SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE,
AND I YIELD BACK.
>> THANK YOU, MS. ESHOO.
>>> AND GOOD DAY, I AM ANDREA
MITCHELL IN WASHINGTON.
AS THE COUNTRY’S TOP PUBLIC
HEALTH OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO
TESTIFY TO CONGRESS ABOUT
COVID-19, A DISEASE OF COURSE
THAT HAS ALREADY KILLED 120,000
AMERICANS AND IS NOW SURGING IN
STATES FROM FLORIDA TO ARIZONA,
WHERE OF COURSE THE PRESIDENT IS
HEADING AT THIS HOUR.
THE FOCUS OF TODAY’S HEARING,
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, WHOSE
WARNINGS ABOUT FACE COVERINGS
AND SOCIAL DISTANCING HAVE BEEN
REPEATEDLY IGNORED BY PRESIDENT
TRUMP, VICE PRESIDENT PENCE, AND
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
>> IF YOU LOOK AT HOW WE’VE BEEN
HIT, WE’VE BEEN HIT BADLY.
IN SOME RESPECTS, WE’VE DONE
VERY WELL.
IN OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY,
WE’RE NOW SEEING A DISTURBING
SURGE OF INFECTIONS THAT LOOKS
LIKE IT’S A COMBINATION.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS IS AN
INCREASE IN COMMUNITY SPREAD.
AND THAT’S SOMETHING THAT I’M
REALLY QUITE CONCERNED ABOUT
THAT.
THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS ARE
GOING TO BE CRITICAL IN OUR
TABLET TO ADDRESS THOSE SURGINGS
WE’RE SEEING IN PHYSIOLOGY FULFL
TEXAS, IN ARIZONA AND OTHER
STATES.
>> THAT CONCERN OF COURSE HAS
BEEN DISMISSED AGAIN BY
PRESIDENT TRUMP, AHEAD OF HIS
PHOENIX SPEECH BEFORE THOUSANDS
OF YOUNG SUPPORTERS IN A MEGA
CHURCH WHOSE LEADERS ARE TOUTING
A TOTALLY DISCREDITED SO-CALLED
CURE.
THE PRESIDENT HAS ALSO ALARMED
DOCTORS WITH HIS COMMENTS IN
TULSA, THAT HE TOLD HIS PEOPLE
TO SLOW THE TESTING IN ORDER TO
HOLD DOWN CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS.
>> THEY CALLED ME, THEY SAID,
THE JOB YOU’RE DOING -- HERE’S
THE BAD PART.
WHEN YOU TEST -- WHEN YOU DO
TESTING TO THAT EXTENT, YOU’RE
GOING TO FIND MORE PEOPLE,
YOU’RE GOING TO FIND MORE CASES.
SO I SAID TO MY PEOPLE, SLOW THE
TESTING DOWN, PLEASE.
>> NONE OF US HAVE EVER BEEN
TOLD TO SLOW DOWN ON TESTING.
THAT JUST IS A FACT.
IN FACT, WE WILL BE DOING MORE
TESTING.
>> JOINING ME NOW, NBC WHITE
HOUSE CORRESPONDENT AND "WEEKEND
TODAY" CO-HOST KRISTEN WELKER. NBC CAPITOL HILL CORRESPONDENT
NBC CAPITOL HILL CORRESPONDENT
KASIE HUNT, HOST OF "KASIE
D.C.," AND A DOCTOR FROM THE
BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF HEALTH.
WELCOME, ALL.
WE HEARD REPEATED QUESTIONING
TODAY ABOUT A VACCINE.
DR. HAHN FROM THE FDA AND DR.
FAUCI ARE SAYING IT’S VERY HARD
TO PREDICT.
THEY’RE GOING INTO STAGE III
TRIALS BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE
ENOUGH PEOPLE TO TEST, ENOUGH
VIRUS OUT THERE.
THEY’RE TESTING IN SOUTH AFRICA,
FOR INSTANCE, AND IN BRAZIL, IN
ORDER TO HAVE ENOUGH DATA TO
PROVE THAT IT IS EFFECTIVE.
KASIE HUNT, THE MOST IMPORTANT
THING I THINK THAT DR. FAUCI
SAID, ASIDE FROM DOINGENYING THA
THERE IS POLITICAL PRESSURE AND
THAT HE’S BEEN TOLD TO SLOW DOWN
ANY OF THE TESTING, IS THAT THEY
WANT TO BE SURE THAT THE VACCINE
IS EFFECTIVE, THAT THE WORST
THING THEY COULD DO IS COME OUT
WITH A VACCINE WITHOUT TESTING
AND KNOWING IT IS EFFECTIVE
AGAINST COVID-19.
>> THAT’S RIGHT, ANDREA, AND
RUSHING A VACCINE TO THE POINT
WHERE IT CAUSED PROBLEMS OR
WASN’T EFFECTIVE WOULD BE SUCH A
TREMENDOUS SETBACK FOR SO MANY
REASONS, BOTH PUBLIC HEALTH
REASONS AND ALSO POLITICAL
REASONS.
I THINK IT WAS HEARTENING FOR
MANY TO HEAR THAT DR. FAUCI SAID
IT’S A QUESTION NOT OF "IF" BUT
"WHEN" WE’RE ABLE TO MAKE THESE
DEVELOPMENTS.
I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF
PEOPLE WHO BREATHED A SIGH OF
RELIEF AT HEARING HIM SAY THAT.
BUT HE ALSO, AS YOU POINT OUT,
WAS PARTICULARLY CAUTIOUS.
HE SAID IN PARTICULAR THEY’RE
TAKING ONLY FINANCIAL RISKS
HERE.
AND HE WANTED -- HE UNDERSCORED
THAT IN ANOTHER AREA TO A MEMBER
OF CONGRESS WHO WAS ASKING ABOUT
THIS, THE FINANCIAL RISK BEING
INVESTING IN BUYING DOSES,
BUYING BASICALLY THE MATERIALS
THAT YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY
DELIVER THE VACCINE BEFORE WE
ACTUALLY KNOW IF THERE’S
SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD
ACTUALLY PUT IN THAT TO MAKE IT
EFFECTIVE.
THAT COULD POTENTIALLY MEAN IT
COULD BE DISTRIBUTED QUICKLY AND
WIDELY AND IDEALLY WITHOUT
COSTING AMERICANS QUITE A BIT OF
MONEY.
SO, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK HIS
ANSWERS ON THESE VACCINE
QUESTIONS ARE GOING TO MOVE THAT
FORWARD AS WE CONTINUE TO TALK
ABOUT HOW WE’RE ULTIMATELY GOING
TO END THIS PANDEMIC, IF THAT IS
STILL, OF COURSE, POSSIBLE.
HE SAID THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS
ARE GOING TO BE VERY CRITICAL
FOR THE AREAS WHERE WE’RE SEEING
COMMUNITY SPREAD.
BUT HE ALSO OF COURSE DID
ADDRESS WHAT MANY OF US HAVE
BEEN WONDERING, AFTER THE
PRESIDENT MADE THOSE COMMENTS AT
THE TULSA RALLY, WHERE HE
SUGGESTED THAT HE HAD ORDERED
HIS TASK FORCE TO SLOW DOWN
TESTING, POTENTIALLY FOR
POLITICAL REASONS.
AND THIS MORNING HE SAID HE
WASN’T KIDDING, AS HIS AIDES HAD
SUGGESTED THAT HE WAS.
DR. FAUCI WAS VERY DIRECT IN
SAYING THAT TO HIS KNOWLEDGE, HE
CERTAINLY AND TO HIS KNOWLEDGE
NO OTHER OFFICIALS HAD BEEN
ASKED TO SLOW DOWN TESTING FOR
THIS REASON.
AND AFTER QUESTIONING FROM
ACTUALLY THE RANKING MEMBER, THE
REPUBLICAN, WHO WENT DOWN THE
LINE OF THESE OFFICIALS AND
ANSWER THE QUESTION WHETHER THEY
HAD BEEN PRESSURED, THEY EACH IN
TURN ANSWERED "NO."
NOW, I DON’T THINK THAT’S GOING
TO BE ENOUGH FOR MANY MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS.
WE KNOW SENATORS HAVE REQUESTED
AN IG INVESTIGATION INTO THIS
QUESTION.
I DON’T THINK THIS IS GOING TO
BE THE LAST WE HEAR OF IT,
ANDREA.
>> AND KRISTEN WELKER, YOU’VE GOT TWO REALITIES HERE.
GOT TWO REALITIES HERE.
ANNA ESHOO, THE GRFSHLGCONGRESSW
FROM CALIFORNIA, WAS MAKING THAT
POINT, SAYING, PUT ON YOUR WHITE
COAT AND TELL THE PEOPLE.
AGAIN TODAY THE PRESIDENT IS
HEADING INTO A HOTSPOT, ARIZONA.
WE SEE, YOU KNOW, BREAKOUTS IN
PHOENIX AND EVEN IN YUMA AT THE
WALL, WE’LLING INGBE HEARING FRO
JACOB SOBOROFF, TWO PEOPLE HAVE
TESTED POSITIVE THERE, WORKERS
AT THE WALL.
HOW DO WE GET AROUND THIS,
SOMEHOW PUBLIC HEALTH HAS BECOME
SO POLITICIZED.
>> YOU’VE HIT AT THE HEART OF
IT, ANDREA, PRESIDENT TRUMP AND
VICE PRESIDENT PENCE ARE EAGER
TO TURN THE PAGE AND PUT THE
FOCUS ON THE CAMPAIGN.
THEY’RE ARGUING THE ECONOMY IS
COMING BACK AS THE COUNTRY
SLOWLY REOPENS.
WE SAW THAT DICHOTOMY ON DISPLAY
IN TULSA WHEN YOU HAD THOUSANDS
OF PEOPLE PACKED INTO THAT
ARENA, A NUMBER OF THEM NOT
WEARING MASKS.
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN SAYS THEY
HANDED OUT MASKS BUT DIDN’T
MANDATE THAT PEOPLE WORE THEM.
OF COURSE ON SATURDAY WE LEARNED
THAT SIX ADVANCE STAFF TESTED
POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, AND THEN
YESTERDAY NBC NEWS WAS FIRST TO
REPORT, ANDREA, THAT TWO MORE
ADVANCE STAFF MEMBERS TESTED
POSITIVE.
SO YOU HAVE EIGHT PEOPLE WHO
HAVE TESTED POSITIVE, WHICH
REALLY LOOMS LARGE, I THINK,
OVER ALL OF IT AND MAKES THE
POINT THAT DESPITE THE FACT THAT
THE PRESIDENT IS EAGER TO TURN
THE PAGE, THIS IS A VIRUS THAT
CONTINUES TO MARCH ON.
AND YOU HEARD THAT IN WHAT WE
JUST HEARD FROM DR. ANTHONY
FAUCI WHO SAID HE IS CONCERNED
ABOUT THE UPTICK IN COMMUNITY
SPREAD AND PRESIDENT TRUMP
HEADING TO ARIZONA, WHERE WE ARE
SEEING A SPIKE IN CASES, HIS
THIRD STOP TODAY IS GOING TO BE
TO SPEAK AT THAT MEGACHURCH
WHICH FITS 3,000 PEOPLE.
NO WORD ON FINAL ATTENDANCE,
ANDREA, BUT THERE IS CONCERN
THAT THESE INDOOR EVENTS COULD
ONLY HELP TO INCREASE THE SPREAD
ALL THE MORE.
NOW, PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ENTIRE
RESPONSE HAS COME UNDER SCRUTINY
INCLUDING AND ESPECIALLY THOSE
REMARKS THAT HE MADE IN TULSA, A
NUMBER OF WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS,
AGAIN, SAID THEY WERE IN JEST
WHEN HE SAID HE HAD TOLD HIS OWN
STAFF TO STOP THE TESTING, TO
SLOW THE TESTING.
HE’S BEEN PRESSED ON THAT A
NUMBER OF TIMES, ANDREA,
INCLUDING TODAY, JUST BEFORE HE
DEPARTED.
TAKE A LISTEN TO WHAT HE HAD TO
SAY.
>> WE TEST.
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE MORE CASES.
BY HAVING MORE CASES, IT SOUNDS
BAD.
BUT ACTUALLY WHAT IT IS IS,
WE’RE FINDING PEOPLE.
MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE AREN’T
SICK, OR VERY LITTLE.
HERE ISHAT I SAY.
TESTING IS A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD.
IN ONE WAY, IT TELLS YOU YOU
HAVE CASES.
IN ANOTHER WAY, YOU FIND OUT
WHERE THE CASES ARE AND YOU DO A
GOOD JOB.
>> ANDREA, THIS HAS BEEN THE
PRESIDENT’S TALKING POINT FOR
QUITE SOME TIME, WHICH IS THAT
WITH MORE TESTING YOU GET MORE
CASES.
AND OF COURSE TOP DOCTORS HAVE
SAID, YES, THAT MAY BE THE CASE
BUT THAT DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR
THIS INCREASE THAT WE ARE SEEING
NOW, IN MORE THAN 25 STATES,
ANDREA.
>> AND DR. SCHARFSTEIN, TESTING
IS NOT A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD,
TESTING IS POSITIVE, IT TELLS US
WHERE THE CASES ARE AND HOW TO
DEAL WITH THEM.
AND TESTING IS NOT THE BE-ALL,
END-ALL, THE REAL MEASURE IS
HOSPITALIZATION RATES.
HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU ABOUT WHAT
WE’RE SEEING IN FLORIDA, TEXAS,
ARIZONA?
>> IT’S EXTREMELY CONCERNING.
PEOPLE CAN BE FORGIVEN FOR
THINKING THEY HAVE DOUBLE
VISION.
ON THE ONE HAND YOU HAVE THE
PRESIDENT PLAYING THINGS DOWN,
THE VICE PRESIDENT SAYING THINGS
ARE TURNING AROUND, DON’T PAY
ATTENTION TO THE TESTING
NUMBERS.
AND ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE IS
A REAL PROBLEM IN CERTAIN STATES
IN THIS COUNTRY, REFLECTED NOT
JUST IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
WITH POSITIVE TESTS BUT
HOSPITALIZATIONS, ICU BEDS,
VENTILATORS.
AND THERE’S NOT AN END IN SIGHT.
I MEAN, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO
REALIZE THAT IT’S WHAT WE DO,
WHAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON DOES,
WHAT OUR GOVERNMENTS DO THAT IS
GOING TO FIGHT THE VIRUS.
THE VIRUS IS GOING TO DO ITS
THING, AND IT’S UP TO US TO STOP
IT.
>> AND OUR THANKS TO YOU, AS WE