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NEW DAY SATURDAY

Actor Chadwick Boseman Dies At 43; New Details In Jacob Blake Shooting; Rally For Racial Injustice Marches On Washington In Wake Of Jacob Blake Shooting; NBA And Players Commit To Forming Social Justice Coalition; Doctors Find Possible Case Of COVID-19 Reinfection In U.S.; Trump Rallies Supporters In New Hampshire With No Social Distancing, Crowd Boos When Asked To Put On Masks; New Tape Of Trump's Sister: Eric's Become The Moron, Publicly. Aired 7-8 ET

Aired August 29, 2020 - 07:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[07:00:00]

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY WEEKEND with Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: A good morning to you and we're beginning this hour with the loss of actor, Chadwick Boseman. He died yesterday after a four-year battle with colon cancer.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, according to a statement posted on his Twitter account, he died at home with his family and wife by his side. He was just 43 years old. Here's CNN Stephanie Elam.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From James Brown in "Get On Up" to Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, Chadwick Boseman, rose to fame playing American icons. He died on the day baseball celebrated one of them, Jackie Robinson, who Boseman embodied in his 2013 breakout film "42." But it was his portrayal of African superhero came, T'Challa, in "Black Panther."

LETITIA WRIGHT, ACTOR: Don't freeze.

CHADWICK BOSEMAN, ACTOR: I never freeze.

ELAM: That made Chadwick Boseman a household name.

BOSEMAN: I knew it was an opportunity to pull from real things. So, if anybody believes, you know, that (INAUDIBLE) didn't have empire, didn't have our architecture, didn't have art, didn't have science, you know, you see it in this movie.

ELAM: The action-packed blockbuster clawed away more than $1.3 billion at the box office worldwide, becoming a cultural phenomenon and proving that a predominantly black cast could draw audiences.

In 2019, "Black Panther" became the first superhero movie to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The film also won Best Ensemble Cast at the SAG Awards. Boseman accepted the award on behalf of the cast, speaking to the historic when and why it meant so much.

BOSEMAN: You have equal, if not, more talent at times, and but you don't have the same opportunities. You don't necessarily have the same doors open to you, the same nepotism, the same money or resources that could be put towards your dreams.

ELAM: Raised in Anderson, South Carolina, Boseman moved to Washington, D.C. to attend Howard University, earning a Bachelor's of Fine Arts degree in 2000. While at Howard, he studied under acclaimed actress Felicia Rashad, who urged Boseman to pursue acting and helped him attend the British American Drama Academy in London. He later moved to New York to work in theater, before heading to Los Angeles and a career on screen.

In 2018, he returned to his alma mater, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate before giving the commencement speech.

BOSEMAN: I stand here today knowing that my Howard University education prepared me to play Jackie Robinson, James Brown, Thurgood Marshall, and T'Challa.

ELAM: Boseman played the role of T'Challa in four Marvel movies, all while battling a major illness. After his death, it was revealed what few knew. In 2016, Boseman was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. It eventually progressed to stage four.

Remarkably, he continued filming starring in several other movies, including Spike Lee's, "D 5 Bloods."

BOSEMAN: We've been dying for this country from the very --

ELAM: He also produced and starred in "21 Bridges."

BOSEMAN: Every character changed. And because, you know, I was instrumental in like pinpointing what those things were, I -- it was clear that I was going to be more than an actor on this film.

ELAM: A post on his social media reads in part: "All were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King T'Challa to life in "Black Panther'". Boseman leaves behind his wife, singer Taylor Simone Ledward. Chadwick Boseman, was 43 years old.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Let's bring in CNN Chief Media Correspondent, Host of "RELIABLE SOURCES," Brian Stelter. Stelter -- a fantastic actor in all of the roles but because there are so few images, depictions, storylines like that of "Black Panther", that one especially, this, is a concentrated loss for so many people.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Boseman was larger than life and beloved by millions for, for the reasons that you're describing because he was a groundbreaking actor, someone who presented an image in "Black Panther" of this incredible hero. A man who looked like so many of the young people that went to see this movie, you know, to see an African American man at the pinnacle of his career, making one of the biggest movies of all time all around the world.

[07:05:21]

Hollywood has sorely failed to provide that kind of diversity and representation, on screen. And in recent years, there have been great strides and Boseman was such an important part of that. It's partly why Disney CEO, Bob Iger, put out a really strong heart-wrenching statement overnight saying, you know what, what Boseman did was he brought enormous strength, dignity and depth to his role in "Black Panther," shattering myths and stereotypes, becoming a long-awaited hero to millions around the world.

Iger said, "We mourn all that he was all as well as everything he was destined to become." You know, to have a 43-year-old actor quietly battling this cancer while performing his incredible roles, it is, as The Atlantic wrote this morning, is the definition of a superhero. And, I think so many people are waking up to this news hearing about this quiet bravery that his, his personal struggle that he was facing, that he was coping. At the same time, he was reaching incredible achievements in his professional career. There's nothing quite like that.

PAUL: I was going to say I mean the strength and the courage and the character of this man to work through these movies as he's also going through surgeries and, and chemotherapy, as his family pointed out, it is -- it's really extraordinary, beyond that. And, and I know that there are celebrities out there, Stelter, who are who are giving us their insights into this man and the loss the, the hole that it leaves now.

STELTER: Yes, you can, you can feel the heartbreak throughout Hollywood, and also around the world because his films touched so many people. Here's what Marvel Studios share it overnight, of course, Marvel, have been producing "Black Panther" and other films saying: "Our hearts are broken and our thoughts are with Chadwick Boseman's family. Your legacy will live on. Rest in peace."

Here's Joe Biden commenting overnight: "The true power of Chadwick Boseman was bigger than anything we saw on screen from the Black Panther to Jackie Robinson, he inspired generations and showed them they can be anything they want even superheroes," Biden writing, "Jill and I are praying for his loved ones at this difficult time."

And Kamala Harris had a personal connection with Chadwick. They both went to the same university. You see the picture that the tweet here from Kamala Harris overnight, say that her friend was brilliant kind, learned, and humble. He left too early but his life made a difference. You know, Boseman was promoting the Biden-Harris ticket, he was thrilled for Harris and shared his celebration for Harris when she was named Vice President -- Vice President nominee a couple of weeks ago.

We've not heard from President Trump. When we do, we will share his message. And we've also heard from celebrities like Denzel Washington. Denzel Washington, it turns out paid for Chadwick to go to, to, to the Oxford -- Centre of Oxford to study theatre years ago. Denzel was the mystery benefactor for Boseman, and here's what, Washington's Overnight, he said: "He was a gentle soul and a brilliant artist who will stay with us for eternity through his iconic performances over his short yet illustrious career. God bless, Chadwick Boseman."

PAUL: Brian Stelter, thank you so much for bringing us all of that. I appreciate it this morning. And still ahead, we do need to talk to you about the latest on the shootings in Kenosha, the protests, why President Trump is taking credit for renewed calm. Also, new details about circumstances surrounding the shooting that left Jacob Blake paralyzed.

BLACKWELL: And we're talking about what the sports leagues doing, demanding change after Blake's shooting, but where does this go from here? We're going to talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:13:12]

PAUL: 13 minutes past the hour right now, and an attorney for the family of Jacob Blake is denying claims this morning that Blake was a threat to officers before they shot him.

BLACKWELL: Last night, the Kenosha Police Association released its version of events. Shimon Procupecz joins us now from Kenosha. Shimon, we are hearing two very different versions of what happened that day, walk us through them.

SHIMON PROCUPECZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we are here in two very different versions, and one, of the one of the things that's happening is, is that you have police investigators that are not really releasing any information. And then, you have the union, now frustrated because no information has been released, wanting to give their version of events. And as you said, it's different from what we've heard. And I want to warn you that the images you're about to see, you may find disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PROCUPECZ: Thousands march on Washington Friday to bring recognition to those who have become household names.

JACOB BLAKE, SR., FATHER OF A SHOOTING VICTIM: Jacob Blake!

PROCUPECZ: For all, who the wrong reasons.

UNIDENTFIED FEMALE: You must stand, you must fight, but not with violence and chaos.

PROCUPECZ: Among those in attendance, the family of Jacob Blake who's unconscious after being shot in the back seven times by a Kenosha police officer. It all played out on video. Authorities have revealed new details about Blake's past and the circumstances surrounding the shooting that left Blake paralyzed. The sheriff says Blake had a felony warrant for his arrest from July

for third degree of sexual assault. The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, which is leading the shooting investigation has said that Blake admitted he had a knife in his possession. And law enforcement agents recovered one from the driver's side floorboard of his vehicle.

The Kenosha Professional Police Association saying that he confronted officers, put an officer in a headlock, and carried a knife that he refused to drop when ordered to buy police, the union said moments before being shot in the back. For Blake's attorneys, the police union's narrative is merely a tactic to justify the officers' actions.

B'IVORY LAMARR, ATTORNEY TO BLAKE FAMILY: You know, I think that it is the common strategy that police departments use in these types of circumstances. It's always trying to justify murder from misdemeanors. Arguably, even if Jacob did resist an officer or obstruct an officer. Let's just say that was true. The (INAUDIBLE) in Wisconsin -- understanding is up to nine months in jail and up to a $10,000 fine.

What we commonly see in these types of police brutality cases, they try to justify their actions. And I think it's very clear I think that the world watch that same 22-second video, they can clearly see, like my Co-Counsel, Patrick, mentioned that that Jacob never posed an imminent threat and their actions are completely unjustified and are excessive.

PROCUPECZ: It's why the sheriff's office says Blake would have woken up shackled to his hospital bed, a move the family has called cruel, and the sheriff called protocols. The handcuffs ever strained Blake while in the hospital have been removed and the criminal warrant that authorities use to explain the restriction has been vacated, his attorneys told CNN. Blake's shooting led to days of protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Tuesday night, two were killed and one wounded on the back end of demonstrations. Kyle Rittenhouse, 17 years old, in custody for the shootings, after allegedly shooting and killing the first person, 36 years old, Joseph Rosenbaum. Another male approaches and the defendant turns and begins to run away from the scene. As the defendant is running away, he can be heard saying on the phone, "I just killed somebody," according to the criminal complaint.

Rittenhouse now faces six charges including first degree intentional homicide, first degree reckless homicide and possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18. His attorney say he was acting in self- defense.

BLAKE: That 17-year-old Caucasian shot and killed two people and blew another man's arm off on his way back to Antioch, Illinois. He got to go home. He got water, they gave that guy water and a high five. My son got ICU and paralyzed from the waist down. Those are the two justice systems right in front of me. You can compare them yourself.

PROCUPECZ: As for the officer who shot Justin Blake, Officer Rusten Sheskey, that investigation continues. JOHN ANTARAMIAN (D), MAYOR OF KENOSHA, WISCONSIN: I believe that the Attorney General is a good guy, and he will do the right thing. And so, I believe that we will get a fair analysis from him as to the investigation. I have every hope and faith in him that, that will occur.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[07:18:27]

PROCUPECZ: And one of the attorneys for that 17-year-old who was arrested for those shootings, Kyle Rittenhouse, his attorney John Pierce, late last night, posting on Twitter that quote: "Rittenhouse will become a symbol of the heroic individual American who at certain times in history must say don't tread on me." This he posted last night on Twitter. Back to you guys.

PAUL: Shimon Procupecz, we appreciate the report so much. Thank you.

BLACKWELL: President Trump has talked now about the shooting of Jacob Blake, he didn't talk about it at all at the Republican National Convention.

PAUL: Yes, he was, asked about the shooting after a rally yesterday in New Hampshire. Here he is. He was asked specifically do you believe the shooter was justified? Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm looking into it very strongly. I'll be getting reports and I'll certainly let you know pretty soon, but I'll be -- it was, it was not a good sight. I didn't like the sight of it, certainly, and I think most people would agree with that. But we'll be getting reports in very soon and we'll report back then.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Now, the NBA Playoffs. They will continue today after the players and the league reached an agreement to address social injustice and racial inequality. With us now, Carron Phillips, Senior Writer and Editor for Deadspin. Carron, welcome back.

CARRON PHILLIPS, SENIOR WRITER AND EDITOR, DEADSPIN: Thanks for having me, Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right. So, let's start here with this agreement: NBA commitments to resume the playoffs, establish a social justice coalition with reps from players, coaches and governors, convert team arenas and voting locations, and create advertising spots and playoffs games that promote civic engagement in elections. What's the significance of this agreement?

PHILLIPS: Then more it's going to happen and, and you bring it up the -- they're turning arenas into, you know, voting places. That was kicked off by the Atlanta Hawks, you know, right there in Atlanta. With everything that's been going on, a lot of people were asking what's next? Well, these are the steps of what's next going to happen from the actions of the past week. But the thing that's been most important to take away from all of this, it's just that I think we should all just take a moment to step back and realize what's happened.

Because this week, we saw a historic moment where all the sports stopped and stood still. And you know, I understand why people want to know what's next. You know, what is step two, where do we go from here? But this was a very historic week in a very historic moment that we just lived through. In 10, 15, 20 years later, there are going to be documentaries. This moment will be talked about in history and in schools. And I just really hope that more people appreciate that we were alive to see a moment like this. And then in the future, we'll see the trickledown effect of all the good that will come from this.

BLACKWELL: No question when you think about the conversation that you and I were having a year ago or two years ago, or nationally several years ago with Colin Kaepernick simply taking a knee. And now, players just walking out on, on playing the game all together. There has been a lot of progress in the movement and now putting that some, some steps into to push it forward. I want you to listen here to Equal Safety, Rodney McLeod, about one of his priorities as we look ahead to the start of the NFL season.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RODNEY MCLEOD, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: I think us as NFL players, the challenges now on these owners, you know, we want them to speak out on a lot of these issues that exist for their players, just as much as, as we're held accountable, and we represent each organization a certain way when we leave these this building.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: A couple of months ago, we heard the Commissioner Roger Goodell go further than he had previously in a firming and asserting Black Lives Matter and other things that the players wanted to hear from him. What do you know about any indications that Rodney McLeod will see the, the owners of these teams indoors and invest their resources?

PHILLIPS: This is going to be like the big test for everyone. Because we've seen how the NBA and especially the WNBA has been ahead of this for years now. But with the NFL like you brought up with Colin Kaepernick, over this last week, I think the light has started to go along with more players, and they're starting to realize just how much power they have. But the NFL is a different mobster; we know their history. We know what the owners in the league and the commissioner have done for year after year after year when it comes to racial and social issues.

[07:23:05]

So, now, as we're on the precipice of the biggest sport in the biggest league in this country in terms of sports coming back, what is the NFL going to actually do since they've been at the center of this since 2016. Now, there are some people that have a lot of optimism with everything that's been going on, especially this last week that maybe finally the NFL will turn a new page. This, is a new chapter that that hopefully these owners understand, finally get it.

I don't necessarily feel this way just because I have history on my side, showing that this, isn't the league that's going to do the right thing. Because we know that they have it. But we're going to find out very, very soon what's going to happen and what happens in the NFL, it's going to have a lot to say about what happens in the coming months in the coming years.

BLACKWELL: Yes. Hey, before we wrap Carron, I saw your tweet this morning about the death of Chadwick Boseman. And again, I don't want to limit his career to just "Black Panther" because there were a lot of great roles, but that depiction especially was so groundbreaking and so important to so many people. I just want to hear your thoughts on this loss.

PHILLIPS: It's like 2020 just keeps hitting us with uppercuts over.

BLACKWELL: It is the worst year, ever. It is a terrible year.

PHILLIPS: We haven't had any time to grieve. It doesn't feel like Koby died this year because so much has happened. And you talk about the sports world which Chad Boseman his roles like, he played for a (INAUDIBLE) in the Ernie Davis movie. In sports worlds as well outside of Jackie Robinson. He played in the movie "Draft Day," he was a running back in that movie.

So, he did stuff in sport world as we know about "Black Panther" and all his other roles, but it's just you see someone of his magnitude did so much in such a short, small time. This, is just -- man, I really can't wait to this year is over because like what else can we take at this point?

BLACKWELL: Yes, a lot of people are asking that. Carron Phillips, always good to talk to you, sir.

PHILLIPS: Thanks for having me.

BLACKWELL: All right, Christi.

PAUL: Again, let's just breathe. As I said in the last hour, you have to sometimes got to breath. All right, to find state laws on social distancing, hundreds of Trump supporters gathered in New Hampshire for a rally last night and they booed when they were asked to wear masks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: A 25-year-old man in Nevada may be the first person in the U.S. documented to have been infected with the coronavirus twice.

[07:29:53]

PAUL: Yes, the study from a team at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, and the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory hasn't yet been peer-reviewed by a journal -- we want to point that out. But researchers say the findings suggest that people can catch COVID-19 multiple times. Not even just saying twice but multiple times.

CNN's Polo Sandoval following this from us -- for us from New York. This one, I think, this has people just reeling, Polo.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And it didn't really take long, did it? Remember, it was just earlier this week that officials in Hong Kong confirmed the first reinfection case globally.

And now, as you note, researchers in Nevada (INAUDIBLE) that this 25- year-old man tested positive in late April, treated, recovered, and then, tested positive again in late May.

So, what does this actually tell us, according to researchers? Not only that the re-infection is possible but that there may be implications for the efficiency of future vaccines. And at the end of the day, that we still don't know a whole lot about how much immunity can be built up, and most importantly, for how long?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: It's another grim warning, a prediction by a model previously cited by the White House of a coronavirus death toll of more than 317,000 by December. Researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington said 67,000 lives could be saved, however, if 95 percent of Americans wore masks in public.

Now, the doctor thinks even more people could avoid dying from the coronavirus.

DR. ROB ROBINSON, EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN: We could save 90,000 American lives if 95 percent of people wore masks by the end of this year. I mean, that's just such a huge number of American lives that could be saved.

SANDOVAL: This week, amid the ongoing pandemic, crowds gathered on the White House South Lawn in support of the president and on the National Mall in support of equal rights. Some wearing masks, but little to no social distancing at this events.

WILLIAM HASELTINE, CHAIR AND PRESIDENT, ACCESS HEALTH INTERNATIONAL: The White House scene was a very dangerous scene. It is a super spreader kind of a case. You know that some of those people were unknowingly infected. They'll be infecting others. And two weeks from now, we're going to see the result.

SANDOVAL: On Friday, a Health and Human Services official expressed optimism about a future COVID-19 vaccine, saying efforts are, "absolutely on track". And we could see four possible vaccines in phase three clinical trials by next month.

Many experts say it will likely be next year before a vaccine is readily available. Whenever that might be, the nation's pharmacists will be able to administer the vaccine says the head of the CDC, Robert Redfield.

Meanwhile, the American Academy of Pediatrics is calling on the CDC to reverse its recent guidelines, advising that testing may not be necessary for asymptomatic people who have come in to contact with COVID-19 patients.

"It's a dangerous step backwards," wrote the organization. And in Louisiana, COVID concerns are undermined of the state's governor who fears this week's hurricane may have drastically interrupted testing efforts.

GOV. JOHN BEL EDWARDS (D-LA): As we move people, as we shelter people, as we rescue people, we have to be very, very mindful of this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

EDWARDS: Otherwise, in a couple of weeks, we're going to really pay the price here with more cases and hospitalizations, and unfortunately, more deaths than we would otherwise experience.

SANDOVAL: Large gatherings are being blamed for an increase in infections at Texas Christian University. More than 400 cases and counting on that Fort Worth campus. A letter from one university official reading, "We literally cannot keep up."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Staying on that education angle, New York's mayor said yesterday that schools here are still on track to restart -- to resume in-person teaching by September 10th. And today, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will reopen, of course, with 25 percent capacity, timed reserved entries, social distancing, facial -- face coverings will also be required. It will certainly be a different kind of experience at the museum for New Yorkers, but nonetheless, a very welcome one after six months that, that museum is been closed, Victor and Christi.

BLACKWELL: Yes, and I know people will be waiting to get back inside. Polo Sandoval for us in New York. Thanks so much.

SANDOVAL: Thanks, guys.

PAUL: So, a few things that Polo just mentioned, there were very few people doing wearing masks, no real social distancing as President Trump rallied more than a thousand supporters at a campaign event in New Hampshire.

BLACKWELL: Let's head to the White House now. CNN's Sarah Westwood is there for us.

So, like Thursday, at the last day of the convention, you know, when the president says, we're following the data, we're following the science, the science and the data do not suggest putting crowds of people together without masks, without social distancing, but that's exactly what we saw in New Hampshire. SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, Victor and Christi, certainly, that's something health experts do not want to see. But as we can see here images from the New Hampshire rally show just packed crowds, people close together, many of them not wearing masks.

Our team on the ground there said that roughly 1,400 chairs were set up for attendees of that rally, and they were not spaced out, people were sitting in them very close together. And although guests were advised upon arrival to sit in those chairs and wait for the president, many of them, according to our team there were walking around, mingling, chatting, certainly not staying six feet apart, and again, many of them not wearing masks.

[07:35:06]

WESTWOOD: Now, the campaign did hand out surgical masks to people upon arrival, even some that had MAGA or Trump printed on them. But again, people were not wearing those.

And there were even boos from the crowd when a voice came over the loudspeaker during the event and reminded people that they were required to wear those masks. It was a similar scene that we saw play out on the final night of the convention here at the White House on the South Lawn. People were close together, they were walking around, mingling. It was a larger crowd than pretty much anything we've seen on the campaign trail so far.

But this could be a preview of what we do see from the president. The event -- both events were held outside so that mitigates a little bit of some of the risk. But again, public health experts do not want to see people packed close together.

And Trump has been very critical of former Vice President Joe Biden's approach, he has not really been out on the campaign trail, not really been interacting with people. The Biden campaign, says that could change after Labor Day. They do intend to get Biden out on the road.

But again, they want to be very compliant with state and local regulations. That's something that we've heard from the Biden campaign moving forward, but the president has been insistent that he does want to get back on the campaign trail, and he does want to start holding these larger events, and he is likely to have an aggressive schedule from now until Election Day, Victor and Christi.

PAUL: All right, we'll see what it is. Sarah Westwood, thank you so much.

BLACKWELL: Got more of these now secret recordings and the comments from the president's sister. This time you hear what she has to say about the president's adult children, Eric and Ivanka.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:41:13]

BLACKWELL: Last night, Mary Trump, the president's niece released new recordings of a conversation she had with the president's sister, Maryanne Trump Barry.

PAUL: One of those secret recordings includes conversations about the children -- the president's children. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARYANNE TRUMP BARRY, SISTER OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: When that damn Ivanka puts this picture of the Madonna and Child on Instagram.

MARY TRUMP, NIECE OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Yes.

BARRY: When we -- the big news of the day was how we --

(CROSSTALK)

MARY TRUMP: Children are being ripped from their families.

BARRY: Children are being ripped from their families. I couldn't blame -- I never heard of Samantha Bee before, I couldn't blame what she said.

Meanwhile, Eric's become the moron publicly. Ivanka gives a (INAUDIBLE). She's all about her.

MARY TRUMP: Yes, she's a mini-Donald.

BARRY: She's a mini-Donald, and but yet, he's besotted with her. He always has been. She's always been his favorite.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: And Mary Trump joined Anderson Cooper last night. Here's what she said about one of those clips regarding Donald Trump's faith.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARY TRUMP: You know, I -- it's sort of amazing that anybody took the claims that he was charitable seriously or that he was particularly a person of faith.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: CNN has reached out to the White House and Maryanne Trump Barry for comment.

PAUL: On the 2020 trail today, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden set to deliver remarks virtually to the National Guard Association conference. His running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, of course, will host the virtual launch of Biden's Hispanic small business organizing program.

BLACKWELL: And President Trump is scheduled to tour parts of Louisiana and Texas that were impacted by the hurricane this week. And at his rally last night, the president went on the attack against Senator Kamala Harris, and he suggested that the vice presidential nominee is not competent enough for the job and that his daughter Ivanka would be a better candidate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You know, I want to see the first woman president also. But I don't want to see a woman president get into that position the way she do it and she's not competent. She's not competent.

They're all saying, we want Ivanka.

AMERICAN CROWD: Yes!

TRUMP: I don't believe you.

MARTIN LUTHER KING III, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: And so, today, I can call on everyone with the means to drive people to the polls to make a plan for yourself, for your family, and your neighbor. For those organizations and companies that care about democracy, I call on you today to offer your resources and your capacity to make sure every ballot is counted.

If our forefathers were willing to die for the right to vote, we can work for the right to vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: That was Martin Luther King III, of course, speaking in Washington yesterday. It was about the importance of turning out the vote, of course. In a normal election year, door-to-door campaigning, and in-person voter registration drives, they'd be in full swing at this point. But with COVID-19, of course, spreading across the country still, activists, they're changing the way that they're reaching potential voters.

Let's bring in Elizabeth Ann Sanders, she's the committee chair of Kansas City Souls to the Polls organization.

Elizabeth, it's so good to have you with us this morning. At what point did you realize the traditional souls to the polls campaign was not going to work and how did you make some modifications?

[07:45:06]

ELIZABETH ANN SANDERS, COMMITTEE CHAIR, SOULS TO THE POLLS, KANSAS CITY: Well, actually, to tell you the truth, and I'm very pleased to be here and talk about getting out the vote. It was after the Souls to the Polls in Kansas City had begun. And really, it began -- I kind of had a truly a dream about getting people to the polls, and I began to work, and the black Baptist Ministerial Alliance invited me, and then, others joined in. And I call them the defenders of democracy. And among those definitely are the league and they were the first to finance this effort.

And then, we had MainStream Coalition got votes. We had churches, we had Black Greeks. We had the Talented Tenth. We had just a number of organizations that came together. We began to meet in the churches, and then, all of a sudden came COVID, and we had to pivot. And that pivot came to beginning to meet with by phone conferences.

And during that period of time, I had, had an opportunity as a past president of the League of Women Voters to be on a phone conference and to hear that in Salina Kansas, they had conducted a car caravan. That lit the fire and that's how it started. We began to plan and it was executed and it was a blessed event.

PAUL: So, when you talk to people who are planning this and trying to get more car caravans out there, what are they talking to you about regarding the deterrent people feel of going to the polls and voting or even going to be part of -- a part of a car caravan? What are they afraid of?

SANDERS: Well, you know, everyone is afraid of COVID. But with the car caravan, you're in your car. And we have signs on the car and we are going through or the first car caravan that we did on July 11th.

We went through the three wards and precincts that had a highest number of registered voters, but a lowest voter turnout. We are planning another car caravan that will happen on October 10th.

And the reason these days were chosen is because there is a deadline for registration to vote. And this time, we will be going through the three different neighborhoods or wards and precincts that have the highest population concentration and the lowest number of registered voters entered out.

PAUL: All right. Elizabeth Ann Sanders, we appreciate taking the time to be with us this morning. Good luck with everything.

SANDERS: All right, thank you so much for having me.

PAUL: Absolutely.

BLACKWELL: Well, there was, of course, this horrific tragedy -- the storm that went through Texas and Louisiana. But there is a bright spot as the store hit the -- the storm hit Louisiana, a group of doctors and nurses, they pulled together and rescued more than a dozen infants.

PAUL: And in today's "FOOD AS FUEL", CNN health reporter Jacqueline Howard tells us what benefits we can get from some of our favorite fruits.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: We've all heard the saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well, fruits of all varieties come with nutritional benefits. Apples are rich in antioxidants and fiber. If you're grabbing one as a snack, don't discard the skin because that contains much of the fiber.

As for oranges, they offer more than just vitamin C, they're a good source of potassium and also fiber. And a glass of orange juice can quench your thirst, just to make sure yours has no added sugars.

Bananas are a source of potassium and fiber too, and also vitamin B6. Grapes of all colors are chock full of antioxidants and other nutrients. But one study says that concord and purple grapes have significantly higher antioxidants than red or green grapes.

And love your strawberry smoothies. Strawberries are a good source of vitamin C, potassium, and another essential nutrient called manganese. It's a little-known mineral that your body needs to stay healthy.

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[07:53:50]

BLACKWELL: So, a lot of people got out of Lake Charles, Louisiana before Hurricane Laura hit, but someone had to stay behind with the babies.

PAUL: Somebody, and thank you so much to the staff at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital. They cleared out the NICU. They transferred 19 newborns to safer ground. And then, they hunkered down -- look at this, with those little ones. Taking shifts throughout the night, and when the winds got too dangerous, they moved patients there into the hallways.

Thank you so much for what you do. I mean, you're saving lives every day. And we are so glad to be able to tell you everyone is OK.

[07:54:27]

PAUL: Next hour of the NEW DAY starts after a quick break.

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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As demands for racial justice in the United States grow ever louder, the day ended in mourning after the unexpected passing of a young American actor. Chadwick Boseman lost his life after a four-year battle with colon cancer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Kenosha police officers association releasing their first detailed version of what happened the night the 29-year- old Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by a police officer.

LAMARR: Even if Jacob did resist an officer or obstructing officer, the penalty, it is up to nine months in jail and up to a $10,000 fine.

BLAKE: The 17-year-old Caucasian shot and killed two people. My son got ICU and paralyzed from the waist down.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY Weekend with Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul.