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  • ♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!

  • WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW.

  • BEFORE WE GO ON, LET'S CHECK IN WITH OUR FRIEND JON BATISTE.

  • HELLO, JON.

  • >> Jon: HEY!

  • >> Stephen: I LIKE YOUR MOOD LIGHTING.

  • >> YEAH.

  • YOU KNOW, I HAD TO GET A VIBE GOING.

  • >> Stephen: HOUSE OF YOUR MOTHER'S DAY?

  • >> Jon: YOU KNOW, IT WAS GOOD, BUT, UM, I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE

  • YOUNG MAN WHO WAS, UM, MURDERED JOGGING, AHMAUD ASH AB ARBERY.

  • YOUNG MAN WHO WAS, UM, MURDERED JOGGING, AHMAUD ASH AB ARBERY.

  • IT WAS HEARTBREAKING.

  • >> Stephen: IT WAS HEARTBREAKING TO KNOW THAT VIDEO

  • EXISTED FOR MONTHS WITHOUT ANY ACTION BEING TAKEN.

  • AND IT'S THAT THE PEOPLE HAD TO TAKE ACTION TO GET AUTHORITIES

  • THE TAKE ACTION.

  • >> Jon: YEAH, THAT'S THE PART ABOUT IT THAT IS REALLY

  • TROUBLING TO ME BECAUSE WHO KNOWS HOW MANY TIMES THAT HAS

  • HAPPENED AND SOMEONE MAY HAVE GOTTEN AWAY WITH IT.

  • SO WE JUST HAVE TO REALLY -- REALLY HOLD OURSELVES TO A

  • HIGHER STANDARD.

  • >> Stephen: THANK YOU, JON.

  • JOINING ME NOW IS THE ANCHOR OF "THE LEAD" AND "STATE OF THE

  • UNION" ON CNN.

  • PLEASE WELCOME JAKE TAPPER!

  • HELLO, JAKE!

  • >> HEY, STEPHEN.

  • HOW ARE YA?

  • >> Stephen: OH, JUST FANTASTIC.

  • HOW ARE YOU?

  • ( LAUGHTER ) >> IT'S GREAT.

  • IT'S GREAT.

  • I LOVE NEVER LEAVING MY HOUSE.

  • I LOVE GOING BACK TO THE LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE KIND OF

  • EXPERIENCE WHEN IT COMES TO RAISING OUR KIDS.

  • >> Stephen: MM-HMM.

  • SOMETIMES I'LL GO INTO TOWN AND GO TO THE FEED STORE.

  • MA AND PA AND I.

  • >> OR WE ORDER FROM THE SEARS ROBUCK CATALOG.

  • >> Stephen: THAT CAN GET PRETTY SPICEY, THE LINGERIE

  • SECTION CAN GET PRETTY RACY IN THE SEARS, ROEBUCK CATALOG.

  • JAKE KEEPS SAYING ON YOUR SHOW WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF WORDS TO

  • DESCRIBE THIS ERA.

  • WHAT WORDS ARE LEFT?

  • >> NONE WE CAN SAY ON NETWORK TELEVISION.

  • THOUGH YOU'VE TRIED.

  • >> Stephen: YOU'RE ON CABLE.

  • YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU WANT.

  • >> I TRY TO KEEP THE JOINT SOMEWHAT CLASSY.

  • IT'S JUST BIZARRE.

  • IT'S -- IT'S -- IN A WAY, DYSTOPIAN, IN A WAY -- I MEAN,

  • LITERALLY, PRESIDENT TRUMP, TODAY, CAME OUT TO TALK ABOUT

  • HOW THE UNITED STATES IS READY TO REOPEN, AND HE -- I MEAN,

  • THEY CAN'T EVEN KEEP THE PANDEMIC OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE,

  • LITERALLY.

  • TWO OFFICIALS TESTED POSITIVE THERE, THREE TOP HEALTH

  • OFFICIALS ARE SELF-ISOLATING, DOCTORS FAUCI, REDFIELD AND HAHN

  • OF THE C.D.C. AND F.D.A.

  • DR. FAUCI YOU KNOW, OF COURSE.

  • IT'S NOT FUNNY.

  • IT'S DARK.

  • BUT, I MEAN, IT'S ALMOST AS IF SOMETIMES THE PRESIDENT DOESN'T

  • UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN SEE AND HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON.

  • I MEAN, HE SAID TODAY THAT THEY HAD ACHIEVED THIS GREATNESS WITH

  • TESTING,ER AND THEN SOMEBODY SAID -- AND ONE OF THE REPORTERS

  • SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE DOING SURVEILLANCE TESTING AND

  • CONTACT TRACING AT THE WHITE HOUSE, WHICH IS GREAT, WHEN WILL

  • THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO THAT SAME KIND OF TESTING?

  • WHICH IS A QUESTION I HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR WEEKS.

  • AND THE PRESIDENT JUST TURNED IT INTO A GRIEVANCE, OH, IF WE

  • DIDN'T HAVE GOOD TESTING, THEN YOU WOULD BE ATTACKING ME FOR

  • NOT HAVING GOOD TESTING.

  • AGAIN, NO ANSWER TO THE QUESTION.

  • NO ANSWER TO THE QUESTION.

  • >> Stephen: DO YOU THINK THERE'S ANY REASON TO BELIEVE

  • THAT IT'S ONLY THOSE THREE PEOPLE IN THE WHITE HOUSE?

  • BECAUSE, SO FAR, IT'S BEEN THEUP'S VALET, IT'S BEEN

  • SPOKESWOMAN FOR MIKE PENCE, AND, I BELIEVE, IVANKA TRUMP'S

  • ASSISTANT HAS BEEN TESTED POSITIVE.

  • BUT WHY WOULDN'T IT BE MORE PEOPLE THAN THAT?

  • WHY WOULDN'T THEY TELL US THE TRUTH?

  • >> WELL, THAT'S ONE.

  • THIS IS A WHITE HOUSE THAT ESTABLISHED ITS AFFINITY FOR

  • TRUTH EARLY ON WITH CROWD SIZES AT THE INAUGURATION.

  • BUT BEYOND THAT, LOOKING AT THE SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITION OF

  • THIS AND THE SITUATION IN TERMS OF HOW INCREDIBLY EASILY SPREAD

  • THIS VIRUS IS, IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT MORE PEOPLE HAVE

  • IT IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND, YOU KNOW, LOOK, I DON'T SAY THAT

  • LIGHTLY.

  • I DON'T WISH THIS ON ANYONE AT ALL ANYWHERE.

  • BUT, I MEAN, I ASKED SANJAY GUPTA THAT TODAY ON MY SHOW.

  • I SAID WHAT ARE THE ODDS IT'S ONLY THESE TWO PEOPLE, AND I

  • THINK IVANKA'S ASSISTANT WAS IN A DIFFERENT AREA, I DON'T THINK

  • SHE WAS AT THE WHITE HOUSE, BUT THESE TWO WERE AT THE WHITE

  • HOUSE, AND SANJAY SAID IT'S VERY LIKELY THERE ARE OTHERS WHO HAVE

  • BEEN INFECTED AND, IN FACT, JUST TODAY, THE WHITE HOUSE SENT OUT

  • A MEMO TO STAFFERS WHO SAID THEY HAD TO WEAR MASKS WHEN THEY

  • ENTERED THE PROPERTY, WHICH IS ODD, TOO, BECAUSE THE C.D.C.

  • TOLD THE REST OF US A MONTH AGO THAT WE NEEDED TO WEAR MASKS.

  • SO I DON'T KNOW, ALTHOUGH THERE IS THIS IDEA THAT

  • PRESIDENT TRUMP MIGHT THINK THAT PEOPLE WHO WEAR MASKS ARE

  • DISPLAYING WEAKNESS OR SOMETHING.

  • THAT'S BEEN SUGGESTED ABOUT WHY PEOPLE DON'T DO IT AT THE WHITE

  • HOUSE.

  • BUT IT'S VERY DISCONCERTING, AND I AM AT A LOSS FOR WORDS QUITE

  • OFTEN COVERING THIS.

  • >> Stephen: YOU'VE TALKED ON AIR TO A WHITE HOUSE AID TO ASK

  • THE PRESIDENT TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT INVOKING THE DEFENSE

  • PRODUCTION ACT FOR THE MANUFACTURING OF TESTS, AMONG

  • OTHER THINGS, AND ASKED MEMBERS TO HAVE THE G.O.P. TO TALK TO

  • THE PRESIDENT, TAKE THE SCIENCE SERIOUSLY.

  • IS THAT THE ROLE OF JOURNALISTS NOW TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE CLOSE TO

  • THE PRESIDENT TO TAKE ACTION OR TAKE CERTAIN ASPECTS ABOUT THE

  • RESEARCH OF THIS SERIOUSLY?

  • DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT'S YOUR ROLE?

  • >> IT'S A GOOD QUESTION, BECAUSE, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, I

  • DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE ADVOCATING FOR POLICIES WHEN IT

  • COMES TO TAXES OR ENERGY OR, YOU KNOW, INVOLVEMENT IN FOREIGN

  • WARS.

  • YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT MY JOB.

  • BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID ABOUT THE

  • FACT THAT, WHEN YOU ARE A CON DUE IT OF INFORMATION, AS I AM,

  • AND YOU TALK TO HEALTH EXPERTS AND THEY SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE

  • NEED TO BE DOING, YOU KNOW, SURVEILLANCE TESTING, WHICH IS

  • TESTING A FEW PEOPLE SO AS TO INFER WHAT THE SPREAD OF THE

  • VIRUS IS WITHIN A POPULATION, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TEST, FOR

  • INSTANCE, ALL 330 MILLION AMERICANS, BUT YOU CAN TEST A

  • REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY

  • AND GET AN IDEA, AS LONG AS YOU'RE TESTING ENOUGH PEOPLE,

  • THAT'S SURVEILLANCE TESTING, AND THEN THERE'S CONTACT TRACING,

  • SOMEBODY TESTS POSITIVE AND YOU DO SOME DETECTIVE WORK TO FIGURE

  • OUT WHO THAT PERSON HAS BEEN IN TOUCH WITH.

  • THIS IS WHAT EXPERTS SAY IS NEEDED.

  • THIS IS WHAT EXPERTS ARE DOING AT THE WHITE HOUSE TO SAY, I'M

  • HEARING FROM GOVERNORS AND FROM HEALTH EXPERTS WE NEED TO BE

  • DOING THIS, WHY ARE WE NOT DOING THIS?

  • THE DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT IS JUST A QUESTION OF THE REASON WE

  • DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SWABS, THE REASON WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH

  • REAGENTS WHICH HOLD THE SAMPLES AFTER SOMEBODY'S BEEN TESTED,

  • THE REASON WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH LAB EQUIPMENT IS BECAUSE WE'RE

  • IN A FREE MARKET ECONOMY AND THERE ARE -- YOU KNOW, COMPANIES

  • AREN'T GOING TO MANUFACTURE REAGENTS OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF

  • THEIR HEART, MOST OF THEM AREN'T, ANYWAY.

  • SO THE UNITED STATES NEEDS TO -- THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO FORCE

  • THEM, AND GOVERNORS DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO INVOKE THE DEFENSE

  • PRODUCTION ACT, THE ONLY THE PRESIDENT DOES.

  • THEY HAVE INVOKED IT A FEW TIMES FOR A FEW THINGS -- VENTILATORS,

  • AND I THINK THERE WAS ONE SWAB MANUFACTURER, I THINK IN MAINE,

  • WHERE THE GPA WAS INVOKED.

  • BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE'RE NOT DOING IT.

  • SO I HAVE SAID TO THE WHITE HOUSE AIDE KEVIN HASSETT, THE

  • WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISOR, YOU KNOW, I'M HEARING FROM GOVERNORS

  • THIS, THIS IS WHAT THEY NEED, AND I DID SAY ON AIR ONE TIME --

  • AND THIS IS AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP HAD MUSED

  • PUBLICLY ABOUT THE WISDOM OF INJECTING DISINFECTANT INTO THE

  • HUMAN BODY -- I SAID THAT REPUBLICAN LEADERS NEED TO TAKE

  • ACTION BECAUSE THINGS ARE GETTING DANGEROUS.

  • PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SAID THINGS THAT MADE THINGS MORE DANGEROUS

  • FOR PEOPLE.

  • JUST EMPERICALLY, AS A FACT.

  • DOWNPLAYING THIS VIRUS IN ALL OF FEBRUARY AND HALF OF MARCH.

  • IT WASN'T JUST HIM.

  • THERE WERE OTHERS.

  • MAYOR de BLASIO, GOVERNOR QUOAM O. PLENTY PEOPLE WERE

  • DOING IT, BUT DOING THAT GAVE A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY TO A LOT

  • OF PEOPLE AND WHO KNOWS WHAT THAT MEANT ULTIMATELY.

  • >> Stephen: JAKE, WE HAVE TO TAKE A BREAK.

  • STICK AROUND, BACK WITH MORE JAKE TAPPER.

  • ♪ ♪