Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Biden Projects Calm As Trump Refuses To Accept Loss; Biden Described "Smooth, Seamless Transition" In 2016; Joe Biden In Pennsylvania, Donald Trump In Arlington To Mark Veteran's Day; Joe Biden: Trump Is Not Helping His Legacy; Greece, Turkey Dispute Escalates Over Competing Claims; Love Will Find A Way. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired November 11, 2020 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is "Connect the World" with Becky Anderson.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, this hour the President of the United States will soon pay his respects on Veterans Day honoring
those who have served in the armed forces. It is tradition for the Commander in Chief to observe their sacrifices by laying a wreath at
Arlington National Cemetery.
Well, Joe Biden is also honoring the nation's veteran today. His son Beau served in the National Guard. The President-Elect releasing a statement
that reads we have only one truly sacred obligation to prepare and equip our troops we send into harm's way and to care for them and their families
when they return home. Mr. Biden said this is a personal commitment for him reflecting on his own family's experience as a military family.
In Europe French President Emmanuel Macron is also remembering those who gave their lives in the service to the country. He led Armistice Day
commemorations in Paris honoring soldiers who fought and died in World Wars I and II and - the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and rekindled its flame.
Observances have been scaled back amid the Coronavirus pandemic and indeed amid lockdown measures.
We're also tracking developments in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia another Armistice Day Memorial but one spiked by violence. Officials state two
people suffered minor wounds in an IED attack at a cemetery for non- Muslims. They were targeted during a ceremony commemorating the end of World War I French diplomats were among those attending.
Saudi state news showed Jeddah's governor of visiting the victims in the hospital. They report that security authorities are investigating the
attack they also echoed a French Foreign Ministry statement calling it a cowardly act.
Well, for now let's turn back to the U.S. as there is an awful lot going on there. While President Trump is fulfilling his presidential duties at
Arlington National Cemetery as we speak, the scene back at the White House looking anything but presidential.
Donald Trump has been taking more steps to complicate Joe Biden's transition to power, including appointing loyalists to post at the Pentagon
making it very difficult for Biden to fire them.
Right now only a handful of Republican politicians have even acknowledged that Biden won the election and a key member of his cabinet offered up the
president's alternative reality to reporters on Tuesday. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is the State Department currently preparing to engage with the Biden transition team, and if not at what point does a delay
hamper a smooth transition or pose a risk to national security?
MIKE POMPEO, US SECRETARY OF STATE: There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump Administration, right. We're ready. The world is watching
what's taking place here. We're going to count all the votes. When the process is complete, there will be electors selected. There's a process.
The constitution lays it out pretty clearly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, make of those comments what you will. For his part Joe Biden is conveying a sense of calm saying any denials uttered by the
president, Pompeo or others indeed will not impact the transition.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D) PRESIDENT-ELECT: I don't see a need for legal action quite frankly. I think the legal action is you're seeing it play out, the actions
he's taking and so far there is no evidence of any of the assertions made by the president or Secretary of State Pompeo.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Let's break all of this down for you with White House Correspondent John Harwood who has covered U.S. Presidents in transitions
of power for some years.
[11:05:00]
ANDERSON: Let's put it that way, John. You've seen them come and you've seen them go. This one it seems isn't going anywhere any time soon. What do
you make of what we've been hearing over the past couple of days?
JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Becky, I've never seen one go like this, but he is going to go. Donald Trump is somebody who has had a
difficult time accepting the embarrassment, the humiliation of defeat.
His entire life since he inherited millions from his father, has involved him being shielded from bad outcomes, buying off people, threatening
lawsuits, laying his way out of situations and now he has run into a brick wall of accountability from the American electorate.
77 million votes and counting, clear majority nationally and clear majority in more than enough states to give an Electoral College victory. We've just
heard a few moments ago that Georgia is going to do a hand recount of its ballots, but the president's lead appears to be sufficient to withstand the
expected shift in votes in any recount that we're familiar with.
The same is true of his margins in places like Arizona and Nevada and Pennsylvania, so Joe Biden is going to be the president. It's hard for
Donald Trump to accept, and because he has a stranglehold over the base of the Republican Party, the rest of the Republican Party is being forced to
play along with this charade, in part to keep enthusiasm up for the special elections for the Senate in January in Georgia which will determine whether
or not Republicans retain control of the Senate, and the question is how long does this go on?
December 8th is when states need to certify their results and send their electors - prepare their electors to vote the following week. I suspect
this is going to be over before then, but Donald Trump is playing out the string right now. We will see him for the first time in a few days. He's
been hiding out in the White House watching television, sending upset tweets. We'll see if he has anything to say publicly on camera today.
ANDERSON: Yes. OK. And we are awaiting his arrival at Arlington Cemetery there for the commemoration of Armistice Day, of course. John, in your
latest digital analysis you write and I quote you here Trump is handling his election loss like every other setback, and then you say it can't work.
Where will this strategy break? It can't work, you say, but it could cause serious damage, right?
HARWOOD: Well, it's interfering with Joe Biden's transition. On the bright side for the Biden Campaign is Joe Biden and the people around him are as
experienced a set of incoming officials as we've ever seen in the United States.
So the - the transition is somewhat less important for Joe Biden than it would be for somebody coming in say a Governor who had not served in
national office and having been surrounded by a team of people who had served.
But, no, the reason it's not going to work is that the votes are the votes, and, you know, Donald Trump has - has simply been able to escape
accountable over and over again. He's not going to be able to do that this time.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. All right, Mr. Harwood, well, he's in Washington Always good to have you john, thank you.
HARWOOD: Thank you.
ANDERSON: We talk transition then, the transition process called ascertainment. Here's how it's supposed to work. First, formal
acknowledgement of the presidential election winner which the Trump appointee charged with the task has yet to do.
That in turn unlocks national security talks for background checks and releases funds for training it and incoming staff Joe Biden still awaiting
the formal letter to get the process rolling through it all the president- elect resolutely forging ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: Access to classified information is useful, but I'm not in a position to make any decisions on those issues anyway. As I said, one
president at a time, and he will be president until January 20th it would be nice to have it, but it's not critical, and - and that's - so we're just
going to proceed the way we have. We're going to - we're going to do exactly what we would be doing if he had conceded and said we won which we
have and so there's nothing really changing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That's Joe Biden. Let's take a closer look at the man and the incoming president.
[11:10:00]
ANDERSON: With Biden Biographer Evan Osnos, you see his book there "Joe Biden: The life, the run and what matters now" Even also a staff writer at
"The New Yorker" joining me now via Skype from Washington.
What do we - what do we not know about Joe Biden? We've seen a lot of him in front of the camera. We'll remember a lot about him from his time as
Vice President for President Barack Obama. What should we know that perhaps we don't, Evan?
EVAN OSNOS, STAFF WRITER, THE NEW YORKER: You know, I think what's easy to forgot in a moment like this, Becky, when it seems as if the kind of basic
standards of reason and normalcy in Washington are melting down is that none of this is strange to Joe Biden.
He has seen a lot of this before in one form or another. He's been in government a long time. He takes it extremely seriously. When I interviewed
him for this book over the summer his mindset was, the only word I can think of is grave. He was looking at what was happening?
He looked at this president, his, you know, what was one series of stunts after another, and he said I am deeply worried about the effect on this
country, but none of it from his perspective is confusing because the law is clear.
The vote counts are clear, and the only source of mystery here is what is going on in that consistently bizarre space between Donald Trump's ears?
And Joe Biden has a team of people around him who have dealt with complex crises beginning years ago and continuing up to this moment.
They are not arriving at amateurs, and there's - as much as this is disconcerting, it is not actually a legal pathway to undo the effects of a
legitimate election, and it's useful to keep that in perspective. This is a stunt, and Joe Biden has seen stunts before.
ANDERSON: Will he be concerned that this defiance by Donald Trump could or as some suggest already is beginning to threaten national security?
OSNOS: Well, one of the things you've learned when you have been involved in national security as long as he has is that the moment of transition
between administrations is acutely vulnerable, if you go back to the autopsy report which is what it was after the 9/11 disaster in the United
States.
Of course what we learned was that Al-Qaeda was watching very closely what happened in the contested election of 2000? They knew this was a seam that
they could exploit in America's governance. What we have right now is a president who has manufactured a - a contested election, where one does not
exist.
And Biden's perspective, you know, the advantage that they have going in is that they know the levers of government. None of is this going to be a case
of them learning on the job, but let's be clear in assigning responsibility where it belongs.
This is Donald Trump making a kind of last-ditch ego-stroking effort to relieve himself of the indignity of reality, and it doesn't work because
the law is clear, and I think in some ways the longer term damage, Becky, is that I've lived in a lot of countries around the world that had
authoritarian regimes.
Part of my background as a foreign correspondent, and this is a source of delight for any country that's ever had to contend with the idea of the
United States telling them that they are not living up to their constitution or living up to their own standards of international
transparency. Donald Trump is giving great comfort to them right now.
ANDERSON: I just want to bring up some images while you and I speak of Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden who are in Philadelphia at a Veterans Day
stop. Joe Biden reminding us of his son Beau Biden on a day like today and the fact that he is a military family, when you consider Joe Biden the man,
what do you - what comes to your mind first, Evan, the man, the family man?
OSNOS: I'll give you a fascinating little anecdote that was relayed to me by somebody in it the Obama White House. David Axelrod at the time was one
of the people who were assigned to go vet the future Vice President, Joe Biden, when they were trying to decide if he was the right guy for the job.
They go and visited him in Wilmington, Delaware where he lived with his family and Axelrod took note of something. He saw that when Joe Biden and
Beau Biden parted after lunch that day they kissed each other on the cheek. And David Axelrod went back to New York and sorry went back to Washington
he said something to Barack Obama, the incoming president.
He said look, I've got to tell you something. This is a gut feeling, but there is something special about that family.
[11:15:00]
OSNOS: That is a real thing there, the closeness, the depth of bond, the belief in the sanctity - really fundamental way. This is not a prop. Look,
in Washington sometimes family is wielded as a kind of political instrument to assert a notion of values. That's not what's going on here.
This is something really profound and as David Axelrod said to them, President-Elect Obama, I don't know quite what it means but I know it's
meaningful. When Beau Biden died in 2015 of a brain tumor, you know, the effect on Joe Biden was profound.
As somebody very close to him said to me it killed off an arrogant side of him, honestly. It was in a way a settling moment. It was a humbling moment.
By the fate he looked at this life that he had built. He had reached, you know, the very cusp of the highest levels of power and then, of course, his
legs had been knocked out from under him by the death of his son and there was a piece of that that was I think a kind of metaphor for the United
States right now.
Here we are a country flat on our back, laid low by the Coronavirus, by the ineptitude of our federal government which we have, you know, venerated
over the years for its ability to deal with a public health crises and he finds himself coming in with a deep acquaintance what have it means to
suffer and what it means to rebuild your life and that is in some ways is the hidden asset that he brings into this job at this extraordinarily
difficult time.
ANDERSON: Just considering David Axelrod no fool himself: fascinating to hear you recount that story. Joe Biden has said, and I know he's often
quoted on this, but I want our viewers who may not have heard him say this.
We get a lot of mileage out of leading by the power of our example, he says, of the U.S., not just by the example of our power, and as we
consider, I'm just bringing up some images here, although the cameras are a little awry, but this is Joe Biden in Philadelphia today marking Veterans
Day.
As we consider those words, we get a lot of mileage out of leading by the power of our example not just by the example of our power. We have been
considering what a Joe Biden Administration and its foreign policy may look like going forward, and for our international viewers, I wonder what your
thoughts know the man as you do?
OSNOS: Well, you know, President-Elect Biden has spent years involved in foreign policy. He was, after all, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee. Just to give you one data point that brings that to life. Former Senator George Mitchell reminded me that he used to bring foreign heads of
state to the Senate.
He'd be going around introducing them to people. This is Senator Orrin Hatch and this is Senator Bob Dole and these foreign leaders would get to
Biden and they would say, hi, Joe. I mean, they had just met him before he has decades of experience in these affairs and for that reason he looks at
our present moment and he is deeply concerned.
As he said to me, look, we are facing a moment, and when we have to rebuild American credibility, we can't expect that the rest of the world is going
to look to us just by the sheer force of arms at our disposal and respect us for it. That's not how it works.
We are facing a moment of - it's a moral rebuilding as much as it is a rebuilding in the - in the simple strategic sense. I think when he goes out
into the world after January 20th and begins the process of reintroducing America to other countries part of that task is to say to people we are
honest about our fault.
We know what we've been through and know what we did to ourselves for four years and we're committing ourselves to the basic values that we hope make
us a worthy partner, but he doesn't take it for granted.
You know, from his perspective the United States has done great harm in the Presidency of Donald Trump and is going to have to go back and make a case
not only for the United States as a trading partner, as a national security partner, but also as a leader in what - what we call the free world.
This is a more complicated world than it was when Joe Biden was in the vice presidency. You have a challenge from China making its own claim for
governance in a governance model, and what he believes is that with the strength of American allies, in Germany, in the UK, in - in Asia, that you
can begin to make a case again that the United States is back and it is also realistic and reflecting on its mistakes, and is not taking anything
for granted.
ANDERSON: I was listening to Tony Blinken (ph), Chief Foreign Policy Analyst for the Biden Campaign recently on - on, you know, where we might
see Biden policy on the international front going forward, and he made the point that Biden believes there is a premium on American leadership.
[11:20:00]
ANDERSON: He believes there's a premium on finding ways and new ways to cooperate amongst nations, and when it comes to China, for example, he says
the U.S., you know, through the last 3.5 years has found itself now, you know, at somewhat of a strategic disadvantage, and that is something that
needs realigning as it were.
We're going to take a very short break at this point. These are commemorations, Armistice Day commemorations both in Philadelphia and
indeed at the Arlington National Cemetery, both the president-elect and the president taking a very short break back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, the President of the United States will soon pay his respects on Veterans Day honoring those who have served in the armed
forces. It is tradition the Commander in Chief to observe their sacrifices by laying a wreath at Arlington Cemetery, Arlington National Cemetery.
That's on the left Joe Biden at the Korean War Memorial at Pennsylvania landing in Philadelphia.
Let's get you back to our White House Correspondent John Harwood as we await perhaps note the arrival but the appearance of - of the president
there at Arlington Cemetery. We were just discussing a book with Evan who penned a book, a biography of Joe Biden in the summer, about the man, the
character, the family man, and on a day like today a man who will be remembering and grieving the loss of his own son.
HARWOOD: Yes, it's a remarkable story that Joe Biden has, and Beau Biden has played a huge portion of that story. The president's son, of course,
served in Iraq. He was decorated for his service and then, of course, the president lost him or the president-elect rather him in 2015, extremely
excruciating moment, Joe Biden thought that - he's often said that Beau Biden was the better version of himself.
Beau Biden's friendship with Kamala Harris is also something that was instrumental in this the ultimate selection of the Vice President-Elect,
but this is an amazing split screen where you have the president-elect and outgoing president both attending separate ceremonies, one probing to take
office and the other refusing to accept the reality, at least publicly, that he's going to be leaving office.
[11:25:00]
ANDERSON: We are now at Arlington National Cemetery, and this is Donald Trump, Mike Pence.
(VIDEO PLAYING)
[11:30:00]
ANDERSON: Joe, you've been watching Veterans Day in the United States and the American President at Arlington National Cemetery. It is pouring with
rain there a moving ceremony time for a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You are watching CNN. The President and First Lady departing Arlington National Cemetery after the Veterans Day observance
there, Mr. Trump will return to an unusual and messy scenario in Washington where there appears to be no sign of him conceding the election to Joe
Biden. But, of course, the only norm with this president is how he breaks them in top allies like Mike Pompeo sticking by his side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is the State Department currently preparing to engage with the Biden transition team and if not at what point does it delay
hamper a smooth transition or pose a risk to national security?
POMPEO: There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump Administration. All right, we're ready. The world is watching what's taking place here.
We're going to count all the votes. When the process is complete, there will be electors selected. There's a process. The constitution lays it out
pretty clearly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, as Pompeo said, the world is watching, and so one assumes is our next guest who tweeted that he hopes the U.S. will become more
involved in global affairs under a Biden Administration. Well, David McAllister is a German Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the
European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs.
So very much interested in what happens next. You heard Mike Pompeo, that the narrative through the redolence, of course. Let's take look at the
narrative through the blue lens. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: Well, I just think it's an embarrassment, quite frankly. The only thing that - how can I say this tactfully? I think it will not help the
president's legacy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:35:00]
ANDERSON: Let's look at it from the outside in. What are you making of what is unfolding in the United States, sir?
DAVID MCALLISTER, GERMAN MEMBER, EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Well, for us in Europe Mr. Biden is the President-Elect. All leaders have congratulated
him, and we're looking forward to working closely together with him and his administration from the 20th of January onwards.
ANDERSON: That's a very diplomatic answer. Thank you, perhaps I shouldn't have expected anything less. A Biden Administration, sir, does not mean the
end of the Trump era. 2024 could tip everything upside down. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has already hinted at that. Can America be trusted
as an ally to your mind?
MCALLISTER: The United States is the closest partner of the European Union in the whole world with no other country outside of Europe apart from
Canada we have these close contacts and links. I strongly believe in it the Trans-Atlantic partnership, and with President Biden this partnership will
become and get a new impetus.
ANDERSON: Well, in a "Washington Post" article, I'm not sure whether you've seen this; a writer by the name of Shane Harris says this. As President
Donald Trump selectively revealed highly classified information to attack his adversaries, gain political advantage and impress or intimidate foreign
governments, in some cases jeopardizing U.S. intelligence capabilities, as an ex-president there's every reason to worry he will do the same.
You are a member you chair, in fact, the foreign relations or foreign affairs committee in Europe. Do you and your colleagues share the same
concerns about an outgoing Donald Trump?
MCALLISTER: Well, this is domestic United States politics. We do hope that there will be a transition phase and that there will be an orderly handover
of power on the 20th of January, and we do hope that Trans-Atlantic relations will change and improve in style and in tone it. I think there's
a lot of common ground between us and the European Union and a Biden-led Administration.
ANDERSON: Right. But you say this is all domestic stuff. It's not. I mean, there are a number of countries, and anything that happens in America
doesn't stay in America. There are a number of countries who have quite frankly been burnt by the release of classified information by the Trump
Administration.
And there are concerns that this outgoing president, when he determines that he is outgoing, might do more. I put that to you. Is that of concern
to you as the Chair of Europe's Foreign Affairs Committee?
MCALLISTER: I didn't say this issue is domestic. What I said is that this issue can only be solved in the United States, and we trust in the United
States institutions along an old traditional democracy with strong institutions of the rule of law, with checks and balances.
And in the end in the democracy everyone has to accept in an election there's a winner and there's somebody who hasn't won, and it's about the
one who hasn't won accepting this, and that's why I do hope that we will have a peaceful and orderly transition of power in an election, in a
democratic election every vote counts, every vote will be counted, and in the end there's a winner.
ANDERSON: Let's leave U.S. politics aside, but thank you for your thoughts. I want to turn to the Pfizer vaccine which, of course, is hugely wrapped up
in domestic politics. The story of COVID and at story of vaccines has been hugely politicized.
The EU committing to 300 million doses it of this vaccine. Dr. Anthony Fauci says Americans could receive the vaccine by the end of the year, and
are you looking at a similar timeline here and how will EU countries get this fairly distributed?
MCALLISTER: Well, first of all, this is good news because a safe and effective vaccine is the only lasting exit strategy from the pandemic. And
this has been at the center of our European activities, the first clinical trial results are encouraging and this is for me fair evidence of
commitment to putting more Europe in the area of health.
We need a closer European cooperation, and we also need a closer global cooperation including the United States.
[11:40:00]
MCALLISTER: So the agreement between BioNTech, a German company and Pfizer to purchase 300 million doses of the vaccine is a major step forward to
diversify the vaccine's portfolio and it I'm sure Europe is well prepared for vaccination next year.
ANDERSON: Finally, sir, we will be playing after this interview an interview with the Greek Prime Minister. That's an interview my colleague
John Defterios has just conducted. He says not enough progress is being made regarding rising tensions between Turkey and Greece in the Eastern
Mediterranean. Do you agree?
MCALLISTER: Unfortunately, the Turkish government is still not taking concrete steps to de-escalate the current situation. Any kind of
provocations are unacceptable, they must stop immediately. All 27 EU member states are together in this.
The other 26 stand by our ally Greece, the other 26 stand by our ally Cyprus, and what we're expecting now is concrete steps of de-escalation of
the government in Ankara to resolve tensions peacefully and to create space for a constructive dialogue.
ANDERSON: David McAllister, we appreciate your time, sir. Thank you very much indeed for joining us. Now to get more now on the tensions which could
become a key foreign policy issue for Joe Biden when he takes office, Greece and Turkey, as you know, are at odds over claims to energy resources
in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Turkey furious over a deal between Greece and Egypt on natural gas in the area, Greece demanding the EU sanction Turkey after it launched a ship to
carry out its own seismic surveys. Well, as I said, John Defterios, my colleague, sat down with Greece's Prime Minister to get his perspective.
Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KYRIAKOS MITSOTAKIS, GREEK PRIME MINISTER: We have one main difference with Turkey, and that is the limitation of our maritime zones, and if we cannot
agree, we should go to the international court. But, unfortunately, and in spite of efforts also made by Germany because the Chancellor tried to
mediate between Greece and Turkey, we haven't seen any real progress.
But the European Council has taken a decision and has made it very, very clear that it expects significant progress by December. It will take stock
of the issue in December, and if there is no significant progress, there will be consequences for Turkey, and, of course, the Turkish economy is not
particularly strong these days.
So it's really up to Turkey to determine whether it wants a productive relationship with Europe or whether it wants a confrontational relationship
with Europe.
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: What do you think is the end game here? I don't want to be too provocative. But I do want to ask
eventually would you be willing to share energy resources if discovered? Is that a possibility in the future?
MITSOTAKIS: Well, this is not something we do discuss, John, because we first need to determine to imitate our maritime zones in a fair and
equitable manner. This is, you know, the number one priority here, and we haven't been able to do so for many decades.
But I just want to point out our government has signed a limitation agreement with Italy. We've signed a partial limitation agreement with
Egypt, and we have agreed with Albania to go to the international court and let the court decide how we want to limit our mayor tame zones?
DEFTERIOS: He has declared President Erdogan that he wants to be an exporter in five years. He has made discoveries as you know in the Black
Sea but that is impossible for him to be an exporter without the Eastern Mediterranean, so how do you find a settlement, only through international
mediation?
MITSOTAKIS: We're not all after Turkey. We never tried to exclude Turkey. I want to be very, very clear with you and your - and your audience. It's
Turkey that is almost excluding itself through its behavior because all other countries have found a way to cooperate. So I think this tells us
something about, you know, attitudes towards cooperation and willingness to find acceptable solutions in our part of the world.
DEFTERIOS: Is there strength in numbers, Prime Minister? You have this force of Israel, Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, backing by France, Chancellor
Merkel serving as the mediator, the United States indicating its support. Is that a wall you're comfortable with that keeps Greece secure against
Turkey?
MITSOTAKIS: First of all, we have full confidence in ourselves, you know, in our armed forces. We may be a smaller country than Turkey, but we have -
we have a very strong deterrent, and that was always the purpose of investing in our armed forces.
[11:45:00]
MITSOTAKIS: But, of course, Turkey has also - also needs to see the world through the same lens. I do need to point out that there has been a change
in U.S. policy also vis-a-vis Turkey. The State Department has been quite strong in its language of condemnation of the Turkish behavior over the
past months.
So, again, everyone seems to agree that Turkey seems to be doing something wrong here, and, of course, my job is also to build strong alliances, so
this is what I'm doing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: John Defterios speaking to the Greek Prime Minister. Well, disastrous and catastrophic, some of the words being used to describe
what's happening to Texas which is in the grip of COVID-19. I'll show you why that is not an overstatement. That's coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, what you're looking at here are mobile morgues in Texas. More are set to arrive. It is a stark image of America's catastrophic
response to COVID-19. Numbers getting worse inner single state, and Texas is having a very tough time, surpassing the bleak milestone of 1 million
Coronavirus cases, one of its big cities is now on the brink of disaster.
That's what El Paso officials are now saying. The city has more people hospitalized than most states. In fact, things are so bad it's bringing in
those mobile morgues I just showed you to handle a spike in COVID deaths. Let's get you to El Paso and CNN's Omar Jimenez. How are hospitals coping
with this surge, Omar?
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, for starters, they have had to bring in outside resources. The state has sent about 1,400 additional
personnel to this area just to assist. That's along with the U.S. army, members of the U.S. army and the U.S. air force here assisting on top of
that.
And to put it in perspective, to give you an idea of the hospitalizations that we are seeing, if you take the entire hospital capacity we have here
in El Paso over 50 percent of those in the hospital are there for COVID-19.
Churches are empty. Businesses no different and the new reality for El Paso, Texas, where Coronavirus has taken hold unlike any other place in the
country. Based on the number of active cases and the population, 1 in every 30 people in the county actively has COVID-19.
The test positive rate has been at 20 percent or higher since before Halloween. Nearly 1,100 people are in the hospital with Coronavirus, record
levels, and the virus continues to claim lives.
[11:50:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MINERVA MORALES, DANIEL MORALES' MOTHER: He went to work. It was the last time we saw him. That's the last time his children saw him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: Daniel Morales, a nurse, fought for weeks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MORALES: We would gather in front of the hospital in the parking lot every evening at 9:00 pm, and we'd pray because we believed he'd come home.
FRANCISCO MORALES, DANIEL MORALES' FATHER: I always have a positive nature where he's going to be fight. He's fighting this thing off. He's fighting
it. He'll be fine, and he never recovered.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: Daniel Morales was 39 years old leaving a wife and four kids behind. It's a pain that's become all too familiar. This is one of six
mobile morgues currently in operation here in El Paso, and they say that there are more on the way.
Just to try and keep up with the number of deaths that we have seen here. All in all, officials here say they can hold up to 176 bodies, if
necessary. You couple that possibility with what's been a record level of hospitalizations here, and officials say they are on the brink of disaster.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're in a dire situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: David Stout is a County Commissioner in El Paso and knows the medical examiner may need even more resources.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID STOUT, EL PASO, TEXAS COUNTY COMMISSIONER: He's also asked that we start looking for an actual brick and mortar situation that has
refrigeration and that's purely because you have so many bodies stacking up.
JIMENEZ: Exactly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: In recent weeks the county judge announced a shutdown of non- essential businesses some are pushing back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN HJALMQUIST, PRESIDENT AND COO, PIZZA PROPERTIES: Our team members don't have paychecks. If we don't have hours to give them because we can't
serve customers they don't get paid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: The state supports the businesses calling the judge's move illegal pushing for other mitigation strategies. Stout supports the county judge's
order and an extension of the shutdown, especially as numbers across Texas continue to rise.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: When things start getting worse everywhere else, people are going to have to go back to those other places, right, and then what's going to
happen in El Paso?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: But the debate over how to proceed shut down or not?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These are his ashes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: Is a back and forth Morales no longer has patience for.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. MORALES: We have an empty chair now. We have a void that will never be filled, and you know what. If I lose my health, if I lose my car, I'll
replace it, I'll rebuild, but you cannot bring my son back, you can't, and they are arguing over it, and it makes me angry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: And the county judge here is expected to extend that shutdown, but what remains to be seen is whether the state's appeal effort will win out
to, again, reverse that shutdown. And the mother, Daniel's mother went on to say that if you ask his kids what their biggest fear is, it's that their
mother, who is also a nurse, goes to work because the last time they saw their father was him going to work. Becky.
ANDERSON: Very sad, Omar, thank you. Well, that is the situation in Texas. I want to turn now to a Pacific Island which is 57 times smaller than the
State of Texas. For months the tiny nation of Vanuatu didn't have a single case of COVID-19, that is, until now.
A man returning from America tested positive on Tuesday. Officials there hope they can keep it to just one case by keeping him isolated. Pacific
Islands like Vanuatu took action on the pandemic early on knowing they would struggle to deal with the magnitude of outbreaks that we are seeing
happening elsewhere.
When the darkness of this global pandemic we all try to connect you with some light that we find and just ahead a sweet serenade reminding us to
appreciate the little things in life amid everything that's going on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:55:00]
ANDERSON: Well, before we leave you tonight, a scope or a scoop even over "La Dolce Vita" with some soothing moments from an Italian man for the
woman that he loves. Love floating in the air along with the delicate music there, 81-year-old Stefano Bozini (ph) serenading his wife of 47 years with
his accordion playing beneath her hospital window, a region gripped by COVID-19.
Bozini has been unable to visit his wife Carla in person. Oh, there is so much good in the world. Don't forget it, be nice to one another. Take care
of yourselves. Take care of your friends. Take care of your families. Stay safe. Stay well. It's a very good evening from the team working with me
here in Abu Dhabi.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
