All language subtitles for The Rachel Maddow Show 2020 06 16 720p HULU WEB DL AAC2 0 H 264 monkee_track3_eng

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