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Heated Oval Office Meeting Include Talk Of Martial Law To Overturn Election; Trump Downplays Massive Cyber Attack, Contradicts Secretary Of State Pompeo Who Says Russia Is "Clearly" Behind It; Now: Congress Scrambles To Reach COVID-19 Relief Deal; U.K. Imposes Lockdown Again As New COVID-19 Strain Spreads Faster; FDA Issues Emergency Use Authorization Of Moderna Vaccine. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired December 19, 2020 - 19:00   ET

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

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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

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WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. This is a special THE SITUATION ROOM. Right now, a second vaccine to fight COVID is just one final step away from the go ahead to start moving and shots going into arms.

This second vaccine from Moderna got the formal recommendation for approval from the CDC's advisory committee today. Now it just needs a final nod from the CDC Director, and that final step we're told could happen at any moment now.

The Moderna vaccine will join the Pfizer vaccine, which has been shipping out to all 50 states for nearly a week now this newest weapon against the pandemic cannot not come soon enough. Yesterday, nearly 250,000 people here in the United States were identified as infected with COVID.

In the United Kingdom, meanwhile, the soaring rate of new infections is forcing the Prime Minister to enact a very strong set of new restrictions beginning Sunday all of London and regions southeast of the city will go under strict lockdown.

The message to millions of people in the UK, cancel your Christmas travel plans and do it now. Back here in the United States there is breaking news very disturbing breaking news from inside the White House.

That's where CNN is hearing details about a heated meeting between President Donald Trump and his closest aides where there was actual talk, get this, of trying to overturn the results of the democratically held election in the United States, an election that the president lost very soundly, lost by 7 million votes.

Let's go to Jeremy Diamond over at the White House for us right now. Jeremy, tell our viewers about this Oval Office meeting, which is raising all sorts of alarms.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It certainly is, Wolf. The president held a meeting in the Oval Office just yesterday that turned heated as the president gave voice to some of these outlandish and outrageous ideas to overturn the election brought forward by Sidney Powell, that attorney who was on the president's legal team, and who has floated a series of deranged and debunked conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.

As well as Michael Flynn, her clients and disgraced Former National Security Adviser who pleaded guilty to counts of lying to federal investigators and was ultimately pardoned by President Trump.

Now sources are telling CNN that the president discussed during this meeting the possibility of naming Sidney Powell as a Special Counsel to investigate allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 election, another idea that was discussed, Wolf, perhaps even more outrageously is one that was floated earlier this week by Michael Flynn. Watch.

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MICHAEL FLYNN, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: He could order the -- within the swing states, if he wanted to, he could take military capabilities and he could place and basically an election in each of those states. I mean, it is not unprecedented, I mean, people out there talking about martial law like it's something that we've never done. Martial law has been instituted 64 times.

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DIAMOND: Now to be clear, there is no indication that the president is preparing to impose martial law in order to rerun the 2020 election, as Michael Flynn suggested. But obviously, even just the notion that this was brought up in a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House with the President of the United States listening in is certainly shocking and outrageous, Wolf.

It goes to show that the president is not just publicly talking about overturning the results of the election and refusing to accept Joe Biden as the next President of the United States, but he's still privately plotting and grasping at ways to try and actually effectuate that outcome, Wolf.

BLITZER: At the same time Jeremy, this is also pretty disturbing the president finally speaking out about the massive cyber attack against the United States the U.S. government, some Fortune 500 companies here in the United States. But the president is actually contradicting his own Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, members of the U.S. Intelligence Committee, the Acting Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Marco Rubio. Tell our viewers what he's saying.

DIAMOND: That's right Wolf. For days the president was silent as news of this massive cyber attack on the United States government came about. He didn't talk about it at all in fact until this morning when he took to twitter not to talk about the seriousness of the threat of the cyber attack which U.S. government officials believe was conducted by Russia.

But instead to down play the severity of the hack and to also dismiss the idea that Russia was behind it. The president tweeting, the cyber hack is far greater in the fake news media than in actuality, and he goes on to say that the possibility that it could also be China that conducted this attack and not Russia.

It seems Wolf that the president, any time Russia does something in terms of offensive capabilities, whether cyber attacks or destabilizing activities in the Middle East, the President of the United States Donald Trump is always one of the first people to jump to Russia's defense.

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DIAMOND: But just yesterday, we heard the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo state very clearly that it appears very likely that Russia was indeed behind the cyber attack, and that also appears to be the broader conclusions of U.S. government officials.

BLITZER: It certainly does. Jeremy Diamond over at the White House thanks very much. I want to bring in the Democratic Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Adam Smith of Washington State.

Congressman, thank you so much for joining us.

We have lots to discuss, including the ongoing desperately needed stimulus package talks. But let me get your reaction to this exposing new reporting you just heard from Jeremy that there was actually, hard to believe, an Oval Office discussion that included talk of invoking martial law to try to overturn the will of the American people in this election, what is your reaction when you hear that?

REP. ADAM SMITH (D-WA): It is unbelievably disturbing, that the president is -- he is talking about basically leading a coup against the United States government and destroying our constitution. And with all due respect to Michael Flynn, and I don't think a lot is due, we have never had martial law to impose an election result that would essentially shred the constitution and end our republic as we know it.

There needs to be strong bipartisan pushback against this. It is an unbelievably dangerous thing for the president to be talking about. And it's shocking, it all makes us know, getting to January 20th is just enormously important.

BLITZER: Well, 32 days until the inauguration on January 20th. Let me get your quick reaction also to the president now suggesting probably it wasn't Russia, it may have been China that launched this massive attack against the United States and he said this only hour after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it was Russia. What is your reaction to that? SMITH: Look, there's no question this was Russia, there's no question it was Russia who interfered in our election four years ago. Look, there are a lot of different theories and a lot of different evidence as to why the president is consistently down playing Russian malign activity?

But the fact that he is, is not in dispute. And it's just making our country vulnerable. For Russia to do this is an extreme attack on our government and for the president to not respond and to deflect, you know, I know people don't want to get into conspiracy theories about Trump's ties to Putin and ties to Russia, but it raises that question, number one.

And number two, regardless of the reason he's leaving our country vulnerable at an incredibly important time. So we're also working on an issue now that is just getting a little bit of news story that the president is talking about trying to split up the cyber command from NSA the National Security Agency, in the midst of a crisis to be talking about that type of disruption makes us vulnerable again.

We need to keep the public pressure on this president, because he's shown there is nothing he won't do to undermine this country to advance his own personal interests.

BLITZER: Why do you think he's always with Putin and Russia, defending them refusing to say anything really negative about them, even in the face of a cyber attack that's just gone on?

SMITH: Well, in all honesty, I think it's a couple of different things. One, Trump has made it clear that he's kind of an inspiring fascist. I think he admires Putin. Putin controls his elections and he controls his country. President Trump wants that same type of power.

So I think that there's an admiration there as sad as that statement may be. And then look, you know, I just want to get to January 20th and start dealing with the pandemic, to start dealing with the economic crisis. So revisiting his ties to Russia in the past is not something we should be doing right now.

But we have to keep the pressure on him not to do more damage to the country, and to get us focused on passing the stimulus bill and passing the omnibus and by the way we don't need the president vetoing the defense bill, which has a number of protections on cyber security in it for no good reason. So I'm still dealing with that, so --

BLITZER: Yeah, he keeps threatening to veto that defense bill. Let's talk about the stimulus talks that are going on right now. Critically needed as you know millions and millions of Americans are now in poverty, they're having trouble putting food on the table, feeding their kids, paying the rent.

Right now, there seems to be, and it's hard to believe, a stand still. Republican Senator Pat Toomey is demanding that the bill trim the Federal Reserve's lending powers. This sort of sounds tone deaf to me at a critical moment like this. What are you hearing? What is the latest? Why can't this desperately needed legislation pass? SMITH: Well, the reason it's not passing is because some combination of Republicans in the Senate and people in the White House keep stopping it. And the reasons change, from one day to the next.

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SMITH: We get close to an agreement and then something else pops up. Look, Mitch McConnell made it clear all throughout the summer that he was not committed to a relief package. And I think we're seeing that play out across the Republican Conference and then also at the White House. They're not committed to it.

The president has this happy talk about how the economy is going to be fine and the pandemic is over. It's not, people are suffering they need help. And now for Pat Toomey to come in and say he wants to make it tougher for the fed to help our economy and he's going to hold up what little we can get.

I support the larger package that the Senate has said they're not doing under any circumstances. But even the smaller package that Speaker Pelosi has been able to negotiate, now they're holding it up to make it more difficult for the government to help people during a difficult economic time.

Look, we have got to put pressure on the Senate Republicans and whether that's in the Georgia races or wherever. Look, Wolf, I'm not a harsh partisan, I'm just not but here the blame is clearly with the Republicans in the White House and the Senate that's blocking us from getting the help our country needs, and people got to start holding them accountable so that we can get this done and help people.

BLITZER: Yeah, the suspicion is, they're trying to tie the hands of the incoming Biden Administration by getting this attached, because they don't trust supposedly the next President of the United States. Congressman Adam Smith the Chairman of House Armed Services Committee thank you so much for joining us. We'll stay in touch.

SMITH: Thanks, Wolf. I appreciate it.

BLITZER: Also tonight, a major development in the fight against the Coronavirus. A CDC Advisory Committee recommending a second vaccine. This one from Moderna, for emergency use in the United States, what that means for the fight against the Coronavirus? It's getting worse by the day, the hospitalizations, the cases, and the deaths.

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BLITZER: Time right now is of the essence, as cities struggle with the ever surging Coronavirus case numbers. It's so bad in some areas; they're starting to run out of hospital ICU beds. CNN's Pete Muntean is outside of the Moderna vaccine distribution facility in Olive Branch in Mississippi.

Paul Vercammen is in the Los Angeles suburb of Tarzana, where case counts are worse than ever. Pete let me start with you, what's happening where you are right now as this Moderna vaccine gets closer to rolling out?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Wolf, a Moderna vaccine shipment starts tomorrow, and it all begins right here. This is a McKesson facility that's the company distributing the vaccine for Modern and it is bit of a strategic spot. We're not too far away from Memphis, which is the Headquarters from FedEx. It and U.P.S. will be shipping this vaccine to 3,000 facilities across the country.

This vaccine rollout, four times larger than the initial Pfizer vaccine rollout and Operation Warp Speed is actually apologizing to states that did not get as much vaccine as they initially hoped. Here's what warp speed said.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's been horrible, Paul. This is by far the worst that it's been in the last nine months. No matter how far --

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MUNTEAN: A wrong sound bite. Moderna vaccines have a bit of an advantage over the Pfizer vaccine in that it does not need to be as cold as the Pfizer vaccine. In fact, this vaccine can be stored in a regular freezer, and that opens this up to many more rural communities and clinics. 6 million doses will be leaving here starting tomorrow, it all begins right here in Mississippi, Wolf.

BLITZER: Well, it can't be fast enough, given the numbers of what's going on. Paul, let's talk about where you are. ICU capacity, I understand has dropped to zero percent in Southern California. Case counts are at an all-time high. How are the hospitals even coping?

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, one thing that they're doing is the workers here are drinking gallons of coffee in some cases, they're expanding the ICU units, they're expanding the ER and they're working long hours. Some shifts 20 hours long. The Head of the ICU here at Providence Tarzana got in at 2:00 this morning and walked right into a COVID-19 perfect storm.

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DR. THOMAS YADEGAR, ICU DIRECTOR, PROVIDENCE CEDARS-SAINI TARZANA MEDICAL CENTER: It's been horrible, Paul. This is by far the worst that has been in the past 9 months. No matter how hard we have tried to get patients better to stabilize them and hopefully we get patients home, it seems like there are another 4 patients who are sicker waiting for that same bed.

Patients are coming in much sicker than in the past 4 months and a lot of them are getting intubated in the emergency room. They notice that the hospitals are being overwhelmed and they're just trying to wait. I had a patient this past week that waited too long, and I asked them, why are you not coming in earlier? It broke my heart, but what he said was I didn't want to take someone else's bed. I didn't want to take someone else's bed. I thought that someone was going to be sicker and needed it more.

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VERCAMMEN: And the latest numbers here in California, 43,000 new COVID-19 cases. With that in mind, the Dr. Yadegar saying he thinks that L.A. needs to resume becoming a ghost town, Wolf.

BLITZER: That's so, so had. Paul Vercammen, Pete Muntean, guys, I know you're working hard over there. We'll stay in close touch with both of you. Meanwhile, British scientists are now reporting a very, very worrisome development. A variant to the Coronavirus that seems to be spreading more quickly the Epidemiologist Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is joining us right now; he is the Former Detroit Health Commissioner.

Also with us, Dr. Patrice Harris, Former President immediate past President I should say of the American Medical Association. To both of you, thanks very much for joining us. Dr. El-Sayed, how concerning is this news potentially of a more contagious variant?

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BLITZER: British officials say it's maybe up to 70 percent more transmissible. What does that mean?

DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED, EPIDEMIOLOGIST: I'll say this there is a lot more we need to learn. It is concerning, but I want to start with the good news first. The good news is that the evidence suggests to us that it does not make the virus any more immune or resistant to the vaccine, which is really critical.

It doesn't seem to be any more deadly than the strains of the virus we have known about. But the fact that it does spread fast is a big issue. We know that because it spreads fast, its capacity to continue to spread and to enrich itself as a function of the COVID-19 that spreads is a serious question.

So we need to wait learn more, see what the science shows us. But all of it says that the things we need to do have been the same things that can protect ourselves, to wear masks, to physically distancing, to make sure that we're practicing good hand hygiene.

BLITZER: Also critically important potentially and God forbid I hope it doesn't happen. But Dr. El-Sayed, could this Coronavirus mutate to a point where these vaccines, Pfizer, Moderna, others in the works right now, that they may not necessarily be as effective as they should be?

DR. EL-SAYED: From what we understand, the vaccine is set up to target a part of the virus that is critical and relatively stable to the biology of the virus. That being said, there's still a lot more to learn about this virus, and in this case, it is theoretically possible that it could happen. But I want to be clear that it has not happened yet. From what we understand, the vaccines are both safe and effective from the prevention of all the strains that we know of, and that people should be getting their vaccine as soon as they possibly can, and a public health official tells them that it's time.

BLITZER: Yeah, I totally agree. You know, Dr. Harris, there's a new Kaiser Family Foundation study that found that up to a third of African-Americans are right now hesitant about getting this vaccine, the Surgeon General of the United States Dr. Jerome Adams got his vaccine on camera to help take away some of the stigma. But how do you battle long standing skepticism about these federally approved vaccines skepticism in the black community?

DR. PATRICE HARRIS, FORMER PRESIDENT, AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION: Well Wolf, thank you for having me again. And certainly the first thing we want to say is that skepticism that mistrust has been earned from the Tuskegee Syphilis study to -- even some instances today.

And so the way you earn trust is to work with the community, go into the community, and ask the community what we need to do to earn their trust. I think representation matters. It does matter that Dr. Adams received his vaccine in public. It is important that Dr. Corbitt (ph), that we highlight, Dr. Corbitt I had a wonderful opportunity to be on a panel with her.

One of the leading researchers in vaccine development, an African- American woman is highlighted. So we just need to stay in the community. And Wolf, we need to not make sure this is not just a one and done. We need to go into the community but continue to work to make sure the community gets the health care that they need and that they deserve.

BLITZER: Are you ready, Dr. Harris, to get the vaccine yourself?

DR. HARRIS: I am ready as soon as it is my turn; I am going to get the vaccine, absolutely.

BLITZER: What about you, Dr. El-Sayed, I assume you're ready for the vaccine as soon as you're eligible?

DR. EL-SAYED: I'll be honest my shoulder has been waiting since I knew we had safe and effective vaccine, so I'm looking forward to it. And as soon as it is my turn, I'm going to do the same.

BLITZER: And I totally agree so it's my turn, I'm ready to get that vaccine, as well. How significant is it that Dr. El-Sayed that the Moderna vaccine doesn't require very strict temperature controls like the Pfizer vaccine does? Does that make it more useful let's say for nonurban areas that may lack the necessary equipment?

DR. EL-SAYED: Yeah, one of the hardest parts about the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is that, it requires this very extensive network of refrigeration and they've addressed some of the challenges because of the boxes that they specially created to ship it.

But having a vaccine that's a bit more stable at usual temperatures means that in some of the circumstances where the infrastructure doesn't exist to keep it cold you can still use that vaccine and that really is critical, because you're going to have less spoilage. You can extend it in communities that are further, deeper into our country and into our heartland.

At the same time, it's also really important, because we know that we're not the only country struggling with COVID-19. It is critical that we're getting COVID-19 vaccines out to the rest of the world, who is also struggling and in some circumstances where you have lack of electricity or lack of that refrigerator, this vaccine is just more fastidious it has a better shot at being able to being able to be used in those locals.

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DR. EL-SAYED: So in terms of bringing down the global pandemic it really is, is really quite important.

BLITZER: Yeah, solid point. There are more vaccines in the works right now. Johnson & Johnson has got one in the works, Oxford's AstraZenica, the more merrier the more the better because not only people here in the United States but all over the world are in trouble right now. Dr. Patrice Harris and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed as usual thanks so much for joining us. We really appreciate everything you guys do. Thank you.

DR. EL-SAYED: Thank you, Wolf.

DR. HARRIS: Thank you, wolf.

BLITZER: Join Anderson Cooper to learn how the country actually defeated the 1918 pandemic. The new CNN special report "Pandemic: How a virus changed the world in 1918? " that begins right after THE SITUATION ROOM at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

And while the country sees a dramatic surge in new cases hospitalizations and deaths here in the United States due to the Coronavirus, lawmakers in Washington, it's hard to believe, they are still unable to get a deal on much-needed Coronavirus relief. We have new details about the negotiations going on right now up on Capitol Hill.

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BLITZER: Another desperately needed COVID relief package is being hammered out up on Capitol Hill right now. Heated negotiations have been ongoing all weekend. But as lawmakers inch closer to a deal and we hope there will be a deal, some sticky points still remain sadly.

Our senior congressional correspondent, Manu Raju has been covering all pf these negotiations for us. He's up on Capitol Hill.

So Manu, what's the latest? What can you tell us? When will we see a deal? Is it going to happen tomorrow? The next day? This is desperate right now. MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It most certainly

is and there are no clear answers. Still negotiations are occurring. We are told by multiple sources that negotiations are going to occur through the night tonight and ultimately try to see if they can come to some sort of resolution tomorrow.

There is one major sticking point left, language that is pushed by Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania who wants to rein in the emergency lending powers of the Federal Reserve, which was created by the March stimulus law.

He wants -- though he is concerned, and other Republicans are also about this and their view about being a slush fund for the incoming Biden administration. Democrats don't see it that way.

They say that the language that Toomey is pushing will constrain the Biden administration to respond to the economic crisis. So all day long, they have been trading proposals back and forth, and I am told that the discussions are perhaps moving a little bit closer.

There was some optimism leaving the floor tonight as the Senate was done for voting for the evening. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana was listening to conversations with the leadership and Pat Toomey and he said that he thinks they can come to a more narrow focus, ultimately get a deal on this issue.

But this is essentially what's hanging things up. Even if they get a deal on this, Wolf. They are still to draft the legislative text, the members will have to review it. They have to schedule votes, get into the House, get it through the Senate. They'll need full cooperation the United States Senate to get a vote because one senator can delay a vote if he or she were so to choose.

And that is uncertain proposition and what we're also facing is a government shutdown, potentially on Monday if no deal is reached to fund the government past tomorrow night, these two issues now intertwined, all riding on whether or not a resolution can be reached on this issue about reining in the Federal Reserve.

And so much, Wolf, is in this COVID relief package, $900 billion, including $300.00 of weekly unemployment benefits, $600.00, one time direct payments for individuals under a certain income threshold, more than $80 billion for schools that are trying to reopen in addition to money for vaccine distribution that would go to the states and cities.

So, so much is in this package. Can they resolve this final sticking point? It is still an open question. And one Democrat who is involved told me, Chris Coons told me as he was leaving the Senate tonight, he said, my hunch is that the talks will continue tonight. But tomorrow is going to be the decision where one party or another will have to make a, quote, "hard decision," because in his words, he says, this cannot go on -- Wolf.

BLITZER: It cannot go on. This is so critically needed right now. All right, Manu, thank you very much. Manu Raju, working up on Capitol Hill. Meanwhile, there's new details emerging right now about a heated Oval

Office meeting over the White House on Friday that we're learning including stunning -- truly stunning suggestions of how to try to overturn the results of the democratically held presidential election here in the United States, including talk of Martial Law.

Much more straight ahead right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

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BLITZER: On this Saturday night, we are learning of a truly extraordinary, very dangerous suggestions made in the Oval Office over at the White House about invoking Martial Law as part of an effort to try to overturn the democratically held presidential election here in the U.S., which Joe Biden won by more than seven million votes.

The idea came during a meeting only yesterday that included President Trump's former National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn. Flynn made a similar suggestion in a TV interview earlier this week.

Yet, the President's recent actions show a Commander-in-Chief who may not have much interest in the job he will actually leave on January 20th.

I want to bring in our national political reporter, Maeve Reston. Maeve, you've covered what -- five presidential campaigns along with state and local politics over the years. What's your reaction when you heard this truly incredible tale of Martial Law actually being discussed in the Oval Office to try to overturn the results of this election?

MAEVE RESTON, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, I mean, I think it's really frightening to all of us, Wolf. It sort of raises the question of whether or not President Trump thinks he can get away with making this country into a banana republic.

We know that he has always had these fringe figures around him, people like Sidney Powell and Michael Flynn who really have no credibility at all.

There has been no proof behind any of their theories about voter fraud, and it's just really scary that this kind of thing would be discussed in the Oval Office, and also just baffling that this is what President Trump is still focused on when the country is in such a deep state of crisis, not just with these rising coronavirus cases everywhere, but also a deep economic pain that Americans are feeling all over with Congress still struggling to make a deal -- Wolf.

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BLITZER: And he is invisible when it comes to all of that. I want to show our viewers, Maeve, what a senior Republican official actually told "The Washington Post" two days after Joe Biden was projected to win the election, and the President was already challenging the results.

You can see the quote there: "What is the downside for humoring him for this little bit of time? No one seriously thinks the results will change. He went golfing this weekend. It's not like he is plotting how to prevent Joe Biden from taking power on January 20th."

Yet now we have Senator-elect Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, saying he may actually object to the results when Congress convenes on January 6th even though the Electoral College has decided officially that Biden won the U.S. Supreme Court, ruled in favor of Biden; the outgoing Attorney General Bill Barr said there was no evidence of widespread fraud. All 50 states and D.C. have certified this, yet, some are actually what -- trying to humor the President, is that right?

RESTON: Well, I mean, it's certainly the wrong word for it, and it's why it's so dangerous that they think that they can humor him because it seems like each time President Trump tries to force one of these crises, whether it's through his election lawsuits, or now meddling with congressional actions on January 6th, you know, there's always going to be somebody who pops up and, you know, agrees to play along with his schemes.

We saw Mitch McConnell, finally, the Senate Majority Leader finally draw a line and recognize President-elect Biden, but you have to wonder, in some ways, whether that was too late, because you have so many people in America now who have gone along with this false narrative that President Trump has created, and it always seems like he has something else up his sleeve.

And we all just have to hope that the guardrails of democracy are strong enough to keep this on a level path as we get to January 6th.

BLITZER: I keep thinking he is doing this over and over again, simply to raise a lot of money. He has raised more than $200 million since the election. He is probably going to raise another $100 million before the inauguration, 32 days from today.

Maeve Reston, thank you, as usual for joining us.

RESTON: Thank you. Thanks so much, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you and make sure to tune in to CNN's "State of the Union" tomorrow morning, 9:00 a.m. Eastern. Former 2020 presidential candidate and incoming Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joins Jake tomorrow morning, 9:00 a.m. Eastern and at noon Eastern.

Coming up, African-Americans have been hit disproportionately hard by the coronavirus, but they also report distrust in the vaccine. So what can health experts do to change those perceptions? This is critically important. We'll discuss when we come back.

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[19:47:31] BLITZER: America's own history is now playing out against efforts to

stop the spread of COVID in minority communities. The wretched example of the Tuskegee Experiment in which syphilis victims went deliberately untreated still lingers in the minds of many African-Americans nearly 50 years after it ended.

For many, it's a horrific example of being exploited by a government that now wants their trust. The country's Surgeon General right now, Dr. Jerome Adams acknowledges the damage, and yesterday, in a very emotional appearance, he got the Pfizer COVID vaccine himself in front of the cameras, and he pleaded for renewed belief in the safety of the vaccines.

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DR. JEROME ADAMS, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: To truly promote confidence in these vaccines, we must start by acknowledging this history of mistreatment and exploitation of minorities by the medical community and the government.

But then we need to explain and demonstrate all that has been done to correct and address these wrongs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right, joining us now Marc Morial, the President of the National Urban League. Marc, thanks so much for joining us. As you know, this last study from the Kaiser Foundation found that nearly one third of black Americans remain hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

How do you fix the fact that there is this distrust that continues among minorities when it comes right now to the desperately needed COVID vaccine?

MARC MORIAL, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE: So thank you, Wolf, for having me. First, let's acknowledge the distrust and that the reasons are legitimate and they are not false and they are not fictitious.

Then number two, let's give people the information they need so that they understand how the vaccine was created, that the clinical trials were diverse, that there were African-American scientists and physicians involved in both the development process and the approval process.

And let's trust people to make a decision on their own. That's number one. Number two, let's create a community-based distribution program that goes beyond hospitals, doctors and chain pharmacies, so that the vaccine is easily available. People don't have to encounter long lines, those that don't want to go inside of a hospital or doctor's office don't have to do it.

So we've been working with the Black Coalition against COVID and a number of folks and we've had discussions with the Biden COVID Taskforce, and with a number of others about these two exact strategies. And I think, Wolf, the messengers that people need to hear from are

black physicians, Latino physicians, indigenous physicians, and scientists amplified by people in the community.

So I intend to take the vaccine, I don't want to jump the line, but before doing so I will consult with my own personal physician. And I think the most important thing we can say to people who may have hesitancy and doubt is if you have a personal physician, speak to them, trust them, rely on their thoughts, their recommendations and have that confidential conversation before doing so.

There's work to do. And I think we can, if you will, increase the understanding and the acceptance of the vaccine, but we've got to talk to people in a way that acknowledges the fears, gives them sufficient information and helps them make their own mind up.

I trust people, I think if they have the information, many people may overcome some of the hesitancy, and you're after all, Wolf, this is a contagious disease and taking the vaccine is not only about your own health and safety, but that of your family, your co-workers, your community members, and everyone you care and love.

BLITZER: Is the Urban League going to go out there and actively tell folks out there, tell your members, tell your supporters, this is critically important that could save your life, it could save the lives of your loved ones, go get the vaccine as soon as you're eligible.

MORIAL: I think what we're going to do, Wolf is, at the beginning, provide people with information about the vaccine, about the clinical trials process, and we're going to sort of suggest to people that they look to the guidance of the black medical community.

So we've been working closely with the deans in the four black medical schools in the United States, the National Medical Association, which is a professional association of black doctors, and blackdoctors.org under the leadership of Dr. Reed Tuckson ho has assembled this coalition.

The coalition is working one, with the N.I.H.; two, with the pharmaceutical companies; three, with the civil rights and community based organizations, and I think the important thing is, we want to encourage people to make a decision and give them the information they need.

I think we should not be quick to just pound people and say, you've got to take the vaccine. You have to take the vaccine. I think that we need to understand that people when given information are going to make, I think, an intelligent choice.

And I think the more people who get the vaccine, when people see their friends, they see their neighbors, they see their co-workers, I think there has got to be a great deal more acceptance.

But I want us to take an approach that respects the history that understands the reluctance, and that helps people decide on their own and importantly, Wolf, and this is not part of the current Trump administration plan. And this is where we've encouraged the Biden team to step in.

We have to have a community based distribution system: schools, libraries, Urban League affiliate centers around the nation, faith based location. We could use large football stadiums, college campuses, places that are accessible to people. I think it is essential if this is going to work in a way that many people hope it works,

BLITZER: I think it would be very significant, I wonder if you agree, if prominent African-Americans in all sorts of fields, not just in medical -- in the medical field, the scientific community, but people like you who are well known.

Others got the shots publicly in front of cameras to reassure the folks this is safe. What do you think about that?

MORIAL: I intend to do that, Wolf. I intend to take the vaccine in public but I -- what I'm saying to people is, I am doing it because my own doctor recommends it and that conversation with my own doctor, I think is the comfort level.

See, I think we have to help people make a decision about a medical issue by consulting an expert. One of the challenges we have when you have a history of lack of access to primary care physicians or health infrastructure in one's community. The reflex, the, if you will, habit of consulting one's physician is not there if you haven't had a physician, if you hadn't had access.

So I do intend to take it. I do intend to do it publicly. I'll be speaking probably in the next week or so, with my physician to get the best guidance in terms of doing it, and so I believe, Wolf, that we, at the National Urban League want this to take place in a way that is respectful in a way that is ultimately not going to be effective. So let's take it and do it the right way.

[19:55:21]

BLITZER: Absolutely. Marc Morial, as usual, thanks so much for joining us. I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

MORIAL: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: And let's all hope 2021 is better than 2020 was. Appreciate it very much.

MORIAL: Thank you, Wolf, always appreciate you. Thank you.

BLITZER: Thank you. We're going to have much more and all the breaking news coming up. We have details of a heated Oval Office meeting, Friday, where Trump allies actually floated the idea of enacting Martial Law as a way to overturn the democratically held election here in the United States.

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