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Interview with Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah; Trump Election Lawsuits Continue to Fail in Court; Dustin Johnson Wins Masters Golf With Record-Setting Score. Aired 10:30-11a ET
Aired November 16, 2020 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[10:30:56]
POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Well, great news this morning -- promising news -- that Moderna's coronavirus vaccine is a stunning 94.5 percent effective. Dr. Anthony Fauci called that efficacy rate "striking." But getting it approved? That is just the beginning.
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VIVEK MURTHY, CO-CHAIR, BIDEN CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE: -- one of the most challenging parts of this pandemic response, which is how to deliver that vaccine. You know, we've vaccinated Americans for many years, you know, in our country. But the campaign we're going to have to build to vaccinate enough people to create herd immunity in America will be the most ambitious vaccination campaign, I believe, in our country's history.
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HARLOW: That is Dr. Vivek Murthy, the co-chair of Joe Biden's COVID task force.
And joining me now to talk about how you actually get this in the arms of the people that need it is Dr. Nirav Shah. He is the director of Maine's CDC.
It's good to have you, sir. I was struck by your comments in "The New York Times" over the weekend and wanted to have you on because you're really worried. I mean, despite HHS Secretary Azar saying this morning we'll ensure that every state has whatever funding is needed, does Maine have the funding it needs right now to get vaccines to everyone that needs them?
NIRAV SHAH, DIRECTOR, MAINE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: At this time, states like Maine -- as well as other states across the country -- do need additional funding and additional resources. We at the state level are eager and waiting for the scientific community to pass the baton of vaccines over to us so we can now initiate the vaccination process. But we need funding to make sure that that ambitious effort gets pulled off without a hitch. HARLOW: OK, so explain it in super-layman's terms. What happens if,
in a month, you have the same amount of money for this you have now, but you have a whole bunch of vaccines that get sent your way? Do not enough people get them?
SHAH: There are two things at stake if proper funding is not received by states.
The first is the velocity with which we can vaccinate our entire state. When a vaccine comes out, we need to get it not just from -- into our warehouse, we need to get it from our warehouse to the hands of people who can vaccinate, and then into people's arms and shoulders so they can actually be vaccinated. That entire process, the velocity with which we can do that, needs to have funding behind it.
The other, equally important piece is not just the velocity, but the equity. We need to make sure that the composition of who is receiving the vaccine reflects those who need it the most, those who have been systematically disadvantaged or disproportionately affected by COVID- 19 should be the ones where we are focusing on. So velocity and equity are what's at stake.
HARLOW: So you think if you don't get more funding, it is those on the fringes, the already most disadvantaged folks, that lose out?
SHAH: That is our concern, that's our risk right now. We need funding to make sure that we can vaccinate individuals, we can store and transport the vaccine, we can keep tabs on where the vaccine is and to make sure we can create messaging to actually inspire and engender confidence in the vaccine, all of those things are critical.
HARLOW: Do you get to choose which vaccine you get more of? Because the Moderna vaccine needs to be stored in a freezer, just like a freezer you and I would have at home. The Pfizer vaccine needs to be in like 117 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, I believe. So it makes distribution harder for Pfizer. Do you get to choose which one you get more of?
SHAH: Based on the briefings that I received from our colleagues at the U.S. CDC and at Operation Warp Speed, the allocation of which vaccine will be made by our federal colleagues. How we allocate it within our state borders is more within the purview of state health officials, but the vaccine that comes to us will be decided more by the federal colleagues.
HARLOW: Because you've spoken about the logistical challenges with Pfizer's vaccine, saying this is the type of vaccine where you bring people to the vaccine rather than bringing the vaccine to people. In a state like Maine where you've got a lot of rural population as well, what does that mean -- like, what are you planning for? Like, shuttle buses with socially distanced people sitting in them and bringing them to clinics? How are you going to make that work?
[10:35:11]
SHAH: What we are doing is we are planning for the Pfizer vaccine in particular, given its unique handling requirements, is what we're thinking of as a hub-and-spoke model that we will position the vaccine in hubs around the state in the ultra-cold freezers. But we're also now buying smaller, more portable ultra-cold freezers so we can take the vaccine even further from those hubs to all the various rural spokes around the state. Our goal, again, is to vaccinate with velocity as well as with equity.
HARLOW: Finally, take a listen to this, this is from Michael Osterholm out of the University of Minnesota, who's been a leading voice throughout this but who's also part of the Biden COVID task force. Here's what he said over the weekend.
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MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, MEMBER, BIDEN COVID-19 ADVISORY BOARD: My worst nightmare is that we're going to see more -- more pictures of people literally dying in the chairs in the waiting room of the emergency room to get into hospitals. That's going to happen.
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HARLOW: People dying in chairs in emergency rooms in hospitals, waiting, that's going to happen. Is that what you're preparing for?
SHAH: It's -- he -- Dr. Osterholm paints a vivid picture. And let's of course take a moment to recognize the significant strain that the health care system as well as health care providers are under. That's why this planning around the vaccine is so critical. If we don't have the proper funding, it'll be like putting up tent poles without having the tent.
HARLOW: Well, we wish you a lot of luck as soon as you get the vaccine, Dr. Shah. Thank you for being with us this morning.
SHAH: Thank you, Poppy.
HARLOW: Of course -- Jim.
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: We do wish him luck.
Still to come, former mayor, former prosecutor and now chief conspiracy theorist: Why Rudy Giuliani's false election claims are being called very dangerous and extremely alarming. It matters.
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SCIUTTO: All right, despite having no path to victory -- that's a fact -- President Trump continues to push lies, conspiracy theories about why he lost the 2020 election.
HARLOW: In his latest fruitless attempt to overturn the results of the race, the president has chosen his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, to spearhead several long-shot legal changes and challenges. Our Drew Griffin is with us this morning for more of this reporting. Good morning, Drew.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, guys. You know, many see this chief conspiracist ruining his own reputation. But what's even more dangerous about what Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump are doing is the long-term lasting damage that they pose to the country.
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GRIFFIN (voice-over): It would be laughable if this wasn't so dangerous.
RUDY GIULIANI, TRUMP'S PERSONAL ATTORNEY: -- start doing ballots like this, da-da-da-da-da.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Rudy Giuliani on "Fox Sunday," spinning his latest false conspiracy theory about an American voting machine company, a bizarre take involving George Soros, votes being counted in Spain and dead strongman Hugo Chavez.
GIULIANI: A company that has close, close ties with Venezuela, and therefore China --
GRIFFIN (voice-over): False. Truth, facts? They don't seem to matter to Giuliani, who's tweeting, posting on YouTube, showing up on far- right wing shows spouting wildly false allegations, even from the parking lot of a landscaping company next to an adult bookstore.
GIULIANI: Wow, what a beautiful day.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): His argument? In Philadelphia, that vote- counters were purposely hiding ballots from Trump's poll watchers.
GIULIANI: Because many, many of them were fraudulent.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Not true. This is the man President Trump has just put in charge of his legal challenges to Joe Biden's presidential win. A stack of lawsuits has already been thrown out or dropped including nine in one day.
BEN GINSBURG, REPUBLICAN ELECTION LAWYER: All of the cases, all of the cases are falling apart. The (ph) way (ph) he's going about (ph) continuing to file cases with no basis in court, just makes Donald Trump a loser more times (ph).
GRIFFIN (voice-over): In a Pennsylvania lawsuit, a judge asked Trump's attorney, "Are you claiming that there is any fraud in connection with these disputed ballots?" The Trump attorney admitted, "No."
Yet along with other Trump cronies, Giuliani keeps feeding the world his debunked conspiracy theories.
GIULIANI: Each state, there were ineligible ballots that overwhelmed the margin of victory. GRIFFIN (voice-over): No, Mr. Giuliani, there weren't. The United
States Department of Homeland Security issued this joint statement from its elections infrastructure committee, stating, "There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes or was in any way compromised."
JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Rudy Giuliani is undermining confidence in the American elections system, and therefore undermining our national security.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): It's a far cry from the man who was dubbed "mayor of the world" in the wake of 9/11. Ever since Giuliani became a vocal supporter of the president's 2016 presidential bid, he's been Trump's chief conspiracist, even traveling to Ukraine to try to dig up dirt on Hunter Biden. Intelligence officials told the White House Giuliani was the target of a Russian influence operation in 2019, according to the "Washington Post."
KEN MCCALLION, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: It is very dangerous, and it's extremely alarming.
[10:45:00]
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Former federal prosecutor Ken McCallion, who specializes in Russian organized crime and once worked with Giuliani, believes Giuliani may be unwittingly doing the Russians' business in this election.
MCCALLION: What they're doing is completely, 100 percent in the interest of Russia, which is to create as much damage and confusion to the U.S.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): And it's working. The lies and false reports, sending thousands into the streets for a pro-Trump protest this past weekend, and perhaps convincing millions of Americans to doubt the U.S. election system.
Staunch Republican and former Trump national security adviser John Bolton says it's a damaging strategy that won't end after Trump leaves office.
JOHN BOLTON, FORMER TRUMP NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Real distrust in the system, casting doubt on the integrity of our electoral system, the constitutional process, the Russians and the Chinese couldn't ask for any more. What Trump's doing is potentially dangerous for the country.
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GRIFFIN: Former colleagues of Giuliani question whether there's real cognitive decline leading to this lack of judgment. They tell us they simply don't understand what has happened to Rudy Giuliani. One who noted to us, Poppy, that Donald Trump doesn't even pay Rudy Giuliani, leading them to think Rudy is destroying his own reputation free of charge. HARLOW: I just kept coming back to the thought, America's mayor -- or
as you pointed out in the piece, Drew, the world's mayor, not that long ago. Thank you for the reporting, Drew Griffin.
Still to come, the great news this morning from Moderna, announcing a potentially groundbreaking development in their vaccine against COVID.
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[10:51:10]
SCIUTTO: All right, so let's talk about something that's working, right? The space program, a new era for the NASA space program after the successful launch of four astronauts into space overnight, heading to the International Space Station. The SpaceX crew, Dragon, is the first American-made spacecraft able to bring astronauts to orbit since the end of the Space Shuttle program, which is now nine years ago, if you could believe it.
HARLOW: Just extraordinary to see. Three NASA astronauts and one Japanese astronaut are now in orbit. That includes pilot Victor Glover, who will be the first black astronaut to be a member of the Space Station's crew. The capsule is set to dock tonight. That's great to see.
All right, just a month after battling coronavirus, golfer Dustin Johnson makes history with a record-setting win at the Masters.
SCIUTTO: Andy Scholes as more on this morning's "Bleacher Report" from Augusta. So much sports news this weekend. Tiger struggled a little bit, but good for Dustin Johnson.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. What a Sunday we had in the sports world, never had anything like this before, NFL football and the Masters final round on the same day.
And this Masters certainly was unique, Jim and Poppy. You know, we had no fans there so we didn't have those big roars around Augusta National like we're accustomed to on a final round of a Masters. But fittingly in 2020, Dustin Johnson just runs away with this tournament, winning with a Masters final score of 20 under par.
And D.J., he battled some demons to win this one. You know, he was O for four when converting 54-hole (ph) leads to win at Majors before yesterday. Fought through those nerves though, able to get it done.
And D.J.'s little brother Austin, who caddies for him, tearing up on 18 as they just shared a really special moment at the end of the tournament. D.J.'s fiancee, Paulina Gretzky, running over, giving him a big hug and a kiss to congratulate him.
Now, D.J. actually grew up about an hour from here in Columbia, South Carolina, always dreamed of winning the Masters as a kid and he was very emotional when speaking about finally getting to put on that green jacket.
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DUSTIN JOHNSON, 2020 MASTERS CHAMPION: You know, just growing up so close to here, you know, it's always been, you know a tournament that, you know, since I've been on tour, that you know, since I've played my first Masters, it's been, you know, the tournament I wanted to win the most.
As a kid, you know, dream of playing in the Masters and, you know, dream about putting on a green jacket. Couldn't be more happy and, you know, I think I look pretty good in green too.
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SCHOLES: Now, it was defending champion Tiger Woods who put that green jacket on Dustin Johnson. And Tiger had himself a wild day. He hit it in the water on 12, not once, not twice, but three times. And last year, Tiger survived 12 on Sunday while the others on the leaderboard found the water, which actually helped Tiger win the tournament in 2019. But this time around, he wasn't so lucky.
Tiger, a 10-on-a-hole for the first time in his career, actually fought back pretty well right after that though, with birdies at five of his last six holes.
All right, we also had NFL Football yesterday, looked like the Buffalo Bills had their game against the Arizona Cardinals all but wrapped up with 11 seconds remaining, but watch Kyler Murray with one of the best throws of his young career, escapes the pressure, heaves it to the endzone for the Hail Mary, and DeAndre Hopkins, a catch for the ages, in between three Buffalo Bills defenders.
Cardinals win on the Hail Mary with just a fantastic play from both Murray and Hopkins, 32 to 30 the final there. I'll tell you what, Jim and Poppy, you know, that's going to be the play of the year in the NFL, more than likely. And you know, in terms of Hail Marys I've seen in my lifetime, that might be the best ever.
SCIUTTO: That was incredible. He's a quarterback on my fantasy football league, just want to throw that out there --
[10:55:03]
SCHOLES: Ha, congrats, Jim.
(LAUGHER)
SCIUTTO: -- not claiming any great wisdom, but thought I might just throw that in.
HARLOW: No wonder you're in such a good mood this morning, Sciutto.
SCIUTTO: It's all I got.
HARLOW: OK, thanks, Andy, we appreciate it.
And thanks to all of you for being with us today, glad we could bring you some good news on the vaccine from Moderna. We'll have more for you tomorrow morning, I'm Poppy Harlow.
SCIUTTO: And I'm Jim Sciutto. NEWSROOM with Kate Bolduan starts right after a short break.
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