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Trump Urges Boycott Of Goodyear; Boston Still Undecided On School Reopening Plans. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired August 19, 2020 - 12:30   ET

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

[12:30:00]

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JOHN KING, CNN HOST: President Trump today joining the cancel culture, he and a lot of his fellow Republicans often condemned. Rallying the base it seems is more important to the President than consistency. But this flip by tweet is potentially risky. The President is calling for a boycott of a big American company, a company headquartered in a state critical to his reelection. Goodyear makes its home in Akron, Ohio. And the President does not want you to buy Goodyear tires.

The company's offense in the President's view, you can see it here in this photo obtained by CNN affiliate WIBW. Workers are allowed to wear a Black Lives Matter shirt or a hat or a gay pride shirt or hat, but are not allowed, if you look on the right, to wear Make American Great hats or clothing. The controversy spread across the internet at rapid speed on Tuesday.

[12:35:10]

Today, Goodyear corporate says that image you just saw was not created or distributed by the corporate headquarters. And they insisted is not part of any diversity training class. They do not say where the image came from. But they do say they want their employees to stay away from all forms of political expression in the workplace, meaning no MAGA hats but also no Biden hats.

The Goodyear response came just one hour and 13 minutes after the President's boycott message, see it right here. Get better tires for far less, the president says of Goodyear adding, he is borrowing these boycott tactics from the Democrats.

Let's get straight to the White House in CNN's Kaitlan Collins. Kaitlan, the President and his allies often condemn what they call this cancel culture. But today he's all in because he feels offended.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And the President has always been a contradiction on this by being someone who rails against cancel culture. He just did it at that speech in Mount Rushmore on July 3rd. But this is different because it's an American President going after an American company that is headquartered in a swing state that he's going to want to win this November. And now he's telling people not to buy a product of this American company. And it's just something that really makes people wonder, because of course, not only is the President going after this company for what happened at this training session in Kansas, this visual that went viral, where the President is now saying that they're claiming that they are banning MAGA hats. But the company, you know, led this company to put out this statement saying that they're not against these statements. They just don't want people making political statements while they're at work. And that's what they were intending to do with that that statement, though.

They said it did not come from Goodyear Corporation. But the President, you know, doesn't seem to care about the details here and is instead encouraging people not to buy these tires, going off on them, despite how he and his supporters have gone off on cancel culture for the last several weeks and especially over the last several years, but especially during this election year. It's been something that the President has talked about and intends to make a focus a part of his election pitch to voters.

But also, there's even more irony here, John, because Goodyear tires are the ones that get the President to and from the places that he goes to. They are on the base. They've been the exclusive tire that is on the presidential limo for several years. You can see them there. Because they're the ones that are basically bulletproof. You nearly really do anything to those tires. And they're meant to keep the President safe. But they're also the tires that you see on the cars of the Secret Service vehicles.

So it's not just that it's an American President going after this American company after he's someone who rails against cancel culture, but it's also he even uses these tires himself, yet he's telling his own supporters, not to buy them.

KING: Keep an eye on the driveway there. Tell me if you see any jacks and tires being changed between the White House and the EEOB in the hours ahead. Kaitlan Collins for us live at the White House. We will stay on top of this one. Appreciate it very much.

The President today, this is not a laughing matter, praising another extremist, Laura Loomer. She's a far right activist banned from social media platforms because she spews hateful content. She's now one of Republican primary for congressional seat. The South Florida district includes the President's Mar-a-Lago Golf Club.

The President congratulated her on Twitter writing, great going, Laura. You have a great chance against a Pelosi puppet, the President referring there to Congresswoman Lois Frankel, a popular incumbent who won her primary with 86 percent of the vote in that very democratic district. Again, that is the President of the United States praising a woman, now a congressional candidate in his Republican Party who says she is a proud islamophobe. A proud islamophobe is a winner to the President of the United States.

[12:38:34]

Up next, Boston is back to school plans still very much up in the air. The city's mayor joins us next.

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KING: Parents in Boston still don't know the city's back to school plan, first day of classes about a month away. And the mayor says he wants to hold off as long as possible and study the science before settling, the back to class, remote learning, or hybrid question.

The Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is with us now. Mr. Mayor, as you know, I'm a proud product of the Boston Public School. So every question I asked literally here, I'm asking for a friend, you might say, back home. I get your point. I get your point. I'm going to wait until the last possible second. I'm going to study the science. I want to get kids back in school. So I'm going to wait, wait, wait. As you know, there are those with different views. This is a member of the city council, Andrea Campbell, who says, every day the district delays this decision, we lose an opportunity to prepare our students for success and our community loses confidence that this school year will be safe and successful. What's your response to that?

MAYOR MARTY WALSH (D) BOSTON, MA: Well, I mean, I don't -- I'm not really going to respond to that comment. But we postpone the opening of school until September 21st right now in the city. We know there are only two viable options on the table for Boston, that's either all remote learning or hybrid.

And our intention, my hope would be to have a hybrid model. We're looking at -- we're looking at the data in the positive testing here in the city. Ending last week we're at 2.6 positive rate as far as testing which is fairly low. And decision will be made fairly soon. We're looking at how do we best prepare our kids for the future here in Boston.

By September 21st, our kids will have been six months out of a building. So I'm concerned about growing achievement gaps. I'm concerned about our black and Latino students that the achievement gap continue to grow. I'm concerned about our low income students that don't have the resources at home that other families have, quite honestly, to be able to have alternative education in their households.

So we are taking this very seriously. We also want to make sure and I want to make sure that if our kids come back into a building, it's going to be safe, but at the same time and our teachers coming to a safe building and it's safe for them. But at the same time, you know, whether we start remote or hybrid, we're still working on the educational plan right now. And our district is working with teachers and working what the remote would look like and what the hybrid would look like.

[12:45:11]

So we're not losing time as far as educational opportunity. So I don't quite understand that statement by the counselor, because it's -- we can continue to do all this work at the same time. KING: I think part of the question is, if a parent out there needs to make some, you know, unique childcare arrangement, if it's a hybrid, and they're in for a couple days, at home for a couple days. So I get both points, I guess, which is why this is so complicated.

WALSH: Well, a parent can opt out from the very beginning. So any -- well, if we did hybrid, if we're able to do hybrid, a parent can opt out of that, they don't have to send their children to school. So that's something that's really important because a lot of parents did, their parents are all over the place and they're concerned.

I mean, if I were a parent, I'd be in the same boat. I'd want to see my kids in classrooms. I'd also be concerned about what the safety is. And I really have to be explained really clearly how safe the schools are. And that's what we're working on right now in the city to be able to explain to parents and show parents and teachers and staff how safe our schools will be.

KING: There are so many layers to this, every time I talk to a mayor or school administrator or teacher, I just say thank you. It's not my job to know what you're going to get a right or wrong. I just say it's incredibly complicated as a parent myself. I just want to show these, the demographics of your Boston Public Schools from last year, 42.5 percent Hispanic, 33 percent black, 14 percent white, 72 percent have some economic disadvantage in their family, about 45 percent their first language is not English, 21 percent students with disabilities.

Part of your planning, your contingency planning, Mr. Mayor, is a lot of those kids get vital food that they get food and nutrition in the school. Just talk to me about OK, if it's a hybrid, and so some days they're getting that in class, other days they get it at home, how are you working to make sure that, you know, those wheels turn, that's even separate from the education piece of this?

WALSH: Yes. Quite honestly, when we had to shut the districts down in March, we set up food sites around the City of Boston. We had 65 food sites set up by the city and we had dozens of other set up in the private sector. We've distributed over 2 million meals, many of those to our Boston Public school kids.

The issue is when you say 72 percent of the kids in our district are eligible for free and reduced lunch, not all of those families took advantage of the system that we had set up, we continually have set up. So that's a concern of ours getting kids into the schools. We're making sure that equity is at the center of every single decision that we make. It's really important that we do that.

So if we decide to do hybrid, what we -- actually quite honestly would be able to get more food into the home because the kids would come to school Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. The children that come in Monday and Tuesday would leave theirs on Tuesday with meals for the rest of the week, and the same for the kids that are coming into the week. So with all of this has to be brought into account here as we move forward here.

KING: Mr. Mayor as always, grateful for your time and again, wish you the best of luck making these decisions, catching the harpoons, do the best you can.

WALSH: Thanks John. Thank you for that.

KING: All right, Mr. Mayor, hang in there.

Up next for us, the Pope weighs in on a coronavirus vaccine and the social consequences of this horrible pandemic.

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[12:52:48]

KING: Let's take a look at the big global coronavirus headlines now including some advice from the Pope.

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DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Delia Gallagher in Rome. Pope Francis said that he hopes an eventual vaccine for COVID-19 won't just be for the rich. Speaking from the Vatican on Wednesday morning, the Pope said the pandemic has exposed the plight of the poor and the great inequality in the world. It requires a response, the Pope said, not just in the form of a cure for the virus, but also of greater attention and protection for the weakest and poorest in society.

VEDIKA SUD, CNN FIELD PRODUCER: I'm Vedika Sud in New Delhi. India has recorded over 2.76 million confirmed cases of COVID-19. The death toll stands at almost 52,900. India remains the third most affected country across the world after the U.S. and Brazil. A private lab in India, which is tested over 235,000 samples between June 2nd and August 18th, showed that over 21 percent of the samples tested were positive for COVID-19 antibodies. These tests were conducted based on request from corporations, individuals, and residential areas.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Paula Hancocks in Seoul. The number of new coronavirus cases here in South Korea has hit another five month high. More than 600 cases have been confirmed related to just one church here in Seoul.

Now Korea's CDC say because of that one particular cluster they are now contact tracing at well over 100 different places, workplaces, religious facilities, medical facilities, even schools, all in person. Church services have now been banned in the greater Seoul area only online services are permitted.

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[12:54:35]

KING: Up next for us, a very, very special convention week debut.

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KING: We close today with some good news. In these times, we could all use a reason to smile in addition to the CNN family. Lillian James Bunker or LJ, true to her political genes, oh, she's beautiful, making her debut during a convention week.

LJ born Tuesday afternoon. Mom Ashley is a producer on this show. Ashley is doing great, so as Dad Andy. Still up in the air we are told, sources say is Boone (ph), their dog, not quite sure yet, how Boone (ph) feels about this new arrival.

Fun fact about LJ, she's an eggplant baby. Now I know what that means because two of my three are chili babies. But if you aren't following, you're not sure what an eggplant baby is, just Google Atlanta eggplant babies for the inside info. Our congrats to Ashley and Andy. I could look at that all day. LJ welcome, you're beautiful.

[12:59:58]

Thanks for joining us so much. We'll see you back record this time tomorrow. So join us tonight as well for the continuing coverage of the Democratic Convention. Don't go anywhere. Busy News Day, Anderson Cooper takes over right now. Have a good day.