There Is Cure For COVID-19?; President Trump Touts A Great Economy.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: All right, thank you for watching. "CNN TONIGHT" with Don "Good Trouble" Lemon starts now.</s>DON LEMON, CNN HOST: No closing argument. No American, no nothing. Just me. Straight up on me.</s>CUOMO: What's better than you as you always say?</s>LEMON: Well, as you know so well.</s>CUOMO: Facts is facts. So, your friend President Trump finally told everybody what he's been letting people like you and me know privately for a long time.</s>LEMON: Which is?</s>CUOMO: If you don't say nice things about him, if he isn't liked, he will attack.</s>LEMON: Yes. Well, of course.</s>CUOMO: Even if it's Dr. Fauci. Someone who, one second he says is his top guy, he's a great guy, who's working so intimately with us. He's our guy.</s>LEMON: Yes.</s>CUOMO: Then he trashes him using doctors who have completely no pedigree and no proof behind their assertions.</s>LEMON: I'm just going to say, where have you been? He's been doing that -- he's been doing that with you. What are you -- are you actually shocked --</s>CUOMO: With me it's OK. I can go either way on you and me. I can make the case either way.</s>LEMON: You know, this is --</s>CUOMO: But not with Tony Fauci.</s>LEMON: This is my issue. And we talked about this. We have, you know, we have had issues -- issue -- issues with crime in American cities forever, for decades. He talks about these cities -- because I'm just talking about the mayor of Portland you had on earlier. He talks about the cities and the Democrat or he says Democrat cities, it should be Democratic cities, but he doesn't mention those cities that are in red states or red cities, so to speak, who have trouble, who are at the top of the list many times like St. Louis in a red state and Birmingham, Alabama, another red state. He doesn't talk about those cities and he doesn't want to send troops or military personnel to those cities. He just uses these bigger cities as these are Democratic cities, as a talking political point.</s>CUOMO: Yes.</s>LEMON: Yes, they are a problem.</s>CUOMO: Yes. And I'll tell you what. I'll give it to him.</s>LEMON: Portland is --</s>CUOMO: I'll give it to him.</s>LEMON: But listen to me, Portland is a couple of blocks. It's not good what's happening. But you would think the entire city of Portland is on fire. It is not. But go on.</s>CUOMO: But the point is you are right 100 percent. But I'll give him his argument. The bigger cities in this country tend to be run by Democrats and he can put them up there as cities with a lot of crime. Fine. And he says I'm going to help even if they don't ask me. Fine. Why doesn't he apply the same mentality to states with COVID?</s>LEMON: Yes.</s>CUOMO: They are asking him for help.</s>LEMON: And he won't help.</s>CUOMO: And he will not help.</s>LEMON: Yes.</s>CUOMO: Why? Why is that so important --</s>LEMON: Why?</s>CUOMO: -- when there are more people getting hurt from COVID than there are with the increases of crime?</s>LEMON: Because it does not help him politically.</s>CUOMO: There you go, Don Lemon.</s>LEMON: That's it. That's right. It does not help him politically.</s>CUOMO: I knew you weren't just good looking.</s>LEMON: And that's not to say when they take the sound bite out of -- out of context when they say, Don Lemon is reporting violence and -- I'm not at all. No one should be attacking or looting or raiding or drawing symbols on any kind of building. That should not be happening. But I'm saying the -- it's proportionality. Right? It is context. It is nuance. None of that should be happening. But most of the -- most cities are not completely on fire. Yes, there is a -- there's a surge in crime in big cities. We're trying to figure out why. We have been discussing it. But most cities are not on fire and don't -- they don't look like the pictures that you see on state run media.</s>CUOMO: And why would he suggest that they will be? Why would he ferment when he is supposed to be --</s>LEMON: He shouldn't be because it's happening on his watch.</s>CUOMO: That's right. And why doesn't he apply the same thing. If you want to send 75,000 --</s>LEMON: Yes.</s>CUOMO: -- men and women around the country. Why not for COVID? You got hospitals over running all over the place.</s>LEMON: It doesn't help him politically.</s>CUOMO: You got people who need tracing and contacting, contract tracing and dealing with processing of tests. Where's the urgency there?</s>LEMON: It's because it doesn't exist, downplaying. And remember, wearing one of these did not help his case. Because it's right in your face that it's actually happening so he didn't want people to wear them. So --</s>CUOMO: I like the American flag on the mask.</s>LEMON: Thank you very much.</s>CUOMO: It should have been bigger and in the middle.</s>LEMON: Thank you. Well, you tell Rhobac there who send it to me. I will tell those guys.</s>CUOMO: I brought you something. You want to know what it is?</s>LEMON: What?</s>CUOMO: It's not a bad joke.</s>LEMON: OK.</s>CUOMO: A buddy of mine, who you know, makes flag art that is beautiful. Now some people will say but the flag is in pieces. It's beautiful. And I bought us each one.</s>LEMON: Really?</s>CUOMO: Yes. I'll bring it to the house.</s>LEMON: All right. I know them. Is it Peter?</s>CUOMO: Nope.</s>LEMON: No?</s>CUOMO: Buff.</s>LEMON: Huh?</s>CUOMO: Andrew.</s>LEMON: I got it. Joe. OK.</s>CUOMO: Not joe. That's big Joe you're thinking of. I'm talking about Andrew the chef.</s>LEMON: Got it. OK. Got it.</s>CUOMO: He also makes art.</s>LEMON: OK. Thank you. I have to go because my producer is like go, move. We've got to go.</s>CUOMO: It's the best part of the show. I love you, Don Lemon.</s>LEMON: I love you more. Did I send you the tweet about us?</s>CUOMO: No.</s>LEMON: Someone made like a TV show thing. I'll send it to you.</s>CUOMO: Thank you.</s>LEMON: In the commercial break. See you later. Have a good night. This is CNN TONIGHT. I'm Don Lemon. So, let me let you in on a little secret. OK? Are you listening? It's a little secret. There is no pivot. There is no new tone. There is no turning over a new leaf. No turning over a new leaf. Everyone, here's the -- there is a -- here's the secret. There is one Donald Trump and he never changes. Do not get it twisted. This is a president who even with almost 150,000 Americans dead, can't even stay on script to save American lives or his own political skin, which is what he really cares about. Let's just be honest. That's what he cares about. He just cannot do it because this is Donald Trump we're talking about and who we have been talking about for the last five years or so. The latest example continuing to push an unproven drug even though multiple studies the latest just last week, those studies find that hydroxychloroquine or as he calls it hydroxy for short, right, or his apologies hydroxy, it doesn't help coronavirus patients and it may lead to unusual heart rhythms. But none of that matters to this president who last night retweeted a video that his son Donald Trump, Jr. also thought was totally awesome, featuring a group of doctors saying hydroxychloroquine which the president loves to promote against medical advice, is a cure. That video was removed by Facebook, by Twitter and YouTube for pushing false and misleading claims. But I'm going to show you part of it to you, OK? So that you can see how the president calls -- who the president, I should say, calls an impressive, important voice on this deadly pandemic. Roll it.</s>STELLA IMMANUEL, PHYSICIAN & PASTOR: I came here to Washington, D.C. to tell America nobody needs to get sick. This virus has a cure. It is called hydroxychloroquine Zinc Azithromycin. I know you want to talk about masks. hello. You don't need mask. There is a cure.</s>LEMON: I love her accent. Those are beautiful, beautiful accent. So, who is this president listening to in Twitter videos while he disregards Dr. Anthony Fauci on this question? Well, I will let Kaitlan Collins tell you. Here it is.</s>KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Mr. President, the woman that you said was a great doctor in that video that you retweeted last night said that masks don't work and there is a cure for COVID-19. Both of which health experts say is not true. She's also made videos saying that doctors make medicine using DNA from aliens and that they are trying to create a vaccine to make you immune from becoming religious. So --</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Well, maybe it's the same, maybe it's not. But I can -- I can tell you this. She was on air along with many other doctors. They were big fans of hydroxychloroquine. And I thought she was very impressive in the sense that from where she came, I don't know which country she comes from. But she said that she's had tremendous success with hundreds of different patients. And I thought her voice was an important voice. But I know nothing about her.</s>COLLINS: Last week you said that's --</s>TRUMP: Go ahead.</s>COLLINS: Last week you said that's --</s>TRUMP: OK. Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you.</s>LEMON: Didn't like that. So, he left. Right? Maybe it's the same, maybe it's not. I don't know what that meant in that answer. But he said he didn't, you know, I don't know anything about her. Well, I know something about her. OK? She believes that demons and witches cause medical problems when they have nighttime dream sex with humans.</s>IMMANUEL: It's what we call astral sex. That means this person is not really a demon or Nephilim. It's just a human being that's a witch. And they astral project and sleep with people.</s>LEMON: Yes. Very impressive. The one who also says this.</s>IMMANUEL: We have a lady, right here. She was sitting right there. She had been fantasizing about one of the movie stars. When she came to deliverance ground, during prayer, she started screaming. Her stomach was full, she was pregnant. She started screaming. She was tearing off her clothes. She was screaming and screaming, like she was in labor. And she said, this thing came out of me. Her stomach deflated, right here, real life.</s>LEMON: Wow. I was just having flash backs from Reagan and the exorcist. Huh. So, I just -- let me play the president again after he was asked about this.</s>TRUMP: I thought her voice was an important voice, but I know nothing about her.</s>LEMON: That is probably the most Donald Trump thing ever. Important voice, I know nothing about her. I know nothing. And after saying that, the president walks off. But he left us with something else from that briefing. A clue as to why he is listening to the doctor who believes in demon sperm. I can't believe I actually said that on TV. I never thought I would say that. I never thought I would say demon sperm on international television. But anyway, why he believes in the doctor who talks about demon sperm over the top epidemiologist in the country, and that Dr. Anthony Fauci? Why he is desperate to find someone to tell him he is right no matter who it is?</s>TRUMP: And he's got this high approval rating. So, why don't I have a high approval rating with respect -- and the administration with respect to the virus? We should have a very high. Because what we've done in terms of -- we're reading off about the masks and the gowns and the ventilators and numbers that nobody has seen and the testing at 55 million tests. We tested more than anybody in the world. I have a graph and I'd love to show. Perhaps you've seen it. Where we're up here and the rest of the world is down at a level. That's just a tiny fraction of what we've done in terms of testing. So, it's sort of curious. A man works for us, with us very closely, Dr. Fauci, and Dr. Birx, also highly thought of. And yet, they are highly thought of but nobody likes me. It can only be my personality. That's all.</s>LEMON: Mommy always liked you more than me, demon sperm. That is -- that is sad. It's just sad because there's an answer by the way -- you don't have a high approval rating because you have completely botched the handling of this virus. Denying and downplaying.</s>TRUMP: It's one person coming in from China. And we have it under control. It's going to be just fine.</s>LEMON: Pushing the country to open too soon.</s>TRUMP: I'd love to have it open by Easter. OK.</s>HARRIS FAULKNER, FOX NEWS, HOST: Wow.</s>TRUMP: I would love to have it open it by Easter. I will tell you that right now. I would love to have that -- it's such an important day for other reasons. But I'll make it important for this too. I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter.</s>LEMON: OK. Encouraging people to ingest disinfectants.</s>TRUMP: I said supposing you 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? It 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: Sir? Mr. Trump? Mr. President? That's why you're not popular since that is what you seem to care about because you failed when the country needed you the most and because there is no pivot because there is no new tone because there is no turned page. You still don't get it. Case in point.</s>TRUMP: We're seeing improvement across the major metro areas and most hot spots. You can look at large portions of our country it's corona free. But we are watching very carefully California, Arizona and Texas and most of Florida. It's starting to head down in the right direction. And I think you'll see it rapidly head down very soon. But if you look, California, Arizona, Texas and for the most part most of Florida starting to head down.</s>LEMON: Corona free, except for the biggest states in the country. California, Texas, and Florida. Top three along with Arizona. That's more than 97,264,000 people. And he calls large portions of the country corona free. Every single state, every single state has reported new cases of coronavirus in the past week, the president's need to be grandiose to promote to prevaricate. It means that he is not capable of grasping reality. That is a feature, people. Not a bug. Former Vice President Joe Biden on the attack today saying people are losing faith in what this president says.</s>JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: People are losing faith in what the president says. Think about it. What the words of a president matter significantly. They can, as I said before, take us to war, they can bring peace, they can rise or cause a market to rise, they can do good thing. But people listen to what a president says. And if a president repeatedly says things that are not true, and then it comes a time when they say I have something that I think can cure you but it could really hurt you. You're not going to listen to the guy who says that's been lying to you a long way.</s>LEMON: Joe Biden today. Mark this on your calendar, everyone, demon sperm. Our White House correspondent is Kaitlan Collins who joins us now live at the White House. Good evening, Kaitlan. President clearly not happy that you pressed him on that doctor's credibility.</s>COLLINS: I mean, Don, it wasn't clear that he knew what she had said in the past. Because when he even asked by a previous reporter, you know, he talked about what an impressive doctor she was. He said he was confused why that video was taken down off of YouTube and twitter and Facebook. But when I brought up the things that she said in the past and I didn't even get into the half of it really, that's when the president said that he still found her to be an important voice but then he said I don't know her. And that's often something you hear from the president when he is confronted with something, they've said that could be problematic as, including when it's a pandemic and he is promoting something she said to 84 million followers. That's when he seems to start to backed off a bit. But he had defended retweeting this sentiment that contradicted things that he had even said, talking about wearing a mask, things of that nature. Of course, what really this doctor had said in this video did not go with anything that any of his own health experts have said. And so that's when you know it comes to this question of who is the president listening to, and the White House has pushes back on that and says he is listening to all of his medical experts. Well, he's also listening to random people on Twitter who he doesn't even know their background and he's amplifying what they're saying. And so that's why the question is, you know, where is the president getting this information from?</s>LEMON: Kaitlan Collins, that's a good question. Where? Thank you, Kaitlan. I appreciate that. Each day gets more surreal, more unbelievable than the last. This is where we are. Dr. Fauci in the meantime with some tough talk tonight about reopening schools. And parents and teachers may have a lot of questions about what he says. I'm going to ask the former CDC director, Dr. Thomas Frieden. He is next.