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Joe Biden Picks Senator Kamala Harris As Running Mate; Republicans React To Joe Biden's Vice Presidential Pick; U.S. Makes A Deal For 100 Million Vaccine Doses; At Least Three Killed In Scotland Train Derailment; U.K. Suffers Deepest Recession Of Any Major Economy; NBA Players Continue To Push For Social Change. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired August 12, 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]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: This hour, historic and ground- breaking choice that some call predictable and politically safe. Hello, I'm Hala Gorani and this is CONNECT THE WORLD.
We are monitoring developments in Scotland as well before we get to other top stories where a train derailment reportedly has caused some serious
injuries. We'll bring you that when we have more details on it.
Let's start, though, with that historic decision in U.S. presidential politics. For months now speculation has swirled over who Joe Biden would
pick as his Vice Presidential running mate and his choice is Kamala Harris, as you probably all know by now.
The U.S. Senator from California becomes the first woman of color on a major party U.S. Presidential ticket, so it is historic. They are said to
appear together in the coming hours in Biden's home state of Delaware. Harris is the daughter of Jamaican and Indian migrants, Indian from her
mother, Jamaican through her father.
Her family in India, by the way, is ecstatic. For all of you watching us in India her aunt told CNN's Indian Affiliate News 18 that they haven't slept
since they heard the news, which dropped about 2:00 in the morning local time. Harris was apparently told just 90 minutes before the official
announcement that she was, indeed, Biden's pick for Vice President. CNN's Arlette Saenz has more on the political pair wowing to defeat Donald Trump
come November take a look.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With the Election Day 83 days away, the Democratic ticket is now set with an historic pairing. Joe Biden selecting
California Senator Kamala Harris as his mate, telling her the news during a Zoom call from his Delaware home. The two faced off last year in the
Democratic Primary, including this heated debate moment over school busing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), U.S. DEMOCRATIC VICE PRESIDENTAL CANDIDATE: And she was bused to school every day. And that little girl was me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: But Biden insists he doesn't hold grudges and chose a former rival who has done battle on the campaign trail.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Senator Harris has the capacity to be anything she wants to be. I mean it sincerely. She is solid, she can be
President someday herself.
HARRIS: And Joe Biden is on the ballot in 2020!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Campaigning together in Detroit this spring, Biden portrayed himself as a link to the next generation, including Harris.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: I view myself as a bridge, not as anything else. There is an entire generation of leaders you saw stand behind me. They are the future of this
country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Harris' early career included a stint as District Attorney in San Francisco before serving as California's Attorney General. In 2016, she was
elected to the U.S. Senate where she rose in prominence for her grilling of President Trump's nominees.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Can you think of any laws that give the government the power to make decisions about the male body?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: The 55-year-old Democrat is one of only three women to appear in the VP slot for a major party ticket. Following Democrat Geraldine Ferraro in
1984 and Republican Sara Palin in 2008 but Harris the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants is making history of her own, becoming the first
woman of color on the Vice Presidential nominee. On the campaign trail parents often brought their young daughters to see a bi-racial woman wowing
for the nation's top job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: When I see those little girls in particular, I literally see myself, right? I see the children of my family, and I see the children of
our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Harris also shared a special bond with Biden's late son Beau, the two becoming close when they each served as Attorneys General in their home
states.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: I got to know Joe through Beau because you've never seen. It's a rare thing to see such a special relationship between a father and his son.
I know Joe, and that's why I'm supporting him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Biden telling supporters Tuesday there is no one's opinion I valued more than Beau's. And I'm proud to have Kamala standing with me on this
campaign.
GORANI: That was Arlette Saenz reporting. Remember, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will soon appear for the first time together as running mates in
Biden's home state of Delaware. It will be interesting to see with COVID and social distancing and the rest of it how this campaign is going to work
[11:05:00]
GORANI: How politicians running in November, the President and his Vice President Mike Pence, and of course the Biden-Harris ticket as well, how
that's going to go. But keep it right here on CNN for coverage of the big event.
Republicans are reacting to Biden's decision. The American President Donald Trump previously said Kamala Harris would be a fine pick for Biden. But
during a news conference following the announcement, he said he was surprised by the choice and he pointed to Harris' treatment of one of his
Supreme Court picks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I was a little surprised that he picked her. I've been watching her for a long time, and I was a little
surprised. She was extraordinarily nasty to Kavanaugh, and I won't forget that. She did very poorly in the primaries and now she's chosen, so let's
see how that all works out?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, Mr. Trump quickly resorted to name calling, a familiar 2016 tactic, a familiar tactic, really, pretty much every day for the last four
years. The Trump Campaign also released a statement saying she was part of the radical left and calling her phony Kamala.
Let's bring in Ryan Nobles reporting from Washington, D.C. What is the White House's strategy against this ticket? Obviously a challenger to the
sitting President always gets that kind of bump after this election and the announcement of his or her running mate. What are they planning to try to
counter that?
RYAN NOBLES, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well Hala, you're right in that the White House and the Trump Campaign at this point is attempting to just
throw everything at the wall to see what is going to stick on Kamala Harris?
Even though the President that said he was surprised that Joe Biden tapped Kamala Harris inside the campaign, this was their expectation all along.
They had Kamala Harris as the frontrunner for Joe Biden, and they've been preparing for her, but it's not necessarily who they wanted to see Joe
Biden pick?
They thought there were some flaws with some of the other candidates that were being considered, including Congressman Karen Bass and also Susan
Rice, the Former National Security Adviser. Both of those candidates, they felt, they had an opportunity to more directly attack and at least have a
more comprehensive message of attack.
With Harris, there really isn't a consistent message from the White House right now. Yes, they're trying to tie her to the radical left, but it seems
as though President Trump is still getting his bearings as to how he wants to go after Harris. Listen to what he said last night on Fox News.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: A lot of people think she's a dangerous choice. I think she's the most liberal person, supposedly, in the Senate. That's pretty liberal. But
she's supposed to be the most - I'm not sure that's what the country wants. I think if it is, we've got problems. But I would be surprised if it is.
She wants to raise taxes.
She wants to get rid of your second amendment, no guns for protection, no nothing. She's very strong on the second amendment, getting rid of it and
very bad to the military. She wants to cut the military.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YOUNG: As you listen to what the President had to say about Harris last night, those aren't necessarily novel attacks when it comes to how he talks
about basically all Democrats, and that's the issue that's presented with Harris.
Yes, she is perhaps more progressive than Joe Biden, but she's nowhere near Bernie Sanders on that political spectrum. She's someone that kind of
danced with the idea of Medicare for All but is going to be comfortable drafting behind Joe Biden when it comes to issues like health care.
And even this issue of trying to attack her to the radical left. They spent all day long yesterday talking about how Kamala Harris is nothing but a
tool of the radical left, but Hala last night I got an e-mail from the Republican National Committee pointing to all the liberal angst with the
pick of Kamala Harris, saying that liberals were basically upset with the fact that Kamala Harris was Joe Biden's pick.
So they're trying to have it both ways, and it's clear right now they're test-driving a message that hasn't been able to stick as of yet, Hala.
GORANI: All right, we'll see what they come up with next. Thank you very much Ryan Nobles. Biden's historic announcement caught the attention of a
lot of people especially the media, which is very divided in the United States. Here's how it is being depicted on the front pages of several
prominent newspapers, some calling Biden's pick a progressive move, a sign of change. Conservative outlets in the United States, though, are
criticizing the decision.
Fox News went on a Harris basing spree casting as per underwhelming choice. With Bright Bard (ph) also following suite also on the right fringes
highlighting Mr. Trump's phony remarks about her. Brian Stelter joins us live to help us better understand how the media coverage of this is being
viewed.
And how it shapes opinion as well this is quite important in the United States where you have these silos of people who watch and consume news from
outlets that are ideologically aligned with their own way of thinking?
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BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Right. Trump media outlets know that the audience are already predisposed to dislike Kamala Harris.
They just need to be given reasons why and so Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and other Fox News stars listed of a lots of reasons to dislike Kamala
Harris in the initial hours after the announcement yesterday.
And that continues with the day to day with right wing media pushing out really kind of why all the discordant narrative as Ryan Nobles said it is a
throw everything against the wall to see what sticks situation where she's being called a radical liberal but also too tough on crime in the past?
A lot of messages that don't make sense and don't add up, but it is an attempt to try different narratives to see which work and which don't work
against Kamala Harris?
GORANI: Now, when you look at "The New York Times" front page today, a big picture of Kamala Harris. It's similar on "The Washington Post" front page
and other newspapers.
STELTER: Right.
GORANI: But then some conservative observers are saying this is an example of media bias. Because remember four years ago when Donald Trump announced
his VP pick? There it was, in the lower right-hand corner, you could barely see it. They're saying, here you go. Here's the evidence that you needed.
Do they have a point or not?
STELTER: I think in this particular case, which has become a viral meme in recent hours on social media, it's not apples and apples, it's apples and
oranges because the Pence pick four years ago was rumored, it was sourced, it was basically put on the front pages a day earlier before it was
actually announced by Donald Trump.
Biden, on the other hand was able to keep this a secret until his campaign launched it out there at 4:00 pm in the afternoon on the east coast on
Tuesday. So Biden was able to control his announcement more, it made for a splashier headline.
Look, there is no getting around the fact this is historic for multiple reasons, and it's something that tens of millions of people in the United
States have been waiting for and hoping for in recent months, right?
I don't think we can underestimate the degree to which Hillary Clinton's win in the popular vote but loss in 2016 deeply, deeply affected tens of
millions of women and men cross the United States. Not to mention around the entire world, who wanted to see a woman become President.
So to see a woman now as the Vice President nominee again is a very important moment. To see a black woman for the first time, a South Asian
woman for the first time, these are milestones that have to be acknowledged.
And I understand why "The New York Times" did so in a big, bold headline. Is it an example of the paper leaning left? You could make that case as
well, but there are good reasons why this is a historic moment news wise. By the way, Hala, this all sets up the convention next week where you're
going to have the two most famous Democratic families.
You're going to have the Obamas and the Bidens up there endorsing and lifting Biden up. We're going to see the Clintons as well. We're going to
see Kamala Harris, of course. It's going to be a star-studded show next week, and I'm curious how the GOP, how the Trump Campaign is going to match
that later this month.
GORANI: Yes, it's interesting. I think if Trump had chosen a black woman as his running mate that too, would have gotten a big splash. It's a historic
day, certainly.
STELTER: Huge front page news yes exactly.
GORANI: Yes exactly. You mentioned the conventions next week and the week after. Normally we all gather there in big arenas and it's, you know, lots
of entertainers and big names. What's it going to be like in the age of COVID? How are we going to cover the conventions?
STELTER: Well, the conventions will be more of an actual television show than ever. For decades now, political strategists have been programming
these like they're TV shows. Well now, because they're not convention halls full of people, it really will be just a TV show, a bunch of speeches back
to back.
But what these organizers are going to do is try to drop in surprises, have celebrity guests, have musical guests and try to create a sense of
spectacle and energy around these conventions. The Democrats will certainly do that next week.
I think what we'll see the GOP do is make it more around family, wrap the President around with his family members and hear from them and have their
endorsements. But these will be big TV shows, and because there aren't a lot of new shows on American TV because all the productions have been
stopped because of the pandemic, there's not much to watch, Hala.
So I think these conventions will reach a big, big audience. I think of it as the start of the fourth quarter. This game has been going on far too
long. American elections feel like they'll never end. But this is finally the beginning of the fourth quarter, the most important quarter of the
game.
GORANI: Thanks very much, Brian Stelter. Well, CNN will be covering, obviously, every angle of the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. Make sure to
tune in to our coverage of the party convention on August 17th and the 24th, so we're starting with the Democratic convention next week followed
the Republicans, and you have all our daily coverage on cnn.com.
[11:15:00]
GORANI: Turning now to the Coronavirus pandemic which is still very much with us every day. The U.S. wants to have a vaccine by the end of the year,
and it has just inked a deal to help inch its way toward that goal. The government ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine that it's developing
with drug maker Moderna.
The price tag is $1.5 billion for that. The vaccine is not approved. It's not ready to be administered. However, it has reached phase III testing
late last month, and that's where we are now with Moderna. Moderna joins six other companies with similar deals in what the U.S. called Operation
Warp Speed.
As for Russia, it's even faster than Warp Speed because it says or claims that it's going faster than that. President Vladimir Putin announced the
Sputnik V vaccine has been registered for use, and that's despite the fact that it is only now beginning these phase III human trials. That is a
concern for Anthony Fauci.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I hope, but I haven't heard any evidence to make me feel that's
the case, I hope that the Russians have actually definitively proven that the vaccine is safe and effective. I seriously doubt that they've done
that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, it doesn't seem to bother one Brazilian state. It is working on a deal to produce that Sputnik vaccine for all of its citizens. Brazil
is one of several countries testing Russia's vaccine still in phase III trials. We'll have more news on the pandemic later this hour.
Also coming up, glass shards and blown-outdoors the people of Lebanon are out in the streets sweeping it all up. We hear from volunteers who are
helping Beirut recover when their own officials are nowhere to be seen in some cases.
And there has been a train derailment in Scotland. We want to bring you officials are calling it a major incident. We'll bring you the latest on
that ongoing situation. Plus the lockdown downturn the UK suffers the deepest recession of any economy. What did the UK do so wrong that got it
to this point? We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: It's been a little over a week since the explosion at the Port in Beirut and people there are still very much still in mourning. Thousands
held a solemn vigil for the victims on Tuesday, the death toll now revealing more than 170 people were killed alongside 6,000 others who were
wounded and hundreds of thousands are now homeless.
[11:20:00]
GORANI: Destruction is visible everywhere, and the government has apparently fallen short in the cleanup process, so the people of Beirut
haven't waited for their leaders to take action, they have done so themselves, taking matters into their own hands. CNN's Ben Wedeman has our
report.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Aya Fakhouri's car is loaded with bread and other supplies. She and her friends are part of a
massive volunteer effort, filling the void left by a government and the political elite that on the ground appear to have done very little.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AYA FAKHOURI, VOLUNTEER: They're not doing anything. They're sitting in their houses spending our money. It's ridiculous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEDEMAN: The state in the form of Jandarm (ph) is present in the streets of the badly damaged neighborhood of Mar Mikhael, sitting and watching. Store
owner Ellie Lathoof hasn't ruled out government aid will eventually come. Not yet, not yet, it's still early. It will take seven or eight years, he
says.
No one from the state has come to check on us. No one ever, says his wife Leyla. We thank the people who have helped us. Fellow shopkeeper Salah
Kamoua is looking beyond Lebanon's borders for assistance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SALAH KAMOUA, SHOPKEEPER: No, no, if we don't have support from outside Lebanon, they can do anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEDEMAN: The Governor of Beirut says the cost of the damage will total at least $5 billion. The government has allocated $66 million in disaster
relief and for reconstruction. Over the weekend donor nations agreed to provide Lebanon with almost $300 million in emergency aid, but that aid
comes with a very pointed condition.
It must not be channeled through the Lebanese government, presumably to ensure it doesn't fall into the pockets of corrupt officials. Even a group
of South Korean residents have set up a tent where they provide snacks, refreshments and face masks. The streets here team with volunteers, helping
whenever they can among them, Nareen Kambeijian.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NAREEN KAMBEJIAN, VOLUNTEER: Everybody cares for each other, but we have government that doesn't even care about us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEDEMAN: The many shortcomings of the Lebanese state are well known to the people here, and that familiarity has bred nothing but contempt. Ben
Wedeman, CNN, Beirut.
GORANI: Well, some of the impact of the disaster can be tallied with numbers, how many people killed, how many wounded, how much the damage will
cost, how much it will cost to rebuild, but the emotional and the psychological toll is much harder to quantify, especially for kids. Arwa
Damon has that story.
ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No one knows how to explain this to themselves, never mind to their children, the sheer madness of it,
the carnage, the chaos? It seems they can't escape from engrained in their psyche, threatening to pull them over the abyss into hysteria.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LANA CHAMMAS, INJURED MOTHER: I'm still too angry to understand what's happened, why - wounded and in my head like not it equals state playing
into hospital and blood. They're holding our kids physically and mentally hostage. It's this.
DAMON: She doesn't like the sounds of the honking.
CHAMMAS: I'm 36 and I'm terrified every time like - she is 7th - they didn't want to sleep here. They don't feel safe in their parents' room.
They took this away from many, many kids, not just my kids. My kids went from six months drawing mermaids and rainbows. Today I'm asked what is
Coronavirus to what is nitrate. In six months my 7-year-old went from drawing rainbows to trying to understand the process of nitrate combustion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, there you have it. And I want to bring in breaking news. We've been following from Scotland there was a passenger train derailment
Aberdeenshire, Scotland near the town of Stonehaven. Some serious injuries have been reported, several people have been killed as a result of this,
and you can see this thick plume of white smoke that is rising above this part of the tracks where the train apparently derailed. Max Foster is in
Scotland. Max, what can you tell us happened?
[11:25:00]
MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know now that three people died in this derailment and six people were injured, although their injuries aren't
life threatening. We just had that information in to us. It's taken a lot of time to get this sort of information because the derailment happened in
a rural area outside Aberdeen.
It was very hard to get to, and we think the fact that the - there's been very bad weather in that area as well, which we think is linked to this,
although a formal investigation has been launched to find the exact cause.
But there were thunderstorms last night in Aberdeenshire, there was flooding, and then this morning, that rail which is responsible for the
rail lines tweeted some videos of the rails in that area and they showed the flooding but also land slips as well, which eventually closed that
line.
We're also now seeing a lot of reporting about a formal report that came out four weeks ago from the office for road and rail which actually warned
that land slips are likely, that rail has to focus on them in extreme weather events.
So there is going to be a lot of repercussion as a result of this, a lot of investigation as a result of this. Already the people here in Scotland are
very concerned about how this was possible when there has been so much warning ahead of this and because we knew these storms were coming? But we
just had that confirmation, Hala sadly three people dying. One of them the driver, the - but managed to reach the families to warn them.
GORANI: All right, Max Foster thanks very much. Coming up, we'll have more on Joe Biden's pick for Vice President as the world waits to see him and
Kamala Harris take the stage as running mates for the first time. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: We'll soon get to see Joe Biden and Kamala Harris take the stage in Delaware in their first public appearance together as the Democratic
Presidential ticket. They're expected to talk about working together to, "Restore the soul of the nation" and how to move the U.S. forward?
On Tuesday, Biden, the Democratic Presidential Candidate, announced Harris as his running mate. It's the first time ever that a black and South Asian
woman will be on a U.S. Vice Presidential Nominee.
Donald Trump says he's surprised at the decision. People all across America are reacting, of course, to this VP pick, no matter their political
affiliation. Sheila Jackson Lee is a Democratic Congresswoman who says Kamala has now taken us to the mountaintop that Martin Luther King Jr.
preached about.
She now joins me from Texas. Before we get to the VP pick, I know you following the news out of Lebanon after that devastating explosion.
[11:30:00]
GORANI: And the U.S. is announcing new sanctions on Hezbollah affiliated individuals and institutions in Lebanon in order to "Dilute their power". I
wonder, what is your reaction to what's happened there in Lebanon? You know, the people of Lebanon are pointing the finger of blame at their
political leaders. How do you react to what's happened there?
REP. SHEILA JACKSON LEE (D-TX): Well, the first thing, I'm delighted to be with you this afternoon. As someone who works and is concerned about the
Mideast, I wished the people of Lebanon the best. What they need now is humanitarian aid and aid to further shore up the Democratic processes for
them to establish a fair government.
So I'm asking my government to provide, along with the rest of the world, extensive humanitarian aid to continue to help them in the investigation of
the cause of the explosion, and to protect them from any other such actions or incidences.
But we have to also focus on establishing a government, and that's what I think is most important at this point. The people of Lebanon will choose
and desire to choose a democratic fair government. We must help them do so, but we must also help them, after the loss of life and the devastation, get
back on their feet.
GORANI: All right, and before getting into the politics of it all, I want to ask you, as an African-American woman, the selection of Kamala Harris to
join Joe Biden on this Democratic ticket, it's the first time a black woman has been on a Democratic or on a Presidential ticket for any major party.
What went through your mind when you heard the news?
JACKSON LEE: First of all, this is the strongest unity ticket that we will ever see. This is bringing all parts of our nation together, a black woman
and a working class man who understands the hurt that is going on in this nation, the suffering through COVID-19, and the desire to build back this
nation better.
But I think the world needs to understand that women, African-American women, were women who cooked in other people's homes, who cleaned other
people's homes, who were the backbone of trying to ensure that slave families stayed together.
Our history was one of burden. Most people didn't give black women credit, even though they anchored homes and they kept families together. Just
recently the income or the amount of money that an African-American woman got in one of our cities was 51 cents on the dollar compared to a white
woman that was 89 cents. So this is an enormous leap.
Finally, the nation gets to see the talent and the genius not only of Senator Harris, a member of the Intel Committee, a member of the Judiciary
Committee, a professed and profound prosecutor and questioner. A person who can bring people together, not only do they see her, but they see black
women in a different light, women of color in a different light, along with her southeastern Asian heritage.
That is amazing, and what I said was, we've been trying to climb that mountaintop so many have been left at the bottom. She has climbed it,
though there are many others that need to climb it, many other aspects of our life, but she's climbed it and she's taken women of color, black women,
with her.
GORANI: And I understand the reaction to Joe Biden picking her, that this is obviously historic, but is there a possibility that people who are
opponents of Donald Trump who really want desperately for this Democratic ticket to win in November are becoming complacent, are celebrating too
soon?
The polls today are similar to what the polls looked like in 2016. Joe Biden in Michigan is 12 points ahead Hillary Clinton was 11 points ahead.
Nationally Joe Biden is 6 and change points ahead, Hillary Clinton was ahead. Is there a possibility, perhaps, that people are being - are
celebrating a bit too soon?
JACKSON LEE: You know we are celebrating the ticket, the unity ticket, the fact that they are so compatible, that they represent great segments of the
population, bringing them together. We're not celebrating victory.
And for those of us who have been through any number of presidential campaigns, we know several things. One, the opposition never sleeps.
President Trump may be the singular issue of this campaign among other things, but frankly, that is not the only thing Democrats will be running
on.
[11:35:00]
JACKSON LEE: Not only that, we well know, by documented reports, that the Russians skewed the election toward Donald Trump in 2016 against Hillary
Clinton, and we know well that they are active and engaged to do the same thing in 2020.
This time around, the victory will not be theirs because we will be prepared, the voters will be prepared, we are working to get people out to
vote, to get people registered we're taking nothing for granted.
And the idea is that now we have touched the hearts and minds of people who have yet to see themselves as part of the power infrastructure of this
nation. Now they see Senator Kamala Harris, who, in her own Presidential Campaign, made history and reached out to people.
That we will build on with Joe Biden's compassion, working class, incite, if you will, and as well the reach that he's already done that people want
him to be President of the United States. We want that to continue and we're going after Republicans, independents, young voters, senior voters,
we're going after all of them.
GORANI: Congresswoman, we're almost out of time, but I just want to ask you one quick question about Kamala Harris' record as a top prosecutor,
Attorney General in California, criticized for having sided with law enforcement over suspects, some of whom ended up not being guilty of the
crimes they were accused of. That can hurt her, can't it?
JACKSON LEE: Well, the good news is that all of that is out in the open. She was a prosecutor and she was an excellent prosecutor. She has indicated
that she might have done things differently, but here's the main point that I think the American people will see.
For those who have seen the wave of injustice in law enforcement and beyond, when Senator Harris came to the United States senate, we started
working together on criminal justice reform, bail relief, sentencing reduction, and yes, police accountability. Her record is there. Her record
is there in joining me on recognizing Juneteenth which had to do with the history of slavery.
She has been open to new ideas and open to her inner self, if you will, and working on criminal justice reform. I think she'll be a wonderful asset to
Vice President Biden on knowing both sides of the issue in terms of law enforcement and reform.
That's going to be very important as we move toward passing the George Floyd justice and policing act. She'll be a great asset and a great leader,
as a teammate in this unity team that is going to be running for President and Vice President of the United States, she'll be completely loyal to the
Vice President and loyal to the American people.
GORANI: All right, Sheila Jackson Lee, Representative, Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, thanks for joining us on CNN.
JACKSON LEE: Absolutely.
GORANI: A look now at relations between the U.S. and China getting more tensed by the day. Taiwan is finding itself stuck in the middle. Paula
Hancock's has our story.
JOSEPH WU, TAIWAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: The message was very clear. It was a show of support by the U.S. government to Taiwan, not only to
Taiwan being successful in dealing with the pandemic, but also to Taiwan as a whole. The United States understands that Taiwan is under threat, either
mini trade or diplomatic threat, and the United States is a very close partner of Taiwan.
GORANI: Certainly tensions in the region have been increasing in recent months. China has been carrying out more military drills; Taiwan has been
carrying out more military drills. Where does this lead?
JOSEPH WU: I'm worrying about the situation. It's not just that Taiwan is straight. If you look at East China Sea, our Japanese friends are very
concerned about the Chinese sending vessels to the disputed waters all the time. The tension was also running high in East China Sea.
And look at the situation in Hong Kong, the international community is trying to figure out a way to help the people in Hong Kong. And look at the
South China Sea, the miniaturization in South China Sea is also a spot for concern. And there was also a border dispute in-between India and China. So
along the Chinese borders, there are plenty of issues for us to worry about.
GORANI: Now you have said that you're worried Taiwan will become the next Hong Kong. Can you explain that?
JOSEPH WU: I think they will try to impose what they say; the one country to system model on Taiwan, and that is turning Taiwan into the next Hong
Kong when China is facing domestic difficulties. They might want to divert their domestic attention by creating a crisis outside China, and sometimes
we worry that Taiwan may become a scapegoat of China's own problems.
[11:40:00]
JOSEPH WU: And in order to prevent China from taking Taiwan over or initiating any kind of force against Taiwan, we need to handle cross
relations in a very prudent manner.
GORANI: There is an election coming up in November. You have had very strong support from the Trump Administration. Do you believe you will have
that from - if Vice President Biden takes the White House, do you think that strong support would continue?
JOSEPH WU: We have support from both sides of the aisle. And I'm very confident that Taiwan and U.S. relations will remain strong and sound,
whatever happens in Washington, D.C. And, of course, the defense of Taiwan is our responsibility, and we'll continue to strengthen our own defense
capabilities and to show to the international community our determination to defend ourselves.
But at the same time, we can count on the U.S support either in the security type of cooperation or in the sale of necessary weapons for Taiwan
to be able to defend itself.
GORANI: All right, up next, Britain is figuring out how to keep calm and carry on as it crashes into the deepest recession of any major economy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Well, the Coronavirus pandemic has been merciless to the UK economy. The Finance Minister says hard times are here. That's because the
UK is now officially in a deep, deep recession, the deepest of any major economy. Its second quarter slump is the worst on record, more than 20
percent.
Well, Isa Soares joins me now from a shopping street in London. Why is it so much worse in the UK than any other country?
ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look, Hala, we knew that number was going to be bad, but still, when I got the figures this morning from the ONS, it's
really hard to see in black and white. It's a colossal decline for the UK economy. And partly of course most of it because of it I think it's fair to
say, because of the lockdown of COVID-19.
And when you look in fact how it compares with the G7 countries, if you bring the graphic up, you see how steep of a decline that is, and there are
two reasons for that, Hala. When I spoke to an economist early this morning, one of those is because the UK went into lockdown later than most
countries in Europe, and it also stayed in the lockdown for longer, so the duration.
That's one of the reasons, especially when you compare with the likes of Italy, why the numbers don't compare with the likes of Italy? Italy went
into lockdown in the first quarter and came out of it early in the second quarter, so the numbers - that's why the numbers differ so much.
The other reason is that this UK is a services-led economy, relies heavily on services sector. And those are the industries that have been most
impacted by a lockdown.
[11:45:00]
SOARES: And we've got a graphic to show you, so you can get a sense of how exposed some of these sectors were because of the COVID lockdown. If we
look at construction, a sharp decline, 35 percent. This is the second quarter alone, Hala. Then you have 19.9 percent for services and a 16.9
percent drop for production.
And although these numbers are pretty bad, these are for second quarter, worth bearing in mind that perhaps we could say that the recession has come
and gone, because when you look at the numbers for growth for this month alone, so month on month, June, we are already seeing an increase of more
than 8 percent.
So, perhaps we're looking at a V-shaped recovery, but there are so many risks, and I know the - Chancellor there, he spoke over those. We have so
many risks ahead, and then the biggest test, Hala, will be in October when the furlough scheme ends.
Already we have seen 730,000 people losing their jobs in the quarter alone. That number will be far; far worse when the furlough scheme ends at the end
of October, and then perhaps we'll be looking at a more quantitative easing from the Bank of England, Hala.
GORANI: All right. Thank you, Isa. Let's discuss what the recession means and how it might be turned around? The Chief Economist at Capital
Economics, Neil Shearing, joins me from London. So, I'll ask you the same question.
I mean, the UK's response to the pandemic has been really disappointing to many people, and tragic, certainly, for those who lost their lives and
their families. It's one of the worst pandemic death numbers and now the worst GDP slump of all major economies. How did they get it so wrong?
NEIL SHEARING, CHIEF ECONOMIST, CAPITAL ECONOMICS: I think as your correspondent just alluded to, we paid the price already for being quite
late into the lockdown. If you look at what was happening in Europe in early March, a lot of economies locked down a lot earlier than the UK, two
or three weeks, and that makes quite a big difference in the early stages of this pandemic.
Which meant when you look at the curve of infections, you look at those infection curves so long ago, it meant that the UK started late to get on
top of the virus. It also meant that the lockdown had to be extended for longer than was the case of other economies.
There are also particular aspects of this lockdown as well. Schools in particular stayed shut down for longer in the UK than many European
economies. That meant that parents had stay home not going back to work, it's - becomes the case up to 10 percent of some measures, employees were
staying home with their children and that had an impact as well.
So, really, when you look at the depth, it mainly has to do with the severity of the lockdown and also the longevity of the lockdown.
GORANI: But one has to wonder that if the lockdown had happened sooner with all the warning that this government had that the pandemic was coming its
way, if that would have alleviated the effects of the lockdown by shortening it somewhat.
SHEARING: It's certainly the case that if you look at other countries, there seems to be some evidence to bear that theory out. In China, of
course, the - hit china first, a really stringent lockdown, an early lockdown, but one of the shortest lockdowns, and there the economy has
experienced one of the fastest recoveries.
It's also true in part of Europe as well Germany was quick to shut down, likewise Italy, Spain and France. And they've seen one of the outcomes of
that has been not seen that really sharp decline in GDP. It's partly - as you discussed earlier, it's part of the fact that more of the UK economy is
things like leisure and hospitality, which were particularly affected by the lockdown.
But it's principally by being late to lockdown and therefore the lockdown itself having to be extended, longer than most of the case with other
countries.
GORANI: And so, one of the hardest hit sectors is the services industry which the UK relies on a lot for its economic growth, so you have COVID,
you have the lockdown, the end of the furlough scheme. And then - and I don't mean to cause trauma here for some of our viewers, but Brexit is
happening at the end of this year. What impact will that have?
SHEARING: I think this is another fact that's going to weigh on the recovery. Selling of that factory explain that - about the virus, but I
think it is going to have an impact in terms of delaying the recovery. There is no clarity over Brexit. You can't really expect businesses to
start spending again, start investing again.
[11:50:00]
SHEARING: It just adds to the uncertainty. Businesses aren't still the uncertainty around the pandemic. How that will play out? Well, there have
been second, third, fourth waves, local lockdowns. And then you - over that - uncertainty around Brexit what will hit the future trading relationship
with the key partners is going to look like.
And I think all of that - a sluggish recovery. So, I mean, if you're asking for a prediction, my sense at the moment of course is the big debate, the
uncertainty is whether we go with a trade deal with the EU before the end of this year?
I think that's almost certainly not going to happen, but I suspect there is enough there to be fudged as - bit more fudge in delay will keep the count
of it for - that's my sense of where things will go?
But of course, more fudge means, you don't fall off the edge of the cliff at the end of the year, but it does again contribute this sense of
uncertainty, this hanging over the UK economy.
GORANI: All right. To all of us watching, I'm sorry I brought you - we have discussed more uncertainty for everyone, which is very anxiety inducing for
many people. Thank you so much, Neil Shearing, for joining us. We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Well, it's a very busy week in European football, I'm being told. Don Riddell is here with that. Hi, Don.
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: It absolutely is, Hala. Thanks very much. We are now actually just hours away from the first UEFA Champion's
League quarter final between Paris Saint-Germain and Atalanta. But first the semifinals are now set for the Europa League, and a very familiar side
is, they have a chance of winning the tournament that they have dominated over the last few years.
The Spanish side Sevilla has won this trophy five times since 2006 and they're now just two wins away from doing it again. These have been a very
long campaign for Wolverhampton Wanderers, they began playing more than a year ago and they had a chance for an early lead against Sevilla, but the
penalty of Raul Jimenez was saved.
The game was goalless and looked to be heading into extra time, but a glancing header from Lucas Campos edged it for the Spaniards, they will now
play Manchester United in the semis on Sunday. If that game was closed, this was anything about Shakhtar Donetsk thrashed Basel on Tuesday and the
Ukrainian side wasted absolutely no time in getting started. Junior Moraes are scoring with a header in only the second minute and the goals kept
coming.
Twenty minutes later, Shakhtar with 2-0 ahead, Malas collected the ball on the edge of the areas squaring it to Tazon (ph) he smashed it into the top
corner. Shakhtar scored another with the penalty before Dodo completed a full one round with another goal two minutes from time. They will now play
Inter Milan on Monday to take a place in the final.
Now after resuming their season in a bubble at Disney World, the NBA is now approaching the playoffs, and the Philadelphia 76ers are in contention.
Their star guard, Glenn Robinson III, has been adapting to life away from his family, but he's been telling our Amanda Davies why this time is so
important.
He's been working on a foundation to empower fathers. He also responded to President Donald Trump's remarks that he won't be watching if basketball
players kneel in protest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Lebron says basketball is not going to miss Donald Trump. Will you miss Donald Trump?
[11:55:00]
GLENN ROBINSON: I agree, I don't think we will. I'm not losing sleep over it. I know we're doing the right thing. The black community, the basketball
community, everyone who is watching us on TV and supporting us, we're not mad about losing that viewership.
DAVIES: Does the NBA itself as an organization get it? Do they do enough as an organization?
ROBINSON: I don't think any of us do enough. Our leadership, our players association, the way that we understand our role in the sport as well as
players is so important to know we're not just a piece, and this relates back to everything that we're talking about social injustice, about
everything that's going on in the world right now.
We're not just basketball players at the end of the day, and I think that's what Lebron, that's what Chris Paul are doing with this situation. We'll
never get an opportunity like this again to show how strong when we feel about certain situations, and I think we shouldn't back down now.
And for me it's about action, it's not about words, it's not about a post, it's not about a black post, it's about actions. What are you doing at the
end of the day to do your part on these issues? My mom taught me how to hold your hands on the steering wheel when you get pulled over. That's been
passed down generation and generation with every black family that I know. So, I'll have naturally had to teach my daughter those things.
DAVIES: Why has it been important for you to set up the foundation?
ROBINSON: It's been important for me as I wanted to leave the legacy for my daughter. I wanted to create something. I'm a natural giver. I know that my
purpose is to help the masses and that's why I'm a professional athlete or basketball player.
And I think that as long as we're doing the right thing and sticking to our mission of empowering other parents and fathers and fatherless families,
you can't go along and I think there we consistently just try to help. Everyone is a father or has a father, and I think that we can definitely
impact a lot of lives.
DAVIES: How close did you come to not joining the bubble?
ROBINSON: My two-year-old daughter, Aryana, who is at home, it was a very tough decision for me to leave her knowing that I would be gone for three
or four months. So that definitely weighed on me heavily, but at the end of the day, she's the reason why I do everything and why I was so excited to
get here and continue to represent her and my foundation and also help this team win a championship? That's my number one goal. If we're here, we might
as well win it.
DAVIES: Do you think this has arguably made winning the championship tougher?
ROBINSON: Yes, it's definitely made it ten times harder, I think. There hasn't been a championship like this. We never had to tell guys, hey, you
got to stand one in room confine yourself in one room during the playoffs.
I think that it's going to be so interesting that winners should probably get ten trophies. Everybody on the team should get a trophy, honestly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIDDELL: The NBA is known as a very progressively league. Glenn Robinson III, one of many players doing his bit to make the world a better place.
Hala, back to you.
GORANI: All right, Don Riddell, thanks very much. I'm Hala Gorani. We'll take a quick break and we'll be right back on CNN. Do stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: All right stay with CNN, John King is ahead with more coverage.
END
