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Erin Burnett Outfront
Trump Hospitalized at Walter Reed After Coronavirus Diagnosis; Source: Trump Spooked by Coronavirus Diagnosis and has Become Increasingly Alarmed as Symptoms Develop, Like Fever; Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) Michigan Discusses About her Take on President Trump's Condition; Source: Trump's Condition is Worse than Melania Trump's; Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) is Interviewed About Trump Hospitalized at Walter Reed. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired October 02, 2020 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:00]
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Well, let's hope it works. Dr. Schleifer, thanks to you. Thanks to everyone at Regeneron working on this new cocktail. I appreciate it very much. It's truly been a historic day here in the nation's capitol.
CNN's special coverage of this major breaking story continues right now with Erin Burnett OUTFRONT.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: Good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
And OUTFRONT tonight the breaking news, the President of the United States at Walter Reed Hospital after testing positive for coronavirus. President Trump taken to Walter Reed on Marine One just 40 minutes ago. You can see he walked out of the White House wearing a suit and a mask. He did not speak to reporters as he got on Marine One.
Looking on as the President left, White House staffers, our Jim Acosta taking this picture as you see for the first time, almost everyone wearing a mask. According to the White House, the President will be at Walter Reed for several days, but the White House says there will not be a transfer of power at this time. As of tonight, we still know extremely little about the President's real condition.
A source telling CNN that Trump has had a fever since this morning. According to his doctor, he was given a dose of a new experimental antibody cocktail. I'm going to tell you more about that. And just before the President left for Walter Reed, he surfaced for the first time recording this video, which he tweeted out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to thank everybody for the tremendous support. I'm going to Walter Reed Hospital. I think I'm doing very well. But we're going to make sure that things work out. The First Lady is doing very well.
So thank you very much, I appreciate it. I will never forget it. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: That was the first time we've heard from the President in any way, video, tweet, anything, since he tweeted that he had tested positive for coronavirus at 1 am. Since then, Vice President Mike Pence had to take Trump's pace on a conference call with governors about protecting seniors from coronavirus. And the President had been supposed to be on that.
Sure, the Governor of New York said that he would be, but that then changed at the last minute. And the Trump campaign has announced all upcoming events will either be postponed or held virtually.
Jeremy Diamond is OUTFRONT live outside Walter Reed. Jeremy, what more are you learning about the President's condition right now? Obviously, he did not take a motorcade to Walter Reed. He was airlifted there.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Erin. And it was just 18 hours ago when you think about it that Dr. Sean Conley, the President's physician released the memo confirming that President Trump and the First Lady had tested positive for the coronavirus. And in that memo, Dr. Sean Conley said that the President and the First Lady plan to remain at the White House, within the White House during their convalescence.
And now Erin, 18 hours later, just a half hour ago, we saw President Trump arriving via Marine One landing on the lawn in front of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where the White House has told us that the President will remain for several days. And this is, of course, the President of the United States, a 74-year-old man who is considered a clinically obese, who is in a higher risk category for this virus now being admitted to the hospital for several days.
And we also know, Erin, that as of now, the President has already received this experimental but promising experimental treatment from Regeneron, which is a polyclonal antibody cocktail and he's also received several other medications and vitamins as well to help him get recover from this virus. Obviously, one of the main questions as we awaited the President's leaving the White House was how he was going to board Marine One and we saw him walk out there of his own volition needing no extra help, which is obviously a good sign as far as the President's condition. And he was followed by the White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows and several other aides who are wearing what appeared to be those respirators, those KN95 or N95 respirators, obviously, much higher precautions being taken.
But Erin, the headline here is the President of the United States, the Commander-in-chief, being admitted to the hospital for several days. That is really something remarkable, remarkable and very serious development as we monitor the President's health over the next couple of days.
BURNETT: All right. Jeremy, thank you very much and if you get more information here, I know you're going to be standing by with us for the hour. I want to go to Kaitlan Collins. She's actually at the White House
where you obviously, Jeremy was saying, that is where we were told the President would have his convalescence. Now he has gone to Walter Reed. You were at the White House when the story first broke, when we first found out that Hope Hicks, obviously, the aide who is so close to the President had tested positive, since then very, very little information from this White House.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Erin, what a remarkable 24 hours it has been. Just yesterday, we were learning about Hope Hicks and, of course, overnight the President tested positive.
[19:05:01]
And you're right, there is still so much information that we don't know and one of the reasons for that is that we have not received any kind of briefing from the President's physician, Dr. Sean Conley, who, of course, as you saw just went with the President to Walter Reed for his stay there over the next few days. But he has done no briefing with reporters, not taking any questions.
And instead, the only officials that we've heard from on this front and on the President's health are political aides; his Chief of Staff, his Press Secretary, his Economic Advisor, Larry Kudlow, and they throughout the day were describing the President as experiencing these mild symptoms that he was in great spirit, a moderate case is what they were saying.
But Erin, that's clearly not the case since he is now winding up being admitted to Walter Reed military hospital where he's going to spend the next several days. So one big point of contention that has played out throughout the day is the timing of this, because yesterday, you saw the President get them Marine One and go to a fundraiser that was partially indoor, partially outdoor yesterday at his New Jersey Golf Club. And the Chief of Staff confirmed our reporting overnight that there was a small group of White House officials who were aware that Hope Hicks had tested positive and that the President had obviously been around her before he went on that trip.
What they haven't been able to, Erin, is explain why the President made that decision or why anyone thought it was a good idea to put the President on a helicopter and a plane and in a room with lots of people when he had just been around someone who had tested positive. And, of course, as we now know was positive himself.
That is something that the White House has not properly explained. There are so many questions about this. And, of course, the White House has not been transparent in the past when it comes to the President's health because you remember that trip to Walter Reed in 2019, so hopefully they will be more transparent this time.
But most of what we learned has been from reporting that later on the White House has confirmed, Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Kaitlan. I want to go to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, also Dr. Jonathan Reiner, who
advised the White House medical team under President George W. Bush now at the Cardiac Cath Lab at GW, has treated many coronavirus patients and Dana Bash, our Chief Political Correspondent. Also with me tonight, Olivia Troy. She served as Vice President Pence's lead staffer on the Coronavirus Task Force. She has now told us a lot about what really happened there and has endorsed Joe Biden. So all of you, thank you.
Sanjay, let me start with you. The President now hospitalized at Walter Reed. His physician had said earlier today, those things are going well, he's going to be at the White House as he recovers. Now, he is not at the White House. He's going to Walter Reed. He went there by helicopter not by motorcade. He's going to be there for several days.
They say this is out of an abundance of caution. That's what Boris Johnson said too before he was hospitalized in the U.K. when he had coronavirus. Is this what you would do out of precaution with someone who has what they say as mild symptoms and had otherwise an ordinary day?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Probably not, Erin. I mean, is it possible this is in an abundance of caution everything with the President, they're going to be more cautious. But this was a significant move, obviously, to move the President and we were sort of getting these clues all day long.
As Kaitlan, mentioned, it's always opaque with this White House, tough to figure out what's going on. But first, it was he's doing well, then it was mild illness and it was he's at a fever all day. Then, it was moderate illness, we've heard. So when we heard that he was also receiving this experimental therapy, this monoclonal antibody therapy that was another clue that there is a heightened level of concern here.
There are several different things that might necessitate a visit to the hospital. One is, being in the hospital, there's a lot more doctors there, specialists, people who can really help manage his care. That's important. There's also Intensive Care Unit capabilities. I'm not saying he needs to be in there, but it's much closer, obviously, if you're in the hospital to be able to go to an ICU as happened with Boris Johnson. You'll remember, Erin.
So it is a little bit unclear still exactly what prompted this, but I don't think I would just lay it at the feet of an abundance of caution. There has been a steadily heightening level of concern throughout the day here today.
BURNETT: And, again, just to emphasize here in a matter of hours as you say, the things have changed in terms of how it's been presented. As opaque as it is, things have changed dramatically in terms of how they've been presented.
Dr. Reiner, Sanjay mentioned the therapy, the experimental therapy. It's a Regeneron antibody cocktail, totally experimental. What does this tell you? Would they just give this to the President because he want him to throw the kitchen sink at it for no reason or not?
JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: No, this tells me exactly what Dr. Gupta said that they are very worried about the President. Look, this drug has, in its most recent early trial only studied about 275 patients. And although it looks promising in terms of viral clearance, this drug is nowhere near ready for clinical use.
[19:10:00]
So the fact that they would acquire this drug via obviously some sort of compassionate use protocol tells me that they are really worried about the President. So what we know is that he's symptomatic. We know that he's febrile and we know that they're worried enough to use an experimental drug.
Now we know that they want to hospitalize the President. So the only reason to hospitalize or really the major reason to hospitalize a covid patient is if you're concerned about their respiratory status. So one thing we don't know about the President that we need to know is what is his pulse oxygenation level, have they noticed that his level is starting to drop below 90 percent, that's something that they would need to watch closely and should be watched in a hospital and Walter Reed has a phenomenal facility to do that.
I think at this point, it would be very helpful to the country for the President's physician to come out and talk to the press. We did this in 2000 when the vice president had a heart attack, we stood there and answered questions until the press was done answering them and it goes a long way to reassure the public. That's what should happen here. We really should hear from Dr. Conley, just let him go out to the podium alone and just answer the questions.
BURNETT: I mean, Dana, in part this is because of what we're seeing, which is concerning. As an American citizen, it's concerning when you hear he's going to Walter Reed, you stop. Everybody stop, OK? Everyone in this country knows what's happening right now.
But in part, this is because of how it started. It was I have it and we're going to be at the White House recovering and then Larry Kudlow, the Economic Visor is like, oh, he's barking orders on the phone, everything's fine. He's just upstairs. But everything's normal. He's just working. And now all of a sudden, he's headed to Walter Reed with a fever and appearing weak. I want to play again, the video they released right after he left for Walter Reed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I want to thank everybody for the tremendous support. I'm going to Walter Reed Hospital. I think I'm doing very well. But we're going to make sure that things work out. The First Lady is doing very well. So thank you very much. I appreciate it. I will never forget it. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: The first thing we heard from him since 1 am last night. I mean, Dana, how much can we trust the information we're getting from the White House right now?
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, (inaudible) doctor, yes, he has not come out and spoken. But the fact that we were given the information about the drugs that they're giving to the President, including the fact that they're giving him that experimental treatment was a big, shiny, I should say, red flashing light, saying this is not good. And then, of course, we saw that he was going to go to Walter Reed.
And as you said, when an American hears that the President is going to the hospital, they stop. But first of all, in our adult lifetimes, I think, Erin, we haven't had a situation where a sitting U.S. president has been in this dire condition. I mean, obviously, the most recent was when Ronald Reagan was shot and it was anything probably close to this bad.
But the big difference is that people across the country can relate to this. They have had, unfortunately, friends and neighbors and loved ones who have suffered from the virus. And they have seen and heard stories about how things take a turn very quickly. So this is incredibly relatable right now, this has been something that has been oppressing this country for six months, more than six months.
And the other thing I just want to say to you, Erin, is because you know Donald Trump, you've covered him for much longer than I, the fact that he allowed himself to be helicoptered off the White House lawn tells you a lot and that is not just me speaking and probably you from your experience, it's also things that I'm hearing from people who know him very, very well in politics. I don't know about his condition, but just know his psyche and he is all about strength and he is all about not showing weakness.
And the fact that he allowed himself to be taken like that, I think is very telling.
BURNETT: Right. Even when he went for that event that they never were fully honest about, it was by car, by car in a motorcade. It's, what, 20 minutes or so to have to go by helicopter so people understand. It isn't a massive time savings. So time clearly, to someone, was of the essence.
And Olivia, on this front, you hear Sanjay, I know he's been talking to members of the Coronavirus Task Force, and they're telling him they're in the dark about the President's situation and what's happening. You know them, you know what happened there, do you think Olivia that the people in the White House, I mean, who knows how the truth about the President right now?
OLIVIA TROY, VICE PRESIDENT PENCE FORMER HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISER: I think the only people who really know the actual truth are the very, very closest of his inner circle and his family.
[19:15:01]
I certainly know Dr. Sean Conley well. He's certainly coached me through some scary moments and other staff when we've been exposed to COVID internally in the White House and I'm sure that he is doing his best to make sure that the President gets the best care possible. And I'm not surprised that they haven't told or informed many of the task force members.
I mean, I think they don't want anything further to leak. They're going to control the messaging on this very closely.
BURNETT: And Olivia, when the President obviously, up to this point, he went to the debate, we don't know the status of his testing, it was an honor system, he arrived too late to be tested, according to Chris Wallace, so it was on an honor system. Crucial information like that, like our people at the White House really getting tested all the time? I mean, I know the test itself has, obviously, has a huge error rate, but I mean I'm just saying is the President being tested all the time or are people being tested all the time?
TROY: So the fact of the matter is the immediate staff that see the President or the Vice President every day are tested every day and the President and Vice President are obviously tested. But not everyone on the staff or in the building is tested. If you're going to meet with them in-person, you're likely to get tested. But there are certainly plenty of staff running around in the West Wing and in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, who don't get tested.
And so I can't say I'm all that surprised to hear that they went to this event and the debate. And people are saying that they actually weren't tested and it was the honor system, because that's kind of how the White House has operated for months.
BURNETT: And Sanjay, here we are and now this is happening, a person who there's absolutely no reason why the President of the United States should have coronavirus, there's zero reason. The most protected person on the planet. He got coronavirus because he chose to put himself at risk to get coronavirus that. That's how it happened.
And now here we are and you're hearing that people like the taskforce; Dr. Fauci, Dr. Birx, are they - they have any sense of what's going on right now?
GUPTA: It doesn't sound like it. I mean, and to Olivia's point, maybe it's just going to be a very tight circle of people. But these are the world's best infectious disease doctors about a disease that very little is known about. So if you were trying to say, look, we just want to get the best knowledge and plan for the President of the United States, he's got the disease, he's 74 years old, he's got these risk factors, let's call on everybody to try and formulate the best plan.
And they're in the dark. They don't even know about - they're watching us on television. So the idea even as Dr. Reiner was talking about, the idea to use the monoclonal antibodies, I mean, is that just a shot in the dark? I mean, how are these very important decisions getting formulated?
I am glad he's going to the hospital. I mean, I know that it's unsettling for a lot of people, but that is the place for him to be. You get a lot of doctors now who will be involved with his care. They have all sorts of different resources available.
So even though people will say, well, this is an indication of something very negative happening, which, obviously, he has had he declined today, I think, that prompted this. But this is the place for him to be. That move sounds like it was the right move. I hope we hear from those doctors at some point.
BURNETT: So Dr. Reiner, let me ask you about this though in terms of a decline. And again, part of this could be their messaging and it was that there's nothing to see here, he's barking out orders. It's fine. Some of it may have just been false what they were saying. But no matter how you look at it to go from we're convalescing in the White House and feeling great to going to Walter Reed, in a matter of hours, what does that tell you, Dr. Reiner?
I mean, I know that we do know this can take a turn very quickly for people. We usually hear that happening around, what, day seven to day nine. I mean, that's what we've kind of been ingrained in people. We just found out that the President had this virus 18 hours ago.
REINER: We don't know how long he's actually had the virus. That's one thing we - it would actually be very helpful to know when his last negative test was in terms of also understanding what the risks were earlier in the week at the debate. But what this tells me is not just that his doctors were worried about him, the fact that he went to Walter Reed in the middle of his reelection campaign is that he's worried about him, he's worried about himself, I should say.
But I completely agree with Sanjay that Walter Reed is exactly the right place. When he goes there, he'll be under the care of their ID, their infectious disease team. He'll get a consult from a pulmonologist, maybe a critical care doc, if he needs it, a cardiologist, respiratory therapists. They have a suite which is most of a floor at Walter Reed which has secure conferencing facilities, there's a Cabinet Room.
[19:20:03]
It's made for the President of the United States. You can makeshift a lot of this at the White House. You can bring in oxygen tanks, and you can bring in consultants.
But Walter Reed is designed for this and if there's any concern, if it's a borderline call, he should be there and I'm glad they did that. But it tells me that the President himself was worried.
BURNETT: And Dana, we had to do some reporting on that. According to a person familiar, the President has become increasingly alarmed that he found out he had it and thought it was fine. And then all of a sudden, overnight, he gets a fever, he starts to have symptoms that he himself is alarmed.
BASH: Absolutely. And that was the point I was alluding to before, Erin, especially, again, as somebody like you who has reported on him and has known him. He has to be alarmed in order to allow himself to be taken under the care that both of the doctors here say that he that he needs and it is appropriate for him right now.
But he's the kind of guy who doesn't always think that way, unless he really feels the need to do that. I mean, he shunned the notion of masks for six months and he has behaved in a way that has allowed this to happen to him, unfortunately. So looking at what happened tonight through the prism of what happened in the past six months is, again, quite telling.
BURNETT: And Olivia, I mean, look, we know early on he told Bob Woodward this was like the plague. But obviously in public, he did deride masks and mock those who wore them. And that was internalized throughout where you worked and for the first time today, we saw the White House staff with masks on. It's kind of shocking, we're all accustomed to seeing them now but this was the first time we have a picture like this. This is the picture Jim Acosta took.
You can see staffers wearing masks as the President left for Walter Reed. This is what it took Olivia, huh?
TROY: Exactly. And honestly, it's heartbreaking to me as a former staffer and knowing all of these people. It didn't have to be this way. The President could have been protected, staff could have been protected. We shouldn't be in this moment. I mean, every single person in that White House knew better. And quite frankly, I'm sad. I'm sad that the country is in this moment and are watching this happen to the President himself.
I don't wish this on anyone. And all joking aside of everything that's happened internally on staff, I really hope that this has been a very sobering moment for every single person on that team that, what I've been saying, this is real. The task force has told you this is real. The doctors just said this is real. And whether you want to message it, send a counter message to the national public and say that it isn't because we're in an election year. This is where we are as a country now because of it.
BURNETT: So, Sanjay, what Olivia is saying, I know we have some more details just coming in, a source familiar with the situation telling Jim Acosta and Vivian Salama that White House officials have serious concerns about President Trump's health at this time. And a separate top administration official tells CNN that Trump is 'OK for now, but our fears that things can change quick'.
Then, a third source says the President's condition is worse than that of the First Lady Melania Trump, who I believe has reported a headache. The source says Trump has some of the classic symptoms, classic symptoms of the virus which CNN reported earlier.
So what does all this add up to you to mean, Sanjay? This is what they're now saying. Off the record, they're starting to talk.
GUPTA: Yes. Well, I think what this means to me - first of all, I think those things are all consistent with each other. I mean, the three sort of depictions that you sort of raised that they can all be sort of happening at the same time. I think it's pretty clear and it's a pattern that we've seen with the White House, I mean, they give us sparse details. Oftentimes, the first things that we hear are like there's not anything that's that big a deal.
And then we hear another little thing like, by the way, he did have a fever since this morning. OK, well, that was something you didn't tell us before. Oh, by the way, he did get an experimental therapy.
So I think the these sort of factors could all be happening at the same time. He got worse at some point throughout the day. He's worried about it and they know that when it comes to a respiratory disease like this and a disease that can affect so many different organ systems that while he may be doing relatively, OK, I mean, still obviously serious enough to warrant the visit, but doing OK, stable, that if he were to start to worsen, that worsening could happen very quickly.
And at that point, you want to be in the hospital, you want to be close to an ICU and you want to have the resources of a Walter Reed. So that's part of it.
[19:25:06]
I'm also getting some notes from my sources saying that there was also a concern that everyone around him in the White House and in the residence would need to be placed in personal protective equipment to be around him all the time. It was going to be very cumbersome being in the hospital, obviate some of that as well, not the primary reason, but I think there are many reasons that sort of probably prompted this visit.
The most important being that there's concern. I don't want to minimize that. I've been following this since one o'clock in the morning. There was concern that was steadily building throughout the day and I think it culminated in this helicopter ride to the hospital.
BURNETT: All right. All of you. Thank you very much.
I want to go now to Gretchen Whitmer, Democratic Governor of Michigan. And Gov. Whitmer, the President, obviously, now is at Walter Reed. What's your reaction?
GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): I'm sad. I mean, I think that this is just a virus that doesn't care who you are, does not observe party line, does not observe stateline and that's why we've been working so hard to protect people. And I'm hoping that this is a wake up call for people all across the country to wear their masks. It still is the best tool we have to protect ourselves. We got to get the politics out of this discussion and save lives.
BURNETT: So you were on the call today, the call with Vice President Mike Pence. Now, the Governor of New York had said that President Trump, obviously, was going to be leading that call. It was the one thing that had stayed on his schedule and then it didn't end up being the President, it ended up being the Vice President.
So he gets on the call, you're on the call and here is part of what we know he said about the President.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know many of you were expecting to hear from President Trump today. Pleased to report President Trump and the First Lady or both well at this time. They will remain at the White House while they convalesnce.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: OK. First of all, obviously, that was a few hours ago. And now we know the President's situation has deteriorated. He is not at the White House. He is going to be in the hospital and he's going to be there for several days, they say. Do you think the vice president was being fully honest with you and the other governors in this country about the President's condition?
WHITMER: I'm not sure what to make of it, Erin. I think that we all have seen this White House say one thing and know that it wasn't accurate whether it was drinking bleach to fight the COVID-19 or it was I think exaggerating something. I think we're all curious what the real story is.
We're leaning on the press. Thank goodness, we got the robust press reporting that is happening. But regardless, I think that we're all hoping that he does make a recovery.
BURNETT: Yes, absolutely. Did the vice president tell you anything else about the President, about what was happening?
WHITMER: Not specifically on that front, no. It was a call that I was only there for a little bit of and there was not more on that regard.
BURNETT: So today, your state, obviously, Joe Biden traveled to Michigan. He tested negative for coronavirus this morning, because he had been at the debate with President Trump. Biden did though, obviously, he was very far away from anyone here. But he took the step of making a very clear statement, wearing a mask during his entire speech.
But obviously, he was on that debate stage with President Trump just a few days ago and it was fully inside. So they were more than 12 feet apart. But they were there for 90 minutes. The President yelling in his direction during that time and the one thing we've learned here, Hope Picks tested positive is just because you're tested often doesn't mean you're in the clear.
So the Vice President gets his test this morning. Is he going to keep getting tested? I mean, I know you're obviously a surrogate here for the campaign. Do you think he should be staying at home during that time out of an abundance of caution? I mean, what are your thoughts on this?
WHITMER: Well, for Vice President Joe Biden has taken this very seriously. We know he masks up. He washes his hands. He physically distances. The President even made fun of him during this last debate, for taking that seriously and doing the right thing. The fact of the matter is, I've lost people to this disease. It is
cruel. It is a horrible fate that I wouldn't wish on anybody. And that's why I'm proud to be supporting Joe Biden, because he's got a plan to beat it, get our economy back on track and also he does what he's asking other people to do, which is what we need so desperately right now in our leaders.
BURNETT: All right. I appreciate your time, Gov. Whitmer. Thank you.
WHITMER: Thank you.
BURNETT: And much more of our breaking news coverage here continuing this hour. Nine more people we now know in the President's orbit have now tested positive for coronavirus. Many of them were here at Trump's announcement of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court Justice. Was that a super spreader event as doctors fear? I'm going to talk to an ER doctor also who has treated countless COVID patients, what he can tell us about what doctors are doing right now about that experimental therapy, what it is, what's happening.
[19:30:07]
He's going to tell you what he can about what is going -- happening to the president at this hour.
And Republican Senator Mike Lee also testing positive after appearing with the president over the weekend. Could he have exposed others?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Breaking news, President Trump rushed tonight to Walter Reed Medical Center just hours after announcing he's tested positive for coronavirus. A source telling us there are serious concerns about his health and another saying his condition is worse than that of the first lady.
His symptoms currently include a fever that has lasted all day and a cough, this amid growing fears about how many people the president of the United States may have exposed to coronavirus.
Tom Foreman is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'll say it all the time. We're rounding the corner.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Infections and concern about them are ricocheting through the immense web of people surrounding the president. He announced his new Supreme Court nominee last weekend with health officials, his Attorney General Bill Barr and more standing close by.
Now, several from the event have tested positive, including Trump, the first lady, Senator Mike Lee, and the president of Notre Dame University. Trump has shared space with Vice President Mike Pence who traveled on to campaign in Pennsylvania. Trump met with a Gold Star parent, military leaders, cabinet and Congress members, journalists too.
[19:35:04]
TRUMP: No matter where we go, we're having crowds like nobody -- I don't think anybody's gotten before ever. Not even close.
FOREMAN: Trump met with his chief of staff, Mark Meadows, who went to Capitol Hill to talk to Senate Majority Mitch McConnell who then along with Pence met with that Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. Trump talked with his treasury secretary who went to see Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. And to prepare for the debate, Trump sat down with Hope Hicks, Kellyanne Conway, Rudy Giuliani, and Chris Christie.
CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), FORMER NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR: No one was wearing masks in the room when we were prepping the president during that period of time.
FOREMAN: Leaving for the debate, Trump was surrounded by dozens of aides and family members, including Ivanka and Jared Kushner, Don Jr., and Kimberly Guilfoyle, with few signs of masks or social distancing.
Trump did not get close to moderator Chris Wallace or Joe Biden and members of his team posed with masks backstage.
TRUMP: I have a mask right here. I'll put a mask on when I think I need it.
FOREMAN: But then they took it off in violation of the rules and refused replacements, even as Trump mocked his opponent about the subject.
TRUMP: Every time you see him, he's got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away and he shows up with the biggest mask I've ever seen.
FOREMAN: And on it went, Trump and his entourage cramming into Marine One, Trump sharing photo ops with allies, Trump again talking with reporters, holding a large outdoor rally and attending a fund-raiser.
TRUMP: I just want to say that the end of the pandemic is in sight and next year will be one of the greatest years in the history of our country.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOREMAN: Multiply it out and it is very clear the president has had first or second-hand contact with literally thousands of people. That does not mean that you will of them are going to get this virus, Erin, but it does completely shatter his long-standing claim that security and health procedures around the White House are so robust it would never penetrate his inner circle -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Tom Foreman. OUTFRONT now, Dr. Jeremy Faust, emergency physician at Brigham and
Women's Hospital. He's treated numerous coronavirus patients, including just this week.
So, Dr. Faust, I'm glad to have you back.
So, I just want to start with the symptoms of the president. First, we were told -- someone said he was asymptomatic. Then it was mild symptoms. Now we understand according to a source he's had a fever all day and a cough. White House doctor says he's been fatigued and now he's taken Marine One to Walter Reed.
When you take all of that and the fact that he got his diagnosis at 1:00 a.m. today, what do you think?
DR. JEREMY FAUST, EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN, BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL: What I think is this is a rapidly evolving situation and I don't mean that in the news and journalism sense. I mean that in the medical sense, a rapidly evolving situation, which is highly concerning.
We, doctors like to see things moving slow. Things can get a little worse. They can get a little better. We like to see where things are, and we have a sense of the progression.
This seems a little unstable. This seems a little out of control. We don't know. We saw -- we saw the president in a video, but we really don't know how he's doing.
And it seems like every piece of information that we get is more news and it's concerning. So, what I'm seeing is rapid progression and that that's something that we see in serious cases.
BURNETT: OK. So, the White House says he's going to be in the hospital for several days then. That fits with exactly what you're saying, right, they don't foresee him being able to go home.
FAUST: I don't foresee that. When you go to the hospital with COVID- 19, you don't stop by for a quick stay in the observation unit. You get looked and treated until we know you're fine to go home.
Whether you're the president of the United States or your next-door neighbor, you don't go to a hospital unless you have to and you leave as soon as you can. These stays are not quick. This is not an in and out thing no matter who you are.
I'm really concerned for the president. I'll be honest. I did not expect things to develop this quickly, and I hope they stop developing. I want to hear boring news about this because he's a human being and he should recover.
BURNETT: Yeah, absolutely.
So, I just want to ask you one other thing. Obviously, this all comes from, you know, unfortunately choices that he made about very simple measures, social distancing and masks. Somehow, we don't know who he got it from or how, but obviously. So, he gets on Marine One. We did see him do that. He walked out on
his own to Walter Reed wearing a mask which we almost never see. Just a regular black mask.
Now, we are -- we understand Mark Meadows, his chief of staff, gets on Marine One with an N95.
Does it surprise you that the president for the United States that is symptomatic and sick with COVID gets on Marine One without an N95?
[19:40:10]
FAUST: The president's relationship with masks has been dysfunctional. I don't understand it. I don't know if there's some reason for this. But it makes no sense to me.
It is a piece of cloth. It is PPE. It is the thing that protects us.
Now, when a patient comes to my ER, I treat for heart attack or anything, I'm not going say, hey, why were you eating fried foods or why did you smoke? I'm not going to blame anybody. I'm here to treat them with non-judgmental regard. That's what we call it.
The masks are here to help us. If you want to know why we have to wear masks, the answer is so the president of the United States doesn't spend days in the Walter Reed Hospital with a life-threatening illness. I really want to underscore that.
BURNETT: Here he is.
Before we go, Dr. Faust, I just want to ask you because I saw this -- you commenting on this on social media. The Regeneron antibody that he's getting right now, this experimental cocktail, what does it say to you that he's getting that?
FAUST: Well, one thing, it sends a message to the American people that we're withholding some treatment that works, that we're saving the special sauce for people who are more connected.
BURNETT: Right, from everyone else.
FAUST: And that's just not true. We don't give this medication out not because you're not special to get it, because we don't yet know. We do a risk and benefit analysis. If I can't tell my patient what the benefit is, there's no conversation to be had.
So, this is not ready for prime time. It sends I message they're scrambling. And it sends the message patients will hear. I can't look them in the eye and tell them I know anything about it in terms of the risks and benefits. That's a pretty bad precedent.
BURNETT: Dr. Faust, I appreciate your time. Thank you. Sobering words but important for us to hear. I appreciate your time. Thank you.
As I said, Dr. Faust has been treating coronavirus patients in the ER, including now, today. And I want to go now to Democratic senator from Connecticut, Chris
Murphy.
Senator Murphy. I don't know how much of that you were able to hear. But Dr. Faust obviously is quite concerned, he feels the situation is unstable, and he's quite concerned. And you also heard what he said about the experimental drug there.
What's your reaction here to what we now know that the president is at the hospital and we're told will spend the next few days there?
SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): Well, it's obviously serious, getting more serious, and you know, we're pulling for the president and the first lady.
I sit on the Foreign Relations Committee, so I think about this moment through a national security lens. I was glad to see the president standing on two feet, able to speak to the camera. It is important to show our allies and our adversaries around the world that this president is still in charge.
BURNETT: Uh-huh.
MURPHY: But it's also why the White House has to give us more information. This White House has to make very clear what the president's symptoms are and what his prognosis is, because if we do have to start entertaining the possibility of potentially transferring power even for a short period of time, more information is important.
We also need to know, Erin, the scope of this epidemic and this spread at the White House. Obviously, we've had one U.S. senator test positive. But Mitch McConnell is still saying we're going to be back in the Senate voting next week. And if we don't know who's positive, if we don't know how bad this super spreading event was, if it happened, then we're all in trouble.
So, we've got some work to do to trace the source of this infection and to make sure that everyone around the president over the last few weeks is not doing further damage to the nation's public health.
BURNETT: As we said, we know nine people who are that event tested positive. And, by the way, Amy Coney Barrett is not among them. She already had coronavirus. She was clear of it. She had it this summer. So, very recently.
The Gang of Eight, my understanding, Senator, Democratic leaders of Congress, Senate Intel Committee, right, this is your area. Usually, you get briefed on anything relevant or pertinent to national security, to classified intelligence.
But we understand there have been no briefings about the president's health. Is that true and is that a problem for you?
MURPHY: My understanding is that there has not been a Gang of Eight briefing. It's troubling. I would say it's just as troubling that there haven't been more detailed public briefings as of yet. But certainly, you would expect at least the leaders of Congress would be read in here.
You know, again from the congressional standpoint, if there's not an issue over the temporary transition of power, it's not as urgent. But I think it would settle everyone's nerves in Congress and across the world if we had some more information.
BURNETT: I think it certainly would. There's no question about that. Senator, thank you.
MURPHY: Thank you.
BURNETT: Next, our breaking news continues. The Biden campaign now raising concerns about the vice presidential debate that is scheduled to take place next Wednesday. So, what are they now requesting?
[19:45:00]
And it has been almost a day since President Trump announced he has tested positive for coronavirus. So, this is the huge question now. Why do we still not know anything? Why have we still not been briefed by the president's doctors?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Breaking news, the Biden campaign raising health concerns with next week's VP debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris as President Trump is now in the hospital with coronavirus. The campaign asking for the candidates to be 12 feet apart instead of seven, this amid growing concerns that others may have been exposed to the virus because of the presidential debate in Ohio.
Members of the first family, who the president was in close contact with, ignored protocols, refused to wear masks during the debate. And this video shows a doctor, you see the doctor, with the Cleveland Clinic. She approaches the area where the family members are, she has masks and is told no thanks.
OUTFRONT now, Norm Ornstein. He was there, he attended the presidential debate. He's also a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.
Norm, I appreciate your time.
So, I just want to start with the video I just showed. We were able to put a bright light on it so you can see the doctor coming out offering the masks to the first family. What did you see in terms of the family's refusal to wear masks.
NORM ORNSTEIN, POLITICAL ANALYST AND AUTHOR: I, as most in the audience, were stunned and outraged, frankly. Most of us had gone through very vigorous protocols, all of us had. The Cleveland Clinic and the presidential debate had put in place, and we were happy to do it. Testing, isolating and the same was true in the hall.
And we were there for a long time. We were seated at 8:15. They came in right before the debate started, many of them wearing masks through a checkpoint. As soon as they sat down, they took them off, would not put them back on.
And then the debate was ready to start. And we were just outraged that they would be so cavalier and arrogant about this. But frankly, that was before we even knew that Hope Hicks had gotten the virus and the rest of them might well have been vulnerable, making the rest of us vulnerable.
BURNETT: So, let me ask you about that. Chris Wallace, the moderator of the debate, says he believes President Trump had the virus at the debate and that to the best of his knowledge the president was not tested for the virus after he arrived, right? Because Biden and Trump arrived really just within hours of that debate starting.
[19:50:02]
Here's what Chris Wallace said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS WALLACE, DEBATE MODERATOR: They didn't arrive until Tuesday afternoon. So for them to get tested, there wouldn't have been enough time to have the test and have the debate at 9:00 that night. They didn't show up until 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 in the afternoon.
So, yeah, there was an honor system when it came to the people that came into the hall from the two campaigns.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So, now, Norm, you got there, I just want to be clear, right, you had to be tested. You had to go through all sorts of things to get in. There was no honor system to be clear for you as a member of the audience, right?
ORNSTEIN: Not at all. My wife and son and I drove in the night, the day before into Cleveland, we get to the hotel where we couldn't get in without having the temperature check. We isolated in the room the next morning we had an appointment at the clinic adjacent to the hotel.
We went there and got the full test, the full nasal all the way up. We went back to the room and self-isolated to get the results. Several hours later, got a little wrist band that showed what we were, went through check points, everything that was designed to protect us.
The recklessness of this, especially knowing that Hope Hicks had been symptomatic and all these people in the hot house of the -- of Air Force One to come in without being tested and not wear masks is breathtakingly reckless.
BURNETT: So, when you -- you were -- you know, see how things were in that room. OK, I'm sure you have concerns yourself, it's a room.
ORNSTEIN: Yeah.
BURNETT: I understand social distance, right, but when you have people who are symptomatic with coronavirus and you aren't able to have air coming in, the six feet thing becomes problematic. We've been told that again and again, right? It could be way more than six feet.
Now, Joe Biden has been tested this morning. He was negative. They are asking the Biden campaign for the podiums to be 12 feet apart at the vice-presidential debate instead of seven.
Based on what you saw in that room, do you think those concerns are valid?
ORNSTEIN: Absolutely valid. I'm not sure that's enough. What we know now is that these particles can travel more than six feet. You know, I worried for Joe and I'm hoping that he will get tested multiple times again as I'm sure he will.
BURNETT: Yah.
ORNSTEIN: Because I was maybe 15 yards from him but it was frightening to watch as he was screaming and you could imagine the particles traveling past even the 12 feet. So, you know, precautions have to be taken.
We also now have to think about a series of things including presidential succession that we hope we wouldn't have to, but because of a recklessness in the way in which the president and the people around him have handled this and continue to handle it.
BURNETT: All right. Well, norm, I really appreciate your time. I know you're going to be writing a lot more about this. Yu did co-found the continuity of government commission after 9/11.
ORNSTEIN: Yeah.
BURNETT: So, I know this issue is one you have spent a lot of time on. I appreciate your time. Thank you.
(CROSSTALK)
ORNSTEIN: -- section of "The Post" on Sunday.
BURNETT: And OUTFRONT next, our breaking news continues. The uncertainty around Trump's diagnosis could have serious implications against this nation's national security.
We'll tell you why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:55:39]
BURNETT: Breaking news, President Trump's hospitalization at Walter Reed Medical Center after contracting coronavirus is the most serious threat to a president's health since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981. The situation upending the country as it grapples with an ongoing public health crisis. OUTFRONT now, Susan Glasser, CNN global affairs analyst and a staff
writer at "The New Yorker", and Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for "The New York Times." They are also authors of the new book, "The Man Who Ran Washington: A Biography of Former White House Chief of Staff and Secretary of State James Baker."
Peter, I wanted to start with you because I know you've been reporting on this very fast-moving story throughout the day. What more are you learning right now?
PETER BAKER, CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Of course, the president being in the hospital raises all sorts of concerns. He wouldn't have gone there if he could have helped it. He doesn't like showing weakness or any showing any kind of illness. Clearly, they had serious concerns even though they haven't told us about them.
They, of course, are shrouded in secrecy as White Houses often do with presidential health. I think you're going to see pressure the next day or two to open up and provide more information. Even White House staffers are frustrated, they're telling us, at the lack of information they are being given.
BURNETT: Well, even they aren't getting that information.
And, Susan, look, they aren't getting the information, the American public isn't getting the information. The whole world wants to know the information and this has serious implications for national security. The White House tonight says, quote, the president is in charge no plans to transfer power even shortly or temporarily to Mike Pence.
How much, you know, conversation is there around that right now?
SUSAN GLASSER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: You know, Erin, I think that's an important question. The White House hasn't given us basic information about the president. We're nearing 24 hours since the news of his diagnosis has come out. There is no proper White House briefing and, of course, even if there were, you know, after the White House has shredded all credibility, it's going to be hard to convince people that this is accurate.
Even today, the story has shifted. What we've heard initially was essentially the president is okay, he has mild symptoms and then we learn he's taking an experimental treatment and then we learn he's being taken to the hospital.
So, that's a lot of shifting in a short amount of time. Again, where are credible medical figures to tell us what is going on?
BURNETT: Peter, to this point, I had an ER doctor treating COVID patients now and throughout this. He's taking this and saying look, as a medical doctor, I'm really concerned about the president right now. This seems unstable. This isn't what I want to see.
He is saying, please, as a doctor, we need to be briefed by these doctors. Are you hearing anything about that being discussed?
BAKER: Right. That's a good question. There is discussion there might be a briefing at some point in the near future. Dr. Conley released two bare bones written statements so far.
We are told that the president's condition, his symptoms of a cough and congestion and fever worsened during the day. He was feeling worse as the hours went on. Certainly, that video he didn't look very good compared to the normal energetic self he exhibits.
So, I think, yeah, I don't think that they can go forever without providing us more information. There is a history of White House's hiding president's health but this is such a critical, such volatile moment before an election like this.
BURNETT: And, Susan, in the book, on the biography of James Baker, you know, he was the chief of staff when Ronald Reagan was shot. And at that time, right, you're right about this, we didn't learn at the time how serious Reagan's condition was, right? They wanted to portray the president was in control when the situation was dire.
Do you see -- go ahead. Go ahead.
GLASSER: No, you're -- I'm so glad you brought that up. I think you're right. Baker went to the hospital, was shocked what he found. They -- but at the same time, they were eager to put on a face to the American public not bring attention to Reagan's age. They refused to use the 25th Amendment and transfer power to George Bush.
It was really, you know, a key moment for this presidency, the Reagan presidency. They didn't want visitors in. They blocked the door to avoid that.
I think it's not going to be surprising if we're not hearing the full truth from the Trump White House because there is a long history of that.
BURNETT: Yeah, there is. And, of course, now, a whole country clamoring for information from a president usually so loquacious.
Thank you both so very much. I appreciate your time tonight.
And thanks so much to all of you for joining us.
Our breaking news coverage continues now with "AC360."
