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The Situation Room
New CNN Poll: 68 Percent Embarrassed By U.S. Coronavirus Response; Fauci: Until You Prove It's Safe And Effective, You Really Don't Want To Be Talking About Having A Vaccine; Coronavirus Cases Confirmed At Colleges In At Least Eight States; Obama's Message Tonight: Trump Has Shown "No Interest In Treating The Presidency As Anything But One More Reality Show"; Harris Set to Make History Tonight with VP Nomination; W.H. Refuses To Say Whether Trump Will Accept Result Of Election If He Losses. Aired 5-6p ET
Aired August 19, 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]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Thanks for your leadership and your courage on this issue. Stay in touch with us. We'd love to have you back.
Join me tonight for CNN special coverage of the Democratic National Convention. "THE SITUATION ROOM" starts right now.
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 breaking news. The United States has just topped a very grim new milestone in the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 5.5 million cases now confirmed as the death toll surpasses 172,000 people here in the United States and other 1,324 Americans died just yesterday from COVID-19.
In an exclusive new CNN poll, 68 percent of the American public now say they're embarrassed by the U.S. response to the pandemic.
Also breaking, coronavirus cases have now been confirmed on college campuses in at least eight states forcing a growing number of schools to simply cancel in-person classes.
And we're just hours away from night three of the virtual Democratic Convention. Senator Kamala Harris poised to make history as the first woman of color to be nominated for vice president by a major party. Former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are also speaking tonight, and we're just getting a first look at what they plan to say.
Let's get some more of the breaking news right now on the pandemic. CNN's Nick Watt is joining us from Los Angeles.
As I said, Nick, where the five and a half million confirmed cases in the United States.
NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Wolf that is a massive number, but we do have a reason for optimism because right now the rate of new infections is slowing down. But as Admiral Brett Giroir just warned the nation things could turn around very quickly unless we are careful.
And getting kids and students back into schools and colleges is the biggest issue perhaps right now. We just heard from Governor Cuomo in New York who said that K through 12 is going to be harder than colleges because you've got kids going home at night, potentially spreading the virus. He wants schools to learn from the likes of Notre Dame.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REV. JOHN JENKINS, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME: We have seen a dramatic increase in the number of positive cases of COVID-19 in your first weeks back on campus.
WATT (voice-over): One hundred fifty-five cases confirmed in just the past two days. Undergrad classes now online only for the next two weeks, but students are staying on campus. COVID cases now confirmed at colleges across at least nine states. More than 350 people are now in isolation at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, the college has hired contact tracers.
DONDE PLOWMAN, CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AT KNOXVILLE: That's how we found out about this first cluster. And they told us where it was. So we knew it was a party off campus.
WATT: The WHO says now isn't the time for recriminations over parties like these, it's time for education.
MARIA VAN KERKHOVE, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION EPIDEMIOLOGIST: We just need to make sure that the messages that are getting out particularly to young people, particularly to children and young adults, that you are not invincible to this virus.
DESIREE CADY, SON HOSPITALIZED WITH COVID-19: He would shiver and it was warm, and then he would get hot when it was cold.
WATT: Desiree Cady's athletic 19-year old son, Ikaika contracted COVID-19 reportedly suffered serious heart complications.
CADY: You know, there was a point that that I actually thought that I may lose him.
WATT: Across this country, COVID-19 infection rates are still very high but falling unclear if that trend will continue plateau or rise again like a roller coaster.
Interesting to note that testing is down nationally and as the president has said,
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When you do testing to that extent, you're going to find more people, you're going to find more cases. So I said to my people slow the testing down, please.
WATT: The bottom line, many, many lives are still being lost. Texas accelerated past 10,000 COVID-19 deaths. Florida fast approaching that same sorrowful statistic. Meanwhile, FDA emergency authorization for treatment using blood plasma from the recovered is now reportedly on hold after a number of federal officials including Dr. Anthony Fauci argued the data is still too weak. This according to "The New York Times."
DR. LEANA WEN, FORMER BALTIMORE HEALTH COMMISSIONER: This really underscores one of the problems in the pandemic that of course everybody is desperate and we want a hopeful treatment. And when you're really ill, of course, you want to do everything possible, but at the same time, we cannot take shortcuts in the research
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[17:05:00]
WATT: Similar issue of course with the vaccine, we can't take shortcuts. And by the way, a new CNN poll suggests that 56 percent of Americans would take a vaccine if it's wide and widely available and safe. That's down 10 percent for May, by the way, 55 percent of Americans think the worst is yet to come in all of this. And as you mentioned, Wolf 68 percent of us aren't proud, we're embarrassed by the U.S. response. Wolf.
BLITZER: Yes. Those are the numbers Nick Watt reporting, thank you.
Let's go to the White House right now. Our White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins is on the scene for us.
Kaitlan, some troubling new numbers for the White House in this exclusive new poll?
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, those are not the numbers that the White House wants to see this close to the election as they are trying to tout the President's response to COVID- 19.
And as you just heard, what Nick was saying those numbers about Americans being embarrassed about the country's response also comes down to the President's leadership with 62 percent of voters saying that they wish the President was doing more.
While instead today Wolf focusing on COVID-19, he has been picking fights with American companies even though his motto so far since he took office has been to "by American."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS (voice-over): A new CNN poll today is revealing an unflattering snapshot of the U.S. where a majority of Americans are embarrassed by the country's response to COVID-19. Disapproval of the President's handling of the crisis hit a new high at 58 percent. Though his overall approval was slightly up.
President Trump has continued to skirt safety guidelines and held a packed rally in an Arizona airport hangar yesterday with few masks and little social distancing. TRUMP: Are you sure you even had a spike?
COLLINS: Fifty-two percent of Americans don't feel comfortable returning to their older routines yet, but Trump is forging ahead with his push for a traditional election, tweeting "If you can protest in person, you can vote in person."
But the President isn't following that advice. The Trump campaign released this video today of the President filling out an absentee ballot.
TRUMP: Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it to the polls to vote in the Florida primary.
COLLINS: His campaign is suing New Jersey after Governor Phil Murphy announced the state within mail-in ballots to all registered voters in addition to conducting in person voting.
GOV. PHIL MURPHY, (D) NEW JERSEY: If vote by mail was good enough for the President, it is good enough for all of us. So as they say, bring it on.
COLLINS: Trump is fuming that his postmaster general will be testifying on Capitol Hill next week as Republicans kick off their convention. Today, he asked why Republicans are allowing Democrats to do that and tag the Senate Majority Leader, though it's the House Speaker who decides when the House holds hearings.
Since he took office, Trump and his supporters have railed against canceled culture, claiming it's a tool the left uses to bring down people who say things they don't like.
TRUMP: Kancil culture, driving people from their jobs, shaming the centers and demanding total submission from anyone who disagrees.
COLLINS: But Trump embraced Kancil culture today when he called for a boycott on Goodyear Tires, a U.S. company with headquarters in Ohio that employs thousands of Americans. Trump accused the company of banning MAGA hats after this image from a training session went viral, advising employees not to wear political attire at work, including anything MAGA related.
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Goodyear needs to come out and clarify their policy.
COLLINS: Goodyear has a long standing relationship with U.S. law enforcement and said it supports police and equality but asked employees to refrain from making political statements at work.
Though Trump only called for a boycott over the MAGA hats ban, the White House attempted to claim it was about police today.
MCENANY: This president will never apologize for standing with law enforcement.
COLLINS: The White House would not say if Trump would stop using Goodyear tires on the presidential limo and Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown said his call to boycott an American company in a swing state could hurt him in the election.
SEN. SHERROD BROWN, (D) OHIO: He's got to pay the price in Ohio because Ohio workers understand Joe Biden's about the dignity of work and Donald Trump has betraying workers consistently.
COLLINS: When it comes to the election, the press secretary also wouldn't directly answer whether the President will accept the election results.
MCENANY: The President has always said he'll see what happens and make a determination in the aftermath. It's the same thing he said last November.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Wolf, she is right that the President has repeatedly declined to say that he would accept the results of the election depending on what happens in November.
But when it comes to how you're voting, the President has repeatedly tried to draw a distinction between absentee voting and mail-in voting when experts say there really isn't one. But if you go to the President's website today, Wolf, a pop up shows up telling people, urging people to request an absentee ballot.
BLITZER: Very interesting indeed. Kaitlan Collins at the White House, thank you.
Let's get some more in all of this. Joining us now the former acting CDC Director, Dr. Richard Besser.
[17:10:03]
Dr. Besser, thank you so much for joining us. And as you heard more than five and a half million confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States, right now more than 172,000 confirmed deaths. Some of the case numbers though are going down on a daily basis. But we heard out Admiral Girior earlier today saying that could turn around very quickly, in his words, "if we're not careful." How important is it for the American public to realize we're by no means out of the woods yet.
DR. RICHARD BESSER, FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR, CDC: It's so important. It's so important. You know, I'm here in New Jersey and the rate of positive cases is extremely low. But our governor is going very, very carefully because he knows that if you open things up too fast, those numbers can turn around very quickly.
And now with students coming back to college, with schools reopening, you have pressure on the system that could cause small outbreaks and if you're not on top of it, it could cause those small outbreaks to spread in a big fashion. So, we are by no means out of the woods what we do now totally matters.
BLITZER: The new CNN poll, Dr. Besser, shows that nearly seven in 10 Americans are embarrassed by the U.S. coronavirus response. What do you make of that? Are you embarrassed by our response?
BESSER: Well, I'm not embarrassed with what's going on here in New Jersey. I'm not embarrassed with what I see going on in New York and Massachusetts, and in many states that are really following the lead of public health.
And I think that that when you look at what's happening in the past, it doesn't have to be the roadmap for what we do going forward. We can come together as a nation, we can do the right thing, we can do the things that have worked in countries around the globe.
What this is saying is that people want a change in the approach. And we can do that because we know how to do it.
BLITZER: Let me get your reaction to something that Dr. Fauci said today about having a vaccine versus proving a vaccine works. I want you to listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Having a vaccine is very different from proving that a vaccine is safe and effective. For that matter, Frank, we have six vaccines now. We haven't proven them yet to be safe and effective.
When we do, then we could accurately say, we feel comfortable with distributing a vaccine to hundreds of millions of people. But before and until you prove it's safe and effective, you really don't want to be talking about having a vaccine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: That's an important point, right, Dr. Besser?
BESSER: It's critically important. It's critically important. You want to make sure that any vaccine that's going to be put into the arms of millions and millions of people is safe and effective.
My colleague, Dr. Julie Morita, she was the former Health Commissioner in Chicago. She has a piece on cnn.com, a new piece on what needs to take place to ensure that a new vaccine is accepted by people, that the distribution plan is in place so that the most effective communities can get this, I encourage people to take a look at it, because there's a lot that goes on between developing scientifically a vaccine and having one that people are going to want to put in their arms in the public health and recommend
BLITZER: Schools, as you know, that continue to be a major, major concern here in the United States, as we just heard COVID cases now confirm at colleges across eight states. And that number seems to be growing. When it comes to these types of cluster cases as setting up contact tracing. What's the best way forward, in your view to trying to reopen these schools for in class learning?
BESSER: Yes, you know, as we've talked about before, Wolf, if you don't have control in the community, you're not going to be able to open safely. But any college any school that reopens will have cases so that number will go up to 50 states.
What matters is do you have systems in place to detect them quickly? Do you have a plan so that you're going to be able to isolate or quarantine those who are infected or those who are exposed so that it doesn't spread widely? Those are the critical pieces that have to be in place here. And have you done the things to ensure that when you're opening schools and communities that every school has what it needs so that children can go to school safely.
But, you know, if you don't first get it under control in the community, there's absolutely no way you can do the opening of these schools in a sustained fashion.
BLITZER: Yes, that's so critical. Dr. Besser, as usual, thank you so much for joining us
BESSER: Pleasure, Wolf.
BLITZER: Breaking news next, Kamala Harris poised to make history tonight as she becomes the first woman of color to accept the Democratic nomination for vice president of the United States. And we'll talk about it with someone who was on the V.P. shortlist, Ambassador Susan Rice, there she is here. She's standing by live we'll discuss what we've learned. We'll also hear some excerpts from what President Obama and Hillary Clinton are expected to say tonight.
[17:15:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're following breaking news, new details emerging from what we're about to hear later tonight, from Democrats ready -- getting ready to nominate Kamala Harris for vice president of United States.
According to just released excerpts we've just received from former President Barack Obama's speech, among other things, he's going to say this, and I'm quoting him now, "I did hope for the sake of our country that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously that he might come to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed that in his care."
[17:20:01]
The former president adds I'm quoting once again, "But he never did." And then he added this "Donald Trump hasn't grown into the job, because he can't," direct quote.
They'll also say this about Joe Biden. And once again, I'm quoting "Over eight years, Joe was the last one in the room whenever I faced a big decision. He made me a better president. He's got the character and the experience to make us a better country."
Let's go to our political correspondent Arlette Saenz. She's joining us from Wilmington, Delaware right now.
Arlette, so what else are we learning? Are you learning specifically about what is about to unfold on this historic night?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we're also getting a preview of what Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee will say tonight. She will speak directly to those voters who regret their votes possibly in the last election.
And President Trump saying for four years, people have said to me, I didn't realize how dangerous he was. I wish I could go back and do it over or worst, I should have voted. She'll add, well this can't be another woulda, coulda, shoulda election as she urges Americans to get out and vote in November.
And in just a few hours Kamala Harris will speak here at the Chase Center where she is set to deliver the biggest political speech of her career.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Kamala Harris set to make history tonight as the first woman of color accepting the democratic vice presidential nomination.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESUMPTIVE VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Joe, I'm so proud to stand with you. And I do so mindful of all the heroic and ambitious women before me who sacrifice determination and resilience makes my presence here today even possible.
SAENZ: And it will be the women closest to Harris, her sister, niece and stepdaughter that will introduce the California senator tonight.
Aid say Harris hopes people will see themselves reflected in her speech, as the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, shares her own personal story and calls for a more inclusive country. She'll also make the case for her running mate Joe Biden, while presenting a stark contrast with President Trump.
HARRIS: The case against Donald Trump and Mike Pence is open and shut.
SAENZ: But it's former President Obama who sat to vouch tonight for the character and leadership he witnessed firsthand over the eight years Biden was at his side.
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's nobody that I trust more to be able to heal this country and get it back on track than my dear friend Joe Biden.
SAENZ: The former president speaking live from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, a location a democratic official says will underscore that democracy is at stake in this election. Also taking a turn on the virtual stage tonight, Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren.
On night two of the convention Biden officially securing the Democratic nomination after a reimagined roll call vote taking viewers across the country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Delaware is proud to cast its 32 votes for our favorite son at our next president.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our friend, Joe Biden.
SAENZ: The night's headliner, Jill Biden, arguing the losses endured by her husband have prepared him to mend a divided country.
JILL BIDEN, JOE BIDEN'S WIFE: I know that if we entrust this nation to Joe, he will do for your family what he did for ours, bring us together and make us whole.
SAENZ: Her speech made no mention of President Trump, but today she pushed back on the President's questioning of Biden's mental acuity.
BIDEN: He's on the Zoom from nine in the morning till 10:11 at night.
SAENZ: And she reflected on what this third run for the White House means for her family.
BIDEN: Joe has worked so hard, I think to be at this moment. And, you know, he did run twice before but this time we're going to win.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAENZ: Now Kamala Harris's husband Doug Emhoff, will be the only family member on hands with her tonight as she delivers that speech. I'm told she's been working on that speech since the day she was selected.
And just a short while ago, Joe Biden tweeted ahead of our speech, saying they say choosing your running mate is the most important decision you make when you're running for president. Well, I'm confident I made the right choice, he says, Wolf.
BLITZER: Looking forward to hearing her speech later tonight. Arlette, thank you very, very much.
Let's talk about all of this and more with the former national security adviser, the former U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice. She's the author of the book "Tough Love." There you see the cover, "My story of the things worth fighting for." The paperback edition is just out with an all new afterward.
Ambassador Rice, thanks so much for joining us. Let's talk a little bit about what we're expecting to hear tonight from your former boss, President Barack Obama, a man, you know, obviously very well.
[17:25:01]
Here he is speaking about President Trump and let me put it up on the screen. And I'll read the quote from the former president. "He's shown no interest in putting in the work, no interest in finding common ground, no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends, no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves." Those are, I think it's fair to say, the toughest words I've heard yet from President Obama about his successor. What do you think?
SUSAN RICE, FORMER OBAMA NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Well, good evening, Wolf. Great to be with you.
Absolutely. An accurate, but a damning indictment of Donald Trump's failed leadership. And you're right, President Obama very rarely invokes Donald Trump by name. And in this instance, he's laying out clearly and forcefully what's at stake in this election and how Donald Trump is a leader who cannot grow into the job, will not grow into the job and with each passing day is making us less safe and less secure from a health standpoint and economic standpoint and a national security standpoint.
BLITZER: You, of course, Ambassador, were among a very distinguished group of women that Joe Biden had considered for his running mate tonight. We're going to see Kamala Harris accept the nomination for vice President, how significant is that for the party and for the country?
RICE: I think it's hugely significant, Wolf, for the entire country. It's a historic choice that Joe Biden made. We have in Kamala Harris, not only someone with enormous experience and skill, but she is the first African American woman to be on a presidential ticket.
She is the daughter of immigrants. And that is a wonderful, wonderful thing. And it says to every little boy, every little girl in this country that they too can rise as far as their talents will take them and be who they set out to be. It's an extraordinary message. And I'm very excited about it. And I know my family and so many other young people are excited about it.
BLITZER: Today, the White House press secretary refused to say if President Trump will accept the election results if he loses. This comes after the president said the other day, and I'm quoting him now "the only way we're going to lose this election is if, is if the election is rigged." What do you fear could be the worst case scenario on the aftermath of November 3?
RICE: Wolf, that is the words and the actions of a dictator. That's how we see it played out in countries around the world, which we look askance on and say what happened, or did they ever have a democracy? It's, unimaginable in the American context. What makes us great, what makes us a democracy is that we have the peaceful transfer of power from party to party as the people dictate.
If Donald Trump were to violate that sacred trust and try to block the will of the American people, I think it would do irreparable damage to our democracy and to our national unity.
BLITZER: Those are strong words from you, as well as.
The Trump campaign just released a video of President Trump actually signing his ballot to vote by mail. Despite his continued efforts to limit mail in voting. Do you fear the damage has already though been done in terms of undermining voter confidence in voting by mail? RICE: Well, that's certainly what Donald Trump is trying to do. He's trying to undermine the American people's faith in our electoral system, which is crazy. And yet, I think what he fails to recognize is that he's not disadvantaging Joe Biden, and the Democratic Party. He's disadvantaging every candidate on the ballot Republican and Democrat up and down the ticket.
So, it a very dangerous thing that may well backfire. I think what you're seeing in this convention and you're seeing out of democratic voters is an enormous degree of energy and determination and commitment to cast our votes and ensure those votes are counted.
And I would not put it past any single one of us voters to do what we have to do to ensure that our votes are counted. But we cannot afford a president of the United States who by design is trying to undermine our citizen's faith in our electoral processes. It's absolutely unconscionable. And it tells you all that the American people need to know about Donald Trump's character and the kind of leader that he is.
BLITZER: You were the former U.S. ambassador to the U.N., former national security adviser. Remember when you're working on the National Security Council during the Clinton administration, let me ask you about the Senate Intelligence Committees report that just came out this week on Russia's interference in the 2016 President election.
[17:30:00]
What hints does this report contain about how the same characters may actually be operating now to try to interfere in the 2020 election with the goal of trying to help President Trump get re-elected?
RICE: Well, first of all, Wolf, the report contains many more than hints. It's very damning indictment of what the Trump campaign did to cooperate with Russian intelligence individuals to advantage Donald Trump in the election and it was report produced by the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee. It goes further than the molar report in outlining the nature and the scope of that cooperation and coordination.
The problem we have today in 2020, is the very same characters are in Moscow, and the very same characters are now in the White House with the levers of power, increasingly aided and abetted by members of Congress like Senator Ron Johnson, who's running a sham investigation, drawing on Ukrainian resources that are provided, we believe, by Russian intelligence to try to discredit falsely Joe Biden.
So this is worse in many ways in 2016, because the Russians are more experience, the folks on the Trump campaign are more experience. And this time Congress is on the act, at least some Republicans in the Senate.
BLITZER: Ambassador Susan Rice, thanks so much for joining us.
RICE: Good to be with you, Wolf. Thank you.
BLITZER: All right, coming up our political team getting ready to break down Senator Harris's nomination tonight, as well as all we're learning right now about the speeches that voters will be hearing tonight, including from former President Barack Obama.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:36:44]
BLITZER: The former President Barack Obama, according to a senior Democratic official will underscore that, in his words, our very democracy is on the line. He's going to be speaking delivering a major address at the third night of the Democratic Convention.
Let's discuss this and more with our Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger and our CNN Political Correspondent, Abby Phillip. You know, Gloria, we've just received a portion of what else President Obama is expected to say. We really have never heard him speak so bluntly about the current President, President Trump. He describes him as totally disinterested in doing the work of the presidency, someone who is incapable of growing into the job. It's truly an extraordinary address. He is getting ready to deliver tonight.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: You know, Wolf, I think Michelle Obama and Barack Obama had been talking to each other about Donald Trump a bit because what we're seeing of Barack Obama's speech sounds an awful lot to me, like what Michelle Obama was saying.
Let me read to you just a little bit of what he says about the current President. He says, "He's shown no interest in putting in the work, no interest in finding common ground, no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends. No interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves".
It is remarkable, because we're not used to hearing Barack Obama talk like this about anyone much less Donald Trump, a current sitting President. So I think it's just evidence of how he really feels, his frustration. And, of course, this is trying to motivate people to get out and vote.
BLITZER: It certainly is, you know. And Abby, the former President, he's basically, as Gloria says, stayed out of the spotlight most of the Trump presidency. Have you ever heard President Obama speak this bluntly about President Trump?
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: We haven't, Wolf. And it's not a secret that President Obama is no fan of President Trump. He spoke at the DNC convention four years ago against President Trump. But what we're seeing this summer is a former president, a former first lady who are clearly fed up.
And they have fully crossed over into this new era of politics in which former presidents and former first ladies don't just sit back and say nice things about their nominee. They speak out against the sitting President.
It's extraordinary, but it's been building over the last several weeks. We saw President Obama at John -- Congressman John Lewis's funeral, basically giving an indictment on the current system, the current President urging Democrats to vote, Then a couple of days ago, he talked about what he perceived as President Trump's attack on the Postal Service. I do think these current events, especially as it relates to voting have really galvanized the former first family and that's one of the reasons why we're seeing such strong language coming from them.
BLITZER: And given that strong language, you know, Gloria, I anticipate that President Obama, Michelle Obama, they will be out there on the campaign trail doing everything they can to help Biden get elected President of the United States and make sure the voters turn out and actually vote.
[17:40:08]
BORGER: Sure. And it's not -- Michelle and Barack Obama can do a lot of things and have a lot of impact, and they can also help raise a lot of money. But what you are hearing at this convention from someone like Bernie Sanders, who describes the same existential threat but I think we're going to hear from President Obama tonight.
It is the same message, not only you need to vote democratic, it's beyond that, it is. You need to vote for Joe Biden to save the democracy. And that seems to be the rallying cry and the unity cry in the Democratic Party right now.
BLITZER: Yes. Really, really strong words. All right, guys stand by, we're going to have a lot more on all of this. There's also some more breaking news coming into "The Situation Room" specifically on why the Senate Intelligence Committee could go where Robert Muller's team couldn't or wouldn't when it comes to Russia and the Trump campaign.
Also ahead, more on the pandemic and that new warning from a top coronavirus task force member that any progress we might be seeing right now could vanish.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:45:46]
BLITZER: There's more breaking news coming into "The Situation Room". Tonight, CNN has uncovered new details on the making of the Senate Intelligence Committees by partisan blockbuster report on Russia interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election in the Trump campaign's connections to it.
Let's go to our Senior Justice Correspondent Evan Perez. Evan, did -- you did a lot of extensive reporting on the Mueller investigation, but this latest report goes even further. So what stands out? What are you learning?
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the thing that stands out to me is the fact that this is a report from a Senate -- from our Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee, and it's about twice the length of the Mueller report. But it really in more plain language, says what happened in 2016.
And a couple of things that stood out, calling Paul Manafort, the chairman of the Trump campaign in 2016, a grave counterintelligence threat to the United States, simply because he was in business with someone who the committee says was a Russian intelligence officer, at the same time, before and after the time that he was on this campaign.
We also learned that essentially the committee says that they don't believe President Trump when he says he doesn't remember whether he spoke to Roger Stone about the upcoming releases from WikiLeaks. These are damaging e-mails from the hack from the DNC and from Hillary Clinton's campaign. The President said he doesn't remember it.
The committee's plainly says that they believe they discussed the WikiLeaks release. And so, it was kind of a remarkable things to hear from the Senate Republican Committee -- Led Committee.
BLITZER: Yes, these are not just Democrats, but the Republicans are the majority in that committee.
PEREZ: Right.
BLITZER: It's almost 1,000 page report. It's got incredible details in there. Is this the kind of report you would expected to see from the special counsel?
PEREZ: I think a lot of us did expect to hear a lot more of this from the Mueller investigation. In the end, it appears that, you know, they were focused on whether or not they could prove something in court a crime. And in the end, a lot of these things, you know, they could didn't have enough evidence, they got thwarted by people who were trying to obstruct the investigation, including the President. And so that really hampered their ability to get at the truth here.
BLITZER: And it underscores the, you know -- and completely robots the President argument that the whole Russia investigation was a hoax.
PEREZ: Right, exactly. And it's also a pre-battle of what we're going to hear in the coming months from the President, from Bill Barr. We know that there's an investigation of the investigation. And one of the things that you've heard from the attorney general, is that this is a bogus investigation. I think if you read this thousand page report, Wolf, you get the impression that this was not a bogus investigation at all.
BLITZER: It wasn't a hoax, it wasn't a witch hunt. It was a serious investigation. All right, Evan, thank you --
PEREZ: Right.
BLITZER: -- very much. Evan Perez, reporting from the Justice Department.
Coming up, the remarkable virtual roll call at the Democratic Convention. We'll be right back.
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[17:53:38]
BLITZER: We're coming up on night three of the Democratic Convention. But first, CNN's Tom Foreman takes a closer look at the remarkable roll call of delegates.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go to Alabama.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here in Utah, we've had mail-in voting for years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome back to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We bring your greetings from the Virgin Islands of the United States.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER (in unison): Yes.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More like an American panorama than a political convention --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a fourth generation family farmer.
FOREMAN (voice-over): The roll call of delegates was transformed from a stodgy march to the microphones --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joe Biden believes in American workers.
FOREMAN (voice-over): -- into dozens of shout outs on the hottest topics.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joe Biden will get the pandemic under control.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We know that clean energy doesn't just mean a healthier planet, it means good paying jobs.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Participants spoke of climate and culture changes voting security.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Georgians know that our ability to vote is under attack.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Voter turnout to --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Black people, especially black women are the backbone of this party and we don't show up. Democrats don't get elected.
FOREMAN (voice-over): The parents of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man brutally murdered in Wyoming weighed in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joe Biden helped pass legislation to protect LGBTQ Americans from hate crimes.
FOREMAN (voice-over): So did the father of a student killed in the Parkland, Florida school shooting, pushing against the gun industry?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's win back our freedom to live without fear.
[17:55:00]
FRED GUTTENBERG, DAUGHTER WAS KILLED IN PARKLAND SCHOOL SHOOTING: And last night to put it on the national stage was a big deal.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Some of Joe Biden's former challengers may cameos.
PETE BUTTIGIEG (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I thought it was a remarkable moment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Foreign Language)
FOREMAN (voice-over): But mostly it was about regular Americans in different languages, different places with common concerns.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When COVID shut down my college, I came home to my parents' ranch to finish senior year online.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They call us essential workers, but we get treated like we're expendable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It seems like every time working people believe in a Donald Trump promise, they wind up getting screwed.
FOREMAN (voice-over): The fan favorite, clearly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The calamari come back state of Rhode Island.
FOREMAN (voice-over): And by the time the nominees' home state cast the final votes for --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our friend (INAUDIBLE), Joe Biden.
FOREMAN (voice-over): The Democrats knew at least for this night, they had a win.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Bethesda, Maryland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Thank you very much, Tom. The countdown to the start of night three of the Democratic convention, that's coming up.
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