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Delta Variant Hits All 50 States As Officials Sound Alarm; Bill Cosby Goes Free: Anger And Outrage From His Accusers; Trump CFO Surrenders After Grand Jury Indictments. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired July 01, 2021 - 07:30   ET

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

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[07:33:51]

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: The more contagious, more dangerous Delta variant has now been detected in all 50 states and Washington D.C., and it now accounts for more than a quarter of new cases. Keep in mind, just a month ago, it was only one in 10.

I want to bring in now the former Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Jerome Adams. Good to have you with us this morning, sir.

I mean, we look at these numbers of just how quickly the Delta variant is growing in terms of number of cases. We know the antidote is more vaccinations and yet, there is still significant hesitancy.

DR. JEROME ADAMS, FORMER SURGEON GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, absolutely, and that's why I'm here today in Washington, D.C. testifying before the House Select Committee on Coronavirus, talking about vaccine hesitancy, and I'm really going to summarize three main points.

There are three big misses that we have in terms of vaccine hesitancy. One is misinformation, two is mistrust, and the third is a misperception that access still isn't an issue for many communities. For Black and brown communities, for rural communities, access remains a problem.

HILL: So in terms of addressing that access, I know recently here in New York City, part of that plan was to bring more vaccinations directly to people in their homes. You talk about rural access.

[07:35:02]

But it's the misinformation, I think, that is most concerning. And look, this is an issue, as you know, that started with the start of the pandemic. There was misinformation in the beginning. There was mistrust when information changed or when messaging changed.

So how much do you think that contributed to where we're at right now?

ADAMS: Well, mistrust is huge. Misinformation, unfortunately, is all over the place and we need the federal government -- and I'm going to say this today in my testimony -- to really have a full-court press on PSAs, on community engagement to combat that constant stream of misinformation.

You saw Dr. Birx, Dr. Fauci, and myself on T.V. and on social media all the time at the peak of the pandemic. And so, we need to have that constant stream of information out there combatting the misinformation.

But mistrust is huge. African-American communities have a good reason for mistrust. Hispanic communities are scared that they're going to get an immigration issue if they come in and actually -- and get a vaccine. And certainly, many rural communities have been off-put by the politicization of the pandemic, and everyone's responsible for that.

But I've never heard a person say I'm not going to get a vaccine because I'm Republican. They say that I don't trust the government. I don't trust the medical institutions. And I urge, and I'm going to urge Congress today to tone down the political rhetoric and really focus on building those bridges that will allow people to feel safe when they come into their medical establishment.

HILL: I do want to get you on masks here because there's been a lot of talk about masks this week. As you know, health officials in L.A. County recommending that even fully vaccinated people continue to mask up indoors.

I spoke with the current surgeon general yesterday who said fully vaccinated parents with young children should also keep masking up to protect their children and to protect other people in the household who cannot get vaccinated at this point.

As we talk about masks needing to come back, that's going to be a tough hill I think to climb up to convince people to mask up again. How do you do that? It was tough the first time around.

ADAMS: Well, absolutely, it's tough, and we just have to continue to be honest with people. It is COVID's offense against our defense.

And, you know, I said before I think the CDC was right to start to relax mask mandate guidance, but I think the rollout was bad. Because many states and many localities didn't have the time to nuance that message and explain to people look, we have lower vaccination rates in our community --

HILL: Well --

ADAMS: -- and we have increased spread in our community, and that's going to change how we recommended whether or not you need to social distance and whether or not you need to mask.

HILL: So, two points on that. Prior to the CDC guidance for fully vaccinated Americans, there were already states who were dropping mask mandates, right? We already saw changes in a number of states.

Do you think in some areas those mask mandates were dropped prematurely?

ADAMS: Well, absolutely, they were dropped prematurely. But again, we have to understand that the mask is protection when you don't have a high vaccination rate or when you do have -- when you don't have a high vaccination rate or when you have low rates or increasing rates of spread.

So in places where we're seeing spread go up and where we have low vaccination rates, that's where we're going to see masks be -- continue to be important. It's belts and suspenders. Nothing is 100 percent effective. So we need to make sure we're helping people understand all the ways that they can protect themselves.

And I implore the public. Understand that a vaccination is the number one best way you can protect yourself and your community now, and to reopen.

And an important point here is that there are many people who aren't scared of the health harms of COVID and they just never will be. We need to emphasize the social benefits of vaccination, including, again, the less likelihood that you're going to have to wear a mask. Less likelihood that your child's sports event is going to be canceled. Less likelihood that your child's going to have to quarantine in school if they're exposed.

There are many social benefits to getting vaccinated, in addition to the health benefits. And it will help us avoid masking or not have to mask for quite as long in the face of a Delta variant.

HILL: Dr. Jerome Adams, thank you.

The Trump Organization indicted on criminal charges along with its chief financial officer who surrendered just moments ago in New York City. So what does this mean for the former president and for his family?

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[07:43:38]

HILL: Anger, disappointment, outrage. That's just some of the reaction coming in from dozens of Bill Cosby's accusers after Pennsylvania's highest court overturned his sex assault conviction.

Joining me now is Nancy Erika Smith. She's a civil rights attorney who also represented former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson in her harassment allegations.

I mean, look, this has had plenty of attention, as we know. A number of the women, too, saying this is sort of the last thing that they expected -- this procedural moment.

But I find it interesting. You say that this is not exactly what it seems to be and you actually have some issues with the decision. You called it shocking and unprecedented, specifically because of this agreement that we're told existed but is not in writing, apparently. NANCY ERIKA SMITH, ATTORNEY, SMITH MULLEN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY AND ADVOCATE: Exactly. They're claiming that a press release by a very political prosecutor -- a prosecutor who represented Donald Trump in his impeachment -- that a press release is actually a get out of jail free card, to quote the dissent.

Now, we have the United States Supreme Court precedent that prosecutors' decisions not to prosecute is not even binding on that prosecutor, much less other future prosecutors. That's the Supreme Court of the United States.

Second, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that prosecutors don't have pardon power. And third, only a judge can grant immunity. Only a judge can sign an order granting immunity.

[07:45:00]

So this is an unprecedented opinion and it's important for people to know it's not an exoneration. It's truly one of the most technical of technicalities.

It's interesting that this dissent also pointed out this is an experienced prosecutor, this is every experienced criminal trial lawyers, very experienced civil trial lawyers, and there's no paper trail of this alleged agreement anywhere.

HILL: So, Tom Mesereau was on a short time ago with John Berman -- who represented Bill Cosby. And he said to John deals like this are made all the time.

SMITH: Absolutely false. That's just not true. It's not true and the dissent pointed it out. Even the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania didn't claim that deals like this are made all the time. Things are put in writing.

Also, it's important to note -- and this is in the dissent as well -- that prosecutors don't usually inject themselves into civil suits, especially not civil suits that haven't even been filed yet.

The claim is that Cosby relied on the promise that if you testify and you don't assert your Fifth Amendment rights, we won't prosecute you. That's the claim by the -- by the majority of the Supreme Court.

Well, prosecutors don't inject themselves in civil cases. There was no civil case pending. The Fifth Amendment doesn't hurt the plaintiff. Imagine -- I've tried cases where the defendant pled the Fifth.

So I say in Cosby's case -- so, you gave her three Quaaludes and then you sexually assaulted her. Isn't that true? And he says I plead the Fifth. You should see the jury's face when that happens. And you can put out your whole -- you put in your whole story without him saying anything.

HILL: So based on everything you're saying, right, and the issues that you have with this, is there any recourse at this point? SMITH: Well, there's the United States Supreme Court. There's -- the United States Supreme Court can affirm its earlier decision that prosecutors do not have the power to grant pardons --

HILL: Yes.

SMITH: -- to grant immunity, or to make this kind of deal.

And, Castor's credibility has been called into question by three of the seven justices and the trial court who saw him.

So it's such an unusual decision. It's devastated women victims all over the world.

HILL: I know you said you've been getting a lot of calls from your clients who are not in -- not involved in any allegations involving Bill Cosby or otherwise.

SMITH: Exactly.

HILL: It will be interesting to see -- interesting to see if this does end up at the Supreme Court, as you said.

Nancy Erika Smith, always good to see you. Thanks for coming --

SMITH: Thank you.

HILL: -- in this morning.

SMITH: Thank you.

HILL: John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, the breaking news this morning, the Trump Organization's CFO Allen Weisselberg surrendered just a short time ago on a criminal grand jury indictment. He is set to be arraigned this afternoon. This is the culmination of several years of investigation by the Manhattan district attorney. An indictment was also issued on the Trump Organization itself.

Joining me now is Michael D'Antonio, CNN contributor and the author of "The Truth About Trump."

So, Michael, as I've been saying, the former president's family business has been hauled before a criminal court and now faces criminal charges.

What do you think the reverberations are within Trump world this morning?

MICHAEL D'ANTONIO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR, AUTHOR, "THE TRUTH ABOUT TRUMP": Well, I think given the fact that the former president's identity is all tied up in this company and in the way that he did business for 50 years, this is a moment of anguish for this family. It's almost as if they are personally under physical attack. And I think the greatest fear they have is that this process is going

to unravel and reveal all of the methods that they have used over the years to gain and game the system. So this is a very dark day for the Trump family.

BERMAN: Again, the family business accused of criminal activity -- crime or crimes. That is what has happened today.

And the CFO Allen Weisselberg, a central figure within the Trump Organization -- someone who we have been told repeatedly knows all the secrets of the financial dealings. How much pressure do you think this now puts on him? He has not been cooperating. Now that he's been indicted what pressure does it put on him going forward?

D'ANTONIO: Well, he must feel as if the weight of the world has been placed upon him and is pressing down. You know, this is a man who has spent his entire working life in this one organization. It's about 50 years, almost as long as Donald Trump himself was part of this organization. They joined at the same time.

What's fascinating to me to observe as someone who understands the family over the long term, is that he entered service -- if you want to call it that -- when Donald Trump's father was at his peak. And he pioneered all of the ways of manipulating the system and perhaps gaming the system, and dealing with banks and tax authorities in slippery ways.

[07:50:13]

So he knows all of the techniques that have been used. He knows all of the potential crimes that may have been committed. He must be feeling just like one of the family.

And what's interesting is that he probably the one person outside the family that Donald Trump trusted. He always kept everything close and preferred that blood relations handled the tricky stuff. And, Allen Weisselberg was the exception because he was practically a son to Fred Trump and I think he's all but a brother to the former president.

BERMAN: We'll see how much further that trust extends now that Weisselberg has been indicted.

Michael D'Antonio, thank you so much for being with us this morning.

D'ANTONIO: Thank you.

BERMAN: So, the indictments set to be unsealed this afternoon in a Manhattan courtroom. We will speak with someone very familiar with Allen Weisselberg and this investigation.

And the House has narrowly approved an investigation into the January sixth insurrection. Will any Republicans actually serve on the committee?

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[07:55:34]

BERMAN: Both coasts of the United States boiling under extreme heat, shattering all-time records in some states. President Biden says climate change is helping to drive this heat wave and also wildfires.

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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The fire season traditionally lasts through October. Both climate change -- climate change driving the dangerous confluence of extreme heat and prolonged drought. We're seeing wildfires of greater intensity that move with more speed and last well beyond traditional months -- traditional months of the fire season.

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BERMAN: Joining me now is White House national climate adviser Gina McCarthy. She also served as EPA administrator during the Obama administration.

So what do you think is behind this extreme heat in the Pacific Northwest? And are we prepared, do you think, for it to get even worse?

GINA MCCARTHY, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL CLIMATE ADVISER: Well, I think what you're seeing here is really what essentially is a new norm. We have to get used to the fact that climate change is real and I think people everywhere now acknowledge that because we can see it.

But we are facing extreme heat and with that comes extreme drought. We have 46 percent of the population of the United States now living in areas that have drought conditions.

We have to deal with these issues, which is why the president brought together so many of the governors out of the western states to actually talk about these wildfires.

These are all linked issues to our changing climate. But it doesn't mean we have to stick our heads in the ground; it means we have to be prepared.

Heat can be the biggest killer of any impact related to climate change. And we have to work together to reconcile the fact that it is getting hotter. That's one of the reasons why we need to build in a resilient way, which is what the American Jobs Plan is all about.

And it also means that we have to take care of one another in this extreme heat that we are facing -- and particularly, right now, in the Pacific Northwest. It's incredible.

We are seeing bridges that are -- drawbridges that can't draw because it's too hot. The steel is buckling -- literally, with concrete, basically caving in and buckling.

We see communities tremendously challenged. So every community needs to have cooling centers where their people can go, particularly seniors and young kids. We have to watch those outdoor laborers, like our farmworkers or our construction workers. Get them water breaks and in the shade.

We have to adjust to this as best we can. But frankly, we have to start thinking about how our future looks and how we shift to a clean energy economy. And that's what the American Jobs Plan's about.

BERMAN: You were --

MCCARTHY: That's what the bipartisan infrastructure framework is about.

BERMAN: You were part of that meeting that the president had with western governors and it included --

MCCARTHY: Yes.

BERMAN: -- Republican governors from Utah and Wyoming. What did you hear from them?

MCCARTHY: Oh, there was no discussion about whether part of this was climate change. It's an acknowledgment that they're facing extreme challenges like they never have before and that it happened last year, it happened the year before, and it's getting more extreme every year.

And so, the question was how do we work together. The president brought together those governors and all of their related cabinet. Everybody was there.

We had Sec. Vilsack from USDA. We had Sec. Haaland from the Department of the Interior. We had Administrator Regan from EPA. We had DOD Assistant Sec. Hicks there.

We had every cabinet member related to these issues so that we could understand what the states were facing and how we could work together.

We have to understand that we are facing heat and drought and we have to figure out with these wildfires how we get in front of them. How do we better understand how we manage our forests and public lands and private lands? How do we work together to make sure that our seasonal --

BERMAN: I don't want -- I don't want to cut you off but I'm going to run out -- I'm going to run out --

MCCARTHY: -- firefighters. OK.

BERMAN: I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt you. I'm going to run out of time with you in just a second --

MCCARTHY: That's all right.

BERMAN: -- and I did want to ask you about something the Sec. of Energy --

MCCARTHY: OK, sure. BERMAN: -- told us earlier in the week.

I've been down in Florida covering the condominium collapse there. And she was asked if climate change contributed to that building catastrophe. This is what she said.

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JENNIFER GRANHOLM, SECRETARY OF ENERGY: Well, obviously, we don't know fully.