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New York Governor Cuomo's Sexual Harassment Accusations Under Investigation By New York State AG's Office; CDC Director: Loosening COVID Restrictions Amid Variants Could Cost Us The "Hard Earned Ground We Have Gained"; Pressure Shifts To Senate To Close Deal On Coronavirus Relief; Governor Andrew Cuomo: I Never Inappropriately Touched Or Prepositioned Anybody; New York AG To Appoint Independent Investigator To Examine Governor Cuomo Harassment Allegations. Aired 12-12:30p ET

Aired March 01, 2021 - 12:00   ET

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

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JOHN KING, CNN HOST: Hello everybody and welcome to Inside Politics: I am John King in Washington. Thank you for sharing your day with us. We begin March today and a defining early stretch of the Biden presidency. A third COVID vaccine new on the market raises the bar for the White House promise to get more shots into the arms of pandemic weary Americans.

Plus the Senate this week opens debate on a giant House passed COVID relief package. Progressives are mad at provision increasing the minimum wage will be dropped from that bill. And Democrats have no votes to spare as they race to finish the legislative work before key COVID benefits expire.

One year ago March 2020 well that's when COVID hit New York hard and made New York Governor Andrew Cuomo a Household name. March 2021 begins with Governor Cuomo apologizing for words he says were misinterpreted as, "unwarranted flirtation".

State Attorney General now investigating because a second woman has come forward over the weekend to accuse Governor Cuomo of sexual harassment including she says quizzing her for details of her sex life. And the big lie is back courtesy of the big liar. Donald Trump teases the 2024 White House bit and despite losing by more than 7 million votes, Mr. Trump insists he should still be president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, 45TH U.S. PRESIDENT: Actually as you know, they just lost the White House but it's one of those. So how to hell is it possible that we lost? It's not possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Up first today though the urgent pandemic challenge. There is new help Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccine is approved and it is being shipped. The initial supplies of this new vaccine you see right there some of the shipping are modest. Still the Biden COVID team says nearly 4 million doses of J and J's

vaccines should be distributed just this week. This as the administration tries to make March a month of giant progress in the immunization race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CDC DIRECTOR: I remain deeply concerned about a potential shift in the trajectory of the pandemic. The latest CDC data continues to suggest that recent declines in cases have leveled off at a very high number.

I am really worried about reports that more states are rolling back the exact public health measures we have recommended to protect people from COVID-19. I understand the temptation to do this. 70,000 cases a day seems good compared to where we were just a few months ago. But we cannot be resigned to 70,000 cases a day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Very significant. Well, you just heard there from the new CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. Even with this good news, more vaccines on the way you heard what she said deep concern, let's walk through the numbers and show what she's talking about.

Part of it is this map you see redder and more orange. You've been with us for the past year. You know that means cases heading in the wrong direction. More new COVID infections now compared to a week ago. And you see 16 states trending up, 19 states holding steady.

Only 15 states trending down 5 states fewer new infections this week than last week. 19 steady, 16 up that are heading in the wrong direction. State death trend stabilizing somewhat nationally even down a little bit nationally. But if you look at this 17 states reporting more new COVID deaths right now compared to a week ago.

10 steady 23 trending down more of a mixed picture when you look at death. But here's what Dr. Walensky is so worried about. This is what she's worried about. Right here if you look at this, you remember the beginning of the year we were in the horrific winter surge.

Yes we have come down significantly from over 250,000 cases a day back there. Yes we're down actually down to about 50,000, 51,000. On Sunday we can sometimes go low.

But if you look at what Dr. Walensky is talking about, you see that plateau right here above 60,000 cases. This is what she is worried about that it's stabilizing right here at a very dangerous point. Hospitalizations, you look here coming down.

But also in the past week it looks like it's plateauing a little bit. This is what she's worrying about that there's a plateau in cases right at this time. Yes, more vaccines are coming. But what else is happening right now, more states beginning to ease their restrictions.

CNN's Kristen Holmes joins us now. Virginia, Massachusetts, just two Kristen among the many states that are starting to say, let's let people dine out. Let's let more people gather. Let's take away some of these restrictions because people are exhausted by them. Dr. Walensky says, careful.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right John. I mean this is really some of the most straightforward pleas that we've heard from these federal health officials urging people to be cautious. You know there is a lot of concern around complacency. And it's not just as you said, more people getting vaccines when people start to feel more secure.

But it's also that warm weather. And the fact that people are just tired and there's concern that if you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, you might rush to get there. But now we're hearing from these federal officials who are saying not so fast, slow down, be patient. We are at a critical moment. Take a listen to the Director of the CDC here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. WALENSKY: Please hear me clearly. At this level of cases with variants spreading, we stand to completely lose the hard earned ground we have gained. These variants are a very real threat to our people and our progress. Now is not the time to relax the critical safeguards that we know can stop the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, not when we are so close.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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HOLMES: And that's the thing is that people are starting to feel like we are so close. But we are seeing those numbers, as you said, level off at a place that they don't want them to be leveling off and so it's all about right now in this critical moment staying focused and staying healthy staying, keeping with those guidelines that they've put forward John.

KING: And that's what makes it Kristen such a delicate moment. You heard Dr. Walensky saying do not let up the mitigation stay separated. Please keep your mask on essentially begging Governors there stop, don't roll back the restrictions anymore.

Give us a few more weeks or a month or so to do it. Here's one of the reasons. If you look right now the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Look this is more good news. Pfizer is out there, Moderna is out there, here comes Johnson & Johnson.

72 percent effective in U.S. trials, 85 percent effective against severe disease all of the experts say this works that works completely. Listen to the CEO of the company saying very important to get this into the pipeline right now because of the COVID variants.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEX GORSKY, CHAIRMAN & CEO, JOHNSON & JOHNSON: It's so important for us to get shots as soon as we can to prevent these replications because it can mutate, it can turn into a new variant and therefore make it more challenging.

The other school of thought however is that this virus is getting close to reaching its fitness point. And then if we can all get vaccinated, then we stand a good chance to basically really being able to control it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: One of the challenges though Kristen is how much of a help is this? Look, it's a third weapon as a third vaccine. That's a great thing. 4 million doses just shy of that will be administered this week. All the doses Johnson & Johnson has been shipped being put in arms this week.

But then there's going to be a law, they're bringing up a new manufacturing facility 20 million by the end of March. It'll be four months till we get up to 100 billion doses of the Johnson & Johnson. So Kristen this is a boost and a help this week. But then we're not so sure.

HOLMES: That's right. There are still a lot of questions as to how this is going to look in the weeks to come. I mean as we've talked about repeatedly, there was a miscommunication which we heard about from a federal health official that essentially moved to the Johnson & Johnson manufacturing timeline.

Remember we originally thought we were going to see more doses of & Johnson & & Johnson in this first sweep. Now as the administration officials have told us time and time again, every single one of these doses that has been made is going off the shelves which mean that there is going to be a law in production.

Now we had heard multiple times that between March and April, we're going to see a huge over 30 million or up to 30 million doses. Now it's looking more like 20 million doses by the end of March so a couple of things to watch here.

It's not just the fact that there might be this drought which we are likely to see because of the fact that all of these doses are going out now. It's also about the providers getting those shots into arms, they have to actually set up make sure their clinicians are ready to give them out.

And they have to fight any sort of vaccine hesitancy; any sort of questions about this new vaccine which we know are likely to come up. So there will likely be a small low here as you look at the weeks ahead.

But by the end of March, they are anticipating a huge ramp up both with & Johnson & & Johnson and with Pfizer and Moderna.

KING: And I think administration's position is take what you can now make any progress you can and then get the rest of the pipeline as quickly as possible. We'll watch it play out. Kristen it's grateful for the reporting and insights. Let's move on to the legislative battle.

Now the COVID relief debate moving to the Senate this week and Democrats know they are likely on their own not one Republican supported the nearly $2 trillion package as it passed the House early Saturday.

The House bill includes a minimum wage hike, but we already know that provision will be stripped out when the Senate debate begins. That's because of a parliamentary rule. And a plan b drafted by some Democrats also now being scuttled.

The House would have to take up the COVID package again once the Senate makes its changes. The hope is to get it signed into law for the middle of the month. That's when millions of Americans are set to lose their pandemic unemployment benefits.

Our Chief Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju is here with me. And so Manu, you look at the debate going forward in the Senate starts this week. The so called vote-o-rama coming up in the middle of your week brings Espresso. Where do we see this ending up likely to be scaled back some financially in terms of the final price tag? Obviously the minimum wage comes out.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I'm not sure how much more that will be changed at this bill once the minimum wage is stripped out. We know that there's virtually no path to get the minimum wage done. Even this alternative measures you reference is not going to get into this bill because Democrats just can't get on the same page on this issue.

But the real concern among the Senate democratic leadership right now is if there are significant changes, it's going to upset the very fragile balance and getting this through both chambers in this House. You still have to consider the fact that their liberals could revolt if it gets pared back too much.

And as a result this bill which has been negotiated behind the scenes between Senate Democrats and House Democrats for some time, they want to keep it largely intact.

That's going to be a challenge because as you mentioned this is the -- because of this process they're using any Senator can offer any amendment dozens of amendments that they want and that's just going to put a lot of Democrats in a difficult spot.

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RAJU: They accept some more moderate changes which could upset that balance or do they decide to say no to all amendments altogether. So they're walking into a legislative minefield.

KING: Keeping the progressives happy - it's important anyway because you got to send it back to the House. You have no margin of error in the Senate, but you only have four or five vote margin over back in the House. If everybody votes out here we're going to show you these pictures

right here. Those are UPS trucks, 18 wheelers right, they're carrying & Johnson & & Johnson vaccine. They're heading to a shipping facility in Kentucky. This is progress in the fight against COVID.

And we want to show it to you again 3.9 million doses of the new J&J vaccine hitting the roads today meaning they will get to pharmacies, they will get to hospitals, they will get to community health clinics, they will get to hard to reach neighborhoods because these are easier to storage here.

Leaving Shepherdsville Kentucky on their way to Louisville, I believe this particular truck; we're going to watch this one play out. It is progress in the fight against COVID even get a police escort.

It's amazing. All right, it's good. It's good to see progress. I'm sorry to interrupt you Manu, back to the thing so progressives there are some - letter by a number of progressives to the vice president asking her to somehow overrule the parliamentarian.

We know that's not going to happen. But it does show you the legitimate - to progressives who for years have wanted to raise the minimum wage. Now you have a democratic president, democratic cost of democratic Senate. They say strike now while we can, but they can't.

RAJU: Yes. And that's the real frustration for the liberals because they see themselves as constantly compromising. And they see that Joe Manchin of the world, the centrist moderate Democrats is not compromising is pulling everything to the center, but him not moving to the left. That is their frustration.

But there really is just no path. What they are arguing to do is something that has not been done since 1975 which was the presiding officer of the vice president of the Senate, who was the president.

Vice President is the President of the Senate to simply ignore the advice of the parliamentarian. The concern among Senators is that could lead to chaos as parliamentarians designed to keep the process moving in the Senate. And doing so could lead to this unwieldy Senate.

And also at the end of the day, Joe Manchin could vote against the underlying bill, it could tank the overall effort. So that is why they're basically going to have to except a loss year, which they don't want to do because this was a big campaign promise.

KING: And so this is one of the fascinating challenges. We watch a new president, this is day 41. Progressives are mad; they're going to lose the minimum wage. The vice president's not going to jump up and you know - and try to change the rules for them on the Senate side.

And so this is - is to be a constant challenge anything difficult or controversial or sensitive. It's going to be hard for the new president because again, so few votes to spare in the House, no votes despair in the Senate. So you're constantly making people mad or unhappy by developments but not his fault, but the votes. So then you're looking for ways to prove to them that you're on their side. This is very significant in American president getting directly involved Amazon workers trying to unionize as a vote in Alabama. The President of the United States yesterday says I'm on your side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Today and over the next few days and weeks workers in Alabama and all across America are voting whether to organize a union in their workplace. This is vitally important, vitally important choice. You know every worker should have a free and fair choice to join a union.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: It's a big deal anyway. Again he's getting not just saying unions are a good thing, the right to organize is a good thing, but specifically getting involved in a particular union vote. And again at a time when progressives are saying, are you really - -are we sure you're on our side?

Bernie Sanders, I won't read the whole statement. But Bernie Sanders issuing a statement saying if Amazon workers in Alabama vote to form a union, it'll be a shot heard around the world. Thank you, Mr. President for speaking out. It's important.

RAJU: He needs that because he is anchoring the left not just on the minimum wage. He's the one who conceded very early that that rules would not allow the minimum wage to move forward. They're saying they're respecting the process in the Senate.

But he also last week they launched an attack to retaliate against Iran attack, a missile attack that angered a lot of progressives because they did not seek congressional approval for that.

And you're going to see other things that he is going to do, that are going to anger the left. So clearly gives he's getting support for this that's something that he could at least point to going forward.

KING: Coalition management it's going to be hard because the balances are so narrow and delicate Manu Raju grateful to see you in the studio today. Up next for us the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo apologizes. And the state attorney general prepares to investigate to sexual harassment allegations.

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KING: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is facing a second sexual harassment allegation. And the State Attorney General now poised to name a special investigator who will have subpoena powers.

The Governor's conduct allegedly includes lewd remarks and a forced kiss. Charlotte Bennett is a former aide to the Governor 25 year old told the New York Times. Governor Cuomo repeatedly asked her about her sex life including if she had ever slept with older men.

"I understand that the Governor wanted to sleep with me and felt horribly uncomfortable and scared. Bennett told the times. And was wondering how I was going to get out of it and assumed it was the end of my job."

Governor Cuomo tried to keep some input into how all this is handled. But he backed down over the weekend as state and national Democrats called for independent investigations. A Sunday evening statement from the Governor includes the words, "I am truly sorry".

The Governor also said I acknowledge some of the things I have said have been misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation. To be clear, the Governor says I never inappropriately touched anybody and I never propositioned anybody and I never intended to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

But these are allegations that New Yorkers deserve answers to - with us to share the reporting and their insights CNN's Maeve Reston and New York once Errol Louis. Errol, you knew this would happen. The New York tabloid treatment these are very serious allegations. Hey, I'm a funny guy.

The New York Post mocking the Governor's apology as not genuine, The Daily News as well. The Governor says he's just being playful. Front page news in the tabloids also front page news in the Capitol the Albany Times Union you see it here, James to oversee probe and let's start with that.

The Governor tried to keep this a more friendly investigation if you will. But he lost control of this over the weekend.

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KING: The Attorney General standing up for her powers saying I will run this investigation. I will pick the special investigator and that special investigator will have subpoena powers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSE MCKINLEY, ALBANY BUREAU CHIEF, THE NEW YORK TIMES: This was documented and known inside of the Cuomo administration. So I think some of the calls for investigations that have been coming forward Letitia James perspective investigation which will probably get launched this week.

Those things are going to be looked at very closely as well, not only charlotte's allegations, but how the state responded.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: So Errol that ups the ante for the Governor.

ERROL LOUIS, HOST, "YOU DECIDE" PODCAST: Oh, for sure. The Cuomo administration attempted over the weekend, just as you say to name an attorney of long standing of great reputation would work for a long time as a prosecutor and an investigator. It was pointed out that she was affiliated with a firm of one of the Governor's close allies.

So that wasn't going to work. The Governor then proposed having the Chief Judge of the State and the Attorney General jointly put somebody in charge of an investigation. And it was pointed out that well no, that that's not really the way it works.

We have a law that governs a truly independent investigation. And that the chief judge although well respected was appointed by Andrew Cuomo. So now we've got a truly independent investigation. The Governor will have no control over what the Attorney General Letitia James does who she appoints - how wide of a net they choose to cast and what they're going to find out when they start asking questions.

I think that's the issue that's on everybody's mind in the state Capitol. How many people are going to come forward? And what are we going to hear?

KING: And may have you mentioned this, you wrote about this on CNN Politics and I urge everyone to read the piece and its entirety. A very smart look at how this plays out. Here you have a three term Governor who all assumed would run for re election again next year.

Now facing two sets of allegations against him the detail not only inappropriate conduct but an office culture where women say they were afraid to speak up. Cuomo will have to explain the environment that he has created over his three terms as Governor and the allegations.

As you note here coming a difficult time for Cuomo with some of his political adversaries are more loudly questioning his political tactics as his administration is criticized for its handling of COVID- 19 data.

The collision with the COVID controversy makes this more difficult for the Governor. Let me focus though. Let's stay on the sexual harassment allegations so that they do not get pushed to the sideline here because of how important they are.

Two women who worked closely with the Governor saying that this was the culture as you say in his office. And to Errol point he tried to manage this if you will. And that was essentially told by the state Democrats it is important, his own party saying step aside. We're going to do this our way.

MAEVE RESTON, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes it was interesting John. Just in the response, that's kind of tortured response that his office had yesterday, you could still see the Governor as Errol said trying to control the process.

And you know his apology was - had a lots of you know, ifs and ands in there and sort of equivocations. And I think that that's the really troubling pattern that has emerged here. I mean, Governor Cuomo has been known forever in politics for using bullying tactics.

And you know - and creating an environment where people were sort of scared to stand up to him. And that's what you see kind of playing out in these sexual harassment allegations. Lindsay Boyle and the other woman who came forward and talked about you know this plane ride that she had with the Governor where he proposed a game of strip poker.

And she talked about how there were other people sitting there who you know, apparently didn't weigh in. I mean, there are a question here and his aides. Other aides deny that this happened by the way.

But the question here is whether or not there was sort of a - this permissive culture in his office that allowed him to keep making these comments to young women that were inappropriate and whether he was being called out on it.

And also I think that we can't overlook the fact that, that both of these women were afraid to come forward. Charlotte Bennett talks about how she was afraid, she was going to lose her job if she brought this to the attention of folks in his office.

And that's the kind of culture that the me-too movement you know has tried to root out and he has a lot of questions to answer. And I really don't think that his apology answered those questions yesterday.

KING: Right. And the way you smartly raised the culture question there is why the investigation has nothing to do with him as we kept separate from him to the degree possible. And Errol what makes this significant. Again it's Governor Cuomo. The specificity of these allegations makes them important anyway.

Governor Cuomo did become a national even a global presence with his daily COVID briefings if we went back a year ago or nine months ago. This is the White House Press Secretary now making clear you have the Democratic Governor, the Chairman of the National Governors Association at this moment. But the Press Secretary for the new democratic president saying this needs to be looked at carefully.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: President Biden has been consistent that he believes that every woman should be heard should be treated with respect and with dignity. Charlotte should be treated with respect and dignity.

So should Lindsey and there should be an independent review looking into these allegations. And that's certainly something he supports and we believe should move forward as quickly as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: And Errol in addition to that national from the White House and the Press Secretary, this is in your state Chuck Schumer should be thoroughly and independently investigated. Senator Gellibrand serious and deeply concerning Mayor De Blasio state legislature much immediately revoked emergency powers.

Chairman Nadler deeply troubling, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez extremely serious painful to read the state party chair requires a fair, thorough, independent investigation. The Governor is very lonely at the moment.

LOUIS: That's exactly right. Listen New York went through its own trauma just a few years ago, in which it was on the legislative side. But there were rampant accusations and many of them were proved out of a horrible culture of abuse and intimidation and harassment of young women in particular up in the Capitol.

And one of the people leading the charge and calling for reform of course was Andrew Cuomo. And so the Governor now has to kind of eat his own words in which he said women need to be believed that harassment and a hostile workplace are completely unacceptable.

Well the finger is now being pointed at him. And this also coincides John it should be noted with New York electing its first ever woman Attorney General who's now going to oversee this investigation as well as its first woman, majority leader of the democratic conference in the state Senate.

So there are some women who are very familiar with this culture were elected in the face of reforms that were being talked about. And they're going to make it real. They've got the power to do so. They've stated in every way possible that they take these things seriously. So it's going to be a tough few months I think for Andrew Cuomo.

KING: Errol Louis, Maeve Reston grateful for the reporting and insights, we should get the name of the new investigator this week. And we'll stay on top of the story. Thank you both for coming in today. Up next for us Donald Trump returns and brings the big lie with him.

Democrats stole the election to concede conservative supreme court helped. That's what Trump says, it's ludicrous in some current Republicans in the House calling him out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM KINZINGER (R-IL): Rather be on the enemy's list of a losing choke artist you know who failed the women election. All he really desires is to stand in front of a crowd and be adored. Every day that goes by Donald Trump will become less and less relevant.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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