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Trump Back at White House Despite Still Having COVID-19; Questions Swirl Over White House Outbreak; New York City Schools in Worst-Hit Areas; Biden: Trump is Responsible for Getting COVID; Poll: 69 Percent Don't Believe White House on Trump's Health. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired October 06, 2020 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States, and all around the world. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM and I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, back at the White House, and unmasked, the latest on President Trump's condition as he tells Americans not to be afraid of COVID.

Joe Biden quickly draws a contrast with Mr. Trump tweeting wear a mask. How coronavirus is shaping the race for the White House.

And Europe struggles under the weight of a second wave with all but four countries failing a critical COVID stress test.

Good to have you with us. U.S. President Donald Trump is back at the White House despite still being contagious with the coronavirus. In a made for TV moment, he stood on the balcony of the White House and took off his mask in an effort to show he's beaten COVID-19. He even came back outside for a redo of his entrance still without a mask and given how highly contagious he is at the moment, putting all of those around him at risk. But instead of being concerned about the health of those with him, here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I knew there's danger to it but I had to do it. I stood out front. I led. Nobody that's a leader would not do what I did. And I know there's a risk. There's a danger, but that's OK, and now I'm better, and maybe I'm immune, I don't know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: But it's hard to understand why his doctors would allow the President to leave the hospital and then move around without a mask. Especially since the White House physician would not share details about Mr. Trump's health.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you see any evidence of pneumonia or any inflammation in his lungs at all?

DR. SEAN CONLEY, WHITE HOUSE PHYSICIAN: So we've done routine standard imaging. I'm just not at liberty to discuss.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So you're -- so you're actively not telling us what those lung scans showed, just to be clear.

Conley: So there are HIPAA rules and regulations that restrict me in sharing certain things for his safety and his own health, and reasons.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Kaitlan Collins has been following this story and has the latest for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it was less than 72 hours after the President was actually admitted to Walter Reed Hospital that he returned to the White House where he dramatically climbed the steps of the White House and facing live television cameras took off his mask. Standing there for several moments before turning to back inside and then coming back out briefly as he could let a camera crew waiting inside the White House shoot his return so he could then post a video on his Twitter feed. Touting his time in the hospital, and downplaying coronavirus. Overall saying that it cannot dominate American life.

Of course that comes as the President was on steroids and another drug that fewer than ten people outside of clinical trials have gotten in the United States. But he sought to really downplayed his diagnosis, even as he was just a few days into it and his doctor earlier told reporters that he was not out of the woods yet when it came to coronavirus and they would be monitoring him closely while he was back at the White House.

He's also returning to a much different White House where his daughter and senior adviser, Ivanka Trump will not be there. Because she's at home quarantining after coming into contact with people who tested positive. Because we are seeing this outbreak inside the West Wing grow. Starting with Kayleigh McEnany, the press secretary, who had been briefing reporters for several days without a mask on and now has tested positive for coronavirus. And is also working remotely as are two of her aides in the press shop who also tested positive.

It's raising concerns about what life inside the West Wing is going to look like over the next several days, and whether or not the President is actually going to stay quarantined or if he's going to try to break out of that a little bit early.

Kaitlan Collins, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: So let's talk about that, CNN medical analyst, Dr. Leana Wen. She is an emergency physician at George Washington University. Thank you, doctor, for all you do and for talking with us at this time.

DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Of course. Thank you.

[04:05:00]

CHURCH: So why would President Trump's medical team discharge him and send him back to the White House when they say he may not entirely be out of the woods. How risky could this prove to be, and what did you make of the photo op that he staged on his return?

WEN: Well, there's just a lot about President Trump's medical condition that we don't fully understand, Rosemary, and it feels like we are forced to play detective here. We're piecing together various sources of information. It sounds like he had two episodes where his oxygen saturation dropped. One of those episodes was so severe that he ended up having to be hospitalized in the first place.

We know that he is on at least three medications, one of which is dexamethasone, which is a steroid medication that's given to patients who are severely or critically ill. Notably, it's not given to patients with non-severe illness. So it does make you wonder, how serious is the President's condition.

Also by the White House's own timeline, it appears that he is on day five of his illness. Day seven through ten is when things could really deteriorate and go downhill quickly. And so, I don't understand, if they transferred him to the hospital in the first place, why let him go two to three days before the worst could be still to come.

CHURCH: And doctor, as you mentioned, President Trump is taking a mixture of new drugs right now, some designed for severe cases of COVID-19. What impact do you think these drugs are having on his decision making skills, like his premature discharge from hospital, his joyride on Sunday, and of course that very bizarre staged photo op at the White House?

WEN: You know, we as physicians often have patients who may disagree with our recommendation. They may want to leave the hospital before we think that they are ready, for example. And we always have to assess the capacity of the patient to make that decision because in this case, it's about his health.

I mean, the Secret Service car ride yesterday to me was the most troubling of the lot. Because first of all, he may have been unstable himself in terms of his medical condition so it could have endangered his health. But also this was something that directly, purposefully, knowingly endangered other people's health as well. And so, I do really worry about the President's decision making and his judgment, and you're right, he is on medications including steroids that could alter one's ability to make sound decisions.

CHURCH: And why do you think President Trump won't let his doctors share information about the condition of his lungs or tell us when he last had a negative COVID test?

WEN: These are all critical questions. It seems like from every piece of information that we have and the ones that they won't disclose, that President Trump almost certainly has pneumonia. And not a mild pneumonia, but at least a moderate, maybe a severe pneumonia, which is why he's on all of these medications and had a decrease, several decreases in his oxygen saturation. Perhaps he doesn't want to share that with the American people but we need to know. And we need to know the time course of his illness so we know what to expect. What day of his illness are we actually at?

And also, this is important for contact tracing because the President was highly mobile prior to his diagnosis. The period that a person is most infectious is 48 hours before they develop symptoms. So we critically need to understand when he developed symptoms exactly. When his last negative test was and his first positive test so that we can pinpoint who he was exposed to and protect them and their loved ones too.

CHURCH: Yes, indeed, Dr. Leana Wen, thank you so much for talking with us.

WEN: Thank you.

CHURCH: And questions are swirling over how contact tracing efforts have been carried out within the White House. Before testing positive, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was told she was a close contact of top adviser Hope Hicks. Hicks had also tested positive. McEnany told Fox News she's feeling well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS: First, how are you feeling, do you know maybe how, when, where -- I guess nobody really knows when they contract this?

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Yes, I'm feeling great. I'm having no symptoms, you know, I'm very blessed to have a mild case, or really just an asymptomatic case. You know, my heart goes out to all of those who've been affected by this and all those that have lost their lives. But I'm pleased to see that our commander in chief is doing well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: But many others who attended last Saturday's Rose Garden event or other events on President Trump's schedule say they have received no communication from the White House on contact tracing. That includes high profile attendees like Chris Christie and Rudy Giuliani.

[04:10:00]

And while some members of the Trump administration battled the coronavirus, America's leading expert on infectious diseases told CNN that President Trump could experience a reversal in his recovery. Here's Dr. Anthony Fauci. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Sometimes when you're five to eight days in, you could have a reversal. A reversal meaning going in the wrong direction and get into trouble. It's unlikely that it will happen, but they need to be heads up for it.

He knows it, the physicians know it, but he certainly does look very well. I mean, you don't need me to tell you that. You saw the way he came out of the helicopter into there. He looked like he was in pretty good shape.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And right now, there are ten coronavirus vaccine candidates in late stage trials across the world. And there's hope some of these vaccines will be deemed safe and effective. Dr. Fauci says it's possible a vaccine could be available in limited doses before the end of the year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAUCI: I think comfortably around November or December, we'll know whether or not the vaccine is safe and effective. I actually am cautiously optimistic, from what I have seen about preliminary data in phase one, that there's a good chance we'll have a safe and effective vaccine. They've already started to produce doses way before we'll know whether the vaccine is safe and effective. So by the time we get to the end of November, December, there should be some doses that are available for distribution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The U.S. death toll from the virus is now 210,000 and counting, with the infection rate still soaring at an average of 43,000 cases a day. Over the past week, only a handful of states reported fewer cases than the week before while more than 20 saw a rise of at least 10 percent. New York, the former epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. is, again, reporting some of the worst numbers in the country. Details now from CNN's Nick Watt.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In nine New York City zip codes, schools are closing down again.

BILL DE BLASIO (D), MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: It's time for us to rewind.

WATT: In those same zip codes, the mayor also wants nonessential stores, gyms, indoor dining closed again, as test positivity rates rise, now too high for comfort. The governor won't go for that, not yet.

SALVATORE MUSSO, OWNER, LA STRADA PIZZERIA: Very sad. We expect to move forward, but this, it will go behind.

WATT: Also concern over in New Jersey after that fundraiser Thursday hosted by a likely infectious president. Case counts are now rising again across the Northeast, which was so recently a success story.

These five states saw at least 50 percent more cases this past week compared to the week before.

DE BLASIO: This is a wake-up call to everyone in New York City to tighten up again, to do the things that work. Look, we overcame the worst problem in the entire country.

WATT: New York state's governor says a lack of local enforcement is a big part of the problem.

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): You will see people die if we don't do more enforcement. The state is going to take over the enforcement oversight in all the hot spot clusters.

WATT: Meanwhile, this morning, down in Miami-Dade County, another former hot spot, more than 22,000 kids returned to the classroom.

ALBERTO CARVALHO, SUPERINTENDENT, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Here to report happily that I have seen nothing but happy faces.

WATT: At one North Carolina school, all third grade now quarantined after a teacher, Julie Davis, tested positive. She later died. There will be plenty more pain ahead.

FAUCI: I'm actually disturbed and concerned about the fact that our baseline of infections is still stuck at around 40,000 per day.

WATT: He's been saying that for weeks, and we have only gotten worse, back-to-back days of 50,000 plus new cases nationwide Friday and Saturday, first time we have seen that since mid-August.

(on camera): Now President Trump tweets don't be afraid of COVID, well, since his positive test, since he was medevacked to one of the greatest hospitals on earth to receive treatment that very few other people can get, since then, more than 2,000 other Americans have died of COVID-19. More than 200,000 Americans have died of COVID since this began and we are far from done.

Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Polls show a majority of Americans are critical of the President's COVID response. How Joe Biden might be looking to capitalize on that. We'll take a look just ahead.

[04:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHURCH: U.S. Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden is launching new attacks aimed at President Trump's response to COVID-19. He says Mr. Trump is responsible for contracting the coronavirus because he fails to wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines. His swipe at the President came during a town hall event in Miami.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Anybody who contracts the virus by essentially saying masks don't matter, social distancing doesn't matter, I think is responsible for what happens to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The Biden campaign also tweeted this meme with the caption masks matter. They save lives. Biden has been touting mask wearing throughout his Presidential campaign. This tweet was published after Mr. Trump was released from the hospital on Monday. Biden is also offering some advice to the President. CNN's Arlette Saenz has that part of the story from Miami.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Joe Biden campaigned here in the critical battle ground state of Florida on the same day President Trump left Walter Reed Hospital as he continues to battle coronavirus. The former Vice President wished President Trump a speedy recovery, but he also had this message for the President. Take a listen.

[04:20:00]

BIDEN: I was glad to see the President speaking and recording videos over the weekend. Now that he's busy tweeting campaign messages, I would ask him to do this, listen to the scientists. Support masks. I hope the President's recovery is swift and successful, but our nation's COVID crisis is far, far from over.

SAENZ: Joe Biden and President Trump are set to debate here again in Miami, Florida, in just nine days. The President's campaign says he intends to debate Biden despite going through coronavirus at this moment. And Biden and his advisers have said that he will debate the President in less than two weeks if the health experts recommend that it's safe.

Now, on Wednesday night, Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence will face off in their first and only vice presidential debate in Salt Lake City, Utah. We've learned that there will be plexiglass dividing the two candidates as they are seated 12 feet apart, one of the many changes happening at this debate due to the coronavirus pandemic. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Joining me now is CNN political analyst, Toluse Olorunnipa. He's also the White House reporter for the "Washington Post." great to have you with us.

TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Great to be here.

CHURCH: So medical experts across the country and indeed the world are scratching their heads as they watch President Trump's response to his own COVID-19 infection, and then his rather bizarre staged return to the White House. And now we learn he plans to participate in the next presidential debate with rival Joe Biden. What is your political reading of all of this?

OLORUNNIPA: Well, it's clear the President was determined to make it seem like things are getting back to normal at the White House. He did not want to be cooped up within the hospital. He did not want to be stuck behind the doors of the hospital as the campaign is in its very last stages. So he decided to check himself out of the hospital, go back to the White House in this dramatic return and start campaigning right away. He went on video and essentially said that he thinks he's immune from the virus, that people should not be afraid of it and he's looking forward to getting back out on the campaign trail and getting back out to debate his rival Joe Biden.

CHURCH: A new CNN polling shows that most Americans say Donald Trump acted irresponsibly with his own COVID infection, and they distrust the White House information regarding his health. Most Americans also think his diagnosis will not change the way he deals with this pandemic. What impact would you expect all of this to have on the presidential race?

OLORUNNIPA: Well, the President's own diagnosis with coronavirus means that this issue continues to be the number one issue that's covered here and it continues to be the number one topic on the mind of voters as they cast their ballots. And the fact that they give President Trump such low marks when it comes to how he handles the coronavirus. How trustworthy his administration is. It means it's going to be very difficult for the President to spin this as a positive thing or to spin it as a political benefit.

That's part of the reason the President has an uphill battle in the upcoming election to try to convince voters to give him four more years. When they know that he couldn't keep themselves safe from the virus and they don't trust that he will keep them and their families safe from the virus.

CHURCH: Right, and Joe Biden had taken down his negative campaign ads while President Trump was in the hospital as a way of respect. But now we see this on Biden's Twitter account, using the image of the President taking off his mask on his return to the White House Monday. And comparing that image to Biden putting his on with a message that reads masks matter. They save lives. What does this signal to you?

OLORUNNIPA: They realize in the Joe Biden camp that contrasting Joe Biden's vision for the coronavirus with President Trump's is a strong position for them. They want to be able to show that Joe Biden will be a different kind of president in the middle of a pandemic than President Trump has been. And this is a clear example. The issue of wearing masks. The President went back to the White House and immediately took off

his mask in front of the cameras, not modeling good public health behavior. And Joe Biden has been wearing a mask to try to show the public that that's the right thing to do. And so I imagine they will continue to push out those images to contrast what Joe Biden is doing with what President Trump is doing, and the race is back on. There's no more sort of piecemeal approach to how they're approaching this. Instead they're going to attack one another holistically and try to focus on the hardest argument they can make against each other, and for Joe Biden, it's on the coronavirus.

CHURCH: Toluse Olorunnipa, thank you so much for talking with us. Appreciate it.

OLORUNNIPA: Thank you.

CHURCH: And the next debate will be between Democratic vice presidential nominee, Senator Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence. CNN's special coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday on the U.S. East Coast. That's midnight Thursday in London, and 7:00 a.m. in Hong Kong.

[04:25:00]

Still ahead, struggling to contain a second wave. We will look at how Europe is dealing with the sharp rise in COVID-19 infections. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: More on our top story this hour. U.S. President Donald Trump staged a departure from Walter Reed Medical Center on Monday. Attempting to convert his COVID-19 infection into a show of strength. He posed for a photo op on the White House balcony, removing his mask and telling his followers the virus was nothing to fear.

This amid news his press secretary Kayleigh McEnany also tested positive for the virus. She is the latest person known to have testing positive after attending the super spreader event at the Rose Garden.

President Trump says he learned a lot about COVID-19 after being admitted to Walter Reed, now that he's discharged, he's back to downplaying how serious the deadly virus can be. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I just left Walter Reed Medical Center. And it's really something very special, the doctor, the nurses, the first responders, and I learned so much about coronavirus. And one thing that's for certain, don't let it dominate you. Don't be afraid of it. You're going to beat it. We have the best medical equipment. We have the best medicines.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And what President Trump fails to mention here is that not everyone has access to top notch health care like he does. More than 210,000 people have died in the U.S. from the coronavirus. Kristin Urquiza father was one of them. And she says he died because he trusted President Trump's advice and didn't wear a mask. Here's more of what she told CNN.