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CNN Newsroom
Vindman's Wife Speaks Out for First Time Since Impeachment Trial; "Sailing" Singer Christopher Cross Says COVID Paralyzed Him; U.S. Surpasses 8 Million Cases of Coronavirus; Trump Address Seniors with Just 18 Days to Go Until Election. Aired 1:30-2p ET
Aired October 16, 2020 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[13:30:00]
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: You helped him write his personal statement. What was the objective to you in that statement that really introduced him to the country?
RACHEL VINDMAN, WIFE OF RETIRED LT. COLONEL ALEXANDER VINDMAN: I wanted to talk about his service, about what brought him here.
I'm not sure why we talked about, you know, that he was sitting there as an immigrant. I knew probably on his own he would never introduce himself.
We literally went word for word and considered every word that he would say. And even still I don't think we anticipated the impact that it would have.
There were a few things that people didn't realize. He heard the phone call. But he was the first person to testify who had heard the phone call. And that was something that a lot of people latched on to, that we underestimated the impact that that would have.
And I also think the personal story was compelling, that he was an immigrant, that he had an interesting context for it.
KEILAR: And that he was in the military.
VINDMAN: Yes.
KEILAR: And that he was a decorated military officer.
VINDMAN: Yes. We had friends who deployed many, many times. Bronze Stars, Purple Hearts, Silver Stars. These are pretty regular in our crowd in our friends and peers.
So everyone was talking about it. But, again, to us, it's not so remarkable.
KEILAR: It's regular to you. But it affords your husband some protection.
VINDMAN: Yes, absolutely.
KEILAR: As his patriotism might be questioned.
VINDMAN: Right, right. I don't think we ever anticipated his patriotism would be questioned.
It was, you know -- actually, I never expected that. It was the most gut-wrenching feeling. I never expected it. So it was just a sucker punch to see someone accuse him of being a traitor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS HOST, "INGRAHAM ANGLE": Ukrainian officials sought advice from him about how to deal with Mr. Giuliani. Though, they typically communicated in English.
Now wait a second. John, here we have a U.S. national security official who is advising Ukraine while working inside the White House, apparently against the president's interests. And usually they spoke in English.
Isn't that kind of an interesting angle on this story?
SEN. JOHN LIU (D-NY): I find that astounding. And, you know, some people might call that espionage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VINDMAN: Later, some of them apologized but not to the audience that I thought he should apologize to. John Liu. It was just incredibly hurtful.
There were other moments later, but that one, I guess the first, always kind of hurts the most.
And, you know, our family has made tremendous sacrifices so Alex could serve. And I would do it again. Because, you know, we're -- I'm very proud to be a military spouse.
And I'm proud that he wants to serve his country, the country that gave him, you know, freedom from authoritarianism. It didn't come without personal sacrifice for both of us.
So to see that questioned, I never expected it. And it was tremendously hurtful.
We were all standing up watching him. It was just hard to sit down. I was just so proud. So, so proud. It's impossible to say.
My friends, who are lovely, you know, kept telling me they were proud of me. But I couldn't imagine being more proud of who he was.
I was proud because we knew what had been said about him. We knew the accusations. We knew the price -- that there was going to be a price if we didn't even know it was going to be paid. We didn't know what it was going to be. But it didn't matter because it was just about doing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You said that the military can deal with Vindman any way they want?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's up to them.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: He's not -- he is over with the military.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you think he needs to face discipline?
TRUMP: That will be up to the military. We'll have to see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VINDMAN: The most powerful man in the world is, you know, a very vailed, like we'll see, about your spouse and, you know, your life, it's -- it -- it's really intimidating.
KEILAR: What did that signal to you when you heard the president say that?
VINDMAN: That he was scared.
KEILAR: That the president was scared?
VINDMAN: Yes. That he was scared of how this -- not only the entire impeachment hearing but that he would do anything to discredit Alex whatever it took.
Again, because Alex had heard the phone call. He was the main person to discredit.
We received some not-so-nice things in the mail, some weird packages. We could see things online of people supporting him, and it -- it -- it buoyed us.
KEILAR: As a family, you will forever be defined by this. How has that been?
[13:35:00]
VINDMAN: I think we're still processing that. I don't think that that's something that we're going to be able to put into context for a very long time.
What I'm most concerned about is our daughter, who is nine and a half. She knows that her father did a good thing by telling the truth. And, you know, we're pretty honest with her about that.
She also is not immune to knowing there are people don't like him. She does understand. But of course, on a nine-and-a-half-year-old level. Hopefully, in time, she'll see the whole thing. (END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: Next, what Rachel Vindman says the future holds both for her family and for the country if President Trump is re-elected.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:40:29]
KEILAR: Retired Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman received a Purple Heart for wounds that he suffered during his deployment to Iraq in 2004.
In 2018, after almost two decades as an Army officer, he had been hand selected for a prestigious and demanding billet at the White House, handling the Ukraine portfolio on the president's foreign policy apparatus at the National Security Council.
That assignment would end his decorated military career.
Later, when "The Atlantic" published a story, confirmed by various other media outlets, that the president had called servicemembers killed in war, quote, "suckers and losers" and wondered aloud, quote, "What's in it for them," when he pondered military service.
The Vindman's read it.
President Trump has denied the story. But Rachel Vindman, who had watched all Alexander's military career derailed by a president who claims to love the military, says she has no doubt it is true.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VINDMAN: I felt sorry for him that he can't understand the beauty of service to others, of serving something more than himself.
It is the privilege of my lifetime to be married to a military servicemember. I will always be proud to be an American. And I will always be proud to have been able to serve beside him.
Obviously, we have friends who -- whose husbands have made the ultimate sacrifice. And to not understand why someone would do that, I feel sorry for him that he can't understand that.
KEILAR: How do you see President Trump's role in what happened to your husband and your family?
VINDMAN: He just continually put Alex's name out there. He seemed to be a little bit obsessed with it. He would, you know, continually remark on Vindman.
And I think by constantly saying his name, by telegraphing it to his supporters, that he put -- he continued to put us in danger by continuing to say our name.
I think he also, you know, ended Alex's military career by -- whether he directly asked that Alex not be promoted, that's probably not the case.
But his enablers and the people around him knew that he would never find it acceptable if Alex were permitted to be promoted and have a normal career.
So with or without the president asking for it, they decided to deliver it to him, which is something exactly that happens in authoritarian governments.
We are choosing to be a country that celebrates white nationalists, that we are a country that celebrates division, and is OK with it.
And I don't think that's who the United States is. I don't think that's what the people want. And I think we're seeing that.
Four more years is, you know, kind of full authoritarianism. I think that's what we're going to see, not authoritarianism-lite.
I think it is people giving up their rights -- I'm not sure why -- but giving up their rights and freedoms.
KEILAR: You guys have had hard times. You had a child who did not survive passed a week. And I was wondering if you would talk a little bit about that.
VINDMAN: My daughter was born at 24 weeks, three days gestation. A week later, she passed away. And we hadn't been able to hold her during -- because she was such a micro preemie.
So when they held her and they gave her to us, Alex held her because I had carried her. So he held her as she took her last breaths.
And then Alex, after that, the huge burden, Alex had to carry me for two years until I could be a normal person again. That was the hardest thing any couple will go through, to lose a child.
That's why, through all this, I know who he is because I know what he's been through and what has made him who he is.
During this time, also, I lost both my parents in a very short time after losing our daughter, Sara (ph). And he would never stop what he was doing to be with me to help me. Like a normal spouse. I guess that's normal. But he's always my partner and my cheerleader.
[13:45:04]
And I knew that whatever we went through with this wouldn't hold a candle to that -- those tough times.
And I also always knew that he would do the right thing. That's, you know, something that we also want in our leaders. You know, leadership, to have leaders with values.
VINDMAN: There's one call no military spouse ever wants to get. For me that call came in October 2004 when I heard a voice telling me Alex had been injured by a roadside bomb. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(EXPLOSION)
LT. COL. ANDREW VINDMAN, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBER: The last time you saw me was here.
Dad, do not worry. I will be fine for telling the truth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VINDMAN: The first time I felt threatened was just after Alex's testimony.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The colonel, I'm not going to focus or comment on a former junior employee.
TRUMP: Well, I'm not happy with him.
Well, we'll see. We'll see what happens.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VINDMAN: The most powerful man in the world came after our family. But what happened to us can happen to anyone. We received thousands of letters of support.
America is so much better than Donald Trump. But he can cause this nation so much more with four more years.
LT. COL. VINDMAN: This is America. This is the country I have served and defended. Here right matters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VINDMAN: I'm sure a lot of people are wondering why I am speaking out now and why I have chosen a visible role.
And I will say, it's not something that Alex finds -- he's not excited about it.
But to me, if I have voice, even if it's a small voice, I think everyone should do their part for this election, and this feels like something I can do. And that's why.
I know it's opening myself up to exposure, probably to criticism, but that's OK because we're going to be OK.
But as a country, I think everyone owes it, in these last three weeks, to do everything they can to make sure their voice is heard.
I don't even care if you are on the other side. Just don't become complacent. I mean, get out there and make it all matter and make it count. I mean, this is a democracy. And we have such a privilege. So many
people in the world, they either can't vote or they vote and their voice -- their votes never count.
But we have that privilege here. And I think everyone should get out and use whatever voice they have and make it matter.
I'm not worried about the future because Alex's father came here in his 40s. He didn't speak English. He had $450 and three little boys and a mother-in-law who didn't like him very much.
And he learned English and was able to get a job and, you know, provide for his family.
And that's still the United States that I live in. That opportunity still exists.
And I'm not worried about our future because I know, no matter what, we'll make it work.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: Retired Lieutenant Colonel Vindman is currently pursuing a doctorate degree as the Vindman family is adjusting to their new life outside of the military.
Next, we have some breaking news. CNN reporting that U.S. officials are investigating whether e-mails surfacing are tied to a Russian misinformation campaign against the Bidens. And this involves Rudy Giuliani.
Plus, singer, Christopher Cross, says COVID paralyzed him.
And a former QAnon conspiracy supporter reveals why he stopped believing.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[13:52:52]
(SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Grammy-winning singer, Christopher Cross, is sharing his frightening coronavirus story.
CNN entertainment reporter, Chloe Melas, explains how COVID-19 almost killed him.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Brianna, singer, Christopher Cross, said that COVID-19 caused him to become temporarily paralyzed. Cross, who is best known for his hits like "Ride Like the Wind" and
"Sailing," told "CBS Sunday Morning" that he and his girlfriend contracted the virus after returning from a trip to Mexico City. He said they were sick for several weeks.
And that his doctors also diagnosed him with a rare neurological disorder, which they believe was due to the coronavirus.
Cross says he was unable to walk and that it was his, quote, "darkest of times." He now walks with a cane.
And says he feels like it's his obligation to share what happened to him. Saying, quote, "This is a big deal. You've got to wear your mask. You've got to take care of each other, because, you know, this could happen to you -- Brianna?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Chloe, thank you so much.
[13:54:00]
We have some breaking news. The U.S. has surpassed eight million coronavirus cases.
This, amid new questions about a promise made by President Trump. Why the antibody cocktail that he calls a cure may not be available for months and may not be affordable for many Americans.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: It is the top of the hour. I am Brianna Keilar.
The U.S. has now surpassed eight million cases of the coronavirus just a day after hitting a pandemic milestone that hasn't been seen since mid-August. More than 60,000 new cases in a single day, as multiple states post record highs for single-day infections.
With almost two-thirds of the country reporting double-digit increases compared to a week ago, Dr. Anthony Fauci says that while the numbers are not where they should be, Americans still have a chance to bring things under control.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES: You can't enter into the cool months of the fall and the cold months of the winter with a high community infection baseline.
And looking at the map and seeing the heat map, how it lights up with test positivity that is in more than 30-plus states is going in the wrong direction.
It's still not too late to vigorously apply good public health measures. And again, I emphasize, without necessarily shutting down the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: And let's listen in now to President Trump.
(CHANTING)
TRUMP: Thank you very much. Please.
We're going to be talking to our great senior citizens. That's what I'm here for today.
(CHEERING)
TRUMP: We love our senior citizens.
I'm honored to be here in Fort Myers to reaffirm my solid pledge to American seniors. It's so important to me. I happen to be a senior.
(LAUGHTER)
TRUMP: I will protect you, I will defend you, and I will fight for you with every ounce of energy and conviction that I have.
(CHEERING)
TRUMP: You devoted your life to this country, and I am devoting my life to you.
(CHEERING)
TRUMP: My administration is working every day to give our amazing senior citizens the care, support and respect that you deserve. And you understand that. We've worked together for a long time.
[14:00:02]
As president, I'm deeply aware that America's 54 million seniors have borne the heaviest burden of the China virus.
