>> THANK YOU. THAT IS TONIGHT’S LAST WORD.
"THE 11th HOUR" WITH BRIAN
WILLIAMS STARTS NOW.
>>> WELL, GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN.
AGAIN. DAY 1,209 OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. 175 DAYS TO GO NOW UNTIL OUR
NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
AND TONIGHT ONCE AGAIN THE NEWS
IS IN THE FORM OF A PROJECTION,
AND IT’S GRIM.
TONIGHT A LEADING MODEL OFTEN
CITED BY THE WHITE HOUSE IS OUT
WITH A STARTLING NEW PROJECTION
FOR CORONAVIRUS DEATHS.
THE INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH METRICS
AND EVALUATION NOW PREDICTS A
DEATH TOLL OF 147,000 BY THE
FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST.
THAT’S UP 10,000 FROM THE LAST
ROUND OF PROJECTIONS JUST TWO
DAYS AGO.
DAYS AGO. AND A REMINDER HERE.
THESE PROJECTIONS HAVE AMOUNTED
TO A MOVING TARGET, AND THESE
DAYS THEY ARE BASED ON SIMPLE
MATH.
MATH. AND THAT IS WHAT THE DOCTORS AND
SCIENTISTS ARE SEEING IN SO MANY
STATES THAT ARE OPENING BACK UP,
IN QUOTES, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
GETTING BACK OUT, GATHERING ONCE
AGAIN, THE VERY ACTIVITY THE
VIRUS DEPENDS ON FOR ITS OWN
SURVIVAL.
SURVIVAL. TONIGHT -- AND THIS NEVER GETS
ANY EASIER TO REPORT -- OUR
CURRENT DEATH TOLL STANDS AT
83,421.
83,421. AT TODAY’S SENATE HEARING,
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI NOTED THAT HE
AND THE OTHER EXPERTS NOW
BELIEVE THAT THE DAILY TOLL FROM
THE VIRUS IS HIGHER THAN BEING
REPORTED.
REPORTED. >> MOST OF US FEEL THAT THE
NUMBER OF DEATHS ARE LIKELY
HIGHER THAN THAT NUMBER BECAUSE
GIVEN THE SITUATION PARTICULARLY
IN NEW YORK CITY, WHEN THEY WERE
REALLY STRAPPED WITH A VERY
SERIOUS CHALLENGE TO THEIR
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, THAT THERE
MAY HAVE BEEN PEOPLE WHO DIED AT
HOME WHO DID HAVE COVID, WHO
WERE NOT COUNTED AS COVID
BECAUSE THEY NEVER REALLY GOT TO
THE HOSPITAL.
THE HOSPITAL. I DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT
PERCENT HIGHER, BUT ALMOST
CERTAINLY IT’S HIGHER.
>> DR. FAUCI THEN HAD THIS
WARNING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IF WE
MOVE TOO QUICKLY TO REOPEN.
>> MY CONCERN IS THAT SOME
AREAS, CITY, STATES, OR WHAT
HAVE YOU JUMP OVER THOSE VARIOUS
CHECKPOINTS AND PREMATURELY OPEN
UP WITHOUT HAVING THE CAPABILITY
OF BEING ABLE TO RESPOND
EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY.
MY CONCERN IS THAT WE WILL START
TO SEE LITTLE SPIKES THAT MIGHT
TURN INTO OUTBREAKS.
THERE IS A REAL RISK THAT YOU
WILL TRIGGER AN OUTBREAK THAT
YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CONTROL,
WHICH IN FACT PARADOXICALLY WILL
SET YOU BACK, NOT ONLY LEADING
TO SUFFERING AND DEATH THAT
COULD BE AVOIDED, BUT COULD EVEN
SET YOU BACK ON THE ROAD TO
TRYING TO GET ECONOMIC RECOVERY.
THERE’S NO GUARANTEE THAT THE
VACCINE IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE
EFFECTIVE.
EFFECTIVE. YOU CAN HAVE EVERYTHING YOU
THINK THAT’S IN PLACE, AND YOU
DON’T INDUCE THE KIND OF IMMUNE
RESPONSE THAT TURNS OUT TO BE
PROTECTIVE AND DURABLY
PROTECTIVE.
PROTECTIVE. SO, ONE, THE BIG UNKNOWN IS IT
WILL BE EFFECTIVE.
GIVEN THE WAY THE BODY RESPONDS
TO VIRUSES OF THIS TYPE, I’M
CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC.
CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC. >> HERE’S WHY ALL OF THAT
MATTERS.
MATTERS. DR. FAUCI’S WARNING, OF COURSE,
COMES AS MORE STATES ARE LIFTING
THEIR STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS AND
ALLOWING FOR THE REOPENING OF
BUSINESSES, A MOVE THE PRESIDENT
SUPPORTS AS THE PANDEMIC HAS, OF
COURSE, FLATTENED OUR ECONOMY.
SOME COMMUNITIES ARE STILL
CAUTIOUS ABOUT REOPENING.
HEALTH OFFICIALS IN L.A. COUNTY
ARE SAYING THAT SOME
STAY-AT-HOME REGULATIONS COULD
BE EXTENDED FOR THREE MORE
MONTHS.
MONTHS. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, THE
NATION’S LARGEST PUBLIC COLLEGE
SYSTEM, WILL KEEP ALL 23
CAMPUSES SHUTTERED THIS COMING
FALL, MOVING ALL CLASSES ONLINE.
AS STATES TRY TO GET BACK TO
LIFE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, THERE
CONTINUES TO BE A LACK OF
WIDESPREAD TESTING.
WIDESPREAD TESTING. LESS THAN 3% OF OUR U.S.
POPULATION’S BEEN TESTED SO FAR.
YESTERDAY TRUMP AND ASSISTANT
SECRETARY OF HEALTH ADMIRAL
BRETT GIROIR ANNOUNCED AN EFFORT
TO EXPAND TESTING WHILE ALSO
CLAIMING THE U.S. HAD VARSSURPAS
SOUTH KOREA’S NUMBER OF
CORONAVIRUS TESTS PER CAPITA.
TRUMP EVEN BOASTED THAT THE U.S.
HAD PREVAILED ON TESTING.
WELL, DURING TODAY’S SENATE
HEARING, MITT ROMNEY MADE IT
CLEAR, ADMIRAL OR NOT, HE WASN’T
BUYING IT.
BUYING IT. >> I UNDERSTAND THAT POLITICIANS
ARE GOING TO FRAME DATA IN A WAY
THAT’S MOST POSITIVE
POLITICALLY, BUT OF COURSE THEY
DON’T EXPECT THAT FROM ADMIRALS.
BUT YESTERDAY YOU CELEBRATED
THAT WE HAD DONE MORE TESTS AND
MORE TESTS PER CAPITA EVEN THAN
SOUTH KOREA.
SOUTH KOREA. BUT YOU IGNORED THE FACT THAT
THEY ACCOMPLISHED THEIRS AT THE
BEGINNING OF THE OUTBREAK WHILE
WE TREADED WATER DURING FEBRUARY
AND MARCH, AND AS A RESULT, BY
MARCH 6th, THE U.S. HAD
COMPLETED JUST 2,000 TESTS
WHEREAS SOUTH KOREA HAD
CONDUCTED MORE THAN 140,000
TESTS.
TESTS. SO PARTIALLY AS A RESULT OF
THAT, THEY HAVE 256 DEATHS, AND
WE HAVE ALMOST 80,000 DEATHS.
I FIND OUR TESTING RECORD
NOTHING TO CELEBRATE WHATSOEVER.
>> THERE WERE HARSH WORDS FROM
SENATOR RAND PAUL TOWARD
DR. FAUCI.
DR. FAUCI. SENATOR PAUL CHALLENGED FAUCI’S
GUIDANCE ON KEEPING CHILDREN OUT
OF SCHOOL TO PROTECT THEM FROM
THE VIRUS.
THE VIRUS. >> I THINK WE OUGHT TO HAVE A
LITTLE BIT OF HUMILITY IN OUR
BELIEF THAT WE KNOW WHAT’S BEST
FOR THE ECONOMY.
AND AS MUCH AS I RESPECT YOU,
DR. FAUCI, I DON’T THINK YOU’RE
THE END ALL.
I DON’T THINK YOU’RE THE ONE
PERSON THAT GETS TO MAKE A
DECISION.
DECISION. IF WE KEEP KIDS OUT OF SCHOOL
FOR ANOTHER YEAR, WHAT’S GOING
TO HAPPEN IS THE POOR AND
UNDERPRIVILEGED KIDS WHO DON’T
HAVE A PARENT THAT’S ABLE TO
TEACH THEM AT HOME ARE NOT GOING
TO LEARN FOR A FULL YEAR.
>> YOU USED THE WORD WE SHOULD
BE HUMBLE ABOUT WHAT WEAPON
DON’T KNOW --
WE DON’T KNOW, AND I THINK THAT
FALLS UNDER THE FACT WE DON’T
KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS
VIRUS.
VIRUS. AND WE REALLY BETTER BE CAREFUL
PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO
CHILDREN BECAUSE THE MORE AND
MORE WE LEARN, WE’RE SEEING
THINGS ABOUT WHAT THIS VIRUS CAN
DO THAT WE DIDN’T SEE FROM THE
STUDIES IN CHINA OR IN EUROPE.
WE BETTER BE CAREFUL IF WE ARE
NOT CAVALIER IN THINKING THAT
CHILDREN ARE COMPLETELY IMMUNE
FROM THE DELETERIOUS EFFECTS.
I AM VERY CAREFUL AND HUMBLE IN
KNOWING THAT I DON’T KNOW
EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS DISEASE.
>> BY THE WAY, THERE’S NEW
POLLING THAT GIVES SOME
INDICATION OF HOW THE AMERICAN
PUBLIC IS FEELING ABOUT
DR. FAUCI RIGHT ABOUT NOW.
67% TRUST HIM FOR CORONAVIRUS
INFORMATION WHILE 36% TRUST THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. ANOTHER POLL SHOWS ONLY 43% OF
AMERICANS APPROVE OF TRUMP’S
RESPONSE TO THE VIRUS WHILE 71%
APPROVE OF HOW THEIR OWN STATE’S
GOVERNOR HAS DEALT WITH IT.
56% DISAPPROVE OF THE
PRESIDENT’S EFFORT, YET ONLY 27%
FIND FAULT WITH THEIR OWN
GOVERNOR’S EFFORT.
GOVERNOR’S EFFORT. TRUMP HAS HAD HIS OWN
EXPLANATION FOR GOVERNORS’ HIGH
RATINGS THESE DAYS, AND WE
QUOTE.
QUOTE. REMEMBER THIS, EVERY GOVERNOR
WHO HAS SKY HIGH APPROVAL ON
THEIR HANDLING OF THE
CORONAVIRUS -- AND I AM HAPPY
FOR THEM ALL -- COULD IN NO WAY
HAVE GOTTEN THOSE NUMBERS OR HAD
THAT SUCCESS WITHOUT ME AND THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S HELP.
FROM VENTILATORS TO TESTING, WE
MADE IT HAPPEN.
ON THAT NOTE, LET’S BRING IN OUR
LEADOFF DISCUSSION ON A TUESDAY
NIGHT, SHALL WE?
ASHLEY PARKER, PULITZER
PRIZE-WINNING WHITE HOUSE
REPORTER FOR "THE WASHINGTON
POST."
POST." JOHN HEILEMANN, NAVALTIONAL AFFA
ANALYST, EDITOR IN CHIEF OF "THE
RECOUNT."
RECOUNT." AND DR. ANNE RIMOIN, A PROFESSOR
OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AT UCLA WHERE
SHE RUNS THE CENTER FOR GLOBAL
AND IMMIGRANT HEALTH
SPECIALIZING IN EMERGING
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES. GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO YOU
ALL.
ALL. AND, ASHLEY, I’D LIKE TO BEGIN
WITH YOU FOR ANY REACTION YOU’VE
BEEN ABLE TO GAUGE INSIDE THE
WHITE HOUSE ABOUT WHAT THEY
HEARD DURING TODAY’S HEARING.
>> WELL, TWO THINGS.
THERE WERE ALREADY PEOPLE INSIDE
THE WHITE HOUSE, AND TO BE CLEAR
NOT EVERYONE, BUT WHO WERE
FRUSTRATED WITH THE MEDICAL AND
PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND
WHO FELT THAT THEY ARE BEING
OVERLY ALARMIST AND WHO DON’T
LIKE THAT MESSAGE, HOWEVER TRUE
IT MAY BE, BEING PUBLIC BECAUSE
THEIR FOCUS IS ON TRYING TO
REOPEN THE ECONOMY.
BUT WHAT WAS STRIKING TO ME FROM
HIS TESTIMONY WAS ACTUALLY THAT
CLIP YOU PLAYED A BIT EARLIER
WHERE HE WAS MAKING THE POINT
THAT IS GOING TO BE WHAT THE
WHITE HOUSE IS GRAPPLING WITH
NOW.
NOW. THE PRESIDENT DOES WANT TO
REOPEN THE ECONOMY.
A LOT OF HIS ADVISERS ARE ALSO
PUSHING HIM TO DO THAT.
BUT AS DR. FAUCI SAID, THE
PUBLIC HEALTH ADVICE AND THE
PUBLIC HEALTH SIDE OF THIS IS
ACTUALLY TIED TO THE ECONOMIC
SIDE.
SIDE. IF YOU GO AND YOU REOPEN TOO
QUICKLY AND THERE ARE SPIKES IN
CASES AND OUTBREAKS AND DEATHS
AND THEY CAN’T BE CONTAINED, THE
ECONOMY IS GOING TO TANK.
AS WE’VE REPORTED AND AS THE
WHITE HOUSE UNDERSTANDS, THIS IS
AS MUCH ABOUT CONSUMER
CONFIDENCE AND PSYCHOLOGY IN
MANY WAYS AS IT IS ABOUT JUST
SIMPLY OPENING UP A GROCERY
STORE OR A NAIL SALON OR A
RESTAURANT AND SAYING, GO AHEAD.
GO SPEND YOUR MONEY.
SO THOSE TWO PARTS HAVE TO WORK
INTERCHANGEABLY, AND THAT IS
WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE IS STILL
GRAPPLING WITH RIGHT NOW.
>> JOHN HEILEMANN, I WANT TO
PLAY FOR YOU A MOMENT FROM
TUCKER CARLSON EARLIER TONIGHT
ON FOX NEWS.
>> IS THIS THE GUY INTO WHOM YOU
WANT TO VEST ALL OF YOUR TRUST?
IS THIS THE GUY YOU WANT TO
CHART THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY?
MAYBE NOT.
MAYBE NOT. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS MATTER,
THE DECISIONS WE’RE MAKING RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. TONY FAUCI HAS NOT BEEN ELECTED
TO ANYTHING.
TO ANYTHING. HE’S HAD THE SAME JOB FOR NEARLY
40 YEARS.
40 YEARS. THAT MEANS THE MAJORITY OF
AMERICAN VOTERS NEVER EVEN
INDIRECTLY PICKED HIM FOR THE
ROLE HE HAS NOW.
>> SO, JOHN HEILEMANN, MEMO TO
SELF.
SELF. IT’S THE ELECTED OFFICIALS WE
SHOULD TRUST.
SHOULD TRUST. WHO’S GOING TO TELL JARED?
AND I WANT TO READ YOU THIS FROM
LIZ CHENEY TONIGHT ON TWITTER.
DR. FAUCI IS ONE OF THE FINEST
PUBLIC SERVANTS WE HAVE EVER
HAD.
HAD. HE IS NOT A PARTISAN.
HIS ONLY INTEREST IS SAVING
LIVES.
LIVES. WE NEED HIS EXPERTISE AND HIS
JUDGMENT TO DEFEAT THIS VIRUS.
ALL AMERICANS SHOULD BE THANKING
HIM EVERY DAY.
JOHN, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF ANY OR
ALL OF IT?
>> WELL, BRIAN, AS YOU POINTED
OUT IN THE POLLING, A LOT OF
AMERICANS ARE -- AN OVERWHELMING
NUMBER ARE THANKING DR. FAUCI
EVERY DAY AND GRATEFUL FOR THE
FACT THAT HE’S THERE.
IN OUR SOCIETY, IN OUR POLITICS,
IN OUR PUBLIC SQUARE, FOR
SOMEONE TO HAVE NEARLY A 70%
APPROVAL RATING IS ALMOST
TOTALLY INCONCEIVABLE.
TOTALLY INCONCEIVABLE. AND SO TO HEAR OUR FRIEND
MR. CARLSON SEEMING TO ARGUE
THAT THE FACT THAT HE SERVED IN
REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC
ADMINISTRATIONS ALIKE, THAT HE
IS SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY -- HE’S
DONE THE SAME JOB, HE’S BEEN
SOMEONE WHO HAS EXPERTISE, HE
HAS TENURE, HE HAS A NONPARTISAN
PROFILE, AND FOR SOME REASON
THOSE THINGS ADD UP TO WE DON’T
WANT TO TRUST THAT GUY.
THAT TELLS YOU HOW MESSED UP THE
SITUATION IS, BRIAN, THAT THOSE
ARE BLACK MARKS IN THE EYES OF
SOME OF OUR FRIENDS AT FOX NEWS
ABOUT ANTHONY FAUCI.
AND I THINK WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT
THIS MOMENT IS THAT TUCKER
CARLSON CAN SAY THAT, AND THEN
YOU CAN READ THAT OPINION POLL
THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW WHAT?
AMERICANS ACTUALLY LOOK AT TONY
FAUCI AND SAY, YEAH, EXPERTISE,
TENURE, AND NONPARTISAN
AFFILIATION, ALL THIS GUY CARES
ABOUT IS SAVING LIVES.
AND I’LL SAY ONE MORE THING
ABOUT TUCKER CARLSON.
I DON’T BELIEVE THERE IS A
QUESTION ON THE TABLE WHERE
ANYBODY IS THINKING THAT THEY
SHOULD ARROGATE ALL POWER OVER
DECISION-MAKING TO ANTHONY
FAUCI.
FAUCI. I DON’T THINK THAT’S A QUESTION
ANYONE HAS RAISED, AND I DON’T
ANYONE EXPECTS ANTHONY FAUCI TO
MAKE EVERY DECISION.
BUT I THINK WHAT WE SAW TODAY
AFTER A PRESIDENT WHO YESTERDAY
LIED REPEATEDLY IN HIS PRESS
BRIEFING YESTERDAY, WE GOT TO
SEE SOMEONE TODAY WHO WAS
FOCUSED ON TELLING THE TRUTH,
AND I THINK THAT’S ANOTHER
REASON WHY TONY FAUCI IS AT 70%
AND DONALD TRUMP’S IN THE 40s.
>> ANNE RIMOIN, WHAT DID YOU
MAKE OF TODAY’S HEARING?
WAS IT A BATTLE BETWEEN WHAT WE
SHOULD BE AND WHAT WE ARE?
DO YOU THINK BOTH SIDES FOUND
ENOUGH TO COME AWAY WITH THEIR
OWN SPECIFIC ARGUMENTS?
>> LISTEN, IN THIS PANDEMIC, WE
ARE THINKING ABOUT PUBLIC
HEALTH, BUT WE ARE BEING GUIDED
BY POLITICS HERE.
AND I THINK THAT IT IS VERY
IMPORTANT AS WE THINK ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED TODAY TO SEE HOW MUCH
POLITICS WERE INFECTING HOW WE
HEAR PUBLIC HEALTH ADVICE.
I THINK THAT DR. FAUCI WAS ABLE
TO COMMUNICATE VERY CLEARLY THE
THINGS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT
FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND, NUMBER
ONE.
ONE. WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO.
THERE IS HOPE, BUT WE CANNOT
BASE WHAT WE ARE DOING ON HOPE.
WE NEED TO BASE IT ON FACT AND
ON EVIDENCE AND ON SCIENCE.
AND SO THEREFORE I THINK THAT IT
WILL BE INTERESTING TO KNOW WHAT
EVERYBODY HEARD TODAY, BUT I
THINK THAT EVERYBODY IS HEARING
PUBLIC HEALTH THROUGH VARIOUS
POLITICAL FILTERS.
POLITICAL FILTERS. AND, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE
DAY, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS GOING
TO BE HOW -- IS GOING TO DICTATE