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Doctor Says, Trump Reports No Symptoms Today, Vitals Stable; Source Says, Nervousness Has Elevated Among White House Residence Staff. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired October 06, 2020 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:00]

JOHN KING, CNN HOST: Dan Merica, grateful for the reporting there.

Thanks for joining us today. I hope to see you back here this time tomorrow. A very bus news day, Brianna Keilar picks up our coverage right now. Have a good day. Stay safe.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Hello. I'm Brianna Keilar, and I want to welcome viewers here in the United States and around the world.

We are beginning with breaking news today. The radius from the Trump administration's coronavirus outbreak is growing larger. Senior leadership of the Pentagon is now quarantining after being exposed, this with the president back at the White House with details of his condition still unclear.

Let's go live now to Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Barbara, tell us what we are hearing.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, good afternoon. We now know that the number two at the United States Coast Guard tested positive on Monday for the coronavirus. Once he tested positive, this now has set off a chain of events here at the Pentagon this morning.

The entire joint chiefs, the entire military leadership of the Pentagon essentially is now working from home, working from alternate locations and self-quarantining, because the assistant commandant had been in the Pentagon in recent days for a number of meetings with top leadership, including a classified meeting in the so-called tank where the joint chiefs often meet to discuss classified material.

So let me go through the list for you. It starts with the chairman of joint chiefs, General Mark Milley, working from home, the vice chairman, General John Hyten, working from home, the chief of naval operations, Michael Gilday, the chief of staff of the Army, the chief of staff of the Air Force, reading off the list, the chief of space operations, the head of the National Guard, the number two general at the marine Corps because the commandant had not been at the meetings, still part of the joint chiefs, and perhaps most interesting, General Paul Nakasone, is head of U.S. Cyber Command and also the National Security Agency, one of the most critical jobs in the U.S. intelligence community, very involved in looking at the prospect of tampering with election security.

We have no information, we should say, that any of these top leaders have tested positive or have symptoms. They have all been tested. Some have come back negative. Some are awaiting results. And what we're looking for is to get an idea of what the protocol will be now, once they get negative, can they just come back to work, or do they need to stay home for a few days, have repeated testing under standard protocols until everyone can be assured that they are indeed negative because this cuts a very wide swath through military leadership.

Having said that, for example, General Milley, chairman of the joint chiefs, the top military adviser, 24 hours a day to the president of the United States. General Milley has a classified suite of communications in his home. He can be in touch around the world at any time right from his home.

So they're emphasizing very strongly that none of this would affect national security in and of itself, but this now is a very unexpected, very wide swath, through the Pentagon leadership, through the military leadership. We want to take a moment and wish the Coast Guard admiral the very best and a speedy recovery, of course. And, certainly, the hope is that no additional people fall ill. Brianna?

KEILAR: But just real quick, Barbara, they don't all have that suite in their homes that allows them access to classified information?

STARR: Well, all of the joint chiefs have some access to classified information, and classified communications in particular 24 hours a day. The vice chairman who has redundant capability with the chairman, because he would be in touch with the president at a moment's notice, he also would have classified communications.

AND it is probably important to also talk a little about how this works. Look, if there was a sudden, unexpected national security crisis, these guys would be as they are at work. Additional precautions would be taken. The National Command Center, by all accounts, is up and running. There would be no pause in any capability or operations of any sort.

But, nonetheless -- and they can do Zoom meetings like the rest of us, but nonetheless, it is a startling example, I think it's fair to say, on how quickly one COVID case can affect the population. People across this country already know this. The Pentagon knows it, but this morning, a really stark example of how this can really impact.

[13:05:02]

KEILAR: It certainly is. Barbara Starr, thank you so much. We do also have some more breaking news. The president's doctor is reporting he does not report having COVID symptoms today. And his vitals remain stable, according to his doctor. We're going to have more on that in a moment.

Now, remember, the president is out of the hospital, he is back in a White House that has become, in the words of one source to Axios, a cesspool of now coronavirus cases. The president making his return in a bizarre, over the top display last night, that included removing his mask, saluting Marine One, and making what can only be described as a campaign video where he, once again, downplayed seriousness of the pandemic, as he downplays his own experience.

And on Twitter, the president pointed to the upcoming flu season. He said that the U.S. will have to learn to live with COVID just like it has with the flu, falsely claiming that COVID is far less lethal in most populations.

Twitter has now labeled that tweet as one that spreads misleading information, and here is why. With more than 210,000 deaths, the coronavirus has already killed more Americans than the past five flu seasons combined. There is also a vaccine for the flu, something that still has not been approved for COVID or achieved.

CNN Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta is with me. And we are hearing from the president's doctor for the first time today, Jim. He also has some credibility issues, but what did he say?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brianna. WE just got this letter of a statement from the physician to the president, Dr. Sean Conley, who, as you mentioned, has had some credibility issues, we're not going to dance around that. But this is the latest according to Dr. Conley on the president's health according to the statement.

It says, this morning, the president's team of physicians met with him in the residence. He had a restful first night at home, and today he reports no symptoms, according to Dr. Conley. Vital signs and physical exam remains stable with an ambulatory oxygen saturation level 95 to 97 percent. Overall, he continues to do extremely well. I will provide updates as we know more, that from Dr. Conley.

But as you said, Brianna, we have had some issues with Dr. Conley's statements. He's even admitted himself he was trying to provide upbeat assessments on the president's health. So, perhaps you can put this statement in that same category.

I can tell you, Brianna, talking to a senior Trump campaign official this morning and a source close to the White House, the president would like to do some kind of address to the nation to tell people how he's doing in this bout with the coronavirus.

But as we're reporting that out, we are learning from sources that there are lingering health concerns inside the White House about the president in part because of that ridiculous moment that you mentioned on the Truman balcony on the south lawn of the White House last night when the president walked up those steps and tried to show everybody how tough he was, took off his mask. And then when he took off the mask, revealed to the world that he is still having some difficulty breathing.

Those images of the president having some difficulty breathing did concern people inside the White House. And that is part of the reason why we understand that there's a bit of a debate going as to whether or not the president should get some kind of address to the nation. Obviously, it is finally up to him as to whether he wants to do that. But our understanding, Brianna, is that it's being seriously considered.

The other thing we should point out is just exactly what you said a few moments ago, is that, as the president is recovering from the coronavirus here at the White House, he is continuing to peddle false and misleading information about the pandemic, comparing it to the flu and so on. Remember, Brianna, and you know this all too well, these are the exact same false talking points he was using at the beginning of this pandemic.

And so his condition is far worse today than it was back in April but the talking points, the false talking points remain the same. Brianna?

KEILAR: Yes. Jim Acosta at the White House, thank you.

We have some more breaking news. President Trump has been personally calling drug companies, pressuring them to speed up the vaccine process, this is according to a source familiar with conversations that he is having.

I want to bring in CNN Political Correspondent, Sara Murray, who is tracking the story. What's he saying to them, Sara?

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Brianna, this my reporting with Kevin Liptak, that the president who we know is very fixated on this vaccine, in getting a vaccine before Election Day, has been calling drug companies and making it clear he wants this to move quicker, asking them if there's any way that they can to speed this process up.

And this is particularly worrisome in the president's conversation, Scientists say, with Pfizer. Because Pfizer has had CEO, who is out there, and is just kind of busting the norms, predicting that he's going to have a vaccine that they will know it works by October, they could move over to the FDA by this month. That is not something that we have seen from these other drug makers.

And so scientists are watching this play out. And they are concerned that if you have this bullish president who wants a vaccine before Election Day and this very bullish CEO that is clearly willing to break the norms of what these other drug makers are saying publicly, there could be a way that they come together and manage to speed up this process and perhaps cut corners in the regulatory process, which is a huge concern and something the FDA has spoken very publicly about and said, look, we want this to go through a normal process and through our career scientists. Brianna?

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KEILAR: If a drug company were to bend to the pressures, Sara, the vaccine would still have to go through the FDA approval process. But then there are also concerns of political pressure that's brewing there.

MURRAY: That's right. I mean, look, we saw the president and Mark Meadows publicly sort of make this guidance the FDA wanted to put out go away, these guidance that would have these drug companies collect data for longer.

So the FDA has been out here is saying essentially, we are talking directly to these vaccine makers, we are making it clear what we want from them. And the Steve Hahn, the head of the FDA, has said, this is going to go through our career scientists. Other top FDA officials have essentially threatened to resign if that's not the case.

But there is a scenario that some might say is a kind of a wild conspiracy theory, but this is a wild year, there's a scenario in which the president could bypass Steve Hahn and the FDA all together, put pressure on HHS Secretary Alex Azar and he could be the one who issues these emergency use authorization for a vaccine.

Now, when we asked HHS about this, Brian Harrison, the chief of staff over there, insisted this was not going to happen and there was no way that Azar was going to big foot the FDA. But this kind of gives you, Brianna, a sense of where people's heads are at.

They are worried that this is not going to go through a normal process where career scientists get to evaluate data, get to take it to an outside advisory committee, that advisory committee gets to debate it, and the public really gets to see that this is a vaccine that has gone through all of these appropriate channels.

KEILAR: Yes. And if it doesn't, according to experts, it will be disastrous in the confidence that the public can have in this. Sara, thank you so much. Fantastic reporting from you and Kevin there.

President Trump says he's feeling great and that his grand return to the White House may give the appearance that he's doing fine. But coronavirus treatment that he has been getting could mask some of his symptoms.

Here is a reminder of what his doctors have prescribed to him. There's remdesivir, there's Regeneron, which is an experimental antibody therapy, and the steroid, dexamethasone, a recent study showing that steroids can be very beneficial for seriously ill COVID patients.

My next guest co-authored that study and says that the results give doctors like him hope for patients who are struggling with COVID. Dr. Bryan McVerry is a pulmonary and critical care physician. He's an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. McVerry, thanks for coming onto share your expertise.

DR. BRYAN MCVERRY, PULMONARY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE PHYSICIAN: It's my pleasure. Thank you, Brianna, for having me.

KEILAR: So when you are -- we're talking about steroid use like this, what kind of patient benefits the most from steroid use?

MCVERRY: The studies looking at steroids for treatment of COVID-19 show the benefit primarily in the more severely ill patients. So recovery trial out of the United Kingdom suggested benefit in patients who require oxygen therapy or those in the intensive care unit requiring mechanical ventilation.

Our (INAUDIBLE) COVID study looked at patients in intensive care unit requiring mechanical ventilation or presser (ph) support, and that's where we saw the benefits in our study. So it seems as though steroids are beneficial in the more severely patients as opposed to those mild ones.

KEILAR: Would it be odd for a patient with mild symptoms to get a steroid?

MCVERRY: I think data would support giving it to patients with more severe symptoms and oxygen requirements. And recovery trial, about 25 percent of the population had milder symptoms and there was no benefit seen in that subgroup of the population. And so I think the indication for treatment is in the more severely ill patients as opposed to more mild disease.

We noticed a pattern with the president's doctor that he has been quick to share information that shows a positive indicator for the president. For instance, he'll say things like, indeed, he has not been on fever-reducing meds for some time. He'll say that he's not reporting muscle aches. He will definitely highlight what the president is reporting, self-reporting.

But when he is asked, when Dr. Conley was asked whether the president had pneumonia or if the president's lung imaging showed abnormalities, he then cites privacy considerations. We are seeing this pattern over and over. So, just generally, if I can ask you, how is it -- when you're talking about pneumonia or lung abnormalities in a COVID patient, is that the commonality that you would see for taking a steroid like this?

MCVERRY: Yes. So the patients who receive steroids typically have pneumonia. You wouldn't typically see an oxygen requirement in patients without pneumonia. And so you would probably not use that medication on someone who didn't have pneumonia. And you wouldn't expect to see oxygen or reductions in oxygen saturation, requirement for oxygen administration in patients who didn't have pneumonia.

KEILAR: Dr. Conley was asked if he had pneumonia. He wouldn't say -- he didn't say he did not have it, but he would not answer the question. Can you tell us a little bit about the side effects of the steroid?

[13:15:00]

MCVERRY: So steroids have variable side effects depending on how long you have been on them and what dose you're taking. I mean, the steroid themselves can be fever-reducing medications. And so you might not have a fever if you're on this dose of corticosteroids.

In addition, you can see elevations in blood sugar that come with corticosteroids. You can also see an increased appetite, increased level of alertness, some disruption in sleep for being on moderate to high dose steroids for a short period of time.

KEILAR: And mood related side effects?

MCVERRY: I suppose you could see some mood-related side effects that tends to be more sort of an activation and more energy than it does sort of depression syndrome, in my experience.

KEILAR: OK, so more energy, more energetic.

Dr. McVerry, thank you so much for talking to us.

MCVERRY: Absolutely, my pleasure. Thank you for having me.

KEILAR: So what about the White House residence staff? Is President Trump's return endangering them? I'm going to be speaking with a former White House chef.

Plus a teenager who lost her grandparents to COVID says the president's tweets are a slap in the face. She is going to join me live.

And a doctor joins me to analyze the new statement from the president's doctor.

This is CNN special live coverage.

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KEILAR: President Trump's return to the White House has created confusion and concern particularly among the residence staff. A source familiar with White House operation tells CNN that employees are nervous and are panicked, are worried about becoming infected. Melania Trump had already reduced the size of the staff to only essential workers. And back in April, she started requiring all residence staff to wear face coverings and to practice social distancing.

But the president's own physician said that Trump is still recovering. Former First Lady Michelle Obama tweeting today that the service of those at the White House, especially the Secret Service, and residence staff, ought never be taken for granted and she released this video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: I pray every day that no one faces longer term consequences to this disease. But the truth is we just don't know yet. And we simply cannot trust this president to tell us the truth about anything.

And our commander in chief, sadly, has been missing in action. And his willful mismanagement of the COVID crisis is just one example of his negligence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Bill Yosses worked in the White House as a pastry chef during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations, and here he is with us now. Bill, you have been employed in a place that very few Americans have even been able to visit. Do you think that the president is endangering staff with his return?

BILL YOSSES, FORMER WHITE HOUSE PASTRY CHEF DURING BUSH '43, OBAMA ADMINISTRATIONS: Yes, I do. It has to be said clearly, the statement from the White House yesterday said that all precautions are being made to protect staff. But we know they're not masking, they're not social distancing, they refuse contact tracing and there is just total disregard, really, for everything that every other company in America is doing to try to protect its employees.

And maybe, I hope, I hope to God that new procedures are in place now that over 30 people, I understand, in the White House, in the political staff have been tested positive. So if you're making every precaution, I don't think you wind up with 30 people infected with COVID.

KEILAR: And so, I mean, look, we are talking about -- especially when it comes to the staff, we're talking predominantly about the residence and I think the White House looms large in people's minds, but explain what it is like to work there.

It is maybe not as big as people would think. It is an older house, there are some close quarters. What is it like to work in the White House and how might that affect exposure of people to either the first family or to people who have been exposed to the first family?

YOSSES: Yes. Well, first of all, to answer the question on the large scale, it's certainly an honor and a privilege to be there to serve the president, to serve any president and the presidency, the office, is definitely a great honor. And everyone there feels that.

And I would say that what they cherish the most is discretion. What they value the most is discretion, which is why you won't hear from anybody who is currently working there. It sort of becomes part of you.

But now to the second part of the question about the physical space, the house was completed in 1799. So they weren't really expecting large groups of people. It's amazing that it is as big as it is. The state dining room, the east room are very large rooms. But there are many sort of warrens and hallways and low ceiling places that you work in and that the first family also moves around in.

KEILAR: And you mentioned discretion. I mean, that is just part and parcel of any job there in the residence. If you were still working there and you are concerned about your health, what would you do?

YOSSES: Well, I would take every personal precaution that I could, certainly masks. And I have seen in some public photographs of events at the White House, that a lot of the staff are masked.

[13:25:00]

I would certainly do all of the things we've known for six months to do, wash hands, wear masks, social distance as much as possible, but there are moments where you're called to perform whatever your function is, carpenter, florist, cook, you know, electrician, where you have to go through some pretty small spaces.

KEILAR: Yes. It's an inherent risk if they decide to remain employed there. Bill Yosses, thank you.

YOSSES: It's not -- yes. It is not a medical facility. It is not a medical facility, in other words, you know? It is not really built for that. And that staff, as good as they are, they are not trained in medical procedures.

KEILAR: Yes. Bill, thank you. It is wonderful to hear from you.

YOSSES: Thank you, Brianna.

KEILAR: We have more in our breaking news. The president's doctor has released a new statement about Trump's health. We're going to examine it with a doctor.

Plus, a teenager who lost her grandparents to COVID says, the president's tweets are a slap in the face. She is going to join us live.

And Michelle Obama releases her closing message for the election, and she directly calls the president's campaign racist.

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