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Biden Meets Pelosi, Schumer as Trump Blocks Transition; Trump Hosts Michigan GOP State Lawmakers as he Seeks to Overturn Election; Wolf One-on-One with Bob Woodward; Pfizer Formally Requests Emergency Authorization For Its Vaccine; Key Model: 470,000 Plus Americans Will Die From Coronavirus By March; FDA Announces Advisory Committee To Meet To Discuss Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine Application Dec. 10; Political Upheaval: 3 Presidents In One Week Amid COVID. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired November 20, 2020 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:15]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM. We are following breaking news.

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for the first time since their election victory. Biden is moving forward with the transition. Today naming more senior White House staff and he is poised to make cabinet announcements next week.

We also just saw President Trump making his first public appearance in a week. And once again, falsely claiming he won the election. Then refusing to take reporters' questions. That includes questions about why he is hosting Republican leaders of the Michigan state legislature over at the White House as he seeks to overturn the election results.

The president's attack on American democracy comes as the country sets records daily for coronavirus cases. 187,000 yesterday alone, a day in which COVID-19 killed more than 2,000 Americans.

Let's begin with the breaking transition news right now. CNN's Jessica Dean is in Wilmington, Delaware for us. Jessica, the president-elect is taking some very important steps in the transition. Update our viewers on the latest.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we continue as we have seen all week, to see President-elect Joe Biden showing the American people and also Republicans and President Trump that he is going to go forward with this transition even as his transition team remains locked out of the transition process.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Welcome to Wilmington! DEAN (voice-over): President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris pushing ahead with their transition process today.

Meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in Wilmington, Delaware, to discuss a COVID relief bill.

JEN PSAKI, BIDEN-HARRIS TRANSITION SENIOR ADVISER: There what's going to be working in lockstep and they're in lockstep agreement that there needs to be emergency assistance and aid before -- during the lame duck session to help families.

DEAN: With two months until Inauguration Day, Biden and his transition team are forging ahead with their plans despite President Trump's continued refusal to concede and begin the formal transition process.

YOHANNES ABRAHAM, BIDEN-HARRIS TRANSITION ADVISER: We continue to move forward in the absence ascertainment decision.

DEAN: On a virtual call with reporters, Friday, senior adviser and lawyer for the Biden campaign, Bob Bauer said Trump's actions and baseless lawsuits are harming the democratic process but emphasized Trump will not be successful.

BOB BAUER, BIDEN FOR PRESIDENT SENIOR ADVISER: While the president and his allies are ripping at the fabric of the democracy in any way they can, the fabric is not tearing, it's holding firm.

DEAN: Additionally, as part of the effort to show he is moving forward despite Trump's actions, Biden has expedited the process of selecting his cabinet nominees with some announcements expected the soonest next week.

BIDEN: You'll soon hear my choice for Treasury. I made that decision. We made that decision. And you'll hear that either just before or just after Thanksgiving.

DEAN: Meantime, Biden continues to grow his incoming White House staff. Today, the transition announced a new round of senior appointments which included several long-time Biden aides who have worked for both the president-elect and his wife, Jill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN (on camera): And the transition team is moving ahead in a different way as well, sending an e-mail to its supporters to fund- raise to support the transition because, remember, the General Services Administration still hasn't signed off and released the funds that actually fund the transition. So now the Biden team saying they may have to fund this themselves. They are asking their supporters to chip in and help with that effort.

And also, something to note this afternoon, Wolf, it is Joe Biden's 78th birthday, setting him up to become the oldest president in the history of the United States when he assumes office in two months.

BLITZER: Happy Birthday to the president-elect of the United States. We have heard, by the way, that he is going to be meeting with his transition advisers tomorrow. So, the work, obviously, is continuing. Jessica Dean in Wilmington, Delaware for us. Thank you.

Let's go to White House right now. Our White House correspondent Boris Sanchez is joining us. Boris, new denials of reality coming from president of the United States.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. Denials of reality and a brazen attempt to undo the outcome of the election. The president hosting Republican leaders from the state of Michigan here at the White House extensively to try to get them to change their minds about the certification process in that state. The White House trying to spin these meetings, suggesting that it is simply routine, but the American people know that truth, even though the president continues to lie about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The campaign, which I won, by the way. But you know, we will find that out.

[17:05:05]

SANCHEZ (voice-over): Tonight, President Trump denying reality and for the 17th consecutive day, dodging questions while he tries to up-end the democratic process in a desperate bid to stay in power.

In a brazen move, President Trump inviting Republican lawmakers from Michigan to the White House today before the state certifies its election results which currently has Biden leading by more than 100,000 votes. Trump calling this 11th hour meeting that the White House says is routine.

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This is not an advocacy meeting. There will be no one from the campaign there. He routinely meets with lawmakers from all across the country.

SANCHEZ: Sources tell CNN that White House officials are considering a similar invitation to Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania before that state certifies Biden as the winner on Monday. Despite Trump's efforts, today, Georgia one step closer to certifying Joe Biden as the winner of its 16 electoral college votes with local Republican officials making clear there was no fraud.

BRAD RAFFENSPERGER, GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE: Numbers don't lie. As secretary of state, I believe that the numbers that we have presented today are correct.

SANCHEZ: With lawsuits fizzling out and state-by-state fights hitting dead-ends, tonight, the leader of Trump's legal team sidelined.

RUDY GIULIANI, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ATTORNEY: Did you all watch "My Cousin Vinny"?

SANCHEZ: Rudy Giuliani who originally planned to be in today's meeting with Michigan lawmakers forced to cancel because of exposure to COVID- 19. His son Andrew, an assistant to the president, who was at yesterday off-the-rails news conference, announcing on Twitter, he tested positive for the virus. Despite surging case numbers around the country, the White House is desperately spinning Trump's refusal to concede.

MCENANY: Something that I would note is just we talked a lot about transfer of power in the election and it's worth remembering that this president was never given an orderly transition of power. His presidency was never accepted.

SANCHEZ: In fact, Hillary Clinton called Trump to concede hours after he was declared president-elect. President Obama invited him to the White House just days later and during his inauguration, Trump said this.

TRUMP: Every four years we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition.

SANCHEZ: While a few Republicans are speaking out, Senators Ben Sasse and Mitt Romney, saying the president and his team are hurting the nation with Romney writing, quote, "It is difficult to imagine a worse more undemocratic action by a sitting American president." Most Republicans remain silent as the White House tries to side-step scrutiny.

MCENANY: I don't call on activists.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ (on camera): And Wolf, very quickly. I wanted to point to this tweet from the speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives, Lee Chatfield. He's one of these lawmakers in the meeting with President Trump. He writes, quote, "No matter the party, when you have an opportunity to meet with the president of the United States, of course you take it. I won't apologize for that. In fact, I'm honored to speak with POTUS and proud to meet with him. And I look forward to our conversation."

You can imagine, Wolf, that we all be very closely watching and perhaps reading between the lines of what statements he makes after that meeting.

BLITZER: All right. Boris, thank you very much. You'll update us, of course.

Let's get some more on all of this. Senior political analyst David Gergen is joining us. CNN political commentator Bakari Sellers is with us, his new book is called "My Vanishing Country." And CNN's Jessica Dean is back with us once again.

You know, David, you've advised presidents from both parties. Have you ever seen an assault by a president of the United States on democracy like we are seeing right now from this president and how worried should we be? DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: We should be worried because it's a direct assault not only on democracy but on the incoming President Joe Biden. And I think both are threatening to our democracy over time.

Even as Trump is losing badly in the courts of law, in the court of public opinion he is doing better than anyone could have expected. Wolf, there are 70 percent or so of Republicans thinking -- 70 percent of Republicans think that Biden would be taking office as a result of fraud. They basically think he is an illegitimate president.

That translates into about 50 million Americans. The day Biden takes office. 50 million Americans will be out there as a Trump army trying to destroy him and in turn, really damaging our democracy.

So, I think these are troubling times. I think the president not only you know awful about giving the transition keys to the Biden team. But this quiet effort that he has made systematic to sabotage Joe Biden's presidency, to kneecap Joe Biden is disgraceful and unprecedented.

[17:10:09]

BLITZER: Yes. He still has some time though to do the right thing, to concede and to say the election was free and fair and promise that he's going to work in a cooperative way with the incoming president of the United States. I suspect he's not necessarily going to that but that would be the right thing to do.

You know, Bakari, the president-elect has talked a lot about uniting the country, working with the Republicans once he takes office. After what we've seen from the Republican Party over these last few days with some notable exceptions, do you think that is even going to be possible?

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I mean that's a good question. I think that is the million-dollar question, Wolf, because you know you can extend a hand of gratitude but if someone doesn't have courage on the other side to extend their hand, what does it matter?

The silence of Mitch McConnell is palpable. The silence of Lindsey Graham, the silence of Tim Scott, the silence of Thom Tillis, the silence of Chuck Grassley, all of these leaders of the United States Senate, the lack of fortitude, the lack of courage, standing up and putting this country over party is something that this Republican Party simply doesn't stand for any more.

The president of the United States as you said is launching an all-out assault on our democracy. There are no if's, and's, or but's about that. Donald Trump did not win this election and there are no parallels between 2016.

Hillary Clinton called him and conceded the race. Barack Obama invited him to the White House. Joe Biden invited Mike Pence to the Naval Observatory. Michelle Obama spoke to Melania Trump. I mean, all of these things happened and right now, you just have a White House that is wrapped in cowardness and that cowardness has trickled all the way throughout the party. It's a sad time and a devastating time. All Joe Biden can do now right now is lead and hope some Republicans eventually will follow.

BLITZER: And President Obama immediately ordered the official transition to begin, the transfer of power. The General Services Administration to begin working with the incoming team immediately. It was quite a different situation as it is right now.

Jessica Dean is back with us. The Biden team isn't necessarily worried about the election being overturned but they are apparently worried about the delayed transition hurting their ability to get to work on day one. So, what is the plan to fight back against the Trump administration's obstruction?

DEAN: Well, they are doing several things, Wolf. First, talk about the optics. Every day this week they were holding a briefing. They were drawing attention back to what Biden and Harris were doing. They wanted to telegraph to the American people.

Look, we are getting in position to lead. We are building a government. We are announcing White House senior staff. We are meeting with National Security advisers.

Now, they are not the administration who is in the administration right now, because they are not allowed to talk to them but that is one piece of it. So, that's the part that they are projecting to the American people. We are ready to do this. We are going to keep working around this as best we can. We know that their scientific advisers were meeting with drug companies to talk about vaccine distribution. All of those sorts of things.

It was interesting today too because on a transition call with some of their advisers, they were asked about this. And one of the senior advisers said that they're getting kind of this external - it's escalating externally as what she said. And that - by that, she meant that we are hearing from the business community, now we're starting to hear from business leaders.

But to Bakari's point we still haven't heard from a lot of Senate Republicans who carry a lot of weight and they have said again and again and even Joe Biden, himself, said it yesterday, that legal options, legal action remain on the table as an option. But he is very hesitant to do that. He made it very clear that is not his first choice.

And when pressed on that, he said, I really -- my years of experience make me believe that I really can bring everybody together. And that is what Joe Biden believes. He really leans on those years in the Senate as building this bipartisan relationships and he really believes that people will come around that he can build a coalition of, say, Republican governors across the country, Republican senators and really push this over and put enough pressure on Trump and the GSA to get this going. But we will see. We will see if that actually happens. Again though, he said that all options remain on the table. So, we're going to have to see how this evolves. But they are definitely losing time on some really critical things. Vaccine distribution being one of them and national security, of course, another.

BLITZER: Yes. Every day is critical during this transition. Jessica Dean, Bakari Sellers, David Gergen, guys, thank you very much.

Up next, will Republicans speak out publicly against President Trump's attempts to overturn the election or will they pressure him behind the scenes? We will talk about it next with the journalist. Bob Woodward, he is standing by. There you see him.

Plus, there's breaking pandemic news we are following as Pfizer formally officially requests emergency authorization for its coronavirus vaccine.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:19:18]

BLITZER: Our breaking news. In his first public comments in days, President Trump falsely claimed he actually won the election. He also refused to take questions about any subject, including his ongoing efforts to undermine the election results.

Joining us now, Bob Woodward, the associate editor of "The Washington Post," the author of the bestselling book "Rage." A really, really important book. Bob, thanks so much for joining us.

As a lot of us remember you especially the tipping point during the Nixon years came when his fellow Republicans actually turned against him. Is that tipping point ever going to arrive for Republicans today? And, if so, when?

[17:20:00]

BOB WOODWARD, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Yes, that's a great question. We don't know. But I think, yesterday, that press conference that Rudy Giuliani and the lawyers had, was a turning point for lots of Republicans who said this is really gone off the rails. And I think the strategy some Republicans have is, look, let's get Trump focused on what he can do in Georgia to make sure the Republicans retain the Senate.

If I was 30 years old, Wolf, I would ask "The Washington Post" to send me to live in Georgia in the next couple of months because I think, obviously, that race is extremely important and they want to get Trump in a position, look. You got 73 million votes. You can come back or be a dominant force in the Republican Party.

I don't think now particularly after the Giuliani performance yesterday, which was something out of "one flew over the cuckoo's nest," that any Republican is going to say, OK, this effort that Trump is making is serious and going to ever have any legs. BLITZER: So, I know you're still doing a lot of reporting on all of this. Do you think Republicans eventually are going to speak out publicly? I know privately they are very concerned but publicly against the president or do you think their pressure behind the scenes will make a difference?

WOODWARD: Well, that is of course the question with Trump. He is very withdrawn. He really -- people who have talked to him that I talked with said Trump is very nostalgic. He is talking about the past. He is talking about 2016 campaign or he is talking about all the votes he got this year even though he hasn't won. And there seems to be where he doesn't really have his feet in cement. I'm going to fight this in the courts, there is a little bit of realism drifting in here. So, it's going to be a very long 60 days.

BLITZER: Yes. I don't know if he realizes that in the national popular vote, he is down by some 6 million, not 5 million, not 4 million, but 6 million votes right now. In the electoral college, what? 232 -- excuse me. 306-232. There you see the popular vote. That's 6 million votes, 5,982,367.

You know, it's an incredible lopsided popular vote victory but it's even lopsided as the president himself said 306-232 in the electoral college which is what he won exactly four years ago. In all your years of reporting, Bob, have you ever seen an attack on our democracy like the one we are witnessing right now by the president, Rudy Giuliani and these others?

WOODWARD: Well, this is clearly unique, and this is Trump. But he can always find something to cling to and as you know, if in the states of Arizona, Wisconsin, and Georgia of only about 45,000 votes switched, he could have won. And so, and that is more than he lost by -- that is more than he beat Hillary Clinton by. So, but this is going to take time. The real tragedy here in what should be intolerable and I think is intolerable to Biden in his, gee, I'm going to be president and I'm going to have to manage lots of problems, number one problem being the pandemic that he can't interface with the people and get the information he needs. And that is an outrage.

I mean, what is going on -- again, Trump leads everyone around by the nose, all of us, the whole country, on saying like he did today that he won and, wait a minute. What is going on? And we are diverted from what I think is the number one problem in the country. That is the pandemic. And it's a management problem.

Trump conducted eight-month war on the doctors. Biden clearly is going to shift that. But that handoff has to be really something where hard data and outlook is presented. And what Trump is doing here is really intolerable.

[17:25:07]

BLITZER: And I know you've been doing some reporting on the president- elect and he is reaching out, I understand. And you can update our viewers to some Republicans. Is that right? WOODWARD: Yes. Biden, you know, he is a person who always looks and moves to the center. And I understand he has called some Republicans and I think in one case he made a joke. And this is a very private joke, but it captures the moment and Biden's understanding, Biden in one case said I'm the dog that caught the car. He realizes he's in a very, very tough position.

Republicans led by Mitch McConnell if they retain the Senate are going to try to move Biden to the right. Very large progressive faction in the Democratic Party that is going to move, try to move Biden to the left so he is caught in this vise from both sides. And I think the notion of being the dog that caught the car captures the dilemma.

BLITZER: It certainly does. Bob Woodward, still doing excellent reporting for all of us and we are grateful to you. His bestselling book once again is entitled "Rage." It's about the Trump administration. And I wonder if there is a new book, "The Final Days" part two, your book on Nixon, "The Final Days" with Carl Bernstein was amazing. Maybe there'll be a new "Final Days." Do you think there will be a new "Final Days?"

WOODWARD: I don't know. That interesting about Nixon in 1973-1974, his final days was really at least 10 months and it took an emotional toll on Nixon. And so, some very dramatic things occurred that have not yet occurred in the Trump presidency.

BLITZER: Right. Bob Woodward, thank you very, very much.

Coming up, Pfizer asked for emergency federal authorization for its new coronavirus vaccine. How soon will it be before we can get it?

Plus, in an exclusive interview, the White House Coronavirus Task Force member, Dr. Deborah Birx speaks about the safest plans for Thanksgiving.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:32:30]

BLITZER: The breaking pandemic news tonight, the number of coronavirus deaths and cases here in the United States rising at an alarming level. More than 253,000 people have now died from COVID-19 and more than 11.8 million Americans have been infected. CNN's Alexandra Field has the latest from New York.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another major step toward a COVID vaccine, Pfizer and BioNTech applied today to the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization of their vaccine, which they say is 95 percent effective. That means the first doses of the vaccine may now be as close as three weeks away. And some of the most high-risk Americans like healthcare workers could receive both doses of vaccine by early January.

JUDITH PERSICHILLI, COMMISSIONER, NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: We're seeing a lot of enthusiasm about the vaccine particularly amongst healthcare individuals like nurses and physicians.

FIELD (voice-over): The CDC will meet Monday to prioritize how vaccines are distributed as the virus is spreading its fastest, yet new cases are up 25 percent nationwide in a week from already record highs. More than 187,000 new cases reported on Thursday alone.

DR. PAUL OFFIT, DIRECTOR, VACCINE EDUCATION CENTER, CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA: The country is on fire with this virus and now we're heading into Thanksgiving and Christmas when, you know, multi-generational families get together. It's just a recipe for disaster.

FIELD (voice-over): Death toll projections are moving higher. The influential Institute for Health Metrics and evaluation, raising its estimate to 471,000 deaths by March 1st. That's assuming 40 states reimpose social distancing mandates, the number goes to 658,000 assuming they don't.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We like our freedom. And we're not going to listen to somebody tell us we can't go see grandma or we can't go see our brother or we can't go see our family or friends.

FIELD (voice-over): Some sheriff's departments in California say they won't enforce a 10:00 p.m. curfew set to go into effect on Saturday, following a 55 percent increase in cases in a week. In New York, one of the early epicenters of the crisis, the looming question, how soon could there be new limits for restaurants, bars, gyms and other businesses? New York City public schools shut down earlier this week.

One of the biggest epicenters of the crisis today, the Midwest. In North Dakota, cases have tripled since White House Taskforce member Dr. Deborah Birx visited past month.

DR. DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE COORDINATOR: When I'm out and seeing them without mask indoors, it really worries me. I mean, I'm worried for their health.

[17:35:03]

FIELD (voice-over): Dr. Anthony Fauci worried for families all over the country, is warning again the cases are likely to explode after Thanksgiving.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES: You take a look at your family and you say, do I have a person there who's an elderly person, a person with an underlying medical condition that might put them at an increased risk of a severe outcome if they get infected.

FIELD (voice-over): The CDC now officially recommends that Thanksgiving celebrations are limited to members of your own household.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's very difficult decision to make to not travel, but you can't hear from all of these healthcare workers and not think, you know, I really have no business doing that or, you know, making it worse for anyone.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FIELD (on camera): Wolf, these are really painful decisions that are being made across the country hopefully ease just the slightest bit by the light that is at the end of the tunnel. Pfizer has made that application for the Emergency Use Authorization. And we are now learning that the FDA's advisory panel will meet on December 10th to discuss that application. Can't come soon enough, Wolf.

BLITZER: You're absolutely right. Alexandra Field, thank you very much.

Let's discuss with our Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. So, Sanjay, how significant is this Pfizer filing for Emergency Use Authorization? What does it mean, in practical terms, for the average American?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, I mean, it's a big day, Wolf. There's no question about it. I mean, I preface by saying we haven't seen the data. Obviously, Pfizer feels strong enough about the data to say that the -- it should warrant an Emergency Use Authorization. Alexandra just mentioned December 10th, that's the data circle on the calendar, this advisory committee meets, they're going to be looking at data before then, they're going to meet on that day and basically make a recommendation to the FDA whether or not they should be authorized.

Typically, the FDA abides by those authorizations. If they say yes, vaccine starts getting distributed. Simultaneously, the CDC determines who should get a first, what vaccine if there's more than one, should be given and where, you know, where in the country is the vaccine going to be? So, put it all together, what does it mean for the average person? I think before the end of the year, before Christmas, likely Wolf, for the first time.

People outside of a clinical trial will start receiving this vaccine, which is pretty incredible. It's two doses, Wolf, as you know. So, if it's the first dose sort of middle of February, second dose, first week of January, it's two doses. And then it's typically about seven days after that before someone is truly immunized for the immunity to kick in, Wolf. So, pretty rapid schedule, but it looks like it's going along pretty well.

BLITZER: Two doses three or four weeks apart. You sat down, Sanjay, with -- for an exclusive interview with the White House Coronavirus Taskforce member, Dr. Deborah Birx. You asked her a really great question about testing strategy. Let me play the clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: Was there ever a strategic decision not to test as much?

BIRX: I think there was not -- that was not a strategic decision to not to test. There was a strategic decision to test more until a particular timeframe in the late summer when you saw the CDC guidance change to symptomatic testing. And I -- from the -- I really -- I can't tell you how strongly I believe that symptomatic testing and contact tracing is only was less than half of the equation. And unless you get the other half of the equation, you're not going to stop community spread.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: So, Sanjay, how do we get to the other half of that equation?

GUPTA: This has been the point I think all along, Wolf, is that because people can spread this virus even if they don't have any symptoms, that is the half the equation she's talking about, that involves surveillance testing, testing people who feel fine. So we've got to increase testing, Wolf. I mean, you know, people said 20 million tests a day might be needed. We're still nowhere close to that. Here we are just before Thanksgiving.

BLITZER: Yes. But there is progress of the vaccine front end. Let's hope it really, really is safe and effective. I'm sure it will be.

Sanjay, thank you very much. Thanks for all the important work you do.

GUPTA: Yes, I will.

BLITZER: Coming up, how the Trump administration's failure to implement a national testing strategy fuel the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Plus, President-elect Joe Biden poised to announce his picks for key Cabinet positions next week.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:44:01]

BLITZER: Top health experts are saying the terrible surge of coronavirus cases sweeping across the country likely could have been avoided if the Trump administration had developed a national testing strategy. CNN's Sara Murray is here with a closer look. Sara, we can see countries that implemented a robust testing plan. I've had much better success at controlling the spread of the virus.

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. And make no mistake, there is more testing capacity in the U.S. than there used to be and we've seen new kinds of tests like the newly authorized by the FDA test where you can do it at home and get your results immediately. But it's still not enough to match the surging pandemic and now we are starting to see lines across the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MURRAY (voice-over): As long lines for coronavirus tests pop up everywhere from New York to Florida to Texas ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, experts say the Trump administration is still in denial about the sorry state of testing.

DR. ASHISH JHA, DEAN, BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL From the beginning of this pandemic, the entire administration has not taken testing seriously enough and we are paying the price of that.

[17:45:02]

MURRAY (voice-over): The surge in coronavirus cases and scramble for tests, laying bare how the Trump administration has failed to build up adequate testing capacity or develop a national testing strategy to combat the pandemic.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I've always said testing is somewhat overrated.

MURRAY (voice-over): Lab groups began sounding the alarm last week about slower turnaround times and supply issues. But top administration officials like testing czar Admiral Brett Giroir appear loath to admit there's any problem at all.

ADM. BRETT GIROIR, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH: I can't comment on a specific line in the specific place. I'm sure that's going to happen from time to time. But, again, we're aggressively helping states in any way that we that we can.

MURRAY (voice-over): A day after Giroir insisted labs are well equipped to handle their issues, plus diagnostics reaffirmed concerns of labs around the country. Demand is way up, turnaround times are stretching north of two days. And there are shortages of supplies like test kits, reagents and pipettes.

JHA: He was just acknowledged. We don't have enough tests, our infrastructure is not working very well, and then get to fixing it, as opposed to denying it or downplaying it. It's not useful.

MURRAY (voice-over): Amid the surge in demand, mixed signals about who should get tested and when. In Massachusetts, state encouraging residents without symptoms to get tested, people waited for as long as four hours at some testing sites. Meantime, officials in Seattle and San Francisco are urging residents to use free test sites if they have symptoms or COVID-19 exposures, not for peace of mind for holiday travel.

GIROIR: If you're tested negative today, that doesn't mean you're going to be negative tomorrow or next week. That does not give you a free pass to avoid all the mitigation. You could still be highly infectious next week, and really endanger your family.

MURRAY (voice-over): The longer it takes to get test results, the more useless it is. You could have become infected in the interim or infected others waiting for your results. Appoint the incoming Biden team highlights as they vow to put forward more tests and a coherent strategy.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT: One of the things that we should be investing our money in is finding out how to get and quick turnaround testing available. You can get a test and find out in four days doesn't help you a whole hell of a lot in terms of being able to do much of anything.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MURRAY: Now, in a statement to CNN today, Admiral Brett Giroir said, "No one and especially me and my team, is downplaying any aspect of the pandemic response. Anyone making that erroneous assertion is uninformed". He says that the reason we are continuing to see this pandemic raging is because people are not doing things like wearing masks, social distancing, washing their hands, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Sara, thank you. Sara Murray reporting for us.

Coming up, today's breaking news on the transition, President-elect Biden meets with the top Democrats in the House and Senate while President Trump invites Republican state lawmakers to the White House as he continues his efforts to undermine the election.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:52:46]

BLITZER: We have much more ahead on the breaking news surrounding President Trump's attempts to undermine the election results. His efforts are unprecedented here in the United States, but they're hardly unique around the world.

CNN's Rafael Romo takes a closer look at an ongoing political crisis that's produced three presidents in just one week.

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RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A country in turmoil. Violent clashes erupted last week in Peru after Congress impeached President Martin Vizcarra. Clearing the way for these men, head of Congress Manuel Merino to replace him. Many Peruvians saw the impeachment vote as a power grab. And it showed their anger by the thousands in the streets of Lima the Capital.

I feel indignant, ashamed and powerless. Members of Congress are swearing by their families, swearing by God, when, in reality, their motivation is something else. It is their desire and ambition for power, this protester told CNN.

We want Congress to know that the people do not support it, that it's not only a few who are against him, this woman said. Pressure kept building with more protests that turned increasingly violent. At least two people died and 94 were injured last weekend. And then, on Sunday, only five days after being sworn in, Merino resigned.

Protesters erupted in cheers. Two days later, a new President, Francisco Sagasti, chosen again by Congress, was sworn in. Sagasti is a 76-year-old engineer, and Former World Bank Official.

(on-camera): Sagasti was Peru's 3rd President in a week, and the country's 4th, in as many years. Facing likely impeachment, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigned in March of 2018. His vice president and successor Martin Vizcarra was impeached last week.

Many Peruvians feel Congress has too much power and are demanding a new Constitution be written with more checks and balances.

(voice-over): Anger against the political class in Peru is still boiling hot.

[17:55:04]

We want the whole Congress gone because we truly don't believe in any of them, this protester told CNN. Peruvians are scheduled to go to the polls next April to choose a new Congress, and president. When the winner takes off his in July, he or she will be the country's fifth president in as many years.

Rafael Romo, CNN.

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BLITZER: Thank you, Rafael.

There's more breaking news here in The Situation Room. President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for the first time since their election victory. Plus, a new attack on democracy by President Trump as he falsely claims again that he won the election.

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