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The Situation Room

President Trump Remains Silent on Wisconsin Shooting; Interview With Kenny Smith; Boycotts Disrupt Pro Sports for a Second Night, NBA to Resume Playoffs, Possibly this Weekend; U.S. Death Toll tops 180,000 with 5.8+ Million Cases; White House Admits Change in CDC Guidance Was Due to Backlog in Testing, Contradicting Trump's Claim; Biden: Trump and Allies "Rooting for Violence". Aired 6-7p ET

Aired August 27, 2020 - 18:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: But the president has remained silent on the shooting of Jacob Blake, even as he vows to crack down on violence in Kenosha.

[18:00:04]

We're also tracking the devastating fallout from Hurricane Laura. The storm unleashed extensive damage in Louisiana and Texas overnight, and now threatens parts of the Southeast with torrential rain.

Let's go to CNN's Sara Sidner first on the growing protest movement in support of Jacob Blake.

Sara, professional athletes, they're putting the spotlight on Kenosha. That's where you are. Tell us more.

SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we are actually awaiting a press conference here from state leaders.

But, in the meantime, we are learning more about the 17-year-old suspect in a fatal shooting during the protests, as well as unprecedented protests by several sports teams.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... continue demonstrating our solidarity by not playing today.

SIDNER (voice-over): An unprecedented reaction to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, shot seven times in the back, paralyzing him. Athletes from the national basketball, baseball and soccer leagues are refusing to play, the Washington mystics posing in shirts with seven bullet wound marks.

CHRIS WEBBER, NBA ANALYST: They took a moment, made the world stop and see for a second how they felt. And, hopefully, that was just reverberate through any sports fans, through everyone of different colors.

SIDNER: Overnight, protests continue in Kenosha, Washington, as we learn more about two very different shootings. BENJAMIN CRUMP, ATTORNEY FOR JACOB BLAKE: We have these two justice

systems in America, one for black America and one for white America.

SIDNER: On the one hand, the police shooting of Blake after a tussle, while a white teenager with a massive rifle is able to walk right by police with his firearm after a shooting and is not immediately arrested, the sheriff saying officers' high stress may have created tunnel vision.

CRUMP: This is outrageous. So why is a black man walking away from them gets shot seven times in the back? A young white man who killed people, who shot people, is not shot and is taken alive?

SIDNER: Police say 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse is accused in one of the deadly shootings that took place during the protest Tuesday night.

We spoke with Carol Badoni, who rushed to go help one of the victims.

CAROL BADONI, WITNESS: When I saw his eyes roll back in his head, and he had no pulse, and I didn't think I was going to be able to save him. But all I could think of was to just keep pumping on his chest.

SIDNER: Police say Rittenhouse drove into town from out of state. He is a former member of the Youth Police Cadet Program.

Rittenhouse's TikTok account shows a long gun being assembled and the teen firing a weapon into the woods. Another shows his view from the front row of a Trump rally in January.

In the shooting that sparked the protests, investigators confirmed Jacob Blake admitted to having a knife on him and that officers first tried to Taser Blake before shooting him seven times. The Blake family attorney responded.

PATRICK SALVI JR., ATTORNEY FOR FAMILY OF JACOB BLAKE: Jacob had his -- three of his most prized possessions in that car, his three boys, 8, 5, and 3 years old. So the suggestion that he was going to his car in order to start some sort of a fight with police officers, with their guns drawn, is basically absurd.

SIDNER: According to the sheriff, Officer Rusten Sheskey pulled the trigger. He's a seven-year veteran of the Kenosha police force.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: We are now learning that there are more National Guard troops that are expected to come here in Kenosha, this as we're waiting for a press conference.

There are so many details that are still unknown, for example, whether or not the 17-year-old is charged in two shootings, or just one. There were two people killed, one person injured in protest here -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Sara Sidner reporting for us.

I want to get some perspective from former NBA star Kenny Smith. He is now an acclaimed analyst for TNT's "Inside the NBA," TNT, our sister network.

Kenny, thank you so much for joining us.

As you know, so many Americans watched as you actually walked off your set last night in support of the NBA players protesting. For those who didn't see it, let me just show this little clip. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENNY SMITH, HOST, "INSIDE THE NBA": And, for me, I think the biggest thing now is to kind of -- as a black man, as a former player, I think it's best for me to support the players and just not be here tonight, and figure out what happens after that.

I just don't feel equipped to be here.

ERNIE JOHNSON, HOST, "INSIDE THE NBA": And I respect that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: So, Kenny, what was going through your mind in that moment? Did you make that decision in that very moment, or was it something that was building up in you?

SMITH: I think it was just building up, Wolf.

And I thought it was important not to really say anything until now, after the players have made their statement, so I really was informed on what they were thinking.

[18:05:10]

Those guys have been in a bubble. They don't really know (AUDIO GAP)

BLITZER: I think we're losing Kenny.

Hold on a second, I think I -- I think we're losing your audio a little bit. The connection isn't so great. But let's see if we can fix that.

Kenny, stand by for a moment. We're going to try to fix Kenny's audio.

While we try to fix Kenny Smith's audio -- and we will -- I want to go to our Kaitlan Collins over at the White House.

Kaitlan, President Trump, he's attacking these NBA players leading the strike. He won't say anything at all, in contrast, about the shooting that led to this growing protest movement.

So, update our viewers on the latest.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, when the president was asked today he didn't address why the NBA players were boycotting their games yesterday.

Instead, he reverted to things he said before, saying that he believes that NBA is a political organization now. But, Wolf, this all comes on the day where the president is finally slated to give his speech at the Republican Convention, a night he's been waiting for all week, as he's watched other speakers go forward, including the vice president last night.

And now his time has come, at a time when there is crisis after -- one crisis after another unfolding across the United States, starting in Wisconsin and what you're seeing on the streets of Kenosha, but also along the Gulf Coast, and, of course, the pandemic that has been nationwide for several months now.

So, the question is not only, how does the president address each of those in his speech tonight. It's also whether or not he goes off- script, given he will be in front of the largest crowd he has seen in months.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS (voice-over): Using a law and order message, President Trump will make his case for a second term tonight, with the unrest in Wisconsin as his backdrop.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The vandalism and the looting is ridiculous. To allow this to happen, I don't know how they can possibly do it.

COLLINS: But while he and Vice President Mike Pence have condemned the violence in Kenosha, they have yet to address what led to it, the police shooting of another black man.

Earlier today, President Trump refused to answer questions about Jacob Blake.

QUESTION: Jacob Blake, Mr. President.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: Reaction to it?

COLLINS: Outgoing adviser Kellyanne Conway suggested the situation in Wisconsin only helps Trump.

KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT: The more chaos and anarchy and vandalism and violence reigns, the better it is for the very clear choice on who's best on public safety.

COLLINS: Former Vice President Joe Biden seized on her statement.

JOSEPH BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: These guys are rooting for violence. That's what it's all about.

COLLINS: After NBA athletes boycotted games yesterday, in protest of the police shooting of Blake, the president's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, dismissed their protest.

JARED KUSHNER, SENIOR PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: I think that the NBA players are very fortunate that they have the financial position where they're able to take a night off from work.

COLLINS: President Trump accused the NBA of becoming a political organization.

TRUMP: I don't know much about the NBA protest. I know their ratings have been very bad, because I think people are a little tired of the NBA, frankly. They have become like a political organization. And that's not a good thing.

COLLINS: Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to visit Wisconsin Saturday to deliver a commencement address, but the Wisconsin Lutheran College said that, after careful consideration of the escalating events in Kenosha, they're uninviting the vice president and a pastor will address the class of 2020 instead.

Tonight, Trump is expected to say that: "At no time before have voters faced a clearer choice between two parties, two visions, two philosophies or two agendas."

He weighed delaying his speech because of Hurricane Laura, but announced today he will go forward with it and visit the storm-ravaged areas in Louisiana and Texas this weekend.

TRUMP: Now, it turned out we got a little bit lucky. It was very big. It was very powerful, but it passed quickly.

COLLINS: At least 1,500 people are expected to attend Trump's speech on the South Lawn tonight.

Despite this claim from Kellyanne Conway...

CONWAY: Everybody will be tested tonight.

COLLINS: ... CNN has obtained guidance sent to guests makes no mention of testing requirements.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Wolf, last night, in the vice president's speech, there was a line that stuck out.

He said: "You won't be safe in Joe Biden's America."

Well, Joe Biden responded to that today saying that these videos of violence playing out in American cities that the administration is pointing to are happening in Donald Trump's America.

And during an interview that he also gave this afternoon, he commented on the arrest of that 17-year-old after the protests in Wisconsin. He said it -- found it troubling.

So far, Wolf, the White House has not commented on the arrest of Kyle Rittenhouse.

BLITZER: See a lot of chairs behind you.

COLLINS: Yes.

BLITZER: And they seem pretty close together.

Maybe 1,500, I was told maybe as many as 2,000 people have been invited to hear the president's speech on the South Lawn of the White House. They can wear masks, we're told, if they want to, but it's not -- it's not required, unfortunately.

And we will watch it very closely with you.

I want to go to Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers, is speaking.

[18:10:01]

GOV. TONY EVERS (D-WI): It is a serious time here in Kenosha.

Obviously, the city has gone through a lot of trauma over the last several days. And I had a chance to witness some of the damage that has been done.

But the thing that gives me extraordinary hope is the 1,000 people from Kenosha area who are volunteering, as we speak, to bring water to workers, to paint, do great paintings, and spruce up the uptown area.

It gives me great hope because the -- at the end of the day, when this is over, the people of Kenosha are ready to make lives better. And they're already beginning in that process.

And so I feel very confident about where we're going. But the confidence does not come from Madison or Washington, D.C. It comes from the great people that inhabit this city. They have a lot of pride in what they have been able to do in the city.

They obviously understand that there's a need to make sure that we're in a better place racially. And -- but they're ready to roll up their sleeves, and they're doing it as we speak.

And so I couldn't be more proud of that effort on their part.

And so, with that, I will turn it over to Lieutenant Governor Barnes, and, after that, General Knapp. And then we will take some questions.

Lieutenant Governor?

LT. GOV. MANDELA BARNES (D-WI): All right, so -- excuse me. Loosen this up.

Thanks so much, Governor Evers.

I'm Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes.

And just want to start by thanking you all for being here, for engaging in this conversation that is still ongoing and must-needed dialogue that's happening in not just Kenosha, but communities all across the country.

But the facts are that Jacob Blake is still alive, fortunately, after being shot seven times in the back. And although there is a long road to recovery, we need to acknowledge that this is nothing short of a miracle.

And, today, Governor Evers and I had a moment to speak with Jacob Blake's family. We met with some leaders here in Kenosha. I had a couple phone calls yesterday with an organizer friend of mine here. We met with some local elected officials, and we also visited a couple businesses.

And it was important to do that, because, in the wake of it all, you see community actually being built. And it is out of some of the most devastating set of circumstances that we often see community built being more holistically and in a more inclusive way, in ways that have -- traditionally have not happened before.

And we see, when we have community building that isn't inclusive, you end up with the fissures that you have had that create these sorts of situations that we're dealing with now.

But, as the governor said, DCI's is investigation is ongoing, but we don't need an investigation to know that Blake's shooting falls in a long and painful pattern of violence. And this is a pattern of violence that happens against black lives too often and across this country.

And, as you all know, we saw even more gun violence unfold on Tuesday night, when two protesters were tragically killed and one other injured by gunshots. But someone that wasn't looking to keep peace, an outside agitator, someone who came in from Illinois with a long rifle, was able to just walk the streets freely, like that is something normal that we should just come to expect.

Let me tell you, that's not anything normal. We shouldn't come to expect that. We shouldn't accept it, because what do you think is going to happen if you have an agitated man with a long gun walking down the streets, thinking that he's some sort of peacekeeper?

And that kind of behavior shouldn't be enabled either. And we have to deal with the devastating results of that. We saw that happen in Louisville already. We saw it happen in Charlottesville, when somebody rammed their vehicle into protesters, and Heather Heyer was killed.

Now Kenosha, Wisconsin, is also home to that sort of tragic scene. We have to not ever want to see that happen again. And I say we have to want, because we truly have to have that desire. We truly have to work towards that not becoming the reality of our state.

It was painful, it was tough waking up Wednesday, and to see that news, the first thing I woke up to -- or the text that I woke up to that it was a friend of mine that said that she was struggling with how to deal with it.

I didn't even know she was talking about. And for some reason, I was up really, really early on in the morning.

[18:15:02]

But that was the news that I woke up to, the news that so many other people in this community woke up to, a community that's still already reeling from a tragedy.

Our broader Wisconsin community continues to -- reeling from this tragedy. People who are protesting against systemic injustice and violence, people are out there because they want to save this nation. They want to correct the mistakes that have been made over time, many mistakes that have been made before most, if not every protester was even born.

And if we don't want to correct those mistakes, if we fail to correct those mistakes, the problems we deal with going forward are going to be nothing -- or -- excuse me -- what we're dealing with now will be nothing compared to what we will deal with down the line.

We have to bring about this change, because it's desperately needed. But people need to be able to do so without fear of losing their own lives. And so, thankfully, this morning, we didn't wake up to that same sort of news. There was the news about tragedy in Kenosha, and we can't afford events -- we can't afford for that to change tonight or any other night, for that matter.

That means leaders at every level, elected leaders, community leaders, faith leaders, law enforcement, everybody has to recognize the pain of those who are protesting and have to do everything in their power to work to call out, but not just call out. If you have the power to do more than call out, you should do more than call it out.

You should do what you have to do to end systemic racism and the systemic violence that happens every day, in this city, in the state, in the country, all over.

And then we all have to work to bring our communities together, the way that you see it happening downtown right now. And we have to come together and rebuild those broken systems.

But I do believe that we can do it. I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you today. This didn't just happen after the Jacob Blake incident. It didn't just happen after George Floyd. This is ongoing. That's one of reasons why I decided to run for office, because I believe that better was possible.

And I hope everybody in this room also believes that we can do more, because we all have a role to play. Members of the media is well, you have a responsibility to report the facts, report the truth, and make sure that people are educated, and to make sure that things aren't swept under the rug, to make sure that things aren't hidden under a cloak of secrecy, especially as more institutions continue to damage communities.

We all deserve more. We all want more. And I know that Kenosha, Wisconsin, will get through this, but the only way we're going to get through this, if we get through it together. This great city and this state will endure.

And with that said, I am going to hand it over to General Knapp.

Thank you.

MAJ. GEN. PAUL KNAPP, WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD: Good evening.

I'm Major General Knapp. I'm the adjutant general for the National Guard for the state of Wisconsin here to give you an update on our mission, the mission of the National Guard, as we continue to serve in a supporting role to local law enforcement here in Kenosha.

Bottom line is what I -- similar to what I mentioned earlier today, when I talked to many of you. And that is, we're here to preserve public safety and the ability of individuals to exercise their First Amendment rights to lawfully and peacefully demonstrate.

That's really the bottom line for the National Guard. I think we can do better. And I think that we're here to ensure that there's an environment where we can do better.

By the direction of Governor Evers, we're also bringing in additional Guard members, service members from other states. As I mentioned earlier, states of Alabama, Michigan, and Arizona have offered to send their service members, their Guard members here to Wisconsin to assist in keeping the peace and keeping public safety.

I want to personally thank those states for sending their service members here to Kenosha, Wisconsin.

I also want to reiterate that, whether it's the Guard members coming in from other states or the National Guard here, the Wisconsin National Guard, that we are not federalized. We're on state active duty. The soldiers and airmen coming in from other states will be under my command as the adjutant general, and ultimately under the direction of our commander in chief, Governor Evers.

We're working together to continue this important mission in Wisconsin to help the local authorities keep people safe.

I want to thank all the supporting states, the law enforcement, local leaders, and, most importantly, the community for your understanding and coming together to make this a great place and make Kenosha a place that people want to come for all the wonderful things that it has to offer.

And I ask you in the press to help us do that. Thank you.

[18:20:10]

EVERS. OK, with that, we will entertain any questions you might have.

Yes.

BLITZER: All right, we're going to continue to monitor this news conference with the governor of Wisconsin, Governor Evers, the lieutenant governor, Mandela Barnes, and Major General Paul Knapp of the Wisconsin National Guard.

We will update you on any new information that does emerge.

But, right now, I want to go back to Kenny Smith. He's joining us on the phone.

Kenny, are you OK? Can you hear me OK?

SMITH: I hear you, Wolf.

BLITZER: OK, good.

We have seen NBA players lead the way in this national reckoning since George Floyd's death, but just how historic is it to see a protest like this, to postpone playoff games in the NBA yesterday and today and to demand change?

And tell us what you were thinking as you decided to walk off the TNT set last night.

SMITH: Well, Wolf, this is, again, the first time I have talked about this, but it was more just waiting to hear what the players wanted to say, and then kind of making a real dedicated decision what to do.

Secondly, I didn't feel like I wanted to be a talking head, in the sense. I wanted to join the march. And so I got off set to join the march. At certain times in your life, you have to join the march.

And because of my platform, it's a little -- I'm a little bit more visible. So I'm at the front of the march, but I'm just one of many that feel the same way across the country, white, black, indifferent. We all feel the same.

We are citizens. We are black men. We are Americans first. And that is the most -- that's the most important thing than anything else.

BLITZER: What's been the reaction, Kenny, to -- since your walking off the set last night?

SMITH: Well, I think and hope people are appreciative that I joined the march and put myself in a position to let them understand, because, as black Americans, I think, Wolf, one of the things that we always say is that, like, we put -- we have -- in our neighborhoods, we have community watch systems.

We have all of these different groups with -- inside our own communities. We don't like crime. We want people arrested who are doing crime.

But, at times, it gets misinterpreted that, oh, well, this person or these people could have been doing something wrong, and they shouldn't be arrested. No one has ever said that. The ideology of that is not in our -- in anyone's nature.

I think the one thing that people understand is that there is a systematic thought process when things happen. And I applaud the NBA players, because the thing that happened last night, say, well, you're a political group. You are becoming a political group.

No, it shows you have power. And when you have power in any negotiation -- I have been blessed to be in really good negotiations. And this is what this is. It's a negotiation of humanity.

And so we are negotiating and showing our power. We can cut the power off if you don't hear what we're saying. And now, for the first time in my life, Wolf, as a black man, everyone says, well, what do you want?

And a good negotiator, Wolf, is going to say -- he's not going to blurt that out right now, because this is a negotiation for humanity. We're going to blurt it out. We don't have -- you don't have to have the answer today. We will get back to you in a month.

But you understand the power we have.

BLITZER: As you heard, as you know, Kenny, President Trump, earlier in the day, he dismissed these protests, saying, the NBA, in his words, has very bad ratings right now.

And his son-in-law, senior adviser Jared Kushner, said NBA players have put a lot of slogans out that need to be turned into actual action, his words.

What do you -- how do you respond to this?

SMITH: Well, I think the one thing is how you respond is like, when -- it's kind of like if you win a championship, Wolf. It's inappropriate to ask someone, well, what are you going to do next year?

No, the championship right now is, we need your attention. We need your attention. And, in that, that is the protest, the march.

And one thing I will say, Wolf, for me, I just feel that black Americans -- as a black American, I have been the most American thing you could ever be. I was born here. I have fought. People -- my family has fought in the military. My family has fought for the Bible. My family has fought for demonstration.

We have all been part of the process. But it seems at times other groups get to skip the process, skip certain steps that we innately want the same. No one wants any different, anything differently.

[18:25:00]

So, in terms of skipping the process is what we noticed, and we understand that, because you are -- we -- very few often times in our lives, Wolf, that we have the power to selectively take someone based on their race only.

This -- that never happens in the black community. We're inclusive. We have to learn to be inclusive of everyone, all races, genders, creeds, and colors. We have never had the luxury to say, well, I'm only going to pick this guy because he's black. That is impossible to do as a black American. But we feel the

difference, the undercurrent of racism that pulls you in and says, well, it's bigger than the wave. The undercurrent could kill you. It could drown you in the ocean.

We have seen the wave. Now we're seeing both.

BLITZER: We were all sickened, Kenny, when we saw that horrific video of Jacob Blake being shot as he was trying to get into his car. His three little boys were in the car at the time, and he was trying to get in. And we saw that police officer shoot him seven times in the back.

When you first saw that video, what went through your mind?

SMITH: It just happened to be seven times, and not two, not one.

But we have seen it. And this is not -- if that was a one-time incident, the NBA would have been playing today. They would have been playing yesterday.

This is a continuation of -- if -- and this is how you -- as a black American, I think. I don't speak for all black Americans. I speak for what the people I know around me and how we think, the people that are close to me.

And you look at that incident, Wolf, and you go, well, that is -- if that is the people who protect and serve us, and is supposed to keep everything law-abiding and things, how does it infiltrate in every other aspect of every other life, in business, in sports, in entertainment, in every other sport of life?

So, we understand it's the people at the high -- who are supposed to have the highest moral character are police officers, the highest. We expect that from them. I don't think any American would say that, if the police officer doesn't have the highest moral character, we cannot have them.

If they don't see that, then how can it not bleed into everything else? And I think this is a great awakening for the people who are on the fence at times that didn't say, man, I never looked at life that way.

There are people, Wolf, that we will never be able to convince that this is right. But there are people on the fence that are now checking themselves outside of black American community that are now saying, well, you know what, I see it now. I didn't realize that before.

BLITZER: Yesterday, almost around this time, around 4:00 p.m. Eastern, the Milwaukee Bucks, in a playoff game, an NBA playoff game, were scheduled to play the Orlando Magic.

And, all of a sudden, the Milwaukee Bucks didn't come out of the locker room. Eventually, the Orlando Magic players, they walked into their locker room. The game was clearly postponed. Other games, two other playoff games, were postponed. Did you have any clue that that was about to unfold, what happened

yesterday?

SMITH: No, not at all.

I don't think any time there is a civil -- civil thought process of what is right or what is wrong -- what is right, rather, and you're to think -- do something that is just trying to correct something unjust, that you're going to alert the world.

I think you can shock the world. Sometimes, you have to wake people up with a cold glass of water. It doesn't always mean you have to shake them and caress them to wake them up. And that's what that was, the NBA's version of that.

And I don't -- I heard the president of the United States say that it's not about being -- the NBA is becoming a political group.

We're all citizens. Like, if CNN news has an opinion something on sports, you don't say, you have never played -- Wolf Blitzer cannot talk about basketball. He's never played basketball.

Like, you're a citizen of the United States. And everyone has an opportunity to vote. And I'm part of a process called Be Woke and Vote to get everyone to vote. Everyone has an opportunity to voice their opinion.

And everyone has an opportunity to put in systematic things that will help all groups at all times, because, as an African-American, as a black man, inclusion, I can never be against. That is the one thing I could never be against, is inclusion.

So, including everyone involved in it is an important factor. So, we are not a political group. And Major League Baseball is not a political group. CNN is not a political group.

But we are Americans who have a voice, and we speak, and we speak loudly at times.

BLITZER: It's one of the greatest things about our country, that we are allowed to speak, and we can say what we really believe.

[18:30:02]

It struck me. And I just want to get your reaction to this, Kenny. In your act of solidarity, which we all saw when you walked off the TNT set, we heard your colleague Ernie Johnson -- and he was with me yesterday -- he was one of my guests here in THE SITUATION ROOM yesterday -- say he respected your decision. I assume everyone basically respected your decision, the people would have been in contact with you, right?

KENNY SMITH, SPORT COMMENTATOR: Yes. The most -- there are certain people that I look and I do admire when they call me and I had that and/or texted me and say, hey, I really support what you do. But the biggest person, and I hate that the fact -- I'm glad that the fact rather that I'm on -- I'm not on visually, because it gets emotional with my 12-year-old son. Because I FaceTimed Malloy. It's 10:15 at night on the west coast. I landed, I texted him and I FaceTimed him.

And before I even said one word, Wolf, he's looking in with the biggest grin in his face and he's clapping and he's applauding me. And he says, you know what, I was like, he gets it. He understands. As a dad, it has to start in your home. And I am happy that my son, Malloy, was you know at 12, understood it. I have another son, K.J. who's 24, 23. I have daughters, Monique London and Kayla, they all understood. But my 12-year-old son said no words and just applauded as I FaceTimed him.

BLITZER: Yes. A lot of people were applauding, including me.

One final question, Kenny, before I let you go, have you had the conversation, and you know what conversation I'm referring to, with your son, your 12-year-old?

SMITH: Everyone asks me, do I have the conversation. It's not a conversation. It's a dialogue. It's a continuous dialogue because, Wolf, it is a moving pendulum. Because it's like, no, you know, Malloy when you get stopped by the police, it's this. When you get -- when you are here, you have to do this, and when you are here. So it's a moving pendulum that most people don't understand that we, as African- Americans, have dealt with or we do deal with. And they finally hear it.

And, you know, we can talk about police brutality and we could talk some of the things that should be enforced, like, you know, if you are in the car with your partner and he does something wrong, we need to give power to the good police officers, because what happens is they don't have a voice. So if I am in the car and my officer has someone foot on the neck or knee on the neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds, or about to shoot someone, I'm like, I want to go home tonight. I'm not getting in trouble for you, because now they gives the good officers power.

And the second thing that is systematically that really to change is the prosecutors prosecuting police officers. They work hand in hand. They are the coaches for police in most investigations. They call them as expert witnesses. We need to add an independent service that prosecutes police officers. You can't have the referee -- you can't referee the game you're playing. It's not fair.

So what happens is we don't get justice when you have incorrect actions that need accountability. And that is the issue that we feel just in terms the police brutality, Wolf, that needs to be addressed, changed and done now.

BLITZER: Yes, that is so important. I assume you'll be back on TNT's Inside the NBA once the games resume, right?

SMITH: Yes. I'm with the players. The face-off plan I'm starting -- I'm behind. I just joined the march, Wolf. I didn't create the march. The great players did that. I just joined the march on what they did and I respect them for it. BLITZER: Say hello to your colleagues over there inside the NBA. As you know, I am a big NBA fan. And If you are really interested, my NBA career, did you want to know, Kenny, when that ended?

SMITH: When it started.

BLITZER: It ended in seventh grade or maybe eighth grade when I realized, you know what, I didn't have it and that was that I would have to find some other career eventually to go into basketball, it was not going to be my strength. But I do love basketball. I do love the NBA. And, Kenny, thanks so much for joining us. Good luck.

SMITH: Thank you for giving me the platform to say that. Thank you.

BLITZER: Thank you very much.

I want to bring in the famed sportscaster, Bob Costas right now, he's a CNN Contributor. Any reaction, first of all, before we get into some of the substance on what you just heard Kenny describe?

BOB COSTAS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes. I do, Wolf. And before we talk about any of the particulars, I'd like to make or offer these thought. How can anyone listen to Kenny Smith, not just how thoughtful he is, but how heartfelt it is, or Robert Horry or Chris Webber or Doc Rivers in the last few days, or Dominic Smith of the Mets switching over to baseball, or to their white teammates, Jack Flaherty of the Cardinals, Ryan Tannehill of the Tennessee Titans, Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions.

[18:35:14]

How can anyone look at that and dismiss it as political?

What you get coming from, and this is important, George W. Bush would not have responded this way. Barack Obama obviously would not have responded this way. Despite their other political differences, they were able to have empathy and understanding of people besides those who are part of their base. Instead, what we get here is a dismissive, a contemptuous and an oppositional stance.

Distinctions could be made. You could say -- depending on where you fall on the political spectrum, you could say look, as Kenny Smith just did, most cops are good cops, but whatever fraction of them are not, must be weeded out, not just because of these instances that we are looking at now, but because, importantly, it resonates because of the historical antecedents that goes back literally centuries of state use of power against African-Americans.

You could make that distinction and still support good cops. You could make the valid distinction between the very righteous cause of Black Lives Matter and the political organization, Black Lives Matter, whose motivation and motivations and agenda could rightly be criticized or questioned. And you could certainly decry, as Joe Biden did yesterday, in unequivocal terms, rioting, looting, vandalism, not just because it's criminal and wrong, but because it undermines a righteous cause. You could do all those things but at the same time embrace the humanity and show some empathy toward what our African-American fellow citizens are feeling in this moment. And it resonates with them deeply. And if you are a human being -- it doesn't matter what your demographic is. If you are a human being and you can't relate to that and you can't care about that, I just can't fathom where you are coming from.

BLITZER: Yes, well said. As you know, three more NBA Playoff games are cancelled, postponed, at least once again tonight, second night in a row. We're hearing the players have agreed to resume the playoffs at some point, maybe tomorrow, maybe over the weekend. Where do things go from here, not just in the NBA, the WNBA, Major League Baseball, NHL, tennis, soccer? We've seen this spread.

COSTAS: Yes. And it's obviously a grab bag of differences there. I think the NBA intends to start on Saturday. They can make up all of the games. Baseball has the option and they've used it for different reasons because of COVID-19, playing multiple double-headers and making those double-header games seven. I think you can make up the games.

And perhaps baseball, for example, three games were not played yesterday in the aftermath of what happened with Jacob Blake. Perhaps baseball could say, I'm not going to speak for the Commissioner's Office, we are going to take a day of reflection. We're going to play no games on this particular day and it's going to be a day of reflection and then we will resume.

We know that LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard of the Lakers and Clippers wanted to just call it all off and just go home. But the majority feeling apparently in the NBA was we can make our statement. But not only do we want to complete this competition that we're on the midst- off but our platform is actually more effective if we're playing rather than being out in the world individually in this moment.

So I think that you may have a difference from sport to sport, especially you brought up an individual sport like tennis. You're going to have difference but I think you will see something coming from each of those directions in some form.

And just to random thought, Wolf, for years and years, we've heard stick to sports, stick to sports. Those who say that really mean, stick to sports if you're saying something I don't want to hear and I don't agree with. And they're completely ignorant of or choose to ignore the long history of athletes not exclusively but primarily African-American athletes using their position in sports, which often especially, historically, was the only way for them to command public attention for their cause, using it very effectively and memorably.

And on the flipside, by the way, and I don't have to point out who I am talking about, first, they say stick to sports, when they say shut up and sing about entertainers. But look at the long list of sports figures and entertainers who are saying what they want to hear, who have an open mic any time they want to come on. BLITZER: Yes. That's an excellent point as well. Bob Costas, as usual thank you so much for joining us. These are incredibly important issues that the whole country is facing us right now.

[18:40:00]

Just ahead, we're going to have the latest on the coronavirus pandemic. More than 180,000 Americans have now died as new controversy erupts over testing. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We're following breaking news on the coronavirus pandemic. The death toll here in the United States has now passed 180,000 with more than 5.8 million confirmed cases.

CNN's Erica Hill has more on today's coronavirus developments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST AND CORRESPONDENT: Tens of thousands of people converging in Sturgis, South Dakota earlier this month, now, at least seven states reporting cases linked to the rally, including North Dakota which now has the higher per capita rate of new cases in the country.

[18:45:03]

GOV. DOUG BURGUM (R-ND): If you attended the event, we highly encourage you to monitor your symptoms closely, and to get tested.

HILL: Indiana, Iowa, and Kansas also reporting seven day average highs for new cases. Colleges and universities boosting those numbers in more than 30 states, with some 7,600 confirmed cases.

DR. JULIO FRENK, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI: We made it very clear, these are the rules. If you cannot comply, please don't come here.

HILL: In New York, campuses where 5 percent of the population tests positive, now required to move classes online for two weeks.

Nationwide, new cases are falling, down 22 percent over the past 14 days. Hospitalizations and deaths also declining, though the daily toll is now back above 1,000.

Since the pandemic began, just over 180,000 lives lost.

Pushback continues over the CDC's revised testing guidance.

DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN, FORMER CDC DIRECTOR: This is not a scientifically justifiable recommendation.

We're not going to learn by closing our eyes.

MARIA VAN KERKHOVE, TECHNICAL LEAD FOR COVID-19 RESPONSE, WHO: Again, what's really important is that testing is used as an opportunity to find active cases.

HILL: The Association of American Medical Colleges calling the shift irresponsible. Some governors labeling the move reckless, vowing not to change their approach.

The vice president's chief of staff offering this explanation.

MARC SHORT, CHIEF OF STAFF TO VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: The guidance that was updated is because there continue to be backlogs in the system with the testing, particularly for people getting tests for asymptomatic.

HILL: The FDA granting emergency use authorization for a $5 rapid antigen test, results in 15 minutes displayed on an app. Abbott says it could produce 50 million tests a month by October.

Moderna dinner says its vaccine shows immune response in all age groups, but still needs more diversity in its trials.

DR. THOMAS CAMPBELL, UC HEALTH: COVID-19 disproportionately will -- affect some groups of people including Hispanic people, African Americans, Native Americans, and so it's very important to us that we get adequate representation from those groups, and in our enrollment.

HILL: More than 1 million Americans filing for first time enrollment benefits last week. Consumer confidence hitting its lowest level in six years, and the nation's first department store closing its doors for good after nearly 200 years.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: We've also learned that the director for the CDC, Doctor Robert Redfield has set a letter to states and urgent request, as it's phrased, for them to help expedite permits for committee the federal government has contracted with to distribute an eventual coronavirus vaccine. In fact, the letter goes on, Wolf, to ask them to wave requirements if necessary to make sure these facilities can be operational by November 1st, which is two days before election day.

There are five coronavirus vaccines currently in human trials in the U.S. Doctor Fauci, we should point out, has that he doesn't expect to see results from those trials before November, or December, and, Wolf, he didn't expect there to be a vaccine widely available before 2021.

BLITZER: Yeah, November 1st, the election is November 3rd.

Erica Hill, reporting for us, thank you very much.

Let's get some more analysis from the former surgeon general of the United States, Dr. Vivek Murthy. He's also advising the Biden campaign.

Dr. Murthy, thank you so much for joining us. What do you think about that, that they want to waive -- consider waiving requirements to have distribution facilities ready for a vaccine by November 1st? DR. VIVEK MURTHY, FORMER U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: Wolf, as good to be

with you today. And it's not clear, at this point, what requirements and standards the CDC is asking states to wave. And what they really need at this point is the need to be clear and honest about what these requirements are so that states and the public can make their own assessment about whether such requests would actually compromise the quality of safety, and safety of the process or not, because there's one thing that's abundantly clear, and that's that we cannot cut corners when it comes to the production and distribution of a vaccine.

The other point that's been evident for months, is that we are also in dire need of a clear, national plan to address COVID, not only for a vaccine distribution, but also for expanding testing, and reducing the number of cases.

Half a year into this pandemic, we are unfortunately still without a clear plan.

BLITZER: What about this new test? The White House announcing it's buying 150 million of a new quick test that can deliver results in only 15 minutes. How big of a difference you think that could make, how does it fit into the overall testing strategy?

MURTHY: Well, Wolf, the news we heard yesterday from Abbott is that they developed a test that they believe is rapid test that could be done quickly. It requires just a fraction of the apparatus that is typically required for point of care tests, and it appears to be much more affordable.

So, what's interesting is that they have the ability to produce this really at a scale that is extraordinary and could be helpful to expand our testing capacity.

[18:50:06]

What we have to see now is how quickly we could get the test out. We need to understand what the external clinical validation studies are, we need to see how this actually rolls out and when hospitals tested and other health care settings, are they giving the same level of sensitivity and specifically that the manufacturer is claiming to get?

BLITZER: We did hear a rather surprising admission today from Marc Short. He's the chief of staff to the vice president, who said the CDC guidance on testing was changed publicly because of what he called backlogs in the system.

Why are we still seeing these issues so many months after this crisis erupted?

MURTHY: Well, this is very disturbing, what happened. This change in CDC guidance. It was also very confusing.

You know, what the CDC is doing now, it's no longer recommending testing of asymptomatic contacts of those who have confirmed COVID-19.

But here's the thing, if you're goal is to reduce the spread of COVID- 19, that makes no sense. You want to be testing more so you can find positive cases, and prevent them from infecting others, especially given that we know 40 to 50 percent of people are asymptomatic. It doesn't make sense to restrict testing to those who are symptomatic.

Testing is like our eyes. It's what allows us to see what's going on and this guidance actually is like blindfolding especially which makes no sense. But that's why you saw medical and scientific organizations issue a strong rebuke to the CDC, and to the administration more broadly, and this is unfortunately the next and a longer line of decisions that have been made at the urging of the administration. They don't have a clear scientific explanation, and when that happens, they damage trust.

BLITZER: And as we reported yesterday, the CDC was under a lot of political pressure coming from the White House to go ahead and revise those guidelines. Very disturbing development indeed.

Dr. Murthy, thanks so much for joining us.

MURTHY: Good to be with you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Just ahead, why Joe Biden is telling CNN that President Trump is rooting for violence, like we've witnessed in Kenosha. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:56:38]

BLITZER: Ahead of President Trump's speech later tonight to the Republican National Convention, his Democratic opponent Joe Biden delivered a harsh critique of the president's response to the protests and violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Let's discuss with our chief political analyst, Gloria Borger, who spoke at length with Biden for her forthcoming documentary on his journey to the nomination. It's a two-hour film that will air here on CNN September 7th. Also with us, our CNN political correspondent, Abby Philip.

Gloria, let me play something the vice president, former vice president, told our colleague Anderson Cooper earlier today about President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: These guys are running for violence, that's what it's all about. To prove that you should be scared of Joe Biden, then pointing to what's happening and Donald Trump's America? I made it clear from the beginning, that there's no place for violence, looting, burning.

When I spoke with Jacob Blake's mother, Julia, you guys played her on the air, she said that's not who we are. That's not who her family is. That's not who Jacob is. Don't do it.

And so, you know, he continues to root for violence. The country will be substantially safer when he is no longer an office.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: So, Gloria, what do you make of this?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think he understands very well that what Donald Trump is trying to do, running on the so-called law and order platform, and saying only he can stop the violence that's going on in American cities, but what Biden is saying is effectively is that, look, don't be fooled. What Donald Trump is saying to you is that only he can save you from his America because Donald Trump happens to be president of the United States, and the folks in the Trump campaign will say, well, these are Democratic cities, but last time I checked, Donald Trump was president of the entire country.

BLITZER: You know, Abby, think the president is going to address the situation and Kenosha later tonight, in his speech? Address the issue of racial injustice here in the United States?

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, Wolf, I would be surprised if the president addressed the issue of racial injustice and police violence in a real, substantive, meaningful way tonight.

Do I think he will bring up Kenosha? Yes, because we kind of saw a little bit from the vice president, Mike Pence, in his speech, he lumped Kenosha in with all of these other cities like Portland, and New York, and elsewhere where they say that there is all of this violence.

So, you know, I don't know the president thinks, at this point, that there isn't a huge advantage to him and going down that road. They're going to stick to their law and order message. But they may have made a bit of a topical mistake, or at least the counselor to the president, Kellyanne Conway, made a tactical mistake by describing it as being good for their message. That really gives away the game in a way that's not helpful to them.

BLITZER: What do you think, Gloria?

BORGER: Yeah, I totally agree with Abby. I think Kellyanne was candid, and again, she would say, well, these are just blue governors, you know, these are Democrats. That's really what she's going to say she was talking about.

But it is very clear. This is exactly what they are doing. And I think sometimes candor can be interesting in a political campaign, and I think we heard it today.

BLITZER: We are told the speech will last about an hour on the south lawn of the White House between 1,500 and 2,000 people have been invited to sit there and listen to the president. And we'll, of course, have live coverage.

That's it for me this hour. I will be back in an hour to continue our special coverage. "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.