OFFICIAL RICK STANGLE. DR. WEN, LET ME START WITH YOU.
PLEASE, TAKE US INSIDE WHAT THE
PRESIDENT AND HIS TEAM HAD TO BE
LOOKING AT TO RECOMMEND 30 MORE
DAYS OF BEING HUNKERED DOWN WHEN
WE KNOW THE PRESIDENT WAS VERY
EAGER TO GET THE COUNTRY BACK TO
WORK MUCH SOONER THAN THAT.
>> WELL, I’M GLAD IN THIS CASE
THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP LISTENED TO
THE SCIENCE AND FOLLOWED THE
GUIDANCE OF PUBLIC HEALTH
EXPERTS, BECAUSE FRANKLY THERE
IS NOT ONE PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERT
I’VE SPOKEN TO WHO THINKS THAT
RELEASING THE RESTRICTIONS IS A
GOOD IDEA AT A TIME WHEN WE HAVE
AN ESCALATING NUMBER OF CASES,
FROM FRONT LINE HEALTH CARE
WORKERS ARE BEGGING FOR
SUPPLIES, BEGGING FOR
VENTILATORS, KNOWING THAT WE ARE
RATIONING SUPPLIES AND
ULTIMATELY PATIENT’S LIVES ARE
ON THE LINE.
SO I’M GLAD THAT WE’RE
CONTINUING THESE RESTRICTIONS,
BUT I ALSO HOPE THAT DURING THAT
TIME WE’LL USE THE TIME THAT
WE’RE BUYING WISELY IN A SENSE
THAT WE HAVE TO STABILIZE OUR
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, WE HAVE TO
RAMP UP TESTING.
LOOK, WE CAN POINT FINGERS AND
LOOK BACK AND SAY ALL THESE
THINGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE
DIFFERENTLY AND A LOT OF THINGS
SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE
DIFFERENTLY, BUT NOW WE HAVE A
CHANCE TO MOVE FORWARD AND
REALLY ABOUT WITH AN URGENCY
THAT WE NEED.
AND FRANKLY, LOOKING AT THIS
CONCEPT OF UP TO 200,000 PEOPLE
DYING, EVEN IF WE ACT AS YOU
WERE SAYING PERFECTLY, THAT’S
TERRIFYING.
TERRIFYING. AND THAT’S WHY WE NEED TO DO
EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN AS
AMERICANS TO PRACTICE SOCIAL
DISTANCING.
DISTANCING. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOES
EVERYTHING IT CAN IN ORDER TO
PRODUCE SUPPLIES AND REALLY MAKE
SURE THAT WE ARE ACTING WITH THE
URGENCY AND A MANNER THAT OUR
COUNTRY NEEDS AT THIS TIME.
>> I’M SO GLAD YOU HIT ON THAT
BECAUSE THAT NUMBER 200,000, YOU
HAVE TO BE SORT OF STRIPPED OF
ANY HUMANITY NOT TO FEEL KNOCKED
OVER BY THAT, TO HEAR THEM
SAYING THAT IF WE’RE PERFECT THE
BEST CASE SCENARIO IS THAT
200,000 AMERICANS WILL DIE?
HOW DO WE PROCESS THAT?
>> AND WE THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT
MEANS IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF
PEOPLE WHO WILL BECOME INFECTED
AND THE NUMBER OF FAMILY MEMBERS
WHO ARE GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY
ALL OF THIS.
I MEAN, THE PAIN AND SUFFERING
THAT IS COMING OUR WAY IN
AMERICA I THINK IS JUST
SOMETHING THAT WE CAN’T FATHOM
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. BUT, WE ALSO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE
THAT ALL IS NOT LOST AT THIS
POINT, THAT WE CAN DO OUR PART.
WE CAN CERTAINLY DO OUR PART
WHEN IT COMES TO PREPARING OUR
FAMILIES AND TALKING TO OUR
FAMILIES AND DOING EVERYTHING WE
CAN TO PRACTICE SOCIAL
DISTANCING.
DISTANCING. BUT I THINK WE ALSO NEED THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO REALLY
STEP UP AND SAY, THIS IS THE
BEST CASE SCENARIO.
SO, HOW DO WE PREVENT THE WORST
CASE SCENARIOS FROM HAPPENING,
AND THAT INCLUDES NOT FORCING
HOSPITALS TO RATION THEIR
RESOURCES BECAUSE THAT WILL BE
THE MOST TRAGIC OF ALL IF PEOPLE
WHO COULD HAVE SURVIVED ARE NOW
DYING BECAUSE WE JUST WEREN’T
ABLE TO TREAT ALL OF THEM IN A
TIMELY WAY.
TIMELY WAY. >> PHIL RUCKER, IF YOU COULD
PICK UP FROM DR. WEN.
LAST NIGHT’S ROSE GARDEN
PERFORMANCE FROM THIS
PRESIDENT -- AND I KNOW HE VIEWS
THEM THAT WAY SO I THINK IT’S
FAIR TO CALL THEM
PERFORMANCES -- WAS ALL THINGS
TRUMP.
TRUMP. THERE WERE MOMENTS WHERE AS DR.
WEN SAID IT APPEARED HE YIELDED
TO THE ADVICE OF HIS SCIENTISTS
AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS.
I THINK EVERYONE IS HAPPY ABOUT
THAT.
THAT. BUT THERE WERE ALSO FLASHES OF
THE TRUMPIEST TRUMP, GETTING
INTO IT WITH A CNN REPORTER,
LASHING OUT AND CUTTING THE
MICROPHONE AND REALLY REFUSING
TO ACCEPT THE PREMISE OF A
SHORTAGE OF SUPPLIES, WHICH
EVERY GOVERNOR IS CONCERNED
ABOUT.
ABOUT. TALK ABOUT -- TAKE ME INSIDE
THIS TRUMP WHITE HOUSE AT THIS
MOMENT.
MOMENT. >> AND NICOLE, TO ADD ONE MORE
TRUMPY THING, THERE WAS THE
SUGGESTION ALTHOUGH TRUMP DIDN’T
CLARIFY WHAT HE MEANT THAT
PERHAPS LOCAL OFFICIALS AND
HOSPITALS HAD BEEN HOARDING PPE,
THE SUPPLIES THAT THEY SO
DESPERATELY BEEN NEEDING.
NOW THE PRESIDENT LAST NIGHT
SAID THAT HE MADE THIS DECISION
TO DELAY THE GOAL LINEUIDELINES
THE END OF APRIL ON THE DATA
THAT HAD BEEN PRESENTED BUT AS
WITH SO MANY DECISIONS PRESIDENT
TRUMP MADE, IT WAS ALSO ABOUT
THE PERSONAL AND ABOUT THE
POLITICAL.
POLITICAL. OUR REPORTING SHOWS THAT OVER
THE LAST WEEK A NUMBER OF HIS
POLITICAL ALLIES, INCLUDING
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM, WERE
PRIVATELY WARNING HIM THAT IF HE
WERE TO REOPEN THE ECONOMY
PREMATURELY, HE WOULD BE
RESPONSIBLE IN THE NOVEMBER
ELECTION FOR ALL THE DEATH THAT
FOLLOW.
FOLLOW. AND HE’S THINKING FIRST AND
FOREMOST, OF COURSE, ABOUT HIS
OWN POLITICAL SURVIVAL IN THE
ELECTION.
ELECTION. THEN HE TALKED ABOUT THE IMAGES
HE SAW FROM THE HOSPITAL NEAR
WHERE HE GREW UP IN QUEENS, HIS
NEW YORK NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND HE SAID HE SAW BODY BAGS
BEING PUT INTO THESE FREEZER
TRUCKS AND IT SEEMED TO BE A
MOMENT THAT REALLY STRUCK HIM
THE SEVERITY OF THIS CRISIS
BECAUSE IT WAS PERSONAL, BECAUSE
IT’S THE HOSPITAL HE RECOGNIZED
THE PLACE HE HAD BEEN SO MANY
TIMES.
TIMES. OFTEN TIMES WITH DONALD TRUMP IT
TAKES THAT PERSONAL ELEMENT FOR
HIM TO REALLY COMPREHEND THE
SUFFERING OF SO MANY PEOPLE
BECAUSE HE’S THINKING ABOUT
HIMSELF A LOT.
>> THAT ATTACK ON THE MEDICAL
PERSONNEL FOR DOING SOMETHING
WORSE THAN HOARDING WAS HIS
STATEMENT LAST NIGHT, GOVERNOR
CUOMO RESPONDED TO THAT, PHIL
RUCKER.
RUCKER. LET’S LISTEN TO GOVERNOR CUOMO’S
RESPONSE AND TALK ABOUT IT ON
THE OTHER SIDE.
>> FOR SOMEONE TO SAY, WELL, THE
WAREHOUSE HAS EQUIPMENT IN IT.
YOU SHOULD BE USING THAT
EQUIPMENT TODAY.
EQUIPMENT TODAY. THAT DEFIES THE BASIC CONCEPT OF
PLANNING AND THE BASIC OPERATION
THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE WORKING NOT
JUST IN THIS STATE BUT ACROSS
THE COUNTRY.
THE COUNTRY. IF YOU ARE NOT PREPARING FOR THE
APEX AND FOR THE HIGH POINT, YOU
ARE MISSING THE ENTIRE POINT OF
THE OPERATION.
THE OPERATION. IN TERMS OF A SUGGESTION THAT
THE PPE EQUIPMENT IS NOT GOING
TO A CORRECT PLACE, I DON’T KNOW
WHAT THAT MEANS.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT HE’S TRYING TO
SAY.
SAY. IF HE WANTS TO MAKE AN
ACCUSATION, THEN LET HIM MAKE AN
ACCUSATION.
ACCUSATION. BUT I DON’T KNOW WHAT HE’S
TRYING TO SAY BY INFERENCE.
>> PHIL RUCKER?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. NICOLE, THAT WAS AN EXPLANATION
FROM THE GOVERNOR ABOUT WHY HE
IS KEEPING HIS VENTILATORS IN A
WAREHOUSE.
WAREHOUSE. IT’S NOT SOME SORT OF CRIMINAL
OR WRONG DOING ON HIS PART AS
THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN INSINUATE
INSINUATING THE LAST FEW DAYS.
RATHER HE’S ACTING AS IF HE WERE
AMAZON.
AMAZON. YOU COLLECT ALL THESE GOODS.
YOU PUT THEM IN A WAREHOUSE.
YOU WAIT UNTIL YOU FIND OUT
EXACTLY WHERE THEY’RE NEEDED AND
THEN YOU CAN DEPLOY THEM
EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY IN
EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.
EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. THAT’S WHAT HE’S DOING WITH THIS
EQUIPMENT.
EQUIPMENT. IT’S NOT NEEDED TODAY BUT, OF
COURSE, THE OFFICIALS ALL THINK
IT’S GOING TO BE NEEDED TEN DAYS
FROM NOW, TWO WEEKS FROM NOW, A
MONTH FROM NOW AND THAT’S WHY
HE’S BRINGING IT INTO NEW YORK
AND PUTTING IT IN PLAY.
>> DR. WEN, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT
HOW QUICKLY THIS EQUIPMENT IS
NEEDED WHEN A CITY FACES A
CRISIS?
CRISIS? AND WHY SO MANY VENTILATORS ARE
NEEDED?
NEEDED? I’VE READ "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
AND "THE WASHINGTON POST" THAT
THE REASON THAT SO MANY
VENTILATORS ARE NEEDED AT ONCE
IS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE STAYING ON
VENTILATORS FOR 20 AND 30 DAYS,
WHICH IS NOT TYPICAL WITH A
COMMON FLU SEASON.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S OWN
STUDIES SHOWED THAT IN A CASE OF
A MODERATE OUTBREAK THAT WE WILL
NEED SOMETHING ON THE ORDER OF
200,000 INTENSIVE CARE UNIT
BEDS.
BEDS. THE U.S. AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT IN
TIME ONLY HAS ABOUT 100,000 ICU
BEDS.
BEDS. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE DEMAND
FOR THESE ACUTE CARE SERVICES
WILL FAR OUTWEIGH THE SUPPLY.
AND SO WE DO NEED VENTILATORS.
WE NEED VENTILATORS THAT WILL
HELP PEOPLE TO STAY ALIVE
BECAUSE AT THAT MOMENT PATIENTS
ARE SO ACUTELY ILL THAT THEY
CANNOT BREATHE ON THEIR OWN.
THEY HAVE TO STAY ON THESE
VENTILATORS, NICOLE, AS YOU SAID
FOR MULTIPLE WEEKS IN ORDER TO
GET THEM THROUGH THAT ACUTE
PERIOD.
PERIOD. AND I’LL JUST SAY THAT THE IDEA
OF ACCUSING HEALTH CARE WORKERS
SOMEHOW OF HOARDING SUPPLIES OR
WORSE IS SO INSULTING.
I MEAN, I WISH THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP WOULD GO TO HOSPITALS AND
JUST SEE HOW PERSONAL PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT ARE USED AND HOW
DESPERATE HEALTH CARE WORKERS
ARE, HOW THEY’RE FACING THEIR
OWN DEATH POTENTIALLY AND
COMPROMISING THEIR OWN FAMILY’S
LIVES IN ORDER TO SAVE PATIENTS.
AND TODAY IS NATIONAL DOCTOR’S
DAY.
DAY. AND I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT
AND THANK NOT ONLY THE DOCTORS
AND NURSES AND RESPIRATORY