FORMER SENIOR OFFICIAL WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES.
SERVICES. SHANNON, LET ME START WITH YOU.
THE PRESIDENT TODAY AT THE CDC.
WE PLAYED THAT CLIP TALKING
ABOUT THE CRUISE SHIP, NOT
WANTING THE PASSENGERS TO COME
INTO THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL UNITED
STATES BECAUSE THEN THEY’D BE
COUNTED IN STATISTIC.
WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM FOLKS
IN THE ADMINISTRATION, FOLKS
AROUND THE PRESIDENT ABOUT THAT
VISIT ABOUT WHAT HE’S TRYING TO
COMMUNICATE HERE AND WHAT HE
ACTUALLY IS COMMUNICATING HERE?
>> WELL, NONE OF WHAT HE
COMMUNICATED IS WHAT ANYONE IN
THE ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN
TRYING TO COMMUNICATE, AND YOU
POINTED OUT THE EXAMPLE OF THAT
CONTRAST BETWEEN WHAT THE VICE
PRESIDENT WAS SAYING ABOUT THE
TESTING KITS AND WHAT THE
PRESIDENT IS SAYING ABOUT THE
TESTING KITS.
TESTING KITS. WE SEE THIS TIME AND TIME AGAIN
WHERE WE HAVE PEOPLE IN THE
ADMINISTRATION, PEOPLE IN THE
WHITE HOUSE WORKING ON A
WELL-CRAFTED MESSAGE THAT IS
THEN COMPLETELY BLOWN UP BY THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. I MEAN, IT STARTED VERY EARLY IN
THE DAY TODAY WHERE THE WHITE
HOUSE SAID THE PRESIDENT WASN’T
GOING TO BE GOING TO THE CDC.
THEY DIDN’T SAY WHY, AND NENTHEN
THE PRESIDENT TELLS REPORTER
THERE WAS SOMEONE AT THE CDC WHO
THOUGHT THERE WAS A CORONAVIRUS.
IT TURNS OUT THAT TEST WAS
NEGATIVE.
NEGATIVE. NOW HE’S GOING TO GO, BASICALLY
CONTRADICTING WHAT HIS OWN STAFF
SAID EARLIER IN THE DAY.
ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING THINGS
HE SAID OUT OF THAT MINI PRESS
KFRPS
KFRPS CONFERENCE HE DID WITH
REPORTERS, HE POINTED OUT THE
NUMBER OF PASSENGERS ON THE
CRUISE SHIP.
CRUISE SHIP. ED ADMINISTRATION’S TRYING TO
TAKE THE POSTURE THEY’RE NOT
MAKING THE DECISION FOR
POLITICAL REASONS.
POLITICAL REASONS. THEN THE PRESIDENT ACKNOWLEDGES
BASICALLY SAYING THE QUIET PART
OUT LOUD THAT HE’S MAKING A
DECISION ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WITH
THESE CRUISE PASSENGERS BASED ON
HOW THE NUMBERS LOOK, AND THEN
HE THROWS THIS CAVEAT ABOUT HOW
HE’LL LET OTHER PEOPLE MAKE THE
DECISION BUT IT’S HIS CLEAR
PREFERENCE HE DOES NOT WANT
THESE CRUISE PASSENGERS BROUGHT
BACK INTO THE U.S. BECAUSE OF
WHAT IT WOULD DO WITH THE
STATISTICS,
STATISTICS, STATISTICS.
STATISTICS. >> WE MENTIONED YOU HAVE A
BACKGROUND WITH HHS.
I WONDER WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR
MIND WHEN YOU SEE THOSE TWO
STATEMENTS WE PLAYED THERE FROM
THE PRESIDENT ON THE ISSUE OF
TESTING AND FROM THE VICE
PRESIDENT SENDING TWO SEEMINGLY
CONTRADICTORY MESSAGES.
CONTRADICTORY MESSAGES. WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THAT KIND
OF MESSAGING?
OF MESSAGING? >> WELL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AT A
TIME WHEN YOU HAVE THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE ON EDGE, A TIME WHEN
PEOPLE WANT INFORMATION,
OBVIOUSLY INFORMATION IS POWER
IN THIS CASE, IT’S REALLY
IMPORTANT THAT THE GOVERNMENT
SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE.
IT IS A WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT
SPONS.
SPONS. RESPONSE.
RESPONSE. IT IS SOMETHING THIS
ADMINISTRATION I KNOW IS WORKING
HARD TO COORDINATE.
BUT THE CHALLENGE IS WHEN YOU
LOOK AT PANDEMIC PLANNING, WHEN
YOU LOOK AT THIS IS THE WAY THIS
HAS BEEN DONE BEFORE, THE
EMPHASIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON CAN
GOVERNMENT SPEAK WITH A VOICE ON
WHAT THE CURRENT SITUATION IS,
WHAT THE UPCOMING SITUATION WILL
BE, AND WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS
DOING TO RESPOND.
IT DOES CREATE A CHALLENGE BOTH
FOR THE ADMINISTRATION BUT ALSO
FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN TERMS
OF THE INFORMATION THEY’RE
HEARING AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
FROM WHAT SOURCES THEY SHOULD BE