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Trump Launches Sexist Attack, Calls Harris "A Monster" & "Unlikeable"; Interview with Sean Penn on Scathing Message to Trump; Ex-Trump & GOP Fundraiser Charged with Conspiracy by Feds; Update on Coronavirus Responses Across the Country. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired October 08, 2020 - 14:30   ET

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

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[14:32:27]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: A monster? Unlikable? A liar? That is what the president of the United States is calling Democratic vice- presidential nominee, Senator Kamala Harris today, following her historic appearance as the first black and South Asian woman to take the stage at last night's V.P. debate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (voice-over): She was terrible. She was -- I don't think you can't get worse. Totally unlikable. And she is. She's a Communist. And this monster that was on stage with Mike Pence --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Nina Turner is a CNN political commentator. She was the co- chair of Senator Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign and she's with us now.

Nina, what is your reaction to these attacks?

NINA TURNER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: He can't debate the issues, so he leans to name-calling.

For him to refer to Senator Harris in that way is despicable. It's totally unacceptable. It's no different than when he called Omarosa a dog. It was wrong to call Omarosa a dog. It's wrong to call Senator Harris a monster.

And he stereotypes. And connotations take on an extra meaning when they are leveled at black women, the stereotypes of the Mammie, the Aunt Jemima, the Jezebel, the Aunt Jemima. It's a deeper meaning when leveled at African-American women.

It's his own lacking that he's talking about. It's one thing to debate somebody about an issue. It's another thing to resort to name-calling. It really shows his limitations, not theirs.

KEILAR: We were watching -- you watched this debate last night. I watched last night. There were a lot of questions we did not get answers to, I think, on both sides.

But one of the things that is very unclear -- and we're talking about certainly on the side of Democrats here. Senator Harris and Joe Biden do not have an answer to this question of whether they would pack the Supreme Court.

Shouldn't they have an answer to that, Nina?

TURNER: They should. Hopefully, the vice president -- former vice president will have an answer. Just tell them, yes, we're going to fight pack.

The Republicans did not a -- played hardball with President Obama. That's politics. Democrats need to, too, and get a clue.

I would tell them straight up, yes, we're going to pack the courts if that's what they intend to do. I don't know if they do or not, but they should definitely have an answer for the question and don't be ashamed of it.

(CROSSTALK)

[14:35:10]

TURNER: Lean into it.

KEILAR: That illustrates a problem, politically, it could create for Vice President Biden. Right? He may be trying to attract -- he is trying to attract moderates and moderate Republicans who may not want to see it.

They might be fine with the makeup of the Supreme Court, but they're not OK with President Trump. I mean, we've seen a number of voters who may lean that way. He's clearly afraid of losing them.

Is that the issue here, why he cannot or will not say? Maybe he's worried about not being clear. And if he says it, he loses folks like, folks you represent, like from the other wing of the party.

TURNER: I can't speak from that campaign.

What I'm saying is there's no time for moderation. People are suffering in this country, So the Republicans will do what they have already done.

And 95 percent of voters have already made up their minds, So these debates, we're playing games right now with the American people. Just say what it is.

The Republicans need to be handled in a serious and strong way. They denied President Obama the opportunity -- well, he made the nomination, but they didn't confirm it. They have one set of rules for him, and now a different set of rules.

I was taught, if your hair is on fire, you have to act like your hair is on fire. If they're going to lose folks for standing up for the American people, so be it.

But I don't think they will. They have to be firm and strong. And I'll say, I don't know. Maybe they don't believe they should pack the court, and that's fine, too. Say that. But be clear about what you believe and what you're going to say.

Either some people will like it or not like it. But at least you're clear on your position. And the American people deserve just -- at least that.

KEILAR: Nina Turner, thank you so much for coming on. We really appreciate it.

TURNER: Thank you.

KEILAR: We are learning that Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer will speak at the top of the hour about the breaking news that six people were arrested in an alleged plot to kidnap her and overthrow the government there. We'll bring that to you live.

First, Sean Penn will join us live. He has been providing meals and COVID tests around the country. And he has a scathing message for President Trump in a new CNN op-ed.

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[14:41:52]

KEILAR: Actor Sean Penn, along with celebrity chef, Jose Andres just added their names to a growing list of folks who are calling out the president's failed response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Together in a CNN op-ed, imploring Trump to, quote, "free the American people from the misery of this disease."

They write, quote, "President Trump, embrace your duty as a wartime president. Lead the country you vowed to keep safe out of this disaster. The American people need you to put their tax dollars where your mouth is. Stop this American carnage right here, right now."

Penn's nonprofit, CORE, the Community Organized Relief Effort, has set up free COVID testing for millions of people. Jose Andres' group, World Central Kitchen, has prepared and donated millions of meals for those in need.

Sean Penn is joining me now.

Thanks so much for coming on.

SEAN PENN, ACTOR & FOUNDER, CORE: Good to be here. Thank you.

KEILAR: You guys have been on the front lines of this pandemic, providing these essential services, testing and food for those who need it.

What is the most urgent need on the ground right now? PENN: Well, to begin, it should be said that all the of these

activities have been financed by the private sector, by donors. And we have been unable to get any federal funds whatsoever.

FEMA, for example, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, we applied for a grant to continue our testing, and they denied the grant on the basis that we were testing both symptomatic and asymptomatic.

They were refusing to finance anything that tested the asymptomatic. We know there's a lot of spreading going on.

We are facing a period where I believe this is going to come back to haunt us in terms of the -- (INAUDIBLE) -- the Defense Production Act. We still don't have the PPE to take on any kind of surge that may come as the cooler months come. We're just scraping for funding on testing.

It's really been a heartbreaking reality to see the way this administration as criminally neglected and left to die so many people to get sick and the incredible unemployment.

Because there are no federal guidelines to be able to implement what the scientists already are able to tell us about how to do this.

The how-tos, the resources can be there. But we are being failed by our administration.

KEILAR: One of the things you really need, it sounds like, money. You've raised it privately. You write in this $150 million, which is a lot.

But you also point out that FEMA has $44 billion in unspent funds that Congress allocated to help with COVID relief.

The model that you are using is the one that Jose Andres and World Central Kitchen used in Puerto Rico, which was to cut through red tape using personal connections.

And also, I mean, honestly just outright gumption, cutting through the red tape and providing what oftentimes the government can't do, and can't do in a cheap and quick way.

Tell us about that and how it can be so much more helpful to take those funds and use it in the way that you guys are using it.

[14:45:07]

PENN: Well, the reality, of course, is that the government can use it in a cheap and effective way by granting the funds to organizations, like World Center Kitchen, like CORE and others. So it shouldn't be something left entirely to the private sector.

This is the federal government of the United States of America completely failing in its obligation.

Instead of using this $44 billion, they're being used as political pawns where the president is trying to withholding -- he's made it very clear that even perhaps, you know, had they not been testing in the White House, he wouldn't be positive with COVID.

And this is the insane logic that too many of the American people have let go by. They're going to fail their children. They're going to fail their children's generation doing this.

This is not any longer about the Republican and Democrat. This is about basic decency and obligation of American patriotism for the future of all of our children, be they the children of Republican, Democrats or Independents.

This is really -- your last guest was talking about when one's hair is on hair to act like it. Even if our hair doesn't feel on fire today, we are sending a wildfire of a pandemic of economic collapse straight to our children's generation.

And it's on that basis that all of us need to do the work.

KEILAR: I see you being at the center of this relief effort, I know you have talked with a lot of people who are struggling. I'm sure you've had heard the president downplaying this virus and saying don't let it dominate your life.

What is your reaction to that?

PENN: You know, I suppose I would like to say that I'm no longer bewildered by it, but it's dizzying.

Just as dizzying is the way in which this country, this great aspirational country, is allowing one individual to foment not only the pandemic but violence, hatred, genuine hatred towards each other. Good people hating each other.

And a lot of those people, who he describes as being good people, being empowered, the racists and the extremists and the white nationalist party.

I've written about the Proud Boys two years ago, and organizations -- pathetic organizations like these.

And this is a president of the United States is truly a national disgrace. I hope somehow we'll be able to bond together and get through this.

In the meantime, we still have to put one foot in front of the other. We still have to -- I've got to get whatever funds are necessary to support all these extraordinary volunteers throughout this country working with Jose and his fantastic organization.

KEILAR: We know, Sean, a lot of people will be curious about CORE and World Central Kitchen.

So thank you, Sean.

I want to let our viewers know that they can check out your organization, CORE, at coreresponse.org,/COVID-19.

Sean Penn, thank you so much.

We're going to be staying on our breaking news. Did President Trump asked some of the staff at Walter Reed Medical Center to sign nondisclosure agreements when he made a mystery visit there last November?

Plus, "Saturday Night Live" cancels its musical guest after finding out that he broke COVID safety guidelines.

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[14:53:14]

KEILAR: We have breaking news. Former top Republican fundraiser has been charged with conspiracy for not registering as a foreign agent.

CNN's Kara Scannell is following this for us.

Tell us about who this fundraiser is. And give us some context on who he is and what he's accused of doing.

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure, Brianna. The Justice Department is charging Elliott Broidy. He was a top GOP fundraiser. He worked on President Trump's Inaugural Committee as well as being the deputy finance chair of Republican National Committee. So big GOP fundraiser.

Prosecutors are charging him today with conspiracy for failing to register as a foreign agent. These are the charges we heard a lot about in the most recent past few years.

What Broidy is charged with doing is failing to register as an agent when he was lobbying U.S. government to drop a wide-ranging extensive investigation into corruption at a Malaysian development fund.

Also according to prosecutors, he was lobbying without identifying he was acting on behalf of the Chinese government when he was lobbying U.S. officials to try to get them to return a Chinese self-proclaimed dissident, a billionaire living in the United States. So prosecutors charging Broidy with that.

According to a source familiar with the investigation, Broidy is expected to plead guilty to this charge of conspiracy later this month. He will enter the plea then. He has not entered any plea at this time. These charges were just filed this week.

Broidy, you might remember, was involved heavily in the president's inaugural fundraising effort. He's also involved with the committee.

And he stepped down from that committee in April of 2018 after it became known that Michael Cohen, the president's personal attorney, helped facilitate $1.6 million payment to a former Playboy model who alleged she was impregnated by Broidy.

[14:55:09]

Broidy has admitted he had an affair with the model but did not every admit to any connection to her pregnancy -- Brianna?

KEILAR: Kara Scannell, thank you for that report. We appreciate it.

Industries like tourism, sports and entertainment have been impacted by the pandemic. Let's get the latest developments from the reporters across the country.

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ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I'm Alison Kosik in New York. The release of the film "Jurassic World: Dominion" will be pushed back to 2022. The next movie in the blockbuster franchise was supposed to come out in June of next year.

There's trouble on the set, too. Filming has been suspended for two weeks due to positive coronavirus tests.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: I'm Coy Wire in Atlanta. The NFL is investigating the Tennessee Titans for allegedly breaking the league's coronavirus protocols amid an outbreak on the team.

Titans players spotted practicing at a Nashville high school last Wednesday, one day after the team facilities were shut down due to the outbreak. This according to multiple reports and confirmed by a school official to CNN.

The NFL has not replied to repeated requests for comment on the investigation.

Two more Titans players tested positive yesterday. And at least 22 members of the organization have tested positive over the past week.

CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: I'm Chloe Melas in New York. Country singer, Morgan Wallen, says he's been dropped as "Saturday Night Live's" musical guest this weekend because he broke the show's COVID-19 protocols.

Wallen made the announcement from his New York City hotel room where he was preparing for the show. He said in an Instagram video that he was sorry to his fans and team for, quote, "letting them down."

Wallen says "SNL" producer, Lorne Michaels, told him that he could be on the show in the future.

This all started after Wallen was seen partying in TikTok videos last weekend. In was in various bars without a mask and was far from social distancing.

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KEILAR: All right, everyone, thank you so much for those reports.

Minutes from now, Michigan's governor will speak live about the alleged plot to kidnap her. We will bring that to you.

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