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CNN Live Event/Special
Trump Crisscrossing Pennsylvania With Four Events Today; Obama, Biden Make First Joint Campaign Appearance In Michigan; U.S. Breaks Global Record For Daily COVID Cases; CNN On The Ground In Battleground States Watching Early Voting; Melania Trump Speaks In Battleground Wisconsin; Soon, Obama Campaigns With Biden In Michigan; Obama Speaks With Lebron James In Virtual Chat On Importance Of Voting. Aired 1-2p ET
Aired October 31, 2020 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[13:00:00]
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And we think in Pennsylvania although those numbers come in late.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: Welcome to CNN's countdown to the election. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York. And it is a campaign showdown today in the coveted Rust Belt states with just three days to go. Both candidates are going all in on these battlegrounds that helped President Trump's secure a win in 2016. Now in Michigan this hour Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama will hold their first joint event this election season.
They're in Flint right now than later they'll travel to Detroit together for an appearance with Stevie Wonder. For President Trump, the key focus today is the Keystone state, which he won last time by less than one percent. And he is crisscrossing Pennsylvania today with not one, not two, but four different stocks. And just a stunning number of Americans. More than 90 million have already cast their ballots.
But is the growing health crisis and another staggering headline that is top of mind for a lot of Americans today. The U.S. has just set an all-time world record for new coronavirus cases in a single day with nearly 100,000 new infections on Friday alone in the United States. Let's kick things off this hour in Flint, Michigan where Joe Biden and former President Obama will take the stage later this hour.
CNN's Jessica Dean joins us from there. Jessica, President Obama isn't the only big name hitting the trail with Biden today.
JESSICA DEAN, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Ana. Stevie Wonder going to join them as well later today. And listen, we are in the critical battleground state of Michigan. As you mentioned, President Trump in Pennsylvania these are states that remember had incredibly small margins back in 2016. So, the Biden campaign certainly looking to expand upon that. They want a resounding victory here in Michigan on Tuesday. And they are bringing their highest profile surrogate out with them to really get the message of early voting out to Michiganders and to people here in Flint, Michigan. Again, expecting to see President Obama with former Vice President Joe Biden on this -- at this driving rally behind me, the cars all lined up right now. This is the first time we're going to see these two men together on the campaign trail together in this cycle.
We have seen President Obama out on his own. He's been in Florida and other places making the case on behalf of his former vice president. But again, this is going to be the first time, Ana, we're going to see them together. People here are very, very excited to see President Obama as well as Joe Biden,
CABRERA: Michigan as a state, as you mentioned, the president won but it was the slimmest of margin just 10,700 votes in 2016. So far in 2020 we know 2.6 million plus Michiganders have already voted. How confident is the Biden campaign that Michigan will go blue on Tuesday night?
DEAN: Well, here we are, what? Two days before, three days before Election Day, and that Joe Biden has two events in Michigan. So, they are leaving nothing to chance. They're bringing President Obama and they knew this was -- and is a critical state for them. They're hoping to really build their coalition here that they're trying to build across the country.
But if you'll remember, in the weeks leading up to this, we saw Joe Biden come here to Michigan and really pitch that Scranton versus Park Avenue message that he is really someone who understands everyday working people really trying to get a lot of those white working class voters back on the side of Democrats going into Election Day.
They're also looking to bring in suburban voters, black voters here in Michigan building that coalition that they think can be successful for Joe Biden, and we expect to hear him talk a lot about that today, Ana. He's really in his closing argument. It's been a lot about coming together. It's been a lot about the coronavirus pandemic and his promise to have a plan of action on day one and also tying the economy to that.
It's also been an indictment on President Trump's leadership and Vice President Biden really going after Trump and the administration for phony promises and empty promises. And we expect to hear more of that here Michigan today.
CABRERA: Jessica, stay with me as we're looking at live pictures right now of the Biden campaign's airplane just touching down there in Flint, Michigan, and we're awaiting the Vice President, former Vice President Biden to deplane, there he is along with his team there everybody wearing masks of course. He prepares for this upcoming event in just a half hour plus or so. They're in Flint with former President Barack Obama.
I'm curious what you're hearing on the ground there about the anticipation of seeing these two men back together again. DEAN: Yes. And again, as I mentioned, it's the first time. So there is that anticipation of this being the first time seeing them together in this cycle. But Ana, this -- so the road behind me all the cars are lined up to my left, and they're all getting ready to go in.
We're seeing flags, honking, all of that sort of thing. People excited to see these two together but I'm also want to draw attention to the fact this is clearly a drive-in rally which again such a contrast the events that we've seen from President Trump at his rallies with no social distancing, few mask, people packed in together.
[13:05:10]
DEAN: The Biden campaign, of course, taking a very different approach. I mean, the pandemic is a very clear issue or you can take -- you can see that these two men have very different views of what they want to do, leading forward. Very clear choices for Americans and here on the Biden side, that is all about following the science, following the doctor, social distancing masks, and we're seeing that with these drive-in rallies.
CABRERA: OK. Jessica Dean, thank you. We'll check back. We'll continue of course to monitor this event as it gets underway here in about 45 minutes. And as she talks about the coronavirus pandemic is impacting every single American, it's getting worse here in the U.S. In fact, the U.S. just set a world record for new coronavirus infections in a single day. Nearly 100,000 cases recorded yesterday alone in the United States.
That is the highest one-day total of any country since the start of this pandemic. And right now 41 states are showing an upward trend and new infections. Deaths are also on the rise, more than 1000 Americans lost their lives to this virus just yesterday. Dr. Reiner is joining us now. Dr. Jonathan Reiner, he is a professor of medicine at George Washington University. And Dr. Reiner, almost 100,000 new Americans -- new cases of Americans who died in one day.
And 100,000 new cases, another thousand who died. I'm just wondering, are we nearing the next peak here or what are we in for?
DR. JONATHAN REINER, DIRECTOR OF THE CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION LABORATORY, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: No, there's no sign that we're nearing the next peak. And we won't peak until we change our behaviors. And our behaviors that principle need to change are lack of masking all over the country. This is not, as the President said at a rally this weekend being politically correct. It's medically correct.
It's the way we protect our neighbors in our communities. And we need to avoid crowds. We have to socially distance. You can't go to a mass gathering now. We need to lower our viral footprint. You know, 100,000 cases yesterday, two weeks from now will start to translate into massive numbers of deaths. So, we're going to see not just cases continue to escalate but we're going to see perhaps 2000 deaths per day, two or three weeks from now.
CABRERA: And as we look at these live pictures in Pennsylvania right now, this big crowd again, packed in close together listening to President Trump in his final days of campaigning. You mentioned how he mocked again, somebody for wearing a mask and this time it was Fox News host Laura Ingraham at a rally yesterday. I want to play that moment for you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Whereas, Laura? Where is she? Where is Laura? I can't recognize you. Is that a mask? No way. Are you wearing a mask? I've never seen her in a mask. Look at you. Oh, she's being very politically correct.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: What's your reaction to the president ridiculing and downplaying the importance of masks?
REINER: It's hard to comprehend so many months, months down the road now. If you think about how things could have been different should the President had -- instead of mocking masks, nine months ago, embrace masks. Made it our patriotic duty to wear masks. We have maybe 150,000 fewer deaths right now. That's my reaction to it.
CABRERA: When you compare what, you know, has been presented by Joe Biden and his plan for the pandemic to what we've been dealing with President Trump. How do you see the futures for America being different?
REINER: Well, I don't think we're going to change our outcomes until we change our behaviors. And it's the inescapable conclusion is that we're not going to be able to change our behaviors until we change our leadership. And, you know, the biggest change that I see with a potential Biden presidency is a return to listening to scientists. To manage this pandemic through data and through science rather than through political imperatives. So, we return to listening to, you know, true professionals, including people like Anthony Fauci.
CABRERA: The top five daily case counts in the U.S. have come this week alone. And yet this is what Don Jr. is saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP JR., EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION: I went through the CDC data because I kept hearing about new infections. But I was like, well, why aren't they talking about this? Oh, because the number is almost nothing. Because we've gotten control of this. They we understand how to -- how it works. They have the therapeutics to able to deal with this.
[13:10:12]
CABRERA: Yesterday, we saw more than 1000 U.S. deaths. Do you think Americans have become numb to this?
REINER: No, Americans haven't become numb to this. And Americans are going to start to, unfortunately, start to see some of the things that we saw in New York in the darkest days of the pandemic in the Spring, including in some states in the Midwest, perhaps refrigerated freezer trucks, the death count is going to skyrocket. You know, there are a lot of people in this country who know a lot about epidemiology and the pandemic and viral diseases.
And Don Jr. is not one of them. 230,000 people have died, and this number is escalating at a rapid rate. He knows nothing about this, he needs to keep his mouth shut.
CABRERA: Made the memories of those nearly 230,000 Americans be a blessing. Our hearts are with their families today. Thank you, Dr. Jonathan Reiner. Good to have you here with us. And thank you for all that you do. It is a busy day on the campaign trail. President Trump is speaking at the first of four rallies in Pennsylvania today, former President Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden will be speaking together later in Flint, Michigan.
And we are continuing to dip in, we'll continue to cover them for you and bring you live parts of each of those rallies. Stay with us. This is CNN's countdown to the election.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:36]
CABRERA: Welcome back. Right now, President Trump is in Bucks County, Pennsylvania holding his first of four rallies in that state today. We will take you there in just a little bit. In the meantime, let's discuss the state of our country today. CNN Senior Political Analyst and former advisor to four presidents, David Gergen is with us along with CNN Political Analyst and legendary Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein.
So, great to have both of you with us. Carl, this election and the pandemic go hand in hand. Yesterday, the U.S. set a world record for most coronavirus cases set in a single day. More than 99,000. And yet, instead of acknowledging that reality, the President is pushing an outrageous claim that doctors are inflating the death count to get more money. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Our doctors get more money if somebody does some help. You know that, right? I mean, our doctors are very smart people. So what they do is they say I'm sorry, but, you know, everybody does have COVID.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: Fact check, that is not true. But Carl, what did you make of that?
CARL BERNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: That it's part of a strategy that is -- there really is about total lying to accomplish his ends to create a lack of reality about what is in front of everybody's face in America that we are up to the highest number of cases per day that we have seen in so long, that people are dying by the thousands, that he has put himself in a position that because of his negligent homicide, really, we have hundreds of thousands of people who have died in this country because of his unwillingness to deal as a real leader with the COVID epidemic.
If you look at Bob Woodward's book, and you listen to Bob Woodward's tapes with him, the President himself indicts himself by saying, yes, I knew, but I didn't want to panic the American people. And therefore for two months, no action was taken to meaningful deal -- meaningfully deal with this virus, which is rampaging through our nation and causing endless deaths.
CABRERA: Gentlemen, please standby. I hope to come back in just a moment. I want to tell everybody live real fast to Kamala Harris speaking right now in Florida.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- because, again, when we talk about what's at stake in this campaign, and in this election, the well-being and the future of the residents of Miami Garden is part of what is at stake. And so, I wanted to come by the congressman's convening -- congresswoman's convening of these community leaders to listen to them and to speak with them about what Joe Biden and I intend to do as it relates to many issues that are about empowerment of community, that are about reforming the criminal justice system, that is about what we need to do to create economic opportunity.
And to also just thank the leaders who are here, who really are role models in the nation, for what can happen when we do the right thing in terms of investing in the capacity of human beings. And so, I want to thank you, Congresswoman, for inviting us to join you. And I know that I think this is the first visit to Miami Gardens of any -- anybody on the ticket at least this cycle. But it was very important to me these three days before the election, that we not let the election happened without having visited with the -- with the leaders here today. So, thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's great. Thank you so much for coming back. 5000 role models project is a mentoring program. We take little boys in elementary school and raise them to middle school and high school --
CABRERA: Kamala Harris, the vice presidential nominee campaigning right now in Florida. I want to come back to David Gergen and Carl Bernstein. And David, when we look at where all the candidates are today, you have Kamala Harris there in Florida, you have Joe Biden alongside former President Barack Obama in Michigan, here coming up with -- within this hour and then you had President Trump we played at the top of the hour in Pennsylvania.
We know the Vice President Mike Pence is in North Carolina. What do these states tell you about their strategies, what they're thinking and these days leading into the election?
DAVID GERGEN, FORMER WHITE HOUSE STAFF ASSISTANT: Well, they tell me that among other things that -- I think that Donald Trump still has a fighting chance to win this.
[13:20:04]
GERGEN: There's no question though that Joe Biden is running ahead by eight or nine points. It's been a steady lead. He's had the lead since this started. Donald Trump has not been ahead of him in a single poll. But the way that -- they're showing all these battleground states, it does come down to battleground states. And I must tell you, Ana, I think that Joe Biden has a pretty clear lead in the Midwestern -- upper Midwest and in Pennsylvania.
And if he takes Michigan, and if he takes Wisconsin, and takes Pennsylvania and holds on to the state's Hillary won, he's had everywhere where Hillary won. That's it, it's over. So, if he can get those three key states, it's over. He also wants a backup plan. He wants an insurance policy just in case he doesn't get there. Is Florida possible? Even is Texas possible? Is Georgia possible? There's North Carolina possible. That's why they're scattered.
CABRERA: Carl, we've been trying to prepare our viewers for the fact that we may not know the winner on election night, the President has already gone on Twitter to say the election should end on November 3rd, not weeks later. But it's going to take time to count all those mail- in ballots. Some counties in Pennsylvania, for example, say they won't even start counting mail in ballots until the morning after the election.
So, if it does take days or possibly even weeks to know the winner, how perilous could that time be for the country?
BERSTEIN: We will have and we already are in because of the President's pronouncements and rhetoric and what he is doing to suppress voters in this election, that we are in a constitutional crisis already. And that can become very dire in the coming days. Because let's everybody here, take a deep breath. And really look at what Donald Trump's so called election strategy is. His strategy is a coup.
He is attempting a coup by undermining the very electoral system in our country through voter suppression, through trying to denigrate and demean and intimidate voters. And his strategy, which he has announced himself is to not allow an honest count, to say that this is a rigged election, to call on all kinds of spurious measures, use the courts, use poll watchers who are videotaping and intimidating voters to throw everything he can to try and reduce the number of ballots cast by Democratic voters and increase the number of Republican violence cast.
We've never seen anything like this in our -- in our -- in our history. We've never had a president of the United States tried to undermine the very casting of votes. And on top of that, you just look at the evidence, for instance of the Postal Service at his postmaster General's beck and call and we couldn't -- he could not even get the ballots to be counted and put on the trucks in such a way that there would be expeditious counting of the ballots because of an undermining attempt. It's like letting the air out of the tires of those Postal Service trucks so people will be disenfranchised. We haven't seen anything like this. Since Dixiecrats, Democratic Southern segregation has tried to keep black people from voting in this country for half a century.
CABRERA: Well, I think we are.
BERNSTEIN: This is a unprecedented. It is a constitutional crisis.
CABRERA: We are seeing a response from the American people who are trying to take back their democracy with these record early voting turnout numbers from states like Texas to North Carolina, to Pennsylvania and so forth. David, we do know the President's path is narrower than Biden's but there still is a path for him to win. We all know what happened in 2016 when Hillary Clinton didn't spend the time in those Rust Belt states.
And some of the state polls in particular ended up being wrong. President Trump's campaign is touting a ground game like no other. They believe that is being -- that could be underestimated this time around. What do you think?
GERGEN: I think there are hidden Trump voters still just there were last time, but I think there are a lot fewer than there were before. And I don't think their ground game has been all that effective. I think what's happened instead is we've had an avalanche of voters who are coming out spontaneously. I think that -- I think there's something, you know, Carl is right. There is a very dark threat to democracy in this election.
And we're going to have to fight it every step of the way. But I think on the other side of that is in fact that a lot of Americans are doing just that. They're fighting back by going out to the polls. And, you know, they're doing it and drove. People are getting on airplanes and going home because it's so important to them to get Trump out for the most part. There are some Trump supporters then.
But for the most part, what were -- some people were seeing stand up to the poll. They are -- they are in effect anti-Trump voters. They're not drawn to Biden so much as they're so anti-Trump and they want this over.
[13:25:07]
GERGEN: They're exhausted. People are exhausted. People are exhausted of all of this emotionally. I do think that -- but it's so -- some good news for democracy, we'll get this many people out, 90 million, 100 million before the voting even starts on Tuesday. I think that's good news for the country. And I think it's going to be good news for the country that people aren't going to put up with all these shenanigans.
Carl's right. Place like Pennsylvania, you can have a letter shenanigans and tie this thing up in court and eventually bring it all the way over to the, you know, Electoral College could fail over this. That darkness is out there. But let's remember the forces of light. I do think most Americans are prepared to be patient about counting the votes, we need to count the votes. And then we can figure out sort of where do we stand.
But we shouldn't be taken in by the votes just at when people show up on Tuesday that we need to remember these ballots are coming in from afar, the absentee and the -- and the mail because you're going to find a lot of Democratic votes there.
CABRERA: David Gergen and Carl Bernstein. Gentlemen, thank you so much. We'll talk to you again soon.
BERNSTEIN: Thank you.
CABRERA: President Trump, former Vice President Biden are stumping across the country pitching their plans to voters, many of whom are voting right now in early voting. We'll take you live to key battleground states next. This is CNN's countdown to the election.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:30:50]
CABRERA: Only three days until Election Day. Tens of millions of Americans have already cast their ballot.
Our CNN correspondents are covering all the action in the key battleground states.
Let's take you there, beginning with CNN's Gary Tuchman in Cleveland, Ohio.
Set the scene for us, Gary, this final weekend before the election.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Ana, it's loud and festive here on the early voting line.
The mission is almost completed for these folks because this is the end of the line or the end of the time in line. It's the beginning of the line to go inside.
How long have you been waiting so far? Giving us the answer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: An hour and a half.
TUCHMAN: An hour and a half.
I will tell you -- thanks for talking with us -- it's warm inside by the way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's no problem. I'm not cold.
TUCHMAN: Oh, good. You're not cold.
People are dressed very warmly because it is sunny out but very cold in Cuyahoga County, almost Cleveland, Ohio. You can see there's a parade taking place. This is a Biden/Harris
parade. There's been about 40 cars driving up and down this road honking their horns, imploring people in this line to vote for Joe Biden.
But, of course, his opponent, Donald Trump, in a race that certainly is getting a lot of attention.
The horns that are honking here.
I can tell you right now, this line right here, I just counted. There are 445 people in the line, waiting for early voting.
What I can tell you is this. Ohio has a lot of early voting. This is the 22nd early day of early voting. Tomorrow, on Sunday, will be the 23rd day. And even on Monday they have early voting. That's 24 days. And there's a lot of hours.
But there are not a lot of locations for early voting. Under Ohio law, you only have one location in each and every county.
So Cuyahoga County, which has 1.2 million people, only has this location at the elections office. That's one of the reasons the lines have been so long.
How are you doing waiting in the line?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good.
TUCHMAN: How long did you come to get here? I know it's a difficult travel to get here.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We only live like 20 minutes.
TUCHMAN: For example, at Fulton County, Georgia, where I live, where there's one million people, there's 30 places for early voting. Here, there's one place.
Was it hard to get here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no.
TUCHMAN: In other places, you can go in your neighborhood.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was worth it. It was worth it. It's an important election. We need it for America. And it was worth every minute.
TUCHMAN: I didn't have to ask this guy's name because it says right here. That's Antonio.
OK, thank you, Antonio.
Well, I can tell you --
(CROSSTALK)
TUCHMAN: She flew in from Missouri to vote.
She's in Ohio. It's the wrong place to be. Just to let you know.
Oh, OK, she's from Ohio originally.
One other thing I want to tell you is that, in addition to early voting here, you cannot early vote, you can have an absentee ballot.
And right over here, right over here, if you have your absentee ballot, you are allowed to drive through, like the fast-food restaurant.
You drive up to this guy right here. You don't have to get out of your car. And you can hand in your ballot right there.
That's a situation right here. Ohio is a very close state. Too close to call in the polls right now.
Now we go to my colleague and friend, Randi Kaye, who is in the battleground state of Florida.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Gary. We're not seeing the lines you're seeing here in Lauderhill, Florida, where we are. We only have a couple of days left for early in-person voting.
The reason we're not seeing the lines probably is because so many millions of Floridians have already voted. And 8.3 million Floridians have already voted in the early voting here in the state of Florida.
Registered Democrats still leading registered Republicans by about 116,000 votes. Certainly, that is getting a lot tighter. Democrats aren't too happy about that.
It's one of the reasons why, instead of just on Sundays, they had today here in this area a "Souls to the Polls" event. That's usually reserved for black churches on Sundays the weekend before Election Day but they had one today.
We have video of them. They came here. They went to the ballot box. They were dropping off their ballots.
It's one way to try and get African-Americans to get to the polls, try and make sure that their vote counts and that their voice is heard.
Part of the reason they want to do that is because we're getting a lot of news about ballot rejection here in the state of Florida.
A professor with the University of Florida telling me that ballots are being rejected at a rate of 2:1 for African-Americans and Latino voters versus white voters.
That is a 2:1 margin there. And that is a big reason why they are trying to get out the vote here today.
We spoke with Desmond Meade, who was coordinating the "Souls to the Polls" event.
He's also someone who is a big voice in trying to get these former felons, which Florida approved under Amendment 4, to get them to the polls.
[13:35:10]
And that's been a real issue trying to make sure that they can pay off their restitution in order to be able to vote.
We spoke with him about all of that. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DESMOND MEAD, FLORIDA RIGHTS RESTORATION COALITION & COORDINATOR, "SOULS TO THE POLLS": We're going to make sure that these first-time voters, people who have never voted in their lives and voted for the first time at 60, 70, 80 years old, right?
That is something to celebrate, right? That is something that we will want to have more of. And that's exactly what we're doing.
We're going to protect their right to vote. We're going to make sure they get a chance to experience what I experienced, right, when I voted for the first time in over 30 years in the primary and for my first-ever presidential election last week.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: And I mentioned these ballot rejections. That's because of missed signatures or mismatched signatures.
But the good news is, this professor tells me that a lot of these are being cured or fixed here in the state of Florida. They have the time now.
But as we get closer to Election Day, that time will be running out to -- in order to fix those ballots. But they will have until 5:00 p.m. on November 5th, two days after the vote to actually fix those ballots.
Now let's check in with my colleague, Ryan Young. He is in Milwaukee -- Ryan?
RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Randi, a lot of excitement in this state. This is a state a lot of people are paying attention to, a battleground state.
You can't turn on the radio or turn on the television here without getting hit with a commercial for one of the sides involved in this.
Joe Biden knows he needs this. He was in state yesterday. President Trump also knows he needs this state as well. He was here as well yesterday.
We also believe Melania Trump will be in the state sometime today as well.
But if you look at the crowds here, it's been swelling and having sort of an ebb and flowing throughout the day.
Before we arrived here, there was a line of people who were trying to get into this building to cast their vote.
We know more than 1.7 million people have already cast their vote in the state of Wisconsin.
And people, of course, are paying attention to it because they know this is a battleground state. This has been one of the hot spots.
Early voting is still continuing in Milwaukee County and Milwaukee City. The rest of this state, so far, has already completed early voting.
They know more than 56 percent of the people who are registered to vote in this county have already done so.
They believe they not have long lines throughout the next few days when Election Day starts.
The other point to stress is the fact about, let's talk about the coronavirus. When you see people here, you can see them masked up. They're taking their PPE very seriously.
Especially with the fact that more than 5,000 people just tested positive yesterday in the state of Wisconsin.
But the director of elections for this area says things have been moving well. In fact, take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIETTA HENRY, DIRECTOR OF ELECTIONS, MILWAUKEE COUNTY: And 58 percent of our registered voters have already voted. When you go out on Election Day, still be patient.
If you haven't registered to vote, make sure you bring the proper information. Everyone has to bring in an I.D., a picture, a photo I.D. in order to vote.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YOUNG: Ana, quickly, here's the key. People might have their ballot at home and might be waiting to turn it in. They do not want them to put it in the mail.
Now is the time to bring it in to a polling place. They do not want it put in the mail because it can take seven days before it arrives. They don't want that to become an issue the next few days -- Ana?
CABRERA: It's truly inspiring to see Americans turn out to vote like they are now.
Thank you so much, Ryan Young, Gary Tuchman, Randi Kaye. Appreciate it, guys.
Be sure to tune in this Tuesday, "ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA." Our special coverage starts at 4:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN.
We're back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:42:43]
CABRERA: Welcome back. The First Lady Melania Trump is now speaking in West Bend, Wisconsin, trying to rally support for her husband. Let's listen in.
MELANIA TRUMP, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: -- for everyone.
(APPLAUSE)
(CHEERING)
M. TRUMP: COVID-19 is not a partisan issue. In a time when unity and leadership is vital, the Democrats want to project feelings of fear and doubt fully for political reasons.
Shame on anyone who casts doubt on potential effectiveness of a vaccine just because it would come under my husband's leadership.
(CROSSTALK)
(APPLAUSE)
M. TRUMP: The success of a vaccine will save millions of lives, and we should all work towards that together and as one nation.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. TRUMP: This administration has worked tirelessly to support families and people struggling financially during this pandemic. While Democrats in Congress refuse to sign another stimulus package.
(CROSSTALK)
M. TRUMP: Such selfish politically corrupt decisions are what separate the swamp politicians from President Trump and his administration.
(APPLAUSE)
(CHEERING)
M. TRUMP: We are not politicians who have worked in Washington for a long time. My husband is here to make a difference for you and your families.
(APPLAUSE) (CHEERING)
M. TRUMP: He has done so much already. Imagine what he will get done in four more years.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
(CHANTING)
M. TRUMP: Joe Biden said he will -- it will be a dark winter.
(CROSSTALK)
M. TRUMP: That is not the statement of a leader.
(CROSSTALK)
[13:44:59]
He wants to make us hide in fear in our basements --
(LAUGHTER)
M. TRUMP: -- rather than work bravely within our communities to find lasting solutions. His solution is to move backwards and to shut things down.
When my husband talks about the future, it is fueled with continuous possibility and forward thinking.
(APPLAUSE)
(CHEERING)
M. TRUMP: This administration chooses to keep moving forward during this pandemic, not backward.
(APPLAUSE)
(CHEERING)
M. TRUMP: But moving forward, we demonstrate a fundamental value of our nation, our ability to rise to any challenge and overcome any hurdle. It's what sets us apart from any other country in the world.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. TRUMP: We have made great progress in our fight against COVID-19. This virus is one that has impacted every country around the globe.
When COVID-19 invaded our country, we first had to learn what it was, how it spreads, and how to prevent it. Instead of unifying our country and coming together in this time of
need, the media and the Democrats together chose to attack the administration.
It was Joe Biden who accused President Trump of xenophobic hysteria for putting the American people first and closing travel from China and parts of Europe.
(APPLAUSE)
M. TRUMP: Now they are saying we didn't do enough.
(CROSSTALK)
M. TRUMP: Our actions say otherwise.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. TRUMP: President Trump isn't a career politician like both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
(BOOING)
M. TRUMP: He's a president with proven results, not empty words and broken promises.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. TRUMP: I watched Donald continue to work hard to keep people informed and calm, to protect our economy, and make hard and unpopular decisions to do all he could to keep us all safe.
(APPLAUSE)
(CHEERING)
M. TRUMP: Look what we have overcome together. Look at the progress we have made to ensure our children continue to grow up in the safest and most prosperous nation.
We now have careful safety measures in place in every city and state. These safety measures --
CABRERA: OK, you're listening to Melania Trump stumping in West Bend, Wisconsin, for her husband, President Trump, a state where cases are on the rise, where the coronavirus just recording record-high hospitalizations there on Friday.
We'll continue to listen in. We'll bring you additional highlights as we continue here in the NEWSROOM.
Stay with us. You're watching CNN. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:53:15]
CABRERA: Any moment now, we expect to see Joe Biden and former President Obama on stage together. They're about to hold the first of two drive-in rallies today in the critical battleground state of Michigan.
Back with us now, former Clinton White House adviser, Paul Begala, and former Republican congresswoman from Utah, Mia Love.
Kind of a lightning round here because we're short on time.
Let me start with you, Paul.
In a short time from now, we'll see former President Obama there with Joe Biden in Michigan. We're told Obama's speech today will be shorter, fewer, Trump zingers, will focus on his personal testimonial for Biden.
What kind of impact do you think that will have, bringing them together to close out this campaign, specifically in Michigan?
PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It warms my heart. I saw Barack Obama win Michigan twice. I was proud to help him in the 2012 reelection for a super PAC that supported him. He's just dynamite.
The outcome between those two is genuine and real. And I think it's going to help a lot.
KEILAR: Congresswoman, President Trump focusing all of his energy in Pennsylvania. He's holding four events in the commonwealth.
What's the strategy there?
MIA LOVE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, remember that Joe Biden had President Obama there. Pennsylvania is absolutely in play.
So the fact that Obama won Pennsylvania in 2012, Trump won Pennsylvania in 2016, they don't want to take Pennsylvania for granted.
They'll do everything they can and hope that the same people that came up and showed up for President Trump in 2016 will do the same thing again.
KEILAR: Paul, in the final days before the election, Biden and the DNC are expected to outspend the Trump campaign and the RNC by nearly $20 million in ads.
And in fact, we just learned of one in Florida with the former President Obama targeting Spanish-speaking voters there.
[13:55:02] With so many people though having already voted and the vast majority having already decided who they're supporting, do these ads actually work?
BEGALA: Well, they help. They help cover areas where you can't go. It's much more important where you go. And the president is campaigning frenetically, especially in Pennsylvania.
I'm surprised he squandered his financial lead. He's the incumbent president. I've never seen an incumbent president outspent in the final stretch before.
But it's bad management in his campaign, which I'm sure he's going to want to take a look at after he loses.
KEILAR: Congresswoman, former President Obama sat down for a virtual chat with LeBron James this week and they discussed the importance of voting.
Listen to LeBron talk about his mom's recent experience, which was apparently her first-time voting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEBRON JAMES, NBA BASKETBALL PLAYER: I don't know if this was her first time voting but the first time she talked about it.
I believe it's her first-time voting. And she was so proud of herself and I was proud of her, just seeing her --
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You tell her I'm proud of her.
JAMES: Thank you. I will for sure, yes.
OBAMA: You tell her, Barack and Michelle give her much love and respect.
JAMES: Yes, absolutely.
She sent me a video today, after she voted. She had her sticker on her chest. She was so damned proud of herself and I was proud of her.
OBAMA: Absolutely.
JAMES: It's a beautiful thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: Kind of a touching exchange there.
Congresswoman, what's your reaction to hearing this personal voting story?
LOVE: Well, of course, it's beautiful. I remember when my dad told me the first time he was able to vote when
he came from Haiti, he took the responsibility incredibly seriously and he said that he was proud.
He was able to pledge his allegiance to the American flag. And he understood that his responsibility was not just to take on the benefits of being an American citizen but also the requirements and the responsibilities. And voting was one of them.
And he said Ronald Reagan was his very first vote. So those stories are incredibly touching.
And I think it's the American story and it's the American dream. And I hope everyone realizes how important it is to get out, learn about positions and vote.
CABRERA: Thank you so much, Mia Love and Paul Begala. I appreciate it, guys.
That does it for me. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York.
Any minute now, we'll hear Joe Biden and Barack Obama speaking there in Flint, Michigan. We'll bring that to you live here on CNN.
And if you haven't already, make a plan to vote.
My colleague, Brianna Keilar, picks up CNN's coverage after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Hi, there. I'm Brianna Keilar. And I want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world.
Yes, I'm going to say it. It's the final countdown. Three days left until America votes and a flurry of campaign activity today.
Last hour, Barack Obama in Michigan alongside Joe Biden. The pair now heading to another campaign stop in Detroit.
The president ping-ponging between four separate rallies in Pennsylvania.
The early vote totals are simply massive at this point. Ninety-plus million Americans have cast ballots.
[14:00:06]
The weekend script for both candidates putting the big focus on the battleground map.
