♪ ♪
♪ >> STEPHEN: WELCOME BACK.
MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS THE ANCHOR AND MANAGING EDITOR OF
"CBS EVENING NEWS."
PLEASE WELCOME NORAH O'DONNELL.
HELLO, NORAH O'DONNELL.
>> GOOD EVENING, HOW ARE YOU?
>> Stephen: IT'S GOOD.
HEARING YOU SAY GOOD EVENING FROM THE NEWS DESK THERE MAKES
ME FEEL LIKE YOU'RE ABOUT TO INTERVIEW ME.
IT'S SLIGHTLY UNNERVING.
>> CAN WE SWITCH IT AROUND?
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: CONGRATULATIONS ON
THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF ANCHORING THE "CBS EVENING
NEWS."
>> THANK YOU.
IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE WHAT A YEAR IT'S BEEN.
AS YOU KNOW, THIS NEWS CYCLE HAS BEEN QUITE INTENSE FROM THE
IMPEACHMENT TO A PANDEMIC, A PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY, NOW AN
ELECTION AND PROTESTS, AND IN MANY WAYS WE SORT OF FEEL THAT
COVERING THE NEWS IS LIKE SIPPING WATER FROM A FIRE HOSE.
SO WE TRY TO MAKE SENSE OF IT ALL.
IT HAS.
IT'S BEEN UNLIKE ANY OTHER YEAR I'VE HAD IN MY CAREER IN
JOURNALISM.
>> Stephen: DO YOU SEE ANY COMMONALITY BETWEEN ALL THESE
STORIES?
BECAUSE YOU SAID IT IS LIKE SIPPING WATER FROM A FIRE HOSE.
THERE'S BEEN LIKE A DECADE WORTH OF NEWS IN EVERY MONTH.
>> EVERY MONTH, YEAH.
I MEAN, LOOK, I THINK THAT THE PROTESTS IN MANY WAYS GREW OUT
OF A DEEP INTEREST IN THE NEWS.
I THINK WE SAW RECORD VIEWERSHIPS AND PEOPLE WERE
WATCHING BECAUSE OF COVID 19.
PEOPLE WERE ATTUNED TO WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
THEY WERE ATTUNED TO RACIAL DISPARITIES IN TERMS OF THE WAY
THAT COVID WAS AFFECTING MINORITIES AND AFRICAN-AMERICANS
AND HISPANICS, AND, SO, PEOPLE REALLY TUNED IN TO WHAT WAS
GOING ON.
THEY WERE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE FIRST COVERED THE CA CASE OF AMAUD ARBERY, IF GEORGIA JOGGER
SHOT, AND THEN GEORGE FLOYD, SO I THINK THERE'S A TUNED
ELECTORATE AND ONE THAT IS READY FOR A RECKONING.
>> Stephen: WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU RIGHT NOW, ARE YOU
ACTUALLY IN THE STUDIO NEWS ROOM OR AT HOME?
>> I'M ACTUALLY -- THIS IS IN THE WASHINGTON BUREAU.
SO WE HAVE A SOCIALLY DISTANCED CREW HERE.
WE HAVE MASKS.
I HAVE MY MASK THAT I WEAR UNTIL, YOU KNOW, I SIT DOWN
HERE.
EVERYBODY IN THE CREW WEARS GLOVES AND MASKS AND WASH OUR
HANDS FREQUENTLY AND, SO FAR, WE HAVE BEEN DOING IT LIKE THIS
SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN.
>> Stephen: WELL, YOU MOVED DOWN THERE -- YOU ACTUALLY
STARTED THE ACTUAL BROADCAST -- YOU DON'T SAY SHOW, YOUR NEWS.
YOU GUYS BROADCAST, WE DO SHOWS.
( LAUGHTER ) YOUR BROADCAST OF THE
"CBS EVENING NWS" STARTED DECEMBER DOWN THERE.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: HOW'S THE MOVE BEEN?
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE FROM DOING YOUR BROADCAST IN NEW YORK AND
IN D.C.
>> IT WAS INCREDIBLY FO FORTUITO WE ENDED UP COMING TO
WASHINGTON.
WE WANTED TO DO THAT BECAUSE IT WAS GOING TO BE A PROTECTION,
AND WE WANTED TO BE AT THE HEART OF COVERING THIS PRESIDENCY,
WHICH TAKES A LOT OF WORK.
TURNS OUT IT WAS IMPEACHMENT, TOO.
WHO COULD HAVE PREDICTED THAT.
SO WE COVERED ALL THE IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS AND THE
GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
IT SEEMED THE TIMING WAS INCREDIBLY FORTUITOUS.
EVERY NIGHT WHEN THE PANDEMIC BEGAN WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE AND TRIED
TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS GOING TO DO TO
KEEP THE COUNTRY SAFE.
FOR THE PAST MONTHS WE HAVE BEEN IN THE STUDIO, NOT INTERVIEWING
ANYBODY HERE BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN SOCIAL DISTANCING.
>> YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN A PUBLIC OBJECTIVITY WHICH I WILL NOT TRY
TO PIERCE WITH MY QUESTIONS, BUY SAY FROM MY OWN POINT OF VIEW
THE GOVERNMENT HAS ABDICATED THEIR ROLE FOR LEADERSHIP IN
THIS TIME OF COVID.
JOURNALISTS SEEM TO BE THE ONES TRYING TO GET OUT THE PROPER
INFORMATION TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC RIGHT NOW ABOUT THE
HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS AND THE NEED FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING,
WEARING MASKS.
WHAT DO YOU FEEL THE ROLE OF JOURNALISM RIGHT NOW IN THE TIME
OF THE COVID CRISIS?
>> WELL, LOOK, I'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED JOURNALISM IS A PUBLIC
SERVICE.
WALTER CRONKITE WHO SAT IN THIS CHAIR SAID JOURNALISM IS WHAT WE
NEED TO MAKE DEMOCRACY WORK, WE NEED AN INFORMED ELECTORATE.
I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD BE A PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIAL.
MY FATHER IS AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE DOCTOR AND HE DOES
PUBLIC HEALTH WORK.
SEEMS LIKE EVERY NIGHT WE DO PUBLIC HEALTH.
DURING THIS CRISIS WE'RE NOT SHARING PEOPLE'S OPINIONS, WE'RE
HAVING PEOPLE WITH M.D.s AND PAVEDs ON BECAUSE THE
CURIOSITY IS VAST IN TERMS OF HOW IS THE VIRUS SPREAD, IS IT
AIRBORNE, WHAT ARE THE SURFACES?
WHAT IS THE TREATMENT?
WE DO A PIECE CALLED RACING FOR THE CURE, WHAT ARE THE
THERAPEUTICS, WHEN WILL A VACCINE COME, WILL SCHOOLS BE
SAFE.
PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS IS ONE I'M NOT USED TO BUT WE'VE
EMBRACED.
>> Stephen: WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SPOKE TO ANTHONY FAUCI.
>> SO THE LAST TIME WE HAD DR. FAUCI ON THIS SHOW WAS THREE
MONTHS AGO ON APRIL 15th.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION ISN'T
ALLOWING HIM TO GO ON SHOWS LIKE YOURS?
BECAUSE I ASSUME YOU'VE TRIED TO GET HIM SINCE.
>> WELL, YOU WOULD THINK THAT ANY ADMINISTRATION WOULD WANT
ONE OF THE MOST TRUSTED MEN IN AMERICA TO BE YOUR SPOKESPERSON,
TO EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS
DOING.
WE HAVE BEEN REQUESTING DR. FAUCI SINCE APRIL, SO FOR
MORE THAN THREE MONTHS, MORE THAN A DOZEN TIMES AND HAVE BEEN
DENIED BY THE WHITE HOUSE.
IN THAT TIME, STEPHEN, THE NUMBER OF DEATHS INCREASED OVER
100,000.
IT'S UNCLEAR -- >> Stephen: WE'VE TRIED TO
TALK TO HIM AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THEM NOT ALLOWING HIM TO COME ON
THIS CLOWN SHOW, BUT HAVE THEY GIVEN YOU A RATIONALE AS TO WHY
HE IS NOT GOING ON THE EVENING NEWS BROADCAST?
>> THEY SAY HE'S UNAVAILABLE.
THE MOST RECENT POLL SAY 67% OF AMERICANS TRUST DR. FAUCI AND
24% OF AMERICANS TRUST THE PRESIDENT WHEN IT COMES TO THE
VIRUS.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE SENSE THAT THEY DON'T WANT FAUCI
DISAGREEING WITH THE PRESIDENT, BUT, LOOK, WE WANT TO KNOW --
HE'S THE HEAD OF THE N.I.H.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE UNIT AND IN CHARGE OF VACCINES.
WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S THE STATUS.
AS A MOTHER, I'D LIKE TO KNOW SHOULD WE BE SENDING OUR KIDS
BACK TO SCHOOL IN THE FALL, HOW DO WE DO IT SAFELY?
SO MANY QUESTIONS AS SOMEONE HEADED UP BY A GOVERNMENT
AGENCY, FUNDED BY TAXPAYER DOLLARS, THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS
MAN WHO SERVED FIVE PRESIDENTS CAN IMPART TO THE AMERICAN
PUBLIC IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT AND IT'S A REAL QUESTION BY THIS
WHITE HOUSE AS TO WHY THEY'RE TRYING TO SQUELCH THAT PUBLIC
HEALTH INFORMATION.
>> Stephen: MY UNDERSTANDING IS YOU ACTUALLY KNOW ANTHONY
FAUCI.
>> I DO KNOW DR. FAUCI.
TURNS OUT HE LIVES A COUPLE OF BLOCKS FROM MY HUSBAND'S
RESTAURANT.
I DON'T THINK HE'D MIND ME SAYING I CATCH HIM AT THE BAR
EVERY NOW AND THEN HAVING A BEER AND BURGER WITH HIS WIFE.
NOT SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN.
>> Stephen: FAUCI'S HITTING CLUBS, THAT'S NEWS.
>> NO, WAY BACK WHEN.
( LAUGHTER ) YOU SOMETIMES SEE HIM IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD ON A WALK, AND HE'S A VERY FRIENDLY GUY.
AS A REPORTER, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CALL HIS CELL PHONE AND SPEAK
WITH HIM, SO HE'S NOT HIDING FROM THE PRESS, BUT HE IS BEING
BLOCKED BY THE WHITE HOUSE FROM SPEAKING ON TELEVISION.
HE IS ABLE TO DO SOME PRINT AND PODCAST INTERVIEWS.
>> Stephen: CAN YOU TEXT ME HIS PHONE NUMBER SO I CAN GIVE
HIM A QUICK RING TO SEE HOW HE'S DOING?
>> I WILL.
I'LL ASK HIS PERMISSION AND I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE A
PROBLEM AND YOU WILL BE SURPRISED, HE SHOULD PICK UP.
>> Stephen: YOU'VE COVERED SIX PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, BUT
THERE'S NO ELECTION LIKE THIS ONE, AND IN JUNE YOU GOT TO SILT
DOWN WITH VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO DO AN INTERVIEW SOCIALLY DISTANCED?
I'VE INTERVIEWED THE VICE PRESIDENT BUT OVER ZOOM.
WHAT DID YOU DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS A SAFE INTERVIEW?
>> WE WERE IN HOUSTON, THEREFORE, THE GEORGE FLOYD'S
FUNERAL.
IT WAS JOE BIDEN'S FIRST TRIP OUT OF DELAWARE SINCE THE
PANDEMIC BEGAN.
HE WAS MEETING WITH THE FAMILY.
WE MET AT A RESTAURANT.
WE HAD OUR TEMPERATURE TAKEN.
THERE WERE SWARMS OF SECRET SERVICE AGENTS IN MASKS AND
GLOVES.
ONE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT'S AIDS WAS CARRYING AROUND -- IT WAS A
2-GALLON JUG OF PURELLE WITH A GIANT PUMP ON IT, LIKE NOTHING
I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE.
OUR FANTASTIC CBS NEWS CREW HAD US SITTING 12 FEET APART TO
MAINTAIN EXTRA SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND THEN ONE OF THE
VICE PRESIDENT'S AIDS CAME AND MEASURED IT AND APPARENTLY IT
WAS ONLY 11 FEET AND 8 INCHES, SO WE HAD TO MOVE BACK ANOTHER 4
AT THAT POINT, I SAID, MR. VICE PRESIDENT, CAN YOU HEAR
ME FROM OVER THERE THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM?
BUT THAT'S THE WORLD WE LIVE IN, WHICH, IS YOU KNOW, LIKELY
INTERESTING, AND I THINK WHAT WE TOOK FROM HIM IS HOW HIS
ADMINISTRATION MIGHT BE DIFFERENT FROM THE CURRENT ONE
IN DEALING WITH ISSUES SUCH AS GEORGE FLOYD AND, OF COURSE,
WHAT HE TALKED TO THE FAMILY ABOUT.
AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE ONLY TRIPS THAT THE
VICE PRESIDENT, IF I'M RIGHT, HAS TAKEN OUTSIDE OF AT LEAST
THE DELAWARE-PENNSYLVANIA AREA WAS TO GO TO THAT FUNERAL.
HE ACTUALLY DID NOT ATTEND THE IF YOU RECALL.
HE JUST MET WITH THE FAMILY BEFORE THE FUNERAL BECAUSE THERE
WERE MANY PEOPLE INSIDE THE FUNERAL AND I THINK IT WOULD
HAVE BEEN A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE FOR HIM, GIVEN HIS AGE.
>> Stephen: NORAH O'DONNELL.
BACK WITH NOR "CBS EVENING NEWS" ANCHOR NORAH O'DONNELL.
♪ ♪