Anderson Cooper 360

President Trump forcefully denied a report in The Atlantic magazine that claimed he disparaged U.S. service members killed in battle. The report also alleges that Trump chose to skip a ceremony honoring veterans and said “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” Trump said the allegations are a hoax and nobody feels more strongly about our soldiers and veterans than he does. CNN has not been able to independently confirm The Atlantic’s report. Maj. General Paul Eaton joins AC360 to react to the report and says this President doesn’t understand the nature of respect and says he has to go. Plus, an influential Covid-19 model says there will be 410,000 coronavirus deaths in the next four months if mask use wanes despite President Trump saying we’re “rounding the corner.” William Haseltine, Chair and President of ACCESS Health International joins AC360 to react to the latest projections. 

Airdate: September 4, 2020

Guests:

Maj. General Paul Eaton (Ret.)

William Haseltine

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Joe Biden traveled to Wisconsin to speak with Jacob Blake’s family and community leaders in Kenosha. Biden also spoke with Jacob Blake, the Black Wisconsin man who was shot seven times in the back by a police officer, about faith and Blake’s determination to not give up. Benjamin Crump, the Blake family attorney, joins AC360 to discuss how the family’s visit with Biden went and says “the meeting was hopeful, spiritual and at times very substantive.” Plus, seven Rochester police officers have been suspended over the death of Daniel Prude back in March. Prude, a Black man, died after he was pinned to the ground on his stomach. Video released shows officers covering the man’s head with a “spit sock” and holding him on the ground before he stopped breathing. Charles Ramsey, former Philadelphia Police Commissioner, walks AC360 through the disturbing video 

Airdate: September 3, 2020

Guests:

Benjamin Crump

Charles Ramsey

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has told states across the country to prepare for a possible Covid-19 vaccine as soon as late October. Robert Redfield, the Director of the CDC, says his agency is preparing for one or more coronavirus vaccines to be ready by the end of the year. Saskia Popescu is an Infectious Disease Epidemiologist and she tells AC360 this is “extremely concerning” and “very premature.” Plus, President Trump claimed there was a flight to Washington that was “almost completely loaded with thugs wearing these dark uniforms” set on causing destruction in the streets during the Republican National Convention. Attorney General William Barr said authorities were tracking people who had flown from city to city to stir up violence but said Trump was speaking “in general terms.” Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu is one of two House Democrats who sent a letter to FBI Director Chris Wray asking if the FBI has been tasked with investigating the theory. He joins AC360 and says Barr was once again “making stuff up” because the President was very specific about the details. 

Airdate: September 2, 2020

Guests: 

Saskia Popescu

Rep. Ted Lieu

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At a roundtable event during President Trump’s visit to Kenosha, he neither addressed systematic racism nor met with Jacob Blake’s family, the Black man who was shot seven times by a police officer in Kenosha. The only two Black people in attendance were two pastors for Jacob Blake’s mother. They were asked whether they believe police violence was a systematic issue and the President interjected saying, “I don't believe that. I think the police do an incredible job and I think you do have some bad apples." Justin Blake, Jacob Blake’s uncle, joins AC360 to react to the President’s comments and says “he’s a lying president—racial things he said invoked and empowered police officers all over the country to reign down hate upon African Americans.” Plus, a National Institutes of Health panel says there’s no evidence backing the use of convalescent plasma to treat Covid-19 despite the FDA issuing an emergency use authorization just a week prior and the President declaring it a historic breakthrough. Dr. Eric Topol, Executive Vice President at Scripps Research, disagreed with Trump and the FDA. He wrote a letter to Dr. Stephen Hahn, the FDA Commissioner, telling him he should either tell the truth or resign. He tells AC360 he doesn’t expect Dr. Hahn to hold a press conference and tell the truth.

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President Trump refused to denounce the actions of his supporters in Portland and Wisconsin. Trump also said Kyle Rittenhouse, who is facing homicide charges as well as a felony charge for attempted homicide, “probably would have been killed” had he not fatally shot two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The President warned Americans that the violence they’re seeing in cities right now is what a Biden presidency would be like. Van Jones, former Special Adviser to President Obama and a CNN Political Commentator, tells Anderson Cooper Trump loves to act like the tough guy but he often is whining and complaining.  Plus, Trump also went into a lengthy defense apparently aimed at police officers who he says “choke” and went on to say, “We don’t want to have, when somebody makes a mistake, he chokes, or in some cases you have bad cops, we have to take care of that. In other cases they choke. They’re under – they have a quarter of a second. A quarter of a second to make a decision, and sometimes they make the wrong decision. If they make the wrong decision you know if they make the wrong decision in the other direction they’re probably dead.” Charles Ramsey, former Philadelphia Police Commissioner joins AC360 to react to the President’s comments and says he thinks it’s a “slap in the face to the men and women across the country who face danger every single day and believe me, they do not choke.”

Airdate: August 31, 2020

Guests:

Van Jones

Charles Ramsey

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Jacob Blake, a Black Wisconsin resident who was shot seven times in the back by a White police officer who tried to detain him in Kenosha, is no longer handcuffed to his hospital bed after a warrant for his arrest was vacated. Blake is paralyzed from the waist down and family members said seeing him shackled to the hospital bed was heartbreaking. Jacob Blake Sr. was in Washington, D.C. for the March on Washington and told the crowd, “And we're not taking it anymore, I ask everyone to stand up. No justice, no peace!" He joins AC360 to give an update on his son and says his son asked him why he was shot so many times. Plus, Mary Trump, President Trump’s niece, has new audio recordings of her aunt Maryanne Trump Barry, President Trump’s sister, talking about her brother and his family. She tells Anderson Cooper the reason she secretly recorded these conversations was to protect herself and she understands “how this family operates and you need to bring receipts.” 

Airdate: August 28, 2020

Guests: 

Jacob Blake Sr.

Mary Trump

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