-The Trump administration officially gave up
on containing the coronavirus pandemic,
even as the country set new records for daily cases
and the White House faced its second outbreak.
For more on this, it's time for "A Closer Look."
♪♪
The Trump campaign and its allies in the right-wing media
have been desperate to re-create the 2016 election
by manufacturing fake scandals and supposed gaffs
they think can tank Joe Biden.
For example, they thought they had a golden opportunity
to shift the focus of the race last week when Biden
made the shocking suggestion that we should maybe think about
transitioning away from fossil fuels
which are rapidly killing the planet.
-Would you close down the oil industry?
-I would transition from the oil industry, yes.
-Oh. That's a big statement. -I would transition.
The is big statement because I would stop --
-Why would you do that? -Because the oil industry
pollutes significantly. -Oh, I see.
-Here's the deal -- -That's a big statement.
-Well, if you let me finish the statement --
Because the has to be replaced by renewable energy over time.
-That's maybe the biggest statement in terms of business,
that's the biggest statement because basically...
-Okay. We have one final question.
...what he's saying is he is going to destroy
the oil industry. Will you remember that, Texas?
Will you remember that, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma...
-Vice President Biden, let me give you 10 seconds to respond.
-...Ohio. -Trump has no chill.
He's like a guy on a first date saying,
[ As Trump ] When we go back to my place, I hope you remember
that I paid for dinner, Janet.
Will you remember that? Will you?
[ Normal voice ] There's something especially pathetic
about plaintive Trump.
It's like watching the neighborhood dog
that's always barking at neighbors
and rifling through their trash
suddenly moping around with a cone around his neck.
[ As Trump ] Will you please give me a treat, Ohio?
[ Normal voice ] Of course, what Biden said isn't even
remotely controversial -- 57% of voters say they
support transitioning from oil to renewables,
while only 28% oppose it,
and let's not forget -- large parts of the west
are on fire and sea levels in South Florida could rise
more than a foot by 2045.
Trump can deny climate change all he wants,
but it will be very real to him when Mar-a-Lago is underwater --
you know, literally, instead of just financially.
Although it'll probably be fine underwater
since it already looks like a castle in a fish tank.
"At Mar-a-Lago we offer first-class amenities
like a golf course, a swimming pool,
and free food flakes twice a day.
And if you need a restaurant recommendation,
just ask Old-Timey Diver Man.
So Trump struck out on his one attempt
to change the focus of the race.
Meanwhile, in that same debate,
the president said the coronavirus pandemic
which is currently setting new case records
and raging out of control, was basically over.
-We're fighting it, and we're fighting it hard.
There is a spike. There was a spike in Florida,
and it's now gone.
There was a very big spike in Texas. It's now gone.
There was a very big spike in Arizona. It's now gone.
And there are some spikes and surges in other places,
they will soon be gone.
I can tell you from personal experience
that I was in the hospital, I had it, and I got better.
-Okay, but that's kind of like George Clooney telling you
a restaurant has really good service.
I mean, they treated me like a real celebrity.
You had the best medical care in the world
and a Army of doctors around you 24/7
like a NASCAR pit crew fixing up a '76 Dodge Dart.
"Quick, just put some duct tape on the windshield."
Even worse, as he was saying that,
all, every single one of the states he name checked --
Texas, Florida, and Arizona
were seeing major spikes in COVID cases.
Patients in El Paso are being air lifted to other hospitals
because they're at capacity.
Nine months into the outbreak,
we're sill setting records for new daily cases
with 85,000 on Friday alone,
meaning about one in 4,000 Americans got COVID
on just that one day, which is an insane statistic.
That's something you'd read on a really depressing Snapple cap.
You know, along with "The average person spends 2 weeks
over their lifetime waiting for a traffic light to change."
Oh, man. That's such a bummer.
Oh, wait.. What does this side say?
Ugh, diet peach?
This much is clear -- Trump White House has given up.
While hundreds of thousands of Americans needlessly die
from a virus that can be contained,
the President and his aides are waving the white flag
and telling you to fend for yourself.
Trump's Chief of Staff Mark Meadows
admitted as much on Sunday.
-We're not going to control the pandemic.
We are gonna control the fact that we get vaccines,
therapeutics, and other mitigation.
-Why aren't we going to get control of the pandemic?
-Because it is a contagious virus just like the flu.
-At this point, the mayor from "Jaws" would be an upgrade.
At least in that movie, the mayor was in denial.
He wasn't going around saying, "Look, sharks gotta eat, too.
Now help me push these kids into the ocean!"
Since the outset of the pandemic, it's been clear
that the president has no interest in doing anything
other than whining about it.
For example, as the country faces
a once-in-a-century cataclysm that has sickened millions
and put many more out of work, Trump had as added a new refrain
to his campaign rallies, which he repeated over the weekend
and again today, complaining that the media
won't stop talking about COVID.
-We're rounding the turn.
You know, all they want to talk about is COVID.
By the way, on November 4th, you are won't be hearing
so much about it.
COVID, COVID, COVID.
COVID!
Today, let's talk about COVID.
-That's all I hear about now.
That's all I hear. Turn on television,
COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID.
A plane goes down, 500 people dead,
they don't talk about it.
COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID.
By the way, on November 4th, you won't hear about it anymore.
[ Cheers and applause ]
COVID! COVID!
Please don't go and vote, COVID.
-What's up with that voice?
Why is he shouting the word "COVID"
like a suburban stepdad calling his teenage son down for dinner?
COVID! COVID?!
Dinner's ready. COVID!
I made jambalaya! COVID?!
COVID!
COVID!!
Well, then why did he leave?
Why did your real father leave, COVID?!
[ Laughter ]
[Mouthing] "Oh, that was my fault?
Will you go get him?
You go get him!"
[ Normal voice ] COVID?!
COVID! I'm --
[ Chuckles ]
As he was saying that,
the White House was dealing with a second COVID outbreak,
this time in the Vice President's office.
About 800 Americans are dying a day.
Of course, of course it's the number-one story.
If that fake plan crash you made up was happening
every single day, then that would be the main story, too.
No matter what's going on in the world, Trump will only be happy
if every time you turn on the evening news,
the top story is "Handsome President Wows Nation
With Dance Moves." When if anything, he looks like
a serial killer trying to wiggle out of a straight jacket.
My favorite is when he moves his arm back and forth
like he's softly fighting off an old mugger.
[ Old man voice ] Unh! Give me your wallet.
[ As Trump ] I'm not gonna let you do that.
That's a dance you're doing when you're trying on a new jacket.
Just want to make sure I can get stuff off a high shelf.
Also, why are you making up a fake plane crash?
Is this the same plane that had all your imaginary
anarchist thugs on it, too?
-We had somebody get on a plane from a certain city
this weekend, and in the plane it was almost completely loaded
with thugs wearing these dark uniforms,
black uniforms with gear and this and that.
The person was on a plane, said that there were about
Six people like that person, more or less,
and what happened is the entire plane filled up with
the looters, the anarchists, the rioters,
people that obviously were looking for trouble.
-[ As Trump ] They were wearing dark uniforms,
and to cover their tracks, they crashed the plane
and parachuted to safety.
I saw it in a documentary about The Batman.
We love The Batman, don't we, folks?
Don't we? 'Cause he's got the cape,
he's got the cowl, the whole deal.
Suburban women, they love The Batman.
We've had more Batmen under my administration
than any other in history.
Obama only had the one Batman, so rude.
So rude, his Batman. Yelled at the sound guy.
[ Laughter ]
Have you seen Obama's Batman lately?
Gained a lot of weight. Fat Batman now.
Not my Batman.
[ Normal voice ] COVID! [ Chuckles ]
This may be a rhetorical change,
but it's not really much of a change in policy
since the Trump White House has from the beginning
decided to forfeit and let the virus
run rampant across the country.
Just last week, Dr. Anthony Fauci said
he hadn't spoken directly with President Trump in a while
and added that Trump stopped going
to coronavirus task force meetings months ago.
-When was the last time you had the president
at one of these task force meetings?
-At a task force meeting, that was several months ago.
-Donald Trump? Why, I haven't heard that names in years.
Poor guy must feel like Kevin Smith's stylish.
Just please try the long pants. It's winter, Kevin.
Oh, look at this. This is when Kevin Smith was on.
He gave us a joint. [ Chuckles ] We still have it.
Thank you, Kevin.
That's right. Trump hasn't been to
a coronavirus task force meeting in several months.
I guess he's been too busy, I don't know,
sparring with an invisible punching bag.
Months ago, Trump decided instead of providing
any leadership at all, he just lets states
fend for themselves and then blame the so-called blue states
for doing a bad job, which, A, isn't even true,
and B, is disgusting. I mean, can you imagine
Barack Obama telling a red state
to go screw itself during a crisis?
You can't.
[ As Barack ] Idaho? More like, uh, Ida-no!
[ Laughter ]
You say potato, I say, uh [bleep] off.
[ Laughter ]
[ Normal voice ] But until now, the Trump White House
has at least lied and pretended their goal was to contain
the virus, proclaiming victory multiple times
over the course of the outbreak.
-Thanks to President Trump's historically aggressive
containment efforts, we've actually contained
the spread of this virus here in the United States.
-We have contained this. We have contained this.
I won't say airtight, but pretty close to airtight.
-So far, it looks relatively contained,
and we don't think most people -- I mean,
the vast majority of Americans are not at risk for this virus.
-It is being contained.
Do you not think it's being contained?
-I'm not a doctor. I'm a lawyer.
-Well, you said it's not being contained.
So are you a doctor or lawyer
when you say it's not being contained?
That's false. You just said something that's not true.
-The virus is spreading. -Missed you, Kellyanne.
No one was better at being wrong
and condescending at the same time.
She's like the Dowager Countess
if Maggie Smith was from Long Island
and flunked out of community college.
[ Posh accent ] I like my tea served the proper way,
with gin, rum, vodka, and tequila.
I hope that tape gets replayed over and over
for the rest of Kellyanne's life.
She's like a pilot on the Hindenberg saying,
"Do you not thing we're landing safely? Are you a pilot?"
[ Mimics fire extinguisher hissing ]
"Oh, the humanity?
I think we're a little tired of that sentiment."
It's been clear from day one that the president and his party
don't care about the hundreds of thousands of Americans
who have died and the millions more who have gotten sick
and lost their jobs.
They were willing to stomach all of that
for a 6-3 conservative super majority
on the Supreme Court.
Trump and his aides are surrendering to the virus
and telling Americans you're on your own.
So I guess if you live in a swing state
and you're watching this, I would just like to say...
-Will you remember that, Texas?
Will you remember that, Pennsylvania?
-This has been "A Closer Look."
♪♪
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