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Downloaded from
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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX

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<i>2020.</i>

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<i>Since the 1980s,</i>

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<i>it's been a magical year
for science fiction writers,</i>

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<i>a year of predictions
about the future</i>

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<i>and the ruthless power
of technology.</i>

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<i>Humanity would be bound
together by a world wide web,</i>

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<i>artificial intelligence
would exponentially expand</i>

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<i>the powers of the human mind,</i>

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<i>and the world would be
dominated and controlled</i>

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<i>by information-based
megacorporations</i>

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<i>without need
for government intervention.</i>

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<i>But all of that turned out
to be a technocratic illusion</i>

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<i>when nature set loose
a terrible disease</i>

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<i>that took advantage</i>

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<i>of the very connectivity
we had manufactured.</i>

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<i>In Seattle, the day
of reckoning was January 20th,</i>

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<i>when America's first patient
tested positive for COVID-19.</i>

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<i>On that same day in Seoul,</i>

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<i>the first case in South Korea
would also be confirmed.</i>

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<i>Korea moved quickly
to contain the disease</i>

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<i>and save its economy
using a variation</i>

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<i>on an American plan.</i>

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<i>But in the United States,</i>

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<i>politics got
in the way of science,</i>

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<i>Allowing the virus
to spread invisibly and fast.</i>

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<i>More than 200,000 people
have died.</i>

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<i>In the first three months
of the pandemic,</i>

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<i>30 million people
lost their jobs.</i>

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No more tyranny.
No more tyranny.

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Now the Democrats are
politicizing the coronavirus.

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You know that, right?

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<i>This is their new hoax.</i>

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Who's scared of coronavirus?

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- Let go of my fucking cart!
- Are you recording me, dawg?

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<i>I have the right to buy food
without being forced</i>

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to participate
in a false flag pandemic.

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<i>At a moment of crisis,</i>

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<i>the world's
most powerful nation</i>

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<i>didn't rise to the occasion.</i>

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<i>It descended
into division and chaos.</i>

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Back up!

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What the fuck
is your problem?

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<i>Why did the United States</i>

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<i>fail to reckon with a danger</i>

47
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<i>for which it should have been
so well prepared?</i>

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<i>It's one person coming in
from China.</i>

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<i>It will go away.
Just stay calm, it'll go away.</i>

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<i>In a couple of days it's gonna
be down to close to zero.</i>

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<i>We have it totally
under control.</i>

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<i>It's gonna be just fine.</i>

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<i>Breathe in
and hold your breath.</i>

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<i>Filming
during the time of COVID</i>

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<i>presented unique challenges.</i>

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Okay, and I hold it...

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- <i>There's, like, two handles.</i>
- Yup.

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Wow, you guys have really
figured this out, okay.

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<i>One work-around was
a camera system we invented,</i>

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<i>built off-site,
and sent to subjects.</i>

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<i>We dubbed it "the COVID-cam."</i>

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So I was able...
can I hear you?

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- <i>Hello, yeah!</i>
- Hi, it's working!

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<i>I'm Scott Becker.</i>

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<i>I'm the chief
executive officer</i>

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<i>of the Association
of Public Health Laboratories.</i>

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How about this?
Now, this is really something.

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It's an actual board game.

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<i>My wife said,</i>

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<i>"You know, we should really
get it out and play it."</i>

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<i>I'm like,
"We're living through it!</i>

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I don't need the game!"

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<i>One of the functions
public health labs have</i>

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<i>is looking for those early
indications of an outbreak.</i>

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<i>And when did you first hear
about the coronavirus?</i>

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It was January 7th,
I believe,

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<i>that I first communicated
with some of our staff.</i>

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They had sent me an email
saying, "We're watching this.

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"We just talked to CDC
and they're gonna

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be standing up their
emergency operations center."

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<i>And I said,
"Well, thanks for the update.</i>

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<i>"I've been watching this.
I'm concerned about it.</i>

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<i>And happy new year."</i>

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<i>In early 2020,</i>

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<i>Trump was indifferent
to the looming pandemic.</i>

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<i>He was reckoning
with simmering conflicts</i>

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<i>and the upcoming
presidential election.</i>

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<i>♪ Time ♪</i>

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<i>We begin tonight with
the U.S. and Iran on the brink</i>

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<i>for the drone strike
that killed Qasem Soulemani.</i>

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<i>Our economy is booming,
wages are rising,</i>

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poverty is plummeting,
crime is falling,

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and America is the envy
of the entire world.

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<i>♪ That you wanna be free ♪</i>

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<i>♪ I won't have to cry
no more ♪</i>

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The whole impeachment thing
is a hoax.

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<i>It's a total sham.</i>

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<i>♪ Yeah, yeah, time, time ♪</i>

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<i>This morning, President
Trump signed phase one</i>

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<i>of a trade deal
between the U.S. and China.</i>

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<i>The pact comes after months
of escalating tariffs</i>

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<i>between the world's
two biggest economies.</i>

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And we just broke
the 29,000 mark on the DOW

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just now as we're walking in.

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Market's up
substantially today.

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<i>Up until coronavirus,
the way that Donald Trump</i>

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<i>was gonna win reelection
to a second term</i>

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<i>was largely going to be on
the strength of the economy.</i>

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<i>I covered all
of Barack Obama's two terms,</i>

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so I was there
during the Zika outbreak,

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the Ebola response.

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<i>As a White House reporter,
we sort of cover everything,</i>

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<i>so, you know, I've
bounced around every topic</i>

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<i>that you can possibly
imagine in the Trump term</i>

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and had just finished covering
the president's impeachment

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in the House,
and the trial in the Senate,

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<i>and was thinking that</i>

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we might actually get
a little bit of a break

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on the White House beat,
such as it is.

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<i>And then a few weeks later,
COVID happened.</i>

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<i>One of the first indications</i>

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<i>that the United States
government had that</i>

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this was a potential problem
was a conversation

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that the CDC director,
a guy named Robert Redfield,

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<i>had with his counterpart,
a gentleman</i>

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<i>by the name of Dr. Gao,
who was essentially the head</i>

127
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<i>of the Chinese CDC, and that
occurred on January 3rd.</i>

128
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<i>Chinese health authorities
are still working</i>

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<i>to identify the virus
behind a pneumonia outbreak</i>

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<i>in the central city of Wuhan.</i>

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<i>Gao basically said,
"Look, this is really serious.</i>

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<i>"You need to be aware of this.</i>

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<i>It's not something
we've ever seen before."</i>

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<i>I heard about
a novel respiratory virus</i>

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<i>circulating in China,
and my ears perked up.</i>

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There you are!

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<i>I've been at BARDA
for about ten years</i>

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<i>in the Department of Health
and Human Services.</i>

139
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<i>BARDA's role
is to lead the development</i>

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<i>between government
and industry</i>

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<i>of vaccines, drugs,
and diagnostic tests.</i>

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So I'm very interested,
and have been my entire career,

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of tracking early blips
of novel viruses

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that are infecting people.

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<i>It's not unusual for us to
hear of a new virus emerging</i>

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<i>in these wet markets of China.</i>

147
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<i>They can spill over
into the human population,</i>

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<i>especially the people working
in those wet markets.</i>

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But then we started seeing
China take actions

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<i>like build hospitals
rapidly, urgently.</i>

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All I could get at that point
was anecdotal stories

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<i>on Twitter, for example.</i>

153
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<i>But anyone who'd worked
in preparing</i>

154
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<i>for pandemic outbreaks knew
that we were dealing with</i>

155
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<i>something very unusual, very
concerning, and very deadly.</i>

156
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You'll get to it.
Don't rush.

157
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Here we go.
Now you got so exhausted.

158
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<i>So interesting about birds...</i>

159
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we had an earthquake,
and they were able to alert us

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15 minutes
before the earthquake.

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<i>Because they are connected
to the earth's compass,</i>

162
00:09:19,425 --> 00:09:23,628
<i>so they felt the earth
vibrating before it happens.</i>

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<i>But you are also a predictor
of things before they happen.</i>

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Yes, I am obsessed
with predicting things,

165
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<i>but that's just part
of my mathematical training.</i>

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<i>Dr. Lee's training allows her</i>

167
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<i>to act like a canary
in a coal mine.</i>

168
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<i>She's world-famous for the way
her mathematical modeling</i>

169
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<i>can predict the likely spread
of disease</i>

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<i>and assess the risk
of a pandemic.</i>

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<i>I have built so many models</i>

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<i>to describe many
different type of diseases.</i>

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When you see the first case,

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it does not mean
you only have first case.

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It means you have one case
plus many other cases

176
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<i>that you don't see.</i>

177
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<i>It's by the time
you have 41 cases,</i>

178
00:10:02,968 --> 00:10:06,070
<i>and it is, like,
at the end of December,</i>

179
00:10:06,103 --> 00:10:08,641
<i>then that means you have
hundreds of others.</i>

180
00:10:08,674 --> 00:10:12,745
<i>So I was really, really
nervous at that time.</i>

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I absolutely believe there's

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human-to-human transmission
in China.

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<i>If there are travelers coming
back to the U.S. or Europe</i>

184
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<i>for celebration of new year,
that would be truly a vector</i>

185
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<i>to really transmit the disease
all over the world,</i>

186
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<i>so I do feel that we are
marching to a pandemic</i>

187
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in the early part of January.

188
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<i>Starting tonight,
we're going to begin</i>

189
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<i>screening passengers
arriving from Wuhan</i>

190
00:10:45,676 --> 00:10:47,078
<i>at the three airports</i>

191
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<i>that see the majority
of those passengers:</i>

192
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JFK, San Francisco,
and Los Angeles.

193
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<i>Nancy Messonnier was in charge</i>

194
00:10:55,953 --> 00:10:57,723
<i>of public messaging for COVID</i>

195
00:10:57,756 --> 00:11:01,160
<i>at the Centers
for Disease Control, or CDC.</i>

196
00:11:01,193 --> 00:11:02,995
<i>An experienced
public health official</i>

197
00:11:03,027 --> 00:11:04,896
<i>and expert in vaccines,</i>

198
00:11:04,929 --> 00:11:07,599
<i>she had played a leading role
in the CDC's response</i>

199
00:11:07,632 --> 00:11:11,035
<i>to the anthrax attacks
in 2001.</i>

200
00:11:11,069 --> 00:11:12,472
<i>Just this week...</i>

201
00:11:19,144 --> 00:11:21,914
<i>Our laboratory is using
genetic sequences</i>

202
00:11:21,947 --> 00:11:23,649
<i>provided by the Chinese.</i>

203
00:11:23,681 --> 00:11:25,783
<i>We're working
on a specific diagnostic test</i>

204
00:11:25,817 --> 00:11:27,653
<i>to detect this virus.</i>

205
00:11:27,685 --> 00:11:28,786
<i>We'll be distributing
this test</i>

206
00:11:28,819 --> 00:11:31,623
<i>to state health departments.</i>

207
00:11:31,656 --> 00:11:33,725
This is
a respiratory virus.

208
00:11:33,758 --> 00:11:37,997
<i>It is spreading
silently, invisibly,</i>

209
00:11:38,030 --> 00:11:39,765
<i>person to person,</i>

210
00:11:39,798 --> 00:11:42,301
<i>in the air, on the surfaces.</i>

211
00:11:42,333 --> 00:11:45,670
<i>Every moment counts
to be able to recognize</i>

212
00:11:45,703 --> 00:11:47,272
<i>where the virus is</i>

213
00:11:47,305 --> 00:11:50,809
<i>and to learn
as much as we can about it</i>

214
00:11:50,842 --> 00:11:52,944
<i>so we can make life-saving
vaccines and drugs</i>

215
00:11:52,977 --> 00:11:55,647
<i>and diagnostic tests.</i>

216
00:11:55,680 --> 00:11:58,050
<i>So did the government have
some kind of plan or playbook</i>

217
00:11:58,083 --> 00:12:00,319
<i>that they could look to in the
event of something like this?</i>

218
00:12:00,352 --> 00:12:02,655
There's absolutely
a playbook.

219
00:12:02,688 --> 00:12:05,624
<i>We've updated playbooks
through the various years,</i>

220
00:12:05,656 --> 00:12:07,926
<i>and we actually used
those playbooks</i>

221
00:12:07,959 --> 00:12:10,762
<i>to exercise what we would do</i>

222
00:12:10,795 --> 00:12:13,732
<i>in an emerging, viral pandemic</i>

223
00:12:13,765 --> 00:12:17,937
<i>the fall
before this virus emerged.</i>

224
00:12:17,969 --> 00:12:19,271
<i>"Crimson Contagion" was</i>

225
00:12:19,304 --> 00:12:23,074
<i>a federal government exercise
conducted in 12 states.</i>

226
00:12:23,107 --> 00:12:25,877
<i>It simulated a pandemic
with eerie similarities</i>

227
00:12:25,910 --> 00:12:28,680
<i>to the coronavirus
that was to come.</i>

228
00:12:28,713 --> 00:12:31,583
<i>It was a very
thorough exercise,</i>

229
00:12:31,617 --> 00:12:35,753
<i>highly detailed, with a highly
lethal influenza virus</i>

230
00:12:35,786 --> 00:12:39,157
<i>that emerged in Asia</i>

231
00:12:39,190 --> 00:12:41,660
<i>and spread quickly
around the world.</i>

232
00:12:41,693 --> 00:12:44,362
We were getting daily
"pseudo-reports"

233
00:12:44,396 --> 00:12:47,299
<i>on the outbreak,
the death count.</i>

234
00:12:47,332 --> 00:12:50,102
<i>The mistakes made
during "Crimson Contagion"</i>

235
00:12:50,135 --> 00:12:51,770
<i>played like a preview
of coming attractions</i>

236
00:12:51,803 --> 00:12:54,106
<i>for the failures
of the COVID response.</i>

237
00:12:54,139 --> 00:12:56,775
<i>So why did the government fail
to learn the lessons needed</i>

238
00:12:56,808 --> 00:12:59,745
<i>to prepare
for what was to come?</i>

239
00:12:59,777 --> 00:13:02,247
<i>The challenge has
always been who's in charge.</i>

240
00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:04,783
<i>We would have disaster
leadership group meetings,</i>

241
00:13:04,815 --> 00:13:06,785
<i>where we would bring together</i>

242
00:13:06,818 --> 00:13:09,355
the Health and Human Services
network of experts,

243
00:13:09,387 --> 00:13:13,024
<i>and the ASPR would
convene these meetings.</i>

244
00:13:13,058 --> 00:13:15,126
<i>Who was, in fact, the ASPR?</i>

245
00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:17,929
The ASPR was Dr. Bob Kadlec.

246
00:13:17,963 --> 00:13:20,632
The threats our country faces
in the 21st century

247
00:13:20,665 --> 00:13:23,868
are very real and very serious.

248
00:13:23,901 --> 00:13:26,137
<i>A 26-year
Air Force veteran,</i>

249
00:13:26,170 --> 00:13:27,672
<i>Kadlec was a specialist</i>

250
00:13:27,705 --> 00:13:30,975
<i>in biological
and chemical weapons.</i>

251
00:13:31,008 --> 00:13:33,811
<i>As ASPR, he downplayed
the danger of pandemics,</i>

252
00:13:33,844 --> 00:13:36,314
<i>cut spending on emerging
infectious diseases,</i>

253
00:13:36,348 --> 00:13:38,349
<i>and his office
eliminated a program</i>

254
00:13:38,382 --> 00:13:41,219
<i>to manufacture N95 masks.</i>

255
00:13:45,290 --> 00:13:48,660
<i>January 18th,
I asked Dr. Kadlec</i>

256
00:13:48,694 --> 00:13:51,731
<i>if we could convene a disaster
leadership group meeting.</i>

257
00:13:53,865 --> 00:13:57,036
To my shock, his response was,

258
00:13:57,069 --> 00:14:01,073
<i>"I don't see
a sense of urgency."</i>

259
00:14:01,106 --> 00:14:04,275
<i>I just don't think he thought
there was a real opportunity</i>

260
00:14:04,309 --> 00:14:08,079
for this virus to come
into the United States.

261
00:14:08,112 --> 00:14:11,215
<i>The same day Rick
Bright reached out to Kadlec,</i>

262
00:14:11,248 --> 00:14:12,784
<i>Kadlec's boss, Alex Azar,</i>

263
00:14:12,818 --> 00:14:15,154
<i>did try to get
the president's attention.</i>

264
00:14:15,186 --> 00:14:18,923
<i>Azar was in charge
of the CDC and the FDA</i>

265
00:14:18,957 --> 00:14:22,961
<i>as the secretary of HHS,
Health and Human Services.</i>

266
00:14:22,993 --> 00:14:26,098
<i>After the previous secretary
had resigned in scandal,</i>

267
00:14:26,131 --> 00:14:27,299
<i>Azar was appointed</i>

268
00:14:27,332 --> 00:14:30,001
<i>to bring a businessman's
approach to government.</i>

269
00:14:30,035 --> 00:14:33,072
<i>As a former Big Pharma
executive at Eli Lily,</i>

270
00:14:33,104 --> 00:14:37,742
<i>Azar was infamous for having
tripled the price of insulin.</i>

271
00:14:37,775 --> 00:14:39,877
I actually knew him
in grad school.

272
00:14:39,910 --> 00:14:43,114
<i>Very conservative,
very ambitious.</i>

273
00:14:43,147 --> 00:14:47,218
<i>Went on to clerk for Scalia
on the Supreme Court.</i>

274
00:14:47,251 --> 00:14:49,387
<i>Within the administration,</i>

275
00:14:49,420 --> 00:14:52,056
<i>Azar was known for his belief
that the free market</i>

276
00:14:52,089 --> 00:14:54,792
<i>would meet America's
healthcare needs.</i>

277
00:14:54,825 --> 00:14:56,360
We, the government,
do not have the solutions

278
00:14:56,394 --> 00:14:57,763
to healthcare.

279
00:14:57,795 --> 00:14:59,098
We're usually the cause
of the problems.

280
00:14:59,131 --> 00:15:01,800
<i>With COVID, Azar
sensed that the government</i>

281
00:15:01,833 --> 00:15:04,770
<i>might have to play
some limited role.</i>

282
00:15:04,803 --> 00:15:08,073
<i>On January 18th, he knew
that the president</i>

283
00:15:08,106 --> 00:15:12,945
<i>was leaving town in a couple
of days to go to Davos,</i>

284
00:15:12,977 --> 00:15:15,146
and Azar decided,
"You know what?

285
00:15:15,179 --> 00:15:16,781
<i>"I think I'd better make sure</i>

286
00:15:16,814 --> 00:15:20,385
<i>the president is aware
of this virus."</i>

287
00:15:20,418 --> 00:15:23,889
<i>Trump was actually on the
golf course down at Mar-a-Lago</i>

288
00:15:23,921 --> 00:15:27,091
<i>when Azar called.</i>

289
00:15:27,125 --> 00:15:29,361
<i>Azar's pitch to the president</i>

290
00:15:29,394 --> 00:15:31,997
<i>was one,
this could be serious,</i>

291
00:15:32,030 --> 00:15:34,766
<i>but also he wanted to convey
a sense of kind of,</i>

292
00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:37,301
"We got this."

293
00:15:37,334 --> 00:15:39,470
<i>Of those two messages, the one</i>

294
00:15:39,503 --> 00:15:41,506
<i>that President Trump appears
to have really internalized</i>

295
00:15:41,540 --> 00:15:43,509
<i>was the "we got it" message.</i>

296
00:15:49,814 --> 00:15:53,285
<i>The CDC has identified
a case of coronavirus</i>

297
00:15:53,318 --> 00:15:55,319
<i>in Washington State.</i>

298
00:15:55,352 --> 00:15:56,988
Have you been briefed
by the CDC...

299
00:15:57,021 --> 00:15:58,523
I have.

300
00:15:58,556 --> 00:16:00,358
Are there worries
about a pandemic at this point?

301
00:16:00,391 --> 00:16:01,859
No, not at all,
and we're...

302
00:16:01,892 --> 00:16:03,427
we have it totally
under control.

303
00:16:03,460 --> 00:16:06,397
It's one person
coming in from China.

304
00:16:06,430 --> 00:16:10,368
And we have it under control.
It's gonna be just fine.

305
00:16:15,940 --> 00:16:17,441
<i>I actually think
we were very fortunate</i>

306
00:16:17,474 --> 00:16:20,845
<i>that the first case occurred
in the Seattle region.</i>

307
00:16:20,878 --> 00:16:23,881
<i>I sometimes call Seattle
sort of the CDC of the West</i>

308
00:16:23,915 --> 00:16:26,517
because there are so many
public health researchers

309
00:16:26,550 --> 00:16:29,320
and public health people
that end up in Seattle,

310
00:16:29,353 --> 00:16:33,592
<i>so in some ways I felt like,
"Okay, they're on top of it,</i>

311
00:16:33,625 --> 00:16:36,295
<i>and we're in good hands."</i>

312
00:16:36,328 --> 00:16:37,730
<i>My name's Alex Greninger,</i>

313
00:16:37,762 --> 00:16:41,199
<i>and I'm the assistant director
of the Clinical Virology Lab</i>

314
00:16:41,232 --> 00:16:43,035
<i>here at the University of
Washington Medical Center.</i>

315
00:16:43,068 --> 00:16:44,602
Hello.

316
00:16:44,636 --> 00:16:46,505
<i>Everything about that
first case from Washington</i>

317
00:16:46,538 --> 00:16:47,906
<i>was just so positive.</i>

318
00:16:47,939 --> 00:16:50,275
<i>I mean, like... let's go through
all the positivity there.</i>

319
00:16:50,308 --> 00:16:52,110
You know,
someone self-identifies,

320
00:16:52,142 --> 00:16:56,348
says, "Hey, I just flew in
from Wuhan and I have a fever."

321
00:16:56,381 --> 00:16:59,184
<i>The sample was sent overnight
to the CDC,</i>

322
00:16:59,217 --> 00:17:01,920
<i>where they turned around
a test, which is crazy.</i>

323
00:17:01,953 --> 00:17:03,856
They actually had a test
for the virus,

324
00:17:03,888 --> 00:17:08,459
where the genome had just
gone online 10 days prior.

325
00:17:08,492 --> 00:17:11,495
CDC also sent a team out
immediately

326
00:17:11,529 --> 00:17:14,098
upon that confirmation.

327
00:17:14,132 --> 00:17:16,034
<i>They, you know,
looked at all of his contacts</i>

328
00:17:16,067 --> 00:17:18,636
<i>and there was
no onward transmission.</i>

329
00:17:18,669 --> 00:17:21,372
We never identified
another case in

330
00:17:21,405 --> 00:17:24,576
the state of Washington until
the last week of February.

331
00:17:24,608 --> 00:17:27,478
But if you recall,
he was not tested

332
00:17:27,511 --> 00:17:32,117
<i>until four days
after when he became ill.</i>

333
00:17:32,149 --> 00:17:35,052
<i>And he took a share ride
back home from the airport,</i>

334
00:17:35,086 --> 00:17:37,222
<i>he had lunch
with his colleagues,</i>

335
00:17:37,254 --> 00:17:40,591
<i>and he did a lot of things
within four days.</i>

336
00:17:40,625 --> 00:17:42,961
<i>And so I estimate that
that is at least in the order</i>

337
00:17:42,993 --> 00:17:45,496
<i>of 2,000 people
that has to be tested,</i>

338
00:17:45,530 --> 00:17:50,167
<i>and so we end up missing
a lot of the cases.</i>

339
00:17:50,201 --> 00:17:51,603
We're not doctors,
but we know a doctor,

340
00:17:51,636 --> 00:17:53,905
and he's actually
an expert in viruses.

341
00:17:53,938 --> 00:17:56,240
Dr. Alex Greninger at UDub,
you're one of the leading...

342
00:17:56,273 --> 00:17:58,910
<i>I just became
an assistant professor,</i>

343
00:17:58,944 --> 00:18:00,945
and so for this new virus, you
know, they sort of invited me

344
00:18:00,979 --> 00:18:03,181
to go on the news
to talk about it.

345
00:18:03,213 --> 00:18:06,083
<i>I remember later that day,
I was in a second interview,</i>

346
00:18:06,117 --> 00:18:08,252
and like,
in the middle of the interview,

347
00:18:08,286 --> 00:18:09,922
the interviewer stopped it
and said, "Oh,

348
00:18:09,954 --> 00:18:13,125
"they just shut down, like,
the city of Wuhan

349
00:18:13,157 --> 00:18:16,127
<i>and there's no more transport
in and out of it."</i>

350
00:18:16,161 --> 00:18:18,697
<i>11 million people
are under quarantine,</i>

351
00:18:18,730 --> 00:18:22,300
and you're just kind of like,
"Wow, that just

352
00:18:22,334 --> 00:18:24,269
doesn't even seem like
it's what's gonna happen."

353
00:18:24,301 --> 00:18:26,103
<i>Like, you've just never
seen, like, a parallel world</i>

354
00:18:26,136 --> 00:18:28,572
<i>like that, what was gonna
happen here too.</i>

355
00:18:31,041 --> 00:18:33,578
<i>How do you look
at that more than one month</i>

356
00:18:33,610 --> 00:18:37,014
<i>of not having any other cases
in the state of Washington?</i>

357
00:18:37,048 --> 00:18:39,718
Oh, yeah, it was a total lie.

358
00:18:39,751 --> 00:18:42,154
In terms of, like, you know,
whether there was actual, like,

359
00:18:42,186 --> 00:18:43,588
you know, whether there were
no cases there, right?

360
00:18:43,620 --> 00:18:45,256
I mean "lie" is not
the right word,

361
00:18:45,290 --> 00:18:49,328
but just a sort of a...
you know, it was a delusion.

362
00:18:50,729 --> 00:18:51,930
<i>The delusion was</i>

363
00:18:51,963 --> 00:18:55,701
<i>that the first COVID patient
was the only one.</i>

364
00:18:55,733 --> 00:18:57,703
<i>In fact, the disease
was already spreading</i>

365
00:18:57,735 --> 00:19:00,104
<i>inside the United States.</i>

366
00:19:00,137 --> 00:19:03,341
<i>The challenge for scientists
was to convince politicians</i>

367
00:19:03,375 --> 00:19:05,010
<i>to mobilize the country</i>

368
00:19:05,042 --> 00:19:09,180
<i>to fight a virus
no one could see.</i>

369
00:19:09,213 --> 00:19:11,349
<i>In a meeting on January 23rd,</i>

370
00:19:11,383 --> 00:19:15,153
<i>Rick Bright made his pitch
to Alex Azar.</i>

371
00:19:15,185 --> 00:19:17,489
<i>My assignment,
remember in BARDA,</i>

372
00:19:17,521 --> 00:19:19,624
<i>is to make sure
that we start making</i>

373
00:19:19,656 --> 00:19:24,096
drugs, vaccines, and those
tests as quickly as possible.

374
00:19:24,128 --> 00:19:28,733
We were told the CDC was
working diligently on a test,

375
00:19:28,767 --> 00:19:32,537
and we were relying
solely on the CDC.

376
00:19:32,569 --> 00:19:36,107
<i>I raised the need to get
started immediately</i>

377
00:19:36,140 --> 00:19:39,143
<i>on commercial test development
drugs and vaccines,</i>

378
00:19:39,176 --> 00:19:42,079
<i>and the need for money
to do it.</i>

379
00:19:42,113 --> 00:19:44,616
<i>The secretary looked at me</i>

380
00:19:44,648 --> 00:19:47,084
<i>and said, "You need money?"</i>

381
00:19:47,117 --> 00:19:49,687
And I said,
"Yes, we've exercised

382
00:19:49,721 --> 00:19:53,525
<i>that it would take
about $10 billion."</i>

383
00:19:53,558 --> 00:19:57,261
<i>Without that experience
and knowledge,</i>

384
00:19:57,294 --> 00:19:58,629
<i>I might not have walked
into that room</i>

385
00:19:58,663 --> 00:20:00,565
<i>and asked for those things,</i>

386
00:20:00,598 --> 00:20:02,832
but I knew exactly
what was needed.

387
00:20:02,834 --> 00:20:06,238
<i>I learned after
that meeting, actually,</i>

388
00:20:06,271 --> 00:20:09,074
<i>that a lot of the people
were pretty offended</i>

389
00:20:09,107 --> 00:20:11,143
<i>that I would come into
a meeting with the Secretary</i>

390
00:20:11,175 --> 00:20:14,245
<i>on day one and ask for money.</i>

391
00:20:14,279 --> 00:20:16,248
And it caused
quite a shit storm,

392
00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:18,316
is how it was described to me,

393
00:20:18,348 --> 00:20:21,052
that I ruffled
a lot of feathers.

394
00:20:21,086 --> 00:20:23,387
In fact, I wasn't invited back
to those meetings

395
00:20:23,421 --> 00:20:24,790
for some time.

396
00:20:26,857 --> 00:20:30,095
<i>In the U.S.,
political appointees tightened</i>

397
00:20:30,127 --> 00:20:33,464
<i>their purse strings and hoped
the virus would just go away.</i>

398
00:20:33,498 --> 00:20:37,803
<i>South Korea reacted
very differently.</i>

399
00:20:37,836 --> 00:20:40,439
<i>When it came
to this disease response</i>

400
00:20:40,472 --> 00:20:42,206
<i>here in South Korea,</i>

401
00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:45,544
<i>the politicians largely
stayed out of the response</i>

402
00:20:45,577 --> 00:20:48,047
<i>and it was left in the hands
of professionals.</i>

403
00:20:51,448 --> 00:20:54,085
<i>After confirming its first
case of the new coronavirus,</i>

404
00:20:54,118 --> 00:20:57,588
<i>South Korea is stepping up
precautionary measures.</i>

405
00:20:59,823 --> 00:21:02,193
- Hello.
- <i>Hello.</i>

406
00:21:02,226 --> 00:21:05,530
The first case was
a 35-year-old woman

407
00:21:05,562 --> 00:21:09,501
<i>who had entered the country
from Wuhan, China.</i>

408
00:22:03,288 --> 00:22:05,156
- Okay?
- No.

409
00:22:05,190 --> 00:22:06,391
No?

410
00:22:35,319 --> 00:22:36,887
<i>MERS was a coronavirus</i>

411
00:22:36,921 --> 00:22:38,790
<i>that terrified South Korea,</i>

412
00:22:38,822 --> 00:22:42,293
<i>killing 38 people
and sickening hundreds more.</i>

413
00:22:42,327 --> 00:22:45,262
<i>The government was vilified
for its response.</i>

414
00:22:45,296 --> 00:22:47,532
<i>Soon after,
legislators pursued</i>

415
00:22:47,565 --> 00:22:49,835
<i>a series of critical reforms.</i>

416
00:23:05,883 --> 00:23:08,453
<i>As a result of that,
they passed a law</i>

417
00:23:08,485 --> 00:23:11,723
<i>in order to speed up
the approval process</i>

418
00:23:11,755 --> 00:23:15,226
of these kits
in a time of emergency.

419
00:23:15,260 --> 00:23:17,261
<i>On January 27th,</i>

420
00:23:17,294 --> 00:23:19,496
<i>South Korean health officials
summoned representatives</i>

421
00:23:19,530 --> 00:23:21,566
<i>from more than
20 medical companies</i>

422
00:23:21,598 --> 00:23:25,369
<i>to put in place
a national testing program.</i>

423
00:23:25,403 --> 00:23:28,339
It was such an urgent
request that they just met

424
00:23:28,373 --> 00:23:32,611
<i>in a conference room at one of
the train stations in Seoul.</i>

425
00:23:32,644 --> 00:23:36,848
<i>The head of the equivalent of
the CDC, he basically said,</i>

426
00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:40,651
<i>"Manufacture me
these tests now</i>

427
00:23:40,684 --> 00:23:42,753
<i>and forget
about the approval process."</i>

428
00:23:42,787 --> 00:23:44,556
<i>You know, "Start using them,
start testing.</i>

429
00:23:44,588 --> 00:23:47,759
<i>"We will come back
to make sure it's accurate,</i>

430
00:23:47,791 --> 00:23:50,995
<i>but we'll do that while
you're already in the field."</i>

431
00:23:51,029 --> 00:23:52,196
Within a matter of days
after that,

432
00:23:52,230 --> 00:23:55,333
<i>the first diagnostic test kit
was approved,</i>

433
00:23:55,366 --> 00:23:56,768
<i>and it's a process
that typically can take</i>

434
00:23:57,799 --> 00:23:58,736
<i>upwards of a year.</i>

435
00:23:58,770 --> 00:24:00,004
There were four cases
at the time,

436
00:24:00,038 --> 00:24:02,674
and it would be another few
weeks before there was a death,

437
00:24:02,706 --> 00:24:06,777
<i>but they really felt the need
for diagnostic testing</i>

438
00:24:06,810 --> 00:24:08,579
<i>to be able to see
where the problem was</i>

439
00:24:08,613 --> 00:24:11,316
and to deal with the threat.

440
00:24:11,348 --> 00:24:13,018
<i>By January 27th,</i>

441
00:24:13,050 --> 00:24:15,787
<i>South Korea was on its way
to containing the virus</i>

442
00:24:15,819 --> 00:24:17,856
<i>and preventing
an economic shutdown.</i>

443
00:24:21,925 --> 00:24:23,528
Good morning, everyone.

444
00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:27,064
And thank you for joining us
here today at HHS.

445
00:24:27,098 --> 00:24:29,401
<i>In the United States,</i>

446
00:24:29,434 --> 00:24:31,802
<i>Azar continued
to emphasize the response</i>

447
00:24:31,836 --> 00:24:34,405
<i>that had so pleased
President Trump:</i>

448
00:24:34,438 --> 00:24:36,640
<i>"We've got this."</i>

449
00:24:36,674 --> 00:24:38,876
The playbook for responding
to an infectious disease

450
00:24:38,909 --> 00:24:42,946
outbreak is relatively
simple and multi-tiered.

451
00:24:42,980 --> 00:24:45,849
You identify cases,
isolate people,

452
00:24:45,883 --> 00:24:48,319
diagnose them, and treat them.

453
00:24:48,353 --> 00:24:49,888
Then you track down
all the contacts

454
00:24:49,921 --> 00:24:53,325
of the infected person, and you
do the same with those people,

455
00:24:53,357 --> 00:24:56,528
and the same with contacts
of contacts if necessary.

456
00:24:56,560 --> 00:24:58,429
It sounded
<i>like a perfect plan,</i>

457
00:24:58,463 --> 00:25:00,632
<i>but it was missing
a key detail.</i>

458
00:25:00,665 --> 00:25:02,966
<i>There was no comprehensive
national testing</i>

459
00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:04,669
<i>and tracing program.</i>

460
00:25:04,702 --> 00:25:07,739
<i>Even so, the CDC stuck
to a version of the script</i>

461
00:25:07,771 --> 00:25:09,006
<i>drafted by Azar.</i>

462
00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:10,642
The CDC will continue

463
00:25:10,675 --> 00:25:13,110
its aggressive public health
response strategy,

464
00:25:13,144 --> 00:25:15,380
working to protect
the health and safety

465
00:25:15,413 --> 00:25:16,748
of the American public.

466
00:25:16,780 --> 00:25:20,351
Right now, there is no spread
of this virus

467
00:25:20,385 --> 00:25:22,520
in our communities
here at home.

468
00:25:22,552 --> 00:25:23,620
<i>Appointed by Trump</i>

469
00:25:23,654 --> 00:25:26,090
<i>after his predecessor left
in disgrace,</i>

470
00:25:26,124 --> 00:25:28,626
<i>Redfield was
a controversial virologist</i>

471
00:25:28,658 --> 00:25:31,595
<i>with no experience leading
a public health agency.</i>

472
00:25:31,628 --> 00:25:35,065
<i>During the AIDS crisis, he
preached a religious approach,</i>

473
00:25:35,098 --> 00:25:38,102
<i>calling for abstinence
as a solution.</i>

474
00:25:38,136 --> 00:25:41,004
<i>With his former assistant,
Deborah Birx,</i>

475
00:25:41,038 --> 00:25:44,541
<i>Redfield's attempts to push
an unproven HIV vaccine</i>

476
00:25:44,575 --> 00:25:48,446
<i>were twice investigated
for scientific misconduct.</i>

477
00:25:48,479 --> 00:25:52,484
Redfield is a little bit
of an oddity for the CDC.

478
00:25:52,517 --> 00:25:55,653
<i>The CDC is an institution
filled with scientists</i>

479
00:25:55,685 --> 00:25:58,990
<i>and researchers who don't like
to be told that science has</i>

480
00:25:59,022 --> 00:26:02,059
<i>to compromise for economics
or for politics.</i>

481
00:26:02,092 --> 00:26:04,495
You know,
they want to be purists.

482
00:26:04,529 --> 00:26:08,066
<i>Donald Trump is a president
who has expressed</i>

483
00:26:08,098 --> 00:26:10,534
an incredible disdain
for science

484
00:26:10,568 --> 00:26:13,771
<i>since before he took office.</i>

485
00:26:13,805 --> 00:26:15,507
<i>Inside the West Wing,</i>

486
00:26:15,540 --> 00:26:19,077
they refer to the CDC
as the Deep State.

487
00:26:19,109 --> 00:26:23,548
<i>Certainly many of the people
at the CDC saw Redfield</i>

488
00:26:23,580 --> 00:26:26,950
<i>as not having the kind of
backbone that they would like</i>

489
00:26:26,983 --> 00:26:29,853
<i>to have seen in a CDC director</i>

490
00:26:29,886 --> 00:26:31,655
to stand up to the president

491
00:26:31,688 --> 00:26:35,426
both privately,
but also publicly.

492
00:26:38,495 --> 00:26:41,432
<i>Some scientists
were willing to push back.</i>

493
00:26:41,465 --> 00:26:43,600
<i>Public health officials
from around the country</i>

494
00:26:43,634 --> 00:26:47,439
<i>shared doubts that the CDC
was responding to the virus</i>

495
00:26:47,472 --> 00:26:48,973
<i>with enough speed and concern.</i>

496
00:26:49,005 --> 00:26:50,974
<i>They circulated
an email chain,</i>

497
00:26:51,008 --> 00:26:54,813
<i>which included Trump
officials, called "Red Dawn."</i>

498
00:26:56,580 --> 00:26:58,550
What's going on here,
my friend?

499
00:26:58,582 --> 00:27:00,551
<i>It was a
tongue-and-cheek nod</i>

500
00:27:00,585 --> 00:27:04,222
<i>to a 1984 movie about a small
band of American citizens</i>

501
00:27:04,254 --> 00:27:06,056
<i>who fight back
against a Russian invasion.</i>

502
00:27:06,089 --> 00:27:08,025
<i>This is the Emergency
Broadcast System.</i>

503
00:27:08,059 --> 00:27:09,194
<i>We are under attack by...</i>

504
00:27:09,226 --> 00:27:11,228
<i>We were a little bit
like the Wolverines</i>

505
00:27:11,261 --> 00:27:12,797
<i>from that movie.</i>

506
00:27:12,829 --> 00:27:13,798
They know who
all of you are.

507
00:27:13,830 --> 00:27:15,666
They're looking for you.

508
00:27:15,700 --> 00:27:18,569
<i>A group of teenagers
that are fighting back,</i>

509
00:27:18,603 --> 00:27:20,605
and one of us thought
it would be funny

510
00:27:20,637 --> 00:27:24,576
to use "Red Dawn"
as the subject title.

511
00:27:24,608 --> 00:27:27,678
<i>That email chain, it's a group</i>

512
00:27:27,712 --> 00:27:31,015
<i>of former and current
state and local officials</i>

513
00:27:31,048 --> 00:27:33,984
<i>within the federal government.</i>

514
00:27:34,018 --> 00:27:36,521
<i>These are all very
dear colleagues that have been</i>

515
00:27:36,553 --> 00:27:40,123
in public health and emergency
response for a long time.

516
00:27:40,156 --> 00:27:44,761
<i>In late January, we were
consciously monitoring,</i>

517
00:27:44,794 --> 00:27:47,664
<i>trying to assess
when it hit us,</i>

518
00:27:47,697 --> 00:27:50,968
how big the scope
of the calamity

519
00:27:51,001 --> 00:27:55,205
that we are looking into.
and how to mitigate it.

520
00:27:55,239 --> 00:27:57,075
<i>I think in January,</i>

521
00:27:57,107 --> 00:27:58,275
<i>the cat was already
out of the bag</i>

522
00:27:58,309 --> 00:28:01,045
in terms of we had cases
in the U.S.,

523
00:28:01,078 --> 00:28:02,881
we had human-to-human
transmission going on

524
00:28:02,914 --> 00:28:04,516
<i>in the U.S.,</i>

525
00:28:04,549 --> 00:28:09,220
<i>and we were going to be
dealing with COVID-19.</i>

526
00:28:09,252 --> 00:28:11,088
I mean, I wasn't able
to sleep.

527
00:28:11,121 --> 00:28:13,590
<i>I couldn't stop thinking about</i>

528
00:28:13,624 --> 00:28:17,161
<i>what could go wrong for us.</i>

529
00:28:17,194 --> 00:28:19,129
<i>The "Red Dawn"
emails would be full</i>

530
00:28:19,163 --> 00:28:20,665
<i>of warnings
and recommendations</i>

531
00:28:20,697 --> 00:28:23,200
<i>from experts
in pandemic response.</i>

532
00:28:23,233 --> 00:28:25,602
<i>But politicians failed
to recognize</i>

533
00:28:25,636 --> 00:28:28,071
<i>that there were lessons
to be learned.</i>

534
00:28:28,105 --> 00:28:30,808
<i>There's never been anything
like this in history.</i>

535
00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:32,876
<i>There's never been and nobody
has ever seen anything</i>

536
00:28:32,909 --> 00:28:35,078
<i>like this.</i>

537
00:28:35,111 --> 00:28:37,648
<i>Nothing could be
further from the truth.</i>

538
00:28:37,682 --> 00:28:39,918
<i>To be ready for the perils
of the future,</i>

539
00:28:39,951 --> 00:28:43,254
<i>all one had to do
is look clearly at the past.</i>

540
00:28:43,287 --> 00:28:46,558
<i>In 1918,
in the midst of war,</i>

541
00:28:46,590 --> 00:28:49,960
<i>influenza marched across the
earth from country to country.</i>

542
00:28:49,993 --> 00:28:52,930
<i>Epidemic lurked everywhere.</i>

543
00:28:52,963 --> 00:28:56,200
<i>To ward off contagion, special
precautions were taken.</i>

544
00:29:01,238 --> 00:29:03,741
<i>With no vaccine
and few treatment options,</i>

545
00:29:03,773 --> 00:29:06,010
<i>simple but effective
precautionary measures</i>

546
00:29:06,042 --> 00:29:09,013
<i>like masks
were all people had.</i>

547
00:29:12,116 --> 00:29:16,354
<i>The H1N1 flu infected
500 million people,</i>

548
00:29:16,386 --> 00:29:20,825
<i>1/3 of the world's population
at the time.</i>

549
00:29:20,857 --> 00:29:24,028
<i>The death toll
can only be estimated</i>

550
00:29:24,060 --> 00:29:27,331
<i>somewhere between
20 and 50 million people.</i>

551
00:29:30,267 --> 00:29:32,971
<i>Since 1918,
scientific advancements</i>

552
00:29:33,003 --> 00:29:35,305
<i>like the invention
of the electron microscope</i>

553
00:29:35,338 --> 00:29:39,977
<i>have allowed us to see
the "invisible enemy."</i>

554
00:29:40,011 --> 00:29:42,946
<i>But even with vaccines
and advances in pathology,</i>

555
00:29:42,980 --> 00:29:44,949
<i>the growth
of global transportation</i>

556
00:29:44,982 --> 00:29:47,285
<i>made other pandemics
ever more likely.</i>

557
00:29:52,088 --> 00:29:56,394
<i>In 2003, a deadly
SARS coronavirus</i>

558
00:29:56,426 --> 00:30:00,397
<i>spread from bats to humans
was quickly contained.</i>

559
00:30:00,431 --> 00:30:02,967
<i>In 2009,
the Obama Administration</i>

560
00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:06,337
<i>faced a challenge when
a new strain of H1N1 emerged.</i>

561
00:30:06,369 --> 00:30:08,739
Good afternoon, everybody.

562
00:30:08,772 --> 00:30:12,909
<i>There's no doubt that
every president should learn</i>

563
00:30:12,943 --> 00:30:15,279
<i>from what has happened before.</i>

564
00:30:15,311 --> 00:30:19,250
President Obama felt it very
important from the beginning

565
00:30:19,282 --> 00:30:22,786
and all the way through
our dealing with H1N1

566
00:30:22,819 --> 00:30:24,922
that the scientists
make the calls.

567
00:30:24,954 --> 00:30:27,357
H1N1 influenza is here.

568
00:30:27,390 --> 00:30:28,959
<i>I'm Dr. Tom Frieden.</i>

569
00:30:28,992 --> 00:30:33,731
<i>I directed the CDC
from 2009 to 2017.</i>

570
00:30:33,763 --> 00:30:36,199
I just sprayed down
the chair with Lysol.

571
00:30:36,232 --> 00:30:37,234
All right.

572
00:30:37,268 --> 00:30:38,836
<i>We dealt with epidemics</i>

573
00:30:38,868 --> 00:30:43,974
<i>of Zika, Ebola, MERS,
and H1N1 influenza.</i>

574
00:30:44,008 --> 00:30:46,376
Our Emergency Operations Center
was activated

575
00:30:46,409 --> 00:30:48,912
more than 90% of the time
that I was there.

576
00:30:48,945 --> 00:30:50,814
That's the way of reducing
exposures,

577
00:30:50,848 --> 00:30:53,216
if there is a lot of H1N1.

578
00:30:53,250 --> 00:30:55,752
We do think there may
be some challenges, though,

579
00:30:55,786 --> 00:30:57,188
practical challenges.

580
00:30:57,221 --> 00:31:01,192
<i>President Obama made it very
clear that HHS was in the lead</i>

581
00:31:01,224 --> 00:31:05,029
and that I would be the
spokesperson for the flu,

582
00:31:05,061 --> 00:31:08,699
as he would call me,
the face of the flu.

583
00:31:08,732 --> 00:31:10,934
<i>H1N1 was very scary</i>

584
00:31:10,967 --> 00:31:14,304
<i>because children were
particularly vulnerable.</i>

585
00:31:14,338 --> 00:31:16,040
Hi, it's Elmo.

586
00:31:16,072 --> 00:31:18,275
And I'm Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius.

587
00:31:18,309 --> 00:31:19,743
Elmo
and Secretary Sebelius...

588
00:31:19,777 --> 00:31:23,848
<i>Teaching kids to sneeze into
their elbows was a big thing.</i>

589
00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:26,983
First, you learn to sneeze into
the bend of your arm like this.

590
00:31:27,017 --> 00:31:29,120
- Achoo.
- Oh, very good.

591
00:31:30,521 --> 00:31:33,324
<i>13,000 Americans
died from H1N1</i>

592
00:31:33,357 --> 00:31:34,892
<i>and the Obama Administration</i>

593
00:31:34,925 --> 00:31:36,993
<i>mishandled
vaccine distribution,</i>

594
00:31:37,027 --> 00:31:39,197
<i>but scientists gave
the administration high marks</i>

595
00:31:39,230 --> 00:31:40,832
<i>for moving quickly</i>

596
00:31:40,865 --> 00:31:43,901
<i>and being open
with the press and the public.</i>

597
00:31:43,934 --> 00:31:45,502
<i>Just four years later,</i>

598
00:31:45,536 --> 00:31:49,040
<i>the Obama Administration's
response to the Ebola crisis</i>

599
00:31:49,072 --> 00:31:52,442
<i>would be criticized
for being too slow.</i>

600
00:31:52,475 --> 00:31:54,511
In the case of Ebola
I remember being in the room,

601
00:31:54,544 --> 00:31:57,214
in the White House
briefing room.

602
00:31:57,248 --> 00:31:58,915
You guys are up here
talking about,

603
00:31:58,948 --> 00:32:01,118
"We have this great and
perfect system that's going

604
00:32:01,152 --> 00:32:04,122
"to be able to, you know,
contain this virus

605
00:32:04,155 --> 00:32:05,822
because we've done
all this preparation,"

606
00:32:05,856 --> 00:32:08,259
and yet it doesn't
look like it's working.

607
00:32:08,291 --> 00:32:10,794
<i>Hindsight is always 20/20.</i>

608
00:32:10,828 --> 00:32:13,865
I can look back at any outbreak
I worked on

609
00:32:13,897 --> 00:32:15,933
and say, "I made a series
of mistakes there."

610
00:32:15,965 --> 00:32:18,136
We all do, but the key is,

611
00:32:18,168 --> 00:32:20,137
are they unforced errors?

612
00:32:20,171 --> 00:32:21,539
I think it is important
to reflect

613
00:32:21,571 --> 00:32:25,041
on whatever lessons we learn,
we build and incorporate.

614
00:32:25,075 --> 00:32:28,078
After the Ebola crisis
passed,

615
00:32:28,111 --> 00:32:30,981
the Obama National Security
Council had essentially

616
00:32:31,014 --> 00:32:35,252
created a unit within
the National Security Council

617
00:32:35,286 --> 00:32:37,922
<i>dedicated to sort of
pandemic response.</i>

618
00:32:40,925 --> 00:32:42,393
No, I cannot see Ben.

619
00:32:42,425 --> 00:32:44,194
I can see his hand
when he moves it out here,

620
00:32:44,228 --> 00:32:46,097
but he's got a face shield on.

621
00:32:46,129 --> 00:32:49,166
It's pretty good.
Hardcore.

622
00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:51,469
<i>Beth Cameron
was in charge of countering</i>

623
00:32:51,501 --> 00:32:55,005
<i>biological threats
for the Obama Administration.</i>

624
00:32:55,039 --> 00:32:56,973
<i>We set up a new directorate</i>

625
00:32:57,007 --> 00:32:58,910
<i>on global health security
and biodefense,</i>

626
00:32:58,943 --> 00:33:02,879
<i>and I was honored to be able
to lead that directorate,</i>

627
00:33:02,913 --> 00:33:05,016
and also to be able to take on
a lot of the lessons

628
00:33:05,049 --> 00:33:08,985
that we really had learned
after the Ebola epidemic.

629
00:33:09,019 --> 00:33:10,488
<i>In 2016,</i>

630
00:33:10,521 --> 00:33:12,889
<i>Beth Cameron and her team
at the NSC</i>

631
00:33:12,923 --> 00:33:17,494
<i>drafted a 69-page playbook on
how to deal with a pandemic.</i>

632
00:33:17,528 --> 00:33:19,329
<i>The playbook was intended</i>

633
00:33:19,363 --> 00:33:23,167
<i>to allow people in the
White House to ask questions.</i>

634
00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:24,434
<i>What should we do?</i>

635
00:33:24,467 --> 00:33:26,436
<i>And also,
what do we need to do</i>

636
00:33:26,470 --> 00:33:30,007
<i>to get ahead so that we're
not constantly reacting?</i>

637
00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:32,210
<i>So what happened
to this playbook?</i>

638
00:33:32,242 --> 00:33:36,880
So the playbook is reported
to not have been used.

639
00:33:36,914 --> 00:33:38,516
The Obama Administration
did not leave

640
00:33:38,549 --> 00:33:42,019
to this administration
any kind of game plan

641
00:33:42,051 --> 00:33:43,620
for something like this.

642
00:33:43,654 --> 00:33:47,959
I have no idea why
Mitch McConnell said

643
00:33:47,992 --> 00:33:49,492
that he didn't know
about the playbook.

644
00:33:49,526 --> 00:33:51,596
<i>There were a large number
of copies</i>

645
00:33:51,628 --> 00:33:53,463
<i>that were spiral bound
of this playbook.</i>

646
00:33:53,496 --> 00:33:55,532
<i>It was briefed to
the incoming administration.</i>

647
00:33:55,566 --> 00:33:58,269
It did become politicized.

648
00:33:58,301 --> 00:34:00,271
Some have
erroneously suggested

649
00:34:00,303 --> 00:34:01,571
that the Trump Administration

650
00:34:01,605 --> 00:34:03,941
threw out
the pandemic response playbook

651
00:34:03,973 --> 00:34:06,944
left by the Obama-Biden
Administration.

652
00:34:06,976 --> 00:34:08,879
What the critics failed
to note, however,

653
00:34:08,912 --> 00:34:11,948
is that this thin packet
of paper was replaced

654
00:34:11,981 --> 00:34:15,986
by two detailed, robust,
pandemic response reports

655
00:34:16,019 --> 00:34:18,121
commissioned
by the Trump Administration.

656
00:34:18,155 --> 00:34:20,390
<i>The last thing that they
wanted was to pay attention</i>

657
00:34:20,423 --> 00:34:21,992
<i>to what the Obama people
wanted them</i>

658
00:34:22,026 --> 00:34:23,294
<i>to pay attention to.</i>

659
00:34:23,327 --> 00:34:25,062
They were trying
to make a clean break

660
00:34:25,095 --> 00:34:27,899
from what they saw
as a disastrous presidency,

661
00:34:27,932 --> 00:34:29,634
and this was
the Trump presidency.

662
00:34:29,667 --> 00:34:33,004
<i>♪ And I'm proud
to be An American ♪</i>

663
00:34:33,037 --> 00:34:36,040
<i>♪ Where at least
I know I'm free ♪</i>

664
00:34:36,073 --> 00:34:38,376
<i>I think it's important
to understand</i>

665
00:34:38,408 --> 00:34:40,644
<i>that biological threats
are not the thing</i>

666
00:34:40,678 --> 00:34:42,680
<i>that is always top of mind
for a senior leader.</i>

667
00:34:42,713 --> 00:34:45,383
<i>♪ And I'd gladly stand up ♪</i>

668
00:34:45,415 --> 00:34:48,251
<i>But there really was
a lot of pressure</i>

669
00:34:48,285 --> 00:34:49,987
<i>on all of the civil servants</i>

670
00:34:50,019 --> 00:34:52,022
<i>in between Barack Obama
and Donald Trump</i>

671
00:34:52,055 --> 00:34:55,358
to explain why we need
high-level officials

672
00:34:55,392 --> 00:34:59,096
who are looking at that issue
all the time.

673
00:34:59,129 --> 00:35:02,300
<i>After I left, I continued
to work with the Trump team</i>

674
00:35:02,332 --> 00:35:04,568
in my new position
outside of government

675
00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:08,571
until the directorate
was dissolved in May of 2018.

676
00:35:08,604 --> 00:35:11,309
<i>The Global National
Security Team was disbanded</i>

677
00:35:11,341 --> 00:35:13,044
<i>under a reorganization</i>

678
00:35:13,077 --> 00:35:16,414
<i>by Trump's National
Security Advisor, John Bolton.</i>

679
00:35:16,446 --> 00:35:19,082
<i>It was really shocking
that any administration</i>

680
00:35:19,115 --> 00:35:23,219
would get rid of so much
experience and expertise

681
00:35:23,252 --> 00:35:25,655
and the collaboration
and coordination

682
00:35:25,689 --> 00:35:29,093
that comes with that...
those years.

683
00:35:29,126 --> 00:35:31,294
<i>From the moment
of Trump's inauguration,</i>

684
00:35:31,327 --> 00:35:34,197
<i>the guiding slogan of staffing
was not "you're hired,"</i>

685
00:35:34,231 --> 00:35:36,232
<i>but "you're fired."</i>

686
00:35:36,265 --> 00:35:38,202
<i>Key positions went unfilled.</i>

687
00:35:38,234 --> 00:35:40,303
<i>Many more were eliminated.</i>

688
00:35:40,336 --> 00:35:42,072
<i>And when people were hired,</i>

689
00:35:42,106 --> 00:35:45,977
<i>experience was not nearly
as important as loyalty.</i>

690
00:35:46,010 --> 00:35:48,713
<i>On January 29th, the White
House announced the formation</i>

691
00:35:48,745 --> 00:35:50,314
<i>of an official task force</i>

692
00:35:50,347 --> 00:35:52,749
<i>to confront the threat
of the coronavirus.</i>

693
00:35:52,783 --> 00:35:54,118
<i>Well, good afternoon,
everyone.</i>

694
00:35:54,151 --> 00:35:55,653
I'm Alex Azar.

695
00:35:55,685 --> 00:35:56,886
<i>Led by Azar,</i>

696
00:35:56,921 --> 00:36:00,024
<i>the task force had
little scientific expertise.</i>

697
00:36:00,057 --> 00:36:02,660
<i>Most were businessmen
and lawyers, seemingly chosen</i>

698
00:36:02,693 --> 00:36:05,562
<i>for their political
or religious beliefs.</i>

699
00:36:05,595 --> 00:36:08,631
<i>One had been Sarah Palin's
foreign policy advisor.</i>

700
00:36:08,664 --> 00:36:11,134
<i>Another was
a climate change denier</i>

701
00:36:11,167 --> 00:36:15,305
<i>who opposed homosexuality
as an act against nature.</i>

702
00:36:15,339 --> 00:36:17,308
<i>The only two
public health officials</i>

703
00:36:17,341 --> 00:36:20,377
<i>were Redfield
and Dr. Anthony Fauci.</i>

704
00:36:20,410 --> 00:36:22,379
<i>At the National Institute
of Health,</i>

705
00:36:22,412 --> 00:36:24,481
<i>Fauci had advised
six presidents</i>

706
00:36:24,515 --> 00:36:27,084
<i>and had been at the forefront
of every epidemic response</i>

707
00:36:27,117 --> 00:36:29,319
<i>for the last 40 years.</i>

708
00:36:29,352 --> 00:36:32,455
The issue now with this is
that there's a lot of unknowns.

709
00:36:32,488 --> 00:36:34,557
As you can see
just from the media,

710
00:36:34,591 --> 00:36:38,162
the number of cases
have steeply inclined

711
00:36:38,194 --> 00:36:40,164
each and every day.

712
00:36:40,196 --> 00:36:41,499
<i>At the first briefing,</i>

713
00:36:41,531 --> 00:36:43,167
<i>they announced
no concrete programs</i>

714
00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:44,535
<i>to contain the virus</i>

715
00:36:44,568 --> 00:36:46,703
<i>inside the borders
of the United States.</i>

716
00:36:46,736 --> 00:36:48,805
<i>Instead, they offered
a variation</i>

717
00:36:48,839 --> 00:36:52,410
<i>of a familiar Trump refrain...
"build a wall."</i>

718
00:36:52,443 --> 00:36:55,178
Foreign nationals,
other than immediate family

719
00:36:55,211 --> 00:36:57,714
of U.S. citizens
and permanent residents

720
00:36:57,747 --> 00:37:02,252
who have traveled in China
within the last 14 days

721
00:37:02,285 --> 00:37:06,523
will be denied entry into the
United States for this time.

722
00:37:08,392 --> 00:37:11,395
<i>In the months after that,
tens of thousands of people</i>

723
00:37:11,428 --> 00:37:13,564
from China still make their way
into the United States,

724
00:37:13,597 --> 00:37:16,267
mostly Americans
who are returning home

725
00:37:16,300 --> 00:37:19,069
<i>and are not blocked
by that ruling.</i>

726
00:37:24,374 --> 00:37:26,577
<i>"Diamond Princess,"
this is your captain speaking</i>

727
00:37:26,609 --> 00:37:29,713
<i>from the bridge.</i>

728
00:37:29,745 --> 00:37:33,383
<i>We have been notified that</i>

729
00:37:33,417 --> 00:37:35,586
<i>10 additional people</i>

730
00:37:35,618 --> 00:37:39,656
<i>have tested positive
for coronavirus.</i>

731
00:37:39,689 --> 00:37:41,524
<i>The captain
of the "Diamond Princess"</i>

732
00:37:41,557 --> 00:37:43,526
<i>had docked his vessel
in Yokohama</i>

733
00:37:43,560 --> 00:37:47,665
<i>after learning a passenger had
tested positive for COVID-19.</i>

734
00:37:47,698 --> 00:37:51,602
<i>The Japanese government
ordered a 14-day quarantine.</i>

735
00:37:51,635 --> 00:37:54,171
<i>Eventually,
over 700 passengers</i>

736
00:37:54,203 --> 00:37:55,472
<i>would test positive.</i>

737
00:37:55,506 --> 00:37:56,874
<i>That made
the "Diamond Princess"</i>

738
00:37:56,908 --> 00:38:01,112
<i>the largest known outbreak
of the virus outside of China.</i>

739
00:38:01,144 --> 00:38:03,813
Donald Trump, save us.

740
00:38:03,847 --> 00:38:06,484
Get us a government-based
airplane.

741
00:38:06,517 --> 00:38:08,752
- Not even that, just like...
- Get us off the ship.

742
00:38:08,785 --> 00:38:11,321
<i>I received a phone call</i>

743
00:38:11,354 --> 00:38:14,891
<i>that a disaster
medical assistance team</i>

744
00:38:14,925 --> 00:38:18,896
<i>was being assembled
to do a rescue operation</i>

745
00:38:18,928 --> 00:38:22,599
to go pull American citizens
off of the "Diamond Princess"

746
00:38:22,633 --> 00:38:24,502
and bring them back to the U.S.

747
00:38:24,535 --> 00:38:27,238
<i>And I was asked
if I would be willing to go</i>

748
00:38:27,271 --> 00:38:29,140
<i>as an expert
to go help the team.</i>

749
00:38:29,173 --> 00:38:32,176
Okay, they've got a bunch
of people in white coats.

750
00:38:32,209 --> 00:38:34,178
They're not white coats.
They're white hazmat suits.

751
00:38:34,211 --> 00:38:35,513
They're white hazmat suits.

752
00:38:35,546 --> 00:38:37,381
They've got these
little tunnels down here.

753
00:38:37,414 --> 00:38:41,252
The E.T. Tunnels, I call them.

754
00:38:41,285 --> 00:38:43,654
<i>At the time, we still
didn't know a lot</i>

755
00:38:43,687 --> 00:38:46,390
<i>about
the transmission dynamics</i>

756
00:38:46,423 --> 00:38:51,294
<i>or even the severity
and lethality of the disease.</i>

757
00:38:51,327 --> 00:38:53,796
<i>The "Diamond Princess"
confirmed</i>

758
00:38:53,830 --> 00:38:57,568
<i>many, many of what
I was nervous about.</i>

759
00:38:57,600 --> 00:38:59,303
<i>First of all, it shows</i>

760
00:38:59,336 --> 00:39:02,339
how it spread
in a confined environment

761
00:39:02,372 --> 00:39:04,942
with lots of people, right?

762
00:39:04,975 --> 00:39:08,245
<i>Even though all of them
has their own cubicle,</i>

763
00:39:08,278 --> 00:39:10,647
<i>but that's exactly
like apartment complexes</i>

764
00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:14,584
<i>in New York City,
and you go out, right?</i>

765
00:39:14,618 --> 00:39:18,522
<i>You go to places confined
in a mall, and in classrooms,</i>

766
00:39:18,555 --> 00:39:22,193
<i>in dormitories,
in many, many settings.</i>

767
00:39:22,225 --> 00:39:24,327
<i>It basically gave us
a very parallel world</i>

768
00:39:24,361 --> 00:39:28,265
<i>of what could be happening
to us.</i>

769
00:39:28,298 --> 00:39:31,202
<i>Even after the ship went
into quarantine</i>

770
00:39:31,234 --> 00:39:34,771
<i>and passengers were really
restricted to their rooms,</i>

771
00:39:34,805 --> 00:39:37,875
<i>the fact that the outbreak
continued to grow demonstrated</i>

772
00:39:37,908 --> 00:39:41,679
<i>that there may be more
to transmission phenomenon</i>

773
00:39:41,711 --> 00:39:44,347
<i>than we initially thought.</i>

774
00:39:46,850 --> 00:39:50,453
<i>So when we saw that,
that really hit home to us</i>

775
00:39:50,486 --> 00:39:53,957
<i>that this is
a pretty explosive situation.</i>

776
00:39:53,990 --> 00:39:58,261
<i>Okay, they quarantine, but
yet the spread is like fire.</i>

777
00:39:58,294 --> 00:40:02,700
It shows... it really highlights
strategic tests is a must.

778
00:40:02,732 --> 00:40:04,801
<i>Eva Lee began
to sound the alarm</i>

779
00:40:04,834 --> 00:40:07,303
<i>in the "Red Dawn" emails
about asymptomatic spread</i>

780
00:40:07,336 --> 00:40:09,572
<i>and the need to test widely.</i>

781
00:40:09,606 --> 00:40:11,475
<i>She knew in early February</i>

782
00:40:11,508 --> 00:40:15,312
<i>what federal officials
refused to recognize.</i>

783
00:40:15,345 --> 00:40:16,946
<i>Only a vast infrastructure
for mass testing</i>

784
00:40:16,979 --> 00:40:18,881
<i>could spot and contain a virus</i>

785
00:40:18,914 --> 00:40:22,352
<i>that was already moving
invisibly across the country.</i>

786
00:40:22,385 --> 00:40:24,954
Then I thought to myself,
"That is it."

787
00:40:24,988 --> 00:40:27,890
We will have no chance
to contain.

788
00:40:27,923 --> 00:40:30,593
<i>If we are not going
to take actions now,</i>

789
00:40:30,627 --> 00:40:33,698
<i>we would regret and
we would be late, late, late.</i>

790
00:40:36,033 --> 00:40:39,636
<i>The trifecta is test,
trace, and isolate.</i>

791
00:40:39,669 --> 00:40:43,906
<i>You need to have all three
of those working in tandem</i>

792
00:40:43,939 --> 00:40:47,345
<i>to be able to take down
any infectious disease.</i>

793
00:40:48,944 --> 00:40:50,613
<i>I'm from Hong Kong,</i>

794
00:40:50,647 --> 00:40:54,685
<i>and I grew up during SARS,</i>

795
00:40:54,718 --> 00:40:56,787
so I guess that was my first
experience with an outbreak,

796
00:40:56,819 --> 00:41:01,392
which has turned out to be
an interesting reference point

797
00:41:01,425 --> 00:41:02,725
during this outbreak.

798
00:41:04,861 --> 00:41:07,531
<i>My boss was like, "You
should cover the coronavirus."</i>

799
00:41:07,564 --> 00:41:09,399
<i>So my question's gonna be,</i>

800
00:41:09,432 --> 00:41:11,635
<i>where are we deviating
from the playbook?</i>

801
00:41:11,667 --> 00:41:15,405
<i>That's where I hold
the government accountable.</i>

802
00:41:15,439 --> 00:41:19,510
<i>So the CDC made a test
that worked in their lab</i>

803
00:41:19,542 --> 00:41:21,878
<i>before the first case of COVID</i>

804
00:41:21,912 --> 00:41:25,716
<i>landed in the state of
Washington on January 20.</i>

805
00:41:25,749 --> 00:41:28,551
<i>What they saw as their next
step was sending test kits</i>

806
00:41:28,584 --> 00:41:29,986
<i>based on their design</i>

807
00:41:30,019 --> 00:41:33,423
<i>to public labs
around the country.</i>

808
00:41:33,457 --> 00:41:36,093
<i>So CDC can't just
make a test and send it out.</i>

809
00:41:36,126 --> 00:41:40,763
<i>They have to apply for
Emergency Use Authorization.</i>

810
00:41:40,796 --> 00:41:44,501
This week, the FDA issued
an Emergency Use Authorization

811
00:41:44,533 --> 00:41:46,703
for the CDC's diagnostic test.

812
00:41:46,736 --> 00:41:49,005
Having a declaration
of an emergency

813
00:41:49,039 --> 00:41:51,709
allows you to, like,
cut through a lot of red tape

814
00:41:51,742 --> 00:41:52,975
where, like, you don't have to

815
00:41:53,008 --> 00:41:54,911
approve things
the traditional pathway,

816
00:41:54,944 --> 00:41:56,979
<i>which takes many, many years.</i>

817
00:41:57,013 --> 00:42:00,384
<i>So it's like going through the
precheck line at the airport.</i>

818
00:42:00,417 --> 00:42:05,122
<i>FDA issued the EUA to CDC
really on February 4th,</i>

819
00:42:05,155 --> 00:42:08,425
<i>and test kits were available
on the 5th.</i>

820
00:42:08,457 --> 00:42:10,394
<i>The test kits
will start shipping</i>

821
00:42:10,426 --> 00:42:13,463
<i>to the over 100
U.S. public health labs.</i>

822
00:42:13,497 --> 00:42:16,700
<i>Each test kit can perform
up to 800 patient samples.</i>

823
00:42:16,732 --> 00:42:19,569
<i>It works in about
four to five hours' time.</i>

824
00:42:19,602 --> 00:42:21,003
<i>And that's pretty heroic,
in two weeks,</i>

825
00:42:21,037 --> 00:42:23,906
<i>to develop test kits
for the country.</i>

826
00:42:23,939 --> 00:42:26,676
So, so far,
speaking of the playbook,

827
00:42:26,709 --> 00:42:30,481
everything was going right.

828
00:42:30,513 --> 00:42:32,615
<i>The first thing
public health labs have to do</i>

829
00:42:32,649 --> 00:42:34,818
<i>after they get the test
is they have to verify</i>

830
00:42:34,850 --> 00:42:37,053
that the test works
in their hands,

831
00:42:37,086 --> 00:42:39,989
in their laboratory,
with their scientists.

832
00:42:42,426 --> 00:42:44,962
<i>So on Saturday, February 8th,</i>

833
00:42:44,995 --> 00:42:47,931
<i>labs opened up their boxes</i>

834
00:42:47,964 --> 00:42:50,968
<i>and they started to get
the test up and running.</i>

835
00:42:53,669 --> 00:42:56,406
<i>And then, the next morning,</i>

836
00:42:56,439 --> 00:42:58,508
I see a number of emails

837
00:42:58,542 --> 00:43:02,446
<i>from public health
laboratory directors saying,</i>

838
00:43:02,479 --> 00:43:06,550
<i>"We're seeing this problem
with one of the components</i>

839
00:43:06,582 --> 00:43:09,787
<i>"of the test, the N3,</i>

840
00:43:09,819 --> 00:43:12,423
<i>and is anyone else
seeing that?"</i>

841
00:43:12,455 --> 00:43:15,526
<i>Then my phone started
to blow up.</i>

842
00:43:15,559 --> 00:43:19,028
It became apparent that
we actually had a real problem.

843
00:43:19,062 --> 00:43:21,031
And I thought to myself,

844
00:43:21,064 --> 00:43:23,133
"Oh, my God.

845
00:43:23,165 --> 00:43:26,604
This is a nightmare."

846
00:43:28,772 --> 00:43:31,909
<i>There were many labs that
were having the same problem.</i>

847
00:43:31,941 --> 00:43:34,077
<i>So that was an indication</i>

848
00:43:34,109 --> 00:43:37,647
<i>that this was coming
from the CDC labs.</i>

849
00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:41,918
<i>There are three components
to the CDC-designed tests.</i>

850
00:43:41,952 --> 00:43:44,921
<i>They are called
the N1, N2, and N3 assay,</i>

851
00:43:44,955 --> 00:43:48,792
<i>and the N1 and N2 assay,
together,</i>

852
00:43:48,825 --> 00:43:53,931
<i>look specifically for
the COVID-19 coronavirus.</i>

853
00:43:53,964 --> 00:43:57,701
<i>And then they had
a 3rd component, the N3 assay,</i>

854
00:43:57,734 --> 00:44:02,573
<i>which was designed to look
for any coronavirus.</i>

855
00:44:02,606 --> 00:44:05,475
And I don't know
why they decided

856
00:44:05,508 --> 00:44:08,678
to throw that third part in.

857
00:44:08,711 --> 00:44:12,482
<i>They didn't need it,
but that third part</i>

858
00:44:12,515 --> 00:44:14,885
<i>is the part that caused
all the problems.</i>

859
00:44:14,917 --> 00:44:17,687
<i>It was
a contamination problem.</i>

860
00:44:17,720 --> 00:44:21,624
This was just
a huge lightbulb moment

861
00:44:21,658 --> 00:44:25,127
where... wow, we could
really be on pause.

862
00:44:25,160 --> 00:44:28,030
<i>The CDC says they're working
with states now</i>

863
00:44:28,064 --> 00:44:29,299
<i>to fix the tests.</i>

864
00:44:29,332 --> 00:44:33,237
<i>They did not say how many
of the kits have flaws.</i>

865
00:44:33,269 --> 00:44:35,037
<i>Now, this was
really frustrating</i>

866
00:44:35,071 --> 00:44:36,906
<i>to a lot of lab directors
because they were like,</i>

867
00:44:36,939 --> 00:44:40,276
<i>"Look, the N1 and N2 part
of this test are working</i>

868
00:44:40,310 --> 00:44:41,311
<i>"totally fine,</i>

869
00:44:41,345 --> 00:44:45,015
<i>"so why don't we
just ignore the part</i>

870
00:44:45,048 --> 00:44:47,050
<i>that isn't working?"</i>

871
00:44:47,082 --> 00:44:48,651
Under an Emergency Use
Authorization,

872
00:44:48,685 --> 00:44:50,220
you're not supposed to do that.

873
00:44:50,252 --> 00:44:54,223
<i>You have to run that test
exactly as it's assigned.</i>

874
00:44:54,256 --> 00:44:55,925
<i>As it turned out,</i>

875
00:44:55,959 --> 00:44:58,694
<i>over 90% of public health labs</i>

876
00:44:58,727 --> 00:45:02,198
<i>had tests
that were not working.</i>

877
00:45:02,231 --> 00:45:05,167
So it was really
as if we were flying blind,

878
00:45:05,200 --> 00:45:07,637
and we knew it, and frankly,

879
00:45:07,671 --> 00:45:11,008
there was nothing
we could do except wait.

880
00:45:15,745 --> 00:45:18,015
<i>There was a working
effective test</i>

881
00:45:18,048 --> 00:45:20,917
<i>that was created
in a German laboratory</i>

882
00:45:20,950 --> 00:45:23,119
<i>that was being distributed by
the World Health Organization</i>

883
00:45:23,153 --> 00:45:25,088
<i>to countries
all around the world.</i>

884
00:45:25,120 --> 00:45:27,189
<i>It is available now</i>

885
00:45:27,222 --> 00:45:30,026
and we are shipping
an essential component to labs

886
00:45:30,060 --> 00:45:33,864
<i>to really start
working immediately.</i>

887
00:45:33,897 --> 00:45:37,100
<i>The WHO test
quite frankly is used</i>

888
00:45:37,133 --> 00:45:40,636
<i>for low and moderately
income countries.</i>

889
00:45:40,669 --> 00:45:43,339
<i>I think it would've
been very unusual</i>

890
00:45:43,372 --> 00:45:47,577
to use another country's test,
and not for political reasons.

891
00:45:47,611 --> 00:45:51,281
Just, I guess, because of maybe
scientific hubris.

892
00:45:51,314 --> 00:45:54,118
<i>We've never had a failure
like this.</i>

893
00:45:56,986 --> 00:45:59,755
<i>Despite the
technical problems at the CDC,</i>

894
00:45:59,789 --> 00:46:01,624
<i>the Trump Administration
could have insisted</i>

895
00:46:01,658 --> 00:46:04,595
<i>on an alternate plan.</i>

896
00:46:04,627 --> 00:46:07,698
<i>Public labs could have pivoted
to the WHO test</i>

897
00:46:07,731 --> 00:46:10,133
<i>or removed the N3 element.</i>

898
00:46:10,165 --> 00:46:12,602
<i>Test manufacturers
and clinical labs</i>

899
00:46:12,635 --> 00:46:15,204
<i>were eager to start making
their own tests,</i>

900
00:46:15,238 --> 00:46:18,274
<i>but for reasons
that remain unexplained,</i>

901
00:46:18,307 --> 00:46:23,713
<i>the FDA put the brakes
on the approval process.</i>

902
00:46:23,747 --> 00:46:24,948
<i>Yeah.</i>

903
00:46:24,981 --> 00:46:28,251
Looks like the setup
is pretty good.

904
00:46:28,283 --> 00:46:30,620
<i>Oh, good, doctor approved?</i>

905
00:46:30,653 --> 00:46:33,289
Yup, exactly.

906
00:46:33,323 --> 00:46:35,392
<i>My name is Taison Bell.</i>

907
00:46:35,425 --> 00:46:37,361
I'm an infectious disease
and critical care physician

908
00:46:37,394 --> 00:46:38,794
at the University of Virginia.

909
00:46:38,827 --> 00:46:42,798
<i>I'm the director
of the COVID ICU.</i>

910
00:46:42,832 --> 00:46:44,301
<i>It's really important to know</i>

911
00:46:44,334 --> 00:46:45,736
<i>who's positive
in the community</i>

912
00:46:45,769 --> 00:46:48,972
<i>and to be able to test in a
widespread, aggressive fashion</i>

913
00:46:49,004 --> 00:46:51,642
<i>so we can really stop
the chain of transmission</i>

914
00:46:51,675 --> 00:46:53,243
<i>of the virus.</i>

915
00:46:53,276 --> 00:46:55,946
<i>Traditionally,
there's a lot of leeway</i>

916
00:46:55,979 --> 00:46:58,381
<i>when it comes
to federal regulations</i>

917
00:46:58,414 --> 00:46:59,849
<i>and hospital laboratories'
ability</i>

918
00:46:59,883 --> 00:47:01,651
<i>to set up
their in-house testing,</i>

919
00:47:01,685 --> 00:47:03,820
<i>but the thing about
the emergency declaration</i>

920
00:47:03,852 --> 00:47:06,656
<i>was that it made
the diagnostic innovation</i>

921
00:47:06,689 --> 00:47:09,825
<i>more difficult because now
it had to go through the FDA.</i>

922
00:47:09,859 --> 00:47:11,094
<i>So now, all of a sudden,</i>

923
00:47:11,127 --> 00:47:14,131
<i>any university laboratory
that has the experience</i>

924
00:47:14,164 --> 00:47:16,165
<i>and the know-how to set up
their own in-house testing</i>

925
00:47:16,198 --> 00:47:18,968
now has to clear it
in order to make this work.

926
00:47:21,203 --> 00:47:23,039
<i>We're not
a public health lab.</i>

927
00:47:23,073 --> 00:47:25,308
<i>As a clinical lab,
we're not part of this system.</i>

928
00:47:25,341 --> 00:47:26,443
You know, the CDC and the state
public health labs

929
00:47:26,475 --> 00:47:27,443
are fantastic,

930
00:47:27,477 --> 00:47:29,279
<i>but clinical labs,</i>

931
00:47:29,312 --> 00:47:31,147
<i>like hospital clinical labs,
commercial labs,</i>

932
00:47:31,180 --> 00:47:34,784
<i>perform 90% to 95% of testing.</i>

933
00:47:34,818 --> 00:47:38,055
We really are the front lines
of the public health system,

934
00:47:38,088 --> 00:47:39,756
<i>and so it's really important</i>

935
00:47:39,789 --> 00:47:42,825
<i>that we're a part of
that conversation as well.</i>

936
00:47:42,859 --> 00:47:45,062
<i>So we're trying
to figure out, is it better</i>

937
00:47:45,095 --> 00:47:47,930
to just deal with the FDA
and the backlog there

938
00:47:47,964 --> 00:47:49,966
and set up
our own in-house testing,

939
00:47:49,999 --> 00:47:52,002
<i>or do we just wait for the CDC</i>

940
00:47:52,035 --> 00:47:54,004
<i>to fix the issues
with the test?</i>

941
00:47:54,037 --> 00:47:57,073
<i>We decided initially to wait,</i>

942
00:47:57,106 --> 00:47:59,942
and that was
the wrong decision.

943
00:47:59,975 --> 00:48:01,711
<i>Many labs gave up</i>

944
00:48:01,745 --> 00:48:04,915
<i>rather than face the thicket
of bureaucratic rules.</i>

945
00:48:04,948 --> 00:48:07,017
<i>But Alex Greninger
did not give up,</i>

946
00:48:07,050 --> 00:48:08,185
<i>and instead began</i>

947
00:48:08,218 --> 00:48:11,754
<i>to slog through
the FDA regulatory process.</i>

948
00:48:11,787 --> 00:48:14,256
<i>So at that point, you had
to really go fully in.</i>

949
00:48:14,289 --> 00:48:16,058
<i>You gotta make your own test.</i>

950
00:48:16,091 --> 00:48:18,360
<i>So we got the template
and the paperwork.</i>

951
00:48:18,394 --> 00:48:19,830
<i>You couldn't get
the comments back</i>

952
00:48:19,863 --> 00:48:22,265
<i>until you mail in
the document.</i>

953
00:48:22,298 --> 00:48:23,767
<i>Even though you'd
email a document,</i>

954
00:48:23,800 --> 00:48:26,068
<i>you had to burn it to a CD
or a USB</i>

955
00:48:26,102 --> 00:48:27,870
<i>and physically send
the document as well.</i>

956
00:48:27,903 --> 00:48:30,840
<i>The original process suggested</i>

957
00:48:30,874 --> 00:48:34,310
<i>testing 50 positive samples,</i>

958
00:48:34,343 --> 00:48:36,278
but in that case in the U.S.,
there were 14 known cases.

959
00:48:36,312 --> 00:48:38,848
<i>But even getting
that one sample,</i>

960
00:48:38,881 --> 00:48:42,952
<i>that one positive sample,
was the hardest part.</i>

961
00:48:42,986 --> 00:48:45,856
And obtaining clinical material
from the CDC

962
00:48:45,888 --> 00:48:48,959
is very difficult.

963
00:48:48,992 --> 00:48:51,827
<i>And I think that was
when you realize</i>

964
00:48:51,861 --> 00:48:55,432
that the FDA and the CDC
maybe hadn't talked a ton.

965
00:48:55,464 --> 00:48:59,269
<i>Swing your partner
around and 'round.</i>

966
00:48:59,301 --> 00:49:00,836
<i>And around.
And around.</i>

967
00:49:00,870 --> 00:49:02,238
<i>While federal agencies failed</i>

968
00:49:02,272 --> 00:49:05,442
<i>to talk to each other, the
virus swirled in mid-February</i>

969
00:49:05,475 --> 00:49:09,346
<i>through a series of square
dances in suburban Seattle.</i>

970
00:49:09,379 --> 00:49:12,449
<i>With every do-si-do,
the virus changed partners.</i>

971
00:49:12,481 --> 00:49:13,983
<i>But without testing,</i>

972
00:49:14,017 --> 00:49:17,521
<i>scientists couldn't
follow the spread.</i>

973
00:49:17,553 --> 00:49:20,557
<i>The emergency steps meant
for speed and innovation</i>

974
00:49:20,589 --> 00:49:23,926
<i>slowed the process down
to a crawl.</i>

975
00:49:23,959 --> 00:49:26,929
<i>The White House could have
cut through the red tape.</i>

976
00:49:26,963 --> 00:49:28,865
<i>The mystery
is why those in power</i>

977
00:49:28,897 --> 00:49:32,935
<i>didn't force the bureaucracy
to find a quick solution.</i>

978
00:49:32,968 --> 00:49:35,137
<i>While we were on pause,</i>

979
00:49:35,171 --> 00:49:38,073
<i>the anxiety level
of our members just increased</i>

980
00:49:38,106 --> 00:49:41,243
<i>exponentially, day after day.</i>

981
00:49:41,276 --> 00:49:45,414
There was just more
frustration, concern,

982
00:49:45,448 --> 00:49:50,386
frankly sadness,
because we weren't

983
00:49:50,419 --> 00:49:55,024
able to do our job.

984
00:49:55,057 --> 00:49:58,160
That was really tough.

985
00:50:00,028 --> 00:50:02,231
<i>While testing
in the U.S. was stalled,</i>

986
00:50:02,265 --> 00:50:04,568
<i>in South Korea, the government
was already moving</i>

987
00:50:04,600 --> 00:50:07,102
<i>to contain the virus
by utilizing</i>

988
00:50:07,135 --> 00:50:10,540
<i>a comprehensive national
testing and tracing program.</i>

989
00:50:13,343 --> 00:50:14,944
<i>I think they did
a much better job.</i>

990
00:50:14,977 --> 00:50:17,613
<i>I think starting
from the testing roll-out,</i>

991
00:50:17,647 --> 00:50:19,115
a lot of our jealousy early on

992
00:50:19,147 --> 00:50:20,916
was just how rapidly
they were able

993
00:50:20,950 --> 00:50:23,919
to test a large proportion
of their population.

994
00:50:23,952 --> 00:50:25,054
And they were testing

995
00:50:25,088 --> 00:50:27,256
relatively younger
asymptomatic people

996
00:50:27,289 --> 00:50:30,559
as well as older people
who had more severe diseases,

997
00:50:30,593 --> 00:50:34,064
and they were able
to do contact tracing.

998
00:50:34,097 --> 00:50:37,399
<i>Because of the laws
that were passed in 2016,</i>

999
00:50:37,432 --> 00:50:40,870
<i>enabling contact tracers
to obtain vast amounts</i>

1000
00:50:40,903 --> 00:50:43,472
<i>of information in the name
of disease control,</i>

1001
00:50:43,506 --> 00:50:46,475
there was a large amount
of data

1002
00:50:46,508 --> 00:50:48,978
that authorities here
can access.

1003
00:50:49,011 --> 00:50:51,080
<i>Cell tower information,</i>

1004
00:50:51,113 --> 00:50:54,283
<i>CCTV footage,
credit card data.</i>

1005
00:50:54,316 --> 00:50:56,385
<i>And this information
was pushed out</i>

1006
00:50:56,419 --> 00:50:58,955
<i>to the general public
using cell phone alerts.</i>

1007
00:51:33,089 --> 00:51:34,324
♪ To glance behind ♪

1008
00:51:37,426 --> 00:51:42,097
♪ The Phantom of the Opera ♪

1009
00:51:42,131 --> 00:51:43,433
♪ Is here ♪

1010
00:51:43,466 --> 00:51:44,567
<i>If two people singing</i>

1011
00:51:44,600 --> 00:51:46,336
<i>could spread the disease,</i>

1012
00:51:46,368 --> 00:51:48,338
<i>imagine thousands
singing in one room.</i>

1013
00:51:54,109 --> 00:51:56,512
<i>A major outbreak was traced
to the Shincheonji Church,</i>

1014
00:51:56,546 --> 00:51:58,948
<i>a doomsday Christian cult.</i>

1015
00:52:02,084 --> 00:52:05,421
<i>Led by a self-proclaimed
messiah, Chairman Lee.</i>

1016
00:52:05,455 --> 00:52:07,557
- Hallelujah.
- "Hallelujah."

1017
00:52:10,093 --> 00:52:11,493
<i>The Korean
government descended</i>

1018
00:52:11,526 --> 00:52:12,794
<i>on the city of Daegu,</i>

1019
00:52:12,828 --> 00:52:17,033
<i>where the church had
its primary place of worship.</i>

1020
00:52:17,066 --> 00:52:19,069
<i>By testing, tracing,
and isolating</i>

1021
00:52:19,102 --> 00:52:20,703
<i>the followers of Chairman Lee,</i>

1022
00:52:20,736 --> 00:52:22,539
<i>officials tried
to prevent the virus</i>

1023
00:52:22,571 --> 00:52:26,142
<i>from spreading
to the rest of the city.</i>

1024
00:52:26,175 --> 00:52:29,011
<i>Thousands of additional
people had been exposed.</i>

1025
00:52:29,044 --> 00:52:32,214
It led to South Korea's
numbers soaring.

1026
00:52:32,247 --> 00:52:36,519
<i>Because South Korea had
already started ramping up</i>

1027
00:52:36,551 --> 00:52:40,622
<i>diagnostic test production,
they were able to seek out</i>

1028
00:52:40,656 --> 00:52:43,360
<i>every member of this church
in Daegu</i>

1029
00:52:43,392 --> 00:52:45,227
and get them tested.

1030
00:52:45,260 --> 00:52:47,696
<i>The President of South Korea
has put the country</i>

1031
00:52:47,729 --> 00:52:51,200
<i>on the highest possible alert
after the number of cases</i>

1032
00:52:51,234 --> 00:52:55,672
<i>jumped to more than 760
and the death toll rose to 7.</i>

1033
00:52:55,705 --> 00:52:58,675
<i>Because of the surge
of cases in Daegu,</i>

1034
00:52:58,707 --> 00:53:01,243
<i>South Korea started opening up
these centers.</i>

1035
00:53:20,129 --> 00:53:22,531
<i>Drive-through testing</i>

1036
00:53:22,564 --> 00:53:25,801
<i>and special testing booths
protected healthcare workers</i>

1037
00:53:25,834 --> 00:53:28,604
<i>while dramatically increasing
testing capacity.</i>

1038
00:53:28,638 --> 00:53:32,675
<i>And manufacturers were able
to keep up with the volume.</i>

1039
00:53:32,707 --> 00:53:36,512
<i>South Korea also
stepped up production of PPE</i>

1040
00:53:36,546 --> 00:53:40,450
<i>to protect health workers
and the public alike.</i>

1041
00:53:40,482 --> 00:53:45,388
<i>Early adoption of testing
would save South Korea.</i>

1042
00:53:45,421 --> 00:53:47,424
<i>At the same moment
in the United States,</i>

1043
00:53:47,457 --> 00:53:50,560
<i>testing was still halted,
and the nation was blind</i>

1044
00:53:50,593 --> 00:53:54,263
<i>to where and how
the virus was spreading.</i>

1045
00:53:54,296 --> 00:53:56,165
<i>Because of all we've done,</i>

1046
00:53:56,198 --> 00:53:59,735
<i>the risk to the American
people remains very low.</i>

1047
00:53:59,769 --> 00:54:03,406
When you have 15 people, and
the 15 within a couple of days

1048
00:54:03,439 --> 00:54:05,774
is going to be down to close
to zero, we're doing great.

1049
00:54:05,807 --> 00:54:08,343
Other countries
have not been doing great.

1050
00:54:08,377 --> 00:54:10,080
Our consumer
is very, very strong,

1051
00:54:10,113 --> 00:54:13,216
very powerful economically.

1052
00:54:13,249 --> 00:54:15,484
<i>Underneath
the booming economic wave</i>

1053
00:54:15,517 --> 00:54:18,854
<i>was an invisible undertow
of disease.</i>

1054
00:54:18,888 --> 00:54:21,458
<i>By mid-February,
pandemic models indicate</i>

1055
00:54:21,490 --> 00:54:24,159
<i>that there were thousands
of cases spreading</i>

1056
00:54:24,193 --> 00:54:27,296
<i>through Seattle, Chicago,
San Francisco, and New York.</i>

1057
00:54:30,332 --> 00:54:33,836
By mid to late February,
the sort of top experts...

1058
00:54:33,870 --> 00:54:37,173
<i>Robert Redfield,
Nancy Messonnier,</i>

1059
00:54:37,205 --> 00:54:39,843
<i>Anthony Fauci, Azar...</i>

1060
00:54:39,876 --> 00:54:42,479
<i>they decide,
"We gotta tell the president</i>

1061
00:54:42,511 --> 00:54:45,881
"that we have to become
more aggressive

1062
00:54:45,914 --> 00:54:48,117
"about warning
the American public

1063
00:54:48,151 --> 00:54:50,220
that this is where
we're headed."

1064
00:54:51,787 --> 00:54:55,225
<i>The problem was the president
just that next day</i>

1065
00:54:55,258 --> 00:54:58,461
<i>left for another foreign trip
to India.</i>

1066
00:54:58,493 --> 00:55:01,196
Well, I look forward to being
with the people of India.

1067
00:55:01,229 --> 00:55:03,465
We're gonna have many millions
and millions of people.

1068
00:55:03,499 --> 00:55:05,734
<i>They wanted to brief
the president obviously</i>

1069
00:55:05,767 --> 00:55:08,137
before you sort of made
this sort of...

1070
00:55:08,171 --> 00:55:09,705
right turn on messaging.

1071
00:55:12,508 --> 00:55:13,776
Yeah, we're
very much involved.

1072
00:55:13,809 --> 00:55:15,444
We're very...

1073
00:55:15,477 --> 00:55:18,447
very cognizant
of everything going on.

1074
00:55:18,481 --> 00:55:20,415
We have it very much
under control.

1075
00:55:20,448 --> 00:55:21,850
Thank you very much, everybody.

1076
00:55:21,883 --> 00:55:24,620
<i>And the doctors knew that
this wasn't the kind of thing</i>

1077
00:55:24,653 --> 00:55:26,321
<i>that you brief
over the telephone,</i>

1078
00:55:26,354 --> 00:55:30,325
<i>so they decided,
"We'll set up a briefing</i>

1079
00:55:30,359 --> 00:55:32,862
<i>for the president
the day he gets back."</i>

1080
00:55:32,894 --> 00:55:36,265
<i>Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi</i>

1081
00:55:36,298 --> 00:55:38,867
<i>rolled out the red carpet
for President Trump.</i>

1082
00:55:43,539 --> 00:55:46,176
Namaste.
Namaste.

1083
00:55:49,211 --> 00:55:52,281
<i>President Trump often judges
events based on their size.</i>

1084
00:55:52,314 --> 00:55:54,684
<i>The bigger the better,
so it's fitting</i>

1085
00:55:54,716 --> 00:55:56,586
<i>that this stadium
was absolutely packed</i>

1086
00:55:56,618 --> 00:55:59,856
<i>with more than 100,000 people.</i>

1087
00:55:59,888 --> 00:56:01,223
The rally kicked off
a whirlwind trip

1088
00:56:01,256 --> 00:56:04,461
<i>packed with the pageantry
that the president so loves.</i>

1089
00:56:06,761 --> 00:56:11,401
<i>As of this morning,
we still have only 14 cases</i>

1090
00:56:11,434 --> 00:56:13,303
of the China coronavirus

1091
00:56:13,336 --> 00:56:15,705
detected here
in the United States.

1092
00:56:15,738 --> 00:56:18,308
<i>We have three cases</i>

1093
00:56:18,341 --> 00:56:20,843
<i>among Americans repatriated
from Wuhan,</i>

1094
00:56:20,876 --> 00:56:24,781
<i>and we have 40 cases
among American passengers</i>

1095
00:56:24,814 --> 00:56:28,818
<i>repatriated from the
"Diamond Princess" in Japan.</i>

1096
00:56:28,850 --> 00:56:31,320
We're trying to engage
in radical transparency

1097
00:56:31,354 --> 00:56:34,323
with the American public
as we go through this.

1098
00:56:34,356 --> 00:56:36,325
This morning, Dr. Messonnier
from the CDC

1099
00:56:36,359 --> 00:56:38,328
provided
the usual tele-briefing.

1100
00:56:38,361 --> 00:56:39,796
<i>There was
a bit of confusion,</i>

1101
00:56:39,828 --> 00:56:41,863
<i>and it was Nancy Messonnier's
understanding</i>

1102
00:56:41,897 --> 00:56:45,001
that the green light
had been given

1103
00:56:45,033 --> 00:56:46,903
for that new message

1104
00:56:46,935 --> 00:56:50,339
to be delivered
before briefing the president.

1105
00:56:50,372 --> 00:56:53,376
<i>So at her next conference call
for reporters,</i>

1106
00:56:53,408 --> 00:56:56,680
she went to town.

1107
00:57:12,662 --> 00:57:14,564
I remember being shocked,

1108
00:57:14,597 --> 00:57:18,267
thinking, "Does she realize
what she just said?"

1109
00:57:29,812 --> 00:57:31,981
<i>I can't say that I know</i>

1110
00:57:32,013 --> 00:57:34,584
<i>what was
in Nancy Messonnier's mind,</i>

1111
00:57:34,617 --> 00:57:37,754
<i>but it wouldn't be hard
to guess</i>

1112
00:57:37,787 --> 00:57:39,922
<i>that there must have
been a level of frustration</i>

1113
00:57:39,955 --> 00:57:42,292
built up inside the CDC

1114
00:57:42,325 --> 00:57:45,995
about a president who
doesn't take this seriously.

1115
00:57:46,028 --> 00:57:48,598
I mean, you know,
that was palpable.

1116
00:57:55,004 --> 00:57:58,775
<i>Statements were made
for the first time</i>

1117
00:57:58,807 --> 00:58:02,744
to prepare the psyche
of Americans

1118
00:58:02,778 --> 00:58:06,316
for what we, the scientists,
knew was coming.

1119
00:58:13,555 --> 00:58:17,359
<i>It was a turning point
in this outbreak</i>

1120
00:58:17,392 --> 00:58:21,897
<i>because the truth was finally
broken through that shell</i>

1121
00:58:21,930 --> 00:58:24,499
of so many people
standing there every day

1122
00:58:24,533 --> 00:58:27,370
telling Americans,
"We have it under control.

1123
00:58:27,403 --> 00:58:30,039
"We have it contained.
It's not a problem.

1124
00:58:30,071 --> 00:58:31,673
It's going away."

1125
00:58:31,707 --> 00:58:34,844
Those were the messages
every day up until that point.

1126
00:58:41,649 --> 00:58:45,088
<i>She gives that briefing
at virtually the exact moment</i>

1127
00:58:45,120 --> 00:58:47,022
<i>that Trump
is walking up the steps</i>

1128
00:58:47,055 --> 00:58:48,957
<i>on "Air Force One" in India.</i>

1129
00:58:48,990 --> 00:58:51,626
<i>On a larger scale,
communities and cities</i>

1130
00:58:51,660 --> 00:58:55,464
<i>may need to modify, postpone,
or cancel mass gatherings.</i>

1131
00:58:55,497 --> 00:58:58,400
Nancy Messonnier's comments
tank the market.

1132
00:58:58,434 --> 00:59:00,769
1,000 point drop in the DOW.

1133
00:59:00,803 --> 00:59:02,138
<i>Stocks fall sharply
as fears spread</i>

1134
00:59:02,171 --> 00:59:05,808
that growing coronavirus
will slow the global economy.

1135
00:59:05,841 --> 00:59:07,977
It was essentially
a kind of freak out.

1136
00:59:08,010 --> 00:59:10,146
The stock market
taking another beating

1137
00:59:10,178 --> 00:59:13,148
<i>after a sharp new warning
from the CDC.</i>

1138
00:59:13,182 --> 00:59:14,183
<i>Also, tonight...</i>

1139
00:59:14,216 --> 00:59:16,519
<i>Trump doesn't like
to be surprised.</i>

1140
00:59:16,551 --> 00:59:19,622
<i>The one gleaming,
wonderful thing</i>

1141
00:59:19,655 --> 00:59:23,459
<i>that was giving him and his
advisors hope was the economy.</i>

1142
00:59:23,492 --> 00:59:25,160
It was the silver bullet.

1143
00:59:25,193 --> 00:59:28,497
<i>That was how he was going
to win a second term.</i>

1144
00:59:29,964 --> 00:59:33,403
<i>That, combined
with Messonnier's threat</i>

1145
00:59:33,435 --> 00:59:37,039
<i>of what she was suggesting...
shut the country down...</i>

1146
00:59:37,071 --> 00:59:38,840
<i>"You're saying something</i>

1147
00:59:38,874 --> 00:59:40,910
<i>"that's gonna threaten
the economy,</i>

1148
00:59:40,943 --> 00:59:44,513
and by definition,
threaten my reelection."

1149
00:59:44,546 --> 00:59:46,548
<i>It's an 18-hour flight back.</i>

1150
00:59:46,582 --> 00:59:48,651
<i>By the time Trump lands,</i>

1151
00:59:48,684 --> 00:59:53,089
the whole thing had spun out
of control, and he was livid.

1152
00:59:53,122 --> 00:59:56,192
<i>He calls up Alex Azar,
wakes him up,</i>

1153
00:59:56,225 --> 00:59:58,694
<i>screaming at him...
what had happened?</i>

1154
00:59:58,727 --> 00:59:59,728
<i>"Do you know Nancy Messonnier</i>

1155
00:59:59,761 --> 01:00:02,564
<i>had scared the shit
out of people?"</i>

1156
01:00:05,667 --> 01:00:08,771
The CDC said yesterday that
they believe it's inevitable

1157
01:00:08,803 --> 01:00:10,872
that the virus will spread
in the United States,

1158
01:00:10,906 --> 01:00:13,676
and it's not a question
of if, but when.

1159
01:00:13,709 --> 01:00:15,477
Do you agree
with that assessment?

1160
01:00:15,510 --> 01:00:17,146
Whatever happens,
we're totally prepared.

1161
01:00:17,178 --> 01:00:18,914
We have the best people
in the world.

1162
01:00:18,948 --> 01:00:19,982
<i>Notably missing</i>

1163
01:00:20,015 --> 01:00:21,850
<i>from "the best people
in the world"</i>

1164
01:00:21,883 --> 01:00:24,453
<i>was Dr. Nancy Messonnier.</i>

1165
01:00:24,486 --> 01:00:27,557
<i>It didn't surprise me
that the moment she said that,</i>

1166
01:00:27,589 --> 01:00:29,858
that she would be removed
from that platform.

1167
01:00:29,892 --> 01:00:33,995
I'm going to be announcing
exactly right now

1168
01:00:34,028 --> 01:00:36,465
that I'm gonna be putting
our Vice President, Mike Pence,

1169
01:00:36,499 --> 01:00:37,800
in charge.

1170
01:00:37,832 --> 01:00:39,769
I'm gonna ask Mike Pence
to say a few words, please.

1171
01:00:39,801 --> 01:00:42,004
Thank you.
Mike?

1172
01:00:42,037 --> 01:00:43,805
<i>After the episode
with Nancy Messonnier,</i>

1173
01:00:43,839 --> 01:00:47,243
<i>when Pence's team
takes over from Azar,</i>

1174
01:00:47,276 --> 01:00:50,780
essentially the message
gets contained.

1175
01:00:51,814 --> 01:00:53,582
Not in the least.

1176
01:00:53,615 --> 01:00:55,684
I was delighted that I get to
have the Vice President helping

1177
01:00:55,718 --> 01:00:56,752
in this way.

1178
01:00:56,785 --> 01:00:58,754
Delighted.
Absolutely.

1179
01:00:58,787 --> 01:01:00,823
<i>Now at the helm
of the task force,</i>

1180
01:01:00,856 --> 01:01:02,258
<i>Pence promptly promoted
Deborah Birx,</i>

1181
01:01:02,290 --> 01:01:06,495
<i>a doctor and a diplomat,
to be a spokesperson.</i>

1182
01:01:06,528 --> 01:01:09,998
Dr. Birx, who is our right
arm at the White House on this,

1183
01:01:10,031 --> 01:01:11,934
and frankly, one of the
leading experts in the world

1184
01:01:11,966 --> 01:01:13,235
on infectious disease,
I think is...

1185
01:01:13,269 --> 01:01:14,671
<i>Pence trusted Birx</i>

1186
01:01:14,703 --> 01:01:17,906
<i>on account of her Christian
faith and political instincts.</i>

1187
01:01:17,939 --> 01:01:21,142
<i>She'd become a go-to-explainer
for a White House interested</i>

1188
01:01:21,176 --> 01:01:24,280
<i>in packaging science
to serve partisan goals.</i>

1189
01:01:24,312 --> 01:01:26,581
We really want
to understand

1190
01:01:26,615 --> 01:01:29,584
where the virus is spreading,
who we have to protect,

1191
01:01:29,618 --> 01:01:31,187
who's the most vulnerable.

1192
01:01:31,220 --> 01:01:33,622
<i>That would have
been easy to understand</i>

1193
01:01:33,656 --> 01:01:36,158
<i>if there had been
a national testing program,</i>

1194
01:01:36,191 --> 01:01:38,294
<i>but that was still stalled.</i>

1195
01:01:38,327 --> 01:01:40,296
<i>While countries
all over the world</i>

1196
01:01:40,328 --> 01:01:42,664
<i>were testing thousands
of cases,</i>

1197
01:01:42,698 --> 01:01:46,002
<i>the United States was testing
fewer than 100 a day.</i>

1198
01:01:46,035 --> 01:01:49,605
<i>At that stage, the
only labs across the country</i>

1199
01:01:49,638 --> 01:01:52,208
<i>that could legally test
for COVID</i>

1200
01:01:52,240 --> 01:01:54,643
<i>were a few
public health laboratories</i>

1201
01:01:54,676 --> 01:01:56,178
and the CDC itself.

1202
01:01:56,211 --> 01:01:59,582
<i>The frustration
was just boiling over,</i>

1203
01:01:59,615 --> 01:02:01,250
and I remember going
to these meetings

1204
01:02:01,283 --> 01:02:03,118
with our clinical lab director,

1205
01:02:03,151 --> 01:02:06,088
and she'sliterally on the
phone with the FDA and the CDC

1206
01:02:06,120 --> 01:02:08,890
like, "You need to help us!
You need to help us."

1207
01:02:08,923 --> 01:02:11,126
<i>After almost a month</i>

1208
01:02:11,160 --> 01:02:14,062
<i>of labs across the country
being unable to test,</i>

1209
01:02:14,095 --> 01:02:16,598
<i>the Trump Administration
finally made a decision</i>

1210
01:02:16,631 --> 01:02:19,068
<i>it could have made
weeks earlier.</i>

1211
01:02:19,100 --> 01:02:21,836
<i>On February 26th,</i>

1212
01:02:21,870 --> 01:02:25,775
the FDA and the CDC
laid out the strategy,

1213
01:02:25,807 --> 01:02:28,243
and that was that we would
be able to get up and running

1214
01:02:28,276 --> 01:02:30,879
by using the original test kit,

1215
01:02:30,912 --> 01:02:35,150
<i>but by throwing out
the N3 component.</i>

1216
01:02:35,184 --> 01:02:36,819
<i>Overnight with, you know,</i>

1217
01:02:36,852 --> 01:02:38,888
<i>with some crossing out
of lines on some paper,</i>

1218
01:02:38,921 --> 01:02:41,691
<i>the same test kits
that had been shipped out</i>

1219
01:02:41,723 --> 01:02:45,995
to the state public health
labs were functional.

1220
01:02:46,028 --> 01:02:49,231
<i>That amended EUA was
Wednesday, February 26th,</i>

1221
01:02:49,263 --> 01:02:51,867
<i>and you can watch the testing
curve in the United States.</i>

1222
01:02:51,899 --> 01:02:54,102
<i>I mean it really
didn't start going up</i>

1223
01:02:54,135 --> 01:02:57,105
<i>until that week.</i>

1224
01:02:57,138 --> 01:03:00,142
<i>Here in Washington State
at the state lab,</i>

1225
01:03:00,175 --> 01:03:02,979
they had positive results
the very first time

1226
01:03:03,011 --> 01:03:06,948
<i>they performed
authorized tests.</i>

1227
01:03:06,981 --> 01:03:08,117
<i>After desperate pleas</i>

1228
01:03:08,149 --> 01:03:09,751
<i>from health care providers,</i>

1229
01:03:09,785 --> 01:03:12,754
<i>the FDA also relaxed
regulations and</i>

1230
01:03:12,787 --> 01:03:16,992
<i>let manufacturers and hospital
labs use their own tests.</i>

1231
01:03:17,026 --> 01:03:20,062
<i>But it was too little,
too late.</i>

1232
01:03:20,095 --> 01:03:24,700
<i>The disease had spread to half
the states in the country.</i>

1233
01:03:24,732 --> 01:03:27,636
<i>And test kits were
in such short supply</i>

1234
01:03:27,669 --> 01:03:29,838
<i>that they were limited
to patients</i>

1235
01:03:29,872 --> 01:03:33,743
<i>who met rigid guidelines
set by the CDC.</i>

1236
01:03:33,776 --> 01:03:36,678
<i>Early on, our testing
was limited to people</i>

1237
01:03:36,711 --> 01:03:40,115
<i>who had traveled from China,
or they had had contact</i>

1238
01:03:40,149 --> 01:03:43,685
<i>with someone who was known
tested positive for COVID-19.</i>

1239
01:03:43,718 --> 01:03:45,854
<i>So written in our guidelines,</i>

1240
01:03:45,888 --> 01:03:49,158
<i>by necessity because we had
a strained testing supply,</i>

1241
01:03:49,191 --> 01:03:51,827
it was designed to miss
community transmission,

1242
01:03:51,859 --> 01:03:53,896
meaning transmission
that happens

1243
01:03:53,928 --> 01:03:56,898
throughout the community
that's not connected to travel,

1244
01:03:56,932 --> 01:03:59,267
that we know at some point's
gonna happen.

1245
01:03:59,301 --> 01:04:02,271
And it's like we're
looking in this area,

1246
01:04:02,303 --> 01:04:04,039
and we know that
transmission's gonna happen

1247
01:04:04,073 --> 01:04:06,042
over here, and we're
gonna miss it

1248
01:04:06,075 --> 01:04:07,376
because we can't test for it.

1249
01:04:13,881 --> 01:04:15,984
<i>On February 27th,</i>

1250
01:04:16,017 --> 01:04:19,220
<i>the new testing
recommendations came out.</i>

1251
01:04:19,254 --> 01:04:20,456
Do you mind
removing the mask?

1252
01:04:20,488 --> 01:04:22,323
- Is that okay?
- <i>Oh, no, not at all.</i>

1253
01:04:22,356 --> 01:04:25,994
<i>Didn't know what your rules of
engagement were there, so...</i>

1254
01:04:26,028 --> 01:04:28,997
The new addition was
this line that said,

1255
01:04:29,031 --> 01:04:32,768
"If you have severe
lower respiratory pneumonia,

1256
01:04:32,801 --> 01:04:35,037
<i>"severe pneumonia or ARDS...</i>

1257
01:04:35,069 --> 01:04:37,439
<i>"Acute Respiratory
Distress Syndrome...</i>

1258
01:04:37,472 --> 01:04:39,340
<i>you should consider testing."</i>

1259
01:04:39,374 --> 01:04:41,477
<i>With the updated guidelines,</i>

1260
01:04:41,510 --> 01:04:44,479
we initiated testing
in two individuals,

1261
01:04:44,513 --> 01:04:47,783
and both of those individuals
tested positive.

1262
01:04:47,816 --> 01:04:50,386
So that evening after
we got the first two back,

1263
01:04:50,419 --> 01:04:54,890
we looked around the
intensive care unit and said,

1264
01:04:54,923 --> 01:04:57,827
<i>"Okay, who else is sick
with pneumonia</i>

1265
01:04:57,859 --> 01:04:59,729
<i>"that has not been diagnosed
with influenza</i>

1266
01:04:59,761 --> 01:05:01,830
<i>or another respiratory virus?"</i>

1267
01:05:01,863 --> 01:05:04,999
And we selected
nine more individuals.

1268
01:05:05,033 --> 01:05:07,937
Eight of those turned out
to be positive for COVID.

1269
01:05:07,970 --> 01:05:12,006
It was an astounding
revelation.

1270
01:05:12,039 --> 01:05:14,843
<i>The revelation was
that while testing protocols</i>

1271
01:05:14,877 --> 01:05:18,881
<i>were on hold, the disease
had spread uncontrollably,</i>

1272
01:05:18,914 --> 01:05:20,915
<i>which would lead
to economic disaster</i>

1273
01:05:20,948 --> 01:05:25,386
<i>and loss of tens of thousands
of lives.</i>

1274
01:05:25,419 --> 01:05:28,857
<i>The real question is,
did more people die?</i>

1275
01:05:28,890 --> 01:05:31,860
<i>Did more dislocation
and economic problems</i>

1276
01:05:31,894 --> 01:05:35,330
<i>and societal change
have to happen than did?</i>

1277
01:05:35,363 --> 01:05:38,233
The period that
in our reporting

1278
01:05:38,267 --> 01:05:40,770
that we have called
"The Lost Month,"

1279
01:05:40,803 --> 01:05:44,006
<i>that really was the time</i>

1280
01:05:44,039 --> 01:05:47,243
<i>when things happened
in the United States</i>

1281
01:05:47,276 --> 01:05:50,111
<i>much more slowly
than they happened in,</i>

1282
01:05:50,144 --> 01:05:51,546
<i>for example, South Korea,</i>

1283
01:05:51,580 --> 01:05:54,250
and it became impossible
to do containment.

1284
01:05:56,385 --> 01:05:58,854
<i>Because the U.S.
failed to contain the virus,</i>

1285
01:05:58,886 --> 01:06:00,388
<i>state governments
moved to lockdowns</i>

1286
01:06:00,421 --> 01:06:02,992
<i>to avoid runaway contagion</i>

1287
01:06:03,024 --> 01:06:05,093
<i>and to prevent hospitals
from being overwhelmed.</i>

1288
01:06:05,127 --> 01:06:08,898
<i>Over 100,000 small businesses
would close and never reopen.</i>

1289
01:06:08,930 --> 01:06:13,068
<i>7 million Americans would be
infected by the disease.</i>

1290
01:06:13,100 --> 01:06:16,037
<i>But back in late February,
the government refused</i>

1291
01:06:16,071 --> 01:06:18,540
<i>to confront the reckoning
that was about to come.</i>

1292
01:06:18,573 --> 01:06:20,809
We have done
an incredible job.

1293
01:06:20,843 --> 01:06:22,511
We're going to continue.

1294
01:06:22,544 --> 01:06:24,413
It's going to disappear
one day.

1295
01:06:24,446 --> 01:06:26,482
It's like a miracle.
It will disappear.

1296
01:06:26,515 --> 01:06:28,417
<i>The president
is also quoted by saying,</i>

1297
01:06:28,450 --> 01:06:31,120
"The virus we're talking
about having to do,

1298
01:06:31,153 --> 01:06:33,923
"you know, a lot of people
think it goes away in April

1299
01:06:33,955 --> 01:06:35,089
with the heat."

1300
01:06:35,122 --> 01:06:37,126
Dr. Fauci, does this go away
in April?

1301
01:06:37,158 --> 01:06:39,127
If it acts like influenza,

1302
01:06:39,160 --> 01:06:42,497
the heat will actually make it
diminish in its impact,

1303
01:06:42,531 --> 01:06:45,334
but we have no way of knowing
how it's gonna act.

1304
01:06:45,367 --> 01:06:48,403
Does the CDC agree
that this is a problem

1305
01:06:48,437 --> 01:06:51,040
that is going to go away
without intervention?

1306
01:06:51,073 --> 01:06:53,107
I think it's prudent
to assume

1307
01:06:53,140 --> 01:06:57,146
that this pathogen will be
with us for some time to come.

1308
01:06:57,178 --> 01:06:59,514
The President's expressing
confidence this team,

1309
01:06:59,548 --> 01:07:01,350
the public health
infrastructure in this country,

1310
01:07:01,383 --> 01:07:03,419
state and local,
that we can deal with this.

1311
01:07:03,452 --> 01:07:06,287
We will prepare for this.
We will work together on this.

1312
01:07:06,321 --> 01:07:08,223
He's trying to calm
a public that...

1313
01:07:08,256 --> 01:07:11,392
we see in China, panic can be
as big of an enemy as virus

1314
01:07:11,426 --> 01:07:12,595
in these situations,

1315
01:07:12,627 --> 01:07:14,530
and so there is always
that balance to...

1316
01:07:14,562 --> 01:07:16,999
Mr. Secretary, I don't want
to panic over this either.

1317
01:07:17,031 --> 01:07:18,267
The stock market's crashing.

1318
01:07:18,300 --> 01:07:19,635
He's outright contradicting

1319
01:07:19,667 --> 01:07:22,037
everything that you all
have just said.

1320
01:07:22,069 --> 01:07:23,305
Outright contradiction!

1321
01:07:23,338 --> 01:07:25,140
I think he's
expressing confidence in...

1322
01:07:25,173 --> 01:07:27,042
With no medical basis for it!

1323
01:07:27,075 --> 01:07:28,377
That's what you've
just explained to us.

1324
01:07:28,410 --> 01:07:29,545
Come on, sir.

1325
01:07:29,577 --> 01:07:31,579
The gentleman's time
has expired.

1326
01:07:31,613 --> 01:07:34,250
You're doing a great job for
the president, Mr. Secretary.

1327
01:07:34,283 --> 01:07:36,618
Now the Democrats are

1328
01:07:36,651 --> 01:07:40,955
politicizing the coronavirus.

1329
01:07:40,988 --> 01:07:43,124
You know that right?
Coronavirus.

1330
01:07:45,961 --> 01:07:48,330
One of my people came up
to me and said,

1331
01:07:48,363 --> 01:07:51,332
"Mr. President,
they tried to beat you

1332
01:07:51,365 --> 01:07:53,001
"on Russia, Russia, Russia.

1333
01:07:53,035 --> 01:07:56,405
They tried
the impeachment hoax."

1334
01:07:56,437 --> 01:07:59,073
And this is their new hoax.

1335
01:07:59,106 --> 01:08:01,109
And so far,

1336
01:08:01,142 --> 01:08:04,312
we have lost nobody
to coronavirus

1337
01:08:04,345 --> 01:08:08,449
in the United States.

1338
01:08:08,482 --> 01:08:10,986
Nobody.

1339
01:08:11,019 --> 01:08:13,222
<i>The next day,
that would change.</i>

1340
01:08:15,222 --> 01:08:18,026
Today, Public Health... Seattle
and King County... is announcing

1341
01:08:18,060 --> 01:08:21,363
three new presumptive positive
cases of novel coronavirus,

1342
01:08:21,395 --> 01:08:24,632
COVID-19, including
one person who died.

1343
01:08:24,665 --> 01:08:27,535
We have expressed
our condolences to the families

1344
01:08:27,569 --> 01:08:29,939
of the individual
who has passed away.

1345
01:08:29,971 --> 01:08:32,106
<i>It was one of the first
two patients diagnosed,</i>

1346
01:08:32,140 --> 01:08:35,477
<i>it was my patient,
and all we saw was a future</i>

1347
01:08:35,510 --> 01:08:39,448
<i>of extremely ill individuals
like this.</i>

1348
01:08:39,480 --> 01:08:41,115
So it was a challenging moment,

1349
01:08:41,149 --> 01:08:44,686
a daunting moment,
to come to that realization.

1350
01:08:44,720 --> 01:08:47,289
Today, health officials
in Washington State

1351
01:08:47,321 --> 01:08:50,659
announced four new deaths,
bringing the total to six,

1352
01:08:50,691 --> 01:08:53,227
all in the Seattle area.

1353
01:08:53,261 --> 01:08:55,464
<i>By early March,
King County, Washington</i>

1354
01:08:55,497 --> 01:08:58,499
<i>had become the epicenter
of the coronavirus in the U.S.</i>

1355
01:08:58,533 --> 01:09:01,736
<i>due to the Lifecare
Nursing Home.</i>

1356
01:09:01,770 --> 01:09:04,406
They're not answering
the phones, the lines are busy.

1357
01:09:04,439 --> 01:09:07,476
<i>All the families
are really worried,</i>

1358
01:09:07,508 --> 01:09:10,479
<i>not knowing if our loved ones
are even alive.</i>

1359
01:09:10,512 --> 01:09:13,349
<i>It was a blur of activity.</i>

1360
01:09:15,150 --> 01:09:17,720
<i>We realized that our hospital</i>

1361
01:09:17,753 --> 01:09:21,090
<i>was now the tip
of the iceberg.</i>

1362
01:09:21,123 --> 01:09:24,660
We soon found out
how deep that iceberg went.

1363
01:09:24,693 --> 01:09:26,995
<i>Because test kits
were in short supply,</i>

1364
01:09:27,029 --> 01:09:28,629
<i>access was limited to patients</i>

1365
01:09:28,663 --> 01:09:32,668
<i>who were dangerously close
to respiratory failure.</i>

1366
01:09:32,700 --> 01:09:34,168
<i>The death count began to rise.</i>

1367
01:09:34,202 --> 01:09:35,604
<i>COVID began spreading</i>

1368
01:09:35,637 --> 01:09:39,174
<i>to health care workers
and first responders.</i>

1369
01:09:39,207 --> 01:09:43,145
The job situation
put them at increased risk.

1370
01:09:43,177 --> 01:09:47,148
<i>Nurses' aides in nursing homes</i>

1371
01:09:47,181 --> 01:09:49,050
<i>without the protective
equipment or training</i>

1372
01:09:49,083 --> 01:09:51,252
<i>they needed
to be safe and secure.</i>

1373
01:09:51,285 --> 01:09:53,788
<i>Individuals who have jobs</i>

1374
01:09:53,821 --> 01:09:56,025
<i>that were considered
essential jobs,</i>

1375
01:09:56,057 --> 01:09:58,359
<i>they're stocking
grocery shelves</i>

1376
01:09:58,392 --> 01:10:01,396
<i>and helping to pick up trash
in communities</i>

1377
01:10:01,430 --> 01:10:04,700
<i>and sweep the streets.</i>

1378
01:10:04,732 --> 01:10:06,368
<i>While many affluent Americans</i>

1379
01:10:06,400 --> 01:10:07,735
<i>worked on computers at home,</i>

1380
01:10:07,769 --> 01:10:10,105
<i>low-paid essential workers,</i>

1381
01:10:10,137 --> 01:10:12,807
<i>many without masks
and the ability to distance,</i>

1382
01:10:12,841 --> 01:10:15,044
<i>were jammed
into sites of contagion</i>

1383
01:10:15,077 --> 01:10:18,079
<i>like delivery depots,
industrial farms, factories,</i>

1384
01:10:18,113 --> 01:10:21,383
<i>funeral homes,
and meatpacking plants.</i>

1385
01:10:21,415 --> 01:10:24,686
<i>If the impact of the disease
was divided by occupation,</i>

1386
01:10:24,718 --> 01:10:28,589
<i>it was also sundered
by age and race.</i>

1387
01:10:28,623 --> 01:10:30,125
<i>My grandmother used to say,</i>

1388
01:10:30,158 --> 01:10:31,593
"You know, when the country
gets the flu,

1389
01:10:31,626 --> 01:10:33,294
black people get pneumonia."

1390
01:10:33,328 --> 01:10:37,132
It's well-known in our circles
that we have worse outcomes

1391
01:10:37,164 --> 01:10:39,834
when it comes to a lot
of these different diseases,

1392
01:10:39,868 --> 01:10:42,638
you know, and part of that
is systemic racism.

1393
01:10:42,671 --> 01:10:45,574
A lot of it is
access to healthcare.

1394
01:10:45,606 --> 01:10:48,077
<i>If you have the money, you
can get the best healthcare</i>

1395
01:10:48,110 --> 01:10:50,279
<i>in the world,
but without those resources,</i>

1396
01:10:50,311 --> 01:10:54,315
<i>you have inadequate care
and sporadic care.</i>

1397
01:10:54,348 --> 01:10:59,087
<i>So any kind of disease spread
then falls hardest</i>

1398
01:10:59,120 --> 01:11:03,624
<i>on communities that
are already at a health risk.</i>

1399
01:11:03,658 --> 01:11:05,394
<i>What are we dealing with?</i>

1400
01:11:05,427 --> 01:11:08,597
With this coronavirus,
COVID-19?

1401
01:11:08,629 --> 01:11:12,200
We're dealing with clearly
an emerging infectious disease

1402
01:11:12,234 --> 01:11:15,270
that has now reached
outbreak proportions

1403
01:11:15,302 --> 01:11:17,172
and likely
pandemic proportions.

1404
01:11:22,244 --> 01:11:24,480
<i>The "Grand Princess"
Cruise Ship has been moored</i>

1405
01:11:24,512 --> 01:11:26,214
<i>off the coast of California.</i>

1406
01:11:26,248 --> 01:11:29,451
<i>I want to commend the efforts
of our Coast Guard</i>

1407
01:11:29,484 --> 01:11:32,588
<i>that heroically flew
coronavirus tests</i>

1408
01:11:32,620 --> 01:11:34,455
<i>to the ship.</i>

1409
01:11:34,489 --> 01:11:38,160
21 tested positive
for the coronavirus.

1410
01:11:39,660 --> 01:11:41,329
<i>On his way
to a weekend trip</i>

1411
01:11:41,363 --> 01:11:45,267
<i>to Mar-a-Lago,
Trump made a stop at the CDC.</i>

1412
01:11:45,300 --> 01:11:47,235
<i>Watching the president go</i>

1413
01:11:47,269 --> 01:11:50,305
<i>to the Centers
for Disease Control,</i>

1414
01:11:50,337 --> 01:11:53,341
he discussed with a reporter

1415
01:11:53,374 --> 01:11:56,544
the fact that one of the cruise
ships was still offshore.

1416
01:11:56,578 --> 01:11:59,381
<i>I'd rather have them stay on</i>

1417
01:11:59,413 --> 01:12:01,516
because I like the numbers
being where they are.

1418
01:12:01,550 --> 01:12:04,418
I don't need to have
the numbers double

1419
01:12:04,452 --> 01:12:06,254
because of one ship.

1420
01:12:06,288 --> 01:12:09,758
<i>For the first time,
it occurred to me</i>

1421
01:12:09,790 --> 01:12:11,325
that the government
of the United States

1422
01:12:11,359 --> 01:12:14,829
was intentionally
slow walking testing.

1423
01:12:14,863 --> 01:12:17,466
In this big vast land
of ours,

1424
01:12:17,498 --> 01:12:21,336
this great country of ours,
we have 240 cases.

1425
01:12:21,369 --> 01:12:23,672
Most of those people
are gonna be fine.

1426
01:12:23,704 --> 01:12:25,439
The vast majority
are going to be fine.

1427
01:12:25,472 --> 01:12:27,208
We've had 11 deaths.

1428
01:12:27,242 --> 01:12:28,177
All of our state labs

1429
01:12:28,209 --> 01:12:31,312
now have the ability
to test for this virus...

1430
01:12:31,346 --> 01:12:32,513
And they have had.

1431
01:12:32,547 --> 01:12:34,216
The testing has been
amazing, actually,

1432
01:12:34,248 --> 01:12:35,383
what they've been able
to produce

1433
01:12:35,417 --> 01:12:37,352
in such a short period of time.

1434
01:12:37,385 --> 01:12:40,289
Anybody that wants a test
can get a test.

1435
01:12:40,321 --> 01:12:43,357
<i>Anybody who wanted
a test knew that was a lie.</i>

1436
01:12:43,391 --> 01:12:45,494
<i>Just finding a facility
was hard.</i>

1437
01:12:45,526 --> 01:12:47,462
<i>People with the disease
were denied tests</i>

1438
01:12:47,494 --> 01:12:49,297
<i>on account of supply backlogs,</i>

1439
01:12:49,330 --> 01:12:52,767
<i>which also caused delays
in results.</i>

1440
01:12:52,801 --> 01:12:55,303
<i>The next day,
while Trump golfed,</i>

1441
01:12:55,337 --> 01:12:57,873
<i>Pence and Redfield went
to Cruise Lines of America.</i>

1442
01:12:57,905 --> 01:13:00,309
<i>We all recognize
the recent challenges</i>

1443
01:13:00,342 --> 01:13:01,977
<i>on the "Diamond Princess,"</i>

1444
01:13:02,010 --> 01:13:04,780
<i>and the ongoing challenge
with the "Grand Princess,"</i>

1445
01:13:04,812 --> 01:13:06,614
and we want to ensure
that the American people

1446
01:13:06,647 --> 01:13:10,351
can continue as we deal
with the coronavirus

1447
01:13:10,385 --> 01:13:13,321
to enjoy the opportunities
in the cruise line industry

1448
01:13:13,355 --> 01:13:14,723
and be confident.

1449
01:13:14,756 --> 01:13:16,557
I would not encourage anyone

1450
01:13:16,591 --> 01:13:18,459
to change their plans
at this point

1451
01:13:18,493 --> 01:13:21,830
based on what the epidemiology
is here in Florida.

1452
01:13:21,863 --> 01:13:23,332
They should enjoy Disneyland.

1453
01:13:23,364 --> 01:13:25,666
They should enjoy
the rest of Florida.

1454
01:13:25,699 --> 01:13:27,868
<i>There is this
back and forth,</i>

1455
01:13:27,901 --> 01:13:29,837
the medical folks saying
we need to take this seriously,

1456
01:13:29,870 --> 01:13:31,573
we need to be aggressive,

1457
01:13:31,605 --> 01:13:33,774
the economic folks pushing back
and saying, "Yeah, but..."

1458
01:13:33,807 --> 01:13:35,877
<i>Fauci would march up
and answer questions.</i>

1459
01:13:35,909 --> 01:13:37,912
Do you believe that people,

1460
01:13:37,945 --> 01:13:41,315
even if they're healthy, should
get onboard a cruise ship?

1461
01:13:41,348 --> 01:13:42,618
I would recommend strongly

1462
01:13:42,650 --> 01:13:44,885
that they do not
go on a cruise ship.

1463
01:13:44,918 --> 01:13:47,756
And then Trump or Pence
would come back

1464
01:13:47,788 --> 01:13:49,357
and sort of contradict him.

1465
01:13:49,391 --> 01:13:51,026
We're gonna work
with the cruise line industry

1466
01:13:51,059 --> 01:13:53,361
to improve the safety,

1467
01:13:53,395 --> 01:13:56,265
improve the health environment
on cruise lines.

1468
01:13:56,297 --> 01:13:58,899
Frankly, the testing
has been going very smooth.

1469
01:13:58,932 --> 01:14:00,901
If you go to the right agency,

1470
01:14:00,935 --> 01:14:03,004
if you go to the right area,
you get the test.

1471
01:14:03,038 --> 01:14:04,772
Will you admit that
there is a serious problem

1472
01:14:04,806 --> 01:14:06,040
in this country

1473
01:14:06,074 --> 01:14:10,012
obtaining access to testing
for coronavirus?

1474
01:14:10,044 --> 01:14:12,681
My colleague is looking at me
to answer that.

1475
01:14:12,713 --> 01:14:14,783
- Here we go.
- Okay.

1476
01:14:14,815 --> 01:14:16,818
The system
is not really geared

1477
01:14:16,851 --> 01:14:19,321
to what we need right now.

1478
01:14:19,354 --> 01:14:21,722
- That is a failing.
- A failing, yes.

1479
01:14:21,756 --> 01:14:23,691
It is a failing.
Let's admit it.

1480
01:14:23,725 --> 01:14:26,061
Dr. Fauci said
earlier this week

1481
01:14:26,093 --> 01:14:28,997
that the lag in testing
was, in fact, a failing.

1482
01:14:29,029 --> 01:14:31,032
Do you take responsibility
for that?

1483
01:14:31,065 --> 01:14:33,068
Yeah, no, I don't take
responsibility at all.

1484
01:14:33,101 --> 01:14:34,636
We're doing a great job.

1485
01:14:34,668 --> 01:14:36,771
Yeah, we have 40 people
right now... 40.

1486
01:14:36,805 --> 01:14:38,339
Compare that
with other countries

1487
01:14:38,373 --> 01:14:40,409
that have many, many times
that amount.

1488
01:14:42,110 --> 01:14:44,946
<i>To keep new cases
from entering our shores,</i>

1489
01:14:44,979 --> 01:14:48,717
<i>we will be suspending
all travel from Europe</i>

1490
01:14:48,749 --> 01:14:51,419
to the United States
for the next 30 days.

1491
01:14:52,854 --> 01:14:53,821
<i>There was a problem</i>

1492
01:14:53,855 --> 01:14:55,557
<i>with Trump's
sudden travel ban...</i>

1493
01:14:55,589 --> 01:14:57,993
<i>it had no plan attached.</i>

1494
01:14:58,025 --> 01:15:00,494
If we do get back
to the U.S., then what happens?

1495
01:15:00,528 --> 01:15:04,665
<i>Do we go into quarantine?
Do we go home?</i>

1496
01:15:04,699 --> 01:15:06,935
<i>Returning Americans
flooded U.S. airports,</i>

1497
01:15:06,967 --> 01:15:10,671
<i>where they were jammed in
makeshift COVID checkpoints.</i>

1498
01:15:10,704 --> 01:15:13,607
<i>They were perfect conditions
for more contagion,</i>

1499
01:15:13,641 --> 01:15:17,479
<i>as travelers from Europe
spread the virus into the U.S.</i>

1500
01:15:26,620 --> 01:15:29,458
<i>The message to New Yorkers
from the beginning has been,</i>

1501
01:15:29,490 --> 01:15:31,560
<i>"This is something
we all can handle together.</i>

1502
01:15:31,592 --> 01:15:33,595
Go about your lives.
Go about your business."

1503
01:15:36,998 --> 01:15:38,700
<i>The Governor confirming</i>

1504
01:15:38,732 --> 01:15:42,070
<i>that coronavirus has arrived
here in Manhattan.</i>

1505
01:15:42,102 --> 01:15:45,473
<i>The coronavirus spreads
tonight as Governor Cuomo</i>

1506
01:15:45,507 --> 01:15:48,944
<i>announces five more
positive cases in New York.</i>

1507
01:15:53,614 --> 01:15:56,484
<i>The number of confirmed
cases has reached 121.</i>

1508
01:15:56,517 --> 01:15:58,986
<i>Today, Governor Cuomo
announcing a ban</i>

1509
01:15:59,020 --> 01:16:01,990
<i>on any gatherings
of 500 people or more.</i>

1510
01:16:02,022 --> 01:16:05,560
<i>And 613 confirmed cases
of coronavirus in New York.</i>

1511
01:16:05,592 --> 01:16:08,896
<i>That is more
than any other state.</i>

1512
01:16:08,930 --> 01:16:11,566
I'm glad to see that you're
practicing social distancing.

1513
01:16:11,598 --> 01:16:13,435
That looks very nice.

1514
01:16:13,467 --> 01:16:16,604
We're announcing new guidelines
for every American to follow.

1515
01:16:16,637 --> 01:16:19,640
<i>Avoid gathering in groups
of more than 10 people,</i>

1516
01:16:19,673 --> 01:16:23,544
<i>and avoid eating and drinking
in bars, restaurants.</i>

1517
01:16:23,578 --> 01:16:25,914
And if everybody in America
does what we ask for,

1518
01:16:25,946 --> 01:16:27,815
<i>we will see
a dramatic difference,</i>

1519
01:16:27,848 --> 01:16:29,717
<i>and we won't have to worry
about the ventilators,</i>

1520
01:16:29,751 --> 01:16:31,753
<i>and we won't have to worry
about the ICU beds.</i>

1521
01:16:31,785 --> 01:16:34,955
Our volume
is just exploding.

1522
01:16:34,989 --> 01:16:37,459
<i>We have so many people
in the hallways.</i>

1523
01:16:37,492 --> 01:16:41,430
<i>A day or so ago, we put
14 people on ventilators.</i>

1524
01:16:41,462 --> 01:16:45,065
<i>Mayor de Blasio says that
there have been 100 new cases</i>

1525
01:16:45,098 --> 01:16:46,868
<i>in the city today alone.</i>

1526
01:16:46,900 --> 01:16:49,437
<i>So we're going to put out
an executive order today.</i>

1527
01:16:49,471 --> 01:16:52,207
<i>New York State on pause.</i>

1528
01:16:52,239 --> 01:16:54,074
<i>19 million New Yorkers are
being asked to stay at home</i>

1529
01:16:54,107 --> 01:16:55,577
<i>as much as possible.</i>

1530
01:16:55,610 --> 01:16:58,079
<i>Now topping
85,000 confirmed cases</i>

1531
01:16:58,111 --> 01:17:00,214
<i>and more than 1,400 deaths.</i>

1532
01:17:00,248 --> 01:17:02,784
<i>I hate to say this,
but it's true...</i>

1533
01:17:02,816 --> 01:17:05,553
we are now the epicenter
of this crisis

1534
01:17:05,587 --> 01:17:08,223
<i>right here
in the nation's largest city.</i>

1535
01:17:08,256 --> 01:17:12,494
<i>And if this goes on for
a month, or two, or three,</i>

1536
01:17:12,526 --> 01:17:16,564
<i>or five like it did in China,
we don't have what we need.</i>

1537
01:17:18,199 --> 01:17:21,236
<i>This is not a country that
was built to be shut down.</i>

1538
01:17:21,269 --> 01:17:24,573
<i>We're not gonna let the cure
be worse than the problem.</i>

1539
01:17:24,605 --> 01:17:26,774
<i>Worried about the economy,</i>

1540
01:17:26,807 --> 01:17:28,877
<i>Trump tried
to limit shutdowns,</i>

1541
01:17:28,909 --> 01:17:31,245
<i>but the virus
was out of control.</i>

1542
01:17:31,279 --> 01:17:34,216
<i>By April, over 3,000
New Yorkers had died,</i>

1543
01:17:34,248 --> 01:17:37,218
<i>surpassing the death toll
of 9/11.</i>

1544
01:17:37,252 --> 01:17:41,189
<i>ICUs were over capacity with
patients who couldn't breathe.</i>

1545
01:17:41,221 --> 01:17:43,724
<i>Ventilators were
in short supply,</i>

1546
01:17:43,757 --> 01:17:47,128
<i>and many of those who got them
did not survive.</i>

1547
01:17:50,064 --> 01:17:51,600
<i>We had seen the pandemic</i>

1548
01:17:51,632 --> 01:17:54,101
<i>was really taking off
in New York City.</i>

1549
01:17:54,135 --> 01:17:56,238
<i>We were in a central area
of Virginia</i>

1550
01:17:56,270 --> 01:17:58,706
<i>where there's not
a huge population,</i>

1551
01:17:58,739 --> 01:18:01,075
<i>and it was like being
on a coastal city</i>

1552
01:18:01,109 --> 01:18:02,744
<i>and you hear
about an earthquake</i>

1553
01:18:02,776 --> 01:18:04,512
<i>that happens offshore.</i>

1554
01:18:04,546 --> 01:18:06,780
You know that
a tsunami is coming.

1555
01:18:06,814 --> 01:18:08,682
You just don't know
when it's gonna happen

1556
01:18:08,716 --> 01:18:11,887
and how severe it's gonna be.

1557
01:18:11,919 --> 01:18:13,721
<i>A U.S. Marine in Virginia</i>

1558
01:18:13,754 --> 01:18:16,223
<i>has tested positive
for the coronavirus.</i>

1559
01:18:16,257 --> 01:18:18,960
<i>This is the first
positive case in Virginia,</i>

1560
01:18:18,993 --> 01:18:20,328
<i>and here's what we know.</i>

1561
01:18:20,360 --> 01:18:24,031
<i>I remember one day, I was
rounding in our COVID ICU,</i>

1562
01:18:24,065 --> 01:18:27,168
and our unit is structured
kind of like a V,

1563
01:18:27,200 --> 01:18:31,006
<i>so there's one wing here,
another wing over there.</i>

1564
01:18:31,038 --> 01:18:32,640
<i>And you know, these are some
of the sickest patients</i>

1565
01:18:32,673 --> 01:18:33,908
<i>I've ever taken care of
in my life.</i>

1566
01:18:33,941 --> 01:18:36,243
<i>They're on breathing machines,
dialysis machines.</i>

1567
01:18:36,276 --> 01:18:37,678
<i>They are needing
lots of medicines</i>

1568
01:18:37,712 --> 01:18:40,915
<i>to keep them sedated and calm.</i>

1569
01:18:40,949 --> 01:18:43,084
<i>And I'm trying to get
through morning rounds,</i>

1570
01:18:43,117 --> 01:18:44,753
<i>and I see that on one wing,</i>

1571
01:18:44,785 --> 01:18:48,323
<i>it's almost
all Hispanic last names.</i>

1572
01:18:48,355 --> 01:18:50,024
<i>And then, on the other wing,</i>

1573
01:18:50,057 --> 01:18:53,662
<i>it's almost all Black names.</i>

1574
01:18:53,695 --> 01:18:57,198
<i>I grew up an hour away
from where I'm working.</i>

1575
01:18:57,230 --> 01:18:59,600
<i>These are the family names
that I grew up with,</i>

1576
01:18:59,633 --> 01:19:02,069
<i>and I know these families.</i>

1577
01:19:02,102 --> 01:19:04,806
And I just was trying
to focus on the medical part

1578
01:19:04,838 --> 01:19:06,040
and just getting through it,

1579
01:19:06,074 --> 01:19:09,077
but I just felt this weight
on my chest.

1580
01:19:09,110 --> 01:19:11,713
<i>I'm a Black male
in the United States</i>

1581
01:19:11,745 --> 01:19:13,847
<i>and my family members
have chronic diseases</i>

1582
01:19:13,881 --> 01:19:15,650
<i>at high rates,</i>

1583
01:19:15,682 --> 01:19:17,953
<i>and I've been dealing
with this my whole life.</i>

1584
01:19:17,985 --> 01:19:21,288
And now I have family members
who are contracting COVID.

1585
01:19:21,321 --> 01:19:25,226
<i>Those are smiles and hugs
and tears and barbeques.</i>

1586
01:19:25,258 --> 01:19:28,329
<i>They're not numbers
on a paper.</i>

1587
01:19:28,363 --> 01:19:30,198
<i>Through the spring,</i>

1588
01:19:30,230 --> 01:19:33,068
<i>the death toll would rise
to 100,000.</i>

1589
01:19:33,101 --> 01:19:34,769
<i>It was a terrifying marker</i>

1590
01:19:34,802 --> 01:19:37,672
<i>for the failure
of the American response.</i>

1591
01:19:37,704 --> 01:19:40,742
<i>The U.S. was 4%
of the world's population</i>

1592
01:19:40,775 --> 01:19:44,379
<i>and 20% of the deaths
from the virus.</i>

1593
01:19:44,412 --> 01:19:47,248
<i>Despite the fatal consequences
of inaction,</i>

1594
01:19:47,280 --> 01:19:49,818
<i>the government could not solve
basic problems</i>

1595
01:19:49,851 --> 01:19:52,020
<i>like supplies for test kits.</i>

1596
01:19:55,189 --> 01:19:58,827
<i>In March, we started to see
the global supply chain</i>

1597
01:19:58,860 --> 01:20:00,929
really get jammed up.

1598
01:20:00,962 --> 01:20:05,834
So it was extraction kits,
swabs.

1599
01:20:05,867 --> 01:20:08,970
<i>The major producer of swabs</i>

1600
01:20:09,003 --> 01:20:10,939
is in the Lombardy region
of Italy.

1601
01:20:10,971 --> 01:20:14,008
<i>And Italy had just gone
on lockdown,</i>

1602
01:20:14,042 --> 01:20:17,678
<i>and the swabs company
was in a no-fly zone,</i>

1603
01:20:17,712 --> 01:20:19,414
so the U.S. supply
is basically going...

1604
01:20:19,446 --> 01:20:21,149
grinding to a halt.

1605
01:20:21,181 --> 01:20:25,753
Every single step of the way,
we've encountered an issue

1606
01:20:25,787 --> 01:20:28,390
or a problem
with the supply chain.

1607
01:20:28,422 --> 01:20:30,992
<i>Potential supply chain
problems</i>

1608
01:20:31,025 --> 01:20:34,796
<i>had been identified
in "Crimson Contagion."</i>

1609
01:20:34,829 --> 01:20:38,033
<i>The focus was on testing
supplies and lifesaving PPE.</i>

1610
01:20:38,065 --> 01:20:41,269
<i>The most critical items needed
were N95 masks,</i>

1611
01:20:41,302 --> 01:20:44,005
<i>whose firm fit and tight mesh
offered healthcare workers</i>

1612
01:20:44,038 --> 01:20:48,043
<i>real protection
from the disease.</i>

1613
01:20:48,075 --> 01:20:51,311
We had estimated the number
of N95 respirators

1614
01:20:51,345 --> 01:20:53,847
<i>that would be needed.</i>

1615
01:20:53,881 --> 01:20:57,718
That number was 3 1/2 billion.

1616
01:20:57,752 --> 01:21:00,321
<i>And we had a fraction</i>

1617
01:21:00,354 --> 01:21:02,790
<i>of what we would need
in the stockpile.</i>

1618
01:21:02,824 --> 01:21:05,427
<i>And all of those had
a five-year shelf life,</i>

1619
01:21:05,459 --> 01:21:07,761
<i>and a lot of those,</i>

1620
01:21:07,794 --> 01:21:11,899
they were purchased
almost ten years ago.

1621
01:21:11,932 --> 01:21:15,903
<i>Despite Ebola,
despite Zika, despite H1N1,</i>

1622
01:21:15,936 --> 01:21:18,939
filling up the national
stockpile for some virus

1623
01:21:18,972 --> 01:21:21,075
<i>that we don't even know
is ever gonna come</i>

1624
01:21:21,109 --> 01:21:24,245
<i>has never been
the top priority.</i>

1625
01:21:24,278 --> 01:21:26,815
You can say the Obama
Administration didn't do enough

1626
01:21:26,847 --> 01:21:29,450
<i>to leave the next
administration prepared.</i>

1627
01:21:29,484 --> 01:21:31,419
<i>You can also say,
"Well, that's true,</i>

1628
01:21:31,452 --> 01:21:36,024
<i>but the Trump Administration
had three and a half years."</i>

1629
01:21:36,056 --> 01:21:38,358
<i>The Strategic National
Stockpile was not intended</i>

1630
01:21:38,391 --> 01:21:42,730
to be everything that we would
need for an entire crisis.

1631
01:21:42,763 --> 01:21:45,333
<i>I think in mid-January,
the U.S. government</i>

1632
01:21:45,365 --> 01:21:47,401
<i>should have been looking
at the stockpile</i>

1633
01:21:47,435 --> 01:21:48,669
<i>to see what was in it</i>

1634
01:21:48,703 --> 01:21:52,906
<i>and how we were gonna pivot
to manufacture more.</i>

1635
01:21:52,940 --> 01:21:54,509
We should have been
having the conversation

1636
01:21:54,542 --> 01:21:57,979
about the Defense
Production Act in January.

1637
01:21:58,012 --> 01:22:00,381
There's talk
of invoking war powers

1638
01:22:00,413 --> 01:22:04,852
to require U.S. companies
to manufacture some goods.

1639
01:22:04,886 --> 01:22:06,087
That's right,

1640
01:22:06,119 --> 01:22:07,788
so that's called
the Defense Production Act.

1641
01:22:07,821 --> 01:22:08,922
I believe it came
into existence

1642
01:22:08,955 --> 01:22:10,024
during the Korean War.

1643
01:22:10,056 --> 01:22:12,793
<i>Effectively, we can determine</i>

1644
01:22:12,827 --> 01:22:15,129
<i>that our production should get
to the front of the line.</i>

1645
01:22:15,163 --> 01:22:17,464
<i>We'll use it if we need to,
but we obviously...</i>

1646
01:22:17,498 --> 01:22:19,534
if we can work cooperatively
with any vendor,

1647
01:22:19,566 --> 01:22:21,435
we'd rather do that.

1648
01:22:21,468 --> 01:22:24,004
<i>"Let the market
work its magic."</i>

1649
01:22:24,038 --> 01:22:27,107
<i>That was the guiding
philosophy for Azar and Trump,</i>

1650
01:22:27,141 --> 01:22:29,310
<i>but their anti-government
strategy</i>

1651
01:22:29,342 --> 01:22:33,180
<i>ignored basic rules
of supply and demand.</i>

1652
01:22:33,213 --> 01:22:37,118
<i>Without a large order from
the United States government,</i>

1653
01:22:37,150 --> 01:22:39,119
there really wasn't an
incentive for these companies

1654
01:22:39,153 --> 01:22:42,190
to start maximizing
their throughput.

1655
01:22:42,222 --> 01:22:46,293
<i>I was getting reports from
Mike Bowen, one of the few</i>

1656
01:22:46,327 --> 01:22:49,364
<i>remaining producers
of face masks and respirators</i>

1657
01:22:49,396 --> 01:22:51,031
<i>in the United States</i>

1658
01:22:51,065 --> 01:22:54,903
who had his finger on the pulse
of the supply chain.

1659
01:22:54,936 --> 01:22:59,274
<i>I'm a salesman telling
a story that nobody believes.</i>

1660
01:22:59,306 --> 01:23:02,075
The story is that the U.S.
mask supply is gonna collapse

1661
01:23:02,109 --> 01:23:03,244
and people are gonna die.

1662
01:23:03,276 --> 01:23:05,279
It doesn't cost much to fix.

1663
01:23:05,312 --> 01:23:08,216
That's the story.

1664
01:23:08,248 --> 01:23:12,986
<i>Around 2005, all of the major
mask makers left the country.</i>

1665
01:23:13,020 --> 01:23:15,824
It put the U.S. mask supply

1666
01:23:15,856 --> 01:23:17,457
in the hands of foreign control

1667
01:23:17,490 --> 01:23:20,961
and could be subject to
diversion during a pandemic.

1668
01:23:20,994 --> 01:23:23,430
<i>And that's what I've been
warning about for years.</i>

1669
01:23:23,463 --> 01:23:25,867
<i>I wrote Barack Obama
20 letters.</i>

1670
01:23:25,900 --> 01:23:28,937
<i>"Tell America's hospitals
that they are going to be</i>

1671
01:23:28,970 --> 01:23:30,571
"in a position to not be
able to protect their staff

1672
01:23:30,605 --> 01:23:31,573
and their patients."

1673
01:23:31,605 --> 01:23:34,309
I voted for Donald Trump.

1674
01:23:34,342 --> 01:23:37,345
<i>I thought, "You know,
if I contact enough people</i>

1675
01:23:37,378 --> 01:23:39,914
<i>"in the administration,
somebody, one of these people</i>

1676
01:23:39,946 --> 01:23:41,882
"are gonna look at this and go,
'Hey, this is a problem.

1677
01:23:41,915 --> 01:23:43,217
Maybe we ought
to call this guy.'"

1678
01:23:43,251 --> 01:23:45,285
And no, I couldn't get any...

1679
01:23:45,319 --> 01:23:47,622
I didn't get
any response there.

1680
01:23:47,654 --> 01:23:51,124
<i>In January,
Bowen's predictions came true.</i>

1681
01:23:51,158 --> 01:23:53,494
<i>As China struggled to contain
the outbreak of COVID,</i>

1682
01:23:53,526 --> 01:23:58,165
<i>it limited the export of N95
masks to the United States.</i>

1683
01:23:58,199 --> 01:23:59,968
<i>At the end of January,</i>

1684
01:24:00,001 --> 01:24:01,369
<i>I'm hearing
from all over the world.</i>

1685
01:24:01,403 --> 01:24:05,240
<i>People are freaking out about
masks, and needing masks.</i>

1686
01:24:05,272 --> 01:24:06,908
And that's when I got ahold
of Rick and said,

1687
01:24:06,940 --> 01:24:08,376
"Hey, here's what
I'm seeing out here.

1688
01:24:08,409 --> 01:24:10,411
This is gonna be bad."

1689
01:24:10,444 --> 01:24:14,382
<i>He was sounding the
alarm bells almost every day.</i>

1690
01:24:14,414 --> 01:24:16,917
<i>We can't protect
America's population.</i>

1691
01:24:16,950 --> 01:24:19,253
<i>That's too late, but I said
I can at least make</i>

1692
01:24:19,287 --> 01:24:22,222
enough masks to protect
America's healthcare workers.

1693
01:24:22,256 --> 01:24:26,261
<i>I reminded him that we had
these four respirator lines.</i>

1694
01:24:26,293 --> 01:24:30,163
<i>To activate them we would need
more people, raw materials,</i>

1695
01:24:30,196 --> 01:24:34,334
<i>emergency NIOSH approval, and
large non-cancellable orders.</i>

1696
01:24:34,368 --> 01:24:36,370
I see that our country's
gonna have a problem,

1697
01:24:36,404 --> 01:24:37,605
I get ahold of Rick.

1698
01:24:37,637 --> 01:24:40,073
I pushed every one
of those emails

1699
01:24:40,106 --> 01:24:42,109
up to the Strategic
National Stockpile

1700
01:24:42,142 --> 01:24:44,645
<i>and Critical
Infrastructure Team.</i>

1701
01:24:44,678 --> 01:24:49,316
<i>I reminded them
of the H5N1 scare,</i>

1702
01:24:49,350 --> 01:24:54,088
when people rushed to buy
masks and hoard masks.

1703
01:24:54,120 --> 01:24:56,524
<i>The response I got was,</i>

1704
01:24:56,556 --> 01:25:00,127
"We will just change
the CDC guideline.

1705
01:25:00,160 --> 01:25:04,631
<i>And we'll just tell people,
don't do that."</i>

1706
01:25:04,664 --> 01:25:06,600
<i>Basically in March,
they realized</i>

1707
01:25:06,633 --> 01:25:08,235
that the healthcare workers

1708
01:25:08,269 --> 01:25:10,305
are not going
to have enough PPE,

1709
01:25:10,337 --> 01:25:13,440
so they basically issued
a warning to the public,

1710
01:25:13,473 --> 01:25:17,011
<i>"Do not use face masks."</i>

1711
01:25:17,043 --> 01:25:20,514
Do you have any sense
of how many more N95 masks

1712
01:25:20,547 --> 01:25:23,617
would be on the market had the
federal government taken you up

1713
01:25:23,650 --> 01:25:27,187
on your offer to reactivate
N95 manufacturing lines

1714
01:25:27,221 --> 01:25:28,589
in January?

1715
01:25:28,622 --> 01:25:32,592
About 7 million
N95 respirators per month.

1716
01:25:32,626 --> 01:25:34,995
I sounded the alarm every day

1717
01:25:35,029 --> 01:25:38,732
about the shortage
of N95 respirators,

1718
01:25:38,766 --> 01:25:41,336
<i>and we were doing nothing.</i>

1719
01:25:41,369 --> 01:25:43,705
<i>The numbers continue
to surge in hotspots</i>

1720
01:25:43,738 --> 01:25:47,275
<i>like California, Michigan,
Louisiana, Florida,</i>

1721
01:25:47,307 --> 01:25:49,243
<i>and especially,
of course, New York.</i>

1722
01:25:49,275 --> 01:25:51,979
<i>Medical resources
are stretched to capacity</i>

1723
01:25:52,012 --> 01:25:53,381
<i>and beyond.</i>

1724
01:25:57,217 --> 01:26:01,122
We had saved
some outdated N95 masks

1725
01:26:01,154 --> 01:26:03,323
that were part
of the Ebola response,

1726
01:26:03,356 --> 01:26:05,659
<i>but quickly we ran out
of those supplies,</i>

1727
01:26:05,693 --> 01:26:09,629
<i>so we had to make do.</i>

1728
01:26:09,663 --> 01:26:12,200
<i>Some of the N95 masks
that we received</i>

1729
01:26:12,232 --> 01:26:14,502
had been in storage
for years and years,

1730
01:26:14,534 --> 01:26:17,104
and while the actual
mask itself worked fine,

1731
01:26:17,137 --> 01:26:18,772
the rubber band was brittle.

1732
01:26:18,806 --> 01:26:21,109
<i>So there were people
in the room</i>

1733
01:26:21,141 --> 01:26:25,178
<i>taking care of a patient,
and the mask just snaps off.</i>

1734
01:26:25,212 --> 01:26:27,714
<i>The CDC is now
advising healthcare workers</i>

1735
01:26:27,748 --> 01:26:30,585
<i>to ration masks,
to use expired masks,</i>

1736
01:26:30,618 --> 01:26:33,588
<i>even use bandanas or scarves
as a last resort.</i>

1737
01:26:36,390 --> 01:26:40,395
<i>Our usage increased
by several hundredfold.</i>

1738
01:26:40,427 --> 01:26:44,664
We could see our equipment
supply going down dramatically.

1739
01:26:44,698 --> 01:26:47,635
<i>So you kind of clamp down a
little bit and say, you know,</i>

1740
01:26:47,668 --> 01:26:51,339
<i>"We're gonna save it for these
very specific encounters."</i>

1741
01:26:51,372 --> 01:26:53,708
So now, from the perspective
of a healthcare worker,

1742
01:26:53,740 --> 01:26:56,077
you're taking away my safety.

1743
01:26:56,110 --> 01:26:59,313
<i>And what people really
wanted was a big enough supply</i>

1744
01:26:59,346 --> 01:27:02,183
<i>so that anyone who felt that
they were at a higher risk</i>

1745
01:27:02,216 --> 01:27:03,685
<i>could be safe.</i>

1746
01:27:10,356 --> 01:27:15,162
<i>One mask to be worn
for 12 hours.</i>

1747
01:27:15,195 --> 01:27:16,730
It's just ridiculous.

1748
01:27:16,763 --> 01:27:19,600
No protective equipment,
the gowns.

1749
01:27:19,632 --> 01:27:22,336
<i>We have to improvise
with what we have.</i>

1750
01:27:24,805 --> 01:27:27,175
We have people coming in
sewing masks, sewing shields,

1751
01:27:27,208 --> 01:27:29,544
making things out of plastics.

1752
01:27:29,577 --> 01:27:31,712
This is what we're doing now?

1753
01:27:31,744 --> 01:27:33,413
<i>I mean that would be like
a soldier going to war</i>

1754
01:27:33,446 --> 01:27:35,283
<i>and making a plastic gun
to bring with him.</i>

1755
01:27:35,315 --> 01:27:37,151
<i>This is what's happening.</i>

1756
01:27:47,194 --> 01:27:49,297
- PPEs!
- Every day!

1757
01:27:49,329 --> 01:27:50,464
PPEs!

1758
01:27:50,498 --> 01:27:52,200
Every day!

1759
01:27:52,232 --> 01:27:55,436
<i>We're here in the community
fighting every day,</i>

1760
01:27:55,468 --> 01:27:59,573
and we need some help.

1761
01:27:59,606 --> 01:28:02,577
<i>In February, the
Trump Administration actually</i>

1762
01:28:02,610 --> 01:28:05,446
<i>created the China-COVID
Procurement Service</i>

1763
01:28:05,479 --> 01:28:08,415
<i>to encourage
American producers like 3M</i>

1764
01:28:08,449 --> 01:28:11,486
<i>to sell their entire
inventories of N95 masks</i>

1765
01:28:11,519 --> 01:28:14,122
<i>to China.</i>

1766
01:28:14,154 --> 01:28:17,157
<i>When American hospitals
desperately needed N95s,</i>

1767
01:28:17,190 --> 01:28:18,758
<i>they were forced
to import them</i>

1768
01:28:18,792 --> 01:28:20,561
<i>and pay up to 10 times more</i>

1769
01:28:20,593 --> 01:28:23,631
<i>than the price charged
by American producers.</i>

1770
01:28:23,663 --> 01:28:27,734
<i>PPE has been sporadic,
but we do what we have to do.</i>

1771
01:28:27,767 --> 01:28:30,203
<i>We're nurses,
and we learn to adapt</i>

1772
01:28:30,236 --> 01:28:32,739
and to get the job done
and get the care provided,

1773
01:28:32,772 --> 01:28:34,441
and that's what
we're gonna continue to do.

1774
01:28:34,475 --> 01:28:35,642
Sporadic for you,

1775
01:28:35,676 --> 01:28:37,712
but not sporadic
for a lot of other people.

1776
01:28:37,744 --> 01:28:38,912
Oh, no, I agree,
Mr. President.

1777
01:28:38,945 --> 01:28:40,547
Because I've heard
the opposite.

1778
01:28:40,580 --> 01:28:44,252
I've heard that they are
loaded up with gowns now.

1779
01:28:44,284 --> 01:28:46,319
And you know, initially,
we had nothing.

1780
01:28:46,352 --> 01:28:49,257
We had empty cupboards.
We had empty shelves.

1781
01:28:49,289 --> 01:28:51,525
We had nothing because
it wasn't put there

1782
01:28:51,559 --> 01:28:53,427
by the last administration.

1783
01:28:53,459 --> 01:28:55,562
<i>In the midst of the crisis,</i>

1784
01:28:55,596 --> 01:28:57,899
<i>President Trump goes on TV
and says, "Don't worry.</i>

1785
01:28:57,931 --> 01:29:00,367
<i>We've got plenty of PPE
for healthcare workers."</i>

1786
01:29:00,400 --> 01:29:03,303
<i>What was your reaction
when you saw that?</i>

1787
01:29:03,337 --> 01:29:05,506
I know what
my reaction was.

1788
01:29:05,538 --> 01:29:08,275
I turned to my wife and said,
"That's complete bullshit.

1789
01:29:08,309 --> 01:29:11,244
He has no idea
what he's talking about."

1790
01:29:11,278 --> 01:29:14,515
I'm getting 500
to 1,000 emails a day.

1791
01:29:14,547 --> 01:29:18,351
I'm getting emails from people,
not businesses.

1792
01:29:18,385 --> 01:29:20,387
I'm getting emails from moms.

1793
01:29:20,421 --> 01:29:23,624
I'm getting emails from old
people, "Please send me masks."

1794
01:29:26,694 --> 01:29:30,531
And I can't.

1795
01:29:30,564 --> 01:29:32,499
You make a product
that can protect people.

1796
01:29:32,533 --> 01:29:35,203
I can't help
all these people.

1797
01:29:38,806 --> 01:29:41,876
<i>The PPE shortage
continued on for months,</i>

1798
01:29:41,909 --> 01:29:44,312
<i>even after Trump put
one of his most trusted</i>

1799
01:29:44,345 --> 01:29:45,913
<i>family members in charge</i>

1800
01:29:45,945 --> 01:29:48,248
<i>of procuring
protective equipment.</i>

1801
01:29:51,318 --> 01:29:53,486
<i>Jared Kushner formed
his own task force</i>

1802
01:29:53,520 --> 01:29:54,821
<i>to get supplies.</i>

1803
01:29:54,855 --> 01:29:56,857
<i>Was that confusing?
Like did you...</i>

1804
01:29:56,890 --> 01:29:58,726
It was extremely confusing.

1805
01:29:58,758 --> 01:30:00,328
The president
wanted to make sure

1806
01:30:00,360 --> 01:30:02,562
that we had the best people
doing the best jobs

1807
01:30:02,596 --> 01:30:05,299
and making sure that we had
the right people focused

1808
01:30:05,332 --> 01:30:06,901
on all the things
that needed to happen

1809
01:30:06,934 --> 01:30:09,669
to make sure that we can
deliver in these unusual times

1810
01:30:09,703 --> 01:30:12,839
<i>for the American people.</i>

1811
01:30:12,873 --> 01:30:15,576
<i>My old boss called me
and said he heard that</i>

1812
01:30:15,609 --> 01:30:19,347
<i>Jared Kushner's task force
needed younger volunteers</i>

1813
01:30:19,379 --> 01:30:21,281
who had general skills
and were willing

1814
01:30:21,315 --> 01:30:24,352
to work seven days a week
for no money,

1815
01:30:24,385 --> 01:30:27,454
and if you fit those criteria,
that you should head to D.C.

1816
01:30:27,488 --> 01:30:31,458
and help
with the pandemic response.

1817
01:30:31,492 --> 01:30:33,261
<i>I definitely
had some apprehension</i>

1818
01:30:33,293 --> 01:30:34,595
<i>about working
for the administration,</i>

1819
01:30:34,628 --> 01:30:36,364
<i>but it felt like the country</i>

1820
01:30:36,396 --> 01:30:38,431
and the world
were under attack.

1821
01:30:38,464 --> 01:30:40,935
It seemed like if there
was something to do to help,

1822
01:30:40,967 --> 01:30:43,703
that was the right thing to do.

1823
01:30:43,736 --> 01:30:45,373
<i>They basically gave us a day</i>

1824
01:30:45,405 --> 01:30:50,010
<i>to show up in D.C.
at the FEMA Headquarters.</i>

1825
01:30:50,043 --> 01:30:52,379
<i>We walked
into Conference Room A,</i>

1826
01:30:52,413 --> 01:30:55,283
<i>which was this windowless,
subterranean conference room.</i>

1827
01:30:55,315 --> 01:30:57,318
<i>There were televisions
all around the walls</i>

1828
01:30:57,351 --> 01:30:59,754
<i>all playing FOX News.</i>

1829
01:30:59,787 --> 01:31:02,390
<i>One representative from FEMA</i>

1830
01:31:02,422 --> 01:31:04,324
<i>and one representative
from the military</i>

1831
01:31:04,357 --> 01:31:06,627
<i>gave a quick pep talk.</i>

1832
01:31:06,659 --> 01:31:09,396
They kept saying "the stuff,"
and by that they meant PPE.

1833
01:31:09,430 --> 01:31:11,499
<i>And they kept saying, "There's
stuff all around the world.</i>

1834
01:31:11,531 --> 01:31:12,699
<i>"There's stuff in the U.S.,
and we need</i>

1835
01:31:12,732 --> 01:31:15,636
<i>to get it to hospitals
as fast as possible."</i>

1836
01:31:15,668 --> 01:31:18,372
Everyone stood up and started
filing into different offices,

1837
01:31:18,404 --> 01:31:20,807
and I remember the only people
left were the volunteers.

1838
01:31:20,841 --> 01:31:23,343
<i>We thought we would be
auxiliary support</i>

1839
01:31:23,377 --> 01:31:25,513
<i>for an existing procurement
team that just needed</i>

1840
01:31:25,546 --> 01:31:27,815
<i>to be expanded
as quickly as possible</i>

1841
01:31:27,847 --> 01:31:29,984
<i>and we would, you know,
do data entry for contracts.</i>

1842
01:31:30,016 --> 01:31:32,586
<i>And instead, we were the team.</i>

1843
01:31:32,619 --> 01:31:35,456
I think when people imagined
the federal government response

1844
01:31:35,489 --> 01:31:38,426
in the war room, they thought
it would be this big,

1845
01:31:38,458 --> 01:31:41,561
<i>you know, energized
group of experts,</i>

1846
01:31:41,595 --> 01:31:45,533
not ten 20-year-old volunteers
all just with private laptops.

1847
01:31:45,565 --> 01:31:47,033
<i>No industry relationships,</i>

1848
01:31:47,066 --> 01:31:50,337
<i>no experience working
in supply chain.</i>

1849
01:31:50,370 --> 01:31:53,341
<i>So we started cold-emailing
people we knew</i>

1850
01:31:53,373 --> 01:31:54,941
<i>who had business relationships
in China,</i>

1851
01:31:54,975 --> 01:31:56,877
<i>looking for factories online,</i>

1852
01:31:56,909 --> 01:32:00,947
<i>and emailing them from
our personal Gmail accounts.</i>

1853
01:32:00,980 --> 01:32:03,016
Because we had never
done this before,

1854
01:32:03,050 --> 01:32:04,918
you know, there were all these
really basic questions

1855
01:32:04,952 --> 01:32:07,754
about how a federal procurement
operation should work.

1856
01:32:07,788 --> 01:32:09,457
We would call factories
and say,

1857
01:32:09,489 --> 01:32:11,624
"We think the federal
government can send you a check

1858
01:32:11,658 --> 01:32:13,593
in 60 days,"
and they would say,

1859
01:32:13,627 --> 01:32:16,097
"There's someone
with a briefcase of cash,

1860
01:32:16,129 --> 01:32:18,732
and they are offering
to pay me right now."

1861
01:32:18,766 --> 01:32:20,935
<i>And we would run
around the FEMA building</i>

1862
01:32:20,967 --> 01:32:23,671
<i>looking for someone who could
tell us what payment terms</i>

1863
01:32:23,704 --> 01:32:25,840
<i>the federal government
was allowed to offer,</i>

1864
01:32:25,873 --> 01:32:29,143
and no one ever told us.

1865
01:32:29,176 --> 01:32:32,546
<i>One week into our work,
several government employees</i>

1866
01:32:32,579 --> 01:32:34,849
<i>walked into the room
and handed out NDAs</i>

1867
01:32:34,882 --> 01:32:36,550
<i>and told us we had
to sign the NDAs</i>

1868
01:32:36,583 --> 01:32:38,486
<i>or leave the room immediately,</i>

1869
01:32:38,519 --> 01:32:40,687
<i>and we all had built
our own relationships</i>

1870
01:32:40,721 --> 01:32:44,725
<i>with manufacturers, and it
felt like if we walked away,</i>

1871
01:32:44,757 --> 01:32:46,559
it would negatively affect
our ability

1872
01:32:46,592 --> 01:32:49,596
to buy this critical,
lifesaving equipment.

1873
01:32:49,629 --> 01:32:54,534
<i>And so we all begrudgingly
signed the NDA.</i>

1874
01:32:54,568 --> 01:32:56,070
<i>In the room,
there were those TVs</i>

1875
01:32:56,102 --> 01:32:57,837
<i>all around the walls
playing the news.</i>

1876
01:32:57,870 --> 01:32:59,774
<i>They always had
a death counter.</i>

1877
01:32:59,806 --> 01:33:01,742
<i>And so every hour
we were sitting there,</i>

1878
01:33:01,775 --> 01:33:04,779
<i>trying to buy PPE that
we all knew could save lives,</i>

1879
01:33:04,811 --> 01:33:06,780
and we were watching the
number of deaths in the U.S.

1880
01:33:06,814 --> 01:33:09,083
<i>tick higher
and higher and higher.</i>

1881
01:33:09,115 --> 01:33:11,819
<i>And that weighed on all of us.</i>

1882
01:33:11,851 --> 01:33:13,586
<i>The president also
instructed me to make sure</i>

1883
01:33:13,619 --> 01:33:15,722
<i>that I break down
every barrier needed</i>

1884
01:33:15,756 --> 01:33:18,691
to make sure that
the teams can succeed.

1885
01:33:18,725 --> 01:33:20,761
<i>The first time Jared Kushner
came into the room,</i>

1886
01:33:20,793 --> 01:33:23,196
<i>he had this big entourage,
and he said,</i>

1887
01:33:23,230 --> 01:33:25,199
<i>"I want to make this
as effective as possible.</i>

1888
01:33:25,231 --> 01:33:27,435
<i>"Tell me the problems
that you have,</i>

1889
01:33:27,467 --> 01:33:29,202
<i>and I will solve them today."</i>

1890
01:33:29,235 --> 01:33:31,571
And we said, "We need
to be able to pay upfront."

1891
01:33:31,605 --> 01:33:34,442
And he said, "Done,"

1892
01:33:34,475 --> 01:33:37,044
<i>but there was no action taken
that we saw whatsoever.</i>

1893
01:33:37,077 --> 01:33:39,747
<i>In the entire time
that I was a volunteer,</i>

1894
01:33:39,779 --> 01:33:43,983
our team did not directly
purchase a single mask.

1895
01:33:44,016 --> 01:33:46,519
<i>Kushner failed
to protect doctors and nurses,</i>

1896
01:33:46,552 --> 01:33:48,122
<i>but he was willing
to trade government help</i>

1897
01:33:48,154 --> 01:33:50,824
<i>for political benefits.</i>

1898
01:33:50,857 --> 01:33:54,028
<i>When the Democratic Governor
of California, Gavin Newsom,</i>

1899
01:33:54,061 --> 01:33:56,564
<i>desperately needed
testing swabs,</i>

1900
01:33:56,596 --> 01:33:58,598
<i>Kushner said Trump
would grant the request</i>

1901
01:33:58,632 --> 01:34:00,568
<i>on two conditions:</i>

1902
01:34:00,601 --> 01:34:01,769
<i>Newsom would have
to get on the phone</i>

1903
01:34:01,802 --> 01:34:03,938
<i>and ask Trump personally</i>

1904
01:34:03,971 --> 01:34:07,775
<i>and then thank him publicly.</i>

1905
01:34:07,807 --> 01:34:09,243
I want to thank
the president,

1906
01:34:09,275 --> 01:34:13,213
not only for being available
for a phone call

1907
01:34:13,247 --> 01:34:15,883
at a moment's notice,
but being willing

1908
01:34:15,915 --> 01:34:19,587
to directly commit to all of us
in the state of California.

1909
01:34:19,619 --> 01:34:21,689
<i>Built
around personal relationships,</i>

1910
01:34:21,721 --> 01:34:24,257
<i>Kushner's task force was run
by his college roommate</i>

1911
01:34:24,290 --> 01:34:26,760
<i>and Ivanka Trump's
former assistant.</i>

1912
01:34:26,793 --> 01:34:29,597
<i>Rather than rely on
experienced public officials,</i>

1913
01:34:29,629 --> 01:34:32,867
<i>the task force prioritized
private tips in a spreadsheet</i>

1914
01:34:32,900 --> 01:34:34,602
<i>called "VIP Update,"</i>

1915
01:34:34,635 --> 01:34:36,570
<i>which included
two Republican dentists</i>

1916
01:34:36,602 --> 01:34:39,172
<i>and a FOX News personality.</i>

1917
01:34:39,205 --> 01:34:41,574
<i>The whole philosophy
of the task force</i>

1918
01:34:41,607 --> 01:34:43,977
was that the government
can't get things done

1919
01:34:44,011 --> 01:34:45,546
<i>and they thought
the private market</i>

1920
01:34:45,579 --> 01:34:47,848
<i>could largely settle
this issue,</i>

1921
01:34:47,881 --> 01:34:50,117
<i>but it was only once
they had tried and failed</i>

1922
01:34:50,150 --> 01:34:52,086
that they'd started to blame
other people and say,

1923
01:34:52,119 --> 01:34:54,788
"Actually, this was your job
the whole time."

1924
01:34:54,820 --> 01:34:56,957
You have instances where
in cities, they're running out,

1925
01:34:56,989 --> 01:34:58,525
but the state
still has a stockpile.

1926
01:34:58,559 --> 01:35:00,226
And the notion
of the federal stockpile

1927
01:35:00,260 --> 01:35:01,794
was it's supposed
to be our stockpile.

1928
01:35:01,828 --> 01:35:03,631
It's not supposed
to be states' stockpiles

1929
01:35:03,663 --> 01:35:05,298
that they then use.

1930
01:35:05,332 --> 01:35:08,669
My understanding
is the only reason

1931
01:35:08,702 --> 01:35:12,272
the federal stockpile exists
is to distribute it to states.

1932
01:35:12,306 --> 01:35:15,075
<i>The people in charge
on the task force said,</i>

1933
01:35:15,107 --> 01:35:16,776
<i>you know,
talking about the president...</i>

1934
01:35:16,810 --> 01:35:18,646
love him or hate him,
he's a marketing genius.

1935
01:35:18,678 --> 01:35:20,647
He came up with the strategy
to blame the states,

1936
01:35:20,681 --> 01:35:22,049
because the federal government

1937
01:35:22,082 --> 01:35:23,684
hasn't been able
to do this effectively.

1938
01:35:25,351 --> 01:35:30,123
<i>Federal government
has assets and abilities</i>

1939
01:35:30,156 --> 01:35:32,760
<i>that no state
can possibly mobilize.</i>

1940
01:35:32,793 --> 01:35:35,329
<i>They have a global
supply chain.</i>

1941
01:35:35,361 --> 01:35:36,997
They have a logistic capability

1942
01:35:37,029 --> 01:35:38,731
<i>through
the Department of Defense</i>

1943
01:35:38,765 --> 01:35:40,601
<i>and Department
of Homeland Security</i>

1944
01:35:40,633 --> 01:35:43,570
to get stuff in
and distribute it

1945
01:35:43,604 --> 01:35:45,905
to places all over the country.

1946
01:35:45,939 --> 01:35:49,276
<i>President Trump flipped that
on its head.</i>

1947
01:35:49,309 --> 01:35:54,181
Then there became this mad
rush for each and every state

1948
01:35:54,213 --> 01:35:58,217
to try and find equipment
on their own.

1949
01:36:01,288 --> 01:36:04,992
<i>Breaker one nine,
this here's Rubber Duck.</i>

1950
01:36:05,025 --> 01:36:06,927
<i>Mercy sakes alive,</i>

1951
01:36:06,959 --> 01:36:10,064
<i>looks like we've
got us a convoy.</i>

1952
01:36:10,096 --> 01:36:14,701
<i>We continued to source and
ship as much PPE as we can</i>

1953
01:36:14,735 --> 01:36:17,304
<i>by whatever means necessary.</i>

1954
01:36:17,337 --> 01:36:19,607
<i>♪ Arizona, noon,
on the seventh of June ♪</i>

1955
01:36:19,640 --> 01:36:21,709
<i>♪ When they highballed
over the pass ♪</i>

1956
01:36:21,742 --> 01:36:26,245
We had the governor of
Massachusetts using a plane

1957
01:36:26,279 --> 01:36:30,217
<i>from the New England Patriots
to bring equipment from China.</i>

1958
01:36:30,249 --> 01:36:32,285
<i>♪ 'Cause we got
a little ol' convoy ♪</i>

1959
01:36:32,319 --> 01:36:35,189
<i>The equipment is now in the
hands of the National Guard,</i>

1960
01:36:35,221 --> 01:36:38,758
<i>who will deliver it
to an undisclosed location.</i>

1961
01:36:38,792 --> 01:36:40,394
<i>♪ Convoy ♪</i>

1962
01:36:40,427 --> 01:36:43,030
<i>Whoo-hoo!</i>

1963
01:36:43,062 --> 01:36:45,132
We had the governor
of Maryland

1964
01:36:45,164 --> 01:36:47,700
using contacts of his wife's

1965
01:36:47,734 --> 01:36:52,839
<i>to bring equipment in
from South Korea.</i>

1966
01:36:52,873 --> 01:36:55,709
<i>He felt it important enough
to guard that equipment</i>

1967
01:36:55,742 --> 01:36:58,345
<i>when it landed in Maryland,
because he didn't want it</i>

1968
01:36:58,378 --> 01:37:01,949
<i>confiscated by
the federal government.</i>

1969
01:37:01,981 --> 01:37:03,751
<i>We're competing against
every other state,</i>

1970
01:37:03,784 --> 01:37:05,219
<i>every other country.</i>

1971
01:37:05,252 --> 01:37:08,656
Now we're even competing
against the federal government.

1972
01:37:08,689 --> 01:37:13,327
It's like being on eBay
with 50 other states,

1973
01:37:13,360 --> 01:37:16,296
bidding on a ventilator.

1974
01:37:16,329 --> 01:37:19,733
<i>You see the bid go up
'cause California bid.</i>

1975
01:37:19,766 --> 01:37:23,937
<i>Illinois bid, Florida bid,
New York bids,</i>

1976
01:37:23,970 --> 01:37:26,073
<i>California rebids.</i>

1977
01:37:26,105 --> 01:37:29,376
<i>And then FEMA starts bidding.</i>

1978
01:37:29,409 --> 01:37:33,313
So FEMA is driving up
the price.

1979
01:37:33,346 --> 01:37:35,049
What?

1980
01:37:35,815 --> 01:37:39,052
I stand here as someone
who has had confirmed orders

1981
01:37:39,086 --> 01:37:44,091
for millions of pieces of gear
evaporate in front of us,

1982
01:37:44,123 --> 01:37:47,160
and I can't tell you
how frustrating it is.

1983
01:37:47,194 --> 01:37:49,096
<i>I get a feeling if there's
somebody had the chance to</i>

1984
01:37:49,128 --> 01:37:50,797
<i>sell to you or had the chance
to sell to me,</i>

1985
01:37:50,830 --> 01:37:53,300
<i>I'm gonna lose
every one of those.</i>

1986
01:37:53,333 --> 01:37:55,035
All right, Charlie.
Thank you very much.

1987
01:37:55,068 --> 01:37:57,204
Well, we do like you going out
seeing what you can get,

1988
01:37:57,236 --> 01:37:59,205
if you can get it faster,

1989
01:37:59,239 --> 01:38:02,843
and the price is always
a component to that also,

1990
01:38:02,876 --> 01:38:05,779
and maybe that's why
you lost to the feds.

1991
01:38:05,811 --> 01:38:08,247
I'll tell you,
that's probably why, but...

1992
01:38:08,280 --> 01:38:10,484
<i>If the goal was
to get PPE to the states,</i>

1993
01:38:10,516 --> 01:38:12,418
<i>why would
the federal government</i>

1994
01:38:12,452 --> 01:38:15,222
<i>be driving up the price
to outbid them?</i>

1995
01:38:15,254 --> 01:38:19,092
<i>Or was driving up the price
the whole point?</i>

1996
01:38:19,126 --> 01:38:20,894
<i>This morning,
our first project</i>

1997
01:38:20,927 --> 01:38:21,929
<i>that we called Airbridge...</i>

1998
01:38:21,962 --> 01:38:24,198
that's Airbridge,
that's the name.

1999
01:38:24,230 --> 01:38:26,300
<i>And it was a flight
that landed in JFK</i>

2000
01:38:26,333 --> 01:38:29,036
<i>and contained
nearly 2 million masks.</i>

2001
01:38:29,069 --> 01:38:31,038
This is the first
of 50 flights,

2002
01:38:31,070 --> 01:38:33,973
and that will probably
increase substantially.

2003
01:38:34,007 --> 01:38:36,376
<i>Project Airbridge
was a plan to subsidize</i>

2004
01:38:36,409 --> 01:38:40,848
<i>the efforts of private
companies to buy and sell PPE.</i>

2005
01:38:40,881 --> 01:38:43,117
<i>Max Kennedy's team
would find the PPE</i>

2006
01:38:43,150 --> 01:38:45,486
<i>and negotiate
the lowest possible price.</i>

2007
01:38:45,519 --> 01:38:48,055
<i>Private companies
would then pay the bill.</i>

2008
01:38:48,087 --> 01:38:49,856
<i>Then the federal government
would pay</i>

2009
01:38:49,890 --> 01:38:53,761
<i>to fly the PPE stateside
from overseas.</i>

2010
01:38:53,793 --> 01:38:54,961
<i>And we had partnered</i>

2011
01:38:54,994 --> 01:38:58,498
<i>with the five largest
medical distributors.</i>

2012
01:38:58,531 --> 01:39:00,400
Once we shipped it
to the United States,

2013
01:39:00,432 --> 01:39:02,903
<i>they would take over
and sell directly</i>

2014
01:39:02,936 --> 01:39:05,939
to whoever they would like,
at whatever price they wanted.

2015
01:39:05,971 --> 01:39:08,941
Just to clarify,
that explains why states say

2016
01:39:08,975 --> 01:39:11,111
they're bidding like
they're on eBay,

2017
01:39:11,144 --> 01:39:13,780
because the supplies are
going to the private sector,

2018
01:39:13,814 --> 01:39:15,949
and then they have to go there
to get the supplies.

2019
01:39:15,981 --> 01:39:17,818
That's normally
how things work, right?

2020
01:39:17,851 --> 01:39:20,320
So I'm not here to disrupt,

2021
01:39:20,352 --> 01:39:24,557
uh, a supply chain.

2022
01:39:24,591 --> 01:39:26,493
<i>The U.S. government
was handing a huge amount</i>

2023
01:39:26,525 --> 01:39:28,261
<i>of business to these
five companies</i>

2024
01:39:28,294 --> 01:39:30,096
<i>that were chosen
fairly arbitrarily.</i>

2025
01:39:32,332 --> 01:39:34,901
There were increasing concerns,
I think, from competitors,

2026
01:39:34,935 --> 01:39:36,236
that these five companies
were getting

2027
01:39:36,269 --> 01:39:38,571
a hugely unfair advantage,

2028
01:39:38,605 --> 01:39:42,075
and so I was asked on several
different occasions explicitly

2029
01:39:42,107 --> 01:39:46,312
to find a justification to have
selected these companies way...

2030
01:39:46,346 --> 01:39:49,216
you know, months after
they had been selected.

2031
01:39:49,248 --> 01:39:51,284
<i>At least one of
these companies, Cardinal,</i>

2032
01:39:51,318 --> 01:39:56,522
<i>saw its PPE orders surge
to 12 times the normal volume.</i>

2033
01:39:56,556 --> 01:39:58,458
<i>Profit-making was also part of</i>

2034
01:39:58,490 --> 01:40:00,993
<i>the pandemic pricing plan
at Gilead,</i>

2035
01:40:01,026 --> 01:40:03,462
<i>which manufactured
the one drug, Remdesivir,</i>

2036
01:40:03,495 --> 01:40:06,400
<i>that was effective
at treating COVID.</i>

2037
01:40:06,432 --> 01:40:08,935
<i>The federal government owned
patents on the drug,</i>

2038
01:40:08,968 --> 01:40:11,171
<i>and it paid
for essential research.</i>

2039
01:40:11,204 --> 01:40:13,540
<i>But the Trump administration
permitted Gilead</i>

2040
01:40:13,573 --> 01:40:16,443
<i>to charge more than
$3,000 a patient</i>

2041
01:40:16,476 --> 01:40:20,114
<i>for a treatment that cost
less than $10 to manufacture.</i>

2042
01:40:21,948 --> 01:40:25,252
I left in mid-April,
and my takeaway

2043
01:40:25,284 --> 01:40:27,220
was really that
I still feel like

2044
01:40:27,253 --> 01:40:28,622
I haven't worked
for the government.

2045
01:40:28,654 --> 01:40:31,591
We were so far outside of it.
I mean, we were...

2046
01:40:31,624 --> 01:40:33,961
every single person
we reported to

2047
01:40:33,994 --> 01:40:36,463
up the chain of command
was a political appointee.

2048
01:40:36,495 --> 01:40:39,565
<i>The number of FEMA employees
I met, you know,</i>

2049
01:40:39,598 --> 01:40:40,633
<i>I could count on one hand,</i>

2050
01:40:40,667 --> 01:40:42,336
<i>and they were fleeting
interactions.</i>

2051
01:40:42,369 --> 01:40:45,539
It taught me about how
this administration works,

2052
01:40:45,571 --> 01:40:48,040
and I think it largely works,
or it seemed to work,

2053
01:40:48,074 --> 01:40:49,643
in this case,
outside of the government.

2054
01:40:52,145 --> 01:40:54,580
<i>In the course
of three years,</i>

2055
01:40:54,614 --> 01:40:57,384
<i>there was
a systematic dismantling</i>

2056
01:40:57,417 --> 01:41:01,088
<i>of what expertise
had been built</i>

2057
01:41:01,120 --> 01:41:03,089
<i>and what framework
had been built</i>

2058
01:41:03,123 --> 01:41:06,627
<i>to respond to the very
kind of global pandemic</i>

2059
01:41:06,659 --> 01:41:09,395
<i>that we're dealing with.</i>

2060
01:41:09,428 --> 01:41:12,632
It's preventing the people
who were there

2061
01:41:12,665 --> 01:41:17,337
from doing the jobs
that they'd been hired to do.

2062
01:41:17,369 --> 01:41:20,073
<i>Tell me a little bit
about how chloroquine</i>

2063
01:41:20,105 --> 01:41:24,110
<i>and hydroxychloroquine first
came into your point of view.</i>

2064
01:41:24,144 --> 01:41:25,412
You know...

2065
01:41:25,445 --> 01:41:27,648
<i>How did this come up?</i>

2066
01:41:27,681 --> 01:41:29,616
I wish I'd never
heard of chloroquine

2067
01:41:29,649 --> 01:41:33,553
or hydroxychloroquine,
honestly.

2068
01:41:33,586 --> 01:41:37,024
<i>Elon Musk started
the ball rolling with a tweet.</i>

2069
01:41:37,056 --> 01:41:38,992
<i>Momentum for the drugs
picked up steam</i>

2070
01:41:39,025 --> 01:41:40,661
<i>over the next few days
on FOX News,</i>

2071
01:41:40,694 --> 01:41:44,364
<i>where their names
were dropped 176 times.</i>

2072
01:41:44,396 --> 01:41:47,234
Early evidence suggests that
chloroquine...

2073
01:41:47,266 --> 01:41:49,502
- Chloroquine.
- Hydroxychloroquine.

2074
01:41:49,535 --> 01:41:51,437
<i>Those look very promising.</i>

2075
01:41:51,471 --> 01:41:55,042
<i>Then Trump started reading
from the FOX script.</i>

2076
01:41:55,074 --> 01:41:56,642
It is known
as a malaria drug,

2077
01:41:56,676 --> 01:41:59,178
and it's been around
for a long time.

2078
01:41:59,212 --> 01:42:02,049
And it's shown
very encouraging...

2079
01:42:02,082 --> 01:42:04,551
very, very encouraging...
early results.

2080
01:42:06,086 --> 01:42:08,622
<i>I believe it was March 23rd.</i>

2081
01:42:08,654 --> 01:42:14,060
<i>I got a call from Secretary
Azar's chief counsel.</i>

2082
01:42:14,093 --> 01:42:18,030
The White House wanted us
to move quickly

2083
01:42:18,064 --> 01:42:20,066
on making this drug available.

2084
01:42:20,100 --> 01:42:23,136
At my direction, the federal
government is working to help

2085
01:42:23,168 --> 01:42:27,273
obtain large quantities
of chloroquine.

2086
01:42:27,306 --> 01:42:29,675
I called my scientific team
in BARDA,

2087
01:42:29,708 --> 01:42:32,111
and they said, "No way."

2088
01:42:33,279 --> 01:42:36,550
<i>There was no data to support
that they had any benefit</i>

2089
01:42:36,583 --> 01:42:39,086
<i>against the coronavirus.</i>

2090
01:42:39,119 --> 01:42:43,023
They pushed back,
but Dr. Kadlec reiterated

2091
01:42:43,056 --> 01:42:46,694
that directive to us and said,
"Get on it, get it done."

2092
01:42:48,128 --> 01:42:51,999
<i>We came up with option of an
emergency use authorization.</i>

2093
01:42:52,031 --> 01:42:54,767
<i>We could put boundaries in it,</i>

2094
01:42:54,801 --> 01:42:57,104
<i>restrict the drug
to only be used</i>

2095
01:42:57,137 --> 01:43:00,440
<i>in people who are
hospitalized.</i>

2096
01:43:00,472 --> 01:43:02,341
<i>And I was proud of our team</i>

2097
01:43:02,374 --> 01:43:04,543
for coming up
with that compromise

2098
01:43:04,577 --> 01:43:08,347
that we thought would
protect the Americans.

2099
01:43:08,381 --> 01:43:10,484
<i>Have you ever heard of
a Dr. Zelenko?</i>

2100
01:43:10,516 --> 01:43:12,151
Yes.

2101
01:43:13,153 --> 01:43:17,356
<i>He is a very mysterious
presence that seemed to be</i>

2102
01:43:17,390 --> 01:43:21,128
<i>involved in the context
of this chloroquine story.</i>

2103
01:43:21,160 --> 01:43:23,029
- <i>Hi.</i>
- Hi.

2104
01:43:24,763 --> 01:43:28,068
<i>Dr. Vladimir Zelenko
became a right-wing folk hero</i>

2105
01:43:28,101 --> 01:43:30,670
<i>and the Trump team promoted
him as an essential expert</i>

2106
01:43:30,703 --> 01:43:32,571
<i>on the use of
hydroxychloroquine</i>

2107
01:43:32,605 --> 01:43:36,276
<i>as a magical remedy for COVID.</i>

2108
01:43:36,309 --> 01:43:38,712
<i>For the last
almost 16 years,</i>

2109
01:43:38,744 --> 01:43:41,047
I've been a primary care doctor
for a community

2110
01:43:41,080 --> 01:43:43,516
of around 35,000 people.

2111
01:43:43,550 --> 01:43:46,686
<i>It's a village
in the town of Monroe.</i>

2112
01:43:46,718 --> 01:43:49,722
It's similar
to an urban environment

2113
01:43:49,756 --> 01:43:53,459
<i>in terms of how close
people live with each other.</i>

2114
01:43:53,493 --> 01:43:55,361
<i>So it's not surprising that</i>

2115
01:43:55,395 --> 01:43:58,065
<i>the virus came
and started spreading.</i>

2116
01:43:58,097 --> 01:44:02,068
And I realized that, my God,
I have an inferno.

2117
01:44:02,101 --> 01:44:04,770
<i>I have a real outbreak.</i>

2118
01:44:04,803 --> 01:44:07,074
<i>I know all these people,
they're like family to me.</i>

2119
01:44:07,106 --> 01:44:10,176
So it was personal.

2120
01:44:10,209 --> 01:44:11,811
<i>The whole world
was focusing on</i>

2121
01:44:11,845 --> 01:44:14,080
<i>building more respirators,
more hospitals,</i>

2122
01:44:14,114 --> 01:44:15,315
<i>and there was nothing
being offered</i>

2123
01:44:15,347 --> 01:44:17,216
<i>to primary care doctors.</i>

2124
01:44:17,249 --> 01:44:18,517
You know,
we're front-line soldiers

2125
01:44:18,551 --> 01:44:20,687
with no bullets, no weapons.

2126
01:44:20,720 --> 01:44:23,089
<i>So then you have to improvise.</i>

2127
01:44:24,757 --> 01:44:26,426
<i>Dr. Zelenko improvised</i>

2128
01:44:26,458 --> 01:44:28,360
<i>what he thought
was a magic bullet</i>

2129
01:44:28,394 --> 01:44:30,564
<i>that contained his own
unproven mash-up</i>

2130
01:44:30,596 --> 01:44:33,833
<i>of zinc, azithromycin,
and hydroxychloroquine.</i>

2131
01:44:35,901 --> 01:44:38,204
<i>But there was no
reputable clinical trial</i>

2132
01:44:38,238 --> 01:44:40,207
<i>that confirmed
Zelenko's claims</i>

2133
01:44:40,239 --> 01:44:44,376
<i>that early use of his cocktail
could cure COVID.</i>

2134
01:44:44,409 --> 01:44:48,114
I wasn't doing research.
I was just treating patients.

2135
01:44:48,147 --> 01:44:49,348
But I'm not stupid.

2136
01:44:49,382 --> 01:44:51,485
I saw exactly
what was happening.

2137
01:44:51,517 --> 01:44:53,252
Patients stopped dying.

2138
01:44:54,587 --> 01:44:56,388
<i>I just found potentially</i>

2139
01:44:56,422 --> 01:44:58,391
<i>one of the most important
pieces of information</i>

2140
01:44:58,423 --> 01:45:00,627
<i>in the history of information.</i>

2141
01:45:00,659 --> 01:45:03,162
<i>I'm not a politician.
I don't have any connections.</i>

2142
01:45:03,195 --> 01:45:07,367
So how else does a person
who's unconnected

2143
01:45:07,400 --> 01:45:09,669
reach the highest levels
of government?

2144
01:45:09,702 --> 01:45:11,570
It's called social media.

2145
01:45:11,604 --> 01:45:16,176
Um, hello, President Trump.

2146
01:45:16,208 --> 01:45:19,912
My name is
Dr. Vladimir Zelenko.

2147
01:45:19,945 --> 01:45:21,614
<i>So I made a YouTube video</i>

2148
01:45:21,647 --> 01:45:23,550
<i>addressed to the president
of the United States,</i>

2149
01:45:23,583 --> 01:45:26,486
and the next day, his chief of
staff, Mark Meadows, calls me.

2150
01:45:28,520 --> 01:45:31,190
<i>We had a conversation,
and that started a process</i>

2151
01:45:31,223 --> 01:45:32,691
<i>that eventually led me to</i>

2152
01:45:32,725 --> 01:45:35,829
<i>the FDA commissioner,
Stephen Hahn.</i>

2153
01:45:35,861 --> 01:45:37,564
It's not every day you get

2154
01:45:37,596 --> 01:45:38,931
the commissioner of the FDA
calling you on your cell phone.

2155
01:45:38,964 --> 01:45:40,534
<i>According to the FDA...</i>

2156
01:45:44,904 --> 01:45:46,806
There was not
a scientific reason

2157
01:45:46,838 --> 01:45:48,841
to push either one
of those drugs.

2158
01:45:48,874 --> 01:45:52,244
<i>The reason they were pushing
them so hard was because</i>

2159
01:45:52,278 --> 01:45:55,882
<i>the president was claiming
that they were a miracle drug.</i>

2160
01:45:55,914 --> 01:45:58,784
Someone had given him
this advice.

2161
01:45:58,818 --> 01:46:03,556
I happen to be taking it.
I happen to be taking it.

2162
01:46:03,589 --> 01:46:06,392
I'm taking it.
Hydroxychloroquine.

2163
01:46:06,426 --> 01:46:08,294
Right now, yeah.

2164
01:46:08,328 --> 01:46:09,663
Did you hear
what he said afterwards?

2165
01:46:09,695 --> 01:46:12,498
"Yeah, I received a letter..."

2166
01:46:12,531 --> 01:46:14,568
From a doctor the other day,

2167
01:46:14,601 --> 01:46:17,204
from Westchester, New York,
around the area.

2168
01:46:17,236 --> 01:46:18,904
He didn't want anything.
He just said,

2169
01:46:18,937 --> 01:46:21,274
"Sir, I have
hundreds of patients,

2170
01:46:21,306 --> 01:46:24,644
and I give them
hydroxychloroquine."

2171
01:46:24,677 --> 01:46:26,413
So that was a letter

2172
01:46:26,445 --> 01:46:27,846
I sent to the president.

2173
01:46:27,879 --> 01:46:30,482
But I thought it was
a very well-crafted letter

2174
01:46:30,516 --> 01:46:33,320
by a man
who's a respected doctor.

2175
01:46:33,352 --> 01:46:34,687
He said it was
a well-crafted letter.

2176
01:46:34,721 --> 01:46:35,821
I was proud of that.

2177
01:46:46,565 --> 01:46:48,867
It was really frustrating,

2178
01:46:48,900 --> 01:46:51,637
because here we are
on the front lines,

2179
01:46:51,671 --> 01:46:53,807
<i>we're trying to do
everything we can,</i>

2180
01:46:53,839 --> 01:46:55,874
and if, you know, there's
a chance that this could work,

2181
01:46:55,908 --> 01:46:57,677
<i>let's go ahead and try it.</i>

2182
01:46:57,709 --> 01:46:59,445
<i>But then, consistently,</i>

2183
01:46:59,479 --> 01:47:01,548
<i>the trials that had been
high quality looking at this</i>

2184
01:47:01,580 --> 01:47:03,949
<i>have shown that
there's no benefit to it.</i>

2185
01:47:03,982 --> 01:47:05,952
And we have moved on
to other therapies.

2186
01:47:05,985 --> 01:47:08,955
But unfortunately, you know,
it can come back and be revived

2187
01:47:08,988 --> 01:47:12,659
<i>by a tweet from a leader
who still believes in it.</i>

2188
01:47:12,691 --> 01:47:14,461
The next day, if you admit

2189
01:47:14,494 --> 01:47:17,264
a patient with COVID-19,
some of them are gonna ask,

2190
01:47:17,297 --> 01:47:18,865
<i>"Are you gonna give me
the Trump drug?"</i>

2191
01:47:18,897 --> 01:47:21,635
<i>And if you go through a long
explanation of, you know,</i>

2192
01:47:21,668 --> 01:47:23,670
<i>"Actually,
there's no benefit,"</i>

2193
01:47:23,703 --> 01:47:26,306
it's really hard
to explain this.

2194
01:47:26,338 --> 01:47:28,774
And it would be
so much more helpful

2195
01:47:28,807 --> 01:47:32,611
if the leader of the country,
who sets the example, said,

2196
01:47:32,645 --> 01:47:34,446
<i>"We should follow
the science on this."</i>

2197
01:47:34,480 --> 01:47:36,383
I've seen things
that I sort of like,

2198
01:47:36,415 --> 01:47:38,885
so what do I know?
I'm not a doctor.

2199
01:47:38,918 --> 01:47:41,521
It was about six days
after that EUA.

2200
01:47:41,553 --> 01:47:45,057
<i>I woke up to an email string</i>

2201
01:47:45,091 --> 01:47:50,062
<i>that had our Assistant
Secretary for Health,</i>

2202
01:47:50,096 --> 01:47:55,302
<i>our Director of FEMA,
our ASPR, Dr. Kadlec,</i>

2203
01:47:55,334 --> 01:48:00,573
<i>and the FDA all saying
we need to flood the streets</i>

2204
01:48:00,605 --> 01:48:02,675
<i>of New York and New Jersey</i>

2205
01:48:02,708 --> 01:48:06,078
<i>with that drug
as quickly as possible.</i>

2206
01:48:06,111 --> 01:48:10,582
And in that email discussion,
someone was brave enough...

2207
01:48:10,615 --> 01:48:11,783
<i>they said, "But wait a minute.</i>

2208
01:48:11,816 --> 01:48:16,021
<i>The EUA says 'for hospitalized
patients only.'"</i>

2209
01:48:16,055 --> 01:48:19,459
<i>They said, "No, it needs
to go into the pharmacies.</i>

2210
01:48:19,492 --> 01:48:21,328
<i>"It needs to
go out everywhere.</i>

2211
01:48:21,360 --> 01:48:23,696
<i>"The EUA doesn't matter.</i>

2212
01:48:23,730 --> 01:48:25,632
Push the drug out now."

2213
01:48:27,467 --> 01:48:29,502
<i>The same FDA that
dragged its feet for weeks</i>

2214
01:48:29,534 --> 01:48:31,604
<i>at approving vital COVID tests</i>

2215
01:48:31,637 --> 01:48:34,541
<i>suddenly worked at lightning
speed to greenlight use</i>

2216
01:48:34,574 --> 01:48:36,810
<i>of a drug with no proven
effect on the disease,</i>

2217
01:48:36,842 --> 01:48:39,645
<i>just because the White House
wanted it done.</i>

2218
01:48:39,678 --> 01:48:41,580
<i>If this drug works,</i>

2219
01:48:41,614 --> 01:48:45,051
it will be wonderful,
it'll be so beautiful.

2220
01:48:45,083 --> 01:48:47,419
It'll be a gift from heaven.

2221
01:48:47,453 --> 01:48:49,455
I lost it.

2222
01:48:49,489 --> 01:48:52,859
I lost all respect
for that chain of command,

2223
01:48:52,891 --> 01:48:55,961
for that security

2224
01:48:55,994 --> 01:49:00,434
that we as Americans
have put in those people.

2225
01:49:01,501 --> 01:49:07,673
And that is the moment that
I decided to break protocol

2226
01:49:07,707 --> 01:49:12,111
and alert Americans
in a different way.

2227
01:49:12,145 --> 01:49:14,080
<i>In the doctrine
of politics,</i>

2228
01:49:14,113 --> 01:49:16,615
<i>Rick Bright committed
a mortal sin.</i>

2229
01:49:16,649 --> 01:49:18,952
<i>He went to the press.</i>

2230
01:49:18,985 --> 01:49:22,489
<i>It was two weeks exactly
after that</i>

2231
01:49:22,521 --> 01:49:26,959
<i>that I learned that I had been
removed from my position.</i>

2232
01:49:29,662 --> 01:49:32,865
It's not easy to come forward
in this administration, okay?

2233
01:49:32,899 --> 01:49:37,771
I'm not trying to be soft
in here, but it is not easy.

2234
01:49:38,937 --> 01:49:43,909
It was a very hard process

2235
01:49:43,943 --> 01:49:48,949
to lay our careers on the line
to push back.

2236
01:49:50,449 --> 01:49:52,117
<i>Time is running out because</i>

2237
01:49:52,150 --> 01:49:55,020
the virus is still
spreading everywhere.

2238
01:49:55,053 --> 01:49:58,958
The window is closing
to address this pandemic.

2239
01:49:58,990 --> 01:50:01,895
<i>So, you know, Dr. Bright
is up there testifying today.</i>

2240
01:50:01,927 --> 01:50:06,765
And on hydroxychloroquine,
Dr. Bright literally signed

2241
01:50:06,798 --> 01:50:10,069
in the application
for FDA authorization of it.

2242
01:50:10,101 --> 01:50:13,172
We will either be remembered
for what we did

2243
01:50:13,205 --> 01:50:16,208
or for what we failed to do
to address this crisis.

2244
01:50:16,242 --> 01:50:18,645
<i>I watched this guy for
a little while this morning,</i>

2245
01:50:18,677 --> 01:50:21,747
and he looks like an angry,
disgruntled employee

2246
01:50:21,780 --> 01:50:23,582
who, frankly,
according to some people,

2247
01:50:23,615 --> 01:50:25,217
didn't do a very good job.

2248
01:50:25,251 --> 01:50:28,154
Would you describe
the government's response

2249
01:50:28,186 --> 01:50:31,524
as a success or a failure?

2250
01:50:31,556 --> 01:50:33,659
I believe we could have
done better.

2251
01:50:35,727 --> 01:50:37,864
<i>Watching the
administration's response</i>

2252
01:50:37,896 --> 01:50:41,600
<i>to Bright was frightening.</i>

2253
01:50:41,633 --> 01:50:43,669
We all wanted to help,
but we didn't wanna be

2254
01:50:43,703 --> 01:50:46,673
on the front page
of a newspaper.

2255
01:50:46,705 --> 01:50:49,074
<i>I spoke to a couple
of attorneys</i>

2256
01:50:49,107 --> 01:50:51,010
<i>who said it's so unusual
for the government</i>

2257
01:50:51,043 --> 01:50:55,214
to require an NDA at all,
let alone for volunteers

2258
01:50:55,248 --> 01:50:57,217
who don't have any access
to government systems.

2259
01:50:57,249 --> 01:50:59,752
We had no access to any
confidential information.

2260
01:50:59,784 --> 01:51:01,820
The only thing we were
basically being prevented

2261
01:51:01,854 --> 01:51:04,923
from talking about was the fact
that the response was...

2262
01:51:04,957 --> 01:51:06,793
seemed to be largely bungled.

2263
01:51:06,825 --> 01:51:09,561
To date, we've facilitated
the supply

2264
01:51:09,595 --> 01:51:13,132
of more than 38 million
N95 masks nationwide.

2265
01:51:13,164 --> 01:51:15,033
<i>And I would watch the news,
and I'd hear</i>

2266
01:51:15,066 --> 01:51:16,836
<i>the Trump administration
talk about the work</i>

2267
01:51:16,869 --> 01:51:18,972
that was happening,
and what was happening did not

2268
01:51:19,004 --> 01:51:20,640
match what the administration
was speaking about.

2269
01:51:22,542 --> 01:51:23,776
<i>So I did send in</i>

2270
01:51:23,809 --> 01:51:25,845
<i>a whistleblower report
to Congress,</i>

2271
01:51:25,878 --> 01:51:28,648
<i>as well as calling
several journalists</i>

2272
01:51:28,681 --> 01:51:31,918
<i>who I basically
just found online.</i>

2273
01:51:31,950 --> 01:51:33,619
<i>It was nerve-racking.</i>

2274
01:51:33,653 --> 01:51:35,288
<i>I was worried about the NDA,</i>

2275
01:51:35,320 --> 01:51:39,191
<i>I was worried about
potential retribution.</i>

2276
01:51:39,225 --> 01:51:41,294
<i>But I just wanted people
to know what was happening,</i>

2277
01:51:41,327 --> 01:51:43,195
<i>and know not enough
was being done.</i>

2278
01:51:45,297 --> 01:51:46,865
<i>Beyond attacking
whistleblowers,</i>

2279
01:51:46,899 --> 01:51:49,068
<i>Trump dismissed
five inspectors general</i>

2280
01:51:49,101 --> 01:51:51,304
<i>in the space of six weeks.</i>

2281
01:51:51,337 --> 01:51:55,642
<i>One had raised concerns
about PPE shortages.</i>

2282
01:51:55,675 --> 01:51:57,610
<i>Another was
supposed to investigate</i>

2283
01:51:57,642 --> 01:51:59,212
<i>how the Trump administration
would spend</i>

2284
01:51:59,244 --> 01:52:02,748
<i>$2.3 trillion
in coronavirus relief.</i>

2285
01:52:04,316 --> 01:52:06,785
<i>While money did flow
to unemployed Americans,</i>

2286
01:52:06,819 --> 01:52:08,922
<i>a small group
of hedge fund investors</i>

2287
01:52:08,954 --> 01:52:10,789
<i>and real estate tycoons,</i>

2288
01:52:10,823 --> 01:52:12,892
<i>like Jared Kushner
and Donald Trump,</i>

2289
01:52:12,925 --> 01:52:15,195
<i>got millions of dollars
in tax breaks.</i>

2290
01:52:16,829 --> 01:52:19,799
<i>Trump protected
the richest Americans,</i>

2291
01:52:19,832 --> 01:52:22,802
<i>even as he continued to ignore
the most basic recommendations</i>

2292
01:52:22,834 --> 01:52:26,071
<i>of scientists trying
to protect everyday people.</i>

2293
01:52:26,105 --> 01:52:28,775
The CDC is recommending that

2294
01:52:28,807 --> 01:52:32,044
Americans wear a basic cloth
or fabric mask.

2295
01:52:32,078 --> 01:52:35,080
They can be either purchased
online or simply made at home,

2296
01:52:35,114 --> 01:52:37,016
probably material
that you'd have at home.

2297
01:52:37,048 --> 01:52:39,319
Really a voluntary thing.
You can do it.

2298
01:52:39,351 --> 01:52:41,587
You don't have to do it.
I'm choosing not to do it.

2299
01:52:41,620 --> 01:52:44,591
But some people may wanna
do it, and that's okay.

2300
01:52:44,623 --> 01:52:46,224
I made a lot of predictions
that came true

2301
01:52:46,257 --> 01:52:49,695
about this pandemic,
but masks being politicized...

2302
01:52:49,729 --> 01:52:51,731
<i>it's just amazing to me.</i>

2303
01:52:51,763 --> 01:52:54,033
<i>♪ Live and let die ♪</i>

2304
01:52:54,065 --> 01:52:56,202
♪ ♪

2305
01:52:56,235 --> 01:52:57,303
<i>The deadly implications</i>

2306
01:52:57,336 --> 01:52:59,705
<i>of the president's disdain
for science</i>

2307
01:52:59,739 --> 01:53:02,275
<i>weren't lost on
whoever picked the soundtrack</i>

2308
01:53:02,307 --> 01:53:05,110
<i>for Trump's tour
of a mask factory in Arizona.</i>

2309
01:53:05,144 --> 01:53:08,847
<i>♪ Live and let die ♪</i>

2310
01:53:08,881 --> 01:53:11,284
♪ ♪

2311
01:53:11,316 --> 01:53:14,287
<i>It was confusing
campaign photo op:</i>

2312
01:53:14,320 --> 01:53:17,290
<i>federal officials refusing
to wear safety masks</i>

2313
01:53:17,323 --> 01:53:20,760
<i>in a sanitized factory
that manufactured them.</i>

2314
01:53:22,061 --> 01:53:23,863
<i>The mask seems to represent</i>

2315
01:53:23,895 --> 01:53:26,732
<i>which side of the political
aisle that you're on,</i>

2316
01:53:26,766 --> 01:53:29,402
and somehow, showing up
without a mask on

2317
01:53:29,435 --> 01:53:31,104
in close proximity with others

2318
01:53:31,137 --> 01:53:33,706
<i>says that I support
the president.</i>

2319
01:53:33,739 --> 01:53:36,075
You're fucking
democratic pigs!

2320
01:53:36,107 --> 01:53:38,211
I'll take that fucking mask
off your face!

2321
01:53:38,244 --> 01:53:40,113
No more masks!

2322
01:53:40,145 --> 01:53:42,080
<i>No more masks!</i>

2323
01:53:42,114 --> 01:53:43,750
<i>That is dangerous.</i>

2324
01:53:43,783 --> 01:53:45,385
People have died
because of the misinformation.

2325
01:53:45,418 --> 01:53:48,688
I have absolutely
no doubt about that.

2326
01:53:48,721 --> 01:53:51,257
<i>In April, after
weeks of economic shutdown</i>

2327
01:53:51,289 --> 01:53:52,824
<i>and with contagion and death</i>

2328
01:53:52,857 --> 01:53:55,028
<i>still running high
in much of America,</i>

2329
01:53:55,061 --> 01:53:58,398
<i>Trump announced the plan
for reopening the country.</i>

2330
01:53:58,431 --> 01:54:00,667
<i>Our team of experts
now agrees</i>

2331
01:54:00,699 --> 01:54:04,202
<i>that we can begin
the next front in our war,</i>

2332
01:54:04,235 --> 01:54:08,974
which we're calling
Opening Up America Again,

2333
01:54:09,007 --> 01:54:10,242
and that's what we're doing.

2334
01:54:10,275 --> 01:54:13,680
We're opening up our country.

2335
01:54:13,712 --> 01:54:15,313
<i>The next day,
he began to tweet</i>

2336
01:54:15,346 --> 01:54:17,816
<i>in encouragement of protests
against lockdowns</i>

2337
01:54:17,850 --> 01:54:19,986
<i>meant to contain
spread of the virus.</i>

2338
01:54:23,922 --> 01:54:25,925
<i>Frustration's understandable.</i>

2339
01:54:25,958 --> 01:54:27,827
<i>People wanted
to get out of their homes</i>

2340
01:54:27,860 --> 01:54:28,795
<i>to get back to work.</i>

2341
01:54:28,828 --> 01:54:30,229
USA!

2342
01:54:30,262 --> 01:54:31,864
<i>But without
a national program</i>

2343
01:54:31,896 --> 01:54:33,466
<i>to safeguard public health,</i>

2344
01:54:33,498 --> 01:54:36,735
<i>how is the economy going
to get back on its feet?</i>

2345
01:54:36,769 --> 01:54:37,904
So I said to my people,

2346
01:54:37,936 --> 01:54:40,806
"Slow the testing down,
please."

2347
01:54:40,839 --> 01:54:43,176
<i>Texas, hitting a record
number of hospitalizations.</i>

2348
01:54:43,208 --> 01:54:47,179
<i>Florida recording an
astonishing 11,400 cases,</i>

2349
01:54:47,212 --> 01:54:50,348
<i>smashing its single day high.</i>

2350
01:54:50,382 --> 01:54:51,650
<i>Opening up
the country without</i>

2351
01:54:51,684 --> 01:54:54,887
<i>a national program for masks,
testing, and tracing</i>

2352
01:54:54,919 --> 01:54:57,390
<i>did have consequences.</i>

2353
01:54:57,422 --> 01:54:59,191
<i>Throughout the summer,</i>

2354
01:54:59,225 --> 01:55:00,959
<i>the death toll
hovered around 1,000 a day,</i>

2355
01:55:00,993 --> 01:55:03,229
<i>or two 9/11s every week.</i>

2356
01:55:05,230 --> 01:55:08,200
<i>In South Korea,
a nation of 51 million,</i>

2357
01:55:08,234 --> 01:55:10,203
<i>there was no
national shutdown,</i>

2358
01:55:10,235 --> 01:55:13,238
<i>and less than 500 people
died from the disease.</i>

2359
01:55:15,306 --> 01:55:18,510
<i>For a lot of people around
me in South Korea,</i>

2360
01:55:18,543 --> 01:55:22,448
<i>perceptions of the U.S.
have really been shaken.</i>

2361
01:55:22,480 --> 01:55:25,184
South Koreans, like a lot of
other people around the world,

2362
01:55:25,217 --> 01:55:27,954
had a certain
perception of the U.S.

2363
01:55:27,986 --> 01:55:32,492
<i>as a barometer and a benchmark
for how a country works,</i>

2364
01:55:32,525 --> 01:55:34,460
how a country should run.

2365
01:55:34,493 --> 01:55:37,897
<i>There is a real sense
of disbelief.</i>

2366
01:55:39,431 --> 01:55:41,100
<i>Thousands descended
on beaches</i>

2367
01:55:41,132 --> 01:55:43,001
<i>in Greece over the weekend,
while in Italy,</i>

2368
01:55:43,034 --> 01:55:47,139
<i>more shops and restaurants
are again welcoming customers.</i>

2369
01:55:47,172 --> 01:55:48,473
<i>The crowds are returning</i>

2370
01:55:48,507 --> 01:55:50,843
<i>to the stadiums
here in New Zealand.</i>

2371
01:55:50,876 --> 01:55:52,477
<i>As many countries
opened up,</i>

2372
01:55:52,511 --> 01:55:54,946
<i>others faced new outbreaks.</i>

2373
01:55:54,980 --> 01:55:59,886
<i>Some, like Brazil and India,
saw cases continue to soar.</i>

2374
01:55:59,918 --> 01:56:01,486
<i>But even in countries
like South Korea,</i>

2375
01:56:01,520 --> 01:56:03,890
<i>where the virus
was initially contained,</i>

2376
01:56:03,922 --> 01:56:07,492
<i>cases spiked when people
ignored scientific guidance.</i>

2377
01:56:09,328 --> 01:56:11,364
<i>Nowhere was that problem
more severe</i>

2378
01:56:11,396 --> 01:56:13,498
<i>than in the United States.</i>

2379
01:56:13,531 --> 01:56:19,105
<i>♪ America, America ♪</i>

2380
01:56:19,137 --> 01:56:21,306
<i>Ignoring expert
advice became an act</i>

2381
01:56:21,339 --> 01:56:23,976
<i>of patriotism in
the Trump administration,</i>

2382
01:56:24,008 --> 01:56:26,378
<i>Where even the push
for a safe vaccine</i>

2383
01:56:26,412 --> 01:56:29,448
<i>was pursued with reckless
disregard for science.</i>

2384
01:56:29,480 --> 01:56:31,249
<i>We're moving aggressively</i>

2385
01:56:31,283 --> 01:56:34,387
to accelerate
developing a vaccine.

2386
01:56:34,419 --> 01:56:37,323
<i>To actually get a vaccine
that you know works</i>

2387
01:56:37,355 --> 01:56:39,224
is gonna be a year
to a year and a half.

2388
01:56:39,257 --> 01:56:40,827
Do me a favor.
Speed it up.

2389
01:56:40,860 --> 01:56:43,529
<i>Speed it up.</i>

2390
01:56:43,561 --> 01:56:47,432
<i>Stakes are so high
around vaccines.</i>

2391
01:56:47,466 --> 01:56:49,901
Because we need a vaccine

2392
01:56:49,935 --> 01:56:54,307
<i>if we want to begin
to end this pandemic.</i>

2393
01:56:54,339 --> 01:56:56,342
But the question is,
who distributes it?

2394
01:56:56,374 --> 01:56:59,212
<i>Who prioritizes it?</i>

2395
01:56:59,244 --> 01:57:01,881
<i>A lot of people say
this should be the CDC.</i>

2396
01:57:01,913 --> 01:57:05,083
"They should be
front and center in this."

2397
01:57:05,117 --> 01:57:08,253
<i>But the CDC has been
largely silenced.</i>

2398
01:57:08,287 --> 01:57:10,155
<i>After a few CDC scientists</i>

2399
01:57:10,189 --> 01:57:12,959
<i>voiced concerns
about the federal response,</i>

2400
01:57:12,992 --> 01:57:15,927
<i>Trump installed an official
to censor or rewrite</i>

2401
01:57:15,961 --> 01:57:17,963
<i>any CDC findings
that contradicted</i>

2402
01:57:17,997 --> 01:57:19,565
<i>the rosy predictions
of the White House.</i>

2403
01:57:21,432 --> 01:57:25,203
<i>Can we trust scientists who
allow data to be compromised</i>

2404
01:57:25,236 --> 01:57:28,207
<i>by demands
for political loyalty?</i>

2405
01:57:35,446 --> 01:57:37,216
<i>My last question to you is,</i>

2406
01:57:37,248 --> 01:57:39,852
<i>what is your personal takeaway
from this pandemic?</i>

2407
01:57:42,587 --> 01:57:46,625
Um...

2408
01:57:46,659 --> 01:57:49,929
<i>53,000 deaths from
coronavirus.</i>

2409
01:57:49,962 --> 01:57:52,531
<i>Sometimes late at night
when I'm driving home</i>

2410
01:57:52,564 --> 01:57:56,235
<i>and I'm tired of listening
to talk radio on NPR,</i>

2411
01:57:56,267 --> 01:58:00,640
<i>I'll turn on the other NPR
station and listen to jazz.</i>

2412
01:58:08,146 --> 01:58:10,048
I've never listened to jazz
in my life.

2413
01:58:22,226 --> 01:58:25,131
<i>I've always been very thankful
for the people around me,</i>

2414
01:58:25,163 --> 01:58:29,334
<i>and I think that's
come with age, partly.</i>

2415
01:58:29,368 --> 01:58:32,171
<i>And now that we're all
wearing masks all the time,</i>

2416
01:58:32,204 --> 01:58:35,374
<i>there is an astounding amount
of information</i>

2417
01:58:35,406 --> 01:58:37,976
<i>that you can get out of
looking at people's eyes.</i>

2418
01:58:38,010 --> 01:58:41,681
<i>Which, when the rest of your
face is completely obscured,</i>

2419
01:58:41,713 --> 01:58:47,986
<i>become extremely telling
of what's going on,</i>

2420
01:58:48,020 --> 01:58:51,290
<i>whether your eyes are happy
or sad or smiling.</i>

2421
01:58:53,559 --> 01:58:58,596
<i>This is going to be the 1918
influenza epidemic story,</i>

2422
01:58:58,629 --> 01:59:01,600
<i>and it will be written about
for the next 100 years.</i>

2423
01:59:01,632 --> 01:59:06,604
<i>And I think that realization
should really drive</i>

2424
01:59:06,637 --> 01:59:09,475
a lot of our behavior
and our choices.

2425
01:59:12,578 --> 01:59:16,182
<i>There's so much
that the virus has exposed,</i>

2426
01:59:16,214 --> 01:59:20,386
<i>the lessons are just gonna be
ongoing over time.</i>

2427
01:59:20,418 --> 01:59:26,224
<i>And the degree of suffering
is just so immense</i>

2428
01:59:26,257 --> 01:59:28,727
<i>that it's hard to
really conceptualize it.</i>

2429
01:59:28,761 --> 01:59:31,129
And it's gonna
take a long time for us

2430
01:59:31,163 --> 01:59:33,199
to really figure out
the consequences of this,

2431
01:59:33,231 --> 01:59:34,699
because there are consequences

2432
01:59:34,732 --> 01:59:36,267
for the people
who survive this.

2433
01:59:38,404 --> 01:59:41,173
<i>We spend billions of dollars
every year</i>

2434
01:59:41,205 --> 01:59:45,176
<i>on missiles that, hopefully,
will never fly,</i>

2435
01:59:45,209 --> 01:59:49,448
<i>on weapons that, hopefully,
we will never use.</i>

2436
01:59:49,480 --> 01:59:52,450
<i>We have to take health
security</i>

2437
01:59:52,484 --> 01:59:57,088
as seriously as we do
defense security.

2438
01:59:57,122 --> 01:59:59,592
<i>I think the career staff
and scientists were in place.</i>

2439
01:59:59,624 --> 02:00:01,493
<i>They were battle-tested.</i>

2440
02:00:01,526 --> 02:00:03,729
<i>They knew their role,
they knew the plan,</i>

2441
02:00:03,762 --> 02:00:06,499
and they were prepared to act.

2442
02:00:06,531 --> 02:00:11,369
<i>They put on their uniform
to respond to this pandemic,</i>

2443
02:00:11,403 --> 02:00:14,140
<i>and then there was
nowhere to go.</i>

2444
02:00:16,175 --> 02:00:19,811
<i>There is a misconception
that public health failed.</i>

2445
02:00:19,845 --> 02:00:22,615
<i>The truth is that
political leaders</i>

2446
02:00:22,647 --> 02:00:25,818
<i>failed to follow
public health guidance,</i>

2447
02:00:25,851 --> 02:00:30,256
and that's what caused
avoidable disease, death,

2448
02:00:30,288 --> 02:00:32,190
and economic destruction.

2449
02:00:33,559 --> 02:00:36,162
<i>Politicians are the problem.</i>

2450
02:00:36,195 --> 02:00:38,664
<i>We've gotta believe
in the scientists.</i>

2451
02:00:38,696 --> 02:00:42,301
<i>And we've got politicians
who don't believe in science.</i>

2452
02:00:42,333 --> 02:00:44,369
<i>America is lagging behind</i>

2453
02:00:44,403 --> 02:00:47,539
<i>every other country, almost,
in their response, and I...</i>

2454
02:00:47,573 --> 02:00:51,610
hey, you gotta blame
the manager.

2455
02:00:51,642 --> 02:00:53,178
<i>If we're to blame
the manager,</i>

2456
02:00:53,212 --> 02:00:54,446
<i>we must be able to answer</i>

2457
02:00:54,480 --> 02:00:56,848
<i>an essential
political question:</i>

2458
02:00:56,882 --> 02:01:00,252
<i>What did the president know,
and when did he know it?</i>

2459
02:01:00,284 --> 02:01:02,421
<i>Eight months
after the pandemic began,</i>

2460
02:01:02,454 --> 02:01:03,823
<i>we got the answer.</i>

2461
02:01:08,360 --> 02:01:10,496
<i>On February 7th,
two weeks before</i>

2462
02:01:10,529 --> 02:01:12,865
<i>anyone in America
had died from the disease,</i>

2463
02:01:12,897 --> 02:01:15,234
<i>journalist Bob Woodward
asked Donald Trump</i>

2464
02:01:15,266 --> 02:01:19,637
<i>if he knew how contagious
and dangerous COVID might be.</i>

2465
02:01:19,671 --> 02:01:21,339
<i>It goes through air, Bob.</i>

2466
02:01:21,373 --> 02:01:23,342
<i>That's always tougher
than the touch, you know?</i>

2467
02:01:23,374 --> 02:01:24,709
<i>The touch, you don't
have to touch things, right?</i>

2468
02:01:24,743 --> 02:01:26,879
<i>But the air,
you just breathe the air,</i>

2469
02:01:26,912 --> 02:01:29,214
<i>and that's how it's passed.</i>

2470
02:01:29,248 --> 02:01:31,684
<i>It's also more deadly
than your...</i>

2471
02:01:31,717 --> 02:01:34,353
<i>even your strenuous flus,
you know?</i>

2472
02:01:34,386 --> 02:01:37,256
<i>So this is deadly stuff.</i>

2473
02:01:43,794 --> 02:01:47,399
<i>Our manager
failed us.</i>

2474
02:01:47,431 --> 02:01:49,467
<i>But the disease also revealed</i>

2475
02:01:49,501 --> 02:01:53,538
<i>more fundamental problems
with our government.</i>

2476
02:01:53,571 --> 02:01:58,343
<i>We will see more pandemics
and other existential threats.</i>

2477
02:01:58,377 --> 02:02:00,479
<i>All on account
of manmade problems,</i>

2478
02:02:00,512 --> 02:02:03,749
<i>we must prepare
to solve together.</i>

2479
02:02:03,781 --> 02:02:06,151
<i>Our ability to reckon
with the future</i>

2480
02:02:06,185 --> 02:02:09,655
<i>will depend on how much
we learn from our recent past.</i>

2481
02:02:09,687 --> 02:02:13,391
<i>When the day comes when we can
finally take off our masks,</i>

2482
02:02:13,425 --> 02:02:16,729
<i>will we be ready to fix
what's really broken?</i>

2483
02:02:16,762 --> 02:02:20,499
<i>♪ Time has come today ♪</i>

2484
02:02:20,531 --> 02:02:25,236
<i>♪ Young hearts
can go their way ♪</i>

2485
02:02:25,270 --> 02:02:28,841
<i>♪ Can't put it off
another day ♪</i>

2486
02:02:28,873 --> 02:02:32,810
<i>♪ I don't care
what others say ♪</i>

2487
02:02:32,843 --> 02:02:35,914
<i>♪ They think
we don't listen anyway ♪</i>

2488
02:02:35,948 --> 02:02:39,552
<i>♪ Time has come today ♪</i>

2489
02:02:39,584 --> 02:02:42,387
<i>Hey!</i>

2490
02:02:46,324 --> 02:02:48,260
<i>Oh!</i>

2491
02:02:48,293 --> 02:02:51,664
<i>♪ The rules have
changed today ♪</i>

2492
02:02:51,696 --> 02:02:55,568
<i>♪ I have no place to stay ♪</i>

2493
02:02:55,601 --> 02:02:59,505
<i>♪ I'm thinking
about the subway ♪</i>

2494
02:02:59,538 --> 02:03:03,575
<i>♪ My love has flown away ♪</i>

2495
02:03:03,609 --> 02:03:07,413
<i>♪ My tears have
come and gone ♪</i>

2496
02:03:07,445 --> 02:03:11,249
<i>♪ Oh my Lord,
I have to roam ♪</i>

2497
02:03:11,283 --> 02:03:14,887
<i>♪ I have no home ♪</i>

2498
02:03:14,919 --> 02:03:18,690
<i>♪ I have no home ♪</i>

2499
02:03:30,968 --> 02:03:34,707
<i>♪ Now the time has come ♪</i>

2500
02:03:34,739 --> 02:03:38,843
<i>♪ There's no place to run ♪</i>

2501
02:03:38,877 --> 02:03:42,448
<i>♪ I might get burned up
by the sun ♪</i>

2502
02:03:42,480 --> 02:03:46,318
<i>♪ But I had my fun ♪</i>

2503
02:03:46,351 --> 02:03:50,022
<i>♪ I've been loved
and put aside ♪</i>

2504
02:03:50,055 --> 02:03:53,758
<i>♪ I've been crushed
by the tumbling tide ♪</i>

2505
02:03:53,792 --> 02:03:55,227
<i>♪ And my soul ♪</i>