are you worried about staying sharp and alert? forebrain, from the harvard-educated experts at force factor, contains key ingredients to help boost memory, learning, clarity, focus, and more! rush to walmart and find forebrain, our #1 brain booster, in the vitamin aisle. and good evening to you. 79 years ago, today, the country was reeling from the less of 2,403 american lives at pearl harbor. those deaths stunned the nation. there was understandable outrage and fury over the attack. president roosevelt declared war

on japan, the next day. called it a date which will live in infamy. 2,403 american deaths at pearl harbor. right now, the united states is averaging more than 2,200 covid deaths, a day. that's nearly one pearl harbor, every 24 hours. by april of next year, the university of washington's institute for health, metrics, and evaluation, projects the pandemic will have killed upwards of 100,000 more people in this country than all the american troops killed in three and a half years of the second world war. more than half a million dead. president trump is the one who likened this to a war. he called himself, in fact, a wartime president. but, that was a long time ago. those were in the days he wanted to be see as commander in chief, leading the effort, when he took over the coronavirus press briefings. and then, stopped listening to the doctors who actually knew what they were doing. now, the president doesn't seem concerned about being a wartime commander. if anything, he seems more like a deserter. he's absent.

the american people have given him leave, voting him out at the ballot box, but he still has some weeks left. he has chosen to go awol. he's declined to join the fight against covid. he's not rallying anyone to wear masks. he's not talking about our dead, our hurt, our fear. yeah, it has been that way for months, i know. but it is particularly gulling given so many of us are now sick and dying. december 8th, 1941, president roosevelt said, and i am quoting here, there is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger. he was spelling it out for us. august 14th, 2020. here's what this president told bob woodward. >> you and i -- >> nothing more could have been done. nothing more could've been done. i acted early. >> well, this will -- >> i acted early. >> it was not just a declaration of surrender, but a justification for having already surrendered, months before. worse, unlike fdr, this president did not make it in front of congress.

his words came, in a private conversation. didn't have the courage or the decency to tell the american people the truth, that he was forfeiting. that, as far as he was concerned, he'd already done all he could. already, checked out. since then, another 115,000 of our fellow americans, many of whom supported and voted for the president, as if that should even matter but, to him, you would think it might, have died of coronavirus. as of tonight, the count now stands at more than 283,000, with nearly 1,300 deaths reported, jut today. on friday, the president signed an order claiming today national pearl harbor remembrance day. it reads, in part, we solemnly honor and uphold the memory of the patriots who lost their lives, that day. he had nothing to say, however, about the 2,879 americans reported dead, in this country, of covid, the night before he signed that proclamation. nor, did he speak of the dead at his largely-maskless rally in

georgia, the very next day. how many of them might have survived, if more had been done? if more of us wore masks, socially -- social distanced? if the president really was a wartime commander. instead, he claims nothing more could've been done. and look at the shot there. see how most of the people behind him are not wearing masks? you may recall, that is different than what you'd see when he was on the campaign trail, when he still hoped to get your vote, before he'd lost the election. a campaign used to put people with mask, behind him, to at least pretend they cared. in fact, they would give them masks, often, if they didn't have masks of their own. they were -- they were pretending to do the right thing. they're not even pretending to care, anymore. it is now every man and women -- woman for -- for themselves. and, look, that's the way it's always been with this president and the -- the people he's chosen to surround himself with. but, it's more clear, than ever. as for the dead? the only dead the president spoke of were the ones in his

fantasies about the election he lost. >> we know the democrats will have dead people voting. and you got to watch it. dead people! you wouldn't believe how many. >> sure. that's how he speaks of dead people. he speaks lies of fake, dead people. and says nothing about those who have died, on his, failed watch. he said nothing about the dead, who might have voted, if covid hadn't taken them. nearly 1,600 deaths reported, on election day. he and the people around him just don't care, anymore. they are looking for other jobs, as we've been reporting. looking to see how they can, maybe, salvage what's left of their reputations. while the president is certainly pondering his next moves and raking in a whole lot of money to let him use as he'd like. claiming it's going to be used against his battle against election fraud. take a look today. hardly a mask to be seen or any

distance to be had between the guests. the president, as you know, has boasted of being immune to the virus. everyone else. does it look like he cares? he certainly cares about getting credit for the vaccine. less than a week after the election, he tweeted, quote, as i long said, pfizer and others would only announce a vaccine after the election because they didn't have the courage to do it before. when it comes to the vaccine, which is as far as his interest seems to extend, late today, "the new york times" reported that the administration, in late summer, actually turned down the chance to buy more doses from pfizer which would have meant more vaccines available, on day one. administration denies it. the vaccine could receive emergency-use approval, in a matter of days. but the president shows no interest in doing or even saying anything that might keep more people alive to get it. certainly, not helping the biden -- incoming-biden administration, as much as they could. not now and, perhaps not even up until inauguration. not in august, when he told bob

woodward that nothing more could have been done. not in april, months after, he told woodward the virus was airborne and far deadlier than the flu. >> so, it's voluntary. you don't have to do it. they suggest it, for a period of time. but, this is voluntary. i don't think i'm going to be doing it. i just don't want to be doing -- i don't know, somehow, sitting in the oval office, behind that beautiful, resolute desk. the great, resolute desk. i think, wearing a face mask, as i greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens. i don't know. somehow, i don't see it for myself. i just -- i just don't. >> yeah. doesn't look good. huffing and puffing after getting off a helicopter having left the hospital early, after having covid. that, apparently, is presidential, in this president's mind. but actually just wearing a thin piece of fabric over your mouth and over your nose to protect others. that is, somehow, not something

he can do. the self-proclaimed wartime president, already, announcing the terms of surrender in a war he never cared to fight because he could see nothing in it for himself. not even the credit for saving lives just by putting a piece of cloth over his face. nearly 1,400 americans died, that day. a fact, alone, which ought to live in infamy. president biden named members of his health team, today. former surgeon general returns to that post. dr. anthony fauci will serve as chief-medical adviser. joining us now, "new york times" foreign affairs columnist, tom friedman. recently, spoke to the president-elect. he is, as you know, author of too many best-sellers to count, including "the olive tree understanding globalization." tom, public-health experts warned it would get worse as weather got colder. still, though, does it feel worse, the gross tonnage of all this? does it feel, in some ways,

darker than the worst fears? i mean, the idea that we are close to the numbers of the pandemic of 1918 is just extraordinary. >> you know, anderson, listening to your introduction and thinking about the president's behavior. it's like he is telling the country, i demand the right not to lead you. what -- what -- what is he fighting for? this election. i demand the right not to lead you. this is -- this is possibly one of the greatest leadership challenge sq challenges and moments in our country's history. this is -- this is the greatest, public-health crisis we've ever faced. and the fact that he won't take charge, the fact that he won't help biden. you know, it -- it -- it's despicable for all the reasons you said, anderson. but the thing that makes it, to me, the most troubling. just the -- just the most despicable. don't do it for yourself. okay. don't do it for your party. don't do it for me. but, do it for the healthcare workers. the doctors and the nurses manning the front lines in

hospitals, in clinics, in nursing homes. when you don't wear a mask, for whatever reason, what you're doing is you're raising the exposure of yourself and other people that are going to put you in a hospital, in an emergency room, and expose these people. and they're already burned out. we know that. so, do it, if not for -- for him, for me, for you, do it for the doctors and nurses because we're about to enter a two-month period, every expert is telling us that, i think, anderson, i think we can't imagine. it's going to be like any -- unlike any period, in our history. and the pressure it's going to put on hospitals and doctors and nurses is going to be just excruciating. so, stop being a pig and do it for them. >> and i mean, you know, i -- i've said this on the program, before. but, we did some reporting during our malnutrition crisis and there was a doctor from doctors without borders and

he -- he was talking about children dying from malnutrition, and dying of things that an antibiotic that cost 25 cents would save their life from. but just wasn't accessible to their parents. and he called it stupid death. deaths that did not need to occur. these are -- many of these deaths do not need to occur. i mean, if we had done more, myself included, if we had worn masks more and social distanced more and done more. and rallied together, as a nation, which is something we used to be able to do. and i don't understand that, given all this calamity, that why we are -- why we cannot, right now, rally as a nation. >> well, that is the saddest thing because, you know, big, hard things can only be done together. this is -- this is the biggest, hardest, public health challenge we've ever faced. it is -- it is a moment that not only cries out for leadership. but history would so reward leadership by a president who actually put everything down,

said you know what, i get it. forget the election. you know, forget party. right now, i have one job. to pull us together. and again, it's -- it was never masks or sporting events. masks or restaurants. masks or work. it was always masks for sporting events. mask for restaurants. that's the -- the -- the maddening thing is that it's precisely by wearing a mask, doing the smart things, we'd actually allow the economy to come back sooner, faster, bigger. and it -- it's just the unwillingness to -- it's just the insistence on my right to be dumb as i want to be. i can be dumb as i want to be. and unfortunately, that -- that mood, that attitude, has been harming our country for a while, now. >> as i mentioned, you recently interviewed president-elect biden. you wrote in "the times" that he seemed cautiously optimistic about what he and the administration can accomplish. you, also -- also, said that he told you he felt, quote, no moment of elation. i'm wondering what your sense of

what he believes he can actually get done in the short term. he mentioned to jake tapper he will ask americans to wear masks for a hundred days. beyond that, though, what do you think the early part of a biden administration looks like? i would imagine, a fair amount of executive orders, given what this president, trump, has done. i don't know. what -- what do you foresee? >> yeah. i'd say a couple things that really struck me in talking to the president-elect, anderson. you know, one is the simple fact that we are so lucky that we now have, as our president, about to take over, a person who is impossible to hate. after a four years of a hate-filled presidency, that has so divided the country. biden's impossible to hate and i think that's going to be very important. it's going to enable him to reach out to -- to a lot of other americans, who -- who -- who did not vote for him. you know, at the same time, he, you know, is so clearly surrounding himself with really

high-quality people. who is going to be surgeon general, a wonderful person. these are really, high-quality people. and i think, what i am hoping for, anderson, you know, there's nothing like the bully pulpit of the presidency and we have seen how destructive the bully pulpit of the presidency can be when you have a bully in the pulpit. but when you have somebody who is soft spoken, who is not in your face, who is trying to pull people together. i do hope that, after january 20th, that he -- he -- he will model the right behavior and that it will inspire, not everyone, but more americans to start doing the right thing. i was so struck, anderson, in the comments on my column in "the new york times." how many people wrote in and just said, wow. wow. i forgot what it's like to listen to a president who speaks so thoughtfully, so carefully, about issues. who doesn't -- isn't exclaiming his perfection and dividing the

country, and decrying fake news. that just the -- the sobriety of the conversation, people forgot what normal is like. >> yeah. and, you know, one of the things he told you was that he thinks much of the ugliness that's defined the trump era will disappear when -- when president trump is no longer in office. clearly, you know, the president trump is going to attempt to stay in the headlines, as much as possible. you know, whatever network he ends up, you know, doing whatever he's going to do on. you know, obviously, twitter, things like that. he'll maybe start merchandising stuff. make paid speeches to -- to, you know, people who admire him. he's going to do everything he can. do you think that -- that -- that he will be able to maintain the sort of the grip he has on so many people? or -- or out of office, he'll just be a carnival barker, like so many other people on talk radio? >> you know, we talked about this, i think, once before, anderson. where i pointed out that former

secretary of state, jim baker, used to joke that how do you know you are out of power in washington? it's when your limousine is yellow and your driver speaks farcy. and so, what none of us know is what will trump's grip on that party be when his limousine is yellow and his driver speak -- when -- when he's out of power? and i think, anderson, that's what he is afraid of most. he is terrified that the phone calls won't be answered so quickly. maybe, access to fox news won't be so great. but, the real culprit here, and the -- and the truly shocking thing, beyond his behavior, is that, at this point in this election, and at this point in this pandemic, there aren't five, ten, republican senators who just say, enough, sorry. this is -- this election is over. this pandemic hasn't even begun to crest, and i am not participating in this farce, any

longer. you'd think five, ten. not one. when you think of those who were ready to go to prison to suffer the worst, you know, pain in defense of human rights. and these people won't give up their free parking place at national airport to do the right thing? it is so shameful. and that's why i hope that, when this is over, that some americans do come up to them on the street. and say, when it was trump versus the constitution, were you really with trump? were you really with trump? what the hell was that about? >> tom friedman, i appreciate it, as always. thank you. >> thanks, anderson. breaking news, now, on just how far the president will go to win. no matter what the voters actually chose. the headline just now on "the washington post" website reads trump asked pennsylvania house speaker for help overturning election results, personally intervening in a third state. cnn political analyst, josh dawsey, shares the byline.

he joins us, now, by phone. so, josh, explain what you have learned. >> yeah. president trump called the speaker of the pennsylvania house of representatives, twice, during the past week. about reversing the loss in the state. speaker of the house's office confirmed these calls to us, on the record. and said, you know, the president said i'm hearing about all these issues in philadelphia. all these issues with your law. what can we do to fix it? and the speaker of the pennsylvania house said that he had no power to overturn. a slate of electors for the electoral college vote next week. this comes after the president has called brian kemp, the governor of georgia, to try and exert pressure there. and lawmakers in michigan to try and exert pressure in that state. so far, none have seemed to work. >> so, do -- the -- was that the -- the pennsylvania state speaker's final response to the president? because that -- if -- you said there were two calls. i'm wondering, you know, once he says i can't do anything.

is there a need for another call? >> i think the -- the president called back with new information, is our understanding. and both times, the speaker, his spokesperson, said we're not, you know, we don't have any power for that. we can't change that. you know, there have been a number of lawmakers in pennsylvania, republican lawmakers, who have agreed to sign on to the president's effort. but the speaker of the house, so far, is not going along with it. and, you know, as -- as it stands, right now, you know, the president has some supporters in each of these states. georgia, michigan, pennsylvania, arizona. who have been supportive of his cause but it's not nearly enough to make a difference and turn any of these states in the way he want want them to go. >> has there been any response from the white house? >> the white house declined to comment on either one of the calls but the white house does not make any secret of the fact that the president is working on this. he recently said during one of

his appearances, anderson, he's working on this harder than he's ever worked on anything, in his life. he's, you know, skipping a lot of the christmas parties. he doesn't have intelligence briefings on his schedule. coronavirus briefings are not on his schedule. he is spending most of his day trying to stop the inevitable from happening. >> if that's the hardest he's ever worked, then wow. we've been in more trouble than we realize. >> that's what he said. >> i mean, i know. but it's very telling he believes this is the hardest he's been working. not getting intelligence briefings. not going to coronavirus task force briefings, which we know he hasn't gone to for a long, long time. wow. >> what tom friedman was saying was interesting. some of these republican senators should stand up and, you know, there is a lot of pressure on them to do that. what -- what's interesting is the president has exerted significant pressure, now, on republicans and, you know, states across the country. four or five different states, now. where, you know, there's been evidence that he or giuliani or

some other campaign emissary has tried to, you know, stop, you know, kind of just democratic will from moving along. and so far, he's had no success in any of these states. >> yeah. well, the system's working, so far. josh dawsey, appreciate it. thank you very much. coming up next. more breaking news from the white house on the subject. as well as president's desire to go back down to georgia to fight for two republican senators in control of the senate. also, one of the challengers, jon ossoff, weighs in on the debate he had with, literally, nobody. his opponent, perdue, wouldn't show up. zblfrm zblfrm later, the michigan official who was surrounded by an armed ground outside her home, simply for doing her job. especially in these times. but some things are too serious to be ignored. if you still have symptoms of crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis even after trying other medications, it may be a sign of damaging inflammation, which left untreated, could get much worse. please make an appointment

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easy to wear with soothing vicks vapors for her, for you, for the whole family. trusted soothing vapors, from vicks there is more breaking news, tonight, on the president's willingness to subvert the will of the american people by trying to stay in office. we heard one facet of it from josh dawsey before the break. cnn's jim acosta joins us now with the other angle. >> yeah, anderson. in addition to this pressure campaign, you have the president saying what he is saying publicly. and thinking otherwise, privately. you know, we saw the president, in the oval office, earlier today. talking about the scoreboard. and saying that he's, somehow, at two wins and zero losses, politically. that's obviously not true. and we are now going, i think, from the delusional to just the laughable, in terms of the president's claims about this

election. but, anderson, you and i have talked about this several times. the president understands, privately, he's lost. his advisers understand, privately, that he's lost. now, we're warning from our sources that the president's legal team, also, believes that they're basically at the end of their legal challenges. and so, you know, they're facing a calendar, at this point. you know, next week, the electoral college meets. finalizes the counting of the electoral votes, and essentially finalizes joe biden's election. and i asked a source close to the white house, about all of this earlier this evening. and i said, you know, how long will the republican party go along with the charade the president's going on? and this source said, kwoetquot until he leaves office. >> maybe, even beyond that. we're going to hear from georgia senate candidate, jon ossoff, in a moment. >> anderson, i think that is a crucial part of this. we are hearing he is going to be going back, expected to go back,

on behalf of those two gop senate candidates. that is key to this because as the president is claiming he won this election, and he will be inaugurated somehow into a second term of office. talking to this source earlier this evening, what i am hearing is that it's not just lawmakers on capitol hill who are urging the president to fight this out. there are state-republican-party operatives who are encouraging him to fight it on. so, at this point, yes, he plans to go down there and campaign on behalf of loeffler and -- and perdue, at this point, to potentially hold onto the senate for the republicans. but i think it gets to the larger issue, here. and that is why these republi n republicans don't want to cross the president. they need him, they need his base of support. and that is almost totally obvious, down in the state of georgia where, you know, if they don't have the president campaigning down there, potentially they lose those two senate seats. >> jim acosta, appreciate it.

control of the senate up for grabs, democrat raphael warnock faced off with kelly loeffler. democrat, jon ossoff, went up against an empty chair. senator david perdue declined to take part. i spoke with ossoff, just before airtime. >> mr. ossoff, first of all, thank -- thanks for being with us. i want to talk about, first of all, the empty podium last night. that was the second time senator perdue has refused to show up to deba debate you. how much of a difference do you think it makes, at this point? >> i think it shows tremendous disrespect for georgia voters. and here, at a moment when we are losing thousands of americans, per day. a virus, out of control. congress, that has not delivered any economic relief for ordinary people. a public-health infrastructure, nationally, that urgently needs to be backstopped and funded to deal with this surge. to have a sitting u.s. senator,

too afraid to debate these issues of life-and-death concern for americans is a disgrace. >> perdue did show up to president trump's rally, on saturday. he spoke about winning georgia as a way to stop president-elect biden's policies in washington. a so-called firewall vote. is that, you think, an effective strategy? how much do you see this election as being a referendum on the presidential results? >> no. this election is about whether or not we're going to be able to govern at a moment of crisis. and all senator perdue is running on is ensuring joe biden's failure. they will do exactly what they tried to do to president obama. it will be paralysis and gridlock and government shutdowns. they will obstruct covid relief. they will obstruct the public-health response. and they'll obstruct the broader agenda that we must enact, as well, of criminal-justice reform and affordable healthcare. paralysis, at a moment of crisis, is totally untenable. and that's why we have to win

these two senate races, in georgia. >> you know, president trump was spending part of saturday convincing georgians elections are rigged, but also that they should go out and vote. i'm wondering, did those things square? i mean, i'm not quite sure i understand his argument. >> look. what president trump is trying to do, to pressure election officials in georgia. to throw out legitimate ballots. is an attack on black voters in georgia. it is an attack on black voters in georgia because it was the power of black turnout rejecting this president's racism and fear mongering and hateful politics. black voters in georgia, standing up because the black community here has been rocked by this pandemic. because black businesses in georgia have been hit so hard, and they haven't gotten any help for six months from washington. >> i want to read something n t

newt gingrich. it's obviously, completely baseless. and, you know, i guess, ne newt gingrich is all in, you know, on the trump train, and makes money from speeches of people who support the president. so, maybe, that's what's behind him. but what do you make of -- of -- i mean, do you get what is happening to the gop? >> here's what is a happening. they expected that the apparatus of voter suppression that they have constructed in georgia, since the 2013 shelby county v. holder decision, that eviscerated the voting rights act. voter suppression would allow them to keep the lid on the pot, and suppress black voters enough that they could hold on here. they feel entitled to victory in georgia. but the will of the people boiled over. and that's what forced perdue and loeffler into runoffs.

and that's why biden carried the state. if david perdue had been in congress in 1964 and 1965, he would have been filibustering the voting rights act. they want to undermine the ability of people to participate in our democracy. we have to stand up in georgia like we have never done before to claim the seat for the people because it doesn't belong to david perdue. it belongs to us. >> it is -- it is -- you know, in runoff elections, it is hard to get people out to vote, often. perdue won just 88,000 votes more than you in the general election. that democratic voters just aren't -- not enough are going to turn out? >> i don't worry because here's what's happening in georgia, anderson. you have got the young, jewish, journalist son of an immigrant, running alongside a black preacher, reverend warnock, the senior pastor at ebenezer baptist church, who holds the same pulpit dr. king did. and we are building a movement of health, jobs, and justice for

the people. running against like the bonnie and clyde. there is movement in georgia right now, history in the making and i am asking folks to help us by visiting electjon.com and deliver these two, crucial senate victories. >> jon ossoff, appreciate your time. thanks. >> thank you. >> just to be clear, we continue to ask senator perdue to come on the program. so far, he's declined. the invitation stands. gloria borger has no qualms about joining us. neither does cnn correspondent, abby phillips. abby, you hear what jon ossoff had to say. how does it stand up to arguments being made by president trump? >> well, i mean, the arguments being made by president trump about the election, specifically, are completely invented and have no basis in fact. and i'm not saying that that's what's being said by judges all across the country, as they dismiss these cases one by one.

and there is no track record of any kind of victory, on any of these fronts. so, the president is really kind of spitting in the air. and i thought it was notable, tonight, that he is already starting to pass the blame in georgia. blaming republicans who he calls rhinos. like, secretary of state, brad raffensperger. and lieutenant governor and even the governor, brian kemp. and saying that it would be their fault if kelly loeffler and david perdue lose their seats. it seems to suggest that the president is sensitive to this idea that he is not doing enough because, at the rally over the weekend, he spent so much time talking about all of these fantasies of voter fraud. and how badly he, you know, feels about losing this election. he didn't spend enough time actually urging his supporters to do what they need to do if they want to win, which is to get out and vote. >> well, and, gloria, such a contradictory message. the whole thing is rigged. all these dead people are voting. but -- but, you know, take part

in it. i mean, not that we should expect consistency from president trump. but, you know, or -- yeah -- or honesty. >> right. the democrats -- the democrats are going to steal this election. but go out and vote. and, you know, to piggyback on what abby was saying, i think the message from the president tonight. he said -- you know, he talked about the potential loss of two, great senators. it's almost as if he wants to blame the republicans running the state of georgia, if these senators lose. so that he can say, you know what? see? it's their fault. it's not mine. but, the stakes here are so huge. president doesn't seem to be talking about that, at all. control of the senate. and control of the congress. joe biden's entire -- if he wants to have a robust agenda, he would like a democratic senate. mitch mcconnell would love a republican senate because he'd like to put the brakes on that. so, the -- the next four years,

really, depend, in particular, depend on what happens in this election. it's huge. and instead, the president, of course, makes it all about him. takes everything personally. and has a vendetta, now, against the republicans running the state of georgia and he can't seem to make up his mind about what he would like to see happen because he would like to punish republicans. >> yeah. i mean, you know, and, abby, i mean, the idea that there are not one but two runoffs that are going to decide the control of the senate. both, from a southern state. republican president who is basically contesting election, just lost, is bizarre and hugely consequential. i mean, is this now basically a sequel to the general election? because there is, obviously, getting people to vote. if it's not in the general election, you know, has always been challenging. >> yeah. i mean, it is a sequel, in some senses but i think you hit it right on the head, which is that, you know, run offs are very, very difficult to get

people to turn out for. almost like midterm elections, generally, where turnout is lower than in general elections. you don't have that energy, at the top of the ticket. so, this is really all about organizing. it's all about what is your base? and whether they are energized enough to come out. and so, you know, but -- but the -- this race has become so nationalized that all of the, you know, if you watch the debate on sunday night, you hear the same kind of rhetoric that president trump used against joe biden in the general election playing out in this runoff between kelly loeffler and raphael warnock. so, it is -- it is a sort of microcosm of a broader, national conversation that's playing out in georgia. and then, on top of that, you have these dynamics of the suburbs being so important to joe biden's victory in that state. and democrats really wondering if they can count on that kind of momentum, again. i think a lot of these big narratives that we've been talking about for some time, are

going to play themselves out again, in january. and we'll see how durable some of this movement toward biden was, as we go down the ticket in these lower-turnout races, that are really just all about, you know, can you really get your core supporters out to the polls when you need them the most? >> and, gloria, cnn's reporting biden has selected retired general lloyd austin as his nominee for secretary of defense. he'd be the first black defense secretary in american history. which is, you know, obviously, a big step for -- for the administration. he has -- is basically building, you know, while the president is -- president trump is in la-la land, you know, spinning these fantasies and raising money off it. biden is building his cabinet. >> he is building his cabinet, and i remember that reencently, the president said, well, you know, he shouldn't be doing that

now because the election hasn't been decided. joe biden is doing exactly what he should be doing. as tom friedman said earlier in the show. i think with this selection, he -- he may have some problems here because, of course, you have to waive the rule that says it should be seven years from when you retired from the military to when you can serve as secretary of defense. and there are people, including democrats, who say, you know, we did it for mattis. but it really shouldn't happen, again. >> right. >> but he is a consequential choice. >> yeah. >> and i think biden might have a bit of a fight. but he is building a cabinet that has served. >> yeah. gloria borger. abby phillip. thanks a lot. next, protestors, some of them armed, outside the home of the michigan secretary of state over the weekend. yelling because michigan certified president-elect biden's victory over president trump by more than 146,000 votes because that's how many votes he won by. up next, i'll talk with jocelyn benson about what happened and what it means going forward. an. why don't you call td ameritrade for a strategy gut check?

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with zero down, zero due at signing, ♪ ocean spray works with nature every day to keep you healthy reporting from "the washington post," tonight. president trump's still trying to press his baseless voter fraud case in pennsylvania. and the dangerous effects of that disinformation campaign seen in another, battleground state. michigan secretary of state, jocelyn benson, said a large group of armed protestors showed up outside her home, drawn by the state's decision to certify the president-elect biden because he won there. her son was about to sit down and watch "how the grinch stole christmas." that's when the demonstrators arrived. >> stop the steal! stop the steal!

>> people shouting murderer. later, secretary benson tweeted, the individuals gathered outside my home targeted me as michigan's chief-election officer but they threats were actually aimed at the 5.5 million michigan citizens who voted in this fall's election, seeking to overturn their will. they will not succeed in doing so. jocelyn benson joins me now. secretary benson, i appreciate you joining us. just as a citizen, i am sorry for what you're going through. this just seems so insane and unfair. can you just walk us through, i mean, you're at home with your child. and suddenly, outside your home. has this ever happened, before? >> not to this extent, no. and notably, we are in a, you know, quiet, residential neighborhood in the city of detroit. there are other families with young children on the same street. so, my thought went to them, as well as being a mom, my thought, of course, was focused on my

little boy. and making sure to create an island of calm around him, and making sure that he was able to just continue on with his evening, and be safe and secure. which -- which we were able to do, successfully. and then, recognizing, as you mentioned, that while these -- they were targeting me as -- as -- in my role as the chief-election officer, what i soon realized throughout the evening is that they're actually aiming their attack at our voters, at our democracy. and my job is to defend our democracy, defend our voters, and i'll proudly do that, every day, despite any threats of violence or bullying. and -- and my job is to really assure every voter, regardless of who they voted for, that their vote counted, as it did in this november's election. and that they can be secure, that the results are accurate. >> you hear about the president reaching out to, you know, republican legislators in various states. is there any chance, in michigan, of the president having any kind of impact on his ability to -- to change things

through, you know, obviously, the courts have rejected all the arguments that -- that they've been putting forward. is there anything else he can do in michigan? >> no. i mean, the results have been certified. the people have spoken, and their choice is clear. not just for the position of president but for a number of positions on the ballot. and so, no amount of, you know, politically-charged, legislative hearings or bogus, legal filings, or any other type of elements of this really irresponsible pr campaign is going to change that truth. and so, we're calling on all citizens to join us in defending the voice of the people. defending our democracy and ensuring that we all can push back against this onslaught of misinformation, that is combining with hateful rhetoric that we've seen in the state for months, now. to lead to incidents like we saw saturday night. not just targeting me, not just targeting our voters, but also affecting elected officials on both sides of the aisle all across our state. >> everyone remembers the alleged plot to kidnap michigan

governor gretchen whitmer. is there something about the climate in michigan, you think, the politics in your state that's leading to these sorts of incidents? or is it just what the president's doing, rile -- riling people up and people chose to respond, in this way? >> i think it's all interconnected, anderson. we've seen this amount of attacks on our state, really, all year and, perhaps even preceding that. and as someone who started my career investigating hate groups and hate crimes, i have seen, firsthand, how hateful rhetoric, particularly in positions of power, can lead to and it's particularly pernicious and unfortunate, when it starts affecting our democracy, impacting our voters. whether it's through the form of voter suppression, prior to november 3rd. or now, after, in the case of voter misinformation. but the bottom line is nothing's going to change the results of this election. the voters have spoken. the truth has been certified. the results have been both certified they are accurate and secure. and my job will continue to be

to insuensure that truth is kno and my expectation is elected officials all across the state will do the same. >> secretary benson, i really appreciate your time. >> thank you. thank you very much. >> as we mentioned at the top of the program, the coronavirus pandemic has ravaged american families, of course. coming up next, the story of a mother of a 1-year-old who battled covid, delivered a newborn, all, while under attack from the disease. tonight... i'll be eating four cheese tortellini with extra tomatoes. [full emphasis on the soft a] so its come to this? [doorbell chimes] thank you. [doorbell chimes] bravo. careful, hamill. daddy's not here to save you. oh i am my daddy. wait, what? what are you talking about?

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with the country reeling from the onslaught of the pandemic, it is difficult at times to pause and report a single heartbreaking story. tonight we want to bring you one such story of a young man, erika becerra. she already had a 1-year-old daughter also named erika and was pregnant with a soon when the pandemic struck. her brother said she was having trouble breathing. she was admitted to the hospital and had the baby naturally and almost right away was put on a ventilator. she died a few weeks later. her brother is michael avilez, who lives in los angeles and flew to michigan, where his sister had been living. michael, i'm so sorry for your loss. how's your family doing? >> you know, we're luckily we're all coming together trying to get through this tragic time, you know? we do have our ups and downs because there is going to be a really big void without my

sister here with us anymore. >> tell us about erika. what was she like? >> erika was the most wonderful person you could ever meet. with her, her main concern was other people, you know? for her, other people's happiness was her happiness. and, you know, her goal in life was, you know, to cheer people if you were down. she would -- you know, she would know if you were having a bad day, and you'll get her phone call. >> was she worried about being pregnant during the pandemic? >> she wasn't really worried. but, you know, she did take care of herself. she wouldn't go out, always would wear her mask. anything she would touch or anything that she was about to touch, you know, she would clean just like, you know, they say. yeah, she -- you know, she

followed every rule in the book and, you know, she still -- she still ended up catching it, and it's sad, you know? like you got a lot of people that don't understand what's going on. they all think it's a joke. they all think it's a joke until, you know, it happens to them or one of their family members. and that's what, you know, my sister would want for me to, you know, tell people just like she did. and, you know, unfortunately this happened to her, and, you know, i'm going to keep her name alive. >> i understand she wasn't feeling well. she was having a hard time breathing. what happened next? >> after she -- she wasn't able to breathe, she had just came back from the hospital because she was having contractions. >> so she'd gone to the hospital with contractions, and then when she got out, she was having trouble breathing? >> yes. so she -- she stood a weekend at

the hospital, and she came home. she called my mom. she called my mom that monday morning. she's all like, mom, you know, it's -- i think they hurt me at the hospital. it hurts to breathe. you know, it hurts to move. i don't feel good. and she only lasted up until wednesday, and wednesday she -- they had to call the ambulance, and they came to pick her up. and -- sorry. >> it's okay. >> friday came along and, you know, the doctors -- you know, they saw that she wasn't getting any better. at that point she was already on the second phase of receiving oxygen, which was a small mask. >> right. >> and we got a phone call from her, you know. she looked -- she looked pretty bad at that time already, and, you know, she was already on that second stage of masks.

and i would say friday midnight, the doctors decided to induce her labor because she wasn't getting any better. so they induced her, and baby diego was born saturday morning around 1:30 in the morning. and right after that, after she gave birth to her son, they put her -- the tube because her body, you know, wasn't retaining oxygen anymore. then after that, she wasn't able to meet her newborn baby. >> so she was intubated right after she gave birth? >> yes, sir. >> and did she -- was she able to hold diego? >> from what the nurse told us, they were only able to put him up to her cheek, and -- but, you know, she wasn't really

conscious at the time anymore. >> mm-hmm. >> you know, she just put her towards her cheek. right after that, you know, they intubated her. and right after they intubated her, you know, she just started declining. >> how long did she stay on the ventilator? >> she stood on the ventilator, i want to say, about 16, 17 days. >> i know your sister also leaves behind a 1-year-old daughter named erika, named for her mom. >> yes. >> what's -- i mean what are you going to tell diego and erika about their mom? >> that's up to the dad when he wants to tell him. but, you know, right now we just got to enjoy them as much as we can and, you know, just be there for them.

luckily as much as my sister loved everybody, everybody is, you know, going to be there for those two babies. and they're, you know -- they have a lot of love from both sides, from his family, from our family. the first thing they ask are, how are the babies? how are the babies? babies, you know, they have nothing but love right now. >> michael, my condolences to your family, and i appreciate you telling us a little bit about your sister. >> thanks for letting me have the opportunity to speak with you guys. >> michael, i appreciate it. you take care. >> you too, boss. thank you. >> there's a gofundme page that's been set up for erika becerra's family. you see it there at the bottom of the screen. it's gofundme.com/f/in loving mem rip of erika becerra. we want to update you on a

story on friday about distrust -- in hobson city alabama where a third of those tested there have tested positive for the virus. yet many including the mayor told cnn they didn't trust the vaccine. >> i'm reluctant to take the vaccine. >> wait. you, yourself, are reluctant to take it? >> i am reluctant. >> today we received this letter from mayor mccrory. the segment did not erase all the fears the african-american has of the medical community, but it has opened the door to begin having some much needed conversations about african-americans and health care that's long overdue. we hope these conversations will lead to saving lives not only due to covid-19 but saving lives in the future. i want to thank the mayor, and we hope so as well. the news continues. i want to hand it over to chris for "cuomo prime time." at the end of the day, brother, it comes down to a simple proposition. we got to care about one another. we got to care about each other enough to give the rig