Anderson Cooper 360

CDC Director Robert Redfield told a Senate Committee he thinks a Covid-19 vaccine won’t be available to the American public until the late second quarter or third quarter of 2021. When asked about Redfield’s comments, President Trump said he was “confused” and “made a mistake” and then went on to claim a vaccine could be ready by October. The CDC later said Redfield misunderstood the questions during the hearing and his 2021 vaccine comment was when all Americans would be vaccinated. Dr. Eric Topol, Executive Vice President at Scripps Research, tells Anderson Cooper he believes Dr. Redfield was telling the truth and “it’s like a circus act in the midst of an important pandemic.” Plus, Michael Caputo, the top spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, who claimed, without evidence, the CDC has a “resistance unit” to work against the President, announced he’s taking a two-month "medical leave of absence” following his apology for the conspiracy-laden rant. Anthony Scaramucci, former White House Communications Director joins AC360 to react to Caputo’s comments and says when it’s corrupt at the top, it spills over into everybody.

Airdate: September 16, 2020

Guests:

Dr. Eric Topol

Anthony Scaramucci

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Bob Woodward interviewed President Trump 18 times for his new book “Rage.” Trump talked to Woodward about a wide variety of topics from his handling of Covid-19 saying “nothing more could have been done” to meeting with the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, saying “what do we have to lose?” Bob Woodward joins AC360 to explain why after all his interviews with Trump and others in his administration, he thinks “Trump is the wrong man for the job.”

Airdate: September 15, 2020

Guest:

Bob Woodward

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When speaking to Bob Woodward back in April when nearly 30,000 Americans had already died from Covid-19, President Trump admitted that the virus “is a killer if it gets you. If you’re the wrong person, you don’t have a chance.” Meanwhile, he was telling the public the country needs to reopen and the return of live sports. Carl Bernstein, journalist, author and CNN Political Analyst, joins AC360 to react to the President’s comments and says “we’re witnessing a homicidal president.” Plus, a top spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services claimed, without evidence, the Center for Disease Control has a “resistance unit” to work against Trump. Michael Caputo, a defender of the President, made these claims after sources told CNN he and his team demanded to see weekly CDC documents before they were released. Dr. Tom Frieden, former Director at the CDC, tells Anderson Cooper the virus responds to “science-driven action” and what we’re seeing is “an attempt to meddle with science.”

Airdate: September 14, 2020

Guests: 

Carl Bernstein

Dr. Tom Frieden

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New Covid-19 projection: 415,000 deaths by January 1

As the U.S. Covid-19 death toll nears 200,000, an influential model projects nearly 415,000 deaths by January 1. That number decreases to around 298,000 if there is 95% universal mask wearing. Right now mask use is slipping below 45%. Dr. Chris Murray is the director of the group at the University of Washington that’s been working on these models throughout the pandemic. He joins AC360 to explain how important mask wearing is and predicts the U.S. will see a “deadly December.” Plus, in August after NBA players boycotted their playoff games following the shooting of Jacob Blake, the Black man who was shot seven times in the back by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Kenny Smith, former NBA champion and Analyst for Inside the NBA on TNT, walked off the set saying “as a black man, as a former player, I think it's best for me to support the players and just not be here tonight.” He tells Anderson Cooper sometimes you need to talk about the march but other times you need to join the march and he said he thought it was a “join the march moment.”

Airdate: September 11, 2020

Guests:

Dr. Chris Murray

Kenny Smith

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Bob Woodward’s new book, “Rage,” reveals President Trump admitted in early February he knew just how dangerous, highly contagious, and "deadly" the coronavirus was weeks before there was the first confirmed case in the United States. Then in March, Trump told Woodward “I wanted to always play it down” yet the White House is saying “the President never downplayed the virus.” Dr. Craig Spencer is the Director of Global Health in Emergency Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center and has been on the frontlines of this deadly virus in New York City for months. He joins AC360 to react to Trump’s comments and says “I’m furious because many of those deaths didn’t need to happen if we took the right steps early on and got prepared like we needed to and the President clearly knew we needed to.”  Woodward’s book also claims an aide to former Defense Secretary James Mattis heard the President say in a meeting "my f---ing generals are a bunch of p***ies" because they cared more about alliances than trade deals. Retired Lt. Gen. James Clapper served as Director of National Intelligence under President Obama and is a CNN National Security Analyst. He tells Anderson Cooper these comments are “just more stunning reinforcement of the President’s real distain for the military.”

Airdate: September 9, 2020

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President Trump is back on the campaign trail days after the bombshell Atlantic report claiming he disparaged the military. In several conversations since the story was published, Trump has adamantly denied the comments and bragged about what he’s done for the military. Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, a U.S. Army veteran who lost both her legs while serving in Iraq, joins AC360 to react to the President’s alleged comments. She says if you set aside the article that nobody disbelieves because it’s very consistent with who Donald Trump is, “he’s done a number of other things that are very consistent that shows that he is not fit to be Commander-in-Chief.” Plus, nine vaccine makers have signed a joint safety pledge in the race for a Covid-19 vaccine. The pledge says they will uphold “high ethical standard,” suggesting they won’t seek premature government approval. President Trump has frequently pushed for a fast vaccine timeline, even hinting there would be one before Election Day. William Haseltine, Chair and President of ACCESS Health International, tells Anderson Cooper “a rush to a vaccine without due caution is a very dangerous thing.”

Airdate: September 8, 2020

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