Skip to main content

tv   Anderson Cooper 360  CNN  February 27, 2020 5:00pm-6:00pm PST

5:00 pm
both so [ bleep ] close to water. >> reporter: but it allowed us to get so ultra close to a candidate we could hear her gulp. jeanne moos, cnn, new york. >> thanks for joining us. "ac 360" starts now. good evening. we begin with the latest in the coronavirus, its impact and the administration's response to it. we learned late today about a whistle-blower complaint alleging that federal health workers who were sent in late january to help receive the first american coronavirus evacuees were not given the right infection control training or protective gear. now if the whistle-blower's complaint is correct, it's a sign of just how problematic the u.s. response has been. we're talking about federal employees ordered to help process americans evacuated from wuhan, china, ground zero of the outbreak. american federal employees who were going to be -- the people who were evacuated, they were going to be sent directly into quarantine. and these federal employees
5:01 pm
didn't have protective gear, according to the whistle-blower, despite being face-to-face with potential infected patients. we'll have more on that in a moment. also today, we learned new federal guidelines after it was revealed that the first american patient believed to have caught the disease here had to wait days to be tested for it. and there is late word as well on what the public is told and by whom. it all now has to go through the vice president's office. "the new york times" reporting that dr. anthony fauci, the face of so many public health emergencies over the years has been told by the white house not to speak out without clearance. and then of course there is the financial impact the virus continues to have. [ closing bell ] the dow industrials losing nearly 1200 points on the day, more than 3200 so far this week. the trump administration claims that they are ready for anything. wall street it seems has its doubts. a sign perhaps that yesterday's press conference by the president didn't convince many. it was after all heavy on happy
5:02 pm
talk and self congratulation, more heavy on that than it was on facts. >> we have through some very good early decision, decisions that were actually ridiculed at the beginning, and we did it very early. a lot of people thought we shouldn't have done it that early, and we did, and it turned out to be a very good thing. because of all we've done, the risk to the american people remains very low. the vaccine is coming along well, and we have a total of 15 cases, many of which within a day i will tell you most of whom are fully recovered. i think that's really a pretty impressive mark. and, again, when you have 15 people and a 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, that's a pretty good job we've done. and, again, we've had tremendous success, tremendous success beyond what people would have thought. >> well, keeping him honest, some of the president's optimism
5:03 pm
was belied moments later by his own experts. here is anthony fauci, approved to speak apparently on a vaccine which is close. >> although this is the fastest we have ever gone from a sequence of a virus to a trial, it still would not be any applicable to the epidemic unless we really wait about a year to a year and a half. >> there is another top expert adding a reality check to the president's suggestion the outbreak here is already dying out. >> our aggressive containment strategy here in the united states has been working and is responsible for the low levels of cases that we have so far. however, we do expect more cases. and this is a good time to prepare. >> the president just said it would be down to zero. vice president pence, who is now overseeing administration response repeated today that they are ready for anything. but that's certainly not the message that the acting head of homeland security sent when he
5:04 pm
appeared before the senate just two days ago. he didn't seem to realize or believe, perhaps, that the spread and response of to the coronavirus might actually fall under homeland security. here he is being questioned by republican senator john kennedy. >> head of homeland security. do we have enough respirators or not? >> for patients? i don't understand the question. >> for everybody. for every american who needs one who gets the disease. >> again, i would refer you to hhs on that. my budget supports -- >> you're supposed to -- >> my -- >> you're the secretary of homeland security. >> yes, sir. >> and you can't tell me if we have enough respirators? >> for the entire american public? >> no, i would say probably not. >> okay. how short are we? >> i don't have that number offhand, senator. i will get that for you. >> but i want to be sure i understand. somebody. >> yes, sir. >> is doing modeling. >> yes, sir. >> on how many cases we're anticipating? >> yes, sir. you're asking me a number of
5:05 pm
medical questions that hhs are focusing on. >> secretary of homeland security, and you're supposed to keep us safe. >> yes, sir. >> and you need to know the answers to these questions. >> certainly someone needs to know. ignorance doesn't kill viruses and wishful thinking or vague happy talk won't contain outbreaks or reassure investors or employers or any of us. with that in mind, listen to what the president had to say just before air time tonight. >> it's going to disappear one day. it's like a miracle. it will disappear. from our shores, it could get worse before it gets better. it could maybe go away. we'll see what happens. nobody really knows. >> one other indication of the president's approach comes in reporting from "the new york times" on the president's choice of vice president pence to be point man on the outbreak. "the times" citing a few people familiar with the president's comments he told people the vice president, quote, didn't have anything else to do, unquote. let's go now to cnn's john harwood who sat the white house,
5:06 pm
got some reporting over his own on the vice president as well as details about the presidential press conference. john, let's start than. what are you learning about the hours leading up to the president's press conference last night? how engaged was he? what kind of informs was he getting from his advisers? >> it was pretty chaotic, anderson. we advisers have been trying to give the president broad brush strokes about the situation because they know he is somewhat inattentive to detail. the problem is when he hears detail from others who are alarmed by the details, he gets angry about that. he had been blaming alex azar in the hours moving up to that press conference. the other problem, though, is he has difficulty accepting that adverse developments happen on his watch. he either pretends that they're not that bad, as we saw in some of the clips that you played, or he deflects responsibility on others. and if you want to know how that went over with the american public, it wasn't just the
5:07 pm
market reaction the last couple of days. during the press conference, the futures market went down while the president was speaking. they were not persuaded. >> did health and human secretary alex azar know that the president was going to put vice president pence in charge? >> no. and it's not sure how much notice vice president pence had either. remember, during the afternoon, ahead of that press conference, the administration had on the record denied that they were going to have a new czar to coordinate response on coronavirus, and we saw the pushback from alex azar in the press conference itself when he pointed out that i'm still the chairman of the task force. but while the president was there, and then you had this awkward situation today when the first meeting of that task force after the press conference occurred on azar's turf at hhs, pence was there. he ostensibly was in charge of it. but alex azar spoke first. >> the vice president announced he has brought on an additional doctor to be the coronavirus
5:08 pm
response coordinator for the white house in addition to himself and azar. is it clear who is in charge? >> no, it's certainly not clear who is in charge. however, the appointment of deborah burks, who is a respected official who had been leading global anti-aids efforts for the united states under multiple presidents, started with president obama in that role, has continued under president trump, that is considered a positive step forward by the administration to get her expertise applied to this problem. >> and any reaction -- obviously the president watching the stock market closely. any reaction from the white house about today's drop? >> well, the president doesn't like those drops. but what we've seen again, deflect the blame on others, blame democrats. he was asked about that this evening. are we headed for a recession? he said well, we're really going to have a crash if the democrats take over. i asked a senior white house aide this afternoon. has anybody really warned the president that we could be heading for a recession in his reelection year that would be a
5:09 pm
huge problem. the aide responded, well, that's been on television a lot. i assume he's picked it up from there. john harwood at the white house, thank you very much. joining us john blumenthal, democrat of connecticut. the president saying earlier just before air that this may kind of naturally disappear from our shores. i don't really know what he is talking about. i guess he has previously said maybe in april, it might dissipate, which is sars went down during april. obviously the is a novel coronavirus. it's one we haven't seen before. we're not even sure how different it is from other coronaviruses. so it's not clear if like the flu or colds, it might dissipate in warmer weather. but we can't say for sure one way or the other. >> there is really deepening bipartisan alarm at this happy talk, the intent of the administration to clamp down on information and control the
5:10 pm
message more than keeping people safe. they talk about a miracle, dispelling the threat of a major epidemic in this country. what we need is not happy talk, but action and the kind of resource, swift, strategic, smart responses and preparedness that depends on science. and now we have the administration in effect cens censoring dr. fauci who would talk truth to the american people not to panic them, but simply to inform them and make sure that they do trust our government to do the right thing, provide those masks, the equipment, the vaccine, but also the diagnostic tests that are essential. >> what is surreal to me about that press conference last night is what the president is saying in that, and then his own officials are saying well, actually, the virus, a vaccine might take a year, a year and a half. actually, the president says it's going to go down to zero from the 15 cases, and then his
5:11 pm
own expert is saying, well, we expect this actually to go up. >> the administration has really hollowed out the national security advisers who know something about biodefense. >> do you think that's really what we're seeing here? this is part of the hollowing out? the administration has been hollowed out from the inside? >> the administration has hollowed out its national security staff and it has dismantled the building blocks of mental health. it has sought to slash the cdc and the nih. the amount of funding it's proposed, $2.5 billion is tremendously inadequate. and there is agreement on both sides of the aisle that we need a bipartisan approach here. and now is the time the end of happy talk, the end of political name-calling. >> it's also we have so many jobs that are unfilled in the administration, acting secretaries, you know, to avoid people actually going through confirmation hearings which could be difficult for some of them given their experience or lack of experience.
5:12 pm
to see the acting head of homeland security who had jobs in homeland security under kirstjen nielsen, i think was a lobbyist for 11 years before that on homeland security issues and other things and prior to that had some prior experience, but the idea that he basically is saying that's kind of a cdc/hhs thing, this is clearly -- if there is a pandemic in the country, that is a homeland security issue. >> it is a homeland security issue, and it requires a whole of government all hands on deck approach, just as president obama did with ebola, appointing someone responsible directly to him, facing the truth, dealing with facts, talking truth to the american people. and that's the kind of leadership that's required here. but instead, we have denial. it's denial of science, censoring scientists, and in effect putting people in charge
5:13 pm
who are totally unqualified or who lack the facts, as you saw in that exchange between my colleague, senator kennedy, a republican and the acting secretary. >> vice president pence has been appointed again for somebody who hasn't really embraced science, i'm not sure many scientists would be impressed. and he has a record. there was an outbreak of hiv linked to intravenous drug use when he was governor of indiana. he was criticized for not responding to it and responding much later on. >> he has also questioned the science around smoking, whether it causes diseases. if you were to pick someone in the united states government right now to perform that role, the last person or one of the last would be secretary -- the vice president. he really should not be in that role. it ought to be someone with the credibility and the expertise so as to restore trust.
5:14 pm
and i come back to the first point that i made. public trust in public health is absolutely critical. >> senator blumenthal, i appreciate your time. thank you very much. coming up next, a doctor's view on how prepared we really are for the coronavirus and answers some of our questions. we're joined by sanjay gupta. and saturday's voting in south carolina. >> "anderson cooper 360" brought to you by fidelity investments. clarity at every step. one that covers health care costs, taxes, and any other uncertainties. because when you're with fidelity, a partner who makes sure every step is clear, there's nothing to stop you from moving forward.
5:15 pm
a partner who makes sure every step is clear, nefrom maybelline new york.ra the look of a lash lift without the salon hassle. double-curved lifting brush. long, lifted volume. ♪ new falsies lash lift mascara. only from maybelline new york. which is why when it comes to his dentures only new poligrip cushion and comfort will do. the first and only formula with adaptagrip cushioning technology. choose new poligrip cushion and comfort. fred would do anything for his daughter! get in fred! even if it means being the back half of a unicorn. fear not fred! the front half washed his shirt with gain detergent. that's the scent that puts the giddy in giddy up! ahhh. the irresistible scent of gain. for a scent with even more giddy up, try gain scent blast in detergent, fabric softener and scent beads.
5:16 pm
non-drowsy claritin cool mint chewables. feel the clarity of new the only allergy product with relief of your worst symptoms, including itchy throat. plus an immediate blast of cooling sensation. feel the clarity and live claritin clear.
5:17 pm
if you're 55 and up, t-mobile has a plan designed just for you. and, for a limited time only, we're making it an even better deal. now you can get two lines for only $55. that includes unlimited talk, text and data. with no annual service contracts. it also includes talk, text and data when traveling in mexico and canada. so if you're 55 and up, you can now get two lines for only $55. because at t-mobile, we have a plan designed just for you. ♪ the sun is risin' ♪ ♪ as the day begins ♪ time for reflectin' on family and friends ♪ ♪ and hey, we got somethin' ♪ ♪ just for you (sniffing) ♪ it's a cup of your favori-i-i-ite... ♪ (loud splashing) (high-pitched laughter) dang woodchucks! with geico, the savings keep on going. just like this sequel. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more
5:18 pm
on car insurance. (whistling) we mentioned it before the break. a whistle-blower complaint alleging the health workers sent to help evacuate americans from wuhan, china did not have the right protective clothing or the training to stay safe when they were face-to-face with the evacuees. the "washington post" broke the news. i want to get perspective from lena sun who shares the byline on "the washington post" story.
5:19 pm
lena, what is the whistle-blower alleging here? >> the whistle-blower works as hhs and supervises people for -- who work for one unit of hhs. these workers were dispatched by other hhs officials to help with meeting and receiving and helping the repatriated americans who were flown back from wuhan, china. >> were the americans who were sent -- sent back from china, were they then quarantined or were they just sent on? >> no. those first two flight, if you remember, they were quarantined on those military bases for 14 days. a and the reason they were quarantined is because they were considered to be at higher risk for exposure to the coronavirus -- >> which makes it all the more stunning of what the whistle-blower is alleging then. these are people at the epicenter, first ones back in america. you would think -- the administration says they're ready for anything. vice president pence said that today. the president said they're ready for anything yesterday, essentially.
5:20 pm
you would think if the whistle-blower is correct that they would have sent people with the proper equipment with at least some training. the fact that first shipment of americans coming back were not met that way is really stunning. >> these people are normally deployed to help out in hurricanes and natural disasters. they provide so-called human services. but they don't have the training. this was a public health emergency. you're dealing with a novel coronavirus, a brand-new pathogen, and they were working alongside teams from the cdc, from the centers for disease control and prevention, some of whom were in full protective gear. and some of these workers who were deployed by hhs were in face-to-face contact with passengers. >> and they did not test the hhs people. they said they didn't show signs of symptoms. but as we know, many people remain asymptomatic for quite some time. >> right. they did not test them. you know, at the time, none of these workers met the very
5:21 pm
restrictive criteria for testing. and then they went on to commercial flights to their offices and homes wrestle in the country and could have passed it on. that was the worry that the whistle-blower had. >> and the whistle-blower is alleging not just that screw-up, but there was retaliation when she raised concerns. >> yes. she raised concerns and sent them up the chain of command all the way up to the office of health and human services secretary alex azar, to someone in that office. and a little over a week later she was informed in a memo that she was being reassigned to a new job for which she had no experience and no background, and she wouldn't have anybody under her, and that the reassignment would be effective in 15 days. and if she chose to decline the assignment, she would be terminated. >> and has there been any response from the department of health and human services about her claims?
5:22 pm
>> they said that they are looking into this, and secretary azar said in a hearing today he was asked this specifically, that it would not be protocol to send people who are not trained properly into these quarantined situations and that he would -- they would look into this. >> it's a remarkable story. lena sun, i appreciate your time. thank you. >> thank you. >> more now on what could come next. another woman being treated in california has apparently become the first known case of unknown origin in this country. and it's important because although coronavirus seems to spread like flu, it is deadlier. cnn's chief medical correspondent dr. sanjay gupta pointed out to the president just last night. let's listen. >> in comparison to the coronavirus, flu has a fatality ratio of .1%. this has a fatality ratio somewhere between 2 and 3%. >> we don't know exactly. >> given the exacts numbers. >> and the flew is higher than that. >> there is more people that get
5:23 pm
the flu. but this is spreading. it's going to spread within communities. that's the expectation. does that worry you? because that seems to be what worries the american people. >> no. no, because we're worried for it. it is what it is. we're ready for it. we're really prepared. >> sanjay gupta joins us now. i don't know if that's just him putting a brave face on it. i don't know if he feels we're really prepared. again, the "washington post" story to me seems to indicate if the first group of americans who were thrown back here if in fact the whistle-blower is correct and the federal health officials who were sent there by hhs don't have gear and don't have training, that is alarming to me. >> this is a chaotic response, anderson. i mean, i just have to say it feels very uneven now as we start to learn more and more about this. there are just some basic things that are known, basic public health strategies. you provide personal protective equipment. you train people how to use it. they were coming in contact with people that came out of this
5:24 pm
so-called hot zone in the hubei province. if that -- these whistle-blower complaints are correct, some basic protocols simply weren't followed there. some of the testing that we're hearing about not being done. in korea they've been testing several thousand patients a day. oui tested several hundred over a few weeks. if we're not doing surveillance, which is the primary pillar of any kind of public health system, we don't even know what we're dealing with exactly. again, sort of 101 stuff when it comes to preparedness here. it's a little confusing when i was talking to the president yesterday sort of making this point that yes, coronavirus and flu very transmissable, very contagious, but flu has a fatality ratio of .1%. .1% of people who get it will die. coronavirus 2%. that's 20 fold higher. nobody wants this to spread and
5:25 pm
to realize those sorts of fatalities. but if you're not recognizing the numbers and recognizing what you're dealing with, if you're not doing the surveillance and recognizing that, if you're not protecting the workers, there seems to be some real uneven lapses here, anderson. >> i don't know if we can get the sound what played earlier from the president just this evening where it might magically go from our shores. we'll try to get that sound. i want to ask you about the california -- the california case. a patient who appears to have contracted the virus but didn't travel anywhere known to have the virus. there is some new information that we just learned than patient's status. >> this patient is quite ill. we're just learning that the patient is in the hospital, came in to the hospital. they talked about testing, but testing wasn't done for several day, and after the testing was done it took a few days to come back. subsequently was diagnosed with coronavirus. but this patient is ill. my understanding is now requiring ventilator breathing machine sort of support.
5:26 pm
so it gives you an idea this obviously can be a serious virus. and i do want to point out something else as well. even in the exchange i had with the president, the question that everyone's been asking, is this going to start spreading in the communities. apparently this was known yesterday before the press conference that this patient represented someone who likely developed this because of spread in the communities. they already knew that at the point they said maybe or it's not inevitable. i just don't quite understand that now in retrospect because we knew it at the time. why wasn't that disclosed during that press conference? this is a significant event. >> right. >> if you look at these outbreaks, first you have this sort of containment phase. at some point once it starts to spread in the community, as dr. tom freeden talks about, that's a second phase an an important phase. you've got to deal with it for what it is. >> and i want to play the sound from the president. this is from earlier tonight. >> it's going to disappear. one day it's look like a
5:27 pm
miracle. it will disappear. from our shores, you know, it could get worse before it gets better. it could go away. we'll see what happens. nobody really knows. >> the folks around the table are going it may dissipate and disappear. just to give him the benefit of the doubt, maybe he is referring to his theory that in april it's going to dissipate because sars went down in april. >> yep. >> is that we can assume what he is talking about? >> i think this idea that maybe there is some sort of seasonal variation with this thing is possible. but his own public health officials, including the head of the cdc who i interviewed last week said this is going to get a foothold. it's going to start spreading in communities. it may have a seasonal variation, but this could also be a new pathogen that is here to stay that we're going have to deal with around the world for a long time. >> sanjay gupta, i appreciate it. thank you. more news saying michael bloomberg's spoke with andrew yang and not only discussed a possible endorsement but floated the idea of yang as his running
5:28 pm
mate. up next you'll hear from andrew yang himself for his take on all of this. do you have concerns about mild memory loss related to aging? prevagen is the number one pharmacist-recommended memory support brand. you can find it in the vitamin aisle in stores everywhere. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. a simple, modern way to pay yourself from your portfolio. tell us how much you have, and how long you need it to last. we'll estimate how much you could spend. then you can decide how you'll spend it.
5:29 pm
schwab manages the complexity with automated, tax-smart withdrawals. that you can start, stop or adjust at any time with no penalties. and you pay no advisory fee. schwab intelligent income. schwab. a modern approach to wealth management. ♪ ♪ ♪ everything your trip needs for everyone you love. expedia.
5:30 pm
hey, our worker's comp insurance is expiring. should i just renew it? yeah, sure. hey there, pie insurance here to stop you from overpaying for worker's comp. try pie and save up to 30%. it's easy. sweet! get a quote in 3 minutes at easyaspie.com. in america we all count. no matter where we call home, how we worship, or who we love. and the 2020 census is how that great promise is kept. because this is the count that informs where hundreds of billions in funding will go each year for things like education, healthcare, and programs that touch us all. shape your future. start here. learn more at 2020census.gov lobster fan like wild caught lobster, butter poached, creamy and roasted. or try lobster sautéed with crab, shrimp and more. so hurry in and let's lobsterfest. or get it to go at red lobster dot com
5:31 pm
5:32 pm
well, more breaking news. "the wall street journal" is reporting tonight that michael bloomberg's campaign has reached out the former democratic presidential candidate andrew yang, courting his endorsement and floating the possibility of yang being his running mate. if only we had andrew yang here -- oh, hi. >> how you? >> obviously i know the kind of person you are and you're probably not going to talk about a private conversation. what can you say about this or what would you want to say? >> what i can say is multiple campaigns have reached out. and it's flattering to be considered for a vp role or any
5:33 pm
role in someone's campaign. i made clear to every other candidate that i ran on a set of issues, automation of jobs involving a economy that we need to humanize and a dividend of a thousand dollars a month for every american. if a candidate were to make a significant movemecommitment in directions i would be more enthusiastic about making an endorsement. >> so you can't indicate yes or no on anything other than these are the issues i'd care about. i'd like to see those issues? >> i publicly said a couple of things. number one, he will support whoever the nominee is. and number two, i am very enthusiastic about having the democratic process play out and to decide who the nominee. but also, if someone decides to support the ideas that were central to my campaign, that would go a long way towards making me consider an endorsement. >> all right. andrew is going to stay here. van jones is here as well. gloria borger as well. new reporting in "the times," van, that i want to ask you
5:34 pm
about. the democratic party officials appear ready, essentially, to risk intraparty damage -- >> hiroshima. >> i don't know what you would call it. >> to stop bernie sanders getting the nomination. >> yep. >> super delegates coming. in how serious is this? >> well, look, it's hard to know. most of these people are not being quoted on the record. >> they're also saying, look, these are the rules, and it's rules that sanders wanted and -- >> well, listen, here is the deal. there is the rules and there is the norms. the rules are that on the first ballot, if you don't get the majority, there is something called the second ballot. the second ballot, other people get a chance to vote. what has usually happened is if you're close, you know, hillary was close in 2016. and then bernie gave her the delegates to get her across the finish line. you didn't go into a brokered convention. i think obama was a similar situation and hillary helped him. the norms are if you're close, then everybody gets you across
5:35 pm
the finish line. what's going to be interesting is yes, bernie did agree to these new rules, but there is a new set of norms that may show up that may make this convention very, very interesting. >> gloria, if senator sanders has a leading plurality of delegates going to the convention, the nomination goes to someone else, i guess it depends how close they were and how close is close. >> right. >> doesn't the democratic party risk alienating all his supporters. >> absolutely. >> who could just say i'm stayinging home? >> absolutely. a loft then would depend on how the candidate behaves. if the candidate says for the good of the country -- and bernie sanders, by the way, if -- i don't know if it would be bernie sanders doing this or would it be joe biden doing this or would it be bloomberg doing this? but bernie sanders has publicly said he is going to support the democratic nominee, period, because beating donald trump is more important. but it does depend on what the candidate does. so bernie sanders, say it is sanders, and he were to say to his folks, you know, you've got
5:36 pm
to do this. this is for good of the country. he can't -- he can't make them go out and vote, and i think that would be a real worry. but he could make a convention a little calmer. but if it does go to a contested convention, i'm with van. there is no -- there is no way to avoid what could be a very, very ugly situation that could be ultimately damaging in the fall. >> andrew, if vice president biden wins in south carolina, comes in first, how big a help is that for him for super tuesday? and conversely, if he doesn't win, i mean, how bad does that hurt him? >> if joe did not win south carolina, it would be devastating to his campaign. >> he would still stay in for super tuesday, i would assume. >> yeah, it's only three days away. it would be devastating. i know joe is very, very confident and every indication is that he is going to win south carolina. the two factors are what's his margin of victory if he does win, and number two, how much press coverage and momentum does that give him heading into super
5:37 pm
tuesday three days later. i would expect that he does win. i think he wins significantly. and i think it does give him a burst of momentum heading into the 14 states on tuesday. >> van, it certainly gives him something to argue, which is the most diverse race so far. i'm, you know -- >> look, he's done this rope a dope strategy. i'm just going to get beat up in all these other states. but in south carolina, i'm going to show you what i'm made of. so if it comes true, and he does great and he wins by ten points, it can't help but give him a little bit of a boost. >> rope a dope? >> getting beat up, man. >> the other guy get tired out? >> listen, i'm doing the best i can. nobody can figure out this guy's strategy until now. so hopefully he wins south carolina. >> the close a thing to the rope a dope was when he said in the new hampshire race, yeah, i'm probably going to lose here too. >> anderson. >> yeah, go ahead. >> i was talking to somebody who is very close to the campaign and involved in the campaign who said to me here is their strategy, which is they have to
5:38 pm
win big in south carolina, and that means double-digits. so it depends on how everybody ends up defining big. but then going into super tuesday, that i have to come in second overall, because what they want to do is do better than bloomberg, and they want to be the alternative to bernie sanders. and they figure out that is a way to do it. they believe they can win a couple of states, maybe alabama, maybe north carolina, who knows. but they have no money, anderson. i mean no money, and they're hoping that the momentum they would get out of a win in south carolina would also come with a lot of money attached to it. but don't forget, bloomberg has unlimited money and bernie sanders does too. >> gloria borger, thank you. van jones, andrew yang, thanks very much. coming up, more on south carolina yet. and joining us one of the state's the country's most influential lawmakers, james clyburn.
5:39 pm
from managing inventory... to detecting and preventing threats... to scaling up your production. giving you a nice big edge over your competition. that's the power of edge-to-edge intelligence. you have power over pain, so the whole world looks different. the unbeatable strength of advil. what pain? as parents of six, this network is one less thing i have to worry about. (vo) why the aceves family chose verizon. we all use our phones very differently.
5:40 pm
these two are always gaming and this one is always on facetime. and my oldest is learning to be a pilot. we need a reliable network because i need to know he's safe. as soon as he lands, he knows he better call mama. mama! (vo) the network more people rely on, gives you more. like plans your family can mix and match starting at just $35. and apple music on us. plus, up to $650 off the latest iphone when you switch. that's verizon. as of 12pm today, i am debt free ♪ the united i liexplorer card. makes things easy. traveling lighter. taking a shortcut. woooo! taking a breather. rewarded! learn more at the explorer card dot com.
5:41 pm
vomike bloomberg has a recordgue of doing something. as mayor, he protected women's reproductive rights. expanded health coverage to 700,000 new yorkers. and decreased infant-mortality rates to historic lows. as president, he'll build on obamacare, cap medical costs, and will always protect a woman's right to choose. mike bloomberg: a record on health care nobody can argue about. mike: i'm mike bloomberg and i approve this message.
5:42 pm
former vice president joe biden says he is counting on a victory the day of tomorrow when south carolina holds its primary. long-time south carolina congressman james clyburn is supporting his campaign. i spoke with the congressman shortly before air time. congressman clyburn, obviously your endorsement has been very significant for vice president biden going into the weekend. what your expectations for how he'll do? do you think he'll win south carolina? >> i think so. i certainly hope so.
5:43 pm
my endorsement is not about me. it's not about even my constituents. it's about the future of this country. i've been saying to people several weeks now that way back in the '60s and '70s when we were doing all the stuff that was challenging the system, i wondered sometimes whether or not we were doing the right thing. but i never feared for the future of the country. today i fear for the future of the country. i hope south carolina will do what it does so often, set this presidential campaign on the right course. >> when you talk about fear for the country, obviously you're referring to president trump. are you also referring to what may happen with the democratic party if it's not joe biden, if it's bernie sanders, or would a
5:44 pm
sanders campaign be acceptable to you, sanders as the candidate? >> well, sanders as a candidate is all right by me. i'm looking at the surveys that are being done, the polling, and all the polling that i've seen indicate that the best democratic candidate for us is joe biden. i feel that he has the integr y integrity, he has the record, he has the compassion that is necessary to set the country back on the right course and restore us to our rightful place on the world scene. >> as a party leader, you're the house whip. are you concerned that this could well end up going all the way to a brokered convention? >> well, you know, one of the things i've been thinking about, anderson, it's why we keep using that word that is a southern
5:45 pm
inflammatory word. we have some rules that have been adopted, and i might say the moving force for these rules were the people who were supporting bernie sanders. the entire delegates -- the congressional black caucus were against this rule, but we lost. now all of the sudden these rules that unpledged delegates, official getters, whatever they call us, will not be allowed to vote on the first ballot. so it means that if you don't get a victory on the first ballot, then i get a chance to vote. so if we go to a second ballot, it would be the first vote for those of us serving in congress and others around the country who are unpledged delegates.
5:46 pm
we then have a chance to make a pledge and vote for whomever we please. there are people in congress who are supporting bernie sanders. there are people who are supporting joe biden. so that is not brokering anything. that's following the rules as they were established. rules which i did not like. to which i agreed to play by. and i want to see everybody else play by those rules. >> as a super delegate, you're saying it's not some nefarious thing, it's your chance to vote for the first time? >> i'm an unpledged delegate. i'm an official delegate. i'm not a super delegate. there is nothing super about me. you all keep calling us that. we have never called ourselves that. that's not in our rules. our rules say unpledged
5:47 pm
delegates. >> senator sanders is using that term, i can tell you. >> i know he is. and that's the problem that i have. i have a real problem with people who keep using words that they know are inflammatory. i don't like that. i just don't do it. >> so you're optimistic, though, going into saturday for joe biden? >> yes, i am optimistic. i made my endorsement based upon conversations i had with my constituents, conversations i was having with my late wife when this process first started, and conversations i've had with my children and grandchildren. and let me make it clear. my grandson -- have i two of them. but one of them, my 25-year-old grandson is working in another campaign. >> he is on the buttigieg campaign. >> to do what he wants to do. i've told him whenever you think i can be helpful.
5:48 pm
but i've also told him i'm not expe expecting that i will be voting for the candidate you're working for. but in the end, i still love you. you're going to be my grandson. i'm going to help you be as successful as you want to be. this too will pass. >> congressman clyburn, appreciate it. always a pleasure. >> thank you very much for having me. still to come in this hour, we remember a hero, and sadly, a new 9/11 casualty. >> the "360" brought . with otezla, 75% clearer skin is achievable. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.
5:49 pm
otezla is associated... ...with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression... ...or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. tell your doctor about your medicines, and if you're pregnant or planning to be. otezla. show more of you. sweetheart, do my forearms look bigger? they look the same. i've been spinning faster recently. i think they're getting bigger. feel them. ♪ yeah, they kinda feel bigger. yeah, cool. ♪ -sorry. -it's okay. switch to progressive and you could save hundreds. you know...like the sign says. switch to progressive and you could save hundreds. non-drowsy claritin cool mint chewables. feel the clarity of new
5:50 pm
the only allergy product with relief of your worst symptoms, including itchy throat. plus an immediate blast of cooling sensation. feel the clarity and live claritin clear. t-mobile has the first and only, nationwide 5g network. and with it, you can shape the future. we've invested 30 billion dollars and built our new 5g network for businesses like yours. while some 5g signals only go a few blocks, t-mobile 5g goes for miles. no other 5g signal goes farther or is more reliable in business. tomorrow is in your hands. partner with t-mobile for business today. tomorrow is in your hands. ♪ ♪ ♪ new fixodent ultra dual power
5:51 pm
provides you with an unbeatable hold and strong seal against food infiltrations. fixodent. and forget it.
5:52 pm
vomike bloomberg has a recordgue of doing something. as mayor, he protected women's reproductive rights. expanded health coverage to 700,000 new yorkers. and decreased infant-mortality rates to historic lows. as president, he'll build on obamacare, cap medical costs, and will always protect a woman's right to choose. mike bloomberg: a record on health care nobody can argue about. mike: i'm mike bloomberg and i approve this message. let's check in with chris and see what he's working on. >> i'll tell you, this kind of story about a virus is the worst time for nontransparency in
5:53 pm
politics. we know it's really scarey. it's the unknown. now we're hearing that the cdc is changing criteria and playing games with being tested and their tests don't work. states aren't allowed to test. so you get a headline like the one out of california. 8,400 being monitored. why are they monitored? why don't we know the realities? tonight we will spend our time digging into the questions of what we don't know. >> all right, chris. we look forward to that seven minutes from now. a lot of questions. thanks, chris. up next, a humbled hero remembered. second loss for one 9/11 family. ♪ everything your trip needs, for everyone you love. expedia.
5:54 pm
for everyone you love. this is a stodream.the american it starts here, in a middle class neighborhood with a middle class kid named mike. when his father died, his mother went to work and became the breadwinner. she instilled in mike a belief in hard work and a drive to build a better life. so he started a company from scratch with an idea and endless hours- today, that makes him the only democrat in the race who's created 20,000 jobs. he's the only democrat who's run the largest and most diverse city in america, rebuilding after 9-11, creating over 450,000 jobs and expanding health care coverage to 700,000 people. the only democrat who's built a
5:55 pm
grassroots movement to combat gun violence and he's a leader combatting climate change. the only democrat who's never taken a penny from special interests. now mike is running to deliver on the american dream for everyone with common sense solutions and the ability to get it done. because mike bloomberg is the only democrat who can take on trump. and trump knows it. i'm mike bloomberg and i approve this message. young woman: yeah, thanks mom mother: of course and i love these flowers
5:56 pm
young woman whispering: hey, did you bring the... the condoms? young man whispering: what's up? young woman whispering: condoms young man whispering: what? young woman whispering: condom father: condoms charlie. she wants to know if you brought any condoms. young man: yeah i brought some. announcer: eargo, a virtually invisible hearing loss solution with high quality sound and lifetime support. doprevagen is the number oneild mempharmacist-recommendeding? memory support brand. you can find it in the vitamin aisle in stores everywhere. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. woi felt completely helpless.hed online. my entire career and business were in jeopardy. i called reputation defender. vo: take control of your online reputation. get your free reputation report card at reputationdefender.com. find out your online reputation today and let the experts help you repair it.
5:57 pm
woman: they were able to restore my good name. vo: visit reputationdefender.com or call 1-877-866-8555. we want to end tonight remembering a hero and a friend to someone on this program. 46-year-old daniel foley. those who new him and loved him called him danny. danny died of cancer. today he was laid to rest. danny is the second member of the foley family whose death was connected to 9/11. his older brother was killed in the terror attacks on 9/11. day after day, hour after hour in light and in darkness, he searched the rubble. ten days searching for his fallen brother, and all his fallen brothers. ten days of the smoke, ten days
5:58 pm
in the fumes. on the 11th day he found tommy and he brought him home. we now know that he and so many other heroes were breathing toxic air. he spoke about confronting his own mentality. >> i'm not going to move backwards. i'm going to move forwards because i'm scared. that's what i do [ applause ] >> i want you all to know how thankful i am for all your prayers, your love and support. i did not plan to know god's plans for me, but i will tell you that my amazing wife carry and i have five people children to raise, and my work here is not done. [ applause ] today hundreds of firefighters lined the blocks in new york where danny's funeral
5:59 pm
was held. the church was filled with those who knew him and loved him and, yes, it was standing room only. 2,600 people have died from 9/11 related illnesses. 220 firefighters, including danielle foley died with work connected to the trade center. >> we continue to fight. many firefighters throughout the city today are still dealing with the illnesses caused from 9/11. and we're all here to support all of our others throughout the job. >> the word hero gets used a lot these days, maybe too much. but ask anyone who knew him. danny was the real deal. he was humble. he didn't like to talk about his work in rescue company three. didn't like to talk about the numerous citations he received for bravery in the line of duty. he didn't need to talk about that stuff. what he did talk about with love and a light in his eyes was carie, his wife of 20 years and
6:00 pm
his kids. and whenever he could, which was a lot, he'd take them and their friends to get ice cream and go fishing. he laughed a lot, too. danny's name will be added to a memorial wall at their fire house. he will be buried next to his brother, tommy, two brothers who devoted their lives to protecting the city that they loved, two brothers reunited once again, two brothers together forever. the news continues. i want to hand it over to chris for cuomo prime time. >> tonight by extension one of the lessons we learned from back then was, what, at the time they were told, you'll be fine. you do the work down there. it's going to be fine. the air quality is fine. and all these years later we're still learning about the battles that were fought and lost in those days in the immediate aftermath. the information matters. people like those first responders, they deserved to know what the realities are in the world around them.