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Michael Cohen's Tell-All Book Brings Back Focus On Trump's Character; Anita Hill Vows To Vote For Joe Biden Despite Past Criticism; California Breaks Record For Wildfires; Election Security Threats; COVID-19 On Africa's Frontlines. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired September 06, 2020 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:00]

ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: Thanks for joining me. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York.

And less than two months to go until the election, and guess what? It's tell-all book season. And the latest one from the president's former fixer and attorney Michael Cohen is a doozy. CNN obtained a copy of Cohen's upcoming book, "Disloyal: A Memoir."

And the quotes attributed to Trump include disparaging comments about blacks and Latinos. For example after President Obama's win in 2008, Michael Cohen says Trump reacted this way, saying, quote, "Tell me one country run by a black person that isn't an S hole. They are all complete effing toilets."

Then Cohen says after Trump launched his own run for president in 2015, he allegedly said, quote, "I will never get the Hispanic vote. Like the blacks, they are too stupid to vote for Trump. They are not my people."

And that's not the only tell-all coming out this week. According to the "Washington Post," former FBI agent Peter Strzok alleges in his new book, "Compromised," that investigators had to consider whether Russia was secretly controlling Trump after he took office.

Quote, "Given what we knew or had cause to suspect about Trump's compromising behavior in the weeks, months and years leading up to the election, it all so seemed conceivable if unlikely that Moscow had indeed pulled off the most stunning intelligence achievement in human history, secretly controlling the president of the United States, a Manchurian candidate elected."

Let's get right to the White House and see if there is any response from there. CNN's Jeremy Diamond joins us. What are you hearing, Jeremy?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ana, there's no question that the White House and the president aren't happy about this book. I mean, if you just look at one sentence of the book where Michael Cohen refers to the president as a cheat, a liar, a fraud, a bully, a racist, a predator and a con man, and that's just one sentence of this book. There's no question about what the White House's reaction is going to be.

So far, though, we just have a reaction from the White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, she says in a statement, "Michael Cohen is a disgraced felon and disbarred lawyer who lied to Congress. He has lost all credibility and it's unsurprising to see his latest attempt to profit off of lies."

The president for his part has not yet weighed in on this book, though I suspect that we will be seeing that in the days ahead as we learn more about this book and as Michael Cohen goes on a publicity tour to promote it. Ultimately, though, it is true that Michael Cohen has his own credibility issues. I mean, this is somebody who repeatedly lied to reporters during the 2016 campaign on the president's behalf of, something that Michael Cohen acknowledges having done in this book.

And he's also somebody of course who pleaded guilty to nine federal charges including lying to Congress. So credibility certainly is something that's difficult to win back once you have lost it, but Michael Cohen is certainly attempting to do so. And we should note of course that some of the incidents that he describes here and some of the comments attributed to the president do match some things that we have already learned about the president from other people -- Ana.

CABRERA: And timing is everything because the president is also facing these new accusations first reported by the "Atlantic" that he disparaged U.S. war dead referring to them as, quote, "losers and sucker." I understand CNN has now been able to confirm some of this reporting?

DIAMOND: That's right, Ana. A senior -- former senior administration official has confirmed to CNN that the president did indeed refer to some of those war dead in derogatory and crude terms. Largely confirming this account in the "Atlantic" magazine and of course CNN isn't the only outlet. We've also seen FOX News confirm parts of this, the "Washington Post," the "New York Times," et cetera.

The administration, though, is really pushing back on this, more strongly perhaps than they have with any other story. And we saw this morning the parade of administration officials pushing back on this story continue. Today we heard from the Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin as well as Robert Wilkie, the secretary of Veteran Affairs. I want you to listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Have you ever heard the president disparaged U.S. service members or veterans?

ROBERT WILKIE, SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS: Absolutely not. And I would be offended, too, if I thought it was true.

BASH: Given the fact that nobody is backing down from the sourcing on that, how can you be sure that that is not true especially since you weren't there?

WILKIE: Well, nobody is backing down from the anonymous sourcing on it. And some of these sources that you cite are general officers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: And there's no question the president himself has been vehemently pushing back against this story for several days, perhaps extending the news cycle of the story frankly. But ultimately, you know, the question is, will the president back down off of this or how will he handle it going forward. This is something that he certainly doesn't want to deal with, with less than two months until the election and yet this is the story that he is now facing -- Ana.

CABRERA: Jeremy Diamond, at the White House for us, thank you.

It is just 58 days away, the election, and even less when you consider early voting. Let's discuss the impact this could have with former Democratic senator from California, Barbara Boxer, and also former adviser to four U.S. presidents both Democrat and Republican, David Gergen.

[16:05:07]

So we mentioned at the top of the show the disparaging comments in the book about black and Latino voters, but Cohen also accused the president of mocking evangelicals, claiming President Trump asked after a meeting with religious leaders, quote, in which they prayed over him, "Can you believe people believe that BS?"

David, you've advised four U.S. presidents as we mentioned. Let's say one of them had these allegations made against them, what do you advise them to do?

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Come clean. But you pay an awful price for doing it if these allegations are true. I think what's most telling, Ana, is that we have an avalanche of books and inside accounts coming from people who have been very close to the president, who have been part of his inner circle, who know him well, who have lots of credibility in and of himself. That is particularly true among the people that admirals and generals who have broken with the president have been scorchingly hot at times.

They saw him as the kind of guy making the big decisions and here he is attacking his own generals, his own -- you know, telling they are basically incapable or they're babies, they're whatever. I think that it's most telling that the people who are defending him are what we saw at the Republican convention. They are members of his family and they're people who are in his employment.

You don't have many people who were working from the past, from past parts of this presidency, who have left already, who are coming forward and saying oh, no, that is not our Donald Trump.

CABRERA: That's true. And Senator, in some ways these allegations aren't new. The president has previously been accused of making racist statements specifically referring to African countries as S holes. It's well-known that he doesn't attend church regularly. That he's referred to Second Corinthians as "Two Corinthians." Can Biden and Democrats make these accusations have an impact when others have not?

BARBARA BOXER (D), FORMER U.S. SENATOR, CALIFORNIA: Well, I think these accusations have an impact with or without the Biden campaign. You know, you mentioned that David served with fewer presidents, both parties. I served with five both parties. And -- I mean, David will have his take. My take is there's never been anything like this. Anyone with a heartbeat and a pulse knows these accusations are true.

First, they have been checked with many different outlets, news outlets. They are true. We also know what he said about John McCain, a gentleman, a senator, a war hero. He said he wasn't a war hero. He said he was a loser.

CABRERA: Right. And I want to ask you about that specifically still coming up --

BOXER: And this time -- yes.

CABRERA: But for just a moment I just want to stick to the allegations made by Michael Cohen because those are the ones that I'm referring to when I say, you know, can these have an impact versus others that haven't in the past.

BOXER: I see. Yes. Well, I think Michael Cohen may very well have some proof because he is an attorney. And he doesn't come to us, you know, with a clean slate. But everything that he says, Ana, rings true.

If you have a heartbeat and a pulse, you've seen this president, you've heard this president. It sounds like him. And it makes me sick what he apparently said about Nelson Mandela. You know, this is a president that shuns wonderful people and embraces tyrants. And I think it rings true. And yes, I think it will have an impact.

But I just want to say, with all of this, you've got so many people dying of COVID. You don't hear this president talk about it. He is playing golf. So, you know, in some ways we'll be distracted by this book and that book, and it's fine. I'm all for it, but look what is happening here. We are going through a terrible pandemic with no leadership.

CABRERA: David, as, you know, the White House has pointed out, Cohen is somebody whose credibility is in question, and yet multiple former administration officials have criticized the president anonymously. Hardly any actually do so on record. Recently, though, we did hear from a former senior DHS official named Myles Taylor, and I spoke with him last night. Listen to what he told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MYLES TAYLOR, FORMER SENIOR DHS OFFICIAL: As you would expect, Ana, I've been pretty actively involved in trying to give people the confidence to come out and say what they need to say and to not fear this president. And I do think in the coming days here I'm going to have some news for you in that regard.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CABRERA: David, whether it's an October surprise or a constant drip, drip, drip, if more people come forward and put their names behind it, what does that do?

[16:10:01]

GERGEN: Well, it keeps Donald Trump on the defense when he wants to be playing offense. You know, these are the weeks that he really has to start closing the gap if he's going to have a real shot at this. And instead, you know, when -- it's often said in politics, when you're explaining, you're losing. And he's been on the defense now.

And Ana, there is another thing about this, much of what we've discussed in the past, the Russian stuff, the intelligence stuff, it's extremely complicated and hard tail to follow. This is not hard to understand. Both the Cohen book and what we've learned about what the president has said about our military especially fallen ones. Those are so easy to understand and importantly, too, they're consistent with what we've understood in the past.

This is not a departure, not a sharp departure. It is really filling in a picture. It's quite alarming about the man in the Oval Office.

CABRERA: Our Dana Bash just interviewed vice presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, this morning, and I want to play a portion of their conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: What would your mom say about where you are right now?

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I think she'd be really extremely proud. And she would say beat Trump.

(LAUGHTER)

BASH: Do you think that she would be surprised that her daughter was the first woman of color on a ticket?

HARRIS: I don't think she would. I think she would be immensely proud.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Senator Boxer, you became a senator at a time when there were less than 20 female senators in the history of the country. Kamala Harris who succeeded you is now attempting an historic first as a woman of color on a major party ticket. As somebody who has walked those halls of power still occupied primarily by white men, what obstacles will she face that on a daily basis the public may never know about?

BOXER: Well, that's a great question, Ana. Look, she's faced every one of them. You know, this is a woman of color who ran for district attorney, who ran for attorney general, and then United States senator. She is very used to this. And I have my own stories, she has hers. But you know what the basic thing is, it's not about us, those of us who are running, it is about the people. That is why I keep coming back to, how do you feel about this country now, voters?

That is the main question. It's Donald Trump's America. Are you happy? Are you scared? Are you loving things? Or are you uneasy? And every family will make that decision. And that's what kamala will do. She won't spend a lot of time defending herself. She is going to say hey, you know what, I'm up to this task, now let's talk about what I want to do with Joe Biden. I think she'll be very good. She is a pragmatist, she is not an ideologue. Joe is the same. I think they're going to fix things.

CABRERA: In fact a Quinnipiac poll just this past week found 58 percent of likely voters say the country is worse off today than it was four years ago.

Barbara Boxer, David Gergen, please stay with me because I want to get your reaction to a significant Joe Biden endorsement.

Anita Hill announcing not only will she vote for Joe Biden but she plans to work with him as well. This after, you know, just a year after she said she planned to hold Biden accountable for his role in Justice Clarence Thomas' confirmation hearings.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:17:27]

CABRERA: Anita Hill never pictured herself voting for Joe Biden. In fact, just last year she vowed to hold him accountable for his role in the 1991 Clarence Thomas hearings that permanently altered her life. But now Hill says she won't just vote for Biden, she is willing to work with him. And CNN's Gloria Borger brings us this exclusive interview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Professor, do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you, God?

ANITA HILL, TESTIFIED AGAINST CLARENCE THOMAS: I do.

BIDEN: Thank you.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST (on camera): Was it scary?

HILL: It's terrifying. He would call me into --

BORGER (voice-over): It has been nearly 30 years since Anita Hill testified before a now infamous Senate Judiciary hearing led by Joe Biden. She has come to a surprising conclusion.

(On camera): Who would you like to see elected in November?

HILL: I think Joe Biden is the person who should be elected in November. BORGER (voice-over): And that's not all.

(On camera): Would you be willing to work with him?

HILL: Yes. My commitment is to finding solutions. And I am more than willing to work with him.

BORGER (voice-over): Hill became a household name, testifying before the all-male committee during the Supreme Court confirmation of Clarence Thomas.

HILL: Judge Thomas began to use work situations to discuss sex.

BORGER: Hill claimed that Thomas sexually harassed her when she worked for him at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Thomas vehemently denied those accusations.

JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS, SUPREME COURT NOMINEE: As a black American, as far as I'm concerned, this is a high tech lynching.

BORGER: He was confirmed to the Supreme Court after Biden led the fight against him.

(On camera): Some say you let the Republicans kind of take over.

BIDEN: I don't think I did, but the point was I wish I could have done it differently under the rules.

BORGER (voice-over): In early 2019, just weeks before Joe Biden launched his campaign for president, Hill got a phone call.

BIDEN: I have apologized to Anita Hill. I wish I could have done better for her. The truth is, I believed her. And I believed he should not be in the court.

BORGER (on camera): You called the phone call unsatisfying.

HILL: He didn't take responsibility. He didn't hold himself accountable in any way except that he was sorry that I felt I wasn't treated fairly.

BORGER (voice-over): But Hill says she's been watching this election closely and Biden seems to be taking more responsibility now. For her, that's enough.

HILL: This is not just about me. It's not just about Joe Biden. It's about millions of people in this country and around the world that we can be a model for.

[16:20:07]

And I would love to be a part of that. And if it means voting for Joe Biden, so be it.

BORGER: Gloria Borger, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: Back with us now, former adviser to four presidents, David Gergen, and former California senator, Barbara Boxer.

So, Senator, I have to ask you about this interview for those who don't know, in 1991, you famously marched with other female members of the House across the Capitol to demand that Anita Hill get a fair hearing. So to hear Anita Hill now say she's willing to vote for Joe Biden and to work with him, what's your reaction to this?

BOXER: Well, I can't tell you how happy I am about this because I talked with Joe at length early in the primary season. He was so anxious to reach out to Anita. And he did. And she still, you know, hung back which he understood, I understood. I reached out to Anita, we chatted. I think she is wonderful. She was so hurt by this whole thing. And yet she turned her life around and has been really someone who has fought for equality for women and everyone else.

But when I spoke with her, she still hung back and I said please consider this, this is a man who wrote the Violence Against Women Act. He reached out to -- you talked about when I got to the Senate which by the way I don't think I ever would have been elected without Anita. I mean, I'm not being humble, I'm being honest. And we had four of us come in. We were only two women before, then there was six.

And bottom line, it was her. And Joe reached out to us women, he helped us get on our committees, he put women on the judiciary. I told her all that. She still hung back. But I think she sees now what the options are. I'm sure Joe is so pleased and I know he's going to sit down with her and get all of her ideas going forward. I know that for sure.

CABRERA: David, how big of an endorsement do you think this is?

GERGEN: I think it's very significant. But first and foremost, it tells us about Anita Hill and who she is, about her courage, about her forgiveness, her compassion. And I think that it is a remarkable story.

But I also think it's going to play into the campaign not only because it's going to affect a lot of people of color, a lot of women around the country, because at the very moment when Donald Trump is having a hard time keeping his troops together, you know, they all went off and throwing stones at him and writing bad books and so forth, that Joe Biden has someone like Anita Hill coming back to him and asking to work with him again. And I think that just speaks volumes about Anita Hill and about the state of the race.

CABRERA: Senator, the president continues to deny this report from the "Atlantic" that he had called fallen U.S. soldiers suckers and losers, but he certainly hasn't shied away in the past from attacking the late Senator John McCain with whom you knew and worked. Here are just a couple of examples we found.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I supported him. He lost. He let us down. But, you know, he lost. So I've never liked him as much after that because I don't like losers. But --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a war hero.

TRUMP: Frank, Frank, let me get to it. He hit me --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a war hero.

TRUMP: He's not a war hero.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a war hero.

TRUMP: He is a war hero --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five and a half years in a prison camp.

TRUMP: He is a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured. OK. I hate to tell you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a war hero.

TRUMP: He's a war hero because he was captured.

I gave him the kind of funeral that he wanted which as president I had to approve. I don't care about this. I didn't get a thank you, that's OK. We sent him on the way, but I wasn't a fan of John McCain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: This morning the Veterans Affairs secretary defended the comments about McCain this way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILKIE: Well, it's politics. It's the heat of a campaign.

BASH: Do you wish he didn't say it?

WILKIE: I judge a man by his actions and the actions have been beneficial for veterans all across this country in ways that we have not seen since the end of World War II.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Senator Boxer, I told you we'd come back to John McCain. What's your response to that?

BOXER: Well, I think that the secretary is turning himself into a pretzel to try and wish this away. Trump said what he said about John. Now I served with John for more than 20 years. We had the most interesting relationship. We worked together on some things, we opposed each other. He was a hero. And he also cared about people, which is something Trump doesn't. We saw him stand up for Barack Obama. We saw him stand up for so many people. One time I had voted against the war in Iraq, John was strongly for

it, but he saw me looking very depressed one day because of what was happening in the war. And he actually came over me, he put his hand on my shoulder, and he said, he said, Barbara, what is wrong? And I said I'm scared about this war, it's not going right.

[16:25:06]

He said, don't you worry, we're going to be fine. I mean, this is a man who cared about others after all he went through. And Trump who was handed everything on a silver platter, who claimed bone spurs, who did everything to stay out of the military, and who called John McCain a loser. Can I just say when he said it at the time, I said this guy is finished. Now it's coming back.

And if God is listening, I'm telling you this right now, he will not be reelected because of what he said about John, what he said about the military, what he said about people who sign up which my husband did as a young man, he signed up for the Army, he spent six years in the Reserves. He is not a loser. People did what they had to do to be patriotic Americans. And he laughs at it from his gold plated Trump Tower.

CABRERA: And yet he --

BOXER: It's over for this guy. I mean.

CABRERA: He went on, though. He went on, though, Senator, to go win the Republican --

BOXER: Yes, he did. He did.

CABRERA: -- nomination and then of course the presidency.

But, David, I've got to ask you, too, because we talk so much about all of your service to the country and, you know, your role as an adviser to many presidents, but you also are a Navy veteran yourself. What has been your reaction to this reporting in the "Atlantic" that has now been at least in part confirmed by several outlets?

GERGEN: I was appalled. I mean, to think that President Trump wanted a big parade honoring the military, but he didn't want anybody who had been disabled, who might be in crutches or in a wheelchair. He didn't want the disabled there. It wasn't fitting for him. He was in effect calling them losers from his point of view.

This is a man who when he came into the office and saw that the flag was lowered for John McCain's death and he had to be talked out of it. He wanted to raise the flag back up. He did not want the honoring. This is a man who did not go to the funeral of John Lewis. And, you know, an icon of this country. And what you see is a pattern. You know, on one hand, he may praise people in public, on the other hand, he puts a knife in them.

And that what makes a lot of these generals and admirals very, very off -- they find it very off putting and they're wrestling with themselves about who's going to come forward and who's not. I think they ought -- someone who's on this story needs to come from behind the curtain and tell the public the full story and do it, you know, one-on-one in public -- at a public -- with public disclosure who that person is.

It will hurt their reputation with the base, but, you know, it makes a big difference for the country to know the facts before we vote.

CABRERA: David Gergen and Senator Barbara Boxer, thank you both for being here. Appreciate it.

GERGEN: Thanks, Ana.

CABRERA: CNN brings you the stories of both Joe Biden and Donald Trump and their fight for the White House, see their triumphs, tragedies and their dramatic journeys to a showdown. Don't miss the back-to-back documentary events starting tomorrow night at 8:00 here on CNN.

Next, to California where people are desperately trying to evacuate as more than 20 wildfires burn around them. Some even needing to be airlifted to safety after their only way out was blocked by flames. A live report right after this.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:30:00]

CABRERA: Breaking news today. California smashing its all-time record with more than two million acres burned statewide. Now, the state is reporting more than 20 wildfires right now fueled by a record heatwave with temperatures expected to top 120 degrees in some areas.

Officials are warning some people are still trapped and the situation is turning into a mass casualty event, with more than a dozen people injured already. And more than 200 people were air lifted to safety after one wildfire cut off the only access road.

Let's bring in CNN's Paul Vercammen in Venice, California. And, Paul, what actions are fire officials taking, at this point, to try to get these wildfires under control?

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Every single aggressive action that they can take. Aerial drops. Crews out on the line. And, in terms of rescues, they have gone to the National Guard. That's what happened at that fire that is northeast of Fresno.

It was at the Mammoth Reservoir. People were ringed by flames. The National Guard came in and flew some 224 of them out, 20 of them had to be transported to the hospital with varying injuries from broken bones to burns.

Now, other people left that fire. Drove themselves out. A harrowing odyssey. Through walls of flame. Let's listen to their tale.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIANA PARK: At the time, I was on a hike with just some hazy air that became, you know, soon, ash rain. We were wearing masks, but it was getting, you know, harder to breathe, harder to see. I would say between the time of 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., we could see that, you know, we needed to leave immediately. I think if we had stayed just 10 minutes more, we might not have been so lucky.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VERCAMMEN: And there's a massive pyro cumulus or fire cloud erupting over this blaze, and some experts say it might have actually burned 100,000 acres. And it is causing havoc throughout the area. At nearby Bass Lake, midday, it looked like night fall.

[16:35:00]

VERCAMMEN: They've reduced the boats top speed, requested top speed, to five miles per hour, because people just flat cannot see.

And in southern California, where there is this heat warning and advisory, we have temperatures of 118 degrees. The Eldorado fire is burning east of Los Angeles It's now at about 3,000 acres.

So, it just doesn't stop here, Ana. It feels like a groundhog's day, if you will, of flame throughout California. Back to you.

CABRERA: Those images are really, really striking. Paul Vercammen, thank you for your reporting. Stay safe. And, of course, sending our well wishes and safety to all those in California.

Meantime, the search for a Coronavirus vaccine is in full force. Health experts remaining hopeful we could have one by the end of the year. But a vaccine is only helpful if people opt to receive it, right? And, according to new polling, just one in five people plan to get it as soon as it's released. And vice presidential nominee, Senator Kamala Harris, is one of those who's weary.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Would you get it?

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I think that's going to be an issue for all of us. I will say that I would not trust Donald Trump.

[16:36:21]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: Health experts fear this holiday weekend could mean another big Coronavirus case spike in just a few weeks. That could set the tone for the virus for the fall which, of course, also brings flu season. And many flock to enjoy what's left of summer. Here is a look from Asbury Park, New Jersey where crowds, you can see, are gathered. They were gathered were like this yesterday as well. The big difference of between this holiday weekend and previous ones have been the fact that many colleges and schools are now reopened. People are back at the office. So, this means an outbreak could spread much faster with people moving around much more.

And Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is joining us now. He's an epidemiologist, a public health expert and CNN Contributor. Dr. El-Sayed, thank you for being here. From what we've seen so far this holiday weekend, images like we showed there in New Jersey, are you concerned we could see a repeat of the earlier holiday weekends followed a -- that followed a big spike in cases?

DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: I worry quite a bit. And here is why. We saw spikes, as you mentioned, after Memorial Day, after the Fourth of July. And, of course, this is the third major holiday in the summer. And what's dangerous here is that we're going into a period that is probably more dangerous than we were going into in July or in May.

And the reason why is because, as you said, students are back at school. Students are back at colleges and universities. But not only that, it's getting a little bit colder, particularly in the Midwest, where we have some of the hotter burning case transmission rates. And as it gets colder, people tend to go inside.

And to make things worse, we have the potential for a flu epidemic and an increase in flu cases that will fall and interact with COVID-19 and that may make COVID-19 more deadly. And so, this really is a moment to be worried.

The point here, though, is that there's a lot of things that we can do to prevent spread, to protect ourselves, protect our communities. And people need to be doing them even as they are enjoying this holiday weekend.

CABRERA: I want you to take a listen to vice presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, responded when asked about a potential vaccine before the election.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Let's just say that there is a vaccine approved and even distributed before the election. Would you get it?

KAMALA: Well, I think that's going to be an issue for all of us. I will say that I would not trust Donald Trump. And it would have to be a credible source of information that talks about the efficacy and the -- and the reliability of whatever he's talking about. I will not take his word for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Doctor, Senator Harris certainly isn't the only one, I'm sure, who feels that way. In fact, a new poll finds just one in five people plan to get this vaccine immediately. What does it mean for the rollout of any vaccine? EL-SAYED: Well, the American people are really, really focused on

whether or not this vaccine will have come out of a scientific process or out of a political process. And people have reason to worry because of what Donald Trump, himself, has said and because of what we've seen him do, in terms of pushing his FDA commissioner, Stephen Hahn, to push forward emergency use authorizations for things like convalescent plasma.

And so, we need to put the science first. And I think Senator Harris is rightly pointing out that almost all the scientists worry about the impact of politicization of this process and have told us that the probability of having a safe and effective vaccine coming out of that scientific process by October is extremely low. And, obviously, we can't forget that the context of this is in the midst of an election season and there has been worry about an October surprise.

And so, all of us need to understand that the thing we should be looking at is transparency of the process. That the process is scientifically led. And that the body of scientists look at the evidence that's produced and that that evidence is in full agreement that it is safe and effective. And, if that happens, we all should be confident in taking that vaccine.

But if it doesn't happen or there's not transparency or it looks like phase three hasn't finished for these clinical trials, I think that we ought to be very worried about what the process produced.

CABRERA: OK. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, thank you.

EL-SAYED: Thank you, Ana.

CABRERA: Coming up, what feels like a case of Deja vu. U.S. security officials are, once again, warning that Russia is interfering in the upcoming election. This time, Moscow is amplifying claims that mail-in voting is ripe with fraud, and by raising doubts about Joe Biden's mental health. Sound familiar? Your weekend presidential brief is next.

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CABRERA: Less than two months out now from the November election, and foreign actors, once again, are trying to interfere. In an exclusive one-on-one interview with my colleague, Dana Bash, Democratic vice presidential nominee, Senator Kamala Harris, says Russian meddling could cost them the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: Are you worried that Russian interference could cost you the election?

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HARRIS: I am clear that Russia interfered in the election of the president of the United States in 2016. I serve on the Senate Intelligence Committee. We have published detailed reports about exactly what we believe happened. And I do believe that there will be foreign interference in the 2020 election, and that Russia will be at the front of the line.

BASH: Could it cost you the White House?

HARRIS: Theoretically, of course.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: Time now for your weekend presidential brief with CNN National Security Analyst Samantha Vinograd. She's also and former senior national security adviser under President Obama. Sam, it feels like 2016 all over again. But how big of a threat is Russia in this upcoming election?

SAMANTHA VINOGRAD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, keep in mind that, this election cycle, Russia has a leg up from Trump and that really heightens the threat. Think back to 2016. We had a president who wanted to stop Russian attacks. In 2020, we have a president who is knowingly helping Russian attacks against Americans by spreading disinformation about our democracy.

Ana, there is no way that Trump doesn't know what Russia is doing and how they are doing it. He has access to classified intelligence. But the I.C. also publicly disclosed this summer that Russia is engaged in disinformation attacks to undermine our Democratic process.

More recently, DHS said that Russia is spreading false claims about mail-in voting for the same purpose. And they even warned that Russia is spreading false claims about Biden's mental health to hurt his chances of winning the presidency.

Despite knowing this information, Trump's talking points track with the Russian trolls. He is knowingly contributing content that helps Russian attacks against our country. That's a game changer but for the wrong team.

CABRERA: Harris also said Russia is at the front of the line from the threat perspective. But then, you have those, like Attorney General William Barr, National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien, saying it's China. Even President Trump has complained, we don't talk enough about China. Is he right?

VINOGRAD: Well, let's remember why the superlative contest is important. Americans need to have an accurate understanding of the threat landscape, so that we know where to focus our attention. So that we know what to watch out for.

That's why, for example, if the intelligence community issued public assessments this summer about foreign threats to our elections. The I.C. did say that Russia and China pose threats to our elections. But, Ana, not all threats are created equal.

In that assessment, the I.C. said, for example, that Russia is using active covert measures to target our election. In contrast, the I.C. largely cited overt measures that China is using. And I.C. also said that China is still weighing more aggressive action. These threats aren't even in the same ballpark.

Bill Barr and Trump, however, continue to play up the threat from China likely because it's politically expedient. We need accurate information on the threat landscape. Trump and Barr may think that they're helping their campaign, but they're really harming our democracy.

CABRERA: You say Trump wants to avoid criticizing the kremlin. And he certainly didn't condemn Russia on Friday, when asked about Navalny's poisoning. He said we haven't seen proof yet. What's the impact of that?

VINOGRAD: Trump is just doing P.R. for Putin here. Russian officials have said that we haven't seen proof. U.S. officials, not to mention our allies, have said that the proof from Germany, that Novichok was used, was very credible. Trump's own White House said that we're even weighing financial sanctions against those in Russia who are responsible for this -- for this attack.

Trump is at direct odds with his own team, likely because he doesn't want to be cornered into criticizing the kremlin this close to the election. His statements unsurprising but they're really dangerous. Right? Undercutting his own team. He's really degrading any chance that they'll be taken seriously. No one thinks that they now speak on his behalf. He's distancing himself from our allies.

And, finally, he's signaling to Putin that, in his book, Putin can get away with attempted murder. That puts the lives of all perceived enemies of the kremlin at risk. Yet, again, the president is focused on placating Putin and not our national security.

CABRERA: Sam Vinograd, as always, thank you.

VINOGRAD: Thank you.

CABRERA: And now, here's CNN's Anderson Cooper with the story of three CNN heroes working to slow the spread of the Coronavirus in Africa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These CNN heroes are hard at work, temporarily transforming a business to provide and push for safety measures in Ethiopia.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have produced over 50,000 clothes masks to help out the most vulnerable women and children in our community. And I speak out the need to wear a mask and social distance.

COOPER: Bringing medical care and crucial awareness to remote areas of Kenya.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is a lot of misinformation that it's a disease that's not going to come all the way to the rural areas.

[16:55:03] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Information sharing is the number one key. We set up all the billboards of the entryways of Lamu, covering the messaging around COVID-19.

COOPER: And providing supplies and protective gear to those that need it most in Cameroon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We focus today to the internally displaced population due to the crisis of Cameroon. We focus to orphanage. And I hope this work will reduce the number of people who die due to Coronavirus. That's my dream.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: To see Anderson Cooper's full story about these three remarkable heroes, go to CNNheroes.com right now. We'll be right back.

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