Original subtitles

THIS WAS THE FRONT PAGE

TULSA WORLD" NEWSPAPER TODAY. YOU SEE THE MAIN HEADLINE THERE.

"TRUMP IN TULSA." NOW, THE PRESIDENT COMING TO DO

A BIG RALLY EVENT IN TULSA IS THE MAIN HEADLINE.

BUT THEN LOOK AT COLUMN ONE. THE OTHER MAIN NEWS OF THE DAY

IN THE "TULSA WORLD." SEVEN‐DAY ROLLING AVERAGE MORE

THAN DOUBLES THE PEAK THAT WAS HIT IN APRIL.

YOU CAN SEE THE LEAD OF THAT STORY THERE RIGHT THERE ABOVE

THE FOLD, COVID‐19 IN TULSA COUNTY IS SURGING WELL BEYOND

ITS ORIGINAL APRIL PEAK. DISAPPOINTING THOSE WHO HOPED

THE DISEASE MIGHT STAY AT LEAST SOMEWHAT UNDER WRAPS DURING THE

SUMMER HEAT LIKE THE FLU OR COMMON COLD.

TULSA COUNTY SEVEN‐DAY ROLLING AVERAGE OF CASES HAS NOW MORE

THAN DOUBLED THE PEAK THAT TULSA HIT IN APRIL.

THE COUNTY ALSO JUST REPORTED THE MOST NEW CASES ON A SINGLE

DAY YET. AGAIN, THAT'S THE FRONT PAGE OF

THE "TULSA WORLD" IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA TODAY.

VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE RECENTLY SAID THAT THE TRUMP

CAMPAIGN PICKED TULSA FOR THE PRESIDENT'S BIG RE‐ELECTION

RALLY THIS WEEK SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THEY'VE DONE SUCH A

GREAT JOB FLATTENING THE CURVE AND STOPPING THE VIRUS THERE.

THAT'S NOT AT ALL TRUE. THE VIRUS IS ACTUALLY OFF TO THE

RACES THERE. AND IT IS THE WORST IT HAS EVER

BEEN THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE EPIDEMIC, BOTH IN OKLAHOMA

BROADLY AND IN TULSA SPECIFICALLY.

WE WILL HAVE MORE ON THAT COMING UP.

BUT THE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED THE TULSA CAMPAIGN RALLY RIGHT AFTER

HE MOVED THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION OUT OF CHARLOTTE,

NORTH CAROLINA THIS YEAR. BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO DO

ANYTHING AT THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION TO MITIGATE THE

THREAT OF CORONAVIRUS AND SO NORTH CAROLINA BASICALLY SAID NO

THANKS THEN. WELL, IN CHARLOTTE, NORTH

CAROLINA, HERE'S THE FRONT PAGE TODAY OF THEIR LOCAL PAPER.

"CHARLOTTE NEWS OBSERVER." QUOTE, GOVERNOR COOPER ASKED

PENCE FOR HELP WITH TESTING. AND, AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE LEAD

THERE ABOVE THE FOLD. GOVERNOR ROY COOPER SAYS HE'S

SPOKEN WITH VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE ABOUT THE STATE'S CLIMBING

CORONAVIRUS INFECTIONS AND THE NEED FOR TESTING.

THE GOVERNOR SAYS THE STATE IS MONITORING HOSPITAL CAPACITY AS

NEW INFECTIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA HAVE HIT RECORD NUMBERS IN THE

PAST FEW DAYS. AS HAVE HOSPITALIZATIONS IN

NORTH CAROLINA. ON THAT FRONT PAGE, YOU CAN ALSO

SEE THE OTHER MAJOR HEADLINE ABOVE THE FOLD, PAGE A1 IS ABOUT

HOW THE STATE'S NURSING HOMES ARE UNABLE TO CONTAIN THE

CORONAVIRUS AT THIS POINT. THE PRESIDENT HAS ALSO

REPORTEDLY DECIDED TO DO ANOTHER CAMPAIGN EVENT IN ALABAMA SOME

TIME SOON. WELL, HERE'S THE FRONT PAGE OF

"THE MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER" TODAY, VIRUS INFECTIONS RISE

AMONG ALABAMA PRISON STAFF. HERE'S THE LEAD CORONAVIRUS

STORY AT ALABAMA LIVE RIGHT NOW. HOSPITALS IN SEVERAL ALABAMA

CITIES NOW SEEING ALL‐TIME HIGHS IN CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS.

QUOTE, THE NUMBER OF COVID‐19 PATIENTS AND HOSPITALS IN

BIRMINGHAM, TUSCALOOSA, MONTGOMERY AND DECATUR HAS HIT

ALL‐TIME HIGHS THIS MONTH, FILLING BEDS AND TAXING STAFF AS

THE STATE STRUGGLES WITH A WAVE OF NEW CASES.

THAT'S ALABAMA. HERE'S THE FRONT PAGE AT "THE

ARIZONA REPUBLIC" TONIGHT. ARIZONA REPORTS RECORD‐HIGH NEW

COVID CASES. AND THEN HERE'S THEIR BIG FRONT

PAGE FEATURE STORY TODAY. HEADLINE ", I AM TAKEN ABACK:

HERE'S WHY ARIZONA'S COVID‐19 TRAJECTORY IS CONCERNING."

HERE'S THE LEAD OF THAT STORY WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEY GOT THE

QUOTE FROM THAT HEADLINE. FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ARIZONA

EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN DR. MURTAZA AKHTER, THE NUMBERS

COULD BE WORSE THAN THEY ARE SHOWING.

I WALKED INTO THE HOSPITAL TODAY AND I WAS LIKE, OH, MY GOD.

DR. AKHTER WHO WORKS AT FLORENCE HOSPITAL AND VALLEY WISE MEDICAL

CENTER IN PHOENIX SAYS, QUOTE, WE ARE GETTING ALL SORTS OF

PATIENTS WHO LOOK QUITE SICK. THE PAPER CONTINUES, TREND LINES

ARE MOVING UP IN ARIZONA. TOTAL HOSPITALIZATIONS HAVE

DOUBLED SINCE APRIL. THE NUMBER OF NEW DAILY CASES

REPORTED BY THE STATE HAVE REACHED RECORD LEVELS.

DR. AKHTER SAYS, QUOTE, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE PEOPLE TO

KNOW WHATEVER YOUR POLITICS MAY BE, WHATEVER YOUR ANYMORE

MEMBERS MAY BE DOING, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO FOR FUN, THERE

REALLY IS A HUGE PANDEMIC. IT IS IMPORTANT TO DISTANCE EVEN

IF YOU AREN'T SICK. IN ARIZONA'S SECOND LARGEST CITY

IN TUCSON, AS OF YESTERDAY MORNING, THE TUCSON MEDICAL

CENTER HAD JUST ONE REMAINING BED KRAEBL IN ITS ICU.

ONE ICU LEFT. QUOTE, WE HAVE BEEN VERY

CONSTRAINED WITHIN OUR ICU BECAUSE OF THE RECENT SPIKE IN

COVID‐19 CASES. THE REPUBLIC THEN REPRINTS THESE

GRAPHS FROM THE COVID TRACKING PROJECT SHOWING THE KIND OF

COMPANY THAT ARIZONA IS IN RIGHT NOW.

TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT THAT. WHAT THAT IS, YOU SEE THE

HEADLINE THERE, "DAILY POSITIVES," THAT'S THE GRAPH OF

DAILY NUMBERS OF POSITIVE CASES IN TEXAS AND ARIZONA AND NORTH

CAROLINA AND SOUTH CAROLINA. LOOK AT HOW STEEPLY THOSE

NUMBERS ARE RISING. THIS ALSO FROM THE COVID

TRACKING PROJECT IS THE GRAPH OF HOSPITALIZATIONS IN THOSE

STATES. AGAIN, TEXAS, ARIZONA, NORTH

CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA. THAT'S BAD.

IN TEXAS THEY HAVE JUST SET FIVE CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF RECORD

HOSPITALIZATIONS. AND THIS IS THE FRONT PAGE OF

"THE TEXAS TRIBUNE" RIGHT NOW. TEXAS' REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR GREG

ABBOTT ASSURING TEXANS THAT THERE ARE PLENTY OF BEDS, PLENTY

OF HOSPITAL BEDS TO GO AROUND. NEVER MIND THE FIVE STRAIGHT

DAYS OF EVER‐INCREASING RECORD NUMBERS.

FILL EM UP, THEY CAN TAKE WAY MORE.

SO IT'S OKAY IF THE DAILY NUMBER OF NEW INFECTIONS KEEPS HITTING

NEW RECORDS AS WELL. LET'S JUST SEE HOW HIGH WE CAN

GO. YOU SEE THE SECONDARY HEADLINE

ON THE FRONT PAGE THERE. SECONDARY HEADLINE ON THE FRONT

PAGE OF "THE TEXAS TRIBUNE" TONIGHT IS THIS, TEXAS GOVERNOR

GREG ABBOTT BLAMES PEOPLE IN THEIR 20s FOR THE LATEST

INCREASE IN CORONAVIRUS. THAT'S KIND OF A HARD SELL,

RIGHT, TO PICK SOMEBODY TO BLAME IF YOU ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY

DENYING THAT THE HUGE INCREASE IN CORONAVIRUS TRANSMISSION AND

IN YOUR STATE ARE A PROBLEM, RIGHT?

BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT PLENTY OF HOSPITAL BEDS TO FILL UP WITH

SICK AND DYING TEXANS. WE CAN TAKE THEM ALL.

MAKE MORE. SOME TEXAS CITIES AND

COMMUNITIES WANT TO PUT IN PLACE NEW MITIGATION MEASURES TO TRY

TO SLOW DOWN THE SPREAD IN TEXAS.

BUT THE GOVERNOR MADE CLEAR TODAY HE WILL BLOCK ANY TEXAS

CITIES AND TOWNS AND COUNTIES FROM DOING THAT.

BECAUSE, AGAIN, HIS APPROACH IS FILL EM UP.

THERE'S LOTS OF ROOM FOR PEOPLE TO DIE HERE.

LOTS OF BEDS TO FILL UP WITH SICK AND DYING PEOPLE.

WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF ROOM. THE VICE PRESIDENT TODAY WROTE

AN OP‐ED IN WHICH HE SAID THAT THE STATE OF THE U. S.

CORONAVIRUS EPIDEMIC IS, IN HIS WORDS, QUOTE, CAUSE FOR

CELEBRATION. CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION.

HE SAID, THANKS TO THE LEADERSHIP OF PRESIDENT TRUMP,

WE ARE WINNING THE FIGHT AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY.

I JUST WANT TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE SCREEN HERE IF YOU'RE, LIKE,

DOING THE DISHES AND NOT WATCHING WHAT I'M DOING, YOU

MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT THIS FOR A SECOND.

UP IN THE UPPER LEFT‐HAND CORNER, YOU HAVE THESE GRAPHS?

THAT'S ITALY, HOW THEY HAVE DEALT WITH THEIR EPIDEMIC.

IN THE UPPER RIGHT‐HAND CORNER THERE, THAT'S SPAIN.

THAT'S HOW THEY'VE DEALT WITH THEIR EPIDEMIC.

IN THE LOWER LEFT‐HAND CORNER, THAT'S FRANCE.

THAT'S THE SHAPE OF THEIR EPIDEMIC OVER TIME.

NOW, LET'S PUT US UP THERE. LET'S PUT THE UNITED STATES UP

THERE FOR COMPARISON SAKE. YEAH, THAT'S US.

THAT'S WHAT THE U. S. GOVERNMENT IS CALLING CAUSE FOR

CELEBRATION. CLOSES IN ON 117,000 AMERICANS

DEAD AND WE APPEAR TO BE DOING SOMETHING YOU MIGHT REASONABLY

CALL PEAK PLATEAUING. I MEAN, ALL THESE OTHER WESTERN

INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES, ALL THESE ALLIES OF OURS THAT GOT

HIT HARD AND EARLY LIKE WE DID, THEY DID ACTUALLY SUCCEED IN

BRINGING THEIR NUMBERS BASICALLY BACK DOWN TO THEIR BASELINE OR

CLOSE TO IT. BUT US?

NO WAY. WE ARE JUST PLOTTING ALONG,

STEADY AS SHE GOES WITH THE BIGGEST EPIDEMIC ON EARTH, THE

DEADLIEST ONE ALREADY, AND WE ARE JUST HOLDING FORTH NOW AT

20,000‐PLUS CASES A DAY. MORE THAN 20 CASES SEEING DAILY

INCREASES IN THEIR NUMBER OF CASES THIS WEEK.

"THE NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTING THAT VICE PRESIDENT PENCE TOLD

GOVERNORS ON A CALL YESTERDAY THAT THEY SHOULD STRESS IN THEIR

PUBLIC REMARKS THAT THE REASON IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE CASE NUMBERS

ARE GETTING WORSE IN LOTS OF STATES IS JUST BECAUSE OVER

ADDITIONAL TESTING. NOT BECAUSE WE'VE GOT ANY

PROBLEM WITH A PERSISTENT AND EVEN GROWING EPIDEMIC.

THAT ADVICE FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT IS NOT BORNE OUT BY

WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING WITH THE NUMBERS IN THE STATES WHERE

CASE NUMBERS ARE OUTPACING THE RATE OF CASE ‐‐ THE RATE OF

TESTING AND WHERE THE PERCENTAGE OF POSITIVE TEST RESULTS IS

GOING UP IN MULTIPLE STATES. VICE PRESIDENT PENCE ALSO

APPARENTLY TOLD THE GOVERNORS THAT THEY SHOULD PLAY UP WHAT A

SUCCESS REOPENING HAS BEEN. WHICH SOUNDS LIKE AN AWESOME

THING TO WANT TO BE ABLE TO SAY UNTIL YOU LOOK AT THE FRONT

PAGES OF LOCAL NEWSPAPERS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

I MEAN, HERE'S THE "MIAMI HERALD" FRONT PAGE TODAY.

MIAMI AND MIAMI BEACH MAYOR SOUND ALARM ON COVID‐19

INCREASE. MIAMI IS ONE OF THE PLACES

NATIONWIDE THAT IS NOW CONSIDERING STOPPING OR ROLLING

BACK REOPENING EFFORTS BECAUSE OF EXPLODING CASE NUMBERS.

AND RECORD HOSPITALIZATION NUMBERS.

MIAMI'S CONSIDERING THAT. NASHVILLE'S CONSIDERING THAT.

UTAH, OREGON AND COUNTING. WE WENT THROUGH ALL OF THAT

NATIONAL DISCUSSION ABOUT REOPENING.

WELL, WE'RE NOW ENTERING INTO THE PART OF THE BOTCHED

REOPENINGS THAT'S GOING TO LEAD TO A BIG NATIONAL DISCUSSION

ABOUT RECLOSINGS. UNLESS, OF COURSE, YOU ARE

BUYING WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE IS SELLING.

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE IN HIS OP‐ED TODAY SAYING ANY PANIC

OVER A SO‐CALLED SECOND WAVE IS, QUOTE, OVERBLOWN.

TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO SPEAK WITH THE TOP INFECTIOUS DISEASE

DOCTOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, WHICH IS TREATING A

RECORD NUMBER OF CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS AS OF TODAY, ALONG WITH

MANY OTHER HEALTH FACILITIES IN HER STATE.

SHE MAY ACTUALLY AGREE WITH VICE PRESIDENT PENCE ON THAT ‐‐ THAT

SECOND WAVE IDEA, AT LEAST IN THIS ONE SPECIFIC SENSE.

HER NAME IS DR. JEANIE MORATZO AND SHE ANNOUNCED IN A PUBLIC

UPDATE FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA YESTERDAY.

QUOTE, IT IS A REAL INCREASE IN THE CASES WE ARE FINDING.

PEOPLE ASK ABOUT A SECOND WAVE. .

I'VE BEEN SAYING WE NEVER STOPPED HAVING A FIRST WAVE.

SHE SAYS, QUOTE, I THINK WE NOW HAVE JUST WIDESPREAD SUSTAINED

COMMUNITY SPREAD. THERE'S SO MUCH INFECTION OUT

THERE, YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE AND POTENTIALLY BE EXPOSED.

IT'S BEEN AN UNFORTUNATE SERIES OF DAYS OF RECORD SETTING.

I'LL BE SPEAKING WITH THAT INFECTIOUS DOCTOR FROM THE

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA LATER ON THIS HOUR.

BUT THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS IT'S ALL OVER.

THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS IT'S CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION, THAT WE HAVE

WON, THIS THING IS DONE, LET'S PILE 19,000 PEOPLE INTO AN

INDOOR ARENA IN TULSA FOR THE LARGEST INDOOR CONGREGATE EVENT

IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE SINCE THE ONSET OF THIS GLOBAL

PANDEMIC AND WE'LL DO IT IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS THE WORST

EPIDEMIC ON EARTH IN A PLACE THAT HAS WIDESPREAD COMMUNITY

TRANSMISSION WITH NO RELIEF IN SIGHT.

I MEAN, LET ME JUST SAY ONE OTHER THING ABOUT THIS, ABOUT

THE WHITE HOUSE SAYING THERE IS CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION IN THE

AMERICAN CORONAVIRUS DISASTER. I MEAN, IT TURNS YOUR STOMACH IN

ONE DIRECTION, TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, 117,000 AMERICANS DEAD AND

SAY THAT'S GOOD NEWS, CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION.

BUT THERE'S SOMETHING EVEN MORE DISTURBING ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE

TELLING US THAT THERE'S CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT NOT JUST WHERE WE'VE BEEN BUT WHERE WE ARE

GOING. YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN YESTERDAY

THAT FORECASTERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON HAVE

UPDATED THEIR PROJECTION FOR THE COURSE OF THE U. S. EPIDEMIC.

THIS IS THE DATA GROUP WHOSE MODELS THE WHITE HOUSE USED TO

PROMOTE AND CITE ALL THE TIME AT THE WHITE HOUSE WHEN THEIR MODEL

WAS ‐‐ THIS MODEL FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON WAS

BASED ON THE PREMISE, THE EXPECTATION THAT WE WERE GOING

TO HAVE A COMPETENT RESPONSE AS A COUNTRY.

SO THEIR INITIAL PROJECTIONS, WHICH WERE MODELLED

INTERNATIONALLY ON SUCCESSFUL THINGS THAT OTHER COMPETENT

GOVERNMENTS DID TO CONTAIN THIS THING, THEIR INITIAL PROJECTIONS

FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON LOOKED PRETTY ROSY

FROM THE WHITE HOUSE'S PERSPECTIVE IN TERMS OF HOW

THINGS WERE GOING TO GO OUT, IN TERMS OF HOW MANY AMERICANS WERE

GOING TO DIE. BUT THOSE PREMISES, THOSE

EXPECTATIONS WERE WRONG. WE DIDN'T RESPOND IN A COHERENT

AND EFFECTIVE WAY AS A COUNTRY. GIVEN HOW WE HAVE ACTUALLY

RESPONDED AS A COUNTRY, THEY'VE HAD TO REVISE THEIR MODEL,

THEY'VE HAD TO REVISE THEIR PROJECTIONS, AND THEIR NEW

FORECAST FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON IS THAT OVER 200,000

AMERICANS WILL BE KILLED BY THIS THING BY THE TIME SEPTEMBER IS

OVER. AND LET ME JUST PUT THAT IN

PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT, IN TERMS OF THE WHITE HOUSE SAYING ‐‐ THE

VICE PRESIDENT SAYING OUR CORONAVIRUS EPIDEMIC AS OF TODAY

IS CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION. LET ME PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE

THIS WAY. AS A COUNTRY IT TOOK US THIS

LONG TO GET FROM OUR FIRST CASE ON JANUARY 21st TO 100,000 DEAD

AMERICANS ON MAY 28th. IT TOOK US 129 DAYS FOR THIS ‐‐

FOR THIS THING TO KILL 100,000 AMERICANS.

THIS NEW FORECAST FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON IS THAT

OUR NEXT 100,000 DEAD WILL TAKE EVEN LESS TIME.

THAT IT WILL TAKE 127 DAYS FOR THE CORONAVIRUS BODY COUNT TO

CLIMB FROM 100,000 TO 200,000 DEAD AMERICANS.

THE PACE IS HOLDING STEADY, MAYBE EVEN PICKING UP JUST A

LITTLE BIT. THIS IS WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE

TODAY CALLS CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION.

AND IT'S NOT LIKE THIS IS A TRAGEDY THAT IS UNFOLDING

SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, RIGHT?

THE PARTS OF THE RESPONSE FOR WHICH THE GOVERNMENT HAS DIRECT

RESPONSIBILITY CONTINUE TO BE THE DEADLIEST AND WORST HANDLED

ASPECTS OF THIS AMERICAN DISASTER.

I MEAN, "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" REPORTING TODAY THAT

AMONG THE 116,000‐PLUS AMERICAN DEATHS IT NOW LOOKS LIKE OVER

50,000 OF THOUGH DEATHS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO NURSING HOMES AND

LONG‐TERM CARE FACILITIES. 50,000 AMERICANS DEAD IN THOSE

FACILITIES. IT JUST ROCKS YOU TO YOUR CORE.

WELL, IN TERMS OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

REGULAR GATES NURSING HOMES IN THIS COUNTRY DIRECTLY, BUT THE

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO THIS PROBLEM WHERE 50,000

AMERICANS HAVE BEEN KILLED ALREADY CONTINUES ‐‐ I MEAN, IT

CONTINUES TO BE BASICALLY NONEXISTENT.

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, WHO HEADS CMS, WHO HEADS THE PART OF

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHO REGULATES NURSING HOMES,

YESTERDAY DID A PHOTO OP EVENT WITH THE PRESIDENT AT THE WHITE

HOUSE WHERE SHE SAID THAT AMERICAN NURSING HOMES BY AND

LARGE HAVE DONE GREAT. YEAH, NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.

OTHER THAN 50,000 PEOPLE DEAD IN THOSE FACILITIES.

THIS COMES AS ABC NEWS TODAY OBTAINS A RECORDING OF A CALL

BETWEEN FEMA AND NURSING HOMES IN WHICH A FEMA OFFICIAL STARTS

APOLOGIZING FOR FEMA AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SENDING

AMERICAN NURSING HOMES EXPIRED, BROKEN AND INAPPROPRIATE GEAR.

FEMA NOW APOLOGIZING TO NURSING HOMES FOR SENDING THEM JUNK THEY

CAN'T USE. THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN

HEARING FROM NURSING HOMES WHO HAVE BEEN PUZZLING THROUGH WHAT

TO DO WITH THE FACT ‐‐ LOOK AT HER HANDS.

LOOK AT THE ARMS. NURSING HOMES HAVE BEEN PUZZLING

THROUGH WHAT TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THEY MAY NOT, YOU KNOW,

HAVE ACCESS TO TESTING, THEY MAY NOT HAVE GOTTEN ANY HELP WITH

THEIR STAFFING NEEDS OR INFECTION PREVENTION PROTOCOLS,

BUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS FOUND TIME TO SEND THEM THESE

PONCHO THINGIES THAT DON'T HAVE HOLES TO STICK YOUR ARMS

THROUGH. LOOK AT THAT.

FEMA NOW APOLOGIZING, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS

DONE FOR NURSING HOMES. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE

WHITE HOUSE ALSO TOOK IT UPON ITSELF TO ISSUE THAT EXECUTIVE

ORDER MANDATING THAT MEAT PROCESSING PLANTS STAY OPEN.

EVEN AS LOCAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES WANTED TO SHUT THEM DOWN.

BECAUSE MEAT PROCESSING PLANTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY WERE

TURNING OUT TO BE SUPERSPREADER FACILITIES WHERE THOUSANDS OF

PEOPLE WERE GETTING INFECTED WITH THE VIRUS.

WELL, AMID LOTS OF CHESS POUNDING FROM THE ADMINISTRATION

AND CLAIMS FROM BIG MEAT PROCESSING COMPANIES ABOUT HOW

THAT PRESIDENTIAL ORDER TO STAY OPEN WAS A NECESSARY MOVE TO

KEEP AMERICAN DINNER TABLES AND AMERICAN GRILLS SUPPLIED WITH

ADEQUATE SUPPLIES OF MEAT, WELL, TODAY, "THE NEW YORK TIMES"

REPORTS THAT ACTUALLY WHAT THE MEAT COMPANIES DID DURING THAT

TIME WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP ORDERED THEM ALL TO BE OPEN

DESPITE WHAT LOCAL AUTHORITIES MIGHT WANT, WHAT AMERICAN MEAT

COMPANIES DID DURING THAT TIME IS THAT IN APRIL THEY EXPORTED

MORE AMERICAN PORK TO CHINA THAN THEY HAD EVER EXPORTED BEFORE.

IT WAS A RECORD. THE PRESIDENT INTERVENED TO KEEP

THESE PLANTS OPEN, CREATING KNOWN HUGE CLUSTERS OF INFECTION

WHERE HUNDREDS AND THEN THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE GOT

CORONAVIRUS. ALL SO CHINA COULD RECEIVE

RECORD U. S. MEAT EXPORTS. AND AMERICAN TOWNS AND CITIES

AND COUNTIES WHERE THESE PLANTS ARE WHERE THESE HUGE LOCUSTS OF

INFECTION WERE FORCED TO STAY OPEN, THEY CAN PAY THE PRICE IN

TERMS OF HAVING HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF INFECTIONS IN THEIR

COMMUNITIES. WE ARE A POORLY‐RUN COUNTRY

RIGHT NOW. AND THIS IS A BAD TIME FOR IT.

WE ARE A POORLY RUN COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.

AND AMONG OTHER THINGS, WE HAVE THE BODY COUNT TO SHOW FOR IT.

AND THAT IS ONE THING WHEN WE ARE THE DEADLIEST COUNTRY IN THE

WORLD RIGHT NOW WITH THIS INCREDIBLY BOTCHED RESPONSE TO

THIS EPIDEMIC. RIGHT?

THE LARGEST CASE COUNT IN THE WORLD.

THE LARGEST BODY COUNT IN THE WORLD.

AND ANOTHER 85,000 OF US SLATED TO DIE OVER THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS

AT THE SAME TORRENTIAL PACE THAT WE HAVE BEEN DYING OVER THESE

LAST FOUR MONTHS. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE THING TO

THINK ABOUT THAT DOMESTICALLY IN TERMS OF HOW POORLY RUN WE ARE

RIGHT NOW, HOW INCAPABLE OH WE ARE OF EACH PURSUING OUR OWN

INTERESTS AND SAVING OUR OWN LIVES BECAUSE OF HOW BADLY RUN

OUR GOVERNMENT IS AT A TIME THAT WE NEED GOVERNMENT.

BUT WE'RE NOT ALONE IN THE WORLD.

AND THE WORLD AND ITS THREATS AND CHALLENGES ARE NOT TAKING A

TIME‐OUT FOR THIS MESS. AND US BEING VERY POORLY RUN

RIGHT NOW HAS CONSEQUENCES FOR THAT STUFF, TOO.

I MEAN, STUFF IS HAPPENING. STUFF IS IN MOTION.

TODAY ON THE DISPUTED BORDER BETWEEN INDIA AND CHINA IN THE

HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS, A LONG‐SIMMERING DISPUTE ERUPTED

BETWEEN INDIAN AND CHINESE SOLDIERS WHICH REPORTEDLY

RESULTED IN 20 INDIAN SOLDIERS BEING KILLED.

THIS IS THE DEADLIEST VIOLENCE ON THAT PART OF THE BORDER SINCE

THE '70s. AND OF COURSE INDIA AND CHINA

ARE BOTH NUCLEAR POWERS AND BOTH PRETTY ASCENDANT AND PRETTY

AGGRESSIVE RIGHT NOW, EAGER TO SHOW THEIR STRENGTH.

HOW ABOUT AN INTERNATIONAL STANDOFF BETWEEN NUCLEAR‐ARMED

INDIA AND CHINA? THE UNITED STATES IN A GOOD

POSITION TO DELICATELY HANDLE WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN TERMS OF

THAT KIND OF A STANDOFF? TODAY YOU MIGHT HAVE WOKEN UP TO

HEADLINES LIKE THIS ONE ABOUT NORTH KOREA, QUOTE, BLOWING UP A

JOINT LIAISON OFFICE, DRAMATICALLY RAISING TENSIONS

WITH SOUTH KOREA. IF YOU'RE LIKE ME, SEEING THAT

HEADLINE, YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE REALIZED AT FIRST THAT THAT

HEADLINE IS MEANT IN A LITERAL SENSE.

THIS ISN'T A PROVERBIAL THING. THIS ISN'T NORTH KOREA BLOWING

UP IN SOME DIPLOMATIC ‐‐ LIKE IT'S ALWAYS HAVING WITH SOUTH

KOREA. THIS IS LITERALLY NORTH KOREA

BLOWING THE THING UP. IT'S A SORT OF DE FACTO EMBASSY

USED IN THE BORDER REGION BETWEEN SOUTH KOREA AND NORTH

KOREA. NORTH KOREA DROPPED A BOMB ON IT

AND BLEW IT UP TODAY. THAT WILL PROBABLY RESOLVE WELL.

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? THE PRESIDENT HAS INCREDIBLE

FAITH, THOUGH, IN THE SOBRIETY AND WISDOM OF THE NORTH KOREAN

LEADERSHIP. AT THE END OF HIS NEW BOOK

"EXERCISE OF POWER," FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY ROBERT GATES

HAS THIS SORT OF DARK BUT ALSO SORT HEAD COACHFULOPEFUL TAKE ON

PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS TALKED ABOUT LEADERS LIKE NORTH KOREA'S KIM

JONG‐UN SINCE HE HAS BEEN PRESIDENT.

QUOTE, I THINK AMERICANS UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF ALLIES

AND HOW THEY ARE A UNIQUE ASSET FOR THE UNITED STATES,

ESPECIALLY COMPARED TO BOTH CHINA AND RUSSIA, NONE OF WHICH

HAVE ANY. QUOTE, I BELIEVE MOST AMERICANS

WANT US FOR OUR COUNTRY TO STAND FOR SOMETHING BEYOND JUST OUR

ECONOMIC STRENGTH AND SUCCESS. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE

UNCOMFORTABLE WITH AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT COZYING UP TO

AUTOCRATIC FOREIGN LEADERS AND SIDING WITH THEM ON ISSUES WHILE

DERIDING GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS.

WE MUST WORK WITH THESE LEADERS BUT WE DON'T NEED TO SAY WE LOVE

THEM. THAT'S FROM ROBERT GATES' NEW

BOOK "EXERCISE OF POWER". RUSSIA THIS WEEK SENTENCED AN

AMERICAN NAMED PAUL WHALEN TO 16 YEARS HARD LABOR FOR ALLEGEDLY

SPYING AGAINST THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT.

WHALEN PROCLAIMS HIS INNOCENCE. HE HAS ASKED OUT LOUD AND SIGNS

HE'S HELD UP DURING HIS TRIAL, HE'S ASKED SPECIFICALLY FOR

PRESIDENT TRUMP TO SPEAK OUT FORCEFULLY AND CLEARLY TO GET

RUSSIA TO RELEASE HIM. WE SHALL SEE.

A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WE LEARNED FROM THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT THAT

PRESIDENT TRUMP HAD TAKEN A CALL WITH PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN.

WE TEND TO USUALLY LEARN THESE THINGS FROM THE RUSSIAN SIDE.

THAT CALL HAPPENED ON THE DAY THAT VLADIMIR PUTIN ANNOUNCED HE

WOULD GENEROUSLY GIVE THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY

TO VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT HE SHOULD HAVE 16 MORE YEARS IN

POWER AS RUSSIA'S LEADER. PUTIN HAS ALREADY BEEN IN POWER

FOR 20 YEARS. NOW HE'S CHANGING THE RUSSIAN

CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK TO LET HIM GO FOR 36 YEARS IN POWER,

WHICH IS A HECK OF A PRESIDENTIAL TERM.

SO, THE DAY THAT HE ANNOUNCES THAT HE'S GOING TO DO THAT, HE

HAS A CALL WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP. THERE'S NO RECORD, AT LEAST FROM

THE WHITE HOUSE SIDE, THAT OUR PRESIDENT EXPRESSED ANY

OBJECTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THAT IN THEIR CALL.

WHAT THE KREMLIN SAYS THEY DISCUSSED IN THAT CALL IS THE

IDEA OF LETTING RUSSIA BACK INTO THE G7.

RUSSIA WAS KICKED OUT OF WHAT USED TO BE THE G8 FOR INVADING A

NEIGHBORING COUNTRY AND TAKING OVER PART OF IT FOR ITSELF.

THEY'RE STILL IN THAT STATUS SO THERE IS NO CLEAR REASON WHY

THEY SHOULD GET THE REWARD OF GETTING BACK INTO THE G7, BUT

THEY WANT IT AND PRESIDENT TRUMP DID START REITERATING PUBLICLY

THAT HE WANT IT IS TO HAPPEN. THE OTHER G7 COUNTRIES,

INCLUDING THE UK AND CANADA, PROMPTLY SAID THEY WOULD VETO

ANY SUCH THING. AND THEN IN FAIRLY QUICK ORDER,

GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL SAID SHE WOULDN'T INTERESTED IN

COMING TO THE G7 IN THE U. S. IN PERSON THIS YEAR, THE G7 MEETING

THAT THE U. S. IS SUPPOSED TO HOST THIS YEAR WAS QUICKLY JUST

SCUTTLED ALTOGETHER. SO THERE WILL BE NO G7 MEETING

THIS YEAR HOSTED BY THE UNITED STATES, NOT EVEN ON ZOOM.

THEY'RE JUST NOT DOING IT. PRESIDENT TRUMP WANTS RUSSIA IN

THERE. AND RUSSIA'S NOT GOING TO GET IN

THERE AND THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANY G7.

I WILL ALSO JUST MENTION THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS UNILATERALLY

ANNOUNCED WITHIN THE LAST WEEK THAT HE'S TAKING THOUSANDS OF

U.S. TROOPS OUT OF GERMANY. ANOTHER INEXPLICABLE GIFT TO

RUSSIA WHICH WANTS THAT VERY BADLY.

A GIFT TO RUSSIA THAT WAS APPARENTLY ANNOUNCED BY

PRESIDENT TRUMP WITHOUT ANY CONSULTATION, NOT ONLY WITH

GERMANY OR OUR OTHER ALLIES, BUT IT WAS APPARENTLY ANNOUNCED BY

PRESIDENT TRUMP WITHOUT HIM CONSULTING ANYONE IN THE

PENTAGON OR IN THE U. S. STATE DEPARTMENT.

HE JUST ANNOUNCED HE'S GONNA DO IT.

THOUSANDS OF U. S. TROOPS PULLED OUT OF GERMANY.

THIS COMES AS THE PRESIDENT'S LOYALIST ATTORNEY

GENERAL HAS MOVED TO DROP CHARGES AGAINST TRUMP NATIONAL

SECURITY ADVISER MIKE FLYNN FOR PLEADING GUILTY TO LYING TO THE

FBI ABOUT HIS COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT

ABOUT SANCTIONS AGAINST THEM FOR THEM INTERFERING IN THE 2016

ELECTION. IT COMES AS THE PRESIDENT

APPEARS TO BE PUBLICLY PROMISING A PARDON OR SOME OTHER KIND OF

INTERVENTION TO SAVE FROM PRISON ONE OF HIS CAMPAIGN ADVISERS WHO

WAS CONVICTED OF MULTIPLE FELONIES IN CONJUNCTION WITH HIS

EFFORTS TO HELP WITH THE DISSEMINATION OF THE INFORMATION

THAT RUSSIA STOLE IN THAT ELECTION TO TRY TO INFLUENCE THE

OUTCOME. HOUSE DEMOCRATS ANNOUNCED TODAY

THEY WILL TAKE WHISTLE‐BLOWER TESTIMONY TEXT WEEKNEXT WEEK FRO

FEDERAL PROSECUTOR WHO QUIT THAT CASE AFTER THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

INTERVENED TO TRY TO LIGHTEN THAT SENTENCE FOR THE TRUMP

ADVISER CONVICTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.

WE ARE NOT A WELL‐RUN COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.

IN OUR DISASTROUS AND STILL CRATERING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR

ALLIES, IN OUR SUBMARINING OF INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS THAT

WE NOT ONLY HELPED SET UP BUT THAT WE HAVE BOLSTERED FOR

DECADES BECAUSE THEY'RE IN OUR OWN INTERESTS AS WELL AS IN THE

INTEREST OF WORLD PEACE AND STABILITY.

IN OUR INEXPLICABLE AND TROUBLING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR

SUPPOSED ADVERSARIES. IF IN OUR BASIC ADHERENCE TO THE

THINGS LIKE THE APPEARANCE OF IMPARTIAL RULE OF LAW, WHICH IS

FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR BASIC SELF‐WORTH AS A CIVILIZATION.

IN OUR BOTCHED, INCOHERENT, FATALLY MISMANAGEMENT RESPONSE

TO THE LARGEST AND MOST DEADLY PANDEMIC IN A CENTURY, WE ARE

POORLY RUN. IT'S BAD.

AND OF ALL PEOPLE ROBERT GATES' NEW BOOK MAKES THE CASE THAT

ACTUALLY IT'S REALLY BAD. THAT AS HE SAYS, QUOTE, DESPITE

OUR BRAGGADOCIO, THE OVERALL TREND FOR US IN THE GLOBAL ARENA

HAS BEEN NEGATIVE. HE SAYS, QUOTE, HOW DID OUR

COUNTRY GO SO QUICKLY FROM UNIQUE GLOBAL POWER TO A COUNTRY

THAT IS WIDELY PERCEIVED AS NO LONGER WILLING TO BEAR THE COSTS

OR ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF GLOBAL LEADERSHIP AND IS NO

LONGER EVEN CAPABLE OF GOVERNING ITSELF EFFECTIVELY?

YEAH, HOW ‐‐ HOW DID WE DO THAT SO QUICKLY?

FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY ROBER >>> AT A TIME WHEN WE FACE

UNPRECEDENTED TRANSITION AMIDST TWO WARS, I'VE ASKED SECRETARY

ROBERT GATES TO CONTINUE AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, AND I'M

PLEASED THAT HE'S ACCEPTED. TWO YEARS AGO HE TOOK OVER THE

PENTAGON AT A DIFFICULT TIME. HE RESTORED ACCOUNTABILITY.

HE WON THE CONFIDENCE OF MILITARY COMMANDERS AND THE

TRUST OF OUR BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM AS WELL AS THEIR

FAMILIES. >> I AM DEEPLY HONORED THAT THE

PRESIDENT‐ELECT HAS ASKED ME TO CONTINUE AS SECRETARY OF

DEFENSE. MINDFUL THAT WE ARE ENGAGED IN

TWO WARS AND FACE OTHER SERIOUS CHALLENGES AT HOME AND AROUND

THE WORLD, AND WITH A PROFOUND SENSE OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

TO AND FOR OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM AND THEIR FAMILIES, I

MUST DO MY DUTY AS THEY DO THEIRS.

HOW COULD I DO OTHERWISE? >> THAT IS TAPE FROM OUR

COUNTRY, FROM OUR NATION'S CAPITOL FROM NOT THAT LONG AGO,

JUST OVER A DECADE AGO, BUT IN OUR CURRENT TIMES, DOESN'T THAT

FEEL LIKE THAT'S BEING BROADCAST FROM A DIFFERENT PLANET, RIGHT?

PRESIDENT‐ELECT JOE BIDEN. VICE PRESIDENT‐ELECT JOE BIDEN.

SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON.

ROBERT GATES UNDER OUTGOING REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT GEORGE W.

BUSH BEING TAPPED TO STAY IN THE JOB.

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN AMERICAN HISTORY THAT A NEW

PRESIDENT HAD KEPT ON THE DEFENSE SECRETARY FROM A

PREDECESSOR OF A DIFFERENT PARTY.

ROBERT GATES HAS HAD MORE THAN 50 YEARS AS A PUBLIC SERVANT IN

THIS COUNTRY IN THE NATIONAL SECURITY FIELD.

HE SERVED EIGHT PRESIDENTS DURING HIS CAREER.

INCLUDING SECRETARY OF DEFENSE TO TWO.

HE SERVED UNDER FOUR DIFFERENT PRESIDENTS IN NATIONAL SECURITY

COUNCIL ROLES. HE WAS DIRECTOR OF THE CIA.

PUBLIC SERVANTS LIKE THAT WHO SPEND A CAREER DEVELOPING

EXPERTISE AND HOW THE GOVERNMENT WORKS, WHO THINK OF THEMSELVES

AS SERVING THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY AS MUCH AS PERSON WHO

HAPPENS TO BE HOLDING IT, THOSE KIND OF PEOPLE ARE COMPLETELY

ABSENT FROM THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.

SOME HAVE TRIED TO WORK FOR THIS PRESIDENT.

IT HASN'T WORKED WELL FOR THEM. SO WHEN YOU PICK UP ROBERT

GATES' NEW BOOK WHICH IS CALLED "EXERCISE OF POWER: AMERICAN

FAILURES AND SUCCESSES AND A NEW PATH FORWARD IN A POST‐COLD WAR

WORLD". IT CAN FEEL A LITTLE BIT LIKE

ROBERT GATES IS BEAMING IN NOT JUST FROM ANOTHER TIME BUT

ANOTHER PLANET, AND I MEAN THAT IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY BECAUSE

OUR PLANET RIGHT NOW IS TROUBLED.

JOINING US NOW FOR THE INTERVIEW, I'M HONORED TO SAY,

IS FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY ROBERT GATES.

HIS NEW BOOK AS I MENTIONED IS CALLED "EXERCISE OF POWER."

MR. SECRETARY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING TIME TO BE HERE

TONIGHT. IT'S AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU.

>> THANKS FOR INVITING ME, RACHEL.

>> YOU HAVE A ‐‐ YOU SORT OF MOCK YOURSELF A LITTLE BIT IN

THE BOOK FOR BEING A GLASS HALF EMPTY KIND OF GUY, FOR BEING A

DOOM AND GLOOM SAYER, BUT THE BOOK, AS CONSTRUCTIVE AS IT IS,

DOES TAKE A PRETTY DARK ROLE OF AMERICA'S SITUATION IN THE

WORLD. YOU ESSENTIALLY SAY THAT FOR 25

YEARS THINGS HAVE NOT BEEN GOING OUR WAY AND THAT THERE ARE

SERIOUS SIGNS OF DECLINE IN TERMS OF OUR INFLUENCE IN THE

WORLD. WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST

IMPORTANT ONES? >> I THINK TWO THINGS HAVE

HAPPENED THAT ARE MAJOR IN TERMS OF THE WAY THE REST OF THE WORLD

PERCEIVES US. THE FIRST WAS OUR ECONOMIC

CRISIS IN 2008/2009, WHICH LED THE REST OF THE WORLD TO WONDER

WHETHER OUR ECONOMIC MODEL ACTUALLY WORKED AND WHETHER

AMERICAN CAPITALISM WAS THE PATH TO FOLLOW.

AND THEN WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE PAST NUMBER OF YEARS, WHICH

IS THE COMPLETE PARALYSIS OF OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM, OUR INABILITY

TO ADDRESS ANY OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS FACING OUR COUNTRY,

WHETHER IT'S INFRASTRUCTURE OR IMMIGRATION OR RACE OR A HOST OF

OTHER ISSUES. AND SO YOU HAVE THE PERCEPTION

THAT BOTH THE ECONOMIC AND THE POLITICAL MODEL ARE NOT WORKING

VERY WELL. AND THE REST OF THE WORLD HAS

NOTICED THIS, AND, FRANKLY, OUR ADVERSARIES, OUR RIVALS, IN

PARTICULAR CHINA, ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT.

I WOULD SAY THAT ANOTHER PIECE OF IT OBVIOUSLY IS THE FACT THAT

THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN AT WAR FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS.

AND ‐‐ AND IT HAS EXHAUSTED THE PATIENCE OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

WITH AN INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP ROLE BECAUSE IT'S BEEN CONFLATED

WITH BEING THE WORLD POLICEMAN. SO IF WE ARE GOING TO TRY AND BE

THE ‐‐ AND MUST BE ‐‐ HAVE A LEADERSHIP ROLE INTERNATIONALLY,

IT HAS TO BE IN A DIFFERENT FRAMEWORK.

>> ONE OF THE HALLMARKS OF YOUR TIME AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WAS

HOW OUTSPOKEN YOU WERE ABOUT THE I DON'T WANT TO SAY OVERUSE OF

THE U. S. MILITARY, BUT ESSENTIALLY STARTING TO LOOK AT

THE USE OF MILITARY FORCE AS A FIRST RESORT RATHER THAN A LAST

RESORT. AND YOU WERE VERY OUTSPOKEN IN

YOUR TIME AS DEFENSE SECRETARY AND ALSO IN THE BOOK ABOUT THE

NEED TO BUILD UP AND RESOURCE AND USE OTHER FORMS OF AMERICAN

POWER. THAT THE USE OF FORCE SHOULD

ALWAYS BE LAST AND WE SHOULD SHARPEN AND BUILD ALL OF OUR

OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN PRESERVE OUR INFLUENCE.

I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WAS A VERY INTERESTING ROLE THAT YOU

PLAYED AS SORT OF A PUBLIC INTELLECTUAL AND PRACTITIONER ON

THAT, AND I'M CURIOUS BECAUSE OF THAT WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS

STRANGE NEW WRINKLE THAT WE'VE JUST HAD IN TERMS OF THE USE OF

THE AMERICAN MILITARY, WHERE THE PRESIDENT HAS TALKED ABOUT USING

ACTIVE‐DUTY U. S. TROOPS IN AMERICAN STREETS.

I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN CRITICAL OF WHAT HAPPENED IN LAFAYETTE

SQUARE, BUT I WONDER IF YOU CAN TALK ABOUT WHY THAT'S ‐‐ WHY

THAT'S PROBLEMATIC, WHY IT TROUBLES YOU, WHY YOU SEE THAT

WOULD BE ‐‐ WHY YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE A MISTAKE.

>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NATIONAL GUARD AND THE REGULAR ARMY.

REGULAR ARMY, THE 82nd AIRBORNE, THE 10th MOUNTAIN DIVISION,

THESE TROOPS ARE TRAINED PRIMARILY TO DO ONE THING, AND

THAT IS TO KILL OUR ENEMIES, I MEAN, JUST TO STATE IT AT

BLUNTLY AS IT NEEDS TO BE STATED.

THE NATIONAL GUARD, ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE PEOPLE FROM THE

COMMUNITY. YOU SAW SOME OF THE INTERVIEWS

OF D. C. GUARDSMEN EXPRESSING THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT HAD

HAPPENED WITH THE USE OF THEIR UNITS IN THE ‐‐ AT LAFAYETTE

SQUARE AND SO ON. BUT THOSE NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS

TAKE OFF THOSE UNIFORMS THE NEXT DAY AND GO TO WORK IN THOSE

TOWNS, IN THOSE CITIES WHERE THEY ‐‐ WHERE THEY COME FROM,

AND THEY'RE TRAINED IN CROWD CONTROL AND THEY'RE ‐‐ AND THEY

HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS OFTEN WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.

AND SO I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS YOU SAW THE STRONG

REACTION OF MANY OF THE FORMER MILITARY LEADERS WAS ‐‐ WAS THE

NOTION OF USING THE INSURRECTION ACT WHICH ALLOWS THE PRESIDENT

TO USE REGULAR MILITARY FORCES DOMESTICALLY.

WAS ‐‐ IT INVOLVED THE USE OF THE REGULAR ARMY IN ‐‐ IN

DOMESTIC AFFAIRS AND IT ‐‐ AND IT COMPROMISED ‐‐ IT HAD THE

DANGER OF COMPROMISING THE APOLITICAL NATURE OF OUR ARMED

FORCES. YOU KNOW, OUR ARMED FORCES,

RACHEL, ARE ABOUT THE ONLY INSTITUTION LEFT IN THE UNITED

STATES THAT HAVE THE RESPECT OF NEARLY ALL AMERICANS.

AND OUR CURRENT AND FORMER LEADERS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT

COMPROMISING THAT. SO THAT'S WHY I THINK YOU GOT

THE STRONG REACTION THAT YOU DID FROM PEOPLE LIKE ADMIRAL MULLEN,

FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, CHAIRMANGENERAL

DEMPSEY, ANOTHER FORMER CHAIRMAN AND SO ON.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS YOU WRITE ABOUT ELOQUENTLY IN THE BOOK IS

THE UTILITY, THE SHORT TERM AND LONG‐TERM UTILITY OF HAVING GOOD

COMMUNICATION SKILLS AS A COUNTRY, ABOUT BEING ABLE TO

TELL OUR OWN STORY, ABOUT BEING ABLE TO SORT OF PARTICIPATE IN

IDEOLOGICAL COMBAT, TRYING TO WIN THE ARGUMENT AROUND THE

WORLD, PARTICULARLY AGAINST RISING AUTHORITARIANISM.

AND YOU WRITE WITH SOME REGRET ABOUT HOW SOME OF THOSE SKILLS,

SOME OF THE WAYS WE DO THAT AS A COUNTRY HAVE BEEN DEFUNDED AND

WEAKENED OVER TIME. BECAUSE OF THAT I WANTED TO ASK

YOU ABOUT THIS RECENT CONTROVERSY, VERY RECENT

CONTROVERSY INVOLVING VOICE OF AMERICA.

VOICE OF AMERICA IS AN INTERESTING PART OF THE U. S.

SORT OF QUIVER IN ‐‐ IN THAT REGARD.

THEY ARE INDEPENDENTLY ‐‐ EDITORIALLY INDEPENDENT, BUT

OBVIOUSLY PART OF THE U. S. GOVERNMENT.

WE'VE HAD A PRESIDENT INSTALL SOMEONE WHO IS PERCEIVED AS A

REAL IDEOLOGICAL LOYALIST THERE. WE'VE JUST HAD THE DIRECTOR AND

THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR RESIGN SUDDENLY AND THEY'RE APPARENTLY

NOT BEING REPLACED, AT LEAST NOT YET.

ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT VOA? ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT THOSE

TYPES OF CAPACITIES OF THE U. S. GOVERNMENT DURING THE TRUMP

PRESIDENCY? >> I'M WORRIED THAT OUR ENTIRE

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITY HAS BEEN DRAMATICALLY

WEAKENED SINCE THE END OF THE COLD WAR.

YOU KNOW, IN THE LATE 1990s BECAUSE OF BUDGETARY AND OTHER

REASONS, THE U. S. CONGRESS ELIMINATED THE UNITED STATES

INFORMATION AGENCY. THIS WAS AN AGENCY UNDER RONALD

REAGAN AND JOHN F. KENNEDY AND DWIGHT EISENHOWER UNDER LEADER

LIKE EDWARD R. MUIR OWE AND CHARLIE WICK IN THE REAGAN

ADMINISTRATION HAD ENORMOUS INFLUENCE AND ENORMOUS REACH

AROUND THE WORLD. AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT VOA

WAS SO IMPORTANTLY IS THAT PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD, IN

EASTERN EUROPE AND IN THE SOVIET UNION WHEN THEY COULD GET VOA

BELIEVED IT GAVE THEM AN HONEST, OBJECTIVE VIEW OF WHAT WAS GOING

ON IN THE WORLD. THE VOA ALSO WOULD RECORD WHAT

WAS GOING ON IN THE UNITED STATES.

AND THE TRUTH IS MOST PRESIDENTS REALLY GOT ANNOYED BY WHAT VOA

SAID ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE UNITED STATES BECAUSE IT WAS

OFTEN VERY REVEALING ABOUT ‐‐ AND VERY HONEST ABOUT PROBLEMS

WE HAD HERE INTERNALLY. BUT IT HAD A GREAT DEAL OF

CREDIBILITY AROUND THE WORLD. AND THERE WERE OTHER RADIOS AND

ORIGINALLY OPERATED BY CI LIKE RAID FRO FREE LIBERTY, RADIO

EUROPE AND OTHERS. ALL OF THOSE HAVE BASICALLY BEEN

DISMANTLED. AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE A COUNTRY

LIKE CHINA THAT HAS A GLOBAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND

THEY'VE INVESTED BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN IT, IN

ACQUIRING NETWORKS AND BROADCASTING TO EVERY COUNTRY IN

THE WORLD AND ‐‐ AND OWNING NETWORKS IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES

AND SO ON, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING COMPARABLE TO THAT

TODAY. AND IN THIS RIVALRY WE'RE GOING

TO HAVE ‐‐ WE HAVE WITH CHINA GOING FORWARD, WE'RE GOING TO

NEED THESE KINDS OF TOOLS. BECAUSE IF WE'RE LUCKY AND WE'RE

SMART, WE CAN AVOID A MILITARY CONFLICT WITH CHINA, BUT THAT

MEANS THAT THE ‐‐ THAT THE RIVALRY WILL TAKE PLACE USING

THE NONMILITARY INSTRUMENTS OF POWER AND STRATEGIC

COMMUNICATIONS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT.

THE CHINESE HAVE ENORMOUS ASSETS IN TAKING THIS ON.

WE'RE VERY LIMITED AT THIS POINT.

AND THAT'S WHY THESE CONTROVERSIES BUT ALSO THE LACK

OF FUNDING AND, FRANKLY, THE LACK OF IMAGINATION AND

AGGRESSIVENESS IN USING OUR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

CAPABILITIES IS SO BOTHERSOME TO ME.

WHY HAVEN'T WE BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE IN TELLING THE

IRANIAN PEOPLE ABOUT THE CORRUPTION OF THEIR LEADERSHIP?

WHY HAVEN'T WE TOLD THE RUSSIANS ‐‐ YOU KNOW, THE RUSSIANS

INTERFERE WITH OUR POLITICS ALL THE TIME AND TRY TO DIVIDE US.

WHY AREN'T WE GOING INTO THE RUSSIANS, GETTING PAST THEIR

FIREWALLS AND TALKING ABOUT THE CORRUPTION OF PUTIN AND HIS

HENCHMEN? WE JUST DON'T DO THAT KIND OF

THING. AND, FRANKLY, IT'S GOING TO BE

VERY NECESSARY GOING FORWARD IN THE WORLD.

AND WE'RE AT A DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE WE'VE ‐‐ WE'VE BASICALLY

ELIMINATED OR REDUCED DRAMATICALLY THE FUNDING FOR

ALMOST ALL THESE NONMILITARY INSTRUMENTS OF POWER.

THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE BOOK SAYS.

>> AND YOU SPEAK FOR THE ‐‐ IT IS WHAT THE BOOK'S ABOUT AND YOU

SPEAK ABOUT IT FROM AN INCREDIBLY AUTHORITATIVE

POSITION HAVING BEEN SECRETARY OF DEFENSE TO TWO DIFFERENT

PRESIDENTS, TALKING ABOUT THE EROSION OF NONMILITARY FORMS OF

POWER. IT'S JUST A UFRPG AND REALLY

PUBLIC SPIRITED PERSPECTIVE THAT I'M GRATEFUL TO HEAR MORE ABOUT.

FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY ROBERT GATES, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR

TAKING TIME TO BE HERE. AGAIN THE BOOK IS CALLED

"EXERCISE OF POWER: AMERICAN SUCCESSES, FAILURES AND A NEW

PATH FORWARD IN THE POST‐WORLD WAR WORRELL."

GOOD LUCK, SIR, AND THANK YOU KNOW BEING HERE.

>>> A LITTLE BREAKING NEWS FOR YOU FROM MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

I'M JUST GOING TO READ TO YOU DIRECTLY FROM THIS STORY IN "THE

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER" THAT WAS JUST POSTED.

VOTES DOWN MASK ORDNANCE, SENDS DOCTORS OUT IN DISGUST.

JACKSON HOSPITAL, WHICH IS IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, CLEARED HIS

THROAT AS HE STARTED DESCRIBING THE DIRE SITUATION CREATED BY

THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC IN MONTGOMERY TO ITS CITY COUNCIL

BEFORE THEY VOTED TONIGHT ON A MANDATORY MASK ORDNANCE.

HE SAID, QUOTE, IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY.

I APOLOGIZE. HE SAID, QUOTE, THE UNITS ARE

FULL WITH CRITICALLY ILL COVID PATIENTS.

ABOUT 90% OF THEM ARE BLACK. HE SAID HOSPITALS ARE ABLE TO

MANAGE FOR NOW BUT IT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE.

HE SAID, QUOTE, THIS MASK SLOWS THAT DOWN, 95% PROTECTION FROM

SOMETHING AS EASY AS CLOLGT. IF THIS CONTINUES THE WAY IT'S

GOING, WE WILL BE OVERRUN. MORE DOCTORS FOLLOWED HIM TO THE

MICROPHONE DESCRIBING THE DEAD BEING CARRIED OUT WITHIN 30

MINUTES OF EACH OTHER, AND DOCTORS BEING DISTURBED WHEN

PEOPLE ON THE STREET ASKED THEM IF THE MEDIA IS LYING ABOUT THE

PANDEMIC ADDS PART OF A POLITICAL PLOY.

AFTER THEY SPOKE AND BEFORE THE COUNCIL VOTED ON A PROPOSAL TO

MANDATE MASK‐WEARING IN PUBLIC IN MONTGOMERY, ONE COUNCILMAN

BRANTLEY LYONS QUESTIONED WHETHER MASK WEARING AND

SIX‐FOOT DISTANCING REALLY HELPS.

THEY DO, THE DOCTOR REPLIED. A TRIO OF DOCTORS WHO HAD WAITED

HOURS TO SPEAK GOT UP AND LEFT THE CHAMBER IN DISGUST.

UNBELIEVABLE, THE DOCTOR SAID. WILLIAM BOYD, ONE OF THE SEVERAL

PEOPLE WHO SPOKE IN FAVORABLE OF THE ORDNANCE, SAID HE HAS LOST

SIX FAMILY MEMBERS TO COVID‐19. BOYD SAID BEFORE THE VOTE,

QUOTE, THE QUESTION ON THE TABLE IS WHETHER BLACK LIVES MATTER.

>>> I THINK THAT WE NOW JUST HAVE WIDESPREAD SUSTAINED

COMMUNITY SPREAD. THERE'S SO MUCH INFECTION OUT

THERE, THAT YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE AND BE POTENTIALLY

EXPOSED. PEOPLE ASKED ABOUT A SECOND WAVE

AND I KEEP SAYING WE NEVER STOPPED HAVING A FIRST WAVE.

>> THAT IS DR. JEANNIE MOROTZO, THE DIRECTION OF INFECTIOUS

DISEASES IN ALABAMA, THE HOSPITAL THERE SET A RECORD THIS

WEEK FOR CORONAVIRUS CASES, WHICH IS PART OF WHAT APPEARS TO

BE A WIDE SURGE IN ALABAMA NOW. SHE JOINS US LIVE NOW FROM

ALABAMA. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING

THE TIME. THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

>> HAPPY TO BE HERE, RACHEL. THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT WIDESPREAD, SUSTAINED COMMUNITY

SPREAD, WHAT SHOULD WE UNDERSTAND FROM THAT?

WHAT I TAKE FROM THAT IS THAT THE RISE WE'RE SEEING IN ALABAMA

CASE NUMBERS SHOULDN'T BE SEEN AS AN ARTIFACT OF INCREASED

TESTING OR SOMETHING, THAT THERE IS A REAL RISE AND THAT IT CAN'T

BE ASSIGNED TO ANY ONE SPECIFIC PROBLEM.

>> YEAH, EXACTLY. A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE MAKE THE

CASE THAT THE INCREASED EFFORT TO TEST PEOPLE IS EXPLAINING THE

INCREASED RATE OF DETECTION. THAT CAN BE TRUE AND ALMOST

CERTAINLY CONTRIBUTING. BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OTHER

IMPORTANT THINGS. ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING

CAREFULLY AT IS THE AVERAGE POSITIVITY OVER THE LAST WEEK OR

THE LAST TWO WEEKS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE AVERAGE

PERCENT POSITIVE TESTS IN THE STATE OF ALABAMA OVER THE LAST

TWO WEEKS, IT'S BEEN ABOUT 8%. YOU CAN CONTRAST THAT TO SOME

PLACE THAT IS WELL PAST THE PEAK OF THEIR EPIDEMIC LIKE SEATTLE,

WHERE IT'S NOW BELOW 2%. IN THE LAST SEVEN DAYS, THAT

PERCENT POSITIVE RATE IS NOW UP TO 14.5%.

SO, YES, WE'RE TESTING MORE, BUT WE'RE ALSO DETECTING MORE.

THE OTHER THING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW IS THAT PRETTY MUCH

EVERY COUNTY IN THE STATE HAS REPORTED NEW CASES EVERY DAY,

WHICH TELLS YOU SOMETHING ABOUT HOW DIFFUSE THE INFECTION IS IN

THE COMMUNITY. VERY MUCH SO.

>> HOW ARE ALABAMA HOSPITALS DOING IN THE FACE OF THIS?

I KNOW THAT IT'S NOT UNIFORMLY HAPPENING THE SAME IN EVERY

CORNER OF THE STATE AND ALABAMA IS A BIG PLACE.

YOU SPOKE WITH THE MONT GOMYGOME MAYOR.

HOW DO YOU THINK HOSPITALS IN THE STATE ARE COPING?

>> I THINK THE HOSPITALS IN MONTGOMERY ARE REALLY BEING

CHALLENGED RIGHT NOW. THEIR ICUs ARE CONSIDERABLY

SMALLER THAN THE ICUs WE HAVE HERE AT UAB.

THEY'RE BEING VERY MUCH MAXED OUT.

THEIR VENTILATORS ARE BEING MAXED OUT, AND EQUALLY

IMPORTANT, THEIR STAFF. SO PEOPLE AREN'T PAYING

ATTENTION TO THE MUCH THAT HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE IS NOT AN

EXHAUSTIVE SUPPLY. YOU CAN SHIP VENTILATORS IN, BUT

THE PEOPLE WORKING REALLY HARD TO CARE FOR THESE PATIENTS ARE

FACING SERIOUS XASEXHAUSTION, NO TO MENTION THE PSYCHOLOGICAL

STRESS OF SEEING PEOPLE DIE. IN BIRMINGHAM, WE'RE DOING TYPE.

WE'VE HAD A STEADY CENSUS OF PEOPLE WITH COVID‐19 BETWEEN 40

AND 65 SINCE MARCH. IT FEELS LIKE GROUND HOG DAY

HERE. YOU GET UP AND YOU SEE THE SAME

THING. I COULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF WE

SEE AN INCREASE IF THIS TREND CONTINUES AND WE START TO SEE

PEOPLE BEING TRANSFERRED FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE WHERE

THEY CAN'T BE ADEQUATELY CARED FOR THIS THOSE HOSPITALS WE'RE

TALKING ABOUT. >> DOCTOR, WE'VE BEEN WATCHING

ALABAMA AS CLOSELY AS WE CAN FROM HERE.

PLEASE COME >>> ONE LAST BIT OF BREAKING

NEWS BEFORE WE GO. POLITICO HAS JUST REPORTED THAT

SENIOR PENTAGON OFFICIAL ELAINE McCUSKER IS RESIGNING FROM THE

DEPARTMENT. YOU SEE THE HEADLINE THERE.

PENTAGON OFFICIAL WHO QUESTIONED UKRAINE AID FREEZE RESIGNS.

McCUSKER IS A CAREER CIVIL SERVANT.

SHE SAW HER NOMINATION FOR A SENATE CONFIRMED POSITION

SHE SAW HER NOMINATION WITHDRAWN BY THE WHITE HOUSE IN MARCH

AFTER EMAILS SHE SENT RELATED TO THE UKRAINE FIASCO, QUESTIONING

THE LEGALITY OF HOLDING UP MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE BECAME

PUBLIC AS PART OF PRESIDENT TRUMP'S IMPEACHMENT TRIAL.

YOU MIGHT REMEMBER SHE SENT THE EMAIL THAT SAID TO THE TRUMP

WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL, "YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS, I AM SPEECHLESS."

THAT SCUTTLED HER NOMINATION FOR A HIGHER RANKING JOB.

NOW TONIGHT SHE HAS RESIGNED. HER RESIGNATION IS EFFECTIVE TEN

DAYS FROM NOW. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IS BEHIND

THIS, BUT WE'LL TRY TO FIGURE IT