i'm not overly concerned about it. we need to focus on it. be thoughtful about how we deal with it, but not overreact either. >> is putin a bully? how do you stand up to him? >> of course he is. he is amassing forces now on the eastern border of ukraine. he's testing us again much as he did when president biden came into office, he did the same thing. i think biden did the right thing, told putin, look, we're 100% president zelensky in the ukraine and don't cross that line. putin is testing us once again. >> i want to ask you about something that came out in jonathan cj jonathan cokarl's book from abc news. -- you need to get involved here, you need to seize ballots, we need the military to step in to overturn the results of the election. as someone who has dedicated his life to service, how does that make you feel? >> one, i do know mike well, he was great, he and i served a number of times together and a good friend. but since he retired, i will tell you our feelings about how the country should be governed have diverged significantly. but, you know, nobody is serving in uniform would ever think to involve themselves in the election process. chairman joint chiefs of staff mark milley made it very clear. our allegiance is to the constitution of the united states, not the president. and therefore we in the military have a constitutional obligation to uphold the fundamental tenets of the constitution and not get involved in the election. >> i want to ask you for an update on april op-ed you wrote in 2018. this was after then president trump was threatening to revoke security clearances from people and you said revoke mine too if you're going to do that. you wrote at the time, through your actions you embarrassed us through the eyes of our children and divided us as a nation. that was 2018. is there an update to that now after what happened on january 6th and since then? >> what happened on january 6th was stunning and a bit of a wake-up call for america to realize that maybe our democracy is a little bit more fragile than we had thought. and every day we have to do the best we can to preserve this democracy. and my hope and my expectation is that americans will come to the center. they will realize that you can't govern from the far right, you can't govern from the far left, you got to figure out how we're going to govern from the center. and unfortunately that hasn't been the case and trump has not made that easier and frankly a lot of the candidates and a lot of those serving in government office have not made it easier. they have got to do what's right for the american people, every single day. >> and i appreciate you coming in, congratulations on the new book, you're making a difference. >> thank you very much. >> appreciate it. >> "new day" continues right now. >> good morning to viewers here in the u.s. and around the world. it is thursday, november 18th. and america is on trial watch as three major cases play out simultaneously. first in kenosha, wisconsin, jurors are set to begin a third day of deliberations in the kyle rittenhouse double homicide trial. they spent the day on wednesday reviewing drone video evidence including one that prompted the defense to make a second motion for a mistrial. attorneys claim they received an inferior copy of the key video from the prosecution. brunswick georgia, travis mcmichael, one of the three men accused of killing ahmaud arbery took the stance in his own defense telling the court he had no choice but to pull the trigger. and in charlottesville, a trial on the deadly violence that' r erupted in the deadly rally in 2018. we're expecting what could be a very vigorous cross examination today. >> absolutely, john. the moment that the defense took over this case, the first question in everyone's mind were could one of the defendants possibly take the witness stand and then the next question was, and who would that be? we got the answer in less than 30 seconds. the defense beginning their case with a key witness. the man who fired his gun three times killing ahmaud arbery. >> i want to give my side of the story. i want to explain what happened. and to be able to say what happened from the way i see it. >> reporter: travis mcmichael testifying on his own behalf saying he shot arbery in self-defense. >> i get to the front of the truck. by the time i get to the front of the truck, he's at the front quarter panel on the right-hand side, and he turns and is on me in -- is on me, in a flash. immediately on me. >> on you doing what? >> he grabs the shotgun, and i believe i was struck on that first instance that we made contact. >> what were you thinking at that moment? >> i was thinking of my son. sounds weird, but the first thing that hit me. >> what did you do? >> i shot him. >> why? >> he had my gun. he struck me. it was obvious he was -- obvious that he was attacking me, that if he would have got the shotgun from me, then it was it was a life or death situation. and i'm going to have to stop him from doing this. so i shot. >> mcmichael is one of the three men facing felony charges in connection with arbery's death. he and his father greg mcmichael chased arbery in a truck while he was jogging in a neighborhood near brunswick, georgia, in february, 2020. mcmichael testifying he began following arbery because he believed he was responsible for a series of break-ins in the neighborhood. >> we stopped asked him what was going on. he never says anything to me. he looked at me and i thought this guy's -- this could be volatile. just kind of watch it here. ask him again, what happened down the road? why are people pointing down the road? what are you running from? i didn't say anything. he's in the same spot he is. he's not squaring up or anything like that, just standing there. and i said, hey, the police are on the way. as soon as i said the police, he turned and ran straight back down. >> reporter: the defendant describing why he decided to reach for his shotgun. >> as he's running towards you at this moment, what are you thinking? >> that i'm pretty sure that he is going to attack. >> reporter: disturbing video of the fatal incident captured by his neighbor william "roddie" bryan's cell phone. >> a shot, the first shot, and then the second shot i shot again because i was still -- i was still fighting. i was still -- he was all over me. he was still all over the shotgun, and he was not relenting. >> so i shot again stopping him. that third shot, which i thought was -- that final shot he disengaged, and at that point he let go, he turned and continued to run down -- at that point i was in shock. >> mcmichael telling jurors what happened after he shot arbery twice. >> i turned around, we got over there, and pulled his hand out from under him and realized he was deceased. i looked up and the police were right there. i stood up, realized that, you know, that i got a gun here and that he is -- that he's passed away. the police are on scene. i walked over to the side and put my shotgun down. after that, it was -- it was a blur. >> reporter: defense attorney jason sheffield asking mcmichael about his use of force training in the coast guard. >> did you ever have to use intermediate? >> did not. >> or deadly force? >> no. >> reporter: in cross examination, the prosecution asking him about that training. >> you were taught that deadly force is only to be used as a last resort, correct? >> that's correct. >> reporter: lead prosecutor saying there is no proof mcmichael tried to conduct a citizens arrest. >> you just testified under oath that you're not going to chase or investigate someone who is armed. that's correct, right? >> yes. >> and not once during your direct examination did you state that your intention was to effectuate an arrest of mr. arbery until your attorney ask ed you that leading question, isn't that right? >> yes. >> reporter: she also questioned mcmichael about rumors versus evidence of crime in the neighborhood. >> so it is fair to say you had incomplete information about who was committing the crimes? >> yes. >> reporter: and asked if he knew why arbery was jogging there that day. >> he's running down the road, correct? >> yes. >> you and you didn't know where he was going when he was running down the road? >> i did not. >> and you had no idea what he actually had been doing that day? >> not at that time, no. >> reporter: during three hours on the witness stand, mcmichael's father who is also a defendant in the case looking on, his mother also in the courtroom sitting close to wanda cooper jones, who was listening to the man responsible for her son's death. >> mr. travis mcmichael killed my son, all on assumptions. he had no real facts, so where ahmad ahmaud was coming from, what ahmaud has done, he took actions into his own hands. >> reporter: it was a remarkable day in court. and we're expecting a repeat of that again today, for a number of reasons. that vigorous cross examination will continue of travis mcmichael. outside the courthouse, there is going to be a gathering of black pastors, that's been an ongoing issue for one of the defense attorneys. there is going to be a rally that will include the reverend al sharpton as well as attorney ben crump and dozens of more people. and then on top of that, there will be a march that will go through the community. so inside and outside the courtroom today it will be a very important one, probably one of the most important of the trial. joh john and brianna? >> this cross examination could be pivotal. martin, thank you very much. let's talk about that and what we saw yesterday with the founder of the hatchet firm and the host of the verdict judge glenda hatchet as well as former head prosecutor in morris county, new jersey, host on the law network, robert bianchi. judge hatchet, what did you think about travis mcmichael's testimony? >> i thought it was a disaster, frankly. i think the defense was boxed in and felt they had to put him on the stand to try to establish the piece about self-defense. that's really what they're standing on. but i thought the prosecution yesterday and i expect that to happen today will just really tear apart the testimony. first of all, the whole thing about the citizens arrest was after the fact. that came up after the fact. and she systematically needs to really establish what was happening with georgia law. he didn't have any information. there was no basis, assuming that's what he now is going to claim, well, he is claiming, there is no basis for that. you have to have immediate knowledge under georgia law or you have to have a reasonable basis that there was a felony committed. none of that happened. and then to say that this is self-defense when you brought the weapon, when you interfaced with him is absolutely ridiculous. and also the whole thing about his coast guard training i think is very, very important for the prosecution to have started there, saying, under these circumstances, how do you use lethal force? and i think today is going to be -- i agree with you all, i think this is going to be a pivotal day in this case. >> robert, let's listen to the moment where travis mcmichael is on the stand and he is describing the moment when he approached arbery. >> so you talked to him, what did he say? >> i said, hey, stop for a minute. stop. please stop. well, he didn't say anything. >> did he stop running? >> no, at this point he's still running. but i notice that he's -- he looks very angry. >> describe that, what do you mean? >> mad. it was -- it wasn't what i expected for just coming up and talking to him. it was clenched teeth, closed brow, he was mad, which made me think that something -- something's happened. why would -- >> okay. >> it is not what i expected at all. >> he said he was angry, for just coming up and talking to him. we have seen the video. we know what happened. that's not -- i'm sure you don't bring your shotgun in your truck when you're just going up and talking to someone. is the jury going to buy that? >> this is a -- first of all, i think the state doing a good job with this case. the defendant has to take the stand. he has to explain to the jury what was going through his mind at the time in order for them to determine whether or not it was reasonable. that defense attorney set up an environment where there were a number of burglaries going on, there was an encounter with travis davis and ahmaud arbery if you believe the statement previously, it is captured on a 911 call 11 days before in which he says on the 911 call that mr. arbery, had a weapon. when he was chasing him, defendant's story was he recognized it was the same person. so what the judge said, the question is whether or not he's going to be able to avail himself of the citizens arrest law that was at that time, but it is going to come down to whether or not there was self-defense at the moment. what strikes me about this case and the kyle rittenhouse case, the gun plot train. you carry a gun because you're worried about your self-defense. you have an incident, you pull that gun out. then you may have a person on the other end of that gun that is in fear because a gun is being pointed at them. that person goes to grab the gun to defend themselves from not being shot and the person that has the gun says i got to shoot that guy because he's grabbing my gun and he can use it against me. so we're seeing this same kind of idea that goes on, like in new jersey and new york where the gun laws are more strict you don't see this happening so much. but here you do. the question is going to be very simple, was travis the aggressor or was he reasonable to believe he could use deadly force because his weapon could be taken away from him, or was ahmaud arbery a person who was confronting a weapon and trying to stop from being shot and therefore he's the victim. so that's a crucial -- last point on this is as a former homicide prosecutor, look, when a defendant takes a stand, it is a big deal. you want to score points. but you also don't want there to be jury sympathy. there could be lesser included offenses down the line, as we have learned in the rittenhouse case. >> yeah. >> when he got up there, i will say one thing, he came off as a very articulate, squared away, well trained person in the military, talked about his son, and that was last thing that went through his mind, i'm not saying it is going to make the day, but it is a prosecutor i'm worried will he get one juror, just that one juror that says, i can't convict this guy based on this. >> i think we'll see that. we have to leave it there unfortunately. i think we're going to see the prosecution try to turn around his military experience on him today, so we'll be looking for that. judge hatchet, robert bianchi, thank you to you both. >> pleasure. just in, a new warning from dr. anthony fauci that they're seeing an uptick in covid hospitalizations among people who are vaccinated but haven't had boosters. cnn's elizabeth cohen joins me now. this was interesting to hear from dr. fauci saying that, yes, there are more vaccinated people in the hospital. >> it is interesting because that's been the whole argument, the whole discussion about boosters is do boosters keep people from becoming severely ill with covid-19. so let's take a look. i called dr. fauci and i said i heard what you said on nbc, can you give me the data behind this, and so here is the data that he gave me. this is israeli data. when you look at severe cases of covid-19, among people 60 and older, you can see, you know, well over half of them are in unvaccinated people. that's the big red line on the left. that's very clear that being unvaccinated is the biggest risk. but the middle bar is the number of cases for people who had two doses but have not been boosted. the far bar, the tiny one, is people who had two doses plus a booster. in other words, if you're boosted, you're more than five times less likely to get severe covid-19. that's among people 60 and older, and what the fda is currently considering and we're expecting to hear from them today on this is whether there should be boosters for all adults, for everyone 18 and older. dr. fauci says that if we're seeing this in 60 plus, we can expect to see it in younger people as well. he also -- he -- many people said will we see in israel with boosters that we can expect to see in the u.s., israel is ahead of the u.s. in their booster campaign. john? >> it is nice to have that direct number. thank you for that clarification on what dr. fauci is saying. that's important data. elizabeth cohen. lover of violent anime congressman paul gosar censured. new reporting on what his fellow republicans really say about him behind closed doors. and just in, vice president kamala harris responds to reports of tensions within the west wing. plus, comedian bill ma her making a prediction about donald trump's 2024 plans. >> trust me, he's going to run. absolutely. he's going to get the nomination. and i certainly wouldn't be surprised if he just won the election. and daily vicks super c for me. vicks super c is a daily supplement with vitamin c and b vitamins to help energize and replenish. dayquil severe is a max strength daytime, coughing, power through your day, medicine. new from vicks. as a dj, i know all about customization. that's why i love liberty mutual. they customize my car insurance, so i only pay for what i need. how about a throwback? 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i'm just here because subway has so much new, they bought time in this press conference to talk about it. the ergo smart base from tempur-pedic responds to snoring- automatically. so no hiding under your pillow, or opting for the couch. your best sleep. all night. every night. save up to $500 on select adjustable mattress sets during the black friday event. this just in, vice president kamala harris responding to cnn's exclusive reporting regarding the west wing tensions and her role in the biden administration. >> okay, let's talk about your role now. vice presidents always face chatter about their role and the relevance, you're no exception to that. even your close friends and allies have expressed some frustration because they think you can be more helpful than you've been asked to be. do you share that frustration? what do you say to your friends who are frustrated? >> this was a good week. and this week when we got this bipartisan infrastructure act passed and signed by the president makes a statement about all the hard work that has gone into it, month after month after month. i've traveled around the country, as has the president. we convened members of congress, we have convened people around our nation, asking what do you want, and this is a response to what they want. and it is actually going to hit the ground in a way that is going to have direct impact on the american people. we're getting things done and we're doing it together. >> you don't feel misused or underused? >> no. i don't. i am very, very excited about the work that we have accomplished. but i am also absolutely, absolutely clear eyed that there is a lot more to couldo and we' going to get it done. >> harris did not respond to the poll numbers or questions of whether he'll run in 2024, saying she's focusing on their current tasks at hand. >> the latest insurrectionist sent to jail time is the qanon shaman or jacob chansley. he was sentenced to 41 months yesterday in one of the longest sentences for an insurrectionist yesterday. the justice department asked for chansley to receive a harsh sentence as a way to set an example among the january 6th rioters. joining me now is pete aguilar of california, a member of the select committee on the january 6th insurrection. congressman, what is your take on that sentence? chansley, a nonviolent offend, but serious infraction getting in the way of the doings of congress. >> well, we'll leave the department of justice to handle those issues but i will say that it sends a strong message about the behavior and activity that happened on january 6th. and so some of the others that have yet to be prosecuted are more serious offenders, individuals who struck police officers and tried to continue to perform harm on them and so those could be even tougher sentences. but we'll leave the department of justice to do their job in prosecuting those. >> your committee has said it is going to send mark meadows the former chief of staff a letter specifying the information that it wants from him. he's so far refused to testify or cooperate, has that letter been sent? >> we're in the final stages of what wear're going to be doing r next steps here. mr. meadows is on notice. he knows very well what we want the questions that we want to ask to him and there has been discussion with his legal representatives and so he just continues to stone wall. and i think we have shown very clearly what happens when individuals stone wall. there is no such thing as absolute privilege, and we're going to take every step possible to ensure that we tell the truth and seek the facts related to january 5th and january 6th and those rallies and the insurrection and assault on democracy. >> what does it mean to be on notice? is that like probation? he's not cooperating or he's not, right? >> i'll let the chairman answer those questions as far as next steps, but i can tell you the committee continues to have robust discussion on what those next steps are, we trust the process, we have a plan, the things that you see are just one aspect of a broader investigative effort that is being undertaken, that has led to 200 witness interviews, so there is a lot of activity, john. i think people understand -- >> just your opinion, congressman, is there a difference to the privilege claims being used by mark meadows, and by steve bannon. how similar or different do you see those two cases? >> well, clearly with bannon it is completely cut and dry. this is an individual who did not work for government since 2017. nothing that he discussed have privilege with the president or the campaign advisers that he was in coordination with. so there is zero privilege with respect to steve bannon. with mr. meadows, clearly a senior adviser, you know, he played a role in giving the president advice. but what i will tell you is and the courts upheld this there is no such thing as absolute privilege. and the record will show the types of questions that we're going to answer have nothing to do with the conversations he had directly with the president. >> but you do see them as different legally, that mark meadows might have a greater claim to some privilege? >> yes, mark meadows might have a minor claim to some conversations, but his conversations about stopping a free and fair election, about criticizing and stopping the counting of electoral votes, about his coordination with campaign officials on private devices that were not turned over, all of those issues are not privilege worthy and he has some explaining to do. >> very quickly, bill maher was on -- on with chris cuomo last night and talked about what he sees as an inevitable future for donald trump and the republicans. listen. >> the republican party as much as i keep hearing about, oh, trump, he's not as relevant anymore, trust me, he's going to run, absolutely. he's going to get the nomination. and i certainly wouldn't be surprised if he just won the election. but even if he doesn't win the election, he will say he won the election. there is no doubt that he will say he won. >> is he right? >> absolutely. you know, he's shown that. and that's why the work of the committee is so important. this was a violent attack on democracy, and the hallmark of a democracy is a peaceful transfer of power. so that's why we want to chase the facts, collect the information, and tell the stories so this doesn't ever happen again, but that's not going to stop someone like the former occupant of the white house to declare that he wins under any circumstances. but we're going to do everything we can to make sure that we know the dog whistles that exist so we know it is coming. >> congressman pete aguilar, appreciate your time. thank you for joining us. >> thanks, john. the rust script supervisor pointed the finger at alec baldwin for the deadly shooting on said. why she says he shouldn't have fired the gun in the first place. who is to blame for the rising gas prices? john avlon's reality check is next. ♪ i see trees of green ♪ ♪ red roses too ♪ ♪ i see them bloom ♪ ♪ for me and you ♪ ♪ and i think to myself ♪ ♪ what a wonderful world ♪ a rich life is about more than just money. that's why at vanguard, you're more than just an investor, you're an owner so you can build a future for those you love. vanguard. become an owner. 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(laughing) that was easy. what! i mean, i love you guys. the lexus rx: built for modern families. - san francisco can have criminal justice reform and public safety. but district attorney chesa boudin is failing on both. - the safety of san francisco is dependent upon chesa being recalled as soon as possible. - i didn't support the newsom recall but this is different. - chesa takes a very radical perspective and approach to criminal justice reform, which is having a negative impact on communities of color. - i never in a million years thought that my son, let alone any six-year-old, would be gunned down in the streets of san francisco and not get any justice. - chesa's failure has resulted in increase in crime against asian americans. - the da's office is in complete turmoil at this point. - for chesa boudin to intervene in so many cases is both bad management and dangerous for the city of san francisco. - we are for criminal justice reform. chesa's not it. recall chesa boudin now. new this morning, the biden administration is asking states and localities to use covid relief funds for skyrocketing energy costs. republicans in congress say this is all biden's fault, but are they really? john avlon with the reality check. >> yesterday, paul gosar became the 24th congressman in history to be censured. the vote came down to whether you think it's okay to threaten to kill your colleagues. which really shouldn't be a tough call at all, right? especially after january 6th. but of course most republicans didn't really want to deal with this. all but two voted against him, deflecting with a flurry of campaign style talking points like this -- >> i voluntarily took the cartoon down, not because it was itself a threat, but because some thought it was. if i must join alexander hamilton, the first person attempted to be censured by this house, so be it. under the pelosi president, all the members that i have mentioned earlier will need the approval of a majority to keep those positions in the future. >> talking points that really jumped out at me were about gas prices, and inflation and they were hit over and over again. here's the question. republicans blaming biden for gas prices, inflation, are real concerns. they eat into real wages. creating the feeling that the economy is in trouble even when most indicators point to a robust recovery. but is it true that biden's policies are to blame, or president asked the ftc is there something more sinister at work? well, the reality is neither side is going to be totally satisfied with the answers. let's tackle gas prices first. they're at seven-year highs. the price of oil is skyrocketing. oil companies are no rush to solve biden's gas price problem. after the massive crash during covid, oil companies are taking in record profits to offset the losses. even though oil prices have surged more than 65%, oil production is about 14% less than before covid. looking after their shareholders, as wall street applauds after after a dismal decade. likewise, the opec cartel, which could lower prices by increasing supply, is reaping profits at the expense of people at the pump worldwide. opec and big oil would rather have republicans in charge. for reasons ranging from less emphasis on human rights to climate change denial. but profiteering is guiding their decisions more than partisan politics. and while gas prices are off to a political issue, there is very little presidents can do to low therm on their own. if you take a big step back, you'll see this is a global issue. it is the result of relatively rapid recovery from covid lockdowns and the spike in demand for oil as the world gets moving again. that's the case for inflation as well. but global supply chain woes are just that, global. and while there are some signs of improvement, this isn't turnkey. that's why we're seeing inflation around the world. china's industrial producer price index jumped 13% last month. in the uk, inflation at a ten-year high. germany, 28-year high. food prices are up 30% according to the u.n. so this isn't just a u.s. problem at all. that's why republican attempts to blame biden while politically predictable are not all that credible. while the trillions in covid relief payments passed under trump and biden added to inflation, they help families stay afloat to save the economy from sinking. they wanted to help families from inflation gas prices afecting most, they try to pass the build back better plan it could reduce costs for child care and elder care and providing pre-k and paid parental leave. when it really comes to inflation, the biggest impact will be biden's upcoming decision about the next fed chair. this is mostly a question of monetary policy, and that said, most effective inflation hawk who ever served was paul volcker and his decision to raise interest rates didn't help jimmy carter's re-election prospects. bottom line, these are global problems. reflecting interrelated worlds, merging from an unprecedented pandemic, and blaming biden alone is about as foolish as trump saying the virus was part of a plan to rig the election. that's your reality check. >> john avlon, thank you for that. so cdc officials felt muzzled in the critical early days of the pandemic. new reporting next. [sigh] ♪ dramatic music ♪ [sigh] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [typing] ♪ ♪ [typing] ♪ ♪ [typing] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ music swells ♪ ♪ ♪ [footsteps] ♪ ♪ [typing] ♪ ♪ inspiration is out there. go find it. ♪ ♪ >> man: what's my safelite story? my truck...is my livelihood. so when my windshield cracked... the experts at safelite autoglass came right to me... with service i could trust. right, girl? >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ new evidence released by the house select committee, subcommittee i should say, that is investigating the federal response to covid details how trump administration officials interfered with the cdc and how that negatively impacted the government's response to the pandemic. top health officials said they felt muzzled by the white house. they discussed the decision in august of 2020 to change testing guidance. you may recall the cdc at that point had revised testing guidance to say that people who had been exposed to covid didn't need to get tested if they were asymptomatic. quote, you do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your healthcare provider or state or local public health officials recommend that you take one. now, dr. deborah birx told the committee it has been revealed that this document resulted in less testing and less aggressive testing of those without symptoms that she believed she said -- i believed were the primary reason for the early community spread. let's talk about this now with the former assistant secretary for health at the department of health and human services, admiral brett giroir, the testing czar during the trump administration's handling of the pandemic, a pediatric care specialist. thank you for being with us to talk about this report. did you offer testing guidance or allow guidance to be altered? >> well, of course we did our guidance as a group. and the testing guidance you're talking about was underwent discussion for under with weeks, that included dr. birx, after two weeks of discussion, we decided that that was the appropriate guidance and dr. fauci did sign off on it, dr. redfield published it in the cdc, and that was the guidance. it was highly misinterpreted by the public and the media, and dr. birx believed it was that way and it was revised in two weeks. we worked together as a group of scientific and medical professionals to make the best guidance we did and that what's was put out. >> the guidance said to people who were asymptomatic that they didn't necessarily need to get tested, even at a time where you, certainly testing czar, knew and all of the officials at that table knew that there was pronounced asymptomatic spread. how did that happen and what did you do to try to stop that? >> let me talk about the intent here. what we saw happening is that a person who was exposed got a test on day three and then they went around their business without taking quarantine. the purpose here was to say that no matter whether you're tested or not, you have to be in quarantine to prevent asymptomatic spread. now, i understand that was misinterpreted to say you don't need to be tested. that was not the intent. and the action was quite different. starting in july, i started surge testing sites, 643 in 23 states that was primarily meant to test the asymptomatic. all our actions were to test the asymptomatic individuals, testing went up. that specific piece of the guidance, which, by the way, signed off by dr. fauci, as well as presented by redfield and walk, that was cdc guidance, the intent was to make sure if you were exposed, you remained in quarantine. >> it was signed off by you. >> yes. it was signed off -- the group of physicians before we presented it back to the task force came to a consensus about what that should be and, again, that included dr. fauci, myself, dr. redfield, dr. walk, dr. birx's input, want to say clearly, dr. birx did not like the language that was in there, she didn't stop it from being published, this was a cdc guidance because she thought it would be misinterpreted. in retrospect, she was right. it was misinterpreted highly by the media and changed within two weeks. >> look, i -- i take issue with that. the media reported that this guidance was bad. we were talking to doctors, we were talking to scientists who immediately when they saw it was out there, that you all had put it out there, they said this guidance is anti-science. and we were very clear. we were -- i'm going to say we were very clear, the media and -- >> you talk to the doctors you wanted to talk to, was not anti-science. >> no, look, look, sir, you said -- >> -- you need to be in quarantine whether you're tested or not. that's the science. >> you admitted sir the guidance was revised because it wasn't good. and the media, many outlets reported it wasn't good from the jump. dr. birx did testify that the trump administration was against testing people who were not symptomatic. you know that because you -- >> that's not true. that's not at all true. we started the -- >> if i may, sir -- may i finish? >> that is 100% incorrect that is 100% incorrect. we actually started asymptomatic testing. >> admiral, the president was very clear about testing that he didn't want testing because it revealed positive results. of course there were a lot of -- >> not true -- >> he said it publicly. >> he never said that to me. we always wanted to increase testing and we -- the only time testing decreases after the biden administration took office when it -- >> admiral, he said it out loud. i'm not talking in private, he said that publicly. >> we increased testing at every stage starting from march. testing went up dramatically. the only time testing went down is after the biden administration was inaugurated, and it dropped by 50% because a lack of emphasis. we always increased testing by home-based testing, 150 million, 133 surge sites. testing went up no matter what. the intent was not to decrease testing. the intent of the guidance was to make sure that anyone who is recommended by a doctor of public health would get tested no matter what. but if you were exposed, we did not want you to take a test on day three and then go expose other people, you needed to stay in quarantine no matter what the test said. that was the intent. i understand it was misinterpreted and we all decided to revise it. and that's the truth. >> i don't know that's fair. dr. birx testified the trump administration -- this is dr. birx, she testified -- >> she is the trump administration. she is the trump administration. >> if i may finish, please. i let you finish. may i? dr. birx testified that the trump administration was against testing people who were not symptomatic, despite what health officials were saying. and that resulted in less and less testing. are you saying she is lying? >> we were -- is she lying? >> we were -- we were the trump administration, she was the trump administration, the trump administration was not opposed to testing asymptomatic people. we did every action, remember, 643 surge sites in 23 states, primarily to test asymptomatic individuals. that was my program, i know about it. when she talked about the trump administration, i'm not sure. yes, dr. atlas did not want to test asymptomatic people. the trump administration did, and that was our actions those are the facts. i was in the middle of it. i coordinated all the testing and all the recommendations. >> all right, admiral giroir, thank you so much for being with us. >> you're welcome. thank you. here's what else to watch today. the script supervisor of the film "rust" is speaking out detailing what it was like on set in that very moment where alec baldwin fired the gun that he was holding, and killed cinematographer halyna hutchins. >> i saw alec going through his movement with the gun for the camera, i was holding my script in my left hand and had taken out my iphone and opened up my photos to check the continuity on his shirt and vest. then an explosion. deafening, loud gunshot, i was stunned, i heard someone moaning and i turned around and my director was falling backwards and holding his upper body. and i turned around toward alec and i saw halyna going down to the left of me. >> mimi mitchell filed a lawsuit against alec baldwin and other "rust" producers claiming she suffered physical and emotional damage from the shooting. joining me now is gloria allred, a victim rights attorney and she represents miss mitchell. gloria, what do you blame alec baldwin for here? >> well, the discharge of the gun is just one issue. for one thing, brianna, that gun was never supposed to be discharged and it was not properly handed to him. it should have been handed to him by the armorer, who was charged with securing weapons, and staying with weapons, and then that is the person who was supposed to hand it to the actor. instead, the assistant director, mr. halls, is the one who handed it to mr. baldwin. and when miss -- the industry wide labor management safety protocols that are -- that are supposed to be followed by everyone in motion pictures and everyone in television involving firearms says that everyone who handled a firearm should handle that firearm as though it is loaded, mr. halls apparently didn't show mr. baldwin when he handed it to him that he didn't demonstrate that there was nothing in the rounds, nothing in the chambers. he allegedly made a statement that it was a cold gun, meaning it wasn't loaded. mr. baldwin should not have relied on that statement if in fact it was made, that it was not loaded, that it was a cold gun, and in fact mr. baldwin himself should have checked the gun to make sure that it was not loaded, and another point, brianna, which is very important, this was not even a rehearsal. the rehearsal had not been called because if it had been called, it would have been on the slate. script one, 18c. it wasn't written on there because the rehearsal had not yet been called. so this was a practice by mr. baldwin, and the gun was discharged, the script itself 118c didn't call for the discharge of the gun in that scene. so something went terribly wrong. and i think mr. baldwin has responsibility in this as well. >> so, look, you're saying multiple levels of failure, but alec baldwin was one of them. >> exactly. multiple levels of failure on this set, it was not a safe set. even prior to this incident there were reports of misfiring of guns on the set. there were reports that guns and ammunition were left unattended, on a table, outside, on that day. yes, we all want to know as one of the sheriffs said that million dollar question, how did a bullet get into the gun. but that's not the only question. the question is so many people have responsibility for securing firearms. and those protocols were not followed. those protocols are there for a reason, to protect people on the script on the set, like my client, the script supervisor, she had 40 years of experience, brianna, on sets, many of them had guns on those sets. she never experienced anything like this. and i think the script had called for a gun to be fired, she would have had to be outside. >> so many people say obviously they never experienced anything like this. this story isn't over. gloria allred, thank you for being with us. >> thank you. time for the good stuff. european scientists working on a new device called dog phone. your dog can call you. fido shake a ball which triggers a nearby laptop to connect to you on video. does it work? well, one test dog sat on the ball, which i guess counts as a butt dial. back in a moment. [ kimberly ] before clearchoice, my dental health was so bad i would be in a lot of pain. i was unable to eat. it was very hard. kimberly came to clearchoice with a bunch of missing teeth, struggling with pain, with dental disease. clearchoice dental implants solved her dental issues. [ kimberly ] i feel so much better. i feel energized to go outside and play with my daughter. i can ate anything. like, i don't have to worry. clearchoice changed my life. a chef in phoenix cooked indigenous foods to heal herself after difficult pregnancies. now she's helping others in today's "the human factor". >> i'm a classically trained cook. i learned very quickly that french cuisine is not my people's food. creams and sugars and certain fats that really affected my body in a negative way, i became diabetic myself with my first pregnancy. i went back to my mother's traditional foods, indigenous foods from central mexico, like corn, beans, squash, chi chilie cactus. going plant-based, i wanted to help other people try to heal their bodies through food. we started our food business. we are focusing on helping the community learn about different ancestral foods through cooking demos, classes. it is hard sometimes for people to have a well balanced or healthy lifestyle when they don't have access to their traditional food or seeds to be able to grow it. we have beans grown here locally. cacti, it is high in fiber, it also helps level blood sugars and reduce inflammation. we have our indigenous food pantry. since march of 2020, we have been able to provide support to 15,000 families. a group of us went down to mexico city, they met with elders and really given the cultural, spiritual permission to say, keep doing the work. >> delicious solution there. >> yes. >> so what about that dog phone story? that's my favorite story of the day. >> why would your dog want to call you? >> that's all your dog would want to do? that's the issue i have with it, is your dog going to do anything -- you'll spend your whole day ignoring calls because fido just is calling you over and over. >> what if your dog ghosts you? what does that tell you? also, you know no one calls anyone anymore. they have to invent the phone where you can text. like, i want to get a text from my dog, not a call. i don't pick up phone calls anymore. >> i want to know, it is video, it is videophone, right? you can have a zoom, too many zooms. i would like to have one with the dog, though. that's an improvement, i think. i love it. i think it is -- i think it may have some glitches. >> all right. cnn's coverage continues right now. good morning. i'm erica hill. >> i'm jim sciutto. busy morning this morning. moments from now, prosecutors in georgia will continue the cross examination of one of the three men charged in the shooting death of ahmaud arbery. three defendants are accused of chasing down and killing arbery while he was out jogging in february 2020. travis mcmichael taking the stand claiming he shot arbery in self-defense. >> he had my gun. he had struck me. it was obvious