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Jacob Blake Sr.: My Son "Hasn't Been Treated Like A Human"; President Donald Trump Appeal To Base On Closing Convention Night; Trump, Biden Convention Speeches Highlight Stark Divide; Extradition Hearing For Teen Charged In Wisconsin Protest Shooting Pushed To Next Month; FDA Grants Emergency Use Authorization For Rapid COVID-19 Test. Aired 12-12:30p ET
Aired August 28, 2020 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:00]
JOHN KING, CNN HOST: Hello to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm John King in Washington. Thank you for sharing your day with us. An important moment today in a summer full of racial anxiety there is a new march on Washington to protest police brutality and racial indifference.
A live look at the National Mall we're 57 years after the historic march on Washington. This year's event being held 67 days before a defining Presidential Election and being held with the goal of showing, yes, strength in numbers yet also somehow respecting the premium the Coronavirus pandemic puts on having a mask and keeping a safe distance.
Martin Luther King III is among the speakers scheduled as our members of families impacted by police shootings. We'll bring you the big moments live when they happen. Say their names is a constant refrain of this summer's marchers and Jacob Blake is a name you will hear quite a bit today.
He is hospitalized in Wisconsin, shot seven times in the back by a white Kenosha police officer handcuffed to his hospital bed even though he is paralyzed his father seething at the treatment of his son.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACOB BLAKE SR., JACOB BLAKE'S FATHER: He's a human being. He's not an animal. He's a human. But my son is not been afforded the rights of a human. He is not been treated like a human.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Jacob Blake Sr. is here in Washington for the march today. The mall in the Lincoln Memorial where all that is playing out just a short walk from the White House where the president staged a big celebration of himself last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And I say very modestly that I have done more for the African-American community than any president since Abraham Lincoln, our first Republican President.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Kenosha was part of the president's convention acceptance speech but he did not say Jacob Blake's name.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: When there is police misconduct, the justice system must hold wrong doers fully and completely accountable and it will. But when we can never have a situation where things are going on as they are today, we must never allow mob rule.
We can never allow mob rule. And the strongest possible terms the Republican party condemns the rioting, looting, arson and violence we have seen in Democrat-run cities all like Kenosha, Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago and New York and many others, Democrat run.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: We'll have more on the president's speech and his strategy in just a moment. First let's get straight to today's march. CNN's Boris Sanchez is live there for us near the National Mall. Boris, what are you seeing?
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey, John, yes, just behind me in the next hour or so the march is set to begin. These activists moving from the Lincoln Memorial to the MLK Memorial just further down the mall.
Right now all morning we have been hearing from several prominent speakers, the families of Jacob Blake, of Breonna Taylor, Eric Gardiner, as well. We have also heard from a number of lawmakers. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley was here, Congressman Al Green. Soon we're set to hear from the Reverend Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III.
This obviously being the 57th anniversary of MLK's "I have a dream" speech. Of course we should note this is all happening amid the backdrop of a pandemic. And so to be able to even get into this part of the mall today everyone had their temperature checked, organizers made sure that everyone had masks.
We all got green bands to be able to enter this area and several people that we have heard from it made clear that the message of social justice is more important, more significant to them than the risk of Coronavirus and one refrain that we've heard repeatedly from speakers is that they simply want to be heard.
It is clearly an emotional day and they want their message to carry across the street at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue just across from the National Mall at the White House where as you noted President Trump held his acceptance speech last night, John. KING: Boris Sanchez down for us watching this march, we'll come back for the big events. I appreciate, grateful for the live reporting there. Boris, thank you very much. We'll return to the march a bit later this hour.
More though now on the president's convention closing speech and what it tells us about his strategy for the bruising nine campaign week just ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KING: When I'm re-elected, the best is yet to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: A planned Sinatra from the president there, 70 minute speech that through fact and logic to the wind. The president cast his Coronavirus leadership as bold and effective and he called the United States the envy of the world when it comes to testing.
The brutal facts are that the United States leads the world in cases, leads the world in deaths, and seven months in still doesn't have an adequate or consistent testing plan. Beyond the Coronavirus alternative facts, the convention strategy was crystal clear. First, rally the base.
[12:05:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The Biden plan would eliminate America's borders in the middle of a global pandemic on and he's even talking about taking the wall down. During the Democrat Convention the words under God were removed from the pledge of allegiance. Not once but twice. We will never do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Second appeal to the suburbs, we know from the 2018 midterms that the president's tweets and the chaos repel suburban voters. His 2020 bet now is that sounding alarms about Biden raising taxes and cities on fire will bring enough voters back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Joe Biden is not a savior of America's soul. He is the destroyer of America's jobs and if given the chance he will be the destroyer of American greatness.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Joining me now to discuss, Julie Hirschfield Davis of "The New York Times" and Seung Min Kim of "The Washington Post". Ladies grateful for your time today and we watch, we are watching on the side of our screen this march play out. And you would wait see what the President of the United States even acknowledged this moment? He has not yet today but even though it is taking place steps from his house. He did mention Kenosha last night. But in harsh terms of law and order and just moments ago tweeting since the National Guard moved into Kenosha, Wisconsin, two days ago there has been no further violence not even a small problem.
When legally asked to help by legal authorities, the federal government will act and quickly succeed. Are you listening, Portland? So crystal clear, Julie, that the president thinks law and order, not voicing compassion for the marchers not directly voicing compassion for the Blake family, law and order he thinks is his path to victory.
JULIE HIRSCHFIELD DAVIS, CONGRESSIONAL EDITOR, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Right. I mean, as he mentioned he did a similar thing in the run-up to the 2018 midterm elections. He talked a lot about the caravan and the threats that people were facing if they voted for Democrats. He talked a lot about sanctuary cities.
We're seeing the same argument only on a broader scale more national scale not just the border but the whole country. And really centered on Democratic cities because he is trying to argue in a kind of unusual way that even though he is President of the United States that the unrest that we have seen, the violence in some cases, and the divisions are really not because of him they're because of Democrats and extremism on the Democratic side and the left.
And I think that he is - we heard Kellyanne Conway his Senior Adviser talking about this earlier this week. They feel that to the degree that people are frightened and uncertain about what's going on in their communities that that will accrue to the Republican's advantage and to the president's advantage in particular.
And so he is doing all that he can to try to tie Democrats to this and to try to tie Joe Biden to this. And really deflect attention from the racial justice issues that have come to the fore and, of course, the virus and the deep, deep recession.
KING: And Seung Min to that point, again, you look at the picture on your screen and most of the demonstrations around the country since the death of George Floyd most of them have been peaceful this march today very large.
Yes, the president is right. There has been vandalism and looting and reckless destructive behavior in Portland, in Minneapolis little bit of it in Kenosha. The president's absolutely right about that. But if you look at the bigger context, there have been also peaceful protests, demands for change, this march today.
But if you listen last night, it's crystal clear, the president sees only the chaos and he wants you to blame Joe Biden.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Your vote will decide whether we protect law abiding Americans or whether we give free rein to violent anarchists and agitators. If Joe Biden doesn't have the strength to stand up to wild-eyed marchers like Bernie Sanders and his fellow radicals than how is he ever going to stand up for you? He is not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: It is an understandable play I guess if you follow past campaigns. Law and order message especially race baiting with a law and order message has proven somewhat successful in the suburbs but he is an incumbent president. I know he wants to blame the Democratic cities and the Democratic Mayors and the Democratic Governors but if there is chaos in America isn't this Donald Trump's America?
SEUNG MIN KIM, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, THE WASHINGTON POST: And that's the fact that he has glossed over and that his surrogates have glossed over the fact that this chaos is happening under his watch and in his America. That's the struggle that the president would have faced regardless of what situation in his re-election bid.
In 2016 he was able to run as the outsider who is not familiar with Washington, who would come in and shake things up. But, you know, right now he is the incumbent and there are a lot of questions and challenges that he has to answer for.
So you saw several times last night and throughout the Republican Convention how the president and his team tried to flip that and paint him as someone who's trying to keep, continuing to make America great when Biden had nearly 50 years to try to make changes and he never has.
[12:10:00]
KIM: Now whether that argument sticks we will find out November 3rd. But it was remarkable just how the issue of racial justice and these protests were handled throughout the Republican Convention this week.
I mean, contrasting that with Joe Biden where he not only expressed sympathy for the Blake family and but he said essentially in the same sentence that these violent protests are not the way to go. You didn't hear very much sympathy for the Blake family and for Mr. Blake's circumstances at the Republican Convention last night nor in the proceeding nights.
The only person that I recall hearing was Ben Carson, the Housing Secretary saying our thoughts are with the family. What the president and his team chose to focus on and the situation was the chaos erupting that in Kenosha and because they think that's the way to attract these iffy voters who are not sure.
You know, they don't like his rhetoric, they don't like sort of the chaos that he has called - that he has kind of presided over the last several years and trying to see whether - and the president's team is trying to find ways to bring them home.
KING: So, the challenge now for voters out there if you have - this is a small universe we think of voters who are persuadable, but we think we're going to have three debates so then they will get to see them side by side at least. We'll play it out. But at the moment you have two conventions and two very - listen here different visions. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We are aggressively sheltering those at highest risk, especially the elderly while allowing low risk Americans to safely return to work and to school.
JOE BIDEN (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Just judge this president on the facts. 5 million Americans infected by COVID-19 more than 170,000 Americans have died by far the worst performance of any nation on earth.
TRUMP: The Republican Party condemns the rioting, looting, arson and violence we have seen in Democrat-run cities all. Like Kenosha, Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago and New York and many others.
BIDEN: It is about winning the heart and, yes, the soul of America winning it for those communities who have known the injustice of a knee on the neck.
TRUMP: Just as I did in my first term, I will cut taxes even further for hard working moms and dads. I will not raise taxes. I will cut them and very substantially.
BIDEN: I'm not looking to punish anybody far from it. But it's long past time the wealthiest people and the biggest corporations in this country paid their fair share.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: We say it, Julie Davis, as a cliche, elections are about choices but the choice between these two is pretty stark on just about every issue.
DAVIS: Yes, I mean one thing that both candidates were definitely doing with both of their conventions was trying to draw out that contrast and it was a pretty easy assignment because there are two very different visions here and clearly two very different accounts of how President Trump has done?
Now, for President Trump he wants as we also talk about this all the time when it is about a Presidential Election and you're an incumbent president, you want it to be a choice. For Joe Biden we have seen him and leading Democrats really try to hammer home that this is a referendum on President Trump's leadership and that he has had the test of the last four years and he failed on so many of those tests they point out.
You heard Joe Biden talk about COVID, about racial unrest and present a very alternative vision of how he would attack these problems and also a very different economic prescription and economic agenda.
And I think the questions going to be in the next few weeks whether they can really keep that referendum theme going? Joe Biden and the Democrats, and really hammer home to voters the record that they say is worthy of throwing Trump out or whether President Trump is really successful at making this more of a choice? We heard him talk several times about 47 years that Joe Biden has been on the national scene and can he again try to make himself into the change agent that he thinks people want to see? And that's really going to be the contest in the next few weeks to come.
KING: It is 67 days if you want an exact count. Julie thinks there are few weeks it is going to be a blur. We both know that ladies. Seung Min Kim and Julie Hirschfield Davis I appreciate the reporting and insights today.
And off we go from the conventions to Labor Day, to debates and beyond. This foot note we have just learned that four people tested for Coronavirus at Monday's opening of the Republican Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
There were hundreds of delegates there. President Trump and Vice President Pence of course made speeches. The RNC says there were strict safety protocols in place, including testing all attendees.
[12:15:00]
KING: Before they travel to Charlotte and then again when they arrive those who tested positive were told to quarantine and close contacts were notified. Up next, a teen charged with two killings in Wisconsin due in court for the first time today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We're learning more now about the coming court proceedings for that 17-year-old charged with killing two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin. One hearing wrapped up just moments ago. Kyle Rittenhouse facing multiple homicide charges after allegedly shooting three people at a protest over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, the teen Rittenhouse now being held in Illinois. CNN's Shimon Prokupecz joins us now. Shimon, what was decided at this morning's proceeding?
SHIMON PORKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Really nothing, John. This was a very brief hearing heated then he didn't even appear, his lawyer waved his appearance. He does have new lawyers, the public defender here was initially defending him but he now has new lawyers representing him some who are ready.
[12:20:00]
PROKUPECZ: One of them already have spoken in a statement to NBC, John Pierce. He is a noted conservative lawyer whose firm has represented Rudy Giuliani, Tulsi Gabbard's Presidential Campaign. And he says they're going to fight this, this is a self defense case and they intend to fight this.
And just quickly, John, new information that was released by the prosecutor in Kenosha on this particular case paints a chaotic picture the night of the shooting where they describe how most of the victims were trying to protect themselves, trying to get the long gun that Rittenhouse had on him, was trying to get it away from him. There was one person in particular who said that he kind of felt that Rittenhouse didn't really know how to handle this kind of a weapon. The other thing of note here is that Rittenhouse was charged with possessing a dangerous weapon as a minor.
To possess and to buy and to use and to have this kind of a weapon legally you have to be 18 or over in the State of Wisconsin. He is under age. And so that is an added charge and that is certainly going to raise some questions as to how he was able to obtain this weapon, John?
KING: Shimon Prokupecz for us following the latest on the court proceedings. I appreciate the live reporting there we'll stay on top of that case. Up next for us some new concerns about the health officials about the CDC's revamped Coronavirus testing guidelines.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:25:00]
KING: The president was emphatic last night; the end of counting Coronavirus cases is near.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We are marshalling America's scientific genius to produce a vaccine in record time. We will have a safe and effective vaccine this year and together we will crush the virus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: This year you heard it there. That's the president promise even though many of the experts think that's overly optimistic. Anyway until that day comes, we count cases and that count is high today remains stubbornly high.
Let's take a look at the map. First we look at the state by state, 50 state trend map and we end the work week not as good as position as we began the work week. Look here 16 states heading up, 20 that's the beige holding steady 14 that's the green heading down.
You see a lot of red out here in the middle of America 16 states heading up as of Friday that means more cases now than a week ago. Let's go back and take a look where we were on Monday, it was a 11 states up, more significantly it was 25 states heading down.
So we close the week in a worse position than we began the work week. We will see how that carries over into next week? One of the reasons is this, just a stubborn baseline. Here we were before the summer surge, 70,000 plus at the peak of the summer surge.
We saw early in the week we thought maybe at least we're going to get the baseline down below 40,000 cases a day, right that would be some progress pushing it below 40,000. Last two days though spiking up again so we're above 40,000 new infections a day in the United States, that is a stubbornly high baseline. You do see the big states, Florida is down. Texas is down. California's down. But these four states reporting record high cases, new infections, a record high for them in the pandemic just yesterday. Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, now nowhere near the numbers you get that we were getting in July from Florida and Texas and Arizona and California.
But you see these rolling hotspots driving up the case counts. You start to have a problem with case counts you think we need to do more testing. Let's take a look at these states. You do see in the last couple of days a spike here, a spike in testing here in South Dakota, a spike in testing here for two days out in Iowa.
But largely these lines have been flat something to watch as we head into next week. They're having new infections, a spike in infections, will they accelerate testing? That has been a question, a concern often complaint throughout the past seven months.
The administration says there's plenty of testing out there. We surge it into hotspots. The administration yesterday saying this is about to get even better giving this emergency authorization for the so-called Abbott Lab Rapid Test. But listen here to Dr. Michael Osterholm one of the experts on this. He says this test is dramatically overrated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT: I'm very concerned about the hype over the last 24 hours about a new test from Abbott. I would not want to use this test on someone with clinical disease. We know that this very same kind of test for influenza only achieves about 50 percent to 70 percent positivity among those who have influenza. I also worry that we can see a big drop in number of positives if I'm only picking up 50 percent to 70 percent of the positives that are really there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Joining us now is Dr. Cyrus Shahpar; he is the Director of the Prevent Epidemics Team from Resolve to Save Lives. He is also a Former CDC official. Doctor Shahpar, it is good to see you. Do you agree with the Dr. Osterholm there that this Abbott lab test is unreliable?
And I think part of his complaint also is that there are some people in the public health community who see medicine by press release if you will. A press release that says we're going to give emergency authorization for something or we're going to authorize use of something that doesn't really have a significant impact but if you're a layperson you might think oh, there's more progress.
DR. CYRUS SHAHPAR, PREVENT EPIDEMICS TEAM DIRECTOR, RESOLVE TO SAVE LIVES: Yes. I think I agree with some parts of what he said in that it's not a magic bullet. We don't know how reliable it is in a real world setting? It was tested on about 102 people within seven days the symptom onset.
There are certainly advantages to a low cost test that's widely available. So that's exciting to address issues we have around test turnaround time. But we need to see how it performs in the real world?
KING: And so add that into the biggest context about testing. The conversation that we've been sadly having for seven months.
