President Donald Trump Faces Backlash After Ousting Another Government Watchdog
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: One hundred countries are demanding an investigation into how the pandemic started and spread so quickly? This as Europe slowly emerges from lockdown. I'll speak to the Norwegian Prime Minister about her country's experience. And we will have an update on a cyclone with winds the equivalent of a category 5 hurricane or super typhoon headed for parts of Asia. Well, it is all being done virtually but leaders around the world are joining in on the 73rd Annual World Health Assembly and this year all eyes are on the WHO and China. More than 100 countries are pushing for an independent investigation into the global response to COVID-19. Now, China has faced some pretty intense scrutiny over its handling of the outbreak but the Chinese President Xi Jinping told the Assembly his country acted openly and transparently. Let's bring in CNN's Ivan Watson he is live in Hong Kong with more on what's being said during this virtual summit, Ivan.</s>IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You couldn't have something more important than this kind of summit focusing on the biggest public health crisis in generations. Of course, this is an annual meeting but nobody can actually go to it because of the threat of travel right now. So it's been a little spotty with video conferencing and some bumps and snags along the way. The initial request was for an investigation into the origins of the Coronavirus which was first detected in the Chinese City of Wuhan last December. The Australians pushed for it. The Chinese absolutely blasted Australia for suggesting this. In the end more than 100 countries including close Chinese ally Russia signed on to a watered-down version that called for an impartial independent and comprehensive evaluation of the lessons learned from this terrible pandemic. And then the Chinese Leader gave his own speech in opening remarks to the Assembly and celebrated what he said was China's in his words honorable response to this crisis. Take a listen.</s>XI JINPING, CHINESE PRESIDENT: All along, we have acted with openness, transparency and a responsibility. We have provided the information to the WHO and relevant countries in the most timely fashion. We have released the genome sequence at the earliest possible time. We have shared control and treatment experiences with the world without reservation. We have done everything in our power to support and assist countries in need.</s>WATSON: The Director of the World Health Organization in his speech he said that he would welcome and initiate an independent evaluation at the earliest appropriate moment. Xi Jinping for his part said he would be open to a review if it's science and fact based and only after COVID-19 had been brought under control, Hala?</s>GORANI: Yes. This would require cooperation and even access potentially to labs, institutions inside of China. Do authorities - are they signaling that they'd agree to this?</s>WATSON: We did not get more specifics. He did talk in specific terms about a $2 billion pledge to help the global fight against COVID-19. He did talk about the need for unity and support to African states. And those kinds of themes were echoed by other leaders who gave speeches, as well. Emmanuel Macron of France, Angela Merkel of Germany and another - a number of other heads of state notably absent was a top official from the U.S. addressing this body and that's another part of this is that the U.S., of course, the Trump Administration, has vowed to withdraw funding from the WHO. And the State Department, the U.S. Secretary of State published a statement some hours into this virtual assembly slamming the Head of the WHO saying that he lacks independence and that he did not allow Taiwan which China refuses to recognize to be an independent state claiming it to be a breakaway part of China that Taiwan was not invited to this important gathering. And Taiwan has 23 million citizens and has done quite well battling the coronavirus even though its right next to China where this terrible disease was first discovered, Hala?</s>GORANI: Thank you, Ivan Watson. Let's check in with CNN reporters all across the United States now to see how various communities there are dealing with the Coronavirus. We'll get to Europe in a moment after that but let's start with one of the hardest hit places in America, the home of the Navajo Nation.</s>SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Sara Sidner in Window Rock, Arizona the tribal headquarters of the Navajo Nation. This nation now has the highest rate of infection per capita for COVID-19 in all of America. But the President of the Navajo Nation says there's a reason for that. They also have done more testing than any state in the nation with 11 percent of its people tested. 3,900 plus people tested positive for COVID-19 and they have had a spike in deaths this weekend. And so, they also have one of the strictest stay at home orders, masks are required in public and there's a curfew every night at 8:00, on the weekends especially this week, there was a 57-hour complete lockdown, no stores open, not even gas stations.</s>NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Natasha Chen in Atlanta. Governor Brian Kemp allowed gyms and fitness centers to reopen more than three weeks ago but many of those businesses have decided to take it slower. L.A. Fitness says Georgia is one of its' first markets to reopen. All of its Atlanta locations are offering a staggered start to full services with no group fitness classes until June 1st. Planet fitness opened many of its locations this past weekend and Atlanta based crunch fitness opened its gyms last week.</s>SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Sarah Westwood in Washington. Ivanka Trump is expected to join President Trump today in a meeting with members of the restaurant industry to discuss the impact of Coronavirus. The meeting is expected to include well-known chefs and restaurant executives as well as members of the independent restaurant coalition, a group that was formed during the pandemic to advocate for restaurants. And that group has expressed concerns about the Paycheck Protection Act they're expected to bring this up during the White House meeting. It also praised the newly passed House Democrats bill the Heroes Act which Trump has already vowed to veto. The meeting comes during a week when Trump is expected also to speak about the food supply chain on Tuesday.</s>EVAN MCMORRIS-SANTORO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Evan McMorris-Santoro in Brooklyn. This is Domino Park, a popular spot in the Williamsburg neighborhood. Authorities were concerned by overcrowding so they created a social distancing scream. Circles painted on the ground six feet apart keep people divided. Masks are requested and handed out. A steady presence of the New York Police Department enforces it all. It is a sign that the pandemic story isn't changing that much for this city even as the weather improves. On Sunday the Mayor Bill De Blasio said all New York City beaches will remain closed for the foreseeable future.</s>GORANI: All right. That's a clever idea with the circles. Thank you very much for that. There are new concerns today about how the U.S. President Donald Trump is treating the people tasked with watching over the U.S. government. On Friday he fired the State Department's Inspector General, the Fifth Government Watchdog to be ousted in recent weeks. CNN's Alex Marquardt is following that and he joins me now from Washington. Talk to us about the latest dismissal Alex.</s>ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Hala, as you know, this is a disturbing trend and the latest most controversial evidence of that example of that is Steve Linick as you mentioned. And Hala we've just learned from Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Elliott Engle that Steve Linick had was wrapping up an investigation into the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expediting arms sales to the tune of $8 billion to Saudi Arabia. I want to read you part of the statement that Engle just put out moments ago. I have learned that there may be another reason for Mr. Linick's firing. His office was investigating at my request Trump's phony declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia. We don't have the full picture yet but it's troubling. That Secretary Pompeo wanted Mr. Linick pushed out before this work could be completed. Hala, we also know of another investigation that was in the works, Linick looking into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's use of a political appointee for personal tasks. Taken altogether the removal of all of these inspectors general, critics of the Trump Administration are calling this an unprecedented purge of watchdogs. In just six weeks, a purge, one watchdog removed after the next. In total, five inspectors' generals or officials acting in that role since the beginning of April all but one dismissed late on a Friday night as the weekend began.</s>REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Well, this is new to us and typical of the White House announcing something that is very unsavory. They would do it late on a Friday night.</s>MARQUARDT: The latest to draw a controversy is the Friday night firing of the State Department's Inspector General, Steve Linick. He had launched an investigation into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and according to two sources whether Pompeo and his wife had used a politically appointed staffer for personal tasks including dog walking, picking up dry cleaning and making dinner reservations.</s>MARQUARDT: Linick who had previously issued two reports critical of the State Department also played a small but key role in the impeachment inquiry? Another likely strike against Linick was that that had been named by Barack Obama, many of whose appointees had been seen by the Trump Administration as insignificantly loyal and part of the so-called deep state. White House Economic Adviser Peter Navarro said there's no room for anyone not loyal to the Trump agenda.</s>PETER NAVARRO, WHITE HOUSE ECONOMIC ADVISER: I support whatever this President does in terms of his hiring and firing decisions.</s>MARQUARDT: Also Friday night the Transportation Department's Acting Inspector General was replaced and a new one nominated. Inspectors General are vital to keeping agencies and departments in check, watching for wrongdoing and reporting it, oversight that the President has bristled at.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Did I hear the word Inspector General? Really? It's wrong.</s>MARQUARDT: The Former Inspector General for the Intelligence Community Michael Atkinson had taken a whistle-blower complaint about the President and Ukraine to Congress angering the White House and leading to the impeachment proceedings. Atkinson was fired last month. Just days before, the Pentagon's Acting Inspector General Glen Fine who was overseeing spending on the Coronavirus response was also removed. And two weeks ago the officials serving as the watchdog for the Department of Health and Human Services was replaced after investigators found shortages of testing kits and masks along with delays in Coronavirus test results.</s>SEN. ROBERT MENENDEZ (D-NJ): When you fire them with impunity, you are sending a chilling message to every Inspector General of every department that, in fact, when you step on the administration's toes then you are fired. That cannot stand.</s>MARQUARDT: Leading House and Senate Democrats quickly announced an investigation of Steve Linick's firing saying it may be an illegal act of retaliation. Few Republicans have spoken up. Senator Mitt Romney called it unprecedented and without good cause. Senator Chuck Grassley saying the President's explanation simply is not sufficient. President Trump wrote in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi about the State Department firing. It is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as Inspectors General. That is no longer the case with regard to this Inspector General. Pelosi responded that the White House has yet to provide an explanation.</s>PELOSI: The President has the right to fire any federal employee but the fact is if it looks like it's in retaliation for something that the IG, the Inspector General, is doing that could be unlawful.</s>MARQUARDT: So as you can hear there, Democrats are questioning whether or not the firing of Linick was legal in fact Democrats in both the House and Senate have launched an investigation and demanded records from the State Department. We now know that Linick will be replaced at the State Department by Steven Attker. He has served around the world and a number of diplomatic posts as well as most recently as the Director of Foreign Missions at the State Department. He's also close to Vice President Mike Pence having worked closely with Pence when Pence was the Governor of Indiana. We have reached out to the State Department for a request for comment from the Secretary of State. So far Hala, we've not heard back.</s>GORANI: Thank you, Alex Marquardt, for that important reporting. Now, how's Norway dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic? It has a relatively low number of deaths, 232 so far. I'll be speaking to the country's Prime Minister after the break. And the U.K. has added another symptom to its official list of Coronavirus symptoms months after doctors first alerted it. Why so late? We'll be right back.