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WHO: Record 2.8 Million Global Coronavirus Cases Last Week; Trump Tries to Shore Up Support at Campaign's End; Doha Airport Officials Make Invasive Body Checks of Women; Outrage Sparks in Philadelphia after Police Shooting; Typhoon Molave Makes Landfall in Vietnam; Deadline for Mail-in Ballots in Some States; Trump Failed to Deliver on Many Campaign Promises. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired October 28, 2020 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[02:00:00]
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN HOST (voice-over): Hello, I'm Kim Brunhuber, live from CNN Atlanta.
Ahead this hour, less than a week until Election Day in the U.S. and Trump is back on the campaign trail, downplaying the threat posed by coronavirus, talking to maskless crowds.
As Europe battles its second wave, new restrictions are met with anger.
And more protests on the street of a major American city after another Black man is shot and killed by police.
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BRUNHUBER: Where the U.S. presidential candidates are campaigning says a lot about their strategy. Joe Biden has been consistently ahead in the polls so he can afford to campaign in traditionally Republican territory. Arlette Saenz will report on his closing argument in the state of Georgia.
And President Trump tried to shore up his support. We begin with Jeff Zeleny.
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JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Six days now until the final voting next week on Election Day. President Trump plans to have rallies every day, multiple times a day in battleground states across this country trying to get his base supporters out.
At this late rally last night here in Omaha, Nebraska, the president was chasing one single electoral vote. Of course, Nebraska and Maine split their electoral votes by congressional districts. That is what brought the president here to Omaha, a clear sign that he is trying to turn out his base wherever he can, even here in deep red Nebraska. But as he talks, he was diminishing the importance of coronavirus. He said the media is simply fixated on coronavirus. But the issue here is this. Nebraska, for the fourth week in a row, has had record high cases.
It's the same in Wisconsin, in Michigan, in Pennsylvania. So cases of coronavirus, the reality of coronavirus, is following him as he campaigns.
Now there is no doubt, in the final six days of this race, there could be twists, there could be turns. But this president knows that his path to winning reelection -- those 270 electoral votes -- is very narrow. It's why he's threading the needle in places like here in Omaha. He'll be campaigning out West today -- Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Omaha, Nebraska.
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ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Joe Biden traveled here to Georgia, arguing that this is a time for the country to unite. to deliver his closing argument, saying it's time for the country to unite.
And Biden's messaging was consistent with how he started the campaign, which he framed it as a battle for the soul of the nation and warning that the nation's character is on the ballot. Biden's campaign really believes that resonates as the country is in a divided moment dealing with multiple crises.
Take a listen to what Biden had to say in Warm Springs, Georgia.
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BIDEN: I believe this election is about who we are as a nation, what we believe, maybe most importantly, who we want to be. It's about our essence. It's about what makes us Americans. It's that fundamental, a run to unite this nation and to heal this nation. I've said that from the beginning. It's badly necessary.
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SAENZ: Biden traveled here to Georgia, a state that's not traditionally a battleground; a Democratic presidential candidate hasn't won the state of Georgia since 1992. But Biden wants to put this state in play. His campaign says they are trying to keep all paths to 270 electoral votes open.
Biden later in the week will travel to the critical battleground state of Florida, where recently President Obama has campaigned, showing the importance that the campaign is placing on that state in the final days of this election.
Biden will also head to Iowa, another reliably, typically reliably red state that they are hoping to put in play in this final week. He's also heading to Michigan and Wisconsin. Biden has told reporters he is looking to reestablish the blue wall, those states and Pennsylvania, Trump won in 2016. But Biden is hoping to bring them home -- Arlette Saenz, CNN, Atlanta, Georgia.
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BRUNHUBER: With the election nearing, the White House has listed President Trump's achievements for his first term. Among them "ending the COVID-19 pandemic." But of course, the numbers tell a much different story.
Nearly half a million Americans tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week alone. And most states are trending in the wrong direction. We have more from CNN's Nick Watt.
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NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): North Dakota leads the nation with an alarming rate of new infections.
Why?
DR. DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR: This is the least use of masks that we have seen in retail establishments of any place we have been.
WATT: In South Dakota, a stunning 40 percent of tests now coming back positive. Anything over 5 percent is a worry.
DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: We are in the middle of a major COVID storm. Every indicator, every metric that we have is trending in the wrong direction. But we're not seeing behaviors change.
WATT: This country is now averaging nearly 70,000 new infections every day, highest ever nine months in, but the president and some Americans appear to be giving up.
DR. SCOTT GOTTLIEB, FORMER FDA COMMISSIONER: If we took some aggressive, targeted steps right now, we could potentially forestall the worst of it. But we're not going to do that. And I think we're right now at the cusp of what's going to be exponential spread in parts of the country.
WATT: And this is a potential issue. One type of antibody immunity after infection appears to wane fast, according to a new study, down, on average, 26 percent in three months, dropping fastest in the asymptomatic and over 75s.
Eleven states already reporting record numbers in the hospital, desperate measures in El Paso, Texas.
MAYOR DEE MARGO (R-TX), EL PASO: We have just got a surge that I'm not sure exactly where it's coming from. But we have got four tents, pressurized tents, set up at hospitals for overflow.
WATT: Thirty-seven states in all seeing average case counts rise right now.
GOV. J.B. PRITZKER (D-IL): Our knowledge of what works in the battle against this virus has grown significantly since the spring. But the virus isn't going away. And it's constantly looking for new hosts.
WATT: The president loves to push this fallacy:
TRUMP: Do you know why we have cases so much? Because that's all we do is test.
WATT: A myth just busted by his own testing czar.
ADM. BRETT GIROIR, U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: Testing may be identifying some more cases. I think that's clearly true. But what we're seeing is a real increase in the numbers.
WATT: Here in the U.S., more than 60 percent of Americans say that the federal government is making the recovery from COVID worse. We just heard from the mayor of El Paso, who says there is a surge there and is not quite sure where it's coming from. But he has an idea.
Because this stimulus package is mired in Washington right now, he says people are testing positive and going to work anyway because they need the paycheck -- Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
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BRUNHUBER: Michael Genovese is a political analyst and the author of "How Trump Governs." He joins us from Los Angeles to talk about the race for president.
And I'm going to start with COVID since that's what we were just seeing there. The message coming from the president and his party as we heard, Donald Trump has ended the COVID pandemic.
And you know, people are too focused on COVID anyway. So, you know, for a hard-core Trump supporter, that's obviously true. But, if as polls show, a majority of Americans are worried about COVID, how -- how does the math add up?
MICHAEL GENOVESE, POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, for Donald Trump, it only ends up in the following way. He desperately needs you to believe that they have conquered COVID, that we are turning the corner, that the worst is over and that the best is yet to come. We are going to turn the economy around, vote for me.
The problem is that that clashes with facts on the ground that are noticeable, obvious and glaring all of us in the face. And so, you know, the most devoted of Trump, the base will of course say yes, yes, yes. But most people can see that every day the cases are increasing.
Deaths are increasing. We're not turning the corner. We're running right smack dab into the wall.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. And that's why I'm wondering, how does that, how does that work when you are trying to win reelection?
You know, as we heard the president is trying to shore up his support and even in reliably red states and Biden has his eye on a number of traditionally red states, like here in Georgia, for instance. Is that realistic?
Or is Biden overconfident, maybe taking some blue or swing states for granted?
GENOVESE: He might be over confident. It reminds me a little bit of 2016 when Hillary Clinton rather than going to the blue wall states in the Rust Belt, instead tried to expand the vote, rather than protect the vote.
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GENOVESE: And it backfired on her. It could backfire on Biden.
The difference is that 2016 it was closer at this time than it is now. So, Biden has a wider margin of error. But, you know, if he wins Georgia, it's going to be part of a landslide. Better to shore up the states you must win, for example. I would park myself in Pennsylvania for the next five days.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, that sounds smart. But, you know, unlike President Trump, who is crisscrossing the country, holding event after event, Biden's campaign is relatively low-key, relatively little travel at least in comparison. Is he playing it too safe?
GENOVESE: Well, I think during a pandemic you've got to make some adjustments. You can't do the normal campaign that we do, got barnstorming, shaking hands, large crowds and greeting people. Donald Trump is trying to have the old traditional Donald Trump rally crowd. It has worked for him in the past.
The problem is, for Biden, it would be irresponsible to do so. He is not going to do that. And his message right now is almost as if he had already won. Unity. I want to bring the country together. We've got to get past this, we've got to bring ourselves together. So, Biden is running a different campaign. He is running a pandemic campaign. Trump is not.
BRUNHUBER: This week, Justice Amy Coney Barrett confirmed, sworn in. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says that nomination actually helped some vulnerable Republican incumbents. But others have suggested that, you know, doing this ahead of the actual election might have, you know, some Republicans are going, you know, job done.
Which side do you fall on? GENOVESE: You know, I think this is going to be an enthusiasm election and it's going to be a turnout election. And so, whatever the Republicans can do to get their base riled up, it will help them.
The problem is, the same things that Trump is doing to rile up his base also riles up the Democrats. And so, what you are going to see is a high enthusiasm turn out, people's enthusiasm for Trump, but just as enthusiastic against him.
And so, I think that Donald Trump is the issue. There is really only one name on the ballot, it's Donald Trump.
BRUNHUBER: All right. We appreciate you coming in to talk to us, thank you so much. Michael Genovese in Los Angeles.
GENOVESE: Thank you.
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BRUNHUBER: Let's take a look at the situation in Europe now. France is about to get hit with new restrictions. President Emmanuel Macron is set to appear on television Wednesday evening to make the announcement.
A French TV network reports there could be a months-long national lockdown. New cases and hospitalizations are skyrocketing in France and doctors say they are just days away from being overrun.
And there is another night of scuffles in Italy between right-wing protesters and riot police in Rome. Demonstrators gathered to rally against new COVID-19 rules. They chanted, "Freedom," and set off flares.
The Russian government has imposed a nationwide mask mandate. It applies in public spaces and on elevators and public transport. The country is also limiting hours for bars and restaurants.
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison is speaking out against the invasive searches performed on a group of women earlier this month at the airport in Doha. Kristie Lu Stout is following the story from Hong Kong.
A really disturbing story. Take us through what happened and the reaction.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: Very disturbing story. What's happened has been described as grossly inappropriate treatment but we have learned that Qatar says that it will investigate these reports of invasive body checks of women at the Hamad international airport in Doha.
These women were checked to see if they had recently given birth after an abandoned baby was discovered in a rubbish bin in the airport on October 2nd. This is what we learned from Seven News, a CNN affiliate.
They said that this group of women who were forced to undergo invasive body checks included 13 Australians, allegedly removed from their flights, detained and forced to undergo these invasive checks in an ambulance on the tarmac.
CNN spoke to an eyewitness, someone who was on board one of these flights, and described a, quote, "very tense atmosphere" when the women returned to their flight. He told CNN one woman was crying, the others were shell-shocked. Nobody could believe what had just happened because it was such a delicate issue.
As you can imagine, these reports of these invasive body examinations have sparked outrage internationally but especially in Australia.
Earlier today, we heard from the prime minister, Scott Morrison, who not only condemned what happened as a leader of his country but also as a father of daughters. Take a listen to what Scott Morrison had to say.
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SCOTT MORRISON, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: We find this as just unacceptable.
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MORRISON: That's been the official message and conveyed very clearly in the investigation that it is, because it is unacceptable.
I mean, it was appalling. As a father of daughters, I could only shudder at the thought that any woman, Australian or otherwise, would be subjected to that.
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STOUT: Scott Morrison said that he has received assurances from Qatari officials that the investigation will proceed. He expects to see results from that investigation very soon.
As for the baby, the mother is still not known. They still have not been able to locate her. The baby is safe and sound under the protection of health officials and social services. Back to you.
BRUNHUBER: What a horrific story on all sides there.
But what more is Qatar saying about this?
STOUT: Again, Qatar has committed to carrying out an investigation. They have also released a statement which we have. We will bring it up so you can see.
Authorities in Qatar, including, His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, the prime minister and minister of interior of the State of Qatar, directed "that a comprehensive, transparent investigation into the incident be conducted.
"The results of the investigation will be shared with our international partners. The State of Qatar remains committed to ensuring the safety, security and comfort of all travelers transiting through the country."
That last point is significant, because the airport remains open. It's a vital, critical travel hub, even now, during this time of the pandemic. But its reputation has been marred by these very disturbing reports of invasive body checks and exams on female passengers. Back to you.
BRUNHUBER: Thank, you Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong.
Still to come, outrage in Philadelphia. Hundreds of protesters demanding justice for a second night after the deadly police shooting of a Black man.
Plus, Typhoon Molave brings fierce winds to Vietnam. We will have more. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Protests have erupted for a second night in Philadelphia as outrage grows over the fatal police shooting of a Black man. Hundreds of demonstrators demanded justice for 27-year-old Walter Wallace Jr. The protests were mostly peaceful but police say crowds were seen looting local businesses.
Officers say Monday's incident began with a call about a man with a knife. Cell phone video shows how the confrontation unfolded. A warning now: the following video is disturbing.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You mark my word (ph) you crazy young man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- a gun.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Move, move, move.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ohh! Ohh!
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BRUNHUBER: The family says they told police Wallace had mental health issues. The district attorney said the video was concerning and raised serious questions.
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LARRY KRASNER, PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ATTORNEY: We are in a moment of criminal justice reform in the United States. We are in a moment when everyone wants the system to be better. They want there to be appropriate, fair, even-handed police accountability.
How do we do it?
The first thing we do is vote.
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BRUNHUBER: The district attorney's office and the police are investigating. Police said neither officer had a Taser. And the police union says the department shouldn't be vilified. Both officers involved have been put on desk duty.
A judicial panel in Lagos, Nigeria, has started hearing testimony about police brutality. Two witnesses came forward Tuesday to make their complaints. The panel is also supposed to look into allegations Nigerian soldiers shot and killed peaceful protesters last week. Eleni Giokos is following developments from Johannesburg.
Many Nigerians have been talking about this for a long time.
What's the latest?
ELENI GIOKOS, CNNMONEY CORRESPONDENT: Remember, this is the first step trying to unravel the incident last week, Tuesday, where we saw protesters shot and killed. The military has denied opening fire. The Lagos state governor says he doesn't have the authority to order the military and the federal government is unclear about what truly happened 7 days ago.
Amnesty International told CNN 12 people lost their lives at the Lekki toll gate and other sites on that day. You've also got to remember here that, for many Nigerians, it's about accountability and responsibility. This judicial panel is going to be vital in hearing the voices of the victims, victims of the SARS unit, the police unit that has been accused of harassment, kidnapping over the years.
It was actually the reason the protest action started 2 weeks ago. Victims will be able to submit any of those claims and experiences, as well as anyone that was a victim last, week Tuesday.
The panel consists of 8 people; 3 of those voices are really vital. Many Nigerians say 2 of them are from the youth and are very vital in creating the protest action in Nigeria. One representative from the human rights commission as well.
These inquiries are slow and take a long time. But there is a 6 month deadline and testimony will be heard 3 days a week until there is restitution and compensation. We know people have been calling for evidence and, of course, a lot of the footage they say will be shown during the panel. We don't know if that's going to be made public.
But it's definitely a step in the direction, many say, that is right to create accountability and responsibility, something we haven't really seen at this point in time. But Lekki toll gate last, week 7 days ago, was a vital incident, a turning point for many Nigerians. They started raising their voices weeks ago about police brutality. We
saw images of the army opening fire on peaceful protesters. In the meantime, we've seen many violent incidents playing out specifically in Lagos.
These are issues that have been bubbling under the surface in Nigeria for a really long time with regards to high poverty; 70 percent of people are on or below poverty. We see critical infrastructure targeted, private property looted as well.
So the repercussions have been enormous and this will hopefully create closure for many people in the weeks to come.
BRUNHUBER: A story we will be following for the next few weeks. Thank you very much, Eleni Giokos, from Johannesburg.
Typhoon Molave is slamming Vietnam. The storm made landfall over an hour ago, bringing winds of 165 kilometers per hour. Heavy rains continue to batter the coast and there's threats of flash flooding and landslides in coming days.
In the Atlantic, the U.S. Gulf Coast is bracing for Zeta, which has strengthened back to a category one hurricane. It slammed the Yucatan Peninsula early Tuesday. This is the 27th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.
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BRUNHUBER: Millions of mail ballots have already been returned in the U.S. election but there are questions about whether ballots that arrive later will actually be counted. Coming, up we will look at the legal challenges ahead. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber.
Turnout in the U.S. election is on track to be record setting. Already, more than 68 million people have voted early, 46 million of those votes are mail ballots. That's been President Trump's focus when he questions the election's integrity. Pamela Brown reports.
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PAMELA BROWN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As of tonight, for many voters it's too late to use the Post Office to return absentee ballots.
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The Postal Service says today was the last day where you could send them and have them guaranteed to arrive on Election Day.
For those states with strict deadlines, it's now better to use a ballot box or bring the ballot to an election office.
VIRGINIA KASE, CEO, LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF THE UNITED STATES: We are keeping an especially close watch on state where is ballots cannot be counted until election day.
BROWN: While many states allow mail-in ballots post marked by election day to be counted days after the election, some states have stricter deadlines. In Wisconsin, a crucial swing state, mail-in ballots must be received by Election Day to count. The Supreme Court rejected a Democratic attempt to allow mail-in votes postmarked by Election Day to be counted up to six days after the election there.
But it's an opinion written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh that is getting attention. It says states, quote, want to avoid the chaos and suspicions of impropriety that can ensue if thousands of absentee ballots flow in after Election Day and potentially flip the results of an election. The language mirrors President Trump's rhetoric about calling a winner on election night.
TRUMP: I want to see the results of the election on November 3rd.
BROWN: While Trump's own administration officials say it's OK for the results to take more time.
CHRIS KREBS, DIRECTOR, CYBERSECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY: On November 3rd, we might not know the outcome of our election and that's OK.
BROWN: The President is taking to Twitter this morning to cast doubt on that. Saying in a tweet that's been labeled as misleading, must have final total on November 3rd.
So far, millions of mail-in votes give Democrats significant leads over Republicans in key states. But Republicans have made up ground in in-person early voting in battleground Florida, Nevada and North Carolina.
Still, Republicans must place their bets on a blockbuster Election Day turnout.
AMY CONEY BARRETT, U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: I, Amy Coney Barrett ...
BROWN: On the first day on the job, the newly appointed Supreme Court Justice, Amy Coney Barrett, already facing pressure. A Pennsylvania county asked Barrett to recuse herself from a request from state Republicans to block mail-in ballots from being counted up to three days after the election. It's one of several challenges to voting rules in key states being considered by the high court.
(on camera): Less than a week before election day and rules continue to change in some states. Like the all-important case of Michigan, where a judge struck down a ban on guns at polling places -- Pamela Brown, CNN, Washington.
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BRUNHUBER: Let's turn to CNN election analyst Franita Tolson in Los Angeles.
Nice to see you. We just heard about alleged voter fraud. President Trump got some help from the Supreme Court to potentially stop plenty of people's legal votes from counting. For those that don't follow the Supreme Court, explain what the decision was.
FRANITA TOLSON, CNN ELECTION ANALYST: The Supreme Court recently ruled that a district court judge in Wisconsin couldn't extend the deadline for the receipt of absentee ballots, even if they are postmarked by Election Day.
BRUNHUBER: OK, we saw in the midterms about 10 percent of the vote came after the Election Day. That could have huge effects, particularly on the Democratic, vote but not just in Wisconsin. But Republicans are now looking at challenges and other states as well.
TOLSON: It can have a huge impact. This push towards getting the count done by Election Day, not taking lawful ballots after Election Day, could have a very disenfranchising impact on the population.
States sometimes wait days and weeks to certify the official results and also it can disenfranchise military voters. Wisconsin in particular is odd. The Supreme Court and Brett Kavanaugh's opinion in particular takes a stance against the receipt of ballots after Election, Day when the state has done nothing to update its infrastructure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
So we know that the primary in April was not very successful in Wisconsin. Yet the state legislature has not met since April and has made no changes to infrastructure, no updates to rules, nothing to make voting easier for individuals seeking to vote by mail.
So Justice Kavanaugh's opinion ignores the facts on the ground and really focuses on the this Election Day finish, focusing on having all the votes counted by Election Day. It can make the election look less legitimate because you don't count the votes of legal voters.
BRUNHUBER: That's exactly what is so mystifying here. In his opinion, justice Kavanaugh seemed to echo a view that the president has, said the need for an outcome on November 3rd. He said states want to avoid the chaos and suspicions of impropriety that can ensue with thousands of absentee ballots flowing after Election Day and potentially flip the results of an election. Those states also want to be able to definitively announce the results of the election on Election Night or as soon as possible thereafter.
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BRUNHUBER: And minutes later, the president tweeted something similar. We have it in the report that we just heard. What does all of this suggest in terms of any challenges that might
land at the Supreme Court if the election is close and ballots still have not been received or counted?
TOLSON: It's such a bizarre take, the idea that you can flip an election by counting all the legal votes. But it does tell us something about the future. The Supreme Court is not going to be amenable to changes to state laws at this late date, even if the change has made it easier to vote, particularly if the change is put into effect by a federal district court as opposed to a state court.
The Supreme Court seems to think that those types of changes, even if they help voters, are somehow illegitimate. That tells us a lot going into an Election Day, where there will be litigation day of and postelection litigation.
It's very likely, to the extent there is any controversy over absentee ballots, post Election Day, particularly about the methods of counting, the Supreme Court will not look favorably upon those challenges. And voters are the ones who suffer as a result of this.
BRUNHUBER: I think you just referenced that, the Kavanaugh footnote where he cited the passage from the Gore-Bush decision about how the Supreme Court is able to review decisions from the state supreme courts when it comes to those states' own election laws. Highlight why this is so unusual and potentially so important.
TOLSON: There is a decision at the Supreme Court made a few years ago, more than a few at this point. The decision said that last minute changes to the election are disfavored, because it can cause voter confusion. It can be an administrative nightmare for election officials.
Wisconsin is not the only example where the Supreme Court stopped lower courts from extending deadlines and making other changes that would make it easier for people to vote in the middle of a pandemic. They viewed it as a last minute change that the court should not have made.
Because of this rule, time matters. Timing matters of the change. It's really unfortunate because at times it has seemed to become more important than other considerations; namely, the right to vote. It's hard to understand how extending the deadline 6 days past the Election Day, as long as the ballots are postmarked by Election Day, how that can lead to administrative chaos for election officials.
Wisconsin wouldn't send out more ballots than it can accommodate, presumably.
And how can a voter be confused?
If a voter has more time to return a ballot, how is that confusing?
So in many ways, it does not make sense in this context.
BRUNHUBER: Hopefully, the election will be decided at the ballot box and not at the Supreme Court.
TOLSON: Yes.
BRUNHUBER: Franita Tolson, thank you so much in Los Angeles. We appreciate it.
TOLSON: Thank you, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Donald Trump's first term as president is coming to an end. Ahead, we reflect on his 4 years in office and see which campaign promises he kept and which he failed to deliver on. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: As the U.S. election winds down, president Donald Trump is trying to convince voters he has kept most, if not all, of his campaign promises from 2016, from building a border wall to draining the political swamp in Washington. But CNN's Tom Foreman reports few of his goals were actually realized.
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TRUMP: But I didn't back down from my promises and I've kept every single one.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Really?
Let's look. Promise number one.
TRUMP: I will build a great, great wall on our southern border and I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Under Trump, as of mid-September, 331 miles of wall had been constructed on the nearly 2,000 mile border, almost all of it replacing existing sections. There are only nine miles of new wall and no evidence Mexico paid for a foot. Promise two --
TRUMP: We are going to repeal ObamaCare and replace it with something much better. Much better.
FOREMAN (voice-over): A Republican effort to overturn the law in 2017 failed. But Trump and his congressional allies did kill the requirement for people who have insurance, the individual mandate and they hope the Supreme Court will strike the whole program down this fall.
But a replacement plan, still no sign of it. Speaking of the courts, promise three --
TRUMP: Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to -- I am pro-life. The judges will be pro-life.
FOREMAN (voice-over): None of Trump's three Supreme Court nominees has openly said they intend to overturn Roe v. Wade. Critics fear their resumes suggest a willingness to restrict abortion rights. Same goes for Trump's record number of conservative judges placed in lower courts. Promise four --
TRUMP: We are going to renegotiate the disaster known as NAFTA. We are going to renegotiate.
FOREMAN (voice-over): He did replace the North American Free Trade Agreement with a similar deal to generally high marks.
TRUMP: With an incredible new U.S. Mexico-Canada agreement called USMCA.
FOREMAN (voice-over): On the other hand, his sharp tariffs on China have been criticized for costing American consumers. His promise to go after D.C. corruption --
TRUMP: We are going to drain the swamp of Washington.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Other than repeatedly calling for his political foes to be investigated, there is little evidence he has drained anything. And more than a half dozen of Trump's associates have been charged with crimes. And about his attacks on President Obama's golfing trips --
TRUMP: I'm not going to have time to go play golf and -- believe me.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Trump has teed it up more than twice as often as Obama -- Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: A coral reef taller than some of the world's biggest skyscrapers has been discovered off of Australia's East Coast. It is one and a half kilometers wide and 500 meters.
Scientists made the surprise discovery last week, while mapping the sea floor around the Great Barrier Reef. It's the first time a new detached reef has been found in more than a century.
Thank you very much for watching CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back next hour. "WORLD SPORT" is next.
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