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Republicans Surprised by Trump's Request to Change Stimulus; Trump Hints He May Not Sign COVID Relief Bill; Republican Allies, Blackwater Guards Among Those Pardoned; Angry Truckers Scuffle with Police at U.K.-France Border; Pfizer and Moderna Testing Vaccines Against Virus Variant; France's Vaccine Rollout to Begin in Care Homes. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired December 23, 2020 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world, you are watching CNN NEWSROOM and I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, financial help for millions of Americans in doubt this hour after Donald Trump slammed the $900 billion stimulus bill.

The U.S. president also using his pardon power controversially. We will tell you about the convicted war criminals and corrupt politicians who now have a second chance.

Also ahead, chaos, confusion and frustration. Angry truckers stranded at the U.K./France border by COVID fears take their anger out on the police.

Good to have you with us. Well, the check may not be in the mail after all. President Donald Trump is throwing the whole $900 billion economic relief package into doubt by asking for major changes to the bill already passed by Congress. The president's video message in which he came out against the could the individual stimulus bill took even Republican lawmakers by surprise Tuesday. The president did not specifically threaten to veto the bill but called it a disgrace. He urged them to make big changes to the amount of money going to Americans and he entertained his post-election fantasy of staying in office.

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[04:05:00]

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Send me a suitable bill or else the next administration will have to deliver a COVID relief package, and maybe that administration will be me and we will get it done.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Well, the president criticized what he calls wasteful spending

in the COVID relief bill but in fact, several provisions he attacked are actually part of the omnibus spending bill for the government, not the COVID stimulus. So we get more now from CNN White House correspondent John Harwood.

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JOHN HARWOOD, CNN, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The chaotic closing days of Donald Trump's administration took another bizarre turn on Tuesday night when the president out of the blue posted a video message calling the COVID relief bill that Congress has just passed and sent for his signature a disgrace. This was the $900 billion Bill that included stimulus checks for $600 per person in the American population for those making under $75,000 a year, an extension of unemployment benefits, benefits for small businesses. Desperately needed by people struggling under COVID.

Now it's not clear exactly what the president's purpose is here. He had not been particularly involved in negotiating the legislation though his administration aides had been. This is also not clear whether the president will in fact follow through by vetoing the bill. But the last thing that Republicans need is an intramural fight. The president has been attacking Republican leaders trying to make himself look good at his expense. He demanded in the bill a change of the stimulus checks for American families from $600 per person to $2,000 per person.

Republicans in the Senate are not going to go along with that. Although Democrats in the House said they'd immediately would. So not clear what all of this is going to mean, whether there's going to be a veto. The bill initially passed with more than enough votes to override a presidential veto, but the picture could change if the president actually puts pressure on Republicans.

The one thing we know is it would be unwelcome news for Americans looking for that relief and unwelcome news for the economy overall. Dow futures went down 100 points after the president released a statement.

John Harwood, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And as John just mentioned, President Trump is calling for a larger, direct payment to Americans increased from $600 to $2,000. House Democrat Adam Schiff tells CNN's Chris Cuomo, the president has been sitting on the sidelines but he, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and all of the Democrats stand ready to call Mr. Trump's bluff.

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REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): If the president didn't like the amount that the Republicans in Congress are willing to go along with, he should have said something. He's been completely missing in action and this has been true not since the election, although is certainly was heightened after the election. But for months now as we have tried to get a relief package going, he's been completely disengaged. Why wait until the House passes a bill and then the Senate passes a bill, to say, oh, suddenly I'd like the checks to be bigger.

Now it is true, Chris, the only thing he's ever cared about in the relief package are the checks with his name on them. But none the less, if he wanted to make them bigger, he could have weighted in and he didn't. So I don't know what this last minute gambit is all about. But look, if he's serious, if he's going to put pressure on McConnell, instead of Republicans to go along with him. I'm all for it. The speaker, as you pointed out, said we can take up a bill ASAP by unanimous consent to increase the amount of these checks. So we're willing if he can get the Republicans on board.

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CHURCH: Well, Christmas has come early for some of President Trump's closest allies. A flurry of presidential pardons saving several from jail time and triggering an outpouring of condemnation. Among those granted pardons, two men who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in the Mueller probe. And these supporters of the president, former Republican Congressmen convicted of misusing campaign funds and other fraudulent behavior. The president also pardoned four military contractors convicted of killing Iraqi civilians in 2007. CNN's Pam Brown has more details on who got the pardons and why these likely won't be the last from President Trump.

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PAMELA BROWN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump announced 20 pardons, including several of his allies and past associates. And those include George Papadopoulos who pleaded guilty in the Mueller probe to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians He is the fourth person the president granted clemency to in the Russia probe so far.

Also, on the list, two corrupt GOP allies who are early supporters of President Trump, Chris Collins, and Duncan Hunter.

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Hunter who was sentenced to 11 months earlier this year for misuse of more than $200,000 in campaign funds will now not serve any time behind bars with this pardon. Collins was sent to prison October of this year for insider trading, activity he engaged in while on White House grounds according to investigators.

And there are other controversial names on the list, such as four Blackwater guards involved in war crimes, the massacre of Iraqi civilians including one Nicholas Slatten who have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. So those are some of the key names.

And then there were also two former border control agents who were sentenced to prison in 2005 for shooting an unarmed undocumented immigrant, they were heralded as heroes on right-wing media at the time. And nearly half of the pardons are nonviolent drug offenders who had been advocated by Alice Johnson, who Trump pardoned earlier this year.

So, we have around -- we have 20 pardons on this latest list from President Trump before Christmas, and we expect a flurry of more pardons before the president's term ends.

Pamela Brown, CNN, Washington.

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CHURCH: And CNN legal analyst Elie Honig acknowledges this is all constitutional under the broad pardon powers of the president, but he said doesn't make it right. Take a listen.

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ELIE HONIG, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: These pardons tonight fall into really three groups. The first on is what you just said. Some of these remaining defendants from Mueller investigation. And to me that's actually the least offensive. I think they are unjust. But the bigger problem is when you get into these members of Congress. Outright crooks, thieves, whose only qualification for a pardon is the word Republican before their title, Chris Collins, Duncan Hunter. That is it.

And then finally you get on to convicted war criminals. People who where convicted by a jury through our due process, our trial process of murdering civilians. I mean, if that's not an injustice, I don't what is.

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CHURCH: And important to note while some of those pardons are commuted sentences generating controversy, some are not. Notably the clemency for several people serving long sentences for non-violent drug offenses.

Well, France is reopening its border to some travelers from the U.K. with a variety of conditions attached. The border was shut down over concerns about a new coronavirus variant from the U.K. But in Dover, England tempers are flaring this hour. A CNN team is witnessing angry truck drivers shouting at policemen. Frustrated they can't cross the border into the United Kingdom.

CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins us now from Dover to explain all the chaos. So talk to us this Salma. Because it's understandable frustration. Because we're hearing about the border or these restrictions being lifted but no plan appears to be in place.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: That's absolutely right, Rosemary. It is absolutely confusing. And we ourselves have been seeking answers of course since we got to this border. We've seen dozens of truck drivers stranded here, unable to cross. The policemen tell us that no truck drivers, even if they have a negative coronavirus test, will be allowed to cross only tourists with a negative coronavirus test. Since that time we've seen so much tension, so much aggravation that

actually the border is essentially closed right now. I'm going to let you just take a look, pan over here. Because of this rush of stranded drivers that we did see, police reinforcements were called in. That line is now blocked. The traffic as well is blocking the streets. So essentially no one is crossing at the moment.

Now we did call French authorities to find out what's going on, on their side. They said they have no information. There is no blockade on their side. Now on the part of the U.K. government, they say they have started coronavirus testing at two sites, a site along the highway. This sit was closed off on Sunday. Essentially a huge portion of the highway closed off to turn it into a parking lot for 900 truck drivers. That's site right there, coronavirus testing is starting there, as well as another site Manston Airport, which is about a 45 minute drive from here.

There's over 4,000 truck drivers there. So just doing my math here. That's about 5,000 truck drivers that they need to test not including the ones right in front of me here. So thousands upon thousands of truck drivers who need to get tested. They need to do it efficiently. They need to do it safely.

We were at that airport site yesterday where there appears to be no sanitation, no cafeterias, or bathrooms, or accommodations. All of these drives have essentially been living in on the streets and living their vehicles now for days. So a great deal of concern about their health.

And again, that logistical nightmare of how do you get thousands of truck drivers tested. Many of them again -- I want to remind people -- many of these truckdrivers are not from Britain. They are from Romania, from Poland, from other parts of Eastern Europe, most of the. So English is not their first language. So when one of these police officers tells them, you need to eight go to the airport or get on a website for the National Health Serves to book a coronavirus test. That's a massive task for them. It's complicated for me to do.

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I can only imagine if you do not come from Britain, how complicated that is for you. So we're seeing a lot of confusion, a lot of concern, but not a lot of answers -- Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, a crazy situation there. Salma Abdelaziz many thanks to you for bringing us up to date on the situation there in Dover. Appreciate it.

And ahead here on CNN, scientists say the new COVID-19 variant may impact children more. We'll have new research from the U.K.

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CHURCH: Welcome back. Well 2020 is on track to be the deadliest year in U.S. history with more than 3 million deaths expected according to preliminary data from the CDC. COVID-19 has played a role accounting for about 9 percent of U.S. deaths so far. Johns Hopkins University reports 3,400 Americans died from the coronavirus on Tuesday and COVID hospitalizations set a new record. For nearly a month, more than 100,000 people have been hospitalized in the U.S. for the coronavirus.

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But despite these grim numbers, millions of Americans have opted to travel for the Christmas holiday. America's top infectious disease expert says Christmas shouldn't be canceled but Americans need to be careful and limit travel. And in an effort to dispel fears over COVID- 19 vaccines, some health officials received their first doses on Tuesday. CNN's Sara Murray has the details.

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DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I want to encourage everyone who has the opportunity to get vaccinated.

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The nation's top infectious disease doctor rolling up his sleeves for a dose of the Moderna vaccine, alongside other prominent members of the trump administration.

DR. FRANCIS COLLINS, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: Are you done yet?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You just got lucky.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was no problem people.

MURRAY: While officials are buoyed by the vaccine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have complete confidence in the safety and efficacy of these vaccines.

MURRAY: There are still concerns about a strain of the coronavirus that may be more transmissible. The CDC says the U.K. variant hasn't been identified in the you U.S. but it could already be in the United States without having been detected.

FAUCI: We take this very seriously and we're going to be studying it very carefully to see if we can find out any other connections between the mutation and the function of the virus.

MURRAY: Even so, administration officials tell CNN the White House is considering requiring travelers from the U.K. to show proof of a negative COVID test before arriving in the U.S.

This both Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna are testing their vaccines against the new strain. And a BioNTech executive tells CNN's Fred Pleitgen it's possible to adjust the vaccine to combat this strain.

UGUR SAHIN, CEO, BIONTECH: We should not forget that there is still the opportunity if required to adjust the vaccine exactly to this new virus variant if this is needed. MURRAY: Vaccines are already rolling out across the U.S. with more

than 4.6 million doses shipped and more than 600,000 shots in arms, according to the CDC. While those number could be lagging by days, it's clear it will take beyond December to hit the administration's target of getting the first doses to 20 million of Americans. Meantime coronavirus cases in the U.S. continue to climb now surpassing 18 million.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our hospitals are overwhelmed in many locations.

MURRAY: Hospitals also under tremendous strain as the U.S. recorded more than 115,000 hospitalizations Monday, a new record. While officials plead with Americans to stay home for the holidays, there are already signs air travel is picking up with more than 4 million people flying in the past four days.

ERIN BROMAGE, BIOLOGY PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS DARTMOUTH; If you're going to jump in a big metal tube, an airplane, with lots of people, so a million people every day flying right now, you're going to be sharing a lot of air. People are still getting this wrong even now. It's the air we share.

MURRAY (on camera): We are now learning there is one familiar face in the U.S. coronavirus response we will not be seeing in the Biden administration and that is Dr. Deborah Birx. She told various news outlets. She wants the transition to be successful. She's happy to help out the Biden team during that time and then she plans to retire.

Sara Murray, CNN, Washington.

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CHURCH: Well the coronavirus is once again spreading through countries where the pandemic was once thought to be under control. Thailand says an outbreak from a seafood market has now grown to more than 1,000 cases. The government is now testing thousands of people and imposing strict measures to try and contain the spread.

Meantime in Australia, COVID restrictions are being eased in Sydney. That's after reporting a falling number of cases for the second day in a row. From Christmas Eve residents in the northern beaches will be allowed to have up to five visitors in their homes as long as they're from the same affected area.

Well scientists in the U.K. say a new variant of the coronavirus spreading through England may be more transmissible in children. Some even say it's more than 70 percent more infectious. That doesn't necessarily mean it's more dangerous. Here's more from a top scientist speaking at a virtual news conference.

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NEIL FERGUSON, PROFESSOR IMPERIA COLLEGE LONDON: There's hitch that it has a higher propensity to infect children. That may perhaps explain some of the differences, but we haven't established any sort of causality on that. But if we can see that in the data. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And now to more COVID-19 headlines from Europe. Germany has just reported 962 coronavirus deaths. It's the highest single day death toll since the pandemic began. Ireland, meantime is facing tougher restrictions due to rising cases and the threat of the new COVID variant. And France's vaccination campaign is set to begin on Sunday and several care homes -- that's according to the French health minister.

Well CNN's Jim Bittermann joins us now from Gilles in France.

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Good to see you Jim. So what is the plan for the COVID vaccine rollout across France?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well supposedly it's going to be coordinated in a European wide basis, Rosemary. As it stands now basically on Sunday the distribution will take place in all the EU countries as the same time, the first distribution.

The vaccine itself is coming down from Belgium. It's under police surveillance, both police patrols but also drone surveillance as it comes down and going to 100 secret sites all over Europe. The question is why the secrecy? Mainly because as an Interpol source explained to our colleagues at French radio, it's liquid gold at the moment. And it's already a potential target for the mafia and other criminal organizations as well as anti-vaxxers and perhaps terrorist organizations. So the police are going to survey the distribution to the 100 secret centers. And then after that it's up to the countries themselves.

And in France, as you said on Sunday, they're going to start with senior citizen homes and also with health care workers. They're going to gradually inoculate about 100 -- rather, I'm sorry, a million of senior citizens and health care workers throughout the month of January and into February. After February they will go on to about 14 million more people. These will be older people and people with chronic diseases. And then the rest of the population beyond that. So the rest of the population probably will get vaccines sometimes in the late spring, early to late spring -- Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, an impressive process there. Jim Bittermann bringing us the latest details. Appreciate it.

And coming up here on CNN. Some top U.S. military officers are getting anxious when it comes to their commander in chief. We have details from the Pentagon.

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