As Virus Resurges, GOP Suddenly Embraces Covid Vaccine; DOJ Launches New Initiative Deaths to Curb Surging Gun Violence; Cases Rising Among Unvaccinated in Hot Spots Across U.S.; PDeaths arents Concerned About Schools Reopening Without Mask Mandates. Aired 3:30-4p ET
Aired July 22, 2021 – 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:30:00]
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: New CNN reporting out nowadays, nearly half of House Republicans still will now not say publicly if they’re vaccinated. By CNN’s count, 97 GOP lawmakers might not share their popularity. Some say that they don’t have a duty to model conduct to their components.
Now we recognise that some Congressional Republicans are doing an approximately face and publicly encouraging vaccines. Some of them held a news conference to explain why they may be vaccinated, and Minority Whip Steve Scalise is considered one of them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, query for Rep. Scalise, you have been recently vaccinated. You were given your first dose this weekend. Why did you Deaths wait so long? And have all of the rest of you been vaccinated as nicely?
REP. STEVE SCALISE (R-LA): First of all, I had executed the antibody take a look at months in the past and tested high-quality for the antibodies. And so surely that offers you protection. But with the delta variant, I felt I desired that extra degree of safety. And ultimately, if anyone in America, I could encourage humans to get the vaccine. I have high confidence in it. I got it myself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: With us now, we’ve “Washington Post” columnist Max Boot and Carl Cameron. He’s the previous leader political correspondent at Fox News and the cofounder of Front Page Live. Great to look both of you. Gentlemen, Carl, I want to begin with you.
And before we get to what is going on on Capitol Hill, I simply want to get your tackle what’s going on at Fox. Because Sean Hannity stated something on Monday night that were given all of our interest. After he were skeptical of COVID, he’d called it a hoax months in the past, on Monday night he gave what seemed like an enthusiastic endorsement of the vaccinations. So listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: Please take COVID critically. I can’t say it enough. Enough human beings have died. We don’t need any greater deaths. Research like crazy. Talk in your physician.
I accept as true with in the technology. I trust inside the technological know-how of vaccination.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: Carl, that is absolutely different than the manner — the tact the primary took with COVID. And so, what do you think goes on?
[15:35:00]
What changed this week that modified the attitude of some of the Fox hosts?
CARL CAMERON, CO-FOUNDER, FRONT PAGE LIVE: I think the information of the spikes which are growing because of the delta variant and the truth that there may be the actual possibility of step forward infections for the ones who have already been vaccinated. We’ve heard of this inside the ultimate week that each the Speaker of the House’s office, a person there has had a breakthrough infection and at the White House.
So, I think they are figuring out that it is time type of get on the right aspect of the technological know-how instead of having been on the side of propaganda that puts their constituents, their families and the overall population susceptible to demise.
CAMEROTA: I imply glaringly no longer all of the hosts sense that way. Tucker Carlson has no longer gotten on board with some thing this new attitude is that we pay attention from a number of the hosts about the vaccinations. And so, do you observed in part they simply did the math and they found out that some of the human beings maximum at hazard are their own viewers in some of the reddest states also are the least vaccinated?
CAMERON: I suppose it is a bit little bit of that. I additionally assume that they recognize that international folks who get vaccinated are higher off. And finally their constituents, their fans, whether it’s social media, cable tv, all of it, that it’s just surely wrong and that the time has come to get vaccines. I think that they understand that it is terrible politics to put your electorate in jeopardy. And that is what they’ve performed. And specifically with the conservative media on cable, and that is Fox, the One America Network and Newsmax and such things as that, however also on social media.
And the problem with all of this is we’ve free speech, and it does not entirely consist of mendacity. It’s a cliche, but we say you cannot scream fire in a crowded movie residence due to the fact it really is demanding the peace. And that is a misdemeanor and you can get arrested for it.
BLACKWELL: So, Max, you already know, it’s lengthy beyond time for the fact on vaccines despite the fact that we’re seeing this about face from Fox hosts, we are seeing it from Congressional Republicans. Is it too overdue? I mean has all this congealed for conservatives who are anti-vax.
CAMERON: Well, I assume it is —
BLACKWELL: Let’s supply it to Max. MAX BOOT, COLUMNIST, THE WASHINGTON POST: I think it is too overdue to persuade a whole lot of conservatives to take the vaccine. You’re definitely seeing anti-vaccine sentiment is rising on the right despite the proof displaying that over ninety nine percentage of COVID deaths are from unvaccinated people. Despite that there is a lot of disinformation at the proper. For example, there has been a brand new poll that got here out that showed approximately a 3rd of all Republicans assume that vaccines are being used to implant microchips in humans. I suggest it’s just crazy.
But this form of insanity is lamentably being fed by means of Fox in spite of what Sean Hannity said, you have Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham and produce other hosts. You have essential Republican leaders in Congress who’re all feeding this anti-vaccine disinformation.
And it is why what I argued in the “Washington Post” this week is forestall pleading with the right and begin mandating vaccines for folks that want to fly, who need to visit shops, who want to go to eating places, who want to go to indoor spaces. If you need to just live at domestic and be unvaccinated, it is cool, this is on you. But you do not have a right to hazard other human beings via going out in public unvaccinated. The chance right now’s just too excessive. We want to be the use of vaccine passports which Republicans hold complaining about but which we’re now not honestly utilising to the extent that we ought to be.
BLACKWELL: But Max, they’re doing extra than complaining about them, the Republican governors are signing government orders which can be banning
vaccine passports. You realize that most Republican governors are not going to require a vaccine to get into a eating place or film theater. So how is that a manageable plan moving forward to require them?
BOOT: Well, I assume it’s going to nevertheless make a difference if President Biden comes out in desire of vaccine passports for starters. Companies can mandate that proper now even in pink states. Wherever they are they could mandate that in case you need to save of their save, if you want to go to their office, you need to be vaccinated.
Also, President Biden and the FAA can order all airlines to demand evidence of vaccination or a negative COVID take a look at earlier than permitting all and sundry to fly. Even in crimson states human beings want to get on airplanes, they want to move locations. So, I suppose there may be plenty that may be completed and I’m simply puzzled with the aid of why the Biden management isn’t always getting in the back of vaccine passports that’s something that different nations, France and different international locations in Europe are going right now and they’re overtaking us in the share of folks that are vaccinated.
CAMEROTA: I suppose they’ve been looking to use the carrot in place of the stick. But we’ll see if this is going to paintings as the delta variant rages.
Gentlemen, top notch to peer you, Max Boot, Carl Cameron, thanks both for the insight.
BLACKWELL: Thank you, gents.
So, Attorney General Merrick Garland, he is on his manner to Chicago to sell the Justice Department’s new anti-gun trafficking initiative. We’re going to take you there live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:40:00]
CAMEROTA: Attorney General Merrick Garland is on his manner to Chicago to push the Justice Department’s new anti-gun trafficking initiative. The Biden administration is facing growing strain to deal with rising crime costs national.
BLACKWELL: CNN’s Omar Jimenez is in Chicago, one of the five towns the initiative will attention on. Omar, what do you understand about the A.G.’s plan?
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Victor and Alisyn, that is a plan to disrupt gun trafficking networks. So basically, we are going past those which can be pulling the triggers of those guns and seeking to get to the resources of in which they may be getting them within the first area.
So, as you cited that is going to goal 5 towns particularly, it truly is Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. All cities that have visible great rises in violence in comparison to pre-pandemic stages. And all acknowledged corridors according to the Department of Justice for unlawful gun trafficking, and that is exactly what this initiative is aiming to disrupt.
As I mentioned, the general intention, but, is to better coordinate federal, kingdom and local law enforcement organizations. Now right here in Chicago in conversations I’ve had with the mayor, she instructed me that those multijurisdictional strike forces are precisely what she’s requested for from President Biden and what she’s heard other mayors have requested for as properly.
Ahead of his visit, Attorney General Merrick Garland has said that numerous times in those conditions, in these shootings, the guns located come from masses or maybe over one thousand miles away. And so it truly is the dynamic they are trying to target in this. And while you look at the stakes of course the numbers were growing due to the fact 2019, as I referred to, however especially right here in Chicago despite a few improvements homicide remains up, compares forty eight percent as compared to pre- pandemic tiers. And just last night time we had three separate mass shootings. So, the stakes are excessive with lots of work to be finished.
BLACKWELL: Absolutely, Omar Jimenez for us there in Chicago. Thank you, Omar.
CAMEROTA: So, faculty is starting in only weeks in some states. And many parents are dealing with a difficult desire. And it truly is whether to ship their kids again to highschool in locations that aren’t mandating masks and wherein youngsters cannot be vaccinated yet. What do you do?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:45:00] CAMEROTA: Schools are scrambling to come up with COVID safety protocols as they put together to reopen. Today the Atlanta Public School District simply announced it will require all students and personnel to wear masks.
BLACKWELL: Now we understand a few states have banned masks mandates, and parents across the us of a do not know if it is safe to ship their children into classrooms. Kami Galvani is one of those mother and father, she became geared up to send her 3 children again to school in Phoenix, however now she’s reconsidering due to the fact there is no mask mandate in Arizona.
[15:50:00
Kami, thank you for being with us. Not only is there no mask mandate, but the governor signed a regulation that bans masks mandates for colleges. You’ve got a fourth grader quickly to be and shortly-to-be twin sons going to the first grade. How are you feeling about that?
KAMI GALVANI, MOTHER OF THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN: Very worried and upset.
CAMEROTA: So, what is making you apprehensive? I mean are mask elective at your school? Could you ship your kids to high school masked even though the alternative kids are not?
GALVANI: Definitely, yes, masks are non-compulsory, so, I suggest, I guess that is one advantageous issue. There is not a ban on mask, however, you know, based on what I recognise about people in the network I’m quite frightened that my children can be inside the minority inside the school that they may be going to be attending. And so, you recognize, you understand what’s truely disappointing is that, you understand, we stored our children home from school and did on-line training all ultimate 12 months and I’ve watched the numbers carefully and watched what was occurring in the schools.
And, you already know, the faculties did a pretty precise job of putting safety measures into area and mask had been a big a part of that, and we have been virtually comforted to see that that appeared to work, so we were clearly — we were set. We were all geared up to head lower back to highschool, the youngsters were excited. And then the masks went away. And, you realize, from what I apprehend that become — it is the most important cause that faculties did not have outbreaks, and now — and now they’re long past. And so, you realize, I’m simply anxious, which you recognize, we labored so tough to keep our kids safe all final 12 months and now we’re confronted with some other tough choice, and, you realize, frankly I even have — I actually have decision fatigue, you recognize.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
GALVANI: Yes. It’s exhausting.
BLACKWELL: Yes, I understand that you may send your children to school with mask but of route, what we know commonly approximately the masks that it keeps someone who has the virus from spreading it, so it is the opposite youngster potentially with it that need to wear the masks. So, what’s the plan from the college to shield your children if vaccines are not required and your children are not even old enough to get a vaccine and there may be no masks mandate, what’s the plan?
GALVANI: I suppose there isn’t always one. I imply, I think they’re going to do hand washing which, you understand, we recognise is a piece of hygiene theater at this factor, but, you know, there’s not anything they can do. I mean, in our faculty district there are 25 to 30 children in a room so six ft of distance this is not an option, you know, and no mask mandate.
I’m positive there might not be a vaccine requirement and so I don’t assume that they may be going to do some thing. I suppose the governor has decided that all of that is a non-public desire and, you recognize, I realize that lots of parents are going to mention, tremendous, I’m going to have my youngster now not wear a masks. And my largest concern is that mother and father who fall into that camp are the same parents who themselves don’t want to get a vaccine and so, you understand, they’re going to be exposed and they could disclose their youngsters who can then come to high school and expose everybody else.
And so, yes, I can ship my children to highschool masked but as you noted, you know, that does a better job of protective different humans in place of the mask-wearer, and so, yes, it’s a without a doubt tough preference.
CAMEROTA: It is a certainly hard preference due to the fact we additionally realize the studies that youngsters have felt remoted who had been domestic this beyond yr and it has taken a mental health toll on them, and so I’m certain which you’re, you realize, considering all of that, too. We only have a few seconds left.
GALVANI: Sure.
CAMEROTA: But have you made a decision that it’s on balance it’s more secure to have them at home?
GALVANI: We have now not decided. We still haven’t determined. School starts offevolved in two weeks.
CAMEROTA: Wow. Well, Kami, we Deaths experience for you. We feel for you, and I’m now not sure there may be a right solution here or a playbook to follow however we’re thinking of you, and thanks for sharing your circle of relatives’s predicament moving forward with us. You’re not by myself.
GALVANI: Thank you.
CAMEROTA: There are quite a few families to your boat. So, Kami Galvani, we clearly respect some time.
BLACKWELL: Thank you, Kami.
So, the CDC director warns that the U.S. is at every other pivotal point within the coronavirus pandemic. The today’s from the recent spots across the us of a. We have that for you subsequent.
CAMEROTA: But, Deaths first, a brief programming word. Be positive to trap the all new “JERUSALEM, CITY OF FAITH AND FURY.” Learn how the town’s human beings pay the final charge while 3 empires collide. That’s Sunday night time at 10:00 p.m. jap most effective on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:55:00]
BLACKWELL: All right. So, you could add brief shorts now and cardboard beds to the list of Olympic controversies.
CAMEROTA: Listen to this, Welsh sprinter and double Paralympic international champion Olivia Breen was sporting — and may you notice them right here — opposition briefs at an occasion remaining weekend while a female legitimate said her briefs had been, quote, too short and irrelevant.
BLACKWELL: Meantime Norway’s seaside handball crew became fined after its girls’s team wore shorts in place of bikini bottoms at a championship in shape in Bulgaria.
CAMEROTA: OK, so which one is it, so one were given in trouble for sporting bikini bottoms and now not shorts and the others were given in hassle for sporting shorts and now not bikini bottoms.
BLACKWELL: Keep the main factor the principle aspect. We’re right here to play volleyball and what’s the opposite sport?
CAMEROTA: I do not know, I’ve truely forgotten. What changed into the long leap?
BLACKWELL: Let’s consciousness, handball. Yes.
CAMEROTA: Women’s handball and the long jump.
BLACKWELL: I don’t care if you put on sweatpants and Birkenstocks, simply play.
CAMEROTA: Well, form of, I suggest I experience if you have our bodies like theirs, the much less garments the better.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
CAMEROTA: That’s my feeling.
BLACKWELL: All proper.
CAMEROTA: OK, then there are the beds for the Olympic athletes. They are made from cardboard. 2016 U.S. Olympic Medalist Paul Chelimo posted his concept.
This as geared toward warding off intimacy among athletes.
Social media went berserk.
BLACKWELL: So, that is what I love approximately when I become studying this, the concept — and studying this from our reporting — that the beds with cardboard frames could be for anti-intercourse functions and could collapse beneath the burden of more become fast debunked through an athlete. I flipped like, how did they do it? She jumped at the mattress.
(LAUGHTER)
CAMEROTA: She became leaping at the mattress. I see where you thoughts went, Victor.
BLACKWELL:Sorry, guys. “The Lead’ with Pamela Brown, who’s in for Jake Tapper, starts offevolved right now.