world. hospitalizations are overflowing and overwhelming in many states, and flu season only started. the president is still not modeling cdc guidelines, but his secretary of health and human services is urging americans to. >> this is being driven by individual behaviors at this point. the community spread is happening because we've got to keep focused on washing our hands, watching our distance, and wearing our face coverings, in particular being careful in household gatherings. this has been become a major vector of disease spread. >> more than half of the u.s. -- that is 32 states -- are showing an upward trend in cases. there's only one state, oregon, that is heading in the right direction. the number of deaths increasing, the seven-day average for deaths is 763. hospitalizations are soaring with more than 41,000 yesterday. that is a 33% jump since the

beginning of the month. and an influential model of the coronavirus pandemic predicts more than 385,000 coronavirus deaths in the u.s. by february 1st. that projection is just that, a projection. if we all work together, and do all these things we node we should do, we can stop this from becoming a reality. the science backs that. the latest study shows more than 100,000 lives can be saved if americans just wear masks. senior medical correspondent elizabeth cohen has been going over this data. break this down for us, elizabeth. >> brianna, this is so interesting how these numbers work out. let's look at how many americans are wearing mask dependably, only 49%. what this study found is in 85% -- if we could get that number up to 85%, we could say

95,000 lives. if the numb abouter were even higher, to 95%, we could would save 129,000 lives. masks are not perfect, but you can see they help enormously. >> let's talk about remdesivir, which i think so many folks have been hopeful would be extremely wonderful, right? that it would very much help people. it just became the first covid-19 treatment to receive fda approval, who is this going to be given to? >> let's talk about the technicality. they received emergency authorization back in may, so people have been getting is since may, including president trump. not just the president, a lot of people. so now that it has full fda approval, that really doesn't mean anything for patients.

it was authorized before, now it's approved. it's all kind of the same, but it does bring up certain questions. when it was approved, it was approved based on a study that didn't say remdesivir saved lives, but that it shaved days off hospital stays. since then the world health organization has said we didn't see that remdesivir didn't do anything. now, you can poke holes in both studies. there are lots of things to say about both studies, but certainly it's given people pause when you have this study coming occupy saying remdesivir doesn't do anything. >> elizabeth, thank you for walking us through that. health officials in michigan

have issueda an emergency order. we have the details. >> brianna, the university of michigan is struggling to contain an outbreak. according to the university's president, 99% of covid cases on campus are among undergraduate students. earlier this week we told you about an emergency stay-at-home order for undergraduate students. that doesn't mean they can't leave. they can go to the grocery store. they can go to medical appointments, and they're also allowed to go for a walk with one other person. the president also says they have learned the virus isn't spreading in classrooms or on campus, but happening in small gatherings. brianna? >> all right. a thank you so much.

tonight dr. anthony fauci will join our erin burnett live. so don't miss that. moments from now, democratic presidential hopeful joe biden is going to lay out thinks plan to defeat the pandemic and get millions back to work. mj lee is in wilmington where the event will get started shortly. what are you expecting to hear from the former vice president? >> reporter: brianna, the day after the debate, joe biden is back here in wilmington, delaware. in just a few minutes we'll see had imdeliver a speech that's centered around covid 1 and the economic recovery. this shows as another example, no matter what is happening in the 2020 race and no matter the attacks that president trump is directing his way, this is a campaign that is very set on making sure that they continue to make the coronavirus pandemic central to the biden campaign

and his candidacy. obviously last night we saw two very different perspectives from the president and the former vice president, when it comes to the pandemic and how things are going in the country when it countries to the virus. obviously the president almost often painting a rosy picture where the former vice president said basically if you're a president that presided over 200,000 deaths, you do not deserve to be reelected. one other thing to be clear, they have very different predictions and outlooks when it comes to the colder months as it's related to the virus. take a listen. >> we're about to go into a dark winter, a dark winter, and he has no clear plan. there's no prospect that there's going to be a vaccine available for the majority of the american people before the middle of next year. >> president trump, your reaction? >> i don't think we'll have a dark winter at all.

>> reporter: brianna, another central aspect of the biden candidacy, he is the candidacy of decency. he is somebody who is empathetic, and we have seen him over and over again use covid 1 to try to demonstrate that. he said that last night when he directly addressed american families who suffered a loss, including talking about wives, husbands who are reaching over at night in bed, realizing that their partners are no longer there. i also want to note that when it comes to the final days of this election, the biden campaign says they do expect the former vice president to have a robust campaign schedule. tomorrow we are going to see him campaigning in pennsylvania. this, of course, is a critical state that president trump won narrowly in 2016, but according to a new cnn poll out of the state, it shows joe biden with a ten-point lead over the.

>> mj, thank you for that. cnn has learned a record-setting 50 million americans have already cast their vote. cnn's kristin holmes is joining us. what do we know about who is voting early and where are the numbers most striking here. >> reporter: these numbers are incredible. this is 36% of the entire votes cast in 2016 and we're still 11 days out, and then we have election dade. we have this map for you. we'll pull up some of the big numbers, 4.7 million. 6.3 voting in texas. the big one here you want to point out is georgia. this is 125% increase in voter turnout compared to 2016. so huge numbers. we have seen the long lines in georgia. now, who is actually voting? that's slightly changing.

the pattern we had seen before is democrats were really outpacing republicans in terms of early voting. now that gap is narrows particular swing states like north carolina and florida, where we're seeing that early in-person voting ramp up. from last month to now, that margin between democrats and republicans was cut in half. so the one thing that democrats still are far outpacing republicans in is this -- take a look at they numbers here. these are ballots requested. mail-in ballots are exponentially higher among democrats than republicans. no surprise there. all the data, research we had is reps prefer to vote in person on election day, but these numbers are absolutely incredible. we still have 11 days left. >> yeah, we still have a while. kristin, thank you very much.

>> joe biden when he said human decency with american values, i thought that really spoke to me. >> trump didn't answer that at all. >> mr. joe biden is talking a lot of trash and lies, not being truthful with the american people. >> trump nailed him. >> what was year favorite moment? >> just all of it. i thought it was the best debate by far. plus a closer look at how biden and trump addressed race in this country. just into cnn, delta air lines announces it had to ban more than 400 people for not wearing masks on flights.

after nearly four years of rejecting climate science, gutting protections for our air and water, and putting us at risk, isn't it time to wipe things clean? joe biden has led the way, with a bold plan that protects our environment while creating new jobs. and tougher rules for clean air and water. so all of us can live healthier lives. it's time to get back on track. lcv victory fund is responsible for the content of this advertising.

the final presidential debate is over, and thanks to a new muted policy and new strategy by president trump, americans were treated to a real policy discussion at long last. >> you keep talking about all these things you're going to do, but you were there just a short time ago, and you guys did nothing. >> we did -- >> joe, i ran because of you. i ran because of barack obama, because you did a poor job. >> you know who i am. you know who he is. you know his character, you know my character. you know our reputations for honor and character. look at us closely. we have angela wry, the former general director and ceo of impact strategies. and sara is a staff writer for "the dispatch."

so i wonder what you guys, think, sarah, you say it's about the candidates themselves. do you see firm's parent discipline we saw last night, which stood in stark contrast to the first debate, really helping him, or is this just no more damage done? >> i think an interesting question is, what would have happened if this had been his performance at the first debate. maybe that could have made a difference. what we saw especially on some of the down-ballot races all of a sudden their number fell out of the races. >> i think having it this late in the game, we already had 50 million people vote, and compared to that first debate. so the first debate was so bad, this one being a bit better, i think it might stem the bleeding, but i don't think it would turn around some of the worst outcomes, moving some of

those senate races into the competitive field. >> angela, what did you think? >> i lot last night's debate was rough. i still posted an instagram selfie. i appreciate the low bar, but i also have to say in a crisis like the one we're experiencing, which in some communities is threefold, it's not just covid, but economic injustice and racial injustice, there was not a lot said to meet the needs of communities that are desperate for real leadership and change. i think what we have to be analyzing is how someone who has had such a disastrous response to covid, with the united states topping 1100 deaths daily, someone who says he's the least racist person in the room, not at all saying he's not racist, and someone who told the proud boys to stand by. i think the reality is that we

have, sarah, i see you agrees with that, i think the reality that we have, right, is there's a lot off line. i don't even think this election is about partisanship, right? it's about human decency and morality, whether you're a single-issue voter or health recovery, or covid or disaster relief since the senate won't even pass the h.e.r.o.e.s. act, there's a lot of single issues to vote on, and there could be a whole slate of things to vote trump out. >> you mentioned racial injustice. let's talk about this. there was one moment from the debate last night where president trump was attempting to reach out to black voters, or at least it seemed that way. let's listen to what he said. >> nobody has done more for the black community than donald trump. if you look, with the exception of abraham lincoln, possibly exception, but with the exception of abraham lincoln,

nobody has done what i have done. i am the least racist person, i could even see the audience, because it's so dark, but i don't care who is in the audience. i'm the least racist person in this room. >> angela, what the -- >> brianna? you can keep a straight face if you want to. >> i'm trying. >> here's the reality. the reality is there's been a lot that's happened since the emancipation was signed in 1863. i think what that really tells us is the fact that donald trump comes from a party that doesn't appreciate the advancements of civil rights. donald trump comes from a party that really started undoing civil rights progress under ronald reagan and has not pivoted since then. dump comes from a party where in their budget this year they're zeroing out offices of civil rights all throughout the government. he's actually caused more harm,

and he wants joe biden to apologize for the crime bill, which i actually agree with, but he also should apologize for calling for the death penalty for five young men, of course the central park five, and all that he said he would do which hasn't met the rubber meeting the road in this administration. there's been four years, and he spent more time fighting a black man who is no longer in office. that black man is, of course, barack obama who haunts him every day. he's busy undoing executive orders that would help the black community and have helped. that's what he's been doing. >> sarah, i wonder what you think. i've spoken to conservatives who feel like president trump is doing a disservice to the party, right? that when it comes to how he speaks to black voters, they cringe when they hear these kinds of things. >> so, two things that are interesting coming out of this. one, i think there's this assumption when he's saying things like this, he 'trying to

speak to black voters. i think there's a decent chance they're looking at the numbers among suburban white women that are just plummeting right now in double digits, a gender gap that may actually be larger than what we saw in 2016, and what they're actually speaking to is trying to control those drops by making those white suburban women feel more comfortable voting for him, because those voters are giving feedback they're not comfortable with his language around race. second of all, speaking of gender, we have also seen something really interesting happening among communities of color, which is that the gender gap that donald trump has between men and women who, in gen, is also reflected in communities of color. he's actually winning a few more black men than black women, for instance. quite a few more latino men than latino women. so, you know, to some extent i think he was trying to talk to communities of color, but i think that actually some of that

was ais was aimed at the suburban white women who he's got to do better with. >> that's such a good point, brianna, by sarah. i think that's spot on. i had not considered that at all, but it makes a ton of sense, because when you hear the rhetoric around i'm the least racist person, instead of i'm not racist, or, you know, the people who are probably in our friends circles, who say i have black friends. those people who speak in those defensive terms, that language recent nation more, but what we need to be talking about are why they're used as a political football. instead of trying to get points with your language, your policies have to align with that language, so people feel comfortable not only saying they will vote for you, but going out to exercise their rite to vote on your behalf and to your benefit. >> thank you guys, so much.

i real le -- really enjoyed this conversation. any minute joe biden will be deliver a speech on how to handle the pandemic. we're going to bring that to you live from delaware. (vo) businesses are always making choices. here's a choice you don't have to make: the largest 5g network... award-winning customer satisfaction... or insanely great value. now, with t-mobile for business, there's no compromise. network. support. value. choose. all. three. t-mobile for business. ready when you are.

he used to have gum problems. now, he uses therabreath healthy gums oral rinse with clinically-proven ingredients and his gum problems have vanished. (crowd applauding) therabreath, it's a better mouthwash. at walmart, target and other fine stores.

delta air lines says it has had to ban hundreds of flyers for not following the mask policy. what is the airline saying? and what does this ban mean? is this a lifetime ban? is it over once covid is over? >> reporter: airlines are essential saying you can be banned at least until the policies change. the numb number, 460 people have been banned from flying on delta for refusing to wear a mask form the last time we got an update was about two months ago when the ceo said about 270 people had been banned. so interesting here. when you do the math, it works out to an average of two people were are per day from being banned since the mask man dade went into effect on may 4th. what is so interesting, is other airlines are requiring this, but this also comes at a time when the cdc is saying in the strongest language met, masks

must be worn on are part of the trip. the cdc says the risks are higher in places like terminals, where people can get bunched up and close together. airlines have been requires masks starting at check-in, but they do not get any help here from the federal government. so far the faa, the d.o.t. has been silent, no new regulations requires that passengers wear masks on board flights. >> pete, thank you so much for that. now, besides suggesting he would phase out the oil industry, joe biden's attempt to clarify his position on fracking put him on the defense. here is what happened last night when he was pressed on this by president trump. >> it's all a pipe dream, but we'll have the greatest economy in the world, but if you want to kill the economy, get rid of your oil industry.

what about fracking? -- >> let me have -- let me allow vice president biden to respond. >> i have never said i opposed fracking. >> said it on tape. >> show the tape. put it on the website. >> we showed it last night. >> the fact is the president is lying. >> just to clarify, would there be think place for fossil fuels, including oil and fracking, in a biden administration? >> no, we would work it out. make sure it's eliminated and no more subsidiaries for either one. >> tell the fossil fuel industry we're going to move aggressive to wind, solar, stainable energy. >> no more, no new fracking. >> it's not clear if the fracking debate will turn out any potential biden voters.

jason carroll watched the debate with a group of voters, and they were impressed with his performance. >> reporter: minutes after the debate ended, a group of democrat voters that gathered together in a backyard were ready to weigh in. >> who felt as though vice president joe biden met or exceeded your expectation during the debate. a show of hands. >> reporter: damon walkser, a correctional officer and father of four, agrees with jam minute, w -- jasmine, when said some of the best moments were when he addressed the pandemic. >> when he talked about the families who had someone die due to the pandemic, it shows his

humanity. president trump never takes the time to acknowledge the suffering of americans. >> i believe what he did he needed to do. he answered the questions, stated the facts. he answered the questions, he had a plan. that's it. >> in this predominantly african-american community, billie jo mckinney says biden's answer on race and america made an impact. >> he showed compassion for all races, and the story about him saying he never had to teach his daughter about putting her hands -- that's a big deal for me. i'm going to have to teach my 6-year-old that. that's painful. >> also important for people plik mckinney and walker, was to hear biden's response to his past support of crime bills that resulted in high rates of

incarcerating african-americans for petty drug offenses. >> it was a mistake. >> he answered bid first apologizing. >> he took accountability, and he apologized immediately. something we have not seen from our current administration. >> reporter: biden scored points on character and integrity with the group after hearing what he would say to those who do not support him. joe biden, when he said human decency with american values are on the ballot in november, that really spoke to me. >> trump didn't answer that at all. >> reporter: the watch party organized by a city council member, said beyond this, it's biden the candidate who will ultimately drive supporters to the poll. >> one of the things i like about joe biden, is what you see is what youget. people from all walks of life know that they want a steady leader. >> reporter: jason carroll, cnn,

philadelphia. cnn was also on the ground in illinois, where trump supporters gathered to watch the debate. elle reeve has that part of the story. >> we're in a town called normal, illinois, where hundreds of trump supporters have gathered to watch the debate. >> this event has sort of snowballed. we have a raffle for a semiautomatic shotgun that apparently is very popular. >> i just like the no -- attitude. i don't understand what the problem is of trying to bring everybody up in america to do good things. >> reporter: but is it no -- to pay $750 in taxes? >> i would love to comment on that. i don't know.

it's one of those situations where you and i can both say if we made that kind of money, you know you're going to play the tax game. it's set there to for millionaires to play the game. >> reporter: would you want him to change is so millionaires couldn't play the game? >> in the grand keep of things, that would be great. >> reporter: how do you think it's going so far? >> as i expected it to go. >> reporter: what made you cheer? do you remember a moment? >> when president trump was bringing out the details with the biden -- >> reporter: so when trump was hitting him hard? >> yeah. >> reporter: have you ever watched a debate in a crowd like this? >> no. >> reporter: is there a moment that made you cheer? >> yeah, everything that's

coming out about how -- about hunter biden's computer. that was the best -- i saw that as a grand slam. >> reporter: how do you think the debate went tonight? >> great. absolutely wonderful. trump nailed him. >> reporter: what was your favorite moment? >> just all of it. i thought it was the best debate by far. it was great. >> trump 2020, look at this baby, there he is. >> i was glad he brought up the biden hunter -- excuse me, the hunter biden e-mails. >> honestly i wish he would have been slightly more aggressive. ♪ i saw my number way up in the middle of the air ♪ amen. great? >> yeah, that was pretty good. [ chanting ] next, the senate majority leader fielding questions after he appeared on capitol hill with visible bruises and bandages.

hear what mitch mcconnell had to say about it, and we'll bring you joe biden when he comes to the podium. wow, i wish i could get a deal on a smartphone, but i'm not a new customer. well, actually now, new and existing customers can get our best smartphone deal. it's historic. that is historic. which means... i'm making history, right? yea, i don't know if i'd exactly sa- wow. me, dave brown. existing customer who got the greatest deal in history. just like every other customer gets... oh that's cool too. it's not complicated. at&t is making history. everyone gets our best smartphone deals, including the lates pre-orders.

is often unseen. because the pain you're feeling could be a sign of irreversible joint damage.

every day you live with pain, swelling, and stiffness... you risk not being able to do the things you love. especially in these times, it's important to keep up with your rheumatologist. schedule an appointment today.

wean air force veteran made of with ydoing what's right,. not what's easy. so when a hailstorm hit, usaa reached out before he could even inspect the damage. that's how you do it right. usaa insurance is made just the way martin's family needs it - with hassle-free claims, he got paid before his neighbor even got started. because doing right by our members, that's what's right. usaa. what you're made of, we're made for. usaa

senate majority leader mitch mcconnell is heading into a cry wale week with a supreme court nomination vote and potential relief bill before him, but questions are being raised about his health after his hands appeared covered in bruises and bandages in recent days. i want to go to lauren fox, who is on capitol hill for us. has the leader given any explanation for what happened to be very visible injuries? >> reporter: he was asked yesterday about the bruises and bandages reporters had been spotting on his hands. he said, there were no concerns. he was pressed whether or not there's anything reporters should know about his health. he said, of course not. we have continued to push his office with questions but if

there's anything they want too clarify, if they can provide any explanation with the bruises and bandages. they said they're knowing further they plan to add. we should know it's been a busy week, like i said, on capitol hill and a very busy weekend. there's a procedural vote on monday to move forward with the supreme court nominee, and the final vote will be on monday. we have seen mcconnell regularly coming to and from senate lunches. we've seen him giving speeches on the senate floor, so he's very much up on capitol hill, but of course continued questions from reporters over what is going on with the bruises and the bandages. brianna? >> it seems like not very much answers, but we know you'll continue to dig. house speaker nancy pelosi is still in talks on a stimulus deal, but the latest update does not sound promising. >> we've offered compromises with the speaker on a number of

issues is still dug in. if she wants to compromise, there will be a deal, but we have made lots of progress in lots of areas, but there's still significant differences. plus new data shows the u.s. economy should be headed into a deeper recession. we'll have those details, next. [ sigh ] people ask ... what sort of a person should become a celebrity accountant? and, i tell them, "nobody should." hey, buddy. what's the damage? [ on the phone ] i bought it! the waterfall? nope! my new volkswagen. a volkswagen?! i think we're having a breakthrough here. welcome to caesar's palace. thank you. ♪

hi, i'm dorothy hamill. even as i look toward 65, one thing hasn't changed i still love getting on the ice. which means i need to stay healthy. now, as i'm thinking about selecting a medicare plan, i know i want one that has the kind of coverage that takes a total approach to my health. one that connects all the different parts of my health care to keep me aging actively. did you know that aetna medicare advantage plans take a total, connected approach to your health? starting with the benefits you want, like $0 monthly premiums. dental, vision and hearing. and telehealth so you can see a primary care doctor remotely from the comfort and safety of home. and a monthly over-the-counter allowance.

aetna medicare advantage plans will help me keep doing what i love. because, for me, this never gets old. medicare annual enrollment ends december 7th. call today to learn more and we'll send you a $10 visa reward card with no obligation to enroll.

as the number of coronavirus cases continues to surge, the pandemic is raising fears of a global recession. christi christinaristina alesci has mor >> reporter: as coronavirus cases grow, so does the risk of

recession. business activity has fallen back into decline in europe, according to data that tracks the manufacturing and services sector. there's also signs that the u.s. economy could be running into trouble. a survey of economists show they expect it to remain roughly flat. that means the recovery could look more like a w that is the v that trumped promised, especially if there's any delay in the roll-out of a vaccine or more stimulus. the president was once again asked last night about -- teasing a plan, the law that he's trying to kill. with 12 days to go and million of americans have been already voted.

>> i would like a much better health care. i would like to terminate obamacare, um up with a brand-new beautiful health care. the democrats will do it, and we might even have the house by that time. you'll see, but i think we're going to win the house. always protecting people with preexisting conditions. >> no plan that could actually be sent to congress.. >> i will ask congress to convene a special session so we can repeal and replace. and it will be such an honor for me, for you, and for everybody in this country. as soon as our secretary is approved and gets into the office, we'll be filing a plan. >> we have a really terrific, i

believe, health care plan coming out. >> we're going to have a health care plan that's going to be second to none. it's going to be great. >> we have to plans coming out. >> coming out in a very short period of time. >> we're going to come up with a health care plan. we're not going to vote on it until after the election. >> the plan is coming out in the next four weeks. >> we're going to produce phenomenal health care and we already have the concept of the plan. >> do you mind telling me what the plan is? >> we'll be announcing that in two months, maybe less. >> we have a great plan coming out if we can take back the house. >> we're signing a health care plan within two weeks, a full and complete health care plan. >> we're going to be doing a health care plan. we're going to be doing a very inclusive health care plan. i'll be signing it sometime very soon. it might be sunday, but it's going to be very soon. >> we're going to be introducing a tremendous health care plan sometime prior to -- hopefully

prior to the end of the month. >> we're going to be doing a health care plan very strongly. you've been promising a new health care plan. i interviewed you in june of last year. you said the health care plan would be coming in two weeks. you told chris wallace this summer it would come in three weeks. >> i have it all ready. >> his response on this has really become a joke at this point. but voters say health care is actually one of the most important issues they have. and in the middle of a pandemic, no one is laughing. moments ago joe biden arrived to the venue in wilmington, delaware where he will be delivering a speech on coronavirus response. we'll bring you that live as soon as he comes to the podium. first, though, we have an update on one of our cnn heroes. since 2018, woody faircloth has been providing rvs to families who lose their homes to wildfires, to floods and other disasters. he's even given front line medical workers a place to stay

as they fight covid-19. he and his daughter luna is giving people homes fighting the complex northwest fire. >> six of the seven volunteer fighters in barry creek lost their homes, so we do what we do. we delivered an rv to chief rankin. >> i just can't say thank you enough. i deeply appreciate it because water will be coming on here in a month and a half. at least we have someplace to be. >> he loves his community. >> it's huge. >> a couple thousand of his neighbors are left homeless. 15 people were killed in the fire, and they've been through a lot. but the chief is still out there every day on the line fighting the fire. >> i think we'll start over somehow. i just got to get everything done up here and get the fire completely out and get people

back in to see the stuff and then i can figure out what i'm going to do. but i'm definitely staying in barry creek. i'm definitely going to somehow rebuild. hopefully fema will help us out. >> and for woody's full story go to cnnheroes.com. (driver vo) when i started this commute, everyone said i was crazy. so fifteen years ago, i got my first subaru and i did it anyway. my outback always got me there. so when it was time, of course i got a new one. because my kids still need me. and i need them. (avo male) welcome to the 2020 subaru outback. the most reliable outback ever. go where love takes you. (avo female) get 0% apr financing for 63 months on select new 2020 models. now through november 2nd.

confused about which medicare plan is right for them. hey, that's me. i barely know where to start. well, start here with me, karen. i'm a licensed humana sales agent. well it's nice to meet you karen, i'm john smith. hi john. at humana we know you're unique, so you have different needs from other john smiths. yeah, i've always thought so. and together we can find a plan that's right for you. great! i go to the doctor a couple of times a year and i have some prescriptions, but i'm never fully sure of what's covered and what's not. with humana's all in one medicare advantage plans, you get coverage for hospital stays, doctor visits, and part d prescription drug benefits all for an affordable, and sometimes no monthly plan premium. do you have any more information? sure, i'll get a decision guide in the mail to you today. they're free. finally, someone who understands the real me. call or go online now to get your free decision guide. call a licensed humana sales agent today. humana, a more human way to healthcare. 133 million americans have pre-existing conditions

such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and asthma. i take -- he won't take responsibility for the crisis that took hundreds real leaders. instead he took hundreds of

lives. president trump said we're rounding the corner, it's going away, we're learning to live with it. those are quotes. but as i told him last night, we're not learning to live with it, we're learning to die with it. this is a dark winter ahead. already more than 220,000 people in the united states of america have lost their lives to this virus. 220,000 empty chairs at dinner tables all across this country. my heart goes out to every single person who has had to endure the agony of saying goodbye to someone they loved and adored over video chat, who couldn't gather their closest friends, even their close family to grieve together at a funeral mass or a funeral service. worse yet, a new study from columbia university suggests that anywhere between 130,000 and 210,000 of those deaths were

avoidable. a leading medical journal in america, quite frankly in the world, wrote an unprecedented editorial. to the best of my knowledge, they've never written anything like this. they criticize president trump's quote, dangerously incompetent response and saying he took a crisis and turned it into a tragedy. covid-19 dwarfs anything we've faced in recent history and isn't showing any signs of slowing down. the virus is surging in almost every state. we passed 4.8 million cases. when trump was asked this week what he would do differently to get the pandemic response right from the start, his answer was, and i quote, not much. not much. as many as 210,000 avoidable

deaths, but there's not much you would do differently? the united states is 4% of the entire world's population, yet we make up 20% of all the deaths worldwide. if this is a success, what's a failure look like? we're more than eight months into this crisis, and the president still doesn't have a plan. he's given up. he's quit on you. he's quit on your family. he's quit on america. he just wants us to grow numb and resign to the horrors of this death toll and the pain it's causing so many americans. he can't erase his own words or deeds. in february, he knew just how dangerous this virus was. he told bob woodward in a taped

interview, this disease was deadly, far worse than the flu. but instead of telling us how bad it was going to be, according to the "new york times," his administration only gave wall street investors a heads-up. and they made a bundle doing something called selling short or betting against the market. so wall street knew it was coming while the rest of us took the full brunt of it. in june, when we began to see the resurgence of covid-19, i called on president trump for wavering and waving the right flag of surrender to the virus. but then he decided to go on offense for the virus. holding rallies with no masks, no social distancing, where

people contracted the virus, inviting the virus into the white house, hosting what dr. fauci called superspreader event, endangering more people's lives by telling the public, don't worry, don't worry about the disease, don't let it dominate you. how many people from arizona will end up suffering because their loved one listened to the president. kristen said her dad listened to president trump, voted for him, believed him that the virus wasn't a big deal. her dad became infected and died. kristen says her dad's only pre-existing condition -- this is her quote -- the only pre-existing condition was trusting donald trump, end of quote. even after contracting the virus himself, donald trump still, still refuses to promote universal mask wearing whi