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U.S. Coronavirus Surges With Deaths At 220,000; Trump Attacks Fauci And Biden; Early Voting Shows High Numbers; Rep. Val Demings (D- FL) Is Interviewed About Trump Repeatedly Lashing Out Fauci; Despite Warning From Mayor, Few Masks, No Social Distancing At Trump's Tucson Rally. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired October 19, 2020 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

RON STEELE, KWWL DEBATE MODERATOR: What's the break-even price for a bushel of corn in Iowa this week?

THERESA GREENFIELD (D), IOWA SENATE CANDIDATE: Well, a bushel of corns go on for about $3.68 today, $3.69, and break-even really just depends on the amount of debt someone has.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Jeff Zeleny thanks. Our coverage on CNN continues right now.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM. We are following breaking news.

The U.S. Coronavirus death toll has now just topped 220,000 people with more than 8.2 million confirmed cases. And tonight, one health expert is warning that the darkest weeks of the pandemic still lie ahead.

But even as the country moves into this second wave, President Trump is repeatedly lashing out a top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and mocking him, slamming his media appearances and calling him, and I'm quoting the president right now, "a disaster and an idiot."

The president campaigning right now in the critical battleground state of Arizona where Republicans have won every presidential election over the last 70 years except one, but it's now actually up for grabs and a Trump campaign adviser tells CNN, and I'm quoting him now, "time is running out."

We are tracking the race to 270 electoral votes with the election just two weeks from tomorrow and more than 28 million ballots already cast here in the United States. Let's get straight to the White House first.

Our chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta, is on the scene for us. Jim, 220,000 Americans dead in this pandemic and the president is actually stepping up his attacks on one of the country's most respected health experts. It makes no sense at all.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It really doesn't, Wolf. With a little more than two weeks until the election, President Trump is blasting Dr. Anthony Fauci. The president told campaign staffers today that Fauci is a "disaster" even though the doctor is much more trusted on the coronavirus than Mr. Trump is.

Some inside the campaign are questioning the president's decision to pick on Fauci with one adviser telling me, "time is running out for Mr. Trump to turn things around for his campaign," yet the president is attacking Joe Biden saying he will listen to Fauci. Biden responded to that earlier today by tweeting one word, "Yes."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (voice-over): With Election Day fast approaching, President Trump sounds like he is running not against Democrat Joe Biden, but against the man who is arguably the nation's most trusted health expert on the coronavirus, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATESS: I don't want to hurt him. He has been there for about 350 years.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The president began his day of attacks on Fauci on a call with campaign staffers.

TRUMP (via telephone): People are tired of COVID. I have the biggest rallies. People are saying whatever. Just leave us alone. They are tired of it. People are tired of hearing Fauci and all of these idiots. Fauci is a disaster. If I listened to him, we have 500,000 deaths.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Fauci got under the president's skin appearing on "60 Minutes" where the infectious diseases expert said he wasn't surprised when Mr. Trump contracted COVID-19.

ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I was worried that he was going to get sick when I saw him in a completely precarious situation of crowded, no separation between people, and almost nobody wearing a mask. Nothing good can come out of that. That's got to be a problem. And then sure enough, it turned out to be a superspreader event.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Drawing thousands of supporters who aren't wearing masks, the president is on an anti-science crusade at his rallies accusing Biden of siding with the experts on the virus.

TRUMP: Biden wants to lock it down. He wants to listen to Dr. Fauci. He'll listen to the scientists. If I listened totally to the scientists, we would right now have a country that would be in a massive depression.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Biden responded to that charge of listening to the scientists with one word on twitter, "Yes." Contrast with Fauci who says he has been muzzled by the White House.

FAUCI: You know, I think there has been a restriction, John, but it doesn't -- it isn't consistent.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The president snapped back at that remark too.

TRUMP: He gets a lot of television. He loves being on television. We let him do it. Sometimes he says things that are a little bit off and they get built up, unfortunately.

ACOSTA (voice-over): But sources have told CNN for weeks that the president has opted to listen to the questionable advice coming from another doctor on the coronavirus task force, Scott Atlas, who tweeted a post that said, "Masks work? No." A comments removed by twitter because it violated the social media platform's rules as most experts believe masks are effective.

Atlas has become such a lightning rod "The Washington Post" reported task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx complained to the vice president's office about him. In the meantime, the president is escalating his attacks on Biden.

TRUMP: Joe Biden is a criminal and he has been a criminal for a long time and you're a criminal and the media for not reporting it.

[17:05:02]

ACOSTA (voice-over): Biden is asking voters to reject the president on character grounds.

JOE BIDEN (D) PRESDINTIAL NOMINEE: The words of a president matters. The words this president have used that our children have heard, our sons, and our daughters, have been despicable.

ACOSTA (voice-over): A Trump adviser questioned the president's decision to attack Fauci two weeks before the election saying the campaign is already struggling to keep up with Biden's massive spending advantage adding, "Time is running out. Being outspent is a problem. No one ever thought we'd be outspent. Time is our enemy." The president is more confident.

TRUMP: We're going to win. I wouldn't have said that three weeks ago. Three weeks ago, two weeks ago. I don't know. I wouldn't have said it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (on camera): A Trump adviser said the president's attacks on Fauci are "not smart" as they remind Americans of the pandemic. That's the one issue campaign officials don't want to talk about right now as polls show the public has largely rejected Mr. Trump's handling of the virus.

The president's campaign is also complaining about some of the subject selected for Thursday's debate with Joe Biden. One of those topics being the coronavirus and campaign officials are also unhappy that the debate commission is considering some rule changes for the debate, Wolf, saying any move to mute the president's mike on Thursday evening would be, quote "completely unacceptable."

And of course, as we all remember, Wolf, it was the president who did most of the interrupting at that first debate with Joe Biden. Wolf?

BLITZER: Yes. That debate is scheduled for Thursday night. We'll see if it actually happens between now and Thursday. Lots could change. Jim Acosta at the White House, thank you.

Let's get some more on the breaking pandemic news that we are following. CNN's Brian Todd is working this part of the story for us. Brian, experts, they are voicing very serious concern about the coming few weeks where they anticipate it could get a whole lot worse.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. One of the nation's top experts, Michael Osterholm, says the next 6 to 12 weeks will be the "darkest days of the entire pandemic." A former FDA commissioner is saying something similar saying there is really no backstop against the threads of the virus that we are seeing right now.

Tonight, Americans are getting some serious warnings that their behavior has to change as we get deeper into the fall.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): In Denver, people playing pickup basketball in a city park not wearing masks. Despite the mayor's new orders that city residents now have to wear masks even in outdoor settings if they are with anyone who is not in their household.

MICHAEL HANCOCK, MAYOR OF DENVER: We are higher than we have ever been over the course of this pandemic.

TODD (voice-over): Colorado is one of 12 American states now seeing their highest seven-day averages. Another is Illinois where Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot has a warning for residents if they don't see a dramatic turnaround in their numbers and soon.

LORI LIGHTFOOT, MAYOR OF CHICAGO: We will not hesitate to take the steps that are necessary to save our city, to save our residents, and even if that means going back to some of our phase three restrictions.

TODD (voice-over): Experts say the fall surge of coronavirus has arrived and the numbers bear that out. Twenty-seven states now trending up in new cases reported. The number of new cases per day is up 40 percent over the past month with the U.S. averaging more than 55,000 new cases each day.

JORGE RODRIGUEZ, INTERNAL MEDICINE AND VIRAL SPECIALIST: The virus has now seeded every part of the country so it is going to be very difficult to completely stop it, but what we need to do now is seriously to hunker down more than ever in the things -- with the things that we know that work, which are to wear masks, wash our hands, and socially distance.

TODD (voice-over): On of Americas top experts spares nothing in his assessment of the period the country is entering.

MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH AND POLICY, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA: The next 6 to 12 weeks are going to be the darkest of the entire pandemic. Vaccines will not become available in any meaningful way until early to third quarter of next year. And even then half of the U.S. population at this point is skeptical even taking the vaccine.

TODD (voice-over): In Wisconsin, still experiencing devastating spikes. A top health official says many residents of the state still don't get the danger.

PAUL CASEY, MEDICAL DIRECTOR, BELLIN HEALTH EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT: Unfortunately, there is an alarming lack of understanding about this disease and, unfortunately, a lot of people still think it's a hoax. So, 50 percent of the population refuses to wear a mask.

TODD (voice-over): In Houston, this morning, young children arrived at school as the district begins a phased approach to in-person learning.

GRENITA LATHAN, INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT, HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT: What was most impression is our students getting off the bus with their masks on as you can tell, and some of them had masks that we have provided or some of them had their own masks.

TODD (voice-over): But in Atlanta, school officials citing unfavorable trends in the virus are postponing in-person learning until January. Despite precautions like that, America's top voice on the pandemic said today one of the reasons America has been the country hardest hit by this virus is because it didn't shut down as early or as strictly as European countries did.

FAUCI: We know now that we are living through a historic pandemic, the likes of which we have not experienced as a civilization in the last 102 years.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[17:10:00]

TODD (on camera): Still, Dr. Anthony Fauci says a nationwide lockdown is not the way forward unless he says the pandemic gets "really, really bad." He says we should put the idea of a shutdown away for now and instead have a nationwide resolve to use the recommended public health measures, get the nation back on track and bring some of these horrific fall numbers down, Wolf. It's got to start now.

BLITZER: Yes. It certainly does. Brian Todd, reporting for us. Thank you.

Let's get some more on all of this. Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is joining us. Sanjay, you had a chance to speak with Dr. Fauci earlier today. The same day, it's hard to believe that the president of the United States was attacking him, calling him, and I'm even reluctant to use these words, a disaster, saying people are tired of hearing, Fauci -- this is a quote, "and all of these idiots."

Can you believe, the president of the United States is calling the nation's most respected infectious disease expert an idiot? What is your reaction to that? You've known Dr. Fauci for years. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, I don't

even know if it's disbelief any more, Wolf. It would have been disbelief a few months ago. I mean, this is -- it's obviously just totally ridiculous and uncivil.

You know, I was speaking to Dr. Fauci today because we were at the National Academy of Medicine meeting, that is a nonprofit organization that is wildly considered to be one of the most authoritative, objective, scientifically balanced medical organizations in the world and Dr. Fauci was getting an exemplary leadership award from that organization.

SO, on one hand, the nations, really the world scientists are awarding Dr. Fauci this really, you know, important honor, giving him this honor, and at the same time, the president is referring to him as an idiot. I mean, I don't know how much more stark you can get than that in terms of actually where we are in this country.

From a scientific standpoint, politically, sure. But science and non- science, I don't think I've ever seen it so divided as I see it right now, Wolf.

BLITZER: Doesn't he realize that the medical community in the United States as well as the public at large trust Dr. Fauci? They certainly trust him a lot more than they trust the president when it comes to the coronavirus.

GUPTA: Yes. Right. And, you know, when I was speaking to Dr. Fauci today, there is this I think false narrative that, you know, say the scientists are all saying you got shut everything down. He's not as Brian Todd was just reporting. It's not what Dr. Fauci is saying.

But what he is saying is that if you do five things, you know, which don't involve shutting things down, wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, staying away from crowded indoor places like bars, washing your hands, basic things like that you could start to bend this curve down.

I mean, it's pretty remarkable that the same set of people who say we absolutely don't want to shut things down again won't be willing to do anything to prevent that from happening. So, it's scientifically based, Wolf. I mean, this is a novel virus. Nobody knew everything about this virus from the very start. That is why it's a novel virus.

But, you know, the data is pretty clear in terms of how effective these things can be now. I mean, there are places around the world, Wolf, as you well know, we talk about it on your program a lot, that count their cases in the hundreds, not the hundreds of thousands or millions.

So, it's totally doable without a vaccine to be in a very, very different, much more normal looking state of affairs than we are now and it would not have been that hard. Problem is that the disease has spread. The infection has spread. So it does require a more aggressive treatment. The sicker the patient is and in this case the country is the patient. BLITZER: Let's talk about the big picture, Sanjay. Here in the United

States, many states are reporting record high new cases. When you spoke to Dr. Fauci earlier today about these surges, did he suggest that we be in this position if we had just followed the White House's own criteria, the White House's own criteria for reopening the economy?

GUPTA: Right. No. That is exactly right. He said that we could be in a very different position. I think we have the gating criteria. Wolf, do you remember the gating criteria? I mean, they came and went just like that because no one really paid attention to them.

But basically, it was this criteria by which you could start to reopen things. We're going back to March now. If we have it, we can show it. But basically, lowering cases for 14 days in a row, downward trend. Hospital visits going down 14 days in a row. Making sure that you have, you know, adequate testing in place and that you're not in a crisis situation in the hospitals.

If we had done that two weeks, Wolf, just two weeks of that -- and why is that so important? Because, you know, if you have an overall amount of virus, if you follow those gating criteria you bring the amount of virus to a manageable level.

We have always been using this term mitigation, which means to slow things down. What we are describing there is containment where you feel you can actually get your arms and hands around the virus.

[17:15:03]

We just never did it. So the virus continued to spread and we can't even really dream about containment at this point. We are still just trying to keep up with things.

BLITZER: Yes, 20 percent of the deaths in the world from coronavirus here in the United States even though we are what, 4 or 5 percent of the world's population, we have more deaths than any other country in the world. It's so, so sad. Sanjay, I know you'll be back with us. Don't go too far away.

Up next, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's deadline for an economic stimulus deal is approaching as millions of Americans grow increasingly desperate. Plus, as the president campaigns in Arizona, Tucson's mayor is pleading with the Trump campaign to comply with the city's coronavirus guidelines. She is standing by live and we'll discuss what's going on. Lots of news happening right now right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:20:00]

BLITZER: Only 15 days until the November 3rd election here in the United States. More than 28 million Americans have already voted and millions more will be voting the next 15 days. This is a record across so much of the United States. Let's get the very latest from CNN's Pamela Brown.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is a chance that your voice is not going to be counted, why risk it?

PAMELA BROWN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just 15 days to go and many voters are taking no chances. Already more than 28 million votes have been cast nationwide. That number representing almost 20 percent of the more than 136 million total ballots cast four years ago.

As of Friday, ballots are now available in all 50 states and D.C., with in-person voting beginning in several key swing states in the coming days.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.

BROWN (voice-over): Today, it's getting under way in 52 of Florida's 60 counties including large ones like Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach. Not even rainy weather this morning in south Florida could stop voters from lining up before sunrise.

For those voting by mail, by mid-day Monday, more than 2.4 million ballots have been cast in the Sunshine State. That is only about 260,000 ballots fewer than all of the mail-in ballots tallied in 2016.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I did have an absentee ballot but I wasn't comfortable with everything that you hear on the news so I just decided to come in myself.

BROWN (voice-over): Thirty percent of ballots coming from Republicans. 49 percent Democrats and 20 percent with no party affiliation, which political experts say is a growing trend in Florida as more voters are turning their backs on both parties. In Georgia, early voting continues to shatter records a week in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over the last seven days, plus so far today, we have seen over 1.5 million voters.

BROWN (voice-over): And Georgia has seen a massive 653 percent increase in absentee ballots cast by mail over 2016. Over the weekend, early voting kicked off in Nevada as well.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My wait time was less than a minute. It was just -- I just walked in and did what I had to do.

BROWN (voice-over): Today in Colorado, vote counting begins as does in-person voting.

TRUMP: They say this is very incorrect --

BROWN (voice-over): Meanwhile, President Trump continues to give Democrats every reason to be concerned about a potential peaceful transfer of power if he were to lose to Joe Biden.

TRUMP: Then they say if you lose, will you have a friendly transition? I say I want a fair election.

BROWN (voice-over): CNN is now learning that congressional Democrats, the Biden campaign, and outside groups are working on contingency plans behind the scene, coming up with a two-part strategy and anticipation of that very scenario, preparing for a post-election legal battle and messaging war aimed at combating misinformation about voting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Pamela Brown reporting for us.

Let's discuss what is going on in the state of the U.S. presidential race. Joining us now, our CNN political correspondent Abby Phillip and our chief political correspondent Dana Bash. Dana, with just, what, a little bit more than two weeks from tomorrow -- exactly two weeks until Election Day.

The president is actually attacking Dr. Fauci calling him a disaster, saying the death toll would be much higher if he had actually listened to Dr. Fauci, which is totally crazy to hear that coming from president of the United States. Is that really his closing message right now to go on the attack against Dr. Fauci?

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It certainly the message that he wants out there, given the fact that the president did this, as you said, on a call with members of his campaign staff, but kind of, you know, said on the call, reporters, if you're listening, you can report that I'm saying this. I mean, there is no other way to read this other than the president wants this out there in a very aggressive way.

And I can tell you in talking to some people around him, they are not happy about that because there is very little chance that people who are not already decided, not a lot of people are decided to vote for Donald Trump that will hear that message and say you know what? I also think Dr. Fauci is terrible. I'm going to vote for Donald Trump.

I mean, it's not logical and it certainly is not supported by any basis of fact when it comes to the data that people I'm talking to are looking at. Never mind that. I spoke to one source who is familiar with some of that data who says that if you go back to the beginning of the heart of this pandemic in mid-March when the president would come out and "play doctor" on TV, it always hurt him.

[17:25:00]

And there is no other way to interpret him other than playing doctor when he trashes the guy who is the real doctor and has been considered a national treasure by a lot of people who are not part of the core of the Trump base.

BLITZER: Yes. It was only a few days ago, Abby, when the Trump campaign was actually using a sound bite from Dr. Fauci to try to help the president get re-elected even though that sound bite was taken totally out of convex. And as you know, one adviser to the president says this attack against

Dr. Fauci is not smart and that for the president, time is running out right now to turn things around. Yet, the president is doubling down, warning that Joe Biden would simply listen to Dr. Fauci. Joe Biden says, of course, he would listen to Dr. Fauci. So what's going on from your perspective?

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: The president seems to be hell bent on making the case for Joe Biden by using literally the argument that the Biden campaign is trying to get out there. The Biden campaign is saying Biden will listen to the scientists. He'll listen to Dr. Fauci. That's the argument that they think will be the strongest for Biden going into this election.

But it's because President Trump is always trying to appeal to the people who are already there for him, who already support him and love him. They are with the president in pushing back on Dr. Fauci. The problem is that's not representative of a majority of the electorate.

Never mind all of the people in the middle, the suburban women voters and others who have actually been really turned off by the president's handling of this virus. President Trump is doing these rallies, which are potentially superspreader events because they make him feel good, they make his supporters feel good, but again, it's another case where it's totally out of step with what the persuadable chunk of the electorate wants.

You can only come away from all of this by seeing this president as acting mostly in his own interest and based on his own instincts especially as we go toward the last couple of weeks of this election, which is something he typically does when he feels like his back is up against the wall.

BLITZER: Yes, it makes no sense at all from a political, from a campaign perspective to go on the attack against Dr. Fauci. Abby, thank you very much. Dana, thanks to you as well. >

There is more breaking news we are following here in THE SITUATION ROOM. I'll speak with the mayor of Tucson, Arizona, who is warning the Trump campaign to follow the city's social distancing and mask mandates during the president's upcoming political rally there. People are waiting for the president. Clearly those people aren't honoring those guidelines. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:32:37]

BLITZER: We're following multiple breaking stories here in THE SITUATION ROOM, including President Trump repeatedly lashing out at Dr. Anthony Fauci calling him, and I'm quoting the President right now, calling him a disaster and idiot, even as the top Trump campaign adviser is telling CNN that attacking Fauci is, quote, not smart.

Joining us now Democratic Congresswoman Val Demings of Florida, a member of the House Intelligence Committee. Congresswoman, thanks so much for joining us. So let me get your reaction to President Trump's renewed attacks on Dr. Fauci. Yes, hundreds of Americans are dying from this virus every single day. What do you make of the President's totally unfounded, crazy attacks against the nation's most respected infectious disease expert?

REP. VAL DEMINGS (D-FL): Well, Wolf, it's good to be back with you. And let me just say this, we're only a couple of weeks out from the election. And I believe the President is desperate. And we do know that desperate people do desperate things.

What I can tell you is that my faith is still with the medical experts, the scientists, and the researchers of which Dr. Fauci is all of those. I think he served with -- I know he served with multiple administrations. I believe it's been around six. And so Dr. Fauci is doing exactly what he needs to do to protect the American people, because obviously, that is his primary responsibility.

But I think is quite clear to me, and it should be quite clear to the American people that the President's primary responsibility is reelection. And so, you know, it should surprise us all, but it really doesn't surprise me because the President is quite worried about November 3rd.

BLITZER: Yes. But even from his perspective, trying to get reelected, attacking Dr. Fauci in a brutal way like this is not going to help them. I suspect it's only going to hurt.

DEMINGS: It does not.

BLITZER: It's only going to hurt his reelection chances.

DEMINGS: Well, but he does not understand that, Wolf. As we all know, as we've all witnessed the last four years, this President attacks any and everybody who does not agree with him, even those who are just trying to do those -- their jobs, even those who are experts in their field.

If you don't agree with this President, he attacks you. And somehow, maybe that worked for him four years ago. It will certainly not work now that we have about roughly 220,000 people who have lost their lives.

[17:35:01]

BLITZER: As you know, because you live there more than 16,000 Floridians have died from coronavirus. That number is growing every single day what goes through your mind and the minds of your constituents, when you hear the President simply dismiss this deadly pandemic saying, and I'm quoting the President right now, people are tired of COVID.

DEMINGS: Well, I tell you what, Wolf, those 16,000 families here in Florida, who have an empty chair at their tables and empty chair during the upcoming holidays, they're certainly not tired of COVID. They want leadership that will do something about it leadership, that strategic, unified, and based on science. And so I just, again, what comes out of this President's mouth, we've learned a long time ago now to really not listen to. But the people here on the ground in Florida are focused. We had some long lines today, even in inclement weather. And I believe people, people are tired of the lack of leadership. They're tired of a president who buries his head in the sand, and pretend that doesn't talk about a problem, maybe it will go away. And while we take nothing for granted, here in the Sunshine (ph) state, we're certainly very optimistic about the outcome of the election on November 3rd.

BLITZER: Yes. President Trump did carry Florida four years ago. He desperately needs to carry Florida this time. If he doesn't carry Florida this time, it's going to be almost impossible to see how he gets to that magic number of 270 electoral votes. We'll watch Florida very closely, together with you, Congressman.

Let me quickly turn to these ongoing economic stimulus talks between the House Speaker and the White House. She has set tomorrow as a deadline to reach a deal before the election. At this point, are you comfortable with your party continuing to hold out for a deal that checks all the boxes? Or do you feel it's your responsibility to secure at least some kind of relief for so many of your constituents who are suffering right now?

DEMINGS: Wolf, you know COVID-19 is something that we have never seen before. And it certainly requires us all to do some things we've never done before.

Look, we certainly thought that we would be on the other side, if you will, of the virus by now. Certainly we are not there a matter of fact, as you will know. Unfortunately, we're seeing numbers increase. I know my constituents have been hit hard. I hear from them every day here in the district. I know people all over this country have been hit hard or small businesses.

And I really do believe that the Speaker is fighting for relief that's meaningful, relief that matters for people who find themselves in a horrible place through no fault of their own. As you know, our leadership has been at the negotiation table for weeks now. Of course, we passed the Heroes Act five months ago. I believe that the Speaker is going to hang in there and try to get the best relief for people who are suffering.

And I am certainly hoping that the Republicans, the GOP, and the President will join in that and for our primary responsibility is the health safety and well-being of the people we represent. We need to get this right. And we have an opportunity to do just that.

BLITZER: Let's hope they do because you're absolutely right. People are suffering big time right now. Congresswoman Val Demings, thanks so much for joining us. Good luck. Stay safe over there.

DEMINGS: Thank you. You too Wolf, take care.

BLITZER: Thank you.

[17:38:39]

Coming up, the mayor of Tucson, Arizona, who warned the Trump campaign to follow the city social distancing and mask mandates during the President's upcoming campaign rally, stick around we have new information for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: President Trump will be holding a rally soon in Tucson, Arizona. And take a look at this. These are live pictures coming in. A few people are wearing masks, apparently no social distancing at all. Even though Tucson's Mayor wrote a letter to the Trump campaign asking for compliance with the city's coronavirus guidelines, which specifically include a mask mandate.

The mayor of Tucson Regina Romero is joining us right now. Mayor, thank you so much for joining us. And as you know better than anyone, Tucson saw a huge surge of the virus over the summer. But new cases have come down significantly from their peak. Do you worry though, that this presidential rally in your city, potentially, God forbid, but potentially could erase all that progress?

MAYOR REGINA ROMERO (D), TUCSON, ARIZONA: Absolutely, Wolf, thank you so much for inviting me.

And Tucsonans have really suffered tremendously. And we've worked very hard to bring down the cases of COVID-19 in our city, as you will know and just mentioned, we were a hotspot, Arizona was a hotspot in the world of cases of COVID-19 cases. And so we've worked too hard, a lot of sacrifices done by families here in Tucson and restaurants and entertainment venues and small businesses so that we get a super spreader event here in our community and COVID-19 cases come out of that rally and into the community. And we see cases spiking again.

[17:45:05]

BLITZER: So what's been your interaction with the Trump campaign over this rally, Mayor, and the issue of social distancing, masks, what do you say to them? And what did you hear in reply?

ROMERO: Well, my letter to President Trump, Trump and his campaign, were first to welcome him to the city of Tucson. And to tell him two things, one, that we need his leadership and for him to lead by example and wear a mask and to ask the attendance in the rally to do the same and to comply with CDC guidelines.

In the city of Tucson, we passed a mandatory mask ordinance. After the governor had preempted mayors throughout Arizona, he did come in, he did come in and allowed us to pass mandatory mask ordinances. After we passed those ordinances, 75 percent of the cases came down.

And so we have worked too hard as Tucsonans, too many sacrifices to have a super spreader event and see those cases rise up. We are already seeing cases throughout the country and here in Arizona. We're seeing spikes up, and so that's one. Two, that the Trump campaign came to Tucson in 2016. They used our convention center and left a bill of about $85,000.

And so we welcome the President to Tucson, Arizona. But this is not an official presidential visit. This is a campaign visit. And as you all well know that federal elections, commission rules, and laws prohibit governments to either support or contribute to a candidate or candidate's campaign.

And so we do not want the taxpayers of the city of Tucson paying for an event that is purely campaign related. And so that's what the second point in my letter to the President was for. And unfortunately, I have not heard back. And as a matter of fact, contrary to my recommendations to the President and his campaign, we are seeing crowds of five, we're hearing maybe even 10,000 people in -- at the Tucson airport. And unfortunately, not a lot of mask wearing is happening right now.

BLITZER: No. We were showing our viewers live pictures, thousands of people gathering. You hear the President of the United States, no social distancing, few mask, and potentially, God forbid, it could be a super spreader event. All these folks are going to go back home and potentially, look at these pictures coming in, potentially spread this virus. We hope it doesn't happen. But it is so, so concerning. Good luck, Mayor Romero, thanks so much for joining us.

ROMERO: Thank you so much for having me. Really appreciate it, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you. Stay safe out there.

[17:48:12]

Coming up, new coronavirus restrictions in Europe as the number of faces across the continent are surging right now. We'll get to COVID headlines from around the world. That's next.

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BLITZER: As global coronavirus cases now top 40 million. We take a closer look at some of the pandemic headlines from around the world. European leaders are dealing with an increasing opposition to the coronavirus restrictions. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is covering all of this from Manchester, England. Salma, tell us more

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Wolf, while coronavirus cases surge across Europe, leaders are facing tough resistance from towns and regions fighting back against new measures. Here in Manchester and the U.K., the local authorities are locked in a bitter dispute with the central government over their plans to raise the coronavirus alert level of the city. The Prime Minister has actually issued an ultimatum.

In Germany, a Berlin court sided against the government in four businesses over a nighttime curfew for restaurants and bars. And in Spain, a Madrid court rejected new lockdown rules leaving millions wondering whether or not they could travel for holiday. And the Czech Republic, police fired tear gas at anti-masked demonstrators. All of this happening while several European countries record their highest case numbers yet. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right, be careful over there, Salma Abdelaziz in Manchester, England.

China, meanwhile, is reporting rapid economic growth as the country digs out of a slowdown caused by the pandemic. CNN's Selina Wang has details for us. Selina?

SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, while the world is dealing with the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, China's economy grew 4.9 percent in the third quarter. In fact, China will be the only major economy to grow this year, compared that to the U.S. economy, which is expected to shrink more than 4 percent this year.

This is a reminder that until a country has contained COVID-19 the economy cannot recover. There are no shortcuts. So far China's strategy of mask testing, contact tracing, and restrictions appears to have worked. People are spending again too with retail sales growing more than 3 percent in September.

[17:55:10]

But like other countries, the pandemic has also disproportionately affected China's poor. Millions of people lost their jobs in China during the pandemic. And China's numbers do not give us the full picture of how many people are still jobless. Wolf?

BLITZER: Selina Wang in Hong Kong, thank you.

Coming up, the U.S. coronavirus death toll has just surpassed 220,000 people and one health expert is now warning that the coming weeks will be the darkest yet of the pandemic.

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