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Erin Burnett Outfront

Trump: "I Made Juneteenth Very Famous" by Moving Rally; 24- Year-Veteran of Atlanta PD Says Never Seen Such "Low Morale" After Officers Charged in Man's Death; Bolton Slams Trump: "I Don't Think He's Fit for Office, I Don't Think He has the Competence to Carry Out the Job"; Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) Discuss About His Take on Bolton's Accusation of Malpractice in the Impeachment of President Trump; Venue Requests Safety Plan From Trump Campaign for Rally; Trump: "Very Small Percentage" of Attendees Could Catch Virus; Florida Reports Record 3,000+ Cases in One Day; Supreme Court Blocks Trump from Ending DACA; Black Voters Who Didn't Vote in 2016 Say They Will Turn Out to Vote Against Trump in 2020. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired June 18, 2020 - 19:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: For watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Erin Burnett OUTFRONT starts right now.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: Thank you, Wolf.

OUTFRONT next, President Trump takes credit for making Juneteenth the day commemorating the end of slavery in America 'very famous'. As a top State Department official, a Republican reportedly resigns tonight over the President's actions and words specifically about race.

Plus, will House Democrats now move to subpoena John Bolton after his book on Trump. Congressman Adam Smith, the former lead impeachment manager joins us.

And the President admits 'small percentage of people might get sick of his rally' as the facility where the rally will be held is now asking the Trump campaign for a safety plan.

Let's go OUTFRONT.

And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.

OUTFRONT tonight, fanning the flames. President Trump bragging about making Juneteenth famous saying, here's Trump, "I made Juneteenth very famous. It's actually an important event. It's an important time. But nobody had heard of it. Very people have heard of it. Very few people have heard of it. Actually, a young African-American Secret Service agent knew what it was. I had political people who had no idea. Did you ever hear of Juneteenth before?"

Alyssa Farah, his White House Communications Director responded and these are her words, "I did from last year when the White House put out a statement." Trump replied to her, "Oh, really? We put out a statement? The Trump

White House put out a statement?

Farah responded, "Yes."

Trump added, "Oh, OK."

The President of the United States making a holiday about the end of slavery about himself and then there's that irony that the President himself didn't know what it was until he asked a black Secret Service agent. But, of course, people, plenty of people did know about Juneteenth since 1980 47 states and the District of Columbia have recognized it as a holiday or observance.

And here's the bottom line. It isn't and it should never be about President Trump making Juneteenth famous. It shouldn't be about President Trump at all. But, of course, as we see time and time again on this issue, it is not easy for him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think I've done more for the black community than any other president and let's take a pass on Abraham Lincoln because he did good, although it's always questionable. In other words, the end result.

HARRIS FAULKNER, FOX NEWS: Well, we are free, Mr. President. So, he did pretty well.

TRUMP: But we are free. You understand what I mean.

FAULKNER: Yes, I know. I can ...

TRUMP: So I'm going to take a pass on Honest Abe, as we call him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: The end result of freedom of slaves. Look, we know the President's words and actions when it comes to race are hurting him in his own administration now. The Washington Post tonight reporting that a top State Department official, a Republican has resigned.

Mary Elizabeth Taylor was the Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs writing a resignation letter in which she says, "The President's comments and action surrounding racial injustice and Black Americans cut sharply against my core values and convictions."

All of this as the nation is still dealing with the death of George Floyd and again now the death of Rayshard Brooks. Tonight, two former Atlanta Police officers charged in the death of Brooks have turned themselves in formally. The decision to charge the officer sparking another crisis because now Atlanta police have been calling out sick.

Victor Blackwell is OUTFRONT live in Atlanta. And Victor, just one day after the DA said the officer who shot and killed Brooks could face the death penalty if convicted. We are now hearing that he is not going to seek that as a possible punishment.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's correct. Paul Howard confirmed right here on CNN that he will not be seeking the death penalty for ex-officer Garrett Rolfe. You know that one of the 11 charges that Rolfe faces is felony murder which is punishable by death.

Howard says he will not seek that, he would not go as far to say as if he would instead seek life in prison without parole. He says that decision will be made later. Now, just before 3:30 today, Rolfe turned himself in. He's been in custody ever since. The DA has asked for him to be held without bail and we learned just moments ago that he has waived his first appearance, so it'll be a while until we see that ex- officer again.

The other officer who was on the scene last Friday night, Officer Devin Brosnan, he bailed out. He bonded out, I should say, on a $50,000 signature bond that in and out pretty quickly. And one more thing about Officer Brosnan, there was that confusion about this time yesterday when we heard from his attorneys saying that his client had not agreed to be a state's witness, had not agreed to testify against Officer Rolfe. What we know from the DA is that he says his understanding has not changed, that he expects that Officer Brosnan will cooperate with this investigation moving forward.

BURNETT: So in the wake of these charges, obviously, you have the possible - death penalty clearly on the table yesterday. I know that's changed today. But in the wake of this and the protests over the death of Rayshard Brooks, what is the morale like in the Atlanta Police Department right now, Victor?

BLACKWELL: Low. Deflated, in fact.

[19:05:00]

We have had reports, my colleague Ryan Young, a source inside the APD tells him that in zone one, there was just a single officer and two sergeants who showed up for work today. That would be typically many multiples of that number. There have been an increase in sick outs.

And we've heard from a 24-year-veteran of this department, I can put it up here where he says, "In 24 years I've never seen this low morale. It's just the distrust and the disconnect between the troops out there and actually the command, I've never seen anything like it. It is amazing."

Now, in response to that, we've heard that the Atlanta Police foundation will be giving $500 to every Atlanta Police officer. They say it's just a thank you, hoping to boost morale, but it is deeply deflated here with a lot of officers refusing to respond to calls unless another officer needs help.

Actually, I was at their protests last night where protesters had pulled their cars into the middle of university, if you remember that from this broadcast a day ago, and I watched an APD officer pull up to those cars, drive around them, no sirens, no lights and keep going. It didn't stop to tell them to move those cars out of the way, so fairly low here, Erin.

BURNETT: Yes, that's for sure. All right. Victor, thank you very much. I want to go now to the former President of the NAACP, Ben Jealous, our Chief Political Analyst, Gloria Borger and the former Chief of Police in DeKalb County, Georgia, Cedric Alexander also back with us.

So, Ben, what's your reaction to the DA today making it clear backing off that death penalty charge, making it clear that is not on the table. That he will not seek the death penalty in the Rayshard Brooks' case.

BENJAMIN JEALOUS, PRESIDENT-ELECT, PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY AND FOUNDATION: It's a good thing. The same civil rights movement that stands up to ensure that we finally end these killings of black people and all people by the cops also stands up to say let's abolish the death penalty. It wasn't long ago in Georgia that we saw a man named Troy Davis who many frankly were convinced including myself was not guilty killed. They have a very flawed death penalty there, so every time they don't seek it as far as I'm concerned is a good thing.

BURNETT: So Chief, you heard Victor just there talking about the low morale in the Atlanta Police Department. That he was talking about one precinct where our Ryan Young reported with one sergeant and two officers show up to work when you have multiples of that. That 24- year-veteran that Victor was talking to said there's confusion now. They don't know what force can now be used.

He said, "There's no new policy or information, so what are we supposed to do? No one knows what we are supposed to do." He continued to say, "So I'm scared." And now they're not coming to work in mass. I mean, what does all of this mean, Chief?

CEDRIC ALEXANDER, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, let me say this, I think many of us certainly can understand their anger, their frustration and as I said before their confusion in terms of what they should or should not do. Nothing is more troubling for these officers than now to feel that they're in a position that no matter what they do, they could be subject to losing their jobs or subject to an arrest and we certainly don't want any of them coming to work that way.

So we must continue to, I think, as a community and certainly as leadership in that agency and with elected officials must be able to encourage them the importance that they have their support. I had an opportunity this afternoon to communicate with Mayor Bottoms and she is vigorously is going to address the training issues that involve such major concern and she has a great deal of concern about it and she want to make sure that our men and women understand what the rules and engagements are. And she herself is going to take the leadership in making sure that that training comes forth in (inaudible) from them.

BURNETT: So Gloria, this comes as the senior state department official I mentioned, Mary Elizabeth Taylor, is resigning. She's one of the highest ranking African-Americans in this administration. She's resigning specifically because of Trump's response on race and she writes, in part, "The President's comments and action surrounding racial injustice and Black Americans cut sharply against my core values and convictions."

She has been with the administration since day one and this is the final straw for her. How telling is this, Gloria?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it's very telling. It's clearly a crisis of conscience here and she's been with him since day one and that means she was there for Charlottesville.

[19:10:00]

And she was in a meeting in the Roosevelt Room with senators and I think clearly tried to help work this issue through for the White House. She is a key liaison for the State Department with Republicans in Congress and so she used to work for Mitch McConnell on The Hill. She's very well respected. She's regarded well on both sides of the aisle as somebody who tries to work to get things done.

And so when someone like this decides they have to leave, you have to pay attention to it, Erin. Because it's clear to me from reading that short letter that she had reached some kind of breaking point and just said to herself I can't do it anymore.

BURNETT: I mean, Ben, this comes as today in an interview appears the President in The Wall Street Journal where he talks about the rally in Tulsa that was originally scheduled for Juneteenth and his way of seeing that is that, well, now it's famous and that he made it famous. Let me say it again, "I made Juneteenth very famous. It's actually an important event, it's an important time. But no one had heard of it. Very few people have heard of it." He himself saying that he had to ask the black Secret Service agent in the room, according to the reporter, what it was. What's your reaction?

JEALOUS: Well, first of all, I think he would also say that he made Frederick Douglass more famous when he thought that Fred Douglas was still with us. If he's brought greater notoriety to Juneteenth, it's because he sought to bring his racist rhetoric to a town that a hundred years later is still healing from a very racist event where entire black district was destroyed by people on the ground and in the air.

They flew planes over there. They doused it with oil. They lit it on fire. It killed people by the score and he wanted in the month of the anniversary of that bring his racist rhetoric to town on the anniversary of the end of slavery in Texas when it's celebrated nationally. And he's utter hubris lack of irony and, frankly, lack of self - his unwillingness to just simply apologize. All we want to hear from him right now is just like I'm sorry. I didn't understand.

But this man doesn't seem to have any humility in his body when it comes to issues of race. And it's deeply, deeply disturbing and it's deeply divisive. The other day we thought he was going to say something about police reform. He spent one minute on reforms and three minutes bashing protesters. He spent five minutes praising the cops. We need more from a president in times like this. BURNETT: All right. I appreciate all of you very much. Thank you.

ALEXANDER: Thank you.

JEALOUS: Thank you.

BURNETT: And next, will democrats now subpoena John Bolton after the scathing revelations in his new book? The man who wanted Bolton to testify publicly on the impeachment hearings, Adam Schiff, is OUTFRONT.

Plus, Oklahoma coronavirus cases have more than doubled since last week as the President admits a 'small percentage of people may get infected at his rally'. By the way, remember, they signed a waiver. He's having them sign a waiver, they can't sue him over it.

And a new model warning Florida could be the next epicenter for the pandemic, questioning the handling in that state. A top doctor in Florida one of those asking questions tonight. She's OUTFRONT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:17:04]

BURNETT: Tonight, President Trump and his former National Security Adviser John Bolton gearing up for their first court fight tomorrow. Federal judge set to hear arguments over the publications of Bolton's new book. A book that the President of the United States does not want you to read.

The President repeatedly attacking Bolton today calling him a 'sick puppy', a 'disgruntled employee', calling his book 'pure fiction'. None of that though is stopping Bolton. In an interview airing today, Bolton had this to say about President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BOLTON, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: I don't think he's fit for office. I don't think he has the competence to carry out the job. There really isn't any guiding principle that I was able to discern other than what's good for Donald Trump's reelection.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: OUTFRONT now, the man who served as the lead impeachment manager, Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff, who is also Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. So I just want to start with Bolton accusing you of malpractice on impeachment, because you were not willing to wait for a court to decide whether he should testify. You subpoenaed Bolton. He said he wouldn't testify unless a court forced him to honor that and you didn't move ahead with that, because you said I don't want to spend months and months tied up in court here going into the election. It didn't make sense.

So what do you say now accusing you of malpractice, because you weren't willing to wait for a court? REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): Well, it's quite a charade. I give them

credit for sheer nerve because what he is saying basically is there was malpractice in the impeachment because you should have investigated things that I was unwilling to tell you about and that's pretty breathtaking.

But it's Bolton's best effort to do a couple things, one, to try to rationalize why he didn't do his patriotic duty, why his deputies testified, risked their careers, Col. Vindman have been passed over for promotion now. They risked their futures when John Bolton decided he was going to fight in court unless he got to save it for his book.

So it's an effort to rationalize that. I think it's also an effort to stay in the good graces of Republicans even as he's trashing the President. None of that reflects well on John Bolton. None of it reflects what a patriot would do. But at the same time, I think we have to take the allegations of the President's conduct seriously because they're all too consistent with what we show during the trial.

BURNETT: And the President says the book is pure fiction, given this and given what you're calling Bolton out for, are you going to subpoena him now is that worth your time?

SCHIFF: We have just begun discussions with leadership about what next steps are appropriate to find out more about what John Bolton experienced, saw, witnessed in terms of the President's wrongdoing. That quote that you played from him just a moment ago about how essentially he never saw the President make a decision that wasn't based on what was good for him. That was exactly what we tried in the case.

[19:20:00]

Pointing out that you can't count on Donald Trump to do what's best for the country only what's best for him. And this whole pattern and practice of putting the national interest or our National Security interest below his personal interest, whether it was via Ukraine or vis-a-vis China, it didn't matter.

You have the same dangerous pattern and I think it's worth making sure we understand just how he is exposed and undermine the country. But how we do that, we're still in the process of discussing.

BURNETT: So Bolton - there's a lot of things in this book. He talks about a pattern. It says, you all should have investigated this pattern of the President to intervene in criminal investigations. He says, "Basically, to give personal favors to dictators he liked. The pattern looked like obstruction of justice as a way of life." He goes on and gives that example of, he says hearing Trump personally asking the Chinese President to help him get reelected.

What was new to you? What surprised you? I mean, I want to highlight to everyone you're the Chairman of the Intelligence Committee. You've seen everything there was to see about Russia. You were the impeachment lead manager. What surprised you in John Bolton's book? SCHIFF: Well, we knew, of course, that there was the President on the

White House lawn saying even during the impeachment proceedings that, yes, he wanted Ukraine even then to do an investigation of the Bidens, but he also wanted China to do an investigation of the Bidens. And, of course, the White House and the President's defenders wrote that off and tried to say, oh, of course, he's just kidding.

But, of course, he wasn't kidding and now we see in the book that he wasn't just calling on China to investigate the Bidens, he was also calling on President Xi to help save his reelection by buying more from Midwestern states that he was dependent on. And more than that, betraying American values in these conversations with President Xi saying it's not only appropriate for you to hold millions of wiggers in concentration camps, but it's the right thing to do.

I mean, that is so at odds with everything this country should stand for and it shows a whole different level of unfitness for office. Those things surprise me in that they were new, didn't surprise me at all and that it's true to the President's lack of character.

BURNETT: So what about John Bolton's character? He knew all this then and he didn't say it and he was subpoenaed, he had the opportunity to speak and he didn't. He did that whole court thing. Do you think that he should be held accountable for withholding this information waiting to put it in a book?

SCHIFF: Well, I think he certainly will be held accountable by history. I don't know how else he can be held accountable, but you're absolutely right. What John Bolton's attorney was arguing when we were trying to get him to come and testify before the committee is that in the absence of a court order to do so, he might be violating his constitutional oath. He might be betraying the President.

Well, apparently because he never got that court decision. That didn't matter if he was offered $2 million for a book. That's the kind of lack of patriotism and profiteering, frankly, that apparently characterizes John Bolton. As damning as the allegations against the President are in that book, they were equally damning of John Bolton for keeping it concealed at a time when it really mattered to the country.

BURNETT: Chairman Schiff, thank you very much.

SCHIFF: Thank you.

BURNETT: And next, President Trump saying some people could be wearing masks because they don't like him.

And Florida is predicted to be the next large epicenter of coronavirus. It has just set a record for the most cases reported in a single day. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:27:41] BURNETT: Tonight, the President admitting a very small percentage,

his words, of people attending his Oklahoma rally this weekend could contract coronavirus. This as according to CNN's analysis, Oklahoma's new cases have more than doubled in the past week. The venue in Tulsa can hold about 20,000 people and is now asking the Trump campaign to submit a safety plan for the rally.

Now, the campaign, of course, has so far only said that masks are optional and there is no social distancing at this indoor rally. Much more on the Tulsa rally in a moment, first I want to go to Nick Watt because he's OUTFRONT with the information about rising cases across the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT(voice over): Face masks are now mandatory for most of California's 40 million people anywhere deemed risky on a bus for example, even waiting for that bus. "We are seeing too many people with faces uncovered," says the Governor. "Putting at risk the real progress we have made in fighting the disease."

In California and in nearly half our states average new case counts are now climbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. PETER HOTEZ, INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT, BAYLOR UNIVERSITY: And now I don't know see any option other than to start reimplementing significant levels of social distancing once again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT(voice over): In Texas, the Governor won't give Mayors the power to make masks mandatory for all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SCOTT GOTTLIEB, FORMER FDA COMMISSIONER: Well, down in those parts of the country you don't see mask wearing, because they just haven't experienced the same level of death and disease from COVID as parts of the Northeast.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT(voice over): Florida ones made incoming New Yorkers quarantine on arrival.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D) NEW YORK: Fast forward a hundred days, now we're afraid they're bringing the virus to our state.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT(voice over): New York now mulling its own quarantine order for anyone incoming. Good news, New Yorkers can very soon dine out again on the sidewalk. Bad news, White House Task Force Dr. Anthony Fauci now thinks football may not happen this year.

"Make no mistake, this is no easy task," replied the NFL. "We will make adjustments as necessary to meet the public health environment as we prepare to play the 2020 season as scheduled."

Meanwhile, the man tapped to lead the White House vaccine effort now bullish about that ambitious end of year goals.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. GUSTAVE PERNA, TRUMP NOMINEE TO LEAD COVID VACCINE EFFORT: What I thought was an aspirational goal 30 days ago when I was announced by the President, I've recently come to the conclusion that it is more and more likely to occur.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[19:30:06]

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): And the president himself thinks it's pretty much all over.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you look, the numbers are very miniscule compared to what it was. It's dying out.

WATT: That is a lie.

DR. JEANNE MARRAZZO, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AT UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM: It's not true. It's hard to see how one could arrive at that conclusion when you look at the data that we have been talking about.

WATT: This past week, all of these states have hit record highs for new cases in a single day -- Texas, Oregon, Oklahoma, Alabama, Arizona, California, and Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATT: And that is not just down to more testing as the president, the vice president and a few governors want you to believe. If you're still on the fence, let's take hospitalizations, a very concrete number. Right now, we are seeing record highs in Texas, Arizona and South Carolina -- Erin.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: All right. Thank you very much, Nick.

And I want to go now to Dr. Jonathan Reiner. He advised the White House medical team under President George W. Bush, currently the director of cardiac cath lab at G.W. hospital.

So, Dr. Reiner, you heard the president, it's dying out. OK. What do you say to that?

DR. JONATHAN REINER, CARDIOLOGIST, ADVISED WHITE HOUSE MEDICAL TEAM FOR EIGHT YEARS: It's not dying out. We've leveled off at about 20,000 cases per day. Every time you hear the president speak about the pandemic, I get the

sense that, you know, he feels that it's easy to get people to agree with him if he tells them what they want to hear, right? People want to hear that it's dying out, but it's not. It's dropped to very much lower levels in parts of the Northeast, and it's rising to very high levels in parts of the South and Southwest. So -- which is why our daily case rate has been about 20,000 for several weeks because we've offset the gains that we've made with the outbreak in the South and Southwest.

BURNETT: Well -- and just to make the point here, even as testing has gone down, for example, in Oklahoma, cases are going up, right? And we can make these points in various ways in various states. This isn't a case of we're testing more people. That's categorically incorrect.

What is the concern you have about what you just said? The places where it's hottest, where people are most outdoors, where theoretically a virus that is not as active in hot weather shouldn't be as active this time of year is resurging. What do you -- what is the risk that that carries with it down the line?

REINER: Well, we haven't learned the lessons -- or we haven't carried forward the lessons that we learned in places, you know, like New York and New Jersey about how to suppress the virus. So, we opened parts of the South and Southwest in Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma while the virus was starting to rise.

Also, we've told people that they don't need to wear masks if they feel uncomfortable wearing them. We've made that a political issue. So, we have failed to heed the hard-learned lessons from the first three months of the pandemic.

BURNETT: And now you have this rally and the president was asked about the risk of people getting sick. And he responded, quote, people have to know that yes, you do, but it's a tiny, you know, it's a very small percentage. And they've had to sign waivers, if they get sick or very sick or die, they can't sue.

He starts shrugging it off. Now the venue wants a safety plan, it's indoor, it's 20,000 people, masks optional, social distancing is not part of the current plan. I mean, what really is the risk in Tulsa?

REINER: The risk is real. Tulsa just had record number of cases. In the last week the number of cases in Tulsa is up 111 percent. Look, if a club owner tried to over-pack their venue with people, the fire marshal would shut it down.

It's unsafe to have this event in Tulsa right now, and the county health commissioner should shut it down. I think it's possible they will. It's not safe to do it.

BURNETT: All right. Well, we're going to see what happens. It's now down to basically hours they have to make that decision.

Dr. Reiner, thank you as always.

REINER: Be well.

BURNETT: And next, a new study warns Florida could become the next epicenter for the coronavirus.

And breaking news, the Air Force inspector general reportedly investigating whether the military used the secretive surveillance plane to monitor recent protests.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:38:48]

BURNETT: Tonight, Florida has all the markings of the next large epicenter for new coronavirus cases. That is a quote from the scientists at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania.

It is based on their latest model, and it comes as the state is running low on ICU beds and is reporting whether 3,200 coronavirus cases which is another single day high for that state.

OUTFRONT now, Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious disease expert at Florida International University and an adviser to Republican Miami- Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez.

I appreciate your time, Dr. Marty.

So, we look at the numbers here -- cases in Florida going up, a new record today for new cases. So, on this issue of an epicenter coming out of the University of Pennsylvania model, do you think Florida could be the next epicenter?

DR. AILEEN MARTY, INFECTIOUS DISEASE PROFESSOR, FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY: If we don't hammer this thing back down, yes, it could. But that's the goal. We have just spent so much time and effort and suffering, hammering down the original outbreak that it's really a tragedy to see the numbers start to go back up. And we have the public health measures that can be used to get it back down without having a lockdown if the community cooperates.

[19:40:04]

BURNETT: So, you know, what you have here from the governor, though, Ron DeSantis, he has discounted the spike in cases and he is saying this is just increased testing. And, furthermore, he's blaming specific places, he's saying prisons, agriculture communities, long term care facilities, essentially if you take those out and take out increased testing, there's not a problem here.

Is he right?

MARTY: We have been testing those communities for a long time now. Since April, we have been testing members of those communities. And that -- if it's any reflection of what's going on, it's a very small part of the picture. And the reality remains that there are more hospitalizations happening

here right now. So, we know this is a real increase in cases. And I should add that the mayor of Dade County is well aware of this and he is ready to take action because he doesn't want to see this be the next epicenter. And we are going to do whatever's necessary in a polite and friendly way to try and avoid this becoming the next epicenter.

BURNETT: So, Dr. Marty, you've called this virus a monster. What do you think people need to understand who are becoming complacent or perhaps acting a bit blase right now?

MARTY: I don't think people understand what this virus is in its raw form. You know, we look at the numbers and we say, well, there's tremendous amount of people in the world, 8.3 million, we're almost at half a million dead. And that's horrible. Believe me.

But if we didn't have modern medicine, if we didn't have ICUs, if we didn't have the tools, the genomics, and all those things that are really new, the new understanding of immunology we've developed over the last 30, 40 years, those 20 percent of people that would go to hospital could die. That's really what it is.

And if you think of it that way, if you try and compare this virus to other outbreaks, to the 1918 pandemic or to the bubonic plague, et cetera, you have to put it in perspective of what are the tools that we have available to us today? What are the medicines that we have? What ways can we keep people alive? And that's where the difference is.

BURNETT: That's a pretty powerful way of looking at it and I hope one that people take note. Thank you very much.

MARTY: You're very welcome.

BURNETT: Dr. Aileen Marty.

And next, effigies found after the hanging deaths of two black men in California. I'm going to ask the state's attorney general if he sees a connection.

And black voters using this moment in history to wield power in 2020.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you don't go out and vote, you're voting for Trump, period. That's it. There is no other -- there's no other way around it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:47:04]

BURNETT: Tonight, a major rebuke from President Trump in the Supreme Court. In a 5-4 decision, the justices blocking his attempt to end the DACA program, which, of course, was set in place by President Obama. It protected more than 700,000 immigrants. They all came to the United States illegally as young children but it protected them from deportation. Of course, it's the only home most of them have ever known.

It was the second time this week that the court has ruled against President Trump.

OUTFRONT now, the California attorney general, Xavier Becerra, who led a coalition of 21 attorneys general to defend DACA before the Supreme Court.

Attorney General Becerra, look, I really appreciate your time.

So, when you take this ruling on DACA, how significant is it?

XAVIER BECERRA (D), CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: It's big. It's an indictment of the way the Trump administration does business. It's said that everyone must follow the rule of law, White House and the occupant don't have the right to be above the law.

So, it was big because it spoke to the arbitrary and capricious nature of the actions that Donald Trump took as president to end the program. And now, he didn't do it.

BURNETT: So, now, the Chief Justice Roberts -- you know, now, he's been being slammed of course by the right. But he essentially said that the Trump administration didn't follow the appropriate protocol, right, the procedure to undo DACA, right?

His point was not on constitutionality. It was on procedure.

So, are you concerned that that actually gives President Trump a road map to try again, do this properly, get it approved?

BECERRA: Erin, that's a very simple, funny thing about this whole mess. There's always been a road map. It's been laid out pretty clearly by presidents in the past.

All that Donald Trump has to do is follow the rules to either put in place or remove an executive order. An executive -- I mean DACA was a creature of an executive order, not a statute. And so, a president can institute an executive order. A president can dismantle an executive order.

Donald Trump tried to do this the wrong way. That's why the Supreme Court slapped him on his hand.

BURNETT: This case is getting a lot of attention in your state this week, attorney general. Someone in Oakland called police to report a fake body hanging from a noose. And it came a day after five nooses were found at that same park.

It comes as you are investigating cases of black men found hanging from trees in California, two cases of that. As you look at this, what do you think is happening here? Do you think

there's any connection?

BECERRA: We're going to do what we can to find out. We're involved in the investigation of the incident involving Robert Fuller in Palmdale where he was found dead hanging.

It's unclear, but it's chilling. I've got to tell you it doesn't help circumstances. Everyone's on edge. There are a lot of people who are very frightened. A lot of people are courageous and peacefully protesting.

And to see these things, it just doesn't help. We have an opportunity here and I hope we take this responsibility to get to the bottom of all these.

[19:50:03]

BURNETT: So, you know, this week, the context you're talking about in the communities and, you know, protesters bravely going out. Police -- you talked about police reforms, including the banning of chokeholds, requiring officers to intervene when colleagues use excessive force. That's what you have recommended.

But there are signs of frustrations. I mean, a veteran LAPD supervisor told CNN today morale is the worst he's seen since the aftermath of the 1992 riots. I'm sure you're aware of the attorney general in Atlanta, major staffing shortages, with officers calling out. Morale is low.

There are a lot of good, decent people on these police forces trying to do the right thing.

Are you concerned, are you worried you can see officers calling out and have a bigger problem?

BECERRA: Well, what concerns me most is if everyone goes the wrong direction, everyone starts to feel the angst and the morale goes down for everyone, whether you're in a police agency or if you're one of the protesters. If you feel that only bad things can happen, bad things will happen.

And so, we have to change that. And I think that's why a lot of folks, whether you're on law enforcement or otherwise are speaking out, courageously so.

So, I think the most important thing is, let's, you know, talk but after we talk, let's do something. And this is our opportunity the moment to do something.

BURNETT: Before we go, Attorney General, I want to ask you about something we just learned this hour, which is that the Air Force inspector general is now investigating whether the military was using a secretive surveillance plane improperly to monitor the protests both in Washington and Minneapolis.

What is your response to that?

BECERRA: Again, chilling, when a president will use the military against its own people. And we should take a look at the military who didn't say something because they've got to know what they did was wrong. But once again, it shows the character of Donald Trump, whether it was in this DACA decision or in the use of military against our very people. He's doing it the wrong way, and he should be slapped down for doing it.

BURNETT: Attorney General Becerra, thanks for your time.

BECERRA: Thank you.

BURNETT: And next, black voters may be the key to the outcome of the 2020 election, in part motivated by current events.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Part of the universal appeal of this movement is because of Donald Trump, because people realize who and what he is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:56:34]

BURNETT: Tonight, some black voters who stayed on the sidelines in 2016 say they will make their voices heard this time.

Jeff Zeleny is out front.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PROTESTERS: No justice, no peace! No justice, no peace!

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mariah Smith has been marching and come November, she will be voting.

MARIAH SMITH, TEACHER'S AIDE: If you don't go out and vote, you're voting for Trump, period. That's it. There's no -- there's no other way around it.

ZELENY: With tributes to George Floyd and Breonna Taylor painted across Milwaukee, along with murals and signs calling for peace and justice, a sound track of American politics is now animated by protests. With anger towards President Trump resonating far louder than adoration for Joe Biden.

PRENTICE MCKINNEY, MILWAUKEE ACTIVIST: There's a time when you go to the polls to vote for something. And then there's a time when you go and you take a stand against something.

ZELENY: Prentice McKinney has been watching these demonstrations closely, stirring memories from 1967, when he helped lead a fight for fair housing in 200 straight days of marches. These images seared into his mind, like coming face to face with two policemen outside the mayor's office.

In today's protests, he sees broader diversity, with a unifying purpose.

MCKINNEY: Part of the universal appeal of this movement is because of Donald Trump, because people realize who and what he is.

ZELENY: Here in one of the nation's most segregated cities, a summer of unrest is now part of the presidential race, that will test whether protesters have awaken a political movement.

ANGELA LANG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BLACK LEADERS ORGANIZING FOR COMMUNITIES (BLOC): There are people that are like, I don't know if Trump was racist, what do you mean he's racist? Point to something very clear and specific.

We can point to this moment, just a few months ahead of the presidential election about how he's treating our community.

ZELENY: Angela Lang founded a group to mobilize African-Americans after Trump narrowly carried Wisconsin in 2016, when turnout among black voters and others substantially fell.

Since then, there are some signs of change. In April, David Crowley was elected as the first African-American Milwaukee county executive. A seat once held by Republican former Governor Scott Walker.

DAVID CROWLEY (D), MILWAUKEE COUNTY EXECUTIVE: This election matters because people know that we need absolute change.

ZELENY: The Trump campaign isn't ceding black voters. Opening a Republican field office here on Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, with a quote from the slain civil rights leader in the window. David Bowen, a Democratic state representative, said voters should not be fooled.

DAVID BOWEN (D), WISCONSIN STATE ASSEMBLY: It's very offensive to the standpoint that nothing in his administration or that he's done really lines up with those words.

ZELENY: Protests in Milwaukee are approaching the third straight week, organized by Frank Sensabaugh who said he intentionally didn't vote four years ago.

(on camera): Are you planning to vote this November?

FRANK NITTY SENSABAUGH, MILWAUKEE PROTESTS ORGANIZER: This November, yeah, I actually do plan to vote. This November, I think, it's going to be more serious of a vote.

ZELENY (voice-over): And that gives hope to McKinney, that these young demonstrators will keep their eye on November.

MCKINNEY: I think they'll be there. I think that's what Trump is afraid of.

(END VIDEOTAPE) ZELENY: Now, the anger and disdain for President Trump, Erin, is so clear by the Democratic voters we talked to. Whether or not they voted in 2016, they said they will vote in November.

The burden also on Joe Biden to excite Democratic voters. It's one reason he opened a $15 million ad campaign today in six states, including here in Wisconsin. And no coincidence, he'll be accepting the Democratic nomination here two months from this week -- Erin.

BURNETT: Wow.

All right. Jeff, thank you very much.

And thanks to all of you for joining us.

The CNN global town hall "CORONAVIRUS: FACTS AND FEARS" begins now.

END