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Trump Defends a Supporter; Joe Biden Called Out Trump's Leadership; Kenosha Mayor Says No to Visits; Emmanuel Macron Eager to Lift Lebanon's Economy; France Opening Its Schools; Students in China Back to In-Person Class; No Assurance in Herd Immunity; America in Crisis, Trump and Biden at Odds over U.S. Violence, Racism; President Trump to Travel to Kenosha Despite Pleas to Stay Away; India Reopens Further Amid Record High New Coronavirus Cases; India's Economy Shrinks at the Fastest Pace on Record; Kushner-Led Delegation Wrapping Up Historic UAE Trip; Global Conspiracy Theory, QAnon Supporters Join Protests in Germany; Students Fight for Black History Classes. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired September 01, 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 from all around the world. You are watching CNN Newsroom. And I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This president, long ago, forfeited any moral leadership in this country. He can't stop violence, because for years he has fomented it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Joe Biden slams the U.S. president over his handling of protests across the U.S., as Donald Trump later refuses to condemn violence by right wing agitators.

Some children in France and China are heading back to school today. We are live in Paris and Beijing. And the French president is in Beirut four weeks after the devastating blast to push for reforms.

Good to have you with us.

Well, U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has a clear message for Americans. President Donald Trump has failed to protect America, so now he is trying to scare America. In a scathing criticism of Mr. Trump, Biden slammed him for trying to dodge the blame for the botched coronavirus response and fermenting racial unrest in the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Since they have no agenda or vision for a second term, Trump and Pence are running on this. And I find it fascinating. Quote, "you won't be safe in Joe Biden's America." And what's their proof? The violence we are seeing in Donald Trump's America. These are not images of some imagined Joe Biden America in the future. These are images of Donald Trump's America today.

Donald Trump has been a toxic presence in our nation for four years. Poisoning how we talk to one another. Poisoning how we treat one another. Poisoning the values this nation has always held dear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And President Trump is declining to denounce his supporter's violent actions. He defended Kyle Rittenhouse, the teen facing homicide charges in the shooting deaths of two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you going to condemn the actions of vigilantes like Kyle Rittenhouse?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We are looking at all of it. That was an interesting situation. You saw the same tape as I saw. And he was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like. And he fell. And then they very violently attacked him. And it was something that we are looking at right now. And it's under investigation. But I guess he was in a very big trouble. He would have been, he probably would have been killed. But it's under -- it's under investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And that's not all. During an interview on Fox News, President Trump compared police who use excessive force to golfers who miss a short putt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They choke. Just like in a golf tournament, they missed a three foot --

(CROSSTALK)

LAURA INGRAHAM, HOST, FOX NEWS: You're not comparing it to golf? Because of course that's what the media would say.

TRUMP: No, I'm saying people choke.

INGRAHAM: Yes. People might --

TRUMP: People choke.

INGRAHAM: People can. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: But President Trump plans to travel to Kenosha today, the White House says it's to visit local law enforcement and business owners. This despite the city's mayor saying they don't want him there right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR JOHN ANTARAMIAN, KENOSHA, WISCONSIN: Our community has gone through a great deal. And there is no time right now for political politics to be played. We would prefer that the governor -- the president had waited, at least another week or so before coming to visit. Presidents are always welcome. All cities have president's visit at different times. The president is always welcome. But at this time, it's just the wrong time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: But Mr. Trump doesn't plan to meet with Jacob Blake's family. Although he is the one police shot in the back seven times. Blake's father told CNN his main concern is his son, not the politics of the situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[03:05:02]

JACOB BLAKE, SR., JACOB BLAKE'S FATHER: First of all, I am not going to play politics. This is my son's life we're talking about. I saw Jacob yesterday. Let's say progress is limited and highly sedated. But his breathing and his functions above the waist, seem to be tapering off. He is holding on for dear life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The city's mayor says Joe Biden may also be visiting Kenosha this week. But he says he would prefer both Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden stay away for now.

Joining me now is Tara Setmayer, a CNN political commentator and senior adviser at the Lincoln Project. Good to have you with us.

TARA SETMAYER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: And Tara, the Lincoln Project just pulled out this video, I want to take a listen to just a portion of it. We'll bring that up now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOC RIVERS, HEAD COACH, LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: It's just so sad. Just watching the Republican convention and they are spewing this fear, Donald Trump and all of them talking about fear. We are the ones getting killed. We are the ones getting shot. All you do is keep hearing about fear. It's amazing. Why we keep loving this country, and this country does not let us back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: So, Tara, a message of fear there. But the big message overall from that video was you don't need to be black to be outraged. You need to be American and be outraged. Is that getting through though when we see caravans of Trump supporters taking over streets, shooting paint bombs, and pepper spray at protesters in Portland or worse in Kenosha a Trump supporter charged with homicide and the president Trump refusing to condemn that alleged shooter?

SETMAYER: Yes. It's really, really disconcerting what we are seeing going on here and even worse that we see no leadership whatsoever coming from the White House. If anything, the president is making it worse.

When the Lincoln Project put that video out, we took the words of Doc Rivers, the famed coach of the L.A. Clippers, who's actually the son of a police officer. His dad was a 30-year police officer in his hometown outside of Chicago in Illinois. And you just hear the pain and emotion in his voice conveying what the experience is for people of color in many places across this country.

And I think in the beginning of the summer, we started to see wide America begin to understand this and look at this from a different perspective after the George Floyd killing that we saw on camera. It was jarring for a lot of folks. And it started a conversation about a racial reckoning going on in America around police brutality.

Now unfortunately, because we've seen some people in the looting and rioting space there, they have co-opted this message. And it's given a lifeline to Donald Trump and his campaign to use this law and order feigned outrage over something that's really not the majority of the people who are protesting. But it's giving them this ability to try to pin this on Democratic mayors or on Joe Biden.

And I think that they are beginning to overstep. Because once you see things like what happened in Kenosha when that 17-year-old who allegedly killed people who was a Trump supporter, who, there was a militia call to go and defend the property. We don't have vigilante justice in America. That is not something that we should be encouraging.

And unfortunately, Donald Trump is doing just that. But Joe Biden is pushing back on that which he did very effectively today.

CHURCH: Right. And despite police from Wisconsin's governor not to go, Donald Trump is still pushing ahead with his visit to Kenosha Tuesday. But he won't be meeting with the family of Jacob Blake, the man shot seven times by a police officer in Kenosha at point blank range. What is your reaction to Mr. Trump refusing to meet because the family wants a lawyer present? What do you say to that, and does that make any sense to you?

SETMAYER: Well, I see it's smart on the family's part. Because we know that Donald Trump is a liar. And he often misrepresents situations. So, he can't be trusted to have and be an honest broker of what took place during that encounter. So, they are smart to make that request.

What's unfortunate is that we have a president who clearly, it's not about comforting the family or being there for them in leadership. It's about him and wanting to exploit it politically. And when they rejected that, he walked away from it.

So, it just shows you right there how transparent he is about why he is going to Kenosha, why he is doing it now. Kellyanne Conway basically said the quiet part out loud last week when she said that this type of violence is good for the campaign.

CHURCH: But where does that leave the president's rival Joe Biden who historically received strong support from black voters?

[03:10:01]

Could this put him in a very difficult position defending protest for his base while supporting law and order for moderates?

SETMAYER: I think up until today, he was beginning to lose the narrative somewhat because they had not come out forcefully against the looting and rioting. They were trying to thread a really, really small needle here by not upsetting the progressive left, which they need, but also making sure that suburban voters and white voters felt comfortable that Joe Biden would be tough on these issues.

Today he gave a speech that I think put that to rest. He was unequivocal that looting and rioting is not protesting, and that it should be prosecuted. And he also talked about the importance of racial justice, and of making sure that the bad cops are punished. And he did an excellent job by also pointing out the fact that all of this chaos and violence that's happening is Donald Trump's America, not Joe Biden's America. Donald Trump is currently president.

So, I think as long as Biden continues to push that message consistently, because Trump will, he has got to continue to push back. And if he does so like he did today, I think they'll be able to inoculate themselves from that message.

CHURCH: Tara Setmayer, thank you so much. Good to talk with you.

SETMAYER: Thank you.

CHURCH: The United States has now topped six million cases of the coronavirus. And the latest data from John Hopkins University also shows the virus has killed more than 183,000 Americans. Countless others have been left with long term problems.

But there is some positive news. Compared to the beginning of August, daily cases are down, deaths are starting to decline, and hospitalizations are down. As the nation makes progress fighting the virus, the Washington Post reports a new adviser to the president is pushing a controversial strategy.

CNN's Nick Watt has more now from Los Angeles.

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Recessions today for the dead in Detroit. More than 183,000 now confirmed killed by COVID-19 nationwide. But the president just re-tweeted an article that distorted data to suggest the actual toll is 9,000.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's wrong, it's misinformation. And frankly, it is deadly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: A new Trump advisor is, according to the Washington Post, now pushing the so-called Swedish model. Let the virus spread to the point of herd immunity, which the newspaper says could lead to two million deaths in the U.S.

We have a convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic with the political season. The FDA commissioner just told the Financial Times we are just going to have to get through that and stick to our core principles.

But recent White House pressure on the CDC to tweak testing guidelines, and the FDA exaggerating the effectiveness of plasma treatment, is fostering fears of political meddling. And now Dr. Hahn says the FDA could grant emergency authorization for a vaccine even before trials end. Saying, we may find that appropriate, we may find that inappropriate. We will make a determination.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDY SLAVITT, FORMER ACTING ADMINISTRATOR, CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES: He's basically laying the groundwork where we will be able to say that he believes that the benefit outweighs the harm, which is not the scientific standard that we should use for this vaccine if we're putting into tens of millions of people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: Case counts are ticking up in 20 states. Record average in new case counts in these six states. Nationwide key metrics are on a slow decline.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASHISH JHA, DIRECTOR, HARVARD GLOBAL HEALTH INSTITUTE: As a nation, we are clearly doing better now in the last day of August than we were on the first day of August. And it's largely because of smart policies in Texas and Arizona, and Florida around masking and closing bars.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: Florida just logged its lowest daily case count since mid-June. Showing signs of creeping near normalcy. In Miami-Dade today you can eat inside a restaurant again. But by law, they still got to be half empty. Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

CHURCH: So let's talk now with Dr. Amy Compton-Phillips, a CNN medical analyst and chief clinical officer of Providence Health System. Always good to talk with you.

AMY COMPTON-PHILLIPS, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Always a pleasure, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, one of President Trump's medical advisers, Dr. Scott Atlas has been pushing for the controversial herd immunity strategy to combat COVID-19, despite warnings from Dr. Anthony Fauci and other medical officials. Dr. Atlas apparently walked this back a little bit on Monday because of the pressure.

But what are the dangers of this approach given we watched this fail in Sweden?

COMPTON-PHILLIPS: We did watch it fail in Sweden. And the dangers are exactly what they experience there. And that the virus can completely get out of control.

[03:15:02]

So, the theory that proponents of herd immunity, which really is a French theory by the way. It is not accepted in typical well-respected public health realms, is that if you get younger, healthier people exposed, and therefore immune to the virus, you can protect older people.

And the problem is you can't control it. Once it gets broadly out in the community everybody gets exposed to it. First of all, some young healthy people have bad outcomes. But second of all there's a lot of people in the country with diabetes and hypertension and obesity and the things that can make this virus risky. So that current predictions are that should we go the herd immunity route, and just go for broad scale exposure, over two million people could die.

So, it's terrible enough already with over 900 people a day dying. You know, that's equivalent to having three planes crash a day full of people. Could you imagine if we allowed two million people overall to die? It would be horrific.

CHURCH: It is absolutely horrifying. And of course, as well, the Food and Drug Administration chief, Stephen Hahn, says he is willing to consider emergency use authorization for COVID-19 vaccine before phase three vials are completed. And this has triggered a bit of debate prompting prominent doctors to call for an independent panel to review vaccines. How concerned are you about this?

COMPTON-PHILLIPS: I'm very worried. We already have a lot of sentiment in the U.S. that's anti-vaccine that doesn't trust vaccines. So, if we put a vaccine out on the market that's not fully proven and that later is shown to have some uncommon and -- but dangerous side effects very much similar to the swine flu vaccine did in the 1976 that caused something called Guillain-Barre syndrome wearily. But a terrible condition that causes paralysis, most of the time reversible.

But people getting completely paralyzed from a vaccine. Horrible, right? You want to know about that before you authorize the vaccine. You don't want to find out about that after you've given it to 300 million people. So, we need to have this fully vetted and make sure it's safe before we promote it with the rest of the country.

CHURCH: And doctor, a new CNN poll on whether Americans would try to get a vaccine, if it existed, appears to show less trust now than there was back in May with 56 percent now saying they would take the vaccine compared to 66 back in May. How much do you think this is due to this discussion about cutting corners and delivering a vaccine early, and how do you build back that public trust?

COMPTON-PHILLIPS: I think the only way you build trust is with being completely honest and being transparent with the data, and being very consistent in your messages. And in fact, the pandemic playbook that our government threw out when this pandemic started, actually says, communication is job one. And that you need to be upfront and honest and forthright and share the data and share the information.

And because that hasn't happened, we've had conflicting messages coming from all over the place. And we've had it feel like politics is interfered with the scientific process. It has definitely eroded the trust in what has in the past been stellar public institution.

CHURCH: Dr. Amy Compton-Phillips, always great to talk with you and get your very wise guidance on all things medical. Many thanks.

COMPTON-PHILLIPS: Thank you.

CHURCH: Well children headed back to school today in France and in several cities in China, including Wuhan where the pandemic is thought to have originated. Chinese authorities say they have the virus under control but they are taking precautions regardless.

In France, all schools will be reopened for the first time since March despite a rising number of new cases.

And CNN's Melissa Bell is outside the school in Paris and Steven Jiang is in Beijing. They join us now live. Good to see both.

Steven, let's start with you. And given China is where this coronavirus pandemic began, how is it planning to reopen schools as kids go back to in-class learning? And what safety measures are being put in place?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Well, Rosemary, the preparation process for this phase reopening really took place long before the actual return of students.

Now the schools of course have been deep cleaning, disinfecting their campuses and testing their teachers and staff for the virus and requiring all students and their families to really monitor their health conditions closely and are reporting -- recording temperatures on a daily basis and reporting any illnesses or symptoms. Now once the students have returned to campus, they also have to go

through a very rigorous health screening and with close monitoring remains in place throughout their school days as well.

So, you mentioned Wuhan the ground zero of the pandemic and lot of attention of course there. Students are indeed returning to campuses there and they actually have one of the more relaxed mask policies with students being asked to bring a mask to campus but they are not required to wear one.

[03:20:05]

So really showing the confidence of the local authorities in the result of their mask testing, as well as their extensive contact tracing. Of course, people are still nervous about it, one episode really illustrates this well.

In Wuhan as well, rumors were flying overnight here that one elementary school student actually got tested positive on Monday, but then the government had to come out with a statement saying that was not the case. That student passed a temperature checks three times before he started feeling feverish and then he got tested for the virus. And it was negative. It was just a common respiratory infection.

So, Rosemary, this really shows the kind of dilemma many parents in this country, myself included, face right now, that is on the one hand we can't wait to send our kids back to school to get a bit of sanity back, on the other hand, you are getting very nervous in terms of what might happen as campuses are getting crowded again. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Yes. It's a sentiment felt by parents all across the globe, which is just incredible. Steven Jiang, many thanks joining us there from Beijing.

Melissa, what's the plan in France for reopening schools. And what's the level of infection across the country right now?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the figures right now, Rosemary, are extremely worrying by the French authority's own admission. We saw this exponential rise last week. And today, the latest figures when we look at the day, Monday, rather, the latest fingers published by authorities show a 4.2 percent infection rate.

And that is an interesting figure because it's sort of allows for the increased testing that we've seen, and gives you a better idea of how fast this latest rise is going, and it is worrying authorities. They say they're doing everything they can. And yet, the French authorities, the French government have been very keen throughout this -- that schools reopening as quickly as possible.

There were some schools and some students went back at the end of last term, but this is the first time that all French students will be back at school.

And as far as the French government is concerned, we heard from Emmanuel Macron, we heard it from the education minister, it is a priority and non-negotiable for them because it is a question of social justice. In their eyes this is not just about education, it is about ensuring that the equality gap between children is brought back under control is now tightened by allowing them to get back to school.

So, I'm in front of a primary school here in the very heart of Paris, all children above 11, so not these children, they are under 11, they'll be able to go about their day without masks on, but anyone over 11 has to wear a mask. And of course, that includes teachers. As they teach, they are going to have to wear a mask.

There are markings on the ground to encourage children to walk in the right direction. Posters to remind them of the social distancing rules that they need to apply.

But of course, all eyes very much on what happens now with individual schools. Should any cases be detected there, whether they will be closed, how quickly they will be closed. This, as I say, as authority is looking this extremely worrying figure of rising exponentially across France and in particular hotspots like here in Paris.

So, yes, a dilemma for parents, but the messaging from the French governments are extremely clear. That the danger of not sending children back to school is greater than the dangers involved in allowing them to get back into class, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes. Still, a difficult balancing act there. Melissa Bell joining us live from Paris. Many thanks.

And the French president is in Beirut working to pull Lebanon out of its deepening crises. Can he save the country from its political and economic mess? We'll have a live report from the region. That's next.

Plus, Jared Kushner is nearing the end of an historic trip, managing talks between Israel and the UAE. A live report from Abu Dhabi on that. Back in a moment.

[03:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: French President Emmanuel Macron is in Beirut pressing for reforms to pull Lebanon out of its political and economic crises. His visit comes just hours after Lebanese leaders named diplomat Mustafa Adib as the next prime minister under French pressure.

Shortly after Beirut's deadly explosion on August 4th, Mr. Macron promise to help Lebanon. He also warned it would continue to sink if political reforms were not implemented.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh joins us now from Istanbul, Turkey to talk more on this. Good to see you, Jomana.

So, four weeks after that devastating blast how does the French president plan to help Lebanon reform and emerge from its political and economic woes? JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, Emmanuel Macron

has really emerged as the main powerbroker in Lebanon. He has really taken on this rule of the person who is trying to save the country from complete collapse as we saw after that devastating last month.

He is doing that by putting pressure on the country's political elite who of course are being blamed by the population for the current state that their country is in because of the years, decades, really of mismanagement and that entrenched corruption.

Lebanon right now, Rosemary, needs the international community more than ever. It needs international support. It needs international funding and aid. It needs an IMF bailout.

And what the French president made clear during his last visit is that there will be no more blank checks that they need to work towards any sort of international aid, any sort of support. That there needs to be political change. There needs to be real reforms, economic political reforms.

He talked about a new political packed. We don't really know what that entails but, speculation about changing the current political system, that power sharing system that is based on sectarian power sharing, basically.

So, what we've seen is Macron really using that approach of the carrot and the stick with the Lebanese politician saying, you deliver and we will support you, and we will help you. And it seems, Rosemary, on the surface, that perhaps that kind of pressure is working.

Just hours before his arrival, as you mentioned, the Lebanese political establishments delivered a new prime minister. Prime minister designates Mustafa Adib. And this is really quite significant. They moved quite fast, relatively faster than we have seen them in the past.

This is a process that could take months. They did this in a couple of weeks' time. And also, what's different about this is he was a consensus candidate. He did have the support of the different and major political blocks in parliament.

Again, this is a bit too soon to judge whether they're really going to be changing their ways here, but perhaps a tiny step to start this process of political change, and it seems with Macron's visit is he making it clear that he is keeping that pressure on them to change, and that any sort of international support and aid is contingent on them really enacting meaningful and real reforms.

The new prime minister, Rosemary, has a very, very tough task ahead. He still has to form a cabinet. This is a process that could take months, and then there are the challenges obviously dealing with the multiple crises that the country is facing, financial, economic, political, the health crisis with COVID and rebuilding and reconstruction in Beirut, of course.

But the biggest challenge is going to be trying to gain the trust of the people that crisis of confidence, perhaps the biggest challenge ahead. You have people in the country who see him as just another product of this political structure, this political establishment that they blame for the state of the country is in.

CHURCH: We'll watch --

KARADSHEH: And then you have others who don't see any other alternatives. So, we'll have to wait and see. A very tough task ahead --

CHURCH: Yes.

KARADSHEH: -- for this prime minister designate. Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, we'll be watching every step of the way. Jomana Karadsheh, many Thanks to you. I appreciate it.

Well, the economic fallout from the coronavirus is hitting India especially hard as it reports one of its worst economic contractions ever.

[03:30:00]

Plus, a bizarre conspiracy theory from the far-right of U.S. politics is spreading beyond America. We would discuss why QAnon suddenly showed up in Germany.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back. Our top story this hour. President Donald Trump and his rival Joe Biden trading some tough blows over racism and violence as the U.S. Elections draws closer. During a campaign appearance on Monday, Biden accused the president of failing to protect America and stoking the violent unrest across U.S. cities with racially charged rhetoric.

Mr. Trump criticized Biden's speech, but not specifically identifying the left-wing or Antifa as responsible for the violence Biden was denouncing. But the president himself refuses to condemn violence by his conservative supporters.

As this debate wages on CNN's Brian Todd, takes a closer look at some of the violent protests dominating the presidential campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whenever I hear revving engines, I really kind of scared.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Shooting witness Justin Dunlap, seems to have a sense that trouble was moment away. Seconds later he was proven right. Police are now looking for a suspect in this shooting which occurred Saturday evening in Portland.

The victim who was killed, according to The New York Times, was wearing a hat with the insignia of a far-right group called patriot prayer. That group's leader warned the man's lost in a Facebook posting. Portland police have now identified the victim as 39 year old Aaron Danielson.

The shooting came during a series of confrontations within downtown Portland on Saturday which occurred when a group of Trump supporters drove into the city in a large convoy. Videos posted online showed fights breaking out between people in the pro-Trump convoy and other demonstrators. And the Trump supporters are seeing firing paintball pellets and spraying mace from the backs of their vehicles.

Justin Dunlap, the witness who videotaped the shooting was asked by CNN what the victim was doing just before being shot.

JUSTIN DUNLAP, WITNESS TO PORTLAND SHOOTING: He raised his hand and the maze came forward. I don't know what he had in his hand if it was mace or if there something else. But that is the direction the mace came from was him and it was a huge cloud, like 20 feet long and then the cloud just exploded. And the shots rang out.

[03:35:05]

TODD: Then Dunlap says the victims took four steps and fell face down. And two other men he says ran in another direction. Portland's police chief said his force had a strong presence on the streets on Saturday night, but still couldn't get its arms around those confrontations.

CHUCK LOVELL, CHIEF, PORTLAND POLICE BUREAU: We had folks station at different areas, but it's very difficult when you have small groups of people spread throughout the city to sometimes engage in violent acts with each other. We only have a limited resource, so we can't be everywhere at the same time.

TODD: President Trump tweeted rest in peace referring to the Portland shooting victim. But the president so far has said only this about the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, referring to a video of the Blake shooting.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm looking into it very strongly. I would be getting reports and I will certainly let you know pretty soon, but I'll be -- it was not a good site. I did not like the sight of it, certainly.

TODD: The Wisconsin Department of Justice and federal officials are investigating the Blake shooting as protests there have continued.

17 year old Kyle Rittenhouse faces homicide charges for the shooting deaths of two protesters in Kenosha last week. As curfews continue to go into effect in Kenosha County, the sheriff says more than 200 protesters have been arrested there since the Blake shooting. More than half those people he says, from outside Kenosha.

DAVID BETH, SHERIFF, KENOSHA COUNTY, WISCONSIN: There's people from outside Kenosha, outside Wisconsin, and we have had some that are outside the United States, calling in here to scare people of what is going to happen. TODD: President Trump, meanwhile, still planned to travel to Kenosha,

Wisconsin on Tuesday to meet with law enforcement officials and to survey damage despite appeals from the Wisconsin Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and the mayor of Kenosha for him not to come right now. The White House said there were no plans for the president to meet with members of Jacob Blake's family. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: India is starting a new phase of reopening, despite COVID-19 cases right now rising more than anywhere else in the world. The reopening will save the countries metro rail services restored in what they call a graded manner from next week.

CNN reporter Vedika Sud joins us now from New Delhi. Good to see you, Vedika. So, why is India opening up right in the middle of record high new cases?

VEDIKA SUD, CNN PRODUCER: Well, I think the answer is just one, Rosemary, economic compulsions, because we have locked down, I mean in over two months if you remember. And that really, really weaken the economy. The numbers came out yesterday in the first quarter GDP of India, and India has actually been hit really hard, nearly 24 percent of a reduction in GDP numbers and that is the first for India.

It really hit hard. So, of course we've had the government to figure out and come out so many times and saying that we have to coexist with COVID-19, and that is exactly what is happening. So, today's the 1st of September. And Trump today unlocked this (inaudible) on India, on the seventh month. You mentioned of this month, we go to see the underground trains operate.

Now for Delhi, it's served at about 1.5 million passengers who operate through those trains, but this is going to be a graded reopening of the underground service. So, we will not hopefully see those many passengers using the services on a daily basis, but also at this point in time, the government has come out and said that later this month, the gathering of 100 people will be allowed for functions.

Now, this could be certainly a (inaudible) given that India's case, it has been the highest ever that we have registered over the last few days as well. Well, what seems to be a temperate relief is for the first time after five days of registering, over 75,000 new infections on a daily basis, today India has registered less than 17,000. Even the deaths which were over 900 over the last few days is down to 800 plus.

But this is just the first day that we have seen the numbers fall after five days of very high numbers. So, at this point in time, fingers are crossed, we don't see India peeking anytime soon. Medical experts say that different states are going to repeat at different times. Also, important to note that engineering examinations are on an India from today. We have 850,000 students sitting for them. That's a staggering number.

Yes, they will get medical exams for medical students coming up later this month. Social distancing is being maintained. What we are being told is that the students are sitting on alternate seats and their most centers which are being used to make sure that the capacity is not at fullest. (Inaudible) that's the latest we have you from here in India. Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes. So many challenges there. Vedika Sud, many thanks to you for bringing us up to date on the situation there. I appreciate it.

And while COVID-19 cases surge on India as we just heard, the country's economy is tanking. Official data shows India's economy contracted nearly 24 percent in the second quarter, the quickest pace on record. Lockdowns are meant to contain the spread of the virus have decimated consumer spending and investment.

[03:40:06]

We turn to CNN's John Defterios joining me now. Live. Good to see you, John. I mean, we heard a lot there from Vedika on this, you know, India's economy shrinking at the fastest pace on record. And that appears to be why we are seeing now this push to reopen, but how will they get things moving again?

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Well, you know, you have to put this in a wider context, I think. Rosemary, because the rest of the globe is contracting just not at the level that India is doing right now. And it's a country of extremes. Extreme lockdown early on from March by Prime Minister Modi. Then we had this extreme caseload, 1 million in 16 days, Rosemary, is a shocking number.

But then a desperate attempt to restart growth. And it's not a light switch which you get to say we are open and start growing again, because consumer confidence has been hit. So, this contraction of 24 percent likely means and just under that number that will have a recession on an annualized basis for the first time since 1980. The consumer got shocked by the lockdown and consumer spending was down by nearly a 3rd. Investment was down nearly 50 percent.

I think it's worth reminding our viewers that I got as emerging markets editor, very used to India growing 8, 9 percent, but it went below 5 percent at the end of 2019. The alarm bells are ringing. And then COVID-19 came into place.

There's some criticism here for Prime Minister Modi at the same time. He announced in May, that $265 billion COVID-19 stimulus plan, but the criticism was that that spending was already earmarked. He just back loaded it to make it look like a stimulus plan, and it really did have the effect on Indian business, or the consumer.

So, this is going to remain a challenge, and then the context of the G7, yes contractions not at a level of 24 percent, and many comparisons are often made to China, China had a horrible first quarter. It is growing in the second quarter. We don't see that recovery taking hold in India right now. Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes. Absolutely. And people wanting to hold on to their money. Because you just don't know what lies ahead. That does not help of course. John Defterios, joining us there, many thanks.

And still to come, they truly believe Donald Trump is fighting a powerful network of pedophiles who worship Satan. Now QAnon is showing its global reach. We have a report coming up from Berlin that you do not want to miss. We are back with that in a moment.

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CHURCH: The U.S. President Senior Adviser Jared Kushner is wrapping up one leg of a trip to the Middle East with other U.S. officials. He is set to fly back to Israel after the first commercial flight from that country to the United Arab Emirates. Normalized ties between the two is the main focus of the trip. Sources say Kushner is trying to get other Arab countries to attend the signing ceremony for the deal in Washington.

[03:45:04]

As Sam Kiley joins me now live from Abu Dhabi. Good to see you, Sam. So, Kushner's wrapping up his largely symbolic trip to the UAE. How did it go? And was he able to get (inaudible) other Arab nations to attend the signing ceremony?

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, on the latter point, Rosemary, it remains to be seen. We do know that countries like Oman, Bahrain have been looking at the possibility of normalizing relations.

Indeed, the Omanis have had not quite fully normalized relations but quite busy relations with the Israelis now for some time. Actually ahead, at least in public of what was been going on behind the scenes with the United Arab Emirates?

Now, Mr. Kushner is on the last few hours of his trip at the moment, visiting a major U.S. Emeriti airbase here. And signaling also that as far as he was concerned, he was looking favorably -- over the U.S. was looking favorably at the possibility of selling F-35s, the stealth aircraft to the Emirati's. They would be the first Arab nation to receive delivery of that very sophisticated aircraft alongside of course in the Middle East, the Israelis who patch uncomfortable with that.

But there's no sign of discomfort coming from the Israeli delegation. They have a privately rather amused almost to hear a quite disdainful words being expressed toward the Palestinian leadership at a private dinner in the Louvre last night.

We have -- I was not in the attendance there. I spoke to people who have been. They are also delighted to see that ongoing negotiations and talks about cooperation over scientific, down the line, possibly military, certainly foreign policy engagement and of course, cultural and above all, business, because this trip has torn up a 40 year rule that forbade Emirati's from doing business with the Jewish state.

That was a rule that was actually torn up just ahead of the El Al flight touching down yesterday as it did very significantly not only the first time ever that the Israeli commercial airline has flown to a gulf nation, but it overflew, Rosemary, Saudi airspace, possibly signaling certainly, not disapproval of this normalization of relations between the Emirates and the Israel. Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Many thanks, Sam Kiley, joining us there live with that report. I appreciate it. A conspiracy theory that started its life in the U.S. appears to be spreading in other parts of the world. Thousands of people gathered in Berlin last weekend to protest against coronavirus restrictions.

Among them were supporters of the QAnon conspiracy, a right wing movement that claims satanic members of the so-called deep state applauding to destroy U.S. President Trump and engage in child sex abuse.

Fred Pleitgen joins us now from Berlin. And Fred, you have to shake your head. How did this U.S. base right wing conspiracy movement find a home in Germany?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary. It's quite interesting. It's actually a big debate here in Germany as well. I was checking the most recent tickers coming out here. And the German police workers union actually came out and said that they believe that the folks who are protesting against the pandemic measures here in Germany are in danger of completely getting hijacked by the radical right wing.

And of course, at this demonstration that we were yesterday, we saw a lot more of those flags out there than we would usually. And a lot of them also together with folks who follow the QAnon conspiracy, and a lot of them quite frankly told us that they see themselves as the disciples of U.S. President Trump. Here's what we saw.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: An attack on Germany's democracy. Protesters from a demo against the countries coronavirus restrictions tried to storm the German parliament on Saturday. Among them, people carrying flags of the German Reich, a symbol that is now associated with Germany's far- right. Along with Russian flags, but also U.S. flags. We also found many supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theories. This man, waving a right flag with the QAnon symbol and the likeness of President Trump.

You like Donald Trump?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

PLEITGEN: Why?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The deep state. Long time, manipulate the people. The human and that must end.

PLEITGEN: QAnon is a sprawling conspiracy theory that claims, without evidence, that a group of Satan worshipping members of the deep state are plotting to destroy President Trump and establish world domination. They claim measures against the pandemic are part of that conspiracy. And at least, according to some we spoke to, that President Trump is an angel.

[03:50:03]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's an angel? Yes.

PLEITGEN: Why?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He has the connection. He has a connection.

PLEITGEN: To whom?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To (inaudible).

PLEITGEN: Who?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You would see. The 3rd November and the 4th November, the pandemia is finish worldwide.

PLEITGEN: President Trump has re-tweeted claims from accounts linked to QAnon hundreds of times. And as repeatedly refused to denounce the QAnon conspiracy.

TRUMP: Well, I don't know much about the movement, other than I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate.

PLEITGEN: But the president's words are undermining Germany's own response to the coronavirus pandemic. Angela Merkel's government is generally viewed as being successful in combatting COVID-19, but at Saturday's demonstration, she and members of her government are pictured in what seems to be concentration camp inmate suits calling for her to be locked up. Another man in a Trump shirt and a MAGA hat saying this.

What do you think about Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel? Because internationally she has been praised for the way she has dealt with the coronavirus crisis.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think she is Hitler's daughter.

PLEITGEN: You think she is Hitler's daughter?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's I think.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: And Rosemary, quite frankly, Angela Merkel is not Adolf Hitler's daughter. She was born well after Hitler was dead. And one of the things that we could see here is that there were about 40,000 people who came to this demonstration this weekend. Obviously, not all of them were members of QAnon. Not all of them were right-wing.

But I can tell you one thing, Rosemary, here in this country, those pictures of people trying to storm the German parliament with this country's history, waving right-wing flags in front of the parliament, that certainly is something that does raise a lot of alarm bells to many Germans and of course, the German politicians as well, Rosemary. CHURCH: Yes. For anyone who studied the Second World War, it sends

shudders through their body. Just extraordinary. And as I said, it's a shake your head moment. Frederik Pleitgen, thank you so much. We appreciate that report.

Well, searching for a familiar face in American history coming up. How a notable lack of black history courses and U.S. schools has students demanding change. We are back with that in a moment.

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CHURCH: Black history in America is a subject that often doesn't receive enough attention. The few states that would require it to be taught in public schools have little to no requirements on what should be included in the curriculum.

Seeing the disparity in their school, a group of students in the U.S. State of Colorado appealed to the school board for an African American studies class. Now they have been guaranteed that class and plans for it to expand to other schools.

Joining me now is Alana Mitchell, a student at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early College, a middle and high school in Denver Colorado. Thank you so much for talking with us.

ALANA MITCHELL, DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. EARLY COLLEGE STUDENT: Hi. Thank you so much for the opportunity.

CHURCH: Wonderful to chat with. So, you were in 12th grade now. So, I want you to talk to us about what inspired you to call for more black history to be taught in schools.

MITCHELL: So, me and a group of 17 other students went to Washington, D.C. in October 2019, and while when we were in D.C., we went to the Smithsonian African American history museum. And while we were in the museum, we all learned a lot about ourselves, a lot about our culture, in just a lot period.

[03:55:18]

For me personally I know that before I went to this museum, I always thought I was either not white -- not black enough to go or too white to go.

CHURCH: So, when you are seeing you want to see more black history taught in schools across America, what did you learn at school about this? Did you feel -- did they touched on the subject at all or it was just this really the first time that you were made conscious of where you fit in the world?

MITCHELL: I believe that is the first time I was conscious of where I am in the world. I had not learned anything about my history at that moment at the museum. Besides things that my mom and my dad had taught me.

CHURCH: So, what would you like to see being taught in schools so that black children, brown children, white children are made more aware of black history?

MITCHELL: I would like for the positive side to be taught as well. Because we only really learn about the negative. We only learn about slavery and oppression. But there is so much more. Black people were musicians. Mathematicians. Artists.

CHURCH: Right. And also, how much better understanding and empathy might white Americans have if they were given this early education as well?

MITCHELL: They would have a lot more empathy and I believe that they would be able to understand a little bit more if they understood the history as well as we do.

CHURCH: When you look at what is happening on the streets of Portland and Kenosha right now in response to the police shootings of black men and women, what are your thoughts?

MITCHELL: I wanted to stop. I want us to be treated just like every other person in the world. I want us to not have any more stereotypes on us that would put a target on us for the rest of our lives.

CHURCH: All right. Alana Mitchell, thank you so much for talking with us. We do appreciate it. And good luck with your studies.

MITCHELL: Thank you.

CHURCH: And thank you for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. I will be back with more news in just a moment.

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