INFECTIONS IN THE U.S. IS WHERE WE START TODAY.
DR. PATEL, LET ME START WITH
YOU.
YOU. EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO BACK.
IT LANDED WITH SUCH A THUD WHEN
I SAW GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCE
THAT SCHOOLS WOULD REMAIN CLOSED
FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.
I MISS HAVING THESE
CONVERSATIONS AROUND A TABLE.
I UNDERSTAND THE PUSH AND PULL
THAT, BUT IS IT SAFE WITHOUT
ADEQUATE TESTING AND WITHOUT THE
14-DAY DECLINE IN CASES FOR
STATES TO BE OPENING UP?
>> IT’S NOT SAFE.
LET PE
LET PE LET ME GIVE YOU A LITTLE DATA.
ATLANTA STILL HAS ABOUT A 12 TO
16% POSITIVE RATE.
WE KNOW THAT TELLS US WE’RE NOT
DOING ENOUGH TESTING.
NUMBER TWO, IT ALSO EMPHASIZES
THAT WE’RE PROBABLY EVEN UNDER
REPORTING THE NUMBER OF CASES
AND REOPENING IS JUST GOING TO
CAUSE A REVERSAL OF ALL THE HARD
WORK THAT’S BEEN DONE OVER THE
LAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
>> JEREMY BASH, WE HAVE TALKED
FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS ABOUT
THE PRESIDENT’S RESISTANCE TO
EXPERTS, TO GUESS YOU AND I
WOULD COUNT AS THE DEEP STATE.
PEOPLE WHO WORKED IN DEMOCRATIC
AND REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATIONS
AT HIGH LEVELS INSIDE THE
CABINET AGENCIES THAT THE
PRESIDENT RUNS.
PRESIDENT RUNS. I SEE THAT BATTLE, THAT TENSION
ALMOST BEING WON BY DONALD TRUMP
WHERE HIS TWEETING AND
UNDERMINING THE ADVICE FROM
FAUCI WHETHER IT’S SAYING
LIBERATE VIRGINIA OR BACKING THE
PROTESTERS HAS CREATED A CLIMATE
WHERE PEOPLE THINK IT’S OKAY TO
EASE THE RESTRICTIONS.
WHAT YOU THINK?
>> YOU SAID IN YOUR SET UP THAT
THE PRESIDENT’S POLITICAL
ADVISERS WANT HIM TO EXPRESS
OPTIMISM.
OPTIMISM. WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS WE NEED
NEITHER OPTIMISM NOR PESSIMISM.
WE NEED REALISM.
THE WAY YOU GET REALISM, AS YOU
REFERENCED IS BY LISTENING TO
EXPERTS.
EXPERTS. THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE STEEPED IN
DATA, SCIENCE AND WHO CAN MAKE
POLICY DECISIONS BASED ON THAT.
WE DON’T WANT TO LIVE IN A WORLD
IN WHICH WE’RE SUBJECT TO DONALD
TRUMP’S WISHES OR WHIMS.
OF COURSE, WHERE HE TO DO THAT,
WERE HE TO DIRECT OPENING OR TO
LAY OUT CRITERIA THAT EMPHASIZED
SPEEDIER OPENING AND MORE
VULNERABLE PEOPLE,ORE HEALTHY
PEOPLE GOT SICK, HOW TRAGIC
WOULD THAT BE AND THIS COMES ON
A DAY WHEN WE LEARNED THAT A
DEAR FAMILY FRIEND OF OURS
SUCCOMB TO COVID LAST NIGHT,
PASSED AWAY.
PASSED AWAY. THERE’S NOT A SINGLE PERSON IN
OUR COUNTRY THAT DOESN’T KNOW OF
SOMEBODY OR KNOW OF SOMEBODY WHO
KNOWS SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN
AFFECTED BY THIS DISEASE.
>> LET ME STAY WITH YOU BECAUSE
YOU MADE IT PERSONAL.
I THINK FOR SO MANY PEOPLE IT IS
PERSONAL.
PERSONAL. THAT’S WHERE I HAVE ONLY
QUESTIONS AND NO ANSWERS ABOUT
WHY BE P
WHY BE P WHY.
WHY. WHY CAN’T DONALD TRUMP AT ANY
LEVEL FEEL WHAT THE WHOLE
COUNTRY GOING THROUGH WHICH IS
GRIEF OVER LOSING SOMEONE.
GRIEF OVER THE CURRENT WAY WITH
LIVE WITH OUR CHILDREN AT HOME
AND NOT WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND
BASEBALL COACHES AND WONDERFUL
TEACHERS.
TEACHERS. PETER BAKER HAS SOME REPORTING
TODAY ABOUT HOW HE HAS NOT LED
THE COUNTRY IN ANY MOURNING.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF TRYING TO
MUDDLE THROUGH THIS WITHOUT A
LEADER WHO CAN DO THOSE
TRADITIONAL THINGS THAT A
PRESIDENT DOES?
PRESIDENT DOES? >> AT LEAST, NICOLE, TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THE OVERRIDING
EMOTION WHICH IS FEAR.
IN MY HOUSEHOLD THE CONVERSATION
WE’RE HAVING IS ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENS IF THIS GOES ON.
WHAT HAPPENS IF SCHOOLS DOW
JONES -- DON’T OPEN IN THE FALL.
WHAT HAPPENS IF PEOPLE CAN’T
RETURN TO NORMALCY IN TERMS OF
SCHOOL AND WORK AND SOCIAL
CIRCLE AND FAMILY EVENTS.
THIS IS DEEPLY PERSONAL.
IT’S DEEPLY PERSONAL FELT BY
EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. WE HAVE LOST MORE PEOPLE IN THE
LAST TWO MONTHS THAN DIED DURING
THE ENTIRETY OF THE VIETNAM WAR.
WE HAVE LOST SO MANY PEOPLE AND
SO MANY MORE ARE YET TO BE
INFECTED WITH THIS DISEASE.
IF YOU THINK THAT ONLY MAYBE 5
OR 7% OF THE POPULATION MIGHT BE
INFECTED, WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO
GO TO THAT HERD IMMUNITY OR
VACCINE.
VACCINE. THIS IS MUCH CLOSER TO THE
BEGINNING OF THE CRISIS THAN THE
END.
END. >> JONATHAN, LET ME KNOW IF
WE’RE MISSING SOMETHING ABOUT
HOW THE PRESIDENT SEES THIS
BECAUSE WHAT DOCTOR PATEL AND
JEREMY HAVE LAID OUT ARE COLD,
HARD, NON-PARTISAN FACTS ABOUT
WHAT THIS COUNTRY IS GOING
THROUGH AND WHAT IT STILL HAS TO
PASS THROUGH BEFORE WE ARE THREW
THIS AND BEFORE WE ARE ON THE
OTHER SIDE OF IT.
YET, THE WHITE HOUSE NOT REALLY
INTERESTED IN ANYTHING OTHER
THAN CONFIRMING A CONSPIRACY
THEORY AND GETTING THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY TO DO
THAT AND BACKING AND GIVING SOME
POLITICAL COVER TO THESE GUYS.
THESE ARE THE ARMED PROTESTERS
IN MICHIGAN.
IN MICHIGAN. PRESIDENT TAKING THEIR SIDE, IT
SOUNDED LIKE, THROUGH A TWEET
AND URGING THE GOVERNOR WHO’S
APPROVAL RATING IS MORE THAN
TWICE OF DONALD TRUMP IN THAT
IMPORTANT STATE, AS AN ASIDE,
PRESIDENT PRESSURING HER USING
HIS TWITTER FEED TO TELL HER TO
NEGOTIATE WITH THE GUYS WITH
GUNS.
GUNS. >> Reporter: SINCE DAY ONE OF
THIS ADMINISTRATION, EVERYTHING
ABOUT THIS PRESIDENT HAS BEEN
PARTISAN AND POLITICAL.
TO ECHO WHAT PETER BAKER WROTE,
MY COLLEAGUES AND I HAVE WRITTEN
THIS WEEK TOO ABOUT HOW SINCE
THIS PANDEMIC BEGAN, THIS
PRESIDENT HAS RESISTED NOT JUST
MOMENTS OF MOURNING BUT ALSO
MOMENTS TO TRUEY TO RALLY THE
NATION TOGETHER AND SET ASIDE
PARTISAN DIFFERENCES LIKE SO
MANY OF HIS PREDECESSORS HAVE
DONE.
DONE. LET’S REMEMBER BILL CLINTON
AFTER THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING,
GEORGE BUSH.
GEORGE BUSH. THIS HAS NEVER DONE THAT.
HE’S NEVER TRYING TO OUT OF THE
FEW SCRIPTED TRIED THE UNITE THE
NATION IN GRIEF OR IN RESOVRLVE.
IT’S ABOUT POLICY, TAX ON
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS AND
INCREASINGLY, LOOKING AT THIS
CRISIS THROUGH THE LENS OF HIS
OWN RE-ELECTION CHANCES.
HIS ADVISERS HAVE MADE THE
CALCULATION THAT IT’S THE
ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT COULD SINK
HIS CHANCE THIS IS NOVEMBER AND
THEY WANT TO FORGE FORWARD AS
QUICKLY AS THEY CAN TO TRY TO
REOPEN PORTIONS OF THE COUNTRY.
HENCE THE CHEER LEADING OF THE
PROTESTERS INCLUDING IN
MICHIGAN.
MICHIGAN. HENCE THE WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
FOR A LOT OF THE STATES AS THEY
BEGIN TO REOPEN.
EVEN AGAINST THE COUNSEL OF SOME
OF HIS OWN INNER CIRCLE WHO HAVE
TOLD HIM AND THIS IS AN
EXTRAORDINARY STATEMENT BUT HAVE
TOLD HIM AS WE WROTE THIS WEEK,
THAT TO URGE HIM TO GO SLOER
WHEN --
WHEN -- SLOWER BECAUSE IF THEY RUSH BACK
AND THE DEATH TOLL SPIKES,
AMERICAN VOTERS WON’T FORGIVE
THOSE WHAT THEY PERCEIVE AS
DEATHS CAUSED BY A RUSH OR
RETURN TO NORMALCY.
>> DR. PATEL, THIS IS THE PART
OF THE TRUMP STORY THAT DOESN’T
MAKE SENSE FOR ME.
NOBODY SHOULD BLAME DONALD TRUMP
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF THE
CORONAVIRUS.
CORONAVIRUS. IT’S NOT HIS FAULT THAT IT
EXISTS BUT ALL OF HIS CONDUCT
FROM THE MOMENT HE WAS FIRST
BRIEFED ABOUT THE DANGER IT
POSED TO THIS COUNTRY WHICH WE
LEARNED ON MONDAY FROM GREG
MILLER AND HIS COLLEAGUES WAS IN
THE PRESIDENT’S PDB AS EARLY AS
JANUARY.
JANUARY. ALL OF THAT CONTACT, IT’S ALL
RIGHT AS CITIZENS KNOW WHAT OUR
GOVERNMENTS KNEW, WHAT THEY KNEW
IT AND WHAT THEY DID WITH THAT
INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. IF YOU TAKE EVERYTHING THAT WE
KNOW TODAY AND LOOK AT THE
PRESIDENT’S CHEERING OF HEAVILY
ARMED PROTESTERS, WHAT ARE THE
RISKS MOVING FORWARD WITH SOME
OF THE REOPENING STRATEGIES YOU
HAVE SEEN.
HAVE SEEN. WHICH ONES DO YOU FEEL, I GUESS,
EVEN CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT
AND WHICH ONES REALLY ALARM YOU.
CAN YOU RANK SOME OF THE THINGS
YOU HAVE SEEN OUT THERE?
>> YOU COVERED JUST NOW GOVERNOR
DEWINE AND OHIO STRATEGY WITH
BEING VERY CLEAR ABOUT EVEN TO
THE END OF MAY THAT REALLY WE’RE
GOING TO CONTINUE KIND OF STAY
AT HOME AND SOCIAL DISTANCING.
I ALSO THINK THAT THE WEST COAST
GOVERNOR NEWSOM, GOVERNOR OF
WASHINGTON SHOULD BE COMMENDED
BECAUSE THEY ARE MAKING A PRETTY
PRO-ACTIVE EFFORT NOT JUST TO
THINK ABOUT REOPENING IN A
RESPONSIBLE WAY BUT TO
ANTICIPATE WHAT AN ALTERNATIVE
FALL SCHOOL YEAR, ALL THE THINGS
WE DO CARE ABOUT BECAUSE AS A
COUNTRY, WE NEED THOSE THINGS TO
WORK IN ORDER TO GET BACK TO
WORK.
WORK. I ALSO THINK THERE ARE LOCAL
LEADERS IN DIFFERENT CITIES, THE
MAYOR OF DALLAS AND OTHER WHO IS
ARE TRYING EVEN WHEN THERE ARE
OPPOSING CIRCUMSTANCES WITH
THEIR GOVERNORS TO REALLY GIVE
CLEAR GUIDANCE ON WHICH
BUSINESSES SHOULD REOPEN.
ON THE WORST, I DON’T THINK YOU
HAVE TO LOOK FAR TO FLORIDA,
GEORGIA AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT
DOES HAVE A VERY HIGH POSITIVE
PARTISAN CORRELATION WHICH IS
DISTURBING.
DISTURBING. YOU CAN LOOK TO THOSE STATES FOR
WHAT IS TRULY TERRIFYING TO MY
HEALTH CARE COLLEAGUES.
EVERYBODY IN HEALTH CARE IS JUST
MORTIFIED AT KIND OF WHAT IS
UNFOLDING IN SOME OF THOSE
CITIES AND STATES.
THAT’S GOING BACK TO THE DATA.
WE HAVEN’T FINISHED OUR FIRST
WAVE.
WAVE. WE’RE STILL IN MAYBE AT BEST, A
PLATEAU.
PLATEAU. THAT’S WHY GOVERNOR CUOMO IS
GIVING BAD NEWS BUT GIVING US