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Portland Mayor Pushes Back at Trump Over Violent Protests That Turned Deadly; Trump Renews Attacks on Portland Mayor; Wisconsin Governor Asks Trump to Reconsider Visiting Kenosha; Interview with Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI) on Trump and Protests in Portland and Kenosha. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired August 30, 2020 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:25]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. This is a special edition of THE SITUATION ROOM.

One person was shot dead in Portland, Oregon, after a night of violence between protesters and Trump supporters. So far, President Trump has largely assigned blame for the unrest to Democratic mayors in various American cities. But Portland's mayor says president Trump has only himself to blame.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR TED WHEELER, PORTLAND, OREGON: Yesterday's events began with hundreds of cars filled with supporters of the president rallying in Clackamas County and then driving through downtown Portland. They were supported and energized by the president himself.

You've tried to divide us more than any other figure in modern history, and now you want me to stop the violence that you helped create. What America needs is for you to be stopped.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The president responded in his usual fashion on Twitter this morning calling Mayor Wheeler, and I'm quoting the president now, "a fool" and then during the press conference firing off this tweet, calling the mayor, once again I'm quoting the president, "the wacky radical left do nothing Democrat mayor of Portland who has watched great death and destruction of his city during his tenure."

The president has mostly downplayed the nation's racial reckoning since the death of George Floyd in May, offering few words or actions to try to quell all the unrest here in the United States.

Protests this week escalated after the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, but White House chief of staff Mark Meadows insists most of President Trump's America is peaceful. His word, peaceful. We're covering all of this from all angles and locations from Portland

to the White House, Kenosha, Wisconsin. But let's go to Portland right now. CNN's Josh Campbell is on the ground for us there.

Josh, the mayor had some very, very harsh words for President Trump today and the president responded, as you heard, on Twitter, but as this political feud is playing out, protests where you are seem to be ongoing and I take it you're bracing for another tense night.

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's exactly right, Wolf. And that press conference with the Portland mayor took place just behind me here at city hall just a short time ago. And the Portland mayor came out blasting the president saying that the president is largely to blame for so much of the violence that has been seen here in the city of Portland.

Now this followed a very dangerous night, a deadly night, one person was shot and killed here among these protests. Now one thing that happened last night that we haven't seen to the degree that we've seen in previous weeks is there were hundreds of pro-Trump supporters who came here in a caravan to downtown Portland last night, that leading to violence. Police say that they were these encounters between the pro-Trump crowd, between a lot of the counter demonstrators, arrests were made.

Again one person was shot and killed. Now the "New York Times" is reporting that the deceased had a hat that was bearing the insignia of a pro -- a far-right group, again, that leading to a lot of calls on social media now for people to come here, seeking retribution. Just a powder keg.

We're also learning from our colleague David Shortell in Washington that the FBI, the ATF are now also assisting in that investigation of the homicide victim last night. Police aren't releasing any details right now about what occurred. But, again, the focus of so many of these protesters and so much of this city.

Now you mentioned the president. As this press conference was going on behind me here earlier, the president was live tweeting the press conference, live tweeting back at the mayor, disparaging things. This shows you this kind of bizarre culture we're in now, in the year 2020 when you have these politicians that are trading barbs through the media, through social media. Nevertheless, you know, the president says that much of the violence that has occurred here in this city is due to failed Democratic leadership.

The city's elected officials saying that it's the pro-Trump supporters last night as well as the federal government's presence that is leading to a lot of the vitriol that continues. There's no end in sight.

And Wolf, as you know, I mentioned, because of these calls for pro- Trump people to come here seeking retribution for this gunshot victim overnight, it remains to be seen just whether we'll see another very violent and perhaps and hopefully not, deadly night here in Portland, Oregon. BLITZER: Let's hope not. Let's not forget the president has 85 million

plus followers on Twitter. It's a huge audience out there.

Josh Campbell, thank you very much.

Right now let's go to the White House. Jeremy Diamond is there for us.

[19:05:03]

So, Jeremy, the president as we've noted he's been tweeting his outrage over the unrest. He went after the Portland mayor once again today in a real-time response. Give us some -- what are you learning behind the scenes because he's been, what, incredibly busy tweeting and retweeting all day.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf. There's no question that the president is squarely focused on this issue of what is happening in Portland and in other American cities, focused on it, it seems, for political motivations. The president very clearly carrying that law and order message that he delivered during the Republican National Convention over this past week now into the following weeks of the campaign.

And so it was no surprise when as the governor -- sorry, the mayor of Portland was talking directly to the president, drawing a direct line between the president's divisive rhetoric and the violence that he has seen in that city, it was no surprise that the president then took directly to twitter to respond in real time.

And this is what the president said, not only calling the mayor of Portland wacky radical left do-nothing Democrat, but also saying, "He would like to blame me and the federal government for going in but he hasn't seen anything yet. We have only been there with a small group to defend our U.S. courthouse because he couldn't do it."

That seemed to suggest, Wolf, that the president is once again considering sending some kind of federal forces into the city of Portland. This is an issue that he has raised time and again. But of course there are a number of questions, legal ones, of course, notwithstanding, about the authority and the politics of the president taking such dramatic action. We did then hear the mayor of Portland respond directly to the president. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHEELER: It's classic Trump. Mr. President, how can you think that a comment like that, if you're watching this, is in any way helpful? It's an aggressive stance. It is not collaborative. I certainly reached out I believe in a collaborative manner by saying earlier that you need to do your part and I need to do my part, and then we both need to be held accountable.

Let's work together. Wouldn't that be a message? Donald Trump and Ted Wheeler working together to help move this country forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP) DIAMOND: It does seem there, Wolf, like the mayor of Portland is trying to have it both ways. On the one hand, he is directly opening his press conference by criticizing the president and blaming him for the violence in his city and then also calling for collaboration with the president. But ultimately, Wolf, as I said, this is playing into a broader strategy for the president of the United States and politics is at the heart of all of this.

And that is because this is the strategy that we've seen from the president time and again as we have seen these protests against racism in the United States and police brutality break out. The president has chosen not to amplify those concerns, those messages, but he's instead sought to stoke the divisions that exist in the United States and only amplify the messages, it seems, of his supporters in support for protests by his supporters.

And this is going to continue this coming week as we expect to see the president go to Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday. That is already a very combustible situation, Wolf, and it is hard to see how the president can help bring calm to a place that is in such a volatile place right now, particularly given the divisive rhetoric that we have seen from him throughout these protests over the last several months. But in particular, of course, over these last 24 hours as it relates to the situation in Portland -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Very tense situation, indeed. Jeremy Diamond, at the White House, thank you.

Just two days before the president is scheduled now to travel to Kenosha, Wisconsin, the governor of that state, the governor of Wisconsin, is imploring him to reconsider in a letter just released. Governor Tony Evers wrote in part, and I'm quoting now, "I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing. I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together."

The governor continues, "I am likewise concerned that an in-person visit from you will require a massive redirection of these resources to support your visit at a time when it is critical that we continue to remain focused on keeping the people of Kenosha safe and supporting the community's response."

Strong statement from Tony Evers, the governor of Wisconsin. Let's go to Kenosha. Shimon Prokupecz is there for us.

Shimon, officials in the city where you are, they've echoed the governor's concern, the lieutenant governor, the mayor. What more can you tell us?

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Yes, and its officials, Wolf, but it's also the people that live here who are working on healing, who are working on peace, who are working on people working together, living together in peace. That is the concern here. That if he comes here, it's just going to upset people, could potentially incite more protests, more violent protests specifically. And, you know, talking to people who live here, that is their concern.

The people who work here, the people who own businesses here. When you look behind me here, Wolf. I want to show you this. For the last several days, people who live here have spent days, they boarded up a lot of the stores. Plywood as you can see all behind me. But they've been painting murals, messages of love, messages of unity, coming together, supporting the Black Lives movement.

[19:10:08]

That is what's important for them here. They are going to stand together and be together. And there is a lot of concern that what they've been working on here for the past week with the president's arrival is only going to break that apart.

Also, Wolf, important, the city officials because of the president's potential visit here on Tuesday have now extended the curfew. This was supposed to be the last night of the curfew. They have now extended it through Tuesday night. So that's going to impact some of the businesses, some of the people that are living here, and that is as a result of the anticipation of perhaps some kind of unrest with the president's visit.

And everyone here, mostly the people that I've talked to from store owners to people who live here, there is a lot of concern about him coming here, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Shimon. Thanks very much.

Shimon Prokupecz on the scene for us there. Thank you.

As violence flares up at protests, the president has taken pot shots at local leaders who have tried to stoke tensions. Today his opponent, Democratic president nominee Joe Biden declared that Americans are less safe because of President Trump.

Joining us now, Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell from Michigan.

Congresswoman, thanks so much for joining us. As you know the Trump campaign has been labeling protesters as extremists, even terrorists. They're trying to paint Joe Biden as a left-wing radical. You're from one of those key battleground states. We're talking about Michigan. Does that message land with people where you are?

REP. DEBBIE DINGELL (D-MI): You know, I've just been very adamant for two months that we cannot let President Trump define us as to who we are as Democrats. I have since June probably participated in over 20, including one yesterday, Black Lives Matters community gatherings, vigil lights, marches, et cetera. But I have also participated in almost every -- support our law enforcement rally that has also occurred in my district, which has been about eight of them.

I did not do one yesterday because it was organized by just the Trump people. And we do have a challenge in this country. I mean, we saw what happened in Wisconsin this past week when we just look at the videos and see how a black man was treated and a white man was treated. But what we need to do is not put kerosene on a fire. We need a leader who's willing to have an uncomfortable conversation but at the same time in all those marches that I've talked to you about, almost every one of them, either the young people that organized them or the leader of (INAUDIBLE) we met with, the police chiefs ahead of time, the police chiefs marched with us, there's discussion, there's ongoing dialogue.

And we got to have people who will bring us together, not fan fires of fear and hatred. And that's what's happening right now. And all of us, Republicans and Democrats, as Americans, no one is going to say that I support anarchy or rioting. We must all denounce it on either side when we see it.

BLITZER: You know your state, the state of Michigan well. About as well as anyone from the political perspective. I want to play for you and for our viewers something you said at a Democratic Party meeting in Michigan back in 2016 before the election that turned out to be very, very wise. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DINGELL: Some people are mad that I say that I think Donald Trump could win. And people were maybe trying to say that I shouldn't be saying it. And I looked at everybody in the room and said nobody is going to script me, nobody is going to tell me what to say. I'm going to keep saying what I have to say in very short sweet Donald Trump language. Because remember, he talks at a fourth grade level.

And that is, yes, Donald Trump could win. We really need people's spirit adapt that Donald Trump could win and everybody needs to understand that their vote matters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Of course, we know the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, went on to win Michigan narrowly but he did carry the state and its electoral votes, and helped him become the president of the United States.

Do you think the Biden campaign is doing enough right now to win a state like Michigan? Because I know, looking back, a lot of people were critical of the Hillary Clinton campaign, sort of taking it for granted that Michigan and Wisconsin, for example, would simply go the way they usually go for the Democratic nominee.

DINGELL: I think that I'm very pleased to see Joe Biden put out a strong statement this afternoon. He's going to Western Pennsylvania tomorrow. And I have to say that, you know, people were very skeptical when I started talking to people.

Wolf, as you know, I listen to people and I'm out again. And I'm hearing people. But the campaign does listen. And they listen to me two months ago. I flagged this issue two months ago. You'll see that I have talked about it for two months.

[19:15:02] And I do feel like they're listening and nobody can take this election for granted.

BLITZER: Do you think --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: You think President Trump realistically with 60 plus days to go could carry Michigan again?

DINGELL: Yes, I do. I don't think that it's a foregone conclusion right now. But I think that it is going to be competitive until election day and we need to know that and work it hard.

BLITZER: So what do Michigan voters, those in the middle, on the fence right now, they're not sure where they're going to go, what do they need to hear from Joe Biden?

DINGELL: Well, you know, Joe Biden understands the economy. He understands working men and women. And he's really got to talk to them. He did save the auto industry. We have lost jobs in the auto industry since Donald Trump became president. Not gained them. I have steel plants that in the last three months or six months in my district, one is laid off 1500 jobs and everybody knows the plant is going to close after the election.

I have a steel plant in Dearborn, my hometown, that laid off -- not laid off, eliminated 250 jobs three months ago. We have to talk to people about how we're going to bring jobs back to this country, how we're going to bring the supply chain back and create those jobs. Joe has got to talk to them right to their hearts and souls because a lot of those auto workers, a lot of working men and women haven't forgotten 2008 and they need to know somebody cares about them. And he can do that. He's just got to do it.

BLITZER: Very quickly, we know he's going to visit neighboring Pennsylvania. He's in Wilmington, Delaware, right now. Tomorrow, how important would it be for him to go visit Michigan because we know the president, he's going to be in Michigan a lot.

DINGELL: You know, I'm not going to second-guess the campaign. They know how important Michigan is. So I think you're going to see him in the Midwest. I think there are a number of Midwest states that are our neighbors. I think they've got the message, they understand, and I think we all need to take this very seriously and we need to work hard so that we win by a very significant number so nobody can attack the integrity or the confidence of what happens on election day as well.

BLITZER: All right. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell of Michigan, thanks as usual for joining us.

DINGELL: Thank you.

BLITZER: Wisconsin's governor is asking President Trump to reconsider his planned trip to Kenosha on Tuesday as Portland's mayor offers a blistering critique of the president's role of fanning the flames of hate according to the mayor. The former president of the NAACP is standing by live to react.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:21:36]

BLITZER: It's you who created this hate. Those are the words coming from the Portland mayor directly and at the president in light of the violent deadly unrest that unfolded last night in his city. That blistering critique comes after the president refused to condemn his own supporters who took in the streets of Portland last night facing off with Black Lives Matter protesters.

Ben Jealous is the former president of NAACP. He's now the president of People for the American Way. He's joining us live.

Ben, thanks so much for joining us. So what's your reaction to the increased tension we're seeing in various cities around the country right now and what's your reaction to what the mayor of Portland is now saying?

BEN JEALOUS, FORMER PRESIDENT, NAACP: You know, I think the mayor's spot on. We've never seen a president stir the pot like this. Typically a president right now would be sending federal troops, federal law enforcement to protect protesters, to protect the First Amendment, to try to help to ratchet the tension down. And instead, we've seen the president do exactly the opposite, especially in Portland.

But we saw it in the nation's capital, too. He's stirring the pot, he's inflaming tension. You would expect a president to be frankly growing in the job at this stage, but instead he seems to have devolved into the most base stoking of violence --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Do you think that --

JEALOUS: -- of racism and the situation has fallen apart with it.

BLITZER: But do you think that's politically smart from his perspective? He's got 60-plus days to go before the election.

JEALOUS: This president is a terrible cynic. And he -- yes, he believes that more chaos, more violence ultimately benefits him. It seems to be clear through his actions. It's the worst kind of politics. It's not politics that frankly I ever thought I would see practiced in this country.

BLITZER: You agree with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell -- you just heard what she said. She thinks it's possible, as she was correct four years ago, it's possible the president could carry Michigan once again which would be so critically important in his bid for re-election? You know that state. You've been all over the country. What do you think?

JEALOUS: Oh, I do. I think it's a real problem. And it's a real problem not just because of kind of where his polling is in the white community, it's a real problem because of where his polling is in the Latino community. The Latino voting population in Michigan may not come right to mind, but they are multiples of Trump's margin of victory there. And right he's polling at about 40 percent with Latinos nationwide.

Democrat he wins is usually around 30 percent. And what you've seen from the Biden campaign is consistent refusal to invest in advertising on Spanish language television, Spanish language radio. They are not going after Latino swing voters in the way that you would expect a Democrat at this stage in the race to be doing that.

And Trump on the other hand has been outspending Biden 10-1 on those Latino airwaves and the Spanish-speaking airwaves and it's a real risk. Biden has got to run like he's behind. You know, we absolutely at this point have to fight for every vote.

BLITZER: Because, as you remember, the Hillary Clinton campaign basically took Wisconsin and Michigan for granted. Right?

JEALOUS: That's exactly right. I mean, I offered to John Podesta just to travel every weekend with them to the Midwest, made that offer when I endorsed her at the DNC. They didn't call me until the Saturday before the election and asked me to do radio in Detroit for a day on Monday.

[19:25:04]

And I just offered that as somebody who at the time even coming out of Bernie's campaign, we had beaten her in Michigan. We were very worried that Trump could do the same thing and he did. And so I hope, I really hope, that the Biden campaign, as we get past Labor Day quite frankly doubles down on really going after the votes that they should have right now that they don't.

I'm also very concerned, quite frankly, about where we are with young people. And young people need to understand, really need to internalize, that this election will likely come down to their participation. If young people turn out, Trump loses. If young people pretend like this doesn't matter, that their vote doesn't matter, he will likely win.

BLITZER: Ben Jealous, thanks so much for joining us. We'll stay in close touch with you. Appreciate it.

JEALOUS: All right. Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Meanwhile, the coronavirus pandemic continues in schools and universities here in the United States, get this, and at least 36 states are now reporting new coronavirus outbreaks after resuming in- person classes on campuses in the past few days.

So what steps should parents and students take to stay safe? We'll have the latest when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:30:40]

BLITZER: The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa records at least a thousand cases of Coronavirus among its students just over the past 10 days after classes were resumed on campuses. It's just the latest university that's reporting a surge as students are returning into campuses all across the country.

Get this, at least 36 states have now reported positive coronavirus cases at their colleges and universities, adding more than 8,700 cases to the nation's tally of six million confirmed cases. But that's just in recent days, 8,700 confirmed cases.

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is an epidemiologist, a public health expert. He is joining us right now. And Dr. El-Sayed, if you were talking to a parent of a kid, of a college student who is going to go back to campus right now, what advice would you offer?

DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED, EPIDEMIOLOGIST, PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERT: Well, I'll tell you, my little sister is in college, and you know, her campus has chosen to do an on-campus learning environment with the option to stay home and she chose the option to stay home. And I think that's the wise decision.

The reality of it is that colleges and universities can only really control what's happening on campus and in class, and we all know that the highest risk environment on a college campus isn't what's happening in class. It's what happens when unfortunately, young people come together and sometimes don't make the safest decisions.

And so, you know, you can preach at them and you can talk about all the things that people need to do, wear masks and staying socially distant in class.

But when groups of young people often who've been cooped up in their parents' home for a whole summer plus the spring, are back on campus, sometimes they don't make the safest decisions. And so I think it's most advisable if you can to stay home.

And then for campuses and campus leaders to really ask themselves, whether or not it's worth it, because we're seeing these outbreaks across the board. And what I'm worried about is the accumulation of these outbreaks may in fact, be driving alongside other factors a real spike in the fall that could be really hurtful for all of us.

BLITZER: Yes, it is worrisome. So what do you think these schools should be doing? Are there for example, enough tests to help them figure out whether or not to keep holding classes?

EL-SAYED: Well, unfortunately, testing has been a real issue, and though we have the incoming Abbott Labs test that could really bring down the costs and increase the speed of testing, it is not quite on board at scale in the way that we need it.

The fact of the matter is though, we're making decisions as a society and college age students are best able to be learning in these virtual environments in which they frankly are natives. What I worry about is that the tradeoff is that learning for younger

kids, right, and kids aged five, and six and seven, that has to be done in-person. And the choice that we're making to open up campuses is in fact, leading to a less healthy environment overall that's curtailing our ability to teach our younger kids.

And so as a society, we really ought to be making decisions to maybe take class virtual for the older young people and then make sure that there's space for in-person learning for those younger minds that are really starting to grow at the very beginning of their lives.

BLITZER: And for those of our viewers who think that we're past the coronavirus, what 183,000 confirmed deaths right now in the United States and the C.D.C. warns there could be 200,000 deaths in the United States by September 19th, and the University of Washington Medical School says by December 1st, there could be more than three hundred thousand -- 317,000 confirmed deaths.

So this coronavirus pandemic is still moving full speed ahead. Let's hope it slows down at a minimum Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate it very much.

EL-SAYED: Always a privilege, Wolf. Thank you.

BLITZER: Less than two months before the election and the President is once again on the attack.

My next guest, the former Nixon White House Counsel, John Dean. He says President Trump makes President Nixon look like a choirboy.

John Dean standing by live. We'll discuss when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:38:43]

BLITZER: New reporting tonight on the Trump White House from Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Michael Schmidt's forthcoming book. He says that the day after President Trump fired F.B.I. Director James Comey, the President actually phoned John Kelly and offered him Comey's job.

Kelly as you know, later became White House Chief of Staff. He was then Homeland Security Secretary. But the President has said to have told Kelly that if he did become F.B.I. Director, he would need to be loyal to Trump and only to Trump. Schmidt writes that Kelly immediately realized the problem and pushed back saying he would be loyal to the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law, but he refused to pledge loyalty to the President.

AXIOS, by the way, first reported the details in this book. CNN has reached out to sources close to Kelly for comment.

CNN contributor, John Dean served as the White House counsel to President Nixon. He later became a whistleblower in the Watergate hearings. As we all know, he is the author of a new book entitled, "Authoritarian Nightmare: Trump and his Followers." John, thanks so much for joining us. Does this kind of alleged move,

follow what we might call the Nixon playbook?

JOHN DEAN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think it's a step beyond the Nixon playbook. I don't think that Nixon ever directly asked anybody serving in the government for loyalty.

I think he implied it and indicated that he wanted it through his appointment and thought that people that were loyal should only be the people working for him and particularly in the key agencies in the department.

But he didn't -- he wasn't so crude, Wolf, as to actually ask for it.

[19:40:22]

BLITZER: Let's turn to what's going on in some cities around the country, specifically Portland, Oregon right now. What was your reaction to see the Mayor of Portland push back against the President during that news conference earlier today on the deadly shooting overnight and that protest in Portland? What was your reaction to that?

DEAN: I thought it was terrific. I thought Ted Wheeler -- I don't know him, but I thought his standing up and calling it out for what it is that he saw these -- they have seen these caravans come into town. We've got them here in Los Angeles, of Trump supporters. They're looking for trouble.

They're trying to provoke conflict with the peaceful protesters, the Black Lives Matter protest, and they're trying to disrupt it and somehow taint it.

So I thought the Mayor was right on and he called Trump out, and obviously got under his skin for doing so.

BLITZER: The President made his law and order pitch to voters a centerpiece of his acceptance speech at the Republican Convention, Thursday night. You know a lot about a President who argued in favor of law and order.

Compare what Nixon was arguing for in his bid for election and what the President is now doing?

DEAN: Well, if you recall back at that era, Wolf, Hunter Thompson was a very active journalist and he described it as fear and loathing that Nixon was engaging in.

I think those terms are as apt today as they were during the Nixon era. The fear was to frighten the voters into following the strong leader. The loathing was the dislike of the other, and we're seeing that in spades throughout this presidency and it is what's attracting his voters.

It's what I wrote about in the book, for that very reason, because it's really not been getting the attention it needs. BLITZER: But it worked for Nixon in '68, you think it could work for

the President now?

DEAN: Well, it's a little different time. I think that -- I never saw any indication of Nixon ever trying to provoke a demonstration. In fact, he kind of buried himself when they came to Washington and pretended like he wasn't watching them, although he was following them very closely.

I was filing reports every hour because he wanted to know what they were doing and where they were doing it. But I don't -- it was very different today. I think Trump is trying to fan demonstrations. He is trying to create the equivalent of what was the anti-Vietnam War movement over the Black Lives Matter issues and the racial conversation we're having in America.

He doesn't want that conversation. He wants to deflect from it. He also wants to distract from his coronavirus record.

I think he's good at distracting, but I think Americans can figure out what he's doing, too.

BLITZER: And you've made the comparison. You've suggested that Nixon was -- what -- a choirboy compared to President Trump? Is that right?

DEAN: I think that's increasingly becoming the case. Richard Nixon, at heart had a respect -- a deep respect for the institutions of government in Washington. He started in the Congress, worked in the House and in the Senate before he became Vice President.

He respected the courts. He was an attorney. And I don't see any respect by this President of any institution. He's all about Donald Trump all the time and that's deeply concerning to me -- Wolf.

BLITZER: John Dean, thanks so much for joining us.

DEAN: Let me just add that the book is about his constituents and why they tolerate that, because it's really not being well addressed.

BLITZER: Well, let me show the book cover once again to our viewers. The book is entitled "Authoritarian Nightmare: Trump and his Followers." Thanks so much for writing it. Thanks so much for joining us.

Coming up, as Republicans increasingly try to frame the election around law and order, can Joe Biden recast himself as the guy who can end the unrest? Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:48:56]

BLITZER: The Mayor of Portland, Oregon takes the battle directly to President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MAYOR TED WHEELER (D), PORTLAND, OREGON: Do you seriously wonder, Mr.

President, why this is the first time in decades that America has seen this level of violence? It's you who have created the hate and the division.

You've tried to divide us more than any other figure in modern history and now, you want me to stop the violence that you helped create.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: President Trump fired back in real-time on Twitter calling Mayor Ted Wheeler and I'm quoting now, "The wacky radical left do nothing Democrat Mayor of Portland."

But as the president stakes his reelection on law and order and pushes racial division, at least some are suggesting including the conservative columnist, George Will that it's time for Joe Biden now to come up with what he called a "Sister Souljah" moment.

CNN politics reporter, Chris Cillizza is joining us now. Chris, tell us what George Will meant by that, especially for our younger viewers right now.

Give us a quick recap on Bill Clinton and the Sister Souljah moment that he had and how that helped Bill Clinton become President back and win the election in 1992.

[19:50:15]

CHRIS CILLIZZA, CNN POLITICS REPORTER AND EDITOR-AT-LARGE: Sure, so let's set the scene, May 1992. Rodney King -- the beating of Rodney King, the riots that followed in LA have happened. Sister Souljah a prominent rapper at the time affiliated in some part with public enemy and other very prominent and famous and popular rap group at the time.

She says publicly, black people in these gangs are killing other black people. They should take a week where they kill some white people, obviously a hugely controversial comment. Bill Clinton who wants to figure out a way to appeal to separate himself from that sort of value system without losing African-Americans, but also appealing to white suburban voters go to the Rainbow PUSH coalition which is run by Jesse Jackson at that time, and essentially denounces these comments.

He said that Sister Souljah's comments are nothing different than what David Duke, the former Grand Wizard of the KKK would say, comparing her to a white supremacist.

That moment has now become in history seen as a way in which when politicians try to find a way to distance themselves from an extreme part of their party or stand up to a part of their party that people didn't think they would.

Sort of a don't do something for purely political reasons, even though I would say. Wolf, the Sister Souljah moment was done by Bill Clinton for political reasons. He wanted to distance himself from that and appeal to white, suburban and rural voters. BLITZER: And it worked for Bill Clinton as we all know.

CILLIZZA: And it worked.

BLITZER: earlier this afternoon, Joe Biden released a very forceful statement, condemning the violence in Portland and challenging the President -- challenging the President to do the same.

Biden also tweeted that, quote: "All of us are less safe because Trump can't do the job of President." Words are one thing. So what does Biden have to do now to win voters trust at this critical moment, especially in some of those battleground states like Michigan?

CILLIZZA: Yes. Well, I mean, I think Joe Biden is going to -- we're going to see him go in and give a talk in Pennsylvania, and I think what he's going to do there is try to -- I don't know if it's going to be a Sister Souljah moment, but I think what he's going to try to do is, in some ways, reiterate what he said in statements.

But remember, it's much more powerful in a speech, say, look, this small group of people who are causing this violence, obviously we saw it in Portland, we've seen some in Kenosha in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting, I don't support this. I don't want this. This is not me.

That said, this is happening in Donald Trump's America. Remember that. Whatever Donald Trump -- he blames Ted Wheeler. He blames Lori Lightfoot in Chicago. He can blame whoever he likes, but Donald Trump has without question, Wolf, worked to politicize and weaponize race and relationships between the police and particularly African- Americans, African-American men. He has done all of these.

He is attacking the NBA. He is attacking the NFL, talking about kneeling during the National Anthem, as well as Charlottesville and good people on both sides, and we could spend an hour going through the ways in which Donald Trump has done this.

So I think what Biden needs to say, look, I very publicly disavow people who make peaceful protest violent, whether they support me, they hate me either way, I don't want their votes, I don't support them.

That said, this will be the pivot that's critical -- that said, this is happening on Donald Trump's watch. He doesn't get to not own this and I think that's what Biden is going to at least try to do.

BLITZER: All right, Chris Cillizza, thanks very much. We will stay in close touch with you, of course, during this political season. Much more in all the breaking news coming up, including some other news we're following.

Jared Kushner now in the Middle East hoping to deliver on the promise of a Middle East peace deal ahead of the election. Will it work? We're going live to Jerusalem when we come back.

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BLITZER: The White House senior adviser, Jared Kushner is in the Middle East right now trying to convince multiple Arab leaders to attend a splashy signing ceremony over at the White House marking the recent normalization agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel.

Kushner and his delegation will then escort Israeli government experts on a flight from Tel Aviv directly to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. That flight will be a very special one.

CNN's Oren Liebermann has more.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, a flight on Monday between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is being billed as the first ever direct commercial flight between the two countries just a few weeks after they agreed to normalize relations.

On the flight will be an American delegation led by President Donald Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner and an Israeli delegation led by the country's national security adviser in what will no doubt be billed as a major foreign policy victory for the Trump administration.

They will meet in the UAE on the overnight trip with their Emeriti counterparts. The flight itself will take place on an EL AL 737. The first time the Israeli airline has ever landed in the United Arab Emirates, and it's possible it will overfly Saudi Arabia, that too would be a first, the first time an Israeli airline has ever overflown the Arabian Peninsula instead of going around.

The flights there and back will be numbered EL AL 971 and 972. Those are the telephone calling codes for Israel and the United Arab Emirates -- Wolf.

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