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Growing Chorus Within Trump Circle Urging President Trump To Accept Defeat; Global Coronavirus Cases Pass 50 Million; Interview With Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA). Aired 3-4p ET

Aired November 08, 2020 - 15:00   ET

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

JONATHAN NEZ, PRESIDENT, NAVAJO NATION: Dr. Fauci said Navajo could be a model in helping push back coronavirus in local communities.

I mean, right now, as we know, we're going through -- the United States of America is going through three surges or three waves. But on the Navajo Nation, we are going through our second way, and it is because we listened to our public health professionals, our scientists. We here on Navajo mandated people to wear masks and we even have curfews which we're going through right now to keep everybody home.

So here's an opportunity to share lessons learned from our nation, to this country, the United States of America as well, and I'm sure the team will reach out to the Navajo nation and our public health professional to see what has worked and not worked here in our communities.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: All right, President of the Navajo Nation, Jonathan Nez, thank you so much for your time. All the best.

NEZ: Thank you for everything. Yes.

[15:01:01]

WHITFIELD: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for being with me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin this hour with President Donald Trump still refusing to concede an election he has clearly lost. Now, even members of his own family are privately telling him to admit his defeat.

A source tells CNN that First Lady, Melania Trump has advised her husband to accept the loss, and CNN has also learned that senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner has approached President Trump about conceding the race.

Instead, the President publicly remains defiant continuing to falsely claim the election was somehow rigged against him.

Meantime, both the President and President Elect are facing an intensifying pandemic. Saturday set another devastating record; more than 126,000 new cases. It is the third straight day of more than 120,000 cases.

Globally, the pandemic has surpassed another grim milestone, more than 50 million infections and counting.

In his victory speech last night, President-elect Joe Biden pledged to name a new Coronavirus Taskforce by tomorrow comprised of leading scientists and experts. Biden making it clear the pandemic will be his top priority when he takes office January 20th.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our work begins with getting COVID under control. We cannot repair the economy, restore vitality, or relish life's most precious moments, hugging our grandchildren and our children, our birthdays, weddings, graduations, all the moments that matter most to us until we get it under control.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Our correspondents are covering these developments. Kate Bennett is in Washington, Jeremy Diamond at the White House. So Kate, you first. What do we know about the First Lady encouraging the President to concede?

KATE BENNETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, behind the scenes, apparently, a source tells CNN that she has been having conversations wherein she has told the President that it is time to accept the loss of the election.

However, in the past hour, she has tweeted publicly, what sounds more like her stepsons saying that every vote should be counted, the illegal ones and legal ones, et cetera, pointing to those -- that same rhetoric and saying that democracy must be protected.

So it's a very different public forward facing statement from the First Lady. It sounds a lot more like the way we heard her the week leading up to the election on the campaign trail, really backing her husband's rhetoric. This is a First Lady that doesn't typically wade into the political arena. She is typically quite private, very -- doesn't share her feelings, especially about politics.

But here, today, publicly again, she has tweeted for the first time since the election, but privately we are hearing a different story that she is among those growing voices that could be telling the President it's time to step aside. It's time to say that this election is a loss for him, and it's time to move forward -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And then Jeremy, what about Jared Kushner, it's being -- you know, we have been reporting that he has been nudging. Has there been an about-face in any way similar to what we're now hearing about Melania Trump's point of view?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, we know that there are some people around the President who have been advising him that it is time to accept the situation, this loss that he was dealt by the American people in this most recent election.

Two sources told our colleague, Kaitlan Collins that Jared Kushner is among them; that Jared Kushner has approached the President about conceding in this election. That is something that the Trump campaign at this point is pushing back on very heavily. Jason Miller, a senior adviser to the campaign insisting that Jared Kushner has encouraged the President to continue pursuing all legal remedies.

What we do know is that there are different camps and that there are some people who are also advising the President to push this until the very last second, to go through all of the possible legal challenges that he can and I know from talking with several sources that two of those individuals are the President's eldest sons, Don Jr. and Eric Trump, both of whom have been vocal privately with the president as well as with his allies that they believe personally that this election was stolen from the President, and they believe that he should contest this election until all legal avenues are exhausted.

[15:05:16]

DIAMOND: What is clear is that that is the avenue that President Trump is pursuing at this moment and he is showing no signs of abating. We have seen him in recent days claim that he in fact, won the election, falsely claimed that he won the election, make all of these allegations about voter fraud without actually providing any concrete evidence.

And he has also refused to concede so far, instead, the Trump campaign plans to go to court beginning tomorrow by pressing forward with its legal challenges. The question is, once that is all exhausted, what will we see from the President?

So far, sources have indicated that it appears the President will ultimately, you know, concede to at least a transition of power. But will he offer those words that so many millions of Americans in this country who support him needs to hear in order to feel that Joe Biden is the legitimate next President of the United States? That is a big question, and one to which sources I've talked to so far really don't know the answer yet.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jeremy Diamond and Kate Bennett. We'll leave it there for now. Thanks so much.

All right, so publicly, many Republicans have been reluctant to congratulate President-elect Biden on his campaign victory. But today, one of the most prominent in the party did just that.

Former President George W. Bush called Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to congratulate them both.

CNN's Jessica Dean has the details from the Biden headquarters there in Delaware. So Jessica, this was an important moment even as some in the Republican Party are, you know, fighting the results of the election.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. Former President Bush, Fred, offering his congratulations both to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. We heard from a Biden adviser, Symone Sanders earlier today on our air saying that several Republicans had reached out to Biden. Now we know that George Bush is among those.

He is also -- and this is important -- because we aren't hearing from President Trump right now, what we are hearing publicly from former President George W. Bush, it is important to note that he released a public statement and I want to read to you a little bit about what he said about his conversation with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

He said, "I extended my warm congratulations and thanked him for the patriotic message he delivered last night. I also called Kamala Harris to congratulate her on her historic election to the vice presidency. Though we have our political differences, I know Joe Biden to be a good man, who has won his opportunity to lead and unify our country. The President-elect reiterated that while he ran as a Democrat, he will govern for all Americans. I offered him the same thing I offered Presidents Trump and Obama, my prayers for their success and my pledge to help in any way I can."

George Bush also going on to say that he believes this is a fundamentally fair election and that the outcome is clear, again, in stark contrast to what we're hearing publicly from President Trump right now, but much more in line from what we traditionally hear when there is a peaceful transition of power and also worth noting, Fred, that President Bush has really stayed out of the political fray, he didn't really weigh in on this election cycle at all, so to hear from him after this election, very notable.

WHITFIELD: And then Jessica, what about tomorrow? President-elect saying he is going to have his own Coronavirus Taskforce? What are you learning?

DEAN: Right. So we know that President-elect Biden made the coronavirus pandemic central to his pitch to American voters and they are making that their top priority as they begin their transition.

So we know tomorrow that they will announce their Coronavirus Taskforce. This is going to be made up of doctors, experts, and scientists, these are people that had been counseling former Vice President Joe Biden, now President-elect Joe Biden, as he was running for President and they were doing the briefings very, very consistently.

So now, they are going to be taking these meetings and these ideas and really turning them into actionable policies, what they're going to do, as soon as Joe Biden gets into the White House, but remember, Fred, he doesn't have any authority to do anything until January 20th.

So right now, they are trying to prepare, lay all of this out so they can take as quick and effective action as possible. Some of the things that we should expect them to be focusing on: more testing, more free testing, more widespread testing, more available PPE for people, and also manufacturing and getting out the distribution of the vaccines.

So these are some of the things that these experts are going to have to zero in on and formulate plans for, also strengthening the U.S. relationship with the World Health Organization. These are things that we could expect to hear much more from the transition team in the coming days.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jessica Dean, thank you so much -- in Wilmington.

All right, so while the U.S. has been largely focused on the presidential election for this last week, the coronavirus pandemic has surged to record levels across the country.

[15:10:10]

WHITFIELD: On Saturday, the U.S. reported more than 126,000 new cases, a new daily record. It was the fourth day this week that new cases totaled more than a hundred thousand. Dr. Ashish Jha is the Dean of Brown University School of Public Health. Doctor, good to see you.

So President-elect Biden already getting to work announcing a new Coronavirus Taskforce tomorrow, what do you want to see in that taskforce and the mission?

DR. ASHISH JHA, DIRECTOR, HARVARD GLOBAL HEALTH INSTITUTE: Yes, so thank you for having me on, Fred.

I want -- what I want to see is a breadth of expertise. This is a complicated pandemic and we need sort of an all-hands on deck approach. So, so far, the three people we have heard about are all great public health practitioners, public health experts. I like it.

I also want to make sure that we have people who can bring the other perspectives: economists, sociologists, or people who've worked in government in other roles, because we really need a broad approach to dealing with this pandemic.

WHITFIELD: So are you at all concerned about what Biden's Coronavirus Taskforce can have access to, can obtain without the cooperation of the existing administration's coronavirus taskforce?

JHA: Well, first and foremost, I think we should demand that there be cooperation. You know, there is precedent for this. In 2008, when we were in a financial crisis, President Bush and incoming President Obama, their teams work very closely on the transition and we should do -- we should see the same here, we are in a public health crisis.

So I think it's critically important that President Trump have his Coronavirus Taskforce work closely with Mr. Biden's Taskforce, President-elect Biden's Taskforce and that's going to be critical.

And if they don't, then yes, I think it's going to be harder for the Biden Taskforce to do its job.

WHITFIELD: What are your concerns about this flu season and this upcoming Holiday Season, because there will be a lot of people who just simply can't refrain from the idea of gathering with family members or friends?

JHA: Yes, I totally understand. You know, we've been having similar conversations in our family about whether we can see my elderly parents and whether -- and what we do safely. It is just really hard.

Right now, the current Federal leadership has left a country where we have more than 120,000 new infections a day, and it is increasing.

I just don't know that it is safe to get together with elderly relatives over Thanksgiving or over the Holidays, not unless we get the virus under substantially better control and I'm not optimistic we're going to get there in the next four to six weeks.

WHITFIELD: And if not, if there is no change in the approach over the coronavirus, especially within the next 72 days, I mean, what's your expectation about how long it takes with a new administration new team to be able to institute anything that will promote change short term?

JHA: Yes. So I think if there isn't any change, if President Trump and the Federal leadership doesn't do much, and if Congress isn't able to help states really act more aggressively in the next couple of months.

First of all, I expect that probably another hundred thousand Americans certainly die between now and Inauguration Day. That's an awful, awful number.

And the new team is going to have -- it is going to take them weeks, if not months, to start trying to turn things around.

Again, I think we can do much, much better than that. Fred. I don't think that's what we're fated to. But it will require a lot of work and leadership in the coming weeks and months if we want to avoid that fate.

WHITFIELD: Dr. Ashish Jha, thank you so much. Appreciate it. Always good to see you. Be well.

JHA: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, still ahead, a historic victory as Kamala Harris becomes the first woman and first woman of color to be elected Vice President; her plans for the White House.

Plus, Georgia hangs in the balance as Democrats battle for control of the U.S. Senate. Could two longtime Republican seats turn blue?

And Andrew Yang says, absolutely, and he is moving to the State of Georgia to help make it happen. We'll talk to him about what his plan is.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:18:18]

WHITFIELD: Kamala Harris is a historic Vice President-elect on so many levels. She will become the highest-ranking woman in this country's history. She is also the first woman of color to win the vice presidency and as a child of immigrants, her life and inspiration to countless people around the country and world. I want to bring in California Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who just won

her re-election bid. She is also a former Chairwoman and current member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Good to see you and congratulations.

REP. BARBARA LEE (D-CA): Good to be with you. Thank you so much. I tell you, we can take a deep breath and get to work.

WHITFIELD: What has this past 24 hours been like for you?

LEE: Goodness, it's been really, really a relief. But also, it's been exciting and it has been a moment where we could pause and celebrate and be happy because the last four years have been a heavy weight on the plate and the load on so many people.

And so I think yesterday, we were excited. We celebrated -- we're still celebrating, but we're thinking about now the challenges before us and what we have to do to really take on this virus in a big way to create jobs and to help bring the country together.

And of course, I'm excited that President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris won.

WHITFIELD: Yes, I mean, you really do underscore you know, a couple of things there because I think it really did seem evident that the jubilation that you saw in the streets, it was something different. There was a different tone that came with that, what looked like just pure sheer happiness among so many people of all walks after the race was called. Yet, at the same time, contrast that with a lot of people who are really hurting right now particularly because of this pandemic.

And you know, people losing their jobs and family members and their livelihoods. So do you think with a new Congress, with a new leadership in the White House that there will be a new effort of stimulus with fresh new eyes, a different kind of energy that will help pacify and answer to how so many people are hurting?

[15:20:36]

LEE: Absolutely, and let me just say, people have been terrified, okay, people have been afraid, people have been bogged down and people have not had hope. I think what we saw yesterday was hope. And people really thinking that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Now, this is not going to be easy, because you know, we've passed the Heroes Bill in the House twice and that created a pathway for our state and local government, to make sure that our essential workers weren't laid off or fired.

We put funding in there for contact tracing and testing and healthcare provisions. We put in more money for PPE, more money for our schools and more money for our small businesses, minority-owned businesses.

People are living on the edge. They need their extension of their additional unemployment compensation. They need their direct assistance payment. They need a heck of a lot. And this Republican Congress just has not stepped up.

So I am hopeful now that Senator Mitch McConnell will recognize and realize that his people are suffering also, and that now, we have and will have a President and a Vice President who really will work to look out for their constituents also and come to the table and help us and I hope that we can do this this year, not wait until January.

But I think that they need to understand that their people are hurting just as bad as Democrats, people who are living on the edge and suffering through this.

WHITFIELD: And let me ask you about this, you know, history marker here with Kamala Harris, you know, a first in so many levels, a glass ceiling breaker, but you yourself, you know, a glass ceiling breaker, here you are as a Member of Congress.

But tell me what this means for this nation, a nation of 244 years, you know, and continuing to make history and now making history with a woman, a black woman who will be the most powerful political force and, you know, a national force, as well as a force worldwide.

LEE: You know, this is a moment that not only have we been waiting for, but we've been working for. I got involved in politics through the first election, the first campaign of the first African-American woman elected to Congress. That was Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm.

She was the first one that was -- she ran for President in 1972. What was that? Fifty two years ago, and so black women, women of color have been fighting, we've stepped up, worked in elections. We deserve a seat at the table in the highest office of the land.

So we are very proud because what this means now is that there is a new perspective, a broader perspective on the challenges that so many of our people have to deal with each and every day in terms of pay equity, in terms of child care, in terms of reproductive justice, in terms of economic growth.

I mean, in terms of climate change, women have a very specific and unique perspective based on our experiences. And so to be seen, and to be heard in the White House with our Vice President is just something that is long overdue, but we are there now.

And so we have to move forward, we have to make sure that we're clear about our agenda and we know that we have someone at the table who is going to speak for us. And I'm so excited because our young girls now know that they too, can achieve whatever they want to achieve in this world because Senator, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, like so many others have broken so many glass ceilings.

She continues to bring other women of color along. I work very hard. We have Representation Matters supporting women of color running for Congress. So, it's up to us to make sure that we crack more ceilings and help more women move into places where they never thought they would be.

WHITFIELD: Then who would you like to take her seat now that there's a vacancy in the U.S. Senate?

LEE: You know, the governor is going to make that decision, right? So it's going to be up to ...

WHITFIELD: I thought you might have some ideas --

LEE: ... the governor.

WHITFIELD: You might do a little nudging yourself.

LEE: What the governor believes will be the best for the State of California.

WHITFIELD: Good answer. All right, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, a pleasure. Thank you so much.

LEE: Thank you. Nice being with you.

WHITFIELD: Thank you. All right, coming up, Georgia hasn't elected a Democratic senator in 20 years. Will two runoff races flip the state blue and shift the balance of power?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:29:29]

WHITFIELD: Runoff elections for a pair of pivotal U.S. Senate seats in Georgia could determine the balance of power in the new Congress. Democrats are confident they can win both seats in January, which would result in an even split in the Senate with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris able to cast tie breaking votes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Do you think Democrats have a chance to win both seats?

STACEY ABRAMS (D), FORMER GEORGIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Absolutely. I want to push back against this anachronistic notion that we can't win in Georgia.

In years past when we've had runoff elections, whether it was the '92 election or the 2008 election, in both of those elections, we elected Democratic Presidents. We elected Democratic Presidents who had strong support in the U.S. Senate.

This is the first time that we will have three things happen. One, we've got John Ossoff and Raphael Warnock at the top of these tickets, working together to make certain that voters come back. Number two, we will have the investment and the resources that have never followed our runoffs in Georgia for Democrats.

And number three, this is going to be the determining factor of whether we have access to healthcare and access to justice in the United States. Those are two issues that will make certain that people turn out. We know this is going to be a hard fight. It's going to be a

competitive fight --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:30:43]

WHITFIELD: CNN's Natasha Chen joining me now from a Biden victory rally in Cobb County, Georgia, which helped Biden take the lead in the Peach State. So Natasha, are Biden supporters equally confident about this crucial runoff races.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Democrats here in Cobb County, which is just outside of Atlanta, they are confidently energetic, but they also know what a tough fight these coming weeks are going to be.

In fact, this victory rally that is just wrapping up, they are also registering volunteers at that tent. As you can see that giant Raphael Warnock sign, they've also got Ossoff signs, they really are taking this opportunity, just getting this momentum to continue, getting people to make sure that they are going to stay involved in the coming weeks.

And of course, people are having fun with, you know, cardboard cutouts and enjoying this moment of celebrating yesterday's win here. And, you know, coming over to this street side where the honking continues, just like you saw in Atlanta.

You know, I want to introduce you to Jackie Bettadapur. She is the Chairwoman of the Cobb County Democrats. And Jackie, you and I were talking about the runoff efforts that are about to really get into high gear. Are you nervous at all that Republican see how close this was and that they'll come out in droves in January?

JACQUELYN BETTADAPUR, CHAIRWOMAN, COBB COUNTY DEMOCRATS: Actually I think it's going to be interesting to see, I think they may have a tough time getting turnout without Trump on the ballot after suffering this defeat. It is going to be difficult to get Republicans out to vote in the runoff.

I think the Democrats are much more energized and encouraged and the stakes are really high for us to gain control of the Senate. And I think in the ballots, we'll be able to turn out both more folks than they will be able to turn out.

CHEN: Yes, what is going to be the key factor here to winning those runoffs? What are you going to be doing with your party here in this county?

BETTADAPUR: We are just going to be making sure that everybody who showed up on November 3rd or in the early vote period and voted in the General Election, that they turn around and turn out and vote again.

So we had record turnout and we're just going to have to try to make sure that everybody sticks with us and knows what the stakes are and knows they have to vote again. It's going to be very challenging because of the Holidays. New Years, it's only a nine-week turnaround. People are tired. But Democrats know what the stakes are and they will turn out and vote.

CHEN: Yes, and I just want to put into context why some Democrats here are feeling this confident. We were talking about Cobb County, you know, in the 90s, at least part of this county was represented by Newt Gingrich, and this is not the same Cobb County that was in the 90s.

We're seeing a demographic shift. We're seeing now this county vote blue this time, as you said, a sweep. Just maybe describe for us what you're seeing and why there is actually a chance here.

BETTADAPUR: Well, we've seen this incredible trajectory. Hillary Clinton won this county by 8,000 votes and that was two points. And then Stacey Abrams ran for governor in 2018 and she won by 30,000 votes and that was a nine-point margin. And now we're seeing Joe Biden win this county by 57,000 votes, and it's a 14-point margin.

So that -- Mitt Romney won the county in 2012, the Republican by 12 points. So we've seen a plus 12-point for Republicans convert into a 14-point victory for Democrats in just eight years. So when you see that kind of trajectory, it's really incredible and it shows you the change that this county has gone through.

CHEN: Well, thank you so much, Jackie. I really appreciate you talking to us. And again, Cobb County, previously at least part of the county represented by Newt Gingrich in the 90s, a very different story today. But these folks still know, the Democrats here know that it is going to be a very tough fight for those runoff in January -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Natasha Chen, thank you so much for that.

All right, former presidential candidate Andrew Yang says he has got a lot of confidence in those runoff races in Georgia. It's why he is moving to Georgia. We're going to talk to him about his plan, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:39:56]

WHITFIELD: The U.S. election is front page news across the globe with tongue-in-cheek kind of headlines. Take a look at the front page from the Western Australia, a picture of the President-elect Joe Biden with the caption "Phew." And one German newspaper turned one of the President's favorite taglines into this headline, "You're fired."

And Canada's "The National Post" poked fun at the uncertainty over the last few days about who was projected the winner in the race. On the cover, a picture of Biden with the caption, "The apparently likely probably presumptive almost certainly next President of the United States."

[15:40:37]

WHITFIELD: All right, thousands of people rushed to the streets yesterday after networks called Pennsylvania for Joe Biden.

CNN's Polo Sandoval reports on the celebrations that swept the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Celebrations in cities across the U.S. including many of the places that swept Joe Biden into the White House. From New York to Miami in the East, to Denver to Austin out West, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris supporters flooded into the streets after CNN and other news organizations projected Biden as the winner Saturday morning.

Honking horns, cheering, dancing and popping champagne.

In the U.S. Capitol, a crowd packed into the streets in front of the White House at Black Lives Matter Plaza within seconds of the race being called. Streets nearby filled with people shouting, banging pots and pans and singing.

In Philadelphia, which was key to Biden's decisive Pennsylvania win, cars honked, people wave Biden flags and a large crowd gathered outside of Philadelphia City Hall. It was unseasonably warm and people were pouring into the streets with everything from coffees to cocktails.

In New York City, people gathered outside of the Trump International Hotel and Tower chanting "No more Trump."

In Times Square, a doctor in New York had this reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just seeing how this pandemic ravaged our city, I am so thrilled that we're going to have a leader who is going to take this pandemic and do what needs to be done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL (voice over): Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer joined the crowd that gathered outside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn seen holding up a Biden-Harris sign.

In Chicago, crowds gathered to celebrate outside Trump Tower cheering and ringing bells while cars honked. Some people raising Biden-Harris signs from their car windows.

A crowd also gathered in Atlanta at Freedom Park while people sipped champagne and danced in the streets in Austin, Texas, a democratic stronghold in the middle of red Texas, revelers waved Biden 2020 flags in front of the State Capitol.

While Biden and Harris did not win Florida, their supporters flocked to Cafe Versailles in the heart of the Cuban-American community in Miami. And in Las Vegas, vehicles draped in Biden-Harris flags driving through the streets. Celebrations continued into the night all across America.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Polo Sandoval, thank you so much for that look at everywhere.

All right, no election coverage would be complete without "Saturday Night Live's" version of events. An all-star cast of Jim Carrey, Maya Rudolph, Alec Baldwin reprised their roles as the big political players to make a lot of fun of the Biden-Harris victory, President Trump's concession speech -- not -- and CNN's coverage of it all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK BENNETT (IMPERSONATING WOLF BLITZER): Welcome back to what has become Election Week in America. I am Wolf Blitzer and I've been awake so long that my weird stubbly beard finally makes sense.

[LAUGHTER]

BENNETT: I'm joined by John King who has been operating our touchscreen for the past 85 hours. How are you, John?

ALEX MOFFAT (IMPERSONATING JOHN KING): Oh, I'm great, Wolf. Thanks. You know, my fingers are numb, but I think that's normal.

JIM CARREY (IMPERSONATING JOE BIDEN): Tonight, we're not going to stand here and gloat.

MAYA RUDOLPH (IMPERSONATING KAMALA HARRIS): Well, maybe --

CARREY: We're not rubbing our victory in everybody's face.

RUDOLPH: But like just a tiny bit.

CARREY: We're humbly accepting this victory.

RUDOLPH: Exactly. And I'm just -- I'm just going to play a quick song on my phone.

CARREY: There are situations in life and this is one of them where there must be a winner and loser.

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]

CARREY: Loser.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:49:03]

WHITFIELD: The Democrats chances of retaking control of the U.S. Senate now hinge on a pair of runoff elections for two pivotal U.S. Senate seats in Georgia. Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang announcing on Twitter that he and his wife are planning to move to Georgia to help the Democratic candidates, John Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock win their races in January.

Well, he is with us now to explain all of this. Andrew, good to see you.

So is this a temporary move, relocation? Or is this something permanent?

ANDREW YANG, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, this is to help the candidates win the special elections on January 5th, so it's not a permanent relocation to Georgia, though it's a great place and we spend a lot of time there.

But the fact is, I've spent months campaigning for Joe and Kamala and it's going to be very difficult for them to get their agenda through Congress if Mitch McConnell can say no to everything.

So if the Senate races go to the Dems, Kamala becomes the tie breaking vote and it becomes much, much more likely that Joe can push forward the kind of robust agenda our country needs to rebuild right now.

[15:50:13]

WHITFIELD: So what do you hope to bring to Ossoff or Warnock's campaigns -- Things that you learned while running, you know, for the presidency yourself? How do you see yourself assisting them in campaigning, you know, over the next 50 some days?

YANG: I just talked to Jon Ossoff who I have been in touch with before. And I told him, I'm just a volunteer trying to help. So I'll knock on doors, I'll canvass in a socially distant COVID safe manner, of course, talk to groups of people, younger Americans, college students, Asian-Americans in Georgia, anyone who will have me really to try and get out the vote for John.

I think that there will be many people like me heading to Georgia to help volunteer for his campaign and Reverend Warnock's campaign because we see that the future of this country is going to hinge on what Georgians decide on January 5th.

WHITFIELD: Former gubernatorial candidate, Stacey Abrams, clearly does not believe it's a long shot at all. She was on with Jake Tapper earlier today, who said, you know, it's a real possibility. I mean, look at what just happened in this presidential race in terms of a very red state turning pretty blue.

What do you believe the chances are for Ossoff and Warnock in this runoff election?

YANG: Well, Stacey would know better than anyone else. The fact is she lost by a razor thin margin that probably should have been a victory for her. So Georgia has been going progressively purple over time, and I think that these special elections are going to be an incredible test of where Georgia is because people are going to be coming out on both sides.

This is going to be kind of a microcosm of the presidential election. There's so much at stake in Georgia during these two runoffs.

WHITFIELD: And perhaps, it is the idea that runoffs can be -- it can be difficult to get the same kind of turnout to inspire people to one more time, you know, make it to cast their ballot for a special election or a runoff race.

How do you impress upon people who ordinarily might feel a little inconvenienced about a runoff race? How do you impress upon them the importance of turning out just as they did for the General Election?

YANG: That's why I personally think that having folks on the ground just talking to folks because who the heck thinks about voting January 5th? I voted November.

So we have to let them know that look, this election is as important as any other election really in recent history, and the best way to let them know that is to reach them where they are, call them, knock on doors, text them, just alert them to the importance of this race or these two races.

WHITFIELD: What has the last 24 hours been like for you, digesting the calling of the race of Biden and Harris, the history made with that ticket and their speeches last night, which the goal was clear, bringing people together uniting people and bringing everyone on board, even if they didn't win their support at the ballot box.

YANG: It gave me a lot of joy and pride, particularly Joe's speech, I thought he knocked it out of the park. And I remember campaigning next to Joe during the winter months. If you recall, no one thought that Joe was the favorite to be the nominee after Iowa and New Hampshire.

I talked to him after in New Hampshire and he was always so steadfast. He always had a vision for what his campaign should be and what the country needed. But at those times, they were dark times for Joe.

When you think about the comeback kid, Joe Biden has been the ultimate comeback kid, and his speech last night was a culmination not just for him and his campaign and his team, but for the entire country. It was really wonderful.

WHITFIELD: And then the hope and inspiration that comes with his Vice President-elect, this Pacific Asian American woman making history groundbreaking, and her vision of America and her representation of America. How did that portion of history hit you?

YANG: It was also incredible to see. I don't know about everyone else, but I felt like Kamala was emanating joy, in part because of what she represents and embodies to so many Americans, the daughter of immigrants, a black woman, a South Asian woman could become Vice President and really, it's just one generation if you think about it, and that's the promise of America.

Kamala means so much to so many people and I became friends with her on the trail. Seeing her, I traded texts with Doug. It's incredible. They're great people. They deserve it. The country deserves them.

[15:55:15]

WHITFIELD: Fantastic. Hey, see you in Georgia. Next stop, Georgia.

YANG: I'll be in Georgia -- we should together in a studio.

WHITFIELD: We'll get together. I want to hear more about your plan. Fantastic. Andrew Yang, thank you so much. Good to see you. Safe travels to you and your wife.

All right, thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. CNN NEWSROOM continues with Ana Cabrera right after this.

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