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New Day

U.S. Set Another Record for Hospitalizations With Coronavirus; More Than 77,000 Deaths, 6.3+ Million Cases Reported in December; 4.2 Million Vaccinated in U.S. So Far, Well Short of 20 Million Promised; FDA to Meet This Week About Giving Half-Doses of Moderna Vaccine; Remembering The Lives Lost to Coronavirus; Trump Demands Georgia Official "Find" Votes to Overturn Results; Georgia's Republican Lt. Gov. on Trump's Bid to Steal Election; Georgia Lt. Gov.: Trump's Call with Election Official "Inappropriate"; Trump Warns of "Criminal Offense" if GA Officials Don't Change Vote Count; UK Court Rejects Julian Assange Extradition to the U.S.; The is More Than a "Kabuki Coup". Aired 7:30-8a ET.

Aired January 04, 2021 - 07:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:30:00]

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Hospitals in the United States are stretched to the limit this morning, more than 125,000 people are currently battling coronavirus in the hospital, that's a new record.

The U.S. also just marked the deadliest month of the pandemic, more than 77,500 Americans died in December along and nearly 6.4 million new infections were reported.

The vaccine rollout is happening, but it's lagging way behind projections. Just over 4 million have been vaccinated, that's only a fifth of what the U.S. Government promised.

Joining us now is CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, she's the former Baltimore City Health Commissioner and a "Washington Post" contributing columnist.

Dr. Wen, great to see you this morning. With, in terms of the vaccinations, from where you sit can you tell is the U.S. about to speed up the vaccination rate or are we stuck here at this level for some reason?

DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: I think we are speeding up, but the -- the ramp up is not nearly what it should be at this point. And I think a lot of that has to do with lack of federal leadership.

Yes, the Administration literally on the ground is not done by the Federal Government, but there's a lot that the Federal Government can actually be doing to infuse urgency into the process, including to set expectations.

They can be telling states and states should be telling institutions to basically use it or loose it. That you have a certain amount of time to get these doses administered, because I think it's just such a tragedy when we have thousands of people dying every day, for there to be millions of doses that are languishing in freezers and maybe even expiring before we have the opportunity to give it to people to save their lives.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: We are well short of what the Trump Administration promised us, or where they promised us we would be at the beginning of the New Year. They said that 20 million will have received the vaccine by now, and again, there haven't even been 20 million doses shipped at this point.

Moncef Slaoui, who Alisyn will speak with in a little bit, and that will be an interesting conversation, has suggested that one possible way to make up this short-fall is to give people half doses of the Moderna vaccine, people 18 to 55 years old will receive a half dose instead of a full does. What's your reaction to this?

WEN: Well, first of all I think we're solving for the wrong problem, because we have something like 14 million doses that are distributed, but only about 4 million doses that have been given. And so, the issue isn't that we don't have enough vaccine, the issue is that we're having an administration problem. And so, we should be trying to figure that out.

I do think that it deserves study at some point for us to look at, is there a way for us to ramp up the overall supply, maybe that could be giving half doses, maybe that could be delaying the second dose, but I also think that we really have to follow the science here, because vaccine hesitancy is not the issue.

And what I've been telling my patients, what we as physicians and practitioners have been telling our patients is that there were not shortcuts taken in this process and we have to be certain of that.

[07:35:00]

And so, studies are good, but trying to expedite for no reason right now, that's not the right solution.

CAMEROTA: I -- I heard the Surgeon General Jerome Adams over the weekend State of the Union talk about what he thinks the problem is in terms of the vaccine rate -- the vaccination rate not being up to what was promised and what we had all hope for.

So, I just want to play this for you to see if you think this reasoning make sense. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEROME ADAMS, UNITED STATES SURGEON GENERAL: When you ask what went wrong, we have to understand that this virus also occurred in the midst of a surge and a lot of the local capacity to be able to vaccinate was being used for testing and responding to surges.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: What do you think of that Doctor? This is because so much was going to testing instead of vaccinations?

WEN: He is right, that local and state health departments are totally overwhelmed, because we're asking the same people who are doing all the testing, who are doing contact tracing, who are doing public education and helping businesses to stay -- reopen safely, we're asking them to also do vaccination.

But, what the answer then should not just be to say, well they're doing too much, so let's just let that be, but rather the Federal Government should be saying, here are the targets that we expect each local health department and state health department to meet. So, in order to do that what do we as the Federal Government have to do to help you to accomplish these targets?

Is it that the National Guard needs to come in certain places and take over the testing for a short time? Is that local health departments don't have the capacity to set up these mass vaccination sites, kind of like field hospitals, converting stadiums into vaccination sites, is that something that the Federal Government should be assisting with?

So, it's not -- it is recognizing the challenges that they're under, but these challenges are not new. We have known for months that local and state health departments have to take on this additional duty, and so the Federal Government, instead of seating their responsibility when they distributed the vaccination, then say what do you need? Here's how we can help you with the guidance, support and resources that you need.

BERMAN: Dr. Wen, as always, we appreciate you being with us this morning. Thank you.

WEN: Thank you.

BERMAN: We want to remember some of the nearly 352,000 Americans lost to coronavirus.

Virginia Republican State Senator Ben Chafin, Jr., represented rural Russell County. The 60-year-old cattle farmer and attorney was first elected to legislature in 2013. Governor Ralph Northum ordered the state flag at the Capital fly at half staff in his honor.

Dearborn Heights Mayor Dan Paletko had previously served in the city council and in the Michigan State House. Governor Gretchen Whitmore remembered him as a committed public servant, he was 70-years-old.

Mike and Carol Bruno took every precaution, we're told, to not get the virus, including avoiding the big family get-together's they loved, but a daughter came over to cut her mother's hair, she had been tested and quarantined, then wore a mask throughout the visit, but they suspect somehow she passed the virus to her parents. Both died last month.

Son Joseph told CNN, even though we thought we did everything right we still got it.

We'll be right back.

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[07:40:00]

CAMEROTA: This morning we are playing you the new audio tape of President Trump on Saturday demanding that Georgia's Republican Secretary of State find thousands of votes in order to overturn President Trump's election loss. Here's some of it.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well under law you're now allowed to give faulty election results, OK? You're not allowed to do that, and that's what you've done. This is a faulty election result, and honestly this should go very fast.

You should meet tomorrow because you have a big election coming up and because of what you've done to the president - you know, the people of Georgia know that this was a scam and because of what you've done to the president a lot of people aren't going out to vote, and a lot of Republicans are going to vote negative because they hate what you did to the president, OK?

They hate it, and they're going to vote. And you would be respected if - really respected if this thing could be straightened out before the election. You have a big election coming up on Tuesday.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

CAMEROTA: Joining us now is Georgia's Republican Lieutenant Governor, Geoff Duncan. Lieutenant Governor, thanks so much for being here. We just played a portion there of this new audiotape. I know you've heard the whole thing. It's an hour. What did you think when you listened to it?

LT. GOV. GEOFF DUNCAN (R-GA): Well I was disappointed. You know, I was disappointed at the tone, at the intent, at the questioning. I've continued to encourage everybody, including the president, to stay focused on tomorrow.

That phone call did absolutely nothing to help, you know, drive turnout for Republicans here in Georgia for Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. I was disappointed, and quite honestly I can't imagine anybody on his staff encouraging that call or not giving him the advice to hang up and move onto the next subject.

CAMEROTA: Should he need advice from his staff to know that you can't call a secretary of state and try to bully ort manipulate or pressure him into changing the election? DUNCAN: Well look, that's a tough question to answer. I'll worry about my team and my staff and how I act, and it's certainly something that it wouldn't have made the phone call. Under any circumstance I wouldn't have made it.

It was inappropriate, and quite honestly it was a misuse of energy towards trying to get David and Kelly reelected tomorrow. You know, we need to stay focused, and you know, we've got a lot of hard work here. We're down to 24 hours, and we're - I know Republicans all over the country are counting on us.

CAMEROTA: And do you think that this phone call and it going public and people listening to this audio affects the runoff race tomorrow?

DUNCAN: I can't think of a scenario where it helps. You know, if we look back to the last 10 weeks any Republican using this misinformation or election fraud is only an excuse.

It's not a solution for us winning on Tuesday but also long-term leaning (ph). You know, I've been so committed to this because I plan to be a Republican longer than this election cycle, and I think that it's time that, you know, we start to realize where things went wrong for us.

President Trump validated, you know, an outsider, business person, and a change agent, but we need to get back to understanding the policies that we support and growing a party with empathy and using the tone that Ronald Reagan used where he inspired people.

[07:45:00]

That to me is the future of this party and not phone calls like that and not an attitude of false premise.

CAMEROTA: From what you've heard on that call, do you think this should be referred to the Georgia Attorney General to investigate?

DUNCAN: Yes, I'm not an attorney, Alisyn. And so, I'll let - I'll let the attorneys figure that out. I can - I am 100 percent certified to tell you that it was inappropriate, and it certainly did not help the situation. It was based on misinformation. It was based on all types of theories that have been debunked and disproved over the course of the last 10 weeks.

CAMEROTA: And do you hear a pressure campaign there because there are portions - and maybe we can play some of them - where President Trump sounds like he's threatening Secretary of State Raffensperger?

DUNCAN: Well certainly I know Brad Raffensperger very well. We served together in the House. We've been friends. I'm certainly glad to have him on the other end of that call to stand true and to follow the letter of the law. I was proud to hear his voice. I was proud to hear his answers although they weren't what the president wanted to hear or anybody else on that side of the call wanted to hear.

They were true, they were fact-based, and they were legal answers to those questions. And certainly I think everybody who voted for Brad Raffensperger expected that two years ago when they casted their ballots for him.

CAMEROTA: For people who are just waking up, let me just play a portion of that moment.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

TRUMP: That ballots are corrupt, and you're going to find that they are - which is totally illegal. It's more illegal for you than it is for them because you know what they did and you're not reporting it. That's a - you know, that's a criminal - that's a criminal offense, and you can't let that happen. That's a big risk to you and to Ryan, your lawyer. That's a big risk.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

CAMEROTA: What do you hear there?

DUNCAN: Well you know, look. The part that's troubling to me with any of the Republicans that are out there still spreading misinformation and hanging onto this election fraud notion is that, you know, as Republicans we support law enforcement, and law enforcement has been a part of this process since day one.

You know, we've got post certified investigators at the attorney general's office and at the secretary of state's office. We've got the Georgia Bureau of Investigation have conducted their investigation around signature audits in Cobb County.

Look, I support law enforcement. I support the letter of the law. It concerns me that folks continue to fan the flames on misinformation for the sole purpose of wanting to just flip and election. Just because the people we didn't vote for didn't win in a certain number of these races doesn't mean that we can't follow the law.

CAMEROTA: Do you think this will give pause at least or reconsideration to the Republicans in Congress who have announced that they plan to fight the election results, the folks like Senator Ted Cruz? I mean, do you think that when they hear this that they will reconsider?

DUNCAN: I'd refer you to them. At this point, you know, I can't jump inside of those people's brains and kind of understand how they've even gotten to the point where they're at today.

I'm going to stay focused the next couple of - today and as much of tomorrow as possible getting Republicans to show up to vote for Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue and remind folks in Georgia that all eight state-wide constitutional officers are Republicans, majorities in the state house, the state senate.

This is a Republican state. It's time that we elect Kelly and David back to serve as our senators, and that's what I'm going to stay focused on, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Will you be campaigning today with Loeffler and Perdue and President Trump when he comes down?

DUNCAN: I will not be with the president today. I've got a number of media opportunities to continue to spread the word here in Georgia. We're going to use every available opportunity and resource we can to drive Republicans out and moderates and folks that want just good old fashioned conservative leadership to represent them in the U.S. Senate.

CAMEROTA: Have you been invited by the White House to join them?

DUNCAN: I haven't seen an invitation. That doesn't mean it's not out there somewhere in an inbox, but we're going to stay focused on the plan at hand, and I think this is the best route to drive as many voters out as we possibly can for Kelly and David.

CAMEROTA: Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, we always appreciate getting your take on this. Thank you very much for being here.

DUNCAN: Thanks, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Election night in America continues with special coverage of the U.S. Senate runoffs starting tomorrow at 4 p.m. on CNN.

BERMAN: I can't see how it helps (inaudible). All right, breaking news. A judge in the United Kingdom just rejected a request to extradite Wiki Leaks founder, Julian Assange, to face charges in the United States.

You can see a small crowd cheering outside the court in Central London when the decision was announced. Assange is charged with violating the Espionage Act by hacking confidential government documents a decade ago.

The judge ruled that sending Assange for trial in the U.S. would be oppressive due to his clinical depression and risk of suicide. His legal team plans to ask the courts release him on bail pending an appeal by the U.S.. Supporters are also calling on President Trump to pardon Assange.

So nearly a dozen Republican senators plan to try to stand in the way of Joe Biden's elections. Why are so many Republicans hitching their political futures to this dangerous lie? We have a Reality Check next.

[07:50:00]

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BERMAN: At this point nearly a dozen Republican senators plan to support objections to Joe Biden's election as president. John Avlon here with a Reality Check.

JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hey, guys. This week we're going to be able to measure exactly how many Republicans in Congress still believe in democracy.

Because on Wednesday a roll call will take place for what should be forever known as the autocrat caucus led by Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz in the Senate and represented by what might be two-thirds of House Republicans. It will be a defining moment for our country and the Republican Party because this is much more than a "kabuki coup."

This is not just a performative rite of passage for the Trumpelstiltskins (ph) who want to run for president in 2024. This is a referendum on whether they believe that laws, facts and the voice of the people still matter in their pursuit of power.

[07:55:01]

And please don't be fooled by Trump's counterfeit concerns about election integrity. The recording released yesterday by The Washington Post shows that President Trump has the ethics of a mob boss attempting a shake down coupled with a conspiracy theorist grasp of facts.

(BEGIN AUDIO)

TRUMP: I just want to find 11,780 votes which is one more than we have.

(END AUDIO)

AVLON: Is this really the guy those Republicans want to defend at the expense of the reputation and our democracy? Look, I believe populists like Cruz and Hawley will of course try to dress this up a bit.

You see they're just asking to delay certifying the election for a ten day audit to clear up what they call unprecedented allegations of voter fraud. These allegations of voter fraud are indeed unprecedented because of the brazed lies being repeated by President Trump and echoed by his enablers.

These Senate Republicans are compounding the very confusion they say they want to clear up. And these senators know these are lies.

That's why they've offered up no evidence of mass voter fraud because there is no evidence of mass voter fraud. That's why Trump's legal team has lost about 60 court cases to date. And if you want to know what's really going on, listen to Republican Senator Ben Sasse.

Quote, "we have a bunch of ambitious politicians who think there's a quick way to tap into the president's populist base without doing any real long-term damage but they're wrong. And this issue is bigger than anyone's personal ambitions. Adults don't point a loaded gun at the heart of a legitimate self government."

Of course they're fundraising off this as well. It's a grift hitched on to a big lie and it will not work, not this time. But ask yourself this, if Republicans controlled the House and the Senate would they still try to override the election and what would happen then?

What's to stop any political party from trying to reverse the will of the people after this stunt? What would Republicans say if Democrats were the ones trying to do it? This is the kind of moral reasoning that's gone MIA in the Trump years and it's going to take years of strengthening democracy's guardrails to undo the damage that's been done.

As Senator Mitt Romney said, "I could never have imagined seeing these things in the greatest democracy in the world. Has ambition so eclipsed principle?" The answer is yes, as evidence, tae a listen to Senator Josh Hawley less than one year ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

SEN. JOSH HAWLEY, (R-MO): The consequence is to the republic of overturning a Democratic election because you don't like the result and because you believe that that election was somehow corrupted when in fact the evidence shows that it was not.

Talking about how elections can't be trusted that's an interesting approach. I think it's crazy frankly.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

AVLON: Crazy's one word for it. In this case, seditious is another. And that's your Reality Check.

BERMAN: And we should note, Tom Cotton by the way who was with Ted Cruz and Ron Johnson in many issues has just stood up and said he does not support the efforts they are making in the Senate right now to object to this. John Avlon, thanks so much for that.

AVLON: Thanks, guys.

BERMAN: New Day continues right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

TRUMP: People of Georgia are angry. The people of the country are angry and there's nothing wrong with saying that you've recalculated.

UNKNOWN MALE: We believe that we do have an (inaudible) election.

KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. V.P. ELECT: Was a bald, bald faced old (ph) abuse of power by the president of the United States.

UNKNOWN MALE: A joint session of Congress will formally hear each state's electoral votes.

UNKNOWN MALE: All these members of Congress that have now come out and said they're going to object to the election I don't know how you can do that right now with a clear conscious.

ANNOUNCER: This is New Day with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

BERMAN: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is New Day. I just want to find 11,870 votes. That's an outstanding statement from the president of the United States caught on tape.

Audio first obtained by The Washington Post as the president tried to push Georgia's Republican Secretary of State to overturn the election there to take victory away from President Elect Joe Biden. The audio also includes what might be construed as the threat of criminal prosecution and potentially a conspiracy to violate election law.

(BEGIN AUDIO)

TRUMP: So, look, all I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes which is one more than we have because we won the state and flipping the state is a great testament to our country because there's just -- it's a testament that they can admit to a mistake or whatever you want to call it. If it was a mistake, I don't know.

A lot of people think it wasn't a mistake. It was much more criminal than that. But it's a big problem in Georgia. And it's not a problem that's going away. I mean, it's not a problem that's going away.

(END AUDIO)