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The Situation Room

Alarming Rising New Coronavirus Cases Across The U.S.; White House Defends Trump's Latest Racial Slur, Claims Of Slowdown In Testing And Firing Of A Prosecutor; Florida Surpasses 100,000 Total Coronavirus Cases; Miami Mandates Wearing Of Masks In Public; New Fallout From Ouster Of Top Federal Prosecutor; Judge Criticizes Bolton But Rules He Can Publish Book; National Reckoning Upends Race To Defeat Mitch McConnell. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired June 22, 2020 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's not clear yet where they're going to enforce those. We got to question, Jake, of course is social distancing. Right now, it's a big venue, 3,000 people. Then organizers say social distancing right now is not something their planning for, Jake.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Ryan Nobles, thanks so much. Our coverage on CNN continues right now. Thanks for watching.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM. We're following an alarming surge of new coronavirus cases across the United States.

Some of the largest states including Texas, California, Arizona, and Florida are all seeing very dramatic rises with Florida passing the grim milestone of more than 100,000 confirmed cases.

Meanwhile, President Trump is refusing to directly answer questions about whether he asked for coronavirus testing to be slowed down, as he said at a weekend rally. And the White House is defending the president's use of a racial slur to describe the virus and claiming that there is no second wave of infections on the way.

But as the president and his team downplay the pandemic, the U.S. has now surpassed 120,000 confirmed coronavirus deaths with almost 2.3 million confirmed cases. Worldwide there are more than 9 million cases and almost 470,000 confirmed deaths.

Let's go straight to the White House right now where our White House correspondent Boris Sanchez is joining us. Boris, terrible new coronavirus numbers and they're confronting the White House.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Wolf, and the president not really acknowledging them. He's continuing to push his transition to greatness message even as officials at the White House scramble to clean up his racist remark this weekend. And he dodges questions about whether he would like to see a slowdown in coronavirus testing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But did you ask to slow it down?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If it did slow down, frankly, I think we're way ahead of ourselves if you want to know the truth. We've done too good a job.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): The White House today insisting the president was joking Saturday night in Tulsa upset about media coverage.

TRUMP: So I said to my people, slow the testing down, please.

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: It was a comment that he made in jest.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): The apparent joke coming as the U.S. surpasses 120,000 coronavirus deaths. And nearly half of U.S. States are reporting an increase in cases.

TRUMP: We saved millions of lives, and now it's time to open up, get back to work. Okay? Get back to work.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): Administration officials also eager to quell concerns about a second wave of cases this fall.

LARRY KUDLOW, WHITE HOUSE ECONOMIC ADVISER: We know how to deal with this stuff now. It's come a long way since last winter and there is no second wave coming. It's just, you know, hot spots they send in CDC teams. We've got the testing procedures. We've got the diagnostics. We've got the PPE. And so I really think it's in pretty good situation.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): Though other administration officials admit the White House is preparing for a second wave.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Are you preparing for a second wave in the fall?

PETER NAVARRO, WHITE HOUSE TRADE ADVISER: Of course. You prepare for what can possibly happen. I'm not saying it is going to happen, but of course you prepare.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): The president pushing forward with a planned event Tuesday in a state surging with coronavirus cases, Arizona. Despite new rules requiring the use of masks in public, the mayor of Phoenix tells CNN Trump's speech will be an exception.

KATE GALLEGO, MAYOR OF PHOENIX, ARIZONA: We are not going to be focused on enforcement during the rally.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): The speech coming after Trump's Tulsa rally failed to meet expectations, drawing far fewer supporters than anticipated and leaving the White House to try and spin his latest racist remark. TRUMP: So, it's COVID. It's this -- by the way, it's a disease without

question. It has more names than any disease in history. I can name "kung flu." I can name 19 different versions of names.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why does he use racist phrases like "the kung flu"?

MCENANY: The president doesn't. What the president does do is point to the fact that origin of the virus is China. It's a fair thing to point out as China tries to ridiculously rewrite history.

To be clear, I think the media is trying to play games with the terminology of this virus where the focus should be on the fact that China let this out of their country.

While the media wants to focus on nomenclature, the president is going to focus on action.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): The press secretary also struggling to explain the surprise firing of Geoffrey Berman last week by Attorney General Bill Barr.

The now former U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York who was leading several investigations related to President Trump, initially refusing to resign.

[17:05:01]

Ultimately, ousted through a letter published by Barr saying Trump wanted him gone. Though the president later claimed he wasn't involved.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why did the president say he wasn't involved in the firing of Geoff Berman when the attorney general said the president was the one who fired him?

MCENANY: Because the attorney general was taking the lead on this matter. He did come to the president and report to him when Mr. Berman decided not to leave. And at that point is when the president agreed with the decision of the attorney general to fire Mr. Berman and to promote Mr. Clayton.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So he was involved in it then?

MCENENAY: He was involved in a sign-off capacity.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ (on camera): Wolf, amid all of this, we are learning that two more campaign staffers who attended that rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday have tested positive for coronavirus. That's in addition to the other six advanced staff that tested positive for COVID-19.

On top of that, we're also learning that two Secret Service agents who were there have tested positive for the virus, Wolf. BLITZER: Yes, that's 10 people just there. All right, Boris, thank you

very much. Let's get some more on all the disturbing developments, the increase of coronavirus cases here in the United States. CNN's Nick Watt has the latest from Los Angeles. Nick, we're seeing what many health officials feared for a long time as the country begins to reopen.

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We absolutely are, Wolf. But meanwhile, I just want to show you what's happening at the international terminal here at LAX. They are trialing thermal imaging cameras that would scan anybody coming into terminal from outside or off a plane. And if your temperature's more than 100.4, boom, you're flagged.

Also today, the mayor of Miami just made face masks mandatory today. Our leaders area planning for the future and, Wolf, it's looking like a long haul.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WATT (voice-over): Florida reopened early, now, paying the price. Fewer than a thousand cases reported the day they began. Saturday, a new record, more than 4,000.

DAN GELBER, MAYOR OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA: Right now we know exactly what's happening. Young people are going out because they do think they're invincible. They're getting the virus and they're spreading it into the community and it's just harder to protect people when that happens.

WATT (voice-over): Meanwhile in New York which waited until today to reopen restaurants and retail in the city.

ANREW CUOMO, GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK: We went from the highest transmission rate in the United States to the lowest. Three other places basically did re-opening as a political exercise. It was politicized by the White House and some states ran to reopen and just forgot about the metrics and the science.

WATT (voice-over): Nationally, we had largely flattened the curve of new cases, but they're now rising again, fueled by those early openers in the south and the west. Record high hospitalizations right now in Arizona, the Carolinas, and Texas. And the death rate rise says Dr. Anthony Fauci, will follow in a few weeks.

STEVE ADLER, MAYOR OF AUSTIN, TEXAS: I wish we had done this more slowly so we could have seen the data along the way.

WATT (voice-over): Oklahoma where the president just was, set a new record Sunday, nearly 500 new cases.

TRUMP: I said to my people, slow the testing down, please.

WATT (voice-over): And Arizona where the president will be tomorrow, the average new case count has quadrupled in just three weeks.

TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYSESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: The greatest threat we face now is not the virus itself. It's the lack of global solidarity and global leadership.

WATT (voice-over): The U.S. is the global super power and the largest economy on Earth and natural leader. Yet, this country can't even manage its own crisis -- makes up around 4 percent of the world's population, but 25 percent of global COVID-19 cases and deaths. The White House, now prepping for a second wave.

PATER NAVARRO, WHITE HOUSE TRADE ADVISER: We are filling the stockpile in anticipation of a possible problem in the fall.

WATT (voice-over): And the CDC expected to publish new guidance on masks any moment.

GELBER: The CDC has been late and then haven't been giving us - haven't given us a great playbook, if one at all, frankly. So, we've sort of been on our own trying to write this thing as we go along.

WATT (voice-over): New Jersey chose a cautious path, opened outdoors already, parks, beaches, but only starts some indoors, barbers, tanning salons and such today. And the governor is still preaching caution.

PHIL MURPHY, GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY: We're now going inside. Folks are going to have to be careful. Obey the rules. And this is a big step for us today.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATT (on camera): And, Wolf, a quick sports update because I know you care. The NFL Players Association is now advising players to stop training together due to an increase in cases in certain states. The Toronto Raptors today are traveling some staff and players to Florida where the NBA still hopes to start their season sometime in late July. Wolf?

[17:10:03]

BLITZER: We'll see if that happens. All right, thanks very much, Nick Watt in LAX for us. Let's get some more on all of this. Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is joining us and the former acting CDC director, Dr. Richard Besser is with us as well.

Sanjay, we are seeing these dire new numbers in several states especially across the south and the west. What does that tell you about where we are in this epidemic?

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're still very much in the middle of it, Wolf. I think most people may gather that by now. This epidemic sort of started I think not surprisingly in coastal cities with big international airports that's why we saw first cases in the West Coast and Seattle.

And then obviously the significant impact in New York. But now you're seeing these sorts of, you know, these waves across the country. Last Monday, a week ago, there were 18 states that were sort of on the rise. Wolf, now there are 23 states and I think that that number's going to continue to go up.

I mean, the problem is that even despite that map, we are largely starting to reopen. And we've known that there would be more people who'd get infected once we start to reopen.

The problem is you've got a virus that's circulating so quickly in the community where it's re-opening, the number of people who get infected could go much higher than anyone predicts or wants. So, we're in the middle of this, Wolf, still very much so.

BLITZER: Yes, we certainly are. You know, Dr. Besser, New York City, Washington, D.C., they're both moving into what's called phase two of re-opening today. What are these rising nationwide numbers tell you about the prospects of being able to keep new cases under control, even as these cities are re-opening?

RICHARD BESSER, FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR, CDC: Well, you know, Wolf, I see some real danger signs for places like New York, New Jersey, Washington, because as you reopen, as Sanjay was saying, you expect to see more cases.

But what we're hearing in terms of the public health model of testing people, doing contact tracing and then isolation and quarantine, it doesn't sound like its working as well as it really needs to. That people aren't being willing to share who they've had contact with. And our worry that it's because we're not providing the services that people needs to be able to isolate and quarantine safely.

If you think about somebody who lives in a crowded household where they have elderly relatives, and they're being told that they had contact with somebody who had COVID or they have COVID infection.

If you're not able to provide them with a safe place to isolate and quarantine and provide them with economic support, help them in terms of their caregiving needs, people aren't going to own up in terms of their exposures and that's going to lead to ongoing community transmission.

And it's going to lead to this pandemic hitting the same groups, black Americans, Latinos, who have been hit so hard to date.

BLITZER: You know, Sanjay, the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, he seems to be downplaying concerns about the rising cases in his state. They are very dramatic, the rising numbers there. Because he says younger people are the ones getting sick.

But those young people will eventually have contact with older people, higher-risk people, their parents, their grandparents, a lot of elderly folks in Florida, as we know. How concerning is this to you?

GUPTA: Look, this is the issue when you have such a contagious virus, right. There are populations of people who we know are going to be less vulnerable of getting sick, of needing hospitalization, all of that, but it is a contagious virus so people who may not even have symptoms as I think people know, can still carry the virus. Let me show these charts here and give people an idea of the

demographics of what we're dealing with in terms of who's likely to get infected and who's likely to get hospitalized or get very sick from this, even die from this. I don't know if we have those. There we go.

So, you know, you can see there in the 18 to 39 group, much more likely to get infected, lower likelihood of death; 40 to 64, you start to see that shifting. And then 65 to 84 it flips. People, you know, more likely to die from those infections in that 65 to84 group, and obviously the highest people 85 and older.

But to your point, Wolf, I mean, what are we supposed to do with that information now? Are you going to basically say younger people below the age of 40, you're going to be totally fine as long as you never visit someone who's older?

You're dealing with a very contagious virus here. We're sort of figuring this out together, but the concern that you raise I think is the concern. Right now you have increasing number of people who are getting infected.

You can predict, I think pretty reliably, that within a couple of weeks there is going to be increased hospitalizations, even if it's younger people who are making up the majority of those infections in Florida, they're going to more likely spread the virus because there's more people who have the virus in their bodies.

BLITZER: Yes, even if, you know, you're in your 20s or 30s, you may be asymptomatic, no symptoms at all, but you can clearly transmit this virus to other people who potentially are a lot more vulnerable.

[17:15:03]

Sanjay, thanks very much. Dr. Besser, thanks to you as well.

Still ahead, we'll have more on the latest attempt by White House officials to spin President Trump's words including his use of a racial slur to describe the coronavirus.

We'll also get an update from Florida where coronavirus cases just surpassed 100,000. I'll ask Miami's mayor about his new order for people in his city to wear masks or face coverings when they're in public.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: During this afternoon's briefing, the White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, trying to defend President Trump's latest use of a racial slur to describe the coronavirus.

[17:20:00]

Let's bring in our CNN special correspondent Jamie Gangel and our White House correspondent John Harwood. John, listen to Kayleigh McEnany defend the president's use of that racial slur. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why does he use racist phrases like "the kung flu?"

MCENANY: The president doesn't. What the president does do is point to the fact that the origin of the virus is China.

To be clear, I think the media is trying to play games with the terminology of this virus where the focus should be on the fact that China let this out of their country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: So, John, what's your reaction to that spin coming from the White House?

JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, obviously it's embarrassing, which is what we've come to expect from people who speak for President Trump because they've got to defend things that are indefensible.

Look, people would find it offensive if you call -- many people do find it offensive if you refer to it as the China virus or the Chinese virus as if you're suggesting it has something to do with being Chinese as opposed to the geographic origin of the virus.

But at least that has some basis in reality. Any school child could tell you that calling it "the kung flu" is a racial slur. And, you know, unfortunately for Kayleigh McEnany, her job description requires her to say things like that, but it's not fooling anybody.

BLITZER: You know, Jamie, during a time when Americans are taking to the streets demanding racial justice in our country, the president uses this awful racial slur, and then his White House doubles down on it. Is the president and the president's team, are they disconnected from what's happening all around the country right now?

JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: I think they are disconnected, but I think they don't want to connect. Look, we have to look at the history of Donald Trump. This is awful, outrageous that he said it, but it's not surprising.

If we go back and look at what he said about Mexicans being rapists or the fact that there are very good people on both sides or just recently that Vice President Pence couldn't bring himself to say black lives matter.

I think the question, Wolf, though, is political context. When this White House and this campaign looks at where they are in the polls, yes, he's appealing to the base. This is red meat for the base, but his numbers are not good. They are low. And if he's just appealing to the base, it puts him in jeopardy in November.

BLITZER: Yes. I think he's very sensitive as we all note of those numbers. You know, John, after the president made those stunning comments about ordering his people in, his words, to slow down coronavirus testing, the White House insisted, you know what, he was simply joking. But when the president was directly asked if he did in fact give that order, he wouldn't give a straight answer. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But did you ask to slow it down?

TRUMP: If it did slow down, frankly, I think we're way ahead of ourselves if you want to know the truth. We've done too good a job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: So what does that extremely evasive answer tell you, John, about his approach to handling this crisis?

HARWOOD: What it tells me, Wolf, is that typically when you have the president say something outrageous, members of his staff will attempt to preserve some plausible deniability by saying, well, he was kidding, he wasn't serious, you know, take him seriously but not literally.

But typically, when the president himself is asked a follow-up question about it directly, he gives away the game. And he gave away the game in that interview at the White House because he had an easy chance to say I was kidding, of course I didn't slow down testing.

What president in his right mind would slow down testing for a pandemic that's sweeping across the country? No. He didn't say that, why? Because he doesn't believe in testing as something that benefits him personally. He has said repeatedly that more tests mean we're going to discover more cases, and more cases makes him look bad.

You know, he didn't definitively answer the question, but he gave a very strong signal of where he is coming from on this, affirming previous signals.

And, by the way, senior Democrats Chuck Schumer and Patty Murray in the Senate have sent a letter alleging that the administration is sitting on more than $8 billion in funding for that coronavirus testing and tracing that the Congress has passed. So, there is substantive backup to the notion that the president is slow-walking this.

BLITZER: You know, we'd like to know, everyone who might potentially have coronavirus, that's why testing is so critically important. All right, John Harwood, Jamie Gangel, thanks very much.

Coming up, an update on the alarming surge in coronavirus cases in Florida. What should be done to slow the spread? I'll speak live with the mayor of Miami who's standing by.

[17:25:02]

He just ordered people in his city to wear masks or face coverings in public. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:29:59]

BLITZER: Florida's health department reported a grim milestone today. The state just surpassed 100,000 cases, confirmed cases of coronavirus. Let's go to CNN Correspondent Rosa Flores. She's joining us from Miami right now. Rosa, as you know, Miami is requiring people to wear masks when they're in public, update our viewers on the latest developments.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf. The city of Miami requiring masks in public effective immediately. According to the mayor here, Francis Suarez, he says it's because of the number of cases of COVID- 19, the number of hospitalizations, the number of people that are requiring ventilators as well, he says that there are several zip codes that are of most concern including Little Havana in those zip codes. The city of Miami will be issuing masks for those individuals that don't have one.

All of this as Florida meets this grim milestone, more than 100,000 cases in the state of Florida. This as the median age of the COVID-19 patient in the state of Florida plunges. It used to be 65 back in March. Now, according to the governor, most of the cases are now between the ages of 18 and 35.

According to Governor Ron DeSantis, most of these young people are not social distancing. They are not wearing masks. So what is the governor doing? He says that he's going to be publishing PSAs to educate the public and also sending in inspectors and regulators to businesses to make sure that the rules are being followed.

Here's what he's not doing. He is not shutting down the economy and he is not requiring masks statewide. Of course not. We know that the city of Miami is requiring masks.

And there's another important metric, Wolf, and that is hospitalizations. Now the state of Florida does not publish a number of hospitalizations related to COVID-19. However, we do get a glimpse from Jackson Health, one of the largest health systems here in the state of Florida. They report in the last 13 days, Wolf, an increase of 75 percent in the number of COVID-19 patients. Wolf?

BLITZER: Wow. That's pretty disturbing. All right, Rosa, thank you very much. Rosa Flores in Miami for us.

Let's talk to the mayor of Miami right now. Francis Suarez is joining us. Mayor, thank you so much for joining us. And as we all just heard, you've ordered residents of Miami to wear a mask in all public settings. Why did you decide that now was the right time to issue this new mandate?

MAYOR FRANCIS SUAREZ (R), MIAMI, FL: Thanks, Wolf. Yes, I did that along with 14 other mayors that stood by my side at 2:00 p.m. at a press conference. We are all disturbed at the rising numbers in our county, that if you remember the high watermark, when we shut down the economy and implemented a stay-at-home order for Miami Dade County was 533 cases. Just yesterday, a day before, we had over 900 cases, which is twice the high point at the time that we close on our economy.

And we think that this is the best alternative that we have right now to going backwards. We also decided that we're not going to go into phase 3, meaning that we're not going to be opening up movie theaters, nightclubs, and we will not be opening up large sporting facilities.

BLITZER: How do you enforce this new masks mandate, Mayor?

SUAREZ: Yes, it's going to be obviously very tricky. You know, just like when we had a stay-at-home order, you know, it's very difficult to enforce every single person staying at home, making sure that they don't violate. I think the first thing we have to do is we have a duty to inform the public of what we're seeing.

And when we see the elevating numbers in new cases in hospitalizations, in ICU and ventilations, we have a duty to inform the public of that. The second thing we have to do is we have to tell the public what we think is the best way to combat it. And, you know, I think implementing this rule of having, you know, wearing masks in public is the best thing that we can do as a group of mayors to help, again, reduce the number and the spread of COVID in our community.

Enforcement is going to be difficult just like it has been, you know, in a variety of different contexts. We have to shut down, you know, five different establishment, restaurant establishments for not following the rules that were established by the county. And so, you know, enforcement is always tricky. But what we did and what we've always done is we warn people first, and then we have the ability to take more dramatic measures.

BLITZER: You've told me in recent days, Mayor, that all options are on the table to control the spread of this virus, including potentially returned to stricter social distancing measures, but cases are spiking right now. If you wait until the situation gets even worse, do you worry it may be potentially, God forbid, too late?

SUAREZ: Of course. I mean, I think, you know, one of the things that we're balancing of course, is the understanding that, you know, we have a cataclysmic economy. You know, we have, you know, tens of millions of people nationally out of work in Miami Dade County, hundreds of thousands of people that are out of work. Those that are in work, you know, are making a fraction of what they were making before this pandemic.

[17:35:02]

So we're trying to do the very best that we can, understanding those new realities and those new dynamics, but we're very closely monitoring deaths. We're monitoring, you know, capacity, which right now we have a significant amount of capacity even though all the metrics that we're seeing are going in the wrong direction.

BLITZER: The Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has downplayed concerns about the rising cases in your state because they appear to be spreading among younger, less vulnerable people, people in their 20s and 30s, for example. But those young people don't live in a bubble of Miami Dade County. For example, we checked about 17 percent of the population is over the age of 65. Many of them have underlying health conditions. Do you worry that those young people who may be asymptomatic eventually could spread the virus to older more vulnerable residents?

SUAREZ: Absolutely. That's another reason why we implemented the mask rule. We want to reemphasize that even though it appears that younger people are the ones that are increasingly getting sick, they have the ability to pass that on to their elderly parents or grandparents. And as we know, in many urban areas in this country, young people live with their parents, live with their grandparents.

And so they -- there's a possibility exists that they can impact those very vulnerable populations, which would make the metrics much, much worse. Because even though the hospitalizations are up and they're up among that demographic, we know the vulnerable population in terms of, so far, in terms of being at risk of death is slightly higher in age. There's definitely a concern that the fact that younger people may be coming home infected could impact those mortality rate numbers.

BLITZER: Yes, they certainly could. And it's really, really depressing to think about it. Mayor Suarez, we love Miami. Thanks so much for joining us. Good luck to all the folks down there.

SUAREZ: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Coming up, more fallout from the ouster of a top federal prosecutor in New York. Prosecutor who was overseeing multiple investigations involving President Trump.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:41:41]

BLITZER: Today, there's new fallout after the abrupt ouster of the top federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, who had been leading several investigations involving President Trump. Let's bring in our Legal Analyst Carrie Cordero and our Chief Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin. He has a new book coming out in early August entitled, "True Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Investigation of Donald Trump". There you see the book cover up on the screen.

Jeffrey, I want you to listen to what the White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany's explanation was today for the firing of Geoffrey Berman. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The President held Mr. Clayton in very high regard, wanted to nominate him to this position in SDNY to keep him in the government as he returns to New York. Barr was working on a smooth transition and when Berman chose to respond in the way that he did, he came to the President and the President agreed and fired this individual, Mr. Berman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right, so Jeffrey, what do you make of that explanation?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST: It is somewhere between bizarre and absurd. I mean, first of all, U.S. attorneys are almost never fired with five months to go. So why did they fire the guy who's investigating the President and his friends? And why do they try to install one of the President's golf buddies who has no prosecutorial experience in perhaps the most important prosecutor's office in the country?

The whole thing just reeks of corruption. And, you know, Geoff Berman managed to work out so that when he left, his successor was Audrey Strauss, who's a person known to have a lot of integrity. But why they fire Geoff Berman at this moment, is still very much an unanswered question. And it's hard to believe there is an innocent explanation given how this all unfolds.

BLITZER: You know, Carrie, this prosecutor, this federal prosecutor Geoffrey Berman. He had been -- he has been investigating members of the President's inner circle. I'll put some of them up on the screen. Take a look at this Michael Cohen, Igor Fruman, Lev Parnas, Rudy Giuliani, his Inaugural Committee and others. Regardless of his reasoning for firing Berman, does this send a message that he's willing to retaliate against anyone who potentially could get in his way?

CARRIE CORDERO, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, look, the fact that the Southern District of New York was conducting all of these investigations around people who were close to the President in some way or in his orbit, demonstrates why that would be the last prosecutor in the world that you would want to remove, unless you want to be accused of doing things for political purposes, or for corrupt purposes.

And the other side of this that also is so questionable, is why when the Attorney General originally was going to remove him, he wasn't just going to go ahead and appoint the deputy or the first assistant who now is the acting according to that. So there's just so many reasons why this looks corrupt and inappropriate.

BLITZER: You know, Jeffrey, let's also talk about the President's Former National Security Adviser John Bolton's bombshell new book, a federal judge ruled that he's free to go ahead and publish it, distribute it. But said in the ruling that Bolton, and I'm quoting now, that Bolton has exposed this country to harm and himself to civil and potentially criminal, criminal liability. Do you agree that Bolton potentially could face criminal liability?

[17:45:12]

TOOBIN: I think John Bolton has a serious legal problem. I mean, there is this prepublication review agreement. And the rules are very clear. You either have to honor what the administration says about what's classified and what's not. Or you go to court and get a judge to overturn the administration's ruling.

What Bolton did was, he said, the hell with your process. I'm just publishing my book anyway. As I understand it, that means the government is well within its rights to take any money he made on the book, and perhaps to prosecute him for disclosing classified information if, in fact, it's established that this material is classified. So I think John Bolton definitely has a best seller. But he may not have much money or any money to show for it.

BLITZER: And he could potentially could have other legal issues as well. Jeffrey Toobin and Carrie Cordero, guys, thanks very much.

An important programming note to our viewers. The Former National Security Adviser John Bolton will join me here in "The Situation Room" Wednesday. He'll share stories from his new book. We'll discuss that and a whole lot of other ramifications. That's here in "The Situation Room" Wednesday during our 6:00 p.m. Eastern hour.

Coming up, how the national reckoning on racism and police brutality is impacting a key Democratic primary that potentially will determine who takes on the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in November.

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[17:51:35]

BLITZER: The National focus on racial injustice and policing as upended a key Democratic primary race. Our Senior Washington Correspondent Jeff Zeleny is joining us right now. Jeff, this is a race to see who will take on the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in November.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Democrats have had their eye on this seat for longer than any other Senate race. The idea of defeating Mitch McConnell as he tries to run for a seventh term or at least giving him a tough run for his money has suddenly been upended by the political awakening that's happening across the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHARLES BOOKER (D), KENTUCKY SENATE CANDIDATE: This is happening in Kentucky right now. We are in a moment you all. Were in a moment.

ZELENY (voice-over): A sleepy Senate primary race suddenly electrified in Kentucky.

BOOKER: This time has to be different for my cousins, for my little ones, for you all. This has to be different for Breonna, for Mr. McAtee, for everybody. That's a hashtag.

ZELENY (voice-over): A national reckoning on racism and police brutality is resonating loudly here where a Louisville police killed 26-year old Breonna Taylor, an EMT in March, and David McAtee, the owner of a barbecue restaurant in June. Weeks of protests have injected fresh uncertainty into the campaign over who Democrats will choose in tomorrow's election to take on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in November.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's Kentucky's best chance to move on from Mitch McConnell.

ZELENY (voice-over): Amy McGrath, a former marine pilot is the handpick choice of party leaders in Washington. Her primary victory was seen as a foregone conclusion. But state Representative Charles Booker is now riding a wave of momentum.

(on-camera): You've said that you are campaigning from the hood to the holler. Explain that.

BOOKER: Well, I'm trying to build a movement here by speaking to our common bonds. And there's a reality that there are so many similarities in the hood that you would see in the places in the hollers of Eastern Kentucky and in the mountains that if we realize our common bonds, we can change the world.

ZELENY (voice-over): With a political awakening underway, McGrath has struggled to find her footing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you been on the ground in Louisville with the protesters the last three days or in Lexington or elsewhere, Ms. McGrath?

AMY MCGRATH (D), KENTUCKY SENATE CANDIDATE: I have not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And why?

MCGRATH: Well, I've been with my family and I've had some family things going on this past weekend. But I've been following the news and, you know, and watching.

ZELENY (voice-over): Booker turn that moment into a TV ad. Well, she's dramatically out spending him $14 million to his $1 million on advertising alone. The closing momentum is on his side. The race is playing out here in Trump country where the President won the state four years ago by nearly 30 points.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: President Trump and Mitch McConnell delivering for Kentucky.

ZELENY (voice-over): From the streets of Louisville to small towns like Campbellsville, Booker is making the case for progressive change. His policies closely aligned with Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, both of whom have endorsed him.

BOOKER: We got to be that change. We got to be in that arc.

ZELENY (on-camera): Do you wonder if he's too progressive for Kentucky?

BRUCE WHALEY, KENTUCKY VOTER: Sometimes I think about that, but it's time for change. Everything is evolving manner.

ZELENY (voice-over): A more urgent test is the mechanics of voting. While tens of thousands have voted early, only one polling place will be open tomorrow in Louisville, with precincts consolidated because of coronavirus.

BOOKER: It's just naturally going to disenfranchise people, and that is a concern.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZELENY: The uncertainty over this race is going to be complicated tomorrow on primary day here, Wolf, where normally 3,700 voting locations across the state of Kentucky have been boiled down to about 170.

[17:55:06]

There is going to be only one here in the city of Louisville, one in the city of Lexington. Of course, the two largest cities in this Commonwealth of Kentucky. We've seen voting problems in other states across the country as these voters -- as these primaries have been changed because of the pandemic. So there's certainly as a question about how the votes will be counted in cast tomorrow. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right, we'll see what happens. Jeff Zeleny reporting, thank you.

Coming up, the White House defense President Trump's use of a racist slur to describe the coronavirus.

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