NICK COMP ASORY. DR. FRANK ESPER AND YAMICHE EL
SIN DOR, WHITE HOUSE
CORRESPONDENT.
CORRESPONDENT. YAMICHE
YAMICHE YAMICHE, IT’S A BUSY DAY DOWN
THERE.
THERE. GIVE ME YOUR SENSE OF HOW DONALD
TRUMP IS RISING TO THE BAR THAT
HE SET FOR HIMSELF YESTERDAY
WHEN HE DECLARED HIMSELF A WAR
TIME PRESIDENT.
TIME PRESIDENT. >> THE PRESIDENT IS CONTINUING
TO USE THAT LANGUAGE SAYING THAT
HE FEELS LIKE HE’S A WAR TIME
PRESIDENT AND SAID HE RATES
HIMSELF A TEN OUT OF TEN IN HOW
HE RESPONDED TO THIS.
IT’S CLEAR AND DOCTORS AND
NURSES AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE
GETTING WORRIED AS MEDICAL
SUPPLIES ARE STARTING TO RUN
OUT.
OUT. YOU SEE JUST TODAY THERE WAS AN
NBC NEWS STORY SHOWING THAT
HOSPITALS AND MEDICAL
PROFESSIONALS ARE ASKING
CONGRESS TO GIVE THEM HUNDREDS
OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR
SPECIFIC MEDICAL EQUIPMENT.
THEN YOU HAVE THE PRESIDENT
SAYING WE’RE NOT A SHIPPING
COMPANY.
COMPANY. SO THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN CLEAR
WITH GOVERNORS.
WITH GOVERNORS. HAD eSAID WE’RE NOT A FIRST
RESORT.
RESORT. WHITE HOUSE SOURCES TELL ME
THAT’S MEANT TO SAY STATES NEED
TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES AND
THE WHITE HOUSE IS GOING TO DO
WHAT IT CAN DO.
IT’S CLEAR THAT THE WHITE HOUSE
DOESN’T HAVE ANSWERS TO TWO KEY
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. THE FIRST IS WHEN WILL PEOPLE
WHO NODE CORONAVIRUS TESTS
ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO TAKE THEM
ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY.
THERE WAS NO CLEAR ANSWER FROM
THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY.
THE SECOND ONE IS ARE THERE
ENOUGH VENTILATORS AND IS THE
WHITE HOUSE GOING TO BE ABLE TO
ORDER ENOUGH IN TIME FOR WHAT WE
KNOW WILL BE A CRUSH ON THE
MEDICAL SYSTEM.
MEDICAL SYSTEM. THE ANSWER THERE WAS THERE ARE
THOUSANDS OF VENTILATORS BEING
ORDERED BUT THE WHITE HOUSE IS
NOT SAYING SPECIFICALLY HOW MANY
THEY WILL BE SHIPPING OUT AND
WHETHER OR NOT THERE’S A RESERVE
FOR EACH AMERICAN AND THAT IS
SCARY.
SCARY. >> DR. ESPER, I WANT TO ASK WHAT
YOU THINK YOU’RE HEARING RIGHT
NOW FROM DONALD TRUMP.
WE’RE OBVIOUSLY HEARING THESE
CALLS, ALARM BELLS BEING RUNG IN
ALL QUARTERS RIGHT NOW AND THE
PRESIDENT IS ANSWERING THEM.
I’M CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK
ABOUT THE STATE OF PLAY OUT
THERE ON THE FRONT LINES AND
WHETHER WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS
SAYING HE PLANS TO DO, THE
LEADERSHIP THAT HE’S GIVING TO
STATES, CITIES, PRIVATE SECTOR,
THE MEDICAL SECTOR, ALL THE
ABOVE, WHETHER IT’S ADEQUATE TO
THE MOMENT AS WE NOW GET INTO
THURSDAY HERE IN THIS WEEK.
>> THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME
THAT WE’VE BEEN PREPARING AND
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE’VE
KNOWN ABOUT FOR MONTHS.
EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ONLY NUMBERS
IN CHINA FOR THE LONGEST TIME,
WE HERE, ESPECIALLY HERE AT
CLEVELAND CLINIC AND ALL AROUND
THE STATE HAVE BEEN PREPARING
FOR THE CONCERN THAT THIS COULD
HAPPEN AND IT CAN OVERWHELM.
SO WE HAVE BEEN MEETING HERE AT
THE CLEVELAND CLINIC TWICE A DAY
IN THE COMMAND CENTER, MAKING
SURE THAT ALL OUR PREPARATIONS
ARE MET AND EVERYTHING IS BEING
DONE AS BEST WE CAN.
ONE OF THE BEST THINGS WE HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO DO, CERTAINLY WE
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH THE
GOVERNOR, WITH THE OHIO
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THEY
HAVE BEEN HELPING US
TREMENDOUSLY.
TREMENDOUSLY. CERTAINLY THERE’S A LOT OF
THINGS THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN AT
THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
JUST BECAUSE THERE’S A LOT OF
CASES IN NEW YORK, THAT DOESN’T
MEAN IT’S NOT GOING TO BE OHIO’S
PROBLEM IF WE START SEEING
SPILLOVER.
SPILLOVER. SO THERE IS A NATIONAL RESPONSE
THAT HAS TO HAPPEN, BUT
DEFINITELY THE BOOTS ON THE
GROUND RIGHT NOW, WE ARE WORKING
EXTREMELY HARD TO PREPARE FOR
THESE WAVES OF INFECTION AND
TRYING TO WORK WITH ALL OUR
PARTNERS IN ORDER TO STEM THAT
TIDE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
FLATTEN HOW MANY PEOPLE SHOW UP
AT OUR DOORS SICK AT ONCE.
THAT’S WHY WE’RE DOING ALL THE
SOCIAL DISTANCING AND DOING ALL
THE COMMUNICATION TO MAKE SURE
EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT TO DO.
>> DOCTOR, I APPRECIATE YOUR
CONFIDENCE AND CAN-DO ATTITUDE.
I JUST KEEP LISTENING TO THE
GOVERNORS AND THE PEOPLE ON THE
HEALTH CARE FRONT LINES SAYING
THERE’S GOING TO BE SHORTAGES.
THERE ARE ALREADY SHORTAGES.
PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT MAKING
PROTECTIVE GEAR OUT OF BANDANAS
AND SCARVES.
AND SCARVES. PAINT A PICTURE OF WHAT IT’S
GOING TO LOOK LIKE WHEN THIS
WAVE CRASHES DOWN.
OBVIOUSLY IT’S NOT GOING TO
CRASH DOWN WITH THE SAME FORCE
EVERYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY BUT IT
SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE PLENTY OF
PLACES WHERE IT IS GOING TO
CRASH DOWN AND THERE ARE GOING
TO BE SHORTAGES.
WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF
THAT FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST
THIS -- THE FIGHT TO TREAT THIS
PANDEMIC WHEN IT STARTS TO HIT
IN THE PLACES THAT IT HITS
HARDEST?
HARDEST? >> WE CERTAINLY KNOW THERE’S
GOING TO BE A LOT OF PEOPLE AND
THERE’S GOING TO BE A LOT OF
PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO GET
SICK.
SICK. WHAT WE’RE ALSO TRYING TO DO IS
WE’RE TRYING TO PREVENT SICKNESS
FROM COMING TO THE HEALTH CARE
PROVIDER BECAUSE IF WE GET SICK,
THEN THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH
PEOPLE TO TREAT THE INDIVIDUALS
WHO ARE COMING IN SICK.
SO WE ALL KNOW THAT WE’RE IN
THIS BOAT TOGETHER.
IN A CRISIS SITUATION, IN A
PANDEMIC, ALL OPTIONS ARE ON THE
TABLE.
TABLE. CERTAINLY WE KNOW WE’RE LOOKING
FOR N 95 MASKS AND WHILE THE
RECOMMENDATIONS ARE SO THAT WE
DON’T NEED AS MANY MACHKS BUT WE
COULD USE SURGICAL MASKS BUT IF
WE CAN’T, YOU DO WHATEVER YOU
CAN IN ORDER TO PROTECT YOURSELF
AND YOUR PATIENTS.
WE ARE USING EVERY OPTION,
EVERYTHING THAT IS AVAILABLE TO
US.
US. AGAIN, HOSPITALS UNDERSTAND THIS
AND WE ARE TAKING IN SUGGESTIONS
AND IDEAS FROM EVERYWHERE, FROM
THE NURSING STAFF TO THE
RESPIRATORY TECHNICIAN TO THE
GUARD AT THE PARKING GARAGE.
EVERYBODY IS GIVING US IDEAS AND
WE ARE TAKING EACH AND EVERY
ONE.
ONE. I CAN’T SAY THAT IT’S GOING TO
BE PRETTY.
BE PRETTY. IT’S NOT GOING TO BE PRETTY.
THIS IS A PANDEMIC.
THIS IS A CRISIS.
YOU PREPARE AS BEST YOU CAN.
LET’S BE HONEST, THIS VIRUS HAS
BEEN THROWING US CURVEBALLS FROM
THE BEGINNING.
THE BEGINNING. YEAH, WE’VE MISSED A FEW TIMES
AND WE JUST HAVE TO GET BACK
INTO THAT BATTER’S BOX AND HIT
IT SOME MORE.
>> MAYA WILEY, I WANT TO ASK
YOU, YOU’VE BEEN A LONG-TIME
PLAYER IN THIS COMMUNITY HERE IN
NEW YORK AND YOU’VE SEEN
GOVERNOR CUOMO, MAYOR De BLASIO
REACT IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT
SITUATIONS TO DIFFICULT TIMES.
GIVEN THE ALARM THAT WE’VE HEARD
FROM THE GOVERNOR IN PARTICULAR
ALL WEEK LONG, TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT -- KIND OF ASSESS THE
STATE OF YOUR STATE AND YOUR
CITY RIGHT NOW AND WHETHER YOU
THINK THAT IT’S POSSIBLE FOR
LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE CITY
GOVERNMENT AND STATE GOVERNMENT
TO BE ABLE TO STEP IN WHEN
THEY’RE NOT GETTING APPARENTLY
WHEN THE GOVERNOR HAS BEEN
BEGGING FOR, NOT GETTING FROM
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHAT THEY
SEEM TO NEED.
>> ONE THING THAT’S IMPORTANT TO
KNOW ABOUT BOTH NEW YORK STATE
AND NEW YORK CITY IS THAT WE
HAVE A TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF
PUBLIC SERVANTS INCLUDING THE
GOVERNOR HIMSELF AND THE MAYOR
HIMSELF, WHO HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN
THROUGH THIS BEFORE.
WE HAD THE EBOLA CRISIS IN 2014
AND I WAS WORKING FOR CITY HALL
WHEN WE HAD THAT CRISIS.
WHETHER IT’S THE STATE OR THE
CITY, THERE IS A LEVEL OF
LEADERSHIP THAT HAS BEEN
PLANNING FOR THIS KIND OF
EMERGENCY.
EMERGENCY. I THINK THE ISSUE IS AND WHAT
WE’VE SEEN FROM THE GOVERNOR
WHO’S RAISED SOME RED FLAGS
AROUND THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS STILL
PLAYING PARTISANSHIP AT A TIME
WHEN WE SHOULDN’T BE SEEING
EITHER RED OR BLUE IN TERMS OF
WITHHOLDING SOME FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE THAT NEW YORK HAD IN
THE FORM OF A COMPETITIVE GRANT
FOR HOSPITALS.
FOR HOSPITALS. HE HAS ASKED FOR MORE
VENTILATORS AND HE’S RIGHT TO
BECAUSE WE KNOW WE DON’T HAVE
ENOUGH WHEN WE HAVE THE MOST
CASES IN THE COUNTRY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAYOR
BILL De BLASIO DID IS HE ASKED
WEEKS BEFORE WE GOT INTO THE
SITUATION RIGHT NOW, OUR 11
PUBLIC HOSPITALS, WE HAVE A
TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF RESIDENTS
WHO RELY ON PUBLIC HOSPITALS.
THEY DON’T HAVE PRIVATE
INSURANCE.
INSURANCE. MANY OF THEM MAY NOT HAVE HEALTH
INSURANCE THROUGH THEIR JOBS
EVEN THOUGH THEY WORK MULTIPLE
JOBS.
JOBS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE’RE
SEEING IS THAT OUR PUBLIC
HOSPITALS, WE’RE WORKING ON
FINDING 100 ICU BEDS FOR EACH
HOSPITAL WEEKS BEFORE WE WERE IN
A SITUATION WHERE THEY WOULD BE
OVERRUN.
OVERRUN. THIS IS NOT A STATE OR A CITY IN
WHICH LOCAL LEADERS HAVE NOT
BEEN TAKING STEPS TO DO
EVERYTHING THEY POSSIBLY COULD.
I WOULD SAY THE SAME THING FOR
WASHINGTON STATE AND CALIFORNIA.
TRUMP EVEN PRAISED CALIFORNIA
AND GAVIN NEWSOM TODAY.
THAT CAN’T CHANGE, THAT NO STATE
OR CITY CAN HANDLE SOMETHING OF
THIS SCALE WITHOUT NATIONAL
LEADERSHIP.
LEADERSHIP. IF YOU WANT TO CALL THIS A WAR
AND YOU WANT TO CALL YOURSELF
THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, THEN YOU
BETTER COMMAND AND COMMANDING
RESPECT MEANS DEMONSTRATING THAT
YOU WILL DO FOR THE PEOPLE WHO
ARE THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY
AND THE RESIDENTS OF THESE
CITIES.
CITIES. >> NICK, I ASK YOU ABOUT THIS,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? WE STARTED THIS WEEK WITH
GOVERNOR CUOMO SAYING THE ARMY
CORPS OF ENGINEERS NEED TO COME
HERE.
HERE. WE’RE GOING TO BE SHORT OF
HOSPITAL BEDS, ICU BEDS.
I NEED THE ARMY CORPS AND NEED
THEM NOW.
THEM NOW. IT’S THURSDAY.
IT’S THURSDAY. NOBODY IS BUILDING THOSE THINGS.
THE PRESIDENT HAS TALKED ABOUT
TRYING TO HELP GOVERNOR CUOMO.
HE TALKED ABOUT THE ARMY CORPS
OF ENGINEERS, SIGNED
AUTHORIZATIONS, BUT THERE’S
STILL A LAS ATUD ABOUT HIS
ATTITUDE TOWARDS IT, THE THINGS
HE SAID ABOUT WE’RE NOT POSTAL
CLERKS, JUST EVERYTHING FEELS
LIKE THE PRESIDENT DOESN’T SEE
THIS MOMENT AND IS SAYING, OKAY,
THIS IS WHAT’S NOW ABOUT TO
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS GOING
TO GO STUDENT BODY LEFT AND
WE’RE GOING TO PROVIDE
EVERYTHING THAT STATES NEED.
HERE, ALL OF THESE PRIVATE
SECTOR INSTITUTIONS, COMPANIES
AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT ARE
OFFERING AT THIS POINT, HOW CAN
WE HELP?
WE HELP? WE’LL SHIFT OUR PRODUCTION TO
VENTILATORS, DO WHATEVER IS
NECESSARY.
NECESSARY. SOMEBODY’S GOT TO TELL US WHAT
NEEDS TO BE DONE AND HOW TO DO
IT AND WHEN TO DO IT AND GET
SOME FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR IT.
NONE OF THAT SEEMS TO BE
HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
TALK ABOUT HOW DONALD TRUMP --
WHETHER DONALD TRUMP IS MISSING
THIS MOMENT AND IF HE WANTS TO
TRY TO LIVE UP TO WHAT HE’S
TRYING TO PORTRAY HIMSELF TO BE
WHICH IS A WAR TIME LEADER.
WHAT WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN AND
HOW CAN HE START DOING THAT?
>> THE PRESIDENT IS MISSING AN
OPPORTUNITY HERE TO SECURE HIS
POLITICAL FUTURE AND THE
COUNTRY’S FUTURE.
COUNTRY’S FUTURE. THAT’S WHAT MAKES IT SO
SURPRISING FOR A MAN WHO’S SO
ATTUNED TO THE POLITICS OF
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. HE SEEMS ALMOST A BYSTANDER TO
HIS OWN WHITE HOUSE THIS THIS
CRISIS, SEEMS ALMOST TO BE
SURPRISED BY THINGS THAT ARE
BEING MENTIONED AT THE PODIUM
NEXT TO HIM OR AROUND HIM AT ALL
TIMES.
TIMES. HE’S MAKING A COMMENT ABOUT HOW
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS NOT A
POSTAL CLERK.
POSTAL CLERK. WE OWN THE POSTAL SYSTEM AND THE
U.S. MILITARY IS PROBABLY THE
GREATEST AND BEST MOVER OF
MATERIAL AND PEOPLE IN THE WORLD
THEY’RE VERY GOOD AT THIS STUFF,
MOVING QUICKLY AT DOING LARGE
JOBS.
JOBS. THERE’S A LOT OF BUTTONS HE
COULD BE PUSHING AND THERE DOES
SEEM TO BE AN ABSENCE OF
URGENCY.
URGENCY. ON THIS VERY SHOW WE HAVE TALKED
ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WHEN
THIS PRESIDENT WAS CONFRONTED BY
A CRISIS THAT WAS BEYOND HIS OWN
MAKING.
MAKING. THIS IS PARTLY HIS OWN MAKING
BUT WE ARE NOW SEEING A CERTAIN
KIND OF PRESIDENT WITH A CERTAIN
SKILL SET CONFRONT THIS MOMENT
THAT IS BEYOND HIM AND IT IS A
BIT FRIGHTENING.
BIT FRIGHTENING. >> YAMICHE, TALK A LITTLE ABOUT
THE STUFF THE PRESIDENT SAID
TODAY RELATED TO POTENTIAL
TREATMENTS THAT MIGHT BE BROUGHT
TO BARE ON THE VIRUS.
HE MADE SOME STATEMENTS TODAY
ABOUT HAVING SLASHED RED TAPE TO
ALLOW FOR NEW TRIALS OF THOSE
DRUGS.
DRUGS. I’M GOING TO ASK THE DOCTOR
ABOUT IT IN A SECOND BUT I KNOW
THERE WAS CONFUSION WHEN THE
PRESIDENT SAID SOME THINGS IN A
PRESS BRIEFING THAT THEN HAD TO
BE WALKED BACK BY SOME OTHER
OFFICIALS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
TALK US THROUGH WHAT HE SAID AND
WHAT THEN GOT WALKED BACK AND
WHAT WE KNOW TO BE THE CASE WITH
RESPECT TO THOSE POTENTIALLY
PROMISING DRUG TREATMENTS THAT
MIGHT BE ON THE HORIZON.
>> THE PRESIDENT SAID THAT HE
WAS EAGER TO GET TREATMENT FOR
THE CORONAVIRUS OUT TO THE
GENERAL PUBLIC.
GENERAL PUBLIC. HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO CHANGE
THE REGULATIONS AT THE FDA SO
THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF DRUGS
FAST TRACKED.
FAST TRACKED. IN DOING THAT HE MENTIONED THERE
WAS ALREADY A DRUG COMING OUT OF
AFRICA THAT WOULD ALREADY BE
FAST TRACKED AND THAT PEOPLE
COULD ALREADY TAKE.
THEN THE HEAD OF THE FDA
ACTUALLY WALKED THAT BACK AND
SAID THAT DRUG IS ACTUALLY IN
CLINICAL TRIALS.
CLINICAL TRIALS. THOSE TRIALS OF COURSE COULD
TAKE MONTHS.
TAKE MONTHS. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING
IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE.
IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE. THAT’S A BIG DIFFERENCE.
WE’VE SEEN THE PRESIDENT DO THIS
OVER AND OVER AGAIN WHERE HE’S
EAGER TO SAY THIS IS WHAT I’M
DOING WHEN IN FACT THAT’S NOT
WHAT’S HAPPENING.
WHAT’S HAPPENING. IT GOES BACK TO THE ISSUE OF
TESTING.
TESTING. HE SAID WEEKS AGO ANYONE WHO
WANTS A TEST CAN GET A TEST.
THAT WASN’T TRUE THEN OR NOW.
WHEN IT COMES TO THESE DRUGS
THAT THE FDA IS LOOKING AT, THEY
HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED.
THERE ARE SOME SENIOR OFFICIALS
AT THE FDA WHO ARE VERY WORRIED
ABOUT THE FACT THIS THESE ARE
BEING FAST TRACKED.
THEY SAY PEOPLE COULD BE HARMED.
OF COURSE PEOPLE COULD ALSO
BENEFIT FROM THESE DRUGS BUT