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Trump Goes On Rally Blitz As 10 States Break COVID-19 Records; Trump Doubles Down On Refusal To Denounce QAnon; Trump-Biden Battle Intensifying In Pennsylvania; Fauci & CDC Warn About Thanksgiving Gatherings; DOD Study: Plane Ventilation Systems Don't Spread Virus; WHO: Remdesivir Fails To Prevent COVID Deaths; Pfizer Won't Seek Emergency Vaccine Authorization Before Election; Trump & Biden Campaign Ad Wars Heating Up. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired October 17, 2020 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Thanks for being with us. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York.
And with 17 days until November 3rd now, we are in the homestretch of this election but we are not in the homestretch of this pandemic, unfortunately, even though that is the message President Trump keeps trying to sell.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The light at the end of the tunnel is near. We are rounding the turn.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: We all wish that were true but it's not, and the president has to know it. Make no mistake about it, we are not rounding the turn toward the exit sign. We are rounding the turn toward another peak in new cases. At least ten states are reporting their highest single-day coronavirus case totals since the start of the pandemic, including Wisconsin, where the president will hold a rally later tonight, but first, he's in Michigan, a state that's also reporting a record number of cases. And here is a look at how those cases are climbing in Michigan.
Also on the rise, the number of early ballots cast in this election. Americans are voting early in record numbers, nearly 22 million have voted so far. And while requests for mail-in ballots are in high demand due in part to the pandemic, President Trump sustained attacks on vote-by-mail, plus the overhauls to the Postal Service have inspired many to vote early in person. Just take look at the images from Georgia today, where some people lined up for three or four hours this morning to cast their ballots, a testament to how enormous the stakes are in this election.
CNN's Joe Johns joins us from Michigan where President Trump will soon hold a rally. And, Joe, what are you hearing from supporters there?
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, obviously, these are the people who support President Trump and they're here in the colder weather to see him. We've seen people coming in since pretty early this morning. The fact of the matter is, what Donald Trump needs to do to try to reset his campaign at this point, Michigan is a great example of this, Ana.
This is a state the president won by 0.2 percent in 2016 here in Muskegon County, which is where we are. Hillary Clinton, in fact, won this county but only by 1,100 votes. The Trump campaign is hoping to flip this county into the Republican column coming up on November 3rd. So as far as messaging goes, it's been a little bit all over the place.
Last night, we heard the president out in Georgia harking back to some of the rhetoric of 2017 calling for his opponent to be locked up. Meanwhile, and the all important question of mask wearing and social distancing, we have seen earlier today a lot of people walking in wearing masks. Right now, we are seeing fewer people with masks. And there are some people who were just totally against it. Listen to this one person we talked to coming to the rally.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Are you wearing a mask today?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going in --
JOHNS: You're not?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I'm good. I'm good.
JOHNS: Why not?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not buying into this theory that the virus is out there and it's going to grab all of us. I think that we've seen that there are so many people who are not affected by this at all.
JOHNS: You hate the masks?
SETH DAVEY, MICHIGAN VOTER: If there was science behind it, I would use it more. But the science is very sketchy with the mask. The science is real sketchy with Fauci. He's not listening to other virologists in the country. He is just closed minded about that.
And so as a software professional, I'm very keyed into the science and find a lot of it is just more political than it is the science.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: So the schedule holds the president about two hours out from Muskegon Airport here where we are and he flies on from here to Janesville, Wisconsin. Ana, back to you.
CABRERA: The science is not a question about the effectiveness of masks, that I just have to say so that our viewers know there are no scientists now currently saying that masks are not effective or that you should not wear masks. Everything is pointing to wearing masks being the best way we can protect ourselves and more importantly, protect others.
Joe Johns, thank you for that reporting. It is interesting though to hear their perspectives or at least what they're soaking in in terms of the messaging that they're hearing from the president, which is what has led to some of the questions over mask-wearing by his supporters.
We are getting, in the meantime, jaw-dropping numbers when it comes to early voting. Already, nearly 22 million ballots have been cast.
[15:05:00]
This is according to a survey of ballot data by CNN Edison Research and Catalyst, Catalyst being a data company that provides data, analytics and other services to Democrats, academics and non-profit issue advocacy organizations.
And so from Illinois to the battleground states of North Carolina and Georgia, early voting, vote-by-mail and in person is far outpacing the numbers from 2016.
CNN's Natasha Chen is at an early voting location in Marietta, Georgia. And, Natasha, you say people got in line as early as 4:30 this morning. What are you hearing from these voters? Why are they willing to wait for hours in some cases to vote early?
NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ana, first of all, apparently, you didn't really need to get here at 4:30 in the morning for an 8:00 A.M. start because these folks behind me right now, they are probably going to wait far less than even 30 minutes. There aren't that many people in line. So the line has thinned down dramatically. So maybe the trick is just to come in the afternoon.
But everyone I've talked to has described to me how important it is for them to be here. They have talked about issues that drove them to the polls, such as the response to the coronavirus pandemic, such as the government response to police brutality.
So a lot of these things are on their mind as they stand here. And we watched people bring their lawn chairs, bring their coffee and their breakfast in the morning. We've even seen people bring small children because, obviously, you can't leave them at home, but also because they wanted their kids to see this moment happening, an election during a pandemic. The frustration, however, why some of the long waiting has to happen.
Here is one voter talking about why this can't be a bit more streamlined.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW POE, GEORGIA VOTER: You have one that long ago in which we would vote in through phone, through email, through website for American Idol. And I know it's not voting for president and voting public officials are not the same thing as voting for someone for American Idol. To me, if it's so easy for something like that, why can't our overall election system have something like that in place?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHEN: Still, they were all very patient to be going through this. Today alone, throughout the state of Georgia, there were more than 26,000 ballots cast in person by noon. And, of course, comparing to this point in the election in 2016, voter turnout, combining both early and in-person voting and absentee ballots in the state of Georgia, turnout is more than 100 percent increase from 2016, Ana.
CABRERA: And it's great to see people exercising their right to vote, using their own power. Thank you, Natasha Chen.
And joining us now is CNN Political Commentator and Political Anchor for Spectrum News, Errol Louis, and A.B. Stoddard, Associate Editor and Columnist for RealClearPolitics.
A.B., the president keeps trying to sell this message that U.S. is rounding the turn on the coronavirus, rounding the corner. But then he's going to Michigan, which just reported a record number of cases Friday, then to Wisconsin, also reporting record numbers and where the positivity rate is nearly 24 percent right now, which means, potentially, one in four people at his rally there could have the virus and his rallies have become infamous, of course, for flouting the COVID guidelines. What message does that send?
A.B. STODDARD, ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND COLUMNIST, REALCLEARPOLITICS: It's incredible, after the president contracted the virus himself and is very, very well aware of the fact that he's losing support of seniors who he won in 2016 and who he cannot win without. Because the sense among seniors is that they are expendable, that the virus doesn't really get enough people, that what he said that 210,000 deaths was -- it really takes virtually nobody, it's a nothing burger, don't let it dominate your life.
He is rubbing that messaging in to people who are very skeptical about the federal response to the outbreak and the pandemic with each and every rally, continues to say things like, we're rounding the turn where we're facing a catastrophic estimate of 2,900 deaths per day this winter. There is still no plan in month seven to control the spread of the virus.
And after telling everybody that it's not legitimate to vote by mail, he's going to be forcing his own voters on Election Day in states that are facing hot spots and surges that might, in the end, decide that they simply can't do it at the risk of infection, critical states like Wisconsin and Michigan and Iowa and other places that he needs to win re-election.
CABRERA: Errol, here is how Joe Biden characterized the president's response to this national crisis just yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: He said we have turned the corner. My grandfather Finnegan might say, were here, he said, he's gone around the bend. Turn the corner, my Lord.
[15:10:01]
It's not disappearing. In fact, it's on the rise again. It's getting worse, as predicted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: Errol, what do you make of Biden's message and his potential strategy there?
ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, Joe Biden is really coming down the homestretch using the number one issue in the country very effectively to his advantage. The reality is, despite what the ignorant comments that we heard from some of those folks in Michigan that Joe Johns was interviewing is that it is widely known, it is globally known that we have a serious pandemic. And that the only way to deal with it is masking, social distancing, washing your hands, sanitizing, being very, very careful.
Joe Biden just simply picked up the number one issue in the whole wide world and has begun using it to his advantage because the president, for whatever reason, has recklessly decided to try and run not just against Joe Biden but against reality. I mean, reality is what is leaving most people, I think, to conclude that this race is about, are we going to go in a real direction and try and put the country back together again and get past this, open up some of the businesses, restore the broken economy, or are we going to live in some fantasy world where people pretend that science doesn't exist.
And it's very sad to see, Ana. I got to tell you, I mean, living in New York, those days back in the spring where the sirens were wailing all through the night, when, on a daily basis, 700, 800 people would die. I mean, it's not something you want to fool around with. And Joe Biden, I think, is reminding people, you don't want any part of this. We have to take the simple steps to control the spread.
CABRERA: You can't wish your way out of it. You can't talk your way out of it. It's here. We have to deal with the reality.
Our Jake Tapper has learned that President Trump's former chief of staff, John Kelly, is telling friends this about the president. Quote, the depths of his dishonesty is just astounding to me. The dishonesty, the transactional nature of every relationship, though it's more than pathetic, it's more pathetic than anything else. He is the most flawed person I've ever met in my life.
Kelly is widely respected in the military world. A.B., could this move the needle for some who might be undecided?
STODDARD: Well, it's very interesting, Ana, as the polling we've seen in the military among veterans and active duty troops that have the support for President Trump, which he won with big margins in 2016, has badly, sharply eroded, just like it has with seniors. And it's because every single person who has left the administration has basically said the same thing that they have to stop the president from doing things that were illegal, and that he had basically no understanding of the sacrifice, the warrior ethos.
He hardened war criminals against the leadership of the Pentagon and then went to a rally and said, I sprung some good guys against the deep -- to fight off the deep state. The military knows more than other voters exactly what the president does and what is expected of them in every leader who swears an oath to the Constitution.
Having John Kelly say things like this, which confirms for them many, many other comments from other people, including H.R. McMaster and others, General Mattis, is really the last thing that the president needs. But he has openly invited this kind of criticism and it all is consistent. It always matches what previous employees and advisers have said about him as well.
CABRERA: I don't know if you guys have seen this just yet but the White House is actually using a photo of the infamous Rose Garden super-spreader event as a way to promote tours of the garden right now. Errol, is this the case of tone deafness or do they just not see that event as a symbol of irresponsible behavior in the middle of a pandemic?
LOUIS: You know, I have a hard time understanding how the people who actually work in the building, who have seen so many of their colleagues end up sick, who have seen Chris Christie, who just visited a few times, end up in the intensive care unit for seven days, really risking his life, to not understand that, this is no time to be leaning towards of any kind. I think it sort of says it all.
And to use the photo of the super-spreader event, I mean, if you mark it up and show all of the people who got sick and were hospitalized, including the president as a result of that very event, it should make clear that they should not be trying to lure people into the White House.
One would hope though that the general public would understand at this point that this is not a safe place to be. These folks just don't get it. They're not keeping themselves safe, they couldn't keep the president of the United States safe and healthy and it's no place for tourists.
CABRERA: It is a fact that the number of people from that event got the coronavirus.
[15:15:01]
I think it's still a little bit uncertain exactly where the president contracted it or who he may have contracted it from, but, boy, that photo does speak volumes.
Errol Louis and A.B. Stoddard, I appreciate both of you being here. Thank you so much. LOUIS: Thank you.
CABRERA: Up next, the president's refusal to disavow QAnon and what his supporters think of the conspiracy cult.
Plus, former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff shares his biggest security fears when it comes with this year's election. Stay with us. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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CABRERA: Seventeen days before the election, and the president is making headlines for refusing to disavow the conspiracy cult, QAnon. These are live pictures right now at Joint Base Andrews, where the president is gearing up to head to a new rally today in Michigan, followed by a rally later tonight in Wisconsin.
But here is what he has been saying about QAnon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, MSNBC HOST: Let me ask you about QAnon. It is this theory that Democrats are a satanic pedophile ring and that you are the savior of that.
[15:20:08]
Now, can you just, once and for all, state that that is completely not true and disavow QAnon in its entirety?
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I know nothing about QAnon.
GUTHRIE: I just told you.
TRUMP: I know very little. Well, you told me. But what you tell me doesn't necessarily make it fact, I hate to say that. I know nothing about it.
I do know they are very much against pedophilia. They fight it very hard. But I know nothing about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: So what did some of the president's supporters think of that moment?
CNN's Gary Tuchman asked some of them at a Trump rally in Georgia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You have the QAnon shirt and one of the things QAnon believes is there's this conspiracy theory of satanic pedophilia. Do you believe in that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, thank you.
TUCHMAN: Trump has not criticized conspiracy, QAnon. You say you believe in theories like this?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, sir, 100 percent.
TUCHMAN: You think he has your back by not criticizing it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I really do. Yes.
TUCHMAN: Do you think he should have denounced QAnon?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
TUCHMAN: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because why should he?
TUCHMAN: Because they believe in crazy stuff, a pedophile ring --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. That's what you guys try to make us believe crazy stuff.
TUCHMAN: No. But do you believe that there are Democrats and celebrities who were in a pedophile ring?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I do.
TUCHMAN: You do believe -- then where does that come from, that belief?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where does that come from? Ask the little kids.
TUCHMAN: Pedophilia is terrible and every normal person in the world is against pedophilia. But to say that Hillary Clinton and Democrats are involved in a pedophile ring, there is no evidence of that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let me ask you, who do you work for? ABC or CNN?
TUCHMAN: CNN.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I'm not talking to CNN.
TUCHMAN: It's crazy, it's ludicrous. Does that (INAUDIBLE) that wouldn't say it's wrong?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, it didn't because I think he wants to put everything out there so you can judge for yourself.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard it before.
TUCHMAN: Yes, you've heard it. And with all due respect, ma'am, hearing it does not mean that it's true.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just believe whatever is wrong. He's going to fix -- TUCHMAN: Donald Trump?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TUCHMAN: Do you think the president should have denounced QAnon?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I don't think he has enough information to denounce QAnon at this point.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He can tweet anything he wants because we love him. We trust him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CABRERA: Joining us now, former Secretary of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush, Michael Chertoff. Mr. Secretary thank you so much for being here.
The FBI has labeled QAnon a domestic terror threat, and yet as you heard, no condemnation from the president. What do you see as the impact?
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, FORMER HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY UNDER PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, I think more than just for QAnon and other occasions, the president has conspicuously failed to condemn right- wing extremist groups. He didn't condemn the plot to kidnap and kill Governor Whitmer. When someone asked him about the Proud Boys acting out, he said, well, they should stand back and stand by, which is pretty much saying wait until I give you the go ahead signal.
And, of course, again, his refusal to denounce QAnon, which is basically a flat earth theory, suggests to the people that your reporter spoke that he basically has their back and he's waiting to give him the signal to go forward and carry out some of the plans.
So I think the FBI and other elements of the intelligence community are quite right to point to this and other groups as oddly, perhaps, the biggest domestic terror threat we have now and much more dangerous here in the United States than global jihadists and the ISIS, which have been really much reduced.
CABRERA: Why is this group so dangerous?
CHERTOFF: Because often, what you have is the people who carry on with these extreme ideologies, distrust all the institutions and government, distrust (ph) in the rule of law, fear that there's a conspiracy that threatens their lives, and therefore, feel justified to pick up a gun or create a bomb and carry out an attack.
If you look at the plot against Governor Whitmer, and I think they also have looked at Governor Northam of Virginia as a potential target, these were people who were offended by the idea that you have to wear a mask and try to protect other people from being infected, and they saw this plot to kill a governor as defending their freedom.
So when you're articulating the view that there are conspiracies to rig the election or take away your freedom, that (INAUDIBLE) the ideology of extreme groups, you're coming close to inviting people to take the law into their own hands and commit acts of violence.
CABRERA: You have teamed up with other former DHS secretaries to spread the message that Americans can have confidence in our voting systems but one thing, you have always concerned about is violence on Election Day and this idea that unofficial armed groups will appoint themselves as poll watchers.
[15:25:04]
I want you to take listen to a video airing on the Army for Trump website instructing supporters on how to be poll watchers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're looking at body language. If you see a confused look on a voter's face or a confused look on the poll workers' face or any kind of delay in the process, there's your clue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: What's your reaction to that?
CHERTOFF: I think that's utter nonsense. And bearing in mind that the rules vary state to state, there are, for example, in a place like Pennsylvania, pretty strict rules about who can be a poll watcher, and what kind of training they have to have and what authority they have to have.
So, for example, you have to be trained, you have to live within the county you're watching. There are limits to your ability to actually interact voters. So, again, this is an effort to create disturbances and intimidation.
The good news is, many of the jurisdictions, they're aware of this effort. They realize that, in many cases, these efforts violate state law, and they have been preparing themselves to take action with people who are misbehaving at polling precincts. I think there was the district attorney of Philadelphia who said, if you break the law, acting as a so-called poll watcher, you're going to go to jail. So that's good news in terms of people waking up to the risk.
CABRERA: Let me ask you about some of the disinformation that's out there because we know the intel community warning Americans, it's warning the president about potential misinformation on social media and elsewhere from the Russians and other foreign entities. But the president is also actively spreading misinformation, take, for example, his repeated claims, that the election will be rigged. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: They talk about, will you accept a peaceful transfer? And the answer is, yes, I will, but I want it to be an honest election, and so does everybody else. When I see thousands of ballots dumped in a garbage can and they happen to have my name on it, I'm not happy about that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: I have to wonder, when it comes to misinformation, is the biggest threat still from an outside power like Russia or is it from within the walls of the White House?
CHERTOFF: Well, first, let me make sure your viewers understand, there were seven ballots, not thousands, seven that wound up somehow being discarded. It's impossible to scale, with respect to mail-in ballots, that have anything (INAUDIBLE). So this is completely delusional.
But I think you're right, Ana, that what's happening is, although the Russians are still promoting disinformation at this point, we have domestic political actors like Donald Trump who actually generate the content, all the Russians have to do is amplify it in a sense the domestic information is doing the work for the Russians. They just have to repeat it and upload it and continue to propagate it.
So I do think we're in a very dangerous period of time in terms of the respect for the rule of law and respect for the truth, even among some of our own political figures.
CABRERA: Tom Ridge, how preceded you as DHS secretary under President Bush, and is now part of this voting effort with you, has endorsed Joe Biden. Do you plan to do the same?
CHERTOFF: Well, I won't be endorsing (INAUDIBLE) political person. But I will tell you I think Donald Trump has been a disastrous president and has been an incompetent president and I could (INAUDIBLE) the coronavirus failure to respond appropriately, a disrespect for the rule of law, the contempt for veterans, the economy, which is probably the worst in my lifetime, adds a litany of things that he has failed at.
I have to say, I know Joe Biden, I have worked within years. He had decency, his speakers (ph) giving a fair economy about one that is vibrant. He believes in the rule of law and he believes in a strong America. So can have your conclusion about what my beliefs are and I've already voted, but I don't view endorsements as something a non- political person does, so I don't use that word.
CABRERA: Well, then let me ask you quickly a different way, because I know before the 2016 election, you made public that you were planning to vote for Hillary Clinton. So you said you already voted. Did you vote for Joe Biden?
CHERTOFF: I let your viewers draw their own conclusion based on what I said.
CABRERA: Okay. Thank you very much for being here with us. Former DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff, we appreciate you very much.
CHERTOFF: Thank you.
CABRERA: A programming note, former Trump administration officials, including John Bolton, Olivia Troye and Miles Taylor join Jake Tapper with an urgent message for America. The Insiders, a Warning from Former Trump Officials, airs tomorrow night at 9:00 here on CNN.
We'll be right back.
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[15:34:27]
CABRERA: In 2016, Donald Trump became the first Republican to win Pennsylvania in almost three decades. And this year, his campaign sees the state's 20 electoral votes as potentially critical.
But standing in his way, Pennsylvania born-and-raised Joe Biden.
CNN's Dana Bash reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A line forms outside well before opening waiting to enter the Trump House.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're ready for the next group to come in.
BASH: A mecca of sorts for the President's supporters in southwest, Pennsylvania where Trump's record turnout four years ago helped deliver his surprise Pennsylvania victory and the White House.
[15:35:03]
LESLIE ROSSI, OWNER AND CREATOR, THE TRUMP HOUSE: Shirt or hat per person. You get a sign or flag.
BASH: Leslie Rossi created the Trump House in 2016, where she pushed disaffected Democrats and never before voters to choose Trump.
ROSSI: We gave people a place to come to believe they could win.
(CROSSTALK)
BASH: Now Trump supporters show up daily for swag and yard signs and help registering to vote.
SCOTT HARRER, TRUMP SUPPORTER & FIRST-TIME VOTER: We need Trump in here again. I'm 65. I think it's time to register.
BASH (on camera): Have you not voted ever?
HARRER: No.
BASH (voice-over): Rural Westmoreland County has seen a surge in Republican registrations. They help with that here too.
RITA BLAIR, FORMER DEMOCRAT: I changed my registration from Democrat to Republican.
BASH (on camera): Why?
BLAIR: From what I've seen in the last past couple of years, I was ashamed to say I was a Democrat.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a great honor to have you here in -- (INAUDIBLE).
BASH (voice-over): But Joe Biden isn't giving up here, campaigning in Westmoreland County this month. Hillary Clinton didn't come here in the general election.
(on camera): It's not an area Democrats come in and campaign very often, but you're here. Why?
JILL BIDEN, WIFE OF JOE BIDEN: I'm here because, like I said, we are not taking any vote for granted.
GINA CERILLI, (D), COUNTY COMMISSIONER, WESTMORELAND COUNTY, PA: They've seen the past four with the --
BASH (voice-over): Gina Cerilli is county commissioner of Westmoreland, P.A.
Ten years ago, she was Ms. Pennsylvania in Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant. Now she's an elected Democrat working to blunt Trump's advantage here.
CERILLI: In 2016, Donald Trump was a fresh face. He was new to politics. Everyone was excited. He made big promises. Bring back jobs. But frankly, Donald Trump broke those promises.
BASH: In small town Pennsylvania, signs matter. Trumps are everywhere, big and bold. But Biden's are out there, too.
CERILLI: When you see signs like this, it makes the Republicans and Democrats that voted for Trump in 2016 realize, I'm not alone.
BASH: A big Biden challenge, his supporters are being COVID careful.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never did we think we would be meeting via Zoom.
BASH: Phyllis Friend, head of Democratic Women of Westmoreland County, organizes from home. She's clear eyed about the Democrats' goal here in Trump country.
PHYLLIS FRIEND, HEAD OF DEMOCRATIC WOMEN OF WESTMORELAND: We can't win Pennsylvania for him, but we can add to the total numbers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, David, this is Jim. I volunteer for the Trump campaign. How are you doing?
BASH: As for Republicans, they never stopped traditional ways of getting out the vote.
(KNOCKING)
BASH: Knocking on doors, walking in neighborhoods in masks, and using a GOP data-driven app to find and persuade voters.
BRITTNEY ROBINSON, OPERATIONS MANAGER, PENNSYLVANIA RNC: Depending on who that voter is, we're able to tailor that message at the door and on the phone to how we think we need to target that voter and turn them out.
BASH: Given that President struggles in the suburbs, boosting the vote here is critical for Trump.
(on camera): How important is it for him to get his numbers even higher than it was four years ago?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do think that we need to increase our voter turnout here for the president to offset some of what might be happening in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania.
BASH (voice-over): Back at the Trump, Leslie Rossi shows us the log of visits from thousands of Trump supporters.
(on camera): What do you think this year?
ROSSI: Oh, my numbers have tripled, tripled.
Four years ago, my work was really hard here. I had to convince the voters to vote for the candidate. I had to convince them President Trump was the best choice for them. This time, I don't have to do any of that. They're all in.
BASH (voice-over): Whether enough are all in, could determine whether Trump wins Pennsylvania and a second term.
Dana Bash, CNN, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CABRERA: Right now, a lot of us are trying to make some plans for after the election. Families facing big decisions about Thanksgiving that have nothing to do with the menu. The warning from Dr. Fauci about getting together this holiday season.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:42:47]
CABRERA: It pains me to say it but nation's top voice on the pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci, is sounding alarm about the risks of holiday gathering, saying Thanksgiving needs to look a lot different this year.
As you start making plans for your family, here's what you need to know. The CDC recommends celebrating Thanksgiving in your own home with members of your own household.
And when it comes to neighbors or perhaps extended family, either celebrating virtually or dropping off meals with no contact delivery.
Joining us now, CNN Medical Analyst and former New York City Assistant Commissioner of Health, Dr. Celine Gounder.
Dr. Gounder, we know what the CDC wants but we know some families will risk it anyway and invite neighbors or extended families.
So what precautions can they take?
DR. CELINE GOUNDER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: This goes back to the basics of how we control coronavirus, which is wearing masks, trying to remain at least six feet apart from others, and being outside versus inside as much as possible.
Granted, the weather is going to be getting colder. Being outside may not be as possible in some places. But perhaps keeping windows open and really encouraging everyone to wear a mask as much as possible.
That's going to make a huge difference here.
CABRERA: One big part of the holidays season is travel for a lot of people.
There was a study this week that the Department of Defense in conjunction with United Airlines.
And it found that the ventilation system on planes were able to quickly filter the air and suck away particles that could transmit the virus. So much so that it would take an infected passenger 54 hours to spread the virus to others on board.
We should not it didn't take into account other ways, breathing and coughing directly on them or for potential exposure at the airport.
But what did you think of this study? Should people feel confident to get on a plane?
GOUNDER: This isn't really groundbreaking research. We've known for a long time that the HVAC systems on airplanes are robust. They were designed in the old days when people still smoked on airlines.
So the risk is really the people sitting within a couple of rows on the plane or you're around in the airport. That's where your risk of transmission lies, especially if people are not wearing masks.
[15:45:01]
CABRERA: We got some disappointing news on Remdesivir, the only drug explicitly authorized to treat COVID in the U.S.
This week, the World Health Organization presented new data and says it has little or no effect on mortality for hospitalized patients.
How big of a setback is this?
GOUNDER: Well, the NIH trial published in "The New England Journal of Medicine" earlier this year has similar results.
Basically, we found that there was no reduction in mortality, maybe a slight reduction in length or time in the hospital.
But it's important to note that both of these studies really focused on sicker patients.
And based on what we know about how Remdesivir works, at a molecular, cellular level, it would stand to reason it would work better for people earlier in the course of illness who maybe have not been hospitalized yet.
So that remains to be seen. That remains to be studied.
CABRERA: Other big headline, Pfizer plans to seek emergency authorization for its vaccine in mid-November, so not before the election as the president had hoped.
A lot of people saying life will just return to normal once we have a vaccine. But what's the reality?
GOUNDER: This is a major manufacturing and distribution challenge.
So Pfizer has said their initial delivery of doses might be around 15 million doses by the end of the year. They're hoping for 100 million doses.
But it's not just the U.S. that's vying for this. We've put in a preorder for 100 million, the European Union for 200 million, Japan for another 160 million, and the U.K. and others.
So there's many of us competing for the unlimited doses.
It's a vaccine that requires two doses, that needs to be frozen at very, very low temperatures. So all of this will make the distribution of the vaccine to the broader population quite challenging.
CABRERA: In fact, I think it was Dr. Fauci who said maybe April 2021 is when it will be more widespread, as far as availability of the vaccine, and even, you know, later for people who are lower risk.
Dr. Celine Gounder, thank you as always.
Coming up, campaign ad wars. Biden outspends Trump by more than $50 million. Who the campaigns are targeting, plus, the message they think will win it all for them.
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[15:51:37]
CABRERA: The campaign ad wars are heating up.
Here's CNN's Tom Foreman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joe Biden knows what military families go through. He knows what it's like to send a child to war. TOM FOREMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In battleground Arizona,
Biden is pushing hard on a message that could resonate with conservatives, while Trump is trying to punch his way out of second place in the polls.
JOSIE ROMAN, VOTER: I worked for 40 years and paid my taxes. I've earned my Social Security and Medicare.
FOREMAN: Reaching out to the state's large number of retirees and anyone else who will listen.
AD NARRATOR: President Trump will end our reliance on China, eradicate the coronavirus, and make our medicines and supplies here in the United States.
FOREMAN: One thing tilting the map in Biden's favor is the sheer volume of his ad spending. Coast to coast, Biden has so far dropped $423 million compared to Trump's $368 million.
And this week, democratic ad spending will be more than twice as high as Republicans.
JOE BIDEN, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's a simple proposition, folks. We're all in this together. We got to fight this together.
FOREMAN: So while the top Biden ad in Iowa is talking unity in that battleground, Trump has tried to pick targets, driving after Biden's blue-collar support.
DAVE BLECH, VOTER & UNION MEMBER: I'm a proud union guy. And Teamster. But I won't be voting for Joe Biden.
FOREMAN: Same thing in North Carolina where the polls are also close.
Trump and his allies are looking to raise fears about a Biden presidency.
AD NARRATOR: The arson, the looting, the chaos. The liberal mob is tearing America apart.
FOREMAN: While Biden is plowing ahead with the steady message of a front runner.
AD NARRATOR: Joe listened to both small business owners and workers to create his economic plan that cuts taxes for middle class families, creates 18 million new jobs in his first term, and raises wages by as much as $15,000 a year.
FOREMAN (on camera): In September, Biden had a mammoth hole of donations, $383 million. That's $135 million more than Trump.
What that means is the challenger goes into the home stretch with plenty of money to put ads just where he needs them and keep the heat up on the businessman president.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CABRERA: Since 2014, "CNN Hero" Carol Rosenstein has been using music to help people battling dementia, Parkinson's, and other diseases.
And so when COVID hit, she moved her organization's programming online. And their work has become more crucial than ever.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROL ROSENSTEIN, CNN HERO: COVID just makes this doubly difficult for people to sustain their levels of wellness. Because they've got so much isolation going on, we are going to see people deteriorating faster.
(SINGING)
ROSENSTEIN: But we can provide a great substitute that is going to keep us healthy and well during quarantine.
(SINGING)
ROSENSTEIN: Music is medicine for the mind.
(SINGING)
ROSENSTEIN: The complexity excites so many senses in our brain. All of that excitement, miraculously pushes neurotransmitters that help us function.
(SINGING)
[15:55:11]
ROSENSTEIN: Medicine with a side effect that is pure joy.
Where is my Kleenex?
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: To see Anderson Cooper's full story about Carol's work using music to battle the impact of COVID isolation, go to CNNheroes.com right now.
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