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Second Trump-Biden Debate Derailed after Infected Trump Rejects Virtual Format; Pelosi Suggest Trump in "Altered State" as Dems Seek Oversight Panel on President's Health; Trump Calls Harris "A Monster" & "Communist" in Ugly, Sexist Attacks; FBI: Militia Plotted to Kidnap Michigan Governor, Overthrow Gov't; Pence Refuses In Debate To Commit To Peaceful Transfer Of Power; U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Top 212,000 With 7.5 Million Cases, CDC Now Projects Up To 21,000 More Deaths By Oct. 31; Miami-Dade Schools Report First Positive COVID-19 Case After Reopening This Week; Hurricane Delta Strengthens To Major Category 3 Storm. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired October 08, 2020 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: May her memory be a blessing. Our condolences go out to her family.

Our coverage on CNN continues right now. I'll see you tomorrow.

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 and we're following breaking news.

The second presidential debate now derailed after President Trump rejected a plan by the nonpartisan commission in charge to make the contest virtual due to Mr. Trump's COVID-19 infection. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will do town hall that night instead.

The House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, is raising new and serious questions about the President's condition, saying he's in what she calls an "altered state."

And now House Democrats are introducing a bill that would create a bipartisan Oversight Committee on the President's health.

We're also following breaking news out of Michigan where the FBI has arrested six militia members. It says wanted to kidnap the governor, Gretchen Whitmer, and overthrow state governments. The suspects believes we're violating the U.S. Constitution.

Lots of news going on, but let's get straight to the White House right now. Our Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta is joining us.

Jim, major, major developments surrounding the debate the President's health and a lot more.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf, Democrats in Congress are ratcheting up the pressure on President Trump as he recovers from the coronavirus. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is now calling, as you said, for the creation of a bipartisan commission that would carry out a medical examination of the President to determine whether he is, "mentally or physically unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office."

Pelosi says the new commission would help enforce the 25th amendment of the constitution that shifts power to the vice president if the president is incapacitated. She continues to suggest the President's behavior has been affected by the medication. He is taking the fight off COVID-19.

In the meantime, the President is canceling on next week's debate with vice president -- former Vice President Joe Biden insisting he won't agree to a virtual face off with the Democratic nominee.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (voice-over): Still dodging the White House press corps and opting for his own West Wing video crews to send out proof of life messages to the world, President Trump is backing out of his next debate with Democrat Joe Biden refusing to agree to a virtual virus free format.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I heard that the commission a little while ago change the debate style, and it's not acceptable to us. I'm not going to do a virtual debate.

ACOSTA: Claiming the President won't be contagious in a matter of days, the Trump campaign proposed postponing the debate for a week, drawing a tart response from one top Biden official who said, "Trump's erratic behavior does not allow him to rewrite the calendar and pick new dates of his choosing."

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We don't know what the President's going to do. Change his mind every second.

ACOSTA: It was just one week ago when Mr. Trump accused Biden of wanting to skip the remaining debates.

TRUMP: Now I understand he's canceling the debates. Let's see what happens. I think that's not going to be a good move for him.

ACOSTA: Candidates have debated remotely before John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon did from two different studios in 1960.

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Mr. Vice President speaking.

ACOSTA: Democrats are accusing Mr. Trump of sexism after he called Kamala Harris, a monster and a communist in response to her performance at the vice presidential debate.

TRUMP: And this monster that was on stage with Mike Pence who destroyed our last night by the way, but this monster --

ACOSTA: In a White House video the President who's been administered a combination of experimental medications is claiming he's been cured of the coronavirus. But that's not true, as there is no cure for COVID- 19.

TRUMP: But we have medicines right now. And I call them a cure.

I went into the hospital a week ago, I was very sick. And I took this medicine. And it was incredible. It was incredible. I could have walked out the following day.

ACOSTA: Mr. Trump is boasting his natural attributes are an asset too.

TRUMP: I'm back because I made perfect physical specimen and I'm extremely young.

ACOSTA: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi isn't buying that one.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): Specimen. Did he say specimen? Maybe I could agree with that. Because this association from reality would be funny if it weren't so deadly.

ACOSTA: Dr. Anthony Fauci caution, the President could still suffer a setback.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: One of the issues that we all have to be aware and his positions are aware of this, that the history of COVID-19 is that you could look and feel like you're doing reasonably well and after a couple of days, you could have a downturn.

ACOSTA: Aspects of the President's health remain a mystery. CNN has confirmed some medical professionals at Walter Reed Medical Center were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements when the President made a last minute visit there almost one year ago.

Mr. Trump is speculating that he caught the virus at an event for Gold Star families, but one Gold Star group says the families tested negative beforehand.

TRUMP: I'm not going to be in a basement saying hey, I can't see you as you traveled in from California and all the different places. It's OK.

ACOSTA: The White House is trying to clean up that one too.

ALTSSA FARAH, WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: And I appreciate you asking that so we can clarify his point was merely that in the timeframe that he was potentially exposed, there were a number of different venues that he'd been at, an individual seat interacted with.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[17:05:10]

ACOSTA: And what else Communications Director Alyssa Farah told reporters officials won't be specifying exactly when the President had his last negative test for COVID-19. Insisting that Mr. Trump's private medical information is his private medical information. She added, "The doctors would like to keep that private." Of course, Mr. Trump could make all of that information public.

As we reported yesterday, the President was not being tested daily for COVID-19 prior to his positive results for the virus.

And Wolf, just want to point out right now, the Marines stationed outside the West Wing that we saw yesterday, that Marine is back or one of the Marines who is stationed outside of the West Wing is back. That is an indication, of course, that the President is in the Oval Office as we were talking about this yesterday.

But we should point out, Wolf, just because the President is in the Oval Office doesn't mean we'll see him out in front of the cameras. The only, you know, visual image of the President that we've seen of Mr. Trump since he returned back to the White House on Monday is, you know, would be these White House videos that they put out. They have not put them out in front of the reporters over here at the White House to see how he's doing, Wolf.

BLITZER: And the President said doctor at the White House missing an action once again, refusing to answer reporters' questions?

ACOSTA: That's right, Wolf.

And as you know, typically, you know, when a president is recovering from something as serious as the coronavirus, you would have medical briefings from the White House medical team. And we saw that over the weekend, but that has stopped. We're only getting these daily updates letters from Dr. Sean Conley as things develop.

And so far today, we haven't received one of those. There are some indications that perhaps we'll get some kind of update from Dr. Conley. But so far, we haven't gotten that just yet, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Let us know. Jim Acosta at the White House, thank you.

For more on the debate dilemma. Let's bring in our Political Correspondent Arlette Saenz.

Arlette, now that the President has said he won't participate in the debate scheduled for Miami next week, the former vice president has planned his own town hall. Update our viewers on the latest.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, after President Trump said that he will not participate in a virtual debate on October 15, Joe Biden and his campaign went ahead and made other plans, setting up a town hall with ABC News for that very same date.

There has been a lot of back and forth today about these debates. Initially, the Biden campaign said that they would participate in a virtual debate. But then once the President voiced his opposition, they decided to go a different route.

Now the Biden campaign wants to see the debate scheduled for October 22, which is currently scheduled to be a one-on-one debate between Biden and President Trump. They want to see that debate turned into a town hall.

The Trump campaign simply wants the debates each to be pushed back a week. They have one on October 22, one on October 29. But the Biden campaign insists that because the President backed out of that October 15 debate the October 22 one should be the final debate. They're saying that the debate should not be managed by President Trump and his whims.

So, right now they are pushing for the second presidential debate to take place on October 22. Biden will be doing a virtual or -- sorry, will be doing a town hall with ABC News in Philadelphia. They believe he has that opportunity to make his case directly to Americans.

And so these are just many changes that we are seeing happening in real time to these debates due to the coronavirus and the President's diagnosis

BLITZER: You know, Arlette, the President, bitterly, bitterly attacked Kamala Harris's debate performance last night calling her repeatedly, not just once, repeatedly, a monster and a communists. So what was Biden's response?

SAENZ: Well, Kamala Harris was asked about those comments and she said that she wasn't going to respond to childish comments from President Trump. But Biden was very quick to defend his running mate.

Take a listen to what he told reporters a short time ago here in Phoenix.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: It's despicable. It's despicable. So beneath the office of the presidency.

And the American people are sick and tired of it. They know who this man is. It's got to stop.

It's not only -- this is one of the finest persons I've ever dealt with. This is a person who is ready on day one to be president of United States of America. This person has more integrity, the low finger the most people have in their whole body.

And the idea, it's obvious he cannot -- he has great difficulty dealing with strong women. Great difficult.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, Biden and Harris are here in Arizona, a critical battleground state campaigning together. This is the first time we are seeing them out on the trail together since the Democratic National Convention in August.

They will be joined shortly by Cindy McCain at an event to honor American Indian veterans. And then they're coming here where they're kicking off a soul of the nation bus tour that's going to take them to meet some small business owners here in the Phoenix and Tempe area.

[17:10:13]

This is also the second day of registration, early voting here in Phoenix. And you're going to see a Joe Biden and Kamala Harris appearing together, but the campaign tells me that they are taking extra safety precautions due to COVID-19. The two candidates will actually be driving in separate vehicles as they embark on this tour. Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Thanks very much Arlette Saenz in Phoenix for us.

Let's get some more on all of this. Our Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash is with us. Our CNN Political Correspondent Abby Phillip is with us. And Dr. Peter Hotez, Professor and Dean of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Hotez, the White House is claiming it would have been safe for the President to debate in person, because he won't be contagious in just a matter of days. The President says he might not even be contagious right now. Any truth that any of that?

DR. PETER HOTEZ, PROFESSOR AND DEAN OF TROPICAL MEDICINE, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: Well, you know, it's certainly possible, Wolf, because he's gotten monoclonal antibody, which does neutralize a lot of the virus and lowers the amount of virus. He had an assistant to begin with. And now he's presumably making his own antibodies.

And so it is possible that he's no longer shedding a lot of virus but we can -- we know how to check for that, which is to do PCR tests and preferably a couple of them to make certain that they're -- that he's consistently negative. So we can test for that.

But you know, the problem with a live debate is not -- even if the President is negative, there's so much virus transmission going on in the White House right now. I'm more worried about the -- his entourage, which could be shedding virus.

There's not a culture of masks in the White House. And this is puts a lot of -- puts the Vice President Biden in potential danger having so many individuals who have been infected in the White House is not really shown a big effort to try to contain the virus. There isn't the culture of masks.

And so, it's -- even if the President has been shown to be negative by PCR, I worry about the people that he brings with him.

BLITZER: Yes, the White House, clearly a hot zone or right now.

The White House claims, Dr. Hotez, that the date of the President's last negative test is what they call a private medical history issue. But the President is not a private citizen. Is there any good reason at all for them to withhold that information from the American public?

HOTEZ: Look, this is a president that plays by unique set of rules. I mean, the idea that you're going to require physicians to sign a nondisclosure agreement, I've never heard of that before. Physicians are bound by a code of ethics and what we call HIPAA regulations, patient protected information.

And to require nondisclosure agreement to me is, I've never seen that before as well. So, you know, what's usual practice in terms of a president who is ill and has been ill and has required hospitalizations and we're used to seeing daily press briefings for something that's serious, this is a totally different type of situation.

BLITZER: It's totally different, indeed.

You know, Dana, the Speaker Nancy Pelosi is preparing to unveil new legislation that would establish a commission on presidential capacity. It appears this bill would facilitate the invocation of the 25th amendment to the constitution, which allows for the removal of a sitting president, if the vice president and the majority of the cabinet agree or if the vice president of majority of another body established by Congress agrees. Give us your analysis of this very dramatic and potentially very powerful move by the Speaker?

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's definitely a dramatic move. And it's a very clear strategy by the House Speaker to shine an even stronger and brighter light on what she has been saying for the past couple of days, including to our colleague, Manu Raju, which is that she does not think that the President currently has the mental capacity, the physical capacity because of the drugs that he's on to do the job. And there is absolutely no -- they're clear eyed, I should say, inside the House leadership that something like this would ever get through the Republican run Senate never mind be signed by the President that this is aimed at, but what they're trying to do is at least to set up a framework for the future, because we are in such unchartered waters, that that this is something that they want to get out there.

You know, obviously, this is a real, real, strong political move. It is a very intense political move is probably the better word to use. And, you know, it's unclear how much this is going to help the Democrats cause. But my sense is that the House Speaker is -- this is -- everything is political when we're so close to the election, but this is also about the fact that she's genuinely disgusted with what she's seeing and that she's an institutionalist.

[17:15:13]

BLITZER: And I don't remember the last time a Speaker of the House has proposed such a commission --

BASH: It hasn't happened.

BLITZER: I mean, it's unbelievable what's going on.

You know, Abby, I want to play a little bit of what the President said on Fox Business earlier today. He went after senator Kamala Harris in a really, really disgusting way. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: She was terrible. She was -- I don't think you could get worse and totally unlikable than she is. She's a communist.

And this monster that was on stage with Mike Pence --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: He's calling her a communist, several times he called her communist, a monster, several times he called her a monster. This is Joe McCarthy, what's going on over here?

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, Wolf, this President has a long history of using this kind of language against women. And in some ways, he has spent so many months seeming to wish that he were running against his former opponent, Hillary Clinton, who he would talk about in language like this, and who he still talks about as someone who he wants to prosecute. But instead of Hillary Clinton, he has Joe Biden, and now he has Joe Biden's running mate who is Kamala Harris, a black and Indian American woman.

And so to direct this kind of vitriol toward her, in response to her debate performance, it's obvious that this is a president who thinks of women in this way using dehumanizing language to describe her and it's inappropriate.

But again, as -- every time things like this happen, I think we have to go back to the same place. What else are we hearing about this from other people in the President's party? The answer is nothing. And I think that the silence of the President's party speaks just as loudly as this kind of disgusting language directed at a sitting United States senator who, to my knowledge, did nothing on that debate stage other than debate Mike Pence, which, you know, Mike Pence did four years ago, and I don't recall him calling Senator Tim Kaine a monster and saying that he was a communist.

BLITZER: Yes, that's it's really, really sick. And the thunderous silence coming from her Republican colleagues in the Senate is also awful. You would think they would say, this is unacceptable, Mr. President. She is not a monster. She is not a communist. She's a senator duly elected by millions of people in the state of California.

It's really awful.

Dana, you want to make a quick point?

BASH: Yes, no, just really quick. You're talking about the principal and the morality of it. But let's just talk about the raw politics of it. We're so close to the election, where this President has not just as Abby and I were talking about last night, not just a gender gap, there is a chasm.

Women are fleeing from President Trump and him calling the only woman on the ticket and the only the fourth woman ever to be in a major ticket, a monster. It can't help. BLITZER: And a communists. All right, Dana, thank you very much. Abby, thanks to you. Dr. Peter Hotez always good to have you here in the Situation Room.

We're going to have much more on the debate dilemma. Coming up the co- chairman of the Commission on Presidential Debates, Frank Fahrenkopf, he's standing by. We'll discuss with him later here in the Situation Room.

The breaking news, though, continues. Next new details of the alleged militia plot to kidnap the Michigan governor and overthrow state governments. We'll talk about that and more.

The former CIA, Director John Brennan, there you see him, he's standing by live. We have lots to discuss. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:23:01]

BLITZER: We're following some very disturbing breaking news out of Michigan. Federal and state authorities today charged more than a dozen men including members of the militia group accusing them of plotting to overthrow the government and kidnap the Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Here's how the governor reacted just a little while ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): Just last week, the President of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacists and hate groups like these two Michigan militia groups. Stand back and standby he told them. Stand back and standby.

Hate groups heard the President's words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry, as a call to action.

When our leaders speak, their words matter. They carry weight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Let's bring in our Crime and Justice Correspondent Shimon Prokupecz.

Shimon, tell us more about this plot.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf. So you've got two different sets of charges here. You have the six charges -- a federal charges against six people. And then separately the state has brought in their own charges.

Now on the sixth who have been federally charged, the criminal complaint really goes through some frightening details concerning what these men were up to. The six of them, the FBI says we're plotting to kidnap the governor, taking issue over some of her lockdown efforts because of the coronavirus.

At one point, one of the men posted on Facebook that they were upset that she was closing down gyms because of the pandemic. And what the FBI said -- says is that these men trained. They held meetings, they try to recruit others to join in this plot.

They also talked about possibly storming the state Capitol there in Michigan using Molotov cocktails to try and attack police if they were coming in to try and intervene.

[17:25:00]

The other thing the FBI revealed is that these men did surveillance. They did surveillance on the homes of the governor at one point thinking about trying to kidnap her from a summer home, from a vacation home, doing surveillance, trying to find out exactly where she was living and staying.

And what the FBI describes as a snatching grab. There was even this idea of perhaps about just snatching her and then taking her somewhere where they would use perhaps a stun gun of some kind, maybe interrogate her. So really some frightening details in this complaint.

All of this was able to be stopped because of the FBI, which started monitoring some of these men on social media. They were then able to use informants, human informants, people that were able to infiltrate this group.

And then Wolf, they also used FBI agents, undercover FBI agents to infiltrate the group. All of this coming to end just on October 7, because the FBI says that men were trying to exchange money for explosives and tactical gear. Wolf.

BLITZER: Very disturbing indeed. All right, Shimon, thank you very much.

Quick programming note, the Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer will be one of the guests later tonight on Erin Burnett "OutFront." That's at 7:00 p.m. Eastern right after the Situation Room.

Joining us now the former CIA Director John Brennan. He's got a brand new book just released entitled, "Undaunted by Fight against America's Enemies at Home and Abroad."

Director Brennan, thank you so much for joining us. Congratulations on the new book.

You write in your new book about the President's many clashes with the U.S. Intelligence Community. We've seen that President Trump simply doesn't accept the assessment from his own FBI Director that these far right white supremacist groups represent the greatest danger, the greatest domestic terror danger here in the United States. Just how much does that imperil our national security?

JOHN BRENNAN, FORMER FBI CIA DIRECTOR: Well, I think it does as the latest event in Michigan indicates that these hate groups and militia groups really provide I think, some real concerns to local law enforcement to the FBI. And unfortunately, Donald Trump has refused to denounce them in very clear fashion. And that's why I think he has helped to fuel this tension within the United States that is bringing out a lot of these very far right wing groups, white supremacists and others.

So, this is something that I think the FBI is very much on top of but they need the support from our political leaders because the words matter that are coming out of the White House.

BLITZER: Yes. And Christopher Wray, the FBI director says these white supremacist groups represent the biggest domestic terror threat here in the United States.

So let's turn to the pandemic, Director Brennan. The House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has now raised the concern level today. She's not suggesting that the President may be in what she calls an "altered state" due to his coronavirus illness, and the treatment he's been receiving which could impair his judgment.

Is it appropriate for her to speculate about that? Is that, from your perspective, and you spent a long time in U.S. Intelligence and Homeland Security are real concern?

BRENNAN: Well, I think I've heard Dr. Fauci speak today about the impact of steroids on one's mental abilities. And the fact that it sometimes will create this sort of this hyper energetic attitude on the part of individuals who are undergoing this type of treatment.

But you put the steroids together with the other types of medications and I think it's been widely reported that that can affect one's ability, mental abilities. And so when we're at this very critical time in our sort of nation's history, and we have Donald Trump who want a good day, is very impulsive and even reckless and irresponsible.

The additional effects of the medications and the steroids, I think are very worrisome. And that's what Speaker Pelosi was addressing.

BLITZER: But do you worry about a national security threat resulting from that?

BRENNAN: Well, I don't know what Donald Trump is likely to do on any given day. And I do think that our adversaries around the globe have their intelligence systems cranked up on high so that they can collect information about what is the extent of the disruption, dislocation and preoccupation in the White House. Is our national security hierarchy continue to focus on the challenges that we face around the globe?

So, I do think that our intelligence and military and law enforcement services have a very robust capability and that has not been relaxed. But the fact that you have somebody in the White House whose behavior, whose actions are, again, you know, suspect even more so because of the medication, I do think that's a national security issue. BLITZER: Just last night, though the Vice President Mike Pence follow the President's lead in refusing to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. In your book, you described that transfer of power, in your words, that's one of the most remarkable features of our American democracy.

Did you ever think you'd see an American president waver in that commitment to that tradition?

BRENNAN: I never thought I'd seen American press like Donald Trump period, I was there during the transition from President Bush to President Obama and President Bush couldn't have been more magnanimous and gracious in turning over the reins of power.

[17:30:00]

And the fact that Donald Trump continues to refuse to say that he would accept the will of the American people, I think just underscores his refusal to accept the Democratic principles of this country. He looks at the world through a very personal prism, in terms of what's going to benefit him as well as protect him. So I do think that we are in for some tough sledding over the next several months.

BLITZER: The top U.S. intelligence official on election security is warning today that foreign adversaries are using President Trump's lies to interfere in the election. You're right in your book, "Undaunted", that when you briefed the President on Russia's 2016 interference, he seemed uninterested, I'm quoting you now, uninterested in finding out what the Russians had done or in holding them to account. Four years later, is he -- as all of the critics are suggesting -- Putin's useful idiot?

BRENNAN: Well, I think that what he has done as -- when he's been in the White House has certainly been in Russia's and Vladimir Putin's interest. I mean, Putin wants to see disarray and confusion and chaos in the United States and have us be a polarized society and a dysfunctional government. And I think that's what we have right now.

So, I am concerned that Donald Trump was enabled in getting into the White House because of Russian interference in the 2016 election. And I am certain that Vladimir Putin especially would like to see Donald Trump re-elected, and that he and the Russian services will do everything possible to make that a reality.

BLITZER: As you know, the President four years after he was elected as accusing you and other Obama administration officials, including former President Obama, former Vice President Biden, Hillary Clinton, all sorts of others of committing treason, he's suggesting this is the biggest domestic crime ever, and he's going after you specifically in various ways. How concerned are you about your legal problems, potentially, if he's re-elected and the Justice Department decides to go after you?

BRENNAN: Well, I think, unfortunately, he is enabled by a corrupt attorney general. I am very confident that what I did while I was CIA director was appropriate and consistent with my authorities and responsibilities. And so I have not hesitated to speak out against Donald Trump. That's why I named the book "Undaunted", because he can try to intimidate and bully Americans. I think I and a lot of other Americans are wanting to stand up against him because he is bringing this country down both domestically as well as internationally.

And I do look forward to the day when we'll be able to get on a better track as a country, as a society. And that has to happen after Donald Trump leaves office.

BLITZER: The former CIA Director, John Brennan, thanks so much for joining us. Once again, let me mention the name of the book. There's the book cover right there, "Undaunted: My Fight against America's Enemies at Home and Abroad". Thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

BRENNAN: Thank you, Wolf. Good to see you.

BLITZER: Thank you.

Coming up, as coronavirus deaths in the United States top 212,000, the CDC is now projecting another 20,000 deaths here in the United States by the end of this month.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:38:13]

BLITZER: Breaking news where the U.S. coronavirus death toll now above 212,000. New update from the CDC is now projecting up to 21,000 more American deaths by the end of this month. CNN's Nick Watt is monitoring all of the day's developments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Protests in New York City's COVID-19 hotspots, some schools, stores, indoor dining were closed again today. Religious services limited.

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D), NEW YORK: We can stop this challenge from turning into a full blown second wave and we must.

WATT (voice-over): A field hospital is about to open in Wisconsin, the Tennessee Titans now under NFL investigation after 23 positive tests and an unsanctioned practice. Kentucky's mask mandate just extended another 30 days.

GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D), KENTUCKY: We're on pace unfortunately to have another record week.

WATT (voice-over): In fact, these 11 states setting records right now. Highest average daily case counts ever in just two states home to less than 2 percent of Americans, average new case counts are actually falling, Alabama and Hawaii. Latest national numbers more than 50,000 new cases Wednesday and more than 900 dead.

Meanwhile, on the much hoped for vaccine -- ALEX AZAR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: Pending FDA

authorizations, we believe we may have up to 100 million doses by the end of the year, enough for every American who wants a vaccine by March to April 2021.

WATT (voice-over): Morning after the Vice President said this to Kamala Harris --

MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Stop playing politics with people's lives.

WATT (voice-over): -- his boss, the President, is doing exactly that. Claims there's now a COVID cure, there is not

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The Regeneron which I view it as a cure, not just a therapeutic.

[17:40:05]

WATT (voice-over): He took an experimental antibody therapy made by Regeneron. Eli Lilly is developing something similar, both just applied to the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are they going to get it.

TRUMP: They're going to get it. Yes, they're going to get it.

WATT (voice-over): Decision must be a political. The President still playing politics with people's lives again and again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATT: Now, meanwhile, Miami-Dade Florida open schools earlier this week and we have just heard of their first confirmed case of elementary school student. The whole school, we're told, has been sanitized, all the contacts traced and they are all quarantined in a home for a couple of weeks.

Listen, we are going to get cases in schools as they reopen. That's just a fact. The big question is can officials, can schools keep a lid on those cases? Wolf?

BLITZER: Nick Watt reporting for us. Nick, thanks very much.

Coming up, I'll speak with a former White House Chef who calls President Trump's decision to return from the hospital infuriating and unforgiveable Sam Kass is standing by live.

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[17:45:49]

BLITZER: Despite President Trump's rosy and totally unrealistic assessment of his own health, Dr. Anthony Fauci is cautioning that the President could still suffer a setback from his coronavirus infection. The former White House Chef and author and adviser to Michelle Obama, Sam Kass is joining us right now. Sam, thanks so much for joining us.

You say it is infuriating and unforgiveable that President Trump returned to the White House while still infected with coronavirus, putting residence staff, Secret Service, their families potentially at risk. As a former White House Chef, can you explain what goes on behind the scenes to keep the White House running? And exactly how much contact the staff must have to carry out their duties, especially when the President and so many others in the White House have come down positive with the virus?

SAM KASS, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHEF AND ADVISER TO MICHELLE OBAMA: Yes. What I'm saying there is just unconscionable. First, let me say, the people who serve in the White House residents are some of the most amazing human beings I've ever known. The people dedicate their lives to service, they really see themselves as stewards of that -- of the home of the President, and the place where we welcome guests from all over the world. They're mostly people of color, they work hard, they do not get paid very much, and they are so dedicated in that building.

And they are intricate to the way the entire operation works. Every event you see is being set up by somebody in the residence, everyone, whether it's in the East, West Wing or in the residence. And what's happening in there is simply unconscionable. We got reports that a couple weeks ago, there was an outbreak within the residence, at least two people got COVID. But knowing this White House, I'm sure that it's more. That was not disclosed, which put everybody in the building in harm's way, and people cannot protect themselves that they don't know what's going on.

In addition, the other thing that I find just appalling is from the very beginning, the residence staff were told they had to wear mask, now, which was the right thing to do. But this was all happening while the President was telling the rest of us that masks aren't important. At the same time, they were also being made to be tested on a daily basis, or every few days, all the while, while undermining testing regimes across the country, saying that they inflate our numbers. So what they were doing for themselves and their own home now not for the staff, they weren't wearing masks themselves, but they were making everybody else wear mask.

They wouldn't do for us. And it's also shows just the sheer incompetence of this White House. The idea that somehow the virus stops at the edge of the East or West Wing is just ridiculous because the East and West Wing, there were no protocols, there were no masks. And those people are walking through the residence constantly because the residence sits between both wings of the White House.

So, it just shows just a complete unforgiveable approach to the well- being of the people that are there to serve and utter incompetence of their ability to control this pandemic and now rages just the whole White House.

BLITZER: I assume you're in touch with some of those people behind the scenes. Morale must be awful. What are you hearing?

KASS: Yes, I mean, look, I'd say everybody who works in the residence takes privacy of the first family incredibly serious. They do not talk to the press, they do not leak. It is really part of the culture there. But I know that people are scared, they are now having to make a decision to fulfill their life's mission, their like duty of service to our country. It's really how they see it.

And have to deal with that as compared to wondering whether this could kill them and put their family in harm's way. And it's making everybody fearful particularly because they're never given information in timely manner. They don't really know what's going on and now they have a President sitting in the White House sick.

BLITZER: Yes.

KASS: And it's just, you know, contagious and it's something that I just cannot fathom --

BLITZER: All right.

KASS: -- a President doing.

BLITZER: Sam Kass, thanks so much for joining us, really appreciate it. We will definitely stay in touch with you.

There's more breaking news we're following. Hurricane Delta, now a powerful and very dangerous category 3 storm as it turns towards the Gulf Coast.

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We have a new forecast that has just been released. Stay with us.

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BLITZER: We have more breaking news coming into "The Situation Room". The National Hurricane Center have just said that Hurricane Delta is now a major category 3 storm. Our meteorologist Tom Sater has the newly updated forecast. What does it say, Tom?

TOM SATER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, currently, we have the storm center about 345 miles just south of Cameron, Louisiana. We expected this to not only intensify to a category 3 strength but now we're going to watch the storm grow in size. The wind field is going to broaden.

It was a category 4 before it moved into the Yucatan. And even though it dropped in intensity to a strong category 2, south of Cancun, we can report no fatalities but power's out and there was damage. We were expecting this category 3 hurricane to maybe drop in size as well or strength. Get down to a category 2, all the models and incredible agreement taking this again to the state of Louisiana. The warnings are in effect almost the same place they were six weeks ago today when Hurricane Laura moved in into category 4.

We could see this make landfall, that is a strong category 2 but a 3. We have 30,000 homes that were destroyed when Laura moved in. And you can see just how close they are right now. We could have this come in within 15 miles of where Laura hit around 7:00 tomorrow night, Wolf. This is could be devastating as 20,000 are still in hotel rooms around that part of Lake Charles.

BLITZER: Yes, I hope everybody takes precautions immediately. Tom Sater, thank

you very much.

There's more breaking news. Chaos as President Trump refuses to take part in a virtual debate despite his COVID infection.

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