>> THAT IS TONIGHT’S LAST WORD. "THE 11th HOUR" STARTS NOW.
>>> AND GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN.
DAY 1,265 OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
119 DAYS TO GO UNTIL OUR
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
THE GOOD NEWS FROM THE PRESIDENT
TODAY, HE SAID, WE ARE IN A GOOD
PLACE.
IN THE REAL WORLD AND IN MOST OF
THE STATES OF THIS NATION,
HOWEVER, THE CORONAVIRUS IS
SURGING.
THE REALITIES OF THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN AND THE TRUMP
PRESIDENCY ARE BEGINNING TO
COLLIDE.
AS THE U.S. JUST TODAY HAS SET A
NEW SINGLE-DAY RECORD OF 56,311
NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES AND WITHIN
THE PAST FEW MINUTES, NBC NEWS
HAS JUST CONFIRMED THE U.S. NOW
HAS OVER 3 MILLION CONFIRMED
CASES.
IN THAT RESPECT, WE LEAD THE
WORLD.
MORE THAN 131,000 AMERICANS HAVE
DIED, AND YET HERE IS HOW THE
PRESIDENT DESCRIBES OUR CURRENT
SITUATION.
>> I THINK IT’S VERY IMPORTANT
TO NOTE THAT WE’VE DONE IT
RIGHT.
NOW WE’RE OPEN, AND WE WANT TO
STAY OPEN, AND WE WILL STAY
OPEN.
WE’RE NOT CLOSING.
WE’LL PUT OUT THE FIRES AS THEY
COME OUT.
I CALL THEM EMBERS AND FIRES AND
WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL THEM.
RIGHT NOW WE’RE AT A NUMBER, AS
YOU KNOW, FAR LOWER THAN THAT,
AND WHERE WOULD YOU SAY WE ARE
TODAY, MIKE?
>> 130,000.
>> ABOUT 130.
SO WE’RE AT 130, AND WE COULD BE
AT -- WE COULD BE AT WAY OVER A
MILLION RIGHT NOW, AND I THINK
IT COULD HAVE BEEN 2.5 MILLION
OR 3 MILLION PEOPLE.
SO BUT NOW WE’RE OPEN.
>> ONE INFLUENTIAL MODEL THAT’S
BEEN USED BY THE WHITE HOUSE AND
OTHERS PREDICTS -- PROJECTS NOW
MORE THAN 200,000 DEATHS BY
NOVEMBER 1st.
THIS ALSO SAYS THAT SOME 40,000
TO 45,000 LIVES COULD BE SAVED
IF EVERYONE IN THE NATION AGREED
TO START WEARING A MASK
ROUTINELY.
TODAY DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, WHO WE
NOW HAVE TO HEAR FROM IN
INTERVIEWS OR ON PODCASTS AND
NOT PART OF ANY OFFICIAL WHITE
HOUSE BRIEFING, SUGGESTED STATE
LEADERS NEED TO TAKE THE LEAD ON
THE ISSUANCE OF MAKING MASKS A
REQUIREMENT.
>> I AM STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF
MANDATING THINGS.
I DON’T LIKE TO BE, YOU KNOW,
AUTHORITARIAN FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, BUT AT THE LOCAL
LEVEL, IF GOVERNORS AND OTHERS
ESSENTIALLY MANDATE THE USE OF
MASKS WHEN YOU HAVE AN OUTBREAK,
I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY
IMPORTANT.
>> DESPITE CONCERNS ABOUT THE
GOVERNMENT’S ABILITY TO MANAGE
THIS CURRENT SURGE, THE
PRESIDENT IS NOW PUSHING FOR
SCHOOLS TO REOPEN ACROSS THE
NATION.
THAT IS TRADITIONALLY, OF
COURSE, A LOCAL MATTER, BUT HE
IS VOWING TO LEAN ON GOVERNORS
TO MAKE SURE THEY FALL IN LINE.
>> WE HOPE THAT MOST SCHOOLS ARE
GOING TO BE OPEN.
WE DON’T WANT PEOPLE TO MAKE
POLITICAL STATEMENTS OR DO IT
FOR POLITICAL REASONS.
I
THEY THINK IT’S GOING TO BE GOOD
FOR THEM POLITICALLY, SO THEY
KEEP THE SCHOOLS CLOSED.
NO WAY.
SO WE’RE VERY MUCH GOING TO PUT
PRESSURE ON GOVERNORS AND
EVERYBODY ELSE TO OPEN THE
SCHOOLS, TO GET ’EM OPEN, AND
IT’S VERY IMPORTANT.
IT’S VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR
COUNTRY.
IT’S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE
WELL-BEING OF THE STUDENT AND
THE PARENTS.
SO WE’RE GOING TO BE PUTTING A
LOT OF PRESSURE ON OPEN YOUR
SCHOOLS IN THE FALL.
>> THE DESIRE TO GET BACK TO
NORMAL COMES AMID A DAILY
BARRAGE OF SIGNS THAT WE ARE FAR
FROM BEGINNING TO GET A HANDLE
ON THIS VIRUS.
TEXAS NOW REPORTS IT HAS BROKEN
ITS SINGLE-DAY RECORD, AND
THAT’S SAYING A LOT.
OVER 10,000 CASES IN 24 HOURS.
IT’S JUST ONE OF SEVERAL SUNBELT
STATES MOSTLY TRYING TO CONTAIN
OUTBREAKS.
HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE RISING
RAPIDLY THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTRY
ALONG WITH CASES.
CALIFORNIA, TEXAS, MISSISSIPPI,
ALABAMA, GEORGIA, SOUTH
CAROLINA, NORTH CAROLINA ALL
SEEING RECORD INCREASES IN VIRUS
PATIENTS.
TESTING CAPACITY ALSO NOW BEING
STRAINED AS DEMAND GROWS.
IN SOME CITIES, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
FORCED TO WAIT FOR HOURS TO GET
A TEST.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL
TODAY ANNOUNCED PLANS TO GET
TESTING RESOURCES TO PARTS OF
TEXAS, FLORIDA, AND LOUISIANA.
THINK OF HOW LONG WE’VE BEEN AT
THIS.
PERSONNEL PROTECTIVE GEAR FOR
HEALTH CARE WORKERS, REMEMBER
THAT?
RUNNING LOW AGAIN.
AND THERE ARE NEW FEARS ABOUT
EQUIPMENT LIKE MASKS AND GOWNS
HAVING TO BE REUSED.
MEANWHILE, THE ADMINISTRATION
HAS AWARDED $1.6 BILLION TO
NOVAVAX TO RUSH THE DEVELOPMENT
OF A CORONAVIRUS VACCINE, THE
LARGEST DEAL SO FAR IN SO-CALLED
OPERATION WARP SPEED.
THIS ALL COMES AS THE U.S. HAS
MADE ITS SPLIT FROM THE WORLD
HEALTH ORGANIZATION OFFICIAL
NOW.
IN ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT, THE
W.H.O. TODAY DID ACKNOWLEDGE
WHAT IT CALLED EMERGING EVIDENCE
OF THE AIRBORNE SPREAD OF
COVID-19.
WE ALSO LEARNED THAT THE
BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT BOLSONARO,
AN EARLY AND CONSISTENT
CORONAVIRUS DENIER, HAS NOW
HIMSELF TESTED POSITIVE.
BRAZIL IS HOME TO THE SECOND
HIGHEST NUMBER OF CASES.
THEY TRAIL ONLY THE UNITED
STATES.
TOMORROW TRUMP WILL HOST THE
LEADER OF MEXICO, PRESIDENT
OBRADOR, WHOSE NATION IS ALSO
DEALING WITH AN EXPLOSION IN
CASES.
MEXICO HAS ACTUALLY BEEN QUIETLY
HARDENING ITS BORDER WITH THE
UNITED STATES.
THE TWO WILL DISCUSS THE NEW
TRADE DEAL BETWEEN THE TWO
NATIONS AND CANADA WHERE PRIME
MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU TURNED
DOWN THE INVITATION FROM THE
WHITE HOUSE.
HE IMPLIED THIS WOULD NOT BE A
GREAT TIME TO TRAVEL TO THE U.S.
AS WE NOTED, OUR PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS
AWAY NOW.
A NEW TELL-ALL BOOK WRITTEN BY
DONALD TRUMP’S NIECE CONTAINS
THIS DAMNING ASSESSMENT, AND WE
QUOTE.
"IF HE IS AFFORDED A SECOND
TERM, IT WOULD BE THE END OF
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY."
THAT’S A LOT TO SAY.
MUCH MORE ON THAT BOOK JUST
AHEAD IN OUR BROADCAST.
>>> BUT FIRST TRUMP’S FORMER
CHIEF OF STAFF PORTRAYED THE
2020 PRESIDENTIAL RACE IN THE
FOLLOWING TERMINATES.
>> IF THE PRESIDENT CAN GO BACK
TO DRAWING THOSE CONTRASTS
BETWEEN HIM AND JOE BIDEN, IT
BECOMES A RACE BETWEEN TRUMP AND
BIDEN, I THINK THE PRESIDENT
DOES EXTRAORDINARILY WELL.
HE SHOWS PEOPLE, LOOK, IF YOU
HIRE ME, THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.
IF YOU HIRE HIM, YOU END UP WITH
NO JOBS.
IF IT ENDS UP BEING A POPULARITY