Virus With More Names Than Any Disease In History?; Coronavirus Pandemic, Rate Of New Cases Up In 23 States
DON LEMON, CNN HOST: You're about to look at now a live shot of that area. And in few minutes, we're going to go live to our reporters there on the ground. There you can see Lafayette Park and our Kaitlan Collins getting into place for a report for us. Reporters told by the Secret Service to immediately leave the White House property. All that happening in the wake of protests that began with confederate statues and are now spreading across this country. It is a fast-moving situation. We're going to have a lot more tonight live from the scene. But in nation that has been tone deaf really about why these statues were erected and why many want them taken down it is no surprise today that even in Washington at the White House, that kind of attitude still persists. I want you to see what happened during the White House briefing today when the Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany dodged the truth about again and again refusing to admit that the president's use of the phrase kung flu is racist. You really need to hear this whole thing as CBS White House correspondent Weijia Jiang questions her.</s>WEIJIA JIANG, CORRESPONDENT, CBS NEWS: Last year President Trump declared himself the least racist person there is anywhere in the world. Why does he use racist phrases like the kung flu?</s>KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president doesn't. What the president does do is point to the fact that the origin of the virus is China. It's a fair thing to point out as China tries to ridiculously rewrite history, ridiculously blame the coronavirus on American soldiers. This is what China is trying to do. And what President Trump is saying no, China, I will label this virus for its place of origin.</s>JIANG: That's what he's saying by using the racist phrase kung flu?</s>MCENANY: He is linking it to its place of origin.</s>JIANG: What does he have to say to Asian-Americans who are deeply offended and worry that his use will lead to further attacks and discriminations.</s>MCENANY: So, the president has said very clearly, it's important that we totally protect our Asian community in the U.S. and all round the world. They are amazing people and the spreading of the virus is not their fault in any way, shape or form. They were working closely with us to get rid of it. We will prevail together. It's very important. So, it's not a discussion about Asian- Americans who the president values and prizes as citizens of this great country. It is an indictment of China for letting this virus get here. And I would also point out that the media blames President Trump for using the term China virus and Wuhan virus when they themselves have used these very terms. The New York Times called it the Chinese coronavirus. Reuters the Chinese virus. CNN the Chinese coronavirus on January 20th. Washington Post January 21st Chinese coronavirus. And I have more than a dozen other examples.</s>JIANG: Category, Kayleigh, kung flu is extremely offensive to many people in the Asian-American community. To be clear, are you saying the White House believe it is racist?</s>MCENANY: To be clear, I think the media is trying to play games with the terminology of this virus where the focus should be on the fact that China let this out of their country. The same phrase that the media roundly now condemns has been used by the media. I can go more examples. Wuhan virus CNN said on January 22. I mean, we can go on and on. So, while the media wants to focus on nomenclature the president is going to focus on action.</s>LEMON: Not really an answer. Just a deflection to blame other people. And it's shameful. Really. Kayleigh McEnany who I would like to think knows better pretending over and over that saying Chinese coronavirus is the same thing as saying kung flu. It's not. She should know that. I would hope so. Kung flu is racist. Plain and simple. And just in case you missed what the president said on Saturday night about the coronavirus, which as of today, by the way, it shouldn't be a by the way, has killed more than 120,000 Americans. Here it is.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: By the way, it's a disease without question has more names than any disease in history.</s>TRUMP: I can name kung flu. I can name 19 different versions of names.</s>LEMON: And they cheered. And they cheered. You know and I know, I'm sure he knows, and his representative. There's no reason for him to say that other than the obvious one. He wanted to get a reaction. From what turned out to be a very small crowd so he went right to something racist. Shameful. Kayleigh McEnany can't actually defend what the president said. So, she claim the media said the same thing which is a lie. And Kaitlan Collins of CNN called her on that.</s>KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The media has never called it the kung flu. Calling it the Chinese coronavirus and calling it the kung flu are very different.</s>MCENANY: The media -- the media and your network specifically --</s>COLLINS: CNN called it the kung flu?</s>MCENANY: The media and your network specifically have repeatedly used the term China virus and Wuhan virus and then gone onto derive the president as somehow using a term that they had themselves have never used. So, we can go through CNN's history.</s>COLLINS: It's not a medical term, Kayleigh.</s>MCENANY: I'd be more than happy to go through CNN's history. On February 9 you guys talked about the Wuhan coronavirus. On January 23 you guys talked about the Wuhan coronavirus. On January 22 the Wuhan virus. I can write it all up for you and detail it for you in an e- mail.</s>COLLINS: But the president is call it the kung flu, though, Kayleigh.</s>MCENANY: Yes, Justin.</s>COLLINS: You got to admit that. It's not the same thing as calling it the kung flu.</s>MCENANY: Yes, Justin.</s>LEMON: Again, didn't answer. Listen to Kellyanne Conway's reaction to reports that a senior official had used the phrase kung flu back in March.</s>KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: That's highly offensive. So you should tell us who it is. I'd like to know who it is.</s>LEMON: Well, Mr. President, she wanted to know who said kung flu. Well, now we know at least one person who has said it. The person who told me this back in 2015.</s>LEMON: Are you racist?</s>TRUMP: I'm the least racist person that you have ever met. I am the least racist person?</s>LEMON: Are you bigoted in any way you think?</s>TRUMP: I don't think so. No, I don't think so.</s>LEMON: Is it, is anybody really surprised that this president's first instinct is to say something racist? This president who launched his political career with the racist birther lie that Barack Obama was not born in this country. Who said there were -- his words -- very fine people on both sides of the deadly white supremacist violence in Charlottesville? Who called NFL players peacefully protesting police brutality and racial injustice -- his words -- sons of bitches. And on and on, and on and on. Central Park Five, housing trying to get black people not to be in his -- he and his father's housing. Buildings. Is anybody really surprised when he says something like this? Something racist? but kung flu is hardly the only shocker from the president's unhinged Tulsa rally. He also said he told his people to slow down testing for the coronavirus because they keep finding more cases which is exactly what the testing is for, to find as many cases as you can. Given the chance today to walk back that completely ridiculous statement. The president did not.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you ask to slow it down?</s>TRUMP: If it did slow down, frankly, I think we're way ahead of ourselves if you want to know the truth. We've done too good a job because every time we go with 25 million tests, you're going to find more people. So, then they, we have more cases in the United States. The reason we have more cases because we do more testing than any other country by far.</s>LEMON: So, with more than 120,000 people dead, the White House wants you to think it was all just a big joke. Kidding. He was kidding.</s>COLLINS: On testing is you said the president made that comment just about having people slow down the testing. The vice president just said that it was made in passing. Peter Navarro said it was tongue and cheek. But when the president himself was just asked by our reporter like an hour ago, he did not say that he was just joking when he said that he told officials to slow down the testing.</s>MCENANY: The president said he used that opportunity to stall the fact that we've done more than 25 million tests. That we're finding more people because we're doing more testing. And I would not that what the vice president said and Peter Navarro whether it's in jest in passing or tongue and cheek, those are all synonymous.</s>COLLINS: But why is that funny?</s>LEMON: In jest and passing, tongue and cheek all synonymous. It's not funny. Not even a little bit. As I said, not with more than 120,000 Americans dead. But it is not the first time that this president has said something completely outrageous about this virus and then tried to tell you that he was just joking. Who can forget this?</s>TRUMP: I was asking the sarcastic, a very sarcastic question to the reporters in the room about disinfectant on the inside. But it does kill it. And it would kill it on the hands. And that would make things much better. That was done in the form of a sarcastic question to the reporters.</s>LEMON: Sarcastic, huh? Have a seat everyone, pay close attention. Roll tape.</s>TRUMP: I said supposing it brought the light inside the body in which you can do either through the skin or in some other way. And I think you said you're going to test that too? Sounds interesting.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll get the right folks who could.</s>TRUMP: Right. And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning. Because you see it gets in the lungs.</s>LEMON: Yes. That's the defense this president, this White House is using. He's just kidding around. Being sarcastic about a virus that is killing more and more Americans every single day. A virus the Vice President Mike Pence said back in April could be in the rearview mirror by early June.</s>MICHAEL PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: By early June we could -- we could be at a place where this coronavirus epidemic is largely in the past. And then we can move, begin to move our nation forward.</s>LEMON: Not even close. And that is from the head of the Coronavirus Task Force. Wonder where he got that rosy prediction from?</s>TRUMP: We have it under control. It's going to be just fine. We think we have it very well under control. We have very little problem in this country at this moment. Five. And those people are all recuperating successfully. By April, you know, in theory when it gets a little warmer it miraculously goes away. The coronavirus which is very well under control in our country. We're going down, not up. We're going very substantially down, not up. When you have 15 people and the 15 within a couple days is going to be down to close to zero. That's a pretty good job we've done. We're doing a great job with it. And it will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away. Some of the doctors say it will wash through and will flow through. very accurate. I think you're going to find in a number of weeks.</s>LEMON: So, none of that was true. None of it. None of this is a joke. Not with more than 120,000 Americans lives lost. None of it is a joke. We got to get you live to Lafayette Park where protestors are trying to pull down the statue of Andrew Jackson. They have been pushed back by police. And reporters have been told to leave the White House grounds. CNN's Kaitlan Collins, Boris Sanchez live on the scene for us right after this break.