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The Situation Room

Coronavirus Cases Spiking; President Trump Defends Police, Issues Executive Order; Interview With Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser; U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 116,000; Oklahoma Health Department Urges Trump Rally Attendees To Seek Out Testing Ahead Of Event; Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) is Interviewed About His Push for Police Reform. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired June 16, 2020 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:10]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: We want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Tonight, protesters are keeping the pressure on elected officials, as President Trump is taking modest new steps on police reforms that fall short of what many of the demonstrators have been demanding.

Mr. Trump vigorously defending police, before signing an executive order that includes a recommendation to ban police choke holds, but makes an exception if a police officer's life is at risk.

We're also following other breaking news on the coronavirus pandemic. The Oklahoma Health Department is now urging everyone who plans to attend the president's rally in Tulsa on Saturday to seek out COVID-19 testing ahead of the event, as some fear of the event will simply be a super-spreader of the virus.

And the mayor of Tulsa just revealed that he didn't get any heads-up at all about the rally from the Trump team, and that he shares the deep concerns about the potential health risks.

Let's go to our chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta.

Jim, the president, today, he seemed a lot more interested in sending a message to his supporters than to the protesters.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's true, Wolf.

President Trump met with family members of victims of police brutality behind closed doors today, but those families did not appear with the president in the Rose Garden, where Mr. Trump signed an executive order aimed at reforming police practices.

But the president turned the event into a campaign speech, pointing to the stock market and attacking former President Barack Obama. The president's event was also notable, in that few officials on hand for the speech were wearing a mask, despite growing concerns about new cases of the coronavirus.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (voice-over): Offering up little more than new guidelines aimed at ending police brutality, President Trump let loose on the protesters who have marched in the streets across the U.S. since the brutal killing of George Floyd.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I strongly oppose the radical and dangerous efforts to defend (sic), dismantle and dissolve our police departments.

Americans want law and order. They demand law and order. They may not say it. They may not be talking about it, but that's what they want.

ACOSTA: The president downplayed the problem of police misconduct, insisting only a small number of rogue officers are to blame.

TRUMP: They're a very tiny -- I use the word tiny. It's a very small percentage, but you have them.

ACOSTA: The executive order signed by the president urges police departments to improve their practices.

On the controversial use of police choke holds, the executive order recommends that the state or local law enforcement agencies' use of force policies prohibit the use of choke holds, except in those situations where the use of deadly force is allowed by law.

Despite the fact that his own administration violently cleared Lafayette Square earlier this month, gassing and beating protesters, the president argued the country should be unified.

TRUMP: What's needed now is not more stoking of fear and division. We need to bring law enforcement and communities closer together, not to drive them apart.

ACOSTA: Civil rights advocates were disappointed in what they heard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I haven't had the chance to take a look at the executive order on paper yet, but, based on what I heard, I am disappointed. I think it is a slap in the face of everyone who has been out protesting around the world for the past several weeks.

ACOSTA: The president also used the speech to tout the latest numbers on Wall Street.

TRUMP: The stock market went through the roof. We're getting very close to the level we were before the pandemic and before all of the things that you have seen happen happened.

ACOSTA: Mr. Trump also falsely said former President Barack Obama did not attempt to reform police practices. But that's not true. Obama released his own proposals more than five years ago.

TRUMP: President Obama and Vice President Biden never even tried to fix this during their eight-year period. The reason they didn't try is because they had no idea how to do it. And it is a complex situation.

ACOSTA: The president's event was notable for another reason, as few officials wore masks, despite the current pandemic.

Traveling in Iowa, Vice President Mike Pence also decided to forego a mask, as he sat down for lunch inside a restaurant and toured a factory. On a phone call with governors this week, Pence tried to dismiss the latest rise in coronavirus cases as the result of more testing, even though public health officials caution infections are increasing as well.

MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I would just encourage you all, as we talk about these things, make sure and continue to explain to your citizens the magnitude of increase in testing. In most of the cases where we are seeing some marginal rising number, that's more a result of the extraordinary work you're doing expanding testing.

ACOSTA: Pence was sticking to the president's talking points.

[18:05:00]

TRUMP: If we stopped testing right now, we would have very few cases, if any.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: And there's an update to an ongoing headache for President Trump. And that is, the Justice Department has just filed a lawsuit to try to block the publication of former National Security Adviser John Bolton's upcoming book "The Room Where It Happened" -- there's the cover right there -- "A White House Memoir."

Inside the book, Bolton alleges that very few decisions here at the White House are made without any kind of consideration of things beyond reelection concerns for the president.

We should point out, the Justice Department is saying that the former national security adviser has not satisfied requirements to vet the book through national security channels inside the administration. Essentially, what they're saying, Wolf, is that the book contains classified material.

But there's one big problem for the Trump administration. The book is already on its way to being on sale next week. Bolton has lined up interviews to promote his book. And I suspect, Wolf, that this lawsuit will help promote the book as well -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Let's see what happens on that front.

All right, Jim Acosta reporting for us, thank you.

Joining us now here in Washington, the mayor of the District of Columbia, Muriel Bowser.

Mayor Bowser, thanks, as usual, for joining us. We have got lots to discuss.

But let me start with what the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, said. She offered this response to the president's action today. And let me read her tweet: "The president's executive order falls seriously short of what is required to combat the epidemic of racial injustice and police brutality that is murdering black Americans."

What was your reaction to what we heard from the president today?

MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER (D), DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Well, I listened closely.

And I think that, certainly, we need a national framework. And I think that the Democrats in the Congress are advancing a national framework that will be helpful to us at the local level. And we also need to make sure that we are always looking at our policies at the local level to evolve with the needs of our cities across America.

And that's exactly what we try to do here in Washington, D.C.

BLITZER: You got a lot going on here in Washington, D.C.

The president also says he wants to ban choke holds, except -- these are his words -- when an officer's life is at risk.

Do you worry, though, that that potentially could leave too much gray area for the use of strangulation holds to be justified?

BOWSER: Well, I think that what we saw in Minneapolis with eight minutes -- more than eight minutes of a person being starved of oxygen, is what we need to eliminate in all of our police departments.

We need our officers to be trained correctly on de-escalation tactics, and we certainly need the laws to be robust. We have in Washington already, in orders from the chief and police guidance, how that choke hold should not be used.

The D.C. Council has also advanced an additional piece of legislation to codify those practices. What Americans want to hear, Wolf, is that we're going to have good policing, we're going to hold police accountable. And mayors like me and police chiefs will have the tools that they need to make sure that we're rooting out bad officers.

BLITZER: It was interesting. During the signing of that executive order in the Rose Garden over at the White House today, top White House officials, the guests largely opted not to wear any masks.

Does it make it harder for you to urge D.C. residents, for example, to wear masks, when the White House team, the leadership of the country, at least here in Washington, D.C., is refusing to lead by example?

BOWSER: Well, we have been following, Wolf, the medical professionals.

And even the medical professionals who are leading the White House task force, they recommended phased reopening. We're -- in the District, we're in phase one. And our numbers are suggesting that we will be able to get to phase two soon.

They are also recommending a wearing mask, especially when you can't six-foot distance from other people. And we see D.C. residents largely complying with that advice. Nobody wants to go back to restricted activities. And everybody wants to get more and more activities through the phases.

So, I have strongly urged D.C. residents to do that. We know that a number of our commercial establishments are also requiring that. I was out doing some grocery shopping earlier myself, everybody wearing a mask. And that's how we can keep each other safe.

BLITZER: You fear though, Mayor, that the large demonstrations that we saw in recent days here in Washington, D.C., with a lot of folks wearing masks, but plenty not wearing masks and very close together, avoiding any social distancing, potentially, that could lead to a spike, given the two-to-three week incubation period?

[18:10:01]

BOWSER: We're having a lot of people go out to be tested, based on the waiting period from three to five days of exposure that was recommended by our health officials.

And we see a lot of people taking advantage of that testing. We're looking very closely at other states, Wolf. And what we have seen, where we see spikes in cases all over the country, where protest activity had no impact on that, just reopening, or reopening too soon, or Memorial Day activities, all of those things, we see spikes in cases around the country.

We're hoping that we don't see that spike. But we know that our medical system is certainly prepared to deal with increased cases related to our reopening or to the demonstrations we have seen here in D.C.

BLITZER: We're showing our viewers, by the way, some live pictures from New York City, Mayor.

People there, they're on the march. They're protesting, continuing to protest, the 22nd day of protests.

If -- and we hope it doesn't happen, all of us especially who live here in the Washington, D.C., area, if there is a spike, are you ready to reverse course and impose some new restrictions?

BOWSER: Well, we're looking closely at all of the interventions we made in the -- during the stay-at-home order. I don't think that we would have to go back. I certainly hope that we don't have to go back to that type of order.

But if we have to dial up activity down to accommodate spikes, we can.

BLITZER: Mayor Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington, D.C., you got a lot going on. Thank you so much for joining us.

BOWSER: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, just ahead, we will have more on the president's new order on police reform, as Senate Republicans are drafting their own plan.

I will speak live with Senator Tim Scott, who's taking the lead on that effort.

And the attorney for the family of Rayshard Brooks joins me coming up next, four days after Brooks was shot and killed by police in Atlanta.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:16:25]

BLITZER: Looking at live pictures coming in from New York City once again.

Protesters are on the march on this 22nd day of protests, all this unfolding as we're seeing more and more protests for racial justice, even as the president has just taken some relatively modest new steps on police reform.

This comes more than three weeks after George Floyd's death in Minneapolis and four days after the killing of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta.

Joining us now, a lawyer for the Brooks family, Chris Stewart.

Chris, thanks so much for joining us.

I want to get to a lot of the substance of what's going on, but, first of all, how is the Brooks family doing right now? My heart goes out to them.

L. CHRIS STEWART, ATTORNEY FOR FAMILY OF RAYSHARD BROOKS: They're planning a funeral. So anybody that's gone through that with a loved one, they understand how tough that is, when you actually have to go pick out the suit that your father or husband or brother is going to wear in a casket.

BLITZER: Yes, please express our deepest, deepest condolences to that family.

I know you're in constant touch with them.

All right, let's get to some of the other issues right now. New records, as you know, show that the Atlanta police officer who shot and killed Rayshard Brooks had several citizen complaints against him.

What are you learning about this police officer's history? He has now been fired. And, potentially, there could be charges leveled against him as early as tomorrow. STEWART: You know, that's why the officers' names, when something like

this happens, has to be released immediately, instead of these extended delays that we see all the time, because we have been flooded with calls from people in the community that have had interactions with him negatively.

We have turned over the significant ones to the authorities. And we're following up on all of these complaints. We're also going to be looking into, why were all of these nine of the 12, I think, dismissed, which is an issue that we see constantly with some police departments, is that internal affairs complaints aren't followed through.

BLITZER: What does this new information, potentially, about this police officer Garrett Rolfe's history, what does it mean for the case?

STEWART: Well, it shows a pattern.

As I said, in a lot of the cases that I have handled, the officer has a history of using excessive force or breaking rules or policies. The problem is, is that they stay on the force. And so this leads to what we all saw Saturday.

BLITZER: An Atlanta police union official says that filing charges against this police officer would be premature. What's your response to that?

STEWART: That's what the union is going to say in every case.

BLITZER: Why do you think they do that?

STEWART: Their job is to protect the interest of the officer, which is fine. I mean, my job is to protect the interest of the victim of murder.

But that's what the union does. And that's how the current system works.

BLITZER: As the district attorney is weighing charges -- and, once again, they could come as early as tomorrow -- are you preparing the Brooks family for the difficulty that comes with any case involving police misconduct?

You look at the history of so many of those cases, hung juries, not- guilty verdicts. It's a usual pattern.

STEWART: Yes, I mean, you have to be prepared for charges or for charges not to be announced.

[18:20:00]

You just have to rely on the work that the investigators are going to do, rely on what we saw on that videotape and what the rule of law is, and let things play out how they're going to play out. But I think that the evidence so far that everybody has seen, talking

about the murder, not all the stuff before, not was he drinking and driving, not was he drunk, not the scuffle, the actual murder itself, the shooting, it wasn't justified.

BLITZER: Have you or any members of the family actually spoken with the district attorney?

STEWART: He met with the family initially to come out there and meet the family and learn more about the victim.

And then they started their investigation. So we're not really sure what's going on, other than that the announcement is supposed to happen Wednesday or Thursday. And we just can pray about it.

BLITZER: The mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms, like you, has called the Brooks killing murder.

And she said she doesn't believe lethal force was justified at all. Do you think the types of policing reforms we're now hearing introduced could have saved his life?

STEWART: The no choke hold and the tracking system, I mean, I appreciate at least the discussion happening today with the administration.

But that's not enough. That's not true reform yet. The catch is what you said earlier. You can announce policies, but there are always loopholes that are left in them. And that's how we get to what happened here, and what happened with George, is, there's loopholes in a lot of these policies, which is why I want to make sure that those are closed up, and that we have actual policies that will work before getting the administration to announce new changes.

BLITZER: Chris Stewart, thanks so much for joining us. We really appreciate it.

I know you got a lot going on. And, once again, please express our deepest, deepest condolences to the family. Our hearts go out to them. Thanks so much for joining us.

STEWART: All right, thanks.

BLITZER: All right, just ahead: Texas and Florida are now reporting record highs for the new coronavirus cases, as the rate of infections is trending up in 18 states.

And health officials in Oklahoma are issuing new guidance ahead of President Trump's rally there on Saturday, telling attendees to wear masks and get tested before and after the event.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:27:22]

BLITZER: We're following the breaking news in the coronavirus pandemic, where the death toll here in the United States now tops 116,000. And there's also breaking news we're getting out of Texas right now.

Our national correspondent, Erica Hill, is joining us.

Erica, the country is still very much in the grip of this pandemic.

ERICA HILL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That, it is, in fact.

The health commissioner in Texas saying there's a very real possibility there could be a resurgence in that state, as you point out, record-setting numbers today in Texas, both for new cases, more than 2,600 reported, and also for hospitalizations.

Now, Governor Abbott says some of those positive cases are directly linked to an assisted living facility outside of Dallas. That said, he is urging Texans to practice social distancing, to wash their hands, and to wear masks.

At the same time, nine mayors in his state, including the mayor of Houston, have just sent the governor a letter asking him to give them permission to require masks in their cities to keep people safe.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL: States are not opening gently. They're opening with lots of crowds. They are opening with lack of face masks.

HILL (voice-over): Those behaviors could lead to more than 200,000 coronavirus-related deaths in the U.S. by October, according to a key model.

DR. LEANA WEN, EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN: Our actions today have a huge effect on what happens.

HILL: Eighteen states reporting an uptick in new cases over the past week, Florida one of eight shown in deep red, numbers there up more than 50 percent.

Governor Ron DeSantis says his state is testing more. But that's not the whole story.

DR. CRAIG SPENCER, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER: In some places, the positive percentage, so the likelihood that a swab is coming back positive, is growing, which means that there's greater community spread.

HILL: The science is clear: Wide use of face coverings help to slow the spread. Airlines taking note, United warning, refusal to wear one could land you on a restricted travel list.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi might make them mandatory on the House floor, as the Trump campaign says masks are not required at this weekend's indoor rally in Tulsa.

PENCE: We're also looking at another venue. We're also looking at outside activities.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NIAID DIRECTOR: The bottom line is, you have got to protect yourself. You cannot depend on -- quote -- "this herd immunity." Avoid crowds. Wear masks. Wash your hands.

HILL: Athletes at Indiana University and Ohio State must now sign a pledge acknowledging the risks of the virus and health safety measures.

A new study finds those under 20 are half as susceptible to the virus as those 20 and over, raising new questions about school this fall, especially for younger children.

[18:30:02]

WEN: Younger people are less likely to become symptomatic. But young people could still get it, could still become very ill. Even if they are asymptomatic, they could still transmit COVID-19.

HILL: Major League Baseball still in limbo.

ROB MANFRED, COMMISSIONER, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: It's just as disaster for our league.

HILL: The league in the player's union at an impasse, as USA Today reports several players and staff have tested positive. America's tennis major, the U.S. Open, will be played later this summer in New York.

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): It will be held without fans, but we can watch it on T.V., and I will take that.

HILL: Just two months ago, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center had been transformed into a field hospital.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: There is some positive news report out of U.K. Preliminary result from a study there which involved a commonly use steroid showed that that steroid could actually reduce the risk of dying by a third in the sickest coronavirus patients.

Now, these was in patients who required either a ventilator oxygen, but, again, Wolf, encouraging news on that study.

BLITZER: We will take it. All right Erica Hill reporting for us, thank you.

Let's get some more on the pandemic. I want to bring in our Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Sanjay, do states like Texas and Florida, for example, that are seeing some dramatic increases in the number of cases, do they need to start adding restrictions to try to slow down the spread?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they might, Wolf. You know, it's worth reminding people that the restrictions initially went in place when in the country as a whole there were fewer than 80 people who had died and between 4,000 and 5,000 infections. Obviously, people can see the numbers on the right side of the screen and also get an idea of what's happening in these places.

One thing that I think is worth pointing out is that, you know, this idea that as testing increases, you will see more people who are diagnosed with the infection, obviously. But the real question is how much does the testing fuel that increase in diagnosis.

If we look at Florida, for example, I think we can show that. The testing may have gone up a little bit. It's really mainly flat over the last several days. So that's the testing. But take a look at what's happening with the overall cases over that same time period, Wolf. You're really going to follow these numbers, and I think the people in Florida and all of these various states have to look at these sort of numbers and decide what is really happening in their state and how it's going to dictate what they do going forward.

BLITZER: Yes, that's really important.

GUPTA: Possibly shutting things down, advocating masks, whatever it might be.

BLITZER: Yes, I know. In a call with the nation's governors, the vice president, Mike Pence, said the reason states are seeing an uptick is due to increased testing? Is that really what's going on here?

GUPTA: It's probably part of this, Wolf. Here is the thing to keep in mind, is that, if you are doing enough testing -- this is going to seem counterintuitive. But if you're doing enough testing, ultimately, cases should start to go down. Why? Because you're finding people early before they start to spread it more and more.

So take a look at New York, for example, the northeast, you know, you're seeing some positive trends over there. So if you look at New York, I think we can show this here, this is the overall testing that is going on, the new tests.

Now, take a look at what's happening with confirmed cases. So when you are doing enough testing, when you're doing increased testing, you should actually have the numbers go down, not up. Again, it's counterintuitive, but people should pay attention to this. That's why you advocate for more testing, not to simply find people out there that you otherwise wouldn't have, but to find them, isolate them and prevent them from continuing to spread the virus. If it's done well, it makes a big difference.

BLITZER: Sanjay, I want you to stick around. We have more to discuss.

Just ahead, the new warning by health officials in Oklahoma, as President Trump's planned rally in Tulsa raises very seriously concerns about a potential new coronavirus cluster. And the vice president in denial mode about the rise of new cases as the administration tries to send a new message that the nation apparently is getting back to normal.

[18:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Were following breaking news and growing concerns, deep fear in Oklahoma about President Trump's planned campaign rally in Tulsa this coming Saturday.

Let's bring in our Political Correspondent, Abby Phillip, he's in Tulsa for us, and our Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Abby, the Oklahoma Health Department just issued guidance ahead of the president's rally in Tulsa, and now a group of lawyers are actually suing to try to stop it. Certainly a lot of controversy heading into this weekend.

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely. There are a lot of fears here in Tulsa that this could be one of those events that causes the virus to spread in part because so many people are going to be coming from all over the state or perhaps even all over the country.

The health department is basically saying, if you come to this rally you should consider getting tested before, you should consider getting tested after, and they're urging people to wear facemasks during this rally. That is a different message than we've heard from the president and his campaign. They are not necessarily requiring or even really asking people to wear those facemasks.

And, similarly, that lawsuit is doing a similar thing, basically saying that the board that oversees that, the BOK Center, where this event is being held, should hold this rally to the same standard as every other event following the CDC guidelines, from mask-wearing and social distancing.

[18:40:04]

It's not clear where all of these is going. But what's clear is that the officials here in this state are addressing the concern from the public that they are allowing this rally to go forward without any precautions. And, ultimately, what it might mean is that this city and this state were coronavirus cases are already going up, will have to deal with the aftereffects, spreading of the virus, higher hospitalizations and more cases.

And that something that people who are already now thrilled that the president is coming here are particularly upset about.

BLITZER: You know, it's interesting, Sanjay, the fact that the health commissioner in Oklahoma, Lance Frye, is telling potential attendees, and there could be 25,000 in that arena to get tested both before and after the event. What does that say to you about how much concern there is surrounding this event?

GUPTA: Yes. I mean, there is a high level of concern. Obviously, Wolf, I think they want to do everything they can to possibly mitigate the spread, as Abby was just discussing. I mean, the ideal thing to do would be to not have this sort of event indoors where people are not necessarily going to be wearing mask. It has this carnival-like atmosphere, as it's been describe, where a lot of people are talking, shouting, putting a lot of virus into the environment. So that's the real concern.

And Abby was also talking about these large spreading events, and they called super spreading events. People think of it as a single individual who is a super spreader. But what it really is, is anybody who is carrying the virus, who is in a situation like this, can become a super spreader because the virus is just out there and can potentially infect so many people.

So, it's very hard to do this kind of thing safely in this sort of circumstance, Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, we'll see what happens on Saturday.

And, you know, Abby, the Vice President, Mike Pence wrote an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal today, entitled, there isn't a second coronavirus wave. And he writes, and I'm quoting now, in recent days the media has take into sounding the alarm bells over a second wave of coronavirus infections. Such panic is overblown.

The message from the White House, from a lot of officials, from the president on down, Abby, as you know, they want to suggest that this crisis is really over.

PHILLIP: Yes, and it's really contrary to what the experts and not the media, really, the people are worried about a second wave, or rather worried that this current wave is not fully over are the health experts. These are the people who study this and who look at the data. And they're seeing a clear trend toward certain places that are opening very quickly where cases are going up.

And here in Tulsa, we've been on the ground for a few days now. It has been remarkable to see just how little mask-wearing there is here, even as the state reopens. There are all kinds of different levels of which certain restaurants and establishments are requiring facemasks or are allowing people to eat indoors. So there is so much what seems to be confusion about what people ought to be doing that it's really just an example of how this is happening all over the country.

Here in Oklahoma it seems very few people are wearing masks, and the message from the vice president is that it's basically over, they don't have to worry about it anymore.

BLITZER: Yes, it's interesting. Another development, Sanjay, I want your expertise on this. Martin Gugino, the 75-year-old protester in Buffalo, who earlier in the month, as you see in the video, we've all seeing it by now, was knocked over by police and his head hit the cement, started to bleed, his lawyer now has issue the statement saying he has a fractured skull and is not able to walk. What does that mean?

GUPTA: And that's a -- and it's look like obviously a significant injury. As you mentioned, I think most people have seen that video. I am just hearing about some of these specific injuries for the first time. I think the question is the fractured skull obviously from the significant blow to the head, but was there also a blood collection that then formed in between the skull and brain, causing him to have some weakness on the other side of his body and his legs. Is that why he is having difficulty walking, or it just from, you know, being in the hospital for a period of time.

I'm sure the doctors are caring for him, they're scanning. I'm sure he got a CAT scan of his brain to see if there's any blood that collected in that area, something called an epidural or subdural hematoma. But, you know, a significant injury on someone who's 75-years-old, there's no question, Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, very significant indeed. All right, thanks very much. Sanjay Gupta and Abby Phillip, we'll stay in very close touch with both of you.

Coming up, I'll speak live with Senator Tim Scott, who is leading the Republican legislative effort on police reform. There you see him up on Capitol Hill. We'll discuss when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:49:34]

BLITZER: Senate Republicans are preparing to unveil their police reform legislation tomorrow as pressure for action clearly mounts.

We're joined now by Senator Tim Scott. He is the Republican taking the lead on drafting the legislation.

Senator, thanks so much for joining us.

I know you said your bill does not include an outright ban on chokeholds but in your words, gets very, very close.

SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC): Yes.

BLITZER: Why not simply ban chokeholds altogether?

[18:50:00]

SCOTT: I don't think that the federal government can really get into the position where we're telling each local law enforcement department what they can and cannot do, but what we can do is not support those departments that will not ban chokeholds.

The good news is, about three quarters of the departments, from my understanding, have already banned chokeholds. We've seen more happen this week and last week. We'll see more of that happening as we reduce the amount of grants that departments are available for us. So, we actually get to the same end, just using a different means.

BLITZER: So, as far as you are concerned, if you had your way, you would not want to see any chokeholds in any police department, is that right? SCOTT: That's exactly right. That's one of the reasons why -- except

for -- you know, if an officer, his life is in danger or, my bill, as well as the House bill reflects on the importance of that. If a tactic of a chokehold can be used only to save the life of the officer, that's something that we find appropriate because it's certainly worse -- certainly better than having the officer have to shoot someone.

So, the elimination of the chokeholds by and large is a necessity from our perspective. We do it by eliminating the grants. That is the fastest, most effective way for us to get there. But once again, the good news is the department see the writing on the wall, they're all moving in that direction, talking to the departments in South Carolina. They also said the same thing. We can't believe that it's not already banned.

BLITZER: As pressure for police reform action clearly amounts, Senator, Republicans and Democrats, they remain on odds on certain issues. From your perspective, as the head of the Republican effort, is there room for compromise that might allow Republicans and Democrats to work together -- together to get this legislation passed?

SCOTT: You know, I was just meeting with a lot of the families who've lost loved ones because of the interactions with law enforcement, several of those family members that were at the White House came to office today.

The answer, I hope, is absolutely yes. When you have 70 or 80 percent of the things in common in the House bill and my bill, we should work to make those things a law. And then the ones that we do not have in common, let's have a conversation. Let's have a discussion.

They're going to have a chance to do that really soon. I hope that both Republicans and Democrats will forget about partisan politics and head in the direction of making this nation safer and better and restoring confidence in the institutions that have authority in this nation as it relates to communities of color.

BLITZER: Yes, those who support compromise always say, let's not make the perfect be the enemy of the good.

SCOTT: Enemy of the good, you got it.

BLITZER: As you know, Senator, CNN is reporting that several of the families who met over at the White House with the president today did bring up the topic of what's called qualified immunity for police, saying it was preventing them from recovering damages.

So, what does your bill say on this sensitive issue, and what do you say to those families?

SCOTT: Well, I say to those families that the fastest way to find the economic response from the departments is the departments themselves. We don't believe that Congress is in mixed positions. We certainly don't have the votes on qualified immunity to move it forward. The truth is that suing the officer is harder to do than suing the department or the city. That's where the resources are anyway. So, I think that's the right path to go on, but there's no doubt that

listening to the families today talk about the importance of engaging with the departments, the cities, as well as the officers is important to them. There are some aspects of it that we won't be able to get to I don't think. So, we'll find out what happens if we have a chance to debate the bill in whole cloth.

BLITZER: Well, let's talk about debating the bill. The Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would wait until tomorrow morning to announce whether he would even bring your bill to the floor ahead of the two-week July 4th recess. How soon are you hoping to get this legislation on the floor?

SCOTT: The sooner, the better. If I had the chance to talk to Mitch McConnell, if he's watching right now -- sir, I would love to have a chance to have this conversation with the American people sooner rather than later. So, hopefully, he'll have good news for us tomorrow.

BLITZER: What -- what's the problem? Can't you pick up the phone and call the Senate majority leader?

SCOTT: I certainly have had the conversation already with the Senate majority leader. I would not have it first with you. I mean, I love you, Wolf, but --

BLITZER: Yes.

SCOTT: -- I've had that conversation directly with him.

So, hopefully, we'll have good news coming. But the fact of the matter is that this is too much of a strong powerful issue. Its time has come. We need to debate it right now. We need to find solutions right now, and I'm hopeful that he agrees with us. I know you do.

BLITZER: Well, I know that the longer you wait, the less likely you're going to get it done, right?

SCOTT: Exactly. That's one of the reasons why time is of the essence. And, frankly, the momentum in the American households around this country on this issue, not minority communities but all communities, are laser-focused on a response from Washington. We should provide them with a blueprint of what it looks like to restore confidence in the most vulnerable areas of this country.

BLITZER: I know you're working hard on this and I know you're trying to get some support from Democrats as well.

Good luck, Senator.

(CROSSTALK)

SCOTT: We can have it (ph). Thank you.

BLITZER: Appreciate your joining us very much.

SCOTT: Yes, sir.

BLITZER: All right. We're going to have much more news right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:59:20]

BLITZER: Finally, tonight, we profile more wonderful people who died from the coronavirus.

Asm Shahidur Rahman of New York was 70 years old. He was a pharmacist in the diverse community of Elmhurst. He's remembered as a hero to those he served and his family who treasured his smile and his silly jokes.

Mary Crimmins of Massachusetts was 57 years old. She loved music, dance and could recite the entire "Lord of the Rings" movie dialogue. Her niece wants you to know that their family's world is now a little less right like all the families who have lost loved ones to this horrible, horrible virus.

May they rest in peace, and may their memories be a blessing.

Thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @WolfBlitzer. Tweet the show @CNNSitRoom.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.

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