FORWARD.
ANDREA?
>> THANKS SO MUCH, KRISTEN
WELKER, ON TOP OF EVERYTHING AT
THE WHITE HOUSE.
>>> JOINING ME IS DR. CAMERON
WEBB, THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE
FOR CONGRESS IN VIRGINIA.
HE WAS A WHITE HOUSE FELLOW IN
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION SERVING
ON THE WHITE HOUSE HEALTH CARE
TEAM AND CONTINUED HIS
FELLOWSHIP INTO THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
THANK YOU, DR. WEBB.
APPARENTLY ONCE THE TRUMP TEAM
TOOK OVER, YOUR DESK WAS MOVED
INTO A HALLWAY AND EVENTUALLY
TAKEN AWAY.
TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED?
>> WELL, THAT’S RIGHT.
SO THANKS FOR HAVING ME, ANDREA.
I WAS IN THE WHITE HOUSE FROM
2016 INTO 2017 AND MY FIRST DAY
WHEN I ARRIVED, ALL MY BELONGING
BELONGINGS HAD BEEN MOVED OUT OF
MY OFFICE.
THEY MOVED MY DESK INTO A
HALLWAY IN THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE
BUILDING.
THEY KEPT THE DOOR TO THE OFFICE
OF CABINET AFFAIRS ALWAYS
CLOSED.
THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE DEALING
WITH SENSITIVE MATTERS AND
DESPITE MY TOP SECRET CLEARANCE,
THEY DIDN’T WANT ME HELPING OUT.
THAT WAS MY WELCOME TO THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION BACK IN 2017.
>> DID THAT IN ANY WAY INSPIRE
YOU TO WANT TO RUN FOR OFFICE?
>> THAT DIDN’T INSPIRE MY DESIRE
TO RUN.
ACTUALLY WHAT HAPPENED, IN THE
MONTHS THAT FOLLOWED, I SPENT A
LOT OF TIME JUST WANDERING ABOUT
THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUILDING
BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T ALLOW ME TO
WORK ON ANYTHING.
I WAS CONNECTING WITH OTHER
FOLKS IN THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE.
I’D ASK THEM QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY
THEY WERE BELIEVING THE WAY THEY
DID ON POLICY AND EDUCATION OR
HEALTH CARE OR CRIMINAL JUSTICE
REFORM.
I GOT TO KNOW SOME OF THE FOLKS
DOING THE POLICY WORK.
WE GOT TO HAVE REAL
CONVERSATIONS.
I THINK THAT’S SUCH A CRITICAL
PART OF OUR NATIONAL DIALOGUE
RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE
CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE WE
DISAGREE WITH STRONGLY AND STILL
BE ABLE TO FINISH THE
CONVERSATION AND MOVE FORWARD.
SO I REALLY FINE TUNED THAT
SKILL WALKING THROUGH THE HALLS
OF THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUILDING
BECAUSE MY DESK WAS IN THE
HALLWAY.
>> AND AS A MEDICAL DOCTOR, AND
YOU’RE FROM CHARLOTTESVILLE,
YOU’RE NOW SET UP TO RUN AGAINST
CONGRESSMAN GOOD WHO DESCRIBES
HIMSELF AS A BIBLICAL
CONSERVATIVE.
BUT YOU’VE BEEN VERY CRITICAL OF
THE PRESIDENT’S ACTIONS ON THE
PANDEMIC, NOT MODELING THE
WEARING OF MASKS, FOR INSTANCE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND I WANT TO FIRST NOT GIVE MR.
GOOD THE LABEL OF CONGRESSMAN
QUITE YET.
IT’S AN OPEN SEAT SO AN EXCITING
OPPORTUNITY.
BUT I THINK JUST THE SAME, YOU
KNOW, WHETHER YOU’RE -- NO
MATTER HOW YOU LABEL YOUR
CONSERVATIVISM, IN THIS
INSTANCE, A LOT OF THE ACTIONS
WHEN IT COMES TO THIS PANDEMIC
HAVE BEEN UNACCEPTABLE.
I THINK WE JUST HAVEN’T HAD, YOU
KNOW, IN A LOT OF WAYS, WE
HAVEN’T HAD THE RESPONSE ON THE
FRONT END, THE PANDEMIC
PREPAREDNESS ON THE FRONT END
AND EVEN AS WE’VE SEEN IT ROLL
OUT, THERE’S AN INFODEMIC.
THE INFORMATION COMING OUT OF
THE TRIUMPH ADMINISTRATION HAS
BEEN OFF BASE.
IT’S THE REASON WE’RE SEEING A
LOT OF WHAT WE’RE SEEING IN
ARIZONA AND TEXAS AND FLORIDA.
AND I THINK IT’S MUCH HARDER TO
PULL BACK AFTER YOU HAVE GIVEN
SUCH STRONG SIGNALS TO FOLKS TO
CHARGE FORWARD.
THERE ARE LIVES ON THE LINE.
I SPENT THE LAST FOUR DAYS
WORKING IN THE HOSPITAL SEEING
THIS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL.
THIS ISN’T SOMETHING TO PLAY
AROUND WITH.
IT’S AN IMPORTANT TIME TO GET
THIS RIGHT.
IT’S APPARENT TO ME THE
PRESIDENT DOESN’T HAVE THE
TEMPER WANT OR INSIGHT TO GET
THIS RIGHT.
>> ARE YOU SHOCKED BY HIM
RETWEETING THIS RACIST WHITE
POWER TWEET?
>> I’M NOT SHOCKED.
I’LL TELL YOU A STORY, ANDREA.
FOR ME, MY VERY LAST DAY IN THE
WHITE HOUSE WAS AUGUST 12th,
2017.
IT WAS RIGHT AFTER THE UNITE THE
RIGHT RALLY.
I CAME BACK INTO THE OFFICE.
I WAS SUPPOSED TO CONTINUE
WORKING FOR A COUPLE MORE WEEKS.
I WAS JUST ABSOLUTELY INCENSED
ABOUT HIS COMMENTS ABOUT GOOD
PEOPLE OR BLAME ON BOTH SIDES.
HIS TONE DEAFNESS.
HE’S SHOWN THAT THROUGHOUT.
HE THROWS HIS DOG WHISTLES OUT
THERE.
THESE AREN’T MISTAKES AND HE CAN
WALK IT BACK HOWEVER HIGHE WANTS
BUT HE’S CLEAR TO SIGNALING WHAT
HE WANTS.
WHEN OUR NATION IS DEAD SET ON
FINDING A PATH FORWARD, ON
UNITY, ON US COMING TOGETHER AND
YOU’RE SEEING THIS IN
COMMUNITIES ALL ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, THIS IS A TIME WHEN
THAT MESSAGING ISN’T GOING TO
WORK.
HE’S TRYING TO RALLY THE PEOPLE
THIS MESSAGE RESONATES WITH BUT
IT’S GOING TO FALL SHORT IN
NOVEMBER.
I’M NOT SURPRISED --
I JUST BELIEVE THAT THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE RIGHT NOW ARE NOT WILLING
TO TOLERATE IT.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING