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Key Model: U.S. Could See 168,000 more Deaths by New Year but More than Half of Those Lives could be Saved if Most Wore Masks; Sources: Trump has Lost Patience with CDC Director as Sober Warnings Contradict Trump's Rosy Messaging; New Cases Rising in 23 States, Mostly in West and Plains; Trump Once Again Refuses To Commit To Peaceful Transition, Keeps Attacking Integrity Of Election; Former Intel Agency Head: "Trump Comes Up Tragically Short" As Commander In Chief; New Warnings About Long-Term Effects Of COVID-19. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired September 25, 2020 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:22]

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 THE SITUATION ROOM. We're following breaking news.

Multiple senior Republican sources are now telling CNN that President Trump intends to choose Amy Coney Barrett to fill the U.S. Supreme Court seat left vacant by the death of justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The president says he'll announce his nominee tomorrow late afternoon.

There is also breaking pandemic news we're following. The United States now topping more than 7 million known confirmed cases of coronavirus with more than 203,000 American lives lost to COVID-19. And the University of Washington model often cited by the White House is now projecting another -- another 168,000 American deaths by the end of the year. But the model also says that more than half of those lives could be saved if most Americans were to wear masks.

Also breaking this hour, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden weighing in on President Trump's refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he were to lose the race. Biden saying bluntly, and I'm quoting him now, "He'll leave."

Let's begin with more on the breaking U.S. Supreme Court news. Our senior White House correspondent Pamela Brown is working the story for us. Pamela, multiple sources, I understand, with knowledge of the search, are telling you that the president intends to make an announcement tomorrow, and he knows who he has in mind.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. My colleague Jamie Gangel and I have learned that President Trump intends to choose Judge Amy Coney Barrett to be the new Supreme Court justice. This is according to multiple senior Republican sources with knowledge of the process. And in conversations with some senior Republican allies on the Hill, the White House has indicated it has suggested that Barrett is the intended nominee, these sources said.

Now, everyone we've spoken to, Wolf, has cautioned that until it is announced by the president, there is always the possibility that Trump makes a last-minute change. But the expectation now 24 hours before this announcement is that Barrett is his choice. And of course, as I mentioned he's going to be making that announcement tomorrow afternoon. But Barrett has been the leading choice throughout the week since Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, she is the only potential nominee known to have met with the president in person this week. It is not clear what, if anything, she's been told by the White House about all of this. She was seen at her home in Indiana today.

But often notifying a Supreme Court nominee is done as late as possible to maintain secrecy around the announcement. But for context here, Wolf, in previous nomination announcements, the White House had multiple rollouts planned just in case the president made a last- minute decision to switch to another candidate. One source said that would be surprising if this happened this time around since allies are already being told. But, again, anything could happen, Wolf, between now and the announcement, given the unpredictable nature of this president.

BLITZER: We'll of course have live coverage tomorrow 5:00 p.m. Eastern. A special edition of THE SITUATION ROOM at that time. All right. Pamela, good reporting. Thanks very much.

Let's go to the White House right now. Our chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta is standing by. So, what are you picking up over there, Jim?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Trump just wrapped up an event in Atlanta where he made lie to the controversy over his refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. Top administration officials in addition to that are joining the president in ginning up uncertainty about the November election. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows is slamming FBI Director Christopher Wray who rejected Mr. Trump's conspiracy theories about voter fraud earlier this week.

And Democrat Joe Biden as you just mentioned, he is weighing in on all of this saying of the president's threat, "He'll leave."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(CROWD CHANTING: "12 more years")

ACOSTA (voice-over): As supporters chanted 12 more years, at a campaign event at Atlanta, President Trump mocked a firestorm he created this week over his refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the election.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I told you he's a dictator. He will not give up power under no circumstances will he give up power. He intends to serve at least two more terms.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Earlier in the day, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows amped up the campaign season uncertainty. Lashing FBI Director Christopher Wray for simply stating the facts that there is no widespread evidence of voter fraud.

MARK MEADOWS, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: With all due respect to Director Wray, he has a hard time finding emails in his own FBI let alone of figuring out whether there is any kind of voter fraud.

ACOSTA (voice-over): That was in response to Wray who pushed back on the president's false conspiracy theory that mail-in ballots will lead to a rigged election.

[17:05:03]

CHRISTOPHER WRAY, FBI DIRECTOR: We have not seen historically any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election. Whether it's by mail or otherwise.

TRUMP: Get rid of the ballots and you'll have a very -- we'll have a very peaceful -- there won't be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The president's threats don't seem to worry Democrat Joe Biden who's laughing off the controversy.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Every vote in this country's going to be heard and they'll not be stopped. And I'm confident all the irresponsible outrageous attacks on voting we'll have an election in this country as we always have had. And he'll leave.

(LAUGHTER)

ACOSTA (voice-over): CNN has confirmed Attorney General William Barr briefed the president on an investigation into a handful of discarded mail-in ballots for Mr. Trump in Pennsylvania. The president then referenced the situation on Fox radio.

TRUMP: They had Trump written on it, and they were thrown in a garbage can. And this is what's going to happen.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany also pointed to the discarded ballots even before the U.S. attorney handling the matter, issued a press release on the case.

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I can confirm for you that Trump ballots - ballots for the president were found in Pennsylvania.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The controversy over the president's transfer of power remarks have raised alarm bells at the Pentagon where officials are worried Mr. Trump would try to use the military to quell any unrest over the election results. The use of federal forces during protests in June led the defense secretary to warn he won't be cowed into deploying U.S. servicemembers onto American streets.

The option to use active duty forces and a law enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort and only in the most urgent and dire of situations.

ACOSTA (voice-over): On the coronavirus, CNN has learned there are growing concerns inside the Centers for Disease Control over the president's handling of the pandemic with one official saying, "The morale is as low as I've ever seen it and we have no confidence in our leadership."

The president continues to claim that government scientists are delaying the approval of a vaccine to damage Mr. Trump's election chances.

TRUMP: They're trying to do a little bit of a political hit. Let's delay it just a little bit. You notice that? Let's delay the vaccine just a little bit.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The president is losing patience with CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield who has slammed the notion of some deep state conspiracy.

DR. ROBERT REDFIELD, DIRECTOR, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: I want to add, you know, how disappointed I have been personally when people at HHS made comments that they felt that there was a deep state down at CDC.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Another sign of all this insecurity being manufactured by the president, Mr. Trump said during that campaign event in Atlanta that the U.S. can be embroiled in an election dispute for some time. But that's only if the election results are somehow unresolved. Hardly a sure thing at this point.

It's worth noting the president is ramping up this rhetoric questioning the election results just as new polls show him trailing Joe Biden in some key battleground states as one Trump adviser told me earlier this week the president's talking about digging in his heels about the election is a mistake because it fires up Democrats, something they don't need right now. Wolf?

BLITZER: That's a good point as well. Jim Acosta at the White House. Thank you.

We're joined now by Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware. He's a member of the Judiciary Committee as well as a supporter of Joe Biden.

Senator, thanks so much for joining us. So, what's your reaction to the breaking news we are following that the president intends to nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court, intends to do so tomorrow at his announcement in the Rose Garden?

SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): Great to be on with you again, Wolf. Thank you for the opportunity. As Justice Ginsburg lies in state in the Capitol today, we should not be racing forward with this nomination. What matters most is that health care is on the ballot and is in front of the Supreme Court. As you know, Wolf, a week after the election, a Supreme Court case is going to be heard in which 18 Republican state attorneys general with President Trump's active support, are trying to reverse the Affordable Care Act. Justice Ginsburg's life was dedicated to fighting for gender equity. And one of the most important provisions of the ACA prohibits discrimination based on gender against -- by insurance providers and protects those who are seeking health insurance against pre-existing condition discrimination. Because of this pandemic made worse by Trump's bungled handling of it.

There's now 7 million Americans infected by COVID-19 with a new pre- existing condition. We know that Judge Barrett has made statements disparaging the Affordable Care Act, disparaging the decision that upheld the Affordable Care Act. And I think this is a significant concern for millions of average Americans in the middle of a pandemic that doesn't seem to be going away any time soon.

BLITZER: But --

COONS: President Trump is going to nominate someone to ensure the ACA is repealed.

BLITZER: He's obviously going to nominate someone. He's going to do so tomorrow. And the chairman of your Judiciary Committee, Lindsey Graham, he's going forward, planning hearings already. You're the minority, that's the majority, they have the votes.

[17:10:01]

You'll have to consider the qualifications of this Supreme Court nominee. You voted against her nomination to the seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals when she was nominated. Has anything changed this time around? For one thing, are you willing to meet with her?

COONS: Well, Wolf, what's changed is that we're in the middle of a pandemic and a recession. As I said at the Judiciary Committee yesterday, we should be taking the 39 days we have left until this election not to rush through this partisan nomination process. We won't have enough time to thoroughly investigate her background, to do the sort of research we would normally do. And instead we ought to be taking this time to deliver another pandemic relief package to the millions of Americans who are unemployed, whose businesses are closed or closing, whose communities are struggling. This isn't what we should be doing with our time.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: But you have no choice, Senator.

COONS: As you know -

BLITZER: You'll have no choice.

COONS: -- there is no president in American history for this.

BLITZER: But you'll have no choice. The president's moving forward. The Republican majority in the Senate's moving forward. We're hearing that Senate Democrats do plan to ask the president's nominee to promise to recuse herself if the U.S. Supreme Court were to hear a case that could impact the results of the presidential election. Why do you think a recusal would be necessary, and do you think it's realistic that you might even do that kind of promise?

COONS: I think it's relevant and necessary. Because President Trump himself recently said that he is nominating a justice and urging that the confirmation be rushed in order to have the deciding vote should there be an election contest that appears in front of the Supreme Court. That sort of public statement of motivation underlying the nomination, underlying the process, is exactly the sort of statement that should lead to a recusal.

BLITZER: The president still refuses to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he were to lose the election. Do Democrats have a strategy to deal with that hypothetical situation if in fact he does lose the election?

COONS: Well, frankly, Wolf, this is the sort of thing that tests the very fabric, the underpinnings of our Democracy. And we need folks who are listening, folks who are serving the public in a wide range of different capacities to take this seriously and to recognize that first the most important thing we can do is vote, vote safely, vote securely, vote in significant numbers so that there is no doubt this isn't a close election outcome.

But second, to support those in both parties who are standing up for a peaceful transition of power. This is what's been one of the hallmarks of our Democracy. On the foreign relations committee, Wolf, when we see heads of state in other countries around the world making statements like this, we often send bipartisan letters urging them to commit to respect the outcome of an election and commit to a peaceful transfer of power.

President Trump should be doing the same thing. And the Republican leadership in the Senate of the United States should be making unequivocal demonstrable calls on President Trump to make statements he will respect the outcome of this election and leave office in a timely and appropriate fashion.

BLITZER: There was a unanimous resolution in the Senate yesterday. Republicans and Democrats all agree there has to be a peaceful transfer of power. It was amazing that was even necessary for the Senate to pass that kind of resolution, but it's something that occurred.

Senator Coons, thanks so much for joining us.

COONS: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Up next, Florida's governor lifts all state coronavirus restrictions, allowing restaurants and bars to open up at 100 percent capacity. But cases continue to climb in so much of the country with more than 7 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States, 7 million so far. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:18:18]

BLITZER: There is more breaking news we are following here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

The United States topping more than 7 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus with more than 203,000 American lives lost to COVID-19 so far. Our national correspondent Erica Hill is working a story for us from New York. Erica, 7 million known cases, the actual number though potentially could be a lot higher.

ERICA HILL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. Remember we heard that early on in the summer from Dr. Redfield said the number could be much higher for actual infections in the U.S. And there was a study in July that looked at antibody tests that found the number could be 6 to 24 times higher. But the bottom line, Wolf, is there are millions of confirmed cases, millions of infections. And the virus has not stopped spreading.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HILL (voice-over): Eight months in, the numbers keep climbing. More than 44,000 new cases reported on Thursday, 914 additional deaths and a virus that just won't quit.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Given the fact that we never got down to a good baseline, we are still in the first wave. Rather than say a second wave, why don't we say are we prepared for the challenge of the fall and the winter?

HILL: That challenge, more time indoors and the flu.

DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: We have to keep on wearing masks, keep on physical distancing, avoid indoor gatherings as much as we can, and also get a flu shot now.

FAUCI: We have ordered 200 million doses this year, which is the highest amount we've ever tried to vaccinate.

HILL (voice-over): An influential model now predicts COVID-19-related deaths could top 371,000 by January 1st.

DR. CARLOS DEL RIO, EPIDEMIOLOGIST, EMORY UNIVERSITY: It's up to us to change this. And as the model from IHME says, if we wear a mask, if we all wear masks, we can actually bring the number of new infections and the number of transmissions down significantly.

[17:20:11]

HILL (voice-over): Right now, only a dozen states show mask usage above 50 percent. If it was 95 percent nationwide, those same researchers say we could save nearly 100,000 lives between now and December. DR. ANNE RIMOIN, EPIDEMIOLOGIST: We are moving in the wrong direction

and at a very critical moment.

HILL (voice-over): 23 states, much of the West and the middle of the country seeing an increase in new cases over the last week. They're down in Pennsylvania, but an outbreak at this nursing home has prompted officials to call in the National Guard for help.

GINA CERILLI, PENNSYLVANIA COUNTY COMMISSIONER: We will take as much assistance from the state and federal government as we can.

HILL (voice-over): At least 47 residents and a dozen staff have tested positive. UNC Chapel Hill now eyeing January for a return to the classroom.

KEVIN GUSKIEWICZ, CHANCELLOR, UNC: Our hope is that we will bring students back to live and learn on campus this spring semester.

HILL (voice-over): Is one of at least 27 schools that have shifted classes online because of the virus?

SEC Football returns tomorrow. Though the stands won't look like this. The Pac-12 will now take the field in November after initially postponing all sports until 2021. In Florida, the Governor is also talking football.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): We expect to do a full Super Bowl, and we're going to show that we're going to be able to do that.

HILL (voice-over): First step, getting bars and restaurants the green light to operate at full capacity, overriding some local restrictions. Mask fines also gone.

MAYOR DAN GELBER (D-FL), MIAMI BEACH: This is really just not the way to handle either health care or an economic crisis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: As Governor DeSantis declares that Florida is open for business, just across the river from me in New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy has actually extended his state's public health emergency, even though the state has a positivity of rate of just over 2.2 percent. He says the evidence is clear, Wolf, we are not out of the woods yet.

BLITZER: That's absolutely true. Erica Hill in New York, thank you.

Let's get some more on all of this. Our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is with us. Sanjay, the country - this country of ours just surpassed 7 million confirmed cases of the virus. New daily cases we are told rising once again in so many parts of the country. Do you think it's possible for the country to get back on track any time soon?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'm always an optimist, Wolf, but you know we're clearly going in the wrong direction right now. And when you have this much virus that's circulating and as you and Erica were just talking about, we're probably dramatically undercounting the number of people who are actually infected out there. When you have this much virus circulating you are already starting to see an uptick.

I'm worried going into the fall. I mean, you know, I hate to be the person that says that over and over again, but I think it's important to point out that when people start to be indoors more, the weather is getting cooler, people are becoming more mobile, going back to schools, those are all things that were already going to increase the likelihood of the numbers going up. And we're seeing that now mid- September.

So, we will get back on track. We will get through this, Wolf. I'm confident of that. It's just going to take a lot longer than it's actually needed to.

BLITZER: This new model from the University of Washington Medical School estimates that more than 168,000 Americans could lose their lives between now and January 1st. Nearly 100,000 of those lives though we're told from the university model would be safe if simply everyone just wore a mask. How many more people have to die, Sanjay? How many more times can we have this conversation before people do something so simple and simply wear a mask when they're outside and around other people and certainly when they're inside?

GUPTA: You know, Wolf, I've always thought that you know the knowledge would be power. You know, I mean, it's part of the reason I got into this business. I think it's so important to be able to persuade people through carrots, not sticks, to inspire people to do what is possible, not through fear. And yet you know it hasn't worked in this country. We're still right around 50 percent or so the country's using masks with any degree of regularity.

So, you know, I don't know the answer to that question, Wolf, in terms of what it will take. I think people have become numb to the numbers that they see on the right side of the screen. They're fatigued by this coronavirus. And you know we're just not making significant progress.

If you look at the 168,000 more people projected to die, there are 97 days left in the year, Wolf. So, think about that. Right now, roughly there's about a thousand people on average dying per day. They think by November 1st it will be 1,600 people dying per day, they were dying by December 1st according to that same model, close to 2,700 people per day, Wolf.

I mean I -- I don't want to even say the numbers like that because I don't want it to wash over people.

[17:25:00]

But hopefully they realize that there are people who are alive today who aren't worried about this coronavirus at all who may still die by the end of this year because of you know simple basic public health measures not being practiced. BLITZER: Let's not forget, these are not just numbers. These are mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, good friends, co-workers. And it's not necessary, they do not have to die. If people do simple things. Sanjay, thanks very much. Always important to get your expertise.

Coming up, President Trump's constant attacks on mail-in ballots having an effect on voters. We're going to ask Michigan's secretary of state who is overseeing the vote by mail efforts in her state. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:30:40]

BLITZER: As President Trump increases his attacks on mail-in voting, a new CNN survey shows Americans have already requested 28 million, 28 million mail-in ballots and another 43 million will automatically be sent out to voters.

Joining us now to discuss, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Secretary Benson, thanks so much for joining us. How big of an increase are you expecting in mail-in ballots this year? And are you confident that Michigan can handle all of these?

JOCELYN BENSON (D), MICHIGAN SECRETARY OF STATE: Yes, thanks for having me back, Wolf, and it's an incredible, extraordinary increase of people wanting to vote by mail. People on both sides of the aisle, I should add, we've already had 2.4 million citizens in Michigan request to vote by mail this fall. That's already close to the record in our state and we are on track to have 3 million of our -- over 5 million citizens will be voting this fall voting by mail.

BLITZER: The President as you know, has refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he were to lose the election. He continues to argue that voting by mail is a scam that can't be trusted. What do you what do you have to say to the President when it comes to these words that he's uttering?

BENSON: Well, I'll say to anyone and including all of our voters in our state of Michigan and throughout the country, voting by mail is secure. And in Michigan, as well as many other states, we've got time tested protocols in place to ensure that every ballot is secure, that we're evaluating and identifying the voters who submit every ballot to affirm their identity. And voters should have every reason to believe that the process will not only be secure, but they'll be able to trust the results of our elections as an accurate reflection of the will of the people.

BLITZER: Yes, that's understandable. Well, people want to vote by mail this time because of the coronavirus. A lot of older Americans, people with underlying health conditions, they don't want to have to stand in long lines on November 3rd at polling stations and potentially endanger themselves because of the coronavirus. So it's a lot better to simply vote by mail and to do it early. The President has repeatedly said, Secretary, that he wants to know the results of the election on election night, November 3. How likely is it will actually know the outcome on November 3rd, especially in a battleground state like yours, Michigan?

BENSON: Well, you know, we all want to know the results of our elections are accurate and are secure. Those are our priorities in Michigan as well as in every other state in the country. And so, as the polls close, as voters goes to the polls on Tuesday, November 3rd, also happening throughout the day will be our election officials, our election administrator securely counting ballots that are sent to the mail, they will have 3 million or more ballots to get through. They can't start under state law until 7:00 a.m. on Election Day.

And it's, you know, face it, just not possible, though we all wish it could be to get through all 3 million ballots securely and accurately and efficiently in one day. It's going to take some time as it should, that's the process working. But rest assured, once we do count that final ballot and release the unofficial results of our elections, those ballots will be fully counted, every ballot will be secured. And the results will be that accurate reflection of the vote in our state.

BLITZER: Just to be clear, a delay in getting results is not evidence of fraud, right?

BENSON: By no means, it's exactly the opposite. Quite frankly, it's an example of the process working, it's a reflection of us being transparent, careful, secure, and prioritizing accuracy above all else. That's what every citizen should want from its elections and our election administrators. And that's exactly what we're dedicated to, not just in Michigan, but election administrators all around the country.

BLITZER: You're the Michigan Secretary of State, what do you do, hypothetically, if a candidate declares victory before you're certain all the votes have actually been counted?

BENSON: Well, candidates certainly can do and say whatever they want. But, certainly, if someone falsely declares victory before every vote is counted, I -- we would consider that a type of misinformation. The very sort of misinformation we're seeing in multiple ways escalate this year. And we'll treat it as such.

I mean, my goal on election night is to deliver facts, truth and accurate information to our voters as it has been throughout this election cycle. And that's really what voters not just in Michigan, but around the country can expect from all of us, secretaries, who are serving as referees, as chief election administrators, and as people who are laser focused on ensuring the results of our elections are accurate, and that the full count of every ballot will determine the winner of any race.

[17:35:00]

BLITZER: Well, good luck, Secretary Benson. You're going to have your hands full together with your colleagues. Thanks so much for joining us.

BENSON: Always a pleasure. Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you.

Coming up, we'll be joined by the former head of one of the nation's most important intelligence agencies, who's not calling President Trump a failure as commander in chief. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A former head of one of the nation's most important intelligence agencies has just published a blistering op-ed accusing President Trump of betraying his oath of office and putting his own interest ahead of the countries.

[17:40:06]

Robert Cardillo is the former Director of the National Geospatial Intelligence, also the former Deputy Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency at the Pentagon, he's joining us right now. Director Cardillo, thank you so much for joining us. Thanks for your service over these decades to the United States. We're grateful to you.

I know you've worked in the intelligence community what, for more than three decades. You've served under six presidents and you say you've never before spoken out for or against a candidate. So why now, Director, why is it -- what is it about this moment that is making you speak out so forcefully?

ROBERT CARDILLO, FORMER DIRECTOR, NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY: Well, thanks, Wolf. You're right. My DNA has always been, you know, quiet, selfless service. And I'm proud of the 36 years that I was able to do that. But now as a retired former government official, I find this situation exceptional. And so, I took an exceptional step and decided to speak out at this time, because I find the President's behavior and his approach and his thought process to be putting our national security at risk.

BLITZER: I know you briefed the President Trump in your role as the Director of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. You say he has little patience for facts or data that do not comport with his own personal worldview. I know, you don't want to reveal specifics of these confidential intelligence-related conversations, but generally, Director, what does that mean? How does the President react, for example, to information he doesn't like or doesn't agree with?

CARDILLO: Well, again, you know, I can't, you know, get inside of the President's head, but my interpretation is, is that he's got a very strong sense of self. He's guided by his kind of internal instincts. And he has a way to, I'll say, deflect, or deter or deny when those -- when he runs into issues, facts, figures that may not comport with that internal compass that he has.

Again, I didn't find it to be unpleasant or necessarily, it was just what I would call a little erratic. And because the conversation would move around to many different topics, and very little interest in going deep, mostly superficial and then from one topic to the next.

BLITZER: You say the President is guided above all by one major instinct that we've heard this from so many other officials who've worked with him, and that is what's in it for me. Explain what you have in mind. Tell us your experience with him.

CARDILLO: Well, you know, again, I'm being careful not to project too much, you know, from my limited view, Wolf, but my interpretation is, is that because it must have served him well, in his prior life in his career, that those instincts, you know, resulted in the outcome that he was seeking. And whether that was a particular business deal or a certain television rating, I suspect he leans hard on that inner voice.

And, again, let me say, too, it's natural for intelligence to have tension between those that we serve. And I serve, you know, President Obama for four years and experienced a good deal of that. But what I find unnatural with this President is that the way he just discards in discounts, data, facts and assessments in ways that I do think puts us at risk.

BLITZER: You also write this and this jumped out at me and I'll put it up on the screen and read it for our viewers. "President Donald Trump's decision to rely upon the word of dictators like Vladimir Putin is an unprecedented betrayal of his oath to the Constitution." You've dedicated your career to analyzing these issues. How do you explain the President's behavior, for example, towards Putin, and other authoritarian leaders?

CARDILLO: Well, in my mind, the defining moment was his press conference in Helsinki, when he was standing next to President Putin and was asked by the press about his view of the I.C.'s assessment with respect to election interference.

BLITZER: The I.C., the Intelligence Community.

CARDILLO: Yes, indeed. And I'm paraphrasing, but the President basically said in response that I asked Mr. Putin, you know, if he had interfered, he told me no and I'm good with that. And to me to completely discount the input of the Intelligence Community, I think undermines, one, that service that we provide but, two, it undermines the credibility of the -- of that service going forward.

[17:45:09]

And I worry about our fundamentals here, when he calls into question, you know, that key part of our, you know, Democratic process that we do have an intelligence community that is sworn to protect the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. And that includes telling and bringing truth to power. And in his refusal in that case, especially, was very disturbing.

BLITZER: Yes, I was in Helsinki at that news conference. And like so many others, I was totally stunned when he said he believes what Putin has to say. And Dan Coates, who was then the Director of National Intelligence, was basically humiliated on the world stage by the President. It was an unbelievable moment. And I'm sure it had a very deleterious impact on the U.S. intelligence Community at that moment indeed.

Robert Cardillo, thanks so much for joining us. Let's continue this conversation. And once again, thanks so much for your service over the years for the American people. Appreciate it very much.

CARDILLO: Thank you.

BLITZER: Coming up, seizures, heart problems, nerve damage, and more. We're going to take a closer look at some of the long-term effects some people are suffering after coronavirus infections. Plus, we'll have more on the breaking news. We're following sources now telling CNN that President Trump intends to nominate Amy Coney Barrett for the U.S. Supreme Court.

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[17:51:24]

BLITZER: While of course the vast majority of the people infected with the coronavirus survive, some, some of those survivors are experiencing some long-term health effects. CNN's Brian Todd is joining us right now. Brian, I understand some of these long-term effects are rather severe.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Some are severe, Wolf, even debilitating and Dr. Anthony Fauci and other top experts are warning tonight that some of those effects could last a lifetime.

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MICHAEL REAGAN, COVID-19 LONG HAULER: Nowhere near my normal self.

TODD (voice-over): Michael Reagan was a healthy athletic 50-year-old when he was struck with coronavirus back in March. The virus itself body slammed him. He says he spent two months in and out of the hospital. But tonight, more than four months after he began to recover, Reagan tell CNN he still feels horrible lingering effects, like seizures, heart problems, nerve damage known as neuropathy, and even memory loss.

REAGAN: It wasn't until that, you know, I was generally doing better. But I started to notice a lot of the other symptoms. And I know other people must feel the same.

TODD (voice-over): Indeed, experts say, there could be hundreds of thousands of so-called long haulers like Reagan experiencing medical problems they didn't have before getting COVID, problems which have lasted for months. And America's top voice on infectious disease now warns some COVID survivors could experience those problems for the rest of their lives. Dr. Anthony Fauci specifically cited the possibility of irregular heartbeats or the heart failing to pump enough blood to the rest of the body. FAUCI: They could wind up when you have inflammation, you could have scarring, that could lead to a (INAUDIBLE) later on, or that could lead to cardiomyopathies.

TODD (voice-over): Fauci also said it's possible some of those problems could clear up. But experts are worried tonight about other possible lifetime illnesses, which could be sparked by COVID cases,

DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CHIEF OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL: Not just in their heart, but in their lungs, in their brain, as well as in their heart and even other organs as well. And so, those manifestations can be that of scarring. Once you have inflammation, you can get scarring.

TODD (voice-over): Diana Berrent, another long hauler, who's been recovered for more than five months says she and her doctor believe her recent problems are directly related to her bout with coronavirus.

DIANA BERRENT, COVID-19 LONG HAULER: I have GI issues, I have deep inner ear pain headaches, I was just diagnosed with, you know, COVID onset glaucoma.

TODD (voice-over): Experts say there is still so much they don't know about the long-term after effects of COVID that the research is still inconclusive. But they keep discovering new offshoots.

WALENSKY: We never necessarily expected we'd have skin manifestations and kidney manifestations and manifestations in the GI tract.

TODD (voice-over): Doctors are also worried about the long-term mental health effects of the virus. One expert believes there's a clear link to depression.

DR. AMY COMPTON-PHILLIPS, CHIEF CLINICAL OFFICER, PROVIDENCE HEALTH SYSTEM: It's very hard to know whether or not it is a side effect of the actual infection of getting the germ into the body itself. Or it's because of all the wraparound problems that come with that COVID has reaped, you know, from family disruption to economic disruption.

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TODD: Dr. Amy Compton-Phillips says her health group Providence is working with a mental health foundation called the Well Being Trust to look at the long-term mental problems associated with coronavirus. And they've come up with a disturbing calculation. She says they estimate that in addition to the purely physical deaths associated with COVID, there could be an additional 150,000 deaths due to despair, with more people turning to substance abuse and possibly becoming suicidal. Wolf?

BLITZER: Very depressing indeed. Brian Todd reporting for us, thank you.

[17:55:02]

Breaking news next, new details emerging right now of what sources say is President Trump's intention to nominate Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court. We'll be right back.

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BLITZER: We want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in "The Situation Room". We're following breaking news. Sources now tell CNN that President Trump intends to nominate conservative Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court.

He set to announce his picked to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg late tomorrow afternoon ceremony over in the Rose Garden.