but there was no way around the new eu rules, which allow travelers from more than a dozen countries but not the u.s. that plane, instead, departed for the uk where, of course, everyone on board will have to quarantine for two weeks. kate. >> scott, thank you so much. and thank you so much for joining us, guys. ac 360 starts now. a good friday evening to you. i'm jim sciutto. we begin tonight with breaking news. cnn has learned that right now, at least eight secret service agents are sequestered in a hotel in phoenix, arizona. some are suffering from coronavirus symptoms. all have tested positive for the virus. two people familiar with the matter tell cnn they were infected while preparing for vice president pence's visit to phoenix on wednesday. and, as you know, as many as 15 agents became infected while preparing for the president's visits to phoenix and tulsa last month. both of which, went against the

guidelines of his own coronavirus task force. if that weren't enough, tonight, the president is at it, again. he is at mt. rushmore in south dakota to watch the fireworks, along with thousands of other people, at the invitation of a governor who has proudly declared -- not admitted but declared -- that there will be no social distancing at this event. and there isn't. people tonight will be enter, be sitting in rows of chairs that have been zip tied together or packed shoulder to shoulder in bleachers. mask wearing is optional. so just as he did in phoenix and tulsa, the president, tonight, will be flouting the guidelines of his administration's own task force on social distancing, on wearing masks, on avoiding unnecessary travel and large crowds. and because of the example he is setting, millions of americans who trust and believe in him are, in effect, being encouraged to engage in the same risky behavior. just to remind you, here is what dr. anthony fauci told a senate panel just this week.

>> we've got to get that message out. that we are all in this together. and if we are going to contain this, we've got to contain it, together. >> i assume that would mean that elected and community leaders need to model good public-health behavior and wear a mask. >> we recommend masks for everyone on the outside. anyone who comes into contact, in a crowded area. you should avoid crowds, where possible. and when you're outside and not have the capability of maintaining distance, you should wear a mask, at all times. >> it's simple advice and it's easy. fauci, also, warned we, as a country, could soon be seeing as many as 100,000 new cases a day. already this week, the daily total surpassed 50,000. and as you can see there, the curve is climbing steeply. the cdc is now projecting nearly

148,000 deaths in this country, three weeks from now. no place else on earth. no place else on earth has the kind of caseload and death toll that we do. repeat. no country in the world, currently rivals our own in the number of infections and deaths from coronavirus. it ought to be a wakeup call. instead, the president remains in denial. tweeting overnight, there is a rise in coronavirus cases because our testing is so massive and so good. far bigger and better than any other country. lots of falsehoods in there. keeping them honest, that is not what the experts say. his own experts. >> there is no question that the more testing you get, the more you will uncover. but we do believe this is a real increase in cases because the percent positivities are going up. >> that's right. more people are testing positive. means more people are infected. and that's the white house task force member admiral, testifying this week. and the numbers behind his

assessment do not lie. it's simple. testing has been increasing, though, not everywhere. but regardless, the percentage of tests coming back positive has simply been skyrocketing. the news outlet "propublica" that uses the same johns hopkins data we do came up with a powerful way of showing it. they charted the rolling percentage of change in testing, in this case in arizona, after the two-week period after memorial day. so testing is increasing. but look at how much more steeply the positivity rate goes up. nearly, 700%. in other words, the testing is rising but infections are rising and factor. that is, more people getting infected. and in states that have gotten the virus under control, such as new york, take a look. testing, also, goes up. bu but the positivity rate is going

down. so these spikes we see have little to do with testing. positivity rates are climbing. again, that's more people getting infected at a faster rate, regardless how much testing is being done. let's take florida. about 20% of tests. one in five are now coming back positive. a similar percentage in south carolina. and arizona is now averaging about 30% positivity. nearly one in three people being tested has been infected with this virus. by contrast, the rate in new york is hovering around 1%. and again, new york does a lot of testing. but the president is sticking to his false theory. but he's been doing -- been pretty honest about his dislike for testing, in general. >> we have so much testing. i don't think you need that kind of testing or that much testing. >> we've done more testing than every other country, combined. so, in a way, by doing all of this testing, we make ourselves look bad. >> i have always said testing is somewhat overrated.

something can happen between a test, where it's good. and then, something happens and all of a sudden. this is why the whole concept of tests aren't necessarily great. >> you know where they do a lot of testing, by the way? in the white house, around this president. a lot of testing. but he doesn't like it nationally, he says, because those national numbers make him look bad. which makes you wonder why he isn't just as upset about the most important measure of all. the one that shows fatalities. about to cross the 130,000 mark, with each new death, a reflection of all the denial, the dishonesty, the failed national leadership leading up to it. tonight, it is regrettable to say but the president of the united states, in his words and his actions, is contributing to all of the above. perspective, now, from two leading authorities. emergency room physician, visiting professor at george washington university, also

formdr. leana wen. and host of the epidemic podcast. in short, they know what they are talking about. they've done their homework, and that's why we have them on the air tonight. dr. gounder, if i could begin with you. okay. perhaps, as many as 7,500 people tonight. not socially distanced. masks optional. from a purely medical standpoint, just how dangerous is it for people attending that event tonight? >> yeah, jim. you know, this is a man who once said he could stand in the middle of fifth avenue and shoot somebody, and he would never lose voters. now, he's asking, essentially, people to shoot themselves. this is on par with the jonestown massacre but on a national scale. he's, essentially, asking his supporters to drink the kool-aid or jump off the cliff, in a way that's very dangerous. except, this is something that can spread to others. >> yeah. dr. wen, earlier this week, the surgeon general of the united states, dr. jerome adams, he was

encouraging people, very much, to wear a mask. this morning, though, he would not advise people to avoid large gatherings. you know him. he is a doctor. why is he walking that line? violating what health experts say is necessary. health experts, employed by this white house. >> yeah. so i think that dr. adams is in a very tricky position. so, he and i were health commissioners at the same time. and i know that he understands public health. i, also, imagine that he does not want to contradict the president and the vice president directly. just as dr. fauci, dr. birx, and others, are very careful to walk that line. but i think that, at this point, we do -- all of us in public health -- have to speak with the voice of science and truth. which is that being outdoors is much better than being indoors. wearing a mask will protect you at least fivefold. and also, this is not the time, in the middle of a pandemic, to be in a large crowd, in a

massive gathering. that is, as dr. gounder mentioned, that -- we know what the end result is going to be, which is many more people getting sick. >> dr. gounder, does that violate the oath to do no harm, as a medical professional? not to speak? i mean, it's like telling someone with heart disease. you know, eat fatty foods. i mean, it directly violates the clear medical guidance. why can't the surgeon general speak -- speak -- who cares if he contradicts the president? >> well, you know, i think there's going to be a time when dr. adams maybe thinks back on his career and has regrets about that. but, you know, i do understand. many of us can be in very difficult positions, especially when we hold public office of some kind, we are accountable to our leaders. and i think he's really trying to walk that tightrope, where he can continue to message the american public, without losing his job. >> well, goodness. american public would benefit from some honesty here.

dr. wen, explain where the country is now. and perhaps, we could show this graph again. as we see, the cases peak and, actually, even rising above the peak that they were at before. some effort was made nationally at -- at mitigation, here. what's happening? is it accelerating? are we reaching that point of exponential growth, that many health experts have warned about? >> yes, and you can see that, very plainly, on the graph, jim, because you're seeing this line that's increasing, exponentially. and without a peak in sight. and i really worry about this. i mean, the first time around, americans made tremendous sacrifices. people lost their jobs. kids didn't go to school. and we imposed these really strict lockdown measures, in order to reign in the infection. but we didn't go as far as we should have. we, certainly, don't have the testing, tracing, other public-health infrastructure, necessary to reign in this disease. and i think, come this fourth of

july, we have an option. do we continue on the same path? and see many more preventable deaths? or do we say it's time to hit reset. let's pause on reopening. let's reassess where we are, and let's impose many more restrictions that we need in order to save lives. >> you know, watching this event there in south dakota as they prepare for the president. i mean, so many rules being broken. just the lack of social distancing. dr. gounder, as a physician at a hospital in new york, you know, new york went through a real and complete lockdown. and got from extremely high rates down to a level, now, where it's under control. are you concerned that, as other states around the country go in the opposite direction that, that, then, will filter back to a place like new york? in other words, you can't really keep this sequestered in other places around the country, can you? >> no, jim, you can't. and so, this very much puts our control of the virus very much in jeopardy.

i think we are going to see reintroductions of coronavirus from elsewhere to new york city. and this is, also, why it's really important to have some of those measures that dr. wen mentioned in place. you need to have the testing. the contact tracing. the means to isolate people who are infectious so that they're not infecting the rest of their family and community. and new york actually does have those measures in place now, which means that we're better equipped to deal with that. but, that said, this very much puts us in a precarious position. >> yeah. dr. wen, you wrote in "the washington post," and i'm quoting here, at this point, most of us have come to terms with the unfortunate reality that we will be living with covid-19 for the foreseeable future. the best we can hope for is a slow burn that allows schools to resume and most of the economy to get back to business. you know, slow burn. given where we're seeing the numbers go in states, such as arizona, florida, and even a state like california, right? that addressed this, very aggressively, early on. and they are seeing it kind of

roar back here. i mean, is slow burn almost a best-case scenario, at this point? >> yes. we do have to come to terms with the fact that we are going to be living with covid-19. that quarantine fatigue is real and that we couldn't keep people cooped up forever. so the best we can hope for is a steady level of disease. but right now, that's not what we have. we have a forest fire, and we need to put out this fire so that we don't have exponential spread all throughout our country. and there is a way for us to do that. but we have to start redefining our priorities. if our goal was to get schools to be open for in-person instruction in the fall, maybe we need to keep bars closed for the summer. >> yeah. that comparison. you know, let's worry about getting schools ready, not bars, now. dr. gounder, and that's a point, frankly, the texas governor greg abbott made as he did come around to imposing, almost, a statewide mask requirement. say -- i mean, he said what health experts have been saying for months now, which is you

can't have a sustainable economic recovery if you don't get the outbreak under control because if people are getting sick and people are afraid of getting sick, they're not going to go to businesses, et cetera. i mean, explain that false choice, if you can, between the economy and health. i mean, the two go hand in hand, do they not? >> well, even goldman sachs has come out and said that wearing a mask is one of the most important things we can do for our economic recovery, at this point. you know, we have seen masks dramatically reduce transmission. so, if what we care about is economic recovery, wear a mask. >> yeah. well, and we're watching an event there in south dakota. getting ready. lots of folks in the crowd, not wearing a mask. the president, himself, has not been wearing one, either, in public. dr. wen, dr. gounder, thanks so much to both of you. just ahead this hour. the other fear about tonight's firework show at mt. rushmore. it has to do with embers, real ones. not of coronavirus, as tlikes t

say but a real threat of wildfire. and next, the situation in florida where the virus is really raging out of control now. plus, breaking news on the legendary nascar driver who has just tested positive for covid-19. that and more when "360" continues. from pushing your lim. because every baby deserves the very best start in life. because a changing environment should mean caring for the land that takes care of us all. at bayer, everything we do, from advances in health to innovations in agriculture, is to help every life we touch. at bayer, this is why we science.

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seven-time nascar cup series champion jimmie johnson has tested positive for coronavirus. johnson, who has never missed a cup race in his career, will miss sunday's event at the indianapolis motor speedway, which used to be called the brickyard 400 is now named the big machine hand sanitizer 400. a sign of the times. meanwhile, in florida, unlike indiana, covid cases are skyrocketing. and yesterday crossed the 10,000 per day mark. cnn's randy kay joins us from palm beach county. randy, i mean, things bad down there, frankly. florida, with rates in cases

bigger than some countries. why is this happening? and what's being done about it? >> yeah, it's a pretty bad situation here, jim. 9,488 cases reported today. that is slightly down, as you said, from the more than 10,000 cases yesterday. but still, not great news for florida. florida is now averaging more covid-19 cases per day than any other state. in fact, the daily case count, here, is just below what new york was at its height most days. so that's, certainly, not good news for florida. and it's young people who are mostly being affected. the median age now 37 years old. it was 65. 25 to 34-year-olds making up 20% of the cases, here, in florida, including 7,000 minors here in florida now testing positive. including an 11-year-old boy. he is the youngest person in the state of florida, jim, to die from coronavirus. 11 years old from miami-dade. the tampa bay times is reporting that he was severely compromised. but -- and going to dialysis.

but unclear how he caught the virus. but, coming up this weekend, still, despite all of that, there is still no statewide beach closure mandate in place. the governor has chosen not to do that. so many counties are doing it on their own. but jacksonville beach will open. it will remain open. the mayor there is saying that it was the bars, not the beaches, that caused the spike in cases. but, here, in palm beach county where i am, and broward and miami-dade, south of me, about 60% of the cases statewide were in those three counties. so they will all close their beaches. but the problem is, jim, there's no uniform mandate. one person go to the next county, pick up the virus possibly, and bring it back. >> we saw the texas governor come around on a statewide mask requirement. ron desantis, in florida, not going there, yet. >> no, certainly not. although, many are calling for it, including the mayor of miami. and also, palm beach county, where i am, and broward and

miami-dade. they've all put it in place on their own. and here, in palm beach county, there are people so upset about it, in fact, that four people are suing palm beach county. they say it's an infringement on their liberty and their constitutional rights. and they, also, say, jim, a mask does nothing to stop the spread of covid-19, which we know is not true. but i called the mayor of palm beach county and he told me he absolutely has the authority to put this in place. and he believes it is the right policy in this time of emergency, jim. >> listen. we wear seatbelts, right? and the only difference is with the mask, not only, do you endanger yourself, you endanger others. randy kay, thank you so much. more on the numbers. the cities reimposing restrictions. joining us now, dr. eileen marty. she's infectious diseases specialist at florida international university. doctor, great to have you on tonight. so, looking at miami-dade, which is currently one of the -- one of the worst-hit counties in

florida. you helped write the reopening rules. so, in your view, what went wrong with reopening there? >> no. you jumped right to a conclusion that isn't, necessarily, the case. we've analyzed. we've done the contact tracing. and we know that most of the outbreaks in miami-dade happened from family parties, from graduation parties. from things that had nothing to do with businesses. so, the truth is, when we got -- the mayor got us -- there's five of us on his team. physicians. got us together last friday to discuss fourth of july. we, unanimously, agreed with him to close the beaches because that's a site where family parties happen. and people consume substances that can make them less aware of what they're doing. therefore, it's a risk. >> so, you're saying it's about personal choices people are making, as opposed to things that fall under the rules regarding business opening, et

cetera. so, as you get into the july 4th weekend, how do you help ensure that people follow those recommendations? >> and so, yesterday, we had an emergency meeting as well because our numbers continue to rise. we -- we have -- yesterday, 26% positive rate on our tests, which is completely unacceptable. we want it to be below 10% in order to do this. but we didn't get those kind of numbers. we're now at a very high -- over the last two weeks, we averaged 20.1% positive. that's just unacceptable. so the mayor imposed -- a curfew. >> so, you've heard the president and the vice president, frankly, say that we're seeing an increase in cases in this country. including in states, such as florida. purely, because we're testing more. it's not true, right? because, as you note, the positivity rate is going up. in other words, more people are testing positive.

meaning, more people are getting infected. just, as a doctor, explain why this is not just about more testing. it's about spread. >> if the spread were the same, and we had more testing, we would not see an increase in the rate of positivity. the rate of positivity and the fact that we are getting more and more patients to our ers, admitted to the hospital and, now, into our icus, this is completely and totally real. and so, we are facing a true increase, and it has nothing to do with more testing. it has to do with an elevated reproductive number, and that's because of people's behavior. and so, we're fighting, very hard, to get the message to our population so that they change their behavior and change it right away. so that we don't have to go back into another lockdown. >> okay. so we have a problem, in this country, right?

because these health recommendations, backed by science, have become political, right? and you have a governor who's resisted, for instance. i mean, he doubted some of the numbers and the science early on. but has resisted statewide, for instance, mask requirement. from a public-health perspective, purely, if you don't have that statewide or, even more broadly, national guidance and example setting, does it undermine your ability to encourage people to make those right choices themselves? >> leadership is absolutely critical. leaders have to understand the science, themselves, and acknowledge what's going on. and do everything possible to get the population to help him or her accomplish the task of getting the virus out of our community. so the leadership has to recognize all the measures, all the public-health measures done

right, and in coordination. so the six-foot distance, the hygiene. all the various things that we know, together, with proper, targeted contact testing and tracing are, absolutely, imperative in order to get the virus in the community. and that includes the use of -- whic masks which unquestionably help. and it's completely counterproductive. >> that's the thing. it's a false choice between economy and public health. dr. eileen marty, we know you got a lot of hard work to do. we wish you the best of luck. >> thank you, very much. >> just ahead this hour. right now, live pictures of air force one, as the president is heading to mt. rushmore for the july 4th event there. listen to what we've just been talking about.

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his way to tonight's event at mt. rushmore. these are live pictures of air force one. arriving at that event. tonight, two public-health concerns, and both worry my next guest. until last year, sheryl shryer had been superintendent of the

mt. rushmore national memorial for nine years. she says the thousands of people gathered from different parts of the country could, conceivably, turn the area into a hotspot for the virus. a hotspot. it's a concern, not just for the attendees, but the national park service employees, volunteers, and others, who are making tonight possible. the other concern. serious, as well. fireworks and the potential for forest fires, which prompted park officials to cancel all fireworks back in 2010. that rule, apparently, does not matter to the president. in "the washington post," shryer writes in case of emergency, quote, evacuation of visitors could prove tremendously difficult. traffic congestion and gridlock could last for hours before and after the event. and this year, resuming the fireworks demonstration is an even greater threat to both humans and nature. thanks to an extremely dry summer, south dakota faces higher risk than usual from wildfires. sheryl joins me now. sheryl, thanks so much for coming on tonight.

first, let's talk about the covid risk. we look at those live pictures of the event there tonight. there's no social distancing, as the governor said there would not be. a lot of people aren't wearing masks. tell us your concerns. >> i have many concerns. but certainly, as it relates to coronavirus and the 7,500 people, plus employees, who are there this evening. with very little social distancing, if any, and not wearing masks. that we could definitely see an increase in coronavirus. we live here in the black hills. we haven't had as many cases as other places. but this is just the type of event that could end up being one of those superspreaders. >> we've seen u.s. secret service agents, who did advance work and secured president and vice presidential events in

arizona and oklahoma test positive for this virus. some of them are getting sick of the virus. tell us about the park employees who are taking part tonight. is this endangering them? >> i think it is. and certainly, with all of the prep time, spending time with all of the different people from many different agencies. and not knowing whether or not someone has, either, tested positive for the coronavirus prior to coming to mt. rushmore to help with the event. nor, knowing whether or not after the event, whether or not we're going to actually be seeing those increase in cases. >> so, the other risk is -- is that from the fireworks. and there's a reason that the park banned fireworks around there ten years ago. yet, tonight, i guess that rule's getting broken? why the -- why the particular concern about -- about that, given the dry conditions around

there and the risk of wildfire? >> well, there, certainly, is a risk of wildfire. and knowing that the national park service has attempted to mitigate the risk, as much as possible. but i understand that there are 10,000 fireworks that are going to be launched this evening. and one never knows, with the wind direction, the embers that could fall into the forest. and mt. rushmore is surrounded by national forest, that you could certainly have a fire start that would be very devastating to trying to evacuate all that -- all the many people that are there this evening. the other is the concern about the water quality and perchlorates. the chemicals in the fireworks are very dangerous chemicals and they're found in the groundwater that is utilized by both

visitors and employees. >> that rule doesn't hold tonight. sheryl, thanks, very much. >> thank you. >> and just ahead this hour. the president's re-election worries that under-gerd, tonight's big spectacle and the culture war strategy that he is diving into. (upbeat music) - [narrator] this is kate. she always wanted her smile to shine. now, she uses a capful of therabreath healthy smile oral rinse to give her the healthy, sparkly smile she always wanted. (crowd cheering) therabreath, it's a better mouthwash.

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it, we are exactly four months to election day. that's right. just four months away. a very small amount of time, politically speaking, for president truch. trump. particularly, if he has more bad weeks like this one. on the rising coronavirus cases, he wouldn't even address the topic. on the economy, he claimed it was on the rebound. and while yesterday's job numbers were better than expected and good news, they may mask what many believe will be a lengthy recovery. and then, there are the polls. the latest this week is from monmouth university, which shows biden with a 12-point lead. just the latest poll to give the former vice president a double-digit lead over the president. trump's strategy, an old one, go hard on the culture wars. in this case, he spent part of his week tweeting about confederate generals, heritage. messages aimed directly at white voters. and tonight, he continues that theme. campaign aide tells cnn the president will tell, quote, the truth about america's history.

be interesting to hear from him. joining me now, david gergen, cnn senior political analyst and former advisor to just four presidents. and bakari sellers, cnn political commentator and former democratic south carolina house member. so, bakari sellers, it appears we're going to see more -- oh, i should mention your book. "my vanishing country" by bakari sellers. great book. also, relevant in the current conversation. the president's strategy, bakari, we're going to see more, are we not, not less, of a divi divide-and-conquer strategy, are we not? >> yeah. and, jim, i have to be mindful. i heard your introduction and, you know, democrats, we -- we kind of drink our own kool-aid in 2016. the polls don't vote. polls don't really matter. donald trump was down. i'm somebody who got on national tv, and on a panel with anderson cooper and everybody else, and said that hillary clinton was going to get 330 electoral

votes. i didn't know that 53% of white women were going to leave clinton. i didn't know 13% of black men would vote for donald trump. so, by no means, is donald trump out of this race. people still have to press forward but you're right. this president is going to harken, and he is going to -- to reach down and dig deep on something which is so true. i think that we misled a lot of people talking about economic anxiety. there's -- there's really no such thing as economic anxiety. what we see in this culture -- in this country is cultural anxiety. and that cultural anxiety is something that donald trump's going to play on tonight, because people feel -- and there's a large swath of white voters, who feel as if they are going to be replaced, not just in the economy but, in this country, by brown people. and it terrifies them and it drives them to the polls, and he is going to play on that. >> david, i wonder if you agree that -- that that dominates, right? that fear of having their

culture wiped out, even as the economy suffers here. you have 15 million unemployed. you have 130,000 nearly dead from a pandemic, which the u.s. hasn't gotten a handle on. i mean, do you find the dynamic similar to 2016? maybe, even more so, from your perspective? >> i think that joe biden is in a much better position than hillary clinton was at this stage in the campaign. he's got a much sturdier set of arguments. and he's -- and -- and trump, i think, is deteriorating as a candidate and as a president. and i think, what we're seeing tonight, jim, is it is very important because it may signal a new strategy for him. on the pandemic side, what we're hearing from the white house is learn to live with it. that's the message to the country. just learn to live with it. we'll be okay. that's -- that's not a strategy. that's -- that -- that -- that's

an administration that's walking away from the problem. slinkin slinking away, i might add. after war, the captain leaves the field. and you look at those four faces on mt. rushmore. they were not perfect men, as we're learning, bakari can tell us. there are a lot of things we have learned about them which they were not perfect. two were slave owners. one was involved in a mass execution. but if you look at them with washington, jefferson, lincoln, and teddy roosevelt. they would have been appalled by this spectacle and -- and -- at mt. rushmore tonight. in the face of what the public-health officials have been arguing. stay apart. social distance. cnn's reporting tonight something we did not know. the chairs. when people sit down in the chairs there and -- in -- in south dakota. the chairs are all wired together.

think of that. i mean, that's got to be the craziest way to social distance we can imagine. >> listen. it contradicts the health advice of every doctor in this country. bakari, i wonder, the president's intention, clearly, is to park himself in front of a national monument. talk about defending national monuments. perhaps, even confederate monuments. but -- but, is it possible to overestimate his political brilliance on this venue? could he stand in front of those four presidents, and appear diminished? appear like a small man, compared to those men? >> but the question is to whom, right? and so, i think the answer to the question is, yes. to me and other americans, who have good common sense and who -- who believe that we deserve better than this. and this is -- this is borderline -- and this is why i'm glad david is here because david educates me on so much -- so many things. this is borderline on the issue that's not democrat or

republican. this is right versus wrong. this is like common sense versus someone with no sense. and so, when you look at the president tonight, you understand that the president's dose of psychopathy makes him believe he deserves to be on mt. rushmore. a man who thinks he deserves to be up there with the other four gentlemen. he's had over 100,000 people who died on his watch. we have million -- tens of millions of americans who are out of work. and tonight, he is going to double down on what he knows best, which is culture wars and which is racism. and so, that is where we are. and -- and i -- and, jim, you asked me a question that i can honestly tell the american public, i do not know the answer to because, yes, as we go into the fourth of july, i recognize 35% of the people in this country are still going to vote for a man we know to be racist. right? 35% of this country will still vote for that man, even as we go

into the fourth of july and talk about freedom. is that enough to be president of the united states for another four years? i think joe biden's in a much better position. but he has to get on his horse, and he has to work extremely hard. >> david, is it possible we're seeing, though, the politics changing a bit on covid-19? in that, you have, for instance, a republican governor of texas contradict the president on the necessity of masks. even his vice president, quietly, in a very mike pence sort of way, but contradicting the president, as well. other states moving towards reinstituting their closure plans, stay-at-home orders. is it possible that the politics indicate a greater willingness to defy the president? >> i think as the number of cases goes up so dramatically, you know, it's up 90% over the last 14 days, which is sort of unbelievable. and -- and as the president's poll numbers fall, what you're seeing now, jim, is a dam starting to break.

people who have had questions about donald trump are willing to become more verbal and open about those questions. people who are skeptical are going to express their skepticism. and that's one of the reasons why i think the president is, in some degree, a free fall. and it is people are looking for other strategies to get out of this. they can't trust the president. but can i just add one postscript, which i think needs more attention on this south dakota trip? the attention we pay to indigenous people, to the native americans, the inattention we pay and the willingness to continue being fairly hardhearted toward them. you know, they -- they lost their territory after -- after the civil war. it was taken from them. and then -- and then, the -- mt. rushmore was created. we love mt. rushmore. but we really ought to remember the people who have been

marginalized who have not been well represented july 4th. >> it's a fair point. bakari sellers, thanks so much to both of you. always good to have a conversation. >> thank you. >> up next this hour, something to bring a smile to your face tonight. a survivor's story. she is 102 years old, and she beat a lot of things, including coronavirus. last night's sleep, interrupted by pain?

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all right. something to smile about tonight. 102-year-old new hampshire woman can definitely be called a survivor. she beat the 1918 flu, cancer, and now the coronavirus. here is gary tuchman with her story. >> reporter: we headed to new hampshire to meet this remarkable woman who just

recovered from the coronavirus. do you feel lucky today? >> i always feel lucky. i never had any real problems in my life. everything seemed to fall into place. >> reporter: an incredible attitude considering all that has happened in the life of 102-year-old gerri chappelle. julia chappelle is her daughter. when she was a baby -- >> she what we call the spanish flu, which was a huge pandemic during the first world war. >> that's right, gerri chappelle's family says she survived the influenza pandemic in the early 20th century and the coronavirus in the early 21st century century. back in 1918, little gerri and her mother were both seriously ill. >> the doctor told her father they're both going to die. prepare yourself, but that's my medical opinion. >> reporter: but daughter and mother survived.

gerri went to college, got a bachelor's and masters, became a teacher, and got married right after world war ii. her husband died almost four decades ago, but they had two children, and there are now three grandchildren and six great grandchildren. after gerri retired, she had breast cancer and colon cancer, and she beat both. can i call you gerri? it's delightful to meet you. >> thank you. >> reporter: how you feeling? >> wonderful. >> reporter: you're an amazing woman. >> why? >> reporter: i'm going to tell you whyment you're modest. but you had coronavirus and 101 years ago you had spanish flu. and you survived it twice. you're an amazing woman. >> i am. >> reporter: gerri is a resident of the senior living facility in nashua for several years now. >> hey, mom! >> reporter: on this day, her daughter came to pay a visit. social distancing and masks still required. so how are you doing? >> keep the masks on? >> yes, we have to keep the

masks on, yes. do you recognize the top? you should. i stole it from you. don't think you're getting it back! >> reporter: the employees of her senior community were upset and saddened when gerri tested positive for the coronavirus. but when they told her the diagnosis -- >> she had an incredible attitude, and she, you know, took every day and said i guess i'm sick. they told me i'm sick, but i'm not sick. >> reporter: but like the spanish flu and the two bouts of cancer, 102-year-old gerri chappelle managed the fend off the coronavirus as well. thank you for letting us meet you. thank you. >> my pleasure. >> reporter: gary tuchman, cnn, nashua, new hampshire. >> good for her. good for her family. we wish her all the best. coming up, more details on how president trump plans to stoke the culture wars in his speech tonight at mount rushmore. look at the crowds there. no social distancing.