"THE 11th HOUR" WITH BRIAN WILLIAMS STARTS NOW.
>>> THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING
TONIGHT, DEFENDING THOSE ON THE
JOB, PROTECTING THOSE WHO ARE
NOT.
THE COLORS OF THE FDNY AND EMS
HIGH ABOVE THE CITY.
WELL, GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN.
DAY 1,215 OF THIS TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
169 DAYS UNTIL OUR PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION.
TONIGHT OUR COUNTRY LEADS THE
WORLD IN CORONAVIRUS INFECTIONS
AND IN DEATHS.
OUR DEATH TOLL TONIGHT STANDS AT
91,172.
CANDIDLY AS WE STRUGGLE WITH
WAYS TO ILLUSTRATE THAT NUMBER,
THINK OF IT THIS WAY.
PICTURE 581 BOEING 737s LOADED
WITH PASSENGERS.
THINK OF THE DEATH TOLL FROM THE
LOSS OF 581 BOEING 737s AND ALL
THOSE SOULS ONBOARD.
THAT IS OUR CURRENT DEATH TOLL.
THIS WAS THE DAY WE LEARNED THE
PRESIDENT IS NOW TAKING
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE, AN UNPROVEN
DRUG IN THE FIGHT AGAINST
CORONAVIRUS.
THAT MEANS HE’S GOING AGAINST
THE ADVICE OF HIS OWN
GOVERNMENT’S MEDICAL
PROFESSIONALS.
TRUMP SAYS HE’S TESTED NEGATIVE
FOR THE VIRUS, SO HE SEEMS TO BE
DOING THIS AS A PREVENTATIVE
MEASURE.
>> THE FRONTLINE WORKERS, MANY,
MANY ARE TAKING IT.
I HAPPEN TO BE TAKING IT.
>> HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE?
>> I’M TAKING IT,
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE.
>> WHEN?
>> RIGHT NOW, YEAH.
A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO I STARTED
TAKING IT.
>> WHY, SIR?
>> BECAUSE I THINK IT’S GOOD.
I’VE HEARD A LOT OF GOOD
STORIES.
AND IF IT’S NOT GOOD, I’LL TELL
YOU RIGHT.
I’M NOT GOING TO GET HURT BY IT.
>> DID THE WHITE HOUSE DOCTOR
RECOMMEND THAT YOU TAKE IT?
>> YEAH, THE WHITE DOCTOR DID
RECOMMEND IT.
>> NO, I ASKED HIM WHAT DO YOU
THINK?
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TAKING IT.
A LOT OF FRONTLINE WORKERS ARE
TAKING HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE.
I DON’T TAKE IT BECAUSE, HEY,
PEOPLE SAID, OH, MAYBE HE OWNS
THE COMPANY.
NO, I DON’T OWN THE COMPANY.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
I WANT THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION
TO FEEL GOOD.
THIS IS A -- A PILL THAT’S BEEN
USED FOR A LONG TIME, FOR 30, 40
YEARS ON THE MALARIA AND ON
LUPUS TOO, AND EVEN ON
ARTHRITIS, I GUESS, FROM WHAT I
UNDERSTAND.
SO IT’S BEEN HEAVILY TESTED IN
TERMS OF -- I WAS JUST WAITING
TO SEE YOUR EYES LIGHT UP WHEN I
SAID THIS, WHEN I ANNOUNCED
THIS.
I’VE TAKEN IT FOR ABOUT A WEEK
AND A HALF NOW, AND I’M STILL
HERE.
I’M STILL HERE.
>> CAN YOU EXPLAIN, SIR, WHAT IS
THE EVIDENCE THAT IT HAS A
PREVENTATIVE EFFECT.
>> HERE WE GO.
YOU READY?
HERE’S MY EVIDENCE.
I GET A LOT OF POSITIVE CALLS
ABOUT IT.
THE ONLY NEGATIVE I’VE HEARD WAS
THE STUDY WHERE ANY GAVETHEY GAV
WAS IT THE V.A.?
WHERE PEOPLE THAT AREN’T BIG
TRUMP FANS.
>> YOU’LL REMEMBER IT WAS A
SHORT TIME BACK WHEN CORONAVIRUS
ENTERED THE WHITE HOUSE AND,
MORE IMPORTANTLY, ENTERED THE
PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE.
THE VICE PRESIDENT’S PRESS
SECRETARY AND TRUMP’S OWN VALET
TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS.
NBC NEWS REPORTING TRUMP STARTED
TAKING HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE AFTER
HE LEARNED ABOUT THE CASE WITH
HIS VALET.
TONIGHT THE WHITE HOUSE
PHYSICIAN ISSUED A STATEMENT.
HE WRITES, QUOTE, AFTER NUMEROUS
DISCUSSIONS HE AND I HAD
REGARDING THE EVIDENCE FOR AND
AGAINST THE USE OF
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE, WE CONCLUDED
THE POTENTIAL BENEFIT FROM
TREATMENT OUTWEIGHED THE
RELATIVE RISKS.
ABOUT A MONTH AGO, THE FDA
STRONGLY ADVISED AGAINST TAKING
THE MEDICATION OUTSIDE OF
HOSPITAL SETTINGS.
WHILE SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE ALSO
SHOWN IT TO BE POTENTIALLY
DANGEROUS.
THIS AFTERNOON, ONE OF THE MORE
SENIOR VOICES EMPLOYED BY FOX
NEWS AND HIS ON-AIR GUEST WARNED
VIEWERS AGAINST FOLLOWING THE
PRESIDENT’S EXAMPLE HERE.
>> IF YOU ARE IN A RISKY
POPULATION HERE AND YOU ARE
TAKING THIS AS A PREVENTATIVE
TREATMENT TO WARD OFF THE VIRUS
OR IN A WORST-CASE SCENARIO, YOU
ARE DEALING WITH THE VIRUS, AND
YOU ARE IN THIS VULNERABLE
POPULATION, IT WILL KILL YOU.
I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH.
THIS WILL KILL YOU.
>> THESE DRUGS CAN BE VERY
DANGEROUS, AND IF THEY DON’T
HAVE ANY EFFECT, THERE’S NO
REASON TO TAKE THEM.
>> TODAY THERE WAS ALSO
PROMISING NEWS IN THE RACE FOR A
VACCINE.
THE DRUG MANUFACTURER MODERNA
SAYS THE FIRST PHASE OF HUMAN
TRIALS ON ITS VACCINE FOUND IT
WAS SAFE AND PROMPTED AN IMMUNE
RESPONSE IN THE HUMAN BODY.
ONLY 45 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN
THIS TRIAL ALONG WITH SOME MICE
WHO WERE NOT CONSULTED.
SO LARGER STUDIES STILL NEED TO
BE DONE.
MORE ON THAT JUST AHEAD IN OUR
BROADCAST.
IN THE MEANTIME, JUST ABOUT THE
ENTIRE NATION HAS REOPENED IN
SOME FORM OR FASHION EVEN THOUGH
THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS IS NOW
ON THE UPSWING IN 17 STATES.
THIS PAST WEEKEND, AMERICANS
EMERGED FROM THEIR HOMES IN
FORCE AS STATES RELAXED
RESTRICTIONS AND ALLOWED MORE
KINDS OF BUSINESSES TO OPEN UP.
IN MICHIGAN, THIS WAS THE FIRST
DAY BACK ON THE JOB AFTER NEARLY
TWO MONTHS FOR THOUSANDS OF
WORKERS ON THE LINE AT THE BIG
THREE AUTOMAKERS.
TEXAS NOW MOVING INTO PHASE TWO
OF ITS REOPENING DESPITE
REPORTING 1,800 NEW COVID-19
CASES ON SATURDAY, THE BIGGEST
SINGLE-DAY JUMP IN CONFIRMED
CASES IN TEXAS THUS FAR IN THIS
PANDEMIC.
WHILE THE PRESIDENT’S DEALING
WITH THE IMPACT OF THE VIRUS,
HE’S ALSO FACING FALLOUT FROM
HIS ANNOUNCEMENT THAT HE INTENDS
TO FIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT
INSPECTOR GENERAL STEVE LENTIC.
NBC NEWS REPORTS LINIC HAD BEEN
INVESTIGATING THAT POMPEO HAD AN
AIDE RUNNING PERSONAL ERRANDS
FOR HIM.
HE WAS ALSO SAID TO BE LOOKING
INTO THE SECRETARY’S DECISION TO
SIGN OFF ON BILLIONS IN ARMS
SALES TO THE SAUDIS DESPITE
OPPOSITION ON CAPITOL HILL.
LINIC IS THE FOURTH INSPECTOR
GENERAL TO BE FIRED IN SIX
WEEKS, AND THIS AFTERNOON
CONFIRMED IT WAS MIKE POMPEO WHO
ASKED HIM TO GET RID OF THE I.G.
>> I HAVE THE RIGHT TO TERMINATE
THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.
MANY OF THESE PEOPLE WERE OBAMA
APPOINTMENTS, AND SO I JUST GOT
RID OF THEM.
I MEAN I THINK THAT WHEN
SOMEBODY PAYS US A FORTUNE FOR,
YOU KNOW, ARMS, WE SHOULD GET
THE DEAL DONE.
>> ALSO TODAY, TRUMP’S
SUGGESTION THAT HIS JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT PROSECUTE FORMER
PRESIDENT OBAMA AND FIGURES FROM
HIS ADMINISTRATION MAY NOT BE
GOING ANYWHERE.
ATTORNEY GENERAL BILL BARR SAID
HE DOESN’T EXPECT THE
DEPARTMENT’S EXAMINATION OF THE
RUSSIA INVESTIGATION WILL LEAD
TO ANY CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST
BARACK OBAMA OR JOE BIDEN.
>> AS LONG AS I’M ATTORNEY
GENERAL, THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM WILL NOT BE USED FOR
PARTISAN POLITICAL ENDS.
>> THAT DIDN’T GO OVER TOO WELL
WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S
BOSS.
>> I’M A LITTLE SURPRISED BY
THAT STATEMENT.
IF IT WAS ME, I’D GUARANTEE
THEY’D BE GOING AFTER ME.