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Trump Falsely Claims Ginsburg's Final Wish Is Hoax By Democrats; DOJ Threatens To Defund "Anarchy Jurisdictions"; Trump Tamps Down On Expectations Of Hitting Biden Hard In First Debate; Firefighter Debunks Conspiracy Theories On Social Media About Wildfire Origins; Emmys Red Carpet Hosts Forced Off Air After Testing Positive. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired September 21, 2020 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: And she was still showing up to work because she wanted to avoid this debacle, this division, this break up of America that we are about to witness.

It's just so disrespectful. It leaves me pained and speechless.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: As you are watching this play out in Washington, Ana, that Republicans are moving quickly to try to confirm someone before the election.

And of course, there are a couple of Senate Republicans not on board with that. We're waiting to see if there are more.

What are you watching to see? And what do you think this will mean if this goes ahead?

NAVARRO: I'm watching some of the Republicans who we heard in 2016 and saw in 2016 say completely the opposite.

And then you wonder to yourself, and you can answer the question, of why the American people have such mistrust of institutions and of and Congress, in particular. It's because of the astonishing, amazing level of hypocrisy.

In particular, I'm speaking to somebody like Lindsey Graham, who was my friend, who I thought I knew so well.

And I look at Lindsey Graham now and hear him, and hear him from 2016, from before Trump, and think to myself, there's got to have been some sort of invasion of the body snatchers.

Who is this man? And where is Lindsey Graham? When you hear in his own words --

KEILAR: Actually, Ana --

NAVARRO: -- say --

KEILAR: -- we have them. NAVARRO: -- use my words against me. OK. We will.

Let's have them. We have them so I want to listen. Let's listen and then talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): This is the last year of a lame-duck president. And if Ted Cruz or Donald Trump get to be president, they've all asked us not to confirm or take up a selection by President Obama.

So, if a vacancy occurs in their last year of their first term, guess what? You will use their words against them.

If an opening comes in the last year of President Trump's term and the primary process is started, we'll wait until the next election.

And I've got a plenty good chance of being the --

UNIDENTIFIED MAE: You're on the record.

GRAHAM: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.

GRAHAM: Hold the tape.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: It's pretty stunning, Ana.

NAVARRO: It's uncanny how precise he described the process. Not only has the primary begun, the general election has begun. There are states already early voting.

We saw the long lines in Virginia. We know it's happening in Minnesota. Early voting starting in my state of Florida in a few weeks and absentee ballots are now going out.

This is not the primary caucus. We are 43 days away from an election.

So the hypocrisy, you go back to it being astonishing. But I think we've gotten to a point where it's become the new normal. We hear the hypocrisy. We see it. And it's just one more hypocritical act.

And I think that's one of the things Donald Trump has done. He's taken these Republicans and he's made them near shadows of their former selves.

Look, I remember when Lindsey Graham voted for Sonia, was one of the Republicans who voted for Sonia Sotomayor because he felt it was the right thing to do to respect the new president's will.

There's something to be said about respecting Ruth Bader Ginsburg's last wishes. But also respecting the will of the people and respecting yourself and

the stuff you said four years ago.

It's on tape. This isn't hearsay. This isn't somebody saying he said this. No, even got asked, as he was saying it, are you on the record.

What level of disrespect to yourself and your dignity and your honesty and your integrity must you have to go back on your word that way?

KEILAR: Ana Navarro, thank you so much for being with us.

NAVARRO: Thank you.

KEILAR: And next, Seattle, Portland and New York are labeled "anarchy jurisdictions" by the Trump Justice Department What that could mean for federal funding.

[14:34:23]

Plus, Joe Biden gets a $141 million cash advantage on President Trump with just 43 days until Election Day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: The Department of Justice announced today it is labeling three cities where protesters have taken to the streets as "anarchy jurisdictions." All three cities happen to be run by Democrats.

And were also places where Attorney General Bill Barr said local leaders turned down offers of federal assistance.

The new DOJ designation comes with a threat to block federal funding.

Evan Perez, senior justice correspondent, is at the department and is covering the story.

So, Evan, what cities are we talking about that are being targeted? And what's the legal ground here? What is the legal weight this designation will hold?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: First of all, the irony is ridiculously rich. The Trump administration, the president, attorney general, are essentially responding to cities where there's been a movement to defund police by threatening to defund the police.

That's what this means. And this designation is against three cities of Seattle, Portland and New York City.

What it ostensibly does is threaten billions of dollars in funding that goes from the federal government to the states and to those cities to help fund the work of the police department.

It's not so simple, however, because it's not clear that the president or the attorney general have the ability to just wave, like a blunt magic wand, to deny that money.

Some of it is appropriated by Congress. It's not necessarily discretionary for the administration to withhold it.

[14:40:06]

I'll read you part of what the Justice Department said today in evaluating the criteria for selecting these three cities.

And by the way, they say there might be more cities added to this list.

But they say they're looking at jurisdictions that forbid the police from intervening to restore order amid widespread or sustained violence and destruction.

Jurisdictions where they've withdrawn law enforcement protection from geographical areas or structures where police normally operate.

And there's one final one that says, quote, "Any other related factors the attorney general deems appropriate."

There's a lot of vagueness in this language that the Justice Department has issued.

Look, some of these cities are suffering. New York City, there's over 200 shooting deaths this year. More than double from last year. So, there's definitely some problems in these cities.

KEILAR: Evan, thank you so much for filling us in on that. We appreciate that. Evan Perez at the Justice Department.

President Trump is now tamping down expectations on how hard he'll hit Joe Biden during next week's first presidential debate. This morning, Trump acknowledged that Biden will likely do pretty well, considering the former vice president's political resume.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (voice-over): I think he's a professional. I don't know if he's all there. But I have to assume that he's a professional and that he can debate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: David Chalian is with us. He is CNN's political director, the cohost of CNN's "POLITICALLY SOUND" podcast, which is a fabulous podcast, if you haven't check it out. And he's with us now.

Of course, it's really good, very good.

So, David, I wonder how you interpret this considering maybe this is considered good management of expectation, which the president has not done in the past and maybe he's learned something.

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I'd say it's a little too late. We're a week away from the debate.

KEILAR: That's a point. CHALIAN: The president has been making the case to the American people for months that Joe Biden is slow and sleepy and not up to the job. He has this totally baseless -- I mean, zero-evidence case he makes when he wonders if Joe Biden was on something because he didn't think he debated that well.

President Trump could not have lowered expectations for Joe Biden's debate performance any more than he already did.

Basically, Joe Biden, all he is going to have to do is stand there and not fall down on the stage and he will have exceeded what President Trump has already set up.

I think he's scrambling now to adjust those expectations. I think that's a tall order so close to the first debate.

KEILAR: That's a good point. The expectations going into, say the convention, were the complete opposite. And Biden ended up giving a pretty good speech and Trump's lacked the energy.

This comment from President Trump about Biden's debate skills is happening amid a fundraising slump the Trump campaign is experiencing. Right now, Biden has a $141 million advantage over Trump.

What does that translate to on the ground?

CHALIAN: And that advantage, Brianna, is cash on hand. That's how September started with the money in the bank.

That means that Joe Biden has not only erased the fundraising advantage Donald Trump has had, and we've seen him raising each month gobs of money, but he's overtaken it and made it to an advantage on its own.

You said how does that impact what's happening on the ground. Well, Hillary Clinton spent more money and outraised Donald Trump in 2016 and she's not the president.

So, money isn't everything in politics but it ain't nothing either.

The fact that Joe Biden, heading into the final weeks, has that kind of advantage over an incumbent president, who has been amassing his war chest for three and half years, for this very moment, is a real sign of -- especially because so much of it is grass roots. Grassroots donor enthusiasm for Biden.

It's not that Donald Trump is not raising money. But it is a squandered opportunity that the incumbent had built up this advantage and threat go and allowed it to become an advantage for Joe Biden.

KEILAR: David, thank you so much for being with us.

David Chalian and his great podcast. And it's really great. "POLITICALLY SOUND." Check it out.

Next, I'll be speaking to a firefighter who took it upon himself to debunk the ridiculous conspiracy theories about the wildfires in the west.

[14:44:32]

Plus, the Emmy's go on without an audience. And also without two of its red-carpet hosts who tested positive for coronavirus.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: The west coast has been burning for weeks. Millions of acres have been scorched by wildfires from southern California up to northern Washington State.

More than two dozen people have died, including a California firefighter. And thousands of residents have been forced from homes in the midst of a pandemic.

Scientists and local political leaders are pointing to climate change as a cause of the fires. But that has not stopped some on social media, including the president, about spreading conspiracy theories about the origins of the fires.

So one firefighter has taken to TikTok to debunk the nonsense.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now there are a lot of fires right now going on in our country.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was this planned?

MICHAEL CLARK, FIREFIGHTER: No. Probably not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you're watching the news, the only thing besides corona and the election is fires they're talking about.

CLARK: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But is it weird if you guys know that the fires know when to stop at the border?

(CROSSTALK)

CLARK: Because it is a U.S. database map you're looking at.

(CROSSTALK)

CLARK: You're reporting Canada fires.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not to mention --

(CROSSTALK)

[14:50:02]

CLARK: Look up Canada.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- on how any of these other fires started except for this one that --

(CROSSTALK)

CLARK: Campfires, lightning strikes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- these days --

(CROSSTALK)

CLARK: Not very newsworthy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: However, I have something to show you that hasn't been debunked or even

CLARK: Probably not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I think the reason is because I don't think a lot of people have this.

And what you're looking are half-burned trees about 40 miles from Grand Canyon National Park. A screen shot off --

(CROSSTALK)

CLARK: Oh, I used to work there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But wait, it gets weirder.

But if this was just a regular fire, why were there --

(CROSSTALK)

CLARK: That is literally not there.

(CROSSTALK)

CLARK: I've worked there. That is edited. Come on, guys.

Just a little PSA. I notice she turned off commenting and duets probably to spark some kind of a conspiracy.

It's a prescribed burn. We use drones. Nothing crazy.

Stay safe out there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: And that firefighter, Michael Clark, is joining us from Hawaii.

Thanks, Michael, for being with us and for providing this information that tons people have been watching.

You were scrolling through TikTok and saw this blatant misinformation about fires on the west coast. So tell us about that decision to engage and debunk.

CLARK: Yes, you know, I've just seen a lot of bizarre conspiracies about wildfires. And some of them turn off commenting so you can't reply back .

So I just wanted to try and share what information I had to just help calm people down when it comes to all of this crazy nonsense that is obviously nonsense.

KEILAR: So when this nonsense is getting out there and some folks are believing it, what is your concern?

CLARK: Honestly, the biggest thing that concerns me is that these influencers, they have like over two million followers, tons of views, and it is just dangerous.

It's -- and especially in 2020 with the pandemic. It is just not necessary to be spreading all sorts of false information.

KEILAR: And you've become an influencer for the truth in this matter. Tell us about the response you've received.

CLARK: Overall, it has been pretty positive. And I feel like that's very rare, especially with how divided our country is right now.

So I'm just going to try my hardest to keep pushing SOME positivity out there and really make a good thing about this.

KEILAR: We've been watching state and local officials in areas that are all different political stripes going out there and saying, look, this isn't true. And they've been tamping down lies about who is starting fires.

I wonder if anyone has reached out to you for help in dispelling the rumors or are you on a solo mission?

CLARK: I don't know what label you want to call these arsonists. The biggest negative feedback I've received from my videos is I'm saying there's no arsonists out there.

There's definitely arsonists out there. It is a common cause of wildfires.

The simple fact is that it is not every wildfire that is out there, which is what some of the conspiracies are trying to lead to believe, that there's a massive ring of arsonists going on and starting wildfires.

That is just simply not true.

KEILAR: Because there's always lightning, right? But you have conditions that change -- CLARK: Yes.

KEILAR: -- based on, as we're learning, climate change. Talking about drier conditions that make something almost waiting to be sparked?

CLARK: Oh, yes. There are tons of different causes. Lightning strikes, you have machines.

I like to recommend InciWeb. It is I-N-C-I-W-E-B. You can look up any fire out there. It is public knowledge. If you want to know how that fire started. And just look for yourself.

My biggest message is do your own research.

KEILAR: Well, hey, Michael, thanks for being with us.

CLARK: Thank you.

KEILAR: We have more on breaking news ahead. The CDC abruptly reversing new guidance about how the coronavirus spreads in the air.

[14:54:07]

Plus, the president gives himself an A-plus on pandemic response as the nation nears 200,000 lives lost.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: TV's biggest night went on despite the pandemic but the 2020 Emmy's look unlike anything before. Most stars appeared virtually and it was audience free. Two red carpet hosts were also unexpectedly absent from the show.

Stephanie Elam has detailed.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Brianna, it was a great night at the Emmy's for "Succession," "Schitt's Creek" and "Watchman."

This, as Jimmy Kimmel hosted a remote and socially distanced show from Staples Center. One show that was impacted was the pre-Emmy show. That's because two hosts both testing positive for the coronavirus according to NBC.

As for the show, there was some politics involved. Jesse Armstrong, the creator of "Succession," taking a moment to unthank the pandemic and how some of the leaders around the world and media moguls have responded.

JESS ARMSTRONG, CREATOR OF "SUCCESSION": Unthank you to President Trump for his crummy and uncoordinated response.

Unthank you to Boris Johnson and his government for doing the same to my country.

ELAM: And Jimmy Kimmel and many of the winners did also acknowledge Ruth Bader Ginsburg and encouraged people to vote -- Brianna?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[15:00:05]

KEILAR: Stephanie Elam, thank you.

Our special coverage continues now with Kate Bolduan.