[Chris Cuomo, Cnn:] You know, I get it now. And if you match that with chest constriction of people can't breathe, I totally get why we're losing so many people and why are hospitals are so crowded. So, here's the message, don't be me, but more importantly, be better than we're being right now. Care enough not just to stay home, but to stay on our leaders, to make sure that they're doing everything they can to limit this. I'm telling you this is the part of our lives we will live through and remember the most. How do you want to be remembered during this time? It's now time for Don Lemon. "CNN TONIGHT" right now.
[Don Lemon, Cnn:] Yes, but also care enough I said last night to that we should, Chris, cut each other some slack and just be human. And care enough to check on the people you love. I text you today. I knew something was wrong because usually you text right back. You call. You texted me and you said you don't want this. Last night was really bad. I love you. That's all I heard. I was like, something is not good. And I text Christine I didn't hear from her. And I said to Tim, I said, all right, let's get in the car. Let's go. So, we got in the car, went to the supermarket and dropped some stuff off to your house, and that was the end of that. So, I would say if if there's someone you're worried about, if someone you love or somebody even somebody you don't love so much or whatever, just check on them and say how are you doing? Even somebody you have some beef with. Just say how are you doing? I'm just thinking about you. I was worried about you. And I'm just checking on you and I hope you're doing OK. I think that's the time. This is the time when we can do that. Maybe you want to make amends with someone. I think we should all probably do that right now. Don't you think?
[Cuomo:] And we'll see you're 100 percent right, of course. But you know, when I've seen some of it. I'm surprised by how many people even in the evil places like on Twitter and stuff like that, where they're saying nice things even if they see you and me as representing something, you know, political poisonous to them. So, I think people are starting to get a sense of perspective. That you may want to kill somebody in a debate, but it doesn't mean that you want them to die of a disease. And I think that that's going to be good for this country. I think hard times make strong people. But you do not get through hard times if you don't make the right moves, and I can't believe that they're allowing anybody in this country to wait this out so that it just comes to their communities and devastates them like it's doing to us right now. I just can't believe we're allowing that.
[Lemon:] Yes. It's crazy. And your point about been making the same point. We cannot forget. Listen, we have to move on. We hope this president does well. We hope the administration does well. We hope the leaders do well. That's why it's important we hold them to account. We cannot forget the time that we lost. The time that we lost was so critical and so important. And as you said, you, you know, you got it. But you wished that if you were going to get it that you would have gotten it sooner so that you would have known what people were going through and that you could have call the president out in real time and said, hey, mister, this is no hoax, this is no Democratic hoax, no matter how you try to describe it, whether you're saying it's a Democratic hoax the Democrats trying to take you down or the media's trying to take you down. That's not what's happening here. This is absolutely 100 percent real.
[Cuomo:] Right. The new hoax is everybody's got a test now who wants it. Don, I'm telling you. I'm like plugged into a new network now, right, because of me having this. I have thousands of people around this country saying the exact same thing. Like, I'm looking at their accounts to see if they're copies. You know, I can't get a test. They got a test. I've been waiting 10 days, 14 days, 16 days, you know, I'm already better. So, these people, what are you going to do? You're going to go back out and start living your life if you're not sick anymore. You haven't even gotten the test results yet. How can we expect to get in front of this when we keep making the same bone-headed moves? I know people are tired of hearing it. But that's too bad because we are nowhere near where we need to be to beat two more weeks.
[Lemon:] Yes.
[Cuomo:] I'm telling you, you and I will be talking about this well into late spring.
[Lemon:] Yes. Listen, so I socially distanced myself, I will tell them I saw Chris today through the window in a space through the glass.
[Cuomo:] Through glass like I was in a zoo.
[Lemon:] And your wife told me to go around the back if you want to see him through the glass. You were asleep on the coach. I knocked on the window and I said hello and we just walked away. But we delivered groceries. And I was so happy I put them by the door, and I walk back to the car and Christina opened the door and she said, you can come in if you want. We are all negative. No, we're going to stay, we're going to stay socially distanced just because we have to. And I just want to make sure I'm doing what everybody says I'm doing because I'm the man on the news at night saying you should do that. So, we did. She had the mask on. And we were so happy that everyone in your house tested negative for COVID-19. So, very happy.
[Cuomo:] I cried. I cried like I was you when I got that news that they were all negative.
[Lemon:] Yes.
[Cuomo:] I was shocked that they're negative. And, look, I know that doesn't mean that they'll always be negative.
[Lemon:] Yes.
[Cuomo:] But the idea that at least every day that they don't have this virus is a blessing for me. I don't want anybody to deal with what I'm dealing with now, let alone one of my kids. I don't know I'd handle it, having given them something like this. This is terrible.
[Lemon:] Mario hadn't been so happy to see me since I brought ice cream I don't think ever. So, anyway, enjoy the groceries. Enjoy the groceries. Enjoy the soup. Whatever it is I put in there.
[Cuomo:] They didn't bring me any of the ice cream. Sorry.
[Lemon:] You take care, buddy. I'll see you soon. All right. If you need anything give me a call.
[Cuomo:] I love you. I'll be watching.
[Lemon:] I love you too. All right. Take care. This is CNN TONIGHT. I'm Don Lemon. Here's our breaking news. The numbers are shocking and the fact is we are nowhere near the peak here. The coronavirus cases in this country passing the 200,000 mark today. More than 211,700 reported cases. More than 4,700 deaths. That number is soaring. One month ago, that was March 1st, today is April 1st. One person, one person had died of the coronavirus in this country. Tonight, just one month later, there are more than 4,700 deaths. And we have reached another grim milestone. At least 928 deaths reported in just one day today. The largest day total yet. I want you to take a look at how that number has grown over the last few days, OK? So just look at your screen, please. Saturday it was 394. That was new deaths reported. Sunday, 456 new deaths reported. Monday, that number was up to 575. Last night, at least 830 new deaths reported. And tonight, it is now 928 new deaths reported. The World Health Organization says, in a matter of days coronavirus cases will top one million worldwide. The president saying this tonight.
[Donald Trump, President Of The United States Of America:] Difficult days are ahead for our nation. We are going to have a couple of weeks starting pretty much now, but especially a few days from now, that are going to be horrific.
[Lemon:] Well, that coming after the president began tonight's briefing not with important information about the coronavirus plague gripping the country, but instead, he used his time in front of a stricken nation to make a lengthy announcement about what appears to be an unrelated counter narcotics operation and to tout his border wall. There is a time and a place for that. There is. It's not now. Not when nearly 90 percent of Americans are under stay-at-home order orders. Not when it's the deadliest day in this crisis so far. Not when our emergency stockpile of medical supplies is nearly empty. Not when Americans want to know what their government is doing to save their lives and protect them and their loved ones. But instead, the experts like Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx waited in the wings while the president played politics. And with one medical expert after another telling us that staying at home is the best weapon we've got, there are 11 states that are so far refusing to order all of their people to stay at home. There are no statewide orders in Alabama. None in Arkansas and Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming. Though some of those states have municipalities and counties with stay at home orders, they do, but asked tonight why he doesn't just take things out of the hands of the states and issue a nationwide order himself? The president said this.
[Trump:] States are different, and I understand that the governor of Florida, great governor, Ron DeSantis, issued one today. And that's good. That's great. But there are some states that are different. There are some states that don't have much of a problem.
[Lemon:] Well, he just doesn't get it. There's no magical, invisible barrier. No border wall between Americans under stay at home orders and Americans still moving around freely. And with tests still not available to anybody who wants one, despite the president's false promise last month, there could be untold number of Americans who don't even know that they have the virus. It makes no sense to leave the decision to local governments like Tennessee. Where Governor Bill Lee is ignoring growing calls from inside his own state to issue a stay-at-home order. And as for the president's praise for Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis, he's late to the game. Only issuing a statewide stay-at-home order today, but insisting on exempting religious services as essential business. These states have had weeks, weeks when they didn't do what they should have done. If they had the courage to do something that might have been unpopular, maybe they wouldn't be facing these horrifying numbers today. And tonight, a source close to the coronavirus task force admitting what we can all see with our very own eyes, despite White House claims that the president and his administration did everything right. That source tells CNN tougher social distancing measures implemented earlier could have kept this crisis from getting as bad as it has. The source telling CNN the president, quote, "took a gamble and got it wrong." When he counted on warm weather to make the virus recede, ignoring predictions from his own experts, it's disturbing that in the middle of a crisis like this, the president just doesn't seem to know what he is talking about.
[Trump:] We have to get our country going again. We did the right thing. We had no choice. We did the right thing. Other countries tried to use the herd or the herd mentality.
[Lemon:] It's not herd mentality, it's herd immunity. Which is, what happens when enough people have immunity to a disease either through previous infections or vaccination that they indirectly protect people who aren't immune. And then there's this.
[Trump:] We're attacking the virus on every front with social distancing, economic support for our workers, rapid medical intervention and very serious innovation.
[Lemon:] Attacking the virus with social distancing, seriously? You call that social distancing? Look at the picture, everyone. That's social distancing? Night after night the president stands up there for a coronavirus briefing coronavirus briefings surrounded by advisers who are not even close to social distancing. This is part of a parade of misstatements and downright falsehoods at a time when we need facts more than ever. Just listen to what the vice president said today.
[Michael Pence, Vice President Of The United States Of America:] I don't believe the president has ever belittled the threat of the coronavirus.
[Lemon:] Really? You don't think the president has ever belittled the threat of the coronavirus, the president who said the virus was totally under control, who said this is like the flu, who said it would disappear like a miracle, who called it a hoax, who said it would go for 15 cases to zero, from 15 cases to zero, who said he wasn't concerned about it at all? That's not belittling? Sounds like a whole lot of belittling to me. When what we need now is facts, honesty, credibility. And all of those are in short supply in this White House. Let's bring in now CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and White House Correspondent, Kaitlan Collins. Good evening to both of you. Dr. Gupta, thank you, sir, for joining us.
[Sanjay Gupta, Cnn Chief Medical Correspondent:] Hi, Don.
[Lemon:] Today the U.S. reported more than 900 deaths. The death toll is doubling every three days, and yet the president defended not issuing a national stay-at-home order. Listen to this and we'll talk.
[Trump:] There are some states that are different. There are some states that don't have much of a problem. There are some well, they don't have the problem, they don't have thousands of people that are positive. If a state in the Midwest or if Alaska as an example, doesn't have a problem, it's awfully tough to say close it down. So, we have to have a little bit of flexibility.
[Lemon:] So, let's talk about the facts here. The White House task force models, Dr. Gupta, don't they depend on full compliance?
[Gup:] Yes. Yes. Yes, exactly. You know, the numbers, you know, sad, these projections in terms of the numbers of people who might die, obviously, you know, this is jarring for a lot of people to hear. But you're absolutely right, Don. They are dependent on the fact that by the end of this week. What is it, Wednesday? So, a couple of days, the entire country, every state in the country has to be in a stay-at- home order. And if you do that and you extend those to the end of May, which is also what the model said, then you might get to these numbers that are now considered the lowest possible number of deaths, 100 to 200,000 people. I can't believe I'm evening saying that but that's you have to do all these things and we're not there yet. And Don, I don't even know what to say about it anymore. You know, we've been talking about this for so long. The science is pretty clear, not only from other countries around the world, but here in the United States. Everyone knows it's a virus. It doesn't, you know, it travels, you know? It doesn't respect any kind of boundary or border of a state. So, I just I think the idea now that people who are not shutting down and staying at home are adversely affecting not only themselves but everyone else around them. Their communities and all of that is real, and I think most people fundamentally understand that. I really do. Even if they're not doing it.
[Lemon:] Yes.
[Gupta:] I don't understand why they're not doing it. Maybe that will go down as one of the great mysteries for me in these last several months of reporting, but it needs to be done and I'm still hopeful that maybe it will be.
[Lemon:] Yes. Kaitlan, more than 900 American lives lost today, but for people tuning in to today's coronavirus briefing to hear about the outbreak, they got something else. What's going on here?
[Kaitlan Collins, Cnn White House Correspondent:] Yes, that wasn't what you heard from the president. It really hasn't been the message that you've heard from the president as he's been talking, and that's what's so notable about those projections we saw yesterday where the president was saying, well, people were saying if I had done nothing, 2.2 million people could have died. But, Don, to be clear, we don't know of any public health experts that were suggesting that to the president. He said potentially some of his business advisers, some of his friends outside the White House were advising him doing such. We don't know of anyone who would advise that. And so, of course, you know, the fact that we are now dealing with this death toll that could potentially involve 100,000 people is really stark. And so that's what's so notable. Yesterday, you know, you heard so many people talking about the president's new tone. Talking about how somber he sounded, but that doesn't change the fact that he did downplay it for months. And when you see these people, these governors not issuing these stay-at-home orders, a lot of them are listening to what the president has been saying. We even heard the Florida Governor Ron DeSantis say as much today. One thing that led him to issue this statewide at home order or the stay- at-home order a little reluctantly, a little belatedly, I guess you would say, he was citing the president's change in demeanor at the briefing yesterday. So, some of these governors are taking their cues from the president, and that's why it's so important what it is exactly the message that's coming out of the White House about all of this.
[Lemon:] Yes. I was asking, why were we hearing about a drug task force when people at are home waiting to get information about how their government is saving their lives? Why didn't we hear about that at a coronavirus briefing instead of, listen, there is a time and a place for that. Why did we hear that instead of at a Pentagon briefing or something?
[Collins:] Yes, I think there was some confusion why that was the beginning message with the president coming out with the Attorney General Bill Barr right there next to him. Talking about this, talking about the measures that they're taking instead of talking about, of course, what people really want to know. Which is, they want to be able to tune into these briefings and hear, you know, what do I need to be doing now? What has changed? What's the latest on this? Not all of this other stuff sometimes that they're hearing. And so, people have tried to streamline those briefings. Sometimes of course they go incredibly long when the president is involved in them and they're not always exactly on what's going on with the latest on coronavirus.
[Lemon:] Dr. Gupta, Florida finally got on board today, but Governor DeSantis says in-person church services are OK. How dangerous is that exception that he is taking?
[Gupta:] Well, you know, look, Don, I mean, I understand that, you know, especially at times like these, I mean, people do turn to their faith and you know, we're really dependent on each other, and, you know, they want that sense of support. But this is dangerous. You know, I just want to be crystal clear on that. And, again, this is the science talking, not even necessarily me. You know, we've seen examples of this in South Korea. You know, where you had significant explosion of causes related to these gatherings. It's very difficult to socially distance. You're in prolonged contact with people, so it's dangerous. I mean, I think that it's not only dangerous for the individuals, but then they go home. They can spread it to their family members, they can spread it to their neighbors, their communities. I mean, I say it over and over again, but we're really dependent on each other right now. And, again, I don't in any way want to diminish the value of it, but you know, we also have these technologies where people are doing these organizations are getting together online in different ways now. There's different ways
[Lemon:] Streaming services, yes.
[Gupta:] Streaming service. I mean, you know, whatever it may be. But, you know, I hope people understand and it's not just in an act of defiance because it can really be hurtful, not just to them but to people they've never even met. People who they've never even met are dependent on their behavior. That's one area where, you know, the virus can more likely spread.
[Lemon:] Yes. And it's interesting that religious groups are I'm a person of faith, but you can't religious groups can't say it's an attack on religion because people aren't going to work, right? And if you aren't going to work, if you aren't going to the gym, it's not an attack on work, it's not an attack on exercise or an attack on gyms, it's not an attack on concerts. You cannot gather in places because it is a health risk or health hazard.
[Gupta:] Right.
[Lemon:] So, do what the experts say, what the science and medical folks say. Dr. Gupta, Kaitlan, thank you very much. I appreciate it.
[Gupta:] Thank you.
[Lemon:] And make sure this is a programming note for you. Tune in tomorrow. Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Anderson Cooper host CNN town hall, coronavirus: facts and fear. Tomorrow night 8 p.m. right here on CNN. Listen, there is someone that I have been speaking with lately about the impact coronavirus has on our country on her state and on the communities we both care about. And I asked her to come on the show and talk with me about it, and that is Senator Kamala Harris. She's next.