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I will not allow him to suppress any American and we'll fight him with all options on the table.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Kristen Holmes, CNN, Washington.
CHURCH: The Biden team says President Trump has shown his true colors yet again by retweeting Russian propaganda. On Sunday, the president amplified a tweet that U.S. have described as a part of a Russian campaign. They say it's meant to spread false and misleading information about Biden and his dealings with Ukraine.
The Biden camp says the release is blatant Russian meddling against the former vice president ahead of the election.
Well a woman who lost her father to the coronavirus created one of the most powerful moment so far at the Democratic National Convention. Her scathing rebuke of President Trump, that's ahead.
[03:15:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: Well, it's no surprise the most dominating story of the year, the coronavirus is capturing a lot of attention at this week's Democratic National Convention. One of the most compelling moments came when a woman who her father to the virus blamed the U.S. president directly. She says her father believed President Trump when he said the virus was under control and would disappear.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTIN URQUIZA, LOST FATHER TO COVID-19: After the stay-at-home order was lifted in Arizona, my dad went to a karaoke bar with his friends. A few weeks later, he was put on a ventilator. And after five agonizing days, he died alone in the ICU with a nurse holding his hand.
My dad was a healthy, 65-year-old. His only pre-existing condition was trusting Donald Trump. And for that, he paid with his life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And the coronavirus claimed another 445 lives in the U.S. Monday. And the number of confirmed cases is approaching five and a half million.
Erica Hill has the latest from around the country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEBORAH BIRX, COORDINATOR, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE: We wish that when we went into lockdown, we looked like Italy. But when Italy locked down, I mean, people were not allowed out of their houses. Americans don't react well to that kind of prohibition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just getting Americans to wear masks has been a hurdle in many places including schools. They are not mandatory in Georgia, one of nine states where positivity rates topped 10 percent and more than 1,000 students and staff are now quarantined. Outbreaks in Cherokee County just north of Atlanta forcing three high schools to suspend in-person learning through at least the end of the month.
[03:19:57]
Nationwide, the number and rate of coronavirus cases in children has been steadily increasing since March. In Arizona, more than 100 staff members in one district called out sick, school there canceled for the day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LILA GONZALEZ, FORMER TEACHER: I was glad that they have decided to take a pause for Monday because this is going to impact our community as a whole.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Multiple schools into two Florida districts also adding quarantine orders as others worry, they could be next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMBO JACKSON, PRINCIPAL, FORT BRADEN SCHOOL, FLORIDA: We do all types of drills for emergencies and tornadoes and fires, and even an active school shooter, but there is no foolproof way to have a deal to avoid a COVID-19 infection.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: UNC Chapel Hill moving all undergraduate classes online after reporting several clusters on campus. An entire sorority house in Oklahoma state is now quarantined, and these images from a crowded party near the University of North Georgia sparking concern that school could be next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDY SLAVITT, FORMER ACTING ADMINISTRATOR, CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES: We are setting them up to fail. And then we are going to blame them for being irresponsible. And I think we are the ones that are quite frankly being irresponsible by allowing that kind of thing to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HILL: Deaths topping 170,000 with the country now reporting an
average of more than 1,000 deaths a day for the past three weeks. And while new cases over the past week are trending down in 20 states, at least a dozen of those are also reporting a decline in testing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM HASELTINE, FORMER PROFESSOR, HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL: We are probably missing 8 out of 10 people who are contagious. And any decrease in testing is worrisome because we're already not doing well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: A new saliva test granted emergency use authorization by the FDA offering hope.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SLAVITT: These tests can be done very rapidly, very inexpensively lots of them and with a quick turnaround time. And that's a big different from where we are today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Further evidence communities of color are being hit harder, new analysis of 12 states published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine finds that black, Latino, and native populations were hospitalized at a disproportionate rate. And vaccine trials have been slow to recruit black and Latino participants, currently just 10 percent of those who volunteered, despite making up more than 50 percent of confirmed cases in the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEEMA YASMIN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: On us, in medicine in public health to build those bridges with communities of color and say, look, these are going to be safe trials and we need your involvement, because we want to know the vaccine will protect not just some Americans, but all Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Erica Hill, CNN, New York.
CHURCH: William Haseltine is a former professor at Harvard's Medical School and school of public health. He is also the author of a "COVID Back to School Guide" and he joins me now from Roxbury in Connecticut.
Thank you, sir, for talking with us.
HASELTINE: My pleasure. Thank you.
CHURCH: So, I so want to start with White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx saying she wishes the U.S. had lockdown the same Italy had where people weren't allowed to leave their homes except to buy groceries once a week. She acknowledged that Americans don't react well to that sort of prohibition.
So why wouldn't she, and the other task force members have insisted at some point on a national mask mandate instead to reduce the spread of the virus, but also keep the economy moving?
HASELTINE: I think that the health authorities, whether it's the CDC, the NIH, the task force, the people who were trained in public health gave the right advice. But in a political setting giving advice and getting action are two different things. And unfortunately, this administration did not act on the advice they were given.
CHURCH: So, you don't think that we'll ever see this administration called for a mask mandate across the nation?
HASELTINE: I don't think we're likely to see that from this administration. I don't think we have seen the kind of steps we need to control the COVID epidemic. As you know, the United States with 4 percent of the population accounts for one quarter of all infections and deaths, this is an unmitigated disaster for our country. It has traditionally been the leader in public health. It shows you what a difference leadership makes.
CHURCH: Right. And of course, Los Angeles schools have announced massive testing and tracing for students and staff. But the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill just announced that they are suspending in-person learning after just a week of classes due to numerous COVID- 19 clusters. How inevitable is it that we will see other schools and colleges close and move to remote learning?
[03:24:54]
HASELTINE: It's absolutely inevitable. If you are in a zone that's yellow, orange, or red, and you opened, especially with the rather careless procedures that we have, it is inevitable that many people will be infected in colleges. We are doing the same thing with our public education. It is inevitable that we are going to see many infections, many quarantines, and many closings at a very large number of unhappy and distress parents.
CHURCH: And President Trump and his administration are pushing for all schools to open for in-person learning. Insisting that children are immune, or not vulnerable even though studies of course showed that is false. When would it be safe to open schools and colleges for in-person learning? And could that newly approved saliva-based test be key to doing this?
HASELTINE: Well, let's take the saliva-based test. It isn't all that it seems, there's some good part about it and it shows that use saliva. But it's still a test that needs to be supervised. You have to spit, under supervision, and then you have to send it up for testing. It is not a home test. Home tests are being devised. Those will make a difference. They should be fast. They should be cheap.
But the saliva test that was just approved is not that. All it essentially does is replace the long swab that goes into the back of your nose with a saliva test. There are some simplifications of the re-agents which they claim may make things faster. It's not the re- agents that make things flow, it's bad bureaucracy that makes things slow.
CHURCH: Well let's hope in some way that problem with testing can be solved.
William Haseltine, thank you so much for talking with us. We do appreciate it.
HASELTINE: You're welcome. Thank you very much for the opportunity.
CHURCH: Well, President Trump calls out New Zealand for its coronavirus outbreak. But the country's prime minister isn't having it. Hear her response in just a moment.
Plus, Joe Biden won't speak until later this week. But there were plenty of other powerful moments on the first night of the Democrats convention. What makes for a good speech? We'll look at that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:30:00]
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Well, on the first night of the Democratic convention, the message of unity came from all points of the political spectrum. Progressives, moderates and Republicans who crossed the divide, all outlined their support for Joe Biden while condemning President Trump. Jeff Zeleny has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: In the age of a pandemic, unusual Democratic National Convention now underway. Very unconventional. Democrats in here the U.S. are not gathering in one space but certainly watching from across the country, a virtual convention.
But the highlight of the first night of speaking, no question Michelle Obama. The former first lady delivering one of the most political speeches we have seen her give in her time in public life. Going after Donald Trump, saying he is the wrong man for the job, he is not fit for the presidency.
And then she delivered some of a stark warning to Americans. She said that if you think things can't get worse, they can. She also implored progressives and others, who may not love Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to support the ticket anyway. And she urged young Americans to vote. It was something that we have not heard Michelle Obama speak in this way, almost as much of a moral authority speeches, a political one.
But Senator Bernie Sanders, of course, was the last man standing to Joe Biden during this Democratic primary campaign. He too delivered a forceful endorsement of Joe Biden and urge progressives to vote for him as well. Said elect the Democrats in November and then progressives can work on their agenda. So, certainly the Democratic convention, at least in the first
evening, the speeches ran a gamut of ideology from progressives to moderate. Even some Republicans got in on the act. The former Ohio Governor John Kasich, and a handful of other Republicans said that it is time to put country over party and support Joe Biden.
So, the question here of course, is going forward, this race is going to be a very competitive one. President Trump also out campaigning here in the U.S., watching these convention as well. But it will all comment it on Thursday when Joe Biden will fully fulfill a lifelong dream and accept the Democratic Party's nomination to be president. Should he win in November, he would be this country's 46th president. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Wilmington, Delaware.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: CNN's senior political analyst John Avlon joins me now, he's also the author of Washington's Farewell and Wing Nuts. And a onetime speech writer for former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Good to have you with us.
JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Good to see you, Rosemary.
CHURCH: So, a lot of notable speakers lined up for the week for the DNC convention. We've already heard from some, including from former first lady Michelle Obama. What stood out in her address particularly? And what is the key to a great and a memorable convention speech?
AVLON: It is such a great and important question. You know, Mitchell Obama is actually a great communicator in her own right. And she really has an ability to speak from the heart, but to throw -- throw some subtle jabs. And I think that the heart of her speech was about character. She said it's the most important thing in a presidency. And it's what's most glaringly lacking about this president.
And she tried to tie in fact the aspects of the Obama legacy to a broader bipartisan legacy of president's shoring up international organizations, mentioning Reagan and Eisenhower, two Republicans. And say, look, that Donald Trump has been a stark departure from that. And he has an inability to empathize with other people. And that's what the presidency is about.
You know, a great convention speech. And there has been many. Ultimately, it is about trying to put forward a positive vision of the nation and project it forward. Some Democrats, sometimes have a hard time embracing patriotism in a full sense.
They want someone to keep it arm's length. But successful progressives in particular, they know how to tie their vision to something that is fundamentally patriotic. Martin Luther King did that very well throughout his career. And great speeches do. And you're seeing that tone get hit over and over so far in this convention.
CHURCH: Yes. We certainly saw that very much at the start of it. Didn't we? And also, Republican John Kasich spoke. How significant is it that he is from the rival party, and do you think that could potentially change the hearts and minds of other Republicans who may be questioning the direction of their party right now? Which of course, it is clearly the hope here on the part of the Democrats.
[03:35:15]
AVLON: I think it's easy to forget how extraordinary that moment was. And it wasn't just John Kasich. It was Christine Todd Whitman, former Governor of New Jersey and a Bush administration official. It was Meg Whitman, a business woman who ran for Governor of California as a Republican, a close ally of Mitt Romney.
It was Susan Molinari, a former Republican representative who spoke in 96 Republican Convention. So, it's not just Kasich. But it is so extraordinary and unusual to have that many members of the opposition party lined up to say that they cannot support the incumbent president of their own party.
(Inaudible) said he's bad at business. John Kasich said he is bad for the soul of America. Now look, Donald Trump is very popular among Republicans, to around 85-plus percent.
But there's a large number of (inaudible) Republicans who are saying, showing major signs of dissent. And it is very difficult to find folks who voted for Hillary last time who are going to vote for Donald Trump this time. It is not as difficult to find folks who voted for Donald Trump who aren't going to do it a second time. And it's almost impossible to imagine that Republicans pulling off anything similar at their convention with this press.
CHURCH: Yes. Interesting, and just very quickly. Historically, how often has a convention speech moved the needle in any significant way?
AVLON: Look, candidates can get a big bump out of their conventions. John McCain got a bump out of his with a very strong country first speech. Just by being dragged down a bit by the nomination of Sarah Palin at that convention. Bill Clinton's 92 convention speech is a classic of the genre, where we talked about a new cabinet. George W. Bush's convention speech, very strong. Barack Obama in Denver, something, you know, he is a great orator. And those moments matter. And they can create real bumps.
But again, it is about tying the personal vision to a patriotic perception of the country. Tying the past with the present and projecting it onto the future. That is what great speeches do and that's what folks should look for.
CHURCH: John Avlon, great to chat with you. Thanks so much.
With racial injustice a central issue of this campaign, Democrats took time to remember the black man who died under the knee of a white police officer. We will be back after this message to the convention from George Floyd's brother.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILONISE FLOYD, GEORGE FLOYD'S BROTHER: It's up to us to carry on the fight for justice. Our actions will be their legacies. We must always finding ourselves in what John Lewis called good trouble. For the names we do not know, the faces we will never see, those who can't mourn because their murders didn't go viral. Please join me in a moment of silence to honor George and the many other souls we lost to hate and injustice. And when this moment ends, let's make sure we never stop saying their names.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:40:00]
CHURCH: Officials in New Zealand have reported another 13 cases of COVID-19. Most of them linked to the recent outbreak in Auckland. Now this comes a day after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern postponed the general election citing the rise in infections. On Monday, U.S. President Trump took a shot at New Zealand calling its cluster terrible.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In fact even New Zealand, you see what's going on in New Zealand? They beat it, they beat it. It was like a front page. They beat it. Because they wanted to show me something. The problem is -- big surge in New Zealand. So, you know, it is terrible. We don't want that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: But New Zealand's Prime Minister was quick to set the records straight on that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACINDA ARDERN, PRIME MINISTER OF NEW ZEALAND: I don't think you see me comparison between New Zealand's current cluster and the tens of thousands of cases that are being seen daily in the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: New Zealand House reported about 13,000 cases since the pandemic began. The U.S. is approaching 5.5 million. Well, even members of the White House's own coronavirus task force are saying the U.S. has botched the response. Dr. Deborah Birx says Americas restrictions did not go far enough. And she wishes the lockdown would have been much more strict.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEBORAH BIRX, CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE: I wish that, when we went into lockdown, we looked like Italy. But when Italy locked down, I mean, people were not allowed out of the houses. Americans don't react well to that kind of prohibition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And Italy is now re-imposing some of its restrictions after seeing a rise in new cases. It is one of several European countries trying to prevent a second wave. CNN's Melissa Bell is live from Paris. She joins us now. Good to see Melissa. So, it is a lesson to us all not to let our guard down with this virus, isn't it? What is the latest on the situation in France and in Italy?
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think that is right. I think what is happening in Europe is really interesting. Because as we just heard a moments ago, there are so many countries here that really didn't enforce very strict lockdowns. They did manage to get the crisis under control fairly quickly.
But what has been happening over the last few weeks with the reopening and perhaps more specifically right now, with the reopening of the borders within the E.U. and the lifting of any travel restrictions between E.U. states.
What has happened is they're not post lockdown world. Rosemary we have seen the number of cases rising. We've seen it in the last few days in France, two record days over the course of the weekend. A small rise in the number of new cases yesterday, but more people had made it to hospitals.
Here in Paris, Rosemary, what we've seen over course of the last 15 days, is a six fold increase in the number of coronavirus cases. New clusters in places like Marseille, and the south of France. Because that is where so many people have traveled not just from within France, but from other European countries.
They've travel also to Spain, to Greece, to Croatia so many countries that had hoped to attract tourists this summer to try and compensate some of the losses to their economies and who have found that in fact they were direct increases in number of coronavirus cases. Croatia and Greece in particular, having to bring in fresh measures to try and bring those number of cases down.
[03:45:05]
So, that is what is so interesting about what is happening. Governments here in this post lockdown world, working out exactly what the necessary measures that need to be taken are in order to keep their economies open, and what we see here in France, but elsewhere in Europe, is that it is almost daily announcements. So, fresh measures, fresh parts of cities where the wearing of mask will be mandatory even outdoors.
The closing of places like nightclubs and bars in Greece and in Italy. Anything that will try and keep tourists and the young safe. Because that is another of the important statistic that's coming out of what's happening in Europe that the hardest hit in terms of these fresh rises in coronavirus cases, the younger generation.
Rosemary, those 25 to 35-year-olds, all too keen to be able to travel again. All too keen to be able to live again. Her bearing the brunt of the latest rise.
CHURCH: Yes. That is a trend we are seeing. Melissa Bell, many thanks, joining us live from Paris. I appreciate it.
Well, thousands of people gathered for a party in Wuhan, China over the weekend. The former epicenter of the pandemic reportedly hasn't seen any new coronavirus cases since May. And you can see the audience packed in tightly for this concert at a water park with very few masks insight. Officials are hoping to boost the economy with the lockdown lifted. To do that, they have waived ticket fees at hundreds of tourist sites.
Well, a short break right now, just ahead, the president a Belarus under pressure to step down. But he says not until you kill me. We will be back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:50:00]
CHURCH: Antigovernment demonstration in Belarus are now in their second week. Thousands of people filled the streets of Minsk for the 9th straight day, Monday, protesting what they call a rigged election. Meanwhile embattle President Alexander Lukashenko was booed and heckled by factory workers. He says there won't be any new elections, quote, until you kill me.
CNN's Matthew Chance is live in Moscow. He joins us now. Good to see you, Matthew. Pretty blunt message from Lukashenko, what might it reveal about his likely next move? And of course, how far will Russia go in supporting him?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, obviously, from my perspective here in Moscow, it looks like Alexander Lukashenko is doing everything he can to remain in office as president of Belarus. Whether he will be able to sustain that, I think that is something that you know, as I say remains to be seen. We are still watching to see what unfolds over the coming days and weeks.
In terms of what Russia is prepared to do, well that is also unclear. There's been a whole lot of speculation that you'll be aware of, of the idea that Russia sort of preparing to provide assistance of some kind to Alexander Lukashenko. That assistance could take the form of military assistance. That's at least the speculation. But there is very little sign of that actually happening on the ground.
And I expect the Kremlin is looking at this situation, as we all are very carefully and weighing the risks. So, they will know that, of course, if they were to send in forces to support the regime of Alexander Lukashenko that would have significant political and economic blowback, economic because undoubtedly there would be sanctions impose on Russia for undertaking the kind of action.
And politically because both in Russia and in Belarus, that there are a good deal of popular resistance to Russia, you know, taking that kind of you know, overt military action. And remember, I think this is key as well, these protests in Belarus are not anti-Russian protests. They are not pro-European Union, pro NATO protest, like we saw in Ukraine back in 2014 that compelled the Russians to move in and seize Crimea for instance back in 2014.
These are anti-Lukashenko protests. And to a very large extent, the Kremlin itself is isn't a big fan of Alexander Lukashenko. They could probably live with the idea of somebody else coming in, taking over, who they could work with. And so, you know, I think all the speculation about Russia possibly, you know, preparing a military intervention is just that at this stage.
CHURCH: All right. We will watch it very closely to see what happens next. Matthew Chance, joining us live from Moscow. Many thanks.
Well, the first time in two years, the U.S. Navy is providing CNN with rare behind the scenes footage of a reconnaissance patrol over the disputed South China Sea. China has claimed with much of the sea despite objections from a number of other countries. CNN's Ivan Watson reports the South China Sea is a grown potential flash point.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Final preparations before takeoff. Rare footage of a U.S. Navy aircrew flying a mission over the South China Sea last week. This aircraft bristles with high powered scope to conduct surveillance.
CMDR. MIKE STEFFENS, U.S. NAVY: We are serving as eyes and ears, patrolling ahead of the force. We are closely monitoring our adversaries.
WATSON: The adversary here is China. And it is not long before a Chinese voice calls out over the radio and tells the U.S. plane to leave.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Depart immediately. Depart immediately.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm United States military aircraft conducting lawful military operations in international airspace.
WATSON: Eyewitness's similar challenges two years ago on a different U.S. Navy flight over this increasingly tense region. At least seven different governments have competing claims to parts of the South China Sea. But Beijing claims virtually all of the sea for its self.
To cement its claim, China embarked on a massive island building project, constructing runways, and radar stations on what had been reefs and at holes. Last month, the Trump administration declared Beijing's position illegal.
MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: We reject China's unlawful claims in the South China Sea, once and for all.
[03:55:00]
WATSON: The Defense Department says it has stepped up deploying war ships and planes on what it calls freedom of navigation operations through the sea, prompting Beijing's top diplomat who accused the U.S. military of trying to destabilize the region.
WANG YI, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): In the first half of this year alone, the U.S. and military aircraft (inaudible) more than 2,000 times.
WATSON: But it's not just the U.S. that is challenging China's territorial claims here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: China coast guard, China coast guard.
WATSON: Late last year, Indonesian ships faced off against Chinese vessels.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are in Indonesian waters, sir. Please move away and go back to your territory, sir.
WATSON: Indonesia deployed fighter jets to an Island that it controls.
CMDR. FAJAR TRI ROHADI, INDONESIAN NAVY: A very possible conflict that affecting to our territory or our stability. We will protect our interests, national interest.
WATSON: Meanwhile other countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, growing increasingly assertive against Beijing's maritime claims. The Philippines building up one of its own islands. While the commander of the Philippines Navy warns about alleged Chinese provocations on the high seas.
VICE ADM. GIOVANNI BACORDO, PHILIPPINE NAVY: The first one who fired the shot loses public support. And I am sure they want us to take the first shot, but we will not.
WATSON: With so many Navies operating in such close quarters, there is growing risk of a first shot that could trigger a wider conflict. Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And thanks so much for joining us this hour, I'm Rosemary Church, I will be back with more news in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
