ANALYST ROBERT COSTA. HE’S THE MODERATOR OF WASHINGTON
WEEK ON PBS.
AND IN JUST A FEW MINUTES WE’RE
GOING TO BE JOINED BY FORMER
SECRETARY OF STATE MADELYN
ALBRIGHT.
ALBRIGHT. SHE HAS A NEW BOOK OUT BUT ALSO
SHE HAS HER TAKE AND HER
PREVIOUS BOOK, "FASCISM: A
WARNING ON THIS PRESIDENCY AND
ALL THE DANGERS THIS PRESIDENCY
PRESENTS ".
PRESENTS ". >> LAST HOUR WE TALKED A GOOD
BIT ABOUT HOW DONALD TRUMP’S
PRESS CONFERENCES WERE, IN MY
OPINION, NOT ONLY BAD FOR THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE
MISINFORMATION THAT’S SENT OUT
THERE, ALSO BAD FOR THE UNITED
STATES STANDING IN THE WORLD
BECAUSE PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD
SEE A PRESIDENT WHO IS RAMBLING
INCOHERENT AT TIMES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> DISCONNECT FROM THE REALITIES
OF HIS OFFICE.
BUT ALSO IF YOU MOVE IT BEYOND
THAT, IT’S BAD FOR THE PRESIDENT
HIMSELF POLITICALLY.
HIMSELF POLITICALLY. AND YOU CAN SEE IT IN THE
NUMBERS.
NUMBERS. HE’S ADDICTED TO THESE DAILY
PRESS CONFERENCES.
PRESS CONFERENCES. HE’S LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS AND
COMPARING IT TO THE BACHELOR AND
SPORTING EVENTS.
SPORTING EVENTS. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> BUT AT THE SAME TIME YOU LOOK
AT THE NUMBERS THAT ARE GOING TO
MATTER TO HIM IN NOVEMBER.
HE’S LOSING BADLY AMONG
INDEPENDENTS.
INDEPENDENTS. HE’S LOSING -- HE’S LOSING MORE
PEOPLE IN THE SUBURBS.
>>?
>>? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> THE NUMBERS KEEP GOING DOWN.
YOU CAN SEE THIS, ADRIENNE
ELROD, IN WISCONSIN WHERE YOU
HAD EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT
JUDGESHIP FOR THE SUPREME COURT
OF WISCONSIN THAT WAS GOING TO
BE DETERMINING WHETHER, YOU
KNOW, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE WERE PURGED FROM THE
VOTING ROLES.
VOTING ROLES. AND DESPITE ALL OF THE
REPUBLICANS’ EFFORTS TO HOLD
THIS IN A PANDEMIC, TO KEEP DOWN
DEMOCRATIC
DEMOCRATIC DEMOCRATIC TURNOUT, DEMOCRATS
WON IN A BIG WAY THAT YOU CAN
ONLY INTERPRET AS A HUGE LOSS
FOR DONALD TRUMP.
>> YOU’RE EXACTLY RIGHT, JOE.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AT
THE PHOTOS THAT YOU PROVIDED IN
THE PREVIOUS SEGMENT OF ALL OF
THE VOTERS WHO ARE STANDING
THERE IN LINE.
YOU KNOW, FRANKLY PUTTING THEIR
HEALTH AT TROISKRISK TO TURN OUT
THIS VOTE.
THIS VOTE. DESPITE THE FACT THAT
REPUBLICANS ARE TRYING TO
SUPPRESS THE VOTE AND THAT THE
REPUBLICAN STATE LEGISLATURE WAS
RELENTLESSLY TRYING TO, YOU
KNOW, TRYING TO SUE FLESPPRESS T
VOTE AND WON BY 120,000 VOTES.
IT WAS A BIG, BIG WIN FOR
DEMOCRATS.
DEMOCRATS. OF COURSE, JOE, IT’S NOT JUST
WISCONSIN.
WISCONSIN. IT’S ALMOST EVERY SPECIAL
ELECTION, EVERY MIDTERM THAT
WE’VE HAD SINCE 2016, SINCE
NOVEMBER OF 2016.
DEMOCRATS HAVE DONE WELL AND
IT’S NOT JUST DEMOCRATS THAT
THEY’RE BRINGING ALONG, IT IS
INDEPENDENTS, IT’S MODERATE
REPUBLICANS, IT’S THE PRECIOUS
SWING VOTERS THAT WE NEED TO
BEAT DONALD TRUMP.
THE TREND HAS BEEN CONTINUING
NOT JUST IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS,
BUT REALLY IN THE LAST 3 1/2
YEARS.
YEARS. SO JOE BIDEN’S GOT A LOT OF
RUNWAY HERE.
RUNWAY HERE. YOU THINK ABOUT THIS, JOE, WE
HAD -- WE UNIFIED THE PARTY
RIGHT AROUND THE CONVENTION IN
2016.
2016. WE NOW HAVE PARTY UNIFICATION
6 1/2 MONTHS BEFORE THE GENERAL
ELECTION.
ELECTION. THIS IS A REALLY GOOD PLACE FOR
DEMOCRATS TO BE.
IT’S I GREAT PLACE
IT’S A GREAT PLACETOR JOE BIDEN
TO
TO TO BE.
TO BE. WE’RE SITTING IN A GOOD SPOT
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. >> ADRIENNE, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR BEING ON THIS MORNING.
>>> BOB COSTA, BEFORE WE
LAUNCHED INTO THE HEADLINES, THE
ONE THING THAT’S DIFFERENT
DURING THIS TIME FOR THE
PRESIDENT, AND I DON’T THINK
TRUMP IS ABLE TO CONCEPTUALLIZEI
IT, IT’S A DIFFERENT DYNAMIC.
PEOPLE ARE BUSY SO THE MUELLER
REPORT OR THE UKRAINE SCANDAL,
THEY’RE BUSY AND HE’S REBRANDING
IN PERHAPS HIS NEW YORK WAY OF
COMMANDING THE HEADLINES MIGHT
HAVE PASSED OVER HIS PEOPLE.
BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT.
PEOPLE ARE HOME, THEY’RE
WATCHING, THEY’RE SCARED,
THEY’RE READING, THEY’RE
ASSESSING THIS FOR THEMSELVES.
THEY’RE CALLING THEIR DOCTORS.
THEY KNOW PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED.
THEY KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE SERVING
ON THE FRONT LINES.
THEY ARE WORRIED FOR THEIR
FAMILY MEMBERS.
FAMILY MEMBERS. THEIR CHILDREN ARE NOT IN
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. IS THERE A SENSE IN THE WHITE
HOUSE THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENT
DYNAMIC AT PLAY HERE AND THE
PRESIDENT MIGHT BE BEING HELD TO
AN ACTUAL STANDARD FOR ONCE?
>> IN FACT, BASED ON MY
REPORTING, MIKA, TODAY IN THE
POST WITH MY COLLEAGUES YOU SEE
THIS WHITE HOUSE PRODDED BY MORE
THAN ANYONE BY THE PRESIDENT
TRYING TO GET THE ECONOMY OPEN
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
EVEN AS HEALTH EXPERTS EXPRESS
CAUTION, YOU SEE PRESIDENT TRUMP
BEHIND THE SCENES LOOKING TO
STATES LIKE TEXAS AND GOVERNOR
GREG ABBOTT, A REPUBLICAN DOWN
THERE, HE’S ALREADY COMMITTED TO
SIGN AN EXECUTIVE TOWARD OUTLINE
THE STEPS TO REOPEN HIS STATE.
SO WE’VE BEEN TOLD BY TOP
OFFICIALS THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
LOOKING AT GOVERNOR ABBOTT AND
OTHERS AND SATISFIES SAYING IF
THE STATES ARE GOING TO START TO
MOVE, HEY, I MAY HAVE SOME COVER
HERE TO START TO MOVE FORWARD
MYSELF TO PUSH THEM ALONG.
AND SO THEY’RE ALL CALCULATING
WHAT’S THE MOVE TO TRY TO KEEP
HIS RE-ELECTION ON TRACK?
THAT’S ALWAYS PARAMOUNT INSIDE
OF THIS WHITE HOUSE.
HE THOUGHT HE WOULD RUN ENTIRELY
ON THE ECONOMY.
NOW IT’S ABOUT TRYING TO GET THE
ECONOMY BACK.
ECONOMY BACK. BUT HE HAS TO WEIGH IN HIS
OFFICIAL STATUS, HE HAS TO WEIGH
THE HEALTH CONCERNS AT THE SAME
TIME.
TIME. >> BOB, AS THE PRESIDENT IN THE
WHITE HOUSE, DO THEY WEIGH THE
POTENTIAL -- LET’S SAY THEY DO
REOPEN SOME OF THE STATES.
OBVIOUSLY THE PRESIDENT CAN’T DO
THAT BUT IN CONCERT WITH THE
GOVERNORS OF THOSE STATES, AND
THERE IS A FLARE-UP, THERE’S A
RECURRENCE AS PEOPLE BEGIN
GATHERING IN CHURCHES AND
STADIUMS AND SCHOOLS AND OTHER
PLACES.
PLACES. IF THAT PANDEMIC VISITS THOSE
STATES, IF IT VISITS THOSE
COUNTIES AND THOSE TOWNS AND WE
DON’T WANT TO LOOK AT THIS
THROUGH A POLITICAL LENS, BUT WE
KNOW THE PRESIDENT IS IN SOME
PART LOOK AT IT THIS THAT WAY
DOES HE WORRY ABOUT OPENING TOO
SOON IN PLACES THAT COULD HURT
HIM, FRANKLY, POLITICALLY?
>> SO WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP
THERE’S ALWAYS THE POLITICAL
DRAMA AND THAT TOTAL AUTHORITY
LINE EARLIER IN THE WEEK WAS
EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTED TO DO TO
STIR THE POT POLITICALLY,
ACCORDING TO OUR REPORTING.
BUT THE REAL NEWS YESTERDAY,
WILLIE, TO YOUR QUESTION, WAS
THE PRESIDENT SAYING, HEY, IF
STATES MOVE FORWARD EVEN BEFORE
MAY 1st, THAT’S THE STATE’S
DECISION.
DECISION. HE KNOWS, I’M TOLD, THAT HE DOES
NOT WANT TO BE THE ONE TO BE
SEEN PUSHING HIS FINGER FORWARD
AND PUSHING EVERYONE TO REOPEN.
BUT HE WANTS TO SEE SOME OF HIS
ALLIES IN SOME OF THESE RED
STATES REOPEN ON THEIR OWN SO IT
CAN SEEM LIKE ALMOST A
COLLECTIVE RED STATE EFFORT THAT
HE CAN GET BEHIND SO HE DOESN’T
HAVE TOTAL RESPONSIBILITY,
FORGET TOTAL AUTHORITY, HE
DOESN’T WANT IT TO HAVE TOTAL
RESPONSIBILITY FOR DIFFERENT
CURVEBALLS THAT COME ON THE
HEALTH FRONT.
HEALTH FRONT. >> WE SEE IN SOUTH DAKOTA HE HAD
A GOVERNOR WHO WAS TOO CASUAL
ABOUT IT AND WE’RE SEEING AN
OUTBREAK IN SOUTH DAKOTA.
YOU SEE IT IN OTHER STATES AS
WELL.
WELL. THESE GOVERNORS ARE NOT -- IT’S
LIKE YOU SAID, PEOPLE, THIS
ISN’T THE MUELLER REPORT.
THIS ISN’T SOMETHING WAY OFF IN
WASHINGTON, D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. THIS IS SOMETHING IN THEIR LOCAL
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. AND IF YOU’RE IN A LOCAL
COMMUNITY IN THE CENTRAL TIME
ZONE WERE IF YOU’RE IN RURAL
AMERICA IN THE PLACES WHERE I
GREW UP, YOU’RE GOING TO TALK TO
YOUR DOCTOR.
YOUR DOCTOR. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> AND YOUR DOCTOR’S GOING TO
TELL YOU THAT THIS IS REAL.
ALSO GOING TO TELL YOU THAT A
LOT OF RURAL HOSPITALS ARE NOT
PREPARED -- THAT’S WHAT I’VE
HEARD FROM SO MANY PEOPLE THAT
WORK IN RURAL HEALTH CARE,
THEY’RE SCARED TO DEATH OF AN
OUTBREAK IN THEIR AREA BECAUSE
THEY’RE ILL EQUIPPED TO HANDLE
THIS BECAUSE THE FUNDING THE
MEDICAID FUNDING HAS BEEN GUTTED
OVER THE PAST FIVE TO TEN YEARS.
AND WHAT REPUBLICANS DO THAT,
THEY’RE THINKING THAT THEY’RE
SOMEHOW HURTING DEMOCRATIC
CONSTITUENCIES.
CONSTITUENCIES. NO, GUESS WHO THEY’RE HURT
SOMETHING THEY’RE HURTING RURAL
HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.
HER HURTING NURSING HOMES.
THEY’RE HURTING THE VERY PEOPLE
WHO ARE THE MOST ILL EQUIPPED TO
HANDLE THIS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF
THE FUNDING CUTS FROM
WASHINGTON, D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. >> AGAIN, PERMANENT GOINGOPLE AR
WANT INFORMATION ON THIS.
THEY’RE GOING TO GO TO THEIR
DOCTORS AND HEAR SOMETHING VERY
DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THE
PRESIDENT IS SAYING.
PERHAPS THEY’RE
PERHAPS THEY’RE PERHAPS THEY’RE WAITING FOR A
STIMULUS CHECK AND IT HASN’T
COME.
COME. MAYBE THEY GO ONLINE AND READ
NEWS ORGANIZATIONS FROM THE
STIMULUS CHECKS AND FIND THEY’RE
LATE BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT NEED
DOLLARS HIS NAMENEEDED HIS NAME
THEY’RE GOING TO SEE FOR THE
FIRST TIME EVER TRUMP NEEDS HIS
NAME ON SOMETHING THAT MIGHT
LOOK POSITIVE TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> BUT WHAT HE DOESN’T
UNDERSTAND IS, THEY SEE THE
WHOLE PICTURE.
WHOLE PICTURE. >> IT’S DELAYING --
>> IT’S IMPORTANT TO THEM.
>> IT’S ACTUALLY DELAYING THE
CHECKS IN THE IS, AGAIN, THIS IS
WHAT AN AUTOCRAT IN TRAINING
WOULD TRY TO DO.
IT’S ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.
DELAYING EVEN FOR A COUPLE OF
DAYS PEOPLE WHO DESPERATELY NEED
THESE CHECKS.
THESE CHECKS. BY THE WAY, YOU KNOW WHAT PEOPLE
ARE SPENDING THESE CHECKS ON,
ACCORDING TO REPORTS?
FOOD.
FOOD. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> THEY NEED THE MONEY TO BUY
FOOD, TO BUY GROCERIES FOR THEIR
FAMILIES.
FAMILIES. AND DONALD TRUMP IS HOLDING IT
UP BECAUSE HE WANTS HIS NAME ON
THE MEMO LINE OF THE CHECK.
>> NOT GOING TO WAIT TO HEAR IT
FROM US.
FROM US. THEY’RE GOING TO LOOK IT UP.
>>> BY THE WAY, HOUSE SPEAKER
NANCY PELOSI IS BLASTING THE
PRESIDENT’S HANDLING OF THIS
PANDEMIC IN A NEW LETTER TO
HOUSE DEMOCRATS.
HOUSE DEMOCRATS. SHE LISTED A SERIES OF WHAT SHE
CALLED TRUTHS THAT NEED TO BE
UNDERSTOOD BEFORE THE COUNTRY
CAN MOVE FORWARD.
THE HOUSE SPEAKER SAID TRUMP
DISMANTLED THE INFRASTRUCTURE
NEEDED TO RESPOND TO THE
PANDEMIC, IGNORED WARNING SIGNS,
AND ENDANGERED LIVES AND THE
ECONOMY BY TELLING HIS FOLLOWERS
THE PANDEMIC WAS A HOAX.
SHE ALSO BLASTED HIM FOR STILL
NOT HAVING THE APPROPRIATE
TESTING IN PLACE.
THE HOUSE SPEAKER CALLED THE
PRESIDENT WEAK AND A POOR LEADER
FOR REFUSING TO TAKE
RESPONSIBILITY AND BLAMING
OTHERS.
OTHERS. SHE URGED AMERICANS TO IGNORE
TRUMP AND LISTEN TO THE
SCIENTISTS AND OTHER RESPECTED
PROFESSIONALS TO, QUOTE, PROTECT
OURSELVES AND OUR LOVED ONES.
IT’S PRETTY STAGGERING LETTER.
CORONAVIRUS DEATHS, BY THE WAY,
SURGED YESTERDAY TO MARK THE
NATION’S DEADLIEST DAY YET.
NEARLY 30,000 PEOPLE, CLAIRE
McCASKILL, 30,000 DEATHS HAVE
BEEN RECORDED.
BEEN RECORDED. SO NANCY PELOSI’S LETTER COMING
AT A TIME WHEN, REALLY, THE
PRESIDENT’S LEADERSHIP IS IN
QUESTION AND AMERICANS ARE
SEEING THESE NUMBERS FOR
THEMSELVES.
THEMSELVES. THEY’RE LIVING THEM.
>> HER LETTER LAYS IT OUT REALLY
CLEARLY.
CLEARLY. BUT MAYBE EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY
IS YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT SWING
VOTERS EARLIER.
VOTERS EARLIER. SWING VOTERS ARE WHERE
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS ARE WON
OR LOST.
OR LOST. LET’S MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT
THAT.
THAT. IT’S NOT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE
SCREAMING ON EITHER END OF THE
SPECTRUM.
SPECTRUM. IT’S THE FOLKS IN THE MIDDLE
THAT MAYBE VOTE FOR DONALD TRUMP
IN 2016 BUT TURN AROUND AND VOTE
FOR JOE BIDEN THIS YEAR.
THOSE VOTERS ARE SO ESPECIALLY
SUBURBAN COLLEGE EDUCATED
REPUBLICANS ARE SO OFFENDED BY
THIS GUY, BY HIS LIES AND.
AND THIS DEAL HE’S DOING ABOUT
PUTTING HIS NAME ON THE CHECK,
HOW INSULTING TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE THAT HE THINKS THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SO STUPID
THAT WHEN THEY SEE HIS NAME ON
THE CHECK THEY’RE GOING LOVE
HIM?
HIM? THAT THAT’S GOING TO MAKE
EVERYTHING ALL BETTER?
HE’S DELAYING THE NEEDED MONEY
BY THESE PEOPLE TO -- FOR AN EGO
EXERCISE.
EXERCISE. THAT REALLY -- AND THAT’S GOING
TO BREAK THROUGH TO THOSE
SUBURBAN VOTERS.
SUBURBAN VOTERS. THAT’S WHAT TURNS THEM OFF OF
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP. THAT’S WHAT TURNS THEM TOWARD