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THE SITUATION ROOM

Fauci Calls Failure to Vaccinate 20 Million "Disappointing"; GOP Source: "At Least A Handful" Of GOP Senators Could Join Election Challenge Next Week, "Will Definitely Be A Spectacle"; Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) Is Interviewed About Republicans Effort to Overturn Election; CDC: Rapid Antigen Tests Less Accurate, May Be Missing Many Cases; Source: McConnell Tells GOP Senators He Is Giving Them Room To Vote Their Conscience On Election Objections; How To Stay Safe Amid The Dangers Of New Year's Eve Gatherings. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired December 31, 2020 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Senate candidate Jon Ossoff, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, former Georgia Gubernatorial Candidate Democrat Stacey Abrams, and the Trump administration Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, that's 9:00 a.m. and noon Eastern on Sunday.

See you in 2021. God, I hope it's a better year for you. Our coverage on CNN continues right now.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. Wolf Blitzer is off today. I'm Jim Acosta, and this is a CNN Situation Room special report.

We're following breaking news, the U.S. coronavirus death toll has now topped 344,000 people and the country is on the verge of 20 million confirmed cases. That's the same number of vaccines the Trump administration said it planned to administer by year's end. But on this New Year's Eve, fewer than 3 million Americans have been vaccinated, a failure Dr. Anthony Fauci calls disappointing.

Also breaking this hour, the futile effort by some Republican lawmakers to overturn the election is gaining steam. A Republican source told me a short time ago that at least a handful of GOP senators are expected to join the election challenge next week, when the electoral votes come before Congress and two House Republicans are telling CNN, they expect at least 140 House Republicans to vote against counting those votes in that chamber.

And we'll begin with more of the breaking pandemic news. CNN's Sara Murray joins us with the latest. Sara is the end of the year that has brought so much pain and suffering to so many Americans and the New Year will not get off to a good start, 2021 is going to feel a lot like 2020 as we get going.

SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Jim, you know, I wish I could say that it's going to look better as we flip the page on our calendar, but there's really no sign of that as this virus continues to spread all over the country. And of course, as you point out as vaccines have been very slow to catch up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: See, it's been a very, very tough year. This is the worst that we've had literally in 102 years.

MURRAY (voice-over): As 2020 comes to a close, the coronavirus is still wreaking devastation across the country, and lifesaving vaccines are lagging behind.

FAUCI: We would have liked to have seen it run smoothly and have 20 million doses into people today by the end of the 2020, which was the projection.

MURRAY (voice-over): Hailed as the light at the end of the tunnel, vaccines have been slow to make their way into Americans arms. Less than 2.8 million shots have been administered and less than 12.5 million doses distributed according to the CDC, far short of the Trump administration's 20 million goal.

FAUCI: Obviously it didn't happen. And that's disappointing.

MURRAY (voice-over): As states struggle with distribution challenges.

GOV. MIKE DEWINE (R-OH): And we know that there's a moral imperative to get this out just as quickly as we can.

MURRAY (voice-over): Arizona's governor ordered the state health department to accelerate vaccinations rather than leaving it to each county saying, vaccines don't do any good sitting in a freezer.

In West Virginia official state 42 people were accidentally given antibody treatments instead of coronavirus vaccines. In Wisconsin, the FBI is investigating after someone intentionally removed 57 vaccine vials from a pharmacy freezer and about 500 doses were discarded.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want some normalcy in my life again.

MURRAY (voice-over): And in states like Florida and Tennessee, which opened vaccines up to the elderly lines are sneaking around. The block the urgent need for vaccines evident as 2020 ends with more grim milestones, 3,744 people died of coronavirus, Wednesday, an all-time high. And 125,220 were hospitalized. It marks the 23rd time the U.S. set a hospitalization record in December alone.

Many Americans understandably eager to bid a due to 2020, but officials warn this isn't the time to pop over to Time Square to ring in the New Year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't go down there. Watch from home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MURRAY: Now researchers are also monitoring a new variant of this virus that has emerged in South Africa. It has 22 mutations, which is a pretty big number as far as that goes. And there are concerns that the vaccines may not be as effective with this particular strain. And now of course, that's going to be tested. We're not sure if the vaccines will not work against it. But it's another strain of this virus that researchers will be monitoring.

ACOSTA: All right, and a reminder for people to stay safe on those New Year's Eve.

MURRAY: Absolutely.

ACOSTA: All right, Sara Murray, thank you very much for that.

More now on the breaking news about congressional Republican plans to challenge the election results next week, a Republican source telling us that at least a handful of GOP senators are expected to join the effort. Let's go to CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins. Kaitlan this effort is gaining support among House Republicans and on the Senate side too.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it definitely is. And so far, we are being told by two congressional Republicans they believe 140 House Republicans are going to sign on to this effort. But what everyone is looking at is the Senate and we know there is at least one Republic Senator there who is going to be joining in on those efforts despite being urged by Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader not to do so.

[17:05:07]

And, Jim, McConnell held a call with Senate Republicans this morning asking Josh Hawley to explain his reasoning behind this. But Hawley did not answer because he was not on the call, as McConnell later realized. But we do know what is behind this without Hawley explicitly stating it and that's President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, will you take our questions?

COLLINS (voice-over): Without answering a single question from reporters, President Trump cut his Florida vacation short today and left behind a ballroom have disappointed guests at Mar-a-Lago for tonight's New Year's Eve party.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hello, everybody, Happy New Year.

COLLINS (voice-over): Instead of walking the red carpet like last year, Trump will bring in the new year in Washington after spending most of his time in Florida and an irritable mood fuming about everything from his election loss to First Lady Melania Trump's renovations.

Sources say the President is almost singularly focused on a plot by his Republican allies to disrupt Congress's certification of Joe Biden's win next week, which Democrats are dismissing as absurd. SEN. BOB CASEY (D-PA): They've got to choose here. It's real simple. There's only two choices. You choose democracy of the Constitution or you choose the big lion from, it's as simple as that. It's hard to comprehend that he wants to attach his name to one of the biggest lies in American history.

COLLINS (voice-over): Josh Hawley is the first Republican senator to answer Trump's call to challenge the election result, which will force the Senate to debate his claim before affirming Biden's win. But he may not be the last.

SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): This is the one opportunity that I have is the United States Senator, this process right here my one opportunity to stand up and say something, and that's exactly what I'm going to do.

COLLINS (voice-over): Senator Ben Sasse said he won't participate in the stunt by his fellow Republicans and urged others to reject this dangerous ploy. Adding, let's be clear about what's happening here. We have a bunch of ambitious politicians who think there's a quick way to tap into the President's populist base without doing any real long- term damage, but they're wrong. And this issue is bigger than anyone's personal ambitions.

Sasse also said when we talk in private, I haven't heard a single congressional Republican allege that the election results were fraudulent, not one. Although the Vice President only has a limited ceremonial role in this process, sources say Trump is demanding that Mike Pence fight harder for him. The Wall Street Journal editorial board, which has often been friendly to Trump during his presidency, says he's putting his loyal V.P. in a terrible spot.

Mr. Pence is too much of a patriot to go along, but the scramble to overturn the will of the voters tarnishes Mr. Trump's legacy and undermines any designs he has on running in 2024.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: And Jim a sign that kind of indicates the position that Pence has been putting with all of this and the President is that he was supposed to go on one last foreign trip next week. We were told they had been planning it pretty intensely in his office. But now that has been put on hold because of course right now, their focus is going to be what he's going to do when Congress does meet next week. And we know President Trump's expectations are high.

ACOSTA: They certainly are. All right, standby, Kaitlan. We want to bring in a Republican election lawyer and CNN contributor Ben Ginsburg, along with CNN congressional correspondent Phil Mattingly, and CNN's senior political reporter Nia-Malika Henderson.

Ben, let me go to you first. This effort led by Republican Senator Josh Hawley to challenge the election started out as a push from just one senator, but it appears to be picking up steam. I'm hearing that it could be as much as a handful of Republican senators. Our colleague, Jake Tapper is hearing perhaps as many 140 House members. Will this challenge go anywhere despite the numbers growing here?

BEN GINSBERG, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, no, because under the rules, both chambers, the House and the Senate, would have to agree that on a Trumpian slate of delegates that obviously is not going to happen in the House of Representatives. And there aren't even a majority of votes in the U.S. Senate to have it. So no, that won't go anywhere.

ACOSTA: And despite that, you have these members of Congress, though going forward with this. What does this say about your party tonight, Ben?

GINSBERG: Well, nothing good. I think they probably see it as a freebie vote, which is extremely short sighted for the future of the party. But they see that the Democrats and the House and enough Republican senators will save them from having to be in the unprecedented and unprincipled position of actually overturning the popular results of the election.

ACOSTA: They see it as a safe vote no matter the message that it sends to the rest of the world. Nia, let me ask you this. Republican Congressional aide tells me next week's joint session of Congress where the Electoral College votes will be counted, quote, will definitely be a spectacle. What should we be bracing for do you think?

[17:10:09]

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: You know, it'll be a circus. It'll be all Hail King Trump from the Republican Party of about 140 or so Jake Tapper is hearing in the House and you're obviously hearing some sort of number more than one it sounds like in the Senate. So there'll be a lot of debate, a lot of attempts to suit this President's wounded ego.

He obviously is full of shame at this point that he lost this election. He can't even face his folks down in Mar-a-Lago at this party. He came back to D.C. because that is how bad he feels about this loss. I think one of the things this certainly does as well for the President is it really crowns him as a front runner for 2024. He's obviously floated this idea that he wants to run in 2024.

Some of these folks in the Senate, think voting with President Trump gives them a leg up in 2024. But in many ways, I think it gives the President sort of a clear path to the nomination, either him, Donald Trump or someone else named Trump in 2024. So there's a bit of an irony here, they think it's helping of their fortunes in the Senate in the Republican kind of primary in 2024.

But in many ways, I think it just underscores Donald Trump's power over his base and it's not a base, he's going to cede easily to anyone in the House or the Senate, no matter how much they pledge their loyalty to him.

ACOSTA: That's right. And these efforts may suit some of those bruised feelings that he has. But I will tell you talking to a source close to this White House, the President was unsettled, quote, unsettled when he was down at Mar-a-Lago talking with associates about all of this. Phil Mattingly, you got some interesting reporting along with some of our colleagues about Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, holding a conference call earlier today. What did he say about Josh Hawley's effort?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, what he basically wanted to do, at least as it was relayed to me by somebody who's on the calls, he wanted Hawley to explain to his colleagues why he was going down this path. And keep in mind, Jim, it was only a couple of weeks ago that the majority leader warned his conference not to go down this path, not necessarily because of the long-term issues or long-term concerns that Ben Sasse laid out earlier today.

But instead because of the potential for problematic issues it would bring to the table for Republicans in the conference, those who had to run in 2022, and would be faced with an extremely difficult vote. And so, what McConnell did on this conference call, is give Hawley an opportunity to lay out why he was doing what he was doing.

Fortunately, Hawley was not on the conference call when he was called on. Now, after this all became public, I'm told Senator Hawley sent an e-mail out to all of his colleague laying out the same rationale he'd laid out publicly yesterday, and telling them that if they had any questions or wanting to talk to him about pick up the phone and give them a call. But I think what's important here to underscore is how kind of unsettled the Republican conferences, one senator I talked to last night, when I asked him to describe how everybody was feeling at the moment said just one word, Jim, said pissed.

They're upset because they feel like they've been put in a very difficult position. And I would note that when Josh Hawley did not respond, when McConnell called on him a couple of times to explain his rationale, the person who stepped in was Senator Pat Toomey, according to a person who is on the call, a Pennsylvania Republican, somebody from Pennsylvania, a state Hawley has continually pointed out and Toomey laid out the case, why the concerns that have been raised about Pennsylvania, don't make any sense are moot. And that Toomey does not agree with those concerns.

So, it just kind of underscores the dynamics and fascinating dynamics inside the conference that are going to continue to play out over the course of the next couple days. Because, Jim, you heard it, I'm hearing the same thing. I don't think Josh Hawley is going to be the last Republican senator to want to jump in on this.

ACOSTA: Yes. And it's sort of surprising that Josh Hawley would pull a stunt like this and not be on a conference call with his Senate leader, you know, trying to get his feelings on all of this. I want to read something that Republican Senator Ben Sasse wrote, Phil, slamming members of his part.

He writes, and we'll put this up on screen. When we talk in private, I haven't heard a single Congressional Republican allege that the election results were fraudulent, not one. Instead, I hear them talk about their worries about how they will look to President Trump's most ardent supporters. Phil, I mean, I think that sums it up. MATTINGLY: Yes. Look, Ben, made a great point a couple of minutes ago. And this is something that I've heard from a couple of Republicans, one who put it a thought, rather, astutely, yesterday when he said, it's easy to engage in activities like this when you don't think you're playing with live ammo, right? They don't think these votes, there's no repercussions for this. They know that it's not going to overturn the election. They know it's not going to change the electoral results.

I think it's something we've seen a lot over the course of the last three or four years. Republicans are more than willing to go out and bang the jam for President Trump if they don't believe there's going to be any repercussions afterwards for it. And clearly, they get rewarded by their party. They get rewarded by their base for doing just that.

[17:15:00]

And so I think you guys all know this, when you talk to Republicans on Capitol Hill. There are a couple that are all in with President Trump and believe everything that President Trump does, believes that the conspiracy theories about voting machines and anything else that you can think of. The vast majority, if not all, the Republicans I talked to on Capitol Hill are very keenly aware of reality. And that reality is that Joe Biden is going to be the 46th President of the United States, and that he's going to be inaugurated on January 20th.

ACOSTA: Right. And Josh Hawley was sending out a fundraising e-mail earlier today, we should point out, raising money off of all of this. So there seems to be some disinformation for dollars going on the same scam that President Trump has been running the last month or so.

But Nia, let me ask you this. President Trump were returned to Washington earlier today from his Florida trip, as I just mentioned, we're learning that he appeared, quote, unsettled during his trip to Mar-a-Lago as he continued to talk about this. This sounds like he is just -- he can't get over this.

HENDERSON: Yes. I mean, he is in his feelings about this. He is feeling incredibly embarrassed and humiliated. And so, he has created this alternative world where the Republicans can go to bat for him on January 6th, and by some miracle, overturn the will of the voters and reinstall him in the White House. That is not going to happen.

You know, he obviously spent a lot of time on the golf course. I imagine his world has just shattered in some ways, because all of the trappings that he has come to love about being president, this platform, being on the news all the time, every tweet, people read and pay attention to, you know, people around him treating him like the most powerful man in the world that is soon to disappear from this President's life.

And so, I imagine even being down at Mar-a-Lago, where he has all of these followers and people who look up to him and want to be around him, he couldn't even face them at the end, at this party. So, we flew back to Washington, where he, in some ways been holed up in the White House, not really facing anyone, and a lot of staffers, obviously, have either left or just are working from home.

So his whole world has been up ended by this. And so, in some ways, he's created this alternative reality where it isn't really going to end on January 20th. So, we'll obviously see what happens on January 6th. We know what's going to happen in terms of the ultimate result. But we'll see how many Republicans really want to sue this President's wounded ego, his wounded psyche on January 6th, and pledged their loyalty to this President.

ACOSTA: Yes. It sounds like he didn't want to be the party pooper in his own party tonight at Mar-a-Lago. Kaitlan, you've been doing some reporting on this. He has been just consumed with all of this, this past week during the holidays down there in Florida.

COLLINS: Yes. It's obviously been basically the only thing the President has been talking about since November, since he actually lost this. And you've seen how it's progressed in certain ways. And we're told by people who are interacting with the President, while he was in Florida this past week, it's pretty much the only thing he brought up.

He did make one mention about Iran, and he was worried they could retaliate for that drone strike that, of course, killed their top general about a year ago, almost exactly a year ago, while the President had ordered that while at Mar-a-Lago. And so that could have been part of the contributing factor into why the President did come back here.

But mainly, we're told he wanted a change of scenery, because he had been basically arguing with the First Lady about the renovations, but also talking about the election loss to every single person he saw. And so, it's just really unusual for the President to leave this party early. I know that sounds so small to be talking about, given what we're about to see on Capitol Hill happening next week.

But it's very unlikely the president to do something like this. And it surprised a lot of his guests. And it does give you an insight into how he is viewing this and how he wants to be interacting with people. And of course, we have remains to be seen what he will do next week when Congress is meeting to certify that win.

ACOSTA: Yes, he can change the scenery, Kaitlan, but he can't change the outcome of that election. All right, all of you, thank you so much for that.

There's more breaking news. We're following a dramatic twist on the Georgia runoff election that will determine control of the Senate. CNN senior national correspondent Kyung Lah is in Gainesville, Georgia for us. Kyung, this year is ending in a very 2020 sort of way, lots of news tonight. You're learning more about Republican Senator David Perdue's coronavirus exposure. Tell us more.

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Its emphasis on exposure for the campaign says that he and his wife have both been tested now, after there was exposure with someone on the campaign that they were notified this morning that someone on the campaign had contracted COVID. And so they got tested, they were negative.

But in following the CDC guidelines and accordance to what their doctors suggested, they are going to quarantine. So, here's how it all unfolded though, the place that I'm at was to be the last rally for the Republicans, Kelly Loeffler, David Perdue. They're trying to rally the base to get out there and vote on Tuesday. At 3 o'clock when they were scheduled to begin, take the stage, make comments, he didn't show.

[17:20:14]

And the people who were waiting here they didn't know they were actually asking us what was going on. That's when the campaign released a statement saying that he had been exposed to someone who had tested positive for COVID. I should point out that the Senator, we wish him well. We hope that he will do well.

The people in this crowd though, even though were outside, a large portion of them were not wearing masks. They were jammed up next to the stage. They were sitting side by side in the sands. There was no social distancing, guests outside. But this is generally what we've seen on the campaign trail in the crowds for these Republicans. And two days ago, Jim, Senator Perdue held an indoor event that are Embed DJ Judd was that he didn't wear a mask at many points of that event and was in close proximity to other people.

And so, the people he came in contact with now are going to have to try to figure out what their next steps are, Jim.

ACOSTA: And it raises all sorts of questions, Kyung, about the President who's expected to campaign in Georgia early next week before the runoff races down there come to their conclusion. And a lot of the people at those rallies as you know, Kyung, they don't wear masks, they don't do any social distancing. We'll of course stay on top of that, Kyung Lah. Thanks so much for that report. We appreciate it.

The breaking news continues next with more on the growing number of Congressional Republican signing on to the futile effort to overturn the election. Let's talk about that and more with Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono. There she is. And this is a CNN Situation Room special report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:25:34]

ACOSTA: And we're following multiple breaking stories at this hour amid the gathering political storm over next week's joint session of Congress to count the electoral votes in Congress.

We're joined now by Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii. She's a member of the Judiciary and armed services committees. Senator Hirono, thanks for joining us.

I wonder what you make --

SEN. MAZIE HIRONO (D-HI): Good evening.

ACOSTA: -- of this news that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is now giving Republicans room to vote their conscience on these objections. He's essentially saying OK, if you want to object to the election results, go right ahead. Despite what the evidence shows us, there is no evidence of any widespread voter fraud. Is he giving in what do you think?

HIRONO: He's not giving in. He's made it really plain that he doesn't want this kind of challenge to proceed. So, this is an opportunistic stunt by Republicans that has no chance of actually overturning the electoral results because for that to happen, both the House and the Senate have to agree. The House is not going to agree to overturn the results. And neither will the Senate if Mitch's original request the Senate Republicans that they not do this prevails. So, they're raising money, as you said, for doing this stunt.

ACOSTA: Absolutely. And a source tells me, Senator, that at least a handful of Republican senators could join this challenge. We're also hearing, you know, 140 or so House members over there in the House. Have you spoken to any of your Republican colleagues about this effort? What are they telling?

HIRONO: No. What I hear is what I read and what I see them going on in the press as though the President hasn't already challenged the election results, I don't know, 50 times and losing every single time. And yet, this is another stunt where they can try to raise money and be as Trumpian as they can be, so that they can get the support of the Trump voters. That's what's going on.

ACOSTA: And one Republican --

HIRONO: It's pretty pathetic, you know, and it challenges the results of a Democratic election all across our country. So, all these people have absolutely no regard for, in my view, democracy with what they're trying to do.

ACOSTA: Right. And one Republican Senator Ben Sasse says his colleagues are playing with fire on this even if this effort doesn't change the outcome of the election, these decisions will continue to have widespread consequences. Senator, are you worried about how a more Trumpian Republican Senate, a more Trumpian Republican House, how they will get along with a new President Biden come January 20th?

HIRONO: For one thing, I'm really glad that there is a President who actually cares about the country and will take responsibility for getting this pandemic under control, and thereby opening our economy safely. So thank goodness, we now Joe Biden, a sane president with empathy. So that's one thing.

It is truly up to the Republicans to figure out and they're just going to continue to kowtow and suck up to Trump and his voters are whether they're going to do their jobs, representing the people of our country and our democracy and our Constitution. We shall see. But right now, they're not showing any signs of that kind of courage, in my opinion.

ACOSTA: All right, Senator Mazie Hirono, Happy New Year. We appreciate you coming on. And we'll see you in the --

HIRONO: I wish everyone a safe and healthy New Year.

ACOSTA: Sounds good. So, do we all.

HIRONO: Aloha.

ACOSTA: All right, aloha. Thanks so much. We appreciate it.

[17:29:06]

And the breaking news continues next. The U.S. now nearing 20 million coronavirus cases but the 20 million vaccinations that the Trump administration talked about by years end have fallen drastically short. This is a CNN Situation Room special report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: The breaking pandemic news tonight more than 344,000 Americans have now lost their lives to COVID-19 and the U.S. is about to top 20 million confirmed cases. And joining us now to talk about it CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency room physician and former Baltimore Health Commissioner.

Dr. Wen, let me start with this. Dr. Anthony Fauci says he is disappointed that this country is not reaching the goal of vaccinating 20 million Americans by today. That's what the government said we were going to have by today. He also said there is some consideration being given to spreading out the first doses of the vaccine so it can reach more people. Can you explain what that means? And are there any risks to that approach, do you think?

DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Right. So first of all, we should all be very disappointed when there are thousands of people dying every day for there not to be vaccines that are distributed faster, for there to be millions of vaccines that are still sitting in warehouses when they could be out there saving lives.

So the concept of distributing these vaccines sooner is that if one dose can provide at least partial protection, then the thought goes, well, why don't we distribute it to as many people as we can at least that provide some partial protection to more people.

The problem though, is that this is not how the vaccines, the Pfizer or the Moderna vaccines were initially studied. So, we don't know what the one dose, how long that protection loss, how complete the protection is. And I also think that there might be some ethical issues with individuals who are expecting to get two doses. Now they're only getting one with a second dose still to be determined.

[17:35:14]

So, I actually think that there's a better way. And that's for us to distribute the vaccines that we have on hand a lot faster.

ACOSTA: Right, because you get into an issue of, you know, perhaps unsettling the public because they expected one thing, that the doses would be followed by one another by, you know, a few weeks and that sort of thing. And then we change it up, because things aren't rolling out quickly enough. That's a good point.

There is yet another new variant of the coronavirus, as you know, this one discovered in South Africa. Are you concerned that that variant could be resistant to the vaccines that have been developed? And what should we make of these different variants that are developing now?

WEN: So far, there's no evidence that the South African or the U.K. variants would somehow that that the vaccines would somehow not work on these variants. But that said, there is more studies, well, there are more studies that are undergoing to examine this. I think the lesson for all of us, is there two things. One is that it's the same precautions that we should be taking against these variants.

It's still the masking, physical distancing, avoid indoor gatherings. I think the other thing too is it shows once again, a key vulnerability here in the U.S., which is lack of surveillance testing, which is the reason why we are just beginning to find these variants here where they probably have been here for quite some time.

ACOSTA: And I want to turn to testing, another area where the U.S. has been struggling. The CDC now says rapid antigen tests are less accurate than advertised. What is the best way to ensure that you're taking a reliable test?

WEN: Yes. So, I actually don't think that the takeaway here should be that we should not get antigen tests. It's more that we should be getting the right test for the right patients and the right purpose. So, if you're somebody with symptoms of COVID-19 or you are at high risk for having it maybe you had exposure to somebody with coronavirus, you should be getting the more accurate PCR test.

But if you are asymptomatic and you're using the test for screening purposes, let's say that you're getting a test every week for work or for school, then getting the less accurate but much more rapid and widespread antigen test is just fine. The antigen test you can think about it as casting a wide net, so it doesn't replace the PCR test. But it's a way for us to catch more asymptomatic people. It's just needs to be used for the right purpose.

ACOSTA: And Dr. Wen, the CDC now says its guidance to shorten the 14- day coronavirus quarantine to seven to 10 days does carry some risk for further spread of the virus. What do we need to understand about these quarantine guidelines? And are changing these guidelines midstream is that a good idea?

WEN: This is another case of how perfect cannot be the enemy of the good that when we have the quarantine guidelines as 14 days it was really hard for people to not be at work to isolate from their -- from or quarantine from their families for 14 days living the same household.

So we always knew that by shortening the time to 10 days or seven days plus a test that you're going to miss some people who might have tested positive on day 11 or 12 and now we'll miss them in 10 days. But I think the takeaway here is that anyone who can quarantine for 14 days should still do so. But if it increases compliance by the general population to shorten that timeline, it's better to have good compliance with something that misses a few cases rather than no compliance with a perfect guideline.

ACOSTA: Absolutely. Compliance is the key as we've seen throughout much of this crisis. All right, Dr. Leana Wen, thank you so much.

[17:38:37]

And coming up, we'll discuss today's hyper partisan challenges to the election with a Washington veteran who remembers bipartisanship. Remember that word? Former Republican Senator William Cohen served as defense secretary under a Democratic president. He'll join us in just a few moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: This hour's breaking news, a GOP congressional source predicts there will definitely be a spectacle next week because at least a handful of Republican senators are expected to join the congressional challenges to the Electoral College vote. Let's get the insights of former defense secretary and Republican Senator William Cohen. Secretary Cohen, thanks for being on with us.

Let me get right to this. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is now giving Republicans room to vote their conscience is how it's being described on these objections. And as a Republican and former U.S. Senator, what is your response to this effort at this late stage, last ditch stage in the process despite all the evidence, to try to overturn the will of the American people?

WILLIAM COHEN, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, I think it's shameful. And those who are going to express their conscience by voting to support this effort to overturn the elections are shameless. We have to remember that the current occupant of the White House is a ringmaster. And what he expects to do is a snap his whip, and all of the elephants jump on the chairs.

And what they have to understand those who are so eager to support this effort to overturn the vote of the American people, what they have to understand is, he's going to continue to snap the whip, whether he's in office or out of office. And every time they're going to have to jump up and sit on that stool in order to satisfy him and his supporters.

So this is a time when the senator says, it's time for him to stand up. I think it's time for him to stand up for the Constitution. I think it's time for the senators to stand up for the Constitution. That's the oath that they swore to, to abide by and to enforce. Instead, they're trying to please the man who has lost the election. By every -- he went to the voters, the voters voted him out, he went to the electors, the electors certified the results, he went to the courts and the courts rejected them. Now he's making a last stand with the United States Senate and the House in order to overturn and invalidate the votes of those principally in the states where there's a large minority voting population. You know, it seemed, given the history of this country in terms of slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, and now the effort to go to those particular areas and say, you want to minimize or overturn the votes of minorities, black people and others. It's shameful.

And I think that they have to understand you're never going to satisfy President Trump. He is always going to up the ante. He cannot be satisfied. There's nothing him. There is no moral core. And so, you're going to be extorted or bribed in order to avoid a primary in 2022 or 2024.

[17:45:13]

And Senator Hawley wants to be the first out of the box to say I'm the new Trump. I'm the me two Trump, I'm the mini me Trump. I mean I think it's just shameful that the Senate is going to do this. And those senators who are lining up to support Senator Hawley they have to understand they're going to have to keep doing it over and over again whenever the ringmaster cracks the whip.

ACOSTA: Yes. It is peculiar, because typically, a losing president and an outgoing one term president would not have any control over his party anymore. He would, he would be upset that he lost and mope about it and groan about it to people around him and that sort of thing. But then he would go off and ride off into the sunset and write a memoir or go to the beach or something like that.

But yes, President Trump has this grip over this party for being a one term president just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. How do you view the state of the party, the Republican Party, a party that you're a member of on this final day of this terrible year of 2020?

COHEN: Yes. Well, for Trump, it's pathological. For those who are jumping up to support him, it's diabolical. I don't think is diabolically clever. I think they will find they'll be hostage for the rest of their time in the Senate and going forward if they're only there to appease the Trumpsters. So, I think there's a real division.

I would like to see, you know, the Mitt Romney's, the Susan Collins, and the others, the Ben Sasse, Governor Thornburgh just died today. Where are the Governor Thornburghs in the United States Senate, why aren't they standing up for the rule of law that used to be with the Republicans most prized ourselves on, rule of law, peaceful transition of power, engaging with our allies, yes, fiscal responsibility to be sure.

But where, where's the principle, the ethics involved? We had a young congressman-elect just died at the age of 41. And now we have a young senator standing up saying, it's my chance to stand up for what, for Trump or for the Constitution? And so, I think there's a real split there. I don't know how Mitch McConnell is going to handle it going forward. But maybe it's time for a new party, one that abides by the rule of law, abides by balanced budget opportunities with fiscal responsibility, but also faithful to the people of this country who vote to elect them.

ACOSTA: All right. Very interesting and potential call for a new party there from former Republican Senator. That is very interesting. Senator Cohen --

COHEN: One final comment. I think Shakespeare said it all. He said beware caches is lean and hungry. Those men are dangerous. Those people who are out jumping to the tune of Donald Trump are going to be dangerous for democracy.

ACOSTA: All right, and we'll leave it at that. All right, Senator Cohen, thanks so much for joining us, Happy New Year. We appreciate it.

And coming up, how to ring in the New Year safely as the coronavirus pandemic rages across the U.S.?

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[17:52:34]

ACOSTA: The welcome end to 2020 poses its own set of danger. CNN's Brian Todd is working on that part of the story for us. Brian, health experts are imploring people can stay home tonight with just members of their own household. We hope that happens.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right Jim. We've spoken with several medical experts on this. They're all worried about a post-New Year's Eve surge of the virus. Tonight, we have important new information on how to protect yourself.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four, three --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three, two, one.

TODD (voice-over): The stroke of midnight in Sydney, Australia celebrating the end of the year we all want to get past.

Leading up to that moment bands in Sydney performed on stages with no live audiences in front of them. Police in Sydney said they do spot checks throughout the city to enforce restrictions and are limiting households to five guests.

In New York, Times Square is off limits this year to all but a select few frontline workers screened in advance.

TERENCE MONAHAN, CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT, NEW YORK CITY POLICE: Don't come. Do not come to the area. If you think you're going to be able to stand there and watch the ball, you're mistaken. TODD (voice-over): The CDC is telling Americans this year don't go out and party on New Year's Eve. Stay home. Experts are worried about a post-New Year's surge of coronavirus as the country is already experiencing horrific spikes in cases and deaths.

ERIN BROMAGE, PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY, UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS-DARTMOUTH: We've got Christmas infections that will then build with me as infections on top of those and so we could have a compounding event. So, if people have made decisions to mix households and get together and help spread the infection, unfortunately, we could be looking at a very grim beginning to, you know, to January.

TODD (voice-over): Even small New Year's Eve gatherings experts say are dangerous.

DR. PETER HOTEZ, DEAN, NATIONAL SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: Even if you're just with four or five individuals, there's a good likelihood that at least one of them couldn't have COVID-19.

TODD (voice-over): And experts say New Year's Eve parties present unique dangers. One is that younger people, many with a sense of invulnerability are drawn to them.

DR. AMESH ADALJA, JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER FOR HEALTH SECURITY: Younger people tend to be more risk tolerant and less risk averse. Younger people are less likely to have severe complications from this virus. But it isn't the case that they can still transmit that to vulnerable populations.

TODD (voice-over): That coupled with typical behavior at New Year's Eve parties creates what doctors call a perfect storm for the virus.

HOTEZ: There's alcohol involved, most likely and therefore you're letting your guard down. You're indoors, likely at a New Year's Eve party, you know, if you're with a gathering, you may not be wearing masks. You are speaking loudly over the music.

[17:55:13]

TODD (voice-over): So, experts say turn the music down to try to avoid the droplet transmission that comes with yelling. Other tips from the CDC include have a virtual party, plan a neighborhood countdown to midnight where neighbors can go outside and cheer from their doorsteps. If you have to be indoors, experts say, open windows.

BROMAGE: and I'm not talking about wide open I'm just talking, get three or four inches on multiple windows open so that you're actually exchanging the air inside your house will lower the risk substantially inside there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Another recommendation from Professor Erin Bromage that he says a lot of people don't think about limit the duration of your gathering. Instead of partying for four hours, he says, if you limit it to one or two hours, you are lowering your risk substantially. Jim?

ACOSTA: All right, Brian Todd, thanks so much for that.

Breaking news next, the U.S. on the verge tonight of 20 million confirmed coronavirus cases, as a painful year draws to a close.

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