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The Situation Room
Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings Continue; Interview With Former Acting CDC Director Dr. Richard Besser; Another Vaccine Trial Halted; Trump Continues Holding Campaign Rallies; Democrats Drill Down On Health Care As Trump's Supreme Court Nominee Faces Day-Long Questioning By Senators; New York City Mayor Says, A Decisive Week in Fight Against New COVID Clusters. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired October 13, 2020 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:02]
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Also breaking, new setbacks and safety concerns for coronavirus therapies, Eli Lilly pausing a trial right now of its antibody treatment due to illness, this after a second U.S. vaccine trial was suspended because a participant became ill.
Let's first go to our White House Correspondent, Kaitlan Collins.
Kaitlan, another night, another rally for the president in a state where COVID-19 infections are rising.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: They certainly are, Wolf, but that doesn't seem to be something that is on the president's mind as he's attending these rallies, since he now is back on the trail after being at home, after being released from the hospital.
And, Wolf, some aides around the president were hoping this would be kind of a reset, for the president to seem relatable to voters who so far have rejected his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, since he himself was diagnosed with it.
But they are not getting that. And, instead, what we heard from the president last night and what sources say we can expect to hear tonight is the same thing that he's been doing for months, which is downplaying the pandemic, while mocking those who are taking it seriously.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS (voice-over): After his own COVID-19 hospitalization, President Trump is back on the campaign trail tonight in a state where infections are rising.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I feel so powerful. I'll walk into that audience.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
COLLINS: The president holding a rally in Pennsylvania after tossing out masks to supporters in Florida who mostly weren't wearing them or social distancing.
TRUMP: I'll kiss the guys and the beautiful women and the -- everybody. I'll just give you a big fat kiss.
COLLINS: Trump's doctor says he's tested negative, though Dr. Conley has stayed away from the cameras for over a week now, leaving his patient to spin his own health, while insisting he's immune, even though the science is still out.
TRUMP: I went through it. Now they say I'm immune.
COLLINS: White House officials are touting the president's return.
BRIAN MORGENSTERN, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: As we saw from last night, he's got his dance moves ready to go in every swing state from now to the election.
COLLINS: But they haven't explained why they will release some of Trump's test results, but not others.
(on camera): Why can the president's doctor release his negative results from this week, but he can't release the negative result from...
(CROSSTALK)
MORGENSTERN: I'm not going to get into that.
COLLINS (voice-over): After being forced off the trail, Trump is trying to make up for lost time with rallies in Iowa, North Carolina, Florida, and even Georgia, an unusual stop for a Republican three weeks out from the election.
Tonight, President Trump is also reviving his criticism of Dr. Anthony Fauci, after he objected to being used in one of the president's campaign ads he says took him out of context.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NIAID DIRECTOR: I can't imagine that anybody could be doing more.
COLLINS: Instead of responding to Fauci's request to take that ad down, the president mocked his pitch at a baseball game and said his arm is more accurate than his COVID-19 prognostications.
Trump's tweet ignoring how the campaign is using Fauci's likeness to appeal to voters, as Fauci says he won't leave his job over the public presidential dispute.
FAUCI: I'm certainly not going to give up. This is too important a problem. I mean, I have devoted my entire professional life to fighting infectious diseases.
COLLINS: Trump is trailing Joe Biden in many polls and his support with seniors has been hurt in part by his response to the pandemic.
His surrogates, including his daughter, are now claiming he didn't downplay coronavirus early on, but others did.
IVANKA TRUMP, ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: At a time when most people, except through the lens of revisionist history, most people were not taking it very seriously on the Hill or elsewhere.
TRUMP: I think that's a problem that's going to go away.
COLLINS: Today, Senator Mitt Romney issued a blistering statement about the state of politics in the U.S., saying: "The world is watching America with abject horror and it's time to lower the heat."
Though he singled out Democrats, Romney was especially critical of the president and said: "Many Americans are frightened for our country, so divided, so angry, so mean, so violent."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Now, Wolf, even just three weeks to go before the election, some Republicans are trying to give the president free messaging advice, like Senator Chuck Grassley, who tweeted today, the president needs to have a card with five things that he's accomplished and five things that set him apart from Joe Biden at the beginning of these rallies, instead of sticking to the usual script that he's had for the last several months.
But it's unlikely that will happen. And, Wolf, we will wait to see if the president is actually going to take questions from reporters for the first time, at least from the White House press corps, in some time, when he's about to leave the White House any moment now to go to Pennsylvania.
BLITZER: We will see if he answers reporters' questions. We'd love his physician to answer reporters' questions as well. It's been more than a week now since he was answering questions, the doctor.
All right, Kaitlan, thank you very, very much.
There's more breaking news we're following on the pandemic.
Our CNN National Correspondent, Erica Hill, is in New York for us.
Erica, as we're seeing very disturbing trends moving across the United States right now, there's also a setback. We're in the issue of the race for new treatments.
ERICA HILL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right.
[18:05:00]
We learned from Eli Lilly today, Wolf, that they are pausing trials with their antibody treatment. This is one that the president has touted. Keep in mind, they have already applied for emergency use authorization with the FDA.
In a statement, the company told CNN, safety is of the utmost importance, but they didn't give exact reasons for pausing that trial. We should note this is not the antibiotic treatment that the president took. That one is made by Regeneron, which has also filed for emergency use authorization, but all of these headlines adding up as we continue to see cases, hospitalizations, and deaths rise.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HILL (voice-over): More than seven months into this pandemic, the U.S. is sliding backwards.
DR. PETER HOTEZ, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: This is going to be a very tough winter. We may see a rise in new cases that exceeds what we saw back in March and April.
HILL: Thirty-three states now seeing new cases rise over the past week, nearly half of those also posting their highest seven-day averages for new cases since the pandemic began.
DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Now is the time to act. Now is the time to do something about it.
HILL: COVID-related hospitalizations at record highs in five states. Positivity rates, which ideally should be at 3 percent or less, are climbing.
FAUCI: We're starting to see a number of states well above that, which is often and, in fact, invariably highly predictive of a resurgence of cases.
HILL: In New York, hefty fines and tickets, as the city tries to contain clusters by enforcing masks, limiting gatherings and closing nonessential businesses.
BILL DE BLASIO (D), MAYOR OF NEW YORK: We're now in day four of the pause in those areas. And we are seeing some results.
HILL: It's not just New York clamping down. Across much of Europe, restrictions are returning, as new cases and anxiety grow.
TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: Each of the last four days has been the highest number of cases reported so far.
HILL: Eli Lilly pausing its trial of an antibody treatment today, one touted by the president, telling CNN safety is of the utmost importance, though without offering specifics.
Johnson & Johnson just paused phase three of its vaccine trial because of an unexpected illness in one of the volunteers.
DR. ASHISH JHA, DIRECTOR, HARVARD GLOBAL HEALTH INSTITUTE: To me, it's reassuring that companies are acting responsibly and pausing when they need to.
HILL: AstraZeneca's U.S. trials remain on hold, pending an FDA investigation.
Meantime, in Dallas, a big moment for Major League Baseball.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is amazing.
HILL: Spectators, more than 11,000, allowed in for game one of the NLCS.
FREDDIE FREEMAN, ATLANTA BRAVES: It's just great to have baseball fans in the stands again.
HILL: The Philadelphia Eagles will welcome a limited number of fans to the stadium this Sunday.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: And now we are seeing some signs, like we just saw with those major league sports.
I have to point out, Wolf, here in New York City, the New York Philharmonic just canceled its entire season through June of 2021 for the first year in its 178-year history. And in New Mexico, the governor said things are not going in the right direction. They're actually rolling back some measures. Starting Friday, bars and restaurants that serve alcohol have to close by 10:00 and mass gatherings limited now to just five people -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Very, very important, indeed.
All right, Erica Hill in New York, thank you.
Joining us now, Dr. Richard Besser, the former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr. Besser, thanks so much for joining us.
And I want to get to the breaking news right away, the drugmaker Eli Lilly pausing trials right now for an experimental antibody treatment after an illness in a volunteer.
This is similar to the antibody cocktail treatment that the president credits with his coronavirus recovery, that cocktail treatment coming from Regeneron. Is this a concerning setback, or do you think it's a sign that the system is actually working?
DR. RICHARD BESSER, FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: I think it is a sign that the system is working.
And it points to the critical importance of doing these kinds of trials, and not rushing drugs or vaccines out to general use until we truly know that they're safe and that they work.
When one person has an experience with a with a drug, there can be a sense of, wow, we have to get this out to everyone. But until you do a true trial, you don't know whether an individual patient's improvement is from that medication or from something else and whether it's generally safe. So this is a positive sign. BLITZER: Let me also get your thoughts on this Johnson & Johnson
decision to pause their vaccine trial after an unexplained illness in a volunteer, the second vaccine trial pause in just over a month.
What do you make of that decision?
BESSER: Well, two things.
One is, again, it's a sign the system's working. When you have a large trial, there are going to be events that happen in people's lives. And you have to see, are they related to the vaccine or to something else?
But it also points out, Wolf, the critical importance of following the lead of public health right now. There's no guarantee that we will have a vaccine that's safe and effective and, if we do, when that will be here.
And as the numbers are going up around the country, we need public health to be in the lead investigating what's happening in each state and providing guidance in terms of whether anything needs to be rolled back, or whether things can proceed as they currently are taking place in different places.
[18:10:11]
BLITZER: Looking at the big picture, Dr. Besser, it's obvious the U.S. right now, if you look at all the number, all the data coming in, the U.S. is heading in the wrong direction once again. Just about every indicator is getting worse.
So, how concerning is that, especially as we head into the flu season?
BESSER: Well, this is what everyone in public health has been talking about for months, that, as the weather gets cooler, viruses are going to do better. They survive longer in cooler air, in less humidity. They stay in the air longer.
As children go back to school and young adults go to college and businesses open up, the number of cases are going to rise. And public health has to be on top of that, investigating cases, doing contact tracing, providing safe places for people to isolate and quarantine.
If they do that, then you can open in a way that is relatively safe. But if people are still fighting over whether you wear a mask and whether you wash your hands and whether you stand six feet apart, there's absolutely no way we're going to be able to roll back the kinds of restrictions that people would like to see rolled back.
So, the challenge here, Wolf, is getting everyone on the same page with following public health, because when CDC is undermined, every state local public health department in the nation is undercut as well.
BLITZER: Dr. Fauci says he's especially concerned right now by the rising test positivity rates. Is that a sign of a significant surge, potentially, in new cases? BESSER: Well, it can be. You have to look at the percent positive, but
also the number of tests that are being done.
And as we have talked about before, you have to break it down further. You have to look by neighborhood, by race, by ethnicity, because, as we know, this pandemic isn't hitting every community in the same way, black, Latino, Native Americans being hit the hardest, lower-income Americans being hit hard, now rural America being hit very hard.
And if you're not looking at that level, you could miss major trends and major things that you could intervene and change the course for large parts of the population.
BLITZER: The president is at once again attacking Dr. Fauci, tweeting this.
He tweeted that: "Tony's pitching arm is far more accurate than his prognostications."
What's your reaction to that attack?
BESSER: Well, when I was at CDC, I worked very frequently with Dr. Fauci. He is one of the smartest people in public health.
And I truly respect his opinion. And I think anything that undercuts people in public health is a disservice to the nation and puts us all at risk.
Over the course of a pandemic, recommendations are going to change as you learn more, and that's the norm. But without public health out front leading, explaining what they're learning, then it can look that the changes that you hear, the new guidance is frivolous or capricious.
But it's not. It's based on learning. And that's a good thing.
BLITZER: And all of us are grateful to Dr. Fauci for, what, five decades of service to the American people in this one area.
BESSER: Incredible.
BLITZER: He's really an amazing, an amazing doctor.
Thanks so much, Dr. Besser, for joining us.
BESSER: Thanks, Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, just ahead: President Trump's apparent desire to be seen as a sort of Superman after his COVID-19 infection.
We're going to have the latest on the confirmation hearing also under way for the president's Supreme Court nominee, and the questions that Judge Amy Coney Barrett is refusing to answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:17:57]
BLITZER: Right now, President Trump is heading to Pennsylvania for his second big rally since this coronavirus infection.
His supporters in Pennsylvania appearing largely unconcerned about social distancing or mask-wearing, as you saw in those live pictures, despite a spike in cases in Pennsylvania right now.
We're joined by CNN political analyst Maggie Haberman, the White House correspondent for "The New York Times."
Maggie, thanks so much for joining us.
First of all, I want you to watch what President Trump had to say at his rally last night on recovering from the virus listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I went through it. Now they say I'm immune. I can feel -- I feel so powerful. I'll walk into that audience. I'll walk in there, I will kiss everyone in that audience.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: I'll kiss the guys and the beautiful women and the -- everybody. I'll just give you a big fat kiss.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: So, Maggie, instead of empathizing with the millions of Americans who have also caught this virus, is he treating all this as a joke?
MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Look, I think the president views illness as weakness, Wolf, and we know this. We have seen this time and again in how he has handled anything that he sees as akin to weakness. He brushes it off and puts it aside.
I think that -- I understand that he wants to communicate that he's not in ill health, considering that part of his argument against Biden for months is then that Biden isn't up to the task of being the president. Biden has not caught the virus. They have been releasing the results of his tests, unlike what the president's folks have been doing at the White House.
So I'm not surprised that the president is doing it this way. But, to your point, it downplays what a lot of people have gone through in dealing with this virus. Instead of saying to people, I faced it, I understand why it's a really difficult virus, why it's a difficult illness, and I understand that I had access to medicine that everyone doesn't, he has said that latter part sometimes, but not consistently, and, instead, he is trying to turn this into a show of strength.
There are a lot of people who are still struggling with it. There are a lot of people who have had the virus who were sick for months afterward. There's no one singular experience that anyone has. And what he's describing is just not typical for a lot of folks.
[18:20:05]
BLITZER: That's absolutely true.
You, of course, reported that the president actually considered a stunt on his way back from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where he was recovering. He spent four days there.
He actually -- according to your reporting, he toyed with the idea of pretending to be frail, then ripping open his shirt to reveal a Superman T-shirt.
Was last night's rally the rhetorical equivalent of that?
HABERMAN: I think there's something to that, Wolf.
I mean, look, I think that we know that he sees -- his campaign is, I think, selling some kind of T-shirt or some kind of an image that has the president as Superman flying with his arm in front of his head. So it's not surprising. We know that the president likes these kinds of grand displays that are very theatrical.
Maybe last night was part of what he was going for. I think what he was going for was probably something more iconic, when he was thinking about doing this. He ultimately decided against it. And he just walked out of Walter Reed like anyone else.
BLITZER: Yes.
Senator Chuck Grassley offered some advice to the president for the next debate, assuming that will happen. He wrote this: "I suggest you use pocket card at podium with five short sentences on what you have accomplished, five things that differentiate you from Biden, five things you will accomplish in the next four years. Focusing on these simple highlights will help your message and only take five minutes. Then say whatever you want."
Clearly, the senator doesn't think the president has necessarily made his case so far.
HABERMAN: Look, Senate Republicans, Wolf, are looking at a pretty dispiriting landscape right now.
They -- look, the pushback that we always hear from people around Trump is, they looked at a dispiriting landscape in 2016 too, and that turned out differently. But at this point -- and that may still be the case, although it is worth remembering the president has a record now and a lot of the circumstances are not the same.
So I think it's not a surprise to see Senate Republicans trying to openly plead with this president to do things differently. But what Grassley was arguing was actually, Wolf, not that he do things differently. He said, make points A through C or whatever, and then you can say
whatever you want. The president already says whatever he wants. That's part of the problem that his adviser sees is that he is just up there saying whatever he wants to say, and it is not sinking in with the American people.
In the meantime, what they're seeing is these images of him at these close, packed rallies at a time when people are scared about this virus still. That's the message he's sending.
BLITZER: The election exactly three weeks from today, but already millions of Americans are voting. More than 10.5 million Americans have already voted.
So, Maggie, what's the state of the campaign right now with three weeks to go? Is the president feeling concerned at all heading into this final stretch?
HABERMAN: Look, the president reads the public polling like everyone else. We know that he calls it big polling. We know the campaign says their polling is tighter than what the public polling is. And that may be true.
I think that it is very clear that the campaign and some Republican pollsters are polling a different universe of turnout than some of the public polls. And we're not going to know until Election Day what it ultimately looks like.
But there's a lot of people voting right now, Wolf, and that is of concern to people around the president, because the president's been having a pretty bad period since early voting started in a number of key states. And there are a number of ballots that have been cast already.
So I think you will see the president try to make things turn out the way they did in 2016 by sheer force of will. It's not at all clear that that's going to be enough for him this time.
BLITZER: There are a lot of nervous Republicans out there, especially in the Senate and the House of Representatives, who have their own political headaches they got to deal with.
Maggie Haberman, as usual, thank you so much for joining us.
HABERMAN: Thanks, Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, just ahead, more breaking news on the Senate hearing for the president's U.S. Supreme Court nominee. It's continuing into the night. Are there any surprises?
And I will also ask the New York City mayor, Bill de Blasio, about his urgent concerns for the city this week in the fight against new coronavirus clusters.
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:28:47]
BLITZER: We're back with the breaking news on a marathon day of questioning for the president's U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee pressing her for answers they sometimes did not get.
Our congressional correspondent, Phil Mattingly, is up on Capitol Hill.
Phil, so how has Judge Barrett been doing?
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, according to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, she is still well on track for confirmation before the election, still on schedule, based on everything at least the chairman and Republicans have seen over the course of nine hours today.
Now, they're on a dinner break right now, will return shortly. But even the inevitability, as at least it seems at this point, hasn't stopped Democrats from digging in, trying to find out any views they possibly can, most notably on issues like Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, on issues like abortion, and on issues about what might happen should she receive a case on the Supreme Court after the election.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMY CONEY BARRETT, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE NOMINEE: I have the integrity to act consistently with my oath and apply the law as the law, to approach the ACA and every other statute without bias.
And I have not made any commitments or deals or anything like that. I'm not here on a mission to destroy the Affordable Care Act. I'm just here to apply the law and adhere to the rule of law.
[18:30:00]
No matter what anyone else may think or expect, I have not committed to anyone or so much has signaled. I have never even written -- I've been in a couple of opinions in the Seventh Circuit that have been around the edges of election law, but I haven't even written anything that I would think anybody could reasonably, say, oh, this is how she might resolve an election dispute.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY: So, Wolf, whether it's the Affordable Care Act, which the Supreme Court will take up and potentially invalidate or have the opportunity to invalidate just a few days after the election or potential election cases come across the board, Amy Coney Barrett falling precedent to some degree, as past nominees not answering questions about cases that may come up, not delving too deeply into the details.
Democrats plan to keep going on the questioning both tonight and tomorrow, but even they seem to acknowledge that this point in time this is a foregone conclusion in terms of the confirmation. But raising those issues to public awareness, that is something they plan to continue to press on throughout the course of the next few days.
BLITZER: You know, Phil, Senator Kamala Harris is a member of the judiciary committee. Her turn to question the judge for 30 minutes is coming up, I understand, right after this dinner break. What can we expect there?
MATTINGLY: Yes, it's a great question, Wolf, and one we've all been trying to figure out. Obviously, we saw Kamala Harris, her opening statement yesterday. We've seen her in past Judiciary Committee hearings, including in past Supreme Court nomination hearings, kind of become the interrogator in chief, in some degree, going viral with some of the questions that have stumped witnesses throughout the course of the last several years in the Judiciary Committee.
What will be interesting to watch is Senator Harris is now a vice presidential nominee. She's in a different position right now than she was when she was just the sitting senator from California. And how she decides to operate in her 30 minutes of questioning, one thing you can take over the course to have last nine hours from Democrats is the Affordable Care Act has been a primary focus.
The actions of the president while Amy Coney Barrett has not responded to them have also been things that have been delved into. So keep an eye on both of those issues and also keep in mind, she's a former prosecutor. She likes to point that out. She'll have an opportunity for a full 30 minutes, Wolf.
BLITZER: Yes, it should be a fascinating 30 minutes of questions from her, answers from the judge. We're going to have live coverage coming up here on CNN. I'm anxious to see how that unfolds. So, thanks very much, Phil, for that.
Let's continue the conversation right now with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat who serves on the Judiciary Committee. He participated in today's Supreme Court confirmation hearing. Senator, thank you so much for joining us.
Many of your fellow Democratic colleagues, they're focusing their questions on Judge Amy Coney Barrett on the Affordable Care Act. Barrett says, she's not hostile to that law. Does that give you any comfort?
SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE (D-RI): No, it does not. There has been too much said about the Affordable Care Act first by the president, who said he wants to use the litigation that she's being rushed on to the court to participate in to, quote, terminate health care under Obamacare. The Republican Party platform specifically says it wants to reverse the Obamacare cases and will appoint judges who will do that. Over and over again, you have these strong statements of intent. And I think it's important that we take them seriously and I think it's also important that voters take them seriously. And since they can't hold Judge Barrett accountable, hold account the Republican senators who have written briefs saying the Affordable Care Act should be knocked down in the middle of a pandemic and hold accountable the Republican senators who are voting for the swing vote that might take down the Affordable Care Act in the middle of a pandemic.
BLITZER: Today, it was the first opportunity for senators on the Judiciary Committee like you to publicly question Judge Barrett. But during your allotted 30 minutes time frame, you didn't ask a single question. Why not?
WHITEHOUSE: Because I wanted to make the case to the public of something that we've been looking at in the Senate for quite some time, which is role of big special interest dark money that is circulating around the Supreme Court that now controls the selection of Supreme Court justices, that pours huge checks, like a $17 million doing nation into funding T,V, ad campaigns to support the nominees, and then to show how the same groups fund artificial front groups that turn up before the court the file briefs as if they were separate, but it's an orchestrated chorus funded by the same interests that are putting their people on the court.
There are some real problems at the Supreme Court. And I think if we just look at what's happening in this puppet theater of a judiciary hearing, we're disserving the American people.
BLITZER: Judge Barrett repeatedly insisted she does not and will not allow her personal and her religious beliefs to affect her U.S. Supreme Court decisions, assuming she'll be confirmed. Your take on her word?
WHITEHOUSE: Everybody says that in these hearings. It's become so wrote (ph) that it's almost automatic. They say that they'll follow president. They say they won't let their personal views intrude. They say that they are simply going to read the law and follow it and recite what it says.
[18:35:00]
It is the confirmation hearing equivalent of pabulum, baby food. It's not meaningful.
BLITZER: Yes, almost all of the nominees for the U.S. Supreme Court, whether nominated by a Democratic president or a Republican president, have uttered the same line over and over again during these confirmation hearings. Senator Whitehouse, thanks so much for joining us.
WHITEHOUSE: Good to be with you.
BLITZER: Just ahead, I'll speak with the New York City mayor, Bill de Blasio, as he says New York City is entering a decisive week in its fight against the new coronavirus clusters. Plus, more on those massive lines at polling stations across Texas and Georgia with some voters facing lines that are hours and hours long.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:40:00]
BLITZER: The mayor of New York says the city's battle against the new COVID clusters is entering a decisive week as it limits gatherings and closes non-essential businesses in those areas to prevent a much feared full resurgence of the coronavirus.
Let's discuss with the mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio. Mayor de Blasio, thank you so much for joining us. I know you have a lot going on.
When you say this will be, in your words, a decisive week for New York City, explain precisely what you mean.
MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D), NEW YORK CITY, NY: Yes, look, Wolf, the most important thing I can say is there's a threat of a second wave, but I am absolutely convinced we can stop a second wave from happening here in New York City. We've had a set of neighborhoods where we've seen increases. We've put really strong restrictions in place. A lot of outreach in those communities, a lot of testing, a lot of enforcement, I believe we can contain the situation. And even if we see a crop up in some neighborhoods, we have the pieces in place to contain it.
But this is the week we have to do it. This is the week where we have to turn the tide and make sure there is not a second wave because Lord knows this city was the epicenter and we will not let that happen again. So it's really about everything we're throwing at it this week coming to its full impact and engaging the people intensely. That's what we keep learning. If the people are bought into the solution, that's what makes the difference. And I really think New Yorkers realize everyone has to participate at this point to stop a second wave.
BLITZER: Yes, these are life and death decisions. Mayor, what's the situation like now in what you call those red zone cluster areas?
DE BLASIO: Well, we've seen some leveling off in the test data. And, you know, we are very devoted here in New York City to the data and the science. This is what helped us fight our way out of being the epicenter. We had three or four very good months because we stayed devoted to the actual facts and we're doing it again now.
So the facts tell us, Wolf, that a week or so ago when things were trending very much in the wrong direction in a set of neighborhoods, not by any means the majority of the city, a small part of the city, but still a very, very big area of concern. The last few days, the data, we see some leveling off, we see some improvement. We are not out of the woods, but something is starting to work and people are coming out and getting tested in much bigger numbers. And that's a crucial piece of the equation.
BLITZER: The city, I understand, handed out, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, about $150,000 in fines over the weekend. Is that the type of enforcement it's going to take to keep things under control through this fall surge?
DE BLASIO: Yes. Look, it's never something you want to do. Everyone has been through a tough time, humanly, economically. We don't want to give fines and we don't have to, but people have to see there are consequences.
So we've had some very powerful enforcement efforts. They are being dually noted in all the communities affected. And, hopefully, by showing that that is a real possibility, the vast majority of people are never going to get to the point where they need a fine. What we are seeing is many more people now wearing masks and taking social distancing seriously and we need to make sure that sticks because we got to stop a second wave from happening and then keep it at bay for the long-term until we have a vaccine.
BLITZER: You say, Mayor, that the testing across New York City public schools is very encouraging, but the school year got off, I understand, to a rather rocky start. What are you hearing from administrators, from teachers, from parents right now?
DE BLASIO: So, first of all, the testing is a very good story, Wolf. A week ago in New York City, we had the highest week of testing in the city's history since this began, over a quarter of a million New Yorkers got tested, that number, I want to keep higher and higher every week. In the schools, we've had a huge testing effort. And what we've seen consistently is very, very low numbers. We had almost 2,000 folks tested on Friday and 56 schools, we got one positive back. So that's really encouraging.
It did take us a few weeks to get the school year going. But now it's going full bore all over the city. You know, we have 1,600 schools and except for some temporarily closed in those particular zones, the vast majority are up and running and running well. So the schools have been a positive point, very few examples of tests that are giving us the wrong indicator in school. We were getting overwhelmingly good results from testing at schools.
BLITZER: That's encouraging to hear that. As you point out and as you well know better than anyone, New York City was the epicenter of this crisis back in April. How confident are you, big picture, right now, Mayor, that your city will avoid a repeat this fall and winter as the weather gets colder and colder and the regular flu season begins to really disrupt things as well?
DE BLASIO: I am confident, Wolf. We have a huge campaign, to going to get the flu shot. We have the strongest testing trace core in the country. That's a huge X factor in our favor.
[18:45:01]
The vast majority of New Yorkers really are observing social distancing and wearing those masks.
So, we have a challenge ahead, but I feel very good that we keep doing what we're doing, we can contain this current outbreak, push it back, stop a second wave now and then you know, with everything we've learned, hold this virus at bay during the cold weather months.
New Yorkers are ready to come back and make the city strong and vibrant again. And so, I think people are really bought into the fact that up to all of us to follow these rules, to be governed by the data and the science so we can get out of this challenge once and for all, but right now, I see people doing the right thing to help us beat this back and avoid a second wave.
BLITZER: So many people are suffering in New York City right now. The unemployment rate is huge.
People are desperate. They can't pay the rent. They need food. They got to put food on the table for their kids.
How important is it that the Democrats and the Republicans in the House and the Senate get their act together and pass an economic stimulus package that will help all those folks in New York City right now?
DE BLASIO: Wolf, it's the only way we truly restart this city and restart our economy and bring people's livelihoods back. We must have that stimulus package.
Right now, we are depending, you know, on what little we have to keep basic services going for people. And to give us the possibility of the restart people need, but at some point, if we don't get that federal support soon, we're not going to be able to drive the basic services as a city. We're not going to be able to give people what they need to be able to restart their businesses.
There are so many people who have suffered, but with a little bit of timely federal help, this could be a very different story. This could be the story of rebirth.
And I got to believe a at some point, maybe it's going to take an election to do it, Wolf, but at some point soon, Washington will focus its energies and get us the support we deserve.
BLITZER: Yeah, it's a critical point indeed, for so many millions of Americans out there.
Mayor De Blasio, you so much for joining us. Good luck to everyone in New York.
DE BLASIO: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Just ahead, Senator Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, is set to grill Judge Amy Coney Barrett just a few minutes from now. We're going to have live coverage of that.
Stay with us. (COMMERICAL BREAK)
[18:51:55]
BLITZER: With Election Day here in the United States just three weeks away from today, more than 10.5 million Americans have already cast their general election ballots. And in Georgia, voters are again braving long lines at polling stations throughout the state.
CNN's Amara Walker is at a polling location in Fulton County, Georgia, for us.
Amara, how bad have the lines actually been there?
AMARA WALKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Wolf.
Well, if you think waiting in line to cast your vote for three hours is bad, then yeah, it got pretty bad here at this Fulton County polling site, at the Buckhead Library. In fact, it was actually worse, in just about 30 minutes north of here, in Gwinnett County, where the maximum wait time today was six hours.
But you know, all in all, I've been talking to the voters, and they were in great spirits. They were fired up, so to speak, telling me that they know the stakes are high, especially considering that Georgia has become a presidential --
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: We want to go to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator Kamala Harris is just beginning questioning of the U.S. Supreme Court nominee.
Let's listen in to Senator Kamala Harris and Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Thank you.
Before I begin, I want to just take a moment to talk directly to the American people about where we are and how we got here.
So we are in the middle of a deadly pandemic that has hit our country harder than any other country in the world. More than 215,000 of our fellow Americans have died, and millions more, including the president, Republican members of this committee, and more than 100 frontline workers here at the Capitol complex have been infected.
This pandemic has led to an historic economic crisis, causing millions of workers to lose their jobs without warning. And 12 million Americans have lost their employer based health insurance.
The Senate, I strongly believe, must be and needs to be laser focused on you, the American people, to help you get through this pandemic. To do so, the Senate urgently needs to pass critical financial relief for those who are struggling because of this pandemic and many are struggling. People need help. They need help to pay their rent or mortgage.
Parents need help putting food on the table. The millions of American workers who have lost their jobs need help making it through the end of the month. And small businesses need help so they don't have to close their doors for good.
But sadly, Senate Republicans have rushed to hold this Supreme Court confirmation hearing, rather than help those who are suffering through a public health crisis not of their making.
As I said yesterday, these priorities are not the American people's priorities. Since President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, Senate Republicans' number one priority has been to tear it down.
[19:55:06]
And remember, before the ACA, the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies helped virtually unchecked power over our health care system. They could refuse to cover basic medical expenses like maternity care, like mammograms, like prescription drugs or hospital stays. Worst of all, if you were sick, they could deny you coverage all together and there's nothing you could do about it.
For the last nine years, Republicans in Congress have tried 70 times, 70 times to repeal or roll back the ACA in the United States Congress.
In 2013, Senate Republicans were so desperate to stop its success, that they shut down the entire government for weeks. After President Trump was elected, Washington Republicans spent nearly a year trying to repeal the ACA. But I will always remember the thousands of Americans from all over our country and all walks of life who crowded into the halls of the United States Capitol to require that lawmakers see their faces and understand how they would be hurt if there was a repeal of the Affordable Care Act.
Brave activists in the disability community staged sit-ins on the Hill. Seniors protested to keep prescription drugs affordable. Mothers and fathers walked the halls with their children in strollers to show Congress the face of those who depended on the law. And doctors and nurses protested to protect their patient's access to the care they desperately need.
Together, with many of my colleagues, I joined civil rights and community leaders to speak to the thousands of people who gathered outside the Capitol as they pleaded, as they begged with lawmakers to do the right thing.
All of these dedicated Americans demanding that their voices be heard. And they made a difference. They made a difference. History will remember that late night thumbs-down movement when the great, great John McCain denied Republicans the opportunity to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
And now, following a decade of failure, Washington Republicans have realized that the Affordable Care Act is working too well and helping too many people to repeal it without facing serious political consequences. But what are they doing? After suffering the backlash that they provoked by targeting the law in Congress, they decided instead to circumvent voters and try to strike down the Affordable Care Act through the courts.
Right now, the Trump administration and Senate Republicans are urging the Supreme Court to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act and all of its patient protections. Republicans are scrambling to confirm this nominee as fast as possible because they need one more Trump judge on the bench before November 10th to win and strike down the entire Affordable Care Act.
This is not hyperbole. This is not a hypothetical. This is happening.
And here is what you have to know. People are scared. People are scared of what will happen if the Affordable Care Act is destroyed in the middle of a pandemic.
There are more than 100 million Americans with preexisting conditions, like asthma and diabetes, heart disease, who know that they can be denied coverage, are charged more by insurance companies, if Donald Trump is successful in getting rid of the Affordable Care Act.
And because of the coronavirus, more than 7 million people have now a preexisting condition that they didn't have earlier this year. Those who depend on the ACA are afraid of their lives being turned upside down if the court strikes it down. They know what could happen.
And, Judge Barrett, I will share with you and the American people a list.
No protections for preexisting conditions. Higher costs for health care for women and people over the age of 50. Young adults kicked off their parent's insurance.
More expensive prescription drugs for seniors. Insurance companies refusing to cover mental health care. Insurance companies refusing to cover maternity care. No free mammograms, cancer screenings or birth control.
[19:00:00]
