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New J&J vaccine Rollout to be Slower Due to Miscommunication; Gates: 3rd Vaccine Dose May Be Needed to Fight New Variants; Biden Reveals All Living Predecessors Have Called Except One; Biden Reveals He's Never Been to White House Residence Before Presidency & Feels Self-Conscious Being Waited On; What the Battle Between Trump & McConnell Means for GOP. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired February 17, 2021 - 14:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:31:49]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: The launch of a key vaccine is hitting significant roadblocks. The rollout of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, which is the first big one that requires just a single dose, will be much slower than expected all because of miscommunication.

The hope was that once the vaccine was approved, 20 million to 30 million doses would be ready to go. Now we know the company only has a few million in its inventory.

I'm joined by CNN medical analyst and former Baltimore health commissioner, Dr. Leana Wen.

That's talk about the bumpy rollout of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. You were a participant in the company's drug trial. What do you make of this miscommunication?

DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Frankly, I don't know what to make of it, Brianna, because this is something that should be entirely preventable. I think can still be prevented going forward.

I think it's really important for all companies, Johnson & Johnson and also Pfizer and Moderna, to tell the American people exactly how much supply they intend on having at every point.

So how much do they want, do they think they'll have by end of February? What about mid-March? What about end of March? We need to be able to track that information for accountability.

It's not about blame, but if there are going to be delays, we need to know this in advance. State and local health departments also need to know that for their own planning purposes.

I don't understand quite what happened but that kind of public accounting is critical moving forward.

KEILAR: In CNN's town hall last night, President Biden said they were still on track to have in-school learning for the K-8th grades within the first 100 days. Is that realistic?

WEN: Depends on how we count in-person learning. Is it a couple days a week for some school districts? Does that meet the goal?

I actually think that that 100-day returning to in-person learning is not the right goal.

I think that President Biden should instead look at what's in the summer and certainly in the fall. We should be aiming in the fall to have every student back to school for in-person learning.

We should be figuring out now what are the resources we need to reduce community spread, to make the schools safe, make sure as many adults as possible are vaccinated by that point.

Maybe even start summer school and have things in place for the summer?

The first 100 days, by April, I don't think it's going to happen.

KEILAR: Do you think teachers need to be vaccinated to return to school, or that they should be vaccinated?

WEN: I do. Not -- I don't mean that every single teacher, everywhere, needs to be vaccinated before even one teacher returns.

Rather, when you look at so many areas of community transmission, that's very high, there are already teachers back for in-person learning in these areas. Often in cramped classrooms that don't have adequate ventilation. Not all students even wearing masks in those settings.

For teachers in those settings, if you want more teachers to return, you have to get them the best protection possible. And that includes the vaccine.

This is something that can be done. I know the federal government is saying, well, it's up to states to determine priority.

Well, federal government can say, we're not giving you states any more vaccine unless you prioritize teachers. There are certain leverages they have as well. And I think they should use them.

[14:35:00]

KEILAR: That's a very good point.

CDC has released two studies. It shows that these coronavirus variants could actually cause a rapid rise in cases. This is one of the big fears now.

Bill Gates is funding drug trials in South Africa and Brazil, countries where some of these variants originated.

Let's listen to what he said about the vaccine effectiveness.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL GATES, MICROSOFT FOUNDER & CO-CHAIR, BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION: The discussion now is: Do we just need to get a super high coverage of the current vaccines, or do we need a third dose that's just the same, or do we need a modified vaccine?

And all five companies that have U.S. vaccines are looking at making that modification and adding that in so that, you know, people who have already had two shots might need to get a third shot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: So third dose, or what essentially might be a booster. What do you think the path forward is here?

WEN: I think that is what's going to happen. The South African variant appears to be less susceptible to the vaccines that we have already developed. So it's important to start making a booster.

But really important for everyone to be taking the vaccine, if eligible, in the meantime. They can get a booster to target the variants later. But they should still get the vaccine now to protect against all the other variants we have.

KEILAR: Dr Leana Wen, thank you so much. We covered a lot. I appreciate it.

WEN: Thank you, Brianna.

KEILAR: Next, President Biden says he has talked to all the living presidents, except for one. We'll let you guess who that is.

Plus, he revealed the one thing that makes him uncomfortable about living in the White House.

And I'll speak to a Republican strategist about the very public war of words playing out right now between Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump.

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[14:40:51]

KEILAR: President Joe Biden, showing how much he wants to move past the Trump years, went to great lengths during his CNN town hall last night to avoid even saying the former president's name, even while revealing he's been talking to all of his predecessors except one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Have you picked up the phone and called any former president yet?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes, I have.

COOPER: Do you want to say who? BIDEN: No, I don't. They're private conversations.

But -- by the way, all of them have -- with one exception -- picked up the phone and called me as well.

(LAUGHTER)

COOPER: I know you don't want to talk about him but --

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Historian Alexis Coe with us now. She's also the author of "You Never Forget Your First," a biography of George Washington.

I wonder, Alexis, what does it tell you as a historian that Biden talked with all of his living predecessors except the one that immediately preceded him in office?

ALEXIS COE, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: That one anomaly, it tells me that everything is going as it should.

It's tempting to think that those phone calls and those letters and, you know, people showing up at inauguration and at the opening of presidential libraries is simply ceremonial but it's not.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, President Kennedy called every single living president for advice. It was essential to him that he understood what they would do, given their experience and their different approaches to national and international relations.

And -- and it's -- it's really important that he keeps an open mind with President Obama because he wants to continue so many of the things -- and to bring back reforms that were pushed back.

KEILAR: There was also this surprising revelation during the town hall last night from Biden.

Let's listen to this. It's an exchange between Biden and Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I had been in the Oval Office 100 times as vice president, or more, more than that, every morning for the initial meetings. But I had never been up in the residence.

And -- one of the things that -- I don't know about you all, but I was raised in a way that you didn't look for anybody to wait on you. And -- it's -- we're -- I find myself extremely self-conscious.

They're wonderful people that work at the White House. But someone, you know, standing there, and -- you know, making sure, hands me my suit coat, or --

COOPER: You've never been in the residence of the White House?

BIDEN: I had only been upstairs in the Yellow Room. You know, the Oval upstairs.

COOPER: I don't know. I've never been there either.

BIDEN: No, no.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: So no slumber parties during his time as vice president.

But, look, I was surprised he hadn't been in other places in the residence. Were you?

COE: No. Not at all. Particularly, when it comes to the Obama family.

Everyone has a different approach. The most part, even Secret Service does not go into the private quarters.

The Obamas wanted it to look like home. They brought in their own furniture, as opposed to working with a curator to borough items kept in storage.

And they also had, you know, cut-off times. They would have dinner together.

So Biden not being invited up as the vice president makes a lot of sense to me, even though we know about their famous bromance.

KEILAR: It was interesting that he said, maybe not surprising, but interesting that he said he feels weird being waited on. Is that something you come across before with other presidents?

COE: Yes. Particularly with modern presidents. They're not used to numerous butlers and ushers, florists, curators, as I mentioned.

There are multiple chefs, pastry chefs. You can't just open up the refrigerator and want a snack at 2:00 a.m. You have to place a phone call.

But for the most part, they all get used to it. They miss it when they're gone, even if they came from great wealth.

And there are all of these beautiful photos and anecdotes about presidents leaving.

[14:45:03]

And Bill Clinton had -- he stood there while his ushers picked out ties they would like from his collection.

And recently, a post, photo of Barack Obama hugging the woman who brought him mail every day.

KEILAR: Yes. They become -- you know, their White House family. It's really fascinating.

Alexis Coe, thank you so much for being with us.

COE: Thank you for having me.

KEILAR: Next, former President Trump calls Senator Mitch McConnell an unsmiling political hack in a scathing new statement. This, after McConnell called Trump's actions disgraceful. And the very public feud has Republicans worried about the next elections.

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[14:50:09]

KEILAR: Now to an epic face-off in the Republican Party. Former President Trump and Senate Leader Mitch McConnell are, quote, "at each other's throats," according to Senator Lindsey Graham.

Trump just fired back against McConnell for saying the party needs to move away from the 45th president, blaming him for the capitol insurrection, despite voting to acquit Trump in the impeachment trial.

Now Trump responded, in part here, "Mitch is a dower, sullen and uninspiring political hack. And if Republican Senators are going to stay with him, they will not win again."

Sources say Trump was actually holding back in his statement.

Graham says the party's two top members have got to stop.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): They are now at each other's throat. I'm more worried about 2022 than I've ever been. I don't want to eat our own.

President Trump is the most consequential Republican in the party. If Mitch McConnell doesn't understand that, he's missing a lot.

We don't have a snowball's chance in hell of taking back the majority without Donald Trump. If you don't get, that you're just not looking.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Republican strategist, Liam Donovan, is with us. He once worked for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is the political arm of Senate Republicans dedicated to getting them elected to Congress.

I wonder what you think of what Graham said there, Liam. Can Republicans not take back the majority without Trump?

LIAM DONOVAN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Thanks, Brianna. I think, look, this is the furthest away the election cycle is ever

going to get. And 2022 is a ways away. And right now, it's about sort about handling the family business.

I was in a cycle in 2010 where the Republicans took the tact of let's papering over our differences and let's just barrel ahead and let political gravity do the rest. We got the House, but McConnell knows as well as everybody, we blew a lot of winnable Senate seats.

That is what he has an eye on, getting the right people in, in 2022.

KEILAR: Liam, I'm going to press you on this a little bit. Because I think when we look at the personality of President Trump, you can't just assume that this is going to get papered over. He is very upset with what Minority Leader McConnell said.

Is Trump -- you know, is Trump essential here? Can Republicans move away from Trump and still win Senate seats?

DONOVAN: Sure. I think that's an open question. But what I think McConnell has done, in a way, is demonstrated that you can poke the bear post-Twitter and what you get is a long rambling press release. It's not nearly as scary.

I don't think Mitch McConnell is trying to get into a popularity contest with Donald Trump. What he's doing is softening the ground and saying, hey, look, you don't have to kowtow to everything that this guy does.

And so I think this sets up the pinch we're going to have in the next cycle.

But, again, we're heading into primary season. That's the key. And keeping people out that would otherwise be suitable candidates in November will be top of mind for McConnell.

KEILAR: How do you do that because that didn't necessarily happen, certainly in House races?

DONOVAN: Yes. Of course. I think that's the fear is you've now promoted some people who would otherwise be in line for statewide, you know, challenges at the very least, and in Georgia, top of mind.

And I think, if you don't address it head on, there's a vocal part of the party that -- that as has had a market for this.

Unless you address it head on and unless you're clear-eyed about it and aggressively both recruit and challenge people that don't belong anywhere near a statewide bid, I think you're going to end up with these guys.

Now if Trump gets them across the line, that's one thing. But he's going -- he's going to do it without a fight.

So you have to have that reckoning now, as opposed to watching this slip away in 2022. KEILAR: What are donors saying? Are they reflecting what Lindsey

Graham said or not?

DONOVAN: I think everybody are still getting their bearings. This is still so boom-boom.

We had the undertow of an election that looked very different the Wednesday after in November than it does, you know, three months later.

And -- and so I think donors are still reeling. But there's a lot of opportunities. It's a big map. There are a lot of open seats already. So there's a lot of hashing out that has to be done, a lot of settling that has to be done.

And, again, the primaries are where it's at. And I think the next year -- forgot about the last six months. That's where political gravity takes over. And that's where environments get a dictate.

And if you can't handle these primaries in a way that's going to set you up for success, then I think it's all going to be moot.

KEILAR: Liam, thanks so much for being with us. Liam Donovan.

DONOVAN: Thanks, Brianna.

[14:54:46]

KEILAR: Next hour, President Biden and Vice President Harris are set to meet with labor leaders to tout their COVID stimulus package. We'll take that to you. As the administration rolls back the timeline for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

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BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: You are watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thanks for being here.

[15:00:00]

We begin with this enormous pledge from the president for normalcy. President Biden says this country could get back to pre-pandemic life as we knew it by Christmas.