CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview With Rep. Tony Cardenas

Interview

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HILL: And the president was asked specifically about the Pentagon saying not to travel domestically. The president's words, and I quote, "If you don't have to travel, I wouldn't do it," when asked if he would recommend the same thing.

We also have Representative Tony Cardenas.

I'm wondering, sir, have you had any foreknowledge of this? Any warning that something like this could be coming down the pike? There could be a domestic travel ban going into place?

REP. TONY CARDENAS (D-CA): No. The president hasn't been giving Congress any warnings. He hasn't given the American people, who he was elected to protect and defend, hasn't been giving them information. As a matter of fact, he's been lying to them over and over and over again.

And one thing that the American people need to understand, you're never -- the president and Pence and none of them are actually reminding the American people what they should be saying is, the coronavirus is here in the United States.

For example, on February 10th, there were 12 identified cases in the United States. Less than 30 days later, on March 11th, there were over 1200. Within three days, on the 14th, we had an additional 600 cases in the United States.

What they are trying to do and what they just did for over an hour in front of the American people and tried to fool you, the press, into trying to get you to tell nice stories about the reality is the coronavirus is here. And it is deadly.

The president finally took a test. We all saw before our eyes that he is standing next to somebody who actually was identified and tested to have the coronavirus. He was well within the six feet that his own medical doctors are trying to tell Americans, stay six feet away from each other, have this social change in your life where you actually are taking care of yourself.

One thing they finally said that's true, and that's this, everybody should be more careful today. If you are 30 years old, you're probably not going to die if you contract coronavirus. But if you take it home to your grandmother, that you love very much, she might get it, and she might die.

I'm sorry for the harsh language, but I have to say it because the president and everybody who is not allowed to tell the truth around him are not telling the American people the truth.

The coronavirus is here. We will get through this, but the fact that they waited over 30 days -- for example, the World Health Organization offered us some test kits. His administration said, no thank you. We're not going to take them. That was right around where we had about 12 cases that we were able to identify. Now we have over 1200 and growing.

[13:35:10]

Ladies and gentlemen, once -- and I don't even know when. And it's up to you, the press, because he's not talking to Congress.

The bottom line is this. The press needs to keep pressing this question to him. You keep saying that we're going to have mass testing in America. When is that going to be, Mr. President? When we are going to have mass testing? Because we need to do that because the American people need to know if they are walking around infecting their loved ones or not.

HILL: Well, and, respectfully, I'm with you. That's the question we've been trying to get answered.

We're getting conflicting numbers from the White House. Vice president Pence earlier this week saying that 4 million testing kits would be available by the end of this week. The president yesterday saying 5 million will soon be available. No real clear date.

Elizabeth, when we talk about the testing, two things I want to pick up on. There's been a lot made about when the vice president said that we didn't need the tests from the WHO because we just do things our own way.

Is that sort of standard operating procedure for the United States, to just say, we don't need it, we're going to do our own thing, even if it may mean we're behind a little bit?

COHEN: Right. I don't think that's written in stone anywhere. That's certainly not standard operating procedure all the time.

I have to tell you, Erica, I was emailing with a gentleman who runs a lab in Germany. He had testing kits out in the thousands upon thousands on January 13th. That was a very long time ago. Why wasn't that happening here?

And just to say, oh, that's not how we do it, we do it here ourselves, that seems like a rather odd explanation. Safety comes first. That should be the rule, not, oh, if we didn't make it, we don't want to use it. That doesn't make any sense.

HILL: It had me scratching my head, too. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Juliette, as we look at all of this. You're talking about the messaging and what people need to hear. As I'm talking to folks, even when I was down near the containment zone in New Rochelle earlier this week, officials I spoke with said the minute we give people information, their anxiety -- they can physically see it reduce.

So in terms of getting that information out, what is the best way forward? For people who are watching now, when they are hearing things from this task force -- and it's important to get these updates on a regular basis. I mean, can they -- can all the information be trusted? What we are supposed to do with it?

KAYYEM: It's a tricky question, just because, in my field, you'd never imagine that the top -- that the White House would not be sort of solely invested in protecting -- in focusing on the American people. It's just become too much about Trump.

So basically, I just tell everyone, employers, university presidents, institutions, and all of us as parents -- I see Brian and I are home -- you just have to set up your own battle rhythm right now.

So governors, I've been briefing governors and mayors, you know, every day, same day, same time. I cannot believe it's taken the task force to do it on a daily basis. Information is good. Go to trusted sources online.

And then, personally, I don't know how better to say it because this is the ratchet up period. Tuesday and Wednesday were sort of the shock. This is now the ratchet up. Set your own battle rhythm. It's just the way you have to do it.

And then, in terms of information, it's a really interesting story. This is a local news story with national impact now. So go to your local sources as well. Public health. Public safety. Mayor's office. Governor's office.

There's a big dynamic going on, but if you want to stay calm or you want the reality -- I don't know if you can stay calm -- but if you want the reality, go to local sources. The big picture will come from news sources like us.

HILL: The local angle for a lot of people, you're right, that's where it's at as they're watching all of their weekend activities be canceled, as they're watching their kid's school be closed. That's why it does impact people and then to build up from there.

Elizabeth, Juliette, Brian, Kristen, Congressman Cardenas, we appreciate you all joining us with your expertise to help break this down this afternoon.

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