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Biden Hits Back, Says Trump Can't Stop Violence Because He Foments It; White House Says No Plans for Trump to Meet with Blake Family; 1200+ University of Alabama Students Positive for COVID; Hollywood Mourns After Passing of Chadwick Boseman. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired August 31, 2020 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: Your thoughts?

ANGELA RYE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, Brooke, I think that we have to be really sophisticated this election to understand the difference between Donald's Trump's words and his intensions and even call out the hypocrisy in some of his words.

For example, Donald Trump talked about he's done the most for black people than any other president in history. But that pales in comparison to the rhetoric that he's used targeting not just any black person, not that any black person should be targeted, but even elected members of Congress who he arguably needs to work with.

When all of the uprisings began, as a result of George Floyd, Donald Trump went on Twitter and talked about when the looting starts, the shooting starts. That's not a phrase that he made up. That is what he pulled from Chief Walter Headley in 1967 in response to what were deemed race riots.

He got that from Bull Connor who we know has a dreadful past in Birmingham, Alabama. What we have to be very clear about are the signals that Donald Trump sends to his base and how toxic and dangerous those signals are. Those signals come from a fascist. Someone is engaging in ultra-nationalism, someone who is engaging in dictatorial power and someone who is engaging in suppressive tactics not just as it relates to turning out the vote but also as it relates to economic freedom in this country.

It's the criminal justice freedoms in this country and police violence which we know overwhelmingly targets black and brown people. What we have to be very clear eyed about is that we are fighting against a fascist. I put on my Twitter the other day changed my Twitter handle, vote, this is not a drill. And Brooke I mean it, I've never been this scared in my life.

BALDWIN: Listen, I hear from both of you, vote, but Angela back to you, you know, I hear you, I hear all of the points your making but when you look at the violence swirling in the nation and it's not just Kenosha, and it's not just, you know, Portland, and it's not just, you know, Portland, one has to wonder whether or not that this violence in the end actually helps the President of the United States? As he is putting out this, you know, law and order message, that it would actually play into his hands and help him get reelected, Angela?

RYE: Brooke, this is where it becomes the responsibility of the press and thankfully on this show you stick to the facts.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

RYE: It is important that you not just show those images of the fringe protester who lights something on fire. Show the images of the people who have been peacefully protesting since George Floyd's death.

When you talk about Black Lives Matter, don't talk about the people who are utilizing the banner as fear tactics but are not part of the global network or that movement. As a result of some of those images that people are using to stoke violence and fear, my friends now get death threats and I'm talking about the creators of Black Lives Matter.

That is not part of their movement. Those are fakes that we have to call that stuff out. We have to show when the violence is really coming as a directive, whether it's implicit or explicit from the President, the commander in chief and his supporters.

The man who went out in Kenosha and was shooting people was a Trump supporter. He's been at Trump rallies. Call out the President and make him condemn that violence and not talk about these fringe people who are out here wearing the banner and acting as if they're affiliated with Black Lives Matter but are in fact not affiliated at all.

I'm willing to bet you over and over again that those folks have no affiliation with the actual movement and they are just a part of what we have seen historically in this country and that is infiltrators designed to undermine the desired need and the firm pursuit of justice.

BALDWIN: Well, Mr. Harris, you know, listening to Angela, and listening to everything that's been happening, especially, just even, you know, in Wisconsin and Kenosha, we know that the President, though, despite, you know, calls from the governor, from local leaders and the mayor, for him not to come. He is the President of the United States, if he wants to go to Kenosha, he gets to go to Kenosha. What advice would you have for him if he, in fact, decides to travel?

WENDELL HARRIS, PRESIDENT, NAACP WISCONSIN STATE CONFERENCE OF BRANCHES: I would ask him not to come to Wisconsin. The Wisconsin conference of branches NAACP put out a statement today, asking the governor, disinviting the governor. Hoping that he will heed to what many of us here in the state of Wisconsin want is that for him not to come here.

Because he's so polarizing. And you know, I'm going to paint you a picture. We've got young men walking around in African-American communities, young white men with automatic weapons. What does that picture to you imply? That they have the freedom to take law and order into their own hands is exactly what the young man did who killed two people last week.

[15:35:00]

This is what Donald Trump brings to Wisconsin. The mindset that white men have the authority, regardless to who they are, to come into a community and claim that their protecting property.

We have the federal officers here, we have the National Guard here in Wisconsin in Kenosha, our police departments and our sheriff departments. We do not need civilians and the President that gives civilians the right to come into communities and threaten people's lives and take lives at will.

So that's what we get from Donald Trump. The NAACP does not support any political party. And I have to say that because I did call out Donald Trump and his party. And we're going to stand firm that we don't have any permanent enemies and no permanent friends but we know, the NAACP and black people in general, know that Donald Trump does not have our interest in his -- it's not part of his agenda regardless of what he's saying.

And again, we have to go back to the polls on November 4th and make the change that we have to make. Especially here in Wisconsin.

BALDWIN: November 3rd, we got it. I hear voting. The power is with the people. Wendall Smith and Angela Rye, thank you both so much. Thank you.

Coming up, how colleges are trying to fight COVID outbreaks on campus and why it is an absolute mess for a certain group of students.

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[15:40:00]

BALDWIN: As COVID cases continue to spring up at colleges and universities, White House Coronavirus Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx warns that more expansive testing is needed on our college campuses. And she's also urging students not to go home if they test positive asking that they in fact stay on campus, self-isolate to avoid potentially infecting their families.

All of this is happening as at least 36 states are reporting COVID infections at colleges and universities and one of the largest clusters is at the University of Alabama where more than 1,000 positive cases have been reported since the start of the school year which was two weeks ago.

With me now, Jessa Reid Bolling, a news editor for the University of Alabama's news organization "The Crimson White" and a reporter for the Alabama Political Reporter. So Jessa, I know that you've been writing so much about how this is just been a, for lack of a better word, a mess on campus. How big of a mess are we talking about and what is the university's response?

JESSA REID BOLLING, NEWS EDITOR, "THE CRIMSON WHITE": In terms of how big of a mess we have, since classes started on August 19th, we've been averaging over 100 cases per day. So we already have over 1,000 cases on campus just since school started.

The university has issued new rules since students have arrived on campus, they have banned student events for the next two weeks, that started last week and local bars in town have actually been shut down. The city of Tuscaloosa did that in an effort to prevent students from going out, going to the bars and gathering around each other. Because there were actually instances where students were not wearing masks and going to bars in town as soon as they got here, especially during sorority recruitment. So that's basically where we are right now.

BALDWIN: And Jessa, I was reading one of your articles that, you know, some students are flat out dropping out of Alabama, dropping out of college because of this. Can you talk to me more about that and also for students who are sticking it out, what is the plan for classes?

BOLLING: So, for students that have dropped out, the ones that I've talked to, some of them have told me that they don't feel like the university's response has been adequate. Some students had to be moved out of their dorms because the university was making more space for isolation centers on campus. Some of them have told me that if the university was going to do that, they should have done that before the students ever showed up so they didn't have pack up and move all their things in less than 48 hours.

Some students have told me that they just don't feel safe on campus and that they didn't think that the cases would get as high as they have now. And in terms of the future, I'm not sure what classes are going to look like. I know that most of my classes are online but some of them I still have to go to campus for.

And so far, it's been going OK. But I know that every day the cases keep rising and with that so does my anxiety and I know that I'm not alone in that, I know that plenty of other students feel that way.

BALDWIN: Stay well, stay healthy. Study hard. Keep writing and keep doing that journalism. Jessa Reid Bolling, thank you so much.

BOLLING: Thank you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: You got it.

Emotional tributes to a superstar who played a superhero, the loss of actor Chadwick Boseman striking a nerve with children across the country. We'll talk about how his ground-breaking career is giving so many people -- look at this -- hope.

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[15:45:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHADWICK BOSEMAN, ACTOR, 1976-2020: Purpose crosses disciplines. Purpose is an essential element of you. It is the reason you're on the planet at this particular time in history. Your very existence is wrapped up in the things you're here to fulfill. Whatever you choose for a career path, remember the struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose.

I don't know what your future is. But if you're willing to take the harder way, the more complicated one. The one with more failures at first than successes. The one that has ultimately proven to have more meaning, more victory, more glory then you will not regret it. Now, this is your time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So good. It is worth watching every single second of that. That was just a small portion of Chadwick Boseman's powerful commencement speech at his alma mater, Howard University that was just back in 2018.

And as the world mourns him his loss, tributes are pouring in. Boseman touched the lives of so many. His co-stars from every corner of the entertainment industry reacting to the tragic news. But more than that Chadwick Boseman was a real life hero to so many.

And in the midst of his battle with colon cancer, he not only continued to work on films but also made sure to continue inspiring young people. He visited children, fighting cancer, while privately battling the disease himself.

And after the news of his death, parents started posting photos of their children, surrounded by their Marvel Action heroes and holding memorials for their King T'Challa.

[15:50:00]

Joining me now, David Bettencourt reporter for "The Washington Post" who gets to focus on all aspects of comic book culture for a living. So David, it is so nice to have you on. And you know, we instantly thought of you because, you know, you wrote that Boseman gave us the biggest gift that any person of color who loves comic book culture can ever receive.

I want you to articulate that, what was the gift?

DAVID BETTENCOURT, REPORTER FOR "THE WASHINGTON POST": The gift was seeing yourself in a place that you normally don't get a chance to. The "Black Panther" has so much relevance in the medium of comic books and live action movies where Marvel Comics have turned into a Hollywood power with Marvel studios.

And the first few years of their success was spent building up to "The Avengers" and a roster that was not very diverse other than the Incredible Hulk being green. But what we were able to see with the success of that was fans of Marvel Comics knew that a Black Panther movie was coming. That Marvel can make it work with Captain America, with Thor, with the Incredible Hulk, with The Avengers, we knew it was only a matter of time. So that moment in 2014 when Marvel Studios announced that Chadwick who

a lot of people were rooting for to get that role, got the role, it was a magic moment and Chadwick didn't disappoint.

BALDWIN: What did you think of these pictures that we just showed? I can't get enough of, you know, these young people, these young, you know, little black boys and young girls too with tears in their eyes and their, you know, comic book characters lined up with them.

Look at this, you know, Wakanda forever. What do you think when you see these images?

BETTENCOURT: It's heart breaking. It's inspiring and heart breaking at the same time. So many parents now have to deal with the decision of how do I break this to my child. It's a decision I myself as a parent am still struggling with. My oldest child knows, because she's always on social media, my younger two don't. So I still have to figure out when I'm going to break the news to them.

But when I see the kids what you see is the impact, and the excitement and the emotional connection that Chadwick was able to create when he became the Black Panther for Marvel Studios. And the impact of him seeing him taking off that Black Panther mask and seeing a face that you could relate meant a lot to many people.

BALDWIN: And, David, the fact that he had been battling colon cancer for years and people had no idea. Like why do you think -- why do you think he never publicly shared his battle?

BETTENCOURT: I think maybe in part it could have been because maybe he thought people would not want to work with him or maybe he thought that it would be too much added drama added on to already being a Hollywood superstar.

But it's amazing to me to think that pretty much for the duration of his time filming movies for Marvel Studios, which included appearances in "Captain America: Civil War" two Avengers movies, a Black Panther movie, he had cancer that entire time. And what really struck me is when Ryan Coogler who I had a chance to speak with when he was here in Washington D.C. for a screening, that even he didn't know.

And that let me know that Chadwick was, one, brave to take that on, because it takes a lot to be a superhero in the movies. It's not like 1989 when Michael Keaton could just put on a rubber suit that already had the muscles there for you.

You have to put in the work and turn your body into a machine to become a superhero on the screen. So it's already impressive as it's to see actors like Chadwick and Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans do something like that.

To know that he had cancer while he was doing that, while he was working out so hard and doing his own stunts, it really adds to the legend that he created when he took on that role.

BALDWIN: Played, you know, a superhero, yes, but also other superheroes, Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall, you know, James Brown, it's an exceptional resume that not many actors can match in their lifetime. You know, how rare, David, last question, was he among his peers and what does it say about his talent that he was able to so convincingly play these larger-than-life roles?

BETTENCOURT: Well, I know the big joke amongst a lot of black fans in Hollywood is that if there's a very important black person, you'll probably get Chadwick to play him.

He proved without a shadow of a doubt that he can take on the role of icons, starting with Jackie Robinson, which was no easy role to take. So to see him do that and do it well and do it so well, because that's really the work that got him Black Panther.

Nate Moore, the producer of "Black Panther" said they were looking at "42" and looking at how Chadwick took on such an important role because even though it's a fictional character, the Black Panther is a very important role, it means a lot to black fans of comics and they knew that they needed somebody who handle that responsibility. And Chadwick did that very well.

BALDWIN: His whole story in that Howard speech, I was going down a dark long rabbit hole over the weekend. And talking about how he had that small acting role as a young person and, you know, going to the executive producers and saying this feels a little too stereotypical and can you answer some questions for me. And he was being tough and smart and real about the whole thing and he ended up being let go the next day.

[15:55:00]

And point being, like sometimes you've got to take the tough road but there is light through the darkness. David Bettencourt, thank you so much for coming on and good luck telling your two youngest about the news. I appreciate you coming on, thank you.

BETTENCOURT: Thank you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Breaking news, a big change from the nation's big three airlines as they try to get more and more people to fly.

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BALDWIN: Just into CNN, three of the biggest airlines are making it less expensive for you to change flights. United announced just over the weekend that it's eliminating change fees on economy and premium tickets for flights within the U.S. for good.

And just within the last hour Delta and American followed suit by eliminating those change fees as well. COVID as you know has devastated the air travel industry and airlines are desperate to get people flying again.

I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you so much for being with me. United, Delta, American drop change fees for domestic flights.