Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
President Trump Invites Gathering at White House Event before Planning to Hit Campaign Trail Despite Recent Coronavirus Diagnosis; Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden Criticizes President Trump for White House Event; Number of Coronavirus Cases in U.S. Jumps Up; Tropical Storm Delta Hits Parts of Louisiana; Six Suspects Face Federal Kidnapping Charges for Plot to Kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer; North Korea Unveils Massive New Intercontinental Ballistic Missile; European Countries Experiencing New Increases of Coronavirus Cases. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired October 10, 2020 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:14]
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Two thousand people have been invited to the White House today and, right after that, President Trump is off on an aggressive return to the campaign trail.
CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: A first look at the new campaign ad for Joe Biden that just launched this hour, and it features a call for unity from Cindy McCain.
BLACKWELL: Plus, the flooding and power outages and the widespread damage tropical storm Delta hammers the Gulf Coast with heavy rains and punishing winds.
Good to be with you this morning. I'm Victor Blackwell.
PAUL: And I'm Christi Paul.
BLACKWELL: Late last night President Trump gave an update on his health. CNN's Sarah Westwood is following the latest. Sarah, I don't know how we're supposed to receive these reports from the president because they're not really based on science, but what did the president say?
SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, Victor, last night President Trump saying he's feeling great, that he's no longer taking any medication for coronavirus, and he revealed that he had had lung scans at some point during his treatment that showed he had congestion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It tested good. Initially I think they had some congestion in there. But it tested -- ultimately it tested good. And with each day it got better. And I think that's why they wanted me to stay, frankly. But the CAT scans were amazing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WESTWOOD: We're still awaiting results from the president's latest coronavirus test. We haven't heard an official update on his health in more than 12 hours. But later today he is expected to hold his first really big appearance since his hospitalization here at the White House, and we are expecting as many as thousands of people to gather on the South Lawn for that event. The White House says the president will be speaking from the White House balcony, so he won't be down amongst the crowd. But still, there are concerns given that just a couple of weeks ago an event here at the White House has been linked to so many positive cases of coronavirus in the president's inner circle. It's one that Dr. Anthony Fauci described as a super-spreader event. But nonetheless, the president is set to hit the campaign trail once again. He's scheduled for a campaign rally on Monday in Florida.
PAUL: So earlier on NEW DAY we were talking about Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey, how he is still hospitalized. But I understand you have an update for us.
WESTWOOD: That's right, Christi. Governor Christie this morning announced that he had been released from the hospital following the week that he spent there recovering from coronavirus. He was someone who did attend that ceremony in the Rose Garden that has been linked to all these coronavirus cases. He was one of several members of the president's debate prep team that fell ill with the virus. But luckily, he's tweeted that he has recovered enough to go home from the hospital, and in that tweet he thanked the doctors and nurses who cared for him over the past week, Victor and Christi.
PAUL: Good to know. Wishing him the very best. Sarah Westwood, we appreciate it. Thank you.
BLACKWELL: Let's go now to CNN's Jason Carroll. He is with us with more on the Biden campaign. And Jason, the former vice president has been very critical of President Trump for this event today, the one that's coming on Monday, that rally. What are we hearing from Biden?
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor, you're absolutely right. This is some of the toughest language that we've heard from Vice President Biden. For Biden it's not just about the president's professional behavior, it's also about his personal behavior. He was out at a campaign stop in Las Vegas yesterday where he basically said the president has not only been reckless with his life, he's been reckless with American lives.
And while he was out west, Vegas wasn't his only stop. He was also in Arizona on Thursday when he was campaigning with Cindy McCain, and the campaign has released its first TV spot featuring Cindy McCain. It's called "Like John Did." This comes just a few weeks after she endorsed Biden for president. I want to show you just a quick sample of what the ad looks like.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CINDY MCCAIN, JOHN MCCAIN'S WIFE: Now, more than ever, we need a president who will put service before self, a president who will lead with courage and compassion, not ego, a president who will respect the sacrifices made by our service members and their families, a president who will honor our fallen heroes, and a president who will bring out the best in us, not the worst.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: That ad is going to start running in the state of Arizona today. The Biden campaign is making a real push to try to carry Arizona. It is a competitive race, but no Democratic presidential nominee has carried Arizona since Bill Clinton did back in 1996.
As for the Biden campaign later today, they're going to be in Erie, Pennsylvania. Again, they're going to be making a real push for that state as well, a state that is in play.
[10:05:04]
That's an area in Erie, Pennsylvania, that has really seen an economic downturn, especially in the area of manufacturing. The Biden campaign is going to really make a push for voters there, especially those Democratic voters who ended up voting for Trump back in 2016. Victor, Christi?
PAUL: All right, Jason Carroll, thanks for the update.
So the second presidential debate has officially been canceled now because President Trump is refusing to debate Joe Biden due to the fact that it would be virtual. Rather, both candidates will be hosting televised town halls that day.
BLACKWELL: CNN political analyst Margaret Talev weighed in on why debates may be really a little less relevant than they have been in the past.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARGARET TALEV, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: The moderated debate format, it almost seems like it's just from a time past, like it only works if the rules are followed and if there's a good faith effort to follow the rules.
The two campaigns and the commissioner are all scrambling now to figure out what is the right course, and they all have different motives and different end goals. My instinct is there will still be this third debate, but I think you can't really count on anything anymore. And the idea that we could go with a president being hospitalized and now he's holding a large event at the White House and preparing to resume large rallies just gives you a sense of, I think, how agile we have to be as journalists in figuring out how to cover this.
But for voters, the window of time for the election is continuing. People are casting ballots as we speak, and all the uncertainty, I think, could be having an impact in terms of how people are voting and when they're voting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: So if there's no debate, what is next? Here's what we know. On Thursday, ABC News will host an event with former Vice President Joe Biden, and then the Trump campaign says that the president will answer questions from undecided voters on multiple networks.
PAUL: There are some new warnings we need to tell you about as well from health experts here in the U.S. after the country's daily COVID cases jumped to more than 57,000 yesterday. That's the highest level in nearly two months. One infectious disease expert tells CNN Florida is, quote, ripe for another large outbreak, and there are alarming trends across the country, with only two states now, Maine and Nebraska, reporting a decline in cases.
BLACKWELL: Paulo Sandoval is in New York with the latest. Polo, you've got at least the governor of Ohio, and I'm sure health experts in counties and states across the country saying all the numbers are going in the wrong direction.
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Victor, to your point there, out of Ohio, not only is the governor saying the numbers are going the wrong direction, but they are preparing for what is expected to be a very rough winter. And it's not just in the state of Ohio, but really across the country. Just consider alone that there are about 28 states across the country that reported more new COVID cases this week compared to last. There are many reasons why multiple health officials are warning that people do need to take action, not just in public, but even in their own homes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is out with a new warning, drawing another link between young people and some of the nation's COVID-19 hotspots. The CDC found positive test results generally started rising among people under the age of 25 about a month before a region was designated a COVID-19 hotspot. With the study, researchers are underscoring the need to address young people helping spark outbreaks. A local survey in one Wisconsin county showed young people worried they would feel weird or get odd looks wearing a mask.
MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH AND POLICY, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA: It starts out, first of all, with college students coming back to universities and colleges, and we're seeing substantial transmission there, which then is spilling over into the older adult population.
SANDOVAL: This week the U.S. posted its highest number of single-day COVID cases in nearly two months. Only a few states, those in green, are reporting declines in new cases this week over last. In Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine, predicting a very rough winter with both hospitalizations and the average age of patients edging up.
GOV. MIKE DEWINE (R-OH): Every single number is going the wrong way.
SANDOVAL: In the northeast, the moving average of new cases from September 8th to October 8th went up a staggering 91 percent. Dr. Deborah Birx said the White House's coronavirus task force warns one possible reason is silent, asymptomatic viral spread among families.
DR. DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR: To the communities that are seeing uptakes, please bring that same discipline that you're bringing to the public spaces into your household, and really limit engagement with others outside of your immediate household.
SANDOVAL: In parts of New York City's Queens and Brooklyn boroughs, calls for compliance are growing amid an increase in COVID clusters. This week members of Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods protested recent restrictions put in place to curb COVID-19 spread.
[10:10:00]
Though a virus vaccine is still in the works, one CDC official says formal plans to distribute it once its available are on target to meet an October 16th deadline in some states and in D.C.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: We certainly would have to have a vaccine first. Now, when it comes to New York, and especially about those COVID clusters that are being monitored in parts of Brooklyn and Queens, authorities here saying that the positivity rate there, about 5.4 percent. Statewide, though, if you take a look back here, Victor and Christi, it's about 0.9 percent statewide, not including those hotspot zones. That's one of the many reasons why authorities in New York are really focusing on those communities there, many of those religious communities, stressing the importance of social distancing, handwashing, and of course that mask wearing as well.
BLACKWELL: Paulo Sandoval in New York, thank you.
Delta is now a tropical storm, but behind it there's so much damage, flooding, as it moves out of Atlanta -- Louisiana, I should say.
PAUL: And the mayor of a city dealt a one-two punch by this storm and hurricane Laura just a few weeks ago is with us live next. Stay close.
BLACKWELL: Breaking in the past hour, North Korea has unveiled what appears to be a new ballistic missile. This is at a military parade. And overnight we also saw the country's dictator getting emotional during a speech. We'll tell you more about this in a live report.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:15:40]
PAUL: It's 15 minutes past the hour, and Delta is now a tropical storm. It's moving out of Louisiana, further into the southeast this morning now. BLACKWELL: We're starting to get some of the first shots after
daybreak. This is from Mandeville, Louisiana, and you can see here, these communities inundated with water.
PAUL: Yes, and I want to show you this aerial drone view. This is from Delcambre, Louisiana. Look at the widespread flooding there. And there's definitely damage to homes, as we understand it.
BLACKWELL: CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam is there in Delcambre. Derek, we've seen the fly-over view. You're there on the ground. Show us what is around you.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, this is storm surge that you're looking at right here, and you saw the aerials just a moment ago. It's quite extensive in some of those locations because there's a canal that runs from Vermilion Bay right through this Delcambre town. And you're seeing that some houses are going to be more fortunate than others when the water finally does recede, which, by the way, it is doing so right now. There are homes here that are on stilts, but you can see clearly over my left shoulder, there are some homes that do not have stilts. In fact, in order to get insurance to live in Delcambre, Louisiana, an area that is so prone to storm surge and flooding, you have to have insurance that allows you to put on these stilts here in order to live here. So just kind of sets the standard to live in a flood-prone area like this.
Now, hurricane Delta was a significant storm, but we do know that Laura that made landfall just to our west six weeks ago left so much damage from the wind. But this region susceptible to the flooding. And it really did realize that official forecast from the National Weather Service, which was between seven to 10 feet. We saw some of the river gages, some of the gages from Vermilion Bay. One of the canals, seven to 10 feet was realized, and so that is significant for this region without a doubt.
There were 14 inches of rain in some locations in south central Louisiana with wind gusts over 90 miles per hour in some locations as well. So certainly hurricane force. We felt the brunt of Delta last night. We rode out the storm. We were in the eye. And then it cleared. And then we were left with this beautiful sunshine.
I swear, Victor, Christi, sometimes after a hurricane comes the best weather, and we are experiencing it right now. Hopefully we can get rid of this water soon. The residents here are very eager to clean up the mess that's left behind from hurricane Delta.
PAUL: And I'm sure they're exhausted, because there's been a lot of cleanup for those people already. Derek Van Dam live for us down in Louisiana --
VAN DAM: Yes, a record setting year.
PAUL: Yes. Derek, thank you so much. We appreciate it.
People in Lake Charles, Louisiana, by the way, they are in the same boat in a sense. They are trying to clean up from hurricane Laura six weeks ago, and then were urged by their mayor to evacuate because Delta was coming in. Let's go to the mayor of Lake Charles, Nic Hunter. He is with us now. Mr. Mayor, thank you so much for being with us. It looks like you've got some sunshine there as well. That is good news. Help us understand what kind of damage you have to deal with this morning from Delta.
MAYOR NIC HUNTER, LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA: Well, it just shows you that every storm is different, and though Delta was a lower category than Laura, we are actually experiencing more flooding from Delta than we did from Laura. Laura's winds were catastrophic, and now it seems like we're getting a double whammy, or a second dose with Delta's flood waters.
PAUL: And I know that you had people there that were still cleaning up from Laura as well. Help us understand what your primary concern is for your people there now.
HUNTER: Our primary concern is always public safety and human life. And that's why we were so forceful in encouraging people with our message to evacuate for Delta. And I'm glad they did. I think more people did evacuate for Delta than did for Laura. But let me tell you, we're not sitting on our hands right now. Already we're picking up the pieces. But we have quite a road ahead of us. There's a lot of homes that were damaged from Laura, and now it's just adding insult to injury with what happened with Delta. So we have a long road of recovery ahead of us.
PAUL: I think I read that some of those blue tarps we see on homes that are trying -- they're trying to renovate and recover after Laura.
[10:20:03]
Some of those blue tarps were ripped off because they just hadn't gotten to that point yet, and on top of that, as I understand it, a big chunk of your city does not have electricity. Is that still the case this morning?
HUNTER: Lake Charles does not have electricity right now.
PAUL: OK, how are your first responders doing? Are they OK? I know you've sung the praises of the fire department and police department there.
HUNTER: They are. They're OK. And let me tell you what, they are heroes, they are angels among us. As soon as it was possible, as soon as the winds died down, they were out doing search and rescue, and those men and women have been heroes, and God bless them.
PAUL: Well, thank you so much, Mr. Mayor. We are wishing you the very best on your recovery there for everybody in your city. Take good care.
HUNTER: Thank you. God bless.
PAUL: You as well. BLACKWELL: We're pushing forward on our coverage of this plot to
kidnap a sitting governor and overthrow several state governments. Charges are in for at least six of the 13 men accused of being domestic terrorists. We've got a live report from Michigan next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:25:42]
PAUL: Terrorism charges have been filed now, state terrorism charges, against six of the 13 men accused of a domestic terror plot to overthrow several state governments and kidnap Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
BLACKWELL: Six of the suspects face federal kidnapping charges. The men are also accused of planning a civil war and target law enforcement. Let's bring in CNN national correspondent Sara Sidner, she is in Grand Rapids. You spoke with the employer, a former employer, I should say now, of the suspected leader of this group. What did you learn?
SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Victor and Christi, as one of the suspected leaders, employer and actually longtime friend, it was also the place where he lived as well. The employer saying that he had given him a place to live, and then had asked him to leave because he noticed something that concerned him. But before the suspected one of these leaders of this group left, the FBI came knocking.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIANT TITUS, BUSINESS OWNER: I hate to say I love the kid, but I'm mad right now. I'm just shocked, mad. You help somebody out and then they pull that stuff.
SIDNER: Briant Titus says one of the suspects in the alleged domestic terrorist plot was his employee.
The owner of this vacuum shop says Adam Fox lived here for the last couple of weeks. He says he lived behind this door and down into the basement.
Down here with him, his dogs, one with an emotional support color and a "Don't tread on me" tag attached to it.
TITUS: He was in a militia and got kicked out, so he started his own.
SIDNER: One of many things the two discussed, Titus says. He only became concerned when he noticed packages arriving for Fox.
What was he getting from Amazon?
TITUS: Like MREs, food, stuff like that.
SIDNER: So survival stuff did it seem like? TITUS: Yes, he was buying attachments for an AR-15 and he was buying
food. And I'm not stupid. I was in the Marine Corps. So I told him he had to go.
SIDNER: But before he left, Fox and 12 others were arrested in FBI raids. We found several suspects ranting against the government online, one suspect calling President Trump an enemy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump is not your friend, dude.
SIDNER: While another had praise for the president, tweeting "Keep up the good work, chief! We The People love your work." The FBI says the alleged plot centered around a plan to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, whose coronavirus restrictions have been railed against by armed groups at the capital. According to the complaint, they did surveillance on her vacation home. Two of the suspects discussed detonating explosive devices to divert police from the area. One suspect in an encrypted chat "the fear will be manifested through bullets." Fox allegedly responds, "Copy that, boys, loud and clear!"
GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER, (D-MI): These are the types of things you hear from groups like ISIS. This is not a militia. It is a domestic terror organization.
DANA NASSEL, (D) MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL: What we're seeing here in Michigan right now, it's not just a Michigan problem. It's an American problem. And I think there's going to be more incidents to come.
SIDNER: A problem forewarned by Frank Meeink, a former neo-Nazi himself convicted in the 90s for a politically motivated kidnapping. I spoke to him days before the alleged Michigan plot was known by the public.
What is the scenario in this election that would create what you're calling the potential of a race war?
FRANK MEEINK, FORMER NEO-NAZI: I'm telling you this is going to happen. States like Michigan, states like Wisconsin, the northern states that have some wilderness area, there have been militias from other states training up there. They are waiting and hoping that something does go wrong, because they want to hold up in them hills, and they want to say we don't want the federal government up here no more.
SIDNER: He says the President Donald Trump's rhetoric has emboldened extremists. Whitmer agrees.
WHITMER: Of course, we know every time that this White House identifies me or takes a shot at me, we see an increase in rhetoric online, violent rhetoric. And so there's always a connection. And certainly, it's something that we've been watching, but this took it to a whole new level.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIDNER: And Governor Whitmer had asked that the president tamp down his rhetoric, especially the rhetoric against her.
[10:30:00]
In a slew of tweets, the president, President Trump, responding, one saying he does not tolerate any kind of extremist violence, but he also then took the chance to lambaste Whitmer yet again, saying that she has done a terrible job in dealing with the coronavirus crisis for shutting down the state, for example. But she has done, to be clear, what many other governors have done to try to slow the spread of this deadly virus. Victor and Christi?
PAUL: It is quite a story, Sara. Thank you so much. Sara Sidner there for us in Michigan.
BLACKWELL: President Trump has invited thousands of people to the White House today, but there's still so much we do not know about his health, like the results of his latest COVID test, or whether or not he is still positive for the virus, the viral load, when he tested negative last.
PAUL: Earlier we spoke to CNN medical analyst Dr. Saju Mathew, and he said testing and caution are of paramount importance, regardless of how the president thinks he's feeling.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SAJU MATHEW, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Yes, frankly, I saw that, and I wasn't really sure what that meant. A lot of times with President Trump it's really more of what he doesn't say that you kind of have to read into, just like with Dr. Conley.
So with COVID-19, this is the bottom line. You've got criteria to decide if a patient is ready to go back to work, if a patient can be released. The first one would be from the onset of symptoms you have to actually have 10 days to make sure that the patient is symptom- free.
Number two, no fevers for the last 24 hours. If the president was on dexamethasone, which is steroids, that can reduce the fevers. It treats inflammation, but it can reduce the fever. So my one of many questions would be, one of many questions would be, is he still on dexamethasone?
And lastly, you want to make sure that the patient's symptoms are improving. That's very subjective because for some people they can feel good in the first week, and then in the second week they can have symptoms again.
And lastly, regarding testing, Christi, that's always a bit iffy, and the reason I say that is we know from previous studies that patients recovering from COVID-19, they can test positive for a good two months. And that's because you're still shedding the virus. So I don't think we should pay too much attention to this test that the president supposedly had done yesterday. Most likely it should test positive because he was just diagnosed a week ago. Bottom line, how is he feeling, what is the CAT scan look. And let's also remember he had severe COVID-19, so he could be infectious for 20 days, not 10 days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Let's bring in CNN political commentator Alice Stewart, Republican strategist, and former communications director for Ted Cruz, and Maria Cardona, CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist, and let's not forget the podcast "Hot Mics from Left to Right." Ladies, welcome back.
ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you, Victor, Good morning.
MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you. Good morning.
BLACKWELL: Alice, let me start here with you. Dr. Fauci says that the last large gathering at the White House was a super-spreader event, and that was just a couple hundred people max. Why does it make sense to bring 2,000 people to the White House today?
STEWART: Victor, it makes zero sense to do such a thing. And I say repeatedly, COVID is not a political issue. This is a public health issue, and that needs to be in the forefront of everyone's mind. I understand that the president wants to get out there and rally his people, but to be quite honest, the people that are going to risk their health and go to the White House and see a rally today are going to vote for this president. And it is all about the audience. He needs to broaden his audience, broaden his base.
And people understand we are in COVID times. He can get the message out virtually, he can get the message out through tweets, he can get the message out on a debate stage. But there are many other ways to go about getting his message out, and specifically with us being uncertain about his current status with COVID, the best thing to do is the safe thing to do and not bring together large groups of people, and get your message out there virtually. People understand.
BLACKWELL: So let me repeat back to you, this is what my therapist does to me. I want to repeat back to you what I hear you saying. And are you saying that the president is using these people and jeopardizing their health and potentially their lives for his own political goals?
STEWART: As your patient, Victor, that is not exactly what I'm saying. But what I am saying is that he is not taking into account the fact that he is potentially putting a lot of people at risk. And it is imperative for him to not just talk the talk, but walk the walk with regard to public safety on COVID. And I completely understand him wanting to talk with these people, but it's just better to be safe than sorry when it comes to this, and doing something virtually, I feel, would be just as compelling.
BLACKWELL: Maria?
[10:35:00]
CARDONA: Of course, what my friend is saying is that he is absolutely using his supporters, absolutely putting them in harm's way, absolutely creating the possibility that they could contract COVID-19 and die. But this is exactly why, Victor, this person is not fit for office. He doesn't care about any of that. He should absolutely listen to Alice Stewart, but he won't. He's not listening to any of the experts. He's not listening to any of the doctors.
And what he is doing is continuing to spread COVID-19 to the people, frankly, that he should care about the most, because if it wasn't for them, he wouldn't be where he is right now. But it underscores how selfish he is. It underscores how politics is everything to him, even before the well-being of the American people, and especially of his own supporters.
BLACKWELL: Maria, let me stay with you. The second presidential debate has now been canceled officially. President Trump declined to debate virtually. It's the first time a televised presidential debate has been canceled since they began decades ago. And a question that former Vice President Joe Biden didn't answer at the first one, Senator Kamala Harris did not answer at the V.P. debate, is whether a President Biden would nominate additional justices to the Supreme Court. He now says you'll get the answer to that after the election. Don't voters deserve to know the answer to that before they vote?
CARDONA: I think voters are more concerned about what the current president is going to do about COVID-19, which he's done nothing about. But let me talk about the courts for a sec. I think the better question, Victor, is why is this current president and Senate trying to pack the court right now when the majority of the American people believe that the next president should be the one to choose the next Supreme Court justice?
BLACKWELL: Understood. But I like the question I asked, Maria. So don't voters deserve to know the answer to that before they go to the polls?
CARDONA: I think, again, voters care more about what their president is going to do about a global pandemic that has killed more than 213,000 people. Look, personally, Victor, I do think that expanding the Supreme Court should be on the table. But Joe Biden and Kamala Harris right now, as they should be, are focused on what the pain and the relief that the American people want and deserve right now, that the current president is absolutely turning his back on. And, frankly, the majority of the American people don't want him to choose a Supreme Court justice right now.
BLACKWELL: Alice, let me come to you. I want to play this soundbite and then I'm coming right to you after this, because this is Joe Biden a year ago when he was asked this very question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I would not get into court packing. We have three justices. Next time around we lose control, they have three justices. We begin to lose any credibility the court has at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: He answered it a year ago. Alice?
STEWART: Well, if that was his answer then, then it should be pretty simple for him to answer it the same way right now. For whatever reason, he's not doing so, and neither did my friend Maria there.
Look, this is an important issue. This is not just packing the courts. This is exploding the courts, and adding justices to satisfy their far left agenda. And what is going on right now, Maria refers to it as packing the courts. What they're doing with Judge Amy Coney Barrett, that is filling the seat that is the constitutional obligation of the U.S. Senate and this president. They have every right and every responsibility --
CARDONA: Alice, really, you're going to argue that now?
STEWART: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris need to answer this question honestly and often in order to satisfy a lot of concerns that the American people have, because the fact they're not answering that question is very telling, and American people should know that.
BLACKWELL: Alice, I wish I had a Merrick Garland pop-up every time someone makes that argument that they have an obligation to fill that seat.
CARDONA: Thank you.
BLACKWELL: There were more than 260 days between the death of Scalia and the 2016 election, and Mitch McConnell held that seat open. But I don't have the pop-up, so I'll just make the point.
I've got to wrap here. I've got to wrap here.
CARDONA: You know what, Victor, let's let the American people decide who the president should be and then let that person choose the Supreme Court justice.
PAUL: Maria Cardona, Alice Stewart, thank you both.
STEWART: Thanks, Victor.
CARDONA: Thank you, Victor.
BLACKWELL: Christi?
PAUL: Great podcast, by the way. You can listen. I listen. It's awesome.
OK, so when we come back, North Korea's dictator, Kim Jong-un, this is something we have not seen much of, gets emotional during a massive military parade. And right after that, he unveils, look at that, what looks to be a new intercontinental ballistic missile.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:44:08]
PAUL: There are some moments here that we haven't really seen before, at least not in North Korea publicly. Apparently, Kim Jong-un during a military parade in Pyongyang gets emotional. And there's something else here, too. Will Ripley is with us now. Will, help us understand the significance of what you're seeing there.
WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is really an extraordinary scene for a couple of reasons. One, they added to the drama of an already-dramatic event by holding this parade essentially in the middle of the night, which means that tens or possibly hundreds of thousands of people in Pyongyang, who voluntarily go to the parade -- of course they don't have much of a choice, they're expected to go there for the privilege of living in the capitol -- they are out in the frozen cold in the middle of the night, not getting sleep. But then the reason why they did this is because it looks better at night. It adds to the effect. And also, they unveiled this massive new intercontinental ballistic missile, what Some are telling us this is the world's largest liquid fuel intercontinental ballistic missile.
[10:45:07]
You'll remember back in January, January 1st, when Kim Jong-un gives his annual address, he said that the world would be seeing a new strategic weapon. But then the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down and North Korea sealed off its borders, leaving the country more isolated than ever before.
But now things are back to normal. In fact, when you looked at the images of all these crowds, nobody was wearing masks, there was no social distancing. North Korea essentially reinforcing its claim that has a lot of people skeptical that they don't have a single case of COVID-19 inside the country. But again, they did shut down their borders in January and they have not allowed pretty much anybody in or out.
But what was really striking and something that I've never seen before, I'm not sure if we ever have, Kim Jong-un when he was giving his speech, thanking his people for the hard times they're having to endure, the economic problems from the pandemic combined with crippling sanctions over North Korea's nuclear program, he got more emotional than I think we've ever seen. It looks like he was standing there at the podium sobbing. And this went on for quite some time. People in the crowd were sobbing. It was really something to see, and it does tell us a lot about now North Korea is really suffering not only from the pandemic and sanctions, but also natural disasters. They had a typhoon, they had massive flooding. Times are tough in North Korea. But they're showcasing their biggest weapon yet, a weapon that could potentially carry multiple nuclear warheads to mainland United States, dispute the dozens of love letters exchanged between President Trump and Kim Jong-un.
PAUL: Will Ripley, always good to get your wrap-up. Thank you so much.
BLACKWELL: Thank you, Will. So Europe is now reporting more infections than the U.S. and India and
China, the three worst hit countries in the world.
PAUL: Now European governments are urgently trying to decipher what to do.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Melissa Bell in Paris. Here in France, another grim record set on Friday night. More than 20,000 new coronavirus cases declared for the preceding 24-hour period. It comes as four extra cities beyond Paris and Massy enter the maximum alert category this weekend, with all the fresh restrictions that come with that. Across Europe it's a story that we've seen in several different countries, fresh records set, or at least fresh records since the spring and the first wave that hit Europe with fresh restrictions aimed at trying to drive those COVID-19 figures down.
And to give you an idea of how quickly things are moving, to take the positivity rate, for instance, here in France, it is now 10.4 percent. It was 5.4 percent just three weeks ago.
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER: I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London, where the government is tackling a rise in coronavirus infections. In a single week, the number of cases more than doubled across England between September 25th and October 1st. This as the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson says they are considering their options, and that a major announcement could come next week that could see tougher measures imposed, particularly in the north of the country which has been most impacted by the surge in cases.
Now, there's been no official announcement, but local media reports indicate that pubs and restaurants in the north of the country could be closed as early as next week. That government announcement is expected to come with some sort of economic relief for businesses. But for right now the priority is to stem the rise in cases. The health secretary, Matt Hancock, has said the country is in a perilous moment and must act quickly if it is to avoid a second wave.
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Delia Gallagher in Rome. This week, Italy has seen its highest daily increase in new coronavirus in six months. And while they haven't yet had to shut down or impose curfews on bars and restaurants like other European countries, they have imposed the mandatory wearing of face masks outdoors. There's a fine of up to $1,000 euros for failure to comply. Italy has also placed the United Kingdom on its list of high-risk countries. That means anybody coming to Italy from the U.K. must undergo swab tests at airports and other points of entry. Other European countries on the list include France, Spain, Greece, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Italy has extended its state of emergency until January 31st.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACKWELL: Coming up, we'll show you how a CNN Hero is keeping children from going hungry in the middle of this pandemic.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:53:38]
PAUL: Because of the coronavirus, families around the world are adjusting to a new way of life, as we all are here. But in rural Nepal, CNN Hero Maggie Doyne is helping hundreds of students keep themselves well-fed and safe. Here's how she's doing it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAGGIE DOYNE, FOUNDER, BLINKNOW FOUNDATION: We're running a children's home for 54 kids. Sheltering in place and lockdown, it's different when you're in this part of the world. Rampant food shortages, it's really hard when there's mothers struggling and children are hungry. Every single day it seems to get worse.
Homes have been broken into for food. People were surviving on salt and chili powder. I have never felt so scared or overwhelmed, but I've never felt more hope that we can do something and mobilize to make the situation better for many, many people.
I'm just hoping that more help is on the way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: There are good people doing good things, and I hope that makes you feel better. To learn more about Maggie's lifesaving mission, go to CNNHeroes.com. We are always so grateful to have your company in the morning, so we hope that you go make some good memories today.
BLACKWELL: There is much more ahead in the next hour of CNN's Newsroom. Fredricka Whitfield is up after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
