>>> WELCOME BACK.
PANEL IS WITH US FROM THEIR
REMOTE-ISH LOCATIONS.
YAMICHE ALCINDOR FOR PBS
NEWSHOUR.
PETER ALEXANDER, WHITE HOUSE
CORRESPONDENT FOR US HERE AT NBC
NEWS, AND ANNA PALMER,
CORRESPONDENT FOR POLITICO AND
CO-AUTHOR OF POLITICOS
PLAYBOOK.
WELL, PETER, I ASSUMED I WOULD
HAVE BEEN STARTING WITH A TWEET
FROM THE PRESIDENT THIS MORNING
RESPONDING TO PRESIDENT OBAMA.
THAT HASNT HAPPENED YET.
LETS PLAY A LITTLE BIT OF
PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT SO SUBTLY
TAKING A DIG AT THE PANDEMIC
RESPONSE FROM NATIONAL
LEADERSHIP.
>> MORE THAN ANYTHING, THIS
PANDEMIC HAS FULLY FINALLY TORN
BACK THE CURTAIN ON THE IDEA
THAT SO MANY OF THE FOLKS IN
CHARGE KNOW WHAT THEYRE DOING.
A LOT OF THEM ARENT EVEN
PRETENDING TO BE IN CHARGE.
IF THE WORLDS GOING TO GET
BETTER, ITS GOING TO BE UP TO
YOU.
>> PETER, I ASSUME THIS BECOMES
SOMETHING THATS A BIT OF A -- A
BIT OF AN ATTENTION SEEKER FOR
THE PRESIDENT TODAY.
>> WELL, WE HAVE SEEN IT OVER
THE COURSE OF THE LAST SEVERAL
DAYS FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP
ATTACKING HIS PREDECESSOR,
BARACK OBAMA, WHAT HE CALLS
OBAMA GATE, THIS WEEKEND, HES
AT CAMP DAVID MEETING WITH SOME
OF HIS CONSERVATIVE ALLIES.
A WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL TELLING
ME ITS CERTAIN THEIR DESIRE SO
FAR FRUITLESS TO TRY TO SHOW
EVIDENCE THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA
COMMITTED A CRIME.
THE PRESIDENT WAS ASKED THAT
VERY QUESTION.
PRESIDENT TRUMP, THIS WEEK.
THE PRESIDENT COULDNT IDENTIFY
WHAT CRIME HES ACCUSING
PRESIDENT OBAMA OF, BUT IM TOLD
ITS CERTAIN THEYLL BE
DISCUSSING THAT TOPIC, BUT WHAT
UNDERSCORES IS THAT BREAK IN
WHAT WAS THAT PRESIDENTIAL
TRADITION WHERE THERE WASNT ANY
CRITICISM BACK AND FORTH.
WE HAVE SEEN IT.
LAST NIGHT, YOU SAW BARACK OBAMA
SPEAKING AT A COMMENCEMENT
ADDRESS TO AMERICANS.
ONE VISION OF LEADERSHIP, VERSUS
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN FROM PRESIDENT
TRUMP IN RECENT DAYS.
THEY EACH OFFERED ONE WORLD THEY
PUNCTUATED.
FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP TRYING TO
KNOCK OUT BIDEN.
HE SAID OBAMAGATE.
FROM BARACK OBAMA, HE SAID VOTE,
CHUCK.
>> YAMICHE ALCINDOR, LOOK,
FORMER PRESIDENT OBAMA, YOU
KNOW, HES CAREFUL WITH HIS
WORDS.
THATS A WRITTEN SPEECH.
THATS A VETTED SPEECH.
HE MADE THIS DECISION TO ENGAGE.
IT IS GOING TO SPARK A POLITICAL
BACK AND FORTH.
>> IT IS, BUT I THINK WHAT WE
SEE NOW IS PRESIDENT OBAMA
REALLY GETTING INTO GENERAL
ELECTION TERRITORY AND STARTING
TO GEAR UP THE MIGHT OF THE
OBAMA NAME.
HE IS READY FOR THIS FIGHT.
HE WAS AT FIRST CAUGHT REALLY ON
A PRIVATE CALL TALKING TO
STAFFERS, AND HE WAS TRYING TO
GET THEM EXCITED ABOUT JOE
BIDEN, SAYING THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMPS RESPONSE TO THE
CORONAVIRUS WAS A CHAOTIC
DISASTER.
THAT WAS, OF COURSE, PRESIDENT
OBAMAS DIRECT WORDS.
WHAT YOU SEE THERE IS PRESIDENT
OBAMA COMING TO THE DEFENSE OF
HIS VICE PRESIDENT AND COMING TO
HIS OWN DEFENSE WITHOUT ACTUALLY
DIRECTLY TALKING ABOUT THIS
CONSPIRACY THEORY THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP IS NOW TALKING ABOUT,
WHICH IS WHETHER OR NOT
PRESIDENT TRUMP -- OR PRESIDENT
OBAMA BROKE SOME SORT OF LAW.
I THINK WHAT YOU SEE, THOUGH,
THIS WEEK IS PRESIDENT TRUMP
REALLY LEANING IN ON HIS 2016
INSTINCTS.
HES BACK WHERE HE WAS IN 2016,
WHICH IS HES GOING ON THE
OFFENSIVE WITH OBAMA.
HES ALSO IN SOME WAYS LEANING
AND NOT LISTENING TO THE
SCIENTISTS, SAYING HEY, YOU
REALLY NEED TO SLOW DOWN AND BE
CAUTIOUS ABOUT REOPENING.
THIS WEEK, HE SAID I THINK IT
WAS THE LINE OF THE WEEK,
VACCINE OR NO VACCINE, WERE
BACK.
HE COULD HAVE SAID TEST OR NO
TEST, WERE BACK.
SCIENTIST OR NO SCIENTIST, WERE
BACK.
THE CLEAR SIGN IS WERE BACK IN
HIS MIND.
>> YOU KNOW, ANNA PALMER, I WANT
TO PLAY, AND SPEAKING OF THE
PRESIDENT, HE CONTINUES TO
BELIEVE THAT IF WE OVERFOCUS ON
THE HEALTH ISSUES, WE ARE GOING
TO DO WORSE ECONOMIC DAMAGE.
TAKE A LISTEN TO HOW HE
PORTRAYED THE DEATH TOLL EARLIER
THIS WEEK.
>> I HAVE LOST FRIENDS, MANY OF
US HAVE LOST FRIENDS.
WE READ ABOUT THAT, AND WE SEE
THAT, AND THATS WHAT THE NEWS
COVERS, BUT A VERY, VERY --
THATS A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE.
ITS A VERY, VERY SMALL
PERCENTAGE.
I SAY IT ALL THE TIME.
ITS A TINY PERCENTAGE.
THE VAST MAJORITY, MANY PEOPLE
DONT EVEN KNOW THEY HAVE IT.
>> ANNA PALMER, AMONG
CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS, HOW
MUCH DO THEY SORT OF LEAN TOWARD
THAT VIEW OF SORT OF THIS
BALANCE BETWEEN HEALTH SECURITY
AND ECONOMIC SECURITY?
>> I THINK THERES THE ISSUE OF
THIS PRESIDENT HAS NEVER BEEN
VERY GOOD WITH EMPATHY.
AND CERTAINLY, AS A COUNTRY,
WHEN THAT DEATH TOLL IS RISING,
ALMOST 90,000, AND CLEARLY IT
LOOKS LIKE THERES GOING TO BE
TENS OF THOUSANDS MORE DEATHS ON
THE HORIZON, THAT REPUBLICANS
ARE CONCERNED.
BUT THEY HAVE NOT BROKEN WITH
THIS PRESIDENT ON THIS ISSUE OR
ON VERY FEW OTHERS.
TO YOUR POINT EARLIER ABOUT
OBAMAGATE AND HOW THE PRESIDENT
IS TRYING TO RALLY HIS TROOPS
AND MAKING THIS A CAMPAIGN
ISSUE, YOU HAVE SEEN A LITTLE
BIT OF SPACE BETWEEN WHERE
CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS ARE,
WHERE MITCH McCONNELL IS, EVEN
HIS ALLIES LIKE LINDSEY GRAHAM
SAYING YOU SHOULD BE CAREFUL
WHAT YOU WISH FOR.
IF YOU REALLY WANT ME TO BRING
FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA UP
TO THE HILL TO ACTUALLY TESTIFY.
>> ANNA PALMER, I WANTS TO STICK
WITH CONGRESS FOR A SECOND.
JAY POWELL, THE FEDERAL RESERVE
CHAIR, SEEMED TO MAKE IT CLEAR
THIS WEEK THAT HE WANTS TO SEE
CONGRESS ACT, AND IM CURIOUS
WHAT MATTERED MORE TO MITCH
McCONNELL, JAY POWELLS COMMENTS
OR NANCY PELOSIS ABILITY TO
PASS HER $3 TRILLION PACKAGE?
>> I MEAN, CONGRESS IS NOWHERE
ON A PACKAGE.
THE REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS
HAVENT EVEN STARTED TALKING.
IF YOU SPEAK TO REPUBLICANS
BEHIND THE SCENES, THEYRE
PROJECTING ANOTHER BILL WONT
EVEN BE REALLY SERIOUSLY LOOKED
AT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS.
AND ON A MORE AGGRESSIVE
TIMELINE, POTENTIALLY TRY TO
PASS IT BEFORE THE JULY 4th
RECESS.
BUT REALLY, RIGHT NOW, YOURE
NOT SEEING MITCH McCONNELL
HAVING ANY SENSE OF URGENCY TO
TAKE UP A PACKAGE, WHETHER OR
NOT JAY POWELL IS URGING THEM,
SAYING WE NEED MORE ACTION SOON.
>> PETER ALEXANDER, I WANT TO
READ FOR YOU HERE VERY QUICKLY A
MITT ROMNEY TWEET ABOUT THE LATE
NIGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ON FRIDAY
NIGHT THAT THE PRESIDENT PLANNED
TO FIRE -- PLANNED TO FIRE
ANOTHER INSPECTOR GENERAL, STEVE
LINNIK.
THIS ONE AT THE STATE
DEPARTMENT.
SAID MITT ROMNEY, THE FIRINGS OF
MULTIPLE INSPECTORS GENERAL IS
UNPRECEDENTED.
DOING SO WITHOUT GOOD CAUSE
CHILLS THE PURPOSE.
ITS A THREAT TO ACCOUNTABLE
DEMOCRACY AND A FISSURE IS
POWER.
THE WHITE HOUSE WENT ON THE
RECORD TO SAY, IT WASNT THE
PRESIDENT THAT -- THE PRESIDENT
MADE THIS DECISION AFTER IT WAS
REQUESTED BY SECRETARY OF STATE
MIKE POMPEO.
>> YOURE EXACTLY RIGHT.
ITS NOT JUST MITT ROMNEY, BY
THE WAY.
CHUCK GRASSLEY AMONG THOSE ALSO
CRITICAL OF THIS DECISION.
THE THIRD TIME IN SIX WEEKS ON A
FRIDAY NIGHT THAT THE PRESIDENT
HAS OUSTED ONE OF THE
INDEPENDENT WATCHDOGS, THESE
INSPECTOR GENERALS HERE.
IT WAS STRIKING THEY WOULD SAY
POMPEO RECOMMENDED THIS AND THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP FOLLOWED SUIT.
GIVEN THE FACT THERES REPORTING
FROM DEMOCRATIC AIDES THAT
POMPEO IS BEING INVESTIGATED BY
THE STATE DEPARTMENT INSPECTOR
GENERAL FOR BASICALLY HAVING A
POLITICAL APPOINTEE DO SOME
TASKS ON HIS BEHALF.
THIS WAS ON, I ASKED A WHITE
HOUSE OFFICIAL.
THEY SAID THIS IS NOT THE WAY I
WOULD HAVE PUT IT.
BACK TO YOU, CHUCK.
>> VERY INTERESTING THERE, PETER
ALEXANDER.
ALL RIGHT.
>>> WHEN WE COME BACK, HOW THE
ECONOMIC FALLOUT OF COVID-19 CAN
ALSO SPREAD LIKE A VIRUS.
BUT AS WE GO TO BREAK, IT IS
GRADUATION SEASON.
VIRTUAL GRADUATION SEASON, THAT
IS.
WE HAVE HIGHLIGHTS FROM A
GRADUATION WEEK LIKE NO OTHER.
>> WHAT WILL YOUR ESSENTIAL
SERVICE BE?
WHAT REALLY MATTERS TO YOU?
>> YOU HAVE TO BE GOOD
AMERICANS.
GOOD AMERICANS WHO MADE THE
SACRIFICES THAT SAVED LIVES.
>> HAVING YOU COME AT THIS
MOMENT TO HELP AMERICA MOVE
THROUGH THIS VERY DIFFICULT TIME
IS REALLY EXTRAORDINARY.
>> LEAVE BEHIND ALL THE OLD WAYS OF THINKING THAT