Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Twitter Flags Scalise's Tweet Attacking Biden As "Manipulated"; House Oversight Committee Accuses Postmaster General Of Withholding Documents, Will Issue Subpoena; FDA Head: Willing To Approve Vaccine Before Phase 3 Trial Ends. Aired 12:30-1p ET
Aired August 31, 2020 - 12:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:32:14]
JOHN KING, CNN HOST: It was an attempt by the number two House Republican Congressman Steve Scalise to attack Joe Biden's stance on police funding. The problem though, the video Scalise tweeted splice together parts of a Biden interview with the progressive activist Ady Barkan, who has ALS. You might remember his moving appearance at the Democratic National Convention.
Biden tweeted quote, this video was doctored and a flagrant attempt to spread misinformation at the expense of a man who uses assistive technology, it should be removed now. Twitter then labeled it as manipulated, and the Congressman did delete the tweet Sunday night. Here's how he responded this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. STEVE SCALISE (R-LA): Well, you don't look it shouldn't have been edited. But at the same time, the comments were always about effect twice in that interview. He asked Joe Biden if he was for redirecting money away from police and in both times Joe Biden said yes. And you saw that last response Joe was excited about saying yes that he would redirect money away from police.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: He had said what he wanted to said. Forgive me, Donie O'Sullivan waiting for me to get to him and editorialized a bit first. You don't have to splice it if he said it without having to splice it, then you wouldn't have had to splice it. Donie, this is a big deal.
DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER: That's right, John. And you know, I think as well as this just being blatant misinformation, it's obviously particularly distasteful. Given that the activists Ady Barkan uses an assistive computer to help speak. And he tweeted last night to Steve Scalise saying, these are not my words. I've lost my ability to speak but not my agency or my thoughts. You and your team have doctored my words for your own political gain. Please remove this video immediately. You owe the entire disability community an apology. As you mentioned, John, Twitter labeled this video as manipulated. It was also posted to Facebook. And Facebook did nothing. We, you know, seen this stance over and over again from Facebook where they don't want to fact check politicians while at the same time claiming they're serious about tackling misinformation. And you know, I think this is really going to be what we saw over the weekend with tweets like this from Scalise and retweets from the President and others of QAnon accounts.
It's going to be something that we're going to see more and more as the weeks lead up to the election. And, you know, we also know from the intelligence community that countries like Russia are using social media to try and influence the election. What are these companies like Facebook and Twitter are up to the challenge of tackling and identifying that will be meant to be seen, John?
KING: Yes. We've had this conversation too many times to be confident. They'll get much better at it. But Donie, we'll keep watching it. We'll keep bringing you back to call them out when necessary. Donie O'Sullivan, appreciate that very much.
[12:34:53]
When we come back, a key House committee chairwoman not happy with the Postmaster General.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: This important news just in to CNN, the House Oversight Committee now set to issue a subpoena to the Postmaster General Louis DeJoy demanding documents the Committee says he is refusing to give Congress. You might remember, DeJoy recently grilled by lawmakers on controversial changes at the Postal Service changes many of these lawmakers worry will impact mail-in voting this fall.
CNN's Kristen Holmes is tracking this story. So Kristen, a subpoena going to the Postmaster General, what the House Democrats say he is refusing to give up?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, remember on Monday, John, you just talked about this grilling. The Postmaster General was pressed by multiple members to provide documents on the changes that he's made to the postal service that have caused these widespread delays.
[12:40:03]
Now, on top of that, they're also seeking documents on how this could potentially impact the election, as well as any communication that DeJoy has had with the Trump campaign that's on Monday. DeJoy revealed that he had been in touch with friends on the campaign about Donald Trump's rhetoric surrounding mail-in voting, saying that it was not helpful.
So now the Committee is seeking any sort of communication that he had. So they set this deadline for Wednesday. Two days after that, we are told from a source close to the Committee that he had not provided any documents but instead sent a letter that said, quote, I trust my August 24th testimony before the Committee on Oversight and Reform clarified any outstanding questions that you had.
One thing to note is that I talked to the Postal Service this morning. He told me they would be responding to the Committee, but clearly here they were parsing words saying this response it's actually something that came last Friday, but it doesn't seem that they have any intent on turning over these documents. Now the subpoena is set to be issued on Wednesday, John?
KING: On Wednesday escalating standoff between the Postmaster General and House Democrats. Kristen Holmes, appreciate the breaking news. We'll stay on top of the story as it continues and it will, again, when it comes to mail-in voting, some voters can start doing that in just a couple of weeks, so very important questions.
Coming up for us, a coronavirus vaccine could be approved before the final trials are over. Some experts worry about that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:46:12]
KING: The Trump administration sprint to get a coronavirus vaccine on the shelves is facing pushback from some experts who worry perhaps politics might be taking a bigger role in science in the process. The FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn says the agency may choose to fast track of vaccine, perhaps granting emergency use authorization even before phase three trials are completed. Some health experts say it would be better to build public trust by using an independent vaccine commission to weigh in on any vaccine decision.
CNN's Elizabeth Cohen joins me now. Elizabeth, what is at the crux of these concerns for an independent -- calls for an independent commission? Do they not trust Commissioner Hahn? They think too much politics. I just think the public has so many questions, its better.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The last one is really the major thrust of this. John. These doctors who I've been speaking with are saying that they feel like the public doesn't trust the FDA sufficiently for us to get a vaccine on the market that people will actually use. They say this, because they say their colleagues don't want to get the vaccine, an infectious disease expert at Harvard telling me that her colleagues, doctors and nurses say they don't want to get the vaccine. These are pro vaccine, people who vaccinate their own children. These are physicians, but they're saying that they have a mistrust of this vaccine. And this is borne out in polls.
There was a CNN poll taken earlier this month, that showed that 40 percent of Americans said they don't want to get a vaccine. So this group of doctors and these are not fringy doctors, these are doctors at Harvard at NYU at UNC are saying if we want the Americans to trust any vaccine decision, any vaccine that goes on the market, there should be an independent commission, reviewing all the data alongside the FDA, John? KING: We're appealing open the onion here of how this process works, but Dr. Hahn says he has an advisory panel and that he would consult an advisory panel. But these experts you're talking to who something completely free of the FDA, they -- apparently don't see that as good enough?
COHEN: Right. They don't see that as good enough. They say, look, we know people on that committee. They are respected and venerated scientists and researchers, but it's still an FDA advisory committee and there are members from the farm -- of the pharmaceutical industry on that committee, and there are government employees on that committee. So why not just create another one that is totally disconnected that doesn't have any kind of government or industry stamp on it.
KING: Keep using that same word, trust, trust all these different issues around the pandemic, the word trust keeps coming up. Elizabeth Cohen, appreciate the important reporting. Keep in touch with us on to see how that place out. Thank you.
[12:48:39]
Up next for us, an update on the global coronavirus developments including India surpassing the death toll of one of the worst hit countries.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Some global Coronavirus headlines now Sweden has not reported any coronavirus deaths in more than a week. That's according to its public health agency. The country did report 43 new cases of the virus just in the last day. You might remember if you've been with us the last several months Sweden unlike many of its European neighbors, you see the pictures right there has taken a pretty relaxed approach to coronavirus restrictions on daily life in the country. Some other global headlines now from our correspondents around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in France authorities really doing all they can, John, to try and prevent that dreaded second lockdown that the French President simply said he couldn't rule out just a couple of days ago. This is the country sees exponential rises in the number of new cases last Friday. We saw the largest single daily rise since March 31st at the very high to the French outbreak, more than 7,300 new cases were declared.
Now today here in Paris, a new system is being tried out. Fresh labs have been opened around the city, a couple of them, mobile. Into which you can simply walk off the streets even if you don't have your social security card and get tested for free. Of course, as you know, John, here in Paris, masks are now mandatory throughout the city. If you're a school kid and over 11 you'll be keeping that mask on all day when you get back to school on Tuesday. And if you're working in an office base anywhere in the country, you'll be keeping the mask on all day as well. Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well here in Germany, tens of thousands of people descended on the Capitol Berlin on Saturday to protest against the coronavirus pandemic restrictions put in place by the German government. Now, at some point some of the protesters even tried to storm the building behind me. That's Germany's parliament building, the Reichstag. And of the people who took part in that protest we saw a lot of people were from the fringe right wing carrying German imperial flags of the German Reich.
[12:55:10]
But there were also a lot of people who were supporters of the QAnon conspiracy platform. Now, a lot of those people told us that they believe that Angela Merkel should be put in jail and they say they also see themselves as disciples of President Donald Trump. The German government has heavily criticized the people who tried to storm the Reichstag building. They say it's OK to protest against the coronavirus measures, but of course, it's not okay to attack Germany's democracy.
Frederik Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.
VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER: India surpass 3.6 million confirmed cases of COVID-19. It is also reported over 75,000 new infections on a daily basis for the last five days, while India has the third highest number of cases across the world. It is also reported the third highest number of confirmed deaths after the U.S. and Brazil.
According to India's Health Ministry, India's fatality rate stands at less than 2 percent. Medical experts say one of the reasons for the surge in COVID-19 numbers in India is aggressive testing. India has tested over 42 million samples as of Monday morning. The next phase of easing restrictions starts from the first of September. Metro rail services will resume from the 7th of September but this will be integrated manner.
Here in India's capital, New Delhi, over 1.5 million people use the metro rail services. According to India's Health Ministry, 43 percent of India's COVID-19 numbers are from three states, the western state of Maharashtra and the southern states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Vedika Sud, CNN, New Delhi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KING: Think of your favorite musician or band maybe they pack a big concert hall now if they could, but they most likely got their start on small stages. Unlike so many businesses during this pandemic, independent music venues facing very tough times and asking for more financial help, here's a look for CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Would you be where you are today without independent music venue?
JAMES MURPHY, LCD SOUNDSYSTEM: Impossible. There's no way. There's absolutely no way.
YURKEVICH (voice over): James Murphy, lead singer of the Grammy- winning band LCD Soundsystem, spent decades perfecting his sound in small, independently-run music venues.
MURPHY: This is a kind of like natural ecosystem that you can't rebuild. It's like a coral reef of venues. It's like a national asset that if it goes away, it doesn't come back.
YURKEVICH (voice-over): He was scheduled to play here at Knockdown Center in Queens, New York, in April, a gig that's been postponed indefinitely.
TYLER MYERS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KNOCKDOWN CENTER: It's really rough. It's like, you know, there is no timeline on when we could reopen. We were the first to close. Our industry will be the last to reopen.
YURKEVICH (voice-over): Which is why Knockdown and nearly 3,000 other independent music venues banded together to form the National Independent Venue Association, or NIVA. The group, along with 600 other artists, from Lady Gaga to Billy Joel, are calling on Congress to take action. NIVA has endorsed the Save Our Stages Act, a bipartisan bill which would provide a six month grant to independent venues.
In Atlanta --
JOSH ANTENUCCI, MANAGING DIRECTOR, CENTER STAGE ATLANTA: This is where young artists grow up. This is where the local talent hones their skills.
YURKEVICH (voice-over): Josh Antenucci, runs Center Stage. He says he got a PPP loan which helped him stay afloat, until now. But with live events indefinitely on hold, he has no other source of revenue.
ANTENUCCI: You can't do live music to go.
YURKEVICH (voice-over): NIVA estimates that independent music venues generate hundreds of thousands of related jobs, and 90 percent of venues say without federal assistance they won't last six months.
ANTENUCCI: If we don't have capital investors, if we don't have a stock market supported business, how will we possibly continue to pay the bills?
YURKEVICH (voice-over): Tobi Parks just opened her music venue xBK in Des Moines, Iowa, before the pandemic shut her down.
TOBI PARKS, OWNER, XBK: It's not just hurting us and our venues, it's hurting all the small businesses. It's hurting the pizza place that's next door to me, the coffee shop that's next door to me. It's hurting the community as a whole. YURKEVICH (voice-over): It was a dream years in the making, but she's now looking at closing for good in just months. And as a minority-led business owner, the prospect is heartbreaking.
PARKS: That's why I'm fighting so hard, particularly for people like me who are a black queer woman. And so it's incredibly important to be able to maintain it and to continue on for the next generation of people to take my place.
YURKEVICH (voice-over): Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[12:59:56]
KING: Thanks for sharing some time with us today. Hope to see you back here this time tomorrow. Busy Newsday stay with us, Brianna Keilar picks up our coverage right now. Have a good day.
