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The Situation Room

Dozens of Countries Halt U.K. Travel Amid COVID Variant; One- on-One with Connecticut Governor. Aired on 6-7p ET

Aired December 22, 2020 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:54]

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.

Tonight, president-elect Biden is promising Americans he will tell the truth about the coronavirus crisis, warning, the darkest days of the pandemic are still ahead, the incoming president of the United States offering a sober look tonight at the challenges for his administration, as COVID-19 is taking a more devastating toll than ever, with deaths, cases, and hospitalizations hitting new highs.

A new variant of the virus adding a new dose of uncertainty. The CDC says it hasn't been identified in the U.S., but it could be here undetected, all this as the outgoing president is holed up in the White House right now, alarming his own allies as he entertains radical ideas to try to undo the will of the American people in the election.

Tonight, a senior Republican close to the president is telling CNN -- and I'm quoting now -- "We're watching a petulant child not getting his way throw a tantrum" -- end quote.

Let's get some more from our senior Washington correspondent, Jeff Zeleny right now. He's covering the Biden transition.

Jeff, president-elect Biden, he covered a wide range of topics in his speech and news conference a little while ago.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, a remarkably dramatic, stark leadership difference between President Trump, what we have seen from him, and president-elect Joe Biden, particularly on coronavirus, with Mr. Biden warning, the darkest days of the winter are yet to come.

He called on Americans to be patient and persistent as they work through this problem. But, Wolf, we also heard Mr. Biden do something he has not yet done. He directly called out President Trump for downplaying and ignoring the cyber-threats facing the U.S., likely from Russia.

All of this came as he thanked Congress for doing their part on the COVID relief bill. But he said they're just getting started. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT: After a year of pain and loss, it's time to unite, to heal, to rebuild.

ZELENY (voice-over): President-elect Joe Biden delivering a holiday message tonight and steeling Americans for a punishing winter season of the pandemic.

BIDEN: One thing I promise you about my leadership during this crisis, I'm going to tell it to you straight. I'm going to tell you the truth.

And here's the simple truth. Our darkest days in the battle against COVID are ahead of us, not behind us. So, we need to prepare ourselves, to steel our spines, as frustrating as it is to hear.

ZELENY: Biden thanking Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, for passing a $900 billion COVID relief package. But he said it was merely a down payment for the country's dire economic need.

BIDEN: The Congress did its job this week. And I can and I must ask them to do it again next year.

ZELENY (on camera): Given the narrow majorities in the he House and Senate -- you have watched many administrations come and go -- do you believe that you will have a honeymoon to get things accomplished?

BIDEN: I don't think there's a honeymoon at all.

I think it's a nightmare that everybody's going through. And they all say, it's got to end. It's not a honeymoon. They're not doing me a favor.

ZELENY (voice-over): Biden also delivering a blistering assessment of President Trump's tepid response to the massive cyberattack, saying the burden is on Trump to publicly call out Russia for its suspected hand in the hack.

BIDEN: This assault happened on Donald Trump's watch, when he wasn't watching. He still has responsibility as president to defend American interests for the next four weeks. But rest assured that, even if he does not take it seriously, I will.

ZELENY: Biden said Trump has abdicated his responsibility to keep America safe.

BIDEN: It is a grave risk and it continues. I see no evidence that it's under control. I see none. Heard of none. Defense Department won't even brief us on many things. So, I know of nothing that suggests it's under control.

ZELENY: Tonight, Biden also shedding a glimpse of new light on the search for an attorney general in the post-Trump era.

[18:05:01] BIDEN: We're looking for a team who will instill the greatest confidence in the professionals at DOJ to know once again that there is no politics, there's no politics. But it's not by design. There's not an obvious choice in my mind.

ZELENY: As he rounds out his Cabinet, CNN has learned Biden intends to nominate Miguel Cardona as education secretary. A former elementary schoolteacher and principal, Cardona is Connecticut's top educational official who shares Biden's goal of reopening most schools to in person learning within 100 days of taking office.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZELENY: Now, that announcement is expected to be here tomorrow, the education secretary. With that, five key spots remaining, but none more important or high-profile than attorney general.

Now, the president-elect was asked today if he is considering Hunter Biden, of course, his son's federal investigation into his business dealings, if he's talking to prospective attorney general candidates about that. He said he's not. He said the attorney general is the lawyer for the country, not the president's own lawyer. So he pushed back on any suggestion that Hunter Biden's case is slowing down this pick for attorney general -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Jeff, I want you to stand by. I want to bring you back in a moment.

But I want to go to the White House right now, where even some Trump allies are getting fed up with his election denials.

Our White House correspondent, Jeremy Diamond, is joining us.

Jeremy, so what are you hearing from Trump allies and advisers?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the president's allies and advisers are continuing to sound the alarm over what they see as the president's increasingly unhinged and delusional efforts to try and overturn the results of the election.

A senior Republican close to the president telling me this evening -- quote -- "We're watching a petulant child not getting his way throw a tantrum."

And there is also concern, Wolf, about the people the president is hearing from as he continues to conduct these efforts. And a former adviser to the president also telling me that what we're watching right now is the president stress-testing democracy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIAMOND (voice-over): Tonight, President Trump burrowing deeper into denial. Holed up at the White House, Trump is surrounding himself with sycophants selling false hope about overturning the election and lashing out at those who dare to acknowledge reality.

SIDNEY POWELL, ATTORNEY: Massive influence.

DIAMOND: The conspiracy theorist attorney Sidney Powell is shuttling in and out of the White House, and, yesterday, Trump huddled with pro- Trump lawmakers plotting to object to Congress' certification of Electoral College results on January 6.

With the House in Democratic hands and Senate Republican leadership opposed, the effort is dead on arrival. But Vice President Mike Pence, who attended parts of that meeting, and is expected to preside over that joint session of Congress, is still indulging Trump's fantasies.

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As our election contest continues, I will make you a promise. We're going to keep fighting until every legal vote is counted.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

PENCE: We're going to keep fighting until every illegal vote is thrown out.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

DIAMOND: Meanwhile, Trump lashing out at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who last week acknowledged Joe Biden's election as president.

Trump sending this slide to Republican senators, falsely claiming credit for McConnell's easy reelection and accusing him of disloyalty, writing: "Sadly, Mitch forgot. He was the first one off the ship."

But McConnell isn't alone. After dozens of failed court cases in the Electoral College vote, even the televangelist Pat Robertson is telling Trump it's time to move on.

PAT ROBERTSON, HOST, "THE 700 CLUB": I think it's all over. I think the Electoral College has spoken.

With all his talent and the ability to raise money and grow large crowds, the president still lives in an alternate reality. He really does. People say, well, he lies about this, that, and the other. But, no, he isn't lying. To him, that's the truth.

DIAMOND: Trump's delusional efforts to stay in power now alarming some top Trump advisers, as well as senior military officials.

Nearly a dozen military officers telling CNN there is growing anxiety in the ranks about what Trump might do in his last 29 days in office. Topping the list of concerns, Trump's Oval Office discussions about martial law and the prospect of unexpected military action abroad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DIAMOND: And, Wolf, after the House and the Senate passed that massive $900 billion coronavirus relief bill, it's now expected to arrive here at the White House soon for the president's signature.

The White House had indicated that the president would be signing that legislation, but now a wrench is being thrown by one of the president's top advisers, Dan Scavino, who took to Facebook today on his public verified Facebook page, saying: "The COVID relief bill/package is a total disgrace, insult, and embarrassment," raising some serious questions, Wolf, about whether the president still intends to sign this legislation providing relief to millions of Americans -- Wolf.

[18:10:10]

BLITZER: We will see if he does.

All right, Jeremy, thank you very much.

Let's bring back our senior Washington correspondent, Jeff Zeleny, along with CNN senior political analyst David Gergen and former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Elizabeth Neumann.

Elizabeth -- thanks to all of you, by the way, for joining us.

As someone who served in the Trump administration, Elizabeth, what do you make of the president's absence in responding to these crises? We're learning he's actually huddling with these fringe advisers as he remains out of sight.

ELIZABETH NEUMANN, FORMER U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY ASSISTANT SECRETARY: You know, this looks like the adults have left the room, and he is allowed to just carry out his instinctual behavior, because certainly there were times when, two years ago, there were more adults in the room, trying to keep him on task, trying to keep him focused on things he needed to do.

It seems like everybody has just given up at this point, with the exception that you have a hand handful seems like they're concerned. I would suggest they should have been concerned over the last four years, and that the time for them to alert the American public that he's a petulant child was during the campaign, so that the American public had the full picture when they went to the voting booth and cast their ballot.

But at least now they're realizing that this man cannot be controlled. He does have -- he is not healthy. He tends to focus on what is best for him, not what is best for the country. But he always had those tendencies. He didn't like the job of being president. He liked the pomp and circumstance of it, but he did not actually enjoy going to make the tough decisions about how we handle crises, and we're living with the consequences of that now.

BLITZER: It's very interesting.

David, in contrast to the outgoing president, the incoming president addressed these crises facing the country today, made it clear he doesn't expect to have a honeymoon when he takes office. He again pledged to be honest with the American people about the tough times ahead. I wonder what you make of that contrast.

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it is dramatic, Wolf, and it goes across the board.

And I think, most importantly, Biden understands that the American people, like people in other countries, welcome candor. And they look to trust their leaders. And their leaders, in turn, have to be open and transformative and not lie to them all the time.

I recall what happened a month after the second -- Winston Churchill became prime minister of Britain in June of 1940. And the Nazis were rampaging through France. Churchill went to Parliament. And the first sentence out of his mouth was, "The news from France is very bad." "The news from France is very bad."

And people welcomed that, because they knew the leader was telling the truth.

BLITZER: Yes, the truth is so, so important.

Jeff, you attended the president-elect's address today, the news conference that followed. You actually pressed him for more specifics about what actions he plans to take when it comes to coronavirus relief. So, what did you learn?

ZELENY: Well, we learned that the president-elect is saying that this is just a down payment, this $900 billion plan, which we have watched in painstaking detail, as both Democrats in the House and Republicans in the Senate and their respective leadership could not come to an agreement. Finally, they did.

So, I asked him, what is next, and what gives you any optimism or hope that we can actually get something accomplished? And I asked him if he's going to have a honeymoon. Most new presidents have a honeymoon.

And he said, look, it's not about a honeymoon. It's about the challenges are bearing down on Republicans and Democrats alike, that they are going to have an impetus to try and accomplish something.

So, of course, he didn't put a price tag on what the next ask of the stimulus is going to be. He's a smarter negotiator than that, after all the years in the Senate. But he did spell out what his parameters were. And much of it is already in this bill, but it's just much more of it.

But, Wolf, there's one difference. At the end of his remarks, he said, look, also, he's going to wrap it in with an infrastructure deal. He wants to create new jobs, get the economy going again through some type of an infrastructure bill.

And that's something that many Republicans can agree with. So, this is a -- the challenge here for president-elect Biden, and he knows it well, is his own party in some respects. The House is only going to have a very narrow majority of three seats at the very beginning of this Congress. And we will see what happens with those Georgia run- offs. But he believes just the sheer interest of the country really sending

a split, divided government to Washington, that there is an impetus to get things done. So, you can expect there are going to be lawmakers at the White House having discussions.

[18:15:05]

It's not going to be a president who is missing in action, as we have seen over the last month here or so. It's an entirely different situation. Is everything going to be easy? Of course, it's not. But he did lay out those stark terms about what he hopes the new Congress will do.

BLITZER: Yes, I know he's planning on heading out, I think, tomorrow to Mar-a-Lago down in Palm Beach for Christmas. We will see how long he stays down there.

Elizabeth, just how closely do you think President Trump is actually watching president-elect Biden's moves right now?

NEUMANN: That's a good question.

He seems to be more concerned about what his advisers are doing, what Vice President Pence is doing than he is on Biden, which is rather fascinating to me. One would think that, if he had aspirations of a political future, that he might be studying the competition a little closer.

But I think he is focused on himself. He is clearly kind of unnerved about what happens on the other side of Inauguration Day. It sounds like he has a lot of financial challenges, legal challenges ahead. And it sounds like he's doing what he can to wreak havoc on the system.

And his -- what really concerns me are some of the sycophantic staff that he has placed in places like the Department of Homeland Security, like the Pentagon. And it's hard to pinpoint what they're doing. But the concerns that are being raised, it makes me uneasy, because they can do some damage and make things very difficult for the incoming administration, nothing that's irreversible in most cases, but it still could cause some challenges.

And those are important agencies. They keep us safe and they need to be able to run effectively on day one.

BLITZER: These could be a very long 29 days before January 20.

Guys, thank you very, very much.

Just ahead, new information on the COVID-19 variant that's raising concerns around the world and the potential threat right here in the United States.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:20:32]

BLITZER: Breaking news: The U.S. coronavirus death toll passed 322,000 today, and hospitalizations remain right now at an all-time high.

CNN's Sara Murray is keeping track of all the late-breaking developments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NIAID DIRECTOR: I want to encourage everyone who has the opportunity to get vaccinated.

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The nation's top infectious disease doctor rolling up his sleeves for a dose of the Moderna vaccine today, alongside other prominent members of the Trump administration.

FAUCI: Are you done yet?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just got lucky.

FAUCI: That was no problem, people.

MURRAY: While officials are buoyed by the vaccines...

ALEX AZAR, U.S. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: I have complete confidence in the safety and efficacy of these vaccines.

MURRAY: ... there are still concerns about a strain of the coronavirus that may be more transmissible. The CDC says the U.K. variant hasn't been identified in the U.S., but it could already be in the United States without having been detected.

FAUCI: We take these things very seriously, Wolf, and we are going to be studying it very carefully to see if we can find out any other connections between the mutation and the function of the virus.

MURRAY: Even so, administration officials tell CNN the White House is considering requiring travelers from the U.K. to show proof of a negative COVID test before arriving in the U.S., this as both Pfizer, BioNTech, and Moderna are testing their vaccines against the new strain.

And a BioNTech executive tells CNN's Fred Pleitgen it's possible to adjust the vaccine to combat this strain.

UGUR SAHIN, CEO, BIONTECH: We should not forget that there's still the opportunity, if required, to adjust the vaccine exactly to this -- to this new virus variant, if this is needed.

MURRAY: Vaccines are already rolling out across the U.S., with more than 4.6 million doses shipped and more than 600,000 shots in arms, according to the CDC.

While those numbers could be lagging by days, it's clear it will take beyond December to hit the administration's target of getting the first doses to 20 million Americans.

Meantime, coronavirus cases in the U.S. continue to climb, now surpassing 18 million.

DR. MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH: Our hospitals are overwhelmed in many locations.

MURRAY: Hospitals also under tremendous strain, as the U.S. recorded more than 115,000 hospitalizations Monday, a new record. While officials plead with Americans to stay home for the holidays, there are already signs air travel is picking up, with more than four million people flying in the past four days.

ERIN BROMAGE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: If you're going to jump in a big metal tube, an airplane, with lots of people, so a million people everyday flying right now, you're going to be sharing a lot of air. People are still getting this wrong, even now. It's the air we share.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MURRAY: Now, Wolf, we are also learning today that there's a familiar face in this coronavirus response that we're not expecting to see in the Biden administration, and that is Dr. Deborah Birx. She's told other news outlets she wants the transition to be successful, she's happy to help the Biden transition, and then she plans to retire -- back to you.

BLITZER: All right, Sara, thanks very much, Sara Murray reporting for us.

Joining us now, Dr. Ashish Jha. He's the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.

Dr. Jha, thank you very much for joining us.

As you know, I spoke with Dr. Fauci last hour here in THE SITUATION ROOM. He emphasized that it's not unusual to see a virus mutate. It does not appear this mutation has made the virus more deadly or more serious. So what challenges does this new strain present?

DR. ASHISH JHA, DEAN, BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Yes, Wolf, thanks for having me on.

He's absolutely right, of course. We do see variations. We have seen them throughout the pandemic. This one does look a little bit different. It does look like it has some functional differences, and it looks like it's a bit more contagious.

How much more contagious, we're not sure, but, obviously, that is of concern. But I think the solution for that is all the stuff we have been doing. If we continue to try to prevent transmission of this virus, continue to focus on getting vaccines out, that will continue to help us out along the way. I don't think this is anything that should alter what we do in any meaningful way.

BLITZER: Dr. Fauci also told me we will know relatively soon whether the vaccines that haven about developed, the two already in use here in the United States, will work against this new strain. Do you expect they will?

JHA: I do expect they will. We're starting to see some data that some of the monoclonal antibodies we have continue to work against this new strain.

So, I do expect that the vaccines will continue to be effective. And if, on the outside chance that it isn't, then, as we heard earlier, we can make changes to the vaccine. But I don't think that's going to be necessary, certainly not in the short to medium run.

[18:25:11]

BLITZER: What do you make, Dr. Jha, of the rollout of these new coronavirus vaccines in the U.S.? Are you satisfied with the speed at which front-line health care workers, for example, are getting access to these shots?

JHA: You know, it's obviously a monumental task that we have.

And I think Operation Warp Speed had set up some very, very ambitious goals. I was hoping we might be able to meet them. We're seeing a little slip in that timeline. But I see this right now as more bumps on the road than roadblocks, per se.

Obviously, if things get much slower, then we're going to get concerned. But right now, I feel like we're still largely on track, with a few road bumps that are not surprising.

BLITZER: A new study, Dr. Jha -- I'm sure you saw it -- finds that masks alone are not enough to protect against this virus. What do you want people to take away from, especially as we head into the holiday season, Christmas and New Year's? What do you hope people will take away? Because there are masks and there are masks, and some masks are really good, others not so much.

JHA: Yes, this is actually an area of some frustration for, I think, many of us in public health. We have known for many months there are large variations in the quality of masks.

Asking every American to figure this out for himself or herself is really ridiculous and unfair. And we should have had much more involvement from our government leaders on helping people identify high-quality masks.

Masks, high-quality masks, are a huge part of control this virus, not unto itself only, meaning you still have to do social distancing, you got to still avoid those large, packed crowds, but good, quality masks can make a big difference. It's been hard for people to sort this out by themselves. BLITZER: Yes. And they have to keep it on, and they got to keep it on

tight.

As we head into this Christmas weekend and the New Year's not far behind, what advice, Dr. Jha, do you have for Americans who are celebrating these holidays? What do they need to be most concerned about, because this pandemic is still raging on?

JHA: It is raging. We have more virus in the community right now than we have probably had at any point during this entire pandemic.

There are more people infected than any point. So, what I'm saying to folks is, I get it, holiday season, a time when we get together as families. This is really important to right now be safe. Avoid travel if you can. If you must travel, if you must gather, keep it very small, wear masks, avoid long kind of indoor gatherings.

We have got to keep people safe until the vaccine becomes widely available.

BLITZER: We certainly do. And we're grateful to you, Dr. Jha, for joining us and giving us your wisdom, which is so, so important.

I hope you have a happy and healthy new year and a safe holiday. We will have you back here very, very soon. Thanks, as usual, for joining us.

JHA: Thank you.

BLITZER: Just ahead: President-elect Joe Biden calls the newly passed $900 billion coronavirus relief package just a down payment.

Up next, I will ask Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar what she wants to see in another relief package next year. She's standing by live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:00]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN THE SITUATION ROOM: We're following multiple breaking stories here in The Situation Room, including President-elect Joe Biden this afternoon praising Congress for passing a $900 billion coronavirus economic relief package but he says much more is needed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT: This bill is just the first step, a down payment in addressing the crisis, the crises, more than one, that we're in. There is a lot more work to do. Congress did its job this week. And I can and I must ask them to do it again next year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right. Joining us now, Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, she's a member of the Judiciary Committee. Senator, thank you so much for joining us. So you just heard the president-elect describe this bill as a down payment. The Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, says this is a survival bill. So what do you say? What's going on right now? What else needs to be done?

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): First thing I thought to myself was it's nice to have a president-elect, a president-to-be, who actually praises bipartisan work. I think that's really important because I think you know so much needs to be done.

This is the beginning, as we get through the winter, it was really important to support our small businesses, to make sure we had the money, so key, Wolf, to distribute the vaccine. It's not going to parachute in the middle of rural towns. And we have $30 billion approximately in there to do that as well as another $29 billion for testing. But after this, of course, state and local governments, this is going to help them out, the vaccine distribution.

But they clearly -- and I'm talking about small town mayors who have called me. They need help to be able to make it through to what I call the day after tomorrow, when we're through this. Then I'm sure we'll continue to need help with unemployment, housing.

This has been a huge jolt. We've never seen anything like this since the great depression. And it's Jerome Powell, President Trump's appointee, head of the Federal Reserve, who said it would be tragic if we didn't pass this package this year. But, clearly, we need to do more.

BLITZER: Yes. Look, it was clearly critical. There are so many millions and millions of Americans right now who are suffering big time.

As you know, the Georgia Democratic Senate candidate, Jon Ossoff, says that while he would have voted for the bill if he were in the Senate, the $600 stimulus payments, he says, are a joke. What do you say to that?

[18:35:00]

KLOBUCHAR: Well, again, a lot of frustration that they want more, and in the end, this was a compromise. And I do want people to know that it was $600 a person for people making $75,000 but for a family of four, that would be $2,400.

And, again, this is what it's like right now, when we have a Senate that's run by Mitch McConnell. It's one of the reasons we want to win those Georgia Senate races. But I do want to respect the fact that in the end, a bunch of senators came together and were able to get this bill done. And that's the important thing right now for the American people, because as Joe Biden so rightfully described it, it's a down payment.

BLITZER: Yes, that's $600, even if it's $2,400 for a family of four, that's a one-time payment. The $300, that would be weekly and a little addition to the unemployment that a lot of folks unfortunately are getting.

KLOBUCHAR: Yes. Could I just say that the unemployment piece of this to me was the most important. It's the supplement for a $300 a week, as you point out. Otherwise, the day after Christmas, people would have stopped getting this funding. Secondly, it's got $30 billion in for housing and rental help and it's got about that same amount when it comes to helping people with food and food emergencies.

So there are a number of provisions in here, helping schools, community hospitals. I just think of all the moms that are like teaching their first graders how to use the mute button, and moms and dads with their toddlers on their knees, trying to do their jobs at the same time. It has been a really, really hard time for people. And that's why it was important we get this done.

BLITZER: And very quickly, Senator, when can Americans expect to finally start getting the cash, getting that relief that they so desperately need?

KLOBUCHAR: Well, the president has to sign this into law. I believe he will. And then, according to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, the checks will go out shortly he says, you know, in a week or so. Just based on my experience, I always tell my constituents, a few weeks. And I think that's going to help people.

And the small business aid, we've been through this once before. This has over $300 billion for small businesses. And I think that is a really important piece of this as well, including the work that Senator Cornyn and I led when it comes to our stages, music venues, they're on their last legs. And if we want to make sure the music doesn't die and our small theaters keep going, that's an important piece of this bill as well.

BLITZER: And I think the president will sign it. But even if he doesn't sign it, you guys have plenty of votes to override a presidential veto and get that money that desperately needed people right now. Senator Klobuchar, have a merry Christmas and happy New Year, thank you so much for joining us.

KLOBUCHAR: Thank you, Wolf. Happy New Year.

BLITZER: Thank you. Just ahead, President-elect Biden calls the cyber attack against the United States government a grave risk to U.S. security. Did Russia do it? And if so, how should the U.S. respond?

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:00]

BLITZER: Sources tell CNN there's rising anxiety inside the Pentagon tonight. Among other things, U.S military officials fear President Trump may try to drag them into his efforts to undermine the election.

We're joined now by Matthew Masterson, a former senior adviser to the Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency in the federal government. Matthew, thank you so much for joining us.

These concerns over the Department of the Defense about what President Trump might do during these final 29 days in office. I wonder when you were still working at the Department of Homeland Security, were you hearing similar worries from your colleagues about this president?

MATTHEW MASTERSON, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO THE CYBERSECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY: Yes, I appreciate the question. I mean, certainly, we are aware of some of the conversation and we're fully tracking a lot of the disinformation out there around this election, working with state and locals to respond to claims of rigged voting systems and other conspiracy theories. And that's really why we created a rumor control site to push factual information out there.

In my time at CISA, with the leadership, we never backed down from the mission that we had to support state and local officials and to ensure the security of the election. And I was never asked to do anything other than support those election officials surround and secure the 2020 election.

BLITZER: When it comes to the widespread hack of government agencies, Matthew, your former boss, Chris Krebs, told CNN he agrees with assessments that Russia was behind that hack. Do you agree with him on that? Do you have any understanding why the president of the United States says it might be China?

MASTERSON: Yes. I don't. I've seen the comments recently also by the attorney general supporting at least the initial analysis from the folks working this incident that it is likely Russia and likely the Russian intelligence arm. I have no information or reason to doubt those assessments. But the response is ongoing. And I know how hard my former colleagues, both at CISA as well as in the intelligence community, are working to understand the scope and scale of this event.

BLITZER: It's a major event.

In terms the -- you know, the effort to secure the election, you told NPR that 2020, the 2020 election was, in your words, as smooth a presidential election as I've ever seen.

[18:45:01]

What do you say to the president and his very small clique of insiders there over at the White House with whom he's talking about this? Who continue to claim it was rigged, even though the Electoral College has certified it, all 50 states and D.C., have certified, the Supreme Court refused to hear arguments, the attorney general says that there is no serious evidence of widespread fraud.

What do you say to the president?

MATTHEW MASTERSON, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO THE CYBERSECUIRTY & INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY: Yeah. Really, my message is, to the American people, those who continue to have questions about the elections, and that's to go get the facts. I mean, if you look at the process that's in place, the resilience measures that election officials have, we have paper ballots in all of these states. And the election officials have worked hard to go back, canvass the results, in many cases recount the results, audit the results, and look at those paper records, free of any system, to ensure the accuracy of the vote and to ensure that every vote was counted as cast.

So, when you look at a state like Georgia, they literally hand counted every ballot that was cast to ensure the accuracy the vote. Antrim County, Michigan, went and hand counted every ballot to ensure the accuracy of the vote. And so, to me, the most important thing is to continue to talk to the American people, to continue to push facts out about the process, the systems, and the security of the election so that folks can understand how rigorously election officials work to ensure that everyone can vote and that every vote will be counted as cast.

So we've got to keep pushing facts out there around us.

BLITZER: Thanks for your government service, Matthew. Thanks so much for joining us. I hope you have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

MASTERSON: Yeah, merry Christmas, Wolf. Thank you.

BLITZER: Thank you.

Just ahead, should the U.S. do more to prevent the COVID-19 variant from taking hold in this country?

I'll ask Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont about his concerns and how vaccine distribution is going on in his state. He's standing by live.

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[18:51:40]

BLITZER: Dozens of countries around the world have halted travel in and out of the United Kingdom over deep concerns about a variant of the coronavirus that might be even more contagious.

Governor Andrew Cuomo is sounding the alarm about incoming international flights into New York.

We're joined now by the governor of the neighboring state. Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont is joining us.

Governor, thank you so much for joining us.

I spoke with Dr. Anthony Fauci in the last hour. He told me banning travel from the U.K., in his words, would be a bit of an overreach.

But I spoke with New York Governor Cuomo last night here in THE SITUATION ROOM about his concerns that travelers may actually bring the new strain to your region.

I know you've worked closely with Governor Cuomo. Do you share his concerns?

GOV. NED LAMONT (D), CONNECTICUT: I share Andrew Cuomo's concern. I think he's absolutely right.

Look, this holiday season, stay home. That goes for Britain. That goes for the United States as well.

Why take the risk of a lot of people coming over with potentially a new strain of this virus? It's just not worth the risk.

BLITZER: How is the vaccine distribution process going so far in your state of Connecticut? Have you been -- have you successfully been able to start getting, for example, your health care workers, those who are most vulnerable vaccinated against this deadly virus?

LAMONT: Yeah, Wolf. So far, so good.

I can tell you as badly as the federal government mishandled PPE back in the spring and everybody is scouring the globe and it was surge pricing, and you saw a number of states that were ripped off trying to secure masks and gowns, this is the opposite. The federal government has stepped in. They did the bulk purchase. They're getting it delivered to us on a timely basis. I think the CDC has set pretty good priorities in terms of the populations that should get it first.

So far, so good.

BLITZER: Are you receiving, Governor, as many doses of the two vaccines as you expected to receive?

LAMONT: Not quite. No, you heard about the bureaucratic snafu between Warp Speed and Pfizer.

But look, we're 98 percent of the way there. We're going to have all of our first line responders double vaccinated by the end of January. That's our goal and we're going to achieve it.

BLITZER: And at some point, you'll actually get the vaccine, right? At what point does your turn come?

LAMONT: Yeah, that's the question. I mean, you want to lead by example. You don't want people saying how come the governor is not willing to get the vaccine, do it publicly, make the statement -- just like President-elect Biden did.

And others are saying, hey, look, let's make sure the nurses get it first, they're on the front lines.

So I'll wait a little bit longer, I think.

BLITZER: It's interesting that the president-elect, he's appoint -- he's named, he's nominating your state education commissioner, Miguel Cardona, to serve as the new U.S. education secretary. I wonder what your reaction to this news that came out today?

LAMONT: My reaction is it's a loss for Connecticut but a great win for teachers and students around the country.

Miguel has just been fabulous. He's a teacher's teacher, a champion for the teachers. And that's in part why we were able to keep our schools open, while a lot of our neighbors were closing them down, because the teachers had confidence in him and the kids had the opportunity to go to school.

[18:55:06]

BLITZER: He really wants the kids to be in school to bring them back to school. Now, I assume he'll have that position as the education secretary assume he's confirmed by the Senate, right?

LAMONT: I think that's right, Wolf.

And, by the way, President-elect Biden has said I want all the kids back in school in that first 100 days. There's nothing like having a kid in a classroom. We can get there, especially with the vaccinations ramping up.

BLITZER: I think you're right. Governor Ned Lamont, merry Christmas, happy New Year. Thanks for everything you're doing.

LAMONT: Back at you, Wolf. Thanks. Everybody, be safe.

BLITZER: All right. You, too.

We'll have more news right after this.

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BLITZER: Finally, tonight, we share more stories of people who died from the coronavirus.

Paul Foley Jr. of Illinois was 77 years old. He was a U.S. Army veteran, an elections judge, who went skydiving just weeks before he got ill. His daughter, Jill, says he was loving and loyal to his wife of 50 years, his four children and nine grandchildren.

Susie Calvillo of Texas was 86. She worked for the U.S. civil service for 45 years, helping her husband support their two children. Her son, Gene, says she made so many sacrifices for her family to give them the best life possible.

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.

You can always follow me on Twitter and Instagram @WolfBlitzer. You can tweet the show @CNNSitRoom.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.