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CDC Warns Americans Should Prepare For Coronavirus Crisis In The U.S.; Judge Amy Berman Jackson Criticizes Trump Attacks On Juror In Roger Stone Trial; Democratic Candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) Live On New Day. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired February 26, 2020 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00]

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DR. ROBERT REDFIELD, DIRECTOR, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: -- beyond this season or beyond this year. And I think eventually, the virus will find a foothold and we will get community- based transmission. And you can start to think of it in the sense like seasonal flu. The only difference is we don't understand this virus.

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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: So what does that mean for -- in practical terms for people listening to what Dr. Redfield says and what you heard out of the CDC yesterday?

Something that they talk about a lot is something that is non- pharmaceutical interventions -- NPIs. We don't have a -- we don't have a medication for this. So the name of the game really, as this virus starts to gain a foothold, as Dr. -- as Dr. Redfield said, for a period of time it may be a question of more social distancing. People actually staying home.

And that's why you heard from the CDC yesterday that -- Nancy talking about calling her kids' school and saying what's the contingency plan? People possibly working from home as well -- you know, avoiding large public gatherings.

But also, looking at your house and saying OK, look, if we're sort of told for the next couple of weeks that we should not really spend much time in public, are we OK? Do we have enough supplies? Do we have our prescription medications, for example? Do we have enough kids' supplies if you have young kids in the house? Practical things that need to take place.

I've covered a lot of these sorts of outbreaks and these questions always come up in terms of preparedness at the individual level.

Also, one thing, getting your flu shot. And we say that all the time but now it takes on a heightened degree of importance because flu and coronavirus are going to get comingled. Which do you have? And it may be hard to tell but if you have your flu shots it makes it less likely to be flu.

But, Dr. Redfield says this is coming. We've been able to slow this down but it's likely to gain community spread.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Community spread. And you bring up the issue of social space. And again, where I meant Dr. Nancy, as you call her, when she was saying she called her kids' school to figure out what the contingency plans are, that is so relatable, I think to so many people. And that really, I think, struck a chord with a lot of people who may not have been paying close attention.

GUPTA: Yes. I think, no question. I mean, we certainly think about this with our own kids and our own kids' school.

But when you talk about community spread -- you know, what we're really -- what that really means is look, right now, you've seen the numbers of people here in the United States and it's low. I mean, you have mostly people who have either been repatriated from that cruise ship -- travel related -- and just a couple of cases of human-to-human spread.

But I do want to point out two things that we've been digging into, John.

First of all, if you look at South Korea, they've conducted tens of thousands of tests on people out there. In the United States, we've conducted hundreds of tests. Now, partly, it could be because we're selecting very carefully who we're testing here. But keep in mind, there's a lot of people who may be carrying the virus who have no symptoms or just minimal symptoms. They may not be getting tested.

My point is this. There could be a lot more -- the number of people who carry the virus could be much greater than we already realize and that -- but I want to just -- one point of context though is that 80 percent of people who do carry this virus still really are not really getting that sick. So if this starts to spread that's obviously of concern but that doesn't necessarily mean we're dealing with a highly- lethal --

BERMAN: Right.

GUPTA: -- pandemic.

BERMAN: Just all of this -- all of this is so important to understand, Sanjay. It's important not to gloss over any aspect of it, the good or the bad, which is why we're so lucky to have you. Thanks so much for being with us.

GUPTA: Thank you, John -- appreciate it.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, John.

A federal judge is sticking up for jurors after attacks from President Trump. We discuss that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [07:37:46]

CAMEROTA: A federal judge is defending jurors who served in the Roger Stone trial. The president and his allies have been attacking them. And, Judge Amy Berman Jackson told a federal courtroom that "While judges may have volunteered for their positions, jurors are not volunteers. They are deserving of the public's respect."

Roger Stone was found guilty in November of obstructing Congress and witness tampering. He was sentenced to 40 months in prison last week.

Joining now is CNN's chief legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin. He's a former federal prosecutor.

Jeffrey, tell us about this hearing that Judge Jackson -- Berman Jackson called. How unusual is this? Have you seen this before?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST, STAFF WRITER, THE NEW YORKER, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: It's very unusual. It's not unprecedented to have jurors testify but it is certainly unusual because judges don't want to create an incentive for lawyers in trials to start investigating jurors -- to look into their backgrounds and their political views. They don't want to create a situation where jurors become inessentially, witnesses, so the judges are very reluctant to put them on the stand.

However, both sides in a trial are entitled to a fair trial and a fair jury. And if there is the suggestion that jurors lied during voir dire, which is the period when jurors are questioned before they're seated, and that might create an unfair trial, the judges are obligated to investigate.

And that's what happened here. There is the suggestion that one or more jurors in the Roger Stone trial didn't tell the truth in voir dire about their political views. And the question is first, did they tell the truth and second, did that implicate Stone's fair trial rights? That's what Judge Jackson is trying to decide.

BERMAN: And Judge Jackson's comments yesterday were so pointedly directed at the president -- clearly directed at the president's statements, whether they're on Twitter or anywhere else, attacking a juror. Attacking someone doing their civic duty to sit and listen to a trial, Jeffrey.

What do you make of the president's comments on the juror, and anything you heard yesterday indicate to you that Judge Jackson would ever rule that this trial should be overturned?

[07:40:00]

TOOBIN: You know, to be honest, I don't know what Judge Jackson is going to do. I don't really know how significant these statements are so I wouldn't make a prediction about what she's going to do about the new trial situation.

But as for what the president said, it is so outrageous to attack jurors. I mean, these are ultimate private figures. They didn't volunteer. Judges need jurors, the legal system needs jurors, and the idea that the president would single out jurors repeatedly for criticism --

You know, one area where I actually defend the president is the criticism of judges, especially Supreme Court justices. I don't have a problem with the president attacking Supreme Court justices.

They are major political figures. They have life tenure. They decide very important matters that implicate the whole country. I don't see why they should be off-limits.

Remember when Barack Obama, in his State of the Union, attacked the Citizens United decision and a lot of people got the vapors -- oh, isn't that terrible? I don't think that was so terrible.

And I don't think it's bad that this president criticizes Ruth Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor. I think his criticism was unfounded, but the idea that he has the right to do that, I don't have a problem with.

Jurors are a different story.

CAMEROTA: The jury system is the lifeblood of our justice system and people don't need to be disincentivized to show up for jury duty. I mean, people already dread getting the notice. I personally love it.

BERMAN: Well --

CAMEROTA: I --

BERMAN: -- because it's a day off.

CAMEROTA: No, not only that. I also love meting out justice and I am thrilled with the power -- I'm drunk with the power when I'm on the jury.

BERMAN: This is now on the public record so you will be declined for every --

TOOBIN: Wow.

BERMAN: -- jury going forward.

CAMEROTA: They always decline me, OK, and I want to be on a jury. I hope any judge and lawyer is listening right now.

But my point of this is that the president is going after -- I mean, one of the fundamental tenets of our justice system.

TOOBIN: I just -- I'm seizing this phrase "you like to mete out justice."

CAMEROTA: Yes.

TOOBIN: That sounds like you want to run the prison yourself. CAMEROTA: I do.

TOOBIN: I don't think the defense is going to ever let you on a jury ever again.

CAMEROTA: This is what's happened.

TOOBIN: I, myself, was on a dental malpractice jury -- a very interesting case.

CAMEROTA: You're so lucky.

TOOBIN: It was not -- it was not the trial of the century --

CAMEROTA: I don't care.

TOOBIN: -- but it was an interesting experience.

No, you are absolutely right that it is hard enough to get people to show up for jury duty. It is -- it is generally regarded as an unpleasant experience, except by you, apparently.

CAMEROTA: Exactly.

TOOBIN: And, you know, jurors are not -- are not very well paid. They barely get their parking covered.

But it's integral to how our system works. And to have the President of the United States attacking a juror from a position of ignorance about the facts of the case, no less, is really -- it is just exactly what William Barr was talking about that Donald Trump shouldn't have done.

And I think it's illustrative of the fact that Barr wasn't serious about his complaints. He was trying to appear concerned about the president but he's not going to do anything about the president intervening in the justice system when he shouldn't be doing it.

BERMAN: Yes, look -- yes, the idea that he had threatened to quit somehow doesn't seem like there was a lot of teeth to that given that the president hasn't stopped one bit on any of this.

TOOBIN: No.

BERMAN: Jeffrey Toobin, a pleasure to have you with us --

TOOBIN: All right.

BERMAN: -- and the dental --

TOOBIN: Do you want to hear more about --

BERMAN: -- malpractice community.

TOOBIN: -- dental malpractice case?

CAMEROTA: I would like to.

TOOBIN: I could -- I could tell you all about it.

CAMEROTA: Yes, OK --

BERMAN: That's a great tease.

CAMEROTA: -- in the commercial break.

BERMAN: All right.

So, NBA fans finally got to see LeBron James and Zion Williamson face off for the first time. Andy Scholes has more in the Bleacher Report -- Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, guys.

You know, LeBron not ready to give up that throne anytime soon. Zion, the most hyped teenager since LeBron back in the day. And this first meeting between the two didn't need any more hype but wrestling legend Ric Flair, he was on hand there in Los Angeles on his 71st birthday and took the mic before the game.

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RIC FLAIR, RETIRED WWE PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER: The home of the greatest athlete in the world today, LeBron James, the king -- whoo!

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SCHOLES: If that doesn't get you ready for some basketball, I don't know what will.

Now early on after the steal, LeBron throwing down the one-handed slam. Ric Flair liked that.

Now, Zion playing above the rim in this one as well. He threw down a number of powerful dunks. He finished the game with 29 points.

But, LeBron still reigning supreme. He scored a season-high 40 as the Lakers win 118-109.

Now, near the end of the game, check out LeBron on the bench. He must've been hungry, chomping on some Red Vines. He must've just needed a snack.

All right. In Raleigh last night, the Hurricanes honoring 42-year-old David Ayres, who was the hero for them on Saturday night against the Maple Leafs.

So, in the NHL, there is a rule that basically says that the home team has to have an emergency goalie available for both teams in case of an injury. And, Ayres, who is a kidney transplant -- who has had a kidney transplant -- he came in for Carolina, got eight saves, and helped them secure the win.

[07:45:06]

For his efforts, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper making Ayres an honorary North Carolinian.

And, guys, he's going to go back to Toronto and be the emergency goalie, once again, on Saturday for the game between the Maple Leafs and Canucks.

But pretty cool for Ayres -- all the recognitions he's getting for coming in and helping to win that game.

BERMAN: It's an amazing story. I still can't believe there's such a thing as the emergency goalie who can play for both teams.

SCHOLES: Rarely used, yes.

BERMAN: I know it's happened before but it's -- it blows the mind. And he's got a great story, to boot.

Thanks, Andy.

SCHOLES: All right.

CAMEROTA: Thanks, Andy.

All right, one Democratic candidate who was on the debate stage last night called it a slugfest.

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SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If we spend the next four months tearing our party apart, we're going to watch Donald Trump spend the next four years tearing our country apart.

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CAMEROTA: But how did she really feel about it? Sen. Amy Klobuchar is going to tell us, next.

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[07:50:30]

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KLOBUCHAR: If we spend the next four months tearing our party apart, we're going to watch Donald Trump spend the next four years tearing our country apart. So my argument here is that we need to get back to what's happening right now.

We have a clear choice of who's going to lead this party. And I am the only one in the New Hampshire debate when asked if we had a problem with a socialist leading the ticket that raised my hand.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BERMAN: Sen. Amy Klobuchar on the debate stage last night, and look who's here with us right now. Sen. Amy Klobuchar joins us from South Carolina. Good morning and thanks so much for waking up and talking to us after that spirited --

KLOBUCHAR: Thanks, John.

BERMAN: -- spirited debate last night.

Let me ask you because we just played that sound for you --

KLOBUCHAR: That's such a nice adjective, actually. That's a positive adjective.

BERMAN: In that sound bite we just played, you talked about tearing the party, tearing the nation apart. And you also pointed out that you raised your hand, raising questions about nominating a socialist -- a Democratic socialist for the party.

How would nominating a Democratic socialist, Bernie Sanders -- in your mind -- tear the country apart?

KLOBUCHAR: Well, to step back, I was actually also referring to the way people were treating each other on the debate stage.

I just keep thinking about all the new people tuning in who haven't been following this and they want to have an alternative to Donald Trump or maybe they voted for Donald Trump and they're thinking I'm not sure he's really helping me out very much, and that is my focus in every debate to make that comparison with him.

But also to put out a positive, optimistic economic agenda for this country, which I did last night when I was asked about rural health care, when I was asked about coronavirus, when I'm asked about education -- so that's one thing.

The second thing is the comparison with Bernie Sanders. That is a legitimate territory to be in since he is, right now, leading. And you look at his views -- and I wanted to make the American public see that.

As I said, it's alienating to so many people that we want to bring in over $60 trillion in spending, which is three times the total of the entire American economy. Not just the federal budget -- think about this. The entire American economy over 10 years.

And that he'd kick 149 million Americans off their current health insurance in four years, as would Sen. Warren. I wanted to make that point -- that's right in that bill -- so people start getting serious about this.

There's a lot of things that sound good on paper or look good on a bumper sticker, but please imagine Donald Trump prosecuting the case against those two on the debate stage as opposed to someone like me that actually brings the people with me who are exactly the people that are looking for an alternative to Donald Trump -- the people in the middle.

BERMAN: I get that. And I've heard you make your case about Medicare for All, and I've heard you make the case about being from Minnesota, in the middle of the country. But when you talk about nominating a Democratic socialist and suggest that it's somehow tearing the party apart, I'm just curious about how, especially given that he has received the most votes in the first three contests.

KLOBUCHAR: I think it's turning the -- could tear the country apart because Donald Trump would get elected. That was my point.

BERMAN: Yes.

KLOBUCHAR: If you spend the next four months tearing each other apart the way these debates have been going, as opposed to having a logical discussion about policy, including with Sen. Sanders, we have the stark possibility that Donald Trump will get reelected and will tear our country apart.

BERMAN: Gotcha.

KLOBUCHAR: That's what I'm most worried about. So that was a plea to my colleagues on the stage to kind of cut it out, focus on what matters. And to me, what matters is the choice between Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and some of the other candidates. And then the other thing that matters is that we take it to Donald Trump.

BERMAN: I don't know if you can see what's on the camera right now but I want to put up a photo that captured a moment that I think you're talking about on the debate stage, and it's you standing between former vice president Joe Biden and Tom Steyer as they are having a -- as we call it, a spirited discussion. And I'm just wondering if you can fill in the thought bubble right there.

KLOBUCHAR: Yes. Well, that was about private prisons. It was a legitimate discussion but Steyer sort of, if you look, moved over closer and closer to my space to the point where I thought I could actually get hit on the debate stage. And then I thought well, he's kind of got deep pockets if that happens -- I don't know.

BERMAN: (Laughing).

[07:55:00]

KLOBUCHAR: But I was -- I was literally sandwiched between the two of them yelling at each other. I knew very well what was going on and what that photo would be because my point to America was we don't all agree with all this fighting.

People can make their points but this just keeps going and going. And to me, it is one thing to make a policy point. It's another to make it so you get a sound bite the next day on T.V. just to raise money. And that feels a bit --

BERMAN: OK.

KLOBUCHAR: -- what was going on with some of my colleagues.

BERMAN: I will say the Republicans, if they had a debate, would be a tort reform based on what you just said. But we'll move on to a different subject.

KLOBUCHAR: (Laughing).

BERMAN: We had Bakari Sellers on, who is a CNN political analyst and a former South Carolina elected official -- he ran for Lieutenant Governor there also -- who endorsed Kamala Harris. He is not, now, endorsing any candidate in South Carolina going forward.

But he had this to say about you and your outreach to African-American voters. I want to play this for you.

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BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, (D) FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE MEMBER: And she has not had a presence in South Carolina. When you look at Super Tuesday, she's not in Tennessee, she's not in Virginia, she's not in North Carolina. Yes, she went to Little Rock and she needs kudos for that, but she's spending the majority of her time in Oklahoma, the Dakotas, and Minnesota.

That's not someone who wants to try to win the African-American vote. Act like you care about the way black voters tend to think and want to vote and give us a chance to love you, and she won't even do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: What do you have to say to Bakari?

KLOBUCHAR: That I want him to love me and that here's his chance.

I actually have operations in every single state that he mentioned.

And if you look at my schedule over the next few days, where am I going? I'm going to be here today. We're doing a rally in South Carolina. Then I'm going to North Carolina and doing a town hall meeting.

Then I'm going to Tennessee -- exactly what he asked. Then I'm spending the day in Virginia. And then ending up in Alabama with the -- on the -- with the civil rights leaders -- a trip that I've actually taken in the past over the Edmund Pettus bridge.

BERMAN: So, Bakari will -- Bakari will be pleased.

KLOBUCHAR: Those things are my -- that's my schedule. I know, he will be. And I think part of this, which he knows, it's that schedule with --

BERMAN: Right.

KLOBUCHAR: -- Iowa and New Hampshire first, and then Nevada.

And I have a long history of working with the African-American --

BERMAN: Let's --

KLOBUCHAR: -- community. I have a 100 percent rating for the NAACP and it's on me to earn the support.

BERMAN: Let's talk about the schedule a little bit and also talk about the results today. And I caught up with you between Iowa and New Hampshire. You did better than expected in Iowa. You were excited about New Hampshire. You did better than expected in New Hampshire.

But at some point, candidates need to win somewhere. And if we can throw up on the map Super Tuesday, where are you going to win? Where are you going to win? I know Minnesota is on this map so it's a trick question, but where are you going to win beyond Minnesota?

KLOBUCHAR: Well, of course, I'm going to win in Minnesota. But beyond that, you saw me doing better in what state? The state that had a primary.

Right now, John, I am third for total vote-getting. I'm not kidding -- look at it. Why is that? Because these caucus states are tougher. These caucus states are tougher for people who are a little more in the middle.

Every single state coming up on Super Tuesday is a primary state except American Samoa -- they're a caucus state. But everyone else is a primary state. That's going to be to my advantage to do better.

And I'll note people like Bill Clinton lost a number of primaries, sometimes bigtime, before he started emerging. And when you have the third-biggest vote total on the stage, you're going to keep moving forward, which is what I'm doing now.

BERMAN: Sen. Amy Klobuchar, we thank you for joining us this morning. Appreciate your time.

KLOBUCHAR: Thank you very much, John.

BERMAN: All right. And thank you to our international viewers for watching.

CAMEROTA: And thank you.

BERMAN: Thank you -- international.

CAMEROTA: That was great to hear from her and what she was thinking during that moment.

BERMAN: She thought she might have a lawsuit. If Tom Steyer came into her space too much, she was going to sue.

CAMEROTA: I know -- well, if she got hit.

BERMAN: Well, that's -- yes, exactly, exactly. Anyway, there was the risk. For our international viewers, "CNN NEWSROOM" with Lynda Kinkade is next. For our U.S. viewers, NEW DAY continues right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 10th Democratic debate stakes could not be higher.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Pete has gotten funding --

PETE BUTTIGIEG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You've got people --

SANDERS: -- from over 50 billionaires.

BUTTIGIEG: It's just not true. Sen. Sanders --

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I guess the only way to do this is jump in and speak twice as long as you should.

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Who funded Lindsey Graham's campaign for reelection last time? It was Mayor Bloomberg.

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- forty Democrats. Twenty-one of those were people that I spent $100 million to help elect. The new Democrats that came in and gave the Congress the ability to control this president, I bough -- I got them.

TOM STEYER (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am scared. If we cannot pull this party together, we take a terrible risk of reelecting Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.

CAMEROTA: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Wednesday, February 26th, 8:00 in the east, or so I'm told.

The Democratic candidates ganged up on the front-runner, Sen. Bernie Sanders, at last night's fiery debate.

END