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Trump Acquitted; Pelosi Speaks; Wuhan Coronavirus Whistleblower Doctor Dies. Aired 11a-12:00p ET
Aired February 06, 2020 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Atlanta, this is CONNECT THE WORLD.
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST (voice-over): I'm Lynda Kinkade sitting in for Becky. Good to have you with us.
Donald Trump's impeachment trial is over but the fallout will be felt for months all, of course, leading up to the November election, when the
American people decide the president's future.
Well, the president will make a formal statement on the acquittal in the next hour at the White House. But he used his first public appearance since
the vote this morning to blast the impeachment, taking to the podium at the National Prayer Breakfast.
And before he spoke the president held up the newspapers with the headline "Acquitted." Later he criticized Democrats and senator Mitt Romney, the
only Republican who voted to acquit him on one of the two impeachment charges passed by the House.
The president sat stone-faced as the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke at the breakfast, offering a prayer for those who are suffering. This just
Tuesday night Pelosi ripped up a copy of the president's State of the Union address as his speech ended.
Well, we are waiting to hear what Pelosi has to say about the impeachment verdict and the president's comments today at her weekly news conference in
any moment. We'll bring you that live when it happens.
For now I want to bring in our correspondent, John Harwood, at the White House where the president is set to speak next hour. Stephen Collinson in
the Washington bureau.
I want to start with you, first, John, because President Trump spoke just in the last few hours at the National Prayer Breakfast again attacking
everyone and anyone who brought this impeachment trial about. And not surprising, really.
JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump affirmed the kind of person that we thought he was going in. It was just the opposite of
the kind of performance we got from Bill Clinton after he was acquitted in 1999.
He came into the Rose Garden of the White House, apologized to the nation, apologized to Congress for putting them through the agony.
President Trump frames his thoughts on events whether they're good or bad for him so he walked in, displaying that newspaper, saying he had been
acquitted and then he lashed out at both Nancy Pelosi and Mitt Romney, saying he doesn't like people who say they pray for you, Nancy Pelosi had
done that, said he didn't like people who use religion for justification to do things they think are wrong.
In the case of Mitt Romney and Nancy Pelosi, they're both people of faith. Donald Trump, by all indications, is not a person of faith so it is not
surprising that he used the prayer breakfast in that way.
But it was affirming of who Donald Trump is. And we expect to get some more of that, maybe even more pointed comments, when he comes out to speak at
the White House around noon.
KINKADE: I think we do have some sound of Donald Trump from that prayer breakfast just to give people a bit of a flavor as to what exactly he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I don't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong. Nor do I like people who say, I pray for you, when
they know that that's not so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: President Trump there clearly having a jab at Nancy Pelosi. I want to ask you about Mitt Romney, John, because, clearly, he's the only
lawmaker in the history of the U.S. to vote against a president who represents his party. He spoke about it.
It was a pretty emotional Mitt Romney who took to the Senate floor on Wednesday to explain why he was going to vote differently from the other
Republican members of his party. Let's just take a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITT ROMNEY (R-UT): Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most destructive use of an oath of office that I can
imagine. Were I to ignore the evidence that's been presented and to disregard what I believe my oath and the Constitution demand of me for the
sake of a partisan end, it would, I fear, expose my character to history's rebuke.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: It is fascinating what you think that it is history-making to have this happen, to have someone vote against the president in their own
party. Clearly, it shows that there's a floor in the system, in the impeachment trial.
HARWOOD: Well, look. American politics is growing increasingly tribal, especially on the Republican side. Republicans have lost the popular vote
in six of the last seven presidential elections. They think they're under assault and have to stick together.
[11:05:00]
HARWOOD: The president played on that in trying to hold the Republican votes and so did Mitch McConnell.
But with Mitt Romney, Mitt Romney is somebody who does care about the difference between right and wrong. He thought about it deeply. You can see
the emotion on his face.
And the reaction of President Trump to Mitt Romney underscores that he doesn't think in those terms, morality or right and wrong. He called Mitt
Romney sanctimonious. That's because the president assumes that most people are transactional, are self-interested as he is.
But they're not and that's why Mitt Romney voted that way and the president, though he was acquitted, though there's a triumphant edge to his
comments today, he is clearly stung by the fact he is not able to say that all Republicans stuck with him.
KINKADE: Right. Certainly an incredible moment.
John, just stand by for us. I want to bring in Suzanne Malveaux for more on what happened in the last days.
A standout moment was Nancy Pelosi ripping up the president's State of the Union address just after he finished delivering it. Now House Republicans
plan to introduce a disapproval resolution condemning it.
How will that work?
How will that play out?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Well, this just really goes to the partisan nature of what's happening here on Capitol Hill and some
people are calling for unity, particularly at the prayer breakfast.
Clear that people are not willing to do that at this time. House Republicans, yes, will be calling for a resolution condemning Speaker
Pelosi for ripping up that speech, unbecoming of her office and the decorum they're used to seeing there in the chamber there.
And at the same time you have on the Democratic side, are they letting go of the investigations?
Well, we have heard from the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Jerry Nadler, saying very likely they're going to continue with their
investigations, that they will likely subpoena John Bolton.
The Republican side, there are some Senate Republicans in charge of Finance and Homeland Security Committees, who say they're going to continue with
their investigations regarding the Bidens here.
So it seems very clear that both sides, definitely lawmakers not ready for that Kumbaya moment and not ready to let it go and this might continue to
play out, certainly this year as we get closer and closer to the presidential election.
KINKADE: The impeachment trial over. The investigations clearly planning to go on. Suzanne Malveaux, thank you.
I want to bring in Stephen Collinson to talk more about what we are seeing in Iowa.
Clearly it took a long time for the results to come out there. But from what we are seeing with the 97 percent of the votes now counted, seems that
Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Bernie Sanders are neck and neck. And Buttigieg says that this is giving his campaign a significant boost. Let's
just take a listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE BUTTIGIEG (D), MAYOR OF SOUTH BEND, IND., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Iowa was our first chance to show we have the ability to win. New Hampshire
is a place where we demonstrate we have sustained momentum, a chance to prove that we are in this race for the long haul.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Interrupt and listen to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, she is speaking now. Let's listen.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: What happened instead was the president using the Congress of the United States as a backdrop for a
reality show, a state of mind that had no contact with reality whatsoever.
It was quite appalling to hear the president say that 150 million families in America that are faced with preexisting medical conditions, a benefit
afforded to them in the Affordable Care Act, that he was protecting that benefit when he has done everything to dismantle it.
We are fighting him in the courts to preserve that benefit. That misrepresentation was appalling and so clearly untrue.
Next, he talked about another issue of concern, the issue of the cost of prescription drugs. They cannot afford the prescription drugs and meet
their other obligations to their families. We talked about negotiating for lower prices, the only way you're going to get lower prices.
During the campaign the president said he would associate like crazy, I think that means we have also that you before because the president's
statements have sent stocks soaring. For him to reference that, he was working on that.
We had been working on it, we were hopeful to get something done. Someone must've stepped in.
[11:10:00]
PELOSI: Then he talked about saving Medicare and Social Security, when in fact in his budget, the 220 budget he submitted, $2 trillion decreased in
Medicare and Medicaid combined including in terms of Social Security, to reduce the disability benefit in Social Security at the kitchen table of
America's working families to serve these falsehoods.
Appalling also was what he was trying to discredit the triumph of the Obama administration on the economy. A paper on this put out by the Joint
Economic Committee under leadership of Don Beyer, House vice chair on that.
And it talks about all the things -- to succinctly put it, when President Obama came into office the unemployment rate was 10 percent. When he left
it was 5 percent. Donald Trump did not inherit -- he inherited a momentous job creation.
President Obama came into office, 6000. When he left it was it 18,000, again, momentum the administration was able to pick up on. During eight
years of Obama's presidency he reduce the deficit by $1 trillion.
Instead this administration is increasing and with their tax cuts, tax scam, the benefits are going to the top one percent. They increased the
national debt by $2 trillion and tried to expose -- pay for itself but they went to Medicare and Medicaid to try to pay for that.
We are not doing that. During eight years when President Bush was president, job growth was slow. Under President Obama we gained 14 million
private sector jobs and during his presidency, that is far more in terms of years than this president has created.
Momentum, up to $14 million is not a mess, Mr. President. And during his presidency we rescued the auto industry and all goes back to the economy.
During the administration, 20 million people had quality affordable health care.
In addition to that, 150 million with preexisting conditions got a new benefit that enabled them to have access to healthcare as well as other
benefits and no annual limits can stay on the benefit, being a woman no longer creates the same condition.
When he talks about I will make health care, the fact is he did not inherit a mess. He inherited momentum of growth in our economy and many more
statistics, what I hope you will read.
Because it was appalling to hear him try to take credit for something -- a mess that he inherited when in fact it was a great advantage to the country
that President Obama's policies took us to that very positive place of growth and job creation and deficit reduction.
My members have ideas, what does your idea do for growth?
Creation of good paying jobs and reducing the deficit?
Let's see how it meets those standards.
What the president has done is not that. For him to make is that, if he did all this stuff, he still hasn't even matched President Obama's growth in
the stock market, if you call that a real measure of success.
It is a good indicator but not a good indicator what is happening at the kitchen table of American working families, where they are concerned that
many of them have not received a raise in a very long time; 40 percent cut, not $5,500 for an emergency.
The president says because of all my growth many more people are not on food stamps.
[11:15:00]
PELOSI: He took them off. People are not taking this -- you kicked them off. That just isn't a fair thing to do. In my view it was a manifesto of
mistruths, falsehoods, blatantly, really dangerous to the well-being of the American people if they believe what he said.
We do not want the chamber of the House of Representatives to be used as a backdrop for a reality show with unreality in the presentation.
By the way a serious breach to start chanting "four more years" on the floor of the House, totally inappropriate.
We are excited about honoring our promise to the American people. We are going to lower the cost of healthcare by lowering the cost of prescription
drugs and on our path with H.R. 3, benefits from the people should know that it will lower the cost of prescription drugs for them.
It will also increase benefits from Medicare, dental, hearing and visual, vision and expansion of Medicare which is the biggest expansion since its
inception, that benefit will apply, not only Medicare, reduction in cost will not only apply to Medicare but to all insurance plans for prescription
drugs. We are very excited about H.R. 3, lower health care costs by lowering the cost of free prescription drugs and medical condition
benefits.
Secondly, bigger paychecks go to infrastructure of America in a resilient way. We had negotiated with the White House on H.R. 3, with the American
people. Thought we were a good path negotiating with what the infrastructure bill was containing and didn't even know what that was when
we first talked about it, water, broadband and paychecks, talk about the plan.
They sent over a $200 billion plan, which he said is a bad plan. It is too small, too much burden. Lower health care costs, cleaner government.
Cleaner government, that is not something he or Republicans have as their value.
The first time in history a senator has voted against his own president in a decision regarding impeachment. God bless him for his courage. Whatever
he said, completely inappropriate, especially at a prayer breakfast. We will be -- talking before about our infrastructure bill, surface
transportation and desert broadband. Very important to help education to the rest of the country.
And some housing initiatives and initiatives that relate to that in the week ahead. We continue, do our work, 275 bipartisan bills on Mitch
McConnell's desk. The Grim Reaper has not taken any of them up. If he had one, I wish he would do background check legislation, which would save
lives.
It is an interesting time as we go forward. We will take up in the next week, ERA legislation. Excitement across the country to see what happened
in Virginia. To include that new state and that number especially this year and observe the 100th anniversary of having the right to vote.
What happened to the 49ers?
I'll ask that at the end.
But just when you are thinking about it, think about your own team. OK?
The first round draft.
(LAUGHTER)
[11:20:00]
PELOSI: Well, there's always that. There's always that.
Any questions?
Yes, ma'am?
QUESTION: I just -- you just mentioned things like prescription drugs and infrastructure.
PELOSI: Yes.
QUESTION: What do you think is the likelihood of being able to work with President Trump on these things given what at least appears to be a
strained relationship between (INAUDIBLE)?
PELOSI: We have had a strained relationship for a while. We were able to keep government open and push back on his threats to shut down government
if we didn't do this and that.
Obviously very proud of the work in a bipartisan work of our appropriators. They can really work things out left to their own devices and we did and
pushed back on threats of shutdown and worked together on that on the agreement of -- he bragged about delivering. I don't know if he knows what
is in it.
But it does have what I've said to you many times, it does have a framework of enforcement for protection of workers, environment and getting rid of
his gift to pharma. Imagine a gift to pharma in that trade agreement.
Well, we kicked -- kicked that out. Just another example of his beholdenness to the pharmaceutical industry. So we got two major things
accomplished. These are things that the president said he wanted to do, reduce the cost of prescription drugs and build the infrastructure during
the campaign. Especially infrastructure.
I hardly ever had a conversation with him when he wasn't talking about infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure. I think he really wants
that. I think he knows our country needs that. And I hope that we -- we were almost there in the time to pay for it and then he was out the door.
QUESTION: You don't think anything's changed because of impeachment and still would be --
(CROSSTALK)
PELOSI: Well, that's up to him. It hasn't changed in terms of us.
Why would you give him the victory on the trade agreement?
It is not a victory for him. Not to do that for the benefit it provides for the farmers, our manufacturers, our workers in our country, our hemisphere.
But I think would be wrong. I mean, he wasn't that important to walk away from what they were conceding to us, what they were conceding to us in that
legislation. If we didn't get what we want we couldn't go that path but we did.
Now did we get everything?
No. It was a negotiation. But it's a path to much better trade agreements and I'm pleased we did it.
Yes?
QUESTION: Good morning. The White House communications director indicated that she's -- the president -- the administration may want to have some
payback for what the impeachment and represented here. When you hear that sort of language, as we speak, the U.S. Capitol police investigating a
suspicious package in the office of Congressman Schiff.
PELOSI: Oh no. I don't think it has anything to do with the White House.
QUESTION: When you hear from that from the White House and these types of environments, what does that make you think?
PELOSI: Well, let me just say that that language is first of all the whole State of the Union was beneath the dignity of the White House, an insult to
the Congress of the United States and American people. So their language is nothing that surprises anyone.
But they have to know, the White House speaks, those words weigh a ton and they are giving encouragement to people to do things. Just says, remember,
Charlottesville. People were coming down that hill with tiki torches, saying the Jews will not replace us.
What was the president's statement?
There are good people on both sides.
Really?
Jews will not replace us and good people on both sides?
So there's a mysterious view that they have about what their words -- the weight their words carry. And there are people out there who for whatever
purpose, I know I'm constantly -- I don't want to go into the target that I am because of them but I can't worry about that. That was there even before
them just working with President Obama stirred up some of those same people.
But the -- I mean, I would like to think that it had nothing to do with what the White House was saying but I do think they should rein in their
comments because what they're saying is there is going to be payback to us for upholding the Constitution of the United States for honoring the vision
of the founders for a democracy, for a republic if we can keep it, for something the men and women in uniform fight to protect, our freedom and
Constitution and the aspirations of our children that depend on living in a democracy that's unquestioned where we have freedom of the press to be
guardians of that democracy.
So -- you know, I'm not very fond of commenting on anything they say.
[11:25:00]
PELOSI: But if it's threatening, it's wrong.
QUESTION: Several members of the various House investigative committees indicated that they would like to subpoena John Bolton.
What is your position on that?
When should it happen?
PELOSI: I want to first salute our managers. I think they did a magnificent job in presenting the case for our founders, for our
Constitution, for our country. We could not have been better served. Each and every one of them did a magnificent job and Adam Schiff's leadership
was a blessing to our country.
I'm proud of the work that the Senate did in terms of their response to all of this and their unanimous vote on the House Democrats in support of our
Constitution.
We are now -- the Senate has spoken in terms of any punishment to the president. He's impeached forever. No matter what he says or whatever
headlines he wants to carry around. You are impeached forever. History will record that you are impeached for undermining the security of our country,
jeopardizing the integrity of our elections and violating the Constitution of the United States.
Our purpose in all of this in addition to holding him accountable so he stops doing what he is doing and no future president thinks that he or she
could have liberty to take us away from a republic if you can keep it to a second amendment enables me to do whatever I want. No, that is not what our
Constitution is about.
So we'll continue to do our oversight to protect and defend the Constitution which is three co-equal branches of government. That will take
time. We didn't need to have that come to a fruition because we had a strong enough case to impeach and remove but those cases still exist. If
there are other that is we see as an opportunity we'll make a judgment at that time. But we have no plans right now.
QUESTION: Speaker Pelosi?
PELOSI: Yes, ma'am?
QUESTION: Can you describe what you were thinking this morning as the president said that impeachment was a terrible ordeal put through by
corrupt and dishonest people by which he meant you and other Democrats?
Also, his suggestion you don't actually pray for him.
PELOSI: I don't know if the president understands about prayer or people who do pray but we do pray for the United States of America, I pray for
him, President Bush still, President Obama because it's a heavy responsibility.
And I pray hard for him because he's so off the track of our Constitution, our values, our country, the air our children breathe, the water their
drink and the rest. He really needs our prayers.
He can say whatever he wants. He can say whatever he wants. But I do pray for him and I do so sincerely and without any -- you know, generally I pray
for everybody else. I thought what he said about -- what he said about Senator Romney was particularly without class when he said some people use
faith as an excuse to do the wrong thing.
You remember what he said about Romney?
You got that there?
What?
It's so inappropriate at a prayer breakfast. You want to go to the prayer breakfast, pray on the school vouchers, women's right to choose, all those
things that the audience is right for. God bless you. A prayer breakfast. Something about faith. You know?
May not be something I agree with but it's appropriate. To go into the stock market and raising up his acquittal thing and mischaracterizing other
people's motivation, he's talking about things that he knows little about. Faith and prayer.
Yes, ma'am?
QUESTION: You often counsel the members to be dignified.
PELOSI: Yes.
QUESTION: Did you step on that message by tearing up the speech?
PELOSI: No, I did not. No, I did not. I tore up a manifesto of mistrust. It is hard to get you to talk about the issues we are working on. H.R. 3,
infrastructure and the rest, to misrepresent all of that, necessary to get the attention of the American people to say this is not true and this is
how it affects you and I don't need any lessons from anybody, especially the President of the United States, about dignity. Is it OK to start saying
four more years in the House of Representatives?
It is unheard of.
[11:30:00]
PELOSI: It is unheard of for a president to insult people there who don't change -- share his views, as well as to misrepresent falsehoods. I don't
like to use the word lie about what he's saying. So, no, I think it was completely and entirely appropriate and considering some of the other
exuberances within the courteous thing to do.
Yes, sir?
QUESTION: You pause and you'd like another president but to invite him back for the State of the Union, given what you're describing --
PELOSI: Next year we will have a new President of the United States. That is an absolute imperative for our country, for our Constitution, for the
land we love from sea to shining sea which he degrades and for who we are, a nation of immigrants, unless you're blessed to be born a Native American,
and whom he denigrates and for the values which he just is disloyal to the Constitution, degrades the environment, denigrates who we are as a people
and -- and undervalues who we are as a great country.
That is a good -- that is a good country where people care about each other and a sense of community. It's appalling the things that he says and then
you say to me, tearing up his falsehoods, isn't that the wrong message?
No, it isn't. It's just I have tried to be gracious with him. I'm always dignified. I thought that was a dignified act compared to exuberance as I
said. We will not allow any president to use that Capitol, that chamber of the House of Representatives, the people's house, as a backdrop for him.
All presidents have guest. Constant guests, that was not a State of the Union. That was a state -- his state of mind. We weren't a State of the
Union.
Where are we?
Where are we going?
And the rest. Not let me show you how many guests I can draw and say how I can give a Medal of Honor. Do it in your own office. We don't come in your
office and do congressional business.
Why are you doing that here?
Quite frankly when he was starting to talk about someone with stage IV cancer, I thought he was -- I don't know which stage John Lewis' cancer's
at. But talking with someone about cancer, we thought it was going to be John Lewis, a hero in our country. Come on.
So in any event, I feel very liberated. I feel very liberated. I feel that I have extended every possible courtesy. I have shown every level of
respect. I say to my members all the time, there's no such thing as an eternal animosity.
There are eternal friendships but you never know on what cause you may come together with somebody who you may perceive as your foe right now.
Everybody is a possible ally in whatever comes next. You clear this room from anyone. We didn't know how many we would be or different.
But they wanted us to always remember that we were one and they, our founders, had their differences. As do we. So again, I extend the hand of
friendship to him. To welcome him as the President of the United States. To the people's house.
It was also an act of kindness because I -- he looked to me like he was a little sedated. He looked that way last year, too. But he didn't want to
shake hands. That was that. That meant nothing to me. It had nothing to do with my tearing up. That came much later.
Speed reader, I just went right through that thing so I knew what was coming when I saw the compilation of falsehoods and then heard like the
first quarter or third -- I started to think, there has to be something that clearly indicates to the American people that this is not the truth.
And he has shredded the truth in his speech. He's shredding the Constitution in his conduct. I shredded his state of his mind address.
Thank you all very much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
KINKADE: Wow. A lot to unpack there. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying that the president is out of step with the reality. Now she went through
his State of the Union address, the one she already ripped into pieces and then she just pulled it apart piece by piece, while the claims misled the
American people essentially.
She said President Trump did not inherit a mess, as he claimed. She said he inherited momentum, said the stock market already climbing when he came to
office. The economy was improving and that Obama had reduced the deficit by $1 trillion. That this administration been increasing the deficit.
Our team is standing by to unpack it all for us.
[11:35:00]
KINKADE: Our Suzanne Malveaux on Capitol Hill. Stephen Collinson in Washington for us.
I want to start with you first, Suzanne, because the House Speaker called President Trump's State of the Union address "a manifesto of mistruths."
And she vowed to continue to hold him to account.
MALVEAUX: It was a fascinating speech there. I mean, she really is not holding back in any way and clear that the Speaker is unintimidated,
unbowed. She said quite frankly she feels liberated now that she has been nothing but gracious. Called the remarks and behavior classless and
appalling, that he is in his own reality TV show that isn't even real.
She even -- a dig here on impeachment. She said here that he's impeached forever. You will never get rid of that scar and it is not accidental she
keeps going back to particular issues, talking about kitchen table issues. When she talked about working families, those are the things that she
believes Democrats will win on.
Those are the kinds of issues that you saw, back in 2018, that really were winning issues for them and they believe will resonate with the American
people. And she talked about the economy, going back to lowering prescription drugs, to health care, that all of these things were -- even
infrastructure, education, building roads, broadband.
They wanted to put these kinds of things forward because she hopes the American people are listening to that and it will resonate with them and
very different than what you have heard, the back and forth, the name calling, really the disrespect on both sides out of Washington.
And one more point here. This really was a warning to her colleagues, members in Congress, the Republicans, who are like, we have a resolution
for you, for your behavior in ripping up that State of the Union address.
She said to them that she was gracious and that their behavior, shouting four more years, was breaking with decorum and protocol and that that was
worse than what she had done and she is challenging them, as well. Take me on. I'll take you on, as well, with your own behavior.
What will we see in the weeks ahead?
We will hear some proposals about infrastructure. There will be a big debate and battle over the budget and the priorities that that expressed
from the White House perspective and from Democrats in Congress perspective and whether or not these two sides can get anything done.
She talked about Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell as the Grim Reaper, that they have the bills and the plans and she is going to try to emphasize
that as much as possible and put it on the Republicans.
What are they willing to do for the American people?
What is this president willing to do for the American people?
But clearly, she is not in any way intimidated or bound by what has happened in this impeachment process and the acquittal.
KINKADE: She certainly isn't. Came out firing. Suzanne Malveaux, thank you. I want to go to Stephen.
As Suzanne was saying that Nancy Pelosi did raise a lot of kitchen table issues, criticized President Trump's claim that 150 million Americans with
preexisting conditions would be protected by him.
She said that President Trump is doing everything to dismantle it, saying that they're currently fighting in the courts right now to protect those
people. It seems this is the rebuttal to the State of the Union address expected immediately after it. It's finally come now.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. That's right. I think what Nancy Pelosi was trying to do here in some ways is reset the
political clock after impeachment.
She believes that talking about health care, a more equitable economy and social issues got the Democrats back the House in the 2018 midterm
elections and why she was in many ways reluctant to pursue impeachment. This is setting out the terms of the 2020 presidential election, much as
President Trump did in his speech.
You're right to pick up on the issue of preexisting conditions. That is the -- before ObamaCare, people who had a preexisting condition like heart
disease or cancer found it difficult to buy insurance.
President Trump knows that this is a very popular provision in the Obama health care law. That is why he's saying he is protecting preexisting
conditions but the administration is trying to dismantle ObamaCare in the courts which would get rid of that provision and very important for
Democrats to try to dispel this idea that President Trump is the protector of health care in America, rather than the Democrats.
Now you know, this is clearly the stakes of the election being laid out and I think this is exactly the kind of argument we'll hear going forward and I
think Nancy Pelosi the House Speaker on the issues and on the character of the president is laying a blueprint for the Democratic presidential
candidates.
[11:40:00]
COLLINSON: And you could argue she is much more effective in putting the stakes of the election to the American people than any of those candidates
have so far.
KINKADE: It certainly was a fascinating speech. Stephen Collinson for us in Washington, D.C., Suzanne Malveaux on Capitol Hill, thanks so much for
sticking by.
If you haven't already signed up, I suggest you check out Stephen's "Meanwhile in America" newsletter for spot-on analysis about the workings
of American politics and also your daily dose of other important stories right around the world.
We'll take a quick break. You're watching CNN. Stay with us.
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KINKADE: Welcome back.
"Call to Earth" is CNN's call to action for the environment. It shares solutions to critical issues of global warming, deforestation and plastic
waste. This week, we are in Sri Lanka.
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KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): In the shallow, brackish lagoons along Sri Lanka's northwest coast, one of the world's most
endangered ecosystems is thriving --for now.
They are mangroves, forests that grow in tropical tidal regions and this man, Anuradha Wickramasinghe, one of their guardians. He runs a local NGO
called Sudeesa, which is leading an island-wide campaign to save Sri Lanka's mangroves. More than a third of the trees in this lagoon alone were
felled from 1992 to 2012.
ANURADHA WICKRAMASINGHE, SUDEESA (through translator): Take, for example, prawn farms. They were set up by cutting down mangroves. Some thought it
was a good idea to have prawn farms on the land where mangroves were.
That's a really bad thing. Yes, prawns do spawn in the lagoon around mangroves but once you destroy the mangroves, there are no more prawns.
STOUT (voice-over): That's because these roots shelter aquatic life so vital to the economies of fishing villages like Kapatia (ph). Residents
here are racing to replant, the seedlings come from Sudeesa's nurseries and they also give these women small business loans in exchange for protecting
the plants.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): It was a big help. Not just for us but for everyone.
STOUT (voice-over): It's not just good for fish. Mangroves also combat climate change, storing much more carbon than other forests and shielding
coasts from flooding and erosion.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).
STOUT (voice-over): Still the U.N. estimates that two-thirds of the world's mangroves are destroyed by human activity in the past century.
[11:45:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We know that this is not just a local problem. It is a global issue. We have to stop the destruction of
mangroves all around the world.
STOUT (voice-over): Sri Lanka now protects all its mangroves though he says more can be done to ensure these tidal forests continue to thrive --
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN.
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KINKADE: We will continue to showcase inspirational stories like this as part of the new initiative here at CNN.
We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.
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KINKADE: Welcome back.
The doctor in Wuhan, China, who tried to sound the alarm about the coronavirus outbreak, has now passed away. He's among more than 560 people
who have fallen victim to the virus. Another 28,000 are infected, mostly in Mainland China. CNN's David Culver spoke to the doctor in the last few days
before he died.
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CULVER (voice over): In a matter of days, Dr. Li Wenliang went from treating patients to becoming one. The 34-year-old ophthalmologist
diagnosed Saturday with the Wuhan coronavirus. But if action had been taken when he and others started sounding alarms, the severity of the outbreak
might have been understood sooner.
Struggling to communicate, Li spoke with CNN briefly by phone. You can hear the hospital machines pulsing in the background.
LI WENLIANG, DOCTOR OF WUHAN CENTRAL HOSPITAL (through translator): I can barely breathe.
CULVER: It was back in late December when Li first warned friends on WeChat about a SARS-like disease going around. Li sent a group message
saying that a test result from a patient quarantined at the hospital where he worked showed the patient had a coronavirus. But hours after hitting
send, Wuhan city health officials tracked Li down, questioning where he got the information. Within days, they closed the suspected source of the
virus, this seafood market and they announced the outbreak. But instead of being praised, Li got a call from Wuhan city police.
With Li coughing too much and breathing too poorly to speak by phone, we asked Li by text, how did you feel when this happened? I felt a little
afraid. Afraid I would be detained. Afraid my family would worry, Li responded.
He agreed to sign this document, admitting to spreading rumors online and severely disrupting social order. It reads, we want you to cooperate with
the police and listen to our reminder and stop the illegal act. Can you do that? Li answered, yes, I can.
CULVER (on camera): In the weeks that followed, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission maintained that there was no obvious evidence for human to human
transmission, no infection of health care workers and that the outbreak was, in their words, preventable and controllable. And, with that, the
people of Wuhan continued about their normal lives.
CULVER (voice over): Then came a sudden jump in infections.
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CULVER (voice-over): China's central government took over, scrambling to contain a spreading virus with a rising death toll. Chinese state media
first reported that Li was one of several whistleblowers silenced by police. Calls for Li and the others to be vindicated grew online.
China's supreme court even weighed in, adding, quote, "It might have been a fortunate thing if the public had listened to this rumor at the time."
But for many, including Li and his parents, it was too late. They all contracted the coronavirus.
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KINKADE: Absolutely tragic that this doctor died. Our David Culver joins me from Beijing for more on this.
Certainly tragic, he was 34 years old. He raised the alarm on this outbreak and instead of being credited for saving lives, he was reprimanded.
CULVER: And not only that, when he was reprimanded, he was essentially sent to go back to work, keep quiet. And it was in that period that he
likely contracted the coronavirus and then passed it along to his parents.
It is absolutely devastating. And as one of my colleagues put it, looking at Chinese social media, exploding with tributes to Dr. Li, she said she's
never seen Chinese social media as unanimous in mourning than in this moment.
And it is unbelievable to see what's happening with tributes pouring forth. And state media, some are reporting that he passed away. Others, however,
saying that doctors are still trying to resuscitate him.
But according to "Global Times," for example, he has passed away and even his university Wuhan University, suggesting that this is in fact confirmed
that Dr. Li passed away at the age of 34 and becoming a face and hero for many of this illness, somebody who potentially could have, you know,
stopped it from getting as wide as it has.
And he raised this to the local level, put it to local authorities. And it's not to say that the central government knew early on. But had the
local government perhaps passed it up, maybe things would have been different.
KINKADE: Yes. Maybe. This doctor obviously, as you mentioned, only 34 years old. It seems that most of the people who have succumbed to this
virus are elderly people with preexisting conditions.
What do we know about the recovery rate for those who have tested positive?
CULVER: Right. You know, it is interesting because, as state media has portrayed, there are people who are being treated successfully. They're
being discharged from the hospitals. State media, CCTV, will even show video of folks handed flowers as they walk out and seemingly have been
cured and able to continue on with that normal life.
But then you have examples like this. Somebody who's 34 years old, seemingly good health, hard worker, engaged in what he was doing. It seems
to be really at this point a lot of unpredictable aspects to this.
This is the unknown that doctors are still trying to pursue and even Chinese scientists as recently a couple of days ago said they were trying
different drugs now, there's a new trial here in Beijing, trying two different HIV drugs in combination with an anti-viral drug.
All of these are just hoping to see some sort of successful outcome but nothing has been deemed that this, in fact, would be the medication to save
someone. That's what's so frustrating here.
KINKADE: Absolutely. David Culver, good to have you on this story for us, thank you.
David Culver and his team are no exception coming to facing quarantine. After spending time in Wuhan, the epicenter of this outbreak, they never
stopped reporting.
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CULVER (voice-over): CNN decided we should return to Beijing and immediately limit our exposure to others. But we still wanted to tell the
story and we have 350 square feet to do it.
So not a bad commute from my bedroom to the living room or studios essentially. Can even do it in slippers.
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KINKADE: There is much more on that and the important updates to know about the coronavirus on our website. Head to cnn.com/world for up to the
minute developments.
A travel nightmare is unfolding on two cruise ships, 20 people in the Diamond Princess docked in Japan tested positive for the strain of the
coronavirus , forcing the thousands on board to stay in their rooms for the next 14 days.
A similar situation in Hong Kong and the department of health said 33 crew members of the cruise ship, the World Dream, have shown symptoms of the
illness. Three sent to hospital.
In the last hour we heard from Carrie and Roger Maniscalco, who were trapped, currently trapped on board the Diamond Princess near Yokohama.
Roger showed us around the small cabin they're calling home for the next two weeks and said there's been a direct impact on their world.
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ROGER MANISCALCO, CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER IN QUARANTINE: This is pretty well it.
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MANISCALCO: So it's a little messy but not too bad. So I'm just spinning you around.
KINKADE: So you're stuck pretty much in that small room for two weeks now.
Do you have -- were you meant to go back to work at the end of this cruise?
MANISCALCO: Yes. We both have businesses. So we had planned it so that we could be back to our businesses and we have a lot of work lined up for us.
So it's a little bit devastating.
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KINKADE: Really tough for all those passengers, over 3,500 on that cruise. You can see the full story on our Twitter page, @ConnectTheWorld
Coming up, CNN's special coverage of President Trump's formal remarks in response to being acquitted on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of
Congress.
For now, I'm Lynda Kinkade. That was CONNECT THE WORLD. Thank you for joining us. I'll see you on the show next week.
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