Transcripts For KNTV Meet The Press 20240712

Different. My guest this morning senator cory booker of new jersey. Black lives matter cofounder alicia garza and the founder of the africanamerican museum lonny bunch. Plus military pushback. After protests and violence, President Trump urges domination of the streets. I am your president of law and order, and an ally of all Peaceful Protesters. And Peaceful Protesters near the white house are rouded with flash grenades and chemical agents to clear the way for a photo opportunity prompting criticism from military commanders and his own defense secretary. The option to use active duty forces in a Law Enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort. Ill talk to the former nato supreme allied commander. Plus the wall street joe journal. Joining me are Washington Post columnist eugene, Kristen Welker and Senior Editor of the dispatch. David french. Welcome to sunday. Its meet the press. From nbc news in washington, the longest running show in television history. This is meet the press qwest chuck todd. Good sunday morning. We have reached at least one inflexion point in america, perhaps two. The killing of george floyd has set up nearly two weeks of peaceful protests around the world. Awakening White America to the Police Brutality and a coalition to say enough. At the same time the clearing of protesters near the white house to make way for a president ial photo opportunity had succeeded in uniting current and former military leaders to denounce the use of force against Peaceful Assembly and to say enough. From the Brutal Police killing to the marches, to the 110,000 americans dead from the coronavirus, to the tens of millions now unemployed, there is a growing sense that things are spinning beyond our grasp in this country. This is the scene here in washington where the white house has become a fortress, behind new fencing and concrete barriers. In fact, in our latest nbc news wall street journal poll nearly 40 of all registered voters tell us that the country is out of control. Just 15 believe things are currently under control. Still, President Trumps Approval Rating stands pretty much where its been for the last two years. 43 approve, 53 disapprove and what does this all mean for november . It remains a very stable election. Joe bidens lead over President Trump is a seven point, 4942 and its exactly where it stood two months ago and both candidates are challenged when facing a moment where a vocal public is demanding change and declaring that black lives matter. It may not be in my life time, but it may be in these young peoples life time that racism and injustice will be wiped out. For nearly two weeks, thousands of protesters across the country and around the world have captured a shift in Public Attitudes on race and policing. Our ancestors built this ground that we are standing on and we feel like we deserve to be here. There is a change and mind set thats taking place, a recognition that we can do better. In our polls of africanamericans, hispanics and whites all say theyre more concerned about the actions of the police in the George Floyd Killing than about some protests which have turned violent. Floyd remembered on saturday at a Memorial Service in North Carolina where he was born. And Breonna Taylor at a vigil in louisville, kentucky. Use of force policies are being reexamined across the country with new moments of violence caught on camera this week. In buffalo, new york, a 75yearold man pushed back by police on tuesday, his head hitting the ground. In new york city, a Police Officer kauts on camera pushing a woman to the ground. Another pulling down a mans mask and pepper spraying him in the face. In philadelphia, a Police Staff Inspector facing aggravated Assault Charges after hitting a Temple University student with a baton during a confrontation. At the same time, protesters have attacked police with rocks and bottles. The president has embraced the idea of military units in the streets of the capital. You have to dominate the streets. You cant let whats happening happen. Its called dominate the streets. We are out here peacefully protesting, but theyre armed like theyre going to war. Mr. Trump is hoping to run as a law and order candidate again. I am your president of law and order. And is lamenting the chaos he presides over. On monday the government used physical force, dispersing Peaceful Protesters with chemical agents and flash grenades clearing the way for the president s photoop in front of st. Johns Episcopal Church prompting criticism from his former defense secretary james mattis. Donald trump is the first president in my life time who does not try to unite the american people, does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us. General mattis letter was stunning and powerful. I respect general mattis. He has every right to express his opinion. Thats his opinion. And these comments from former white house chief of staff john kelly. I think we should look at people that are running for office and put them through the filter. What is their character like . What is their what are their ethics, if theyre elected to of their con stifstituents not jus base. Joining me is senator cory booker, welcome back to meet the price. Youved called this a moral moment for this country and theyre spurring more than just a moment. Is it more than a moment or will it actually lead to changes in our policies. Well, theyre the same. In fact, when i look at everything from the Suffrage Movement to the Labor Movement in this country, its always been the people in the streets, often young people who have demanded and forced a change in consciousness that made policy changes possible. Ive been working all week with Kamala Harris and allies in the house to get real policies proposed and well be releasing a bill tomorrow for things that should have been done in this country a long time ago, Banning Police practices and creating deeper accountability and i am grateful to see these nonviolent protests outpog possibility that our policies can reflect the spirit of this country, that we can be in the law a more beloved nation. You know, you have a unique set of experiences. Youve been a mayor and a federal officeholder in the senate and where should most of this change be enacted . On the local level or the federal level . Its got to be enacted on every level. We are in a society that we are culpable and distinct from any other on planet earth. One outside planet earth that a incarcerated are here in america. Weve taken so much of our treasure between the time i was in law school to the time i was mayor we were building a new prisoner jail every ten days and exbliss lig explicitly and complicitly we all have made a decision that we will treat Mental Illness with prison, jail and police. Addiction, with prisonith priso pol overwhelmingly africanamericans with prison, jail and police. We now in america have more africanamerican men under criminal supervision than all of the slaves, men that were slaves in 1850. This is astonishing. This is unacceptable. We need to be more courageous in our compassion for one another, more ambitious in our imagination that we can create a society thats not so overpoliced or where police woe dont tolerate certain tactics that have had a generation in fear. You said at the beginning of this that 80 percent of americans think this is out of control. For black people in this country we have felt it is out of control in the way it polices our communities and individuals for a very long time and this awakening is so important to create real, substantive change and not Just Lip Service from politicians. Tell us tell me how your thinking has changed being a mayor at one point, you didnt want the federal government youve fought some of the oversight over the new York Police Department at the time and youve embraced it since. What have you learned over time about this issue . Well, it shows the insidiousness of institutional racism. We are a majority black city in newark. We had a majority black city council and black mayor and black police chief and we know we inherited a department with decades of challenges and we went to reform the police department, but we didnt have the data. We didnt have the transparency and it took the federal government and their accountability and their systems and Data Analysis to show that we were not moving as fast as we should and so we took on a very ambitious plan that stood everything from changing our court system with veterans courts and youth courts to pulling in experts from john j. College to say you dont have to arrest people to create safer neighborhoods. There are other ways to go, and i partnered with the aclu before i left to set a National Standard Data Collection practices. So i learned the hard way that this is not a system that is always explicitly done by overt racism. This is a system thats really baked, that we all have to take responsibility for and get practices that youre going to see in the bill were going to release that just give Greater Transparency and greater accountability for those doing the policing. I want to ask you about defunding the police. Last night in washington on 16th street right next to the black lives matter the phrase defund the police was painted down there and that is there is a lot of passion around that issue and when you hear the phrase may mean Different Things to different people, but when you hear that, whats your reaction . I understand clearly the sentiment and the substance behind the slogan and if people just dismiss it, and dont get deeper into the substance. As i said earlier, it is not the mark of a beloved community to prey upon the honorable in your society. We are using police and as a guy who ran Police Departments i would have exhausted Police Officers saying why are we using police to deal with the fwr fragility of the police department. I remember being surprised in seattle with the Housing Group called plymouth housing where they showed me a Data Analysis when they looked at what was more expensive for society, providing supportive leaving them on the streets and they were able to find they were able to save seattle millions of dollars by giving people Supportive Housing because Homeless People left on the streets with Mental Illnesses end up in hospital Emergency Rooms and jails. So this is the outrage that i think people on the streets are feeling and that i share is that we are overpoliced as a society, that we are investing in police which is not solving problems, but making them worse when we should be in a more compassionate country, in a more loving country, and i know love is at the core of our ideals, but it needs to be made manifest in our policies. We would spend less money and elevate Human Dignity and potential and we would set a standard for how we treat those who are vulnerable as opposed to what were seeing right now. When you were running for president you were quite critical of former Vice President joe biden and you questioned whether he had the credibility given his record on some of these issues to be a reformer on this. Where are you now . I fully put my faith in joe biden to be the person who can preside over this transformative change, and im going to tell you right now the heroes for me as i look at great president s past, the time of lbj, extraordinary, capable leader like joe biden, but the real heros in that generation were the people who were sick and tired of being sick and tired, and if there are protesters listening to the show, i want to say, and i want to say in all sincerity, stay on the streets with nonviolent protests and stay with the change. Joe biden can do that. Donald trump cant center himself in this. This is such a bigger moment than him. This is not a referendum on one person and one office. This is a referendum on who we are as americans and who we are going to be to each other. This is a moral moment. Will we become a more loving and compassionate society, not with our rhetoric, but with our laws and our rules and how to treat the most vulnerable and so this is the moment that joe biden can be the president for, but the responsibility is not on any individual. Its on all of us. Senator booker, democrat from new jersey, i have to leave it there. I really appreciate you coming on and sharing your perspective with us. Thank you. Thank you. President trumps threats to use the military to break up protests and the actual use of force to clear protesters near the white house has led to a torrent of criticism, from former military leaders including former allied commander, admiral, welcome to meet the press where did you feel so compelled to speak out and why did you fll at the end , everybody in the military swears an oath every time theyre promoted in rank. I did it when i was at the midshipman academy and it is to defend and support the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic, this is a moment when i think many of us watched the use of active duty military to clear Peaceful Protesters out of lafayette square, and it rang echoes of what the founders feared more than anything which was the use of armed active duty citizens and they built safeguards and including the first amendment. The spectrum that runs from very reticent jim mattis, john kelly who were part of this administration to people like me kind of in the center, to people like general john allen and bill mccraven who were quite critical that jumped and felt that shock to clear Peaceful Protesters. Wrong answer. I am curious, it struck me today being nato supreme allied commander, you didnt live in the United States. You lived overseas. Being an american diplomat overseas, say, in hungary, say in china, say in brazil, you get where im going here. Are you concerned about our loss of international moral authority . Ai am, chuck, and it often before i was nato commander i spent four years, four stars in charge of all military south of the United States. It is called u. S. Southern command. I spent a lot of time with the governments and militaries of latin american and caribbean who, lets face it, have a long history of dictatorships and oppression. Theyve come a long way since the 60s and 70s, but ive spent a lot of time talking to those leaders making sure that they continued on that path. I never thought i would be criticizing my own government in that regard. Its a shocking turn and to yo point, yes, it reduces our moral influence and our leadership role in the world. We ought to worry about that deeply. If youre secretary esper or general millie who have clearly tried to draw a line of distance now in what happened last monday night, at the end of the day, though, they have to follow a commander in chiefs order, so if he does want to invoke the insurrection act, what would you advise secretary esper and secretary millie to do . I think two slightly different cases, chuck. Of course, secretary esper, although hes a west point graduate himself and was on active duty in the military at one time. Hes a political appointee and he was signed up for this to a certain degree, and i was pleased to see him push back on thesi act. General millie, very different situation. As an active duty officer hes really got two choices here. One is to follow the orders and the other is to reach up on to his shoulder and grab those four stars and say, sir, i cannot execute that order. I believe it violates my conscience, my view. I gave you my best military advice. You rejected it and thats a hard place for any active duty military officer to go, and i hope general millie doesnt have to hit that point. Are you concerned about morale,n, morale and the rank and file . I am. Here we get into simply the numbers involved here and in this country, we have about a million Police Officers. We have 500,000 National Guard who are citizen soldiers and who operate under authority of governors and my view, those are plenty of people who can do the policing function and that real role is to protect the Peaceful Protesters. This is not a battle space to be dominated and those are zones of protests to be protected. There are sufficient forces to do that, and i think the military is very concerned about getting pulled into the maelstrom of politics in an Election Year in order to push protesters as they were at lafayette square. That was wrong. Admiral james stavridis, i appreciate you coming on and sharing your expertise from your point of view. Thanks for being here. Thank you. When we come back ill talk to representatives in two diffe welcome back. When president john f. Concern i did gave his nationally tell he advised address on civil rights, he said 100 years passed since abraham freed the slaves and that black americans were still not free. We are confronted primarily with a moral issue, as old as scriptures and as clear as the constitution. That was 57 years ago this week. Generations have passed since and full equality still has not been achieved. This morning we will bring together two generations in its fight for equal rights. Lonny bunch is the founder of the museum of africanamerican history and alicia garza is one of three women who founded the black lives matter movement. Welcome to both of you. Lonny bunch, i will get to you in a moment, but i want to start with alicia garza. I want to start with 16th street and the symbolism and it was on so many papers on saturday. Tag in 2013 to now the majority of americans, Multiracial Coalition rallying around a symbol right now. What does this mean and how do you take this from symbol to policy . Well, i think what this means, chuck is that black lives matter is not just a radical idea, and frankly, when we look at there is a lot of that it is time to pool our money and resources in a fully different way. At the end of the day, chuck, everyone can age wdont have the things that we need to live well and that we are using policing and Law Enforcement in a way that far exceeds, and we [ indiscernible ] to protesters and what we are hearing across the nation is that our priorities are in the wrong place and that this an opportunity for us to change and so what i am looking for right now and what millions of americans are looking for right now is real change, not around the edges, but going straight and directly to the route. Why are we using so much resources to address [ no audio ] making sure that we limit the size, scope and scale of when you hear the phrase when americans hear the phrase defund the police, youre not calling for defunding Police Departments and getting rid of police. Explain what you mean by that phrase. When we talk about defunding the police, what were saying is invest in the resources that our communities need. So much right now is generated and directly toward quality of life issue, homelessness, drug addiction, Domestic Violence and conflict. [ no audio ] in order to address those issues, but what we do need is funding for housing. We need increased funding for education. We need increased funding for quality of life for a community that is over policed and over surveilled. I heard se use, but i agree with the content so i would just ask all of us, are we willing to live in fear that our lives will be taken by Police Officers who are literally using their power in the wrong way or are we willing to adopt and absorb what it might mean to change our practices which will ultimately lead to a better quality of life for everyone. So again, i want to be very, very clear. Seven years ago people thought black lives matter was a radical idea and how black lives matter is a household name and something being discussed across kitchen tables all over the world. Why cant we start to look at how it is that we reorganize our priorities so that people dont have to be in the streets protesting during a national pandemic. Its really a global pandemic. It is time to adjust the pandemic in our communities and that pandemic is not having the resources we need to live well. Thats not just a black problem. Thats everybodys problem. Alicia garza there. Other apologies for the technical hiccup there. But i appreciate you coming on and sharing your perspective with us. Let me turn now to the secretary of the smithsonian institution, lonnie bunch. Lets take a step back. Where are we on this arc in the cause for civil rights . You know, in some ways this is both a moment of optimism, but its a moment that in some ways we have been here before. I think that this is a time that there are great differences. There are more people involved. Its a Diverse Group of people trying to fight for change. But to be honest, as an africanamerican, im tired of mourning. Im tired of carrying the burden. But what i realize is the challenge for all of us is this is a time for america to finally confront the tortured racial past. It does seem as if there is a majority of White America now sees the inequality and maybe it took the economic pandemic and the Health Pandemic and the examples of more Police Brutality all happening within this 90day window perhaps to get there. How do you take that momentum and turn it into some policy fixes . Well, i think first of all, youre right. This is a moment where america can really grapple with questions of race. Have the conversations they need to do and turn that to policy. For me as a historian, i am listening back and listening to the words of ella baker who said over 50 years ago that until the death of a black mothers son is as important to this country as the death of a white mothers son we who believe in freedom cannot rest. For me, until we get to that day it means that now is the time to push and not rest to demand change. It was interesting yesterday to see the marines announce that they were basically going to ban any they didnt want any of their active duty soldiers to have Confederate Flag paraphernalia. Its symbolic, but is this the moment and we saw confederate memorials taken down in richmond and birmingham, though the state of alabama is fighting the birmingham one. Do you think this is the moment we finally get over this confederate memorial dialogue that weve weve seem to be running in circles around . What i hope is that this is a moment that we can candidly assess our history, that we can look at the Confederate Monument and recognize that some of them need to come down because they represent not just a historic moment. They prt ite supremacy and segregation. So i see this as a time that america can finally look at itself and be candid about what needs to change. I also think its a time where youre really seeing allies across the board. Youre seeing whites in europe caring about this, youre seeing black and white people coming together in the United States. I think this is the moment and the key for me is will there be leadership at the national and the local level to affect the kind of change that this moment is allowing us to do . Is President Trump redeemable in this moment . Say it again. I lost you. Is President Trump redeemable in this moment . I think its important to realize that this is something where all americans need to own this, that this is not a black problem. This is a quintessential american problem and my hope is that leadership from the national all of the way down to the local will recognize this is a time to bring the country together because its splintered in ways that are very, very painful, but this is a moment to take that pain and seize the promise of america, a promise that means that we could finally live up to the stated ideals of this country. Thats the challenge for all Political Leadership and candidly thats the challenge for all americans to say this is the moment of change and transformation. Lonnie bunch, im going have to leave it there. I appreciate you coming on and sharing your perspective and sharing it from the Historical Context that you always do so well. Thanks for coming on. Good to see you, sir. Thank you, chuck. Good to see you. When we come back, President Trump and former Vice President biden on monday. What these photos tell us about the two men who will be facing off in november. The panel is next. A grandfather of 14. A newlywed. A guy who just got into college. Thats why behind these masks, Johnson Johnson scientists are working to accelerate development of a covid19 vaccine, drawing on decades of experience responding to Public Health emergencies like ebola and hiv. For the life behind every mask, the clock never stops and neither do we. Vfighting an invisible enemy s, and caring for our communities with courage and compassion. The covid19 crisis has challenged us like never before. Now, the men and women of americas hospitals and Health Systems are counting on congress and the administration to stand with us, as we stand ready to care for you, in every way, every day. Welcome back. The panel is joining us from their remote locations and Washington Post columnist eugene robinson, nbc news correspondent Kristen Welker and from the dispatch and Time Magazine columnist david french. David, i want to start with you. You wrote a very passionate column over the weekend about sort of your own personal he experiences and trying to explain to White America what institutional racism is. Tell us more about it. Yeah, i think i can summit up in four words and that is dont be like me. When i first began to learn about systemic racism, i took it like a lot of americans do as an attack that it is saying that, david, youre racist or the employer you for is racist. I had a much more rosie view of what america was and what the American Experience was. And then something very dramatic changed in our laives. We adopted a beautiful young girl from ethiopia. And our family gabecame multiracial. Our experiences changed dramatically pt a trip to the mall, we couldnt guarantee was going to be routine anymore. A trip to the neighborhood pool. We couldnt guarantee it was going to be routine anymore then we faced vicious on line racism in the 2016 election. What began to open my eyes is this understanding that, wait a minute, you dont take 345 years of legally sanctioned race nix a country that was often enforced by violence, remove it finally about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and then in the ensuing 56 years solve everything. And where we can say, look, look how far we have come. Yes, weve come far. But we should also say look how far we need to go. And the point of my piece was to say, it shouldnt have to take having a multiracial family to reach that conclusion. We should listen to the testimony and understand the experiences of people and believe what theyre saying about their lives and respond accordingly. Eugene, i was thinking, you and i are were not that far apart in age. I was one of the i went to a segregated school in dade county. I was among the first that went. As david points out, it hasnt been that long. Sometimes you look and it feels like we made a lot of progress and sometimes it feels like we made harley any. Yeah, i grew up in in my early years were under jim crow segregation in south carolina. And so those are my earliest memories. Theyre of, you know, playgrounds i couldnt go to. There were roads that my father would not drive down because it was klan country. What is heartbreaking, though, you know, yesterday my house we rewatched the film selma of the famous selma march. Selma, montgomery. The scenes of those protesters being attacked on the bridge, it resonates today. You watch Something Like that, you cant help but be disheartened and say how much have we changed . Have we made the progress we flatter ourselves in thinking we made . And, you know, i come back to what reverend sharpton kept saying at the Memorial Service for george floyd. Get your knee off our neck. The president struggled with this. Whats been interesting is he seems more on an island. He tried to praise drew brees for taking a knee. For first having a one stand and then attacked him for withdrawing it. And then he tried to he seemed to be alone on that. There wasnt a lot of the amen choir for that is just not as loud anymore. Does the white house realize the president might be in the minority on this now . Well, i think there is a sense within the white house, chuck, that President Trump needs to at some point say what he is going to do about this crisis. Hes trying to cast himself as the law and order president. Hes inside the white house when you have this fencing, additional fencing that has gone up to create a larger perimeter. He is literally and metaphorically blocked off from the protesters outside and the crux of their demands which is that they want to see change throughout the country, throughout Police Departments all across the country. I was with President Trump when he made that walk to st. Johns church and held up that bible, that moment that has come under so much scrutiny. I was among reporters saying what is your plan to address this crisis . Do you see this as an issue of systemic racism . Uestions then. He shushed us. On friday he was pressed again. What is your plan . He again shushed reporters. I think that there is going to be increased pressure for him to lay out specifically how he sees this and what he plans to do about it. On your point about the nfl this remarkable sea change in the nfl. Roger goodell coming out and saying black lives matter. That could be significant. I want to play the Roger Goodell sound here. The nfl players basically almost seemed to challenge the league to Say Something more meaningful on this. I think what they were looking for almost, they didnt say it, also an apology and acknowledgement of what Colin Kaepernick did. It was a very powerful message. Powerful enough Roger Goodell thought he needed to respond. We at the National Football league condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people. We the National Football league admit we were wrong for not listening to nfl players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We the in ationnational footbal believe black lives matter. The video itself, there is a lot of were all struggling with video and sometimes the video can make you not look good and all this stuff. I am curious though. Without saying the name Colin Kaepernick, does that mean Roger Goodells words ring more hollow to some . Say his name. They should say the name of the player that was us astrostraciz and removed from the league for the mistreatment of africanamericans. So i will believe the nfl is serious when i hear buy in from the nfl owners when i see the reaction how they react. I know players will take a knee this year. Probably a lot of players. And there will be a lot of tweets from the white house critical of that and how will the owners react . How will the league react . Well see. David french, i know youre a big sports fan. Im curious, it was interesting to watch drew brees this week. Yeah, it was interesting. Look, drew brees is a leader of the team that is majority africanamerican. And i think a mistake that he maze was that i think he got lost in the form of the protest over the point of the protest. The disagreement over the form of the protest became something that overwhelmed the point of the protest. I think that is something that is a common error that a lot of people make. Dont be distracted by the form. Focus on the point. Well said, mr. French. Eugene, kristen, thank you all. We have more to come limu emu doug [ siren ] give me your hand i can save you. Lots of money with Liberty Mutual we customize your Car Insurance so you only pay for what you need only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. D their financial wellbeing. That continued emphasis on people our advisors, associates, clients and communities gives us purpose, strength and a way forward. Today. And always. Welcome back. Data down load time. Lets dive deeper into the nbc news wall street journal poll with a look ahead at november. In 2016 Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by two points. Right now joe biden has a sevenpoint edge, 4942. Bidens lead has been stable in the poll and narrowing it may be difficult for President Trump and heres why. First, the educational divide. While Hillary Clinton only won collegeeducated voters by nine polls according to the 2016 exit polls, biden is now up by 24 points with that same group of voters. President trump still leads among voters without a college degree, but the gap has shrunk from 2016 from eight to gender gap or canyon, if you will. Clinton won women by 12 points. Biden now has a 21point edge with them. President trump still leads with men, but his advantage there has shrunk, as well and theres a particularly ominous sign for President Trump among white voters overall. Biden has a commanding lead among white voters and hispanic voters and hes behind where Hillary Clinton was on selection day, but look at what happened to President Trumps lead among white voters. Its down from 21 points to just six. That could be fatal to President Trumps reelection chances. For perspective, biden is sitting at 43 with white voters which is exactly what barack obama got in his sevenpoint win in 2008. Of course, 2020 has provided nothing, but surprises like fridays much better than expected jobs report which had President Trump heralding Economic Growth and promising more good times ahead and our poll does show the economy is a point of strength for the president. When we come back, cases of covid19 i know that every single time that i suit up, there is a chance that thats the last time. 300 miles an hour, thats where i feel normal. I might be crazy but im not stupid. Having an annuity tells me that im protected. During turbulent times, consider protected Lifetime Income from an annuity as part of your retirement plan. This can help you cover your essential monthly expenses. Learn more at protectedincome. Org. Welcome back. Lets take a look at our poll through the prism of the pandemic on the issue of masks. Our poll shows there is a big divide between trump and biden depending on whether you wear a mask. Check this out. Folks that wear a mask always according to our poll, 6626, 40point advantage for biden. Among those who rarely or never wear a mask, its an 837 advantage for the president. David french, i guess we have politicized mask wearing. It did seem as if when this first started it was elected officials trying to polarize us on masks, but the public wasnt there. Were starting to see a little bit of this creep into the public now. A lot of it is creeping into the public. I mean, Everything Everything becomes culture war eventually in these times, it seems and it seems unlikely to say that masking would become part of the culture war especially since prudent masking is an indispensable part of opening up the economy that so many folks and particularly in the less a, and so you have this dichotomy where on the one hand people are saying open, open, open in many of the red states and at the same time, dont tell me to mask, but the virus doesnt care about your politics. It doesnt care if youre out in public shoulder to shoulder with people because youre protesting racism and it doesnt care if youre not wearing a mask because you think its a sign of weakness. It doesnt care. It can afflict people left, right, poor, rich and it feels as if weve moved to a point where were saying oh, thats over now. Thats over. That was the spring. Were coming into the summer, and again, were dealing with a virus that it doesnt matter what we think about it. Its going to do what its going to do, and we can only hope and fray in looking over the protests this last week that outside transmission is not nearly as dangerous as we thought it could be, but again, politics, the culture war battle here is irrelevant when the virus doesnt care about it. Kristen welker, the president was very excited about having unexpected good news in the economy showing an up arrow on job gains rather than the expected down arrow and i want to put up numbers from the poll to show you, why he wants it to be a v and why its unlikely to be a v and half the country is with the economic activity. 20 of those we surveyed feel comfortable doing a couple of those things. Another, i would say another quarter tell us that they have some medium level of comfort, 20 . One in five voters that we tested called themselves quasi comfortable, but you still have 52 who call themselves very uncomfortable in some form about flying, eating out or large groups, and i looked at those numbers and i heard the president s rhetoric, and i thought i know he wants this to be a v recovery, but that demand issue shows me its unlikely it will be. Right. White house officials, chuck, are saying the bottom line is that it is remarkable that we are seeing these signs of recovery at this point, and so you can expect the president to continue to try to focus on the numbers that are moving in the right direction because the economy is going to be key to his reelection and thats why you had that rose garden event on friday with the president essentially taking a victory lap, and i am told that the Biden Campaign and the former Vice President will focus this focused on his plans for the economic recovery and revival and biden knows that he needs to be, in essence, more out front. We saw that this week when he spoke in philadelphia and in dover about these protests and so for biden, hes going to really try to make this a leadership issue, but i do think, chuck, that this reelection is going to largely focus on the economy and the broader questions about leadership and handling these dual crises. The protests, of course, and the coronavirus, chuck. Gene, do i feel that democrats have to be careful and not to look like theyre unhappy that the economy surprisingly looked better and that jobs report and i go back to 2004 and when there were times they looked like the democrats and the carrie campaign thought the worse the economic picture, the better shot they have. So you have to be careful when you walk that line. Theres no doubt that the president might be overspiking the football, but you cant look like youre unhappy about it. Right. I havent heard democrats who sounded unhappy at the signs of economic progress and recovery. I heard some questioning of the of the bureau of labor statistics figures, but not seriously. These are these are experienced and dedicated professionals who have done this for generations, and so i believe the numbers and i think everyone has to celebrate economic recovery. I think that the issue for the president , though is the number of people who as judged by our poll think the country is sort of spiralling out of control with these multiple crisis on top of crisis, pandemic and Great Depression level protests and that is not good for an incoming president to have the overwhelming majority of the country feeling that things are out of control. No. That, to me, is definitely the toughest number in our poll there. Thats all we have for today. Thank you for watching. Thank you for trusting us. We really appreciate it. Well be back next week because if its sunday, its meet the press qwest. Mrs. Walker. Michael vasquez come over here. Ive heard such good things about you, your company. Well, i wouldnt have done any of it without you. Without this place. This is for you. Michael, you didnt have to. And, were going to need some help with the rest. Youve worked so hard to achieve so much. Perhaps its time to partner with someone who knows you and your business well enough to understand what your wealth is really for. This week, computers used to simulate nuclear bomb blasts are now looking for a coronavirus cure. We will take with a chip maker, the power behind the processors. Join ebay interns as they try to get a start on their careers over video cference. The phi tfuture of c thats this week. Good morning. Im scott mcgrew. We continue to shelter in place as a precauon