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Trump To Campaign In Midwest Battleground States And Suggests He May Leave Country If He Loses; Nearly 22 Million Votes Cast In 45 States And D.C.; Thousands Gather For Women's March To Protest Justice Nominee; Biden Campaign Slams Trump On Holding Wisconsin Rally As Experts Warn Of Alarming Rise In New COVID Infections; U.S. Officials Investigating If Recently Published E-mails Are Tied To Russian Disinformation Effort Targeting Biden; L.A. Offers Free Flu Shots Amid Pandemic; Trends Emerging As Record Number Of Americans Cast Early In- Person Votes. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired October 17, 2020 - 13:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me on Fredricka Whitfield. With just 17 days until the election the coronavirus pandemic is once again front and center. The U.S. has now surpassed eight million COVID cases with a record number of cases Friday. More than 69,000 people infected in a single day, and experts fear it will get much worse in weeks to come.

Still a defiant President Trump is holding his sixth day of campaign rallies since he was diagnosed with the virus, downplaying its dangers, threatening to lock up his political opponents and even suggesting that he would leave the country if he were to lose. And his supporters taking their cues from him. Georgia State congressman Vernon Jones, a Democrat who has endorsed the president for reelection crowd surfs maskless on a sea of mostly massless people at a Trump rally.

The pandemic not stopping voters from turning in their ballots early. In fact, the pandemic may be largely galvanizing the record turnout. This is a live look, you're about to see a voters lined up in Georgia. And across the country already 21 million have cast their ballots. So, with just five days into lawmakers vote on the U.S. Supreme Court Justice nominee, thousands are marching to the nation's capital in protest against the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the High Court.

Let's begin with Polo Sandoval and the latest on the pandemic. So, Polo, the rate of tests coming back positive and the number of people in the hospital due to COVID-19 are climbing, what our health experts saying about this search?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, that test positivity rate that we're seeing across the country, it's certainly a telltale number. It's a metric that authorities look at here. And at this point, it is certainly spiking in many parts of the country. And as a expert -- as an expert told CNN earlier this week, what's happening right now, it is what authorities expected going into the fall and obviously ahead of the winter as well.

Just considered 10 States alone that reported their highest daily number of COVID cases. Just yesterday, Wisconsin was one of them showing about 3800 cases alone, breaking its own record, we should mention that is also a state the president expect to take his campaign to in spite of those recommendations by multiple local officials that perhaps large gatherings are certainly not a good idea right now.

Whenever you back here to New York where authorities announcing in the last hour or so, that there would be at least one step towards normalcy for parts outside of New York City, mainly movie theaters, Governor Andrew Cuomo announcing just the last hour that starting October 23, some movie theaters in New York State again not in the city will be allowed to open at 20 percent capacity.

That is as long as those metrics do look good for those regions. But at this point authority is making it very clear that the city itself does not meet those requirements. The main focus here in New York City right now, Fred, parts of Brooklyn, parts of Queens, those areas that we've discussed for the last couple of weeks now experiencing those COVID clusters that are requiring those increased restrictions to be put in place.

In fact, some Jewish groups as well as some Catholic Diocese had actually taken those restrictions to court, taking Governor Cuomo to court. However, in the last couple of days, and really last couple of weeks. Federal judge's ruling on behalf of the state saying that those restrictions should stay in place. So, this weekend, it will be virtual worship service for some of those religious groups, both in Brooklyn, and also in parts of Queen.

WHITFIELD: All right. Polo Sandoval. Thank you so much in New York. I want to bring in Now Dr. Michael Landrum, he is an infectious disease specialist in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Dr. Good to see you. So, the U.S. Surgeon General himself is warning, you know, this state in coping with the spike in cases. Is it safe for the president to be holding a rally there right now?

DR. MICHAEL LANDRUM, INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST, GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN: Well, I would say to that, you know, what we're telling everybody in the community here in Green Bay in Northeast Wisconsin is that we're seeing an unprecedented number of cases in the community rates now approximately three to four times what they were during the course of the summer, and it's really spreading quite quickly.

And so, we're telling people, they shouldn't be having any kind of indoor or outdoor gatherings with people outside of -- the people that they actually live with at home. So, we're really trying to minimize contact. And so, you know, a large gathering, you know, it's just not recommended at this time.

WHITFIELD: What would be the more helpful message coming from the president?

LANDRUM: What we really need is a strong, unified, nonpartisan apolitical message that really tells people that what they need to do to be safe and how we are in a terrible situation right now, but that we can do something about it. We can Do something by wearing masks.

[13:05:01]

LANDRUM: We can do something by limiting our interactions with others. We can be safe and get this back under some form of control.

WHITFIELD: Does it also concern you they know that this spike comes as people in your state, like many Americans, you know, are heading into the holiday season, people want to make plans for family gatherings. I mean, how do you discourage, you know that, I mean, for the obvious reasons but at the same time, people are feeling very, you know, pent up, and they're kind of tired of the routine.

LANDRUM: Yes. There's a lot of fatigue out there. I think you're exactly right. It's a difficult message, I think, especially now that we're at this point, in the pandemic, it may have been easier to sell that message in March and April when the country was first grappling with this, there was a great amount of fear and people were more likely to isolate themselves. And now we've had this kind of false sense of security with lower rates over the course of the summer, and people being more active.

And so, it is a difficult message to sell. But I think it's nonetheless important because in the hospital right now, where I work, I mean, I see a fair amount of suffering from people that are dealing with this illness or their family members with a loved one in the hospital that they can't come into the hospital and see or, you know, so it's a difficult message, but I think it's still something that we need to do.

WHITFIELD: So, what do you attribute to Wisconsin getting to this point?

LANDRUM: Well, I think over the course of the summer, you know, it's interesting, you look at, for example, cell phone mobility data, you can see that there was a big drop in the Spring when the first wave kind of came through the country. And we first started dealing with this and getting prepared. And then shortly thereafter, mobility, at least according to cell phone data just went right back up near baseline and has stayed that way ever since.

Here in Wisconsin, we have seen a spike in early September when students went back to college. And the public schools reopened, and kids were back in school. But that kind of went away and really what we're seeing now is just widespread community activity. And, you know, it's spreading at large gatherings, like weddings, it's spreading at small family gatherings, it is spreading even, you know, there's their rates are so high in the community right now.

But even things that were perhaps once considered more safe, like a small interaction, you know, someone coming over to your house to drop off some groceries, and they come inside for a little bit. Even that now we're seeing cases from those kinds of small interactions.

WHITFIELD: So now, I know you don't -- you know, you said the top you don't want to be political about things but, you know, have a listen to what the president, you know, had to say about his opponent Joe Biden's social distancing, and habits and all this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You ever see, he's got like five circles and he goes there and people standing and the reason that -- and the circles, not only are they big, although I love the artistry because the guy really does a nice job, you know, I'm into, but so -- it's very neat, very round, beautiful, solid. I mean, it would be impossible to catch anything if you're one of those circles, because you're so far away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So how concerned are you that that kind of making fun, you know, might be influential?

LANDRUM: I think it's very concerning. Again, we need people to be safe and to follow the recommendations from the CDC and local health authorities that anyone can have this at any time. It can be spread by people who don't even have symptoms, whether they're asymptomatic or pre symptomatic. So, we all have to be safe and keep our distance from people and we all need to wear a mask.

WHITFIELD: All right, we'll leave it there for now. Dr. Michael Landrum, thank you so much continued to be well.

LANDRUM: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: President Trump doubling down on his attacks against Republican Senator Ben Sasse after calling him stupid and obnoxious in a set of tweets this morning. And a new ad running in Nebraska is capitalizing on the political beef.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What does the Nebraska's Republican Senator Ben Sasse think about our President Donald J. Trump?

SEN. BEN SASSE (R-NE): Donald Trump's values are deficient not just for him, but for an American.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Sara Westwood joining me now from the White House on this. Sarah?

SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: You know, Fred, President Trump this morning firing off multiple tweets attacking Senator Ben Sasse. Even in the latest attack questioning whether Republicans should look for a new candidate for Senate in Nebraska, that's Sasse's home state. And all of this seems to be a reaction to comments that Sasse made on a call with constituents earlier this week, in which Sasse criticized the president.

And also warned the Republicans could be facing a crushing defeat come November 3rd. And I want you to take a listen to a part of that call. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SASSE: I'm now looming at the plot possibility of a -- of a Republican bloodbath in the Senate and that's why I've never been on the Trump train. It's why I didn't agree to serve on his reelection committee and it's why I'm not campaigning for him. I think we are -- we are staring down the barrel of a blue tsunami.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[13:10:06]

WESTWOOD: Trump had a very aggressive rebuttal to those comments from Sasse. And I'm going to read you one of the tweets that the President sent this morning. The least effective of our 53 Republican Senators and a person who truly doesn't have what it takes to be great is little Ben Sasse of Nebraska, a state which I have gladly done so much to help. And then he went on to say Senator Sasse was nice -- was as nice a rhino Republican in name only as can be until he recently won the Republican nomination to run for a second term.

Then he went back to his rather stupid and obnoxious ways. Must feel he can't lose to a Dem. Little Ben is a liability to the Republican Party and an embarrassment to Nebraska. Other than that, he's just a wonderful guy. Now, Trump has actually praised Sasse in the past, so they have a bit of a love hate relationship there. A spokesman for Sasse responded by saying that the Senator didn't say anything on that call was constituents that he hasn't said privately to President Trump in the Oval Office, that he's just going to focus on his reelection effort, Fred.

WHITFIELD: OK. We shall see. Sarah Westwood, thanks so much at the White House. All right, happening right now, thousands are marching in the nation's capital to protest President Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court where they're live. Plus, a defiant President Trump balks at criticism over his rallies, returning to the campaign trail for the sixth day in a row as coronavirus cases soar.

And people across the country taking their voice to the polls, weeks before election day. Really just two weeks now.

In Marietta, Georgia, the lines are long. The impact seems like that might have on this election.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:15:48]

WHITFIELD: Thousands of women and men are participating in the women's march underway in the nation's capital right now. The number of participants is purposely smaller due to the coronavirus pandemic. But there are more than 400 sister marches underway across the U.S. Joining me live now from Washington is the executive director of the march, Rachael O'Leary Carmona. Rachel, good to see you. So, voters are already heading to the polls, you know, across the country. And we're just 17 days away. What are you trying to achieve with this march today?

RACHEL O'LEARY CARMONA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WOMEN'S MARCH: The march has a single purpose and that is to mobilize women to the march to the polls and to the win on November 3rd.

WHITFIELD: So, the goal overall is quite different in this march versus in 2017, a day after President Trump's inauguration. Make the distinctions for us.

CARMONA: I mean, four years ago, it was a grassroots uprising. And there were a lot of women who were worried about what a Donald Trump presidency meant for us. Four years later, we know what it has meant for us. We are sicker, we are poorer, we are scared, we don't see ourselves in the future that is to come, and women are here. We are fired up. We are fed up and we are voting Trump out of office.

WHITFIELD: And this March is also coming on the eve, you know, a few days ahead of the scheduled confirmation of the next Supreme Court justice. What are you hearing for -- from women and some men out there in the nation's capital today ahead of that possible confirmation?

CARMONA: I think people are really interested in justice for women, not a women's justice, and we will not trade our values for representation. And we will not have a conversation about an illegitimate process, the third of which to happen under this administration. The situation is that this is an illegitimate nominee. It's an illegitimate process that is here for undemocratic reasons.

They are trying to put a justice on the court who will come for our healthcare and who will come for women's rights to have families when and when they're choose. And the people do not support those things. We have never been sicker; we are in a pandemic. And they are now coming for our health care. 70 percent of Americans do not believe that row should be overturned. Amy Coney Barrett does not believe that that is settled law.

So, really, the process is a sham from start to finish. It's deeply undemocratic. And the majority of the people do not want this confirmation to happen until the inauguration.

WHITFIELD: Well, an objective, you know, for today's march is to get people to vote to be motivated about voting. I mean, we're talking about already more than 20 million people who have taken advantage of this early voting period who have cast their ballots. What does that say to you about the excitement of this election, the need of participating in this election? How do you read that?

CARMONA: I mean, what I read is that people are fired up and that they're fed up. I think that women are going to be the political bloc that decides the selection if men are hung up, like 50/50 or 47/47 on Biden versus Trump. And so, what that tells us is that women and particularly women of color are going to choose the next president. WHITFIELD: This year, the Black Lives Matter movement certainly, you know, picked up steam, became a more embraced across all cultures, all walks of life, particularly after George Floyd's death. How important is it to you to hear from these presidential candidates, particularly days away from their second and final face off? What can be more revealed from a Joe Biden or a Donald Trump particularly on matters of race and a reckoning in this country?

CARMONA: I mean, I think if you're talking about matters of race and the presidential debates, you have to first start with President Trump's wink nod, dog whistles, and air horns to Proud Boys and other white nationalists across the country.

[13:20:08]

CARMINA: I think it's apples and oranges. So, one candidate is talking about the ways in which we can work to build with communities of color and the black community in general. And the other one is telling white nationalist militias to stand by. So, I think that we really need to reckon with that both as a country and as an electorate who will be, you know, voting for the next president.

WHITFIELD: And as a first generation Mexican-American who grew up in Wisconsin, are there matters that you feel either one of these candidates needs to address further, better explain better articulate for you?

CARMONA: I think we need to hear more from both candidates on issues that affect women, particularly around COVID release, why we are confirming, you know, judges right now and not passing relief for women who have been hit the hardest, particularly women of color. I need to hear about what's happening with climate. I need to hear what is happening to address racial inequality. And frankly, police violence and police riding in this country.

And I think we need to hear about how we're going to come back to the leadership and kind of moral center of our country, as so many Americans today feel that Donald Trump has taken us down the wrong path.

WHITFIELD: All right. Rachael O'Leary Carmona, thanks so much for being with us. Looks like you got a pretty good turnout there in the nation's capital. And of course, lots of other events and virtual events taking place across the country as a result of the pandemic. Thank you so much. All the best. Stay well.

CARMONA: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: Absolutely. All right. Right now, America is lining up. At the polls, voters have been heading to their voting locations to cast their ballots. CNN's Natasha Chen joining us from Marietta, Georgia.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, we know that as of noon just today, more than 26,000 people across the state of Georgia have cast ballots in person, hundreds of them did so at this location, and thankfully, the wait is now much shorter than it was in the morning. But still more than an hour. Coming up, we'll talk to some voters about why they felt it was very important for them to be here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Right now, Vice President Mike Pence is rallying supporters in Redding, Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, President Trump is set to hold a rally in Michigan this evening, prompting Governor Gretchen Whitmer's office to encourage attendees to wear facial coverings and practice social distancing. This is President Trump returns to a familiar line of attack against Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I'm telling you that Biden family and others, but that Biden family is corrupt, it's a corrupt family. And with me and my kids -- let me tell you. My kids -- I'll tell you something -- lock them up. You should lock that. Lock up the Bidens, lock up, Hillary. Lock them all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Joe John's joins me now from Muskegon, Michigan. So, what are you learning there?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, Muskegon County, Michigan is one of the places in the United States that like many in 2016 was very close. Nonetheless, Hillary Clinton won his county in 2016 out of something like 73,000 votes. She only won by about 1100. And speaking to people in the Trump campaign, they think that this is one of the counties in this very important battleground state that they can flip.

So, the question is, what is the message? When they first announced this rally, the message was supposed to be a salute to law enforcement. And then somewhere along the way, that theme got changed to remarks supporting the American way of life. No clear idea from the campaign why they made that change. But it is sort of symbolic of the way the President and this campaign have been all over the place when it comes to message at and -- in fact, just last night, the president really reaching back into the 2016 campaign.

Talking about his opponent, saying his opponent ought to be locked up just like Hillary Clinton in 2016. Now, we've been talking to people as they stroll in a couple observations, unlike some of the other rallies around the country. We're seeing a lot of people coming to this Trump campaign rally later today who are wearing masks or picking them up as they walk in. That may be a reflection of the fact that Michigan has had so much of a problem with coronavirus over the last many months.

We talked to some of those folks, as I said, and they gave us some idea of what appeals to them about the president in this 2020 campaign. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHNS: What is this election hinged on as far as (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: making America great again, I like everything that Trump has done for me. I don't like his Twitter's and all, but I like what's going on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's done some great things that I have nothing to complain about over the last four years or, so -- and I certainly don't want Biden or Harris.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: A little bit more about the Twitter account. You know today, there was a big back and forth the president a number of tweets attacking Republican Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse.

[13:30:05]

JOHNS: Ben Sasse, of course, was recorded speaking to a crowd and really had some very sharp comments about the president. The president responding in turn.

And Senator Sasse essentially saying he's not going to bother doing tweets right now.

Back to you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: OK. But interesting that he would speak now. Even though he said he's not going to be campaigning for the president, Sasse has been known to support a number of Trump policies. And, of course, most recently he's very much on board with the Supreme Court nominee.

All right, Joe Johns, from Muskegon? Muskegon, Michigan. Thank you.

JOHNS: Muskegon.

WHITFIELD: Muskegon.

All right. The Joe Biden campaign is slamming President Trump's decision to hold a rally in Wisconsin today as experts issue dire warnings about an alarming number of new cases in the key swing state.

CNN political correspondent, Arlette Saenz, joins me now from Washington.

Arlette, what more are you learning?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Fred, Joe Biden is off the campaign trail back in Delaware today. But he is trying to keep the focus of this campaign on the coronavirus pandemic and what he sees as the president's mishandling of it.

One thing that we really heard Biden focus on in past days in the -- expected to do in the coming weeks is focus on that issue of health care as he argues that Democrats will protect and expand the Affordable Care Act. The Biden campaign really sees health care as being an issue that

touches all facets of the campaign due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Also putting it in terms of that nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court and highlighting Republicans' efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.

And yesterday, while Biden was campaigning in the battleground state of Michigan, he once again criticized the president's recent comments and response to COVID-19.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: He said, I think last night in his town hall -- I didn't have the pleasure of hearing it. I was doing one myself. He said we have turned the corner.

My grandfather might say, if he were here, he's gone around the bend. Turned the corner? My lord. It's not disappearing. In fact, it's on the rise again. It's getting worse as predicted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: That's just one of the many contrasts Biden is trying to present with the president in these final weeks before the election.

And we're also learning that the Biden campaign is sending a new message to its supporters urging them to stay active and engaged in this election.

The campaign manager, Jen O'Malley Dillon, will be sending an e-mail to supporters today, I'm told.

And one of those warnings she has in there is, "We cannot be complacent because the very searing truth is that Donald Trump can still win this race. And every indication we have shows that this thing is going to come down to the wire."

There are national polls in several battleground polls right now showing Biden in the lead.

But what the campaign manager is telling supporters is don't underestimate President Trump's ability for a comeback, pointing to some of the lessons that were learned from the 2016 campaign when the president made a resurgence in those final days before the election.

Now tomorrow, Joe Biden is taking his campaign down to North Carolina, campaigning in Durham.

As early voting is under way in that state, he's trying to urge his supporters to get out there and vote in person or by mail across the country heading into the election.

And we've also learned that Kamala Harris will be returning to the campaign trail on Monday. She will head down to Florida.

This comes after the campaign had suspended her travel for a few days after two members of her traveling team had tested positive for coronavirus. The campaign doing that out of an abundance of caution.

But one thing the campaign manager, Jen O'Malley Dillon, outlined in that memo is that they need to campaign like they are running behind at this moment.

And you'll see Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in those battleground states in these final 17 days before the election -- Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right. The race is definitely on and hitting higher gear.

Arlette Saenz, thank you so much, 17 days away.

Seventeen days but, already, we're seeing a huge turnout of early in- person voters. Nearly 22 million so far.

So take a look at these early turnout numbers in Georgia as compared to 2016. As of noon today, more than 1,370,000 Georgians cast early in-person ballots. Look at that October 22nd, 2016 number, just over 500,000 cast early ballots.

CNN's Natasha Chen joining us from Marietta, Georgia, a suburb of north of Atlanta where lines have been long since sunrise.

[13:35:06]

And it looks like you've still got some pretty significant lines behind you.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred. It's gotten a lot better. That's the good news.

The dates that you compared there, the votes that were counted as of noon today versus October 22nd, 2016, that's the same point in the election. So also about five or six days into that early voting at that time.

Now right now, we're seeing a lot of people still waiting. In fact, you can see a food truck that pulled up. World Central Kitchen is giving out food to people, knowing there are a lot of folks waiting here.

So you can see this line doubles back around right here. But it has gotten better because earlier this morning, when the doors opened, the line went all the way back, doubling back through those fence lines, all the way to the yellow tape that you see.

There was probably a three or four-hour wait this morning. It's much better right now.

We're still seeing people, though, bringing their small children here, wanting them to experience what this is all about. And as we were talking about comparing the numbers to 2016, the voter

turnout in Georgia up to this point is 134 percent higher than it was at this point in 2016.

And speaking of that election, we met one young voter today who missed voting that time around. He said he's not taking any chances this time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGLAS RICHARDSON, FIRST TIME TO VOTE IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: You know everyone expected it to go one way. And obviously your vote really does matter. So, me, my one vote could have been that deciding factor.

So definitely needed to have everyone come out and vote, especially in every single election.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN: And his sister is 19 years old. Also voting in her very first presidential election.

She told me that the major issues driving her to the polls this time are the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic and police brutality -- Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right. Big motivating factors.

Natasha Chen, thank you so much.

Up next, U.S. authorities are investigating whether recently published e-mails are tied to a Russian disinformation campaign against the Bidens. And apparently the president was warned. Details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:41:21]

WHITFIELD: Federal authorities are now investigating whether recently published e-mails that purport to detail the business dealings of Joe Biden's son are tied to an ongoing Russian disinformation effort targeting the Biden campaign.

"The New York Post" claimed in a series of articles this week that it obtained smoking-gun e-mails about Hunter Biden and his dealings in Ukraine.

CNN has not determined the authenticity of the e-mails.

"The Post" says it obtained the e-mails through two Trump confidants, his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and his former chief strategist, Steve Bannon.

Juliette Kayyem is a former assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and a CNN national security analyst. Juliette, good to see you.

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: So "The Washington Post" reported that the president was warned that Rudy Giuliani was being used to feed Russian misinformation to the president.

So what do you make about all of this? I mean, a lot of it not substantiated. And then the people involved in Trump's circle are part of this. So now what?

KAYYEM: So my expert analysis is let's just treat it all as B.S. At this stage, there's no reason to believe that Giuliani and Bannon are actually truth tellers.

In fact, Giuliani is now, you know, an agent of a foreign power. His -- he can't feign ignorance anymore. This is Giuliani, a mayor of New York --

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: A former U.S. prosecutor.

KAYYEM: A former prosecutor.

So this idea that he's like, oh, I have no idea. It's all -- in my expert analysis, it's all B.S.

So I don't even want to talk about the substance of "The New York Post" articles. The only story that comes out of this now, is Giuliani working with the Russians for disinformation to win in 2020.

Trump knowing this and not stopping it. In fact, giving it a little bit of a nod.

And "The New York Post," an agent of -- a publication of Rupert Murdoch, serving as an agent of Russian disinformation.

That's the only takeaways at this stage.

WHITFIELD: And what about this being thread for a sizable -- potentially sizable federal investigation of Giuliani --

KAYYEM: Yes.

WHITFIELD: -- and working with people who are, you know, suspect and who are Russian agents.

KAYYEM: So I think we assume that they are Russian agents.

The federal investigation has -- the FBI has been concerned, has been warning, not just the American public but, obviously, leaders in our government about the potential for foreign interference in the 2020 campaign. It's not like -- we're not in 2015 and 2016. We knew exactly what they

were going to do. Ad that's why ignorance is no longer a justification.

And that is why Trump, the president, being told about Giuliani being compromised, which I think is like too nice to say about him. I mean, that Giuliani is serving as an agent of Russia.

That Trump did nothing about it also means -- and this is hard to say -- that Trump is an agent of Russian interference.

Because if you don't stop it, if you replay it -- he posted a picture of it today.

If you, you know, have -- if "The New York Post" replays it, if other reporters retweet it, that's serving Russia's goals, which is amplification of total lies.

There's no -- there's just no question at this stage that this is part of the campaign.

Fortunately, I think most media has gotten started and the story is now this.

WHITFIELD: And is it your feeling, Juliette, that the president is desperate, that he feels, you know, the cards are falling and that is what elicited this response from him coming at a rally.

KAYYEM: Yes.

[13:45:07]

Instead of talking about winning, he's talking about losing. Listen.

KAYYEM: Yes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Running against the worst candidate in the history of presidential politics. It puts pressure on me.

Can you imagine if I lose? My whole life. What am I going to do?

(LAUGHTER)

TRUMP: I'm going to say, I lost to the worst candidate in the history of politics.

(LAUGHTER)

TRUMP: I'm not going to feel so good. Maybe I'll have to leave the country. I don't know.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Wow. Juliette, talking about leaving the country.

Why would he say that? Why would he feel like with all these other potential investigations out there, depending on whether he's in office or not, why would he say that?

KAYYEM: Yes. He always says the quiet part out loud. I'm sure the thought has crossed ed his mind as he's facing federal and state investigations he won't be protected from.

Whether you go to a country that doesn't have extradition treaties. Ironically, a lot of those are Muslim countries, which we know the president had started his presidency against the Muslim countries.

I will say it's sort of more generally, even if he's just goofing off, I think it's reflective of a president who does just not care about America.

Can you imagine simply because you lost that you would leave America? Like, I mean, who does that?

I think that that's actually the bigger story here is that a president who has so little confidence, faith in the institutions and what America means, who would not choose America but choose to leave, that's the president we've had. One who views it as himself.

So who knows what his legal plans are? But he's in a world of trouble after he's president.

So he's probably thinking about strategies to get out of these investigations, which include, as you know, as we've talked about, the $400 million in debt that he owes to --

WHITFIELD: To whom?

KAYYEM: -- some country or entity.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And it's quite extraordinary.

Juliette Kayyem, thank you so much. Always good to see you. Be well.

KAYYEM: Thank you. Bye.

WHITFIELD: Next, a drive-through for flu shots during the pandemic. We're there live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:51:37]

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. More than 69,000 people in the U.S. were diagnosed with COVID in a single day Friday. Experts fear it will get much worse in the weeks to come. On top of that, flu season is also getting under way.

CNN's Paul Vercammen is in Los Angeles where a flu drive-through is getting under way today.

Paul, what's the turnout been like for that?

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Phenomenal. Look right here, Fredricka. They think they'll give out 500 free flu vaccines here in downtown Los Angeles.

It's just drive right up, put the car in park. Stay in the car, open the door and you can get a flu shot.

Here's why it's important. Health officials stressing that last year, in the flu season, 400,000 people hospitalized.

They don't want the hospitalizations this year with the flu to prevent other people from getting treated for COVID-19. And 22,000 people died last flu season.

So October, according to Dr. Fauci and others, is the month to get that flu shot. Here's why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. RICHARD SEIDMAN, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, L.A. CARE HEALTH PLAN: That gives the shot plenty of time in your immune system to mount an effective response to maximally protect you from the flu.

Here in Los Angeles, the season often doesn't peak until as late as January. But we want to get people vaccinated before the end of October.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VERCAMMEN: As I said, business brisk.

Here in Los Angeles, here's some options for you. Be sure to check with your local health departments. You might be able to get a free flu shot, even if you don't have insurance.

And then others are offering flu shots at pharmacies, CVS, et cetera. A place for you to go to get that vaccine.

As they express, again, critical that people get their flu vaccines as well because they don't want hospitals jammed up with flu patients when they could be treating COVID-19 patients -- Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right. Free is a fantastic incentive.

Paul Vercammen, thank you so much, in Los Angeles.

VERCAMMEN: Thank you.

All right, we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:58:13] WHITFIELD: As a record number of Americans turn out for early in- person voting, there are several trends emerging. Right now, nearly 22 million voters have cast early ballots.

CNN's Marshall Cohen is keeping track of those trends.

Marshall, what is the big takeaway from this very huge, record- breaking turnout?

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Fred, it's been a big week across the country. As you mentioned, more than 21 million Americans have already participated in this process and cast their ballots.

This week, in a few battleground states, they started the in-person early voting process. Big, big spikes compared to four years ago.

With Georgia seeing 42 percent increase from 2016 on the first day. North Carolina, 101 percent increase, basically doubling that turnout for the very first day of in-person voting.

And that only tells part of the story though because there are some states across the country where people will be doing all mail balloting, like in California.

This week, a huge dispute in that state with Republicans putting up ballot drop boxes that Democrats said were illegal.

The Democratic attorney general, secretary of state made some announcements this week, criticizing the Republicans for putting up unauthorized, unofficial drop boxes.

It was a dispute all week with ebbs and flows. Finally yesterday, a bit of a detente, an agreement of sorts.

The Republicans scaled that back a little bit. The Democrats toned down a little bit of their threats of further legal action.

But at the end of the day, you've got voters with ballots at home trying to figure out how to get them back to the election offices to get counted. So it's messy -- Fred?

[14:00:04]

WHITFIELD: Right. It sure is. And still 17 days to go and it just seems like it's potentially going to get even messier.