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Democrats Blame President Trump; Story Repeats Itself; Jared Kushner Pushing Peace in the Middle East; Lionel Messi Skips Pre- Season; High Price for a Toast; President Trump Blame Local Leaders; Trump's Visit Not Needed; Adam Schiff Compels in-Person Testimonies; Growing Calls for Lukashenko's Resignation; U.S. COVID-19 Cases Nears Six Million; India in Top Three Worldwide. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired August 31, 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, the U.S. president threatens to send more federal law enforcement to Portland as he and the mayor blame each other over the deadly shooting amid protest.

The White House Coronavirus response coordinator says she is hopeful for a vaccine but is convinced community spread can be stopped right now.

And Jared Kushner is in the Middle East for a symbolic trip as he calls Arab leaders, encouraging them to normalize relations with Israel.

Good to have you with us.

It is just after midnight in the city of Portland, Oregon. Protesters are now being ordered to leave a site where police have declared an unlawful assembly. This comes one night after violent confrontations and heated rhetoric escalated already inflamed tensions.

Over the weekend, a postman was shot and killed as those protesting police brutality clashed with supporters of President Donald Trump. The New York Times reports the man killed was wearing a hat within insignia for a far-right group.

Protests against racial and social injustice have been going on all summer in Portland. And after Saturday's shooting, the city is even more on edge.

CNN's Josh Campbell is there with more.

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: This past weekend here in the city of Portland it began with a very violent start, involving clashes between protesters and several hundred supporters of President Donald Trump who came into the city by caravan at least telling us that there were a number of encounters that turned violent that leading to arrests.

We're also told that one person was shot dead. Police say that remains under investigation. The New York Times reporting that that deceased victim had a cap on that had an insignia of a far-right group. Police tell us that they are concerned that that might lead to additional violence, or perhaps backlash by a supporter of the presidents, supporters of this far right group. They are concerned that there could be an influx of people into the city trying to seek retribution.

Now we are also learning from the New York Times that some of these clashes involved, protesters throwing projectiles at vehicles with these pro-Trump supporters, at least in one incident, Mike Baker from the New York Times caught on video people inside the back of one of these pickup trucks, firing paint balls into the crowd. That reporter was also injured.

That was just a glimpse of some of the violence that occurred over the weekend. Police tell us that again, they are concerned that there could be additional violence. Now as that was all taking place, a war of words was erupting between President Donald Trump and the city's mayor here in Portland.

The president has been blasting Portland's Democratic city leadership for several weeks here as these protests have continued, saying that they're not doing enough to stop the violence in the city. The mayor shooting back over the weekend with some pretty direct words for President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR TED WHEELER (D), PORTLAND, OREGON: It's a classic Trump. Mr. President, how can you think that a comment like that, if you are watching this, is in any way helpful? It's an aggressive stance. It is not collaborative. I certainly reached out. I believe in a collaborative manner by saying earlier that you need to do your part. And I need to do my part. And then we both need to be held accountable. Let's work together. Wouldn't that be a message? Donald Trump and Ted Wheeler working together to help move this country forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMPBELL: Now again, the mayor there saying that much of the violence here in this city has been fueled by harsh rhetoric from the president. We did know that with this violence over the weekend, President Trump did not come out to condemn the violence. He came out again to criticize local city leaders.

So, with that war of words continuing with protests continuing on the ground, there appears to be no end in sight to some of the violence and some of the harsh rhetoric that continue here in the city of Portland for over 90 days.

Josh Campbell, CNN, Portland, Oregon.

CHURCH: President Trump reacted to Portland's mayor in real-time with a series of tweets. He hurled insults at Wheeler and other quote, "radical left Democrat mayors," as he calls them, while pushing his law and order message, the president's chief of staff had a similar statement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[03:05:00]

REP. MARK MEADOWS (R-NC): We've had over 200 anarchists. And they are not peaceful protesters. These are people that every single night conduct violent acts. And it is in Democrat cities. You know, you want to talk about Donald Trump's America? Most of Donald Trump's America is peaceful. It is a Democrat led city in Portland that we are talking about this morning who just yesterday didn't not help once again from the federal government.

And so, listen, we need to get to the bottom of this. We need to make sure that we hold people accountable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is also reacting to the violence saying this, and I'm quoting, "The deadly violence we saw overnight in Portland is unacceptable. I condemn this violence unequivocally. I condemn violence of any every kind by anyone, whether on the left, or the right. And I challenge Donald Trump to do the same."

We have seen racial unrest as well in Kenosha, Wisconsin. President Donald Trump is planning a visit there this week, despite the governor's written request that he reconsider that.

Protests erupted in the city after a black man was shot seven times in the back by a white police officer. Tensions further escalated last week after a 17-year-old was arrested and accused in the shooting deaths of two protesters. Wisconsin officials believed Mr. Trump won't help the situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GOV. MANDELA BARNES (D), WISCONSIN: You look at the incendiary remarks that the president has made. They centered an entire convention around creating more animosity, and creating more division around what's going on in Kenosha. So, I don't know how given any of the previous statements that the president made, that he intends to come here to be helpful. And we honestly don't need that right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Joining me now in Charlottesville, Virginia is Larry Sabato. He is the director of the Center for Politics of the University of Virginia. Thank you for being with us.

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Thank you so much, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, Larry, we are seeing violence escalate on the streets of America with deadly consequences. Portland's mayor now accusing President Trump of creating hate and division. The president live- tweeting during the mayor's press conference attacking the Democratic leader.

Is President Trump stirring up trouble to distract voters from racism and COVID-19 to redirect focus instead to law and order issues to benefit himself politically?

SABATO: I think that is one of his motivations. I think his other motivation is to stir his base. It's no accident that the precipitating factor in Portland was the near invasion of the city by a bunch of Trump supporters. Many of them armed. Some of them simply armed with their mouths. And Trump signs of various sorts.

Obviously, that is a red flag in front of bulls. It was guaranteed that it would develop into the kind of embarrassing conflict that it did, in a deadly conflict.

CHURCH: And Larry, other critics spoke out to House intelligence chairman, Adam Schiff, telling CNN, President Trump is willfully fanning the flames of this violence, motivated by what's in it for him and his campaign. Oregon Governor Kate Brown accusing President Trump of encouraging division and stoking violence.

If President Trump doesn't come out and condemn the violence on both sides, including his own supporters, does he run the risk of disposing his own political expediency on this issue or is it pretty much too late for that?

SABATO: I think he has been exposed on that count for years. There is nothing new here. And most people have figured Trump out. That's why virtually all the people likely to vote have already decided for whom they are going to cast their ballot.

What he is hoping though, and the one thing that he can't do is to stimulate a larger turnout among his most faithful supporters, especially those in rural areas and suburbs. Well removed from the inner cities, where much of the action and destruction is taking place.

CHURCH: But Larry, when protesters turn to violence and rioting, are they taking the bait and playing into the hands of President Trump? Would it be more strategic for them to get off the streets right now until the election is done and take their views to TV and radio news instead? Because some voters who are sitting on the fence are now saying, you know, maybe our big worry now is this rioting. Is the he fires and the streets -- on the streets and the violence could that change people's votes with this law and order issue?

SABATO: I think it could particularly suburbanites. Again, they are not right there in the city witnessing these things. They are seeing it on television.

[03:10:02]

Where did the television cameras gravitate? To the most dramatic places where looting is happening, where arson is taking place, where the shootings are happening. And yes, you better believe it affects some of the suburbanites and rural voters.

What is interesting is your point is well taken. If the demonstrators that become looters were using good sense for politics, they obviously would not be doing this, because they aren't playing right into Trump's hands. But I don't think too many of them are political analysts, Rosemary. That's my guess.

CHURCH: Right. And then, of course, encouraging more violence, President Trump re-tweeted the video of his supporters shooting paint balls and pepper spray into groups of protesters just as his rival, Joe Biden prepares to speak Monday in Pennsylvania. His core message being, are you safe in Donald Trump's America? How powerful is that message up against the one being sent by President Trump?

SABATO: It's important for Biden to make a central point. The entire Republican convention, it's certainly almost all of President Trump's speeches were directed at Biden, at Biden's America. How awful it was or would be, and there was just one thing missing. The current president who has been in office for almost four years is Donald Trump. It's Donald Trump's America.

But I think that's a good point for Biden to make. But the one thing you can always count on, is that President Trump will bring a vial of gasoline to any fire. And that's what he is doing, because it benefits him. That is how he makes most of his political decisions. Maybe all of them.

CHURCH: Of course, he plans to travel to Kenosha on Tuesday in Wisconsin despite the fact that the governor saying no, don't come. But we'll see what happens there.

Larry Sabato, many thanks for joining us. I appreciate. It

SABATO: Thank you very much, Rosemary, as always.

CHURCH: Well U.S. House intelligence chairman, Adam Schiff, said Sunday it is possible that intelligence officials could be subpoenaed to testify on election security.

This, a day after the Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe informed members of Congress his office will no longer deliver in-person briefings. Instead, it will primarily provide written updates. That's despite warnings that other countries are seeking to interfere in November's election. He spoke Sunday to CNN's Dana Bash.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): This intelligence paid for by taxpayers doesn't belong to Donald Trump. It doesn't belong to the intelligence agencies. It belongs to the American people. The agencies are merely the custodians of that information. And the American people ought to know what Russia is doing. They ought to know their president is unwilling to stand up to Vladimir Putin. They ought to know that senators like Ron Johnson are pushing a Kremlin false narrative about Joe Biden. They're doing it knowingly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, meanwhile, Republican Senator Ron Johnson said the controversy about written briefings has been blown out of proportion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-WI): We all know what Putin is doing. China wants Biden to be the next president. We understand that. But you know, it's very difficult to change votes. It's very difficult to actually affect the poll numbers. What you can do is destabilize our politics, and that is exactly what Russia succeeded in doing, because of what Adam Schiff, Democrats and the news media has done as a result.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And coming up on CNN Newsroom, Dr. Deborah Birx has some important COVID-19 advice for the U.S. as the country nears six million cases.

Plus, India is seeing some of its highest daily case increases since the pandemic began. We'll have the details for you just ahead.

[03:15:00]

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CHURCH: Thousands of protesters were back out in Belarus Sunday demanding President Alexander Lukashenko's resignation. They scuffled with police and protest that began, in part, over the president's dismissal of the coronavirus. Protesters also claimed the August 9th election was rigged. A convoy of at least eight military tanks moved through Minsk on Sunday amid those protests.

And in another sign of the president's unease, he was seen again on Sunday holding a rifle. He and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Moscow in the coming weeks.

Well, a day after the world topped 25 million COVID-19 cases, the worst hit country is fast approaching another milestone. The U.S. is closing in on the six million case mark. That's according to Johns Hopkins University.

This, as several prominent U.S. physicians are calling for an independent commission to review potential COVID-19 vaccines. They fear that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could give the OK for one before it's safe to do so. But while the White House Coronavirus response coordinator is hopeful for a vaccine, Dr. Deborah Birx says she is convinced community spread can be stopped right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DEBORAH BIRX, COORDINATOR, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE: Don't wait for a vaccine to do the right thing. Do the right thing today. If we do the right thing today -- because if we do the right thing today, we go into the fall with much fewer cases.

Right now, we gained freedom through wearing our masks, and socially distancing. With a vaccine, it's a very different potential interaction for all of us.

And so, yes, I'm hopeful for a vaccine, but I'm also very convinced right now that we can stop community spread by wearing a mask, socially distancing, and avoiding crowds.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Meanwhile, colleges are struggling to contain outbreaks of COVID-19, and some return to in-person classes. The University of Alabama alone is reporting 1,200 cases since classes last started little over two weeks ago.

[03:20:06]

CNN's Natasha Chen has more.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's now been more than seven months since the first coronavirus cases reported in the United States. And since then, more than 180,000 people in this country have died of COVID-19.

If you look at the newly reported cases in the last seven days, compared to the previous week, 18 states in the United States are seeing an increase, 23 states are holding steady, and nine states are seeing a decrease.

One of those nine states is Florida. Their seven-day average of new cases has come down significantly since mid-July. And on Sunday, the state reported its lowest daily death record since late June. And Georgia was blasted by the White House Coronavirus Task Force report earlier this month for not doing enough to curb the spread of the virus. But Georgia now has also seen a significant decrease in its seven-day average of new cases since early August.

And on Sunday, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported under 1,300 new coronavirus cases, the lowest since late June. Now last week, the CDC revised its guidance raising the bar on who should get tested for COVID-19, saying, that some people with no symptoms they may not need a test.

Still, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control release a statement on Sunday emphasizing the importance of testing, saying that people with mild or no symptoms should still get tested as they could easily transmit the virus to other people.

Natasha Chen, CNN, Atlanta. CHURCH: Australia's worse hit state reported a record daily rise and

COVID-19 deaths on Monday. Health officials in Victoria say 41 additional people have died there. The new deaths come as Victoria posted its lowest daily rise in new coronavirus cases since July 3rd. Only 73 new COVID-19 infections were reported in the past 24 hours.

Well, India has just surpassed Mexico for the third highest coronavirus death toll in the world. And as CNN's Vedika Sud reports, the battle against COVID in India is far from over.

VEDIKA SUD, CNN PRODUCER: India has surpassed 3.6 million confirmed cases of COVID-19. Over the last five days India has been reporting more than 75,000 new infections on a daily basis. We know that India stands at the third position when it comes to the most affected countries across the world, but it is now reporting the third highest number of confirmed deaths across the globe as well after the U.S. and Brazil.

Now one of the main reasons why we're seeing a surge of new infections in India is because of the aggressive testing that is taking place. (Technical difficulty) remain grim, the government of India has announced that reopening, phase four of reopening across the country, which means the easing of restrictions that have been in place.

Now one of the main announcements made is that the metro rail services will resume in a graded manner. In the capital of India, New Delhi itself, 1.5 million people on an average use the metro rail service on a given day. But since it's going to be reopening in a graded manner, of course, the number of people operating through the rail services, the metro services will be less.

Now India has a fatality rate which is below 2 percent, when compared to other countries it is relatively much lower. One of the reasons according to medical experts for this is that India has a relatively younger population than most countries.

Vedika Sud, CNN, New Delhi.

CHURCH: Meanwhile, in Brazil, a case study in how Latin American countries are finding it hard to get a handle on the pandemic. It's reporting 16,000 new cases, bringing its count to nearly four million along with more than 120,000 fatalities. Only the U.S. has more of either.

Brazil is one of five Latin American countries currently among the 10 hardest nations in the world.

Well, other Latin American countries also reported high number of infections on Sunday. In Columbia, more than 8,000 new cases and 300 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours. The country now has the third highest infection rate in Latin America, surpassing Mexico.

Meanwhile, over 4,000 new cases were reported in Mexico bringing the country's total to nearly 600,000.

Well, the city of Portland is on edge after violence erupted over the weekend. Both U.S. President Donald Trump and his rival Joe Biden are weighing in on the growing unrest. Their messages, next.

Plus, White House senior adviser, Jared Kushner in the Middle East. How he might be looking to boost his father-in-law reelection efforts. That's ahead. And we are looking there at live pictures.

[03:25:05]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

Well, the mayor of Portland Oregon is blaming U.S. President Donald Trump for the unrest and violence that has gripped the city. For more than 90 days, protesters have denounced racism, and police brutality.

On Saturday, after a night of clashes between Trump supporters and protesters, one person was shot and killed. President Trump tweeted, rest in peace, about the shooting victim on Sunday, and criticized the city's leaders over the violence.

But Portland mayor, Ted Wheeler says it's the president who is to blame.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHEELER: It's you who have created the hate and the division. It's you who have not found a way to say the names of black people killed by police officers, even as people in law enforcement have. And it's you who claimed that white supremacists are good people.

Your campaign of fear is as anti-Democratic as anything you've done to create hate and vitriol in our beautiful country. You have tried to divide us more than any other figure in modern history. And now you want me to stop the violence that you helped create. What America needs is for you to be stopped.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:29:59]

CHURCH: U.S. Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, is also denouncing the recent violence in Portland.

CNN's Jessica Dean has more now from Washington.

[03:30:00]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: On Monday, former Vice President Joe Biden is going to talk about his vision of leadership for America in this moment as it compares to that of Donald Trump.

Over the weekend, there were violent protests in Portland, Oregon, which former Vice President Joe Biden spoke out against condemning very vehemently. I'll read you a bit from his statement.

He said, shooting in the streets of a growing American city is unacceptable. I condemn this violence unequivocally. I condemn violence of every kind by anyone, whether on the left or the right. And I challenge Donald Trump to do the same. It does not matter if you find the political views of your opponent abhorrent. Any loss of life is a tragedy.

Now also in that treatment from Sunday, he went on to make the case that Donald Trump is not able to meet the moment as president. That he is not able to do what a president needs to be doing right now, which in Joe Biden's opinion is bringing people people together, lowering the temperature. And instead, he believes that Donald Trump is fanning the flames of division of racism.

Just last week, he said that he believed that Donald Trump was rooting for violence in America. So, on Monday, we expect to hear Joe Biden talk about how he would proceed forward. What he would be doing to heal America in this moment and to lead it forward.

Jessica Dean, CNN, Washington.

CHURCH: And I want to talk now about some of these far-right groups with Randy Blazak, head of the Oregon Coalition Against Hate Crime. He joins us now via Skype. Thank you so much for being with us.

RANDY BLAZAK, CHAIRMAN, OREGON COALITION AGAINST HATE CRIME: Glad to be here.

CHURCH: Now you are based in Portland, where you have watched all of this play out of course, the deadly violence on the weekend, then the mayor accusing the U.S. president of fanning hate and violence, and the president striking back. What impact does all this having on the city and the way people feel about the future?

BLAZAK: Yes. I mean, it's quite strange to be in the center of this conversation, but in a way it's a great opportunity for Portlanders to make its case. The city of Portland has a long history of violence between racist and anti-racist, including a racist skinhead that was murdered by an anti-racist skinhead in 1993.

And so, these clashes are nothing new to the city. What is new is how this is playing out as part of this national dialog we are having about race and policing and the fact that the president has engaged in this debate in the city. It kind of brings up the tension level that we are experiencing. And it always seems like it's about the sort of fade off and then something happens to reignite the protests. Then we are back to square one all over again.

CHURCH: Right. And how is political extremism and racism changing the tenor of protests in Portland and in Kenosha?

BLAZAK: Yes. The northwest has had history all of its own of white supremacist sort of claiming the northwest is their homeland. In fact, there has been a movement to succeed from the rest of the country and create a white homeland in America.

And some of these groups have been showing up to these protests. So, militia groups, and patriot prayer and pub boys. These white supremacist groups have often started to agitate -- many of them want more chaos. They want things to sort of collapse so they can have their civil war. The Boogaloo as they call it now.

So, it's made things a lot more confusing. I think to the average person watching the chaos it seems like a sort of protesters versus the police. But there is a whole bunch of actors involved. And some of those who are coming from the right to attack the left because it adds to the chaos which helps feed their narrative.

And I think that's what the president is sort of feeding off over this chaos. He feels like the pro-Trump anti-black lives folks are somehow going to bring a law and order back to the city, but in fact it's just adding to the mayhem.

CHURCH: Right. And Randy, let's talk about what's behind the actions of Trump supporters like Kyle Rittenhouse who was charged with shooting and killing two protesters in Kenosha and other pro- Trump demonstrators who were showing up in Portland to cause trouble. And what can you tell us about patriot prayer? The group, the Portland shooting victim was said to have been a member of?

BLAZAK: Yes. This is a strange group that's been around for a while. And in fact, led by a biracial individual who would not seem to be a white supremacist, but they have attracted a lot of white supremacists, mainly through their anti-immigrant rhetoric.

I mean, that's sort of the calling card of patriot prayers. They are very strongly anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim, which it has served to bring in old-fashioned life supremacist to their cause.

And so, while on the forefront they seem to be a sort of first amendment free speech conservative movement, they have actually sort of created a cover for a lot of more traditional white supremacists movements to march through the streets of Portland and then the counter protest have often been violent when they do march through the streets of Portland.

[03:35:02]

So, what we saw yesterday in the city was kind of, you know, the culmination of all that tension that's been building up in the city for years.

CHURCH: So how worried or how worried should some protest leaders be, that they are actually giving the president exactly what he wants as he tries to pivot away from COVID-19 and racism to the issue of law and order, which some voters are so scared when they see cities ablaze and being looted, that this actually becomes their top issue and they'll vote on law and order?

BLAZAK: Well, this was Richard Nixon's play in 1968. To be the law and order president who is going to clamp down on urban jungle as they called it, the riots of the 1960s. America has changed a lot since 1968. We have a lot of people who are of different backgrounds. The suburbs are no longer white only and there are a lot of sympathy for the cause of Black Lives Matters movements. So, I don't know if they'll have the same traction that Nixon had in

1968, but certainly, it's something to rally the folks to see America changing too quickly and are afraid that, you know, their country is burning to the ground.

In Portland, it's pretty -- it's pretty, I don't want to say comical, but it's a little strange because it is sort of a normal city. There are these little pockets where things happen, but Portland is far from burning to the ground. I still think it's one of the most livable cities in the country, but if you turn on the evening news you get this very dire picture over what's happening in Portland. We are basically just going out for a sushi. Wondering why everybody is screaming about.

CHURCH: Yes, of course. Randy Blazak, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.

BLAZAK: Sure. Thanks.

CHURCH: And coming up, we will go live to Abu Dhabi where there is a push by the U.S. and Israel for Arab leaders to attend an historic signing ceremony. Looking at live pictures here. We'll have more on this when we come back.

[03:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: All right. We're looking at live pictures here. White House senior adviser, Jared Kushner, in the Middle East for an historic flight from Israel to Abu Dhabi. He is aiming to push Arab leaders to attend a signing ceremony for the normalization deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Sources say it's an effort to boost his father-in-law's reelection efforts.

Oren Liebermann has the details.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is a lot going into this flight and it's not just the people on it but the buildup around it. What's being billed by the United States is the first ever direct commercial flight between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The flight number itself El Al flight 971. That's the telephone country code of the UAE. The return flight is El Al 972, the country code of Israel.

The word peace are written on the side of the airplanes just of the pilot's window in Hebrew, English and Arabic. And both sides are hyping this as a major accomplishment, not only for the Middle East but of course for the Trump administration and for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Israel Pilots Association says the flight plan is to take the plane directly over Saudi Arabia before landing in Abu Dhabi. That would be the first time ever that an Israeli commercial aircraft flew over the Arabian Peninsula. Though as of Sunday night, the pilot association says that hasn't been finally approved by the Saudis, and at this point at least it could change.

As for the delegation itself led by President Donald Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner it was given the royal treatment or in this case, the head of state treatment. Kushner spoke by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the prime minister's official residence alongside national security advisor Robert O'Brien.

When Kushner spoke, he talked about not only the accomplishments of the Trump administration as it relates to Jerusalem, for example, moving embassy, but also of the wider Middle East, especially hyping on the recent agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates promising more is to come.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JARED KUSHNER, SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: While phis peace agreement was thought by many to be impossible, the stage is now set for even more. Over the last three and a half years, a lot of people described the state of the Middle East as hopeless. But what I felt over the last couple weeks is a new sense of optimism, and we must seize that optimism and we must continue to push to make this region achieve the potential that it truly has.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIEBERMANN: After returning from the UAE on the Israeli flight, Kushner is expected to visit other countries in the region including Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain and Oman as he tries to build on the momentum of the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

His goals here, at least twofold, first, to see if any other Arab states will follow the UAE's league and normalize relations with Israel, that would be a major foreign policy victory for Trump just ahead of the elections, just in time to tout that. And second, to see if any of these countries will send representatives, specifically high-level representatives to what's expected to be a White House signing ceremony with the heads of state of Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, Jerusalem.

CHURCH: All right. Let's discuss this further with CNN's John Defterios. He joins us now from Abu Dhabi. So, John, Jared Kushner just arrived. What's his role in all of this? And is it, is it a two- track effort by Israel and the UAE to normalize diplomatic relations and at the same time codify those relations with business?

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN BUSINESS EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: I think that's a great way of putting it, Rosemary. Jared Kushner is the Middle East adviser to the president. Of course, his son-in-law has spent most of his time trying to come up with a much wider deal which has been overlooked here because of the signing between the UAE and Israel.

It's supposed to include many more Arab states and the Palestinians. That hasn't happened yet. So, plan b, if you will, was to start with UAE, which is a very liberal goal state that could solidify these ties with Israel.

In fact, at the press conference that we saw on Jerusalem last night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, picking up on Oren's reporting there, was suggesting there will be a number of other states that will sign on rather quickly, a lot of security now. This is about Bahrain.

I saw Jared Kushner there with the crown prince last year having these talks, one where the prime minister of Israel was there two years ago, even Sudan which has relations in a lot of Sudanese living in Israel.

So, can we go from this commercial flight that doesn't have any commercial passengers but just carrying the delegations to forge real traveling right here? The sharing of embassies in both states. The phone lines have been opened up. They were blocked four years. And then very importantly, as you are suggesting, can they establish the trade links?

There was hesitation by Saudi Arabia to proceed with this right now. But if you have the business ties they certainly support, if you will, Rosemary, the diplomacy.

CHURCH: Right. And despite the political roadblocks you mentioned that led to the economic blockade before, could they be natural business partners?

[03:45:02]

DEFTERIOS: Yes. You know what, they had a common enemy which brought them together, and that being Iran. And I think the UAE wanted to sign this by the way before the election to get closer to Israel depending on that outcome. That's one side of it. But they are very well-known in their own rights as business players.

UAE sits on oil wealth of better than a trillion dollars, prolific investors in Europe and the United States. It seems obvious they can move into Israel, particularly in Silicon Wadi, the Silicon Valley of Israel, where there are a lot of initial public offerings. They'd love the defense technology, high-tech medicine, food security, just initial places to start.

And Israel, of course, needs a base and a new export hub for itself. Dubai is a fantastic business center. So, while they have not done business in the past, they quickly signed two deals, Rosemary, one in July before the agreement with defense electronics firms they say to do tracing on COVID-19.

And two pharmaceutical firms ride away as soon as the deal was signed. And right now, they're focusing on the five areas that I talked about. So, this will be diplomacy to start, but expect a lot of noise around business to follow really quickly, in my view.

CHURCH: All right. Jared Kushner and that delegation just boarded that plane for the historic flight from Israel to Abu Dhabi. We'll keep an eye on that.

John Defterios joining us live from Abu Dhabi. Many thanks. Well, a Messi no-show. The Argentine takes a stand over his request to

leave Barcelona, but the league says it would be very costly. We'll have the details next.

[03:50:00]

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CHURCH: Very scary moments Sunday for a toddler in Taiwan. According to reports, the three-year-old girl was taking part in a kite festival when she got tangled in a large kite. Video shows her being flung into the air. The child was not hurt but understandably frightened.

The local mayor apologized to the family and wrote on Facebook the city will review what happened and prevent accidents like this ever happening again. Incredible. She'll never forget that.

Well, the saga over a potential transfer of one of the best players in football's history has just taken a dramatic turn. Sources tell CNN Lionel Messi failed to show up for a coronavirus test at Barcelona's training ground on Sunday. Under league rules, he can't take part in preseason training without that test.

And CNN's World Sport' Alex Thomas is following the story from London. He joins us now live. Good to see you, Alex, so what's the latest on this?

ALEX THOMAS, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Rosemary, just exactly what you said. It seems one of the greatest footballers of all time, Lionel Messi, is effectively on strike because he wants to leave the club. The feeling being in the Messi camp, that the club has reached a point where they can't guarantee the sort of success they've had in the past with Messi spearheading their attack.

Remember, they were thrashed by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals in that frantic few weeks of Champions League Football, as they look to finish that competition after the delayed European domestic seasons after the big break because of the coronavirus crisis.

So, Barcelona ending trophy-less for the first time in more than a decade. And that's not what Lionel Messi wants as he looks to cement his legacy. He's now 33. Maybe has another two or three good years left in him. No matter what happens, he'll probably go down as one of the greatest footballers of all time.

But after telling the club last Tuesday he wanted to leave, there is a big dispute at the moment as to whether he can leave for a free transfer or whether clubs will have to fork out hundreds of millions of dollars to pay for him, which would make a huge difference, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Wow. So, Alex, how likely is it that Messi will stay? And if he leaves, where is he going to go?

THOMAS: Well, we've heard discontent from the Lionel Messi camp before. Because he's such a good player, he's always seen above the rest of the squad. The saying in football is that no one player is bigger than the club, but in Lionel Messi's case, it almost is. I mean, perhaps because Barcelona is such a legendary and famous club, you know, they will continue and they will thrive in the future, I'm sure. But he's been a not just a once in a generation footballer, or once in a lifetime footballer, there's no doubt about that.

So, having missed that coronavirus test when all his teammates did it at the training ground on Sunday, he now can't take part in the new manager's first training session. The Dutch from Ronald Koeman, a former player with Barcelona famous former Dutch international, he's also been a successful coach as well after retiring from playing, doesn't look like he's going to be part of Koeman's plans.

So where does Messi go? Well, because he's so expensive and because his wages are so high, Rosemary, really, there are very few clubs that can afford him, and he's been most linked in the press with Manchester City, the English Premier League club who were champions last season, not this season, just the season before that. And of course, their manager is Pep Guardiola who Messi enjoyed so much success with when they were both at Barcelona together.

CHURCH: Interesting. We'll see what happens then. Alex Thomas, many thanks bringing us up to date to date on that. I appreciate it.

Champagne makers are trying to keep prices popping despite a big drop in demand during the coronavirus pandemic. How? By limiting how many grapes are allowed to be harvested.

CNN's Melissa Bell speaks to winemakers protecting drink's integrity until a time for celebration returns.

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's harvest time in champagne. The work in the vines much as it ever was only the masks are new.

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NADECHE BOUCHEBESSE, GRAPE PICKER: We are used to wearing the mask now. It is for security for everybody, so it's OK.

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BELL: But this year the champagne's wine committee has announced that only 8,000 kilos of grapes per hectare can be harvested as oppose to the more than 10,000 that were harvested last year. The industry body limits each year the amount that can be picked. Never before had it been limited this much.

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MATHIEU ROLAND-BILLECART, CEO, CHAMPAGNE BILLECART-SALMON: There is no point having a lot of champagne that one with clients around the world that are not able to consume it.

[03:54:59] Clearly with COVID-19, the social life has been interrupted, stopped, disrupted in many ways, which hasn't led to as much shipment towards the beginning of the year. Worse things are starting to get a little better. We are in uncharted territories.

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BELL: The champagne committee says that 50 million fewer bottles were sold in the first six months of this year compared to last and an excess of champagne bringing down prices would affect the entire region.

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CHARLES LIEBERT, WINE MERCHANT, LA CAVE 17 (through translator): I would say people feel like they have to pay a lot for champagne. It's a premium product, so there's this idea that if the champagne you're buying isn't expensive, then you're not really getting a good champagne.

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BELL: From New York to Tokyo to Beijing, by way of Milan and London, the world's ultimate luxury drink can only be produced in this region, which is why for producers like Billecart-Salmon, protecting the value of the treasure that lies directly beneath my feet was crucial.

Down here in the cellars it is 10 million bottles of champagne that are kept over two miles of dimly lit coordinator. It is down here as well that that crucial ingredient will emerge, the bubbles. The question is whether their allure is simply in their price.

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ROLAND-BILLECART: You know, we do two fermentations. We do several blends and we keep the wines here in our cellar between 3 and 15 years. So, it's not a need to have a higher price. There are costs to all these things in making an exceptional champagne, and ultimately that need has to be reflected in the price.

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BELL: It is a cut in production then that is all about allowing this particular region and this product to weather the storm, giving us all, when the time comes, the ability to toast the end of the pandemic.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Mareuil-sur-Ay, France.

CHURCH: And thanks for joining us this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back with more news right after this short break.

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