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Attempts To Blame Migrants For Disease Is Familiar Pattern; Back-To-School Shopping Impacted By Delta Variant; Female Olympians Win 58 Percent Of U.S. Medals, Including Gold. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired August 12, 2021 - 07:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:33:37]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: So one of the things you hear a lot in right-wing media is the entertainers questioning the mental capacity of President Biden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST, "THE SEAN HANNITY SHOW": This Friday night, tonight's "Sippy Cup," President Joe -- well, he's unwilling or unable to hold China accountable for COVID-19. The media mob refuses to ask "Sippy Cup" the hard questions we all want answered, so I will do it for Humpty Dumpty and company.

BEN DOMENECH, PUBLISHER, THE FEDERALIST: This is another garbage speech full of lies from a senile person who thinks that they're in charge of America that actually isn't running anything.

MARK LEVIN, He's not a doddering old fool, an egomaniac, and a narcissist taking credit for the work of Donald Trump and all these other people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: So, does the fact that Biden seems to be getting stuff done that he said he would do, including working to get this bipartisan infrastructure deal passed in the Senate -- does that upend these pretty ridiculous theories?

Joining us now, Michael Smerconish, CNN political commentator and host of CNN's "SMERCONISH."

Michael, you hear that litany of stuff where they're trying to portray him as incompetent. Well, does this list of achievements disprove that?

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, CNN HOST, "SMERCONISH" (via Skype): I hate to dignify the cheap shots by even discussing them.

BERMAN: Me, too.

SMERCONISH: I think that this probably doesn't change that narrative. He deserves a victory lap.

[07:35:01]

I mean, it was a huge achievement -- $1.2 trillion for infrastructure. Mitch McConnell among the 19 Republicans. I think you've got to give President Biden his just due.

Is it a one-off? Does it extend to other issues? That's really now what remains to be seen. And I'm a little dubious as to whether the president can replicate that, John, with, say, voting reform or immigration or minimum wage or a plethora of other issues that he's seeking to address.

So, it's certainly not going to change the critics who are out there and just lying in wait for him, but it's a big achievement and he deserves the victory lap.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: You know, really, then, I guess the question Michael is can he move forward on some of these priorities that really appeal to his progressives? Because this is an achievement -- I mean, yes, of course, you have the big three-some trillion dollar bill that is going to be Democrat-only. But the bipartisan bill, in terms of bills that will require a bipartisan commitment -- he's kind of triangulated here in a way. Can he do that with (INAUDIBLE)?

SMERCONISH: He is. Brianna, he is, and triangulated within his own party, right? Because he's now trying to herd cats and keep together both the moderate elements. And I'm talking about Sens. Manchin and Sinema and also the more progressive elements -- the Squad -- AOC, Ro Khanna, et al, because they all want different things.

And so, it's not all yet put to bed. He's got to make sure that he can appease everyone. Keep the Republicans in the tent on the $1.2 trillion and at the same time, try and advance through reconciliation that bigger $3.5 trillion.

So he still has his hands full but it's a big step in the right direction on infrastructure, about which I think there's uniform agreement in the country. You know, we all know that our roads, and our bridges, and our broadband, and our rails are in desperate need of repair. President Trump couldn't get it done for all the talk. Joe Biden has. It remains to be seen what else he can do.

BERMAN: So, Michael, you've got these, at least, three Republican governors who have taken positions in fighting COVID, or in some cases, not fighting COVID, right? I'm talking Kristi Noem, Ron DeSantis, Greg Abbott. And in the case of the latter two, they're literally taking away the freedom of local governments and school boards to make decisions about masks and other things.

What's the risk-reward for these governors as they consider whether or not they are going to run for president in 2024?

SMERCONISH: So, you know, to those of who are in the I-95 corridor we take a look at this and we say wow, isn't that so at odds with the will of the country at large and with the science? But that overlooks the fact that they are each appeasing their respective bases.

And, John, I think we're kind of beyond elections -- national elections that comes down to persuasion. It seems like national elections today are all about motivation. It's no longer well, can you win the people who are in the middle. Instead, it's who is going to do a better job of motivating their base?

So the specific answer to your question as to what's the calculus, they think -- I'm sure they think this is the right thing. I'll give them -- you know, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. But I think politically speaking, they believe this will motivate their base.

And I would turn the table and say can you win a Republican nomination for the presidency -- because this is what you're really asking me -- if you go in a different direction and if you embrace vaccination, and if you embrace masks -- two things that I fully embrace.

Could you sell that and win the Iowa caucus, the New Hampshire primary? Can that carry you in Nevada? I don't know. In this GOP -- in this incarnation of the Republican Party, probably not.

BERMAN: That's a great way of framing it.

Michael Smerconish, great to see you. Thanks so much.

SMERCONISH: See you, guys.

KEILAR: With coronavirus spiking nationwide, Republicans and right- wing media are blaming migrants crossing the southern border for spreading COVID.

We have CNN's Maria Santana who is with us now with a fact-check. You know, we've seen this before -- migrants and immigrants being scapegoated by folks on the right.

MARIA SANTANA, CNN EN ESPANOL ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Right. I mean, this happens all the time. I think this is the least surprising thing that Republicans and right-wing media have done during the pandemic, which is ramp up their anti-immigrant rhetoric and blame immigrants, migrants for COVID, which as CNN has reported, is just simply not true.

Public health experts have said migrants on the southern border are not responsible for the spread of coronavirus and the Delta variant, which we are seeing across the country.

It is not true that Biden is allowing more COVID-19-carrying migrants into the country. As a matter of fact, more migrants have been expelled under this Title 42 -- this Trump-era policy, which sends migrants back to Mexico instead of going through the -- through the process. Then, in the last year of the Trump presidency.

[07:40:14]

But this is not even the first time that Republicans have tried to blame migrants and immigrants for a deadly disease. In 2014, they were saying a very similar tune, trying to pin the spread of Ebola in the United States on migrants crossing the border.

Then-candidate -- Senate candidate Thom Tillis said the U.S. should close its border to stop the spread of Ebola. Who else was saying this? Well, surprisingly, Republican Sen. Rand Paul was saying the same thing -- Ebola was coming into the country because of migrants. And it just was not true.

The largest -- the countries most affected by Ebola at the time were in West Africa. And the largest West African community in Latin America was in Brazil, not in Central America and not in Mexico, which is where most of these migrants and immigrants illegally crossing into the country are from.

BERMAN: Maria Santana, important perspective. Thanks so much for being with us.

SANTANA: Thank you.

KEILAR: Thank you.

Another case of airline passengers behaving badly. This one grounding a cross-country flight before it ever took off. We'll have a live report, next.

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[07:46:12]

KEILAR: The dog days of August are, of course, prime season for back- to-school shopping, but the surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the Delta variant has people anxious about visiting stores. Some supplies most in demand are now harder to find, but retailers project record spending, still.

So what is going on here? CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich is with us with that? What is going on?

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS REPORTER: Well, the National Retail Federation is projecting this record-breaking back-to- school shopping season. But they're also reporting that parents have only done about 50 percent of their back-to-school shopping, so they have a little bit of a ways to go. And now with concerns over this Delta variant, we're looking at a lot of chaos that could be happening at the last minute in this back-to-school shopping season.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Calculators, colored pencils, graph paper.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): These school supplies are being bundled and sent to children in need, but the items here are on most kids' back- to-school lists and this month is peak shopping season -- one expected to break records.

KATHLEEN CULLEN, SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR INDUSTRY AND CONSUMER INSIGHTS, NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION: We're expecting record-breaking spending for both back-to-school and college this year.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): Parents are projected to spend $37 billion this year, up $3 billion from last year and the highest in a decade.

CULLEN: A lot of this is centered around families and students expecting classes to take place in person, and they're spending more because of that.

JERALD NEELY, OWNER, NEELY'S EDUCATION MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES: OK.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): But not at Neely's in Los Angeles. Owner Jerald Neely is celebrating 50 years in business but not record- breaking sales.

NEELY: I just haven't seen it yet.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): And according to a new report, 56 percent of Americans plan to cut back on spending because of COVID, with 64 percent of consumers saying they're now very concerned about the virus, a 25 percent jump in the last month.

NEELY: There's a lot of uncertainty right now. What would normally be our busy time of the year has been sort of busy.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): And then there's supply chain slowdowns.

NEELY: I have an order right now where I can't fulfill it because my supplier doesn't have the product. It hasn't made it here from other countries. So that's money I'm losing.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): And at Operation Backpack in New York City, they're short on backpacks.

PAIGE DAVIS, BOARD MEMBER, OPERATION BACKPACK NYC: This year, we need 15,000 and we're short, like, upwards of 3,000.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): These backpacks filled with supplies are going to New York City's most vulnerable -- children living in shelters.

DAVIS: A pre-K backpack is like $45.00. A high school backpack could cost $150 or more. People who are struggling cannot afford that.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): Federal aid has helped offset some of the pandemic's economic pain. About half of back-to-school shoppers are using stimulus checks or the child tax credit to pay for school supplies. But for many families, it's still not enough.

DAVIS: The fact that the students in our shelters will have one less thing to worry about -- where are they going to get their school supplies -- that's all we want is to alleviate that stress, alleviate that burden so they can just be happy to go to school.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YURKEVICH: And some school supplies are going to be a little more expensive this year. That's because of labor shortages, shortness in supply chains, and also this pent-up demand. So retailers are suggesting parents get out there and shop early so there will be stuff on the shelves to buy and you won't get hit with increased prices.

Another tip is that if you have a couple of kids in your family, buy in bulk. Retailers are saying that will help you save a couple of cents on the dollar -- Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, I better get out there soon. I'm one of those last-minute types. Maybe not this year.

Vanessa, thank you so much.

[07:50:00]

BERMAN: So, the spate of unruly behavior from airline passengers continues. A United Airlines set to fly from Newark to Los Angeles was grounded after a passenger allegedly tried to light his cellphone on fire. And this did happen while the plane was still on the ground and other passengers intervened before the fire could get started.

Athena Jones joins us now. Like, what the what, Athena? Like what was going on here?

ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. Good morning, John.

You know, this is just the most -- the latest bizarre and concerning incident to take place on a plane.

A source familiar with this ongoing federal investigation says that, as you mentioned, this took place on the ground -- while the plane was still on the ground. This passenger tried to use a lighter to light his cellphone, which has been -- which had been broken into pieces -- on fire. The passenger was disrupted by other passengers. He was later detained by the TSA and questioned by the FBI, according to an FAA spokesperson.

But CNN spoke to a passenger on the plane who was tweeting out pictures of this incident as it was unfolding over several hours yesterday afternoon, including pictures of when the bomb-sniffing dog was brought onto the plane. The people in the back of the plane were moved to the front of the plane to first-class while the dog did its work. Not the sort of situation you want to be in when preparing for a cross-country flight.

This passenger told CNN the man in question was acting strange on the plane and at the gate before boarding, and that he appeared to be drunk. This passenger, Frank Gerardo (ph), also tweeted that he was surprised United Airlines allowed the man to board the plane because he was acting weird and super confrontational at the gate.

Now, United put out a boilerplate statement saying United flight 1433 from Newark to Los Angeles was delayed prior to departure due to a disruptive passenger. The passenger deplaned at the direction of law enforcement officials and the flight has since departed for Los Angeles. This statement coming out, of course, last night.

But still, a strange and unsettling incident to be taking place on a plane -- John.

BERMAN: All right, Athena. Keep us posted on this.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is holding a cyber symposium in South Dakota. CNN's Donie O'Sullivan talked to attendees. He joins us live.

KEILAR: And Team USA swimmer Katie Ledecky back home from Tokyo with two more gold medals that she has right here in-studio. She is going to join us live on NEW DAY, next.

BERMAN: One for each of us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Fresh off her journey to the Tokyo Summer Olympics, Team USA swimmer Katie Ledecky is basking in the glory of having made Olympic history, like, again and again, and again at the games.

Not only did she bring home two gold medals and two silvers, she also became the first female Olympic swimmer to win the most individual gold medals, the first USA swimmer to win the same event -- the 800- meter -- three times in a row at the Olympics, and took the gold at the 1,500 -- the first time women have ever competed in that event at the Olympics, which looked brutal. Every second of it looked just unbelievably difficult.

[07:55:00]

Joining us now, the highly-decorated, seven-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming, and three-time Olympian, Katie Ledecky. It's great to see you.

KATIE LEDECKY, 7-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST IN SWIMMING, THREE-TIME OLYMPIAN, JUST COMPETED IN TOKYO GAMES: Thank you.

BERMAN: That's a lot. That's a lot to get through just to say hi.

LEDECKY: Yes. Well, it's great to be here. And I did do a lot of racing in Tokyo and I was really happy to represent Team USA and have that experience.

KEILAR: How does that feel? I mean, when we talk about your accomplishments, you're also part of -- I mean, I think part of the legacy of this Olympics is going to be how well women performed, and you were on the leading edge of that.

LEDECKY: Yes. It was so neat to see the women across Team USA do so well in so many different sports. And just to be a part of that was incredible and I'm really proud of my teammates.

BERMAN: What do you do after something like this? You know, what Brianna called slay. Is that what the kids say?

KEILAR: I said what do you do after you slay so hard? How do you spend your time?

BERMAN: As the kids say, what do you do after you slay so hard? Like what happens? I know you'll start training again maybe for the Worlds, but what's life like?

LEDECKY: Well, I'm just enjoying the time with my family and seeing some friends that I haven't seen in a while. I hadn't been to the east coast where I'm from since Christmas of 2019 just because of the pandemic and training and all that, so I'm enjoying just getting home and seeing my family and enjoying the time with them.

KEILAR: I think that we focus a lot on the Olympics and how the pandemic changed it. But for you, it really changed your training. You were very much stuck at Stanford training and there wasn't any chance maybe to go home for a visit. You hadn't been home since, what, Christmastime in 2019.

LEDECKY: Yes. I was very focused on my training and didn't want to get sick, of course. Didn't want to get others sick. So, Stanford's not a bad place to be stuck.

KEILAR: No, it's not.

BERMAN: Palo Alto doesn't (INAUDIBLE).

LEDECKY: I love my teammates; my coaches, Greg and Tracy. They were great and they really become my family during that time. And, of course, it's really great to see my family now. But Stanford's not a bad place to be stuck.

BERMAN: You know, look, it's so impressive, everything you've done and continue to do. But I didn't know how important science and education -- STEM stuff -- was to you and how much time you devote to that, which I think is amazing.

LEDECKY: Yes, I have a great partnership with Panasonic where we have a STEM education program -- kind of a combination of digital and in- person. And we've been able to visit a number of schools across the country. And even during the pandemic, we were able to meet with some students in Tokyo twice.

And just if you look across the board, so many careers now involve STEM skills and it's really important for young students to learn those STEM skills and maybe get inspired to pursue those careers.

And I just love visiting schools. I'm really passionate about education. I just completed my degree at Stanford. And it's something that I love to do and will continue to do.

KEILAR: You majored in psychology.

LEDECKY: Yes.

KEILAR: A minor in poly sci. We promised we wouldn't quiz you on political questions. But the other, I think, legacy of this games is going to be that

mental health has come so much to the forefront with what we saw with Simone Biles, in the wake of what we saw with Naomi Osaka. Michael Phelps has talked so much about mental health. I know it's something that has been on your mind about the importance of protecting this, both for yourself and for other people.

LEDECKY: Right. I think we've been talking so much about physical health over the last year and also mental health, and the two go hand in hand.

And majoring in psychology, I've learned a lot over the past five years and in my journey to get to Tokyo. And it's great to see so many athletes having that conversation, talking to each other and supporting each other -- I think even just within the swim team. As you said, Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt have been such leaders in talking about mental health. And just within the team, I've noticed conversations -- people discussing their feelings more and more, which is great.

BERMAN: You know, lives will be saved from all this, which I think is wonderful.

One of the problems I notice from wearing so many medals is all the clinking --

(Laughter)

-- is all the clinking that goes on.

KEILAR: We heard you walk up and it was like --

BERMAN: How do you -- how do you deal with the clinking?

LEDECKY: Well, again, it's a good problem to have. My neck is getting stronger. So even though I'm out of the pool for just a couple of weeks, I'm maybe getting a little bit of training in.

BERMAN: And I'm sure you need the workout, right?

LEDECKY: Exactly.

BERMAN: Like, absolutely -- you know.

Listen, it's -- it really is such an honor to meet you.

LEDECKY: Thank you.

BERMAN: It's been so fun watching you over the years.

LEDECKY: Thanks.

BERMAN: And I think there are hundreds of millions of Americans who've grown hoarse cheering for you.

LEDECKY: Well, thank you. I could hear the cheers even though we didn't have as many fans. It was really nice to have so much support back home.

KEILAR: Very special. I will say there is something very special about just being able to see you after having been at the Olympics and performing so well. It is a -- it is a very special feeling. I wish that our viewers could feel that. They can hear it, for sure.

LEDECKY: They can hear it.

BERMAN: NEW DAY continues right now.

KEILAR: Good morning to viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Brianna Keilar alongside John Berman.

BERMAN: And Katie Ledecky who is still here.

KEILAR: And Katie Ledecky who is still here.

BERMAN: She has to walk off the set yet.

KEILAR: She can't walk off the set because she will clink. So she's going to wait for just a moment.