Trump Downplays Virus Threat, Infected People Getting Better.
SCIUTTO: As the number of coronavirus cases grows around the world, President Trump is downplaying its effect on the U.S.</s>DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: You may ask about the coronavirus, which is, you know, very well under control in our country. We have very few people with it and the people that have it are -- in all cases, I have not heard anything other. The people are getting better. They're all getting better.</s>SCIUTTO: Members of the Senate, all 100, were briefed just an hour ago on the virus. And one of the people present for that, Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, also happens to be doctor and has a thing or two about this. Senator, thanks so much for taking the time this morning.</s>SEN. JOHN BARRASSO (R-WY): Thank you, Jim. Thanks for having me.</s>SCIUTTO: So you heard the president there downplaying it, says it's very much under control. We heard Senator Johnson, one of your colleagues, come out of the briefing, saying to expect -- Americans should expect more cases here in the U.S., his words, we will have more here in America. Who is right about the direction of this virus and as it affects the U.S.?</s>BARRASSO: Well, I think they are both right. The president is right and the travel restrictions have been put in place have actually lowered the amount of cases that we have here. But with it all around the world, there is concern that there will be inevitably more cases in the United States in the near future. We are the most prepared nation in the world to deal with it. But when there is a new virus like this, coming up with any kind of a vaccine that will work, after it is tested, proven and then made so there is enough for everyone takes at minimum of a year, and more likely a year-and-a-half to two years.</s>SCIUTTO: Right. The White House has asked Congress for 1.5 -- $1.25 billion in emergency funding. We were doing some math here. And just in the last two requests, the president has asked nearly seven times that, he's actually diverted money from defense for building the wall, seven times the money for building the wall as for fighting this, what may become a pandemic. Is that a sufficient amount of money to do what's necessary to keep Americans safe from this?</s>BARRASSO: Well, at the briefing, the specific dollars came up, and it's not enough. It's enough for the first tranche right now to deal with it. We asked the last briefing about ten days ago, did these folks, the Centers for Disease Control, the NIH have what they needed at the time? They said they did. Now, with this supplemental, this is a starting point. We realize we're going to have a number of additional, as you said, bites of the apple to go to do additional funding. And I expect there's going to be more funding needed. The initial amount was to bring people back from overseas. We need more for testing, for treatment, for vaccine development. All of these things are important and readiness at the local level.</s>SCIUTTO: Just a short time ago, the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, commented on Russian interference in this election and said at the State Department podium that he delivered a warning to his Russian counterpart. I want to have you listen to that and I want to get your reaction.</s>MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: Meddling in our elections is unacceptable. The Trump administration will always work to protect the integrity of our elections, period, full stop. Should Russia or any foreign actor take steps to undermine our Democratic processes, we will take action in response.</s>SCIUTTO: You're well aware of the president's reluctance to call out Russia for this interference and, of course, he famously, in Helsinki, accepted Vladimir Putin's denial that Russia interfered. Why can't the president say definitively those words we heard from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to say, Russia, don't do it and I'm going to stand in your way?</s>BARRASSO: Well, the president speaks for himself. I would agree with Mike Pompeo. The election security is always a top priority and enduring challenge. The bipartisan Intel Committee said that, basically, we were caught flat footed in 2016. We did a lot of hardening in 2018 with lots of money to all of the states, and we did not see this level in 2018 and we are prepared in 2020. We've had secure briefings on that. I am confident that this election will be done in a secure way.</s>SCIUTTO: Okay. So the president speaks for himself. But Americans count on their president to be commander in chief, to defend the country. What confidence should they have that the president is doing what's necessary, providing the leadership that is necessary and resources to keep this coming election safe?</s>BARRASSO: Well, the resources have been provided. We heard that from the Department of Homeland Security, we heard it from the FBI, we heard it from --</s>SCIUTTO: What about from the president?</s>BARRASSO: He has provided the resources, Jim, as needed. And this has been signed into law as part of the appropriations process, hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars have been sent around the country for election security.</s>SCIUTTO: Let's talk about then his appointments. The director of National Intelligence is the most senior intelligence official in the country. It was established by law in 2004, which demands that any individual nominated for appointment as director of National Intelligence shall have extensive national security expertise. And, of course, one thing that DNI will have to do, as they did in 2016, is monitor foreign interference in elections, among other things, terrorism, Russia, China, you name it. Does Rick Grenell, the president's choice for that position, who is still to be serving as ambassador to Germany, does he have the necessary experience for that post?</s>BARRASSO: The president gets to choose who he wants, but this position is one that actually requires Senate confirmation. And my understanding is Ambassador Grenell is a temporary appointment and not necessarily one the president is going to nominate. I'd like to see the permanent nominee made quickly and brought to the Senate for confirmation. I was with Ambassador Grenell in Munich a week-and-a-half ago at the International Security Conference, and I think he's representing our country well there.</s>SCIUTTO: On this issue for this particular role, and keep in mind the long experience that all previous DNIs have had in intelligence. Look at these folks here. They served as senators on Intel Committees, served for 25 years in the CIA, Jim Clapper was the head of two intelligence agencies before becoming the DNI. Would you, if the president chose Grenell as his permanent choice, would you vote for or against it?</s>BARRASSO: Well, I'd want to see how he responded during the hearings. I thought that Dan Coats was a superior choice for that position. I worked closely with him in the Senate. I think I voted in support of the ambassador to be ambassador to Germany. This is a different position and I'd want to participate fully in the hearings.</s>SCIUTTO: Senator Barroso, a pleasure to have you on the program.</s>BARRASSO: Thanks for having me.</s>HARLOW: All right. So the Intelligence Community has made it very clear Russia is trying to meddle once again in the 2020 elections. So what should we make of the president's refusal to answer direct question about that this morning?