>> THAT IS TONIGHT’S LAST WORD. "THE 11th HOUR" WITH BRIAN
WILLIAMS STARTS NOW.
>>> WELL, GOOD EVENING ONCE
AGAIN.
AGAIN. DAY 1,152 OF THIS TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. 232 DAYS UNTIL OUR PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION, AND LOOK AT THAT.
TIMES SQUARE IN NEW YORK, A
GHOST TOWN TONIGHT, ALMOST
DEVOID OF PEOPLE AND VEHICLES.
SINCE LAST WE SPOKE, OUR NATION
HAS CHANGED, NOT EVERYWHERE BUT
IN SOME PLACES, LIKE THE ONE YOU
JUST SAW, LIFE OUTSIDE THE HOME
OR APARTMENT HAS VIRTUALLY SHUT
DOWN.
DOWN. SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES ARE
CLOSED, AND THE SOCIAL FABRIC
HAS BEEN BADLY FRAYED.
SOME PEOPLE’S JOBS ARE
DISAPPEARING BEFORE OUR VERY
EYES.
EYES. THE PRESIDENT GAVE HIMSELF A TEN
TODAY IN TERMS OF THE RESPONSE
THUS FAR.
THUS FAR. THE TRUTH IS WE ARE BADLY
BEHIND, OF COURSE.
WE’RE NOT READY FOR THE WORST OF
IT, NOT EVEN CLOSE.
AND THE BEST-CASE SCENARIO IS
SINCE WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WE’RE
PREPARING FOR, IT WON’T BE AS
BAD PERHAPS AS THE MOST DIRE
PREDICTIONS.
PREDICTIONS. TONIGHT THERE ARE OVER 4,400
CONFIRMED CASES WITHIN THE
UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES. THAT’S A JUMP OF ABOUT 1,000
GIVE OR TAKE IN JUST THE SPACE
OF TODAY.
OF TODAY. OVER 80 PEOPLE HAVE NOW DIED
FROM IT.
FROM IT. WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY
AMERICANS WOULD TEST POSITIVE
EVEN IF THEY COULD GET TESTED,
AND FOR MILLIONS THAT’S STILL A
FAR OFF FANTASY.
THE ALARM OVER THE PACE OF
INFECTION BROUGHT MUCH OF THE
NATION TO A HALT JUST TODAY,
EMPTYING NORMALLY TEEMING
STREETS IN OUR CITIES AND
FORCING OFFICIALS TO SHUT DOWN
RESTAURANTS AND BARS AND GYMS
AND MOVIE THEATERS.
SOME 35 STATES HAVE ALREADY
DECLARED FORMAL EMERGENCIES.
ABOUT THE SAME NUMBER HAVE
CLOSED THEIR SCHOOLS, MOVES THAT
LEAVE SOME 30 MILLION STUDENTS
OUT OF THE CLASSROOM.
OFFICIALS IN THE BAY AREA HAVE
JUST LAID DOWN THE MOST EXTREME
MEASURES THUS FAR.
7 MILLION RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN
ORDERED TO SHELTER IN PLACE,
STAY HOME, AVOID OTHER PEOPLE
FOR THE NEXT THREE WEEKS.
THIS COMES AS PRESIDENT TRUMP
SUGGESTED NEW RULES OF BEHAVIOR
FOR ALL OF US DURING TODAY’S
BRIEFING AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> WE’RE ANNOUNCING NEW
GUIDELINES FOR EVERY AMERICAN TO
FOLLOW OVER THE NEXT 15 DAYS.
MY ADMINISTRATION IS
RECOMMENDING THAT ALL AMERICANS,
INCLUDING THE YOUNG AND HEALTHY,
WORK TO ENGAGE IN SCHOOLING FROM
HOME WHEN POSSIBLE, AVOID
GATHERING IN GROUPS OF MORE THAN
TEN PEOPLE, AVOID DISCRETIONARY
TRAVEL, AND AVOID EATING AND
DRINKING AT BARS, RESTAURANTS,
AND PUBLIC FOOD COURTS.
>> DO YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF
ESTIMATE THAT IF AMERICANS
REALLY WERE TO BAND TOGETHER AND
DO WHAT THE HOUSE IS SUGGESTING,
HOW QUICKLY YOU COULD TURN THIS
CORNER?
CORNER? >> PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT
JULY, AUGUST, SOMETHING LIKE
THAT.
THAT. SO IT COULD BE RIGHT IN THAT
PERIOD OF TIME WHERE IT -- I SAY
IT WASHES THROUGH.
OTHER PEOPLE DON’T LIKE THAT
TERM, BUT WHERE IT WASHES
THROUGH.
THROUGH. >> DR. ANTHONY FAUCI OF THE CDC
WAS WILLING TO GO A BIT FURTHER.
>> WHEN YOU’RE DEALING WITH AN
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
OUTBREAK, YOU ARE ALWAYS BEHIND
WHERE YOU THINK YOU ARE IF YOU
THINK THAT TODAY REFLECTS WHERE
YOU REALLY ARE.
WE HOPE THAT THE PEOPLE OF THE
UNITED STATES WILL TAKE THEM
VERY SERIOUSLY BECAUSE THEY WILL
FAIL IF PEOPLE DON’T ADHERE TO
THEM.
THEM. >> THIS WAS A HISTORICALLY BAD
DAY FOR THE DOW.
STOCKS PLUNGED ALMOST 3,000
POINTS, NEARLY 13%.
THE ONE-DAY CRASH CAME EEFR
AFTER THE FEDERAL RESERVE TOOK
ACTION ON SUNDAY, CUTTING
INTEREST RATES FOR THE SECOND
TIME THIS MONTH.
THEY’RE NOW DOWN TO ABOUT ZERO.
AT THE WHITE HOUSE TRUMP WAS
ASKED ABOUT THE STATE OF THE
U.S. ECONOMY.
U.S. ECONOMY. >> IS THE U.S. ECONOMY HEADING
INTO A RECESSION?
>> WELL, IT MAY BE.
WE’RE NOT THINKING IN TERMS OF
RECESSION.
RECESSION. WE’RE THINKING IN TERMS OF THE
VIRUS.
VIRUS. ONCE THIS GOES AWAY, ONCE IT
GOES THROUGH AND WE’RE DONE WITH
IT, I THINK YOU’RE GOING TO SEE
A TREMENDOUS, A TREMENDOUS
SURGE.
SURGE. >> MEANTIME, WASHINGTON IS
WAITING FOR THE SENATE TO REACT
TO THE CORONAVIRUS BILL THAT WAS
PASSED BY THE HOUSE EARLY ON
SATURDAY.
SATURDAY. THAT IS WHEN THE SENATORS GET
BACK TOMORROW MORNING FROM THEIR
LONG WEEKEND.
LONG WEEKEND. IN THE MEANTIME, STATE AND LOCAL
OFFICIALS ARE BEING FORCED TO
ACT, AND THAT OFTEN MEANS ACTING
AGAINST THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> THIS IS A NATIONAL PROBLEM,
AND WE NEED FEDERAL LEADERSHIP.
YOU LOOK AT THE COUNTRIES WHO
HAVE HANDLED THIS.
I DON’T CARE IF IT’S CHINA,
SOUTH KOREA, IF IT’S ITALY.
THEY WERE ALL HANDLED BY
NATIONAL LEADERSHIP.
NATIONAL LEADERSHIP. THIS IS A NATIONAL PROBLEM.
>> "THE NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTS
THAT ON A CONFERENCE CALL WITH
THE STATE GOVERNORS TODAY, TRUMP
TOLD THEM THEY WOULD HAVE TO TRY
TO GET SOME LIFE SAVING MEDICAL
EQUIPMENT ON THEIR OWN.
QUOTE, RESPIRATORS, VENTILATORS,
ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT, TRY
GETTING IT YOURSELVES, MR. TRUMP
TOLD THE GOVERNORS DURING THE
CONFERENCE CALL, A RECORDING OF
WHICH WAS SHARED WITH "THE NEW
YORK TIMES."
YORK TIMES." WE WILL BE BACKING YOU, BUT TRY
GETTING IT YOURSELVES.
POINT OF SALES, MUCH BETTER,
MUCH MORE DIRECT IF YOU CAN GET
IT YOURSELF.
IT YOURSELF. THE PRESIDENT DID NOT DENY THAT
REPORT AND FURTHER ELABORATED.
>> WE HAVE STOCKPILES NOW WHERE
WE’RE ORDERING TREMENDOUS
NUMBERS OF VENTILATORS,
RESPIRATORS, MASKS, AND THEY’RE
ORDERED, AND THEY’RE COMING, AND
WE HAVE QUITE A FEW AT THIS
POINT.
POINT. IF THEY CAN GET THEM DIRECTLY,
IT’S ALWAYS GOING TO BE FASTER
IF THEY CAN GET THEM DIRECTLY IF
THEY NEED THEM.
AND I’VE GIVEN THEM
AUTHORIZATION TO ORDER DIRECTLY.
>> AND AMID ALL OF THIS, BY THIS
TIME TOMORROW NIGHT, THERE WILL
BE BIG POLITICAL NEWS.
TOMORROW FOUR STATES ARE
SCHEDULED TO HOLD PRESIDENTIAL
PRIMARIES -- ARIZONA, FLORIDA,
ILLINOIS, AND OHIO.
BUT BECAUSE OF A LATE DECISION
TONIGHT, IT LOOKS LIKE OHIO IS
GOING TO KICK THE CAN DOWN THE
ROAD AND HOLD THEIR PRIMARY
ELECTION DURING THE FIRST WEEK
IN JUNE.
IN JUNE. THE OTHER STATES ALL SAY THEY
PLAN TO GO AHEAD WITH THEIR
ELECTIONS.
ELECTIONS. THEY SAY THEY’RE TAKING
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT VOTERS
AND POLL WORKERS.
BACK AT THE WHITE HOUSE, HERE IS
HOW THE PRESIDENT RATED HIS OWN
RESPONSE.
RESPONSE. >> THE OTHER DAY YOU SAID THAT
YOU WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
TESTING SHORTFALL.
TESTING SHORTFALL. VERY SIMPLE QUESTION.
DOES THE BUCK STOP WITH YOU, AND
ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN, HOW
WOULD YOU RATE YOUR RESPONSE TO
THIS CRISIS?
THIS CRISIS? >> I’D RATE IT A TEN.
I THINK WE’VE GOT A DONE A GREAT