Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Trump Missing in Action; Congress Nearing COVID Relief Deal? U.S. Sets New Record For Daily COVID-19 Deaths; FDA Set to Vote on Moderna Vaccine. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired December 17, 2020 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:02]

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: Hi there. You're watching CNN on this Thursday. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you for being here.

We begin with what could be another historical moment in the fight against this pandemic. The FDA's vaccine advisory panel is meeting to discuss issuing emergency authorization for Moderna's vaccine against COVID-19. And a vote could come at any moment.

Now, if it is authorized, that means tens of millions of more vials would come into circulation, and that would be a welcome relief to a country that is, frankly, spiraling out of control.

Think about it this way. When future generations learn about the deadliest days in American history, they will learn about the Galveston hurricane in 1900. They will learn about the Civil War and the Battle of Antietam in 1862. And they will learn about yesterday, when 3,656 Americans died from coronavirus in a 24-hour period, 3,656 people who will not be spending the holidays with their families.

They likely did not get to say goodbye to their loved ones in person. Those future generations will also learn about the day before yesterday and the day before that. Every day, we are shattering these new records for the deadliest days in our nation's history, and hospitalization records as well.

Look at this, 113,000 Americans were admitted just yesterday. And until vaccines are released to the general population, those numbers will get bigger. We just surpassed 17 million cases. More Americans will die.

And where is this country's leadership? What has President Trump done this entire week to address this pandemic? Absolutely nothing -- 3,656 Americans killed in one day. It is no stretch to call that a national tragedy.

And what has he and his America first agenda done to address it this week? Absolutely nothing.

Nevertheless, the scientists, the epidemiologists press on. CNN's Sara Murray has more details on the second vaccine, this one from Moderna and the great confidence health experts have about getting that crucial authorization.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's independent advisory committee meeting right now to evaluate Moderna's coronavirus vaccine.

DR. TAL ZAKS, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, MODERNA: Our phase three study, which is the basis of our presentation today, was conducted in collaboration with the NIH and in accordance with clear FDA guidance. We believe the results support emergency use authorization.

MURRAY: If the committee recommends it for emergency use authorization, the FDA could move swiftly to green-light the vaccine, allowing it to ship out to states soon after, the extra supplies badly needed.

States from Illinois to Michigan to Oregon are raising concerns that they expect to get smaller shipments of the Pfizer vaccine going forward than initially promised.

GOV. J.B. PRITZKER (D-IL): This development will likely cut our state's projected Pfizer shipments this month by roughly half. The same is true across the rest of the nation.

MURRAY: A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said allocations are not being reduced, but the shipments will be delivered over several days.

In a positive sign for vaccine supply, Pfizer's vaccine vials appear to contain extra doses, and the FDA has given its blessing to health care providers to distribute them.

DR. MARK MCCLELLAN, FORMER FDA COMMISSIONER: That means 20 to 40 percent additional vaccinations in this very first round. That is really good news. FDA and the company are double-checking to make sure there are no issues. But it looks like additional vaccine supply that really can help us in this very critical first phase.

MURRAY: The vaccines coming as the virus continues to take a tragic toll across the country, the number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. surpassing 17 million today. On Wednesday, the daily death toll reached 3,656, a new record.

The CDC's ensemble forecasts now projects there could be as many as 391,000 coronavirus deaths in the U.S. by January 9. As health care workers and nursing home residents begin receiving the Pfizer vaccine, two health care workers in Alaska reported having allergic reactions.

While the incidents are rare and the Pfizer vaccine has been shown to be safe, the FDA is still investigating.

DR. DORAN FINK, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, FDA DIVISION OF VACCINES: These cases underscore the need to remain vigilant during the early phase of the vaccination campaign.

MURRAY: In an effort to build vaccine confidence, Vice President Mike Pence plans to get vaccinated on camera Friday, and president-elect Joe Biden will soon follow.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT: I don't want to get ahead of the line, but I want to make sure that we demonstrate to the American people that it is safe to take. I will be -- they are working on that plan right now. And when I do it, I will do it publicly, and so you all can actually witness by getting it done.

MURRAY: As for President Donald Trump, since he has already had the virus, he doesn't plan to get the vaccine until his medical team recommends it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[15:05:00]

MURRAY: And we are getting more detail about when the vice president will undergo this vaccination. His office announced that he will do it at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow.

We also heard from vice president-elect Kamala Harris today that she also plans to get the vaccine when she can. And she will do that publicly, of course, to inspire confidence, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Hopefully, that will boost the competence among the skeptics here in America in taking this vaccine.

Sara Murray, thank you very much.

Let's talk about all of this. With me now, CNN medical analyst and emergency room physician Dr. Leana Wen.

Dr. Wen, good to see you again.

Let's get right to this FDA meeting. What would an emergency use authorization for a second highly effective vaccine mean for this country?

DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: So, I am very excited about this.

First of all, I'm excited that, once again, the meeting is held in public. There's total transparency.

BALDWIN: Transparency.

WEN: I think the American people can really be assured. Yes, we can absolutely be reassured that every scientific protocol is being followed, that no shortcuts are being taken.

It's really important for us to get as many of these vaccines online as we can, because vaccine production is the limiting factor here. We need to get to 70 percent or so of the American population that have immunity. And having Pfizer, having Moderna, and then having some of these other vaccines come online will be really critical.

BALDWIN: Here's what else we know about Moderna.

We have learned that during the Moderna vaccine involves no mixing, dilution, and a stable at room temperature for up to 12 hours. So, if and when this is authorized, Moderna could ship nearly eight million doses next week. How much of a game-changer is just in terms of distribution?

WEN: So, the Pfizer vaccine does have a lot of challenges. It's very safe and effective, which is fantastic. But it does require these arctic temperatures, very complicated storage criteria. And there's a very narrow window of time, also, between when somebody dilutes it and when they have to give it to individuals.

And so scheduling is complicated, too. So, having Moderna will also be helpful, especially for locations where they may not have the dry ice and the freezers, and where transportation may be in rural areas, where there are smaller clinics and places that may require further transport.

And so, again, having this as an additional option will be really important.

BALDWIN: Part of the Pfizer vaccine rollout is, of course, a lot of health care workers are getting the shot.

We have learned about these two health care workers in Alaska that actually had allergic reactions after getting the vaccine. After an hour, apparently, one was fine. The other stayed overnight just for observation.

Is this concerning? Is this fairly normal? And for people watching who might have allergic reactions to the vaccine, should they get vaccinated?

WEN: So, allergic reactions are extremely rare to vaccines, but they do occur.

And I don't think this should be cause for alarm. I think what people should take away is, first of all, it's great that there is reporting, because it means that adverse events are fully investigated, and that's really good.

But, also, allergic reactions are totally treatable. We know that they're temporary. They're -- this is something we can easily treat in the E.R. or in clinic settings, as opposed to coronavirus. If you have severe effects from coronavirus, that's much harder to treat and people can die from that.

And so if you have an allergic reaction to a food or a medication before, that's not a reason not to take the vaccine. Know that when you go to get the vaccine that you are going to be observed for a period of time in case you do develop the allergic reaction, which is always immediate, or very soon after getting the vaccine.

And I think, in the meantime, having additional studies for us to understand exactly what component of the vaccine seems to be triggering this allergic reaction is going to be important as well.

BALDWIN: We are also hearing reports that there are extra doses in these vials of the Pfizer vaccine. They're overfilled, and maybe you can get one or two more doses out of it.

What do you make of that?

WEN: I think this is just good news. Again, we have such a scarce and amazing resource right now, which is this vaccine. And so, if we're able to vaccinate a few more health care workers every time by having a bit -- some vials may have a bit extra, that's great.

I will just say that we also need to make sure that the second vaccine that people receive, that there will also be that extra amount too, because we don't want to vaccinate people the first time, and then the second time they can't receive that second dose.

BALDWIN: Lastly, you sounded the alarm on holiday travel before.

What do you want to tell people who, at least as of now, are still planning to travel next week.

WEN: Look, I'm sure there are some people who have to travel because of work, if they're health care workers who are traveling, or because they're college students or others who are returning home. They have to travel, in which case you should keep safe.

While you're traveling, make sure you wear masks, for example, distance as much as you can. But what I really worried about is those who are having nonessential travel, and also, once they get to their destination, are planning indoor gatherings. I'm really concerned about that.

Already, our hospitalization numbers are through the roof. We have doubled, almost doubled our hospitalization rates in the last month. We're about to surpass 4,000 deaths per day. And we already are seeing the effects of Thanksgiving travel.

Now there's Christmas travel potentially on top of that. So I just would urge everyone, if you don't need to travel, please don't. If you do need to travel, take every precaution once you -- once you're traveling, but also once you get there. And make sure that you quarantine for at least seven days and then get tested after you arrive.

[15:10:16]

And just use an abundance of caution right now.

BALDWIN: Dr. Leana Wen, your knowledge is invaluable. Thank you so much. Great to have you on. We do have some other breaking news this hour. Congressional leaders

say they are close to a new stimulus deal, and it could include direct payments to Americans. So, what's the holdup? And the experts are already warning that, guess what, it still won't be enough.

And where is President Trump? The pandemic, as we were just discussing, never been worse. Russia, by the way, is also suspected of launching a massive attack on the U.S. And Trump is tweeting about punishing social media companies. Priorities.

And a massive winter storm in the Northeast sparking deadly crashes and some delays with vaccine distribution. We will get into all of that.

You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:15:21]

BALDWIN: Welcome back. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Right now. congressional leaders are pushing to clear the final hurdles on that $900 billion COVID relief package. For months, we have been watching the stalemate on Capitol Hill, as Americans continue to suffer the economic impacts from this COVID pandemic.

Take a look at this with me, unemployment claims just since the end of August. New numbers out this morning show another 885,000 Americans filed for first-time unemployment last week.

CNN's Manu Raju is live on Capitol Hill, and financial expert and former Wall Street executive Alexis Glick is with me too. She is also the CEO of the nonprofit organization GENYOUth.

So, welcome to both of you.

And, Manu, first see you on the Hill.

They're close. What's the holdup?

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they're not quite there yet. They're still high ironing out some last-minute issues. This is a major bill, I mean, $900 billion. And this is something they're trying to scramble to put together and reach an agreement on both sides.

There's some general agreements on the outlines, but the details are vexing the leaders at the moment. So it's uncertain when this bill will be released. And it's uncertain when the vote will happen and then if it will meet a deadline by tomorrow night to try to avoid a government shutdown.

I -- it's doubtful that it's going to be reached by Friday. It's expected it will spill into the weekend. Among the issues that are still dividing the two parties, about whether or not to restrict the Federal Reserve's ability to lend.

This is a Republican push to try to limit the Federal Reserve's authority. Democrats are pushing back on that issue. Also, there's a question about how to structure funds that would go through FEMA to provide the cities and states on an emergency basis. There's debating about that.

There also is a debate about exactly how to structure stimulus checks, those one-time payments that would go to individuals under a certain income threshold. Right now, they're capped at $600 for individuals. There's debate about exactly whether to restrict that or not.

Now, Republicans want to restrict it even further. They believe that, in their view, it should go to people who need it the most. Democrats are trying to push for that to be a little bit more -- a little broader.

But, overall, there's an agreement on some of the key issues, such as expanding unemployment for people who are about to see those benefits expired, including for up to $300 a week of enhanced unemployment benefits, as well as about $330 billion in loans for small businesses, money for vaccine distributions, and for schools.

But those details are what they're still trying to sort out. So, we will see, Brooke, when they're able to get an agreement, or if this is going to spill into next week.

BALDWIN: I want to come back to the checks you mentioned that maybe would be capped at $600. Maybe they will even be less.

And so, Alexis, for you.

If they get -- if they get this one-time $600 check, we did the math. And so if you add that to the $1,200 that they got in checks earlier this year, that is $50 a week. And when you look at the jobless claims that are surging again, my question to you is, is that enough for Americans to pay rent and put food on the table?

ALEXIS GLICK, FINANCIAL EXPERT: Absolutely, my answer, unmitigated, is no way.

It's a short-term mandate. And we're really talking about that $300 weekly check for unemployment benefits extending only for up to 10 weeks, with a promise on a new package with the next administration.

The real issue here, as I look at it, is, when you look at the 885,000 claims that came in just this week alone, escalating once again, is that we -- when we look at the health of the economy, the underlying risk of those unemployment benefits expiring, we're in a really precarious situation; $50 a week does nothing.

If you look at food insecurity right now, one in four kids in America is food-insecure. In some cases, it's one in three. The statistics among Americans right now, one in three can barely afford their bills.

When you look at the unemployment benefits expiring, when you look at evictions expiring for housing evictions, we are in really uncharted territory. So, Brooke, what I would say to you right now is, as I look at the employment situation, we lost 23 million jobs when we date back to the spring.

Right now, 10 million of those jobs are not back. If you look just at women, they're dropping out at an alarming rate from the work force. If you look at black Americans, they have an unemployment rate of 11.3 percent, five points higher than white men.

We have a very, very challenging situation in front of us. And while this is a Band-Aid, we will absolutely need a new bill. And the timing is mission critical to get folks support now.

BALDWIN: We have heard president-elect Biden refer to this as a down payment.

But, Manu, back to you on this deal. How much of Leader McConnell's willingness to even do a deal has to do with the two incumbent Republicans in Georgia fighting to hold on to their seats?

[15:20:05]

Because it's my understanding that Senators Loeffler and Perdue are -- quote -- getting hammered" for Congress' failure to deliver.

RAJU: Yes, that's exactly what he said behind closed doors. He actually had a conference call with his members yesterday.

And I'm told from a person that call he referenced how big of an issue direct payments has become in that Senate race. And he said -- quote -- "Kelly and David" are getting hammered on this. And that's perhaps one reason why is driving this.

Of course, politics always drives decision-making on Capitol Hill. There's no question about that. There are clearly concerns that members have about how their constituents are feeling. But, certainly, Georgia is on top of mind, given that it will determine the next Senate majority, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Nothing like control of the U.S. Senate to get folks moving.

Alexis and Manu, thank you both so much.

Where is the president of the United States? This is a question we're asking over and over today, not doing anything to help stimulus talks, or address the record-breaking pandemic, or hold Russia accountable for this suspected massive cyberattack.

He is tweeting about social media companies. Why? We will discuss.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:26:09]

BALDWIN: And the deadly pandemic rages harder than ever before, and millions of Americans are desperate for a stimulus deal, and Russia is suspected of carrying out a massive cyberattack on our nation, President Trump is still missing in action.

And not only that. CNN reporters have talked to advisers who say that he is still toying with the idea of not leaving the White House on Inauguration Day, although, let's be clear, few believe he would actually follow through on that.

Kaitlan Collins is at the White House for us this afternoon.

And, Kaitlan, has he just totally checked out?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's what it seems like.

Really, basically, since the election, this has kind of been the president's M.O., where you are not seeing him anywhere near as much as he -- as you were before. He's still tweeting. But he's doing very few interviews. He rarely takes questions from the White House press corps.

He doesn't hold any public events hardly at all anymore. He didn't open up his Cabinet meeting yesterday, for example, which is pretty rare for President Trump. He likes the cameras to be in the room often when he's there with his Cabinet members.

But ever since he has lost the election, and, of course, tried to find it in the subsequent weeks, the president has just been largely checked out. And so the question is, how is that affecting weather -- what's still happening inside the federal government?

Because, Brooke, we are used to the president downplaying the pandemic and not really talking about the surging numbers like the ones that we are seeing right now among deaths and hospitalizations, and also kind of being checked out from the COVID relief talks on Capitol Hill.

But this new cyberattack that national security officials say is still going on, and they're still trying to figure out the magnitude of just how large this attack was, not just on the federal government, but also on us corporations, the president hasn't said a word about it.

The White House said they take it very seriously. But you have seen no tweets from the president. He hasn't said anything publicly about it. And a former official, Brooke, who used to work for the president, Tom Bossert, who was his first homeland security adviser, says that the president needs to be paying attention and talking about this.

He wrote an op-ed in "The New York Times" where he said: "President Trump is on the verge of leaving behind a federal government and perhaps a large number of major industries compromised by the Russian government."

He calls on the president to use -- quote -- "whatever leverage he can muster to protect the U.S. and severely punish the Russians." And then he also calls on him to work with Joe Biden and basically says, Brooke, that the two of them need to be working together, though, of course, that's incredibly unlikely, given the president has not even recognized Biden's victory yet. And one more thing that Tom Bossert says is, that defense bill that

the president has threatened to veto as recently as he did today, he says that's needed now more than ever. It's considered a must-sign piece of legislation, given the fact that it does have money in there to talk about cybersecurity for the federal government.

And if the president doesn't sign that, there is a chance it could be overridden by Capitol Hill, but that really remains to be seen.

BALDWIN: OK, Kaitlan Collins, thank you very much.

Maybe I should have asked, what is the president actually doing?

We can continue that conversation with Gloria Borger.

Kaitlan, thank you in Washington.

CNN chief political analyst Gloria Borger is with me.

And, Gloria, just to underscore this point here, because it's really significant, there is a dearth of leadership, right? You have one American now dying of COVID every 36 seconds. Jobless claims are surging. Russia, as Kaitlan just mentioned, is suspected of launching this massive cyberattack on the United States

And Trump, Mr. America first, crickets.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: It's quite astonishing, because -- and also illogical, because, on the one hand, you have a president of the United States who is saying, the election was rigged, and I should be president for the next four years, et cetera, et cetera.

On the other hand, he's not doing the job. He is not being president. What is stunning to me is, when you look at the last time he was briefed on intelligence matters, October 2.

BALDWIN: Wow.

BORGER: You talk about the hack. Excuse me?