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  • PRESIDENT SEEMS TO WANT TO

  • REJECT.

  • EVERY EXPERT SAYS THEY'RE THE

  • THINGS TO DO.

  • >> OKAY.

  • SO I GOT TWO POINTS ON THAT.

  • THE FIRST IS THIS, THE TESTIMONY

  • FROM THE FORMER GOVERNMENT

  • DOCTOR WHO SAYS THAT HE LOST A

  • KEY POST LAST MONTH AFTER

  • OPPOSING THE PRESIDENT'S PUSH TO

  • USE AN UNPROVEN DRUG TO TREAT

  • CORONAVIRUS.

  • RICK BRIGHT, WHO WAS IN CHARGE

  • OF THE FEDERAL AGENCY, RON, THAT

  • DEVELOPS VACCINES, TOLD HOUSE

  • LAWMAKERS YESTERDAY, THERE WAS

  • NO PLAN AT THE START OF THE

  • OUTBREAK, AND THAT THERE IS

  • STILL NO PLAN TODAY.

  • LET'S TAKE A LISTEN.

  • >> OUR WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY

  • CLOSING.

  • IF WE FAIL TO IMPROVE OUR

  • RESPONSE NOW, BASED ON SCIENCE,

  • I FEAR THE PANDEMIC WILL GET

  • WORSE AND BE PROLONGED.

  • THERE WILL BE LIKELY A

  • RESURGENCE OF COVID-19 THIS

  • FALL.

  • IT'LL BE GREATLY COMPOUNDED BY

  • THE CHALLENGES OF SEASONAL IN

  • INFLUENZA

  • INFLUENZA.

  • WITHOUT BETTER PLANNING, 2020

  • COULD BE THE DARKEST WINTER IN

  • MODERN HISTORY.

  • FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE NEED TO

  • BE TRUTHFUL WITH THE AMERICAN

  • PEOPLE.

  • AMERICANS DESERVE THE TRUTH.

  • THE TRUTH MUST BE BASED ON

  • SCIENCE.

  • WE HAVE THE WORLD'S GREATEST

  • SCIENTISTS.

  • LET US LEAD.

  • LET US SPEAK WITHOUT FEAR OF

  • RETRIBUTION.

  • OUR NATION WAS NOT AS PREPARED

  • AS WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

  • AS WE COULD HAVE BEEN.

  • SOME SCIENTISTS RAISED EARLY

  • WARNING SIGNALS THAT WERE

  • OVERLOOKED.

  • PAGES FROM OUR PANDEMIC PLAYBOOK

  • WERE IGNORED BY SOME IN

  • LEADERSHIP.

  • I BELIEVE, WITH PROPER

  • LEADERSHIP AND COLLABORATION

  • ACROSS GOVERNMENT, WITH THE BEST

  • SCIENCE LEADING THE WAY, WE CAN

  • DEVISE A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY.

  • THE TIME IS RUNNING OUT BECAUSE

  • THE VIRUS IS STILL SPREADING

  • EVERYWHERE.

  • PEOPLE ARE GETTING RESTLESS TO

  • LEAVE THEIR HOMES.

  • >> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FIRST

  • FORE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, WOULD

  • YOU DESCRIBE THE GOVERNMENT'S

  • AND THE ADMINISTRATION'S

  • RESPONSE AS A SUCCESS OR A

  • FAILURE?

  • >> I BELIEVE WE COULD HAVE DONE

  • BETTER.

  • I BELIEVE THERE ARE CRITICAL

  • STEPS THAT WE DID NOT TAKE IN

  • TIME.

  • >> DO YOU BELIEVE, IF YOUR

  • SUGGESTIONS WERE IMPLEMENTED,

  • LIVES WOULD HAVE BEEN SAVED, AND

  • THE SEVERITY OF THE PANDEMIC

  • MIGHT HAVE BEEN LESSENED?

  • >> I BELIEVE LIVES WOULD HAVE

  • BEEN SAVED IF WE HAD PROPER

  • MEDICAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT FOR

  • OUR HEALTH CARE WORKERS, YES.

  • >> SO PEOPLE DIED BECAUSE YOU

  • WEREN'T LISTENED TO?

  • >> PEOPLE DIED BECAUSE THEY

  • DIDN'T HAVE APPROPRIATE

  • PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT TO SAVE

  • THEIR LIVES AND PROTECT THEM

  • FROM GETTING INFECTED.

  • >> THERE WAS A VISIT TO THE CDC

  • ON MARCH 6th.

  • AT THAT VISIT, THE

  • ADMINISTRATION SAID, ANYONE WHO

  • WANTS A TEST WILL GET A TEST.

  • WAS THAT TRUE THEN?

  • >> THERE STILL ARE NOT ENOUGH

  • TESTS.

  • >> SO EVEN THIS WEEK, AS WE'RE

  • BEING TOLD, "ANYBODY WHO WANTS A

  • TEST CAN HAVE A TEST," IS THAT

  • TRUE IN THE UNITED STATES OF

  • AMERICA?

  • >> NO. >> IT'S JUST PAINFUL.

  • >> IT'S JUST PAINFUL.

  • SECRETARY AZAR, RON, SAID

  • EVERYTHING IN THE TESTIMONY HAD

  • BEEN MET NOW, CALLING THEM

  • BENCHMARKS.

  • THE PRESIDENT CALLED HIM

  • DISGRUNTLED.

  • YOUR REACTION?

  • >> I KNOW DR. BRIGHT A LITTLE

  • BIT.

  • I WORKED WITH HIM ON THE EBOLA

  • RESPONSE.

  • HE IS APOLITICAL.

  • HE IS A PROFESSIONAL.

  • HE CARES ONLY ABOUT THE SCIENCE

  • AND ABOUT PROMOTING VACCINES AND

  • OTHER THERAPEUTICS, OTHER DRUGS

  • THAT COULD HELP FIGHT THIS

  • DISEASE.

  • YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION THAT THE

  • TRUMP ADMINISTRATION STILL

  • HASN'T REALLY ANSWERED IS WHY

  • WAS HE REMOVED FROM THIS POST?

  • IF IT WASN'T FOR THE REASONS

  • THAT DR. BRIGHT SAYS, WHICH IS

  • THAT HE OPPOSED THE

  • POLITICIZATION OF SCIENCE,

  • OPPOSED THE WHITE HOUSE'S PLAN

  • TO SHOVE HYDROXY DOWN PEOPLE'S

  • THROATS, THOUGH IT WASN'T

  • PROVEN, HE WASN'T LISTENED TO

  • WHEN WARNING OF THE LACK OF

  • PROTECTIVE GEAR.

  • WHY WAS HE REMOVED?

  • WE HAVEN'T HEARD A GOOD ANSWER

  • ON THAT.

  • HIS WARNINGS, WHETHER HE WAS

  • REMOVED OR NOT, LOOK, HIS

  • WARNINGS ARE CRYSTAL CLEAR AND

  • SEEM OBVIOUS TO ALL PEOPLE.

  • THE LAST POINT YOU SHOWED, HIM

  • TALKING ABOUT THE FACT, THE

  • PRESIDENT SAYING ON MARCH 6th,

  • EVERYONE WHO WANTS A TEST CAN

  • GET A TEST, WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE

  • IN ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, ALL

  • SECTORS, SAYING THAT THEY WANT

  • TO BE TESTED, CAN'T GET TESTED.

  • THEY NEED TO BE TESTED AND CAN'T

  • GET TESTED.

  • I THINK THAT PART OF THE

  • TESTIMONY SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.

  • >> SO, RON --

  • >> RON, ALSO, RICK BRIGHT -- OH,

  • SORRY.

  • GO AHEAD, MIKA.

  • >> GO AHEAD, WILLIE.

  • YOU TAKE IT.

  • >> I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, HE

  • ALSO POURED SOME COLD WATER ON

  • SOME OF THE OPTIMISM AROUND A

  • VACCINE.

  • THE PRESIDENT IS TALKING ABOUT

  • HAVING SOMETHING BY THE END OF

  • THE YEAR.

  • OTHER DOCTORS ARE SAYING, MAYBE

  • THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR.

  • HE SAID THE 12 TO 18 MONTH

  • WINDOW MAY BE TOO OPTIMISTIC.

  • HE ALSO ADDED, THE WINDOW IS

  • CLOSING TO ADDRESS THIS

  • PANDEMIC.

  • DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT, THAT THE

  • WINDOW IS CLOSING TO ADDRESS THE

  • PANDEMIC?

  • WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, EXACTLY?

  • IF THE WINDOW CLOSES, THEN WHAT?

  • >> I THINK WHAT DR. BRIGHT IS

  • TALKING ABOUT IS -- OBVIOUSLY,

  • IT'S TOO LATE TO SAVE THE 80,000

  • PLUS LIVES WE'VE ALREADY LOST.

  • THAT FOREVER WILL BE SOMETHING

  • WE SHOULD LOOK AT AND SAY, "WHAT

  • WENT WRONG WITH THAT?"

  • I THINK WHAT HE'S SAYING IS

  • THIS, WE STILL DON'T HAVE ENOUGH

  • TEST.

  • WE STILL DON'T HAVE ENOUGH

  • PROTECTIVE GEAR.

  • WE STILL DON'T HAVE ENOUGH

  • PREPARATIONS.

  • AS DR. JHA JUST DISCUSSED, WE

  • STILL DON'T HAVE MEANINGFUL

  • GUIDELINES FROM THE CDC ON

  • REOPENING.

  • YET, WE'RE ABOUT TO PROCEED, ALL

  • OVER THIS COUNTRY, WITH

  • REOPENING THIS MONTH.

  • THE WINDOW THAT'S CLOSING IS THE

  • WINDOW TO GET READY FOR THE

  • RESURGENCE OF CASES THAT WILL

  • COME IN LATE SUMMER OR EARLY

  • FALL.

  • THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS, WE SAW

  • THIS WAY BACK IN 1918 WITH THE

  • SPANISH FLU.

  • TURNED OUT, THE SECOND WAVE OF

  • THE SPANISH FLU WAS WORSE THAN

  • THE FIRST WAVE.

  • WE DON'T KNOW IF THAT'LL BE TRUE

  • HERE OR NOT, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT

  • IF THIS DISEASE HITS HARD, NOT

  • IN SPRING, LIKE IT HAS NOW, BUT

  • IN FALL OR WINTER, WHEN

  • HOSPITALS ARE ALREADY FILLED

  • WITH FLU CASES, IT'S GOING TO BE

  • A DOUBLE WHAMMY FOR OUR COUNTRY

  • AND FOR OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.

  • WE NEED TO GET READY FOR THAT

  • NOW.

  • I THINK THAT'S WHAT DR. BRIGHT

  • IS REFERRING TO.

  • >> SO, RON, GIVEN THE FACT THAT

  • YOU WERE INVOLVED AND KNEW WELL

  • OF AN OFFICE THAT WAS SET UP, A

  • TEAM THAT WAS IN PLACE, A

  • PLAYBOOK THAT WENT IN DEPTH

  • ABOUT EMERGING RESPIRATORY

  • VIRUSES, INCLOUDUDEING THE

  • CORONAVIRUS, AND WE HAVE UP TO

  • 90,000 DEAD TO THIS DAY, AND A

  • PRESIDENT WHO SEEMS TO BE

  • FOCUSED ON RAGE TWEETING AND ON

  • CONSPIRACY THEORIES ABOUT JOE

  • THAT ARE CRUEL TO THE PEOPLE HE

  • TALKS ABOUT, NOW HE APPEARS TO

  • BE GOING AFTER PRESIDENT OBAMA

  • DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME FOR

  • THE COUNTRY, DIFFICULT TO SAY

  • THE LEAST.

  • I GUESS I WOULD ASK, IN TERMS OF

  • HELPING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HOW

  • SAFE THEY ARE, TO UNDERSTAND THE

  • REALITY OF THE LEADERSHIP THEY

  • HAVE, HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE

  • OUR RESPONSE SO FAR?

  • NEGLIGENCE, AVOIDANCE, CRIMINAL,

  • JUST A SEVERE LACK OF ABILITY TO

  • PROCESS?

  • HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE THE

  • WAY THIS WHITE HOUSE AND THIS

  • PRESIDENT IS RESPONDING TO THIS

  • PANDEMIC?

  • >> WELL, I THINK IT'S BEEN

  • FOCUSED ON ALL THE WRONG THINGS.

  • I THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN THIS

  • OBSESSION WITH TRYING TO PROTECT

  • THE LEVEL OF THE STOCK MARKET.

  • THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S DRIVEN THE

  • PRESIDENT'S REACTION TO THIS.

  • IT'S WHY HE SPENT ALL OF JANUARY

  • AND FEBRUARY DENYING THE

  • EXISTENCE OF THE VIRUS OR

  • DENYING IT WAS GOING TO BE

  • SERIOUS, OR SAYING IT'D BE UNDER

  • CONTROL.

  • IT'S WHY HE SENT LARRY KUDLOW ON

  • TV TO TALK ABOUT IT LATE

  • FEBRUARY, OPPOSED TO TONY FAUCI.

  • I THINK THERE'S BEEN AN EFFORT

  • TO TRY TO PROTECT THE STOCK

  • MARKET FROM THE FALL THAT CAME.

  • THE PROBLEM WITH THAT, MIKA, IS

  • NOT ONLY DID THE PRESIDENT

  • REALLY DENY THIS WAS HAPPENING,

  • BUT HIS DENIALS REALLY PUNISHED

  • THE EXPERTS WHO SPOKE UP IN HIS

  • OWN ADMINISTRATION.

  • DR. NANCY MESSONNIER, A CAREER

  • OFFICIAL AT THE CENTERS FOR

  • DISEASE CONTROL, ISSUED A STARK

  • WARNING IN FEBRUARY ABOUT WHAT

  • WAS COMING.

  • ACCORDING TO REPORTS, THE

  • PRESIDENT CALLED UP SECRETARY

  • AZAR AFTERWARDS AND SAID, "YOU

  • NEED TO FIRE HER.

  • HER ADVICE HAS BEEN PUT TO THE

  • SIDE."

  • SHE'S THE HEAD OFFICIAL ON

  • RESPIRATORY DISEASE AT THE

  • CENTER FOR DISEASES CONTROL.

  • SHE'S BEEN SHUTTERED TO THE SIDE

  • DURING THIS WHOLE THING.

  • THAT SENT A SIGNAL TO THE

  • EXPERTS, DON'T SPEAK UP.

  • PEOPLE LIKE DR. BRIGHT WHO SPOKE

  • UP.

  • THERE WAS A CHANCE IN JANUARY

  • AND FEBRUARY TO DO SOMETHING

  • ABOUT IT.

  • THE PRESIDENT REJECTED THAT,

  • DENIED THAT, AND I THINK THAT

  • SET US BEHIND.

  • NOW, WE'RE STILL, I'D SAY, ON

  • THAT PLAN, TO SOME EXTENT.

  • THE PRESIDENT STILL KIND OF

  • REFUSES TO FULLY EMBRACE MASKS.

  • INDEED, EVEN AS SCIENTISTS RACE

  • TO GET A VACCINE, THE PRESIDENT

  • SAID THE OTHER DAY, I'M NOT SURE

  • I'LL TAKE IT WHEN IT IS

  • AVAILABLE, WHICH ALSO INFLAMED

  • THE ANTI-VACCINE SENTIMENT IN

  • THIS COUNTRY, THAT WE'LL HAVE TO

  • TAME IF, WHEN WE GET A VACCINE,

  • WE'RE GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE TAKE

  • THAT VACCINE.

  • WE'VE SEEN A FAILURE OF

  • LEADERSHIP FROM START TO FINISH

  • HERE.

  • IT IS NOT JUST A BACKWARD

  • LOOKING STATEMENT.

  • THAT PLAGUES OUR RESPONSE RIGHT

  • NOW.

  • >> RON KLAIN, THANK YOU VERY

  • MUCH.

  • JUST A NOTE TO DONALD TRUMP

  • BEFORE YOU TWEET AND UNDERMINE

  • WHAT RON WAS SAYING ABOUT YOUR

  • DENIAL IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY,

  • JUST KEEP IN MIND, YOUR QUOTES

  • ARE THERE FOR EVERYONE TO SEE.

  • IN JANUARY, YOU SAID IT WAS

  • TOTALLY UNDER CONTROL.

  • JANUARY 24th, YOU THANKED CHINA

  • FOR EVERYTHING.

  • ON THE 30th, YOU SAID YOU'RE

  • WORKING CLOSELY WITH CHINA.

  • YOU THANKED THEM AGAIN AND SAID

  • IT'D BE A GOOD ENDING FOR THE

  • UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

  • FEBRUARY 23rd, YOU SAID, "WE

  • HAVE IT VERY MUCH UNDER CONTROL

  • IN THIS COUNTRY."

  • THAT IS A COMPLETE DENIAL OF

  • WHAT IS GOING ON TODAY, WITH

  • 90,000 DEAD.

  • FEBRUARY 26th, "OH, WHEN YOU

  • HAVE 15 PEOPLE, AND THE 15

  • WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS IS GOING

  • TO GO DOWN TO ZERO, THAT'S A

  • PRETTY GOOD JOB WE'VE DONE."

  • NOPE.

  • NOT A GOOD JOB.

  • IT'S NOT 15 PEOPLE.

  • WE'RE CLOSE TO 90,000 DEAD AND

  • MORE MORE TO COME.

  • FEBRUARY 27th, YOU SAID, IT IS

  • GOING TO DISAPPEAR LIKE A

  • MIRACLE.

  • IT WILL DISAGREE.

  • MARCH 7th, "NO, I'M NOT

  • CONCERNED AT ALL.

  • NO, WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB WITH

  • IT."

  • BACKING UP RON KLAIN'S POINT,

  • THAT THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF, WITH

  • HIS OWN WORDS, DENIED AND

PRESIDENT SEEMS TO WANT TO

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