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The Situation Room
President-Elect Joe Biden Gets Access To Daily Intelligence Briefings; Biden Announces Economic Team; Confirmed, Biden Wins Over Trump In Arizona; Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) Is Interviewed About Joe Biden's Daily Intel Briefing; Moderna Applying For FDA Authorization For Its Vaccine Today; U.S. Tops 267,000 COVID Deaths And 13.5 Million Cases As Hospitalizations Hit A Record Of 93,000 Plus; Iran Vows Vengeance At Slain Nuclear Science Chief's Funeral; Fifty Million Americans Could Face Food Insecurity By Year's End. Aired 5-6p ET
Aired November 30, 2020 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[17:00:00]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Her family is not sure where she got coronavirus, but they know it took her from them way too soon. May her memory be a blessing, of course.
And we want to end the show with some happy news. "THE LEAD" is welcoming its newest member to the team. Her name is Sophia Tejera. She was born early this morning. She is the daughter of our producer Veronica Batista. We're wishing her and her mother and dad all the best. Thanks so much. The news on CNN continues right now.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. We are following major developments right now. Major developments unfolding including the president-elect of the United States.
Joe Biden receiving his first, his first formal presidential daily intelligence briefing just a little while ago after weeks, weeks of being blocked by President Trump from getting important national security information. The president-elect naming a diverse economic team with four women in top roles as well as an all-female senior White House communications team.
Meanwhile, another major setback for President Trump's efforts to try to overturn the presidential election. Arizona is now the latest state to officially certify Biden's election victory amid new false claims of voter fraud by the president.
We're also following breaking pandemic news. Right now, an official with Operation Warp Speed saying just a short time ago that all Americans who want a coronavirus vaccine will have had it by June. Drugmaker Moderna is applying to the FDA for authorization for its vaccine today.
Let's get some more on the transition news developments, major news unfolding. Our political correspondent M.J. Lee is joining us. M.J., an important turning point for the president-elect as he fills key positions in his incoming administration. M.J. LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. Joe Biden kicking off
a very busy week with a slew of personnel announcements. And earlier today, receiving his first presidential daily briefing since becoming president-elect. Something that was essentially on hold for several weeks while President Trump declined to concede the race.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: I hope these outstanding nominees received a prompt hearing.
LEE (voice-over): The Joe Biden administration is starting to take shape with some history making appointments. The president-elect nominating Janet Yellin for Treasury secretary. If confirmed, the former Federal Reserve chairwoman would be the first woman to serve in that role.
Biden also naming other women to top economic posts including Cecilia Rouse, a Princeton University economist to serve as chairwoman of the Council of Economic Advisers. And Neera Tanden, the head of The Center for American Progress, to lead the Office of Management and Budget. That name already drawing fierce opposition from the progressive left and Republicans.
MICK MULVANEY, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: Very interesting to me that they put in somebody who is fairly hard-core left in that powerful position. It could be very, very difficult.
LEE (voice-over): Both positions also require congressional confirmation.
BIDEN: Thanksgiving has always been a special time for the Biden family.
LEE (voice-over): Biden also making headlines over Thanksgiving weekend by naming an all-female communications team at the White House, appointing key campaign and transition aides to senior most roles. Kate Bedingfield, his deputy campaign manager named White House communications director.
KATE BEDINGFIELD, INCOMING WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR: Every day is critical in transition planning which is why for months the Biden/Harris transition team has been preparing for all scenarios.
LEE (voice-over): Jen Psaki, a veteran Obama administration aide and transmission official chosen to be White House press secretary. Biden also elevation several women of color. Symone Sanders, a spokesperson for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris --
SYMONE SANDERS, SPOKESPERSON, VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT KAMALA HARRIS: Joe Biden's message was a message that resonated with folks across the spectrum.
LEE (voice-over): And Karine Jean-Pierre as principal deputy press secretary. The Biden transition team yet to announce several key national security appointments including for Defense Secretary and CIA director.
UNKNOWN: Why didn't you announce Defense Secretary?
BIDEN: We're going to do that. We're just doing a piece at a time here.
LEE (voice-over): Two women among the leading contenders for each role. Veteran Pentagon official Michelle Flournoy and Sue Gordon, former principal deputy director of National Intelligence.
And for the first time since becoming president-elect, Biden receiving the presidential daily briefing on Monday, classified information that he was denied access to for weeks as President Trump declined to concede the race.
The former vice president also paying a visit to the doctor's office over the weekend after Biden's office says he slipped while playing with his dog, Major. The diagnosis? Hairline fractures in his right foot, likely requiring a walking boot for several weeks.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[17:05:00]
LEE (on camera): Now as we wait for Biden to name his future CIA director, a couple other names, Wolf, worth mentioning in addition to Sue Gordon, there is Mike Morell, the former CIA acting director, David Cohen, former deputy director of the CIA. There is also Jeh Johnson, former DHS secretary who is also being floated for Defense Secretary, and Lisa Monaco, the former Obama senior adviser.
And Wolf, just keep in mind, Biden had said over and over again that diversity is key as he begins to build out his future administration whether it is elevating women to top positions or people of different racial and ideological backgrounds. So you can bet, even this position is just going to be one piece of that bigger puzzle, Wolf.
BLITZER: M.J. Lee reporting for us. M.J., thank you very, very much. Let's go to White House right now. Our chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta is joining us. Jim, President Trump has fewer and fewer options for challenging his election loss unfolding right now.
JIM ACOSTA CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. President Trump is racking up more losses in his quest to overturn the election. Arizona has certified its results for President-elect Joe Biden, and Wisconsin is about to do the same.
They are expected to do the same in Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Republican officials in Georgia have rejected the bogus accusations floated by Mr. Trump and his legal team alleging fraud and the counting of ballots in that state. The outgoing president's hopes to cling to power are fading fast.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hi, everybody. ACOSTA (voice-over): With his time in office shrinking, President
Trump is finding his dishonest attempt to hang on to the White House is running into a brick wall, in the form of Republican election officials in places like Georgia who have had enough of the lies.
BRAD RAFFENSPERGER, GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE: There are those who exploit the emotions of many Trump supporters with fantastic claims, half-truths, misinformation, and, frankly, they are misleading the president as well apparently.
ACOSTA (voice-over): Georgia's GOP secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, and his top aides are all but pleading with Trump supporters to stop believing the false allegations of fraud coming from the president and his legal team.
GABRIEL STERLING, GEORGIA VOTING SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION MANAGER: I can't -- however many words I can use to say how crazy some of these things are, nothing was shipped overseas. No votes were switched. We did a hand audit that proved no votes were switched.
ACOSTA (voice-over): The president is trying to go over their heads putting pressure on Georgia's Republican governor, tweeting, "Why won't Brian Kemp, the hapless governor of Georgia use his emergency powers which can be easily done to overrule his obstinate Secretary of State."
But Kemp's office said no, adding in a statement that "Georgia's law prohibits the governor from interfering in elections. The Secretary of State who is an elected constitutional officer has oversight over elections that cannot be overridden by executive order."
Another blow to Mr. Trump's quest, the hotly contested state of Arizona certified its results for President-elect Joe Biden, with that state's GOP governor looking on.
UNKNOWN: This election was conducted with transparency, accuracy, and fairness in accordance with Arizona's laws and elections procedures despite numerous unfounded claims to the contrary.
ACOSTA (voice-over): Even though he has no chance of overturning the 2020 results, the president is still dumping disinformation on the public with the help of Trump friendly TV hosts.
TRUMP: This election was over and then they did dumps. They call them dumps. Big massive dumps in Michigan and Pennsylvania and all over.
ACOSTA (voice-over): But Mr. Trump's former director of cyber security whose team help safeguard the election says the president simply cannot back up what he is saying.
CHRISTOPHER KREBS, FORMER CISA DIRECTOR: The proof is in the ballots. The recounts are consistent with the initial count and to me, that's further evidence, that's confirmation that the systems used in the 2020 election performed as expected.
ACOSTA (voice-over): Some Republican lawmakers in Congress are hopeful the president can get over his loss and attend Biden's inauguration.
SEN. ROY BLUNT (R-MO): I hope the president is there on inaugural day and continuing to work to see that what we can do to have the president there and have Vice President Biden there likely sworn in on that day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA (on camera): Now, the president has still not said how he will handle Biden's inauguration and he is still keeping his own supporters in suspense as to what he plans to do after leaving office.
A Trump adviser told me the president is eyeing some kind of announcement about his intentions for 2024 in the days around the Biden inauguration, and that at this point, he does want to run again.
Of course, things can change between now and then. And even as the president is making these bogus claims about the election, the president still has plenty of enablers up on Capitol Hill.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was asked by reporters whether he considers Joe Biden to be the president-elect. McConnell did not answer those questions even though that is a pretty simple question to answer, Wolf.
BLITZER: Very simple, indeed. He should be answering that question with the affirmative yes, obviously. All right, Jim Acosta, thank you very much.
Let's get some more on all of this. Joining is now, our chief political analyst Gloria Borger and CNN political analyst Maggie Haberman of "The New York Times."
[17:09:56]
You know, Gloria, the president-elect, the vice president-elect, they are now officially receiving their classified daily presidential briefs. Of course, this is an important development but it's been several weeks delayed. How significant of a step in terms of preparedness is this?
GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: It's a very significant step in terms of optics as well as preparedness. The president was told by friends, by allies, by advisers that giving the go ahead on this was very important even if he did not want to concede and that is what we are seeing.
And it's important because the incoming president should be able to receive intelligence information that he would otherwise not be able to see as he prepares to take office. He doesn't want to have to play catch-up when he gets into the Oval Office.
But in the president's mind, the current president's mind, he is still fighting this election for whatever reason, we don't know. He can't admit he has lost. But it is important and I'm sure it's important to Joe Biden in particular. BLITZER: You know, Maggie, what does it say that the Trump White House
finally, finally signed off and is allowing the president-elect, the vice president-elect to receive this daily briefing? And do we know, by the way, who is doing these briefings for these -- for the president-elect and the vice president-elect?
Because normally, a presidential daily brief is, you know, either the director of National Intelligence, the CIA director, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. There are some -- the NSA.They have high-level people doing these briefings.
MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: They do, and Wolf, we're not sure who is doing these briefings although I think there is reason to believe that it would be somebody, a step down from those roles and somebody who frankly serves in either more of a career position or in some kind of a more deputy position, just given there has been some open hostility toward a Biden transition, certainly, from top personnel in the administration.
But it is a significant step. It is a significant step in part because other than the pandemic and other than continuity in terms of vaccinations and terms of therapeutics to treat the coronavirus, national security is one of the premier areas where you can have a problem if there is a shaky transition.
And this is one of the issues that you have heard a lot of concern about. Not just from Biden folks, frankly, but also privately from Republicans. And as Gloria said, the president was getting in treaties in various ways and to various degrees, from friends, from associates, from advisers both formal advisers and informal advisers to let this begin even if you're not going to say the word concede.
However, time is ticking down. And so while the president has yet to acknowledge that he has lost, he is continuing to try to fight and suggest he has won, these days are going. And at a certain point, the vote is going to be certified. And that is going to take away something of a fig leaf that this president has been using.
BLITZER: Yes. The certification process, Gloria, is going forward. I checked just before we went on the air. Of the six battleground states that Trump and his lawyers keep saying are up in the air, up in the air, five of them, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Michigan, Arizona, they have now certified officially that Biden won those states.
And you know, it's clear that Wisconsin is supposed to have -- their deadline is tomorrow. They are going to certify it as well. So you'll have all six states, the battleground states, officially certifying that Biden and Harris have won.
BORGER: Right. Well, look. Of course, but the president is never going to stop saying that the election was rigged and that he didn't lose. Biden can be inaugurated and Donald Trump, I believe, will refuse to ever believe that he lost anything unless it was rigged against him. So we are going to continue to hear this.
I mean, this is a president who was complaining that Biden should not be appointing his cabinet because, of course, the election is not over. Now, we know that not to be true. We know that the president- elect should appoint a cabinet so they can start working immediately and get into agencies and understand what is going on and what they need to do.
But this is a president who is saying stop all of this until, what? December 14th when the electors have voted and the president is inaugurated less than a month later? It doesn't matter to Donald Trump. He's not going to concede, but the process and the machinery of government needs to continue.
BLITZER: You know, Maggie, we are getting a much better sense of what the Biden/Harris administration will look like as the president-elect names more and more of his economic team, his communications team. We are seeing major glass ceilings being shattered in the process, right?
HABERMAN: We are. I mean, look. He clearly wants to send a message by having an all-female senior communications team, for instance. A number of his other picks for senior roles particularly finance roles have been women. He picked Janet Yellin. He picked Neera Tanden.
[17:15:00]
As I mentioned, he has a number of picks in his press and comms department who are women and a (inaudible) it's a woman. He is definitely trying to send a clear message. I think that there is, at a certain point, there is going to be less of a focus on breaking a glass ceiling and I think that is important.
And how folks, again, particularly to get back to the comms piece because that is something they focused aggressively on, the Biden folks, how they handle their relationships with the press. And I think that they are certainly trying to say to women who back them we are with you, but I think there is a whole lot else that they have to accomplish to going forward.
BLITZER: We will watch it together with both of you. Maggie, Gloria, guys, thank you very, very much.
Coming up, we'll take a closer look at what is next in the transition, including top contenders for some other key posts in the incoming Biden administration. We will talk about it with Senator Chris Coons, a very close ally of the president-elect. He is right there. We will discuss when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:20:00]
BLITZER: President-elect Joe Biden's transition is clearly picking up a lot of speed right now. Today brought major new appointments and finally the start of classified daily intelligence briefings. Let's discuss with Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, a very close ally of the President-elect.
Senator, thanks so much for joining us. First of all, what can you tell us about the president-elect's first presidential daily brief on this transition?
SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): Well, Wolf, it's a relief that finally the president-elect is getting the level of intelligence briefing that he should have had for weeks now and that will more fully prepare him after the inauguration to be ready to step into the role of commander- in-chief.
I can't tell you how the presidential daily briefing has changed under President Trump, but my gut hunch is that President-elect Biden was struck by the ways in which it's been restructured to meet the particular needs and the attention span and interests of our current president.
BLITZER: The Vice President-elect Kamala Harris also got a presidential daily -- a separate presidential daily brief today as well. We are getting new details, senator, of some of the top contenders for CIA director.
What is the President-elect weighing as he decides between these candidates and we got a bunch of pictures and names up on the screen right now. When can we expect him to announce who he wants to be the CIA director, and for that matter, Defense Secretary?
COONS: Wolf, I can't get into those conversations in detail with you. I'll simply tell you that I think the public announcements we have seen so far make it clear that President-elect Biden is intending to assemble -- is assembling an impressive cabinet and team of senior advisers, folks who have worked well together in the past, combined with folks who are bringing new talent and energy to his senior leadership team.
They do genuinely reflect the breadth and diversity of the United States of the American people, but they're also going to be ready to lead on the very first day. So, he is bringing competence, a great team with positive dynamics, and making history with a number of the senior team announcements that have already been made and I'm confident that the same will be true with Secretary of Defense and CIA director.
BLITZER: But what about the economic team? He's made some major announcements of his economic team and we have some pictures and some names up on the screen right now of those who have already been introduced and announced.
Do you believe they are ready to tackle the enormous challenges brought on by this coronavirus pandemic? Do you foresee any problems in Senate confirmation?
COONS: Well, absolutely they are ready to tackle this on day one. You know, one of the reasons I was an enthusiastic supporter of the president-elect during his campaign was his own previous experience when he and Barack Obama became president and vice president in early 2009, our economy was in free-fall and they had to lead a very difficult process of trying to cobble together a relief package over Republican resistance and to deliver the relief the American people and our economy needed. This situation in 2021 is going to be worse. It's going to be more
challenging. There is real promise because there are now several vaccines that are looking as if they are going to be effective, but we are struggling with an economy that needs more stimulus.
We are months past the point where we should have had a bipartisan agreement to provide another robust round of stimulus to meet the needs of America's schools and students, those who are facing eviction from housing, the needs that communities have got for the distribution of vaccines.
There is lots of additional investment we should be making. And the team that's been announced by the president-elect are folks who have seasoning and experience in dealing with just this kind of challenge in the past.
BLITZER: Within the past few minutes, Senator, the Wisconsin elections commission has finalized the state's presidential results affirming that the President-elect Joe Biden is the victor. He won after a recount of the state's two most populous counties.
Wisconsin elections commission chair, Ann Jacobs signed the official paper work stating that Biden, in her words, received the greatest number of votes, was entitled to Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes. It's now up to the governor, Tony Evers, a Democrat, to sign the paper work formally awarding those electoral votes to Biden. That is expected to happen tomorrow, that's the deadline.
So, what's your reaction because of the six battleground states that the president and his lawyers keep talking about where there was, you know, fraud and other irregularities, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona and Wisconsin.
[17:24:58]
All six of them have now officially certified that Biden has won. So what happens? Where is the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, your senate colleague? Why isn't he doing what so many world leaders have already done, recognizing the facts?
COONS: That's a great question, Wolf. It's been a relief that the transition formally is actually under way now with the presidential daily briefing, with the landing teams connecting and coordinating with agencies.
But it's long past time for my Republican colleagues here in the Senate to recognize what those six battleground states have recognized. Joe Biden won the election. And if Donald Trump has any compelling proof of the sorts of fraud or election mishaps that he has been alleging, he has failed to advance them in court. He has failed to bring them forward with any specifity.
And there were recent court actions just this weekend by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in the third circuit making it clear that the absence of any compelling evidence means that his legal challenges to this election have come to a dead-end. BLITZER: Chris Coons, the senator from Delaware, thanks so much for
joining us.
COONS: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Coming up, with officials promising coronavirus vaccines before the end of this year, is it possible everyone in the United States who wants a vaccine can be vaccinated by June?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:31:16]
BLITZER: The breaking pandemic news. Right now, the U.S. coronavirus death toll now topping 267,000 people as the country faces more than 13.5 million confirmed cases. Our National Correspondent Erica Hill is joining us from New York right now. Erica, there's some hopeful vaccine news from an official with what's called Operation Warp Speed.
ERICA HILL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there is and I'm going to get to that good news in just a moment. I also just want to let you know, Wolf, that we've just learned the FDA has now scheduled an advisory meeting to discuss Moderna's requests for Emergency Use Authorization. So we're just learning that meeting has been scheduled for December 17th. And as you said in terms of the good news, the director of supply production and distribution for Operation Warp Speed said today that 100 percent of Americans who want the vaccine will have had it by next June.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HILL (voice-over): New freezers at hospitals, planes at the ready, pharmacies gearing up as a coronavirus vaccine gets closer.
ADM. BRETT GIROIR, MD, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH, HHS: And we should have enough vaccine by the end of the year to immunize 20 million Americans.
HILL (voice-over): Moderna now says each vaccine is 100 percent effective at preventing severe cases of the virus. Health care workers will likely be the first to receive an approved vaccine. The CDC is meeting on that tomorrow. And then once it's widely available --
DR. LEANA WEN, EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN, FORMER BALTIMORE HEALTH COMMISSIONER: We can get back to normal. Kids can be back in school, we can be working. And very importantly, we can see our loved ones again.
HILL (voice-over): To do that, we need less of this.
DR. JONATHAN REINER, PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: If you've traveled on Thanksgiving holiday, you should assume you've been infected or exposed to the virus.
HILL (voice-over): And more of this.
GOV. JIM JUSTICE (R), WEST VIRGINIA: The only thing we can possibly have to be able to slow this thing down right now is that mask.
HILL (voice-over): New cases added in November more than 4.25 million, now account for 30 percent of all confirmed cases since the pandemic began. COVID-19 hospitalizations have never been higher. The U.S. now averaging nearly 90,000 a day.
DR. JEROME ADAM, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: It's going to get worse over the next several weeks.
HILL (voice-over): Dr. Joseph Varon has been on the job in Houston for the last 256 days straight.
DR. JOSEPH VARON, CHIEF OF STAFF, UNITED MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER: I do these day in and day out and people are out there doing the wrong thing. People are out there in bars, restaurants, malls. I mean, it is crazy. It's like, you know, we work, work, work, work, work, and people don't listen and then they end up in my ICU.
HILL (voice-over): Hospitals in Rhode Island just hit capacity on the first day of the state's two-week pause. Hospitalizations in California have now topped the state's high setback in July. Strict new three-week restrictions now in place for Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties, including a ban on contact sports, which means no practice with the 49ers.
JAMES WILLIAMS, COUNTY COUNCIL, SANTA CLARA COUNTY: The 49ers I think the most nationally obvious example but there is no family in our community that is untouched by this pandemic.
HILL (voice-over): As hospitals and officials brace for a post- Thanksgiving surge, the message is clear. Now is not the time to let down your guard.
DR. DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE RESPONSE COORDINATOR: Your governor or your mayor isn't doing the policies that we know are critical, masking, physical distancing, avoiding bars, avoiding crowded indoor areas. If those restrictions don't exist in your state, you need to take it upon yourself to be restrictive.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: We have just learned that California Governor Gavin Newsom is now warning there could be drastic measures coming again in his state, even perhaps another stay at home order. This is projections show that the state could run out of ICU beds by Christmas Eve and compare that, Wolf, with what we heard in Florida today, Governor Ron DeSantis asked again about a mask mandate.
[17:35:07]
He said clearly, I'm opposed to any mandate period, noting he doesn't think they work. Of course, Wolf, we do know that science tells us masks do help slow the spread.
BLITZER: They will save lives, thousands and thousands of lives. Surprising to hear the Governor say that. Erica, thank you very, very much.
Let's get some more on the pandemic with our own expert, Our Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Sanjay, let's begin with this new development. The FDA is scheduled an advisory meeting to discuss Moderna's coronavirus vaccine application. And they've scheduled a meeting for December 17th, a few weeks -- a couple of weeks from now. How significant is this step?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's very significant, Wolf, for hearing the same sort of process that we heard with Pfizer just, you know, a couple of weeks ago. They went ahead and applied for the Emergency Use Authorization. The FDA starts to look at the data right away and then they scheduled the meeting that one for December 10th. Now with Moderna, December 17th.
There's work that is going on in between now and then. So at the time of that meeting, hopefully, there is some consensus among the committee members to basically make the recommendation as to whether or not they should get an Emergency Use Authorization. So, it's moving along very quickly, Wolf.
BLITZER: What's your reaction to the new guarantee coming in from Operation Warp Speed, a senior official, that 100 percent of Americans who want the vaccine will have had it by June? Does that sound realistic to you?
GUPTA: Yes, Wolf. And I just got off the phone actually with the Chief Scientific adviser for Operation Warp Speed to sort of drill down on that. And, yes, he says that that is the sort of numbers that they're talking about. Of course, it does depend in bit -- a bit on what percentage of Americans actually want the vaccine.
If you listen to the statement, it says 100 percent of people who want the vaccine will be able to get it by June. What is the percentage of people who want it? Right now, it's about 60 percent of people say that they would take the vaccine. That number is likely to go up, Wolf, as the vaccine, you know, starts to roll out and people see that it's a, you know, that the data holds up, it's effective and safe, and people are going to want it probably increasing numbers.
One thing also, Wolf, that I think is worth pointing out is that this is a rolling process. So we're talking about these numbers, the number of doses that will be available, but the production is continuing all along. And it is still production of a substance, this vaccine that has to go through these quality control checks, and these release checks and all of that. And if everything goes right, and there are no problems, then you get these millions of doses available every week.
But, you know, it happens from time to time, Wolf, with any kind of therapeutic that you -- something fails a sterility test, and almost an entire batch has to be pulled back. So there's some caveats with these numbers. But, in general, you do all the math and June of next year 60 percent of the country, the percent of the country that says they would take the vaccine should be able to have access to it.
BLITZER: I'll be first in line once it's ready, once Dr. Fauci and the other say it's safe and effective. We get the flu shot, we get a pneumonia shot, all sorts of shots. This is going to be critically important.
But what's your message, Sanjay, to Americans who may be concerned about the safety of these vaccines? So what do we know about how safe the immunizations are? And are there side effects that people should be aware of?
GUPTA: Yes. So, you know, I think there's a couple of things there. And, again, this is based on a lot of reporting we've been doing over the past few weeks. Overall, you know, why did they ask for two months of time, after the vaccines were given before they would say, let's go ahead and apply for this authorization. The two-month time period was there because what they find when they go back and look at other vaccines, that when significant adverse effects occur, they usually occur within those first two months.
So when these companies Moderna and Pfizer are saying, hey, we're not seeing that within this two month time period, I think that's, you know, that's significant, we should pay attention to that. Part of the concern, I think, is the speed at which this whole process has moved. And we can show you the calendar here, basically, from the time that the sequence was obtained, you know, from China for this vaccine, within days, Wolf, the platform for these vaccines were created. Within a couple of months, people were getting the shots as part of the trial.
So it moved really fast. But that's because it built on a lot of existing scientific knowledge. So I want to see the safety data. I think it's really important. But if it comes back, and this gets authorized based on that safety data, I think people should feel comfortable.
BLITZER: Yes. There are may be hurting for a day or two, but that's a lot better than getting a COVID-19 clearly. All right, Sanjay, thank you very, very much.
Coming up, there's more news we're following. Threats of revenge, following the assassination of Iran's top nuclear scientist. We'll discuss when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:44:25]
BLITZER: We're following alarming new developments in the Middle East, Iran is now threatening to retaliate for Friday's assassination of a top nuclear scientist. During today's military funeral, a message from Iran Supreme Leader ordered officials to identify and punish those responsible for the killing.
Let's discuss with David Sanger of the New York Times. He's also a CNN National Security Analyst. He's been doing a lot of reporting, excellent reporting on this over the past few days. You report, David, this assassination may have served two goals, hindering Iran's nuclear ambitions and boxing in President-Elect Joe Biden. How so? [17:45:01]
DAVID SANGER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, the first goal is pretty clear, Wolf, by assassinating Mohsen Fakhrizadeh who has been for 20 years considered to be the son of Robert Oppenheimer of the Iranian nuclear program. Oppenheimer, of course, was the man who ran the Manhattan Project.
In this case, this is an Iranian scientist, who, prior to 2003, was considered to be the chief architect of Iran's efforts to design a nuclear warhead. If you believe U.S. intelligence, that effort was suspended in 2003. If you believe some U.S. intelligence reports, and the Israelis, it has continued at a lower level ever since.
So he's been right in the Israeli crosshairs, and was actually named -- this picture was shown by Prime Minister Netanyahu in 2018 during a presentation the Prime Minister gave. The Prime Minister may have had another goal here, though, which was to keep Joe Biden from doing what the President-elect has vowed to do, which is resuscitate the Iran nuclear deal which, of course, Netanyahu has long opposed.
And if the Iranians react the way you just suggested has been threatened, that could blow up the effort of the new administration to get the deal back together after President Trump pulled out of it.
BLITZER: We're actually getting, and you've been doing some reporting on this, you know, David, some conflicting thoughts from Iranians about how this assassination was actually implemented. Tell us about that.
SANGER: Well, the first story that the Iranian said was that there were a group of assassins, but one was arrested and a bunch were killed. And that quickly got changed to there was a group of 12 assassins who were so and that they were able to blow something up, stop the motorcade that the scientist was in, shoot through his car and that he was then taken to the hospital and couldn't be saved. Then yesterday, they came out with a third account, which said no, there weren't any assassins at all.
But instead, what was going on was that there were automatic machine guns set up that were run robotically. Now, it's possible that there were one or two in the operation. But it seems hard to believe that the Israelis would trust an operation of this size to an automated system. And there is considerable question about whether the Iranians are simply embarrassed about the fact that a group of assassins either gathered in the country or came into the country and then escaped right after this was over.
BLITZER: How will Iran's response impact the incoming administration's decisions about the Iran nuclear deal, for example?
SANGER: Well, it's a great question. And it really depends on what the reaction is. One possibility is that the Iranians decide not to do anything big for the next few weeks and just wait for Vice President Biden to take office and then try to get sanctions lifted and agreed to go back within the terms of the deal. But there is certainly a faction within Iran, the hardliners, those related to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who say, look, this is the third big embarrassment of this year.
In January, the United States using a drone killed the number one military leader, right? In July. They believed to be the Israelis triggered an explosion deep inside a centrifuge facility at Iran's major nuclear facility. And now in November is the killing of the scientist. So many of them, want to make sure there's revenge.
BLITZER: Let's see what happens. This is a critically important time. David Sanger, excellent reporting. Thank you very, very much.
Coming up, troubling fallout from the pandemic, millions of Americans suffering as food insecurity here in the United States of America is growing at an alarming rate.
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BLITZER: The COVID pandemic has certainly exacerbated what was already a very serious problem here in the United States with food insecurity. CNN's Brian Todd is working the story for us.
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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A staggering image of Americans struggle to put food on the table at a food bank near Dallas recently. The lines of cars stretched as far as the eye could see.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There we go.
TODD (voice-over): Recipients talked about how tough this year has been with the coronavirus pandemic bringing layoffs, evictions and food insecurity.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I haven't been working since December, March, May.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't find a job. They cut off unemployment. It's a big deal. It's a real big deal.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a big blessing for us to be able to get this.
TODD (voice-over): More than 50 million Americans may not have enough to eat by the end of this year, according to Feeding America, the largest hunger relief group in the U.S., in part, because of the pandemic. And nearly 800,000 Americans in recent days filed first time jobless claims. So the problem is likely to get worse.
America is right in the middle of a food crisis. Absolutely. No question. And what I want your audience to keep in mind is for every one of those cars, there are tens of millions of people who don't make it to that line. TODD (voice-over): While this is happening, Democrats and Republicans in Congress are proving incapable of negotiating another coronavirus related stimulus bill. Talks are stalled with little optimism anything will be passed with just a few days left in the legislative session.
JOSEPH LLOBRERA, CENTER ON BUDGET AND POLICY PRIORITIES: We are stunned infuriated that Congress really hasn't acted to renew relief.
TODD (voice-over): Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in an interview with Wolf Blitzer three weeks before the election, was on the defensive about why she rejected a $1.8 trillion stimulus package offered by the White House holding out for 2.2 trillion.
BLITZER (on-camera): There are millions of Americans who have lost their jobs, they can't pay the rent, their kids need the food --
NANCY PELOSI (D), SPEAKER OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: That's right, and that's what we're trying to get done.
BLITZER (on-camera): $1.8 trillion, and the President just tweeted, stimulus, go big or go home. He wants even more --
PELOSI: That's right.
BLITZER (on-camera): -- right now. So why not --
PELOSI: That's right.
BLITZER (on-camera): -- why not work out a deal with him and don't let the perfect, as they say here in Washington, be the enemy of the good?
PELOSI: Well, I will not let the wrong be the enemy of the right.
BLITZER (on-camera): What's wrong with $1.8 trillion?
PELOSI: You know what? Do you have any idea what the difference is between the spending that they have in their bill and that we have in our bill?
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TODD (voice-over): Pelosi and the Democrats accused Republicans of not including help with food distribution in their bill. While Congress is deadlocked, one policy group estimates that between 7 million and 11 million children in America are in households where they don't have enough to eat.
LLOBRERA: That's going to have a long-term impact in terms of their ability to perform well in school, do well and, you know, get jobs and be productive.
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TODD: And the projections keep getting more dire that hunger relief group Feeding America estimates that about 8 billion meals will be needed over the next year to feed Americans who are suffering from food insecurity. Wolf?
BLITZER: Yes, they got to come up with a package and do it urgently.
TODD: Right.
BLITZER: This is critical. Brian Todd, thank you very, very much.
Coming up, President-elect Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris receiving their first presidential daily briefing.
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