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Key GOP Michigan Canvassing Board Member Might Vote Against Certification; Chris Christie Calls Trump's Legal Team A National Embarrassment; National Security Concerns Grow Over Blocked Transition; U.S. Surpasses 12 Million COVID Cases Ahead Of Thanksgiving Holiday; Biden Set To Announce First Cabinet Picks This Week; South Dakota Hospitals Under Strain; Maryland Teacher Collecting Donations. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired November 22, 2020 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:25]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. We begin this hour with breaking news out of Michigan.

CNN has learned that at least one Republican member of the Michigan Board of Canvassers has reiterated his intentions to vote against certification. Now Michigan's election certification could be in doubt if another Republican on the board decides to vote against the results.

For the very latest on these developments, let's bring in Kristen Holmes.

So, Kristen, what more can you tell us about what this means? There are four members, right, and so one Republican member has expressed his or her intentions?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. So, essentially the Board of Canvassers is four people, two Democrats and two Republicans. And this is really seen as a formality, to certify the results of the election. But that is not the case this year. This year, of course, as we have seen the Trump campaign continues to challenge as well as Michigan Republicans and the RNC, all challenging the results in the state of Michigan, which Joe Biden won.

So essentially here's what we have learned. A Republican congressman, who has spoken to one of the Republicans on the Board of Canvassers, says that last week his intention was to vote against certifying the election. So that means that at least one person voting against it -- you have two Democrats who we believe will vote for certification. That leaves one last Republican, that's the question, what will that person do?

Now CNN has reached out to him for comment. We have not yet heard back. But when it comes to this almost deadlock, two versus two, we heard from the Republican speaker of the House who said if this does, in fact, end up in a deadlock, this could lead to some sort of constitutional crisis.

Now here is what Democrat Debbie Dingell said last hour about this.

OK. So I don't think we have that sound. But essentially what she said was that there wasn't going to be a constitutional crisis, but that really this was just trying to subvert the democratic process. And this is something that we have heard time and time again from legal experts, from election experts, that nothing is really going to change. But instead, this is a way to undermine the democratic process.

And we should note here, one of the things that Representative Dingell pointed out when she was talking to you last hour is that that speaker of the House, that Republican, went and met with President Trump in the White House this weekend, on Friday. And that is when he came out saying, we don't think any of the results are going to change. That we haven't seen any evidence of fraud. But yet here you have a Republican member of the Board of Canvassers who is essentially saying that they are not going to certify the election -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes, those members who met with the president saying in that statement that we're going to follow the law. But, of course, now what's at issue is, you know, anyone disputing that this isn't lawful for one of the Board of Canvasser members, you know, to not certify the vote.

HOLMES: Well, we don't know what the state law is on this. I mean, every indication that we have shown that the state doesn't actually allow for this type of scenario, to go back and audit. Remember, what they're looking at right now is trying get an audit of Wayne County.

That is Detroit. So we have the Republican National Committee as well as Michigan Republicans last night sending a letter asking the Board of Canvassers to delay the certification so they could do an audit of Wayne County.

There has been no evidence of fraud. So we still don't actually quite understand if there is a legal precedent for this and if this is allowed under state law.

WHITFIELD: Right. And if there has to be justification because Debbie Dingell, she said in order to audit, you have to first certify. So the order wouldn't be correct if this person were to believe that the audit would come before the certification.

And now we have that soundbite from our conversation with Congressman Dingell a little bit earlier that you referred to, Kristen. Let's listen to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DEBBIE DINGELL (D-MI): First of all, there won't be a constitutional crisis in the country. I do want people to pay attention to the fact that the speaker of the Michigan House who met with President Trump on Friday night said that. But the facts of the matter is you just talked about what's happening in Pennsylvania, what's happening in Georgia. The electoral votes are there in the other states.

What is being done now is directly aimed at undermining people's confidence in the election process, the integrity of the elections. The certification tomorrow is simple math. They look at the certification that's been done by 83 counties.

[16:05:03]

They certify that it's done. Then you can do audits. You are not allowed to do audits until that certification takes place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Yes. You can see and hear her frustration, Kristen.

HOLMES: Yes. Absolutely. And I do want to note, Fred, you hear her talk about Pennsylvania there. We have now learned that the Trump campaign has filed an appeal on that case that they lost on -- yesterday when a federal judge issued that blistering rebuke of the president. Essentially saying they came to the table, the campaign came to the table with absolutely no evidence.

Now the campaign is filing an appeal on that. So we are trying to dig into what that means for Pennsylvania's certification, which is supposed to happen tomorrow.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And, you know, blistering comments coming from that Judge Matthew Brann, the Republican, you know, in Pennsylvania, you know, who said this claim, like Frankenstein's monster, has been haphazardly stitched together from two distinct theories in an attempt to avoid controlling precedent. And now as you're reporting there, the Trump campaign wanting to challenge that and file an appeal.

All right, Kristen, keep us posted on this. I'm sure you'll have more before this hour is up. Thank you so much.

So this possible Michigan delay comes as a growing number of Republicans are urging the president to drop his voting lawsuits and concede that he lost this election.

For more on these growing cracks in the president's wall of GOP support, let's bring in Jeremy Diamond at the White House.

Jeremy, what are you hearing?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, it's clear that the president -- that Republicans' patience with the president over his refusal to concede is beginning to wear thin. We are now more than two weeks after Joe Biden was declared the winner of this election, declared to be the next president of the United States. And yet the president still refusing to concede despite one loss after the next in state and federal courts in battleground states.

More than 20 defeats that the president and his allies have already suffered. And so you're starting to see some Republicans begin to criticize what the president is doing here and calling on him to move on, including for example one of his close allies and advisers, former New Jersey governor, Chris Christie.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), FORMER NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR: His legal team has been a national embarrassment. Sydney Powell accusing Governor Brian Kemp of a crime on television, yet being unwilling to go on TV and defend and lay out the evidence that she supposedly has. This is outrageous conduct by any lawyer. And notice, George, they won't do it inside the courtroom. They allege fraud outside the courtroom, but when they go inside the courtroom, they don't plead fraud and they don't argue fraud.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: And New Jersey governor -- former New Jersey governor Chris Christie isn't alone here. We also have a slate of Republican lawmakers who have also begun to say that a transition needs to begin taking place. Now they're not all on the same page here. We are hearing different things from different members of Congress.

You have Congresswoman Liz Cheney, a member of House Republican leadership. She said that while the president has the right to continue pursuing these legal challenges, she says if he doesn't soon present that evidence in court, it's time for him to respect the sanctity of the electoral process and concede.

Others like Senator Mitt Romney, Senator Ben Sasse, both of them have recognized Joe Biden as the president-elect and have made very clear that they are concerned, deeply concerned about what the president is doing here in terms of drawing this out. You also have several key Republican governors who have been willing to pretty much from the get-go acknowledged that Joe Biden is the president-elect, including Governor Larry Hogan, Governor Mike DeWine, Governor Asa Hutchinson, who are saying that the president needs to accept the outcome of this election and allow the transition to begin taking place.

But the president, Fredricka, is making very clear that as Republicans begin to recognize Joe Biden as president-elect and criticize him and say that he needs to concede, he is going to strike back. And that is one of the reasons why you are still seeing that a majority of Republican lawmakers in Washington, they are not recognizing Joe Biden as the president-elect. And so far, they have reserved their harshest condemnation, you know, not dolling that out towards the president.

You saw how the president responded to Governor Larry Hogan, who was critical of the president this morning on "STATE OF THE UNION." Governor Hogan saying that the president needs to do his job and needs to concede this election -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jeremy Diamond, thanks so much for that, at the White House.

All right. So this growing chorus of bipartisan officials warning that the blocked transition now poses a threat to national security.

So let's talk to CNN National Security Analyst, Sam Vinograd now. So, Sam, good to see you. What kind of information and resources, you

know, are being denied to the Biden transition team, which ultimately might threaten national security and readiness, in your view?

SAMANTHA VINOGRAD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, because the ascertainment from the General Services Administration has not come through, the transition team is missing $6.3 million in congressionally appropriated funds for their operations. But this is about a lot more than money.

[16:10:02]

From a personnel standpoint, we know for example that the Biden team is going to announce cabinet picks on Tuesday. The Biden team cannot work with the FBI to finish the security clearance process and the vetting process for their nominees because the ascertainment has not come.

I know that Donald Trump is not a student of history, but I am. And the 9/11 Commission report specifically cited the delay in the 2000 transition because the contested election as a risk factor because there was not a fully staffed national security apparatus because of the delayed transition.

In addition to that, Fred, let's remember that the agency review teams for the incoming administration cannot go into federal agencies and departments and start the handover of information. That means that they're behind the curve when it comes to finding out what these agencies and departments are doing from a policy perspective.

And it's worth noting, Fred, you know, Biden comes in on January 20th. He has immediate policy decisions to make. Like for example, what to do about our last remaining arms control treaty with Russia. His team not being able to go into the Pentagon, the State Department and elsewhere means they have to play catch-up when they do get access to these agencies.

WHITFIELD: When you mentioned that, you know, delay in the transition, you know, Biden-Gore caught up in the courts for more than 30 days before it was determined. In this case we're now getting very close to that same kind of marker with now three weeks after election.

And then I wonder, too, you know, Sam, if you think the Biden-Harris team has a certain advantage given that the former vice president is at least accustomed to the way things work in Washington, is at least accustomed to being able to reach out to certain personnel, to get information that say the White House is now, you know, blocking?

VINOGRAD: Fred, I worked with Vice President Biden for four years at the White House. He has deep governing experience and he has a deep grasp of the information related to our national security. He has also surrounded himself with experts. When we see the names being floated for cabinet nominations, it is such a contrast to the names that were floated for the Trump cabinet. We have experts in the running for all these positions. So, President-elect Biden is an expert. He's surrounded by experts.

And that gives him an advantage. But he doesn't have access to intelligence right now. His team does not have access to the White House COVID-19 task force. And the message to the world is that President Trump is trying to kneecap the incoming administration in more ways than one. And there will be a degree of catch-up that the team has to play on January 20th which adds to a perception of vulnerability.

Again, I think President-elect Biden can surmount that. He will hit the ground running. But it does signal globally that we may be at a disadvantage on January 20th.

WHITFIELD: Right. Not a good position at all. All right, Sam Vinograd, thanks so much. Good to see you and have a great and safe and healthy holiday week.

VINOGRAD: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, right now across America, a crisis with no end in sight. More than 12 million coronavirus cases and more than 83,000 people expected to spend Thanksgiving in the hospital. The CDC now warning the holiday could amplify the pandemic to new levels.

Plus, we'll take you inside a hospital pushed to its limits as cases surge.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:17:28]

WHITFIELD: The U.S. has now set coronavirus hospitalization records for 12 straight days in a row. Over 83,000 Americans infected with the virus are now hospitalized across the nation, pushing health care facilities to the brink heading into the holiday week.

CNN's Evan McMorris-Santoro joining me live from a testing site in New York, one of the many long lines throughout the city.

Last check you told me it was like a five-hour wait. Is it still that?

EVAN MCMORRIS-SANTORO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred, it is. Let me just show you what we're looking at here. We're at a testing site in lower Manhattan. This line, it stretches all the way down a very long block in this city. Five hours long to get in. People are going in and out in a pretty rapid pace. They're still getting in line.

I've seen a lot of things. I've been covering this pandemic in New York since the beginning. I've seen a lot of stuff. This is quite a scene. And it's not just here. It's at testing sites all over the city. People are desperate to get these tests ahead of the holiday season and also just trying to get a handle on this growing, growing pandemic all over the country.

I spoke to one of the people who've been waiting here in line about why it is they're waiting and what it's like right now for New Yorkers as these numbers continue to skyrocket.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm definitely nervous about numbers going up. I think that's why the line is so long because everyone is trying to take precautions. Hopefully everyone will be safe during the holidays because I know numbers are probably going to spike because of the holidays. So, you know, it's definitely a fear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Now, Fred, that woman mentioned that the numbers are going to spike because it's the holidays. You mentioned the numbers are spiking now with hospitalizations and new cases. This is exactly what medical experts are worried about. They're worried that with the Thanksgiving holiday coming, people will travel and gather, and even as these numbers are rising, they'll do the kinds of activities that make those numbers rise even further.

And that's what people are very, very worried about. And so they're asking people to make the hard choice this holiday season to stay home and not gather -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Right. And then, Evan, you know, for the folks who are standing in line there, how long do they expect to, you know, wait? How many days before they get the results of the tests that they are standing in line for five hours?

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Well, there are multiple tests available in New York. Some places have rapid tests that are 15 minutes until you get a test. Those tests can be accurate or inaccurate. Then there are of course the PCR tests. Those take a few days. And there are some other testing like the antibodies and things that we're not sure how they're valuable they are.

People are just trying to get these tests back as quickly as they can ahead of maybe trying to gather, which again they're being told not to do -- Fred.

[16:20:03]

WHITFIELD: All right. Evan McMorris-Santoro in New York, thank you so much for that.

All right, let's bring in Dr. Rob Davidson, an emergency room physician and executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare.

Doctor, good to see you.

DR. ROB DAVIDSON, EXECUTIVE DOCTOR, THE COMMITTEE TO PROTECT MEDICARE: Nice to see you. Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: So what are your feelings when you see these long lines of people who want to get these tests, a variety of, you know, COVID tests just ahead of the holidays, perhaps, you know, as a pass in order to be with friends or family on Thanksgiving? DAVIDSON: Well, first and foremost, it isn't a pass. You know, I know

around here tests are taking five to seven days to come back. So if people wanted to be able to gather, which they shouldn't be with people outside of their bubble or outside of their home, they should have been in quarantine for two weeks before Thanksgiving to ensure that they aren't going to carry the virus, aren't going to pass it to other people.

Because you could test negative at one point, a few days later be harboring the virus and be shedding it to other people. So a negative test right now doesn't do that for you. My biggest concern is with testing, people are waiting so long to get results back, it's impossible to do contact tracing. It's us telling people who come to the hospital with symptoms, go home, sit by, you know, for five days or so, skip work, you can't -- you know, you can't put food on the table, can't earn a living just waiting for that test to come back. And it's tough.

WHITFIELD: And now, you know, what are your worries about the potential spike that could come after Thanksgiving, just as we saw after Memorial Day weekend, just as we saw after July 4th holiday?

DAVIDSON: Right. I mean, if you remember July 4th, we had been through the summer where, you know, there were a lot of hot spots in the southern Sunbelt states, but in much of the country things had settled down just a bit. And so those spikes, while concerning, were somewhat, you know, workable and we could manage it.

We're at such a high level now. I know in my area, I go into the hospital and either at the beginning or end of my shift, we are full. Over the past three nights, the only time we've had a bed open up is when somebody unfortunately in the hospital dies. People end up being hospitalized with COVID-19 for so long. Once they're in a bed, we can't get those beds back. You know, the recovery takes a very long time.

And we have about an hour, hour and a half radius around our hospital, small and large hospitals that are routinely full. So this spike that could be coming after Thanksgiving could not come at a worse time.

WHITFIELD: A spokesperson for the Dallas-Ft. Worth airport, you know, tells CNN that they are expecting about 1.3 million travelers this week, about 65 percent of the number of people who travel through the airport Thanksgiving week last year. And the Phoenix airport is expecting half the number of travelers that they had last year. I mean, much of this being attributed to, you know, people feel COVID fatigue, and many folks are saying, you know what, I've been pent up for so long, but I just need to see family. So what is your message to them?

DAVIDSON: You know, I'd say if you want to be able to see family next Thanksgiving and you want others to be able to see all of their loved ones next Thanksgiving, you could just give it a break this Thanksgiving because cases will go up, more people will die, hospitals will fill up, resulting in our inability to take care of just our routine patients who need our care, you know, around the clock 24/7 not during a pandemic.

And so they are going to make it worse. And it's going to make more people miss next Thanksgiving because they won't be here with their families.

WHITFIELD: Dr. Rob Davidson, thank you so much. Be safe this weekend and beyond. Appreciate you.

DAVIDSON: Thanks. Thank you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, up next, President-elect Joe Biden expected to announce his first cabinet picks on Tuesday as his senior adviser raises concerns about roadblocks put up by the Trump administration.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:28:17]

WHITFIELD: President-elect Joe Biden will announce his first cabinet picks this week, moving ahead with plans for his administration even as President Trump continues to deny the legitimacy of Biden's win. Despite several roadblocks being thrown up by the outgoing Trump administration, President-elect Biden's incoming chief of staff says he is satisfied with the pace of choosing a new cabinet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON KLAIN, PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN'S INCOMING CHIEF OF STAFF: You're going to see the first of the president-elect's cabinet appointments on Tuesday of this week. Meeting the pace -- beating, in fact, the pace that was set by the Obama-Biden transition, beating the pace set by the Trump transition.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Biden has already said that he has decided who he wants for the key Treasury secretary position.

CNN's Arlette Saenz joins me now from Wilmington, Delaware.

So, Arlette, you know, we're expecting more than one announcement this week, right?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, as you heard Ron Klain said there, he said picks, multiple, so we are still waiting to see exactly how many nominees Biden will roll out on Tuesday as he is making headway in putting together his cabinet. This is part of Biden's attempt to show that he is unphased by the fact that President Trump has refused to concede and that the GSA has yet to ascertain Biden as the winner of the election.

And Biden himself has said that he has already settled on a Treasury secretary, though he has not revealed that name quite yet. One of the top contenders for that post is considered to be Lael Brainard of the Federal Reserve. Biden could also as soon as this week name or roll out his secretary of State. There have been quite a few people who have been under consideration for that job.

But one thing as Biden is preparing to announce his first cabinet nominees, his team is also warning that there is an aspect of this that is complicated by the fact GSA has not ascertained Biden as the winner.

[16:30:07]

And that is FBI background checks. They cannot be conducted at this time on Biden's nominees, due to the lack of ascertainment.

Take a listen to what one of Biden's senior advisers on the transition had to say about that this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEN PSAKI, SENIOR ADVISER, BIDEN TRANSITION TEAM: And a key part of getting that group of individuals confirmed is FBI background checks. FBI background checks cannot happen unless there's ascertainment. And I expect not just Democrats but Republicans in the Senate to be outraged that they won't have access to that information. It could take weeks for that to happen. So, that's another pressure point we'll see in the coming days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: And tomorrow, here in Wilmington, President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will meet, virtually, with a group of mayors. This is all just part of Biden's outreach to state and local officials, as he is trying to show he is right at work during this transition period -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Arlette Saenz, thank you so much, in Wilmington.

All right, let's talk more about the transition. Joining me, right now, is Patti Solis Doyle. She is a CNN Political Commentator and was Hillary Clinton's advisor and presidential campaign manager. Good to see you.

PATTI SOLIS DOYLE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Nice to see you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: So, Joe Biden, you know, has said that he already knows his pick for Treasury secretary. How will you measure or assess his picks, his first picks, for his cabinet?

DOYLE: Well, thus far, his picks for White House staff have been people who have been ordinarily experienced in the ways of Washington, extraordinarily experienced in the ways of governing. And I suspect that his picks for the cabinet will be similar.

You know, vice -- President-elect Biden is facing multiple crises on multiple fronts. And so, I imagine that he will pick people who can hit the ground running on day one, particularly when it comes to the pandemic and recovery from the pandemic, as well as foreign policy.

WHITFIELD: Yes. The pandemic, foreign policy and, you know, the Trump administration not recognizing President-elect Biden, holding up funds for their transition. We just had Sam Vinograd on earlier and she said the Trump administration, you know, is kneecapping the Biden transition team.

Do you worry about the setbacks, the pacing of the transition team's choices and readiness, as a result of these obstacles?

DOYLE: Look, on one side, obviously, as I said earlier, the president- elect is extraordinarily experienced in governing. Whether it was his decades in the Senate or his eight years as vice president. And he is choosing people around him with incredible experience.

But having said that, we are in the middle of a global pandemic. And the idea that they can't speak to the CDC or the FDA or the State Department really does limit what they can do.

Now, clearly, they're moving ahead. But, to me, this is like -- honestly, Fred, this is like my son, when he was seven years old, and he lost a game of checkers and he flipped over the checkerboard. You know, this is the equivalent of the president not liking the results of this election and flipping over the game board. Except this isn't a game of checkers. It's American democracy. And it's dangerous.

WHITFIELD: Do you think the Biden team ought to be pursuing or even considering legal action?

DOYLE: I'm hopeful, Fred, that once -- the votes are being certified now. They're going to continue to be certified throughout the states. And, then, in December, the electors are actually going to vote. So, I am hopeful that the Biden transition will gain the ascertainment in week's time. But I'm hoping that will happen.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And you've heard, now, about breaking news we had earlier today with Michigan and one of the board members of the board of canvassers saying that that person may not certify, as scheduled for tomorrow. And, instead, you know, this board, or at least Republican leadership, is asking for a two-week delay to make room for a potential audit. Is that at all disturbing to you, worrisome?

DOYLE: Well, it's worrisome in that this elector went to the White House and, after his visit with the president, basically, decided not to vote for certification. That is worrisome to me. Clearly, there are some political motivations, as far as I'm concerned.

But this race was not close, Fred.

[16:35:00]

DOYLE: More than six -- President-elect Biden won by more than six million votes in the popular vote. And he had 306 electoral votes. This was not a close race. Joe Biden won. The people voted. The people were heard. And, now, it's time to move on.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Michigan with 16 electoral votes. And, if, for any reason, it would no longer go Biden's way, it still wouldn't bring President Trump to the 270. All right, let's talk about something else. Let's talk about the CNN series, "The First Ladies." The latest episode to air, as I mentioned, you worked closely with Hillary Clinton, even with her presidential campaign. And the focus tonight will be on Hillary Clinton, the first lady and her path in getting there and beyond. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am honored today to announce my candidacy for the United States Senate from New York.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hillary becomes the only first lady ever to run for public office.

KATE ANDERSEN BROWER, AUTHOR: It's an incredible moment in history. This is what she deserved. She had put up with years of lies and fighting for Bill. Now, she was going to get her due.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is her first campaign tour ever, on behalf of herself.

CLINTON: The energy in here is overwhelming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: I mean, she was making history a lot. You know, going back to her college-age years. Then, as a law student, soon thereafter. You know, as the first lady in Arkansas. And, then, to the White House. I mean, how do you summarize, you know, her legacy, leading up to her life as the first lady of the United States, and then, you know, her pursuit of presidential aspirations?

DOYLE: Yes. Well, first, let me say, this series has been so tremendous and I think it culminates tonight. Tonight's the last episode focusing on Hillary Clinton. But, oftentimes, I think, historians overlook the role of first ladies. And they really -- first ladies have such an impact, not only on her husband, but, as a result, on our history. So, I love this series.

And, as far as Hillary Clinton is concerned, how do you sum up a legacy like that?

WHITFIELD: Yes.

DOYLE: She is a trailblazer and a groundbreaker. And, every step along the way in her career, she has just, again, broken ground for women and for young women and for little girls to make it easier for them to follow. And I am just forever grateful to be able to have worked for her.

Whether it was, you know, busting the idea of what a first lady should be, or running for office as a sitting first lady, or being the first woman to get her party's nomination for president, the -- or a global icon, in terms of advocating for women. She's just been an incredible woman and her impact on history will be profound. WHITFIELD: Well, she's the focus tonight. Patti Solis Doyle, thank you

so much. Catch the CNN original series, "First Ladies," profiling Hillary Clinton at 10:00. I have loved this series, too. Every installment has been remarkable. Learning something each time.

[16:38:33]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Ever since the pandemic first took hold in the U.S., South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been one of the foremost Republican officials casting doubt on shutdowns and masks. Her state, now, stands among the hardest hit in the country, and its hospitals are straining to handle the growing outbreak. Here, now, is Gary Tuchman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you going to be OK if I sit you up a little bit?

KEITH SUGDEN: Sure.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Keith Sugden is very ill.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

SUGDEN: Oh, you're welcome.

TUCHMAN: The 88-year-old has COVID-19. He's in the hospital in Rapid City, South Dakota, a state with an explosive increase in COVID cases. Incredibly, more people in South Dakota are testing positive than negative.

SUGDEN: You people have helped me so much. The last three days has been rough. It's improved.

TUCHMAN: This is an intensive care unit just for COVID patients at the Monument Health Rapid City Hospital. The onslaught of patients is overwhelming for the staff and everyone knows things are likely to get worse.

DR. SHANKAR KURRA, VICE PRESIDENT OF MEDICAL AFFAIRS, MONUMENT HEALTH RAPID CITY HOSPITAL: Has it been working?

TUCHMAN: Dr. Shankar Kurra is the Hospital Vice President of Medical Affairs.

KURRA: I'm very scared for the state, for my neighbors, for my own family, sometimes for myself. And this is the truth.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to get better, huh?

TUCHMAN: Employees here are doing heroic work.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, you are getting better. TUCHMAN: But there is great concern that, as cases continue to increase, it will be difficult to maintain adequate staffing levels. As recently as the end of July, there were just five COVID patients in this hospital. Today, there are 85 COVID patients in this hospital. Heidi Schumann is a nurse's aide.

HEIDI SCHUMANN, NURSE'S AIDE: It's very hard. There's a lot of days I go home and just cry, because I get to go home to my family and I get to see my daughter and, you know, my parents and everybody. And some of these people don't make it out of here, unfortunately.

TUCHMAN: For Keith Sugden, things are touch and go.

SUGDEN: It's been a great life. And these tears in my eyes are happy tears. They're not sad tears. To know that how many people really care, you kind of got to wonder once in a while.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 90 percent right now so remember to take those deep breaths in your nose and out your mouth. You're doing great.

[16:45:00]

TUCHMAN: A few days ago, Tom Massa felt achy and had a scratchy throat. Now, he's also extremely sick, receiving high levels of oxygen.

(on camera): How are you feeling right now?

TOM MASSA: A little anxious.

TUCHMAN: You have good care here. Great doctors and nurses.

MASSA: Oh, yes. The care here is excellent

TUCHMAN (voice-over): One of the RNs treating Tom moved to South Dakota from south Florida right at the beginning of the COVID outbreak.

JAMESHIA PARKER, REGISTERED NURSE: Thankfully, I haven't contracted it yet. I just keep praying that it stays that way.

TUCHMAN (on camera): It's scary, isn't it?

MASSA: Yes, it is.

TUCHMAN: What do you say to people that don't take it seriously, COVID?

MASSA: Well, I don't know if I should say this or not, but I believe that the whole COVID situation was a failure from the top government leadership to the state government. They didn't deal with it. They, apparently, didn't think that they needed to listen to the experts and stuff.

GOV. KRISTI NOEM (R), SOUTH DAKOTA: My people are happy. TUCHMAN (voice-over): The governor of South Dakota has refused to

encourage her citizens to wear masks or socially distance, even as her state becomes a national leader in COVID sickness. So, South Dakota hospitals are taking it upon themselves to try to keep people safe.

KURRA: Some people don't even believe this disease is real.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Here in South Dakota?

KURRA: Yes. So, misinformation is one thing that leads to misguidance. But, also, there's this streak of, you know, we will not do something if you tell me to do it. I'll do it if I feel like it.

TUCHMAN: That's the way you feel when you give advice?

KURRA: That's how frustrated I feel, yes.

SUGDEN: My father told me when I was a kid, he poked me in the rib and he says, you know, everybody's got troubles and you have to help them if you can. And I've done that all my life.

TUCHMAN: And, now, people are helping you, Keith.

SUGDEN: They are. They are. Thank God.

TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN, Rapid City, South Dakota.

[16:47:15]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: We talked, last hour, about how the Coronavirus pandemic is driving food insecurity in the U.S. We want to end today showing you one of the everyday heroes doing what they can to help. CNN Photo Journalist John Anglim brings us the story of this inspiring teacher.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Good morning.

MARGARET NORRIS, KINDERGARTEN TEACHER, ARCOLA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MARYLAND: How are you today?

Good morning. Today's the 81st day of school. You ready?

(voice-over): They love it. And they don't know that this is not normal. To them, it's just school.

(on camera): Where do you want the zebra?

(voice-over): I'm Margaret Norris. I teach kindergarten in Silver Spring, Maryland.

(on camera): In my hair?

(voice-over): The majority of our students get free and reduced meals. I don't want any five-year-old that I know to learn about hunger.

(on camera): It's a full-time job. I do something related to this every single day. Today, I was at the grocery store at 6:00 in the morning buying the things I need to deliver for next week's bags.

(voice-over): Friends and family provide the money and then we do a lot of shopping.

(on camera): Good morning. How are you? Thank you so much. We appreciate you.

(voice-over): When this began, we knew right away that our parents' jobs would be the ones lost first. The entire family would be food insecure.

(on camera): So, the food effort began as just a reaction to the crisis. People have to eat, let's buy food. I do a lot of home deliveries. And there's one family I take bags to and there's a little one, a three-year-old. And one week I had bananas in the bag. And she opened up the bag and looked in it. And looked at her mom and her mother nodded. And she picked up the bananas and she hugged them and she burst into tears. And that, to me, is the definition of food insecurity.

So, what we're doing is we're providing food for the families to cook for themselves.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE.)

EMMANUEL JEAN-PHILIPPE, PRINCIPAL, ARCOLA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MARYLAND: Margaret has been the core of a team and a conduit to get people involved.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.

JEAN-PHILIPPE: Margaret has been saying to everyone, she's not trying to save the world but you can do all you can. Help somewhere. Help someone.

NORRIS (voice-over): Food is about providing for your children. Food is about sleeping at night, knowing that you're going to be OK in the morning. Food is culture and love and community. And it's more than just energy. I'm not feeding anyone's children for them. All I'm doing is the grocery shopping. I don't want anyone in my community to put a hungry child to bed.

(on camera): What did we learn?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Wow. One of so many extraordinary folks making a huge difference right now. This year's CNN heroes, an all-star tribute will celebrate people from around the world who are fighting Coronavirus and fighting for racial equality.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Her name is Gianna Floyd. She's six years old and experienced a tragedy that shattered her world and woke up ours. For nearly eight minutes handcuffed on the ground and with a knee on her neck, her father, George Floyd, pleaded for his life. His death, on May 25th, by a white police officer in Minnesota sparked worldwide protests against police brutality and systematic racism.

ROXIE WASHINGTON: I'm here for my baby. And I'm here for George, because I want justice for him.

COOPER: After Gianna and her mother spoke at an emotional press conference, long-time family friend and former NBA player, Stephen Jackson, comforted Gianna.

[16:55:06]

COOPER: He did what her father would have done, told her how proud he was of her. And hoisted her onto his shoulders, where she shared hope for us all.

GIANNA FLOYD: Daddy changed the world.

STEPHEN JACKSON, FORMER NBA PLAYER: Daddy changed the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Visit CNNheroes.com to vote for this year's most inspiring moment.

Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The CNN NEWSROOM continues right after this.

[16:55:34]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)